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[[Image:Mario Helpless.png|thumb|175px|Mario's helpless animation in ''[[Super Smash Bros.]]'']]
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{{UnofficialName}}
  
  ⚫
'''Helpless''' (also known as '''free fall''' and various other names, and called "'''fallspecial'''" in game data) is a state in which characters are unable to take any action, with the exception of grabbing a [[ledge]], maneuvering left/right, [[fastfalling]], or climbing a [[ladder]], until they land on the ground. Helplessness is typically associated with just having used one's triple jump, although it also occurs after using certain other special moves (usually ones which help recovery).
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[[Image:Mario Helpless.png|right|175px|thumb|Mario's helpless animation in ''[[Super Smash Bros.]]'']][[File:Fox helpless SSBM.png|right|thumb|Fox's helpless animation in ''[[Melee]]'']][[Image:Fox helpless.png|right|175|thumb|Fox's helpless animation in ''[[Brawl]]'']]
  
   
  ⚫
Helplessness most commonly ends upon landing on the ground, 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 black overlay and a distinct falling animation.
⚫
'''Helpless''' (known as various other names, called "fallspecial" in game data) is a state in which characters are unable to take any action until they land on the ground or grab the ledge. Helplessness is typically associated with just having used one's [[triple jump]], although it also occurs after using certain other special moves (usually ones which help recovery). Helpless characters can move sideways and fastfall but are otherwise defenseless.
  
   
  +
A state similar to helplessness exists in falling after having one's [[shield]] broken and then being [[stun]]ned.
⚫
Helplessness usually ends upon landing on the ground, although it also ends if the character [[flinch]]es, allowing them to attack or re-use their triple jump. A helpless character is denoted by both a black overlay and a distinct falling animation.
  
   
  +
Curiously, the helpless state gives characters an extra ability in ''[[Super Smash Bros.]]'': the ability to fall through soft platforms without landing on them. Starting in ''Melee'', this can be done at any time (not just when a character is helpless).
−
Using an [[air dodge]] in [[SSBM]] causes a character to become helpless (as airdodging's movement properties allowed aerial stalling and short bursts of recovery). This is not the case in [[Brawl]]; a character can airdodge freely until they hit the ground.
  
   
⚫
==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" in Melee. Because airdodging enters this state, and [[wavedash|wavedashing]] involves airdodging into the ground, when wavedashing was tried in debug mode, "landfallspecial" appeared for the character state. This led some players to believe that the "landfallspecial" designation was specifically designed for wavedashing and that developers put wavedashing in the game intentionally, 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 variants, created solely for the wavedashing animation. All incarnations of this story have been proven false and should not be taken as evidence that wavedashing was intentionally put or left in SSBM.
  
−  
−
{{clr}}
  
 
==Moves that invoke helplessness==
  
==Moves that invoke helplessness==
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{|class="wikitable" align="center"
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{|class="wikitable sortable" align="center"
 
|-
  
|-
−
!Move!!Notes
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!Character!!Move!!Type!!Notes
 
|-
  
|-
  +
||All||[[Air dodge]]|||||''Melee'' only. Does not cause helplessness in ''Ultimate, ''but leaves the character in a similar state for a short while.
−
|[[Agility]]|| 
  
 
|-
  
|-
  +
|[[Bowser Jr.]]||[[Abandon Ship]]||Up Special||Can still perform a hammer attack and air dodge, but has no other control.
−
|[[Belay]]|| 
  
 
|-
  
|-
  +
|[[Pichu]]||[[Agility]]||Up Special||
−
|[[Blazer]]|| 
  
 
|-
  
|-
  +
|[[Villager]]||[[Balloon Trip]]||Up Special||Can happen sooner if balloons are popped by opponents. Based on defeated animation of Balloon Fighter.
⚫
|[[Corkscrew]]|| 
  
 
|-
  
|-
  +
|[[Ice Climbers]]||[[Belay]]||Up Special||
⚫
|[[Dark Dive]]||If the move's grab connects with an opponent, Ganondorf does not become helpless and can instead use the move again.
  
 
|-
  
|-
  +
|[[Roy]]||[[Blazer]]||Up Special||
⚫
|[[Dimensional Cape]]|| 
  
 
|-
  
|-
  +
|[[Zero Suit Samus]]||[[Boost Kick]]||Up Special||
−
|[[Din's Fire]]|| 
  
 
|-
  
|-
  ⚫
|[[Sheik]]||[[Burst Grenade]]||Side Special||Does not cause helplessness in ''Ultimate.''
−
|[[Dolphin Slash]]|| 
  
  +
|-
  +
|[[Cloud]]||[[Climhazzard]]||Up Special||If the follow-up attack is executed, Cloud will fall rapidly until he hits either solid ground, grabs the edge of a stage, or bypasses the lower blastline.
  +
|-
  ⚫
|[[Wario]]||[[Corkscrew]]||Up Special||
 
|-
  
|-
  ⚫
|[[Ganondorf]]||[[Dark Dive]]||Up Special||If the move's grab connects with an opponent, Ganondorf does not become helpless and can use the move again.
−
|[[Drill Rush]]|| 
  
 
|-
  
|-
  ⚫
|[[Meta Knight]]||[[Dimensional Cape]]||Down Special||
−
|[[Egg Roll]]|| 
  
 
|-
  
|-
  ⚫
|[[Zelda]]||[[Din's Fire]]||Side Special||Does not cause helplessness in ''Ultimate.''
⚫
|[[End of Day]]||Being ejected from the crashing spaceship puts Olimar into a state that is not exactly helplessness (it uses his [[tumble|tumbling]] animation, lacks the black overlay, and unlike helpnessness prevents his Pikmin from chasing him), but it is essentially the same.
  
 
|-
  
|-
  +
|[[Marth]], [[Lucina]]||[[Dolphin Slash]]||Up Special||
⚫
|[[ExtremeSpeed]]||If Lucario hits a wall during the move, he will [[wall cling]] instead of becoming helpless.
  
 
|-
  
|-
  +
|[[Meta Knight]]||[[Drill Rush]]||Side Special||
−
|[[Falco Phantasm]]|| 
  
 
|-
  
|-
  +
|[[Duck Hunt]]||[[Duck Jump]]||Up Special||
⚫
|[[Falcon Dive]]||If the move connects with an opponent, Falcon does not become helpless and can instead use the move again.
  
 
|-
  
|-
  +
|[[Yoshi]]||[[Egg Roll]]||Side Special||Does not cause helplessness in ''3DS/Wii U''.
⚫
|[[Farore's Wind]]|| 
  
 
|-
  
|-
  ⚫
|[[Olimar]]||[[End of Day]]||Final Smash||Being ejected from the crashing spaceship puts Olimar into a state that is not exactly helplessness (it uses his [[tumble|tumbling]] animation, lacks the black overlay, and unlike helplessness, prevents his Pikmin from chasing him), but it is essentially the same, as the player can only move to the left and right, and cannot attack or air dodge.
⚫
|[[Final Cutter]]||Normally, the move does not end until Kirby lands on the ground. However, if the platform Kirby has landed on disappears while he is still in the landing animation (such as falling off a conveyor belt), he will become helpless.
  
 
|-
  
|-
  ⚫
|[[Lucario]]||[[ExtremeSpeed]]||Up Special||If Lucario hits a wall during the move, it will [[wall cling]] instead of becoming helpless. However, it cannot use the move again.
−
|[[Fire]]||Does not cause helplessness in Brawl unless one fastfalls, although it cannot be used twice without touching the ground.
  
 
|-
  
|-
  +
|[[Falco]]||[[Falco Phantasm]]||Side Special||Does not cause helplessness in ''3DS/Wii U''.
⚫
|[[Fire Bird]]|| 
  
 
|-
  
|-
  ⚫
|[[Captain Falcon]]||[[Falcon Dive]]||Up Special||Like Dark Dive, if the move connects with an opponent, Captain Falcon does not become helpless and can use the move again.
−
|[[Fire Fox]]|| 
  
 
|-
  
|-
  ⚫
|[[Zelda]]||[[Farore's Wind]]||Up Special||
⚫
|[[Fire Wolf]]|| 
  
 
|-
  
|-
  ⚫
|[[Kirby]]||[[Final Cutter]]||Up Special||Normally, the move does not end until Kirby lands on the ground. However, if the platform Kirby 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.
−
|[[Flame Choke]]||If the move connects with an opponent, Ganondorf does not become helpless, although he (and his victim) will fall until he hits the ground.
  
 
|-
  
|-
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|[[Mr. Game & Watch]]||[[Fire]]||Up Special||Only causes helplessness in ''Melee''.
−
|[[Fly]]|| 
  
 
|-
  
|-
  ⚫
|[[Falco]]||[[Fire Bird]]||Up Special||
−
|[[Fox Illusion]]|| 
  
 
|-
  
|-
−
|[[Gerudo Dragon]]|| 
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|[[Fox]]||[[Fire Fox]]||Up Special||
 
|-
  
|-
  ⚫
|[[Wolf]]||[[Fire Wolf]]||Up Special||
⚫
|[[Giant Punch]]||Does not cause helplessness in SSB.
  
 
|-
  
|-
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|[[Gliding]]||If the user has used all their double jumps, they are put into helpless once the glide ends (either by stalling or by attacking).
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|[[Ganondorf]]||[[Flame Choke]]||Side Special||If the move connects with an opponent, Ganondorf does not become helpless, although he (and his victim) will fall until he hits the ground.
 
|-
  
|-
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|[[Charizard]]||[[Fly]]||Up Special||
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|[[Mach Tornado]]|| 
  
 
|-
  
|-
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|[[Fox]]||[[Fox Illusion]]||Side Special||Does not cause helplessness in ''Super Smash Bros. or 3DS/Wii U.''
⚫
|[[Peach Parasol|Parasol]]||Peach only enters helplessness if she decides to fastfall after using the move - she can also end the helplessness and resume parachuting by pressing up, the only character able to do so. The [[Parasol]] item allows any character to do this in Melee.
  
 
|-
  
|-
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|[[Ganondorf]]||[[Gerudo Dragon]]||Side Special||''Melee'' only.
−
|[[Pikmin Chain]]|| 
  
 
|-
  
|-
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|[[Donkey Kong]]||[[Giant Punch]]||Neutral Special||Does not cause helplessness in ''Super Smash Bros. or Ultimate.''
−
|[[PK Flash]]|| 
  
 
|-
  
|-
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|[[Meta Knight]], [[Charizard]], [[Pit]]||[[Gliding]]||||If the user has used all their double jumps, they are put into helplessness once the glide ends (either by stalling or by attacking). ''Brawl'' only.
−
|[[PK Freeze]]|| 
  
 
|-
  
|-
  +
|[[Samus]]||[[Grapple Beam]]||Grab aerial||''Melee'' only.
−
|[[PK Thunder]]|| 
  
 
|-
  
|-
  +
|[[Wii Fit Trainer]]||[[Header]]||Side Special||Only causes helplessness if the user airdodges during the move.
⚫
|[[Quick Attack]]|| 
  
 
|-
  
|-
  +
|[[Mii Brawler]]||[[Helicopter Kick]]||Up Special||
−
|[[Quick Draw]]|| 
  
 
|-
  
|-
  +
|[[Link]], [[Young Link]]||[[Hookshot]]||Grab aerial||''Melee'' only.
−
|[[Raptor Boost]]|| 
  
 
|-
  
|-
  +
|[[Greninja]]||[[Hydro Pump]]||Up Special||
⚫
|[[Rocketbarrel Boost]]|| 
  
 
|-
  
|-
  +
|[[Little Mac]]||[[Jolt Haymaker]]||Side Special||
−
|[[Rocketbarrel Barrage]]|| 
  
 
|-
  
|-
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|[[Palutena]]||[[Jump Glide]]||Up Special||Attacking while under the move's effect cancels the glide and triggers helplessness.
⚫
|[[Rollout]]||Does not cause helplessness in Brawl.
  
 
|-
  
|-
  +
|[[Rosalina]]||[[Launch Star]]||Up Special||
−
|[[Screw Attack]]|| 
  
 
|-
  
|-
  +
|[[Villager]]||[[Lloid Rocket]]||Side Special||Villager only enters helplessness if he rides then jumps off of the Lloid Rocket, does not hit an opponent during the ride, or if Lloid is destroyed. Based on defeated animation of Balloon Fighter.
⚫
|[[Screw Attack (item)]]||When this item is thrown at opponents (''Melee'' only), they execute a Screw Attack and become helpless.
  
 
|-
  
|-
  +
|[[Meta Knight]]||[[Mach Tornado]]||Neutral Special||
⚫
|[[Shuttle Loop]]||While the initial execution of the move does not make Meta Knight helpless, he does become helpless if the glide ends.
  
 
|-
  
|-
  +
|[[Robin]]||[[Nosferatu]]||Down Special||Robin only enters helplessness after Nosferatu finishes dealing damage to an opponent in mid-air or over a temporary platform that is no longer active.
−
|[[Spin Attack]]|| 
  
 
|-
  
|-
  +
|[[Mii Brawler]]||[[Onslaught]]||Side Special||
⚫
|[[Spinning Kong]]|| 
  
 
|-
  
|-
  +
|[[Pac-Man]]||[[Pac-Jump]]||Up Special||All jumps trigger helplessness for [[Pac-Man]] and triggers helplessness for others when a fighter lands on the trampoline when it's red.
−
|[[Squall Hammer]]|| 
  
 
|-
  
|-
  ⚫
|[[Peach]]||[[Peach Parasol]]||Up Special||Peach only enters helplessness if she decides to fastfall (which retracts the parasol) after using the move - she can also end the helplessness and resume parachuting by pressing up (re-opening it), the only character able to do so. However, if Peach was under the effects of items that make her shrink or grow while she fastfalls, she will become helpless, as her parasol disappears once she's back to normal. The [[Parasol]] item allows any character to do this in ''Melee''.
−
|[[Super Jump Punch]]|| 
  
 
|-
  
|-
  +
|[[Captain Olimar]]||[[Pikmin Chain]]||Up Special||Normally, the Pikmin Chain makes Olimar helpless after the move is used in the air. However, if he uses grounded Pikmin Chain and the platform 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.
−
|[[Teleport]]|| 
  
 
|-
  
|-
  +
|[[Mii Brawler]]||[[Piston Punch]]||Up Special||
−
|[[Vanish]]|| 
  
 
|-
  
|-
  +
|[[Ness]]||[[PK Flash]]||Neutral Special||Does not cause helplessness in ''Ultimate.''
−
|[[Vine Whip]]|| 
  
 
|-
  
|-
  +
|[[Lucas]], [[Ness]]||[[PK Freeze]]||Neutral Special||Ness' variant is accessible via ''3DS/Wii U'' customs only. Does not cause helplessness in ''Ultimate.''
−
|[[Waterfall]]|| 
  
 
|-
  
|-
  +
|[[Lucas]], [[Ness]]||[[PK Thunder]]||Up Special||
⚫
|[[Whirling Fortress]]|| 
  
 
|-
  
|-
  +
|[[Pit]], [[Dark Pit]]||[[Power of Flight]]||Up Special||
−
|[[Wings of Icarus]]|| 
  
 
|-
  
|-
  ⚫
|[[Pikachu]]||[[Quick Attack]]||Up Special||
−
|[[Wolf Flash]]|| 
  
  +
|-
  +
|[[Ike]]||[[Quick Draw]]||Side Special||Does not cause helplessness if it hits someone in ''3DS/Wii U''.
  +
|-
  +
|[[Captain Falcon]]||[[Raptor Boost]]||Side Special||
  +
|-
  +
|[[Little Mac]]||[[Rising Uppercut]]||Up Special||
  +
|-
  +
|[[Palutena]]||[[Rocket Jump]]||Up Special||
  +
|-
  ⚫
|[[Diddy Kong]]||[[Rocketbarrel Boost]]||Up Special||
  +
|-
  +
|[[Diddy Kong]]||[[Rocketbarrel Barrage]]||Final Smash||Does not cause helplessness in ''3DS/Wii U''.
  +
|-
  +
|[[Jigglypuff]]||[[Rollout]]||Neutral Special||Only causes helplessness in ''Melee'', as for the latter games Jigglypuff will keep rolling and won't be able to move if it hits while mid-air (making it ''literally'' helpless until it lands or takes knockback).
  +
|-
  +
|[[Samus]]||[[Screw Attack (move)|Screw Attack]]||Up Special||
  +
|-
  ⚫
|||[[Screw Attack (item)]]||Item||When this item is thrown at opponents (''Melee'' only), they will involuntarily execute a Screw Attack and thus become helpless.
  +
|-
  +
|[[Ryu]]||[[Shin Shoryuken]]||Final Smash||Ryu becomes helpless after he executes the final attack, whether it connects or not.
  +
|-
  ⚫
|[[Meta Knight]]||[[Shuttle Loop]]||Up Special||In ''Brawl'', while the initial execution of the move does not make Meta Knight helpless, he does become helpless if the glide ends. In ''3DS/Wii U'', gliding does not exist and Meta Knight is made helpless after the move concludes.
  +
|-
  +
|[[Ryu]]||[[Shoryuken]]||Up Special||The helpless animation starts after Ryu falls below his starting point. Before that, Shoryuken is unique in that it allows none of the usual maneuvering (making Ryu ''literally'' helpless).
  +
|-
  +
|[[Link]], [[Young Link]], [[Toon Link]]||[[Spin Attack]]||Up Special||Normally, the Spin Attack makes Link, Young Link, or Toon Link helpless after the move was used it in the air. However, if he stands on the platform while using 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.
  +
|-
  ⚫
|[[Donkey Kong]]||[[Spinning Kong]]||Up Special||
  +
|-
  +
|[[Ice Climbers]]||[[Squall Hammer]]||Side Special||
  +
|-
  +
|[[King Dedede]]||[[Super Dedede Jump]]||Up Special||Normally, the move does not end until King Dedede lands on the ground. However, if the platform King Dedede has landed on disappears while he is still in the landing animation (such as falling off a conveyor belt), he hits a ceiling while using the move, or the move is cancelled by the user, he will become helpless.
  +
|-
  +
|[[Wii Fit Trainer]]||[[Super Hoop]]||Up Special||
  +
|-
  +
|[[Mario]], [[Luigi]], [[Dr. Mario]]||[[Super Jump Punch]]||Up Special||Their helpless animations are based on the Mario Bros.' death sprite in games such as Super Mario Bros. and Super Mario Bros. 3.
  +
|-
  +
|[[Mewtwo]]||[[Teleport]]||Up Special||
  +
|-
  +
|[[Mii Brawler]]||[[Ultimate Uppercut]]||Neutral Special||
  +
|-
  +
|[[Sheik]]||[[Vanish]]||Up Special||
  +
|-
  +
|[[Ivysaur]]||[[Vine Whip]]||Up Special||
  +
|-
  +
|[[Palutena]]||[[Warp]]||Up Special||
  +
|-
  +
|[[Squirtle]]||[[Waterfall]]||Up Special||
  +
|-
  ⚫
|[[Bowser]]||[[Whirling Fortress]]||Up Special||
  +
|-
  +
|[[Captain Olimar]]||[[Winged Pikmin]]||Up Special||
  +
|-
  +
|[[Pit]]||[[Wings of Icarus]]||Up Special||Pit can also avoid becoming helpless by using an [[aerial attack]] when using this move. ''Brawl'' only.
  +
|-
  +
|[[Wolf]], [[Fox]]||[[Wolf Flash]]||Side Special||Fox's variant is accessible via ''3DS/Wii U'' customs only, and doesn't cause helplessness for him.
 
|}
  
|}
   
  ⚫
==Landfallspecial and "superdashtechnique"==
⚫
==Notes/Trivia==
  
  ⚫
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 [[wavedash]]ing involves air dodging into the ground, when wavedashing is performed in ''Melee's'' [[debug menu]], "landfallspecial" appears for the character state. This originally led some players to believe that the "landfallspecial" designation was specifically designed for wavedashing and that developers put wavedashing in the game intentionally, 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''.
⚫
*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.
  
  +
⚫
*If Kirby copies a move that causes helplessness, he will be affected just as the original character would be.
  
  +
==Gallery==
⚫
*In Brawl, certain characters are unable to naturally become helpless, as they lack any moves that cause it. These characters are [[Jigglypuff (SSBB)|Jigglypuff]], [[Snake (SSBB)|Snake]], [[R.O.B. (SSBB)|R.O.B.]], and [[Zero Suit Samus (SSBB)|Zero Suit Samus]].
  
  +
<gallery>
⚫
*In fact, R.O.B. is not programmed to have a helpless state, and attempting to see it via hacking causes the game to crash. All other characters have a helpless state, even if they cannot normally enter it.
  
  +
File:Fox helpless SSBM.png|Fox's helpless animation in ''[[Melee]]''.
−
*Characters can still [[Space Jump]] while helpless.
  
  +
Image:Fox helpless.png|Fox's helpless animation in ''[[Brawl]]''.
  +
</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.).
  ⚫
*If [[Kirby]] copies a move that causes helplessness, he will be affected just as the original character would be.
  ⚫
*In ''Brawl'', certain characters are unable to naturally become helpless, as they lack any moves that cause it. These characters are {{SSBB|Jigglypuff}}, {{SSBB|Sonic}}, {{SSBB|Mr. Game & Watch}}, {{SSBB|Snake}}, {{SSBB|R.O.B.}}, and {{SSBB|Zero Suit Samus}}.
  ⚫
**In fact, R.O.B. is not programmed to have a helpless state in ''Brawl'', and attempting to see it via hacking causes the game to crash. All other characters have a helpless state, even if they cannot enter it without hacking. In ''[[Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U]]'', [[Pac-Jump]]'s red trampoline can put any character in a helpless state, and so all characters, including R.O.B., have one in ''3DS/Wii U''.
  +
*In ''[[Super Smash Bros. 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 animations ends.
  +
*[[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]].
  
*The unique animation caused by landing while helpless is the cause of the [[landing lag glitch]].
−
[[Category:Terms]]
 +
[[Category:Unofficial lingo]]
 
[[Category:Game Controls]]
  
[[Category:Game Controls]]
  +
[[Category:Game Mechanics]]

Latest revision as of 02:12, 23 November 2018

Mario Helpless

Mario's helpless animation in Super Smash Bros.

Helpless (also known as free fall and various other names, and called "fallspecial" in game data) is a state in which characters are unable to take any action, with the exception of grabbing a ledge, maneuvering left/right, fastfalling, or climbing a ladder, until they land on the ground. Helplessness is typically associated with just having used one's triple jump, although it also occurs after using certain other special moves (usually ones which help recovery).

Helplessness most commonly ends upon landing on the ground, 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 black overlay and a distinct falling animation.

A state similar to helplessness exists in falling after having one's shield broken and then being stunned.

Curiously, the helpless state gives characters an extra ability in Super Smash Bros.: the ability to fall through soft platforms without landing on them. Starting in Melee, this can be done at any time (not just when a character is helpless).

Moves that invoke helplessness

Character Move Type Notes
All Air dodge Melee only. Does not cause helplessness in Ultimate, but leaves the character in a similar state for a short while.
Bowser Jr. Abandon Ship Up Special Can still perform a hammer attack and air dodge, but has no other control.
Pichu Agility Up Special
Villager Balloon Trip Up Special Can happen sooner if balloons are popped by opponents. Based on defeated animation of Balloon Fighter.
Ice Climbers Belay Up Special
Roy Blazer Up Special
Zero Suit Samus Boost Kick Up Special
Sheik Burst Grenade Side Special Does not cause helplessness in Ultimate.
Cloud Climhazzard Up Special If the follow-up attack is executed, Cloud will fall rapidly until he hits either solid ground, grabs the edge of a stage, or bypasses the lower blastline.
Wario Corkscrew Up Special
Ganondorf Dark Dive Up Special If the move's grab connects with an opponent, Ganondorf does not become helpless and can use the move again.
Meta Knight Dimensional Cape Down Special
Zelda Din's Fire Side Special Does not cause helplessness in Ultimate.
Marth, Lucina Dolphin Slash Up Special
Meta Knight Drill Rush Side Special
Duck Hunt Duck Jump Up Special
Yoshi Egg Roll Side Special Does not cause helplessness in 3DS/Wii U.
Olimar End of Day Final Smash Being ejected from the crashing spaceship puts Olimar into a state that is not exactly helplessness (it uses his tumbling animation, lacks the black overlay, and unlike helplessness, prevents his Pikmin from chasing him), but it is essentially the same, as the player can only move to the left and right, and cannot attack or air dodge.
Lucario ExtremeSpeed Up Special If Lucario hits a wall during the move, it will wall cling instead of becoming helpless. However, it cannot use the move again.
Falco Falco Phantasm Side Special Does not cause helplessness in 3DS/Wii U.
Captain Falcon Falcon Dive Up Special Like Dark Dive, if the move connects with an opponent, Captain Falcon does not become helpless and can use the move again.
Zelda Farore's Wind Up Special
Kirby Final Cutter Up Special Normally, the move does not end until Kirby lands on the ground. However, if the platform Kirby 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.
Mr. Game & Watch Fire Up Special Only causes helplessness in Melee.
Falco Fire Bird Up Special
Fox Fire Fox Up Special
Wolf Fire Wolf Up Special
Ganondorf Flame Choke Side Special If the move connects with an opponent, Ganondorf does not become helpless, although he (and his victim) will fall until he hits the ground.
Charizard Fly Up Special
Fox Fox Illusion Side Special Does not cause helplessness in Super Smash Bros. or 3DS/Wii U.
Ganondorf Gerudo Dragon Side Special Melee only.
Donkey Kong Giant Punch Neutral Special Does not cause helplessness in Super Smash Bros. or Ultimate.
Meta Knight, Charizard, Pit Gliding If the user has used all their double jumps, they are put into helplessness once the glide ends (either by stalling or by attacking). Brawl only.
Samus Grapple Beam Grab aerial Melee only.
Wii Fit Trainer Header Side Special Only causes helplessness if the user airdodges during the move.
Mii Brawler Helicopter Kick Up Special
Link, Young Link Hookshot Grab aerial Melee only.
Greninja Hydro Pump Up Special
Little Mac Jolt Haymaker Side Special
Palutena Jump Glide Up Special Attacking while under the move's effect cancels the glide and triggers helplessness.
Rosalina Launch Star Up Special
Villager Lloid Rocket Side Special Villager only enters helplessness if he rides then jumps off of the Lloid Rocket, does not hit an opponent during the ride, or if Lloid is destroyed. Based on defeated animation of Balloon Fighter.
Meta Knight Mach Tornado Neutral Special
Robin Nosferatu Down Special Robin only enters helplessness after Nosferatu finishes dealing damage to an opponent in mid-air or over a temporary platform that is no longer active.
Mii Brawler Onslaught Side Special
Pac-Man Pac-Jump Up Special All jumps trigger helplessness for Pac-Man and triggers helplessness for others when a fighter lands on the trampoline when it's red.
Peach Peach Parasol Up Special Peach only enters helplessness if she decides to fastfall (which retracts the parasol) after using the move - she can also end the helplessness and resume parachuting by pressing up (re-opening it), the only character able to do so. However, if Peach was under the effects of items that make her shrink or grow while she fastfalls, she will become helpless, as her parasol disappears once she's back to normal. The Parasol item allows any character to do this in Melee.
Captain Olimar Pikmin Chain Up Special Normally, the Pikmin Chain makes Olimar helpless after the move is used in the air. However, if he uses grounded Pikmin Chain and the platform 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.
Mii Brawler Piston Punch Up Special
Ness PK Flash Neutral Special Does not cause helplessness in Ultimate.
Lucas, Ness PK Freeze Neutral Special Ness' variant is accessible via 3DS/Wii U customs only. Does not cause helplessness in Ultimate.
Lucas, Ness PK Thunder Up Special
Pit, Dark Pit Power of Flight Up Special
Pikachu Quick Attack Up Special
Ike Quick Draw Side Special Does not cause helplessness if it hits someone in 3DS/Wii U.
Captain Falcon Raptor Boost Side Special
Little Mac Rising Uppercut Up Special
Palutena Rocket Jump Up Special
Diddy Kong Rocketbarrel Boost Up Special
Diddy Kong Rocketbarrel Barrage Final Smash Does not cause helplessness in 3DS/Wii U.
Jigglypuff Rollout Neutral Special Only causes helplessness in Melee, as for the latter games Jigglypuff will keep rolling and won't be able to move if it hits while mid-air (making it literally helpless until it lands or takes knockback).
Samus Screw Attack Up Special
Screw Attack (item) Item When this item is thrown at opponents (Melee only), they will involuntarily execute a Screw Attack and thus become helpless.
Ryu Shin Shoryuken Final Smash Ryu becomes helpless after he executes the final attack, whether it connects or not.
Meta Knight Shuttle Loop Up Special In Brawl, while the initial execution of the move does not make Meta Knight helpless, he does become helpless if the glide ends. In 3DS/Wii U, gliding does not exist and Meta Knight is made helpless after the move concludes.
Ryu Shoryuken Up Special The helpless animation starts after Ryu falls below his starting point. Before that, Shoryuken is unique in that it allows none of the usual maneuvering (making Ryu literally helpless).
Link, Young Link, Toon Link Spin Attack Up Special Normally, the Spin Attack makes Link, Young Link, or Toon Link helpless after the move was used it in the air. However, if he stands on the platform while using 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.
Donkey Kong Spinning Kong Up Special
Ice Climbers Squall Hammer Side Special
King Dedede Super Dedede Jump Up Special Normally, the move does not end until King Dedede lands on the ground. However, if the platform King Dedede has landed on disappears while he is still in the landing animation (such as falling off a conveyor belt), he hits a ceiling while using the move, or the move is cancelled by the user, he will become helpless.
Wii Fit Trainer Super Hoop Up Special
Mario, Luigi, Dr. Mario Super Jump Punch Up Special Their helpless animations are based on the Mario Bros.' death sprite in games such as Super Mario Bros. and Super Mario Bros. 3.
Mewtwo Teleport Up Special
Mii Brawler Ultimate Uppercut Neutral Special
Sheik Vanish Up Special
Ivysaur Vine Whip Up Special
Palutena Warp Up Special
Squirtle Waterfall Up Special
Bowser Whirling Fortress Up Special
Captain Olimar Winged Pikmin Up Special
Pit Wings of Icarus Up Special Pit can also avoid becoming helpless by using an aerial attack when using this move. Brawl only.
Wolf, Fox Wolf Flash Side Special Fox's variant is accessible via 3DS/Wii U customs only, and doesn't cause helplessness for him.

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 wavedashing involves air dodging into the ground, when wavedashing is performed in Melee's debug menu, "landfallspecial" appears for the character state. This originally led some players to believe that the "landfallspecial" designation was specifically designed for wavedashing and that developers put wavedashing in the game intentionally, 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 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.).
  • If Kirby copies a move that causes helplessness, he will be affected just as the original character would be.
  • In Brawl, certain characters are unable to naturally become helpless, as they lack any moves that cause it. These characters are Jigglypuff, Sonic, Mr. Game & Watch, Snake, R.O.B., and Zero Suit Samus.
    • In fact, R.O.B. is not programmed to have a helpless state in Brawl, and attempting to see it via hacking causes the game to crash. All other characters have a helpless state, even if they cannot enter it without hacking. In Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U, Pac-Jump's red trampoline can put any character in a helpless state, and so all characters, including R.O.B., have one in 3DS/Wii U.
  • In Super Smash Bros. 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 animations ends.
  • 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.
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