Autolink angle

The hitboxes of the pre-final hits of Super Jump Punch in Brawl, an example of an attack that utilizes the autolink angle.

The autolink angle is a special knockback angle programmed into certain attacks in Brawl and Smash 4. While it reads in the game data as an angle of 362, 365, 366, or 367 degrees (363 degrees in Brawl), the game treats it rather differently - instead, targets are sent in whatever direction the attacker is moving.

The primary use of the angle is to ensure that enemies will stay trapped by certain multi-hitting moves that cause or require their users to move, almost always through the air; the angle manifests itself in the likes of Super Jump Punch, as well as a sizable quantity of multi-hitting aerial attacks.

The angle does not exist in Smash 64 or Melee; attacks with the angle in Brawl have fixed angles in the other two games. The angle is notably much more common in Smash 4 than Brawl, as many characters possessing multi-hitting aerial attacks had these moves adjusted to include it. It is typically considered favorable for an attack to employ the autolink angle, as it allows the move to be connect more reliably and sometimes be used in more versatile ways than one that has a static, unchanging angle.

Via its downward nature, the autolink angle is also considered to be a form of unconventional meteor smash.

Many moves that feature autolink angles do not have fixed knockback, however regardless of the value of the knockback, the knockback velocity will be fixed to allow the hits to link properly. If the game detects that the fighter using an autolink move will hit the ground before the next hit of the move comes out, the victim will be launched with the full knockback value, at the same angle as the finisher. There is an issue with the autolink angle on grounded opponents, where the first hit will fail to limit the knockback velocity, meaning that moves with autolink angles may fail to link properly at higher percents when used on grounded opponents (e.g Luigi Cyclone).

List of attacks that use the autolink angle

By characters

Character	Move(s)	Games
Bayonetta	Up special
Bowser Jr.	Down aerial
Cloud	Limit Neutral special
	Side special (hit 1)
	Limit Side special (hits 1-2)
Dark Pit	Up tilt (hit 2)
	Up smash (hit 1)
	Forward aerial (hits 1-2)
Diddy Kong	Dash attack (hit 2)
Dr. Mario	Down aerial
	Dr. Tornado (aerial)
Falco	Neutral aerial
	Forward aerial
	Up special (hits 9-14)
Fox	Forward aerial
Greninja	Back aerial
	Up aerial
King Dedede	Up aerial
Kirby	Forward aerial
	Down aerial
Little Mac	Neutral aerial
	Up special
Luigi	Down special
Lucas	Neutral aerial
Mario	Super Jump Punch
Mega Man	Up smash (hits 2-6)
	Back aerial (hits 1-2)
Meta Knight	Up smash (hits 1-2)
	Forward aerial (pre-1.0.4 in Smash 4)
	Back aerial
	Neutral special
	Side special
Mr. Game & Watch	Back aerial (hit 1-3)
Ness	Down smash (back hit)
	Forward aerial
Palutena	Up tilt
	Neutral aerial
	Up aerial
	Black Hole Laser
Peach	Up aerial (hit 1)
	Neutral special
	Up special
Pikachu	Back aerial
Pit	Up tilt (hit 2)
	Up smash(hit 1)
	Forward aerial (hits 1-2)
Robin	Neutral b (Arc thunder)
Rosalina & Luma	Forward aerial (Rosalina's)
Roy	Up special
Ryu	Up aerial (hit 1)
Samus	Forward aerial
	Up special (hit 4-11 aerial only)
Sheik	Up aerial
Sonic	Up tilt (late hitbox only)
Toon Link	Up special (aerial hits 1-3)
Yoshi	Back aerial
Zelda	Up smash
	Neutral aerial
Zero Suit Samus	Up special (hit 6)