Helpless: Difference between revisions

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Helplessness most commonly ends upon landing on the ground or being [[KO]]'d, although it also ends if characters [[flinch]], allowing them to attack or re-use their triple jump. A helpless character is denoted by both a flickering black overlay and a distinct falling animation.

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!Character!!Move!!Type!!Games!!Notes

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|[[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.

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||All||[[Air dodge]]|||||{{GameIcon|SSBM}}||''Melee'' only.

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|[[Shulk]]||[[Air Slash]]||Up Special||{{GameIcon|SSB4}}{{GameIcon|SSBU}}||

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|[[Ice Climbers]]||[[Belay]]||Up Special||{{GameIcon|SSBM}}{{GameIcon|SSBB}}{{GameIcon|SSBU}}||

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|[[Roy]]||[[Blazer]]||Up Special||{{GameIcon|SSBM}}{{GameIcon|SSB4}}{{GameIcon|SSBU}}||

|[[Incineroar]]||[[Cross Chop]]||Up Special||{{GameIcon|SSBU}}||Incineroar will only enter helplessness if it fails to hit solid ground again upon rebounding after using the move.

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|[[Ganondorf]]||[[Dark Dive]]||Up Special||{{GameIcon|SSBM}}{{GameIcon|SSBB}}{{GameIcon|SSB4}}{{GameIcon|SSBU}}||If the move's grab connects with an opponent, Ganondorf does not become helpless and can use the move again.

|[[Meta Knight]]||[[Drill Rush]]||Side Special||{{GameIcon|SSBB}}{{GameIcon|SSB4}}{{GameIcon|SSBU}}||

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|[[Yoshi]]||[[Egg Roll]]||Side Special||{{GameIcon|SSBM}}{{GameIcon|SSBB}}||Does not cause helplessness in ''SSB4'' and ''Ultimate''.

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|[[Lucario]]||[[Extreme Speed]]||Up Special||{{GameIcon|SSBB}}{{GameIcon|SSB4}}{{GameIcon|SSBU}}||If Lucario hits a wall during the move, it will [[wall cling]] instead of becoming helpless. However, it cannot use the move again.

|[[Pac-Man]]<br>All||[[Pac-Jump]]||Up Special||{{GameIcon|SSB4}}{{GameIcon|SSBU}}||All jumps trigger helplessness for [[Pac-Man]]. When the trampoline is red, both Pac-Man or any other character who lands on it will instantaneously enter helplessness.

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|[[Olimar]]||[[Pikmin Chain]]||Up Special||{{GameIcon|SSBB}}||Normally, Pikmin Chain makes Olimar helpless after the move is used in the air. However, if he uses grounded Pikmin Chain and the platform he's standing on disappears (such as falling off a conveyor belt), or he uses ground Pikmin Chain while the stage is rotating, he will become helpless. ''Brawl'' only.

|[[Pit]], [[Dark Pit]]||[[Power of Flight]]||Up Special||{{GameIcon|SSB4}}{{GameIcon|SSBU}}||

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|[[Pikachu]]||[[Quick Attack]]||Up Special||{{GameIcon|SSB64}}{{GameIcon|SSBM}}{{GameIcon|SSBB}}{{GameIcon|SSB4}}{{GameIcon|SSBU}}||

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|[[Captain Falcon]]||[[Raptor Boost]]||Side Special||{{GameIcon|SSBM}}{{GameIcon|SSBB}}{{GameIcon|SSB4}}{{GameIcon|SSBU}}||In ''Ultimate'', hitting an opponent with this move won't cause helplessness and Falcon can use the move again.

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|[[Terry]]||[[Rising Tackle]]||Up Special||{{GameIcon|SSBU}}||

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|[[Chrom]]||[[Soaring Slash]]||Up Special||{{GameIcon|SSBU}}||Normally, the move does not end until Chrom lands on the ground, grabs the edge of a stage, or bypasses the lower blast line. However, if the platform Chrom 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.

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|[[Link]], [[Young Link]], [[Toon Link]]||[[Spin Attack]]||Up Special||{{GameIcon|SSB64}}{{GameIcon|SSBM}}{{GameIcon|SSBB}}{{GameIcon|SSB4}}{{GameIcon|SSBU}}||Normally, Spin Attack makes Link, Young Link, or Toon Link helpless after the move was used if in the air. However, if he stands on a platform while using a grounded Spin Attack and the platform disappears (such as falling off a conveyor belt), or he used grounded Spin Attack while the stage is rotating, he will become helpless.  

|[[Inkling]]||[[Super Jump]]||Up Special||{{GameIcon|SSBU}}||Despite lacking the flashing effect helplessness normally leaves on a character after using a specific action that causes it, Inkling cannot perform any other moves until she lands or grabs a ledge. There is a hitbox upon landing from this animation.

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|[[Mii Brawler]]||[[Suplex]]||Side special||{{GameIcon|SSBU}}||Only available in ''Ultimate''.

|[[Wolf]]||[[Wolf Flash]]||Side Special||{{GameIcon|SSBB}}{{GameIcon|SSBU}}||

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==Landfallspecial and "superdashtechnique"==

As a unique animation is used for falling while helpless, characters enter a different animation than usual once they land on the ground. This is called "landfallspecial" internally in ''[[Melee]]''. Because [[air dodging]] enters this state and [[waveland]]ing involves air dodging into the ground, when wavedashing is performed, ''Melee''{{'}}s {{SSBM|debug menu}} shows "landfallspecial" as the character state. This originally led some players to believe that the "landfallspecial" designation was specifically designed for wavedashing and that developers intentionally put wavedashing in the game, further fueling the various debates over wavedashing's legitimacy. At one point, the myth morphed to where, instead of just "landfallspecial", there was purportedly another debug mode designation — cited as "superdashtechnique", "superdashattack", or other supposed variants — created solely for the wavedashing animation. All incarnations of this story have been proven false, and should not be themselves taken as evidence that wavedashing was intentionally put or left in ''Melee''.

==Gallery==

==Trivia==

*The moves [[Fire]], [[Robo Burner]], [[Spring Jump]], and [[Cypher]] do not cause helplessness in ''Brawl'', although they do restrict the user's choice of moves until they land - Mr. Game & Watch and Snake simply cannot use the recovery move again, while Sonic cannot use any special moves and R.O.B. cannot air dodge. Through [[Grab release glitch|a programming oversight]], this condition prevents them from using their recovery move again if grabbed and released without pummeling before touching the ground (except for R.O.B.).

*In ''Brawl'', since Jigglypuff's and Mr. Game & Watch's [[air dodge]] animations carry over from ''Melee'', pausing just before the animation ends allows the player to see their helpless state.

**Additionally, whenever Link, Samus, and Toon Link perform a [[grab aerial]], it's possible to see their helpless animations by pausing just before the end of the animations.

*[[Meta Knight]] is the only character whose entire set of special moves leaves him helpless.

**Meta Knight is also the only character with two different helpless animations; one with his wings, and one without.

*The unique animation caused by landing while helpless is the cause of the [[landing lag glitch]].

*''Melee'' is the only ''Smash'' game in which all characters can become helpless through their own moveset.

**''Smash 4'' and ''Ultimate'' have [[Pac-Man]]'s [[Pac-Jump|trampoline]], which will make a character helpless if they bounce on it while it is red.

[[Category:Game mechanics]]

[[Category:Game controls]]