Ganondorf (SSBM)/Forward aerial

Overview

Hitbox duration of Ganondorf's forward aerial.

Ganondorf's forward aerial, often nicknamed the Skull Crusher or The Punch, involves him punching in a downwards motion in front of himself. The move has many positive traits, namely its power, good range, and lack of a sourspot. The fact that it hits slightly above Ganondorf means it can easily cover various tech options from opponents on platforms above him, as well as being a good kill move, especially on stages with close blast lines, such as Yoshi's Story. Also, if the move is spaced properly, it's very hard to punish out of shield (due to its high shieldstun by virtue of its damage output) if used while falling. The Punch's spemovof on par with the Knee Smash, though it has lower power and longer landing lag, albeit much larger range.

However, every move has its drawbacks, and The Punch is outclassed by back aerial in many areas, being slower, laggier, having less knockback and, most importantly, not being able to autocancel on a short hop, which makes it only work as a falling aerial, giving oponents more time to react.

Overall, The Punch is a widely used move in Ganondorf's metagame for its variety of good traits, however, it should not be overused, as it might not always be the most rewarding option for every situation and Ganondorf can be punished hard if the attack fails to connect.