Aerial attack

Link, Meta Knight, and Pit using their aerial attacks on Lylat Cruise.

An aerial attack (空中攻撃, Midair attack) is any move that is performed in midair that is not a grounded attack or special move. Their official terms vary between titles; they are known as midair attacks in Super Smash Bros. Melee, and air attacks in Brawl and Smash 4. Most aerial attacks deal moderate damage (9%-14%). Aerial attacks can be L-cancelled in SSB and Melee.

Mario's aerial attacks in Super Smash Bros.

The types of aerial attacks are listed below, with a list of their typical uses:

• Neutral aerial: Usually fast, weak moves that are good out of shield, starting combos, or for interrupting enemy attacks; some are sex kicks that deal less damage as time passes.
• Forward aerial: Tend to have large hitboxes, making them good for edgeguarding and combos; several throughout the series are notorious for their high utility in general combat.
• Back aerial: Often the fighter's strongest aerial, compensated with a small hitbox or long startup lag. Some combine speed and power to make them a reliable aerial KO move.
• Up aerial: Many are useful juggling tools with good chainability and a wide range, being a big part of many fighters' aerial combos.
• Down aerial: Almost always a multi-hit, stall then fall, and/or meteor smash, making them capable tools for offstage edgeguarding.

Certain characters with a tether grab also possess a grab aerial, which is used by pressing the grab button. Similarly, characters who can glide possess a glide attack, which is used when attacking out of a glide.

Super Smash Bros. for Wii U digital manual description

"Press while airborne to perform air attacks. Tilting in a direction and pressing will trigger different moves."

Trivia

• Since Melee, a number of select aerial attacks have a small spark effect akin to smash attack; the aerials that possess such special effects often change from game to game.