Air dodge
Air dodging is a technique in Super Smash Bros. Melee and Super Smash Bros. Brawl that grants temporary invincibility frames to the user in midair.
In Super Smash Bros. Melee
In Melee, an air dodge is performed by fully pressing the L or R button while in the air. The air dodge halts the character's momentum, either leaving him or her hovering if the control stick is unpressed or giving the character a small boost in the direction of the control stick. This boost can aid ones recovery, though most air dodging characters cannot sweet spot the ledge and most up Bs outdistance the air dodge.
During the air dodge, the character becomes briefly invulnerable to attack but then enters a helpless state and falls to the ground.
Air dodging into the ground is known as wavelanding and is a component of the wavedash.
In Super Smash Bros. Brawl
In Brawl, the air dodge has been revamped. It no longer halts the character's momentum and no longer permits the user to boost the character by pressing the control stick. It simply grants brief invincibility along the character's line of movement. Following the air dodge, characters are put in their neutral aerial state rather than the helpless state, and thus may attack, jump, or air dodge again following their initial air dodge.
