Ganondorf (SSBM)

This article is about Ganondorf's appearance in Super Smash Bros. Melee. For the character in other contexts, see Ganondorf. Also, for information about the character of whom Ganondorf is a clone, see Captain Falcon (SSBM).

Ganondorf in Super Smash Bros. Melee
Universe	The Legend of Zelda
Other playable appearances	in Brawl in SSB4
Availability	Unlockable
Tier	A (12)

“	Since he's slow and can't jump very high, Ganondorf relies mainly on his immense physical strength to overwhelm his enemies.	”
—Ganondorf's trophy description

Ganondorf (ガノンドロフ, Ganondorf) is in his original human form as he appears in the more recent installments of the series. His design is based on his appearance from the SpaceWorld demo, which is itself based on his appearance in The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. Ganondorf is a clone of Captain Falcon, and as such, he fights in a brawler style similar to Captain Falcon, but in a slower, more powerful manner. Ganondorf is also an unlockable character.

Currently, Ganondorf ranks 12th in the A bracket of the Tier List. Among his positive attributes are his extreme power (which allows him to KO opponents quickly), long attack range, good chain-grabbing ability (his D-throw, particularly), what is considered one of the best aerial games, and a great edge-guard game, with more options than any other character in-game (due to the high power of his aerials, especially his D-air). However, Ganondorf isn't without his flaws; he suffers a slow ground game (as a result of poor dashing speed), a susceptibility to combos and chain-grabs (a combination of large size and high weight), the inability to effectively retaliate against fast attacks and projectiles (especially considering Ganondorf himself lacks a projectile), and, because of his predictable recovery, is arguably considered one of the most vulnerable characters to edge-guarding. These drawbacks aside, though, Ganondorf maintains good matchups overall, two of which are almost unloseable (against Kirby and Pichu).

How to unlock

• Play 600 VS. matches
• Complete Event 29: Triforce Gathering

Attributes

As a slower, larger clone of Captain Falcon, Ganondorf sacrifices speed for power and range. He is often considered to be the most powerful character in the game, with even Bowser running-up in terms of strength. His U-smash, though laggy to start, is the strongest in the game (if fully charged and both hits connect), and his U- and D-throws are excellent launchers, as well as effective chain-grabs. His neutral special, Warlock Punch, is one of the slowest moves in the game, but can KO at very low percentages. His D-aerial is both the strongest aerial attack and meteor smash in the game; it is nearly impossible to recover from, even at low percentages, and can reliably star KO some grounded characters under 100%. Ganondorf's powerful attacks are counterbalanced by their slowness, but although most of his aerial attacks have long periods of landing lag, L-canceling greatly aids in this issue.

Ganondorf is highly susceptible to combos and chain-grabs due to being large, heavy, and falling quickly, although these attributes also make him harder to KO. His mobility and approach are ultimately crippled by his short, relatively slow wavedash and long ending aerial lag, and as aforementioned, he lacks a projectile and a way of dealing with projectiles against him. However, he can moonwalk, has great platform-dashing game, and, resulting from being a clone of Captain Falcon, has one of the fastest and farthest rolls. He has a long, extendable horizontal recovery, thanks to his D-special, Wizard's Foot, which is one of the only two specials that allow the character to regain their midair jump (the other being Falcon Kick, but is considered inferior to Wizard's Foot because of how much farther downward it travels).

Ganondorf is regarded as one of the most easily edge-guarded and edge-hogged characters due his large size and U-special, Dark Dive (which can't attack opponents hanging from an edge). While weak against edge-hoggers, Ganondorf, in turn, is one of the best edge-guarders, with more aerial guarding options than any other character in the game; all of his aerials deal high damage and knockback, and Wizard's Foot is a non-recoverable spike. In particular, his reversed U-aerial (performed while facing away from the edge) is one of the best edge-guarding moves in the game because of its long duration, range (330° bicycle kick), and semi-spiking knockback (hard to tech out of). His D-aerial is also notoriously difficult to meteor cancel, regardless of damage percentage.

Overall, Ganondorf is a powerhouse; with some of the strongest moves in the game, he can easily KO the entire Melee cast at a lower percent than most other characters can achieve. All that's holding him back are his low speed and few approaching options, so players must be patient and wait for their opportunity to land their powerful moves.

Differences between Captain Falcon

In Super Smash Bros. Melee, Ganondorf is a clone of Captain Falcon, and the only clone from a different universe to that of the original character; they both share nearly identical special moves and use the same animations for almost all of their attacks (the only exception being their forward aerials, Ganondorf's being an overhead swing of his fist as opposed to a knee). However, Ganondorf's attacks tend to be slower but more powerful, Warlock Punch and up tilt being extreme examples of this, and down smash being the only exception. Ganondorf possesses a much slower running speed, lower jumping height, and darkness and electrical effects on some of his moves as opposed to Captain Falcon's fire effects. He is slightly heavier than Captain Falcon but is also floatier, meaning he takes horizontal knockback slightly better while Captain Falcon survives vertically longer. Because of this, he also takes better advantage of the Wizard's Foot double jump trick, as Ganondorf falls much more slowly, allowing for a better horizontal recovery than Captain Falcon. Overall, Ganondorf is considered a slower but tougher and harder-hitting character with more reach.

Moveset

For a gallery of Ganondorf's hitboxes, see here.

Ground attacks

Normal

• Neutral attack: A quick 7% jab that electrocutes enemies on contact. Has actual KO potential at higher damages, but since he jabs directly in front of him, some smaller characters can easily duck under it. Ganondorf's fastest attack, it is often use in combos with his other attacks, especially his D-aerial.
• Dash attack: A shoulder tackle that deals 14% damage. It's fast, and despite its upward knockback not being extremely high, it is a strong dash attack that combos very well into a B-aerial/U-aerial at 40-60% damage. This is the second most powerful dash attack in the game, second to Samus's.
• Down tilt: A quick breakdance kick. An impressive 12% damage when fresh. Sets up aerial combos or his up special. Good reach, but is rather slow when compared to other D-tilts. Can KO at very high percentages. Fourth most powerful down tilt in the game, along with Bowser's.
• Up tilt: Lifts up and charges his leg, then brings it down in a violent explosion for a massive 27%. Slowest move in the game (88 frames), though very powerful; can OHKO from its extremely high base knockback if landed by an edge. It is by far the most powerful tilt in the game, and can KO even earlier than the Warlock Punch, but its small hitbox and long start-up makes it very difficult to land.
• Forward tilt: Quick kick in front of him. Has great speed and range for a powerful tilt (3rd most powerful forward tilt in the game), but is short in duration (3 frames). This attack is often used to space away opponents due to its speed, range, and power. This is often considered, if not one of, the best forward tilt in Melee. This move is even more deadly when used in edgeguarding situations, especially when angled downwards. Also, it`s even better at KO`ing when angled upwards (under 150%, like mostly all of his other moves). Deals 13% damage (foot), 12% (leg), and 11% (body).

Smash attacks

• Forward smash: Lunges forward while thrusting out his elbow. Impressive vertical knockback combined with almost no horizontal knockback, making it difficult to DI out of. 22% uncharged, 30% fully; it has fairly slow start-up and significant ending lag, but is very powerful, and because Ganondorf moves ahead while performing it, it has great reach. It is the second most powerful F-smash in the game, only being exceeded by Bowser.
• Down smash: Swings his leg in front and back of him. Can chain together, but the second hit is easily DI'd out of. 8% then 13% uncharged, 11% then 17% fully; is one of, if not the most powerful D-smash in the game, capable of star KOing lighter/floatier characters under 100%. It is rather fast, especially for how powerful it is, and, due to Ganondorf's long legs, is one of the farthest-reaching D-smashes. If near an edge, even if an opponent avoids the second kick, the base knockback of the first kick can set up an early edge-guard opportunity.
• Up smash: Kicks both his legs upward. The first hit can lead into the second, though is unlikely, and can be DI'd out of. 22% then 17% (39%) uncharged, 30% then 22% (52%) fully; it is the second most powerful (uncharged) U-smash in the game (second to Pikachu's), and when fully charged, is the most powerful and damaging U-smash, as well as the most powerful smash attack overall. However, even though it is extremely powerful and surprisingly fast, its lack of horizontal reach limits its effectiveness as a reliable KO move. Regardless, even when uncharged, it can KO under 100% (even on characters with excellent vertical endurance, such as Captain Falcon, Donkey Kong, and Falco).

Other attacks

• Ledge attack: Gets up and thrusts knee. 10% damage; can knock opponents off the edge if they are close, potentially setting up an edge-guard.

Ganondorf's aerial attacks.

• 100% ledge attack: Slowly gets up and punches in front of him. 8% damage.
• Floor attack: A round kick that can hit twice. 6% then 5%.

Aerial attacks

• Neutral aerial: Very fast one-two kick. Both deal 12%, but will inflict 22.92% if both kicks connect (with stale-move negation considered). Both kicks have high knockback (especially the second kick, capable of KOing under 130%), and can deal very high damage when landed in succession, but it is extremely difficult to land the two kicks even at very low percentages, and impossible to land at percentages higher than 25% (under standard conditions). It's possible to land the second kick without the first one, but requires correct timing. With both kicks, it is the second strongest N-aerial in the game (exceeded by Mr. Game & Watch's).

Ganondorf performing his forward aerial after a wall tech on Captain Falcon. Observe the move's high base knockback, enough to gimp characters with subpar recoveries.

• Forward aerial: Also known as the "Skull Crusher" (スカルクラッシャー, Sukarukurasshā), Ganondorf brings his fist down in an arc rather quickly, with impressive knockback and damage, though slightly weaker than the Knee, doing 17%. Unlike the Knee, however, it always strikes with the same force, and is also just as fast as the Knee with much more reach, though it has more landing lag. This is the fifth most powerful F-aerial in the game (Zelda, Dr. Mario, Captain Falcon, and Yoshi respectively surpass him in this regard).
• Back aerial: Punches behind him with high power, doing 16%. It is fast, very powerful, good for edgeguarding, and has great range. It has less base knockback than his F-aerial, but has more knockback scaling, making its power proportional to his F-aerial, knockback-wise. Has the exact amount of frames as Captain Falcon's B-aerial, but unlike his, it hits with the same power throughout the entirety of the attack. This is the second most powerful B-aerial in the game (second to Zelda).
• Down aerial: Stomps with electric effect, doing 22% fresh. Extremely powerful meteor smash, and an excellent SHFFL option, with a massive hitbox that covers Ganondorf's entire body. It is the second most powerful meteor smash in the game (only being meteor-smashed by Moltres will deal more knockback), and is overall the most powerful aerial in the game. It is capable of setting up combos at low percentages when used against grounded opponents, and serves as a great finisher on grounded opponents at high percentages.

Ganondorf's D-aerial hitbox.

• Up aerial: Spinning kick. Knockback direction depends on which angle the foe was hit in. 13% sweetspotted, about 7% sourspotted; if Ganondorf is facing away from the opponent and the attack hits with the sourspot at the tip of his foot, the opponent will be semi-spiked, with low damage but extremely high hitstun. This is the sixth most powerful U-aerial in the game (Bowser, Fox, Peach, Zelda, and Kirby respectively surpasses him in this regard).

Grabs & throws

• Pummel: Knees foe, doing 2%–3% per pummel.
• Forward throw: Punches foe in front. Has two hitboxes, the first doing 5%, and the second 4%, totaling 9%. Its only use is setting up edge-guarding situations at high percentages.
• Back throw: Brings foe behind him and kicks. 5% then 4%, totaling 9%. Can set up edge-guards at high percentages.
• Up throw: Knocks his foe above him. 3% then 4%, totaling 7%. Excellent set up for juggles, and can be an effective chain-grab against fast fallers until high percentages.
• Down throw: Takes foe and slams them into the floor. A one-hit 7% damage, another throw well-suited for juggling. Can also chain-grab characters with average falling speeds until around 90%, and fast-fallers to about 130%.

Special moves

Ganondorf's special moves

Neutral special	Warlock Punch
Side special	Gerudo Dragon	Flame Choke
Up special	Dark Dive
Down special	Wizard's Foot

In competitive play

Matchups

Super Smash Bros. Melee Character Matchups

Avg.

Notable players

See also: Category:Ganondorf professionals (SSBM)

Active

•  Bizzarro Flame
•  Eikelmann
•  Kage The Warrior
•  Loki
•  Mr. Brandandorf
•  RockCrock

Inactive

•  Eddie
•  Linguini
•  Renth

In single-player

In Classic Mode

Ganondorf's unused intro image.

Like Roy, Ganondorf does not appear as an opponent in the game's Classic Mode, though he can appear as an ally in Team and Giant battles.

In Adventure Mode

Upon being unlocked, Adventure Mode makes no concessions to Ganondorf whatsoever.

In All-Star Mode

In All-Star Mode, Ganondorf and his allies are fought on Brinstar Depths. Unusually, the music remains unchanged.

In Event Matches

Ganondorf is featured in the following event matches:

• Event 29: Triforce Gathering: As Link and teamed with Zelda, the player faces Ganondorf on the Temple stage. If the player has not yet unlocked Ganondorf upon completing this event, they will have the opportunity to do so after defeating him one-on-one.
• Event 49: All-Star Match Deluxe: Ganondorf is the final opponent the player must fight in this series of staged battles. The player battles him on Final Destination, and their character has two stocks, while Ganondorf has one. With a timer of four minutes, the player must defeat him and the other five characters one-by-one with the overall time and life the player is given: Dr. Mario, Falco, Pichu, Young Link, and Roy.
• Event 51: The Showdown: The final event match pits the player against a team comprised of Giga Bowser, Mewtwo, and Ganondorf on the Final Destination stage, without friendly fire, and all four characters having three stocks apiece and unlimited time.

Ending images

• 

  Classic Mode.

• 

  Adventure Mode.

• 

  All-Star Mode.

Trophy descriptions

In addition to the normal trophy about Ganondorf as a character, there are two trophies about him as a fighter, unlocked by completing the Adventure and All-Star Modes as Ganondorf, respectively, on any difficulty:

Ganondorf (Trophy #64)

Said to be the sole man born to the Gerudo tribe in a hundred years, Ganondorf aspired to conquer the world. He plundered a piece of the sacred Triforce from the Temple of Time when Link pulled the Master Sword from its pedestal. With the Triforce of Power in Ganondorf's possession, Hyrule was plunged into darkness until Link and Zelda defeated the fiend.

• Game: The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time

Ganondorf (Smash Red) (Trophy #65)

Since he's slow and can't jump very high, Ganondorf relies mainly on his immense physical strength to overwhelm his enemies. His great weight also makes him a difficult foe to send offscreen. Ganondorf's Warlock Punch is slow but absurdly powerful, and when he strikes with his Gerudo Dragon, enemies rise skyward enveloped in dark flames.

• B: Warlock Punch
• Smash B: Gerudo Dragon

Ganondorf (Smash Blue) (Trophy #66)

Ganondorf's slow speed works against him in single combat, but in melees, his crazy power lets him earn his keep with innumerable KOs. Ganondorf can't strike quickly, but each blow he lands adds up. Ganondorf is at his quickest when he uses the Wizard's Foot, and his Dark Dive blasts foes in a burst of dark energy.

• Up & B: Dark Dive
• Down & B: Wizard's Foot

• 

  #64

• 

  #65

• 

  #66

Alternate costumes

Ganondorf's changeable clothing in Melee.

Trivia

• Despite being a rather poor jumper, Ganondorf has the highest ledge jump in the game, jumping higher than his more agile counterpart, Captain Falcon, and even Falco (who has the highest normal jumps, and the second highest ledge jump).
• Ganondorf is tied with the Ice Climbers for the world record in the Home-Run Contest. Ganondorf is also the only character that can break the max distance in the Home-Run Contest without the use of a glitch or Action Replay (the Ice Climbers have to utilise the freeze glitch to break the max distance).
• When Ganondorf's trophies are viewed under the "night"/"dark" background in the Trophy Gallery, his eyes glow. He is the only character whose trophy holds this trait.
• Ganondorf's hand is briefly seen during Link's montage in the introduction to Melee, making him one of the five hidden characters, along with Jigglypuff, Mewtwo, Young Link, and Pichu, to have some kind of involvement with the intro.
• Most of Ganondorf's voice clips were imported from The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time; for example, his victory pose and taunt both use a sped up version of his laugh from that game. One voice clip involving Ganon saying "Ooya!" was imported, but nowhere is it used in the game.
  • This "Ooya!" clip would later find itself used in Brawl, as it is the sound that plays when Ganondorf is selected with the Wii Remote, despite him having a new voice actor.

External links

• Ganondorf combo video