Ganondorf (SSBU): Difference between revisions

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|ssbgame3 = SSB4
|ssbgame3 = SSB4
|availability = [[Unlockable character|Unlockable]]
|availability = [[Unlockable character|Unlockable]]
|tier = B-
|tier = E-
|ranking = 82
|ranking = 82
}}
}}
'''Ganondorf''' ({{ja|ガノンドロフ|Ganondorofu}}, "Ganondorf") leaps into the fray in ''[[Super Smash Bros. Ultimate]]'' as a playable character, but don't let his menacing look deceive you. Officially revealed alongside {{SSBU|Ryu}} and the rest of the returning fighters on June 12th, 2018, during E3 2018, Ganondorf continues his legacy as an [[unlockable character|unlockable]] enigma, shrouded in the mystery of being Fighter #23.
'''Ganondorf''' ({{ja|ガノンドロフ|Ganondorofu}}, ''Ganondorf'') is a playable character in ''[[Super Smash Bros. Ultimate]]''. He was officially revealed alongside {{SSBU|Ryu}} and the rest of the returning roster on June 12th, 2018 during E3 2018. Like in games prior to {{forwiiu}}, he is [[unlockable character|unlockable]], instead of being available from the [[starter character|start]]. Ganondorf is classified as [[Fighter number|Fighter #23]].


The legendary {{s|wikipedia|Takashi Nagasako}}, the voice behind Ganondorf in ''{{s|zeldawiki|The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time}}'' and ''{{s|zeldawiki|The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker}}'', returns to give life to Ganondorf's grunts and roars. In ''Ultimate'', he steps back into the spotlight, taking over from {{s|wikipedia|Hironori Miyata}} who filled the role in ''[[Super Smash Bros. Brawl]]'' and ''[[Super Smash Bros. 4]]''.
{{s|wikipedia|Takashi Nagasako}}, Ganondorf's voice actor from ''{{s|zeldawiki|The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time}}'' and ''{{s|zeldawiki| The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker}}'' (and by extension,  ''[[Super Smash Bros. Melee]]''), reprises his role in all regions, providing new voice clips that mimic his portrayal from ''Ocarina of Time'' rather than using re-purposed voice from the game as in previous ''Smash'' games. In ''Ultimate'', Nagasako succeeds {{s|wikipedia|Hironori Miyata}}, who previously succeeding him in ''[[Super Smash Bros. Brawl]]'' and ''[[Super Smash Bros. 4]]'' by re-purposing his voice clips from ''The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess''.


On the [[tier list]], Ganondorf stands proudly at the rock-bottom, ranked 82nd out of 82 – a place where legends are born. His placement, a step down from ''Smash 4'' where he was tied with {{SSB4|Zelda}} at 52nd/53rd, marks a historic moment: he is the first character to achieve the unique honor of being ranked last in both the NTSC and European tier lists for two different games, the other milestone being in ''[[Brawl]]''.
Ganondorf is ranked dead last on the [[tier list]], at 82nd out of 82, and is the only character in the E- tier. This is a slight drop from his already very low placement in ''Smash 4'', where he was tied with {{SSB4|Zelda}} at 52nd/53rd out of 54, and gives him the dubious distinction of being the only character ranked last for the NTSC and European tier lists of two different games, the other being ''[[Brawl]]''. Despite this, it should be noted that his placement does not equate to the same level of unviability as in previous games, as he is overall more viable than in ''Brawl'' and ''Smash 4''.  


Ganondorf brings a storm with his high-powered moveset, notorious for its knockout capabilities. In this iteration, his power is not just a rumor but a devastating reality. His upgraded arsenal includes a more potent [[Dark Dive]], a Grounded [[Wizard's Foot]] that's a knockout artist, and an [[up tilt]] that's as fast as lightning. Plus, his legendary sword from the ''SpaceWorld 2000 GameCube Tech Demo'' is now at his disposal, delivering smash attacks so powerful they defy the laws of the game.
As with tradition, Ganondorf possesses one of the hardest-hitting movesets in the game, with noteworthy improvements to his raw power over previous games; this makes him one of the most formidable fighters when it comes to KOing. In addition, many of his infamously weak moves have been buffed to be more effective; [[Dark Dive]] is now a capable [[out of shield]] and KO option, Grounded [[Wizard's Foot]]'s sweetspot and sourspots have been reversed and make it effective for KOing, and [[up tilt]] is significantly faster. Finally, Ganondorf now has access to his sword from the ''SpaceWorld 2000 GameCube Tech Demo'', which provide him with extremely powerful and wide-arced smash attacks that easily KO below 100%, with forward smash being one of the strongest in the game. Overall, Ganondorf still excels at what he does best: ending stocks in a few hits.


However, every legend has its Achilles' heel, and Ganondorf's lies in his slow movement and abysmal frame data. These weaknesses are more pronounced in ''Ultimate'''s fast-paced, projectile-heavy combat style. His shield game, grappling, and throws remain lackluster. Many of his moves suffer from poor range or misplaced hitboxes, making them less effective. His recovery is notoriously bad, with Dark Dive offering little salvation. Additionally, changes to his moveset have stripped him of some mindgame potential, impacting his performance in the neutral game.
However, Ganondorf's core weaknesses continue to hold him back drastically compared to the rest of the roster. His terrible frame data and slow movement give him severe difficulty in approaching and escaping disadvantage, which is especially problematic due to ''Ultimate'''s emphasis on faster-paced and projectile-focused combat. His shield safety is lacking despite his high shield pressure, while his grab and throws are still extremely weak despite his overall power, having short range and unable to KO easily. Several of his moves also have small or poorly placed hitboxes which results in poor range (with hitbox adjustments making some of them worse than previously) or glaring blindspots (with some such as Dark Dive having worse hitboxes than [[Falcon Dive]], its equivalent move from {{SSBU|Captain Falcon}}). His recovery is among the worst in the game due to Dark Dive's low distance, and despite it not causing [[helplessness]] when it connects, opponents are able to slowly [[gimp]] Ganondorf simply by getting grabbed deliberately to push him backwards. Finally, some changes remove some of his only situational moves that allow him to play [[mindgame]]s: his new up smash is no longer able to bait reactions nor is safe on shield if spaced, up aerial's shorter duration makes gimping with the late hitbox more difficult, and aerial [[Flame Choke]] can now be escaped by [[button mashing]] while also KOing Ganondorf first if used as a [[sacrificial KO]].


In summary, while Ganondorf has the raw power to intimidate, his significant shortcomings have led to a disappointing competitive reception. As the game's meta evolves, these flaws only become more apparent, cementing his position as a mediocre student... B-. Yet, in the hands of a skilled player, Ganondorf's might is a spectacle to behold – a testament to the fact that sometimes, even legends can have an off day.
Overall, Ganondorf's issues collectively give him significant problems in the [[neutral game]]: the majority of the roster can outspeed him in almost every degree, his offstage survivability is extremely poor and limited to air dodge mix-ups, while his strengthened power does not help him approach nor give him many options to defend himself, resulting in him struggling to make use of his excellent raw power and KO ability. Because of these factors, while the community had high hopes for Ganondorf in the early metagame, his competitive reception plummeted as the metagame evolved and his weaknesses became much more exploitable, and he has sat at the very bottom of the first two official tier lists.


==How to unlock==
==How to unlock==
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All of Ganondorf's aerials are very useful, as they are fast despite their immense power (excluding forward aerial and down aerial), and are guaranteed to knock opponents off the stage even at medium percents, giving him a great [[edgeguard]]ing game. His sweetspotted down aerial is his most damaging aerial and the second strongest meteor smash in the game, and when sourspotted has the second strongest horizontal knockback out of all his aerials (after his sweetspotted back aerial). His up aerial is his lowest damaging aerial, but is his second fastest aerial, can autocancel from a short hop, and its late hitbox is a very potent [[gimp]] with its semi-spike angle and high [[hitstun]]. His neutral aerial has the lowest knockback out of all his aerials, but is his fastest aerial consisting of two hits that naturally combo into each other with damage rivaling his sweetspotted down aerial, while doubling as long-lasting [[sex kick]]s, and has the greatest horizontal reach out of all his aerials allowing it to wall out approaches. His forward aerial boasts good reach in an arc that also hits slightly behind him, while his back aerial is a deceptively fast KO move that can autocancel from a short hop. Aerial Flame Choke is a chokeslam that lacks guaranteed followups, but does more damage than when used on the ground and can still tech-chase. Aerial Wizard's Foot is Ganondorf's only aerial option with vertical knockback, making it a good anti-air that punishes juggles. Finally, Dark Dive is a command grab that does multiple weak electric hits that make it difficult to interrupt, which leads into a very powerful throw that can reverse edgeguard situations, especially when facing away from the stage, while also not causing helplessness and letting him reuse the move; if the grab misses, the move performs an uppercut at the end to deter potential edgeguards.
All of Ganondorf's aerials are very useful, as they are fast despite their immense power (excluding forward aerial and down aerial), and are guaranteed to knock opponents off the stage even at medium percents, giving him a great [[edgeguard]]ing game. His sweetspotted down aerial is his most damaging aerial and the second strongest meteor smash in the game, and when sourspotted has the second strongest horizontal knockback out of all his aerials (after his sweetspotted back aerial). His up aerial is his lowest damaging aerial, but is his second fastest aerial, can autocancel from a short hop, and its late hitbox is a very potent [[gimp]] with its semi-spike angle and high [[hitstun]]. His neutral aerial has the lowest knockback out of all his aerials, but is his fastest aerial consisting of two hits that naturally combo into each other with damage rivaling his sweetspotted down aerial, while doubling as long-lasting [[sex kick]]s, and has the greatest horizontal reach out of all his aerials allowing it to wall out approaches. His forward aerial boasts good reach in an arc that also hits slightly behind him, while his back aerial is a deceptively fast KO move that can autocancel from a short hop. Aerial Flame Choke is a chokeslam that lacks guaranteed followups, but does more damage than when used on the ground and can still tech-chase. Aerial Wizard's Foot is Ganondorf's only aerial option with vertical knockback, making it a good anti-air that punishes juggles. Finally, Dark Dive is a command grab that does multiple weak electric hits that make it difficult to interrupt, which leads into a very powerful throw that can reverse edgeguard situations, especially when facing away from the stage, while also not causing helplessness and letting him reuse the move; if the grab misses, the move performs an uppercut at the end to deter potential edgeguards.


In spite of his strengths, Ganondorf has glaring flaws. He is too intimidating to be an excellent husbando and highly vulnerable to combos and juggling thanks to his heavy weight, very large size, above average falling speed and gravity, and low air speed, and his slow mobility hinders his approach and ability to close distance or create space. His lack of a projectile or reflector also leaves him susceptible to projectile camping and zoning.
In spite of his strengths, Ganondorf has glaring flaws. He is highly vulnerable to combos and juggling thanks to his heavy weight, very large size, above average falling speed and gravity, and low air speed, and his slow mobility hinders his approach and ability to close distance or create space. His lack of a projectile or reflector also leaves him susceptible to projectile camping and zoning.


Arguably Ganondorf's biggest weakness is his lack of defensive options, courtesy of the issues within his moveset. To begin, his frame data is very sluggish and among the worst in the game: he has very few moves that are active before frame 9 (these being neutral attack, neutral aerial, up aerial, and standing grab) and some not even coming out before frame 28 (such as forward smash, Warlock Punch, and Volcano Kick), along with many of his moves having extremely high ending lag (most notably all of his smash attacks and all his special moves). As a result of his abysmal frame data, many of his moves are unsafe on shield unless fully spaced, despite his aforementioned shield breaking capabilities. Combined with his poor mobility, Ganondorf struggles to compete with faster characters like {{SSBU|Fox}}, slow projectile users like {{SSBU|Ivysaur}}, and long-ranged characters like {{SSBU|Simon}} and {{SSBU|Min Min}}. This forces Ganondorf's offense to heavily rely on proper spacing and mindgames.
Arguably Ganondorf's biggest weakness is his lack of defensive options, courtesy of the issues within his moveset. To begin, his frame data is very sluggish and among the worst in the game: he has very few moves that are active before frame 9 (these being neutral attack, neutral aerial, up aerial, and standing grab) and some not even coming out before frame 28 (such as forward smash, Warlock Punch, and Volcano Kick), along with many of his moves having extremely high ending lag (most notably all of his smash attacks and all his special moves). As a result of his abysmal frame data, many of his moves are unsafe on shield unless fully spaced, despite his aforementioned shield breaking capabilities. Combined with his poor mobility, Ganondorf struggles to compete with faster characters like {{SSBU|Fox}}, slow projectile users like {{SSBU|Ivysaur}}, and long-ranged characters like {{SSBU|Simon}} and {{SSBU|Min Min}}. This forces Ganondorf's offense to heavily rely on proper spacing and mindgames.
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In contrast to Ganondorf's tall size, some of his attacks have poor reach and often have problematic hitbox placements, causing them to have noticeably large blind spots. His neutral attack, forward tilt, back aerial, Dark Dive, and Wizard's Foot, some of which are considered Ganondorf's fastest attacks and best [[out of shield]] options, all suffer from a combination of short reach, short hitbox duration, small hitbox sizes, and/or high hitbox placements. Wizard's Foot and Flame Choke also have their hitboxes end earlier than their animations suggest, while forward aerial and back aerial's hitboxes do not properly match their trails. Neutral aerial's two hits often fail to link properly, especially against grounded opponents, likely resulting in Ganondorf getting punished if he whiffs the second hit, and the second hit itself is difficult to land due to its high hitbox placement. His forward smash, despite its impressive reach, completely lacks any active hitboxes during the downward swing, giving it a notoriously large dead zone above and in front of his head. His up smash has a blindspot directly in front of him, and its rear hitboxes end just above the ground. Ganondorf's numerous blind spots allows many small characters such as {{SSBU|Pichu}} to easily exploit and weave through his attacks, especially when crouching.
In contrast to Ganondorf's tall size, some of his attacks have poor reach and often have problematic hitbox placements, causing them to have noticeably large blind spots. His neutral attack, forward tilt, back aerial, Dark Dive, and Wizard's Foot, some of which are considered Ganondorf's fastest attacks and best [[out of shield]] options, all suffer from a combination of short reach, short hitbox duration, small hitbox sizes, and/or high hitbox placements. Wizard's Foot and Flame Choke also have their hitboxes end earlier than their animations suggest, while forward aerial and back aerial's hitboxes do not properly match their trails. Neutral aerial's two hits often fail to link properly, especially against grounded opponents, likely resulting in Ganondorf getting punished if he whiffs the second hit, and the second hit itself is difficult to land due to its high hitbox placement. His forward smash, despite its impressive reach, completely lacks any active hitboxes during the downward swing, giving it a notoriously large dead zone above and in front of his head. His up smash has a blindspot directly in front of him, and its rear hitboxes end just above the ground. Ganondorf's numerous blind spots allows many small characters such as {{SSBU|Pichu}} to easily exploit and weave through his attacks, especially when crouching.


Ganondorf's grab game is also suave. His grab reach is notoriously short despite his tall stature, and, outside of down throw, his throws have little to no followup potential. None of them are consistently viable KO options either, despite dealing respectable amounts of damage; while his forward and back throws deal passable knockback, even they are rather weak and can't KO middleweights under 200% from center stage, while his up throw lacks KO potential altogether. His down throw, despite being a decent combo starter, loses much of its combo potential very quickly past low percentages. The ability to tech Flame Choke at any percentage works against Ganondorf, as it forces hard reads, and incorrect reads can put Ganondorf in a vulnerable position. Flame Choke also lacks a collateral hitbox, allowing doubles, {{SSBU|Ice Climbers}}, and {{SSBU|Rosalina & Luma}} to hit him out of the move.
Ganondorf's grab game is also lackluster. His grab reach is notoriously short despite his tall stature, and, outside of down throw, his throws have little to no followup potential. None of them are consistently viable KO options either, despite dealing respectable amounts of damage; while his forward and back throws deal passable knockback, even they are rather weak and can't KO middleweights under 200% from center stage, while his up throw lacks KO potential altogether. His down throw, despite being a decent combo starter, loses much of its combo potential very quickly past low percentages. The ability to tech Flame Choke at any percentage works against Ganondorf, as it forces hard reads, and incorrect reads can put Ganondorf in a vulnerable position. Flame Choke also lacks a collateral hitbox, allowing doubles, {{SSBU|Ice Climbers}}, and {{SSBU|Rosalina & Luma}} to hit him out of the move.


The other major weakness is his poor [[recovery]], which is considered to be one of the worst in the game. Ganondorf's slow air speed and low jump height, as well as the helplessness-causing Flame Choke and Dark Dive having low speed and resilience, makes his off-stage movement linear and predictable while leaving him very vulnerable to edgeguards and gimps. His recovery specials also work against Ganondorf; aerial Flame Choke can be escaped by button mashing and KOs Ganondorf first when used as a [[sacrificial KO]], while Dark Dive's throw can be [[Tech Check|teched and punished]] in its endlag. As such, it's possible to edgeguard Ganondorf by even intentionally getting hit by his aerial specials, leaving him in a position where his abysmal mobility prevents him from recovering.
The other major weakness is his poor [[recovery]], which is considered to be one of the worst in the game. Ganondorf's slow air speed and low jump height, as well as the helplessness-causing Flame Choke and Dark Dive having low speed and resilience, makes his off-stage movement linear and predictable while leaving him very vulnerable to edgeguards and gimps. His recovery specials also work against Ganondorf; aerial Flame Choke can be escaped by button mashing and KOs Ganondorf first when used as a [[sacrificial KO]], while Dark Dive's throw can be [[Tech Check|teched and punished]] in its endlag. As such, it's possible to edgeguard Ganondorf by even intentionally getting hit by his aerial specials, leaving him in a position where his abysmal mobility prevents him from recovering.
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