Introduced in Melee, some attacks and special moves have the recoil damage property, meaning that the user instantly receives damage when using a move under certain circumstances. While there are even more characters who have special moves that allow them to damage themselves, such as Snake's C4, that does not count as recoil damage, as the damage can only be dealt indirectly. Recoil damage is not affected by Stale Move Negation.
List of moves with recoil damage
- Diddy Kong - Rocketbarrel Boost ,when hitting a wall or ceiling. Deals 5% damage.
- Ike - Fully charged Eruption, deals 10% damage.
- King Dedede - Jet Hammer (damages at 1% increments while holding a fully charged Jet Hammer, like Hoop damage; does not recoil when at 150% or above, also like Hoop damage)
- Kirby - Can copy Eruption and Flare Blade. Both deals 10% damage when fully charged.
- Mr. Game & Watch - #1 Judge, deals 12% damage.
- Pichu - Most electric based moves: Thunder Jolt, Skull Bash, Agility, Thunder (when connecting with Pichu), forward smash, forward aerial, down aerial, pummel, and forward throw. Up throw and down throw do not, despite their electric effects, cause any recoil damage.
- Roy -Fully charged Flare Blade, deals 10% damage.