Editing Ganondorf (SSBM)

:''This article is about Ganondorf's appearance in [[Super Smash Bros. Melee]]. For the character in other contexts, see [[Ganondorf]].  Also, for information about the character of whom Ganondorf is a [[clone]], see [[Captain Falcon (SSBM)]].''

|name         = Ganondorf  

|image       = [[File:Ganondorf SSBM.jpg|Ganondorf]]

|game         = Melee

|ssbgame1     = Brawl

|ssbgame2     = SSB4

|tier         = E

|tierPAL     = E

|ranking     = 14

|rankingPAL   = 14

'''Ganondorf''' ({{ja|ガノンドロフ|Ganondorofu}}, ''Ganondorf'') appears as an unlockable playable character in ''Super Smash Bros Melee''. He is in his original Gerudo form as he appears in the more recent installments of the series. His design is based on his appearance from the SpaceWorld demo, which is itself based on his appearance in ''[[The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time]]''. Instead of using magic or swords like in ''The Legend of Zelda'' series, Ganondorf is a [[clone]] of {{SSBM|Captain Falcon}}, and as such, he fights in a brawler style similar to Captain Falcon, but in a slower, more powerful manner.

Ganondorf currently ranks 14th in the E tier on the ''Melee'' [[tier list]]'s mid-low tier and is his best placement in the series. Ganondorf boasts extreme power, good reach, decent [[chaingrab]]bing ability, and very useful aerials, including the strongest [[meteor smash]] in the game in his down aerial. He also has several effective edgeguarding options including the aforementioned down aerial, both the strong and weak hitboxes of his up aerial, and his back aerial. Nonetheless, Ganondorf has extreme flaws to counteract these great strengths as well. He has a bad neutral game due to his poor [[dash dance]] and lack of non-committal approaching moves, forcing Ganondorf players to rely more on reads and baits, and the punishes that come with them. However, Ganondorf is also very susceptible to punishes himself, as he is easily [[combo]]ed and [[chaingrab]]bed due to his size and weight, and is very easily edgeguarded due to his very predictable (albeit long) recovery; however, the latter would be among the worst should the aerial Wizard's Foot be absent during the process. He is also vulnerable to projectiles and has few ways to deal with characters that outrange him or have very fast attacks. Because of this, while Ganondorf has good [[matchup]]s against other mid-tier and low-tier characters, including two nearly unloseable ones against {{SSBM|Pichu}} and {{SSBM|Kirby}}, he struggles against the top tier characters (especially {{SSBM|Fox}} and {{SSBM|Sheik}}).

To unlock Ganondorf, players must complete [[Event 29: Triforce Gathering]] or play 600 VS. matches. Upon completing this, Ganondorf is fought on [[Final Destination (SSBM)|Final Destination]], with the track "Great Bay" playing.

As a slower, larger clone of Captain Falcon, Ganondorf sacrifices speed for power and range. He is often considered to be the most powerful character in the game, along with {{SSBM|Bowser}} (Though Ganondorf has a greater amount of KO options than Bowser, with 16 as opposed to Bowser's 12). This is counteracted by his poor mobility, as he has the 4th slowest dashing speed, the 3rd slowest air speed (tied with {{SSBM|Kirby}}), and a rather short and slow [[wavedash]]. However, his mobility is not all bad, as he can [[Moonwalk]], has a great platform-dashing game, and, resulting from being a clone of Captain Falcon, has one of the fastest and farthest rolls.

One of Ganondorf's greatest strengths is his extreme power and damage output. His up smash, though [[Lag#Start-up lag|laggy]], is the strongest in the game if fully charged and both hits connect. His neutral special, [[Warlock Punch]], and his notorious up tilt are two of the slowest moves in the game (the latter is the slowest), but can KO as low as 30%. His down aerial is both the strongest aerial attack and [[meteor smash]] in the game; it is notoriously difficult to [[meteor cancel]] regardless of damage percentage and is nearly impossible to recover from, even at low percentages, and can reliably [[star KO]] some grounded characters under 100%. Ganondorf's powerful attacks are counterbalanced by their slowness, but although most of his aerial attacks have long periods of landing lag, Ganondorf is perhaps the character that benefits the most from [[L-canceling]], as it allows him to effectively combo other characters.

Despite Ganondorf's extreme power, he does not suffer from poor combo ability due to the knockback in his attacks like Bowser, as he manages to retain some of the excellent combo ability from his clone. His aerials flow very well into each other, and when L-canceled, he can chase his opponents and land a follow-up despite his poor air speed. Due to his benefit from L-canceling, a low short hop, and decent falling speed, Ganondorf has a good [[SHFFL]]. The core of Ganondorf's combos lie in his grab game; despite a rather poor grab range, his throws have immense versatility, and his up and down throws are excellent launchers, as well as effective chain-grabs. His forward and back throws can also set up edgeguards.

Ganondorf's greatest strength, however, is his superb [[edge-guarding]] game. Despite his poor air speed, he is one of the best edge-guarders, with more aerial guarding options than any other character in the game; all of his aerials deal high damage and [[knockback]] and are guaranteed to knock people off the stage, his down air as aforementioned is an extremely powerful meteor smash, and Wizard's Foot is a non-recoverable [[spike]]. In particular, his sourspotted reversed up aerial (performed while facing away from the edge) is one of the best [[gimp]]ing moves in the game because of its long duration, range (330° bicycle kick), semi-spiking knockback (hard to [[tech]] out of) at a 20° (rear hitbox) or 0° (rear bottom hitbox) trajectory with [[gravity]] following suit, extremely high [[hitstun]], and cannot be [[DI]]'d due to its low knockback.

Ganondorf's major weakness is his poor approach and neutral game. He is highly susceptible to combos and chain-grabs due to being large, heavy, and falling quickly, although these attributes also make him harder to KO. His mobility and approach are ultimately crippled by his short, relatively slow [[wavedash]] and poor dashing and air speeds, and he lacks a projectile and a way of dealing with projectiles against him. He also has a very poor [[dash-dance]], as it is among the shortest in the game and does not improve his dash in any way. He also has no moves that allow him to approach noncommittally. As a result, Ganondorf is dependent on punishing opponents through reads and baits.

Ganondorf is also regarded as one of the most easily edge-guarded and [[Edge-hogging|edge-hogged]] characters in the game. On paper, he has a long, extendable horizontal recovery, thanks to his down special, Wizard's Foot, which is one of the only two specials that allow the character to regain their midair jump (the other being [[Falcon Kick]], but is considered inferior to Wizard's Foot because of how much farther downward it travels and Captain Falcon's higher falling speed). However, Ganondorf has terrible air speed, which prevents him from efficiently moving off-stage, and his jumps fail to give enough height. His up special, [[Dark Dive]], is also unable to attack opponents hanging from an edge. As a result, simply grabbing the edge if Ganondorf is unable to get back on stage without edge grabbing will send him to his doom.

Overall, Ganondorf is a powerhouse; with some of the strongest moves in the game, he can easily KO the entire Melee cast at significantly lower percentages than most other characters can achieve. All that's holding him back are his low speed, few approaching options and recovery, so players must be patient and wait for their opportunity to land their powerful moves while being careful not to get thrown off-stage.

 

*{{nerf|Down aerial deals 1% less damage (22% → 21%) with decreased base knockback (50 → 40).}}

==Differences from [[Captain Falcon]]==

Ganondorf is lower ranked than Captain Falcon due to his slower mobility and a weaker combo game, giving Ganondorf a weaker [[approach]] game and difficulty in competing with faster characters like {{SSBM|Fox}} or {{SSBM|Sheik}}. However, Ganondorf boasts extreme power (exemplified by his outstanding edge-guarding game) and greater reach, has no sourspots on his attacks (sans forward tilt), and still retains a few of Captain Falcon's good combo starters, potentially giving him greater damage output and the ability to KO earlier than his counterpart. Despite being designed as a "slower" Captain Falcon, almost all of Ganondorf's moves have the exact same frame data in terms of start-up and ending lag, although all his aerials do have much higher landing lag. A few of Ganondorf's moves also have different knockback angles, usually toward vertically rather than horizontally. Finally, Ganondorf has more [[electric]] effects in addition to [[darkness]] on his attacks, but only one move (up tilt) using [[flame]].

*{{change|Ganondorf is [[weight|heavier]] than Captain Falcon (104 → 109), granting him better horizontal endurance but makes him easier to combo.}}

*{{buff|[[Neutral attack]] is a single attack instead of a combo, possessing higher base knockback than the [[Gentleman]] (20 → 30), while still being a useful combo starter. It also deals 7%/8% damage, being more damaging than the first two hits and the infinite of Captain Falcon's jab alone. Notably when sweetspotted, it is the strongest jab in the game.}}

*{{nerf|Neutral attack deals 1% less damage than Captain Falcon's Gentleman and lacks an infinite, making it worse for damage-racking.}}

*{{change|Neutral attack is a palm strike instead of a punch and has an [[electric]] effect.}}

*{{buff|[[Forward tilt]] deals more damage (11% → 13%) and base knockback (10 → 20), being the third strongest forward tilt in the game.}}

*{{nerf|Forward tilt is less damaging if the opponent is up close to Ganondorf, dealing 1% less on the knee and 2% on the body.}}

*{{buff|[[Up tilt]] deals significantly more damage (13% → 27%) with drastically higher base knockback (50 → 110), able to KO from center under 25% and at 0% near ledges and is thus the strongest tilt in the game.}}

*{{nerf|Up tilt has drastically more startup (17 frames → 81) and ending lag (38 frames → 115), making it impossible to land in almost any circumstance outside of punishment, edgeguarding, or deceptive mindgames.}}

*{{change|Up tilt has a wind effect while the leg is lifted up and an explosive effect that deals flame damage when the leg strikes the ground.}}

*{{buff|[[Down tilt]] has significantly higher knockback (25 base/75 growth → 30 base/100 growth), being the fourth most powerful down tilt in ''Melee'', while still being a useful combo starter at lower percentages.}}

*{{nerf|Down tilt has a shorter duration (10-15 → 10-12).}}

*{{buff|[[Dash attack]] deals more damage (10%/7% → 14%/10%) and knockback (22 base/90 growth → 40 base/80 growth), improving its KO potential, while still being a useful combo starter.}}

*{{buff|[[Forward smash]] has much higher knockback (24 base/100 growth → 40 base/80, 83, and 85 growth), damage (up: 21% → 24%, forward: 20% → 22%, down: 19% → 20%), and range.}}

*{{nerf|Forward smash has more startup lag (18 frames → 20).}}

*{{change|Forward smash launches opponents at a higher angle (361° (all) → 80° (up)/70° (forward)/60° (down)).}}

*{{buff|[[Up smash]] deals more damage (hit 1: 8%/14% → 22%, hit 2: 13%/12% → 19%, total: 21%/26% → 41%) and knockback (base 30/growth 128 → 50 base/40 (hit 1), 80 (hit 2) growth), being the most damaging up smash in the game if both hits connect.}}

*{{nerf|Up smash is less useful as a combo move and the hits do not link as reliably above very low percentages.}}

*{{buff|[[Down smash]]'s two hits can [[natural combo|naturally combo]] into each other, dealing more damage than Captain Falcon's if both hits connect (18%/16% → 22%/20%), and also deals more knockback (30 and 20 base/100 growth → 60 base/110 growth).}}

*{{nerf|Down smash's individual kicks deals less damage (hit 1: 18% → 8%, hit 2: 16% → 14%/12%), resulting it being weaker than Captain Falcon's if it only hits once. It also has slightly more ending lag (IASA 45 → 47).}}

*{{nerf|All aerials (15 frames → 25 (neutral), 19 frames → 25 (forward), 18 frames → 25 (back), 15 frames → 25 (up), 24 frames → 35 (down)) have more landing lag.}}

*{{buff|[[Neutral aerial]]'s individual kicks deals more damage (hit 1: 5%/6% → 12%, hit 2: 7% → 12%, total: 12%/13% → 22.92% due to [[stale]]ness). It also has increased base knockback on both hits (hit 1: 0 → 30, hit 2: 40 → 50), with the first hit having KO power on its own.}}

*{{nerf|Neutral aerial's two hits do not link reliably, thus dealing slightly less damage than Captain Falcon's two hits if it hits once.}}

*{{buff|[[Forward aerial]] is an arcing downward punch. It has no sourspot and much longer range than Captain Falcon's [[Knee Smash]], as well as being slightly disjointed. It also has less ending lag (36 frames → 35).}}

*{{nerf|Forward aerial deals less knockback than a clean Knee Smash (24 base/100 growth → 60 base/80 growth), does not [[semi-spike]] (32° → 361°), and deals 1% less damage (18% → 17%).}}

*{{change|Forward aerial lacks the electric effect.}}

*{{buff|[[Back aerial]] deals 2% more damage (14% → 16%) with increased base knockback (20/0 → 30/10) and range, and lacks a late hitbox.}}

*{{buff|[[Up aerial]] has more range and base knockback (10/8/6 → 35/30/20, KO`ing about 25% earlier than Captain Falcon's up aerial), and its late hitboxes have higher [[hitstun]], making it more effective at [[edgeguarding]] than Captain Falcon's.}}

*{{buff|[[Down aerial]] deals more damage (16% → 22%) with higher base knockback (40 → 50), being the strongest [[meteor smash]] in ''Melee'', able to KO grounded opponents under 100%. It also has larger hitboxes.}}

*{{nerf|Down aerial's top hitbox lacks the ability to [[nipple spike]], meaning it is always meteor cancellable regardless of which hitbox is landed.}}

*{{change|Down aerial lacks [[transcendent priority]] and deals electric damage.}}

*{{buff|Down throw launches opponents at a different angle (65° → 100°), making it more reliable for combos and chain-grabs.}}

*{{buff|[[Warlock Punch]] deals much more damage (23%/25%/27% → 30%/32%/34%) and knockback than the [[Falcon Punch]], able to KO virtually any character under 30% damage on [[Tournament legal (SSBM)|tournament legal]] stages. It also has better range.}}

*{{nerf|Warlock Punch has much more startup lag and a shorter duration than the Falcon Punch (52-56 frames → 70-72), and Ganondorf is unable to perform an equivalent to Captain Falcon's [[Falcon Punch#In Super Smash Bros. Melee|Sacred Combo]] due to his lower air speed and Warlock Punch's higher startup.}}

*{{change|Warlock Punch has significantly different aesthetics from the Falcon Punch; even discounting the darkness effect, it lacks the falcon-shaped fiery aura and falcon screech during the punch.}}

*{{buff|[[Gerudo Dragon]] deals much more damage (7% → 17% (ground)/7% → 16% (air)) and knockback (ground: 78 base/80 growth → 60 base/69 growth, air: 60 base/70 growth → 50 base/65 growth) than [[Raptor Boost]].}}

*{{nerf|Gerudo Dragon covers less distance than Raptor Boost and the aerial version cannot meteor smash (270° → 70°).}}

*{{change|When Ganondorf falls after whiffing Gerudo Dragon, the screen shakes more than when Captain Falcon whiffs Raptor Boost.}}

*{{buff|[[Dark Dive]] travels slightly more vertical distance than [[Falcon Dive]] due to Ganondorf's taller stature. Its grab deals four weak electric hits, which can hit opponents who attempt to intercept Ganondorf. While the total damage is the same, the throw deals 3% more damage than Falcon Dive (12% → 15%), giving it more knockback which can KO reliably under 150%.}}

*{{buff|Grounded [[Wizard's Foot]] has higher knockback than [[Falcon Kick]] (50 base/70, 60, and 50 growth → 60 base/85 growth). It also has a longer duration (14-32 → 14-34) and lacks weak late hitboxes. Aerial Wizard's Foot is also a powerful [[spike]] instead of dealing horizontal knockback like Falcon Kick (361° → 290°), making it deadly offstage, and the landing hitbox deals more damage (9% → 12%). It is also safer to use to restore Ganondorf's midair jump thanks to his lower falling speed compared to Captain Falcon.}}

*{{nerf|Both grounded and aerial Wizard's Foot have slightly more ending lag. Aerial Wizard's Foot also deals slightly less damage (15% → 14%).}}

[[File:Ganon-gimp.gif|thumb|Ganondorf performing his forward aerial after a wall tech on Captain Falcon. The move's base knockback is high enough to gimp characters with subpar recovery at any percentage.]]

|neutralname= 

|neutraldesc=A quick palm strike that [[Electric|shocks]] enemies on contact. Has actual KO potential at higher damages, but since he jabs directly in front of him, some smaller characters can easily duck under it. It hits on frame 3, making it Ganondorf's fastest attack. It is often used in combos with his other attacks, especially his down aerial.  

|ftiltname= 

|ftiltdesc=Kicks his foot out forward. Has great speed and range for a powerful tilt (3rd most powerful forward tilt in the game), but is short in duration (3 frames). This attack is often used to space away opponents due to its speed, range, and power. This is often considered, if not one of, the best forward tilt in ''Melee''. This move is even more deadly when used in [[edgeguarding]] situations, especially when angled downwards. Also, it`s even better at KO`ing when angled upwards (under 150%, like mostly all of his other moves).

|utiltname= 

|utiltdesc=Lifts up and charges his leg, then brings it down in a violent explosion. It has extremely long start-up, being the slowest move in the game with a total of 81 frames. Though it is very powerful; can OHKO from its extremely high base knockback if landed by an edge. It is by far the most powerful tilt in the game, and can KO even earlier than the [[Warlock Punch]], but its small hitbox and long start-up makes it very difficult to land outside of [[punishment]].

|dtiltname= 

|dtiltdesc=Does a quick low sweep kick. Sets up aerial combos or his up special. Good reach, but is rather slow when compared to other down tilts. Can KO at very high percentages. Fourth most powerful down tilt in the game.

|dashname= 

|dashdesc= A quick shoulder tackle. Despite its upward knockback not being extremely high, it is a strong dash attack that combos very well into a back aerial/up aerial at 40-60% damage. This is the second most powerful dash attack in the game, beaten only by {{SSBM|Samus}}.  

|fsmashname= 

|fsmashdesc=Lunges forward while thrusting out his elbow. Impressive vertical knockback combined with almost no horizontal knockback, making it difficult to [[Directional influence|DI]] out of. It has fairly slow start-up and significant ending lag, but is very powerful, and because Ganondorf moves ahead while performing it, it has great reach. Angled upwards, it is the second most powerful forward smash in the game, only being exceeded by Bowser.

|usmashname= 

|usmashdesc=Kicks both his legs upward. The first hit can lead into the second, though it is unlikely at high percentages and can be DI'd out of. It is the second most powerful (uncharged) up smash in the game (second to {{SSBM|Pikachu}}'s), and when fully charged, is the most powerful and damaging up smash, as well as the most powerful smash attack overall. However, even though it is extremely powerful and surprisingly fast, its lack of horizontal reach limits its effectiveness as a reliable KO move. Regardless, even when uncharged, it can KO under 100% (even on characters with excellent vertical endurance, such as {{SSBM|Captain Falcon}}, {{SSBM|Donkey Kong}}, and {{SSBM|Falco}}).

|dsmashname= 

|dsmashdesc=Swings his leg in front and back of him. Can chain together, but the second hit can be easily DI'd out of. It's one of, if not the most powerful down smash in the game, capable of star KOing lighter/floatier characters under 100%. It is rather fast, especially for how powerful it is, and, due to Ganondorf's long legs, is one of the farthest-reaching down smashes. If near an edge, even if an opponent avoids the second kick, the base knockback of the first kick can set up an early edgeguard opportunity.

|nairname= 

|nairdesc=Two quick mid-air kicks. Both kicks have high knockback (especially the second kick, capable of KOing under 130%), and can deal very high damage when landed in succession, but it is extremely difficult to land the two kicks even at very low percentages, and impossible to land at percentages higher than 25% (under standard conditions). It's possible to land the second kick without the first one, but requires correct timing. With both kicks, it is the second strongest neutral aerial in the game (exceeded by {{SSBM|Mr. Game & Watch}}'s).

|fairname= 

|fairdesc=Ganondorf brings his fist down in an arc rather quickly, with impressive knockback and damage, though slightly weaker than {{SSBM|Captain Falcon}}'s [[Knee Smash]]. Unlike the Knee Smash, however, it always strikes with the same force, and is also just as fast as the Knee with much more reach, though it has more landing lag. This is the fifth most powerful f-aerial in the game ({{SSBM|Zelda}}, {{SSBM|Dr. Mario}}, Captain Falcon, and {{SSBM|Yoshi}} respectively surpass him in this regard).

|bairname= 

|bairdesc=Punches behind him with high power. It is fast, very powerful, good for [[edgeguarding]], and has great range. It has less base knockback than his forward aerial, but has more knockback scaling, making its power proportional to his forward aerial, knockback-wise. Has the exact amount of frames as Captain Falcon's back aerial, but unlike his, it hits with the same power throughout the entirety of the attack. This is the second most powerful back aerial in the game (second to Zelda).

|uairname= 

|uairdesc=Does a bicycle kick, covering a large arc above him. Knockback direction depends on which angle the foe was hit in. If Ganondorf is facing away from the opponent and the attack hits with the sourspot at the tip of his foot, the opponent will be [[semi-spike]]d, with low damage but extremely high hitstun. This is the sixth most powerful up aerial in the game (Bowser, Fox, Kirby, Peach, and Zelda respectively surpasses him in this regard).

|dairname= 

|dairdesc=[[Stomp (archetype)|Stomp]]s both his feet downwards, with an [[electric]] effect. An extremely powerful [[meteor smash]], and an excellent [[SHFFL]] option, with a massive hitbox that covers Ganondorf's entire body. It is the most powerful meteor smash in the game and is overall the most powerful aerial in the game. It is capable of setting up combos at low percentages when used against grounded opponents, and serves as a great finisher on grounded opponents at high percentages. This attack has [[Priority#Transcendent_priority|transcendent priority]].

|grabname=

|grabdesc=

|pummelname= 

|fthrowname= 

|bthrowname= 

|uthrowname= 

|uthrowdesc=Knocks his foe above him. Excellent set up for juggles, and can be an effective chain-grab against fast fallers until high percentages.

|dthrowname= 

|dthrowdesc=Takes foe and slams them into the floor. Another throw well-suited for juggling. Can also chain-grab characters with average falling speeds until around 90%, and fast-fallers to about 130%. Can combo into jab then down aerial on [[Space animal]]s around 50%.

|floorfdesc=Gets up and flips while kicking.

|floorbdesc=Stands on both hands and does a spinning double kick.

|edgefdesc=Picks himself up and kicks forward. Can knock opponents off the edge if they are close, potentially setting up an edge-guard.

|edgesdesc=Slowly gets up and punches in front of him.

|ssdesc=Lunges forward, uppercuting any opponents who come in his path. Unlike [[Raptor Boost]], this move does not meteor smash opponents when used in the air. Instead, it will launch them diagonally upwards. The move causes [[helpless]]ness if used in the air. In the middle percentages, the attack sets the opponent up for many juggling combos, but due to it being easily punished if used under the wrong circumstances, it is not often the optimal move to use.

|usdesc=Quickly leaps upward. If he connects with an opponent, they will be trapped in a flurry of electricity. Also, if the move connects, Ganondorf will not go into a helpless state. This move can grab the ledge even if Ganondorf is facing the opposite direction.

|dsdesc=On the ground, Ganondorf rushes forward with his leg extended, dealing damage and relatively high knockback. In the air, he plummets to the ground at a sharp angle, during which the move can [[spike]] opponents. This move has the odd property of rewarding Ganondorf's second jump back.

{{Taunt/SSBM|char=Ganondorf|desc=Hovers in mid-air and spins before laughing menacingly.}}

|desc-jp=Gan-non! *claps three times*

|pitch-us=Deep male

|desc-1=Pumps a victorious fist and crouches.

|desc-2=With his back facing the camera, Ganondorf turns to face the camera, and holds up his fist, the back of the fist facing the viewer

|desc-3=Spins his sword upward while laughing evilly before thrusting it into the ground.

==In [[Competitive play|competitive play]]==

===[[Character matchups (SSBM)|Matchups]]===

 

According to the matchup chart, Ganondorf's matchup spread holds the 8th highest weightest rank. Ganondorf has mostly positive matchups. He is countered by two characters, soft countered by three and has three even matchups. He soft counters eight characters, counters seven, and hard counters two. Notably, he counters the [[SSBM|Ice Climbers]], despite them being in a higher tier placement than him. Ganondorf is one of the most easily edgeguarded characters in the game, making him struggle against characters with strong air and edgeguarding games such as Jigglypuff. His large size and high weight also make him susceptible to characters who can chaingrab him easily, such as Sheik. Overall though, Ganondorf has a rather strong matchup spread for a character of his tier and can beat many of the characters.

 

:''See also: [[:Category:Ganondorf professionals (SSBM)]]

*{{Sm|Bizzarro Flame|USA}} - Ganondorf main from [[NorCal]] famous for his use of [[moonwalking]] as well as utilizing the less common up-tilt and [[Warlock Punch]].

*{{Sm|Eddie|USA}} - Chicago-based Ganondorf who showed impressive results with his placings at all four Major League Gaming events in 2006.

*{{Sm|Eikelmann|USA}} - Former Orlando competitor now ranked 2nd in Denver; known for being the only active Ganondorf to defeat [[Smasher:Armada|Armada's]] {{SSBM|Peach}} in tournament.

*{{Sm|Kage|Canada}} (#44) - Ganondorf main from Montreal widely regarded as the best Ganondorf player in ''Melee''.

*{{Sm|Linguini|USA}} - Ganondorf main from Florida who is known for his knowledge and skill in the {{SSBM|Fox}} and {{SSBM|Falco}} match-ups.

*{{Sm|Loki|Japan}}

*{{Sm|Mr. Brandandorf|USA}}

*{{Sm|n0ne|Canada}} - Although more known for his {{SSBM|Captain Falcon}}, he has a Ganondorf secondary.

*{{Sm|RockCrock|USA}}

*{{Sm|Spider Sense|USA}}

*{{Sm|[https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=SSBM+MELEE+HVAC&sp=CAM%253D]|HVAC|Canada}}

 

*{{Sm|Renth|USA}} - Florida Ganondorf main who was regarded as being one of the top in the world for his movement and punish game.

Ganondorf is currently ranked 14th on the tier list. Historically, Ganondorf has been considered a high or mid-high tiered character, having fluctuated between 8th and 12th for the first eleven tier lists. Although Ganondorf's slow speed and poor recovery was acknowledged, his great power helped him maintain his ground with the rest of the cast. However as the metagame progressed along with the rise of Pikachu, Luigi and Yoshi, Ganondorf's tier placement started to falter. This is reflected in the most recent tier list where he is ranked 14th, the lowest he has ever placed.

 

[[File:GanondorfIntro.png|thumb|right|Ganondorf's unused intro image.]]

Like {{SSBM|Roy}}, Ganondorf does not appear as an opponent in the game's Classic Mode, though he can appear as an ally in Team and Giant battles.

===Ending images===

 

File:GanondorfClassicMode.jpg|Classic Mode.

File:GanondorfAdventureMode.jpg|Adventure Mode.

File:GanondorfAllStarMode.jpg|All-Star Mode.

==Trophy descriptions==

:'''Ganondorf''' ''(Smash Red)'' (Trophy #65)

:''Since he's slow and can't jump very high, Ganondorf relies mainly on his immense physical strength to overwhelm his enemies. His great weight also makes him a difficult foe to send offscreen. Ganondorf's Warlock Punch is slow but absurdly powerful, and when he strikes with his Gerudo Dragon, enemies rise skyward enveloped in dark flames.''

:*B: Warlock Punch

:'''Ganondorf''' ''(Smash Blue)'' (Trophy #66)

:''Ganondorf's slow speed works against him in single combat, but in melees, his crazy power lets him earn his keep with innumerable KOs. Ganondorf can't strike quickly, but each blow he lands adds up. Ganondorf is at his quickest when he uses the Wizard's Foot, and his Dark Dive blasts foes in a burst of dark energy.''

:*Up & B: Dark Dive

:*Down & B: Wizard's Foot

File:Ganondorf Trophy 2 (Smash).png|<nowiki>#</nowiki>66

[[File:Jab 2.png|150px|thumb|right|Ganondorf's scrapped second Jab from version 1.0 of ''Melee'', which is visible and usable by mods.]]

*Ganondorf's [[AI]] is infamous for its extreme level of dominance when fighting other CPUs, where it been observed that a level 9 CPU Ganondorf will win the majority of the time against every other level 9 CPU, even against level 9 Luigi (who is normally considered the best CPU character against human players). As such, when AI tournaments are held, where players choose a CPU character to represent them, there are usually limitations on choosing Ganondorf, such as charging a higher fee to pick him.<ref>https://www.reddit.com/r/smashbros/comments/3jap9v/the_largest_level_9_cpu_tourney_ever_has_just/</ref>

*Ganondorf's hand is briefly seen during Link's montage in the introduction to ''Melee'', making him one of the five hidden characters, along with {{SSBM|Jigglypuff}}, {{SSBM|Mewtwo}}, {{SSBM|Young Link}}, and {{SSBM|Pichu}}, to have some kind of involvement with the intro.

*Most of Ganondorf's voice clips were imported from ''The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time''; for example, his [[victory pose]] and [[taunt]] both use a sped up version of his laugh from that game. One voice clip involving Ganon saying "Ooya!" was imported, but nowhere is it used in the game.

**This "Ooya!" clip would later find itself used in ''[[Super Smash Bros. Brawl|Brawl]]'', as it is the sound that plays when {{SSBB|Ganondorf}} is selected with the [[Wii Remote]], despite him having a new voice actor.

*Ganondorf is the only clone whose original character ({{SSBM|Captain Falcon}}) is from a different series.

**Sakurai did not plan to include Ganondorf as a playable character in Melee, only including him later in development because his body had a very similar build to Captain Falcon's, allowing him to be easily added on as a last minute clone of Captain Falcon.

**Coincidentally, this is also similar to the presumed reason why Captain Falcon himself made it into the series (because Falcon's body had a very similar build to one of the prototype fighters in Smash 64)

*In the 1.0 version of ''Melee'', if Ganondorf had a Bunny Hood equipped, he would {{YouTube|FKucAxeQyms|perform a second jab}} during his neutral attack, an apparent leftover from Captain Falcon's moveset. This second jab had no hitboxes however, and was removed in the subsequent versions of ''Melee''.

[[Category:The Legend of Zelda universe]]

[[Category:Ganondorf (SSBM)]]