Editing Ganondorf (PM)

{{ArticleIcons|pm=y|p+=y}}

|image        = {{tabber|title1=Twilight Princess (PM)|content1=[[File:Ganondorf SSBB.jpg|250px]]|title2=Twilight Princess (P+)|content2=[[File:PPlus Ganon.png|250px]]|title3=Ocarina of Time (PM)|content3=[[File:OoT Ganondorf PM.png|250px]]|title4=Ocarina of Time (P+)|content4=[[File:PPlus Oot Ganon.png|250px]]|title5=Pig Ganon (P+)|content5=[[File:PPlus Pig Ganon.png|250px]]}}

|altcostume  = Ocarina of Time Ganondorf, Pig Ganon (''[[Project+]]'')

 

'''Ganondorf''' is a playable character in the ''[[Brawl]]'' mod ''[[Project M]]''. He was buffed significantly in ''Project M'' after being mostly reverted to his ''Melee'' version. However, some ''Brawl'' attributes were maintained, and part of his moveset was changed to make him more well-rounded.

 

Ganondorf is currently ranked 37th out of 41 on the [[Project M#Tier list|official]] [[tier list]], placing him in the lower half of the D tier. This is a significant drop from his placement in ''Melee'' as 14th out of 26, but a moderate improvement over his place on the ''Brawl'' tier list, where he is ranked last at the bottom of the tier list.

Despite Ganondorf mostly being based on his ''Melee'' iteration, he remains a semi-clone of {{PM|Captain Falcon}}, as he was in ''Brawl''; most of Ganondorf's moves continue to use their respective animations from ''Brawl''. Ganondorf is a slower, stronger, and heavier version of Falcon with more reach as a result of his larger build. Many of Ganondorf's positive attributes from the past two games were retained, making him more formidable than he was in ''Melee'' and ''Brawl''.

 

Ganondorf is a powerful character like he was in ''Melee''. Being one of the strongest characters, his attacks inflict dangerously high knockback, with some being able to KO at relatively low percentages. His combos, while often short, are capable of quickly racking up extremely high damage, and many of his aerials are excellent for both killing and edgeguarding. Ganondorf also has the most powerful [[meteor smash]] in his [[down aerial]] and one of the strongest [[spike]]s in his aerial [[Wizard's Foot]].

Ganondorf is unique in that he is one of the only two characters who is capable of lengthening his recovery (the other being Captain Falcon with his [[Falcon Kick]]), by executing his aerial Wizard's Foot. For every attempt of the move, Ganondorf will restore his midair jump, thus bringing him closer to the stage and greatly increasing his horizontal recovery. It is worth noting, the Wizard's Foot must complete to restore his jump. His up special, [[Dark Dive]], still possesses the arm swipe attack at its peak and the ability to grab an opponent on the ledge from ''Brawl'', both of which may save him on occasion. However, Ganondorf normally has trouble with recovery, because of his low jump height, high gravity, and low air speed. Additionally, Dark Dive does not offer much vertical or horizontal distance while being very predictable and easy to [[edgeguard]] and [[edgehog]].  

Back in ''Melee'' and ''Brawl'', Ganondorf struggled against projectile users due to his tall size and no projectile of his own, as well as off-stage survivability due to a poor recovery, but these issues are somewhat addressed in ''Project M'' due to the advent of Dead Man's Volley & Drift. This new move gives Ganondorf a [[reflector]] that sends projectiles back at double their original speed, arming him with a moderately effective anti-projectile option. In addition to buffs such as slightly higher mid-air jumps and aerial Wizard's Foot restoring mid-air jumps, the new move also provides brief [[floating]] when used in the air, allowing Ganondorf to recover better to the stage while giving him more options for recovery mix-ups. Dead Man's Volley & Drift serves as a useful tool for Ganondorf, diminishing several of his major issues and allowing him to compete better. Despite this, he often still has trouble against characters who possess a strong projectile game.

 

 

Ganondorf's buffs from ''Brawl'' to ''Project M'', such as his combo starter Flame Choke (although it was slightly nerfed), DACUS, improved tilts, improvements to Dark Dive, and being equipped with an extra recovery tool that doubles as a reflector, grant him better tournament success than in ''Melee'' or ''Brawl''. However, he still struggles to keep up with the faster and more combo-heavy characters such as {{PM|Diddy Kong}} and {{PM|Fox}}.

 

==Changes from ''Melee'' to PM==

 

[[File:Ganon Neutral B PM 3.5.jpg|thumb|Ganondorf's new neutral special.]]

[[File:PM 3.5 Ganon Sword (GIF).gif|thumb|Ganondorf using his sword.]]

*{{change|Ganondorf now laughs at the start of his up taunt, rather than after he spins, similar to ''Melee''.}}

*{{change|Most of Ganondorf's aesthetics were altered to be more inline with his magical warlock theme:}}

**{{change|The fist hitbox of [[forward aerial]] and [[forward throw]] produces a [[darkness]] effect, while [[back aerial]] produces an [[electric]] effect.}}

**{{change|[[Dark Dive]] makes Ganondorf briefly flash purple during the uppercut portion.}}

**{{change|Back aerial and neutral attack now use the same "punch" SFX used for his side taunt.}}

**{{change|His [[sidestep]] and [[rolling]] dodges are now traditional sidesteps, and Ganondorf flickers and glows purple during his intangible frames.}}

**{{change|Ganondorf retains animations from ''Brawl'' for most of his attacks like down tilt, Dark Dive and forward throw, which, along with the new moves he has been given, further declones him from {{PM|Captain Falcon}} (instead of being a full clone of him like in ''Melee'').}}

*{{buff|[[Jumpsquat]] is one frame shorter (6 → 5), allowing Ganondorf to be airborne and perform aerials and wavedashes slightly faster.}}

*{{buff|Midair jumping height slightly increased; Ganondorf can now [[edge hop]] more easily onto the stage.}}

*{{buff|[[Forward tilt]] launches at a [[semi-spike]] angle on the leg, albeit slightly higher than in ''Brawl'' ([[Sakurai Angle]] → 32°).}}

*{{change|Forward tilt uses an altered animation from ''Brawl'', with Ganondorf now leaning back slightly before kicking to extend the move's reach instead of simply lifting his leg, and quickly retreating his leg after kicking instead of dropping it.}}

*{{buff|Ganondorf has a new [[up tilt]]: he lifts his foot, then quickly brings it down into an electric stomp. It has gained a hitbox on its initial frames that deals 8% damage, hitting twice much like {{SSB|Captain Falcon}}'s up tilt in ''Smash 64'', and doing 3% more damage (27% → 30%) in total. It also has significantly faster startup (81 → hit 1: 5, hit 2: 25) and ending lag (113 → 62) as well as a longer hitbox duration (2 frames → hit 1: 6, hit 2: 3), along with intangibility on frames 23-28 that covers his left arm and left leg (rear hurtbox). This new up tilt is much faster and slightly more damaging than the original Volcano Kick.}}

*{{nerf|New up tilt has significantly weaker knockback (110 base/80 growth → hit 1: 40 base/60 growth, hit 2: 50 base/78 growth), KOing around 100% as opposed to 25% from center or [[OHKO]]ing near the ledge in ''Melee'', although it is still one of the strongest tilts in the game. The initial hit also does not combo well into the second above low percentages, and the second hit deals 5% less damage (27% → 22%) and now has a sourspot on the body dealing 2% less damage (20%) and knockback (75 base/60 growth), resulting it dealing less damage than the original up tilt if it only hits once. Despite ending much earlier than the former up tilt, the move has 4 more frames of ending lag (30 frames → 34 frames).}}

*{{buff|[[Down tilt]] from ''Brawl'' is retained, having slightly more reach. It additionally has less ending lag (IASA 36 → 34).}}

*{{buff|[[Dash attack]] is stronger, the initial hit deals 1% more damage (14% → 15%) with increased base knockback (40 (early)/25 (middle) → 60/45). It has a new hitbox at the end which extends the attack's duration by 2 frames. It can also be cancelled into a long [[DACUS]].}}

*{{change|Dash attack launches opponents at slightly different angles (115°/110° → 105°/100°).}}

*{{change|Forward smash's animation now resembles a faster Warlock Punch, making up for the loss of said special move.}}

*{{buff|[[Up smash]] has slightly wider hitboxes.}}

*{{nerf|Up smash has more ending lag than in both ''Melee'' and ''Brawl'' (IASA 40 → 45).}}

*{{buff|Both hits of neutral aerial come out 2 frames faster (hit 1: 7 → 5, hit 2: 20 → 18), allowing it to be used as an [[out of shield]] option, and are easier to link into each other. It also [[autocancel]]s slightly earlier (22 frames → 20), allowing it to be autocanceled in a short hop fast fall.}}

*{{nerf|The first hit of neutral aerial deals 2% less damage (12% → 10%).}}

*{{buff|Up aerial has less landing lag, being even less than in ''Brawl'' (25 frames → 20).}}

*{{change|Back aerial has an altered animation, where Ganondorf no longer crosses his legs behind him.}}

*{{buff|Down aerial retains its earlier autocancel window from ''Brawl'' (frame 36 → 32), retaining its ability to autocancel in a short hop and start combos. It also has less landing lag (35 frames → 31) and no longer has [[transcendent priority]], which now allows it to cancel out projectiles.}}

*{{buff|Forward throw from ''Brawl'' is retained, inflicting 4% more damage (9% → 13%). It also has stronger knockback (60 base/65 growth → 45/105).}}

*{{nerf|Down throw has more knockback growth (36 → 45), slightly reducing its ability to chain throw and setup.}}

*{{buff|However, the increased knockback growth on down throw also makes it easier to chaingrab at low percents.}}

*{{buff|Down taunt can be held to make Ganondorf attack with a downward swing of his sword. While it comes out much later than his [[Warlock Punch]] or Volcano Kick (frames 95-97), interrupts later (IASA 125), and cannot be reversed or used in the air unlike Warlock Punch, it has higher damage (32% → 31%/33%/35%/37%) and base knockback (30 → 40) than ''Brawl''{{'}}s Warlock Punch while covering a large distance identical to ''Brawl''{{'}}s Volcano Kick, and additionally has light armor before and during the attack (frames 85-97). The move has two hitboxes: a one frame large, weak but still quite powerful sourspot during the swing of the sword (damage: 24%, knockback growth: 100 → 75), though its hitbox prevents it from hitting opponents standing directly in front of Ganondorf; and a sword slam that deals flame damage and has a sweetspot at the tip where it deals the most damage and makes a small explosion on the ground.}}

*{{buff|New neutral special: Dead Man's Volley & Drift. Using this move in the air causes him to [[float]] for one second, however unlike {{PM|Peach}} and {{PM|Mewtwo}} he is unable to control his movement after starting, and also gradually loses height. Using it while floating or on the ground will have him flip his cape, reflecting projectiles back at twice their speed and weakly damages nearby opponents with minimal, set knockback. An aerial or jump can be acted out of a float, or it can be simply ended by pressing down. This improves Ganondorf's recovery and his options against projectile users while also giving him aerial mix-ups.}}

*{{buff|Ganondorf conserves [[Flame Choke]] from ''Brawl'' as his side special, which is much more useful for tech-chases and followups than [[Gerudo Dragon]]. Grounded Flame Choke deals 3% more damage (9% → 12%) and travels faster and farther. If Ganondorf falls off an edge with the move, he will go into the ending animation instead of instantly becoming [[helpless]], allowing him to still grab the ledge within the game's new physics.}}

*{{buff|Aerial Flame Choke deals 1% more damage (12% → 13%) and now inflicts caught opponents with a weak set knockback [[meteor smash]], causing them to weakly bounce up instead of being immediately floored; this leads to it having guaranteed followups. In addition, if Ganondorf performs a [[Sacrificial KO]] with it when he and his opponent are on their last stock, he'll always win now, as opposed to a [[Sudden Death]] or loss for Ganondorf in ''Brawl''.}}

*{{change|Aerial Flame Choke now deals multiple hits instead of one single hit.}}

*{{buff|[[Dark Dive]] has slightly faster start-up and conserves its ending uppercut and ability to grab ledge hangers from ''Brawl''. The grab also deals 1% more damage in total (17% → 18%), and both the throw and uppercut are more powerful (throw: 84 → 115 growth, uppercut: 70 base/90 growth → 40 base/120 growth), being able to reliably KO under 150%. The throw completes much faster, giving caught opponents much less time to react and DI.}}

*{{buff|[[Wizard's Foot]] deals 2% more damage (15% → 17%) on the ground and 3% more in the air (14% → 17%). It can also now be reversed, and its aerial version can now be [[ledge-cancel]]ed. All variations have reduced endlag, most notably; Ground to ground (IASA 78 → 67), air to ground (IASA 58 → 31) and kicked a wall (IASA 61 → 41). Ground to air and air to air kicks were also both reduced by 1 frame.}}

*{{nerf|Wizard's Foot has less knockback growth (85 (grounded/80 (aerial) → 76/67) to compensate for the increased damage.}}

 

*{{change|Ganondorf gains a new costume based on [[Ganon]].}}

*{{nerf|Dash attack can slip off edges like in ''Melee''.}}

*{{buff|Warlock Punch is now reversible. Its turn occurs slightly later than in ''Brawl'', but can be performed up to four times.}}

*{{buff|Ganondorf received a new Neutral special, "Dead Man's Volley/Drift". When used in the air it allows him to float. When used on the ground or while already floating, it allows him to reflect projectiles while damaging nearby opponents with a flip of his cape. Despite this new change, Kirby still copies the [[Warlock Punch]].}}

*{{buff|Ganondorf is now always KO'd last when suiciding with Flame Choke.}}

*{{buff|Down taunt can be used as an attack when held. It has the same damage and knockback as his Warlock Punch except it has greater range and has super armor right before it hits. The damage is at its highest at the tip of the sword where it makes a small explosion on the ground.}}

**{{nerf|The sword swing has much longer start-up, and it cannot be reversed nor can it be used in the air like Warlock Punch could.}}

*{{buff|Neutral aerial has slightly less endlag and start-up (first active frame from frames 7 to 5, second active frame from 20 to 18).}}

*{{change|Back aerial has an altered animation, where Ganondorf no longer crosses his legs behind him.}}

===v3.6===

*{{nerf|Neutral aerial's late weak hits from ''Brawl'' were removed, as well as an active frame being removed from the strong hit, resulting in a significantly reduced hitbox duration for each kick (from 6 frames to 2 frames).}}

*{{buff|Dead Man's Volley reflect window increased by 2 frames. It also now has a trail that accurately depicts its reflect location and duration.}}

*{{nerf|Ganondorf's down taunt attack now receives light armor instead of [[super armor]]. It also hits 1 frame later, matching the move's animation.}}

**{{buff|Now has a one frame large, weaker hitbox that covers the swing of the sword in return. This hitbox has the lowest priority, so opponents in front of Ganondorf are still hit with the main hitbox.}}

*{{change|As an aesthetic when wearing the ''Ocarina of Time'' costume, Ganondorf will wield [https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CH5MOn4VEAIty72.jpg a different sword], similar to one seen in [[Media:Ganondorf_SSBM.jpg|his render for ''Melee'']] upon using his down taunt and down taunt attack.}}

Up to date as of version 3.6.

! colspan=2| !!Name!!Damage!!Description

! rowspan="3" | Forward tilt || ↗

| rowspan="3" | || 12-14% || rowspan="3" | Ganondorf quickly kicks the opponent with a large force. This move can be angled. Semi-spikes at the leg, sends at the Sakurai Angle at the foot.

!→

|11-13%

!↘

|10-12%

! colspan=2| Up tilt

| || 8% (hit 1), 22% (hit 2 foot), 20% (hit 2 body) || Ganondorf does a very quick stomp on the opponent. Has two hits that combo into each other at low percentages. Weaker than the original up tilt, but much quicker. Ganondorf's left arm and leg are [[intangible]] the moment he plants his foot on the ground.

! colspan=2| Down tilt

! colspan=2| Dash attack

! rowspan="3" | Forward smash || ↗

| rowspan="3" | || {{ChargedSmashDmgSSBM|24}} || rowspan="3" | Ganondorf winds up a large amount of darkness and releases it all in one deadly back-handed punch. Resembles the [[Warlock Punch]].

! colspan=2| Up smash

| || {{ChargedSmashDmgSSBM|22}} (hit 1), {{ChargedSmashDmgSSBM|19}} (hit 2) || Ganondorf does a double kick upwards. Deadly knockback, and also the most damaging up smash in the game.

! colspan=2| Down smash

| || {{ChargedSmashDmgSSBM|8}} (hit 1), {{ChargedSmashDmgSSBM|12}} (hit 2 foot), {{ChargedSmashDmgSSBM|14}} (hit 2 leg) || Ganondorf kicks his leg in front and then behind him. The first kick combos into the second kick.

! colspan=2| Neutral aerial

| || 10% (hit 1), 12% (hit 2) || Ganondorf performs two quick mid-air kicks.

! colspan=2| Forward aerial

| || 17% || Ganondorf performs an overhead punch in a downwards arc with deadly force and knockback. Great finisher.

! colspan=2| Back aerial

! colspan=2| Up aerial

| || 12%/13% (clean), 10%/12% (mid), 6%/8% (late) || Ganondorf does an overhead flip kick, covering a large arc above him. Deals more damage on Ganondorf's foot.

! colspan=2| Down aerial

| || 22% || Brings both his feet down in an electric stomp. The most powerful [[meteor smash]] in the game, though unlike Captain Falcon's down aerial, it lacks the [[nipple spike]] hitbox. Unlike its previous appearances, this attack no longer has [[transcendent priority]], and can now cancel projectiles.

! colspan=2| Grab

| || — ||

! colspan=2| Pummel

| || 3% || Knees the opponent. A moderately fast pummel.

! colspan=2| Forward throw

| || 5% (hit 1), 8% (throw) || Ganondorf punches the opponent forwards.

! colspan=2| Back throw

| || 5% (hit 1), 4% (throw) || Ganondorf throws the opponent backward and kicks them.

! colspan=2| Up throw

| || 4% (hit 1), 3% (throw) || Ganondorf throws the opponent upward, then punches them upwards into the air.

! colspan=2| Down throw

| || 7% || Ganondorf forcibly throws the opponent on the ground.

! colspan=2| Floor attack (front)

| || 6% || Ganondorf gets up and flips while kicking.

! colspan=2| Floor attack (back)

| || 6% || Ganondorf stands on both hands and does a spinning double kick.

! colspan=2| Floor attack (trip)

! colspan=2| Edge attack (fast)

| || 10% || Ganondorf quickly gets up and performs a low kick.

! colspan=2| Edge attack (slow)

| || 10% || Ganondorf slowly gets up and performs a horizontal backhanded punch.

! colspan=2| Down taunt (attack)

| || 24% (sword swing), 31%/33%/35%/37% (sword slam)|| If the player holds down the down taunt button, Ganondorf will swing the sword downward after looking at it briefly as it glows purple. Extremely strong knockback equivalent to the old Warlock Punch if opponent is directly in front of him, but it also possesses a very large, weaker sourspot during the swing, though it has low priority meaning that opponents in front of him are hit with the sword slam. Deals more damage towards the tip of the sword at the end of the move. Has light armor right before and during the sword swing.

! colspan=2| Neutral special

| Dead Man's Volley & Drift / Dark Descent || 5% (cape flip) || On the ground, Ganondorf will swing his cape, reflecting projectiles at twice their original speed while weakly damaging nearby opponents with minimal, set knockback. Using it once in midair will make him float, and using it again will make him perform the volley. An aerial or jump can be acted out of the float. Can only be used in the air once; grabbing a ledge without landing on a platform will not restore its usability. This is based on a move Ganondorf used in his boss battle in ''The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time''.

! colspan=2| Side special

| [[Flame Choke]] || Ground: 12% (hit), 1% (release)<br/>Air: 1% (hits 1-6), 7% (release) || On the ground, Ganondorf slides forward stretching his hand. Once the attack connects with an enemy, he puts them up, chokes and releases them onto the ground. In the air, Ganondorf grabs the opponent and slams them into the ground, weakly bouncing them upwards, and as a recovery move it can sweetspot [[ledge]]s. If Ganondorf does the aerial version and lands on and facing the ledge, the grabbed opponent will be meteored just under the stage, but is not powerful enough to KO. If there is no ground, there will be a [[self-destruct]] for both players. Can be used for [[edgehogging]]. The move can fall off edges if used too close to them, but Ganondorf can then grab them and come back to the stage. This can be still be dangerous, though, as he will fall helpless and SD if the edge is ungrabbable.

! colspan=2| Up special

! colspan=2| Down special

! colspan=2| Final Smash

| [[Beast Ganon]] || 10% (grounding), 10% (stomp), 45% (charge) || Ganondorf becomes his beast form and rams into the opponent. Opponents can become [[Buried|stuck in the ground]], or [[Paralyze|paralyzed]] in midair. Usually a [[one-hit KO]].

===Most historically significant players===

 

*{{Sm|Chaloopy|USA}} - Falcon/Ganon dual main ranked #16 on [[PMRank 2023]].

*{{Sm|Che|USA}} - Best active solo Ganondorf in the world. Ranked #44 on [[PMRank 2023]].

*{{Sm|DNL|Spain}} - The current best player in [[Spain]], who ranked 2nd on the most recent [[European Project M Power Rankings]].

*{{Sm|Junebug|USA}} - While {{PM|Diddy Kong}} is his main, he had a strong Ganondorf secondary that he frequently used on route to being one of the best PM players in the mid-2010s. Some of his most notable results using Ganondorf as a secondary include winning {{Trn|Low Tier City 3}}, {{Trn|FinalBOSS}}, and {{Trn|The Big Balc}}. He was ranked 5th on [[PMRank 2016]] with his secondary Ganondorf.

*{{Sm|Potatoes|USA}} - Best active Ganondorf in the West Coast. Ranked #47 on [[PMRank 2023]].

*{{Sm|Red Ranger|USA}} - Placed 9th at {{Trn|SuperNova}}, 25th at both {{Trn|The Big Balc}} and {{Trn|SuperNova 2}}, and 49th at {{Trn|The Bigger Balc}}. Ranked 6th on the [[SoCal_Power_Rankings#Project_M_rankings|SoCal Power Rankings]] with wins over {{Sm|Hyperflame}} and {{Sm|Frozen}}.

Beginning in version 3.5, Ganondorf received an alternate costume based on his appearance in ''Melee'', itself from ''The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time'' and the Nintendo Gamecube tech demo. This costume also includes an aesthetic change; when playing as Melee Ganondorf, he brandishes the sword he is depicted with (but never uses) in ''Melee'' as well as the Gamecube tech demo, rather than the Sword of Sages (from ''The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess''). Ganondorf has the Triforce symbol in his right hand after getting a Final Smash with his Ocarina of Time costume.

The Melee costumes come with recolors for team battles, as well as an original purple recolor; it consequently replaces his ''Ocarina of Time'' color scheme to make room.

|colspan=8|[[File:Ganondorf Palette (PM).png|frame|center|Ganondorf's alternate costumes in PM]]

*Oddly, prior to Version 3.6, whenever the player selected Ganondorf with the red or blue Ocarina of Time costumes, the stock icons would be reversed. A similar issue also happened with {{PM|Meta Knight}}'s Dark and Concept Art costumes.

*The purple Ocarina of Time costume will occasionally show a blue underside of its cape during certain animations.

*[https://pmunofficial.com/en/characters/ganondorf/ Ganondorf's page at the Project M website]

*[https://www.reddit.com/r/SSBPM/comments/essk7m/labbing_discord_results_ganondorf/ Labbing Discord Tech Post]