Down aerial

Sonic's down aerial in Super Smash Bros. for Wii U. The down aerial (下空中攻撃, Down/lower/under midair attack; commonly abbreviated as down air, dair or D-Air and referred to as AttackAirLw in Melee's Debug Menu and internal Brawl files) is an aerial attack that is performed in midair by pressing the attack button and tilting the Control Stick downwards. Its official term varies between titles, where it is known as a down midair attack in Super Smash Bros. Melee, and a down air attack in Super Smash Bros. Brawl. Many of these moves are meteor smashes and some of these moves can be either stall-then-falls or multi-hit attacks. List of down aerials in Super Smash Bros. All down aerials in Super Smash Bros. are spikes, with the exception of Pikachu's and Link's. Many of the spikes are multi-hit attacks, and SSB is notable for allowing characters to DI out of them fairly easily. Character Description Damage Captain Falcon Thrusts both feet below him. A powerful spike. Can also combine a down aerial into Falcon Punch at mid or high percents depending on character. 14% Donkey Kong Thrusts both feet below him. High power spike. Poor range. Combos well into both up smash, aerials, and Giant Punch at varying percentages. 13% Fox Does a very fast drill kick. Easy to DI out of. Combos into up smash, shine, and tap a combos. A very weak spike. Can do 7 kicks in total. 2% per hit; 14% if all hits connect. Jigglypuff Does a drill kick similar to Kirby's. Similar to the other drill based characters, combos into up tilts and up B. Like Kirby's, it is a spike, but it is much weaker. Does 10 kicks total. 3% damage per hit; 30% damage if all hits connect. Kirby A drill kick that is very difficult to DI out of, very useful in both combos and gimping. Considered by many the best gimping move in all of SSB. Down aerial on the ground combos into up tilts and forward smashes. It is also strong against shields. Does 10 kicks in total. 3% per hit; 30% if all hits connect. Link Thrusts his sword below him. Very useful move to short hop. Has the most ending lag of any aerial and is overall the best way of showing the difference between not Z-cancelling and Z-cancelling. Great power and great vs shields if Z-cancelled. Can bounce off of opponents. 16% Luigi A drill kick spike. It's easy to DI out of. A good combo move and good vs shields. Can combo a down aerial into Super Jump Punch; or down aerial into up aerial into Super Jump Punch. Does 8 separate kicks in total. 3% per hit; 24% if all hits connect. Mario Similar to Luigi, has quicker hits and is harder to DI out of. Combos into up aerial. Useful against shields and for edgeguarding. Does 8 kicks in total. 3% per hit; 24% if all hits connect. Ness Thrusts one foot down. A good spike or meteor smash if it connects. 15% Pikachu Thrusts its head down, surrounds itself in electricity, and zaps the opponent. A disjointed move like some of Pikachu's other aerials, but has high landing lag if its head gets slammed to the ground. Great shield stun. Can be used for KOing conditions. 13% Samus Thrusts her arm cannon below her. A high power spike. Usually considered Samus's best move. Main KO combo is down aerial into back aerial or charge shot. Can also repeatedly down aerial opponents and anticipate techs. Short hop down aerials can lead to shield break if the opponent is careless. 14% Yoshi Rapidly moves feet to damage the opponent. The most damaging move in SSB if all hits connect. A shield breaker, but also a drill and is easy to DI out of. Weakest DJC aerial, but good to combo into forward smash. One of the weakest spikes in the game. Does 14 kicks in total. 4% per hit; 56% if all hits connect. List of down aerials in Super Smash Bros. Melee Character Description Damage Bowser Spins upside-down in his shell. Can be used in a somewhat similar fashion to Mario's due to the multiple quick hits, though the landing lag is comparatively larger. The landing hit can semi-spike. Can also meteor smash if sweetspotted. 1%-15%, depending on number of connecting hits Captain Falcon Thrusts his legs below him. A very powerful and fast meteor smash. If the attack connects in the upper hitbox, the attack becomes a spike and therefore it cannot be meteor canceled. 16% Donkey Kong Stomps the air below him with one foot. Will always meteor smash his foe with powerful knockback, but is rather slow. 16% Dr. Mario Similar to Mario's, but dealing seven hits with more damage and a different sound effect. 12% if all hits connect. Falco Similar to Fox's down aerial, but will instead strike once and powerfully spike his opponent. While very easy to perform and combo into, especially on-stage, the move is one of the riskiest in all the game to use off-stage, due to its long duration, Falco's high falling speed, and his poor recovery. In PAL regions, only the first half of the attack can spike. 9-12% Fox Performs a drill kick. Another Mario-esque Down Midair Attack, useful for generally the same purposes. However, this attack is a spike, albeit an extremely weak one. It produces noticeable knockback against only lower handicapped opponents. 19% if all hits connect. Ganondorf Similar to Captain Falcon's, but is much more powerful. It is by far the strongest meteor in the game and is also the strongest aerial in the game when landed on airborne opponents. It is so powerful, it reliably KOs almost every character while grounded under 100%. Widely considered to be the best meteor in the game due to its power, speed, very large hitbox (almost up to his head), and surprisingly low aerial ending lag, making it a low risk meteor that is easy to land and recover from; Ganondorf's average falling speed and above average recovery also aid this. However, unlike Falcon's down aerial, the top hitbox does not nipple spike, and it cannot cancel out projectiles, due to having transcendent priority. 22% Ice Climbers Place their hammers below them, and drop down. Knocks the enemy a significant distance upwards. This attack has extremely low set knockback. 7-9% per climber; total 17% Jigglypuff Performs a drill kick identical to Kirby's, but only meteor smashes with the first hitbox rather weakly. The meteor is very difficult to perform, and Jigglypuff has other, better, safer edgeguarding tactics, notably its Wall of Pain. 14% if all hits connect Kirby Performs a drill kick. It is a weak but effective meteor. It is effective, as Kirby can drag the opponent down with him and recover easily, compensating for its weak knockback. 16% if all hits connect. Link Thrusts his sword below him. It is a very powerful attack, among aerial attacks and Link's variety of attacks; it deals 22% on the outset, and it can KO reliably as low as 80% to 90%. Additionally, Link can "bounce" on opponents with the attack, hitting them up to three times. Despite its great power, this attack has notorious landing lag (the longest of all aerials in the game). This is also Link's most powerful attack and one of the strongest down aerials in the game. 22% Luigi Spins around, performing a downwards kick. Appears identical to Mario's, but instead of multiple, low-knockback hits, he performs one quick spin that can knock the enemy in diverse directions. If Luigi hits his foe with his spinning fists or hip during the start of the attack, they will be powerfully meteor smashed. If sourspotted, this aerial still produces very powerful horizontal knockback, making it a very effective edgeguard. This is Luigi's most powerful aerial. 8-16% Mario Performs a drill kick. Is somewhat functionally identical to his Mario Tornado (in fact dealing the same amount of damage), but strikes faster, is harder to escape from, and has no finishing punch, making it a good damage-racker and having good combo potential. 10% Marth Slashes his sword downward. Very fast and spikes the opponent when tipped. It is utilized in conjunction with his forward aerial for the Ken Combo. While it has almost no start-up lag, it has moderate ending and landing lag, making it risky if performed off stage, though its angled trajectory makes it useful on-stage. In the PAL versions of the game, it is a meteor smash instead, though it still sends opponents at an angle. 9% (base), 10% (middle), 13% (tip) Mewtwo Backflips and kicks downwards. It has three hitboxes varying from being weak to moderate in strength. All three hitboxes meteor smash. The meteor is slow and has small sweetspots, but Mewtwo's floaty falling speed and great recovery make it a low risk meteor. 16% when sweetspotted Mr. Game & Watch Pulls a key out and plunges downward. If it hits immediately at the start of the attack, Mr. Game & Watch will meteor smash his foe with good power. 19-20% Ness Stomps the air below him with his foot. It will always meteor smash his opponent. It has high base knockback, being the only meteor other than Ganondorf's down aerial to be able to pop up all characters at 0%. However, it has very low knockback scaling, and it cannot KO reliably until 200%. It also has long starting and ending lag, making it a moderately high risk meteor to use. 12% Peach Kicks below herself. A good combo starter, but deals low damage and produces barely any knockback. 11% if all hits connect Pichu Identical to Pikachu's, but Pichu will receive 1% damage upon using it, and another 1% when landed. It is also a multi-hit move, unlike Pikachu's (but extra recoil damage is only incurred once). 14% if all hits connect. Pikachu Turns upside down and spins around, emitting electricity from its cheeks. Another simple drill move that strikes once with decent power, but it suffers from high landing lag. 12% Roy Identical to Marth's, but the sweet spot required to meteor smash is located a bit higher and significantly more difficult to land. The meteor is very weak, and its long ending lag, coupled with Roy's high falling speed, makes it among the highest-risk aerials in the game. 9% at the base, 6% near the tip Samus Swings her arm below her. It is a powerful meteor smash with a wide hitbox, but it has rather slow start-up lag. Due to Samus' floaty air speed and long, varied recovery, it is a low risk meteor that is easy to perform. 16% Sheik Points her leg out and falls at a downwards angle. Knocks her foe very slightly horizontally with mostly vertical knockback. 9-11% Yoshi Kicks his legs very rapidly below him. It weakly meteor smashes, but it is inferior to his forward aerial for meteor smashing. Its main use is not in KOing, but damage racking, and it is very potent at it, being the most damaging aerial in the game by far if all hits connect. Can deal an absolute maximum of 53%. Young Link Identical to Link's, but it meteor smashes opponents very powerfully (or sends grounded opponents at the soft platform upward) if he lands his down aerial with the hilt. Also, it meteor smashes opponents at a different angle if they are to the side and above Young Link, making it useful for edgeguarding opponents from above if timed correctly. The meteor is strong enough to be capable of star KOing any grounded opponents (if the character is at the soft platform) around 75%. Though weaker than Link's down aerial, this is still a very powerful down aerial and is also Young Link's most powerful attack. 14% when the move comes out and deals 17% damage afterward. The meteor smash sets the foe on fire and inflicts 17-21%. Zelda Sticks her leg out below her. This is a meteor smash, but an extremely weak one. It is the weakest meteor smash in the game. Curiously, it does have a very weak spike hitbox, but only if the opponent is above her waist. 8% List of down aerials in Super Smash Bros. Brawl Character Description Damage Bowser Turns upside down while retracting inside his shell and spins himself into the ground. Creates a small shockwave that damages nearby enemies if he hits the ground. The last hit can meteor smash, but it's weak and overall not recommended. Often used for SHFFs due to its high damage output and extra hit upon landing. 3% (hits 1-9), 2% (landing) Captain Falcon Stomps downward with both his feet. The hitbox on Captain Falcon's legs produces a powerful meteor smash. If he connects with his body, the opponent is powerfully semi-spiked. 14% Charizard Stomps downward with both feet. It will always meteor smashes aerial opponents with above average power, but sends grounded opponents on an upwards diagonal trajectory. It's the second strongest meteor on grounded opponents. Very effective due to Charizard's multiple jumps and the move's short duration. 14% Diddy Kong Swings both arms downward in a double axe-handed punch. A strong meteor smash that's fast, but a little difficult to land due to its small hitbox. 12% Donkey Kong Stomps his foot below him while performing a strong-man pose in midair. Always treated as a meteor smash when it hits. 16% (foot), 13% (body) Falco Turns diagonally and spins with his foot extended. A strong spike if the attack lands at the first half of the move, otherwise the second half of the move produces weak horizontal knockback. 13% (clean), 8% (late) Fox A spinning drill kick that hits multiple times in succession. It can meteor smash, but it's hardly noticeable at lower percentages due to its very weak power, being the weakest meteor smash in the game. It is useful when shorthopped for combos and is his primary combo starter, especially in conjunction with his up tilt. 3% (hits 1-7) Ganondorf Stomps both his legs downward, dealing strong electric damage. The move is an extremely powerful meteor smash, being the most powerful meteor smash in the game at percentages higher than 20% and the 3rd strongest at 0%. It is the only meteor in the game that can reliably KO grounded opponents under 100%. Like in Melee, this attack has transcendent priority, and therefore cannot cancel out projectiles. 22% (legs), 17% (body) Ice Climbers Hold their hammers below themselves and fall downwards. A stall-then-fall move, with the stall being almost unnoticeable. Overall deals low damage and knockback and has some noticeable landing lag. 8% (leader), 5% (partner) Ike Thrusts Ragnell below him between his legs. If it hits during the initial frames, it meteor smashes very powerfully, and after the initial swing, it deals weaker upwards knockback. Considered the third strongest meteor smash in the game. It has great vertical reach but lacks horizontal reach. 16% (clean), 12% (late) Ivysaur Turns upside-down and shoots a burst of gas out of its bulb that's similar to its up aerial but deals slightly less knockback. There is a small sweetspot at the bulb that meteor smashes opponents. Using the move halts Ivysaur's aerial momentum entirely. 10% (sourspot), 8% (sweetspot) Jigglypuff Spins and drills downwards, hitting multiple times. Similar to Kirby's, but faster, much weaker, and does not meteor smash. Can lead to a Rest, though difficult. 2% (hits 1-8) King Dedede Spins hammer around under him for multiple hits, with the final hit delivering low vertical knockback. Works well in the ascent of a ground jump. 2% (hits 1-6), 5% (hit 7) Kirby Spins while kicking downward. The hitboxes itself are weak meteor smashes, which is useful for edgeguarding opponents recovering from below. 2% (hits 1-6), 2% (landing) Link Thrusts his sword downward, based on the "Downthrust" from Zelda II: The Adventure of Link. Link will bounce when the attack lands, which makes it possible for him to land an additional hit, but goes through opponents if he fast falls during the move. Has long landing lag if the move is not autocancelled. 22% (clean), 18% (late), 8% (after bounce) Lucario Stomps downwards twice powered by aura. Halts Lucario's vertical momentum, which can be used to stall in the air. It is very powerful when Lucario is at high percentages and it has almost no start-up or ending lag. With its power, speed, and versatility, it is one of the best aerials in the game. 8% (both hits) Lucas Thrusts his feet downwards four times, leaving a trail of PSI energy. The fourth hit hit can weakly meteor smash, which is useful for hitting an edge-hogging opponent. 5% (hits 1-4) Luigi Does a quick down spin kick. Though the move usually has average horizontal knockback if the arms connect, it becomes a strong meteor smash, but is often difficult to land. 11% Mario Mario Tornado: Stretches out both arms and spins horizontally, dealing multiple hits. The outer hitboxes tend to draw the opponent into the center. Very fast start-up and it produces decent knockback on the final hit. This move was previously Mario's down special move in Melee. 1% (hits 1-5), 7% (hit 6), 2% (landing) Marth Swings his sword in a arc below himself. The base of the sword launches opponents horizontally while the tip meteor smashes opponents. 12% (base), 14% (tip) Meta Knight Quickly slashes in an arc below himself. Launches opponents in a semi-spike trajectory, which is useful to attacking opponents with poor horizontal recovery. 7 (center), 9% (sides) Mr. Game & Watch Pulls out a key and thrusts it towards the ground. A stall-then-fall move that can be slowed down if the player taps down on the control stick before Mr. Game & Watch falls towards the ground. The tip of the key can meteor smash opponents but is very short, lasting for a split second. Can be cancelled partway with a midair jump or by Fire, making the move a bit safer compared to the other stall-then-fall moves. 14% (sweetspot), 13% (sourspot), 6% (landing) Ness Pulls his legs to his body before stomping down into the air. The attack meteor smashes opponents if it connects the moment Ness thrusts his foot downward otherwise, it deals weak diagonal-horizontal knockback. 12% (clean), 9% (late) Olimar Arcs a Pikmin below his knees. Hitting at the sweetspot meteor smashes opponents in the air, its powers varying depending on which Pikmin is used in the attack. R: 16% (clean), 7% (late) Y: 12% (clean), 9% (late) B&P: 13% (clean), 10% (late) W: 5% (clean), 4% (late) Peach Thrusts legs rapidly below herself at a slight angle, hitting four times. Useful for catching opponents who are trying to return to the stage at a low angle, which is nearly impossible to evade all four hits if timed right. The fourth kick deals weak vertical knockback. 3% (hits 1-3), 5% (hit 4) Pikachu Twirls downwards emitting sparks for one hit. Decent power, but has high landing lag if Pikachu lands on its head. The landing animation also has a hitbox dealing weak knockback. 12% (attack), 4% (landing) Pit Swipes a blade below him, launching foes upwards if the hit connects. 12% R.O.B. Pauses momentarily, then blasts his boosters powerfully downwards. The attack pushes R.O.B. upward slightly, but not enough so that R.O.B. can infinitely recover vertically (unless tiny). Will meteor smash opponents if damage is dealt at base of the burner otherwise, deals weak knockback at the tip. 12% (base), 13% (booster base), 11% (booster mid), 6% (booster tip) Samus Swinging her arm cannon in a 180 degree arc below her. Can meteor smash opponents. 15% Sheik Briefly rises in the air before dropping down with her foot extended. A stall-then-fall move that comes down fast, but has high landing lag. 10% Snake Launches four subsequent kicks below himself. Has high lag and the last hit deals high horizontal knockback. Has high lag and the last hit deals high horizontal knockback. Does up to 28% if all hits connect, which is often difficult to land due to Snake's falling speed. 6% (hit 1), 5% (hits 2-3), 12% (hit 4) Sonic Stalls for a brief moment in midair and then shoots downwards, foot first. A stall-then-fall that lasts a long duration, but can be cancelled partway with his Spring Jump or any other aerial attacks. Has some landing lag. 8% (clean), 7% (late) Squirtle Thrusts its tail downward, spinning around in a multi-hit attack. The last hit has moderate horizontal knockback. 1% (hits 1-5), 5% (hit 6) Toon Link Pauses for a brief moment before thrusting his sword straight down at high speed. A stall-then-fall move that can meteor smash during the first few frames of his descent. Just like Link's, it bounces off the opponent, allowing for a second hit. 16% (clean), 13% (late), 8% (after bounce), 5% (landing) Wario Flips upside down and spins, drilling with his head. The move works very well for racking up damage due to its speed and Wario's air speed. 2% (hits 1-6), 4% (hit 7) Wolf Slams his hands below him in a fist. Acts as a meteor smash but it's one of the weakest meteors in the game due to having very low knockback scaling. 15% (arms), 13% (body) Yoshi Flutter kicks very fast below him. Can deal up to 35% on large opponents, the most damaging down aerial in the game. 2-3% (hits 1-7), 1-2% (hits 8-14) Zelda Thrusts one leg below her vertically. Similar to her Lightning Kick, it is a very powerful meteor smash when sweetspotted, and an extremely weak meteor smash when sourspotted. 16% (clean), 5% (late leg), 4% (late foot) Zero Suit Samus Stalls momentarily in midair, and then shoots down diagonally. If the opponent is hit in the air, they will be meteor smashed, which often leads onto the landing hit if there is ground below them. A stall-then-fall move. 5% (aerial), 4% (grounded), 5% (landing) List of down aerials in Super Smash Bros. 4 Character Description Damage Bayonetta A stall-then-fall kick that meteor smashes at Bayonetta's heel. Has a surprisingly low duration, allowing Bayonetta to safely recover after spiking an opponent. The resulting shockwave from the landing also deals a large amount of knockback, making it a very powerful KO move, albeit a highly punishable one . 7% (leg), 8% (heel), 5% (landing) Bowser Boosts upwards a little before drilling downwards while suspended in his shell. Now a stall-then-fall move that meteor smashes during the first few frames of the move. Cannot be used to grab the ledge, so it will almost certainly cause Bowser to SD if he uses it off-stage. 16% (attack), 2% (landing) Bowser Jr. A drill comes out of the bottom of the Junior Clown Car that hits opponents multiple times. 1.3% (hits 1-6), 2% (hit 7 & landing hit) Captain Falcon Stomps downward with both his feet. Initiates a meteor smash when sweetspotted, though its slow start-up means it can be easily interrupted. 14% Charizard Stomps downward with one foot. A powerful meteor smash when sweetspotted. 14% (clean), 8% (late) Cloud A downwards stab similar in appearance to Link's down air. Striking with the Buster Sword as it comes down powerfully meteor smashes aerial opponents and deals more damage. Stays out for a while, allowing the move to hit opponents after the initial thrust. 13% (clean), 15% (sweetspot), 8% (late) Corrin A stall-then-fall meteor smash where his legs transform into multi-hit spears. 2% (1-5 hits), 3% (final hit) Dark Pit Identical to Pit's. 10% Diddy Kong Swings both fists downward in a double axe-handed punch. A strong meteor smash. 13% (clean), 10% (late) Donkey Kong Performs a downward stomp with one foot extended. The sweetspot is on Donkey Kong's extended foot, which is a powerful meteor smash while the sourspot is close to his chest. 16% (sweetspot), 13% (sourspot) Dr. Mario Drill kicks downwards, hitting multiple times. 1.904% (hits 1-4), 3.36% (hit 5), 2.24% (landing) Duck Hunt The dog headbutts downwards and then flips over, with the duck delivering a follow-up attack. The duck can meteor smash airborne opponents. 5% (hit 1), 10% (hit 2) Falco Drills downward with one foot extended. Can meteor smash opponents at the beginning of the move. Significantly nerfed from Brawl, although it now benefits from frame cancelling. 13% (clean), 8% (late) Fox Performs a spinning drill kick that hits multiple times in succession. 1.4% (hits 1-6), 3% (hit 7), 1% (landing hit) Ganondorf Stomps both his feet downward, dealing strong electric damage. The move is an extremely powerful meteor smash if hit with the lower half of Ganondorf's body, being able to KO grounded opponents under 100%. Like in Melee and Brawl, this attack possesses transcendent priority, meaning it cannot cancel out projectiles and it cannot be teched by a grounded target. 19% (legs), 17% (body) Greninja Spins once in the air and then dives downward to stomp on the opponent. A stall-then-fall move. If Greninja hits an opponent, it will leap in the air, allowing it to use another move (such as another down aerial). Bouncing off opponents prevents Greninja from performing a double jump if it hasn't perfomed one yet, making it risky to use offstage. Can meteor smash opponents at the beginning of the move. 8% Ike Raises Ragnell in the air before swinging it downwards. Capable of meteor smashing opponents with good power if they hit the blade. 15% Jigglypuff Spins and drill kicks downwards, hitting multiple times. 1.5% (hits 1-8), 2% (hit 9) King Dedede Raises his hammer over his head and then swings it downwards. Can meteor smash opponents if they hit the head of the hammer, though due to Dedede's fast falling speed, it can be difficult to land, especially on grounded opponents. 15% (hammer head), 8% (handle) Kirby Does a downwards drill kick. The final hit has a weak meteor effect. This is Kirby's best move for initiating combos on opponents on or near the ground, as, even at high percents, it can be followed immediately with up-tilt or another move if the situation presents itself. 1% (hits 1-5), 2% (hit 6), 2% (landing) Link Thrusts his sword downward, based on the "Down Thrust" from Zelda II: The Adventure of Link. Connecting with this move will make Link bounce in the air, which makes it possible for him to land another hit. However, if he fast falls during the move, he will go right through opponents. Hitting opponents at the beginning of the move will meteor smash them. Has high landing lag. 15% (early, late, & after bounce), 18% (mid) Little Mac Punches downwards. A very weak meteor smash at the tip of his extended hand. Can be used to jab lock, which can set up for plenty of KO options, such as forward smash and KO Punch. 5% (hand), 4% (arm) Lucario Stomps downwards twice powered by aura. Unlike in Brawl, the attack does not halt downward momentum. 5% (hit 1), 6% (hit 2) Lucas Thrusts his feet downwards four times and creates a quick-flashing PSI energy with each kick. The fourth hit is capable of meteor smashing opponents. 3.5% (rapid hits 1-3), 5% (hit 4) Lucina Identical to Marth's but has a sweetspot at the middle of the swinging arc that meteor smashes opponents. 11.4% (non-meteor), 13.3% (meteor) Luigi Performs a quick drill kick downwards. The move now has a sweetspot at the beginning of the animation that meteor smashes opponents, making it easier to control. 10% (clean), 8% (late) Mario Mario Tornado: Quickly spins around horizontally with both arms extended, hitting multiple times. Was previously Mario's down special move from Melee. 1% (hits 1-5), 5% (hit 6), 2% (landing) Marth Swings his sword in an arc below himself. The tip of the blade when it's in the center of Marth's swing is capable of meteor smashing. Of note is how the animation is now flipped, where the attack starts from behind Marth instead of in front, making approaches with it harder. 11% (blade), 13% (non-meteor tip), 14% (meteor tip) Mega Man Hard Knuckle: Points his fist straight downwards and fires it downwards as a short-ranged projectile. The fist deals the most damage in the first few frames, but afterwards, it turns into an aerial-only meteor smash. Mega Man will hover in the air for a brief period if used right after a jump. Based on Hard Man's weapon from Mega Man 3. 14% (clean), 12% (late) Meta Knight Quickly swipes his sword downward in an arc. Sends the opponent on a semi-spike trajectory, making it a useful move against opponents with poor horizontal recovery. 6% Mewtwo Backflips and kicks downwards, emitting shadow energy at the tip of its foot. The move's sweetspot meteor smashes airborne opponents while the sourspot launches them upwards. 14% (grounded opponents and aerial sourspot), 15% (aerial sweetspot) Mii Brawler Swings both fists downward in a double axe handle. A strong and reliable meteor smash. 13% (clean), 12% (late)* Mii Gunner Pauses, then fires a single energy burst below. Capable of meteor smashing if sweetspotted at the tip of the blast. 10% (base), 15% (tip)* Mii Swordfighter Spins downwards. Capable of weakly meteor smashing with set knockback. Its main offensive ability comes from its landing hit, which will occur all throughout the attack and knock the opponent away with decent diagonal knockback. 1% (hits 1-5), 5% (landing hit)* Mr. Game & Watch Takes out a key and thrusts down into the ground. It is a stall-then-fall move that can be directed left or right during the descent. The key can meteor smash opponents during the first few frames of the move. The move can be cancelled partway with a midair jump or by using Fire, making this move a bit safer compared to the other stall-then-fall moves. 11% (attack), 3.5% (landing) Ness Kicks downward with one leg, producing a PSI spark at the tip of his foot. The tip of the spark meteor smashes opponents. The move now has longer startup and lasts for a shorter duration. 12% (sweetspot), 10% (sourspot) Olimar Thrusts a Pikmin downwards. The Pikmin can meteor smash opponents, its power depending on which Pikmin is used. R:10.8% Y&B: 9% W:7.2% P: 12.6% Pac-Man Stomps downwards four times, similar to Snake's down aerial. 1.5% (hits 1-3), 6% (hit 4) Palutena Kicks in an arc below herself, meteor smashing anyone below her. Although it's always treated as a meteor smash in the air, the hitbox only lasts for one frame and has limited range. 9% Peach Rapidly kicks downwards four times. The fourth kick deals vertical knockback. 1-2% (hits 1-3), 5% (hit 4) Pikachu Spirals downwards toward the ground with electricity shooting out of its cheeks. The move hits once in the air and can deal an additional hit from the shockwave upon landing. 12% (attack), 4% (landing) Pit Swipes a blade in an arc below him. Can meteor smash if sweetspotted at the start of the move. 10% R.O.B. Blasts his burners directly downward. Capable of meteor smashing, but no longer stalls him in midair. 12% (clean base), 11% (clean mid), 6% (clean tip), 8% (late) Robin Quickly thrusts his sword downwards. Using the Levin Sword can cause the opponent to be meteor smashed. Bronze: 7.2% Levin: 10% (early), 12% (clean), 5% (late) Rosalina & Luma Rosalina: Creates a Saturnian ring from the bottom of her dress. Connecting with the attack midway is a weak meteor smash. Luma: Kicks straight down. Rosalina: 8% (clean), 7% (mid), 6% (mid-late), 2% (late) Luma: 5% Roy Spreads both his legs in the air before coming down with a overhead two-handed downward vertical slash. Meteor smashes opponents powerfully when connected properly. Closely resembles Ike's down aerial. 15% (base), 10% (tip) Ryu Quickly punches downwards, similar to his neutral aerial except the attack has more range. Hitting with the attack's sweetspot meteor smashes opponents diagonally downwards. Based off of Ryu's jumping heavy punch from Street Fighter IV. 12% (grounded opponents), 15% (aerial opponent sweetspot), 11% (aerial opponent sourspot) Samus Swings her cannon in an arc downwards. Capable of meteor smashing opponents if the attack connects midway through her swing. 10% (early), 14% (clean), 11% (late) Sheik Briefly rises in the air before dropping down with her foot extended. A stall-then-fall move that meteor smashes opponents during the beginning of the move, but it's hard to recover from because of its fast descent. 8% (attack), 2% (landing) Shulk Holds the Monado below him and extends the beam downwards. The first hit of the move does little knockback, but can easily connect to the second hit, which meteor smashes if sweetspotted, being at the middle of the blade during the second hit. 7% (hit 1 grounded), 5% (hit 1 aerial), 11% (hit 2 blade), 10% (hit 2 beam) Sonic Pauses momentarily in the air and then divekicks diagonally downwards. A stall-then-fall move that's capable of meteor smashing opponents if timed right. Often used off-stage, as Sonic can quickly recover afterward using his spring. 8% (clean), 7% (late) Toon Link Pauses for a brief moment before thrusting his sword straight down at high speed. A stall-then-fall move that meteor smashes opponents at the beginning of the move but goes straight through opponents instead of bouncing off them, making it a risky move to use offstage. 16% (clean), 12% (late), 5% (landing) Villager Pulls out between one to three turnips and swings them downwards. Three turnips can meteor smash opponents. One: 8% (clean), 4% (late) Two: 10% (clean), 5% (late) Three: 13% (clean), 6% (late) Wario Flips upside down and drills into his opponent using his head. The move hits multiple times with the last hit dealing diagonal knockback. 1.3% (hits 1-6), 4% (hit 7) Wii Fit Trainer Performs the Chair pose and stomp down onto enemies in midair. Can meteor smash if sweetspotted, but only in the air. 14% (clean grounded), 13% (clean aerial), 8% (late) Yoshi Flutter kicks very quickly below himself. The first 13 hits can meteor smash but is not noticeable at low percentages, and the last hit sends opponents upwards. Can deal up to 34.4% if all hits connect. 3% (hits 1-6 center), 2% (hits 1-6 sides), 2.2% (hits 7-13 center), 1.5% (hits 7-13 sides), 1% (hit 14), 1% (landing) Zelda Stomps downwards with one foot. A powerful meteor smash when sweetspotted, otherwise an extremely weak meteor smash when sourspotted. 16% (clean), 5% (late leg), 4% (late foot) Zero Suit Samus Briefly pauses in the air and then shots down diagonally with one foot extended. It is a stall-then-fall move that meteor smashes airborne opponents, but its high speed makes it risky to use. 6% (aerial), 5% (grounded), 5.5% (landing) * This assumes the Mii is default height and weight. Notable down aerials Captain Falcon's down aerial, notorious for the nipple spike in Melee. Falco's down aerial, a fast spike in Melee and Brawl with high range vital to Falco's pillar. Fox's down aerial in Melee, notorious for its use in his infinite combo. Ganondorf's down aerial in Brawl can be auto canceled in short hops and KO below 100% who connects on the ground while in an aerial opponent making it a great approach move and as a spike it always spikes if connects with enough power to OHKO an opponent in most cases. It is the strongest aerial in Melee, Brawl, and Smash 4. In Smash 4, the ability to tech grounded meteor smashes was introduced. Ganondorf's dair is one of the two meteor smashes that can't be teched to cancel knockback. Lucario, Ivysaur, and R.O.B.'s down aerials stop their movement in the aerial. However, it doesn't stop momentum while in the knockback from an enemy's attack. Mario's down aerial was replaced with the Mario Tornado in Brawl. Previously, Mario Tornado had been his down special move. Marth's down aerial, specifically in Melee, is possibly the most feared with its speed, range, and ability to spike. Its effectiveness has been reduced in Brawl, though it can still be used well with practice. Super Smash Bros. 4 severely nerfed its effectiveness through a reduced range, weaker sourspots, increased lag, meteoring in the middle of the swing when hit with the tipper, and having a reversed animation (starting from behind Marth rather than in front of him). Yoshi's down aerial, the most damaging aerial in all four games, dealing a maximum of 56% in SSB, 53% in Melee, 35% in Brawl and 32% in Smash 4. It can deal huge damage very quickly, which is especially easy against characters with large hurtboxes. In SSB and Melee, two down aerials along with some other attacks can bring an opponent to KO percentages. It is also notorious for being a very simple way to win the Paper Mario trophy in Melee, for people who are unable to bat drop. The Ice Climbers', Mr. Game & Watch's, Sheik's, Sonic's, Toon Link's, Zero Suit Samus's, Bowser's, Greninja's, Corrin's, and Bayonetta's down aerials are all stall-then-fall aerials in all games they appear in except Melee (and Brawl for Bowser). When Link's and Greninja's down aerials connect with a foe or a shield they will bounce up, allowing them to hit another enemy for minor damage and knockback (although Greninja jumps into the air and can go into any other air action afterward). Bowser's down air grants him some small additional height when used and meteors at the start of the move. Corrin's down air is also a drill and meteors at the end of the move rather than at the start (similar to Kirby's down air which is a drill and meteor). Mega Man's down aerial is the only down aerial that is also a projectile. Gallery Animation of Marth's down aerial in Melee. Mario's down aerial in Melee. Lucario's down aerial in Brawl, which negates momentum. Kirby's down aerial in Super Smash Bros. For Wii U., which is a drill kick.

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