Flame Choke: Difference between revisions

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'''Flame Choke''' ({{ja|炎獄握|Engoku'aku}}, ''Flame Prison Grip'') is [[Ganondorf]]'s [[side special move]] in ''[[Super Smash Bros. Brawl]]'', ''[[Super Smash Bros. 4]]'' and ''[[Super Smash Bros. Ultimate]]'', replacing [[Gerudo Dragon]] from ''[[Super Smash Bros. Melee]]''.

[[File:FlamechokeSlam.jpg|thumb|250px|When used in the air, Flame Choke slams the opponent into the ground]]

When used, Ganondorf charges at his opponent, similarly to Gerudo Dragon, but instead of uppercutting them he grabs them by the head and attacks them with a dark pulsing explosion, before the opponent is quickly slammed into the ground upon the explosion occurring. In mid-grab and while holding his opponent in his grip, Ganondorf has [[super armor]], allowing him to, for example, snag a passing Wario off his [[Wario Bike]] while also preventing it from being interrupted. As a grab move, Flame Choke bypass [[shield]]s and [[counter]]s. Grounded Flame Choke also functions as a weak [[meteor smash]], causing the opponent to weakly bounce upward and allow follow-ups such as Ganondorf's [[neutral attack]] (only on very large characters such as Bowser, Donkey Kong, and King Dedede), [[forward tilt]], [[down tilt]], and [[down smash]] (only on Olimar).

When the move is used mid-air, both Ganondorf and the grabbed foe will plummet directly towards to the ground, which can cause a [[Suicide KO]] known as "Ganoncide". If Ganondorf performs this move in the air while going through a soft platform (half body above platform and half below), then he will grab the opponent and plummet below the platform (however, he has no knockback resistance in the air). Unlike the grounded version, the opponent is immediately floored instead of bouncing and the move has some ending lag, making it difficult to follow up, though the aerial version deals more damage.

Also, when Ganondorf does the move in the air, he can slightly alter its path, slamming the foe more to the left, or more to the right. This makes it difficult to chase him off the edge, because as a last resort, he takes the opponent down with him. However, in ''Brawl'' Ganoncide causes a [[Sudden Death]] or a loss, which can be negated if Ganondorf is a stock/point up.

Ganoncide also now KOs the opponent first, making Ganondorf always win when Ganonciding while he and his opponents are on their last stocks. Note that Ganonciding an opponent does not count as KOing them; credit for the KO goes to the last person to hit the victim.

However, [[Suicide KO|Ganoncide]]'s viability was significantly reduced. The aerial version of the move can now be escaped by [[button mashing]], with opponents who have lower damage than Ganondorf being able to break out more quickly. In addition, Ganondorf is now KO'd first instead of his opponent, resulting him losing if he and his opponent are on their last stocks.

{{CustomSet|Ganon|Side|name1=Flame Choke|desc1=Rush forward to grab an enemy. Grabbed enemies will be thrown straight down.|name2=Flame Wave|desc2=Dash forward to grab an enemy and blast them into the air into other enemies.|name3=Flame Chain|desc3=Dash forward and strike enemies repeatedly rather than grab them.}}

Ganondorf performs a similar rushing move in ''{{s|zeldawiki|The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess}}'' that kills one of the sages who impaled him, though lacking the dark flames. In the [[Nintendo GameCube|GameCube]] version of ''Twilight Princess'', Ganondorf uses his right hand, which is inscribed with the [[zeldawiki:Triforce|Triforce of Power]], whereas in ''Brawl'', he uses his left hand. Ganondorf's slight ambidextrous capabilities in ''Brawl'' are likely due to the mirrored [[Wii]] version of ''Twilight Princess''. Ganondorf holding the opponent in the air is reminiscent of him holding {{s|zeldawiki|Tetra}} up by her throat in ''{{s|zeldawiki|The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker}}''. When using the Flame Choke mid-air, the consequential slam is very reminiscent of his ground-pound move from ''[[The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time]]'', making the reference twofold.

FlameChoke-Origin1.jpeg|Ganondorf killing the water sage in ''The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess''.