Ganondorf (Super Smash Bros. Brawl)


 * This article is about Ganondorf's appearance in Super Smash Bros. Brawl. For other uses, see Ganondorf.

Ganondorf (ガノンドロフ, Ganondorofu) returns in Super Smash Bros. Brawl. His design is based upon his appearance in The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess. He does not wield a sword, and remains fighting in hand to hand combat. His attacks are the same but with slight variations; for instance, his side special move "Flame Choke" grabs the enemy and blasts them with energy. His Final Smash is a transformation into Beast Ganon; he rears up and then dashes at the opponent.

Changes from Melee to Brawl

 * Different Standard Normal attack animation; longer range.
 * Up Tilt has vacuum effect.
 * Up Tilt less powerful
 * New Down Tilt.
 * New Up Smash.
 * New Forward Tilt.
 * Up Aerial has slightly more range & knockback at the start
 * Can also perform a "Reverse Warlock Punch".
 * New Side Special: Flame Choke. He now performs Ganoncide when used in midair, and is unblockable on the ground. He also doesn't trip if the move misses on the ground (unlike Captain Falcon's Raptor Boost if the attack isn't executed)
 * Up-Special can now attack edge-hoggers and is altered at the end with the uppercut animation.
 * Down Special slightly moves him forward before the kick on the ground.
 * Slightly slower dash speed.
 * Down special no longer gives him an extra jump while in the air.
 * New dash animation.
 * New voice actor (Twilight Princess actor).
 * Warlock punch is extremely powerful and Ganondorf performs the move a bit faster, also has different animation from Melee.
 * Up special move goes higher in midair.
 * Down Aerial has a slightly different animation.
 * Down special can be meteor cancelled
 * Not a complete clone of Falcon, just a semi-clone.

Pros:

 * High powered attacks, some of the strongest in the game. (Forward Smash, Warlock Punch, Volcano Kick)
 * Deals above average knockback on all but three moves (Up-B, Side-B, Neutral Air).
 * Has many fast, powerful attacks (particularly for a Heavyweight).
 * Forward Special can commit "Ganoncide", evening the stocks.
 * Side Special leaves opponent vulnerable long enough to follow up with another attack e.g. Thunder Jab, Down Tilt & possibly forward tilt depending on the target.
 * Dash attack gives boost of speed and hits incredibly hard, with high knockback.
 * Aerials deal high knockback.
 * Forward Special negates many attacks. The move's hitbox encompasses his entire outstretched arm, and the move will often go into effect if the arm touched the opponent at all, regardless if Ganondorf is hit.
 * Down Aerial is an easy to use powerful spike, and can kill characters on the stage at moderate percents.
 * If done immediately out of a short-hop, his Down Aerial can hit most character's heads, but will finish in midair, leaving no landing lag.
 * Very powerful ground game; can KO his opponents at low percentages
 * Up Special grabs with initial hitbox, and has powerful uppercut with later hitbox.
 * Takes low knockback and is hard to KO due to heaviness.
 * Volcano Kick (Up Tilt) sucks people in and is very powerful.(Can KO at 50%)
 * High range and priority.
 * U-air reverse spike is one of the best edgeguards.
 * Up and down throws are excellent launchers.
 * Good edge-guarder.
 * Good at fast falling.
 * F-tilt and d-tilt deal are enormously useful; by the edge, f-tilt is effective for KO'ing characters with short recoveries like Mario, and D-tilt comes out quickly, has good range and kills at around 120%.
 * Recovery has very large vertical range.
 * Down smash is good at dealing with crowds, can juggle and comes out quickly.
 * Flame Choke gives Ganondorf Super Armor frames when he is holding the person above him.
 * Leans back a bit before striking with his Forward Smash, allowing Ganondorf to dodge attacks, then immediately strike.
 * Forward Special leaves opponents helpless when used on an opponent while on the ground against his Final Smash, often resulting in KOs at 0%.
 * His Down Air will always spike when you hit with it, unlike most other peoples which have to be sweet spotted.
 * Performing a Wizard's Foot directly out of a short hop into the ground is even faster than his Thunder Jab; there are no flames and he doesn't grunt if it is done correctly. It hits on both sides of him and is effective for mindgames.

Cons:

 * Has the second slowest dash speed in the game (as well as second slowest walk speed).
 * Large target.
 * Easily juggled and is susceptible to combos.
 * Bad air speed.
 * Slow forward roll.
 * No projectile.
 * Recovery can be caught under stage lips.
 * About half of his ground attacks have noticeable start up lag.
 * Susceptible to edge guarding.
 * Lag on attacks leaves him open if he misses.
 * Steep learning curve.

Ground Attacks
Normal Smash Other
 * Neutral A - Lightning Palm. Longer in range and duration than his Melee iteration, also has greater knockback and deals good damage at the tip. 7% damage
 * Dash A - Shoulder tackle. Gives Ganondorf a boost of speed as he performs it, and hits very hard, could be used to setup for an aerial hit. 8% damage
 * Side-Tilt - Ganondorf leans back a little and thrusts one leg straight forward, has a good horizontal knockback and is fairly fast to perform. 12% damage up too close and 13% further away
 * Up-Tilt - Volcano Kick, Similar to his Melee attack, Ganondorf lifts one leg vertical and holds it for a long time, before dropping it with a large explosion. A little faster than his Melee iteration with several distinct changes. Its hit is slightly less devastating and will not instantly kill at quite as low percentages. The downswing of the leg can hit, not just the explosion from it landing. It also has a "vacuum" property while charging, where any standing opponent in front of Ganondorf is sucked towards it (even if shielding), and any opponent standing directly next to Ganondorf will be pushed back slightly to the main hitbox of the attack. Deals 27% damage
 * Down-Tilt - Ganondorf squats on one leg and sweeps the other leg forward. 12% damage
 * Side Smash - Elbow thrust. Similar to his Melee attack and Captain Falcon's forward smash. Sends the opponent horizontally, like Captain Falcon's does, making this a lower percent killer; can be angled either up or down for different knockback effects. 24% damage uncharged, 33% fully charged.
 * Up Smash - Ganondorf does a high kick, lifting his leg to about thirty degrees from vertical quickly. Only hits once, unlike his Melee attack, and has more hitbox in front of him. Very fast attack, and can combo quickly and easily at low percents. Many pass-through platforms are located at a height where Ganon's up-smash attack can pass through into fighters above. 19% damage but deals 26% fully charged.
 * Down Smash - Ganondorf squats on one leg, similar to his down tilt, and sweeps the other leg first forward, then back. Like Melee, the first hit knocks them in to the second. Unlike melee, this has a slightly more forgiving hitbox. 19% damage uncharged, 26% fully charged.
 * Ledge Attack - Backhands the edgeguarding opponent. If the opponent is a distance away, the attack knocks them away. If the opponent is standing close to Ganondorf, the attack will throw the opponent off the ledge.
 * 100% Ledge Attack - Ducks slightly a delivers a kick across the ground. Comes out fast, and Ganon keeps low.
 * Trip recovery attack - Does a rising, spinning kick. Reach of the attack stretches across the entire height of his legs, and the attack is incredibly fast.
 * Rising recovery attack - Flips upward, kicking with his feet, similar to his up-aerial.

Aerial Attacks

 * Neutral Aerial - Double kick, like Melee. Has less knockback, making it easier to land both hits, but harder to score a high-percent kill. The first hit will hit hard and the second hit deals a weaker attack that lacks KO potential.
 * Forward Aerial - The Fist, like Melee. Swings his hand forward in an overhead arc downwards. High knockback, but not as high as Melee. Landing lag appears to be higher as well, as his fist sort of "sticks" in to the ground, similar to Link's Down Aerial. It may originate from one of his attacks in Ocarina of Time, in which he dives from midair and thrusts his fist into the ground, creating a powerful energy wave. His forward Aerial also is weaker up close and damages more when near the max reach
 * Back Aerial - Backhand, like Melee. Duration is slightly shorter, making this more like Samus's Back Air. Damage, speed, and knockback are similar to Melee's. One of Ganondorf's fastest aerials.
 * Up Aerial - Overhead Flip Kick, like Melee. Appears very similar, except there is more knockback and range at the beginning and slightly less at the end. Coupled with auto-sweetspotting, this makes it significantly harder to use for a reverse Up-air Spike, though this is still possible. Very little landing lag, and one of Ganondorf's fastest aerials.
 * Down Aerial - Thunder Stomp, like Melee. Appears relatively unchanged in damage, speed, and knockback. It is a rare attack in that it will spike if it connects. If done immediately after starting a (non-fastfalled) shorthop, the move will complete before hitting the ground, negating any landing lag.

Grabs and Throws

 * Pummel -
 * Forward Throw - Punchs his opponent forward.
 * Back Throw - Throws opponent backward and kicks them.
 * Up Throw - Throws opponent upward and jabs his/her back.
 * Down Throw - Throws his opponent violently on the ground.

Stickers
Arm and Leg attacks. He has his own exclusive power-up called Darkness, which can boost his B moves in the same way Flame damage boosts Captain Falcon's. The Legend of Outset sticker, which is only usable by Zelda characters, provides the largest Arm damage boost in the game, and should be given to Ganondorf who can take advantage of it the most. In short, focus on Arm, Leg, Darkness and Specials: Direct boosts. His Warlock Punch is very slow, so you will either need a partner to distract enemies and keep them from moving, or a Flinch Resistance boost to avoid your attack being interrupted.

Exclusive Stickers
These stickers can only be used by Ganondorf or by a select few including him:


 * Boomerang: [Weapon] Attack +4
 * Bowser (Mario Power Tennis): [Darkness] Attack +21
 * Colin: [Specials: Direct] Attack +4
 * Daphnes Nohansen Hyrule: [Electric] Attack +31
 * Darknut: [Slash] Attack +13
 * Epona & Link: [Arm, Leg] Attack +9
 * Fierce Deity Link: [Slash] Attack +21
 * Ganondorf (Ocarina of Time): [Darkness] Attack +29
 * Ganondorf (Wind Waker): [Darkness] Attack +33
 * Happy Mask Salesman: [Leg] Attack +9
 * Hylian Shield (Twilight Princess): Slash Resistance +10
 * Lantern: [Flame] Resistance +7
 * Legend of Outset: [Arm] Attack +26
 * Linebeck: [Throwing] Attack +20
 * Link (Link to the Past): [Electric] Resistance +31
 * Link (Twilight Princess): [Slash] Resistance +27
 * Link (Wind Waker): [Flame] Attack +31
 * Link with Goron Mask: [Slash] Attack +17
 * Link's Grandma: [Arm, Leg] Attack +2
 * Lon Lon Milk: Launch Power +18
 * Midna & Wolf Link: [Leg] Attack +26
 * Moblin: [Slash] Attack +15
 * Octorok: [Leg] Attack +4
 * Petey Piranha (Mario Golf: Toadstool Tour!): [Darkness] Attack +47
 * Phantom Ganon: [Darkness] Attack +40
 * Piece of Heart: Heart Container Effect +50
 * Revolver Ocelot: [Darkness] Attack +17
 * Ridley (Metroid): [Darkness] Attack +30
 * Salvatore: [Electric] Attack +9
 * Shadow Beast: [Darkness] Attack +28
 * Sheik: [Body, Spin] Attack +17
 * Skull Kid (Ocarina of Time): [Darkness] Attack +7
 * Space Pirate: [Darkness] Attack +13
 * Tingle (Wind Waker): [Flame] Resistance +24
 * Young Zelda (Minish Cap): [Battering] Resistance +16
 * Zelda (Ocarina of Time): [Flame] Resistance +18

Strategies & Tips
Ganon's specialty is single, hard-hitting blows. Play Ganondorf like the heavyweight he is. Make efficient choices in attacking and let the opponent come to you - every miss counts with so much lag.

Learn to use "The Stomp" (his down air) and you will be a much better edge-guarder. It is also efficient as a strong spike, and should be used on opponents out of the stage.

His neutral A attack is relatively quick and has moderate knockback, making this a good defensive move if the opponent is close to you and you need distance.

Flame Choke can be used to leave your opponent straight into an attack, like Thunder Jab, or Down Tilt. Using it immediately before Beast Ganon all but guarantees a solid hit.

Quickly punish anyone who throws you into the air with Wizard's Foot or "The Stomp" whenever possible.

Slow-falling effects (like the "Air" stage morph for Pokemon Stadium 2) may seem detrimental, but they allow you to pull off several aerial attacks without any worry about landing lag.

If you are a stock above your opponent, use Flame Choke in mid-air to kill your opponent instantly. *(Note that you kill yourself also)

Make sure to be smart when shielding, using Ganondorfs shield is wise because you can hit with your hard-hitting blows when the enemy is open.

Ganondorf is an advanced character, so he is not recommended for beginners. With some practice, however, one can quickly learn to overcome his weaknesses, and exploit his devastating strength.

Hitting instantly when the Wizard's Foot comes out has a really good upward launch or can spike enemies.

Taunts
Up: Floats in the air, curls into a ball, spins, opens up from his curled position and poses, all while laughing maniacally. (same as in Melee)

Side: Pounds his fist into his palm, and dark magic emits from his hands, ending with a disdainful grunt.

Down: Brandishes the sword of light that he stole from the Six Sages, looks at it, and puts it away.

On-Screen Appearance
Emerges from a cloud of dark magic.

Idle Stance

 * Crosses arms and looks to the side.
 * Crouches slightly, then stands up while moving arms in a circle.

Victory Pose
Victory Theme: Zelda Triforce Theme
 * While crossing his arms, Ganondorf laughs, then looks down at the camera.
 * Pumps a victorious fist, and crouches.
 * WIth his back facing the camera, Ganondorf turns to face the camera, and holds up his fist, the back of it facing the viewer (similar to how he displays his Triforce piece).

Credits Music

 * Gerudo Valley

Wii Remote Choice

 * Gives a martial arts-esque cry ("Heugh-yah!").

Role in the Subspace Emissary
Ganondorf first appears in a control room on the Island of Ancients giving Bowser the coordinates to find King Dedede, who stole Wario's trophies. Later in the same control room Master Hand gives him the orders to destroy the island of ancients. He then appears in the island base as a hologram and orders the R.O.B. Squad to activate all of the Subspace Bombs they had. When the Ancient Minister gets in their path, Ganondorf presses an overide button that forces the R.O.B.s to ignore the Minister. When the Ancient Minister continues to intervene, Ganondorf presses the overide button again and the R.O.B.S attack the Ancient Minister, setting him aflame. The heroes attempt to stop the R.O.B.s, so Ganondorf sends a flock of Auroros to stop them. Suddenly, the burning Ancient Minister fires beams from his eyes, destroying the Auroros, and reveals that he, himself, is a R.O.B., and proceeds to help the others fight the advancing Subspace troops. After the Island of ancients is destroyed Ganondorf appears on the Subspace Gunship as it's commander along with Bowser, but once it is destroyed he retreats into Subspace with Bowser when the Gunship is destroyed by Kirby and his Dragoon. Ganondorf decides it is the time to usurp the Master Hand so he takes out the last remaining Dark Cannon and aims it at Bowser, his own right-hand and the most loyal of Master Hands henchmen. After shooting Bowser, Ganondorf kicks the Bowser trophy out of the way and goes up to the edge of a ledge. When Ganondorf presents himself to Master Hand, he sees that Master Hand was literally a puppet of Tabuu, the supreme leader of the Subspace Army and manipulator of Master Hand. Ganondorf tries to attack him, but is defeated and turned into a trophy. As he was falling however, he bumped into Master Hand, freeing him from Tabuu's control. Master Hand then attempts to attack Tabuu, but is defeated with little effort. When Kirby finds Ganondorf's trophy the resurrected Bowser appears and brutally beats up his trophy as an act of revenge before tossing it aside. He is revived by Link and Zelda (with a bit of a headache) and after Link and Zelda walk away he clenches his fist in anger he then helps the heroes defeat Tabuu.

Unlocking

 * Clear "Classic" mode on Hard with Link or Zelda
 * Play 200 Brawls
 * Have Ganondorf join your party in SSE by collecting the Link and Zelda trophies in the Subspace levels

Trivia

 * He is the only playable villain who is never fought in the Subspace Emmisary, excluding his Dark clone in The Great Maze.
 * Ganondorf's "Sparta" kick actually is one of his attacks in Twilight Princess, which he uses to kick through Link's shield, and break his defense.
 * Ganondorf is the best choice character to use for world records in Home-Run contests, in co-op home run contests; His upsmash deals alot of damage, the "stomp" stops all vertical momentum, and two tandem Warlock Punches can send sandbag flying.
 * If an enemy is inside you while doing the Warlock punch, you will gain an extra damage boost, doing a reverse gives an even extra damage bonus
 * If Ganondorf is metal and uses Warlock Punch, the metal will glow purple.
 * Ganondorf is actually one of the best choices to use in Cruel Brawl. By continuously jumping off the ledge, then using his edge recovery attack, Ganon will toss the Alloys off the edge continuously, while utilizing the period of invincibility during this. By continuously jumping off the edge, and doing this attack, one can continuously toss the Alloys over the edge, eventually rendering them unable to recover.
 * Though Ganondorf can be the first character unlocked by playing Classic Mode as Link/Zelda in hard, he is one of the last characters to be unlocked when playing the Subspace Emissary.
 * Oddly, in Subspace Emissary, Ganondorf was able to jump higher than normal when attempting to attack Tabuu, but in a ordinary brawl match, he can't jump as high.
 * Despite his design, Ganondorf lacks the wound he received in Twilight Princess.

Snake's Codec
Snake: This guy is giving off a murderous vibe! Even getting close to him makes my skin crawl...

Otacon: Snake! Ganondorf is dangerous! His ambition is to rule the world, and he's got the power to do it. It's no wonder why they call him "King of Evil."

Snake: Do modern weapons even work against him? Do I even have a chance?

Otacon: Take a look around you. There are plenty of people fighting with swords or even their bare hands. At least you've got firepower! Count yourself lucky! It's not like you to whine, Snake.

Snake: I was just asking, sheesh. Well its back to the mission for me.