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Ganondorf (SSBB)

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This article is about Ganondorf's appearance inSuper Smash Bros. Brawl. For the character in other contexts, seeGanondorf.
Ganondorf
inSuper Smash Bros. Brawl
Ganondorf SSBB.jpg
ZeldaSymbol.svg
UniverseThe Legend of Zelda
Other playable appearancesinMelee
inSSB4
inUltimate
AvailabilityUnlockable
Final SmashBeast Ganon
TierF (38)
Ganondorf (SSBB)

Ganondorf (ガノンドロフ,Ganondorf) is a playable character inSuper Smash Bros. Brawl.The Legend of Zelda series director Eiji Aonuma first hinted that Ganondorf would return fromSuper Smash Bros. Melee when he stated that he sent (Ganondorf),Link, andSheik'sTwilight Princess designs toMasahiro Sakurai.[1] He was ultimately confirmed on March 18, 2008. Most of Ganondorf's voice clips are fromTwilight Princess and were performed by Hironori Miyata, while hisWii Remote selection sound is fromThe Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time and was performed by Takashi Nagasako; it last appeared inMelee's Sound Test.

Ganondorf is ranked dead last on theBrawltier list, in 38th place out of the 38 characters in the game. This is a significant drop from his position on theMelee tier list, where he ranked 14th out of 26, and is tied withhis later iteration fromUltimate as his worst placement in theSmash series to date (although he is far more viable inUltimate compared to hisBrawl iteration). Ganondorf's few strengths include high power throughout his moveset, respectable endurance, strongmomentum cancelling capabilities, and some fearsomeedgeguarding abilities, with access to the most powerfulmeteor smash in the game in hisdown aerial, and a greatsemi-spike in hisup aerial. Ganondorf has also gained a new combo starter inFlame Choke and a superjump glitch in theFlight of Ganon.

However, these strengths are eclipsed by a slew of significant flaws. Ganondorf's overall mobility and frame data are among the slowest, if not the slowest in the game, with evenKing Dedede just barely beating him. Hisrecovery is possibly his biggest flaw, being one of the worst recoveries inBrawl; he has the third-lowest doublejump in the game,Flame Choke covers minimal horizontal distance and is easily edge-guarded due to its slow speed and lack of protection, and aerialWizard's Foot no longer restores his double jump. In particular,Dark Dive is likewise slow, and its newly added hitbox at the move's climax is not sufficient enough to defend from edge-guarding, while it has also lost all of its KO power and now only KOs past theSudden Death range (300%), and has so little hitstun that opponents can hit Ganondorf out of it as soon as the move completes. Nerfs to his useful chain-grab options and his overall moveset fromMelee, along with the changes tohitstun severely weakened his KO and combo ability. Additionally, many of his moves either have large sourspots, poorreach for a character of his size, inconveniently placedhitboxes, or cannot KO at realistic percentages (like his aforementionedDark Dive), invalidating his would-be impressive attack power. Also, the loss ofL-cancelling has harmed him far more than any other character inBrawl, as he is no longer able to safely use his powerful, yet laggy aerials in many situations. In addition, hisgrab is not only slow, but also the shortest-reaching grab in the series, which compounds with his slow attacks to give him poorout of shield options. While his great weight gives him respectable endurance, this is offset by his exploitable recovery, and it also makes him susceptible tochain grabs and combos (with a few being capable ofzero-deathing him outright). Plus, his shield is unusually small, making it vulnerable toshield stabbing. Finally, his lack of any projectile makes him easy tocamp and leaves him with little in the way of approach options or ways to force approaches.

As a result, Ganondorf has had the third-highest tier drop fromMelee toBrawl (behindCaptain Falcon andJigglypuff for the second-highest and highest, respectively), with terrible tournament results and awful matchups against nearly the entire cast. Although Japan has a slightly better opinion on Ganondorf, ranking him 31st, the myriad of detrimental attributes plaguing him have led many to considerBrawl Ganondorf to be not only the worst character inBrawl, but even the worst character in the entire series.

How to unlock[edit]

Players can unlock Ganondorf by doing one of the methods listed below. With the exception of the third method, Ganondorf must then be defeated onFinal Destination.

  • Play 200VS. matches to completion. If Ganondorf is skipped for fighters with higher VS. match quotas, he will not be accessible until those other fighters are unlocked.
  • ClearClassic Mode on hard difficulty or higher withLink orZelda. If the player fails to defeat Ganondorf, they can re-fight him by doing this exact method again. If this method is used andSonic's Classic Mode condition is met, then he must be unlocked before Ganondorf can be fought.
  • Have Ganondorf join the player's party inThe Subspace Emissary by collecting Link's and Zelda's trophies inSubspace (Part II) and clearing the level.

Attributes[edit]

Ganondorf is aheavy, fast falling, very slow character (the slowest to be exact) with sub-par range and strong attacks. Though only in their sweetspots, his attacks deal above average knockback; however, this can also serve as a problem since it prevents him from comboing at medium damage percentages or higher. His side special grants himarmor (only helpful in team battles or Free-for-alls) while he is holding the opponent, and it leaves opponents vulnerable for a bit of time if used on the ground, leaving them open for another quick attack being a true set up like down tilt (on most characters), his jab, or several characters getting hit by dash attack and side tilt for KOs, and even his up aerial on platforms. In the air, Ganondorf's side special can cause aGanoncide, although it is situational because even when it is impossible to escape from it or control the trajectory, landing it is very hard work, and the results in a last-stock situation are unpredictable. Ganondorf's moves are arguably the least affected by Smash DI because he has the lowest number of multi-hitting moves (his down smash and his neutral aerial are his only moves considered to be a multi-hitting move; however, his neutral aerial's second hit will almost never connect at higher percentages), effectively rendering escape and punishment of his attacks ineffective, although his attacks are a lot easier to shield or dodge. Ganondorf's dash attack provides him with a quick speed boost, and the move is a hard hitter as well and can also KO, but it is easily punished if shielded. Ganondorf's aerials are also very strong, and all have high knockback and strong edgeguarding potential. His up aerial is a very usefulsemi-spike that can gimp opponents due to its high hitstun, and his down aerial is an extremely strong and reliablemeteor smash that can surprisinglyauto-cancel in a short hop in addition to being the strongest in the game (sometimes able to KO even at 0%, depending on how far away the opponent is from the lower blast line). Ganondorf's powerful up smash, despite its slow startup, has very low ending lag and a deceptive hitbox, making it one of Ganondorf's best moves. Ganondorf's advancedsuperjump glitch, theFlight of Ganon, is very situational, but, if done right, he travels far higher in the air than any of his aerial options, allowing him to escape pressure, and the maneuver allows him to set up an aerial reverse Warlock Punch, his strongest move.

However, Ganondorf's high power and heavy weight are counter-balanced with a slew of flaws. Ganondorf is the tallest fighter in the game, a problem shared with other heavyweights. His horizontal standinggrab range is the shortest in the game (though his pivot grab has good range, but slower start-up). Because of his poor grab range, slow moves, and short distanced rolls, his out of shield options are some of the least effective in the game (though his grab can sometimes still shield grab depending on the range of the opponent's attack and the shieldstun of it, in spite of its range), forcing him to rely on powershielding; because of how much he relies on his shield that hasn't the size of characters like Snake without being able to punish the opponent, this makes him easy to shield poke with multi-hit moves. Ganondorf also has difficulty jumping out of shield due to his slow jumpsquat (7 frames). Ganondorf has poorair speed, and a very small second jump (though it auto-sweetspots ledges, allowing him toplank). Ganondorf's mobility is also very poor with his poor air speed and ground speed; because of this, characters with a good projectile can easily break his approach and force him to jump and still get very little distance. He also lacks a projectile while also lacking easy ways to deal with them, and he does not have an easy way of dealing with camping either. Ganondorf's overall ground attack speed is among the slowest in the game along withIke (but three of Ganondorf's aerial attacks are only laggy if he lands while attacking; Ganondorf's fastest ground attack is his short-ranged grab which has 7 frames of startup). Two of Ganondorf's moves, his Volcano Kick up tilt and Warlock Punch neutral special, are extremely slow and highly situational. His forward aerial, while otherwise a decently powerful move with solid range, is affected by a coding error, preventing it from auto-canceling even out of a double jump and giving it noticeably more ending lag than the rest of his aerials.

Although his weight and goodmomentum canceling allows Ganondorf to potentially live up to very high percents, his slow, predictable and easily gimped recovery compromises this, being among the worst in the game. His main recovery move, Dark Dive, not only gains little distance, but it can be hit out of from above by certain characters where he lacks hitboxes (e.g.Falco, at around 90% damage, can meteor smash Ganondorf out of his up special with his down aerial). It can poorlystage spike edgehoggers, but Dark Dive is easilyteched, and in fact the uppercut at the end is stronger than the primary attack (which does not KO until 300%, and is substantially weaker than in otherSmash games). Because of these reasons, Ganondorf's up special is one of the worst in the game and is practical only when used offensively if the opponent is at a low percent or is one of the few who cannot punish it. Although his overall damage input and KO power allows to compensate his terrible recovery somewhat, it still lacks sufficient utility, as opponents can act as soon as they are let go, while Ganondorf must wait for a while before attacking, giving enemies the chance to attack Ganondorf as soon as he lets go. He, like Captain Falcon andWolf, has a fast falling speed and a heavy weight that can backfire by making him vulnerable tochain grabs from theIce Climbers andKing Dedede. Also, certain characters can avoid much of Ganondorf's moveset by simplycrouching (jab, f-tilt, non-down angled forward smash, down smash, auto-canceled short hop down aerial,Warlock Punch, groundedWizard's Foot and even standing grab and dash grab).

Additionally, despite him having some useful combo starters at low percentages (including his down throw, Flame Choke and auto-canceled down aerial), Ganondorf is otherwise virtually unable to combo past low-mid percents. Ganondorf cannot pursue his opponents with most of his other moves both in the air and on the ground due to his low air speed, his abysmal overall mobility, his sluggish jumpsquat, the high knockback of most of his attacks, and the ability to more easily act out of hitstun inBrawl than in any otherSmash game, which makes him nearly incapable of consistently and efficiently racking up damage above mid percents. As mentioned earlier, he does have some decent combo starters in his short hop auto-canceled down aerial and his Flame Choke. However, both moves are flawed in the same way: they have long start-up lag and are as such extremely predictable and avoidable. Furthermore, his Flame Choke has high ending lag if he whiffs it, and requires proper reads in order for him to effectively tech-chase and combo his opponent repeatedly with it, while his auto-canceled down aerial stops leading into any of his other moves above mid percentages.

Changes fromSuper Smash Bros. Melee[edit]

Ganondorf's overall moveset has received an overhaul fromMelee. While he still shares some moves fromCaptain Falcon, he has received different animations and moves that now make him a semi-clone rather than a full clone.

Despite being a low-mid tier in Melee while also receiving some good buffs, Ganondorf was heavilynerfed fromMelee, being one of the most nerfed characters in the transition alongsideJigglypuff. His already slow mobility has been weakened, and some of his moves have lessreach (despite his tall stature), leaving him very easily out-maneuvered and vulnerable from all sides. His comboing and KOing ability also have been severely crippled: his grabs can no longerchain throw nor set up effectively as before; and his great power has been toned down to being only slightly above-average, due to his moves either being drastically weakened to the point where they cannot K.O. even at 200% or have received extremely largesourspots that cannot KO reliably, most notably his forward aerial, the crux of his metagame inMelee. Finally, his already poor recovery was significantly weakened to be among the worst, with his main recovery move (Dark Dive) being completely unsafe on hit.

On the other hand, he did receive a few notable buffs. Hisair speed is much faster (although still among the slowest), his forward tilt nowsemi-spikes and is effective against enemies with weak recoveries, his up and down tilts have significantly improved range, and he now has the highest damaging forward throw in the game.Warlock Punch and aerialWizard's Foot are much stronger, andDark Dive now has a hitbox at the move's climax that provides decent protection against edgeguarders, along with being able to grab ledge-hangers. Arguably the biggest buff he received is a new side special,Flame Choke, which gives Ganondorf a combo starter and tech-chasing move. However, none of these are significant enough to counterbalance the nerfs he had received, while most of these moves were also nerfed as well.

Aesthetics[edit]

  • Change Ganondorf's design is now based on his appearance inThe Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess rather thanThe Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, and his sword is now theSword of the Six Sages. The overall boost in graphics also give his outfit more detail.
    • Nerf As a result, Ganondorf is significantly larger and taller, making him even more vulnerable to combos, projectiles, and hits in general. While very few of his attacks have more reach, this size increase fails to properly compensate his moves that had their range reduced.
  • Change Ganondorf's ledge hanging animation is altered, he now hangs onto a ledge with both hands.
  • Change Ganondorf has a new dashing animation where he jogs instead of sprints, and his backward rolls are now sidesteps rather than backflips.
  • Change Ganondorf's up taunt now has him leaning more backward after uncurling. He also now laughs after he spins rather than at the beginning of the taunt.
  • Change Ganondorf's sword-waving victory pose has been replaced by a laugh with crossed arms.
  • Change Ganondorf has a new sleeping animation, now being different from Captain Falcon.
  • Change As on-screen appearances were not present inMelee, Ganondorf now receives one.
  • Change Ganondorf no longer uses hisstun voice clip when waking out ofsleep status.

Attributes[edit]

  • Nerf Ganondorfdashes considerably slower (1.35 → 1.16), going from 6th lowest out of 26 characters to the 2nd lowest out of 39 characters.
  • Buff Ganondorf'sair speed is higher (0.78 → 0.846), going from being tied for the 3rd lowest out of 26 characters to tied for 9th lowest out of 39, improving his recovery and ability to chase opponents while airborne.
  • Nerf Ganondorf'sair acceleration is lower (0.06 (maximum) → 0.04) going from being tied for the 5th highest out of 26 characters to the 2nd lowest out of 39.
  • Nerf Ganondorf's traction is lower (0.07 → 0.068).
    • Buff However, it is higher relative to the cast going from the 14th highest out of 26 characters to the 7th highest out of 39.
  • Nerf Ganondorf'sjumpsquat is longer (6 frames → 7).
  • Nerf Ganondorf now crouches upright instead of hunching over, increasing his crouching hurtbox.
  • Change As with the returning veterans, Ganondorf'sFalling speed is lower (2 → 1.65) although he falls faster relative to the cast, going from the 10th highest out of 26 characters to tied for 7th highest out of 39.
  • Change Ganondorf'sgravity is lower (0.13 → 0.1027), going from being tied for the 3rd highest out of 26 characters to being tied for the 6th highest out of 39.
  • Change The changes to air dodges and the introduction ofhitstun canceling both help and hinder Ganondorf. They further limit his already limited combo potential and remove his ability towavedash but they make him much less vulnerable to followups himself, as well as improving his endurance.
  • Nerf The removal of L-cancelling hurt Ganondorf far more than any other character aside fromBowser andLink, as when combined with the changes toshieldstun, it greatly hinders the safety of his aerials, which was one of his strongest features previously.
  • Nerf The removal ofDirectional Influence for moves which do not cause tumble greatly hinder Ganondorf as when combined with his high weight/falling speed/gravity and his large size, it makes him highly susceptible to inescapablechain grabs and move chains. Ganondorf himself does not have any moves which notably benefit from the change, significantly hindering him overall.
    • Nerf As with several other veterans returning fromMelee, the introduction of a much wider variety of chain grabs makes Ganondorf significantly more vulnerable to it than inMelee, hindering his endurance against several characters.

Ground attacks[edit]

  • Neutral attack:
    • Nerf Neutral attack's body hitbox is now a sourspot that deals 3% less damage (8% → 5%).
    • Buff Neutral attack's hand hitbox is now a sweetspot that deals 2% more damage (7% → 9%).
    • Change Neutral attack now has a hitbox on the arm that deals 7%.
    • Buff Neutral attack has more reach and significantly more knockback (30 (base), 100 (scaling) → (40/30)/105), allowing the sweetspot to KO under 125%-150% near the ledge.
    • Nerf Neutral attack has more startup with a shorter duration (frames 3-6 → 8-9) and ending lag (FAF 19 → 34), making it much slower, significantly weakening his close-range game andout of shield capabilities while completely removing its combo potential.
    • Change Neutral attack now uses Ganondorf's right arm instead of his left.
  • Dash attack:
    • Buff Dash attack has increased base knockback (40 → 60) and damage (14% → 15%), now being a reliable KO move that can KO in the 100-125% range. Despite the significant power increase, however, it is still the second most powerful dash attack (this time surpassed byKing Dedede's).
    • Nerf Dash attack has more startup lag (frame 7 → 10) with its total duration compensated (FAF 38 → 41). It also has much less range and now has a sourspot with less knockback scaling.
  • Forward tilt:
    • Buff Ganondorf has a new forward tilt: a front kick. It launches enemies at asemi-spike angle (361° → 22°), making it good against characters with poor recoveries.
    • Nerf Forward tilt deals slightly less knockback (20 (base), 100 (scaling) → 30/88), hindering its KO potential (though it's compensated due to the aforementioned lowered knockback angle). It also has more startup (frame 9 → 10) and ending lag (FAF 29 → 39), can no longer be angled, and has less reach, making it more difficult to land and a less safe and less usefulspacer, as well as reducing its maximum damage output.
    • Change Ganondorf has a new forward tilt with batteringitems like theBeam Sword, which is similar to one of his attacks inTwilight Princess.
  • Up tilt:
    • Buff Up tilt's startup animation produces a stronger vacuum effect and the explosion produced is significantly larger, giving the move drastically better reach and making it overall much easier to land. The hitbox also has a slightly longer duration (81-83 → 81-84).
    • Buff Up tilt now deals rather high shield damage (0 → 20), with the move now draining close to 2/3rds of the opponent’s shield.
    • Nerf Up tilt has drastically reduced base knockback (110 → 60), now KO'ing in the 40-50% range. It also now has large, drastically weaker sourspots covering the explosion that deal much less damage (27% → 19%/17%) and KO around the 75-100% range, though it is still the most powerful tilt by far. The introduction ofledge auto-sweetspotting also makes the move less effective as an edgeguarding tool.
    • Change Up tilt has a slightly altered animation, where Ganondorf holds up his leg while it's charging.
  • Down tilt:
    • Buff Ganondorf has a new down tilt: a low front kick. It has slightly more reach, now being slightly disjointed.
  • Forward smash:
    • Buff Forward smash launches at a lower angle (80°/70°/60° → 45°/40°/35°) and all angles now inflict the same amount of damage as the upwards-angled version fromMelee (24%/22%/20% → 24%). It also has a much larger hitboxes (3.6u → 5u), which somewhat compensates for Ganondorf not lunging as far as he did inMelee.
    • Nerf Forward smash has reduced base knockback (40 → 30). In addition, the elbow hitbox has reduced knockback scaling (85 (angled up)/83 (non-angled)/80 (angled down) → 75 (all angles)), requiring Ganondorf to be up close to the opponent to connect with the sweetspot.
    • Change Forward smash has 1 frame more start-up but with 1 frame more duration (frame 20-24 → 21-26), making it no longer hit opponents before he completely thrusts his elbow outward but makes the attack's hitbox linger more, which may surprise Ganondorf's opponents.
  • Up smash:
    • Buff Ganondorf has a new up smash: a single upwards kick. Compared to the previous up smash, it has considerably more horizontal reach, now being his best and less situational smash attack despite it's nerfs.
    • Nerf Up smash deals less knockback than the first kick in hisMelee up smash (50 (base), 80 (scaling) → 40/70) and has much less damage potential due to the removal of the second kick (39% → 22%). The move additionally has more ending lag (FAF 40 → 43) and a sourspot on the leg that deals less damage (22% → 19%) and has slightly less knockback scaling (80 → 75).
  • Down smash:
    • Buff Down smash has slightly faster startup (frames 19 → 16).
    • Buff Down smash has slightly more reach.
    • Nerf Down smash transitions from the first kick to the second much slower (frame 29 → 36), making it more difficult to link. Along with this, the move has much more ending lag (FAF 46 → 63), making it much less safe to use. The second kick additionally hits at a lower angle (120° → 130°) with much less knockback scaling (110 → 75), now survivable past 150% under standard conditions and overall a much less reliable KO move, going from being the 2nd most powerful down smash in Melee to now being slightly below-average. The first kick also deals 3% less damage (8% → 5%) and sends opponents at a higher angle (160° → 140°/141°), making it easier to DI and harder to lead into the second kick. Additionally, the first kick has a new hitbox closest to Ganondorf that can send opponents away from him (50°), hampering the move when Ganondorf is too close to his opponent.

Aerial attacks[edit]

  • Nerf Due to the landing detection now being reworked so characters land when their feet touch the ground (as opposed to their knees inMelee), Ganondorf's aerials are significantly harder to land on grounded opponents (especially his back aerial and the second kick of his neutral aerial may not even hit a low crouching foe, such asSnake orMr. Game & Watch), hindering his approach further.
  • Neutral aerial:
    • Buff Both hits of neutral aerial have longer hitbox durations (hit 1: 7-8 → 7-13, hit 2: 20-21 → 20-32) withsex kick properties.
    • Buff Neutral aerial has less landing lag (25 frames → 22).
    • Nerf Neutral aerial has a longer animation (44 frames → 59), increasing the amount of time Ganondorf cannot grab ledges after performing the move.
    • Nerf The second kick of neutral aerial is drastically weaker, dealing less damage (12% → 7%) and base knockback (50 → 25), completely removing its KO potential. The first kick also deals less damage (12% → 11%), though it can still KO under 150%. Due to the longer hitbox durations, the moveauto-cancels significantly later (frame 26 → 41), no longer doing so in a short hop.
  • Forward aerial:
    • Nerf Forward aerial has much more ending lag (FAF 35 → 55).
    • Nerf Forward aerial has more landing lag (25 frames → 32).
    • Nerf Forward aerial auto-cancels much later (frames 34 → 55), no longer doing so in a full hop.
    • Nerf Forward aerial has a new, longer animation (44 frames → 59) where Ganondorf doesn't lean as forward as he did previously, reducing its range and increasing the amount of time Ganondorf cannot grab ledges after performing the move.
    • Nerf The hand hitbox deals less knockback (60 (base), 80 (scaling) → 48/83), hindering its KO potential.
    • Nerf The arm hitbox deals less damage (17% → 15%) and has lower base knockback (60 → 30), greatly hindering its KO potential.
    • Nerf Forward aerial has smaller hitboxes (3.1248u/3.906u/5.0778u → 3.4u/5u) and the hitbox on Ganondorf's hand has been removed, resulting in the middle hitbox being moved further out slightly (1.953 → 2) and being increased in size (3.906 → 5), which still doesn't properly compensate for its nerfed reach, which is no longer slightly disjointed.
  • Back aerial:
    • Buff Back aerial has less landing lag (25 frames → 22).
    • Buff Back aerial has larger hitboxes (5.4684u/4.6872u/3.906u → 6.3u/5.5u/4.8u) which are positioned slightly further away from Ganondorf (x offset: 4.6872/3.1248/-0.7812 → 4.8/3.2/-0.8).
    • Nerf Back aerial has a shorter duration (frames 10-15 → 10-12).
    • Nerf Back aerial has more ending lag (FAF 29 → 36) and a longer animation (35 frames → 45).
    • Nerf Back aerial auto-cancels later (frame 19 → 22).
    • Nerf Back aerial deals less knockback (30/10 (base), 100 (scaling) → (28/10)/85), significantly hindering its KO potential.
  • Up aerial:
    • Buff Up aerial has less landing lag (25 frames → 22).
    • Buff Up aerial has larger hitboxes (3.906u/4.6872u → 4.8u/5.76u) which are positioned slightly further away from Ganondorf (x offset: 3.1248/5.859 → y offset: -3.2/-6).
    • Nerf Up aerial has more ending lag (FAF 30 → 34) and a longer animation (33 frames → 43).
    • Nerf Up aerial auto-cancels later (frame 22 → 25).
  • Down aerial:
    • Buff Down aerial auto-cancels earlier (frames 36 → 32), now doing so in a short hop.
    • Buff Down aerial has larger hitboxes (6.6402u/5.859u/5.4684u → 7u/6u) and they are now static, giving them more consistent range below Ganondorf.
    • Change Down aerial now has an altered animation: Ganondorf's arms to his side instead of up next to his head, and no longer has him leaning backward. He also no longer flips after the move has ended.
    • Nerf Down aerial has more ending lag (FAF 38 → 45) and a longer animation (44 frames → 54).
    • Nerf Down aerial has lower base knockback (50 → 30), hindering its KO potential.
    • Nerf The body hitbox deals much less damage (22% → 17%), making it much weaker.
    • Nerf The hitbox on Ganondorf's head has been removed, giving it less range above him.

Throws/other attacks[edit]

  • Grabs:
    • Buff Grabs have slightly less ending lag (FAF 31 (standing)/41 (dash) → 30/40).
    • Buff With the exception of standing grab's near grabbox, grabs have larger grabboxes (3.906u (standing)/3.906u/3.906u/3.906u (dash) → 4.8u (standing)/4.8u/4.8u/4u (dash)), giving them more range despite dash grab's furthest grabbox being positioned closer to Ganondorf (z offset:9.2807 → 9).
    • Buff Standing grab's furthest grabbox is positioned further away from Ganondorf (z offset:7.5933 → 8). When combined with its larger size, this gives it more range.
    • Nerf Ganondorf's grabs have a new animation where Ganondorf reaches his arm out further. This means that while his grabs have more lateral range, they have less range relative to Ganondorf, with his grabs no longer covering his entire hand. This hinders the safety of his grabs.
    • Nerf Standing grab's nearest grabbox is smaller (3.906u → 3u) and both standing and dash grab's nearest grabboxes are positioned further away from Ganondorf (z offset:2.5311/-2.5311 → 2.6/-2), giving them less range behind Ganondorf.
  • Change Pummel and all of Ganondorf's throw's hitboxes now always launch bystanders in the direction Ganondorf is facing.
  • Pummel:
    • Buff Pummel has less startup lag (frame 5 → 4) with its total duration subsequently reduced (FAF 25 → 24).
    • Buff Pummel has a larger hitbox (5.0778u → 6.5u).
    • Change Pummel now has a static hitbox.
    • Nerf Pummel deals less damage (3% → 2%).
  • Forward throw:
    • Change Forward throw has an altered animation, where Ganondorf punches his opponent in the gut, instead of punching from the side.
    • Buff Forward throw deals more damage (4% (throw)/8% (total) → 8%/13%) without full compensation on its knockback (45 (base), 105 (scaling) → 60/65) and it launches opponents at a lower angle (45° → 43°).
    • Buff The hitboxes are larger (3.906u/1.963u/1.953u → 5u/2.4u/2.4u).
    • Nerf The hitboxes have a shorter duration (frames 11-17 → 11).
    • Nerf The hitboxes have a higher SDI multiplier (1x → 2x).
    • Change Ganondorf releases opponents from forward throw earlier (frame 18 → 12). This makes it harder to DI but increases its ending lag, as its total duration was unchanged.
  • Back throw:
    • Buff Back throw deals more damage (4% (throw)/8% (total) → 5%/10%) and it launches opponents at a lower angle (135° → 43°).
    • Buff The hitboxes are larger (3.906u/3.5154u/2.7342u → 4.8u/4.32u/3.36u).
    • Nerf The hitboxes have a shorter duration (frames 12-19 → 12).
    • Nerf The hitboxes have a higher SDI multiplier (1x → 2x).
    • Change Ganondorf releases opponents from back throw earlier (frame 20 → 13). This makes it harder to DI but increases its ending lag, as its total duration was unchanged.
  • Up throw:
    • Change Up throw has a new animation where Ganondorf now throws opponents directly above him. This improves its spacing potential but hinders its ability to set up juggles.
    • Buff The hitboxes are larger (3.5154u/3.1248u/2.7342u → 4.32u/3.84u/3.36u).
    • Nerf The hitboxes have a much shorter duration (frames 11-28 → 11).
    • Nerf The hitboxes have a higher SDI multiplier (1x → 2x).
    • Change Ganondorf releases opponents from up throw earlier (frame 15 → 12). This makes it harder to DI but increases its ending lag, as its total duration was unchanged.
      • Nerf When combined with its altered animation, the universally decreased falling speeds, the introduction of the gravity penalty and the introduction of hitstun canceling, this completely removes its followup and chain grabbing potential.
  • Down throw:
    • Change Ganondorf releases opponents from down throw later (frame 20 → 23). This makes it easier to DI but reduces its ending lag, as its total duration was unchanged.
    • Nerf Down throw now sends opponents away from Ganondorf (100° → 65°) and it has higher knockback scaling (36 → 50). When combined with the aforementioned universal changes, this completely removes its chain grabbing potential, as well as and making it much less reliable at setting up followups, greatly hindering its effectiveness despite its decreasing ending lag.
      • Buff However, this also improves its safety (especially when considering the game's universal changes), as well as allowing it to set up edgeguards.

Special moves[edit]

  • Warlock Punch:
    • Buff Warlock Punch has slightly less ending lag (FAF 120 → 118).
    • Buff Warlock Punch has larger hitboxes (2.3436u/3.906u/3.5154u → 5u/4.7u/4.3u) and the furthest hitbox has been moved further away from Ganondorf (x offset: 0 → 5).
    • Buff The grounded version's far hitbox deals more damage (30% → 32%), improving its KO potential.
    • Buff The aerial version deals more damage (30%/32%/34% → 36%) and it launches opponents at a lower angle (361° → 30°), improving its KO potential despite its lower base knockback (40 → 30).
    • Buff Warlock Punch can now be reversed during its startup, which makes it deal more damage (30%/32%/34% → 35% (grounded)/38% (aerial) in exchange for being ten frames slower.
      • Buff The aerial version additionally launches opponents at a lower angle (361° → 30°) while retaining its base knockback, unlike its normal counterpart.
    • Change Warlock Punch has an updated animation with it now being a back handed punch with Ganondorf's left hand instead of a straight punch with his right.
    • Nerf Warlock Punch has a shorter duration (frames 70-72 → 70-71).
    • Nerf The grounded version's nearest hitbox deals less damage (34% → 32%), hindering its KO potential.
  • Flame Choke:
    • Buff Ganondorf has a new side special:Flame Choke. Ganondorf charges toward his opponent, grabs them by their head, and attacks them with a dark pulse that weakly meteor smashes enemies into the ground. This allows Ganondorf to potentially follow up with an additional attack andtech-chase.
    • Buff Flame Choke is inescapable, cannot be teched, and provides Ganondorf grab armor frames.
    • Buff Flame choke cangrab the ledge, improving Ganondorf's recovery options.
    • Change Aerial Flame Choke causes Ganondorf and his opponent to plummet downwards until they hit the ground, allowing it to be used as asuicide KO (although it usually KOs Ganondorf first), but does not meteor smash on landing.
    • Nerf Flame Choke deals less damage than Gerudo Dragon (17% (ground)/16% (air) → 9%/12%) and has weak set knockback, removing its KO potential. It also cannot cut through projectiles and has more startup lag (frame 15 → 16).
  • Dark Dive:
    • Change Dark Dive now has Ganondorf spinning sideways with a sweeping uppercut with his hand at the climax of the move, and no longer spins forward while falling.
    • Change Ganondorf has less horizontal acceleration when using Dark Dive (0.85 → 0.5). This makes him travel less horizontal distance while rising but gives him more control.
    • Change Ganondorf changes direction with Dark Dive much sooner (frame 13 → 4). This makes the move harder to reverse but it also gives Ganondorf more control over using the move, as he can move back while facing forwards much more easily, without the risk of Dark Diving in the wrong direction.
    • Buff Ganondorf descends more slowly after gaining full height, which overall gives Ganondorf more control after performing Dark Dive, improving its recovery potential and overall compensating for its lower horizontal acceleration.
    • Buff Dark Dive can now grab opponents hanging on the ledge.
    • Buff Ganondorf can now grab ledges with Dark Dive while rising, starting on frame 18 (if he is facing the ledge).
    • Buff Dark Dive has larger grabboxes (3.33u/5u → 4.4u/6.5u), giving it more range, despite the initial far grabbox being positioned closer to Ganondorf (z offset:14.4 → 13.65).
    • Buff The main grabbox is positioned much higher (y offset:9.36 → 16), which makes it much more effective at grabbing opponents above Ganondorf.
    • Buff Dark Dive now has a hitbox on frames 34-36 of its duration, which can be used to catch opponents above Ganondorf, as well as hitting ungrabbable targets.
      • Buff The move also posseses a separate hitbox during the grab's active frames againstSubspace enemies and bosses.
    • Buff A successful Dark Dive now grants Ganondorf grab armor.
    • Nerf The grabboxes have more startup lag with a shorter duration (frames 13-33 → 14-28).
    • Nerf The latch has lower base knockback (60 → 50).
    • Nerf The throw deals much less damage (15% → 7%), with no compensation on its knockback values. This greatly hinders its KO potential, no longer capable of KOing at realistic percents.
      • Nerf Additionally, when the opponent is released from Dark Dive, they can now immediately air dodge or attack once they are put into tumble, ignoring the usual timing window for hitstun canceling. This greatly hinders Dark Dive's safety, as numerous characters can now hit Ganondorf out of the move, without the need to tech the stage, making it an even riskier recovery move overall despite all of its other improvements.
    • Nerf Dark Dive now suffers from RCO lag. The move grants 30 frames of hard landing lag with RCO. As Ganondorf has no low lag aerials to safely eliminate the lag and his fast faller status leaves him vulnerable to guaranteed RCO landing lag setups from attacks and grabs, this makes Ganondorf one of the absolute most vulnerable characters to RCO, exacerbated further with the fact that he gets RCO after landing a successful Dark Dive grab.
  • Wizard's Foot:
    • Buff Wizard's Foot has slightly less ending lag (FAF 78 (ground)/70 (off ledge)/59 (aerial) → 77/69/58).
    • Buff Wizard's Foot has less landing lag (57 frames → 44).
    • Buff Ganondorf now has access to a technique known asFlight of Ganon where if Ganondorf buffers a double jump and a Wizard's Foot and then he lands the frame after his air dodge or grounded Wizard's Foot aerial ending animation ends, he will gain a large vertical boost. While the technique is limited and difficult to perform, it does grant Wizard's Foot some additional utility.
    • Change Ganondorf now grunts when using Wizard's Foot.
    • Nerf Wizard's Foot has more startup lag with a shorter duration (frames 14-34 (grounded)/15-29 (aerial) → 16-34/16-29).
      • Change The aerial version is coded to have a longer duration (frames 15-33 → 16-38), although this change has no effect on actual gameplay due to the attack's initial animation still being 29 frames long.
  • Grounded Wizard's Foot:
    • Buff The grounded version's near hitboxes are larger (3.91u/2.73u → 4.5u/3.8u).
    • Buff The grounded version can now beedge canceled during its ending animation.
    • Buff If Ganondorf uses Wizard's Foot near an edge while facing away from it, he will go into his aerial ending animation despite still being on the ground, decreasing its ending lag.
    • Change Ganondorf slows down less after hitting an opponent with the grounded version (0.7x → 0.75x).
    • Change Ganondorf now stays airborne for one frame after the aerial ending animation if he is on stage (with Ganondorf being put into an animation transition frame) instead of falling and landing during it.
      • Buff This allows Ganondorf instant access to his double jump and aerials, as well as allowing him to perform an instant landing Wizard's Foot.
      • Buff This also allows Ganondorf to perform his Flight of Ganon technique after using the move.
      • Nerf However, this also prevents Ganondorf from immediately shielding or using his ground moves once the animation is over, hindering its safety.
    • Change The grounded version has Ganondorf sticking his leg out before thrusting forward, rather than immediately thrusting forward, and his foot is now pointed outwards instead of upward.
    • Nerf The grounded version deals less damage (15% → 12% (near)/10% (far)), launches opponents at a less favorable angle (361° → 45°) and it has lower knockback scaling (85 → 70), greatly hindering its KO potential.
    • Nerf The grounded version deals less shield damage (10 → 4).
    • Nerf The grounded version's far hitbox is smaller (4.3u → 3.5u) and it has been moved closer to Ganondorf (x offset: 7.812 → y offset: 2), greatly reducing its range to the point where it no longer covers Ganondorf's foot.
    • Nerf Ganondorf uses the grounded version higher off the ground, which allows more characters to low profile under the move.
  • Aerial Wizard's Foot:
    • Buff The aerial version deals more damage during its first three active frames (14% → 15%).
    • Buff The aerial version has higher knockback scaling (80 → 100).
    • Buff The aerial version has larger hitboxes (3.91u/2.73u → 5.8u/6.8u/4.8u) and the move now has a foot hitbox, significantly improving its range.
    • Nerf Due to the changes to meteor canceling, the aerial version can now be meteor canceled during its first three frames, hindering its edgeguarding potential despite its increased power.
    • Buff After its first three active frames, the aerial version now launches opponents vertically (290° → 80°). When combined with its higher knockback scaling, this greatly improves its KO potential and safety against opponents on/above stage.
      • Nerf However, this also hinders the move's edgeguarding potential.
    • Nerf The aerial version no longer restores Ganondorf's midair jump, significantly hindering its recovery potential and safety.
  • Landing Wizard's Foot:
    • Buff The landing hit deals more knockback (60 (base), 20 (scaling) → 80/35). When combined with its lower landing lag, this significantly improves its safety.
    • Buff The landing hit has larger hitboxes (3.91u/3.91u/3.91u → 4.5u/4.8u/4.8u) and the side hitboxes have been moved further away from Ganondorf (z offset:9.28/9.28 → 9.5/-9.5), improving its range.
    • Buff If Ganondorf performs Wizard's Foot immediately after jumping, he will now land instantly. This noticeably improves Wizard's Foot's utility, with it now being a viable Out of Shield option in particular.
      • Buff Ganondorf can also perform this instant landing if he drops through a platform which can beplatform canceled onto, improving its utility on moving platforms.
    • Nerf The landing hit deals less damage (12% → 8%).
  • Beast Ganon:
    • Change Ganondorf now has aFinal Smash, Beast Ganon. Upon activation, Ganondorf turns intoGanon, his monstrous alter-ego and stomps the ground,stunning anyone who gets hit by it, and performs a dash at lightning speed. The move is extremely powerful, dealing high damage and knockback, usuallyone-hit KOing anyone who gets hit. The move is also surprisingly fast and Ganondorf has a guaranteed universal setup into it with Flame Choke.

Moveset[edit]

For a gallery of Ganondorf's hitboxes, seehere.

 NameDamageDescription
Neutral attackThunder Punch (雷打,Thunder Hit)9% (hand), 7% (arm), 5% (body)A slow palm strike. Ganondorf's fastest attack on the ground (outside of his grab), with decent range and knockback, but is among the slowest jabs in the game as it comes out on frame 8. It is overall a useful move for Ganondorf but this is mainly due to Ganondorf lacking any faster options on the ground, outside of his short-ranged grab, which is only a single frame faster.
Forward tiltPiercing Kick (突破蹴,Breakthrough Kick)13% (foot), 12% (leg)Leans back while forcefully thrusting one leg forward. Good low angle horizontal knockback with a semi-spike trajectory. Despite its semi-spike ability, it deals the lowest knockback out of all of Ganondorf's tilts. It is similar to a kick used by Ganondorf himself and other large, sword-wielding enemies inThe Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess.
Up tiltVolcano Kick (爆裂蹴,Exploding Kick)27% (leg), 19%/17% (explosion)Ganondorf lifts his leg before smashing it down in an explosion. Hasvacuum properties dealing huge damage and knockback if it connects, and it does very high damage on shields. Considered the slowest start-up tilt and the slowest move overall with a total of 81 frames of startup, but also the strongest if hit with the sweetspot. Can KO at low percentage if used very close to the edge and the opponent doesn't utilize DI andmomentum canceling.
Down tiltLeg Sweep (掃脚,Brush Leg)12%Ganondorf kneels on one leg and thrusts the other leg forward. Great range and sets up for aerials, including a slight disjoint in the end but is not safe when shielded.
Dash attackIron Shoulder (剛肩,Strong Shoulder)15% (clean), 10% (late)Charges at the opponent and rams into them. Ganondorf gains a quick speed boost during the move. Considered the second strongest dash attack in the game.
Forward smashNightmare Lunge (紫炎肘,Violet Flame Elbow)24%Thrusts his elbow forward, dealingdarkness damage on contact. Relatively slow start-up and highcool down, but its extreme knockback is capable of KO'ing past 70%. Hitting closer to Ganondorf deals slightly higher knockback, but the same damage. Can be angled. While the move is based on Captain Falcon's forward smash, it is also very similar to a move Ganondorf uses in the final battle inThe Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess.
Up smashLaunching Kick (打上脚,Launching Leg)22% (leg),19% (body)Forcefully swings his leg up. It has high startup lag although it has low ending lag, solid KO power, great vertical range and deceptive (albeit short) horizontal range. It is overall an effective up smash, although its high startup and somewhat short horizontal range do make it difficult to land.
Down smashLeg Whip (連携蹴,Linkage Kick)5% (hit 1),14%/12% (hit 2)Kicks his leg in front and then behind him. The move has high startup lag (although it is Ganondorf's fastest smash attack), and there is quite a long gap between the first and second hit. It also has high ending lag, having the highest total duration out of all of Ganondorf's smash attacks. If the opponent is put into tumble from the first hit, they have enough time to air dodge to avoid the second hit and even potentially punish Ganondorf afterward. Whether the first hit puts the opponent into tumble or not depends on the opponent's weight and which hitbox connects. Only 7 characters are never put into tumble with the move, with 11 characters being put into tumble by both the close hitbox and the far hitbox, allowing them to always avoid the move. The first hit's nearest hitbox puts no characters into tumble but it does not link into the second hit at all. The first hit does have a low SDI multiplier, however, so if the opponent is not put into tumble, it is very difficult for them to SDI to avoid the second hit.

The second hit in addition to being slow is also not very powerful. On its own, its sweetspot does not KOMario onFinal Destination until 153% although when paired with the first hit, it does KO around 20% earlier if the opponent does not SDI the second hit. It can KO under 100% at the ledge however, although most characters can potentially avoid the second hit if they get hit by the first hit. If Ganondorf lands the first hit from far ranges, he will get a sourspot on the second hit which deals less damage and even less knockback. It also launches opponents at a rather high angle and if they shield it, they are actually pulled towards Ganondorf.

Down smash is overall Ganondorf's least effective smash attack as while it is his fastest smash attack, it is still quite laggy, in addition to being weak and unreliable.

Neutral aerialWhirlwind Formation (旋風陣,Whirlwind Array)11% (hit 1 clean), 7% (hit 1 late), 7% (hit 2 clean), 5% (hit 2 late)Two quick mid-air kicks. The first hit deals the most damage and knockback, making it unlikely to combo into the second hit above extremely low percents.
Forward aerialSkull Crusher (頭蓋割,Cranium Splitter)17% (fist), 15% (arm)An overhead punch in a downwards arc. Very powerful with decent start-up, but has high cool down and landing lag. It also has a large sourspot that prevents it from KO'ing at realistic percents. Due to a programming error, the moveauto-cancels much later than it is supposed to (it is supposed to auto-cancel on frame 36 but due to the wrong kind of timer being used, it does not auto-cancel until frame 55). This same error also gives the move more ending lag (it should be interruptible starting from frame 45 but since the game has to wait for the move to be auto-cancellable first, it cannot be interrupted until frame 55).
Back aerialBackhand Fist (裏拳,Backfist)16%A back-handed punch. One of Ganondorf's fastest aerials dealing good knockback. Also one of his few moves that are fairly safe on shield even when it's not auto cancelled, but unfortunately its high vertical hitbox reduces its usefulness as it can't hit grounded opponents with a buffered short hop back aerial. Can be ground canceled.
Up aerialBackflip Kick (後転脚,Back Turn Kick)13%/12% (clean), 12%/10% (mid), 8%/6% (late)A flip kick, covering a large arc above him. Fast start-up, good coverage with great power. Deals more damage and knockback when it hits closer to Ganondorf. The last few frames of this attack is asour spot thatsemi-spikes with extremely low horizontal knockback, which can be a deadly edgeguarding move. Considered Ganondorf's fastest attack.
Down aerialThunder Drop (落雷蹴,Thunderbolt Kick)22% (legs), 17% (body)Stomps his legs downward, dealingelectric damage. The strongestmeteor smash in the game, with all hitboxes sending opponents downward, and is capable of KOing grounded opponents under 100%. Has little cool down, but high landing lag unless used with a full hop. Can autocancel in a short hop, allowing it to combo into other moves such as another down air. All hitboxes havetranscendent priority, meaning that it cannot cancel out projectiles.
GrabGrab (つかみ)A short ranged grab. Ganondorf's standing and dash grab both have deceptively short range relative to their animations, with both of them failing to cover Ganondorf's hand. Ganondorf's standing grab is often considered to be the shortest in the game due to its deceptively short range, although its lateral range is only the 11th shortest. Ganondorf's grabs are not too slow and pivot grab does have reasonably good range, being quite disjointed. Ganondorf's grab is considered to be poor overall however, due to his short standing grab range and his unspectacular throws.
PummelGrab Knee Kick (つかみ膝蹴)2%Knees the opponent. A moderately slow pummel.
Forward throwGut Punch (剛突,Strong Thrust)5% (hit 1), 8% (throw)Punches his opponent forward. High damage for a throw and good power.
Back throwRear Kick (衝脚,Piercing Leg)5% (hit 1), 5% (throw)Throws opponent backward and kicks them. Strong knockback for a throw, it easily sets up edgeguard opportunities, and can even KO at high percentages when near the edge.
Up throwJaw Breaker (顎砕,Jaw Smash)4% (hit 1), 3% (throw)Throws opponent upward and jabs their back. A poor throw that isn't strong enough to KO under 200%, but has too high of base knockback to able to combo effectively.
Down throwDirt Drop Crusher (地割落,Earth Splitting Fall)7%Throws his opponent violently on the ground. A weak throw that works very well for setting up at low percentages, even a shutter-step Forward Smash for high damage. Can often be led into a Flame Choke, up aerial, back aerial, or even down aerial depending on the opponent's DI. No followups are guaranteed however, and Ganondorf's poor speed does limit his potential followup options.
Forward roll
Back roll
Spot dodge
Air dodge
Techs
Floor attack (front)
Floor getups (front)
6%Flips up and lands on his feet.
Floor attack (back)
Floor getups (back)
6%A spin kick that can hit twice.
Floor attack (trip)
Floor getups (trip)
5%Spins around to kick those who are near.
Edge attack (fast)
Edge getups (fast)
10%Gets up with a horizontal left back hand to the opponent.
Edge attack (slow)
Edge getups (slow)
10%Slowly gets up and performs a low kick.
Neutral specialWarlock Punch32% (ground), 35% (ground reverse), 36% (air), 38% (air reverse)Winds up a large amount of darkness and releases it all in a powerful forward backhand punch. The move can be reversed, which deals more damage.
Side specialFlame Choke9% (ground throw), 12% (air throw)Boosts forward with his hand extended out. Upon contact he grabs the opponent's neck and attacks them with a pulse of darkness before dropping them onto the ground (though an opponent cantech the hit to avoid guaranteed follow-ups, though the move can betech-chased due to having no end lag). In the air, Ganondorf grabs onto and descends holding the opponent before slamming them into the ground, or to the lowerblast line in asuicide KO if used off-stage.
Up specialDark Dive1% (hits 1-4), 7% (throw), 7% (uppercut)Ganondorf latches onto an opponent and unleashes electricity onto them before launching them with an explosion. If the move connects, Ganondorf's free to use the same move again and avoidhelplessness.
Down specialWizard's Foot12%/10% (ground), 15%/14% (air), 8% (landing)Surrounded by darkness, Ganondorf launches himself while extending his leg out, dealing decent damage and knockback (but lots ofcool down). In the air, Ganondorf launches diagonally downwards while extending his leg out below him. A small shockwave is formed around Ganondorf when he lands on the ground, which has small amount of knockback. Slows down significantly on impact with anything, has a lot oflanding lag, and is extremely risky to use off stage.
Final SmashBeast Ganon10% (grounding), 10% (stomp), 45% (charge)Ganondorf becomes his beast form and rams into the opponent. Opponents too close upon initiation are buried, while those otherwise in front will be paralyzed.

Stats[edit]

Data.pngThis article or section may require additional technical data.
The editor who added this tag elaborates:Needs short hop and double jump heights
You can discuss this issue on thetalk page oredit this page to improve it.
StatsWeightDash speedWalk speedTractionAir frictionAir speedAir accelerationGravityFalling speedJumpsquatJump heightDouble jump heightEmpty landing Lag
Value1091.3 – Initial dash
1.16 – Run
0.730.0680.0150.8460.01 – Base
0.03 – Additional
0.10271.65 – Base
2.31Fast-fall
725.50106535 - Base
? -Short hop
?4

Announcer call[edit]

Sound.pngThis article could use additional or higher-quality audio files.
The editor who added this tag suggests:Needs announcer calls from other languages.
If you have a good audio file for this article, upload ithere.

Wii Remote selection sound[edit]

  • Ganondorf says "Oooh-yah!". The sound clip is taken directly fromMelee. Interestingly, the sound was unused inMelee and can only be heard in theSound Test.
Ganondorf's selection sound

On-screen appearance[edit]

  • Emerges from a portal of dark magic. Based on howPhantom Ganon emerges from similar dark portals in his boss fight inOcarina of Time.
GanondorfOnScreenAppearanceSSBB.gif

Taunts[edit]

  • Up taunt: Floats in the air, curls into a ball, spins, opens up from his curled position and poses, all while laughing maniacally. (Same as inMelee)
  • Side taunt: Punches his hands together, and dark energy appears.
  • Down taunt: Takes his sword out, dark energy pulses from the tip, looks at it, then puts it away.
Up tauntSide tauntDown taunt
GanondorfUpTauntBrawl.gifGanondorfSideTauntBrawl.gifGanondorfDownTauntBrawl.gif

Idle poses[edit]

  • Crosses his arms and looks in the other direction
  • Brings his hands together, then swings his right hand over his head
Ganondorf Idle Pose 2 Brawl.pngGanondorf Idle Pose 1 Brawl.png

Crowd cheer[edit]

Cheer (English)Cheer (Japanese)Cheer (German)Cheer (Korean)
Cheer
DescriptionGan - on - dorf!Gan - on - dorf!Ga - non - dorf!
Cheer (French)Cheer (Italian)Cheer (Spanish)
Cheer
DescriptionGa - non - dorf !Ga - non - dorf!Ganondorf!Ganooon - dorf!

Victory poses[edit]

This flourish is a cover of the music that played whenever Link obtained aTriforce Piece inThe Legend of Zelda.
  • Up: With his back facing the camera, Ganondorf turns to face the camera, and holds up his fist, the back of it facing the viewer (similar to how he displays his Triforce piece).
  • Left: Pumps a victorious fist and crouches.
  • Right: While crossing his arms, he laughs, then looks down at the camera.
UpLeftRight
Ganon-VictoryUp-SSBB.gifGanon-VictoryLeft-SSBB.gifGanon-VictoryRight-SSBB.gif

Incompetitive play[edit]

Most historically significant players[edit]

See also:Category:Ganondorf players (SSBB)
  • USA DLA - Widely considered best Ganondorf in argument with Vermanubis. Known for having the best overall results of a Ganondorf player, but played several top/high tier secondaries in addition to Ganon in achieving those results.
  • USA Fonz - Known for being one of the best Ganondorf players, achieving particular notoriety when he once won a legitimate tournament using primarily Ganondorf, which even with it banning Meta Knight and being in a weaker region, was a feat that other Ganondorf and bottom tier players could not replicate.
  • Canada Ray Kalm - Highly regarded onSmashboards' Ganondorf boards as one of the best Ganondorf players, that was perhaps on par with Vermanubis and DLA, but Canada's then less-developed scene and his lack of travel limited his exposure to the general competitive community.
  • USA Vermanubis - Widely considered best Ganondorf in argument with DLA, and if not, was unanimously considered best solo-main of Ganondorf. Also known for finding practical applications of Ganondorf's difficultadvanced techniques such as theFlight of Ganon, and for being a prominent and well-liked community figurehead forBrawl.

Tier placement and history[edit]

Ganondorf initially was not seen as the worst character, being ranked aboveLink andCaptain Falcon on the first tier list, and was still ranked above Captain Falcon on the second tier list. From the third tier list on however, Ganondorf was consistently ranked the worst character, and on the fifth tier list, was considered to be so much worse than everyone else he was ranked in his own tier at the absolute bottom. Despite his reputation as the worst character, he had a dedicated playerbase that achieved better tournament success than most other bottom/low tier characters (however minor it was). A player namedFonz even once wona legitimate tournament using Ganondorf (except for in one game), an accomplishment players of most other low/bottom tier characters have not been able to replicate. As such, with Ganondorf's better tournament success compared to most other low/bottom characters, there was some dispute near the end ofBrawl's active life on if Ganondorf was actually the worst character in the game, withZelda andJigglypuff frequently being cited as even worse. Interestingly, theJapanese do not consider Ganondorf the worst character, and actually have him listed above five other characters on their tier list. Despite arguments in favor of Ganon's punish game and his slightly superior results compared to other bottom tier characters, the BBR still considered him the worst character in their final tier list.

In Solo Modes[edit]

Classic Mode[edit]

In Classic Mode, Ganondorf can appear as an opponent or ally in Stage 1 if he has been unlocked along withLink,Zelda/Sheik, andToon Link onBridge of Eldin orPirate Ship (with the latter available if it has been unlocked). Ganondorf can also appear as an opponent in Stage 11, but only if he hasn't appeared in Stage 1.

All-Star Mode[edit]

In All-Star Mode, Ganondorf is fought in Stage 6 alongsideLink,Zelda/Sheik, andToon Link onBridge of Eldin orPirate Ship.

Event Matches[edit]

Solo Events[edit]

Co-Op Events[edit]

Congratulations Screens[edit]

  • Classic Mode

    Classic Mode

  • All-Star Mode

    All-Star Mode

Role inThe Subspace Emissary[edit]

Ganondorf inSSE.

Ganondorf is one of the two secondary antagonists (underTabuu) alongsideBowser in the Subspace Emissary.Ganondorf first appears in a control room on theIsle of the Ancients, whereZero Suit Samus was in to find her Power Suit, giving Bowser the coordinates to findKing Dedede, who had stolenWario's trophies.

Later, in the same control room, he receives orders fromMaster Hand to destroy the Isle of the Ancients. Appearing in their island base as a hologram, he consequently orders theR.O.B. Squad to activate all of theSubspace Bombs on the Isle. When theAncient Minister objects, Ganondorf presses an override button that forces the R.O.B.s to ignore the Minister and continue. When he continues to intervene, Ganondorf goes further and forces the R.O.B.s to attack the Ancient Minister, setting him aflame; while sending a flock ofAuroros to distract an approaching group of heroes. Suddenly, the burning Ancient Minister fires beams from his eyes, destroying the Auroros and shedding the remnants of his robes to show that he himself is aR.O.B., and proceeds to help the others fight the advancing Subspace troops.

After the Isle of the Ancients is engulfed in Subspace, Ganondorf appears on theSubspace Gunship as its co-commander, with Bowser, but they are forced to retreat into Subspace when the Gunship is destroyed byKirby and hisDragoon. Ganondorf then decides it is time to betray Bowser, so he takes out the last remainingDark Cannon and fires it at Bowser, his own co-captain and the most loyal of Master Hand's henchmen. Kicking histrophy form out of the way, Ganondorf proceeds to present himself to Master Hand. However, as he prepares to betray Master Hand for complete control of theSubspace Army, he sees that Master Hand was literally a puppet ofTabuu, the embodiment of Subspace and the mastermind behind the army. Ganondorf tries to attack him, but is quickly defeated and reduced to his trophy form. As he falls, however, he bumps into the chains of light which puppeteer Master Hand, freeing him from Tabuu's control. Master Hand then attempts to attack Tabuu, but is also defeated with ease.

Later, after the main group of heroes had been turned into trophies by Tabuu and rescued byLuigi,Ness and King Dedede, Kirby finds Ganondorf's trophy - leading the resurrected Bowser to appear and brutally attack the trophy as an act of retribution for his betrayal before tossing it aside. If both Link and Zelda were rescued,a cutscene will show Ganondorf being revived by them (with a headache from his trophification and Bowser's retaliation) and after the Hyrulian heroes walk away, he clenches his fist in anger and reluctantly decides to help the heroes travel throughThe Great Maze in order to defeat Tabuu.

Cameo Appearances[edit]

Ganondorf appears frequently during The Subspace Emissary.

Playable Appearances[edit]

Exclusive Stickers[edit]

These stickers can only be used by Ganondorf or by a select few including him:

  • Boomerang: [Weapon] Attack +4
  • Bowser (Mario Power Tennis): [Darkness] Attack +21
  • Colin: [Specials: Direct] Attack +4
  • Daphnes Nohansen Hyrule: [Electric] Attack +31
  • Darknut: [Slash] Attack +13
  • Epona & Link: [Arm, Leg] Attack +9
  • Fierce Deity Link: [Slash] Attack +21
  • Ganondorf (Ocarina of Time): [Darkness] Attack +29
  • Ganondorf (Wind Waker): [Darkness] Attack +33
  • Happy Mask Salesman: [Leg] Attack +9
  • Hylian Shield (Twilight Princess): Slash Resistance +10
  • Lantern: [Flame] Resistance +7
  • Legend of Outset: [Arm] Attack +26
  • Linebeck: [Throwing] Attack +20
  • Link (Link to the Past): [Electric] Resistance +31
  • Link (Twilight Princess): [Slash] Resistance +27
  • Link (Wind Waker): [Flame] Attack +31
  • Link with Goron Mask: [Slash] Attack +17
  • Link's Grandma: [Arm, Leg] Attack +2
  • Lon Lon Milk: Launch Power +18
  • Midna & Wolf Link: [Leg] Attack +26
  • Moblin: [Slash] Attack +15
  • Octorok: [Leg] Attack +4
  • Petey Piranha (Mario Golf: Toadstool Tour!): [Darkness] Attack +47
  • Phantom Ganon: [Darkness] Attack +40
  • Piece of Heart: Heart Container Effect +50
  • Revolver Ocelot: [Darkness] Attack +17
  • Ridley (Metroid): [Darkness] Attack +30
  • Salvatore: [Electric] Attack +9
  • Shadow Beast: [Darkness] Attack +28
  • Sheik: [Body, Spin] Attack +17
  • Skull Kid (Ocarina of Time): [Darkness] Attack +7
  • Space Pirate: [Darkness] Attack +13
  • Tingle (Wind Waker): [Flame] Resistance +24
  • Young Zelda (Minish Cap): [Battering] Resistance +16
  • Zelda (Ocarina of Time): [Flame] Resistance +18

Trophies[edit]

Ganondorf's main andFinal Smash trophies can be obtained by clearingClassic Mode andAll-Star mode respectively with Ganondorf.

Classic Mode trophy
Ganondorf
NTSCA man who wants to use the power of the Triforce to conquer the world. In Twilight Princess, he gives strength to the Twilight King, Zant, and tries to change the land into a world of darkness. He possesses Zelda, transforms into a magical beast, and attacks Link. In the end, however, Link deals him a finishing blow and defeats him.
PALA man who wants to use the power of the Triforce to conquer the world. In Twilight Princess, he gives strength to the King of Shadows, Zant, and tries to change the land into a world of darkness. He possesses Zelda, transforms into a magical beast, and attacks Link. In the end, however, Link deals him a finishing blow and defeats him.
N64:The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
Wii:The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess
Beast Ganon trophy
Beast Ganon
Ganondorf's Final Smash. When he grabs aSmash Ball, he transforms into a repulsive, evil beast. He'll rampage from wherever he is to the side in a headlong rush. When he begins the move, any character before his eyes will flinch, so try to start the move near other characters.
Wii:Super Smash Bros. Brawl

Alternate costumes[edit]

Ganondorf Palette (SSBB).png
Ganondorf (SSBB)Ganondorf (SSBB)Ganondorf (SSBB)Ganondorf (SSBB)Ganondorf (SSBB)Ganondorf (SSBB)

Gallery[edit]

Trivia[edit]

  • Ganondorf is the only playable villain who is never fought in The Subspace Emissary, excluding hisdark clone inThe Great Maze.
  • Though Ganondorf can be the first character unlocked by completing Classic Mode as Link or Zelda on Hard difficulty, he is one of the last characters to be unlocked by playing the Subspace Emissary, as the mode's antagonists are among the last characters to join the player's party.
    • He and Wario are the only characters inBrawl when going through The Subspace Emissary that are neither unlocked by simply clearing a level, nor defeated in a secret room.
  • WhileIke has the most meteor smashes inBrawl, two of them are impossible to land on aerial opponents. Because of this, Ganondorf is tied withDiddy Kong for having the most meteor smashes landable on aerial opponents, with four.
  • Ganondorf andR.O.B. are the only unlockable characters inSuper Smash Bros. Brawl to be unlocked on astage that is not from their respective universes. Ganondorf is unlocked on Final Destination, and R.O.B is unlocked onMario Bros. Ganondorf is also the only unlockable character inBrawl to be fought on aSuper Smash Bros. universe stage (Final Destination) when unlocking. InSuper Smash Bros. Melee,Ganondorf along withFalco andMewtwo, were all fought on aSuper Smash Bros. universe stage (making it three unlockable characters to be unlocked on a stage from theSuper Smash Bros. universe instead of their respective universe), though Falco was fought onBattlefield when unlocking. Ganondorf and Mewtwo were both fought onFinal Destination before getting unlocked.
  • Ganondorf,Link,Mario, and Bowser are the only veterans inBrawl to receive a new special move. In Ganondorf's case, his side special was changed.
  • Ganondorf is one of the few known characters to have an obvious error in his moveset coding - his forward aerial cannot be autocanceled, but the coding of the move shows that it was intended to do so; this was caused by using the wrong type of timing function. It was also meant to have a third, disjointed hitbox like inMelee.
  • In a Japanese television show, Masahiro Sakurai played as Ganondorf in a versus match.[2]
  • Ganondorf'sBrawl design has various changes from his appearance inTwilight Princess: he, for some reason, does not seem to have the glowing chest wound (even though he does have it asBeast Ganon), and his cape is hemmed instead of tattered like the one worn in that game as well. This is ultimately corrected inSSB4.
    • Strangely enough, in the gameHyrule Warriors, Ganondorf'sTwilight Princess costume is clearly based on his appearance inBrawl due to the lack of his glowing chest wound and possessing a hemmed cape instead of a tattered cape.
  • Ganondorf, theIce Climbers,Meta Knight,Mr. Game & Watch, andSamus are the only characters whose icon in the Subspace Emissary and the Sticker menu is not based on their renders.

External links[edit]

References[edit]


v • d • e
Fighters inSuper Smash Bros. Brawl
VeteransBowser ·Captain Falcon ·Donkey Kong ·Falco ·Fox ·Ganondorf ·Ice Climbers ·Jigglypuff ·Kirby ·Link ·Luigi ·Mario ·Marth ·Mr. Game & Watch ·Ness ·Peach ·Pikachu ·Samus ·Yoshi ·Zelda /Sheik
NewcomersDiddy Kong ·Ike ·King Dedede ·Lucario ·Lucas ·Meta Knight ·Olimar ·Pit ·Pokémon Trainer (Charizard ·Ivysaur ·Squirtle) ·R.O.B. ·Snake ·Sonic ·Toon Link ·Wario ·Wolf · (Zero Suit Samus)
v • d • e
Adventure Mode: The Subspace EmissarySubspace Army
LeaderTabuu
Fighter accomplicesBowser ·Ganondorf ·Wario
Major membersPetey Piranha ·Rayquaza ·Porky Minch/Porky Statue ·Ridley/Meta Ridley ·Galleom ·Duon
Manipulated membersAncient Minister/R.O.B. ·Master Hand ·Mr. Game & Watch ·King Dedede
Common unitsPrimids: Normal Primid ·Big Primid ·Boom Primid ·Fire Primid ·Metal Primid ·Scope Primid ·Sword Primid
Bowser's Minions:Bullet Bill ·Giant Goomba ·Goomba ·Hammer Bro ·Koopa Paratroopa ·Koopa Troopa
R.O.B. Squad:R.O.B. Blaster ·R.O.B. Launcher ·R.O.B. Sentry
Others:Armank ·Armight ·Auroros ·Autolance ·Bombed ·Borboras ·Bucculus ·Buckot ·Bytan ·Cymul ·Feyesh ·Floow ·Gamyga ·Glice ·Glire ·Glunder ·Greap ·Jyk ·Mite ·Mizzo ·Nagagog ·Poppant ·Puppit ·Roader ·Roturret ·Shaydas ·Shellpod ·Spaak ·Ticken ·Towtow ·Trowlon
Weapons/Machines/Etc.Ambush ·Amaranthine gas ·Barrel Cannon ·Bomb block ·Cargo ·Dark Cannon ·Door ·Generator ·Halberd ·Koopa Clown Car ·Minecart ·Quark Mine ·Shadow Bug ·Slide Launcher ·Smash Skiff ·Subspace Bomb ·Subspace Gunship ·Thorn helix ·Trackball
LocationsWorld of Trophies ·Isle of the Ancients ·Subspace ·The Great Maze
v • d • e
The Legend of Zelda (universe)The Legend of Zelda universe
FightersLink (SSB ·SSBM ·SSBB ·SSB4 ·SSBU) ·Sheik (SSBM ·SSBB ·SSB4 ·SSBU) ·Zelda (SSBM ·SSBB ·SSB4 ·SSBU) ·Young Link (SSBM ·SSBU) ·Ganondorf (SSBM ·SSBB ·SSB4 ·SSBU) ·Toon Link (SSBB ·SSB4 ·SSBU)
Assist TrophiesTingle ·Skull Kid ·Midna ·Ghirahim ·Moon
BossesGanon
StagesHyrule Castle ·Great Bay ·Temple ·Bridge of Eldin ·Pirate Ship ·Gerudo Valley ·Spirit Train ·Skyloft ·Great Plateau Tower
Underground Maze (Adventure Mode)
ItemsHeart Container ·Bunny Hood ·Deku Nut ·Fairy Bottle ·Cucco ·Bombchu ·Beetle ·Gust Bellows
EnemiesBubble ·Cucco ·Darknut ·Like Like ·Octorok ·Peahat ·ReDead ·Stalfos
OtherBulblin ·Dark Link ·King Bulblin & Lord Bullbo ·King of Red Lions ·Koume & Kotake ·Majora's Mask ·Navi ·Phantom ·Sacred Land ·Tetra ·Yiga Clan
Trophies,Stickers andSpiritsTrophies (SSBM ·SSBB ·SSB4) ·Stickers ·Spirits
MusicBrawl ·SSB4 ·Ultimate
MasterpiecesThe Legend of Zelda ·Zelda II: The Adventure of Link ·The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time