Editing Ganondorf (SSBU)

'''Ganondorf''' ({{ja|ガノンドロフ|Ganondorofu}}, ''Ganondorf'') is a playable character in ''[[Super Smash Bros. Ultimate]]''. He was officially confirmed on June 12th, 2018 alongside the rest of the returning roster. Ganondorf is classified as fighter #23.

{{s|wikipedia|Takashi Nagasako}} reprises his role as Ganondorf after having previously voiced the character in ''{{s|zeldawiki|The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time}}'' and ''[[Super Smash Bros. Melee]]'', providing new voice clips, replacing Hironori Miyata from ''Brawl'' and ''Smash 4''.

With the exception of the third method, Ganondorf must then be defeated on [[Bridge of Eldin]].

Ganondorf is the epitome of the archetype of [[weight|super heavyweight]]: he is the fifth heaviest character in the game and possesses great power in exchange for slow mobility and poor frame data. Despite his high [[traction]] and above average [[falling speed]], he has the seventh slowest [[walk]]ing speed, fourth slowest [[dash]]ing speed, third slowest [[air speed]], sixth slowest [[air acceleration]], and fourth lowest [[jump]] and [[double jump]] heights. As a result, he is among the least mobile characters in the game, but his high endurance lets him survive very high percentages and benefit from [[rage]].

Ganondorf's most defining trait is his incredible power and damage output. Almost all of his moves inflict 10%-25% damage and are capable of KOing 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 and up smash have impressive disjointed hitbox as they utilize a large sword that covers around Ganondorf's body while being able to hit ledgehangers, with the former being the third strongest of its kind that KOs well below 65%. His [[Warlock Punch]], in spite of being his slowest move, also KOs exceedingly early, especially when used in the air and reversed, which can [[one-hit KO]] middleweights. Thanks to his strength, Ganondorf has one of the strongest KO abilities in the game, as he can rack up damage and KO opponents in less than a few hits.

Ganondorf's [[shield]]-breaking capabilities are very potent. His forward and up smashes, Warlock Punch, and aerial [[Wizard's Foot]] can bring down shields to a sliver of health, while his Volcano Kick (up tilt) has [[vacuum]] properties, deceptively large reach, and does immense [[shield damage]] allowing it to shatter shields outright over a large distance. He can also play [[mindgame]]s to make opponents with low shield health play more carefully as a single hit from one of his attacks can break their shield, allowing him to punish their mistakes. As such, mistiming or overusing shields against Ganondorf is incredibly 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 middle percentages. His dash attack is versatile, with its early hit leading into neutral aerial, up aerial, or [[Dark Dive]] at early percentages while possessing high KO power, and its late hit granting followups into neutral attack, forward tilt, grab, all aerials except down aerial, and Dark Dive, with the latter two 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]]: it is a command grab that [[meteor smash]]es opponents into the ground which leads into a myriad of followups such as neutral attack, forward tilt, down tilt and dash attack, or create a [[read]] situation and follow with aerials, smashes, Wizard's Foot, or 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.

All of Ganondorf's aerials are very useful, as they are fast for their immense power (except his forward aerial and down aerial), and are guaranteed to knock opponents off the stage even at medium percents, giving him one of the best [[edgeguard]]ing capabilities in the game. His sweetspotted down aerial is his highest damaging aerial and the strongest meteor smash in the game, and when sourspotted has the second strongest horizontal knockback out of all his aerials (after his sweetspotted back aerial). His up aerial is his lowest damaging aerial, but is his second fastest aerial, can autocancel from a short hop, and its late hitbox is a very potent [[gimp]] with its semi-spike angle and high [[hitstun]]. His neutral aerial has the lowest knockback out of all his aerials, but is his fastest aerial consisting of two hits that naturally combo into each other with damage rivaling his sweetspotted down aerial, while doubling as long-lasting [[sex kick]]s, and has the greatest horizontal reach out of all his aerials allowing it to wall out approaches. His forward aerial boasts good reach in an arc that also hits slightly behind him, while his back aerial is a deceptively fast KO move that can autocancel from a short hop. Aerial Flame Choke is a chokeslam that lacks guaranteed followups, but does more damage than when used on the ground and can still tech-chase. Aerial Wizard's Foot is Ganondorf's only aerial with vertical knockback, making it a good anti-air that punishes juggles. Finally, Dark Dive is a command grab that does multiple weak electric hits that make it difficult to interrupt, which leads into a very powerful throw that can reverse edgeguard situations, especially when facing away from the stage, while also not causing helplessness and letting him reuse the move; if the grab misses, the move performs an uppercut at the end to deter edgeguards.

In spite of his strengths, Ganondorf has glaring flaws. He is highly vulnerable to combos and juggling thanks to his heavy weight, very large size, and low air speed, and his slow mobility hinders his approach and ability to close distance or create space. His lack of projectile or reflector also leaves him susceptible to projectile camping and zoning.

Arguably Ganondorf's biggest weakness is his lack of defensive options, courtesy of the issues within his moveset. His frame data is very sluggish and among the worst in the game: he has very few moves that are active before frame 9 (these being neutral attack, neutral aerial, up aerial, and standing grab) and some not even coming out before 28 (such as forward smash, Warlock Punch, and Volcano Kick), along with many of his moves having extremely high ending lag (most notably Volcano Kick, all his smashes, and all his special moves). As a result of his abysmal frame data, many of his moves are unsafe on shield unless fully spaced, despite his aforementioned shield breaking capabilities. Combined with his poor mobility, Ganondorf struggles to compete with faster characters like {{SSBU|Mewtwo}}, and forces his punishment game to heavily rely on proper spacing and mindgames.

In contrast to Ganondorf's tall size, some of his attacks have poor reach and often have problematic hitbox placements, causing them to have noticeably large blindspots. His neutral attack, forward tilt, back aerial, Dark Dive, and Wizard's Foot, some of which are considered Ganondorf's fastest attacks and best [[out of shield]] options, all suffer from a combination of short reach, short hitbox duration, small hitboxes sizes, and/or high hitbox placements. Neutral aerial's two hits often fail to link properly, especially against grounded opponents, likely resulting in Ganondorf getting punished if he whiffs the second hit, and the second hit itself is difficult to land due to its high hitbox placement. His foward smash, despite its impressive reach, completely lacks any active hitboxes during the downward swing, giving it a notoriously large dead zone above and in front of his head. His up smash has a blindspot directly in front of him, and its rear hitboxes end just above the ground. Ganondorf's numerous blind spots allows many small characters such as {{SSBU|Pichu}} to easily exploit and weave through his attacks, especially when crouching.

Outside of down throw, Ganondorf's grab game is also lackluster. His grab reach is notoriously short despite his tall stature, and despite their high damage the rest of his throws have little follow-up while being unreliable KO options, with up throw being a prime example. Flame Choke likewise has deceptively short reach and an absurd blindspot as it completely lacks any grabboxes on the hand. The ability to tech Flame Choke also works against Ganondorf, as it forces hard reads, and incorrect reads can put Ganondorf in a vulnerable position.

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 heights, as well as the helplessness-causing Flame Choke and Dark Dive having low speed, distance, 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 teched and punished due to its very high ending lag and also causes him to leap back a large distance and away from the stage. 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.

Overall, Ganondorf's raw power lets him rack up damage quickly and close stocks early, but he has little means to defend himself which forces him to play cautiously. Ganondorf relies heavily on a bait-and-punish playstyle and [[mindgame]]s, but his slow frame data and poor reach means he cannot afford to make any careless mistakes, where his ineffective recovery allows his opponents to remove his stocks just as early.

Ganondorf has been buffed overall in the transition to ''Ultimate'', though also received notable nerfs that further affect his disadvantage, making him more of a glass cannon.

 

Ganondorf's primary strengths, his already strong damage output and power, have been further increased since the previous game. Most of his moves deal even more damage, and some of his moves (whether they were already strong or among the weakest) are more powerful such as his [[dash attack]], [[back aerial]], [[Dark Dive]] and [[Wizard's Foot]]; notably, dash attack has become as potent as it was in ''Brawl'', whereas Dark Dive and Wizard's Foot have had some of their lost KO power restored from ''Melee''. Forward aerial, a move previously considered inferior to his back aerial, has improved range, making it a far safer KO move. His smash attacks are now sword swings that possess increased range and power, with their power also becoming more consistent. Up tilt, notorious for shattering full shields, is easier to land with its faster startup and stronger windboxes, and its sourspot has been strengthened to match its sweetspot. Ganondorf's notoriously weak grab game has also been buffed, with his grabs having a longer duration and greater range (although it still remains rather short), and his throws receiving improved utility such as higher power (forward throw, although it still remains rather weak), damage (up throw) or combo potential (down throw). Lastly, Ganondorf is heavier, further improving his endurance.

 

Ganondorf notably benefits from some of the universal gameplay changes. The increase in mobility (most notably to his [[running]] speed, although it still remains very slow), his faster [[jumpsquat]], and the reduced [[landing lag]] on his aerial attacks all improve his very poor neutral game and approach. His faster jumpsquat and landing lag reduction also improve his combo ability, thus further strengthening his damage racking game.

Despite these notable buffs, Ganondorf is not without nerfs, especially toward his infamously poor recovery, hitbox placements and ineffective defensive game, exacerbating his glaring weaknesses even further, and counterbalancing his buffs. His forward and up smashes, despite having disjointed range, have significantly increased ending lag, making them less safe to use and removing the latter's ability to bait approaches. His down tilt's vertical angles on its close hitbox now render it incapable of starting combos while being a much less effective KO option, especially out of [[Flame Choke]]. His up tilt is weaker, and has gained an incredibly weak late hitbox with no KO potential. Hitbox adjustments and/or reductions on his forward tilt, up tilt, back aerial, his new smash attacks, Dark Dive and Wizard's Foot make them harder to land and further worsens his blindspot issues. His grabs also have even more startup and ending lag, toning down some of the improvements to his grab game as a whole. Among his biggest nerfs were to his up aerial, which has more startup and its sourspot no longer hits underneath him, thus removing most of its [[gimp]]ing effectiveness and [[lock]] combos, and the [[Ganoncide]] technique, now being escapable and KOing him first, making it more risky and situational. Dark Dive also pushes back Ganondorf after he launches the opponent away, making his already terrible and exploitable recovery even worse.

Despite gaining considerable improvements from the game's engine, Ganondorf is also hindered by some of the universal changes; the universal increase to mobility makes it slightly harder to catch up with some characters. The increased shield drop frames impairs his poor [[out of shield]] options, and the universally increased [[traction]] which reduces shield push makes his attacks, especially his aerials, even less safe unless perfectly spaced. The increased [[tech]] window, as well as the restoration of buffering techs during hitlag, makes Flame Choke easier to escape from, and makes Dark Dive much easier for opponents to survive from being launched under the stage and retaliate. The changes to [[air dodging]] are a mixed bag for Ganondorf, as they improve his great edgeguarding ability, but make him easier to edgeguard in return. Finally, the weakening of [[rage]] slightly hinders Ganondorf's KO power, though due to Ganondorf's increased damage and power, this change is a minor issue.

Overall, Ganondorf is considered to be superior to his ''Smash 4'' incarnation; though in spite of improvements toward his strengths, his weaknesses are even more exploitable, making him even more polarized then previously. Initially, Ganondorf was believed to be a high mid-tier character and one of the best super heavyweights due to his significant improvements, as some players had achieved a few notable results with him such as {{sm|Rickles}} and {{Sm|Smokk}}; most notably though, {{Sm|Nairo}} would counterpick {{Sm|Light|p=Connecticut}} with the character, beating him. However, Ganondorf's overall tournament representation remains very low, and he hasn't achieved any other notable results, which combined with his polarizing traits and lack of notable improvements in game updates have resulted in Ganondorf still being considered a low or bottom-tier, with players such as {{Sm|Fatality}} and {{Sm|Mr. R}} considering him the worst character in the game. However, his true viability remains debatable.

*{{change|Ganondorf's design has been reverted back to his appearance in ''The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time'', which was the basis of his appearance in ''[[Melee]]''; he bears a close resemblance to his [[zeldawiki::File:OoT3D Ganondorf Artwork.png|official art]] from ''[[zeldawiki:The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D|Ocarina of Time 3D]]''.}}

**{{change|His sword has also been reverted back to the Space World 2000 tech demo sword.}}

**{{change|Ganondorf has an updated [[Palutena's Guidance]] conversation to coincide with the design change.}}

*{{change|Ganondorf's cape has better physics and rigging, allowing for more fluid animations.}}

*{{change|Initial dash, [[walking]], [[running]], [[spot dodge]], [[roll]], [[air dodge]], hitstun, jump, and backwards jump animations have changed.}}

*{{change|All attacks that utilize [[darkness]] have more intense particle effects.}}

*{{change|Side taunt now has him sport a sinister smile when he scoffs.}}

**The first has him flip his cape and turning to face the screen before pumping his fist, showing the back of it.

**The second has him levitate in the air, land on the ground while punching his palm, then reel back before thrusting his hand towards the screen.

**The third has him flip his cape before crossing his arms and laughing wickedly, then looking at the screen with a sinister smile.}}

*{{buff|Like all characters, Ganondorf's [[jumpsquat]] animation takes 3 frames to complete (down from 7).}}

*{{buff|The inability to move past opponents on the ground prevents [[dash attack]], [[Flame Choke]], and [[Wizard's Foot]] from whiffing up close.}}

*{{buff|Ganondorf [[dash]]es slightly faster (1.218 → 1.34), being nearly as fast as he was in ''Melee''.}}

**{{buff|Ganondorf's initial dash animation is both faster (1.3 → 1.87) and moves him farther, resulting in his [[foxtrot]] outpacing his dash.}}

*{{buff|Ganondorf [[walk]]s slightly faster (0.73 → 0.767), being slightly faster than he was in ''Melee''.}}

*{{buff|Ganondorf's [[traction]] is higher (0.068 → 0.125).}}

*{{buff|Ganondorf's [[air speed]] is slightly higher (0.79 → 0.83), being nearly as fast as he was in ''Brawl''.}}

*{{change|Ganondorf's [[gravity]] is slightly higher (0.107835 → 0.108).}}

*{{buff|Ganondorf is considerably [[weight|heavier]] (113 → 118), weighing more than {{SSBU|Charizard}}. This improves his already excellent endurance.}}

*{{nerf|Back roll has more startup with less intangibility (frame 4-19 → 5-17), and more ending lag (FAF 34 → 38).}}

**{{nerf|However, its total duration remains the same, giving it one frame more ending lag.}}

*{{nerf|Air dodge has drastically more ending lag (FAF 35 → 47).}}

**{{change|The move's knockback values are consistent across its hitboxes (38/30/40 base/ 90/90/105 scaling → 41/74). It deals more knockback than its previous two sourspots, but less than its previous sweetspot.}}

**{{buff|Up tilt has significantly less startup (frame 81 → 60) and ending lag (FAF 115 → 96). Because of this, the windboxes have a shorter duration (frames 6-70 → 6-53).}}

**{{buff|Its [[windbox]]es have higher [[set knockback]] (1 → 22/22/10/10), allowing them to pull opponents in more effectively.}}

**{{nerf|The explosion has much less horizontal reach.}}

**{{nerf|On frames 62-63, the move has a new sourspot at the height of the explosion. It launches opponents at a [[semi-spike]] angle (80° → 0°) but with much less damage (18% → 13%) and has decreased base knockback (60 → 0), being unable to KO even at realistic percentages.}}

**{{change|The move deals consistent damage (28%/20%/18% → 24%), dealing more than the original sourspot, but less than the original sweetspot.}}

**{{change|The windboxes no longer affect items or attackable stage elements. Notably, this prevents Ganondorf from riding on rolling crates at high speed.}}

**{{change|The move has a revamped animation; rather than simply holding his pose, he reels back and anticipates the kick. His foot produces a flame effect rather than wind, and he no longer holds his leg up with his hand.}}

**{{buff|Its clean hit has higher knockback scaling (80 → 85). Combined with its higher damage, it now KOs around 120%, making it the second strongest dash attack in the game.}}

**{{buff|The late hit deals more shieldstun (1x → 1.3x), improving its safety on shield.}}

*{{change|Ganondorf has new [[smash attack]]s: they utilize his sword from the Space World 2000 tech demo. They also all have the [[slash]] effect, with forward smash losing the [[darkness]] effect, and up and down smash losing their [[normal]] effect.}}

**{{change|Forward smash is now a downward sword slash in front of Ganondorf, similar to {{SSBU|Ike}}'s.}}

***{{buff|This new forward smash has [[disjointed]] hitboxes and significantly more range, allowing it to hit opponents above Ganondorf, further in front of him, and slightly below the edge of the stage. This gives the move more coverage and allows it to be used for onstage [[edgeguarding]].}}

***{{buff|It now deals consistent and more knockback (35/30 base / 83/75 scaling → 61/75), KOing around 65% from the center of the stage.}}

***{{nerf|Ganondorf does not lean back during his new forward smash, making it less safe than his previous forward smash.}}

**{{change|Up smash is now an overhead sword swing from front to back, appearing visually similar to [[Link (SSB4)|Link's]] previous up tilt from ''Smash 4''.}}

***{{buff|This new up smash has disjointed hitboxes and significantly more range that hits all around Ganondorf, making it more effective as an anti-air, at covering platforms and catching rolls. It also hits slightly below the edge of the stage, allowing it to be used for onstage edgeguarding.}}

***{{nerf|It has significantly more ending lag (FAF 42 → 62), going from one of the fastest smash attacks [[interruptibility]]-wise to one of the slowest. This removes its ability to bait opponents into approaching.}}

***{{nerf|It has a blind spot directly in front of Ganondorf. This can cause it to [https://www.twitter.com/MGK_Ganondorf/status/1130098661713633282 miss on certain situations].}}

**{{change|Down smash is a forward hilt thrust that leads into a backwards stab, similar to {{SSBU|Cloud}}'s.}}

***{{buff|Its hitboxes are disjointed and placed lower, reliably hitting crouching opponents.}}

***{{buff|Ganondorf ducks while performing it, lowering his hurtbox.}}

***{{buff|The hitbox on the first hit that previously sent opponents away from Ganondorf has been removed. In addition, its first hit launches at a more horizontal angle (160°/165°/147°/150° → 160°/175°/147°/150°) with decreased base knockback (90/110/90/110 → 90/95/90/95). This allows it to connect into the second hit more reliably.}}

***{{nerf|Both hits have slightly less horizontal range.}}

**{{change|It has a slightly altered animation: Ganondorf no longer crosses his legs during it.}}

**{{nerf|It has more startup lag and a shorter duration (frames 6-16 → 8-16). Not only is the move no longer Ganondorf's fastest attack, this causes the late hit to no longer hit below Ganondorf, significantly weakening its [[gimp]]ing potential and [[lock]] combos.}}

**{{buff|Down aerial has less ending lag (FAF 47 → 45).}}

 

===Throws and other attacks===

**{{change|Ganondorf has a different pose while holding the enemy.}}

 

**{{nerf|The meteor smash hitbox has significantly less horizontal reach, stopping at his twin greatswords.}}

Ganondorf received a small bag of mixed changes over the game's updates. 1.1.0 removed one of his edgeguard deterrents and best punishment options by making his [[Flame Choke]] [[Sacrificial KO]] kill Ganondorf first, which further worsens his already poor recovery. 3.0.0 adjusted his hurtbox so that he is more consistently hit by multihit attacks.

On the upside, 2.0.0 allowed forward aerial to autocancel out of a double jump, which was infamous in ''Brawl'' and ''SSB4'' for not cancelling even out of a full hop and would almost always force him to enter the landing animation. Ganondorf also benefits from the universal nerf on projectiles dealing less shield damage in 3.0.0, improving his approach against projectile camping.

|neutralname= 

|neutraldesc=A palm thrust that discharges [[electric]]ity upon landing. Ganondorf's fastest ground attack, with good range, knockback and fairly low ending lag, with enough power to KO around 145% near the edge and 195% from center. A decent [[out of shield]] option. However it is among the slower jabs in the game, coming out at frame 7, and its high hitbox placement allows some smaller characters to crouch under it.

|ftiltname= 

|ftiltdesc=A front kick. Good [[start-up]] on frame 10 with high [[semi-spike]] knockback, making it a powerful edgeguarding option against characters with minimal horizontal recoveries, while outright KOing around 140% from the center. However, its range is rather poor, with his neutral attack being able to outreach it, and can be crouched under by some smaller characters. Based on the kick used by himself and other large, sword-wielding enemies in ''The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess''.

|utiltname=Volcano Kick

|utiltdesc=A delayed axe kick that produces an explosion. Has [[vacuum]] properties, a disjointed hitbox that can reach past ledges, and its clean hit is incredibly powerful, being infamous for instantly shattering full [[shield]]s and its leg hitbox KOing as low as 45% when near the edge, making it one of Ganondorf's best [[edgeguard]]ing options if used wisely. However, while it is the strongest up tilt in the game, it has immense starting lag at 60 frames, making it an extreme "high risk, high reward" move. The move has a late hitbox on the height of the explosion that is extremely weak, not KOing until 195% from the center of Final Destination.

|dtiltname=Leg Sweep

|dtiltdesc=A crouching front kick. Good start-up on frame 10 and range, making it a decent out-of-shield. Also a reliable follow-up and tech-chase out of grounded Flame Choke. While it has powerful vertical knockback on the toe that can KO around 133%, it has more diagonal knockback on the thigh, making it Ganondorf's weakest and most inconsistent tilt attack overall.

|dashname= 

|dashdesc=A shoulder tackle. Good start-up on frame 10 and Ganondorf gains both a quick speed boost during the move's duration. The clean hit can combo into up aerial at early percentages, and is able to reliably KO around 120%. The late hit, 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. Also a reliable follow-up and tech-chase out of grounded Flame Choke.

|fsmashname= 

|fsmashdesc=A lunging, two-handed downward sword slash. Humorously nicknamed as '''Doriyah''' by the community, based on his exclamation during the attack. The third strongest forward smash in the game, behind {{SSBU|King Dedede}}'s and Max [[Aura]] {{SSBU|Lucario}}'s, KOing at 65% from the center. Great reach that covers overhead and slightly behind him, and hits slightly underneath the stage, allowing it to hit ledgehangs. However, it is Ganondorf's slowest smash attack, coming out at frame 29 and has 39 frames of ending lag, making it highly punishable if not fully spaced. Deals more than half shield health uncharged and can nearly break them if fully charged. Due to an error in interpolating hitboxes, the move has a large blindspot above and in front of Ganondorf's head.

|usmashname= 

|usmashdesc=An overhead 180° arcing sword slash from front to back. Deceptively large vertical reach, reliably punishing airborne or rolling opponents, and hits slightly underneath the stage, allowing it to hit ledgehangs. Very powerful, with the sword hitbox KOing opponents around 85%. Deals more than half shield health uncharged and can nearly break them if fully charged. However, it is Ganondorf's second slowest smash attack, coming out at frame 20 and has 37 frames of ending lag, making it punishable. Has a blindspot right in front of his leg, and its rear hitboxes end just above the ground.

|dsmashname= 

|dsmashdesc=Kneels and thrusts the sword hilt forward, then performs a reverse gripped thrust behind himself in a similar manner to {{SSBU|Cloud}}'s down smash. The first hit launches opponents into the second, and can [[stage spike]] with ease due to its angle, while the second hit is a semi-spike, making it useful for launching opponents with weak horizontal recoveries off-stage. It hits on frame 15, making it Ganondorf's fastest smash attack, but its 60 frames of ending lag makes it just as punishable. The second hit by itself KOs around 67% near the edge.

|nairname= 

|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 [[sex kick]]s, and the late hits can cause opponents to trip. Has the farthest horizontal reach out of all of Ganondorf's aerials, allowing it to wall out approaches, but the second kick's high vertical hitbox has a tendency to whiff against smaller characters. The first kick has a hitbox on the toe that knocks grounded opponents away and is useful for creating distance, but with no KO power. Starts on frame 7, making it Ganondorf's fastest aerial attack and a decent out-of-shield move. The second kick by itself KOs around 133%. Despite the move's noticeably large blindspot and the two hits sometimes not connecting properly, its extremely high damage and knockback, quick speed and surprisingly long duration make it notorious among the community for its sheer effectiveness in Ganondorf's arsenal.

|fairname= 

|fairdesc=An overhand. It has good reach and is 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. Has the latest autocancel window out of all of Ganondorf's aerials, only cancelling when used from a double jump. It also has above average startup lag, coming out on frame 14.

|bairname= 

|bairdesc=A backfist. Despite it being even stronger than his forward aerial, it is rather fast, with moderate startup at frame 10, and low ending lag of 36 frames, alongside being able to autocancel from a [[short hop]]. All these factors make it rather useful to wall out approaches, and is safe on shield. Second strongest back aerial in the game, with the sweetspot KOing middleweights at 102% from center-stage and at 75% near the edge, and is very likely to take a stock at medium percents if used quickly after a ledge trump. However, it has short reach and small hitboxes, 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= 

|uairdesc=A flip kick. Covers a large arc above him that has good coverage and great power, with the clean hit KOing middleweights around 94% near the edge. It also starts on frame 8, making it Ganondorf's second fastest aerial attack, and can autocancel from a short hop. 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. However, the move does not hit below Ganondorf, and can only hit opponents standing on the ground with the earliest hitbox.

|dairname= 

|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 115%, and can KO any character starting at around 15% offstage. 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. Ganondorf's slowest aerial move at frame 16. It does not start launching grounded opponents upwards until 10%, although Ganondorf can follow this with a jab.

|grabname= 

|grabdesc=Reaches out with his left hand. Despite Ganondorf's tall stature, its reach is among the shortest.

|pummelname= 

|pummeldesc=A knee strike.

|fthrowname= 

|fthrowdesc=Lifts the opponent and hits them with an uppercut. One of the highest damaging forward throws in the game, and tied with up throw for Ganondorf's highest damaging throws. KOs around 150% near the edge.

|bthrowname= 

|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 around 145% near the ledge.

|uthrowname= 

|uthrowdesc=Lifts the opponent overhead and hits them with an upward palm strike. Tied with forward throw for Ganondorf's highest damaging throws. High base knockback and low knockback growth makes it unsuitable for follow-ups while preventing it from KOing until 240%.

|dthrowname= 

|floorfdesc=A legsweep performed from a flare, an acrobatic technique used in breakdancing and gymnastics.

|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.

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

|ssdesc=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. On the ground, the move has [[super armor]] as Ganondorf holds his opponent in the air, and its low ending lag allows follow-ups into neutral attack, forward tilt, down tilt, or dash attack, but the opponent can [[tech]] and enforce [[tech-chase]]s. 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, however opponents can escape by button mashing if their percentage is lower than Ganondorf's, and Ganondorf himself will always lose if he and his opponents 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. Moderately slow startup of 16 frames, and surprisingly poor reach as the grabbox does not even cover Ganondorf's hand.

|usdesc=Leaps upward and, upon coming into contact with an opponent, latches onto them and discharges electricity before launching off of them with a dark explosion. The throw is very powerful, KOing around 89% near the edge, making it somewhat risky to edgeguard should he land it while facing away from the stage. Should Ganondorf successfully lands a grab, he is not rendered [[helpless]] and can use it again. If the grab misses an opponent, Ganondorf will perform a dark magic-infused uppercut that deals weak knockback. Covers a very small amount of horizontal distance, but a decent amount of vertical making it a sub-par [[recovery]]. The move also has very high endlag of 50 frames after a successful grab, enough for a opponent that is thrown onto the stage to [[tech]] and punish Ganondorf. Decent startup at frame 14 making it a decent out-of-shield, but has a high grabbox placement that frequently whiffs smaller opponents on the ground.

|dsdesc=A dark magic-infused flying kick. On the ground it has good damage that beats most weak projectiles and high knockback that KOs around 93% near the edge. 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 moderately slow startup of 16 frames, moderate ending lag of 61 frames, very high [[landing lag]] of 45 frames, very small hitboxes, and is extremely risky to use off-stage.

|fsdesc=Uses the [[zeldawiki:Triforce|Triforce of Power]] to transform into Ganon, his boar-like demonic form. Immediately upon transforming, Ganon performs downward slashes with his swords and then charges straight ahead.

*Emerges from a liquid-like vortex of darkness.

*'''Up taunt''': 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.

*'''Side taunt''': Punches his right hand into his open palm in a threatening pose and scoffs, with electricity emitting from his hands afterward. When the electricity is emitted, his cape will flow as if being blown by wind.

SSBUGanondorfIdle1.gif|Ganondorf's first idle pose

SSBUGanondorfIdle2.gif|Ganondorf's second idle pose

*'''Left:''' Turns to his left, flips his cape, and pumps his fist, showing the back of it.

*'''Right:''' Flips his cape, crossing his arms, and laughs.

[[File:ZeldaSeriesVictoryThemeUltimate.ogg|thumb|A flourished and abridged remix of the theme that plays when [[Link]] obtains a [[zeldawiki:Triforce|Triforce Piece]] in ''[[zeldawiki:The Legend of Zelda (Game)|The Legend of Zelda]]'' and has since become the main theme of ''The Legend of Zelda'' series.]]

==In competitive play==

Public opinions on Ganondorf has risen and fallen. At ''Ultimate'''s release, hopes were high, as some Ganondorf mains such as {{Sm|Vermanubis}} expressed optimism, with some comparisons even made to his [[Ganondorf (SSBM)|''Melee'' self]]. In addition, {{Sm|Nairo}} managed to defeat {{Sm|Light|p=Connecticut}} with Ganondorf, which also contributed to people believe that Ganondorf is potentially moderately viable, or at very least much better than what he was in previous two games.

However, Ganondorf's standing in the metagame has fallen since ''Ultimate'''s release, as issues regarding his gameplay, such as blindspots on his smash attacks, his poor recovery being retained, difficulty in approaching, as well as most of his matchups still being very poor despite his buffs (such as {{SSBU|Pikachu}} and {{SSBU|Greninja}}). While he has seen success in local tournaments, his representation in regionals and majors have been very poor due to his flaws still being prominent, making it very hard to get good results at tournaments of this scale. Ganondorf is also indirectly hurt from patches, as most other potential low-tier characters have received significant buffs, while Ganondorf has received mostly minor changes. Because of this, his competitive reception has became worse as of recent, with most professionals universally believing him to be low-tier, with some of them considering him to be one of the worst characters in the game. {{Sm|Fatality}}, who has used Ganondorf as a secondary, even goes as far as believing Ganondorf to be potentially the worst character in the game after patch 6.0.0.

===Notable players===

<!--If you are planning to add a player you consider to be notable, please provide tournament results in some shape or form in the edit summary (be it a link to a results thread or bracket of placing high in a tournament of other notable players or a video of them beating a notable player). Winning tournaments without notable players present is generally not enough to warrant a spot.-->

''Any number following the Smasher name indicates placement on the [[Fall 2019 PGRU]], which recognizes the official top 50 players in the world in [[Super Smash Bros. Ultimate]] from July 13th, 2019 to December 15th, 2019.''

*{{Sm|Litany|Canada}} - The best Ganondorf player in Ontario. Currently ranked 3rd on the [[York Region Power Rankings#Super Smash Bros. Ultimate|York Region Power Rankings]], with wins on players such as {{Sm|3xA}}, {{Sm|V115}}, {{Sm|Jw}}, {{Sm|Z|p=Canada}}, and {{Sm|Smokk}}. Placed 13th at {{Trn|The Amuka Smash Cup}}, 65th at {{Trn|Get On My Level 2019}} and 97th at {{Trn|Frostbite 2019}}.

*{{Sm|Luz|Japan}} - The best Ganondorf player in Japan. Placed 33rd at {{Trn|Umebura SP 2}} and 65th at {{Trn|Umebura SP 6}}. Has a win over {{Sm|Lunamado}}.

*{{Sm|Rickles|USA}} - The best Ganondorf player in the United States and one of the best in the world. Placed 4th at [https://smash.gg/tournament/frostbite-ursa-minor-3-1/events/ultimate-1v1/overview Ursa Minor 3], 9th at {{Trn|Frosty Faustings XII 2020}}, 17th at {{Trn|Smash Out 2019}}, 65th at both {{Trn|Frostbite 2019}} and {{Trn|The Big House 9}}, and 97th at {{Trn|EVO 2019}}. Currently ranked 9th on the [[Chicago Power Rankings]].

*{{Sm|Smokk|Canada}} - Has a strong Ganondorf secondary, considered to be the best Ganondorf in Canada and one of the best in the world. Placed 5th at {{Trn|LAN ETS 2019}} and 17th at {{Trn|Get On My Level 2019}} while using Ganondorf. Ranked 2nd on the [[Montreal Power Rankings#Super Smash Bros Ultimate rankings|Montreal Ultimate Power Rankings]].

*{{Sm|Vermanubis|USA}} - Placed 9th at {{Trn|Don't Park on the Grass 2018}} and [https://smash.gg/tournament/fall-brawl-2019/events/ultimate-singles Fall Brawl], as well as 17th at {{Trn|Battle Arena Melbourne 11}} and 25th at {{Trn|Crown}}.

 

*{{Sm|Fatality|USA}} - Placed 17th at {{Trn|Frostbite 2019}} using Ganondorf as one of his characters.

*{{Sm|Nairo|USA}} (#4) - Played Ganondorf as a secondary. Notably placed 2nd at {{Trn|Collision 2019}} with a win over {{Sm|Light|p=Connecticut}}.

[[File:SSBU Congratulations Ganondorf.png|thumb|Ganondorf's congratulations screen.]]

{|class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center"

|1||{{SSBU|Mario}} {{Head|Mario|g=SSBU|s=20px}} and {{SSBU|Luigi}} {{Head|Luigi|g=SSBU|s=20px}}||[[New Donk City Hall]]||''{{SSBUMusicLink|Super Mario Bros.|Underground Moon Caverns}}''||

|2||{{SSBU|Fox}} {{Head|Fox|g=SSBU|s=20px}} and {{SSBU|Falco}} {{Head|Falco|g=SSBU|s=20px}}||[[Lylat Cruise]]||''{{SSBUMusicLink|Star Fox|Return to Corneria - Star Fox Zero}}''||

|3||{{SSBU|Shulk}} {{Head|Shulk|g=SSBU|s=20px}}||[[Gaur Plain]]||''{{SSBUMusicLink|Xenoblade|Time to Fight! - Xenoblade Chronicles}}''||

|4||{{SSBU|Marth}} {{Head|Marth|g=SSBU|s=20px}}, {{SSBU|Ike}} {{Head|Ike|g=SSBU|s=20px}}, and {{SSBU|Roy}} {{Head|Roy|g=SSBU|s=20px}}||[[Coliseum]]||''{{SSBUMusicLink|Fire Emblem|Lords-Showdown}}''||

|5||{{SSBU|Palutena}} {{Head|Palutena|g=SSBU|s=20px}} and {{SSBU|Pit}} {{Head|Pit|g=SSBU|s=20px}}||[[Skyworld]]||''{{SSBUMusicLink|Kid Icarus|Destroyed Skyworld}}''||

|6||{{SSBU|Zelda}} {{Head|Zelda|g=SSBU|s=20px}} and {{SSBU|Link}} {{Head|Link|g=SSBU|s=20px}}||[[Great Plateau Tower]]||''{{SSBUMusicLink|The Legend of Zelda|Calamity Ganon Battle - Second Form}}''||

Ganondorf was one of the many fighters that fell under [[Dharkon]]'s control upon Galeem's first defeat. He is unlocked in the Sacred Realm in the Dark Realm on the top of the land which makes up the Triforce of Power. This land can only be accessed after interacting with the Master Sword (just after the {{SSBU|Cloud}} unlock). Unlocking Ganondorf will briefly reveal the Triforce of Power in the center of the map before disappearing to reveal Ganon's castle and his boss battle.

{|class="wikitable sortable" style="width:100%;"

! style="width:5%;"|No.

! style="width:5%;"|Image

! Name

! Type

! Power

! Stage

! Music

| 23

| [[File:Ganondorf SSBU.png|center|108x108px]]

| {{SSBU|Ganondorf}}

| {{color|#dc1029|Attack}}

| 10,700

| [[Bridge of Eldin]] ([[Ω form]])

| ''{{SSBUMusicLink|The Legend of Zelda|Death Mountain}}''

{{-}}

Ganondorf's Fighter Spirit can be obtained by completing [[Classic Mode]]. It is also available periodically for purchase in the shop for 500 coins. Unlocking Ganodorf in World of Light allows the player to preview the first spirit below in the Spirit List under the name "???". As a Fighter Spirit, it cannot be used in Spirit Battles and is purely aesthetic. Each Fighter Spirit has an alternate version that replaces them with their artwork in ''Ultimate''.

Additionally, Ganondorf makes appearances in various Primary Spirits, including a few as [[Ganon]].

OoT3D Ganondorf Artwork.png|175. '''''Ganondorf'''''

Ganon.png|191. Ganon

Ganondorf Spirit.png|220. Ganondorf (Twilight Princess)

Beast Ganon.png|221. Beast Ganon

Calamity ganon.png|243. Calamity Ganon

|{{anchor|Ganondorf (Twilight Princess)}}Ganondorf (Twilight Princess)

|''The Legend of Zelda series''

|•{{SSBU|Ganondorf}} {{Head|Ganondorf|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Grey}}

|[[File:SpiritTypeAttack.png|20px|center|Attack]]

|{{anchor|Calamity Ganon}}Calamity Ganon

|''The Legend of Zelda series''

|[[File:SpiritTypeAttack.png|20px|center|Attack]]

|{{anchor|Dark Mind}}Dark Mind

|''Kirby series''

|[[File:SpiritTypeShield.png|20px|center|Shield]]

|{{anchor|Andross (Star Fox 64 3D)}}Andross (Star Fox 64 3D)

|''Star Fox series''

|[[File:SpiritTypeGrab.png|20px|center|Grab]]

|{{s|fzerowiki|Black Shadow}}

|''F-Zero series''

|[[File:SpiritTypeShield.png|20px|center|Shield]]

|Black Shadow

|{{s|fireemblem|Jagen}}

|''Fire Emblem series''

|[[File:SpiritTypeShield.png|20px|center|Shield]]

|{{s|fireemblem|Ashnard}}

|''Fire Emblem series''

|•{{SSBU|Ganondorf}} {{Head|Ganondorf|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Grey}}<br>•{{SSBU|Charizard}} {{Head|Charizard|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Purple}}

|[[File:SpiritTypeAttack.png|20px|center|Attack]]

|{{s|fireemblem|Walhart}}

|''Fire Emblem series''

|•{{SSBU|Ganondorf}} {{Head|Ganondorf|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Violet}}

|[[File:SpiritTypeAttack.png|20px|center|Attack]]

|[[Coliseum]]

|{{s|fireemblem|Garon}}

|''Fire Emblem series''

|•{{SSBU|Ganondorf}} {{Head|Ganondorf|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Purple}}

|[[File:SpiritTypeAttack.png|20px|center|Attack]]

|[[File:Hades Spirit.png|center|64x64px]]

|Hades

|''Kid Icarus series''

|[[File:SpiritTypeShield.png|20px|center|Shield]]

|{{anchor|Reaper & Reapette}}[[File:Reapette & Reaper Spirit.png|center|64x64px]]

|[[Reaper]] & Reapette

|''Kid Icarus series''

|•{{SSBU|Ganondorf}} {{Head|Ganondorf|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Purple}}<br>•Tiny {{SSBU|Ganondorf}} {{Head|Ganondorf|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Green}} (×8)

|[[File:SpiritTypeGrab.png|20px|center|Grab]]

|{{anchor|Sigma}}[[File:Sigma.png|center|64x64px]]

|''Mega Man X series''

|•{{SSBU|Ganondorf}} {{Head|Ganondorf|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Violet}}

|[[File:SpiritTypeAttack.png|20px|center|Attack]]

|[[Midgar]] ([[Battlefield form]])

|[[File:M.Bison.png|center|64x64px]]

|M. Bison

|''Street Fighter series''

|•Reflect {{SSBU|Ganondorf}} {{Head|Ganondorf|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Violet}}

|[[File:SpiritTypeGrab.png|20px|center|Grab]]

|[[File: Bullet Walker.png|center|64x64px]]

|Bullet Walker (Brigadier General)

|•{{SSBU|Ganondorf}} {{Head|Ganondorf|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Green}}<br>•{{SSBU|R.O.B.}} (x3) {{Head|R.O.B.|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Blue}}{{Head|R.O.B.|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Red}}{{Head|R.O.B.|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Green}}

|[[File:SpiritTypeShield.png|20px|center|Shield]]

|•Stamina battle<br>•The enemy has increased attack power<br>•The enemy has increased move speed after a little while

|{{s|fireemblem|Nyna}}

|''Fire Emblem series''

|[[File:SpiritTypeShield.png|20px|center|Shield]]

|[[File:Jill Valentine.png|center|64x64px]]

|[https://residentevil.fandom.com/wiki/Jill_Valentine Jill]

|''Resident Evil series''

|[[File:SpiritTypeNeutral.png|20px|center|Neutral]]

|[[Luigi's Mansion]]

|Item: Ray Gun

|•Defeat the main fighter to win<br>•The enemy's shooting weapons have increased power<br>•Reinforcements will appear during the battle

|[[File:DimitriFE.png|center|64x64px]]

|{{s|fireemblemwiki|Dimitri}}

|''Fire Emblem series''

|•{{SSBU|Byleth}} {{Head|Byleth|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Blue}}<br>•{{SSBU|Ganondorf}} {{Head|Ganondorf|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=White}}

|[[File:SpiritTypeShield.png|20px|center|Shield]]

|•Stamina Battle<br>•The enemy has increased attack power

|{{s|fireemblemwiki|Dedue}}

The Legend of Zelda artwork.png|Artwork of all ''The Legend of Zelda'' characters, as posted on the official Legend of Zelda Twitter account.

SSBUWebsiteGanondorf6.jpg|Performing [[Beast Ganon|Demon King Ganon]] on Arena Ferox.

===Character Showcase video===

*Despite now being based on his ''Ocarina of Time'' appearance again, Ganondorf's unlock battle takes place on [[Bridge of Eldin]], which is from ''Twilight Princess''.  

*''Ultimate'' is the first game to utilize new voice clips for Ganondorf as opposed to reusing them from the ''Zelda'' series.

*Ironically, despite now being based on his ''Ocarina of Time'' appearance again, neither game whose bases served as the redesigns for Link and Zelda in this game featured Ganondorf with a humanoid form. This is especially most noticeable during their brief cameos in King K. Rool's and Banjo & Kazooie's reveal trailers.

*Despite reverting back to his ''Ocarina of Time'' design in this game, Ganondorf is the only returning ''Zelda'' character from ''SSB4'' (excluding Toon Link) to have his ''Twilight Princess'' design directly referenced in this game, as a spirit.

*Ganondorf’s extreme power has become a popular meme within the community, most notably associated with his forward smash (nicknamed “Doriyah” after the cry he exclaims when executing the attack), as well as his general ability to take stocks before his opponents despite being at much higher percentages than they are.

*The lattermost part of Ganondorf's [[up smash]] is fully incapable of hitting {{SSBU|Snake}} and {{SSBU|Wii Fit Trainer}} when they are crouching, due to the fact that the hitboxes go away before the sword fully hits the ground. [https://twitter.com/MGK_Ganondorf/status/1189105269290106880]

*Ganondorf is the only opponent in {{SSBU|Peach}}'s Classic Mode route that is not from the {{uv|Mario}} universe nor its sub-universe {{uv|Donkey Kong}}.