- This article is about Ganondorf's appearance in Super Smash Bros. Melee. For other uses, see Ganondorf. Also, for information about the character of whom Ganondorf is a clone, see Captain Falcon (SSBM).
Ganondorf (ガノンドロフ, Ganondorofu) is in his original human form as he appears in the more recent installments of the series. His design is based off his appearance from the SpaceWorld demo. Ganondorf is a clone of Captain Falcon. As such, he fights in a brawler style similar to Captain Falcon, except in a slower, but more powerful manner.
Currently, Ganondorf ranks 10th on the tier list, located in the C Tier. This is due to his extreme power, good reach, good chain throwing ability, surprising speed in some areas, having what is considered one of the best aerial games, great edgeguard game, and having a matchup average of 60/40, while only having disadvantageous matchups against four characters. However, he has some major flaws, such as his slow ground game, susceptibility to combos and chain throws, being so easily bogged down by fast attacks and projectiles, and being arguably the most vulnerable character to edgeguarding. Another major problem is the fact that three out of four of his disadvantageous matchups are against Top Tier characters (Falco, Fox, and Sheik). While he has some great strengths, his major flaws, especially the matchup problem against the Top Tiers, could be what keeps him from being in the higher tiers.
How to Unlock
- Play 600 Vs. Matches.
- Complete Event 29: Triforce Gathering.
Attributes
Ganondorf is a character who sacrifices speed for raw power and range. His Up Smash is the strongest in the game if fully charged and if both hits connect. However, hitting the opponent with it is unlikely. His Up Throw and Down Throw are excellent launchers, as well as effective chain throws. His Standard Special Move, Warlock Punch, is one of the strongest attacks in the game: getting hit in any part of the hitbox will almost always result in a KO.
His Down Aerial is the strongest Aerial Attack and Meteor Smash in the game, and it is difficult to recover from or Meteor Cancel, even at low percentages. It can even Star KO opponents that are on the ground under 100% or less. Most of his other attacks are also extremely powerful; every one of his attacks other than his throws have KO power. His aerials are especially powerful, all five being able to reliably KO under 150% (three of which are capable of KOing under 125%) and can combo surprisingly well, giving Ganondorf one of the best aerial games in Melee. He is often considered the most powerful character in the game, with Bowser being the only other character whose power is comparable to that of Ganondorf's.
However, Ganondorf's powerful attacks are counterbalanced with his slowness. Although most of Ganondorf's aerial attacks have long periods of landing lag as well, L-canceling greatly helps this problem. Ganondorf's mobility is also slow, and his wavedash doesn't help because it is rather short. On the upside, Ganondorf can moonwalk, and his great platform dashing game enhances his mobility, as well as his attacking options. He also has among the fastest and farthest rolls in the game due to being a clone of Captain Falcon, who has the fastest and farthest roll dodge. Ganondorf's Down Special Move, Wizard's Foot, is a spike (which means it can't be Meteor Canceled), and is also one of the only two Special Moves which allow the character to regain their midair jump, the other being Falcon Kick.
With a reliable way of regaining his second jump, Ganondorf has a long horizontal recovery. Unfortunately, because of its predictability, slowness, and Ganondorf's large character model, he is extremely vulnerable to edgeguarding and edgehoggers. In return, Ganondorf is a great edgeguarder, with more aerial edgeguarding options than any character in the game. His Up Aerial reverse spike is among one of the best edgeguards in the game, since it has a large radius, covering about 300 degrees around him. It can also easily lead into a Down Aerial for a quick kill.
Many of Ganondorf's attacks have a large hitbox, but he lacks a projectile, and projectile camps are effective against him. Ganondorf's Neutral Attack is extremely fast, and does high damage for how quick it is. It can also be a great move to combo with. Ganondorf is a good candidate for combos and chain grabs due to being large, falling quickly, and being heavy, although this also makes him harder to KO.
Moveset
Ground Attacks
Normal
- Neutral Attack - A quick jab. Has actual KO potental at higher %s. Since he jabs directly in front of him, some smaller characters can easily duck under it. Ganondorf's fastest attack, it is often used in combos with his other attacks, especially his Down Aerial. 7% damage.
- Dash Attack - A shoulder tackle. It's fast, but its knockback is rather low when compared to his other attacks, and it is rather difficult to follow up on. On the upside, its knockback is rather high compared to other dash attacks. 14% damage.
- Forward Tilt - Quick roundhouse kick in front. It has far reach for a tilt, but is on the slow side. High knockback, it is capable of KOing at high percentages.
- Up Tilt - Lifts his leg up and then brings his leg down violently. Very laggy, though very powerful. Can be angled, and can even OHKO if hits by the edge due to its extremely high base knockback. 27% damage. It is by far the most powerful tilt in the game, being able to KO even earlier than the Warlock Punch. 13% damage.
- Down Tilt - A quick breakdance kick. Sets up aerial combos or his Up Special Move. Good reach, but is rather slow when compared to other Down Tilts. Can KO at very high percentages. An impressive 12% damage when fresh.
Smash Attacks
- Forward Smash - Thrusts his elbow forward with impressive vertical knockback. Almost no horizontal knockback at all, which makes it hard to DI out of. Can be angled down and up. It is very powerful, and since Ganondorf moves while performing it, it has great reach. It is the second most powerful Forward Smash in the game, only being exceeded by Bowser's. Even though it is powerful and far reaching, it has fairly slow start-up and significant ending lag. 20%, 22% or 24% uncharged, 27%, 30% or 32% fully.
- Down Smash - Kicks leg in front and back of him. Can chain together, can be DI'd out of second hit. It is the most powerful Down Smash in the game knockback-wise, capable of star KOing lighter/floatier characters under 100%. It is rather fast, especially for how powerful it is. Due to Ganondorf's long legs, it is one of the farthest reaching Down Smashes in the game. 8% then 13% for 21% when uncharged, 11% then 17% for 28% when fully charged.
- Up Smash - Kicks both his legs upwards. The first hit can lead into the second, though is DI-able and unlikely. It is the fourth most powerful uncharged Up Smash in the game (only exceeded by Pikachu's, Fox's, and Sheik's). When fully charged, it is the most powerful and damaging Up Smash in the game. Despite its extreme power and surprising speed, its lack of horizontal reach limits its effectiveness as a reliable killer. 22% then 17% for 39% when uncharged, 30% then 22% for 52% when fully charged.
Other Attacks
- Ledge Attack - Gets up and thrusts his knee. Can knock opponents off the edge if they are close, potentially setting up an edgeguard. 10% damage.
- 100% Ledge Attack - Slowly gets up and punches in front of him. Does 8% damage.
- Floor Attack - Does a round kick that can hit twice. 6%, then 5% for 11% damage.
Aerial Attacks
- Neutral Aerial - Very fast one-two spin kick. Both kicks have high knockback, but it is very difficult to land both kicks at very low percentages, and it is impossible to land both kicks at percentages higher than 25%. 12% first kick, 10% the second.
- Forward Aerial - The "Skull Crusher." Brings his fist down rather quickly, with impressive knockback and damage, though slightly weaker than The Knee, doing 17% damage. Unlike The Knee, it always strikes with the same force. It is also just as fast, but with much more range, and more landing lag.
- Back Aerial - Back fists behind him with high power, doing 16% damage. It is fast, powerful, and good for edgeguarding. It is actually exactly as powerful as his Forward Aerial, knockback wise. Has the exact amount of frames as Captain Falcon's, but hits with the same power throughout the entirety of the attack.
- Down Aerial - Stomps with electrical power with both legs. Extreme power, doing 22% if fresh. Extremely powerful Meteor Smash, very hard to escape its knockback and recover. It is by far the most powerful Meteor Smash in the game, and it is overall the most powerful aerial in the game. It has a massive hitbox, covering Ganondorf's entire body, and it is surprisingly easy to recover from due to its low aerial ending lag. It is capable of setting up combos at low percentages and it is a great finisher at high percentages (KOs everyone but Captain Falcon, DK, Falco, and Bowser under 100%).
- Up Aerial - Somersault kick. Knockback direction depends on which angle the foe was hit on. Good for juggling. Very versatile aerial, it can be use for combos and juggling, KOing, and edgeguarding with the famous reverse Up Aerial semi-spike. 13% damage.
Grabs & Throws
- Pummel - Knees foe. Does 2-3% damage per pummel.
- Forward Throw - Punches foe in front. Two hitboxes, does 5% then another 4%, adding up to 9% damage. Its only use is to set up edgeguarding situations at high percentages.
- Back Throw - Takes foe and bring them behind him, and kicks. 5% then 4%, adds up to 9% damage. Can set up edgeguards at high percentages.
- Up Throw - Knocks his foe above him. 3% then 4%, adds up to 7% damage. Excellent set up for juggles and can be an effective chainthrow at low percentages and fast fallers at mid percentages.
- Down Throw - Takes foe and violently bashes them to the floor. A one-hit 7% damage, another better suited to set up juggling. Can also chain throw a variety of characters at low percentages and can chain throw fast fallers up to high percentages.
Special Moves
Matchups
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Differences between Captain Falcon
In Super Smash Bros. Melee, Ganondorf is a "clone" of Captain Falcon, but with much slower running speed, lower jumping height, and much greater overall power, despite Captain Falcon being arguably the third most powerful character in the game. Also, many of Ganondorf's attacks have darkness or electrical effects, as opposed to Captain Falcon's fire effects. Ganondorf is considered a slower but tougher and harder-hitting character with more reach. He is very heavy, has a long recovery, and his attacks have very high knockback. Ganondorf also has a completely different Forward Aerial than Captain Falcon. On the downside, he's a big, slow target and is easily combo'd and bogged down by fast attacks. Ganondorf lives longer horizontally than Captain Falcon, but because Captain Falcon's falling speed is much faster (even if Ganondorf's falling speed is top 6), Captain Falcon lives longer vertically (the longest in the game). It is notable that Ganondorf is the only "clone" that is of a different universe from the original character.
Strategies
Wall of Pain & Ken Combo
A player can use Ganondorf's Forward Aerial twice as a Wall of Pain or combine them with his Down aerial for an effective Ken Combo. In addition, Forward Aerial combined with Wizard's Foot is a more effective Ken Combo.
Spiking abilities
Ganondorf has a series of spikes at his disposal, which help make him an even fiercer opponent to face. Most spikes are often Aerial A moves, but in the case of Ganondorf, he has both aerial A and B attacks that can send an opponent to an early KO.
Spike/Meteors and Description
Also referred to as "The Stomp". Both feet are thrusted under Ganondorf, and on contact, the opponent receives an electrical shock animation. If the opponent is on the ground, they are shot upward very fast, which can be DI'ed left or right. If in the air, the attack sends the opponent straight down, once again very fast. The attack can be used multiple times over to combo opponents with low percentage, but requires the ability to SHFFL, and tech chase. However, this is a Meteor Smash, and although it is difficult, the opponent can Meteor Cancel and recover.
- Frame Data:
- Total time: 44 frames
- Hits on frames 16-20
- IASA frame 38
- Landing before frame 3 or after frame 36 of this attack causes the move to auto cancel
- Lag when landing: 35 frames
- Lag when landing (l-canceled): 17 frames
- Reverse Up Aerial
Surprisingly Ganondorf's Up Aerial attack can be used to semi-spike an opponent very effectively. The attack has very high priority, so if done correctly, it greatly contributes to Ganondorf players. Ganondorf does a backflip that resembles a flash kick in actual martial arts. One foot is extended during the flip, that creates a hitbox about 200 degrees in rotation around Ganondorf. Ganondorf must be facing away from the opponent, and hit the opponent with the top of his extended foot. There is little knockback, but considerable stun for the amount of damage the attack actually does. As an added bonus, this move is extremely hard to walltech. Something about the physics just makes it next to impossible to tech.
- Aerial Wizard's Foot
Also used to regain the midair jump while recovering, it will spike an opponent if connected in midair. Ganondorf extends one foot and travels diagonally down, accompanied by a cloud of purple energy. The opponent receives an animation of cloudy purple energy when damaged by this attack. The attack itself puts Ganondorf in an inconvenient position to recover, so it is inferior to the Down Aerial and Up Aerial in most situations. Ganondorf can still double jump and Up B, so it still has its advantages, as the opponent cannot "cancel" the attack.
In Single-player
Ganondorf does not specifically appear in the game's single-player Adventure mode. He is featured in only three Event Matches:
- Event 29: Triforce Gathering: As Link and teamed with Zelda, the player faces Ganondorf on the Great Temple stage. Beat this, then fight Ganondorf again to unlock him.
- Event 49: All-Star Match Deluxe: Ganondorf is the final opponent that must be fought in this series of staged battles. The player's character battles him on the Final Destination stage, having 2 stock while Ganondorf has 1. With a timer of four minutes, the player must defeat him and the other four characters one-by-one with the overall time and damage: Dr. Mario, Falco, Pichu, Young Link, and Roy.
- Event 51: The Showdown: The final Event Match pits the player against a team of Giga Bowser, Mewtwo, and Ganondorf on the Final Destination stage, friendly fire turned off, and all four characters having 3 stock each and unlimited time.
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 respectively with Ganondorf 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.
- 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
Costume Gallery
Trivia
- Despite being a rather poor jumper, he has the highest ledge jump in the game, jumping even higher than Falco and his counterpart, Captain Falcon.
- Ganondorf is the only clone other than Dr. Mario to ever be higher on a tier list than their counterpart, as he was higher than Captain Falcon on the early tier lists for Melee.
- Ganondorf is the only clone to not be related to the character he is cloned from, or from the same "series".
- The bird sound effect used for the Falcon Punch is also present in Ganondorf's sound test.
- In Classic Mode, Ganondorf can only appear as a partner for the player in the team and giant battles. He never appears as an opponent in Classic Mode.
- Ganondorf is tied with the Ice Climbers for the world record in the Home-run Contest. However, the Ice Climbers have to utilize the freeze glitch in order to do this.
- 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.
External Links
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