Donkey Kong (SSBU)/Back aerial

Hitbox visualization showing Donkey Kong's back aerial.

Overview

DK's back aerial is his best aerial and one of the best air-to-air attacks in the game. It has good speed, reach, power, low endlag, and a lingering hitbox. The main things holding it back are higher than usual landing lag and DK's high short hop which makes rising back air whiff on shorter characters.

In neutral, back air is DK's main offensive aerial. It outspaces and/or trades favorably against most aerials. It is also DK's most reliable aerial to clang with projectiles. Defensively, back air is very effective at walling out characters with short range. The threat of back air establishes air superiority and can condition the opponent to stay on the ground, which further helps DK's stellar ground game. Rising back air can be used as a poke against taller characters, making it less predictable and harder to react to.

The strong hit of back air on frames 7-8 will KO at around 140% from center stage with DI when it's fresh. At low percents a clean hit can combo into itself, grabs, tilts, or start a tech chase. The weak hit on frames 9-16 combos into those at mid percents instead.

Edgeguarding with back air is an effective way to rack up damage and score KOs. DK can go surprisingly deep offstage, throw out 3-4 Bairs in quick succession, and still make it back. The lingering hitbox makes it easier to hit flexible recoveries and ledgegrab attempts. Weak hits can gimp them or combo into the clean hit of another Bair that does KO. Bair will always launch opponents in the opposite direction DK is facing. As long as you back air while DK is facing the ledge, the opponent won't be hit into the stage even if they are hugging the stage as they recover. Back air is also quick enough to true combo into after a successful ledge trump.

Back air is -6 on block at best, so it needs good spacing to be safe. The landing animation extends DK leg hurtbox and makes it easier to punish.

Hitboxes

ID	Part	Rehit rate	Damage	SD	Angle	Angle type	BK	KS	FKV	Set weight	Radius	Bone	Offset			H×	SDI×	T%	Clang	Rebound	Effect	Type	G	A	Sound	Direct	Hit bits	Hit part	Blockable	Reflectable	Absorbable	Flinchless	No GFX	Heedless
Clean hit
0	0	0	13.0%	0		Backward	20	97	0		7.0	footl	1.0	-2.0	0.0	1.0×	1.0×	0%							Kick		All	All
1	0	0	13.0%	0		Backward	20	97	0		5.0	kneel	-1.0	0.0	0.0	1.0×	1.0×	0%							Kick		All	All
2	0	0	13.0%	0		Backward	20	97	0		5.0	hip	-1.0	0.0	0.0	1.0×	1.0×	0%							Kick		All	All
Late hit
0	0	0	8.0%	0		Backward	10	100	0		6.0	footl	1.0	-2.0	0.0	1.0×	1.0×	0%							Kick		All	All
1	0	0	8.0%	0		Backward	10	100	0		4.0	kneel	-1.0	0.0	0.0	1.0×	1.0×	0%							Kick		All	All
2	0	0	8.0%	0		Backward	10	100	0		4.0	hip	-1.0	0.0	0.0	1.0×	1.0×	0%							Kick		All	All

Timing

Attack

Initial autocancel	1-6
Clean hit	7-8
Late hit	9-16
Ending autocancel	31-
Interruptible	32
Animation length	49

Landing lag

Interruptible	12
Animation length	23

Legend (1 square = 1 frame)

Lag time

Hitbox

Hitbox change

Autocancel

Interruptible

Donkey Kong's moveset

Neutral attack (1 · 2) · Forward tilt · Up tilt · Down tilt · Dash attack · Forward smash · Up smash · Down smash
Neutral aerial · Forward aerial · Back aerial · Up aerial · Down aerial
Grab · Pummel · Forward throw · Back throw · Up throw · Down throw
Floor attack (front) · Floor attack (back) · Floor attack (trip) · Edge attack
Neutral special · Side special · Up special · Down special · Final Smash