Editing Ganondorf (SSBU)

|tier = E-

{{s|wikipedia|Takashi Nagasako}}, Ganondorf's voice actor from ''{{s|zeldawiki|The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time}}'' and ''{{s|zeldawiki| The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker}}'' (and by extension,  ''[[Super Smash Bros. Melee]]''), reprises his role in all regions, providing new voice clips that mimic his portrayal from ''Ocarina of Time'' rather than using re-purposed voice from the game as in previous ''Smash'' games. In ''Ultimate'', Nagasako succeeds {{s|wikipedia|Hironori Miyata}}, who previously succeeding him in ''[[Super Smash Bros. Brawl]]'' and ''[[Super Smash Bros. 4]]'' by re-purposing his voice clips from ''The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess''.

Ganondorf is ranked dead last on the [[tier list]], at 82nd out of 82, and is the only character in the E- tier. This is a slight drop from his already very low placement in ''Smash 4'', where he was tied with {{SSB4|Zelda}} at 52nd/53rd out of 54, and gives him the dubious distinction of being the only character ranked last for the NTSC and European tier lists of two different games, the other being ''Brawl''. Despite this, it should be noted that his placement does not equate to the same level of unviability as in previous games, as he is overall more viable than in ''Brawl'' and ''Smash 4''.  

 

As with tradition, Ganondorf possesses one of the hardest-hitting movesets in the game, with noteworthy improvements to his raw power over previous games; this makes him one of the most formidable fighters when it comes to KOing. In addition, many of his infamously weak moves have been buffed to be more effective; [[Dark Dive]] is now a capable [[out of shield]] and KO option, Grounded [[Wizard's Foot]]'s sweetspot and sourspots have been reversed and make it effective for KOing, and [[up tilt]] is significantly faster. Finally, Ganondorf now has access to his sword from the ''SpaceWorld 2000 GameCube Tech Demo'', which provide him with extremely powerful and wide-arced smash attacks that easily KO below 100%, with forward smash being one of the strongest in the game, and up smash being able to cover an entire platform above him and hit ledge hangs with the front hit. Overall, Ganondorf still excels at what he does best: ending stocks in a few hits.

 

However, Ganondorf's core weaknesses continue to hold him back drastically compared to the rest of the roster. His terrible frame data and slow movement give him severe difficulty in approaching and escaping disadvantage, which is especially problematic due to ''Ultimate''{{'}}s emphasis on faster-paced and projectile-focused combat. His shield safety is lacking despite his high shield pressure, while his grab and throws are still extremely weak despite his overall power, having short range and unable to KO easily. Several of his moves also have small or poorly placed hitboxes which results in poor range (with hitbox adjustments making some of them worse than previously) or glaring blindspots (with some such as Dark Dive having worse hitboxes than [[Falcon Dive]], its equivalent move from {{SSBU|Captain Falcon}}). His recovery is among the worst in the game due to Dark Dive's low distance, and despite it not causing [[helplessness]] when it connects, opponents are able to slowly [[gimp]] Ganondorf simply by getting grabbed deliberately to push him backwards. Finally, some changes remove some of his only situational moves that allow him to play [[mindgame]]s: his new up smash is no longer able to bait reactions nor is safe on shield if spaced, up aerial's shorter duration makes gimping with the late hitbox more difficult, and aerial [[Flame Choke]] can now be escaped by [[button mashing]] while also KOing Ganondorf first if used as a [[sacrificial KO]].

 

Overall, Ganondorf's issues collectively give him significant problems in the [[neutral game]]: the majority of the roster can outspeed him in almost every degree, his offstage survivability is extremely poor and limited to air dodge mix-ups, while his strengthened power does not help him approach nor give him many options to defend himself, resulting in him struggling to make use of his excellent raw power and KO ability. Because of these factors, while the community had high hopes for Ganondorf in the early metagame, his competitive reception plummeted as the metagame evolved and his weaknesses became much more exploitable, and he has sat at the very bottom of the first two official tier lists.

Ganondorf was infamously a poorly regarded character in [[Ganondorf (SSBB)|his previous]] [[Ganondorf (SSB4)|two appearances]] following his [[Ganondorf (SSBM)|debut appearance]], owing to a myriad of factors such as slow mobility, vulnerability to general pressure (such as rushdowns, zoning and combos), and awful recovery. Most likely due to his low placement in ''SSB4'', Ganondorf has received a mix of buffs and nerfs in ''Ultimate'', but was buffed overall, albeit not enough to raise his tier standing.

 

Ganondorf's primary strengths, such as his already strong damage output and knockback power, have been further increased since the previous game. Most of his moves deal even more damage, and some of his moves (whether they were already strong or among the weakest in ''SSB4'') are more powerful, like his [[dash attack]], [[back aerial]], [[Dark Dive]], and [[Wizard's Foot]]; notably, dash attack has become as potent as it was in ''Brawl'', whereas Dark Dive and Wizard's Foot have had most of their lost KO power restored from ''Melee''. Forward aerial, a move previously considered inferior to his back aerial, has improved range, making it a far safer KO move.

Ganondorf's smash attacks are now sword swings that possess increased, consistent power as well as larger, disjointed range. Up tilt, notorious for shattering full shields, is easier to land with its faster startup and stronger windboxes, and its sourspot has been strengthened to match its sweetspot. His notoriously weak grab game was also buffed, with his grabs having a longer duration and greater range, and his throws receiving improved utility such as higher power (forward throw, although it still remains rather weak), damage (up throw) or combo potential (down throw). Ganondorf is also heavier, making his already great endurance better.

Ganondorf notably benefits from some of the universal gameplay changes. The increase in mobility (most notably to his [[running]] speed, although it still remains slow), his faster [[jumpsquat]], and the reduced [[landing lag]] on his aerial attacks all improve his very poor neutral game and approach. His faster jumpsquat and landing lag reduction also improve his combo ability, thus further strengthening his damage racking game.

Despite these notable buffs, Ganondorf is not without nerfs, especially toward his hitbox placements and ineffective defensive game. His forward and up smashes, despite having disjointed range, have significantly increased ending lag; up smash has especially lost its ability to bait approaches. His down tilt's vertical angles on its close hitbox make it a much less effective KO option, especially out of [[Flame Choke]]. His up tilt is weaker, and has gained an incredibly weak late hitbox with no KO potential. Hitbox adjustments and/or reductions on his forward tilt, up tilt, back aerial, Dark Dive and Wizard's Foot make them harder to land and further worsens his blindspot issues. Among his biggest nerfs were to his up aerial, which has more startup and its sourspot no longer hits underneath him, thus removing most of its [[gimp]]ing effectiveness and [[lock]] combos, and [[Flame Choke]], as the aerial version is now escapable at low percentages and a "[[Sacrificial KO|Ganoncide]]" now KOs him first. Dark Dive's release also pushes back Ganondorf after he launches the opponent away, though this is counterbalanced by the release having less ending lag.

Despite gaining considerable improvements from the game's engine, Ganondorf is also hindered by some of the universal changes; the universal increase to mobility makes it slightly harder to catch up with some characters. The increased shield drop frames impairs his poor [[out of shield]] options, and the universally increased [[traction]] which reduces shield push makes his attacks, especially his aerials, less safe unless perfectly spaced. The increased [[tech]] window, as well as the restoration of buffering techs during hitlag, makes Flame Choke easier to escape from, and makes Dark Dive much easier for opponents to survive from being launched under the stage and retaliate. Although Ganondorf's heavier weight allows him to survive even longer, he is also easier to combo. The changes to [[air dodging]] are a mixed bag for Ganondorf, as they improve his great edgeguarding ability, but make him easier to edgeguard in return. Finally, the weakening of [[rage]] slightly hinders Ganondorf, though due to his increased damage and power, this change is fairly negligible.

Overall, Ganondorf has gained some drastic increases in power that renders his punish and advantage states much deadlier, but at the cost of notable nerfs that further affect his disadvantage, exacerbating his glaring weaknesses and making him even more polarized. Although initially considered to have improved substantially from ''SSB4'', the lack of changes from game updates, as well as various changes made to his fellow veterans both on release and through updates, have caused Ganondorf to fall behind. Said updates have also introduced a bevy of more powerful DLC characters, all of which Ganondorf struggles against in one way or another. Because of this, despite performing better as a standalone character in ''Ultimate'', Ganondorf has not significantly improved from his appearance in ''SSB4'', instead performing worse relative to the rest of the cast.

|neutraldesc=A palm thrust that discharges [[electric]]ity upon landing. Ganondorf's fastest ground attack, with good range, knockback, and fairly low ending lag, with enough power to KO around 145% near the edge and 195% from the center. However, it is among the slower jabs in the game, coming out at frame 7, and its high hitbox placement allows some smaller characters to crouch under it.

|utiltdesc=A delayed axe kick that produces an explosion. Has [[vacuum]] properties, a disjointed hitbox that can reach past ledges, and its clean hit is incredibly powerful, being infamous for instantly shattering full [[shield]]s and its leg hitbox KOing as low as 45% when near the edge, making it one of Ganondorf's [[edgeguard]]ing options if used wisely. However, while it is the strongest up tilt in the game, it is also the slowest tilt attack of any sort, rendering it only effective for hard reads or covering ledge options. The move has a late hitbox on the height of the explosion that is extremely weak, not KOing until 195% from the center of Final Destination, though it has some niche combo ability.

|dtiltdesc=A crouching front kick. Above average startup on frame 10 and range makes it a good neutral tool. Also a reliable follow-up and tech-chase out of grounded Flame Choke. While it has powerful vertical knockback on the toe that can KO around 133%, it has more diagonal knockback on the thigh, making it Ganondorf's weakest and most inconsistent tilt attack overall.

|usmashdesc=An overhead 180° arcing sword slash from front to back similar to {{SSBU|Ike}}'s up smash. Deceptively large vertical reach, reliably punishing airborne or rolling opponents, and its starting frames hit slightly underneath the stage, allowing it to hit ledge hangs. Very powerful, with the sword hitbox KOing opponents around 85%. Deals more than half shield health uncharged and can nearly break them if fully charged. However, it is Ganondorf's second-slowest smash attack, coming out at frame 20 and has 37 frames of ending lag, making it punishable. Has a blindspot right in front of his leg, and its rear hitboxes end just above the ground, meaning it is fully incapable of hitting {{SSBU|Snake}} and {{SSBU|Wii Fit Trainer}} when they are crouching.<ref>[https://twitter.com/MGK_Ganondorf/status/1189105269290106880]</ref>. Thanks to its massive arc, and the fact that Ganondorf's hitboxes lower while he is preparing the slash, it is a potent anti-air, and lets Ganondorf put immense pressure on opponents on platforms. Also a good out-of-shield move against rising aerials or unsafe attacks due to its relatively fast startup.

|uairdesc=A flip kick. Covers a large arc above him that has good coverage and great power, with the clean hit KOing middleweights around 94% near the edge. It also starts on frame 8, making it Ganondorf's second-fastest aerial attack, and can autocancel from a short hop. It deals more damage and knockback when it hits closer to his body. The last few frames of this attack is a [[sourspot]] (often called the Tipman) that [[semi-spike]]s with extremely low horizontal knockback and high hitstun, which is deadly for edgeguarding, especially at the end. However, the move does not hit below Ganondorf, and can only hit opponents standing on the ground with the earliest hitbox.

|fsdesc=Uses the [[zeldawiki:Triforce|Triforce of Power]] to transform into Ganon, his boar-like demonic form. Immediately upon transforming, Ganon performs downward slashes with his swords and then charges straight ahead. The downward slashes at the start are extremely powerful [[meteor smash]]es, usually making it a guaranteed KO against opponents who are not on solid ground. Meanwhile, the charge appears to have high base knockback but very little knockback scaling, resulting in it KOing most characters at low percents when used near the ledge of Final Destination, but conversely, not KOing when used on the center, even at 100%, ironically for a Final Smash.

SSBUGanondorfIdle1.gif|Ganondorf's first idle pose.

SSBUGanondorfIdle2.gif|Ganondorf's second idle pose.

*'''Right:''' Flips his cape before crossing his arms while laughing; reminiscent to the cutscene that plays after Link pulls the Master Sword in ''Ocarina of Time'', and ending with a sinister grin.

However, this positive perception did not last long as more players noted issues regarding his gameplay: he still has severe difficulty in approaching, recovering, and escaping disadvantage. Despite the buffs he received in the transition, his matchup spread remains atrocious, as most other characters from the previous game retained similar tools to overwhelm him, such as {{SSBU|Pikachu}}, {{SSBU|Palutena}}, and {{SSBU|Cloud}}. This was compounded with how Ganondorf mostly received minor changes in patches while other low-tier characters received significant buffs. As a result, Ganondorf's playerbase remains one of the smallest in the current metagame, with sporadic success seen from players such as {{Sm|Rickles}} in the early metagame and {{Sm|Komegura}} and {{Sm|Major}} in the post-online metagame. Despite being significantly better than his ''Brawl'' and ''Smash 4'' iterations, Ganondorf is once again considered one of the worst characters in the game, and as such is ranked dead last on the current tier list.

*Neither game whose bases served as the redesigns for Link and {{SSBU|Zelda}} in this game featured Ganondorf with a humanoid form. This is especially most noticeable during [[Media:What is Zelda canon.jpg|their brief cameos]] in {{SSBU|King K. Rool}}'s and {{SSBU|Banjo & Kazooie}}'s reveal trailers.

*Ganondorf’s extreme power has become a popular meme within the community, most notably associated with his forward smash (humorously nicknamed as "Doriyah" by the community, based on his exclamation during the attack), as well as his general ability to take stocks before his opponents despite being at much higher percentages than they are.