Editing Ganondorf (SSB4)

{{disambig2|Ganondorf's appearance in Super Smash Bros. 4|the character in other contexts|Ganondorf}}

|name = Ganondorf

|image = [[File:Ganondorf SSB4.png|250px]]

|universe = {{uv|The Legend of Zelda}}

|game = SSB4

|ssbgame1 = SSBM

|ssbgame2 = SSBB

|availability = [[Unlockable character|Unlockable]] (3DS)<br>[[Starter character|Starter]] (Wii U)

|tier = G

|ranking = 52-53

'''Ganondorf''' ({{ja|ガノンドロフ|Ganondorofu}}, ''Ganondorf'') is a playable character in ''[[Super Smash Bros. 4]]''. Alongside {{SSB4|R.O.B.}}, he was officially revealed as a playable [[veteran]] on October 15th, 2014, although he was leaked twice prior to his reveal: via [[Leak#ESRB leak|video footage]] from ESRB, and outside the in-game stage boundaries in an [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=omeOylQYkuU&t=56s official video] (later replaced with a nearly-identical video without Ganondorf).

As in ''[[Super Smash Bros. Brawl]]'', Hironori Miyata's portrayal of Ganondorf from ''{{s|zeldawiki|The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess}}'' was repurposed for ''Smash 4'', with mostly returning voice clips from ''Brawl'', and in addition to some new ones sourced from the game.

Ganondorf is ranked 52nd/53rd out of 54 on the [[tier list]], placing him in the G tier and tying him with {{SSB4|Zelda}}. This is a very slight improvement from his ranking in ''Brawl'', where he was the game's lowest-ranking character. As in previous games, Ganondorf remains as the game's archetypal super [[weight|heavyweight]], boasting high endurance, slow yet powerful moves that can KO foes very early, along with a capable [[edgeguard]]ing game courtesy of hard-hitting aerials. This is further enhanced by the buffs to his mobility, combo game and already high power, in addition to the general changes to game mechanics patching up several key weaknesses he had in ''Brawl''. Altogether, Ganondorf's high power allows him to deal ruthless punishes when the opportunity arises, in addition to being capable of ending stocks with very few hits.

 

As a result of these factors, Ganondorf still relies primarily on punishes and hard reads, and his weaknesses from ''Brawl'' are still prominent; however, he is commonly considered to fare better against difficult matchups, despite still being poor overall. This has resulted in Ganondorf gaining a low amount of representation in tournaments, in addition to attaining minimal success. Nevertheless, he is popular in the ''SSB4'' community due to his extremely strong, over-the-top, and extravagant punishment options that can easily KO unaware opponents, with a number of dedicated players such as {{sm|Gungnir}}, {{sm|Vermanubis}} and {{sm|Pon}}, some of which even use him as a solo main in tournaments despite his standing on the tier list.

 

Complete one of the following:

* Clear {{SSB4-3DS|Classic Mode}} as {{SSB4|Link}} or {{SSB4|Zelda}} on Intensity 5.0 or higher.

After completing one of the two methods, Ganondorf must then be defeated on [[Gerudo Valley]].

Ganondorf is the epitome of the archetypal heavyweight: he sacrifices speed and mobility for power and endurance, and has a tall frame. Aside from being tied for having the sixth highest [[traction]], Ganondorf's archetype is reflected in his other attributes: he is the fifth [[weight|heaviest]] character, has the second slowest [[walking]] speed, the third slowest [[dashing]] and [[air speed]]s, moderately high [[falling speed]], high [[gravity]] and is tied for the third lowest [[air acceleration]]. However, while he has the third lowest [[jump]] and [[double jump]] heights, he still has the worst total jump height overall due to {{SSB4|Kirby}} and {{SSB4|Jigglypuff}}, the other lower height jumpers, possessing multiple midair jumps to counteract this. As such, Ganondorf is the least mobile character in the game due to his poor speed on both the ground and in the air being ranked among the lowest, as well as having the worst jump heights in the game.

By far Ganondorf's greatest trait is his raw power. He possesses attacks that are on par with {{SSB4|Bowser}} in terms of damage and knockback, with almost his entire moveset granting him the ability to easily KO under 150% or even 100%, even if the opponent is in the middle of [[Final Destination_(SSB4)|Final Destination]]. This becomes especially noticeable with [[rage]], making his [[punishment|punishes]] some of the most potent in ''SSB4'', while several other moves have the ability to KO at ridiculously low percentages, such as an aerial reversed [[Warlock Punch]] (which [[one-hit KO]]s Mario with rage) and sweetspotted up tilt (which KOs middleweights at 33% near the ledge). While Ganondorf's combo game is limited when compared to the majority of the cast, his followups make up for it by dealing high amounts of damage in a short time, such as sourspotted dash attack to up aerial, or the followups from [[Flame Choke]] (either from opponents missing their [[tech]], or through predicting their reactions). Because of his strength, Ganondorf has one of the strongest KO abilities in the game, as he is capable of racking up damage and KOing opponents in just a few hits.

In addition, his previously mentioned attributes give him respectable survivability and allows him to use rage to full effect, further boosting his already powerful moves at high percentages. Ganondorf's strength also makes mistiming or overusing a shield extremely deadly, with multiple attacks capable of dealing huge damage to shields or outright breaking them with a single hit. Notable examples of this are up tilt's sweetspot, which can break full shields, his forward and up smashes and aerial [[Wizard's Foot]]. He can also play [[mindgames]] to make opponents with low shield health play more carefully as a single hit from one of his attacks can break their shield or KO them at relatively low percentages.

Ganondorf has among the best [[edgeguard]]ing abilities in the game, as his powerful aerials are relatively fast for their immense power (excluding forward aerial and down aerial) and send foes far away from the stage even at medium percents, spelling trouble for any fighter without a long-distance recovery. His down aerial is the most powerful [[meteor smash]] in the game with low ending lag, and his up aerial's late hitbox is among the best [[gimp]]ing tools in the game with its [[semi-spike]] angle and high [[hitstun]]. Finally, his back aerial is a deceptively fast, safe and powerful KO move, as it starts up as fast as {{SSB4|Captain Falcon}}'s with relatively little lag and can autocancel in a short hop, despite its immense power. His grounded moveset is also useful for punishing improper recoveries, such as using an up tilt against badly positioned fighters or an up smash against horizontal recovering characters like {{SSB4|Ike}}. Ganondorf also has the lowest and safest ledge grab, allowing him to camp on the ledge effectively and giving him decent protection from opponents when hanging from a ledge.

However, Ganondorf possesses many glaring flaws. His shield is very vulnerable to [[shield stab]]bing due to its surprisingly small size relative to his height. Also, small characters, such as {{SSB4|Pikachu}}, can avoid his attacks with ease due to the majority of his moves having short range, poorly placed hitboxes with low durations, while also extending his hurtboxes and makes him vulnerable to trading or simply being grabbed out of an attack despite being visually out of range. Although Ganondorf's frame data is similar (albeit slightly slower) to {{SSB4|Captain Falcon}}’s in terms of start up (barring neutral attack, up tilt, and Warlock Punch), his attacks are very difficult to land while being easily punished due to high ending lag and/or landing lag; most infamously, his forward aerial has the highest ending lag out of all of his aerials, and cannot autocancel even from a full hop, forcing Ganondorf to enter the landing animation. As a result of his high end lag, some of his moves are completely unsafe on shield, making it very difficult to take full advantage of his extreme shield breaking capabilities.

Additionally, Ganondorf's overall physics leave him with abysmal mobility and approaching options, which makes closing the distance or creating space considerably difficult for him, and he is easily zoned out by projectile characters due to him lacking a projectile himself. Also, his high knockback and sluggish moves, his poor range as well as his terrible air speed all give him a very poor combo game, as he cannot easily or reliably pursue his opponents in the air while his aforementioned high power moves will almost always knock his opponents too far away for follow-ups. However, Ganondorf himself is very easy to combo; his heavy weight, tall stature, low air speed, and unsafe landing options make him extremely vulnerable to combos and juggling, and his poor [[out of shield]] options gives him difficulty protecting himself against rushdowns. Overall, this makes Ganondorf rely heavily on proper spacing and mindgames, as he cannot afford to miss even a single move.

Another prominent weakness is his horrible frame data. As mentioned before, all of his moves are burdened with extreme amounts of lag, with very few moves being active before frame 9 (with those moves being limited to up aerial, neutral aerial, standing grab, and neutral attack), while some of his moves do not come out before frame 30, such as [[Warlock Punch]] and his notoriously powerful up tilt. This offsets Ganondorf's powerful KO ability by forcing him to rely on reads and hard punishes, with few effective setups to end stocks via combos. When considering his overall poor speed and frame data, this also makes it difficult for Ganondorf to close the gap between him and an opponent should he be going against a speedy foe, such as {{SSB4|Sheik}}. As a result, he is collectively considered to have among the worst frame data in the game, along with {{SSB4|Shulk}}, {{SSB4|Palutena}}, and {{SSB4|King Dedede}}.

Other issues include a lackluster grab game. Ganondorf's grab range is very short despite his size, while his physics, ineffective angles, and high knockback result in his throws having little follow-up, but are not strong enough to KO reliably on their own. However, his forward throw does very high damage and can decently lead into down aerial meteor smashes off-stage, while down throw has fairly low knockback to decently combo (albeit not as good as other character's combo throws). Flame Choke can also work against Ganondorf due to it enforcing unreliable hard reads, especially if [[tech]]ed, with incorrect reads likely putting Ganondorf in a vulnerable position.

His recovery remains very poor and is one of the worst in the game due to its low distance, low air speed and high vulnerability to edgeguarding and gimps. Flame Choke's and [[Dark Dive]]'s lack of speed, distance and resilience allows Ganondorf to be knocked away by even the weakest of moves, despite the former's fearsome sacrificial KO potential. Even if Dark Dive is landed and lets him reuse the move, it's high ending lag also makes it highly susceptible to being teched and punished, with opponents being able to act before Ganondorf can.

Finally, despite his status as a powerhouse, Ganondorf still possesses some moves that offer little reward due to their inability to combo reliably or even KO at realistic percentages (with some not even KOing past 200%), such as his neutral attack's sourspot, neutral aerial's late hitboxes, Dark Dive, and all of his throws.

Ganondorf drastically benefits from some of his custom moves, however; most notably, Wizard's Dropkick and Dark Fists. While Wizard's Dropkick is weaker, cannot [[meteor smash]], and has slightly more ending lag when performed in the air, it is excellent against projectiles and for recovery, acting as a superior version of [[Flame Choke]]'s recovery that does not leave him helpless while allowing Ganondorf to fly over projectiles while attacking. Dark Fists is a two-hit attack with better horizontal reach, [[armor]], and very potent power, giving him impressive protection against edgeguarders if used as a recovery and a very effective out-of-shield option, something that he lacks. When using both of these moves on his moveset, Ganondorf is granted a very efficient recovery and improved offensive prowess, as he can travel high distances while being exceedingly difficult to edgeguard without being punished. For other notable customs, Warlock Blade offers better utility over Warlock Punch due to its lower start-up, increased range, [[transcendent priority]], and high shield damage, but replaces one of Ganondorf's best punishing options due to its reduced strength. Flame Chain and Flame Wave are semi-viable alternatives to Flame Choke, with the former being a multiple hitting attack with decent horizontal knockback and the latter having high damage and strong KO power; however, both are laggier and sacrifice powerful combos, while the latter covers significantly less distance, to the point where it only reaches opponents directly in front of Ganondorf. The rest of his custom moves are ineffective as they offer very little bonuses over the default or other custom moves; the most notorious example is Warlock Thrust, which has barely any KO power and high ending lag to overwhelmingly outweigh its benefits of a larger hitbox and much faster start-up. However, while his [[Character customization|custom moves]] address his recovery issues and make him a more dangerous character with better staying power, they are not allowed in the standard metagame.

All in all, Ganondorf is a powerhouse who can deal large amounts of damage in only a few hits and just as easily finish off an opponent with a single, well-placed attack, though he suffers from lackluster mobility, poorly placed hitboxes and reach, frame data, recovery, and lack of approaching and zoning options, forcing him to rely almost completely on punishes and [[mindgame]]s. As such, he still must play very cautiously like in ''Brawl'', patiently waiting and reading the opponent's movements before striking; additionally, the player should not be afraid to allow Ganondorf to trade blows due to his high endurance, but should also keep him onstage as much as possible due to his poor recovery. However, his improved power and miscellaneous buffs have made Ganondorf significantly more effective than in ''Brawl''. As such, Ganondorf is a high risk, high reward character; while he struggles in consistent high-level play, players that are very skilled with reads and mindgames can use his raw power to their advantage and end matches in a flash with the right strategy. Due to these reasons, Ganondorf has among the highest tournament representation out of the G-tier characters and slightly better results than them, but they are still lackluster overall, with most of his success only coming from minor tournaments. Throughout the game's lifespan, Ganondorf has been consistently buffed, though they have not brought him up to speed in comparison to most of the other veterans; thus, he remains in the lowest tier of the current tier list.

*{{change|Ganondorf's design has slightly changed. His head, eyes, nose and ears have been slightly re-proportioned, and he now sports his glowing chest wound from ''{{s|zeldawiki|The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess}}''. Additionally, his {{s|wikipedia|epaulette}}s have been slightly redesigned. Lastly, the aesthetic used in ''Smash 4'' has resulted in Ganondorf's attire being slightly more vibrant. Altogether, these changes make him appear significantly more in line with his appearance in ''Twilight Princess''.}}

*{{change|Ganondorf's eye color is slightly subdued, and his cape is now tattered instead of frayed. These changes are unique to ''Smash 4''.}}

*{{change|Ganondorf has received two new [[alternate costume]]s.}}

*{{change|Ganondorf is significantly more expressive. As the corners of his mouth no longer open, he now consistently scowls and has slightly pursed lips when he vocalizes. Numerous actions also result in Ganondorf angrily clenching his teeth, mockingly smirk, and even look puzzled and contemplative.}}

*{{change|[[Darkness]]-based attacks have updated visual effects.}}

*{{buff|Ganondorf [[dash]]es slightly faster (1.16 → 1.218), going from the second slowest out of 39 characters to the third slowest out of 58.}}

**{{nerf|However, his dashing speed is even lower relative to the cast, as most other returning veterans saw a higher increase to their dashing speed than he did and all newcomers (except {{SSB4|Robin}}) have greater dashing speed than him.}}

*{{nerf|Ganondorf's [[air speed]] is slower (0.846 → 0.79), going from the 10th lowest out of 39 characters to the third lowest out of 58. This hinders his already abysmal recovery and makes him even less mobile in the air.}}

*{{change|Ganondorf's [[gravity]] is higher (0.1027 → 0.107835).}}

*{{change|Ganondorf is smaller (model size multiplier: 1x → 0.96x). This makes him slightly harder to hit but reduces his range.}}

*{{buff|The 19% damage increase to shields and the increase to [[shieldstun]] significantly help Ganondorf, as they allow many of his high shield damage attacks to shatter shields more effectively, as well as making his atatcks safer on shield, especially his electric based attacks.}}

**{{nerf|However, this also makes it even more difficult for Ganondorf to utilise his poor Out of Shield options.}}

*{{change|The removal of [[meteor smash#meteor canceling|meteor canceling]] significantly improves Ganondorf's down aerial and Wizard's Foot's reliability (despite the former's reduced power). This however makes his already poor recovery even easier to edgeguard.}}

*{{buff|The removal of [[chain grabbing]] significantly improves Ganondorf's endurance.}}

*{{nerf|[[Roll]]s have more ending lag (FAF 32 → 34), now being one of the slowest rolls in the game.}}

*{{nerf|[[Spot dodge]] has more startup lag with a shorter duration (frames 2-20 → 4-19) and it has more ending lag (FAF 26 → 29).}}

*[[Neutral attack]]:

**{{buff|Neutral attack deals more damage (5%/7%/9% → 6%/8%/10%), improving the near hit's KO potential.}}

**{{buff|The far hit has been moved further forward (z offset: 18 → 19), slightly increasing its range.}}

**{{nerf|The middle and far hits deal less knockback (40/30 (base), 105 (scaling) → (38/30)/(90/90), hindering their KO potential.}}

*[[Up tilt]]:

**{{buff|Up tilt's main hit deals more damage (27%/19%/17% → 28%/20%/18%).}}

**{{buff|The changes to shields significantly benefit up tilt, as the main hit now leads into a guaranteed shield break.}}

**{{buff|The removal of ledge invincibility from ledge regrabs, combined with the introduction of two-framing improves up tilt's edgeguarding potential.}}

*[[Down tilt]]:

**{{buff|Down tilt deals more damage (12% → 13%), improving its KO potential.}}

**{{buff|Dash attack has less ending lag (FAF 42 → 38).}}

**{{buff|The late hit now launches the opponent forwards (100° → 80°). When combined with dash attack's lower ending lag along with the changes to [[hitstun canceling]]/[[Directional Influence]], this grants it combo potential.}}

**{{nerf|The clean hit deals less damage (15% → 14%), has decreased base knockback (60 → 50), and launches opponents at a lower angle (105° → 70°), hindering its KO potential.}}

**{{nerf|The clean hit has a smaller hitbox (7.3u → 7u).}}

*[[Forward smash]]:

**{{buff|Forward smash's far hit has higher base knockback on all angles (30 → 35).}}

**{{nerf|Ganondorf no longer lunges farther when performing a pivoted forward smash, significantly hindering its approach and whiff punishment potential.}}

**{{buff|Upward angled forward smash launches opponents at a lower angle (45° → 40°).}}

*[[Up smash]]:

**{{buff|Up smash deals more damage (19%/22%/22% → 21%/24%/24%), the sweetspot launches opponents at a higher angle (80° → 85°) and both sweetspots have slightly higher knockback scaling (70 → 71), significantly improving its KO potential (now being the strongest up smash in ''Smash 4'', although it is still weaker than the strongest up smashes in ''Brawl'').}}

*[[Down smash]]:

**{{buff|Down smash deals more damage (5% → 6% (hit 1), 12%/14%/14% → 13%/15%/15% (hit 2)) and the second hit has increased knockback scaling (75 → 94), significantly improving its KO potential.}}

**{{buff|The first hit can no longer be [[SDI]]ed (SDI multiplier: 0.5x → 0x).}}

**{{buff|The first hit's leg hitbox launches aerial opponents at a lower angle (141° → 160°) and has decreased set knockback (80 → 70), allowing it to connect more reliably into the second hit.}}

**{{change|The first hit's leg hitbox launches grounded opponents at a slightly higher angle (141° → 140°).}}

**{{buff|The first hit's foot hitbox launches opponents at a lower angle (140° → 154°) and has increased set knockback (90 → 108), allowing it to connect more reliably into the second hit.}}

**{{buff|The first hit's body hitbox has increased set knockback (70 → 80), making it slightly safer if it connects.}}

***{{buff|Because of this, the second hit now pushes shielding opponents away from Ganondorf rather than dragging them towards him, making the move safer, especially when combined with its increased shieldstun.}}

***{{nerf|However, this also makes it easier for the opponent to recover.}}

*{{buff|All aerials have less landing lag (22 frames → 17 (neutral), 32 frames → 22 (forward), 22 frames → 19 (back/up), 35 frames → 26 (down)).}}

*[[Neutral aerial]]:

**{{buff|Neutral aerial's second hit has less startup lag (frame 20 → 17), with the move's total duration being subsequently reduced (FAF 45 → 42).}}

**{{buff|Neutral aerial auto-cancels earlier (frame 41 → 38).}}

**{{buff|The first kick's leg hitboxes (and the foot hitbox against aerial opponents) have drastically lower knockback scaling (100 → 30) and they have altered angles (55°/60°/65° → 55°/70°/100°), which along with the second hit's lower startup lag, makes neutral aerial connect much more reliably at higher percents.}}

**{{change|The first kick's foot hitbox has increased base knockback against grounded opponents (30 (base), 100 (scaling) → 50/110) and now uses weight-independent knockback. This improves its spacing potential, but hinders its already poor ability to link into the second hit.}}

**{{buff|The second kick deals much more damage (7% (clean)/5% (late) → 12%/9%) and has increased knockback scaling (100 → 106), restoring a chunk of its KO potential from ''Melee''.}}

**{{buff|The clean second kick has larger hitboxes (4.3u/5.7u/6.2u → 7.8u/7u/6.5u) and the foot hitbox has been positioned further out (y offset: 5 → z offset: 6.5), significantly improving its range.}}

**{{buff|The late second kick's foot hitbox is larger (4.3u → 6u) and it has been positioned further out (y offset: 5 → z offset: 6).}}

**{{nerf|The first kick deals less damage (11% (clean)/7% (late) → 7%/5.25%). This completely remove the KO potential of the leg hitboxes and the foot hitbox against aerial opponents when combined with their lower knockback scaling, as well as making them much less safe on hit.}}

***{{nerf|In addition, the foot hitbox against grounded opponents only received full compensation on its knockback for the late hit, hindering its clean hit's KO potential.}}

**{{nerf|The late second kick's near hitboxes are smaller (5.7u/6.2u → 5.3u/4.5u).}}

*[[Forward aerial]]:

**{{buff|The sourspot deals more damage (15% → 17%) and knockback (30 (base), 80 (scaling) → 20/93), significantly improving its KO potential.}}

**{{buff|The sweetspot deals more damage (17% → 18%).}}

**{{change|The sweetspot has less base knockback but more knockback scaling (48 (base), 83 (scaling) → 20/93).}}

***{{buff|This combined with its higher damage improves its overall KO potential.}}

*[[Back aerial]]:

**{{buff|The sweetspot deals more damage (16% → 17%) and knockback (28 (base), 85 (scaling) → 40/89), significantly improving its KO potential.}}

**{{change|The sweetspot has a higher hitlag multiplier (1x → 1.2x).}}

**{{change|As with most back aerials, back aerial now always launches opponents away from Ganondorf.}}

*[[Down aerial]]:

**{{buff|The introduction of [[frame canceling]] greatly benefits down aerial due to its very high hitlag, improving its combo potential when combined with the changes to hitstun canceling/DI, especially since it is one of the few meteor smashes which still cannot be teched by grounded opponents.}}

**{{buff|The sweetspot is positioned lower (y offset: 3 → 1), improving its range.}}

***{{nerf|However, this does also make the sourspot easier to land, hindering down aerial's edgeguarding potential against opponents recovering high.}}

**{{change|Down aerial's sourspot now launches opponents horizontally (270° → 361°). This improves its onstage KO potential and grants the move spacing potential but hindering its edeguarding and tech chase set up potential.}}

**{{nerf|Down aerial has a shorter duration (frames 16-20 → 16-18).}}

**{{nerf|Down aerial has lower base knockback (30 → 20).}}

**{{nerf|The sweetspot deals less damage (22% → 19%), considerably hindering its KO potential.}}

***{{buff|However, this does also improve its combo potential at higher percents.}}

**{{nerf|Down aerial can no longer auto-cancel in a short hop due to Ganondorf's lower short hop. This significantly hinders its reliability as a combo tool (due to the much greater difficulty/risk of frame canceling), as well as its safety.}}

**{{buff|Pummel deals more damage (2% → 3%).}}

**{{buff|Up throw deals more damage (4% (hitbox)/7% (total) → 7%/10%).}}

**{{buff|The changes to [[hitstun canceling]] improves down throw's combo potential.}}

**{{buff|Floor attacks have less startup lag (frame 20 (front)/19 (back) → 16/17).}}

***{{buff|The second hits also have less startup lag (frame 26 (front)/28 (back) → 23/21).}}

**{{buff|Floor attacks deal more damage (6% → 7%) and shield damage (1 → 8) per hit, without full compensation on their knockback scaling (50 → 48).}}

**{{nerf|Front floor attack launches opponents at a higher angle (361° → 48°).}}

**{{change|Ganondorf has a new back floor attack, a somersault kick.}}

**{{nerf|Edge attack deals less damage (10% → 8%).}}

**{{nerf|Trip attack has less intangibility (frames 1-8 → 1-7).}}

**{{nerf|Non reversed Grounded Warlock Punch deals less damage (32% → 30%), launches opponents at a higher angle (361° → 50°) and it has much more base knockback but much less knockback scaling (30 (base), 100 (scaling) → 120/42). While this does give the move more knockback at lower percents, this also considerably hinders its overall KO potential.}}

**{{buff|Reversed Warlock Punch deals more damage (35% (grounded)/38% (aerial) → 37%/40%).}}

**{{buff|Aerial Warlock Punch deals more damage (35% → 38%).}}

**{{buff|Grounded Warlock Punch now grants super [[armor]] from frames 11-65 for the normal version and frames 21-67 for the reversed version, slightly increasing its safety.}}

*[[Flame Choke]]:

**{{buff|Flame Choke deals more damage (9% (grounded)/12% (aerial) → 12/15%).}}

**{{buff|Grounded Flame Choke has more range (z offset: 4.5 (grounded)/4.2 (grounded and aerial) → 7.2/7.5).}}

**{{buff|Aerial Flame has more range (z offset: 6.5 → 7.5).}}

**{{buff|[[Ganoncide]] always KOs the opponent before Ganondorf, instead of at the same time or after, meaning Ganondorf will always win if he lands a Ganoncide on the opponent's last stock.}}

**{{change|Aerial Flame Choke is now a [[stall-then-fall]] and removes all forward momentum, making it easier to steer backward, but covering less distance forward. While this makes off-stage Ganonciding easier, it makes returning to the stage and attempting to Ganoncide while facing the ledge much harder.}}

**{{nerf|Grounded Flame Choke can now be [[tech]]ed, significantly hindering its [[tech-chasing]] potential, removing its guaranteed followups and forcing Ganondorf to rely on hard reads.}}

*[[Dark Dive]]:

**{{buff|Dark Dive's far grabbox has marginally increased range (z offset: 13.65 → 13.7).}}

**{{buff|The loop hits deal more damage (1% → 1.2%).}}

**{{buff|The throw deals more damage (7% → 9%) and has increased knockback scaling (82 → 90), improving its KO potential.}}

**{{bugfix|[[Hitstun cancelling]] now properly applies to opponents released by Dark Dive.}}

***{{buff|This prevents opponents from being able to attack Ganondorf after he releases them, making it much safer to use.}}

**{{change|Dark Dive has a new animation, in which he grabs his opponent with one hand instead of two.}}

**{{nerf|The removal of grab armor removes the minimal protection Dark Dive provided. When combined with this also applying to Flame Choke, this hinders Flame Choke's safety and recovery potential.}}

*[[Wizard's Foot]]:

**{{buff|Grounded Wizard's Foot deals more damage (12%/10% → 14%/12%), improving its KO potential.}}

**{{buff|Grounded Wizard's Foot's hitboxes are positioned further out (z position -3/-2/2 → 0/-3/6), significantly increasing its range, with the hitboxes now actually matching the kick.}}

**{{change|Grounded Wizard's Foot has a slightly different animation: the kick is slightly higher (although the move still hits at the same altitude), and Ganondorf enters a three-point landing pose when the move ends.}}

***{{nerf|However, this also prevents Ganondorf from immediately being able to double jump, use his aerial options or immediately land with Wizard's Foot.}}

***{{nerf|The changes to the animation transition frame along with the changes to the [[buffer]] system also removes [[Flight of Ganon]], hindering Ganondorf's already subpar air game.}}

**{{nerf|Ganondorf can no longer immediately land with Wizard's Foot after jumping, removing its use as an Out of Shield option.}}

**{{nerf|Ganondorf can no longer use Wizard's Foot at an edge to get the aerial ending animation on the ground which overall hinders the move as the aerial ending animation is shorter.}}

***{{nerf|This especially hurts the move on moving platforms as Ganondorf could previously instantly land on moving platforms to get quickly get out the landing hitbox which along with the removal of [[platform canceling]], hinders its utility on moving platforms.}}

*[[Beast Ganon]]:

**{{nerf|Beast Ganon deals less damage during its charge (45% → 40%), removing its [[one-hit KO]] ability.}}

**{{change|Beast Ganon's animation has slightly changed. He now triumphantly poses, as if roaring, upon transforming back into his Gerudo form. The move also has a purple tint added in the background.}}

**{{bugfix|Ganondorf no longer briefly goes into his bind pose whenever he returns from the attack.}}

Ganondorf has been significantly buffed via game updates. Update [[1.0.4]] started with making aerial Flame Choke no longer be techable like the grounded version, while update [[1.1.0]] greatly strengthened his previously ineffective down smash, and all aerial attacks have been improved overall; possessing either less landing lag, better hitbox placement, or more damage. The changes to the shield mechanics in updates 1.1.0 and [[1.1.1]] gave Ganondorf the biggest, albeit indirect, buffs yet by enhancing his already excellent shield breaking capabilities and making his hitlag heavy attacks significantly safer on shield. However, this came with the weakening of his own already small shield, necessitating and encouraging a more offensive playstyle with fewer flaws in defending. Update [[1.1.3]] strengthened [[Dark Dive]], which was previously considered one of the weakest and most situational moves in the game (although it is still one of Ganondorf's weakest moves), and made reverse Warlock Punch safer to use with the addition of armor, among other moderate buffs.

*{{buff|Forward, back and up throws have less [[hitlag]] on their hitboxes (2x → 1.5x (forward/back)/1.6x (up)).}}

*{{buff|Neutral aerial deals more damage: 7% (hit 1 late) /9% (hit 2 clean)/5% (hit 2 late) → 8%/10%/7%, its knockback has altered: 20 (base)/100 (growth) → 0/130/90 (hit 1), 100 → 120 (growth, hit 2), its second hit's hitbox sizes increased: 4.3u/5.7u/6.2u → 4.5u/5.7u/7.4u and its angles altered: 55°/60°/65° → 55°/70°/100°. This makes its hits connect together better at low percentages while retaining its KO power.}}

|neutraldesc=A palm thrust. All hitboxes except for the sourspot (the body hitbox) discharge [[electric]]ity upon landing. Ganondorf's fastest ground attack, with good range, knockback and fairly low ending lag. Despite Ganondorf's overall raw power, its non-sweetspotted damage outputs and set-up are among the weaker ones in the game, though its sweetspot has enough power to KO around 155% near the ledge. A decent [[out of shield]] option.

|ftiltdesc=A front kick. Good [[start-up]] with high [[semi-spike]] knockback, making it a powerful edgeguarding option against characters with minimal horizontal recoveries. However, its range is rather poor, with his neutral attack being able to outreach it. Based on the kick used by himself and other large, sword-wielding enemies in ''The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess''.

|utiltname=Volcano Kick ({{ja|爆裂蹴|Bakuretsushū}}, ''Exploding Kick'')

|utiltdesc=A delayed axe kick that produces an explosion. While it is the strongest up tilt in the game, its immense 81 frames of starting lag make it the game's slowest standard move, thus an extreme "high risk, high reward" option. Although weaker and slower than a Warlock Punch, it has [[vacuum]] properties on frames 6-70, a disjointed hitbox that can reach past ledges, and is still incredibly powerful, with the sweetspot being infamous for instantly shattering full [[shield]]s and KOing at very low percentages when near the edge, therefore becoming one of Ganondorf's best [[edgeguard]]ing options if used wisely.

|dtiltname=&nbsp;

|dtiltdesc=A crouching front kick. Good start-up and range, making it a decent out-of-shield. Also deals powerful, mostly vertical knockback, allowing it to KO at high percents. It can also be used as a follow-up to a grounded Flame Choke, however most characters can tech or DI out of it with precise timing. It also has noticeable endlag.

|dashname=&nbsp;

|dashdesc=A shoulder tackle. Ganondorf gains both a quick speed boost during the move's duration. The sweetspot is able to reliably KO around 140%. The sourspot, while lacking any KO potential, has combo utility due to its long lasting hitbox and weak knockback that can combo into any of Ganondorf's aerials at varying percentages, with the follow-up into up aerial striking the entire cast between 70%-90%.

|usmashname=&nbsp;

|usmashdmg={{ChargedSmashDmgSSB4|24}} (foot/leg), {{ChargedSmashDmgSSB4|21}} (body)

|usmashdesc=A stretch kick. Has some start-up, but has good vertical reach and deceptively low ending lag because of its [[interruptibility]], so it can be used to bait opponents. Notably, it is the strongest up smash in the game when sweetspotted, with his foot being able to KO opponents under 100%, and it is thus useful for hard punishing aerial approaches. Also has deceptive horizontal range due to a small hitbox being positioned directly in front of him. Deals more than half shield health uncharged and can nearly break them if fully charged.

|dsmashname=&nbsp;

|dsmashdesc=A mid-level roundhouse kick followed by a back kick. The first hit has low knockback to [[natural combo|naturally combo]] into the second hit, which has the most damage and knockback. However, there is a hitbox on Ganondorf's thigh that causes it to not connect together properly, as it launches opponents out of the combo. Ganondorf's weakest smash attack, but fastest in terms of start-up, hitting on frame 15. Despite this, it is one of the most powerful down smashes in the game, being the second most powerful down smash (behind max [[aura]] {{SSB4|Lucario}}) and can KO at around 100%-115% without rage. Can be used to punish a [[roll]] and if used near an edge, the first hit can [[stage spike]] opponents if positioned correctly.

|nairname=&nbsp;

|nairdesc=A back kick followed by a roundhouse kick. The first hit's overall weak power allows it to combo into the second kick, which has higher damage and KO power. Both kicks act as short-lasting [[sex kick]]s, and the late hits can cause opponents to trip. While the first kick has a hitbox on the toe that knocks opponents away and is useful for creating distance, the rest of the first hit's hitboxes are ineffective for spacing due to its extremely low damage, which make it unsafe even if landed. Moderate [[landing lag]] if not used with a [[jump|full hop]]. The second kick KO's Mario at the center of Final Destination at 133%.

|fairname=&nbsp;

|fairdesc=An overhand. Very powerful, with the sweetspot KOing middleweights at 104% from center-stage. Also has decent start-up and a wide hitbox that starts slightly behind Ganondorf's head. However, while it has decent ending lag (interrupts on frame 45, being one frame faster than {{SSB4|Captain Falcon}}'s forward aerial), it has moderately high landing lag. Additionally, it cannot autocancel even from a full hop due to a programming error (which also occurred in ''Brawl'').

|bairname=&nbsp;

|bairdesc=A backfist. Despite it being even stronger than his forward aerial, it is rather fast, with decent startup, low ending lag and moderate landing lag, alongside being able to autocancel from a [[short hop]]. All these factors make it rather useful to wall out approaches. The sweetspot KOs middleweights at 101% from center-stage and at 75% near the edge, making it very likely to take a stock at medium percents if used quickly after a ledge trump. However, it has short reach, while its high vertical hitbox and low amount of active frames makes it difficult to land on most grounded opponents, particularly those that are crouching.

|uairname=&nbsp;

|uairdesc=A flip kick. Covers a large arc above him that has good coverage and great power, with the clean hit KOing middleweights at 100% near the edge. It also starts on frame 6, making it Ganondorf's fastest aerial and his fastest starting move overall. Deals more damage and knockback when it hits closer to his body. The last few frames of this attack is a [[sourspot]] that [[semi-spike]]s with extremely low horizontal knockback and high hitstun, which is deadly for edgeguarding, especially at the end. The sourspot can also [[lock]] at any percent, making it one of Ganondorf's few combo tools. Has little ending lag with moderate landing lag, and can autocancel with a short hop.

|dairname=&nbsp;

|dairdesc=A double foot stomp. It discharges [[electric]]ity upon landing and is the most powerful [[meteor smash]] in the game if hit with the lower half of his body, with grounded opponents being KO'd under 120% while being unable to tech the move. There is a [[sourspot]] on his shoulder that hits horizontally with less damage, but is still stronger than his forward and back aerial at higher percentages, though not as effective as when hitting with the meteor smash hitbox off-stage. Has surprisingly little ending lag, but moderately high landing lag unless used with a full hop. It does not meteor smash until 10%, making it very unsafe at low percentages, although it is capable of chaining into itself at very low percentages. All hitboxes have [[transcendent priority]], meaning that it cannot cancel out projectiles.

|grabname=&nbsp;

|pummelname=&nbsp;

|fthrowname=&nbsp;

|fthrowdesc=Lifts the opponent and hits them with a {{s|wikipedia|short straight-punch}}. One of the highest damaging forward throws in the game. Decent knockback that is good for setting up down aerials meteor smash, though it does not KO until 189% near the edge.

|bthrowname=&nbsp;

|bthrowdesc=Throws the opponent behind himself and hits them with a side kick. Decent knockback and can set up an edgeguard. Ganondorf's strongest throw, KOing 31% earlier than his forward throw, though its moderate ending lag means it has severely less combo potential in comparison.

|uthrowname=&nbsp;

|dthrowname=&nbsp;

|floorfname=&nbsp;

|floorbname=&nbsp;

|floortname=&nbsp;

|edgename=&nbsp;

|edgedesc=Performs a backfist while climbing up. Has a very long range and can even occasionally [[stage spike]] enemies near or at the edge behind him.

|nsdefdmg=30% (ground), 37% (ground reverse), 38% (aerial), 40% (air reverse)

|nsdefdesc=Winds up his left arm while charging dark magic and then performs a powerful, dark magic-infused backfist. Ganondorf can rotate 180° by turning in the opposite direction during the charging period to deal more knockback and damage, at the cost of slightly more startup. It also receives a damage and knockback bonus if used in the air, with these bonuses being stackable. As a result, an aerial reverse Warlock Punch is powerful enough to [[one-hit KO]] any character at the ledge with enough rage and break any shield not at full size, while the grounded version can OHKO certain lightweight characters near the ledge. When reversed, it can KO middleweights at a mere 16% with no rage. The grounded version has [[armor]] until just before the punch, though the aerial version does not.

|nsc1desc=Wields the {{s|zeldawiki|Sword of the Six Sages}} and performs a reverse gripped thrust. Deals less damage overall than Warlock Punch when sourspotted, but has greater range, faster start-up, and a powerful sweetspot at the blade's tip. Has armor until just before the thrust, unless used in the air. Deals greatly increased shield damage, with the sweetspot being able to instantly shatter a full shield. All hitboxes have [[transcendent priority]].

|nsc2desc=The backfist is faster and produces a large explosion of dark magical energy, giving it more vertical range, transcendent priority, and less ending lag (though it is still notably large due to its faster start-up). The explosion, however, is a large sourspot, with Ganondorf's fist being the only sweetspot in the move. As a result, it deals extremely weak knockback that does not KO until past 300%.

|ssdefdesc=Lunges forward with his hand extended out and infused with dark magic. Upon contact, he grabs the opponent's face and blasts them with a pulse of dark magic that drops them onto the ground. The opponent can [[tech]] the hit to avoid guaranteed follow-ups, though the move can be [[tech-chase]]d due to having minimal ending lag. In the air, Ganondorf grabs onto and descends in order to {{s|wikipedia|chokeslam}} them to the ground, or to the lower [[blast line]] in a [[suicide KO]] if used off-stage. Much less unwieldy than in ''Brawl'', as Ganondorf will always win if he and the opponent are on their last stocks. Due to functioning as a [[grab]], it bypasses shields and counterattacks, while it can also can be used for a short-ranged horizontal recovery option due to it grabbing edges. When Ganondorf grabs his opponent, he gains armor on frame 17-40.

|ssc1desc=Upon contact, Ganondorf blasts the opponent into the air after grabbing them. Hits twice, with the second hit dealing vertical knockback while also launching bystanders. Has actual, good KO power, but at the cost of combo potential, range and speed. It also has more starting lag and ending lag.

|ssc2dmg=1.2% (loop, 9 hits), 5% (last hit)

|usc1desc=Leaps upward and, instead of latching onto the opponent, performs two dark magic-infused swiping punches. The punches can chain into each other, dealing very high knockback at moderate percentages and enables it to KO much more reliably than Dark Dive. Due to the increased horizontal reach and the armor frames on the move's start-up, it is considered one of Ganondorf's most effective recovery alternatives.

|usc2desc=Leaps upward twice, but can only grab opponents during the start of either leap. The grab animation is significantly sped up, but its KO power is even weaker than Dark Dive, as it only KOs at 400%. The jumps together cover slightly more vertical distance.

|dsdefdesc=A dark magic-infused flying kick. Deals decent damage and knockback, but has considerable ending lag. In the air, Ganondorf flies diagonally downward and performs a powerful [[meteor smash]] during its start-up, while its late hit launches opponents vertically instead. A small shockwave is formed around Ganondorf when he lands on the ground, which deals a small amount of knockback. Deals relatively high [[shield damage]] in the air, bringing shields to a sliver of their health if all of its hitboxes connect. Slows down significantly on impact with anything, has considerable [[landing lag]] and is extremely risky to use off-stage.

|dsc1desc=Slightly jumps into the air before performing a blue-colored, dark magic-infused flying kick that travels farther but is slightly weaker. The grounded version has very little ending lag, enables Ganondorf to vault over most projectiles and is a true combo out of down throw until medium to high percentages. The aerial version moves at a 45° angle downward, making it great for horizontal recovery and avoiding juggles if he is launched. The aerial version can also be used more freely for edgeguarding. Both versions deal less damage, while the aerial version cannot meteor smash and has significantly reduced vertical KO power, though its overall utility outweighs these downsides.

|dsc2desc=A magenta-colored, dark magic-infused flying kick that travels faster, farther and pierces opponents without slowing down on impact. The aerial version travels straight down, can still meteor smash, and its landing shockwave launches opponents behind Ganondorf. However, it has slower start-up and ending lag, with a more obvious purple "flash" at the beginning which makes it easier to anticipate.

|fsdesc=Transforms into Ganon, his demonic beast form and rams into the opponent. Opponents too close upon its activation are buried, whereas those otherwise will be [[paralyze]]d if they are in front of him.

 

|desc=Emerges from a portal of dark magic. Based on how {{iw|zeldawiki|Phantom Ganon}} emerges from similar dark portals in his boss fight in ''Ocarina of Time''.

|desc-up=Floats in the air and then curls into a ball while spinning before opening up from his curled position and striking a pose while laughing.

|desc-down=Unsheathes the Sword of Sages, grunts, looks at it while sporting a mocking smirk as the blade's tip pulses with dark magic, then sheathes it.}}

!{{{name|}}}

|-

! scope="row"|Cheer

|[[File:Ganondorf Cheer English SSB4 SSBU.ogg|center]]||[[File:Ganondorf Cheer Japanese SSB4 SSBU.ogg|center]]||{{NTSC}} [[File:Ganondorf Cheer Spanish NTSC SSB4 SSBU.ogg|center]] <br> {{PAL}} [[File:Ganondorf Cheer Spanish PAL SSB4.ogg|center]]

|-

! scope="row"|Description

|Ganon - dooorf! || Ganondorf! || Ga - non - dorf!

|-

|-

! scope="row"|Cheer

|{{NTSC}} [[File:Ganondorf Cheer French NTSC SSB4.ogg|center]] <br> {{PAL}} [[File:Ganondorf Cheer French PAL SSB4.ogg|center]]||[[File:Ganondorf Cheer German SSB4.ogg|center]]||[[File:Ganondorf Cheer Italian SSB4 SSBU.ogg|center]]

|}

|desc-3=Crosses his arms while laughing, then looks toward the screen with a stern expression. This references a scene in ''The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess''.

''See also: [[:Category:Ganondorf players (SSB4)]]''

*{{Sm|Dr.DORF|France}} - The second best Ganondorf player in Europe. Placed 13th at {{Trn|Albion 2}}, 17th at {{Trn|Deflagration}}, and 25th at {{Trn|SALT}} with wins over players such as {{Sm|Meru}} and {{Sm|Kibzu~}}.

*{{Sm|Gungnir|Japan}} - The best Ganondorf player in Japan. Placed 17th at {{Trn|Umebura Japan Major}} with wins over players such as {{Sm|Taiheita}} and {{Sm|Earth}}.

*{{Sm|Pon|Japan}} - Considered to be one of the best Ganondorf mains in Japan alongside Gungnir. He has wins over players like {{Sm|Ally}}, {{Sm|Kameme}}, {{Sm|Raito}} and {{Sm|Gackt}}.

*{{Sm|Rickles|USA}} - One of the best Ganondorf players in the world. Placed 9th at {{Trn|Rebirth X}}, 13th at {{Trn|Frosty Faustings IX}}, and 49th at both {{Trn|2GGC: MkLeo Saga}} and {{Trn|2GG: Hyrule Saga}} with wins over {{Sm|tyroy}} and {{Sm|k9sbruce}}.

==In Solo Modes==

In All-Star Mode, Ganondorf is fought in Stage 5 in the 3DS version (if he has been unlocked) or Stage 3 in the Wii U version alongside {{SSB4|Pikachu}}, {{SSB4|Ness}}, {{SSB4|Jigglypuff}}, {{SSB4|Sheik}}, {{SSB4|Mewtwo}}, {{SSB4|Charizard}}, {{SSB4|Diddy Kong}}, and {{SSB4|Cloud}}.

==={{GameIcon|SSB4-U}}[[Event Match]]es===

====Solo Events====

====Co-op Events====

SSB4 Ganondorf Screen-3.jpg|Ganondorf about to use [[Wizard's Foot]] on {{SSB4|Palutena}}'s [[Reflect Barrier]].

SSB4 Ganondorf Screen-6.jpg|Using Wizard's Foot on {{SSB4|Robin}} and {{SSB4|Marth}}.

SSB4 Ganondorf Screen-7.jpg|Leading {{SSB4|Toon Link}}, {{SSB4|Ness}}, and {{SSB4|Villager}} across a road.

*When Ganondorf uses [[Ganoncide]] on an opponent with one stock left, he will usually still emit his KO voice clip despite not being KO'd.

*Of all the veterans that retain their voice clips from ''Brawl'', Ganondorf, {{SSB4|Link}} and {{SSB4|Captain Falcon}} are the only ones to not make use of knockback voice clips that weren't used in-game in ''Brawl'' despite having them.

*Ganondorf's NTSC crowd chant is very similar to the one in ''Melee'', where the crowd eerily drags out the second part of his name.