Editing Helpless

[[File:Mario Helpless.png|thumb|175px|A frame from Mario's helpless animation in ''[[Super Smash Bros.]]'']]

'''Helpless''' (also known as '''freefall''', '''special fall''' and various other names, and called "'''fallspecial'''" in game data) is a state in which characters are unable to take any action, with the exception of grabbing a [[ledge]], manoeuvring left/right, [[fastfalling]], or climbing a [[Ladder (stage element)|ladder]], until they land on the ground or pass a [[blast line]]. Helplessness is typically associated with just having used one's [[recovery]] move(s), namely the [[up special]], though some other [[special]] moves that provide additional movement also incur this state. Before ''Ultimate'', many special moves involving controllable projectiles (such as [[Ness]]'s [[PK Flash]] and [[Zelda]]'s [[Din's Fire]]) caused helplessness as well.

 

Some special moves are programmed to transition to helplessness early upon contact with a platform. In the case of [[soft platform]]s, holding down to drop through them will result in the player becoming helpless before the move is usually over, though it can also be seen if the user breaks the platform it landed on with the landing potion of the attack (where applicable), or if blown off the platform with a [[Windbox|move that deals no hitstun]].

|[[Sora]]||[[Aerial Sweep]]||Up Special||{{GameIcon|SSBU}}||Sora can input Sonic Blade at the apex of the move for an additional boost to his recovery.

|[[Ike]]||[[Aether]]||Up Special||{{GameIcon|SSBB}}{{GameIcon|SSB4}}{{GameIcon|SSBU}}||Normally, the move does not end until Ike lands on the ground, grabs the edge of a stage, or bypasses the lower blast line. However, if the platform Ike has landed on disappears or something causes him to slide off while he is still in the landing animation (such as falling off a conveyor belt), he will become helpless.

|[[Daisy]]||[[Daisy Parasol]]||Up Special||{{GameIcon|SSBU}}||Daisy only enters helplessness if she decides to fastfall (which retracts the parasol) after using the move — she can also end the helplessness and resume parachuting by pressing up (re-opening it). Additionally, Daisy will automatically enter helplessness after eight full seconds of floating.

|[[Duck Hunt]]||[[Duck Jump]]||Up Special||{{GameIcon|SSB4}}{{GameIcon|SSBU}}||In ''Ultimate'', the duo can cancel the move into an attack or an [[air dodge]], after which they will still become helpless.

|[[Peach]]||[[Peach Parasol]]||Up Special||{{GameIcon|SSBM}}{{GameIcon|SSBB}}{{GameIcon|SSB4}}{{GameIcon|SSBU}}||Peach only enters helplessness if she decides to fastfall (which retracts the parasol) after using the move — she can also end the helplessness and resume parachuting by pressing up (re-opening it). However, if Peach is under the effects of items that make her shrink or grow while she fastfalls, she will become helpless, as her parasol disappears once she's back to normal. In ''SSB4'' and ''Ultimate'', Peach will automatically enter helplessness after eight full seconds of floating. The [[Parasol]] item allows any character to do this in ''Melee''.

|[[King K. Rool]]||[[Propellerpack]]||Up Special||{{GameIcon|SSBU}}||Normally, when King K. Rool uses the move, he will enter a slow fluttering state when it ends. However, if he [[fastfall]]s during this state, he will enter the helpless animation. While K. Rool is not technically considered helpless during the fluttering state, he cannot perform any action during it.

|[[Mario]], [[Luigi]], [[Dr. Mario]]||[[Super Jump Punch]]||Up Special||{{GameIcon|SSB64}}{{GameIcon|SSBM}}{{GameIcon|SSBB}}{{GameIcon|SSB4}}{{GameIcon|SSBU}}||Their helpless animations are based on the Mario Bros.' death sprite in games such as ''Super Mario Bros.'' and ''Super Mario Bros. 3'' (in Luigi's case, this applies only in ''SSB'' and ''Melee'').

|[[Hero]]||[[Woosh / Swoosh / Kaswoosh]]||Up Special||{{GameIcon|SSBU}}||All three stages of this move cause helplessness.

In ''Ultimate'', if a fighter uses a special move which will put them into freefall, but they land before entering freefall, they may enter a glitched state if the special move's ending lag doesn't transfer from an airborne to a grounded state. Upon entering this state, the next time the character enters the air, they will initially adopt their normal air speed, but after a few frames will revert to the air speed they would have when entering freefall from the special move used, which is usually lower than their normal fall speed. This will persist until they double jump, grab a ledge or land on the ground again.

*If [[Kirby]] copies a move that causes helplessness, he will be affected just as the original character would be. These moves are [[Giant Punch]] (''Melee'' through ''Smash 4''), [[Mach Tornado]], [[PK Flash]] (until ''Ultimate''),  [[PK Freeze]] (until ''Ultimate''), and [[Rollout]] (only ''Melee'').

*In all games except ''Melee'', some characters are unable to become helpless through their own moveset. These include [[Yoshi]], [[Jigglypuff]], [[Mr. Game & Watch]], [[Snake]], [[Ivysaur]]  (in ''Ultimate''), [[Sonic]], [[R.O.B.]], [[Mega Man]], [[Bowser Jr.]], [[Bayonetta]], [[Banjo]] & [[Kazooie]], [[Byleth]], [[Min Min]], [[Pyra]] and [[Kazuya]].

**R.O.B. is not programmed to have a helpless state in ''Brawl'', and attempting to see it via hacking causes the game to crash. All other characters in the game have a helpless state, even if they cannot enter it without hacking.  

**''Smash 4'' and ''Ultimate'' introduced [[Pac-Man]]'s [[Pac-Jump]], which automatically triggers the helpless state to characters that touch the red trampoline. This is the only way to see the helpless animations of the aforementioned characters in normal gameplay.

**Jigglypuff's [[Rollout]] puts Jigglypuff in a similar state where they are unable to perform any actions but drift. This is not technically helpless.

*[[Donkey Kong]] is the only character to have a move not result in a helpless state in the first game (being ''Smash 64''), then having it result in a helpless state for the next games (from ''Melee'' to ''Super Smash Bros. 4''), then reverting back to not resulting in such (being ''Ultimate''). In this case, [[Giant Punch]].

*Every game in the series except ''Smash 64'' and ''Brawl'' has a method in which a character can become helpless as a result of someone else:

**''Melee'' has the {{b|Screw Attack|item}}, which can be thrown at someone to make them perform a move similar to [[Samus]]'s {{b|Screw Attack|move}}, leaving them helpless after it.