Editing Ganondorf (SSBU)
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{{s|wikipedia|Takashi Nagasako}}, Ganondorf's voice actor from ''{{s|zeldawiki|The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time}}'' and ''{{s|zeldawiki| The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker}}'' (and by extension, ''[[Super Smash Bros. Melee]]''), reprises his role in all regions; rather than re-purposing his voice clips from ''Zelda'' games as per tradition, Nagasako provides brand new voice clips for the first time since 1998, mimicking his portrayal from ''Ocarina of Time'' and succeeding {{s|wikipedia|Hironori Miyata}}'s portrayal from ''The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess'' used since 2006 in ''[[Super Smash Bros. Brawl]]'' and ''[[Super Smash Bros. 4]]''. | {{s|wikipedia|Takashi Nagasako}}, Ganondorf's voice actor from ''{{s|zeldawiki|The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time}}'' and ''{{s|zeldawiki| The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker}}'' (and by extension, ''[[Super Smash Bros. Melee]]''), reprises his role in all regions; rather than re-purposing his voice clips from ''Zelda'' games as per tradition, Nagasako provides brand new voice clips for the first time since 1998, mimicking his portrayal from ''Ocarina of Time'' and succeeding {{s|wikipedia|Hironori Miyata}}'s portrayal from ''The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess'' used since 2006 in ''[[Super Smash Bros. Brawl]]'' and ''[[Super Smash Bros. 4]]''. | ||
Ganondorf is ranked dead last on the [[tier list]], at 82nd out of 82, and is the only character in the E- tier. This is a slight drop from his already very low placement in ''Smash 4'', where he was tied with {{SSB4|Zelda}} at 52nd/53rd out of 54, and gives him the dubious distinction of being the only character ranked | Ganondorf is ranked dead last on the [[tier list]], at 82nd out of 82, and is the only character in the E- tier. This is a slight drop from his already very low placement in ''Smash 4'', where he was tied with {{SSB4|Zelda}} at 52nd/53rd out of 54, and gives him the dubious distinction of being the only character ranked at the very bottom of the NTSC and European tier lists of two different games, the other being ''Brawl''. Despite this, it should be noted that his placement does not equate to the same level of unviability as in previous games, as he is overall more viable than in ''Brawl'' and ''Smash 4''. | ||
As with tradition, Ganondorf possesses one of the hardest-hitting movesets in the game, with noteworthy improvements to his raw power over previous games; this makes him one of the most formidable fighters when it comes to KOing. In addition, many of his infamously weak moves have been buffed to be more effective; [[Dark Dive]] is now a capable [[out of shield]] and KO option, Grounded [[Wizard's Foot]]'s sweetspot and sourspots have been reversed and make it effective for KOing, and [[up tilt]] is significantly faster. Finally, Ganondorf now has access to his sword from the ''SpaceWorld 2000 GameCube Tech Demo'', which provides him with extremely powerful and wide-arced smash attacks that easily KO below | As with tradition, Ganondorf possesses one of the hardest-hitting movesets in the game, with noteworthy improvements to his raw power over previous games; this makes him one of the most formidable fighters when it comes to KOing. In addition, many of his infamously weak moves have been buffed to be more effective; [[Dark Dive]] is now a capable [[out of shield]] and KO option, Grounded [[Wizard's Foot]]'s sweetspot and sourspots have been reversed and make it effective for KOing, and [[up tilt]] is significantly faster. Finally, Ganondorf now has access to his sword from the ''SpaceWorld 2000 GameCube Tech Demo'', which provides him with extremely powerful and wide-arced smash attacks that easily KO below 90%, with forward and up smash being among the strongest in the game, and up smash being able to exert immense pressure on platforms and ledges alike. On top of that, Ganondorf has respectable range on many attacks, even those that don't use a sword, granting him some means of preventing rushdown strategies from small, nimble opponents. Overall, Ganondorf still excels at what he does best: taking an incredibly menacing advantage state and ending stocks in a few hits. | ||
However, Ganondorf's core weaknesses continue to hold him back drastically compared to the rest of the roster. His | However, Ganondorf's core weaknesses continue to hold him back drastically compared to the rest of the roster. His terribly slow movement and lack of any especially fast attack give him severe difficulty in approaching and escaping disadvantage, which is especially problematic due to ''Ultimate''{{'}}s variety of strong zoners and emphasis on faster-paced combat. His grab game is surprisingly tame for such a large and heavy fighter, having short grab range and throws unable to KO easily. His moveset is robbed of several potentially useful tools due to either small/poorly placed hitboxes (with hitbox adjustments making some of them worse than previously) or moves such as up tilt and [[Warlock Punch]], which are nearly useless thanks to their immense startup and end lag, while their would-be use as a hard read or shield break punish is mostly negated by Ganondorf already having access to other moves powerful enough to serve that purpose. His recovery is among the worst in the game due to the aforementioned mobility issues alongside Dark Dive's middling distance and susceptibility to edgeguarding by disjointed attacks. What's more, despite Dark Dive granting a significant vertical boost when it connects, opponents are able to slowly [[gimp]] Ganondorf by deliberately getting hit by it to push him backwards far enough that his aerial drift can't offset the unfavorable position. Finally, changes to his kit, while mostly beneficial, remove some of his only ways to play [[mindgame]]s: his new up smash is no longer safe on shield, even if spaced, up aerial's shorter duration makes gimping with the late hitbox more difficult, and aerial [[Flame Choke]] can now be escaped by [[button mashing]] while also KOing Ganondorf first if used as a [[sacrificial KO]]. | ||
Overall, Ganondorf's issues collectively give him significant problems in the [[neutral game]]: the majority of the roster can outspeed him in almost every degree, his otherwise great endurance is hindered by having | Overall, Ganondorf's issues collectively give him significant problems in the [[neutral game]]: the majority of the roster can outspeed him in almost every degree, his otherwise great endurance is hindered by having offstage survivability limited to risky high recoveries and air dodge mix-ups, while his strengthened power does not help him approach or give him any proper defensive options, resulting in him struggling to make use of his excellent raw power and KO ability. Because of these factors, while the community had high hopes for Ganondorf in the early metagame, his competitive reception plummeted as the metagame evolved and his weaknesses became much more exploitable, and he has sat at the very bottom of the first two iterations of the official tier list. | ||
==How to unlock== | ==How to unlock== | ||
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Ganondorf is the epitome of the [[weight|super heavyweight]] archetype: he is the fifth heaviest character in the game and possesses extreme power in exchange for terrible mobility and frame data. Despite his high [[traction]], above average [[falling speed]], and moderately high [[gravity]], he sports the seventh slowest [[walk]]ing speed, the fourth slowest [[dash]]ing speed, the third slowest [[air speed]], the sixth lowest [[air acceleration]], and sixth lowest [[jump]] and [[double jump]] heights. As a result, he is among the least mobile characters in the game, but his high weight grants him exceptional endurance, allowing him to survive at very high percentages and benefit from [[rage]]. | Ganondorf is the epitome of the [[weight|super heavyweight]] archetype: he is the fifth heaviest character in the game and possesses extreme power in exchange for terrible mobility and frame data. Despite his high [[traction]], above average [[falling speed]], and moderately high [[gravity]], he sports the seventh slowest [[walk]]ing speed, the fourth slowest [[dash]]ing speed, the third slowest [[air speed]], the sixth lowest [[air acceleration]], and sixth lowest [[jump]] and [[double jump]] heights. As a result, he is among the least mobile characters in the game, but his high weight grants him exceptional endurance, allowing him to survive at very high percentages and benefit from [[rage]]. | ||
Ganondorf's most defining trait is his incredible kill power and damage output. Most of his moves inflict over 10% damage and are capable of killing under 100% with ease, even from the middle of [[Final Destination]], giving him one of the strongest [[punishment]] games in the roster. His forward tilt and down smash are very powerful [[semi-spike]]s, while his [[forward smash|forward]] and [[up smash|up]] smashes are massive disjoints that utilize a large sword to cover Ganondorf. In particular, these two smash attacks can not only hit below the ledge, but the former is generally the third strongest of its kind in the game, having the potential to KO most opponents well below 65% (even at the center of [[Final Destination]]). His [[neutral special]], [[Warlock Punch]], has the most startup out of his entire moveset, but it also deals | Ganondorf's most defining trait is his incredible kill power and damage output. Most of his moves inflict over 10% damage and are capable of killing under 100% with ease, even from the middle of [[Final Destination]], giving him one of the strongest [[punishment]] games in the roster. His forward tilt and down smash are very powerful [[semi-spike]]s, while his [[forward smash|forward]] and [[up smash|up]] smashes are massive disjoints that utilize a large sword to cover Ganondorf. In particular, these two smash attacks can not only hit below the ledge, but the former is generally the third strongest of its kind in the game, having the potential to KO most opponents well below 65% (even at the center of [[Final Destination]]). His [[neutral special]], [[Warlock Punch]], has the most startup out of his entire moveset, but it also deals ludicrous knockback and damage (especially when B-reversed in the air), being capable of [[one-hit KO|instantaneously killing]] middleweights and lighter (if it connects before touching the ground). Ganondorf’s sweetspotted [[down aerial]] and aerial [[Wizard's Foot]] are extremely powerful [[meteor smash]]es that can KO opponents offstage at exceptionally low percents. Thanks to his strength, Ganondorf has among the highest KO potential in the game, as he can rack up heavy damage and KO opponents in very few hits. | ||
Ganondorf's [[shield]]-breaking capabilities are | Ganondorf's [[shield]]-breaking capabilities are potent and fearsome. His aforementioned forward and up smashes, Warlock Punch, and aerial Wizard's Foot can bring shields down to a sliver of health, while his Volcano Kick ([[up tilt]]) has [[vacuum]] properties, deceptively large reach, and can shatter shields in a single hit. These options also allow Ganondorf to play [[mindgame]]s to make opponents with low shield health play more carefully around him, as he can punish any mistake extremely hard. As such, mistiming or overusing shields against Ganondorf can be deadly, as his aforementioned powerful moves allow him to capitalize shield breaks. | ||
Despite his power, Ganondorf has excellent combo starters, some of which are potential kill confirms. His down throw can combo into every aerial except down aerial or dash attack up to mid-percentages. His dash attack is versatile; not only does it possess extreme KO power at high percentages, being the third strongest dash attack in ''Ultimate'', but its early hit can potentially lead into [[neutral aerial]], [[up aerial]], or [[Dark Dive]] at early percentages. Even better, it has a late hit sourspot that grants followups into [[neutral attack]], [[forward tilt]], [[grab]], all aerials except down aerial, and grounded [[Dark Dive]], with the latter two options being potential kill confirms at high percentages. Neutral aerial's set knockback on the first kick as well as the late hit of the second kick can lead into neutral attack, grab, forward tilt, down tilt, or dash attack right after landing on the ground. Sweetspotted down aerial's high [[hitstun]] combos into neutral attack, grab, forward tilt, down tilt, every aerial, up smash, or down smash up to middle percentages. Perhaps Ganondorf's best combo starter is grounded [[Flame Choke]], which is is a [[command grab]] that [[meteor smash]]es opponents into the ground, leading into a myriad of followups and reads. These follow ups include, but are not limited to: neutral attack, forward tilt, down tilt, dash attack, grounded or aerial Wizard’s Foot, any smash attacks or aerials, or even another Flame Choke. While Flame Choke can be [[tech]]ed, its low ending lag allows Ganondorf to [[tech-chase]] with the move, with some followups hitting short-distanced techs such as forward tilt covering {{SSBU|Bowser}}'s inward tech, up smash or turnaround down smash on {{SSBU|Snake}}'s inward tech, down tilt on {{SSBU|Inkling}}'s tech away, or neutral attack on all of {{SSBU|Piranha Plant}}'s tech options. Some characters can even be trapped at the ledge, where they move no distance from tech away and are hit during their neutral and inward techs. | Despite his power, Ganondorf has excellent combo starters, some of which are potential kill confirms. His down throw can combo into every aerial except down aerial or dash attack up to mid-percentages. His dash attack is versatile; not only does it possess extreme KO power at high percentages, being the third strongest dash attack in ''Ultimate'', but its early hit can potentially lead into [[neutral aerial]], [[up aerial]], or [[Dark Dive]] at early percentages. Even better, it has a late hit sourspot that grants followups into [[neutral attack]], [[forward tilt]], [[grab]], all aerials except down aerial, and grounded [[Dark Dive]], with the latter two options being potential kill confirms at high percentages. Neutral aerial's set knockback on the first kick as well as the late hit of the second kick can lead into neutral attack, grab, forward tilt, down tilt, or dash attack right after landing on the ground. Sweetspotted down aerial's high [[hitstun]] combos into neutral attack, grab, forward tilt, down tilt, every aerial, up smash, or down smash up to middle percentages. Perhaps Ganondorf's best combo starter is grounded [[Flame Choke]], which is is a [[command grab]] that [[meteor smash]]es opponents into the ground, leading into a myriad of followups and reads. These follow ups include, but are not limited to: neutral attack, forward tilt, down tilt, dash attack, grounded or aerial Wizard’s Foot, any smash attacks or aerials, or even another Flame Choke. While Flame Choke can be [[tech]]ed, its low ending lag allows Ganondorf to [[tech-chase]] with the move, with some followups hitting short-distanced techs such as forward tilt covering {{SSBU|Bowser}}'s inward tech, up smash or turnaround down smash on {{SSBU|Snake}}'s inward tech, down tilt on {{SSBU|Inkling}}'s tech away, or neutral attack on all of {{SSBU|Piranha Plant}}'s tech options. Some characters can even be trapped at the ledge, where they move no distance from tech away and are hit during their neutral and inward techs. | ||
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Ganondorf's grab game is also lackluster. His grab reach is notoriously short despite his tall stature, and, outside of down throw, his throws have little to no followup potential. None of them are consistently viable KO options either, despite dealing respectable amounts of damage; while his forward and back throws deal passable knockback, even they are rather weak and can't KO middleweights under 200% from center stage, while his up throw lacks KO potential altogether. His down throw, despite being a decent combo starter, loses much of its combo potential very quickly past low percentages. The ability to tech Flame Choke at any percentage works against Ganondorf, as it forces hard reads, and incorrect reads can put Ganondorf in a vulnerable position. Flame Choke also lacks a collateral hitbox, allowing doubles, {{SSBU|Ice Climbers}}, and {{SSBU|Rosalina & Luma}} to hit him out of the move. | Ganondorf's grab game is also lackluster. His grab reach is notoriously short despite his tall stature, and, outside of down throw, his throws have little to no followup potential. None of them are consistently viable KO options either, despite dealing respectable amounts of damage; while his forward and back throws deal passable knockback, even they are rather weak and can't KO middleweights under 200% from center stage, while his up throw lacks KO potential altogether. His down throw, despite being a decent combo starter, loses much of its combo potential very quickly past low percentages. The ability to tech Flame Choke at any percentage works against Ganondorf, as it forces hard reads, and incorrect reads can put Ganondorf in a vulnerable position. Flame Choke also lacks a collateral hitbox, allowing doubles, {{SSBU|Ice Climbers}}, and {{SSBU|Rosalina & Luma}} to hit him out of the move. | ||
The other major weakness is his poor [[recovery]]. Ganondorf's slow air speed and low jump height, as well as the helplessness-causing Flame Choke and Dark Dive having low speed and resilience, makes his off-stage movement linear and predictable while leaving him very vulnerable to edgeguards and gimps. His recovery specials also work against Ganondorf; aerial Flame Choke can be escaped by button mashing and KOs Ganondorf first when used as a [[sacrificial KO]], while Dark Dive's throw can be [[Tech Check|teched and punished]] in its endlag. As such, it's possible to edgeguard Ganondorf by even intentionally getting hit by his aerial specials, leaving him in a position where his abysmal mobility prevents him from recovering | The other major weakness is his poor [[recovery]], which is considered to be one of the worst in the game. Ganondorf's slow air speed and low jump height, as well as the helplessness-causing Flame Choke and Dark Dive having low speed and resilience, makes his off-stage movement linear and predictable while leaving him very vulnerable to edgeguards and gimps. His recovery specials also work against Ganondorf; aerial Flame Choke can be escaped by button mashing and KOs Ganondorf first when used as a [[sacrificial KO]], while Dark Dive's throw can be [[Tech Check|teched and punished]] in its endlag. As such, it's possible to edgeguard Ganondorf by even intentionally getting hit by his aerial specials, leaving him in a position where his abysmal mobility prevents him from recovering. | ||
Ganondorf also has considerable trouble landing safely. Despite his aerials having relatively low landing lag, the aforementioned poor hitbox placements fail to properly defend him from directly underneath, while down aerial and Wizard's Foot have noticeable start-up. While Wizard's Foot is Ganondorf's fastest option to return to the ground and can anti-air intercepting opponents with its vertical knockback, its landing possesses a small and very brief quake along with large landing lag, making it highly punishable. | Ganondorf also has considerable trouble landing safely. Despite his aerials having relatively low landing lag, the aforementioned poor hitbox placements fail to properly defend him from directly underneath, while down aerial and Wizard's Foot have noticeable start-up. While Wizard's Foot is Ganondorf's fastest option to return to the ground and can anti-air intercepting opponents with its vertical knockback, its landing possesses a small and very brief quake along with large landing lag, making it highly punishable. | ||
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''See also: [[:Category:Ganondorf players (SSBU)]]'' | ''See also: [[:Category:Ganondorf players (SSBU)]]'' | ||
*{{Sm|Gungnir|Japan}} - A | *{{Sm|Gungnir|Japan}} - A notable Wi-Fi Ganondorf player who regularly performs well on [[Smashmate]], ranking as high as 5th on the [https://smashmate.net/record/37/ 14th] Smashmate SP ranking. He has seen some success offline, such as placing 2nd at the regional {{Trn|NUMASUMA 8}} defeating {{Sm|Ly}} and 33rd at the major {{Trn|Maesuma TOP 9}}. He also notably created the "[https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=GZ56AEjrkzo Gungnir Combo]". | ||
*{{Sm|Komegura|Japan}} - One of the | *{{Sm|Komegura|Japan}} - One of the best Ganondorf players in the world in the post-pandemic metagame. His 25th-place finish at {{Trn|UltCore}} is the highest placement for a Ganondorf player at a major since the early metagame, and he has also placed well at several other events, such as 33rd at the supermajor {{Trn|Kagaribi 7}} defeating {{Sm|Jagaimo}}. | ||
*{{Sm|Litany|Canada}} - The best Ganondorf player in Canada. Placed 13th at {{Trn|The Amuka Smash Cup}}, 65th at {{Trn|Get On My Level 2019}}, and 97th at both {{Trn|Frostbite 2019}} and {{Trn|Frostbite 2020}} with wins | *{{Sm|Litany|Canada}} - The best Ganondorf player in Canada. Placed 13th at {{Trn|The Amuka Smash Cup}}, 65th at {{Trn|Get On My Level 2019}}, and 97th at both {{Trn|Frostbite 2019}} and {{Trn|Frostbite 2020}} with wins on players such as {{Sm|Jw}}, {{Sm|Smokk}}, and {{Sm|tamim}}. Currently ranked 2nd on the [[York Region Power Rankings#Super Smash Bros. Ultimate|York Region Power Rankings]]. | ||
*{{Sm|Major|USA}} - One of the two best Ganondorf players in the post-pandemic metagame | *{{Sm|Major|USA}} - One of the two best Ganondorf players in the world in the post-pandemic metagame with several strong results, including 9th at {{Trn|ALOHA BEACHES}}, 17th at {{Trn|Daddy’s Den X Supreme}} defeating {{Sm|Scend}}, and 33rd at both the majors {{Trn|Port Priority 7}} and {{Trn|Ultimate Fighting Arena 2023}}. | ||
*{{Sm|Rickles|USA}} - | *{{Sm|Rickles|USA}} - One of the best Ganondorf players in the world from the early metagame to 2021. He was one of the first to show notable Ganondorf results at supermajors with several solid performances such as 33rd at {{Trn|Riptide}} and 65th at {{Trn|Frostbite 2020}} defeating {{Sm|Lima}} and {{Sm|Rivers}}. | ||
===Tier placement and history=== | ===Tier placement and history=== | ||
Public opinion on Ganondorf during ''Ultimate''{{'}}s early | Public opinion on Ganondorf during ''Ultimate''{{'}}s early metagame was high due to improvements to his flaws from previous games, with some players comparing him to his [[Ganondorf (SSBM)|''Melee'' self]]. This positive opinion was supported by {{Sm|Nairo}}'s surprise yet successful usage of the character against {{Sm|Light|p=Connecticut}} at {{Trn|Collision 2019}}, which led many players to believe that Ganondorf was viable, or at least better than what he was in the previous two games. | ||
However, this positive perception did not last long as more players | However, this positive perception did not last long as more players noted issues regarding his gameplay: he still has severe difficulty in approaching, recovering, and escaping disadvantage. Despite the buffs he received in the transition, his matchup spread remains atrocious, as most other characters from the previous game retained similar tools to overwhelm him, such as {{SSBU|Pikachu}}, {{SSBU|Palutena}}, and {{SSBU|Cloud}}. This was compounded with how Ganondorf mostly received minor changes in patches while other low-tier characters received significant buffs. As a result, Ganondorf's playerbase remains one of the smallest in the current metagame, with sporadic success seen from players such as {{Sm|Rickles}} in the early metagame and {{Sm|Komegura}} and {{Sm|Major}} in the post-online metagame. Despite being significantly better than his ''Brawl'' and ''Smash 4'' iterations, Ganondorf is once again considered one of the worst characters in the game, and as such is ranked dead last on the current tier list. | ||
=={{SSBU|Classic Mode}}: Encroaching Darkness== | =={{SSBU|Classic Mode}}: Encroaching Darkness== |