Editing Forward aerial

[[File:Knee Smash.png|250px|thumb|Captain Falcon using [[Knee Smash]], his forward aerial attack, in ''Brawl''.]]

[[File:JigglypuffFairSSBM.gif|thumb|Jigglypuff's forward aerial attack in ''Melee''.]]

The '''forward aerial''' (abbreviated as "fair", "FAir", or "AFA", referred in the ''Brawl'' manual as '''"Front air"''' and as '''AttackAirF''' internally) is an [[aerial attack]] that is performed in midair by pressing the [[attack]] button and tilting the [[control stick]]/[[d-pad]] in the direction the character is facing. Its official term varies between titles, where it is known as a '''front midair attack''' in ''[[Melee]]'', and a '''front air attack''' in ''[[Brawl]]'' and ''[[Smash 4]]''. Forward aerials are usually not as strong as [[back aerial]]s, though they have larger hitboxes most of the time, making them useful for [[edgeguarding]].

==List of forward aerials in ''[[Super Smash Bros.]]''==

{|class="wikitable"

|{{SSB|Donkey Kong}}||Punches downwards. A good spike move for edgeguarding. Combos into giant punch and into another forward aerial at middle to high percentages. Most known for its ability to be used vs. shields into a dash grab or down special.||16%

|{{SSB|Fox}}||Does a drill kick in front of him. Another good aerial move of Fox's Combos into up smash and virtually all of his aerials. Good approaching and baiting tactics.||12%

|{{SSB|Jigglypuff}}||Kicks in front of itself. Good range. Can "[[wall of pain]]" similar to ''Melee'' but to less of an extent. Combos into a [[Rest]].||8-13%

|{{SSB|Kirby}}||Does a drill kick in front of him. A very useful combo move. Down aerial→up tilt→short hop→forward aerial→forward smash is one of Kirby's staple combos.||20% if all hits connect.

|{{SSB|Link}}||Swings his sword in front of him. Link's strongest aerial in terms of [[knockback]]. His main combo ender outside of [[up special move]] and [[forward smash]].||20% if both hits connect.

|{{SSB|Luigi}}||Luigi kicks forward while spinning. Good edgeguarding tool. Good range compared to Luigi's other aerials. Combos into the Hyrule tent into an up special.||16%

|{{SSB|Mario}}||It is similar to Luigi's move. It is good versus certain characters like Jigglypuff. It has good range.||16%

|{{SSB|Ness}}||Throws his hands out forcefully, knocking the opponent backwards. Similar to his [[dash attack]].||12%

|{{SSB|Pikachu}}||Thrusts its head forward, doing [[electric]] damage. Would be a very useful [[combo]] move if it was more difficult to [[DI]] out of drills. Combos into [[up smash]] and all other aerial attacks. Not as heavily disjointed as Pikachu's other aerials.||21% if all hits connect.

|{{SSB|Samus}}||Bursts out fire out of her arm gun. A useful combo move. It has high [[damage]] and is good at breaking down shields. Combos into down aerial.||20% if all hits connect.

|{{SSB|Yoshi}}||Thrusts its head downwards. A useful edgeguarding move and both a combo starter and a combo ender. Combos into his [[down special move]] on the ground. It can [[meteor smash]] an opponent.||18%

 

==List of forward aerials in ''[[Super Smash Bros. Melee]]''==

|{{SSBM|Falco}}||Similar to Fox. Five kicks in front.||27% if all hits connect.

|{{SSBM|Peach}}||Slaps forward with her crown.||8-15%

 

|{{SSBB|Diddy Kong}}|| Kicks out both legs and spins around. Similar to Mario's and Luigi's old forward aerial in ''[[Super Smash Bros.]]''.|| 14% (clean), 11% (late)

|{{SSBB|Fox}}|| Performs five rapid kicks in succession. Fox "hovers" whenever he performs all five kicks.|| 6% (hit 1), 5% (hits 2-3), 4% (hit 4), 3% (hit 5)

|{{SSBB|Ike}}|| Performs a downward overhead swing with Ragnell. Has great range, but has long startup.|| 13%

|{{SSBB|Ivysaur}}|| Whips forward with its vines. Deals vertical knockback.|| 12% (vine), 10% (tip)

|{{SSBB|Jigglypuff}}|| Kicks both its feet out in front of itself. Can be used for [[wall of pain]] techniques.|| 12%/10% (clean), 6% (late)

|{{SSBB|King Dedede}}|| Swings his hammer upwards.|| 15%

|{{SSBB|Kirby}}|| Performs three quick spinning kicks forward. When combined with a jump, this move gives Kirby a slight horizontal recovery.|| 4% (hit 1), 3% (hit 2), 5% (hit 3)

|{{SSBB|Link}}|| Swings sword forward and spins around, then swings it again. Its second hit is more powerful, but the first hit only combos into the second hit at low percentages.|| 9% (hit 1), 12% (hit 2)

|{{SSBB|Lucario}}|| Kicks forward, radiating aura at the tip of its foot. Inflicts little damage, but can used to combo into other attacks. It can be used twice in one [[short hop]].|| {{AuraDamageSSBB|5}}

|{{SSBB|Lucas}}|| Kicks forward with PSI energy at the end of his foot.|| 12% (clean sweetspot), 10% (clean sourspot), 8% (late)

|{{SSBB|Luigi}}|| Karate chops forward. Quick and weak though it can still KO at 150% (unless [[edgeguarding]]).|| 10%

|{{SSBB|Mario}}|| Raises his fist then punches downward. Can [[meteor smash]] opponents if the move is sweetspotted.|| 12% (early), 13% (clean), 10% (late)

|{{SSBB|Marth}}|| Swings his sword downwards in front of himself. Can fit two in one [[short hop]], useful for [[edgeguarding]].|| 10% (base), 13% (tip)

|{{SSBB|Meta Knight}}|| Slashes in front of himself three times. The first two hits can be ground-canceled, which can lead to almost any move.|| 3% (hits 1-2), 4% (hit 3)

|{{SSBB|Mr. Game & Watch}}|| Swings a box forward. Deals strong horizontal knockback when it first comes out. Originates from ''Mario Bros''.|| 16% (clean), 6% (late)

|{{SSBB|Ness}}|| Sticks his hands out and creates small bubbles of PSI energy in front of himself. Good for combos.|| 2% (hits 1-4), 3% (hit 5)

|{{SSBB|Olimar}}|| Swings a Pikmin in front of himself.|| 15% (R), 12% (Y), 13% (B), 5% (W), 14% (P)

|{{SSBB|Peach}}|| Takes crown off her head and strikes forward with it. Deals good knockback and is often considered her most reliable KO move.|| 15%

|{{SSBB|Pikachu}}|| Drills forward in the air with electricity. Deals multiple hits with the final hit dealing minimal knockback. The attack itself has little landing lag, which can potentially set up a follow-up attack.|| 2% (hits 1-4), 3% (hit 5)

|{{SSBB|Pit}}|| Thrusts both blades forward and quickly brings them apart, slashing horizontally. Has some startup lag.|| 14%

|{{SSBB|R.O.B.}}|| Extends both his arms forward. Good for starting up aerial combos and for [[edgeguarding]].|| 10% (clean), 6% (late)

|{{SSBB|Samus}}|| Fires five small blasts with her arm cannon in a downward arc. This move overall has no landing lag.|| 4% (hit 1), 3% (hits 2-4), 5% (hit 5)

|{{SSBB|Sheik}}|| Leans forward and swipes forward. Launches opponents at a semi-spike trajectory.|| 9%

|{{SSBB|Snake}}|| Lifts his left leg over his head then axe-drops it down. Has slow start-up and high ending lag, but it's a very powerful [[meteor smash]] if the attack connects with Snake's leg.|| 14% (body), 15% (leg)

|{{SSBB|Sonic}}|| Spins in a horizontal corkscrew, drilling with his head. Has high landing lag.|| 1-2% (hits 1-5), 4% (hit 6)

|{{SSBB|Squirtle}}|| Quickly sticks both its feet forward. Has fast startup and a good [[edgeguarding]] move.|| 12% (clean), 6% (late)

|{{SSBB|Toon Link}}|| Swings his sword upward. Good for [[edgeguarding]] in terms of leaving the stage to intercept a recovering enemy.|| 13%

|{{SSBB|Wario}}|| Sticks his foot a short distance forward. Has very little range and damage, but fast and lasts a long time. Good for "[[wall of pain]]"-style of attacking.|| 7% (clean), 5% (late)

|{{SSBB|Wolf}}|| Slashes forward with his left arm. Has decent horizontal reach and delivers a moderately high amount of vertical knockback, making it one of Wolf's best aerial finishers.|| 11%

|{{SSBB|Yoshi}}|| Winds up then swings his head downwards. Can [[meteor smash]] opponents when the head connects, while the body deals horizontal knockback.|| 16% (body), 15% (head)

|{{SSBB|Zelda}}|| [[Lightning Kick]]: Quickly kicks in front of herself, dealing great damage and knockback if the opponent is hit at the beginning of the move at just the tip of her boot.|| 20% (clean foot), 4% (clean leg, late)

|{{SSBB|Zero Suit Samus}}|| Two quick forward kicks, with the second kick being stronger and slightly faster than the first. The first kick is weaker and often cannot combo onto the second hit.|| 6% (hit 1), 10-11% (hit 2 clean), 7% (hit 2 late)

 

==List of forward aerials in ''[[Super Smash Bros. 4]]''==

{|class="wikitable"

|{{SSB4|Bayonetta}} ||Performs a pistol whip in front of her. Performing the attack again has her strike with her other pistol, and a third time makes her perform an arcing kick|| Not yet known.

|{{SSB4|Bowser}} ||Slashes forward in a diagonal arc. Quick start-up, and decent KO potential off-stage makes it useful for edgeguarding.|| 13% (hand), 12% (arm), 11% (body)

|{{SSB4|Bowser Jr.}} ||The Junior Clown Car swings a wrecking ball in front of Bowser Jr. || 11%/9% (clean), 8%/6.5% (mid), 5%/4% (late), 2% (landing)

|{{SSB4|Captain Falcon}} ||[[Knee Smash]]: Jabs his left knee forward. It has very high knockback when sweetspotted, but has a large landing lag. || 19% (clean sweetspot), 6% (clean sourspot), 3% (late)

|{{SSB4|Charizard}} ||Slices the air with its talons. || 11% (arm), 12% (tip)

|{{SSB4|Cloud}}||Cloud pauses, then slices downwards in front of him with the Buster Sword, similar to Ike's forward air. Has the most startup out of all his aerials, but sweetspotting right when the sword stops moving results in a powerful [[meteor smash]]. Wide range and meteor smashing properties makes this a decent offstage option. Moderate ending and landing lag, but auto-cancels from a full hop.||14% (sweetspot), 13% (clean), 11% (late)

|{{SSB4|Dark Pit}} ||Identical to Pit's. || 1.5% (hits 1-2), 4% (hit 3)

|{{SSB4|Diddy Kong}} ||Quickly kicks both feet forward while spinning. || 10% (clean), 8% (late)

|{{SSBB|Donkey Kong}} ||Thrusts his fists in front of him, bringing them down from over his head. Meteor smashes powerfully when connected properly.|| 16% (fists early), 15% (fists meteor), 13% (arms)

|{{SSB4|Dr. Mario}} ||Identical to Mario's but does not meteor smash opponents. High knockback when sweetspotted. || 11.2% (early), 16.8% (clean), 10.08% (late)

|{{SSB4|Duck Hunt}} ||The dog thrusts the duck forward, who attacks with its beak. || 6% (early), 10% (tip clean), 7% (tip late)

|{{SSB4|Falco}} ||Turns horizontally and spins, hitting multiple times with his beak. All attacks chain well into each other, with the final hit dealing considerable knockback. The presence of all these hitboxes makes this move difficult to out-prioritize. || 1% (hits 1-5), 4% (hit 6), 3% (landing)

|{{SSB4|Fox}} ||Performs five rapid kicks in quick succession. Good for building up damage, as foes will "stick" to Fox for the duration of the attack. || 2% (hit 1), 1% (hit 2), 0.6% (hit 3), 0.8% (hit 4), 3% (hit 5)

|{{SSB4|Ganondorf}} ||Unleashes a powerful overhead punch in a downwards arc. Has great knockback, but a lot of landing lag. || 18% (fist), 17% (arm)

|{{SSB4|Greninja}} ||Slashes forward with a water katana in reverse grip. It has some start up lag; but a noticeable [[auto-cancel]] window at the beginning. || 14%

|{{SSB4|Ike}} ||Performs a downward overhead swing with Ragnell. Has good range and power, with decently fast start up startup. Can auto cancel out of a short hop.|| 12%

|{{SSB4|Jigglypuff}} ||Kicks both its feet out in front of itself. Deals weak knockback but can be used for [[wall of pain]] techniques. || 9% (clean), 6% (late)

|{{SSB4|King Dedede}} ||Swings his hammer in front of himself downwards. Surprisingly fast start-up and good range make it useful against floaty opponents like Kirby or Lucas. || 12%

|{{SSB4|Kirby}} ||Quickly kicks in front of himself three times. Surprisingly good range allows this move to be chainable in certain instances, and is also effective for edgeguarding. Against larger fighters like Bowser or Donkey Kong, this move can potentially chain into itself 3 times or more in rapid succession to carry them off stage entirely, [[wall of pain]] style.|| 4% (hit 1), 3% (hit 2), 5% (hit 3)

|{{SSB4|Link}} ||Swings his sword forward and then spins around, swinging it a second time. Difficult for both hits to connect at higher percentages. || 8% (hit 1), 10% (hit 2)

|{{SSB4|Little Mac}} ||Performs a very weak uppercut with very low knockback. Can be potentially useful at low percentages as part of a larger combo chain, and can be surprisingly effective when edgeguarding, provided Mac has a way to return to the stage afterwards. || 5% (hand), 4% (arm)

|{{SSB4|Lucario}} ||Kicks forward in a slight upwards tilt. Damage and knockback scale with [[aura]]. || {{AuraDamageSSB4|6}}

|{{SSB4|Lucas}} ||Kicks in front of himself with PSI energy surrounding his foot. || 11.5% (sweetspot), 8% (sourspot)

|{{SSB4|Lucina}} ||Identital to Marth's. || 8.075%

|{{SSB4|Luigi}} ||Chops in front of him horizontally with his hand, has extremely low end lag, being able to use this attack twice out of his short hop. This move is infamously used as a follow-up to Luigi's down-throw, where he can often hit twice or more.|| 9%

|{{SSB4|Mario}} || Raises his fist above his head and swings downward. [[Meteor smash]]es opponents when sweetspotted. || 12% (early), 14% (clean), 10% (late)

|{{SSB4|Marth}} ||Quickly swings his sword downwards in front of himself. A good [[edgeguarding]] technique. || 7% (base), 10% (tip)

|{{SSB4|Mega Man}} ||Flame Sword: Quickly summons a flaming sword to his hand and swings it downwards in front of himself. Based off Sword Man's weapon from ''Mega Man 8''. || 8%

|{{SSB4|Meta Knight}} ||Quickly slashes in front of himself three times. Very quick for a multi-hitting move, and an almost guaranteed follow-up from down-throw. || 2.2% (hits 1-2 for grounded opponents), 1.5% (hits 1-2 for aerial opponents), 3% (hit 3)

|{{SSB4|Mewtwo}} ||Quickly swipes its hand forward. The move comes out very quickly and has high knockback, making it a very useful finisher; albeit a lack in range and active frames|| 13%

|{{SSB4|Mii Brawler}} ||Two kicks in front, similar to Zero Suit Samus's forward aerial. || 3% (hit 1) 5% (hit 2)*

|{{SSB4|Mii Gunner}} ||Fires a single energy shot. The force slightly pushes back the Mii Gunner. || 6% (close), 4% (far)*

|{{SSB4|Mii Swordfighter}} ||Stabs forward multiple times. || 3% (hits 1-2), 5% (hit 3)*

|{{SSB4|Mr. Game & Watch}} ||Swings a box forward dealing, strong horizontal knockback when it first comes out. Originates from ''Mario Bros''. || 11.5% (clean), 6% (late)

|{{SSB4|Ness}} ||Releases a pulse of PSI power with his palms, hitting multiple times. Excellent for linking into combos, most infamously after down-throw. || 1% (hits 1-3), 4% (hit 4)

|{{SSB4|Olimar}} ||Swings a Pikmin in front of himself. Very quick start-up. || R: 10.2%<br/>YB: 8.5%<br/>W: 6.8%<br/>P: 11.9%

|{{SSB4|Pac-Man}} ||Does a quick hoizontal kick in front of himself. || 5.3%

|{{SSB4|Palutena}} ||A quick kick forward; looks similar to Zelda's lightning kicks, but without the sweet spot.|| 8%

|{{SSB4|Peach}} ||Takes her crown off her head and strikes with it in a vertical arc. Has some startup but deals a large amount of damage and knockback. Deceptively long range and high priority will often prompt Peach players to hover just off the ground in order to use it over Peach's ground-based moves. || 15%

|{{SSB4|Pikachu}} ||Spins forward surrounded by electricity, dealing multiple hits. Similar to Falco's. || 1.7% (hits 1-4), 3% (hit 5)

|{{SSB4|Pit}} ||Spins his bow horizontally in front of himself, slashing foes multiple times before launching them diagonally. || 1.5% (hits 1-2), 4% (hit 3)

|{{SSB4|R.O.B.}} ||Swings both arms forward in a clobbering strike. Very quick start-up. || 7%

|{{SSB4|Robin}} ||Uses his Bronze Sword or Levin Sword and sweeps the area beneath him, dragging the sword up. The Levin Sword has much more knockback and damage. || Bronze: 6%<br/>Levin: 11% (clean), 5% (late)

|{{SSB4|Rosalina & Luma}} ||Rosalina: Backflips in the air, creating a miniature galaxy at her feet. Deals multiple hits.<br/>Luma: Headbutts forward. || Rosalina: 1% (hits 1-3), 4% (hit 4)<br/>Luma: 5%

|{{SSB4|Roy}} || Performs a downward slash in front of himself while holding his sword in a reverse grip. Decent range and good IASA frames makes it a good follow-up.|| 11% (base), 7% (tip)

|{{SSB4|Ryu}} || Performs a classic ''Street Fighter'' flying kick, based on Ryu's jumping heavy kick.|| 15% (clean sweetspot), 13% (late sweetspot), 9% (clean sourspot), 8% (late sourspot)

|{{SSB4|Samus}} ||Blasts her arm cannon in a downward arc in front of herself. The first four shots have set knockback with the final shot dealing considerable knockback. || 3% (hit 1), 1% (hits 2-4), 5% (hit 5)

|{{SSB4|Sheik}} ||A quick downward swipe. Deals low knockback, but has great combo potential and very low landing lag. || 5.5% (arm), 4.8% (body)

|{{SSB4|Shulk}} ||Swings the Monado directly downwards in front of himself. Has good range and can be used to [[edgeguard]], especially when using the Jump Art. || 7.5% (blade), 6% (beam)

|{{SSB4|Sonic}} ||Spins around horizontally, hitting the opponent multiple times with his head. || 0.8% (hits 1-5), 3% (hit 6)

|{{SSB4|Yoshi}} ||Winds up then performs a headbutt downward. The head can [[meteor smash]].|| 15% (body), 14% (head)

|{{SSB4|Zero Suit Samus}}||Two quick kicks forward with her jet boots. The second hit is often difficult to chain into after the first hit. || 5% (hit 1), 7% (hit 2)

*In ''[[Melee]]'', ''[[Brawl]]'', and ''[[SSB4]]'', [[Captain Falcon]]'s forward aerial is the famous [[Knee Smash]], which has very high KO potential if sweetspotted. It is considered more useful in ''Melee'' than in ''Brawl'' and ''SSB4'', due to the former game possesing the ability to [[L-cancel]] and more favorable sweetspot placements and timings for the move.

*{{SSBB|Snake}}'s forward aerial is the most powerful forward aerial meteor smash in ''Brawl''.

*[[Zelda]]'s forward aerial is known as the [[Lightning Kick]], and is a powerful finisher at high percents when sweetspotted.

*[[Marth]]'s forward aerial is considered one of the best in ''Melee'' and ''Brawl'', due to its fast startup and low ending lag, good range, its edgeguarding capabilities, and versatility. In ''SSB4'', however, it was drastically nerfed by receiving a reduced range, more lag (starting, ending and landing) and a shorter hitbox duration, no longer being as safe to use.

*In ''Brawl'', {{SSBB|Falco}}'s forward aerial is often considered the worst in the game, due to its poor range, high ending lag, and inferiority to similar attacks, such as {{SSBB|Pikachu}}'s and {{SSBB|Sonic}}'s. In ''SSB4'', it was drastically buffed, given massive knockback with its final hit, reliably KOing offstage around 100% while not being particularly hard to land, making it arguably one of the best multi-hit forward aerials in the game.

*[[Villager]]'s forward aerial is a projectile, and as such, can be reflected or [[Pocket]]ed.

*Sheik's forward aerial in ''SSB4'' is one of her best moves for spacing and approaching, and overall one of the best aerials in the game, with an extremely early [[autocancel]] window (starting on frame 11) and long range (outranging even Marth's forward aerial) enabling her to land it multiple times on opponents upon hitting them, typically following up afterwards with [[Bouncing Fish]].

*In ''SSB4'', {{SSB4|Ness}}' forward aerial is known for being able to follow after a [[down throw]] and very easily comboing into itself.

[[Category:Game Controls]]