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[[File:Knee Smash.png|250px|thumb|Captain Falcon using [[Knee Smash]], his forward aerial attack, in ''Brawl''.]]
:''"fair" redirects here. For the American smasher, see [[Smasher:fair]].''
[[File:JigglypuffFairSSBM.gif|thumb|Jigglypuff's forward aerial attack in ''Melee''.]]
[[File:IkeAttack.jpg|thumb|The ending frame of [[Ike (SSB4)|Ike]]'s forward aerial in {{forwiiu}}.]]


The '''forward aerial''' (abbreviated as "fair", "FAir", or "AFA", referred in the ''Brawl'' manual as '''"Front air"''' and as '''AttackAirF''' internally) is an [[aerial attack]] that is performed in midair by pressing the [[attack]] button and tilting the [[control stick]]/[[d-pad]] in the direction the character is facing. Its official term varies between titles, where it is known as a '''front midair attack''' in ''[[Melee]]'', and a '''front air attack''' in ''[[Brawl]]'' and ''[[Smash 4]]''.
[[File:ZeldaUltimateForwardAir.jpg|250px|thumb|{{SSBU|Zelda}} using [[Lightning Kick]], forward aerial attack in ''Ultimate'']]
[[File:Knee Smash.png|250px|thumb|{{SSBB|Captain Falcon}} using [[Knee Smash]], his forward aerial attack, in ''Brawl''.]]
[[File:JigglypuffFairSSBM.gif|250px|thumb|{{SSBM|Jigglypuff}}'s forward aerial attack in ''Melee''.]]
A '''forward aerial''' ({{ja|前空中攻撃|Mae kūchū kōgeki}}, ''Front/Forward midair attack''; commonly abbreviated as '''Fair''' or '''f-air''', and referred to as '''AttackAirF''' internally) is an [[aerial attack]] that is performed in midair by pressing the [[attack]] button and tilting the [[control stick]] in the direction the character is facing. Its official term varies between titles; it is known as a '''front midair attack''' in ''[[Super Smash Bros. Melee]]'', a '''front air attack''' in ''[[Super Smash Bros. Brawl]]'' and ''[[Super Smash Bros. 4]]'', and a '''forward air attack''' in ''[[Super Smash Bros. Ultimate]]''. Forward aerials are typically weak, but are fast with a long range, making them well suited to the [[neutral game]] and [[edgeguarding]].


==List of forward aerials in ''[[Super Smash Bros.]]''==
==List of forward aerials==
{|class="wikitable"
{| class="wikitable"
!Character
!Description
!Damage
|-
|-
|{{SSB|Captain Falcon}}||Does two kicks. Will become Falcon's neutral aerial in future ''Smash Bros.'' iterations. First hit combos into up smash. 2nd hit has enough shield stun to forward throw out of it.||22% if both hits connect.
! Character !! Description
|-
|-
|{{SSB|Donkey Kong}}||Punches downwards. A good spike move for edgeguarding. Combos into giant punch and into another forward aerial at middle to high percentages. Most known for its ability to be used vs. shields into a dash grab or down special.||16%
|[[Banjo]] & [[Kazooie]]||Banjo swings one fist in a downward arc.
|-
|-
|{{SSB|Fox}}||Does a drill kick in front of him. Another good aerial move of Fox's Combos into up smash and virtually all of his aerials. Good approaching and baiting tactics.||12%
|[[Bayonetta]]||Whips one of her hand pistols forward, then the other one, and finally follows up with an overhead axe kick. A three-stage [[natural combo]].
|-
|-
|{{SSB|Jigglypuff}}||Kicks in front of itself. Good range. Can "[[wall of pain]]" similar to ''Melee'' but to less of an extent. Combos into a [[Rest]].||8-13%
|[[Bowser]]||{{GameIcon|SSBM}} Swings one arm in a downward arc.<br/>{{GameIcon|SSBB}}{{GameIcon|SSB4}}{{GameIcon|SSBU}} Swipes his claws with one arm in a downward arc.
|-
|-
|{{SSB|Kirby}}||Does a drill kick in front of him. A very useful combo move. Down aerial&rarr;up tilt&rarr;short hop&rarr;forward aerial&rarr;forward smash is one of Kirby's staple combos.||20% if all hits connect.
|[[Bowser Jr.]]||Deploys a wrecking ball from the [[Koopa Clown Car]] and waves it in front of himself. Possesses a landing hitbox.
|-
|-
|{{SSB|Link}}||Swings his sword in front of him. Link's strongest aerial in terms of [[knockback]]. His main combo ender outside of [[up special move]] and [[forward smash]].||20% if both hits connect.
|[[Byleth]]||Hits with the side of Areadbhar's blade.
|-
|-
|{{SSB|Luigi}}||Luigi kicks forward while spinning. Good edgeguarding tool. Good range compared to Luigi's other aerials. Combos into the Hyrule tent into an up special.||16%
|[[Captain Falcon]]||{{GameIcon|SSB}} Throws out two consecutive kicks with his respective legs. From ''Melee'' onward, this is his [[neutral aerial]].<br/>{{GameIcon|SSBM}}{{GameIcon|SSBB}}{{GameIcon|SSB4}}{{GameIcon|SSBU}} A knee strike that is extremely powerful during its first active [[frame]]s, but much weaker during its later frames. It is known as the [[Knee Smash]].
|-
|-
|{{SSB|Mario}}||It is similar to Luigi's move. It is good versus certain characters like Jigglypuff. It has good range.||16%
|[[Charizard]]||{{GameIcon|SSBB}} Flaps its wings forward to send out a fiery wind, hitting multiple times.<br/>{{GameIcon|SSB4}}{{GameIcon|SSBU}} Swipes its claws with one arm in a downward arc.
|-
|-
|{{SSB|Ness}}||Throws his hands out forcefully, knocking the opponent backwards. Similar to his [[dash attack]].||12%
|[[Chrom]]||Slashes in a heavy downward arc.
|-
|-
|{{SSB|Pikachu}}||Thrusts its head forward, doing [[electric]] damage. Would be a very useful [[combo]] move if it was more difficult to [[DI]] out of drills. Combos into [[up smash]] and all other aerial attacks. Not as heavily disjointed as Pikachu's other aerials.||21% if all hits connect.
|[[Cloud]]||Slashes in a large downward arc with a double grip after a delay.
|-
|-
|{{SSB|Samus}}||Bursts out fire out of her arm gun. A useful combo move. It has high [[damage]] and is good at breaking down shields. Combos into down aerial.||20% if all hits connect.
|[[Corrin]]||Slashes in a downward arc.
|-
|-
|{{SSB|Yoshi}}||Thrusts its head downwards. A useful edgeguarding move and both a combo starter and a combo ender. Combos into his [[down special move]] on the ground. It can [[meteor smash]] an opponent.||18%
|[[Daisy]]||Grabs her crown and swings it in a downward arc.
|}
 
==List of forward aerials in ''[[Super Smash Bros. Melee]]''==
{|class="wikitable"
!Character
!Description
!Damage
|-
|{{SSBM|Bowser}}||Claws forwards. Good for edgeguarding.||9-14%
|-
|{{SSBM|Captain Falcon}}||The [[Knee Smash]]. Very powerful when sweetspotted.||18% when [[sweetspot]]ted, 5-6% when sourspotted.
|-
|{{SSBM|Donkey Kong}}||Clutches his hands together and punches down. Meteor smashes at the end of the move.||16%
|-
|{{SSBM|Dr. Mario}}||Similar to Mario. Good for KOing.||17% sweetspotted, 16% sourspotted.
|-
|{{SSBM|Falco}}||Similar to Fox. Five kicks in front.||27% if all hits connect.
|-
|{{SSBM|Fox}}||Kicks forward five times.||17% if all hits connect.
|-
|{{SSBM|Ganondorf}}||Nicknamed the "[[Skull Crusher]]." Punches downwards. Great KO move.||17%
|-
|{{SSBM|Ice Climbers}}||Swings their hammer down. Meteor smashes if timed well.||10% both, up to 20%.
|-
|{{SSBM|Jigglypuff}}||Kicks forward with its legs.||12%
|-
|{{SSBM|Kirby}}||Kicks forward three times.||16% if all hits connect.
|-
|{{SSBM|Link}}||Horizontally spins twice while slashing with his sword.||13% first hit, 7% second hit.
|-
|{{SSBM|Luigi}}||A quick karate chop. High horizontal knockback and is one of his primary KO'ing aerial attacks.||12%
|-
|{{SSBM|Mario}}||Punches downwards. [[Meteor smash]]es.||15%
|-
|{{SSBM|Marth}}||Slashes forwards.||9% (base), 10% (middle), 13% (tip)
|-
|{{SSBM|Mewtwo}}||Slashes forwards with its claw infused with darkness.||14%
|-
|{{SSBM|Mr. Game & Watch}}||Swings a box forwards.||16% first few frames, 6% later frames.
|-
|{{SSBM|Ness}}||Shoots multiple PSI shots out of his hands.||15% if all hits connect.
|-
|{{SSBM|Peach}}||Slaps forward with her crown.||8-15%
|-
|{{SSBM|Pichu}}||Similar to Pikachu. Spins forward emitting sparks.||7% damage if all hits connect. Pichu will do 4% damage to itself when using this move.
|-
|{{SSBM|Pikachu}}||Twirls forward while emitting sparks.||8% if all hits connect.
|-
|{{SSBM|Roy}}||Similar to Marth.||8%
|-
|{{SSBM|Samus}}||Shoots with her cannon in an arc in front of herself.||23% if all hits connect.
|-
|{{SSBM|Sheik}}||Does a quick karate chop. [[Semi-spike]]s.||13%
|-
|{{SSBM|Yoshi}}||Swings head downwards while flipping. Meteor smashes powerfully.||17%
|-
|{{SSBM|Young Link}}||Similar to Link.||12% first hit,
|-
|{{SSBM|Zelda}}||The "[[Lightning Kick]]". Zelda kicks forward. Powerful if [[sweet spot (hitbox)|sweetspotted]].|| 20% sweetspotted, 9% sourspotted.
|}
 
==List of forward aerials in ''[[Super Smash Bros. Brawl]]''==
{|class="wikitable"
!Character
!Description
!Damage
|-
|{{SSBB|Bowser}}||Slashes forwards. It looks like his [[Flying Slam]] (or [[Koopa Klaw]]).||13% on his hand, 12% on arm, 11% on shoulder.
|-
|{{SSBB|Captain Falcon}}||Known as the [[Knee Smash]]. Very powerful when sweet spotted, which is difficult.||19% if sweetpotted, 3% if sourspotted.
|-
|{{SSBB|Charizard}}||Covers himself with his wings and breaths fire outwards with good horizontal knockback and range, making it good for the [[wall of pain]]. Oddly, if the opponent is far enough away from Charizard, they will not take any knockback or hitstun from this attack - just damage.||10% if all hits connect.
|-
|-
|{{SSBB|Diddy Kong}}||Kicks out both legs and spins around. Similar to Mario's [[back aerial]].||14% clean, 11% late.
|[[Dark Pit]]||Performs a series of horizontal buzzsaw-like slashes with the Silver Bow, hitting multiple times.
|-
|-
|{{SSBB|Donkey Kong}}||Swings both hands down, clasped together. A very powerful but slow move that can meteor smash.||16%
|[[Dark Samus]]||Unleashes five small electric blasts from her Arm Cannon from top to bottom.
|-
|-
|{{SSBB|Falco}}||Barrel rolls with his body horizontal, hitting five times with his head/beak. Has high landing lag.||11% if all five hits connect.
|[[Diddy Kong]]||Performs a spinning dropkick.
|-
|-
|{{SSBB|Fox}}||Five fast kicks; gives a slight hovering effect.||23% if all hits connect.
|[[Donkey Kong]]||Performs a [[Wikipedia:Professional wrestling attacks#Double axe handle|double axe handle]] swing.
|-
|-
|{{SSBB|Ganondorf}}||Punches his fist downward, similar to Mario's forward aerial. Nicknamed the "[[Skull Crusher]]." Stronger and higher in knockback but does not spike and has a large landing lag. Also ties with Bowser's [[down aerial]] as the aerial attack with the longest duration.||17% if sweetspotted, 15% if sourspotted.
|[[Dr. Mario]]||Swings one fist in a downward arc.
|-
|-
|{{SSBB|Ice Climbers}}||Swing hammers downward. Secondary climber's hammer can meteor smash.||12% leader, 12% partner if sweetspotted, 7% partner if sourspotted.
|[[Duck Hunt]]||The dog thrusts his lower back to propel the duck, who performs a corkscrew peck.
|-
|-
|{{SSBB|Ike}}||Swings sword downward. Has great range, but has long start up lag like most of his moves.||13%
|[[Falco]]||{{GameIcon|SSBM}} Performs five consecutive spin kicks.<br/>{{GameIcon|SSBB}}{{GameIcon|SSB4}}{{GameIcon|SSBU}} Spins in a horizontal corkscrew to perform a drilling peck, hitting multiple times. Possesses a landing hitbox in ''Smash 4'' and ''Ultimate''.
|-
|-
|{{SSBB|Ivysaur}}||Whips forward with vines. Vertical knockback.||12%
|[[Fox]]||{{GameIcon|SSB}} Performs a spinning dropkick.<br/>{{GameIcon|SSBM}} Performs five consecutive spin kicks.<br/>{{GameIcon|SSBB}}{{GameIcon|SSB4}}{{GameIcon|SSBU}} Performs five spin kicks in quick succession, rising slightly with each kick. Possesses a landing hitbox in ''Ultimate''.
|-
|-
|{{SSBB|Jigglypuff}}||Kicks forward with both feet. Can be used for [[wall of pain]] techniques.||12%
|[[Ganondorf]]||Punches in a large downward arc.
|-
|-
|{{SSBB|King Dedede}}||Swings his hammer upwards. Reliably KOs under 150%.||15% damage.
|[[Greninja]]||Slashes horizontally with a large kunai made out of water.
|-
|-
|{{SSBB|Kirby}}||Three fast foot slices forward. When combined with a jump this gives slight horizontal recovery.||12% if all hits connect.
|[[Hero]]||Slashes in a heavy downward arc.
|-
|-
|{{SSBB|Link}}||Swings sword forward and spins around, then swings it again. Its second hit is more powerful, but the first hit only comboes into the second hit at low percentages.||9% Hit 1, 12% Hit 2, up to 21%.
|[[Ice Climbers]]||Swing their hammers in a downward arc.
|-
|-
|{{SSBB|Lucario}}||Kicks forward; aura appears at the end of the foot. Inflicts little damage but can combo. It can be used twice in one [[short hop]].||4% weakest, 7% strongest.
|[[Ike]]||Slashes in a downward arc.
|-
|-
|{{SSBB|Lucas}}||Kicks forward with PSI energy at the end of his foot.||12% sweetspotted, 10% sourspotted, 8% late.
|[[Incineroar]]||Performs a dropkick.
|-
|-
|{{SSBB|Luigi}}||Karate chops forward. Quick and weak though it can still KO at 150% (unless edgeguarding). ||10%
|[[Inkling]]||Performs a dropkick.
|-
|-
|{{SSBB|Mario}}||Arcs his arm downward as his fist enlarges. Can be a [[meteor smash]] if the opponent is near to Mario.||13%
|[[Isabelle]]||Fires a pellet from a slingshot.
|-
|-
|{{SSBB|Marth}}||Swings sword downward. Can fit two in one short hop.||13% tipped, 10% untipped.
|[[Ivysaur]]||Swings both vines in a downward arc.
|-
|-
|{{SSBB|Meta Knight}}||Three very fast sword slashes. The first two hits can be ground-canceled, and from this, Meta Knight can lead in to almost any move.||10% if all hits connect.
|[[Jigglypuff]]||Performs a dropkick.
|-
|-
|{{SSBB|Mr. Game & Watch}}||Swings a box forward. Powerful if hits when it comes out, but has high landing lag. If hit after it comes out, it deals a weak hit.||16% clean, 6% late.
|[[Joker]]||Throws out two consecutive kicks with his respective legs. If active, Arsene throws out a roundhouse kick in tandem with Joker's second kick.
|-
|-
|{{SSBB|Ness}}||Creates small bubbles of PSI energy for multiple hits. Good for combos.||11% damage if all hits connect.
|[[Kazuya]]||Performs a flying kick.
|-
|-
|{{SSBB|Olimar}}||Swings a Pikmin in front of him.||Red Pikmin: 15%, Blue: 13%, Yellow: 12%, White: 5%, Purple: 14%.
|[[Ken]]||Performs a flying kick.
|-
|-
|{{SSBB|Peach}}||Slaps her crown forward. Often considered her best KO move.||15%
|[[King Dedede]]||{{GameIcon|SSBB}} Swings his hammer in an upward arc from a horizontal spin.<br/>{{GameIcon|SSB4}}{{GameIcon|SSBU}} Swings his hammer in a downward arc from a somersault.
|-
|-
|{{SSBB|Pikachu}}||Spins forward surrounded by electricity. Multiple hits available. Similar to Sonic and Falco's forward aerials.||11% damage if all hits connect.
|[[King K. Rool]]||Performs a dropkick.
|-
|-
|{{SSBB|Pit}}||Stabs both swords forward. Has a bit of start-up lag.||14%
|[[Kirby]]||{{GameIcon|SSB}} Performs a spinning dropkick, hitting multiple times.<br/>{{GameIcon|SSBM}}{{GameIcon|SSBB}}{{GameIcon|SSB4}}{{GameIcon|SSBU}} Performs three consecutive spin kicks. Possesses a landing hitbox in ''Melee''.
|-
|-
|{{SSBB|R.O.B.}}||Pushes its hands forward in midair. Good for wall of pain.||10% if clean hit.
|[[Link]]||{{GameIcon|SSB}} Slashes horizontally in a circle around himself.<br/>{{GameIcon|SSBM}}{{GameIcon|SSBB}}{{GameIcon|SSB4}}{{GameIcon|SSBU}} Slashes horizontally in front of himself, then does a full spin and delivers a second slash.
|-
|{{SSBB|Samus}}||Creates a few small blasts with her arm cannon, slowly moving them downward. Has no landing lag.||3-4% per hit, 18% if all hits connect.
|-
|{{SSBB|Sheik}}||Karate chops forward. Similar in power and knockback to Luigi's karate chop but with less range.||9%
|-
|{{SSBB|Snake}}||Brings his leg upward, then ax-kicks. Slight upward boost, the foot spikes very powerully, the leg sends the opponent upwards with slight horizontal knockback as well. Strongest forward aerial meteor smash in ''Brawl''.||15%
|-
|{{SSBB|Sonic}}||Spins around headfirst very quickly. Has high landing lag. Similar to Falco and Pikachu's forward aerials.||14% if all hits connect.
|-
|{{SSBB|Squirtle}}||Sticks feet forward. Similar to Mario's back aerial.|| 12% clean, 6% late.
|-
|{{SSBB|Toon Link}}||Swings sword upward. Similar in animation to his back aerial, but a bit slower, though it is a much better finisher with high knockback.||13%
|-
|{{SSBB|Wario}}||Kicks forward. Has below average knockback but lasts a very long time, good for [[wall of pain]].||7%
|-
|{{SSBB|Wolf}}||Slashes forward. Has upward knockback and is one of his best KO moves.||11%
|-
|{{SSBB|Yoshi}}||Swings his head downward. Can meteor smash.||16% body, 15% head.
|-
|{{SSBB|Zelda}}||[[Lightning Kick]]. Kicks forward with a powerful sweet spot on her foot.||20% if sweetspotted, 4% if sourspotted.
|-
|{{SSBB|Zero Suit Samus}}||Two very fast kicks. The first kick is weaker but often cannot combo into the second hit.||6% first kick, 11% second kick, for up to 17%.
|}
 
==List of forward aerials in ''[[Super Smash Bros. 4]]''==
{{incomplete|G&W, Miis, Bowser Jr. %, Duckhunt}}
{|class="wikitable" width="85%"
!Character
!Description
!Damage
|-
|-
|{{SSB4|Bowser}}||Slashes diagonally downwards.|| 13%
|[[Little Mac]]||Weakly throws out a hook.
|-
|-
|{{SSB4|Bowser Jr.}}||Swings a wrecking ball in front of himself.|| 7% (early) 11% (clean) 5% (late)
|[[Lucario]]||Performs a stretch kick.
|-
|-
|{{SSB4|Captain Falcon}}||Captain Falcon jabs a knee forward. It has very high knockback when sweetspotted, but has a large landing lag.|| 19% (clean sweetspot), 6% (clean sourspot), 3% (late)
|[[Lucas]]||Performs a lunging kick, releasing a PSI spark from his foot.
|-
|-
|{{SSB4|Charizard}}||Slices the air with its talons. || 12%
|[[Lucina]]||Slashes in a downward arc.
|-
|-
|{{SSB4|Dark Pit}}||Spins his blades horizontally, hitting multiple times. || 1% (individual hits) 4% (finish) 7% (total)
|[[Luigi]]||{{GameIcon|SSB}} Peforms a spinning dropkick.<br/>{{GameIcon|SSBM}}{{GameIcon|SSBB}}{{GameIcon|SSB4}}{{GameIcon|SSBU}} Performs a vertical knifehand strike.
|-
|-
|{{SSB4|Diddy Kong}}||Quickly kicks his feet in front of him. || 10%
|[[Mario]]||{{GameIcon|SSB}} Peforms a spinning dropkick.<br/>{{GameIcon|SSBM}}{{GameIcon|SSBB}}{{GameIcon|SSB4}}{{GameIcon|SSBU}} Swings one fist in a downward arc.
|-
|-
|{{SSBB|Donkey Kong}}||Thrusts his fists in front of him, bringing them down from over his head. || 16%, 15% at the meteor smash hit
|[[Marth]]||Slashes in a downward arc.
|-
|-
|{{SSB4|Dr. Mario}}||Throws a powerful punch, some start-up lag. || 11.2% (early), 16.8% (clean), 10.08% (late)
|[[Mega Man]]||Swings his Flame Sword in a downward arc.
|-
|-
|{{SSB4|Duck Hunt}}||The dog thrusts the duck forward, who attacks with its beak. || 6%, 10% (sweetspot)
|[[Meta Knight]]||Performs three consecutive arcing slashes.
|-
|-
|{{SSB4|Falco}}||Thrusts his head forward and spins, has considerable knockback with its final hit. || 8% if all hits connect
|[[Mewtwo]]||Swipes horizontally with one hand infused with dark energy.
|-
|-
|{{SSB4|Fox}}||Releases a flurry of several kicks. || 7% if all hits connect
|[[Mii Brawler]]||Throws out two consecutive kicks with their respective legs.
|-
|-
|{{SSB4|Ganondorf}}||Unleashes an overwhelmingly powerful punch, has great knockback, but a lot of landing lag. || 17% (fist), 16% (arm)
|[[Mii Gunner]]||Fires a blue energy shot from their arm cannon.
|-
|-
|{{SSB4|Greninja}}||Cuts the air in front of it with a blade of water, it has some start up lag. || 14%
|[[Mii Swordfighter]]||Performs three consecutive stabs at different angles.
|-
|-
|{{SSB4|Ike}}||Swings his sword in front of him, dragging it below his feet where it can also hit beneath him. || 12%
|[[Min Min]]||Extends and fires her ARMS. Can also change depending on Megawatt, Ramram, and Dragon.
|-
|-
|{{SSB4|Jigglypuff}}||Kicks its feet out in front of it. || 9%
|[[Mr. Game & Watch]]||{{GameIcon|SSBM}}{{GameIcon|SSBB}}{{GameIcon|SSB4}} Thrusts a cement brick in front of himself.<br/>{{GameIcon|SSBU}} Tosses out an igniting bomb downwards, exploding after half a second or hitting a part of the stage (platforms).
|-
|-
|{{SSB4|King Dedede}}||Swings his large hammer in front of him, dealing considerable knockback. || 12%
|[[Mythra]]||Slashes the Aegis Sword in front of herself in a wide arc starting below herself.
|-
|-
|{{SSB4|Kirby}}||Quickly kicks the air in front of him. || 12% if all hits connect
|[[Ness]]||{{GameIcon|SSB}} Thrusts both palms forward.<br/>{{GameIcon|SSBM}}{{GameIcon|SSBB}}{{GameIcon|SSB4}}{{GameIcon|SSBU}} Thrusts both palms forward and emits PSI sparks from them, hitting multiple times.
|-
|-
|{{SSB4|Link}}||Lashes at the opponent with two strong hits with his sword. Difficult to land both hits at high percents. || 18%
|[[Olimar]]||Grabs his leading Pikmin by its stem and swings it in a downward arc. If no Pikmin are following Olimar, he still performs the move, but it has no effect.
|-
|-
|{{SSB4|Little Mac}}||Sends a very weak uppercut with very low knockback. || 5%
|[[Pac-Man]]||Performs an outward spin kick.
|-
|-
|{{SSB4|Lucario}}||A quick frontal kick with very low end lag and knockback at low percentages. Damage and knockback scale with [[Aura]]. || {{AuraDamageSSB4|6}}
|[[Palutena]]||Performs a lunging kick, releasing a spark from her foot.
|-
|-
|{{SSB4|Lucas}}||Kicks in front of himself with PSI energy surrounding his foot. || ''unknown''
|[[Peach]]||Grabs her crown and swings it in a downward arc.
|-
|-
|{{SSB4|Lucina}}||Quickly lashes in front of her with her sword, low end lag. || 8%
|[[Pichu]]||Spins in a horizontal corkscrew and discharges electricity from its head, hitting multiple times. Deals [[recoil damage]] to Pichu.
|-
|-
|{{SSB4|Luigi}}||Chops in front of him horizontally with his hand, has extremely low end lag, being able to use this attack twice out of his short hop. || 9%
|[[Pikachu]]||Spins in a horizontal corkscrew and discharges electricity from its head, hitting multiple times.
|-
|-
|{{SSB4|Mario}}||Releases a powerful punch with some startup lag. Unlike Dr. Mario's forward air, this move is capable of meteoring when sweetspotted. || 12% (early), 14% (clean), 10% (late)
|[[Piranha Plant]]||Swings its pot in an upward arc.
|-
|-
|{{SSB4|Marth}}||A fast slice with his sword, has a sweetspot at the tip of the sword unlike Lucina, which deals more damage and knockback. Other parts of the sword deal less damage and knockback however. || 10% (tipper) 7% (base)
|[[Pit]]||{{GameIcon|SSBB}} Separates the Palutena bow and stabs with both blades simultaneously.<br/>{{GameIcon|SSB4}}{{GameIcon|SSBU}} Performs a series of horizontal buzzsaw-like slashes with the Palutena Bow, hitting multiple times.
|-
|-
|{{SSB4|Mega Man}}||Chops the air with a firey sword, very little startup lag. || 8%
|[[Pyra]]||Slashes the Aegis Sword in front of herself in a wide arc starting below herself.
|-
|-
|{{SSB4|Meta Knight}}||A very quick multi-hit attack with his sword. || 2.2% (hits 1-2 for grounded opponents), 1.5% (hits 1-2 for aerial opponents), 3% (hit 3)
|[[R.O.B.]]||Swings both arms in a downward arc.
|-
|-
|{{SSB4|Mewtwo}}|| Mewtwo swipes forward. || 13%
|[[Richter]]||Whips horizontally with the Vampire Killer. Can be [[Angling|angle]]d diagonally up or down, and function as a [[tether recovery]].
|-
|-
|{{SSB4|Mii Brawler}}||Two kicks in front, similar to Zero Suit Samus. || 4% (first hit) 6% (second hit)
|[[Ridley]]||Performs three consecutive stabs with his tail at different angles.
|-
|-
|{{SSB4|Mii Gunner}}||Fires a single energy shot. The force slightly pushes back the Mii Gunner. || 6%
|[[Robin]]||Slashes in an upward arc ending in front of himself. Can use either the Bronze Sword or the Levin Sword.
|-
|-
|{{SSB4|Mii Swordfighter}}||Stabs forward multiple times. || 11% if all hits connect
|[[Rosalina]] & [[Luma]]||''Rosalina:'' Somersaults backward and emits a starry trail from her feet in front of herself, hitting multiple times.<br/>''Luma:'' Performs a headbutt.
|-
|-
|{{SSB4|Mr. Game & Watch}}||Swings a box forwards. || 11% (early) 12% (clean) 6% (late)
|[[Roy]]||{{GameIcon|SSBM}} Slashes in an downward arc.<br/>{{GameIcon|SSB4}}{{GameIcon|SSBU}} Slashes in a heavy downward arc.
|-
|-
|{{SSB4|Ness}}||Releases a pulse of PSI power with multi-hit properties, making it excellent for linking into combos. Has very low end lag. || 7% if all hits connect
|[[Ryu]]||Performs a flying kick.
|-
|-
|{{SSB4|Olimar}}||Olimar swings a Pikmin in front of him, useless without Pikmin. The purple one has the strongest knockback and most damage, with the white being the weakest overall. || 6% (white) 8% (yellow and blue) 10% (red) 11% (purple)
|[[Samus]]||Unleashes five small fiery blasts from her Arm Cannon from top to bottom.
|-
|-
|{{SSB4|Pac-Man}}||Sends a quick kick in front of him with very low end lag, being able to launch this attack twice in a short hop. || 5%
|[[Sephiroth]]||Stabs forward with the Masamune.
|-
|-
|{{SSB4|Palutena}}||A quick, sharp kick with considerable ending lag. || 7%
|[[Sheik]]||Swipes her arm in a downward arc.
|-
|-
|{{SSB4|Peach}}||Peach takes her crown off her head and slaps the opponent with it, dealing a large amount of knockback and damage. || 15%
|[[Shulk]]||Slashes in a downward arc.
|-
|-
|{{SSB4|Pikachu}}||Pikachu electrocutes its opponent. || 9%
|[[Simon]]||Whips horizontally with the Vampire Killer. Can be angled diagonally up or down, and function as a tether recovery.
|-
|-
|{{SSB4|Pit}}||Spins two blades horizontally, hitting three times. It is identical to Dark Pit's. || 7%
|[[Snake]]||Performs an axe kick.
|-
|-
|{{SSB4|R.O.B.}}||R.O.B. chops in front of him with his arms, good combo potential and low landing lag. || 7%
|[[Sonic]]||Spins in a horizontal corkscrew, hitting multiple times.
|-
|-
|{{SSB4|Robin}}||Uses his bronze sword or Levin sword and sweeps the area beneath him, dragging the sword up. The Levin sword has much more knockback and damage. || 6% (bronze) 11% (Levin)
|[[Sora]]||A 3 hit combo of a downward swing, an upward swing, and a front-flip swing. Can be canceled at any phase.
|-
|-
|{{SSB4|Rosalina & Luma}}||Rosalina and Luma kick forward in the air, with Rosalina creating a miniature galaxy with multihit properties. || 7% (Rosalina only, if all hits connect) 5% (Luma)
|[[Squirtle]]||{{GameIcon|SSBB}} Performs a dropkick.<br/>{{GameIcon|SSBU}} Performs a dropkick with a water vortex around its legs.
|-
|-
|{{SSB4|Samus}}||Samus releases a series of fire bursts from her arm, they are very hard to link and only the final blast has considerable knockback. || 11% if all hits connect
|[[Steve]]||A arcing forward swing of a pickaxe. If initiated using the short hop aerial shortcut in ''Ultimate'', becomes a quicker forward swing with a sword instead.
|-
|-
|{{SSB4|Sheik}}||A quick slap that deals low knockback, but has great combo potential and very low landing lag. || 5%
|[[Terry]]||A diagonally angled kick.
|-
|-
|{{SSB4|Shulk}}||Shulk slices in the air with great range using his Monado. || 7% (default) 6% (speed) 5% (shield) 10% (buster) 3% (smash)
|[[Toon Link]]||Slashes in an upward arc from a horizontal spin.
|-
|-
|{{SSB4|Sonic}}||Sonic spins himself along the Z axis, hitting the opponent multiple times. || 7% if all hits connect
|[[Villager]]||Fires a pellet from a slingshot.
|-
|-
|{{SSB4|Toon Link}}||A strong slash with his sword with some start and end lag. || 13%
|[[Wario]]||Performs a flying kick.
|-
|-
|{{SSB4|Villager}}||The Villager uses his slingshot while airborne, with damage decreasing as the stone travels more distance. || 7% (point-blank) 4% (medium range) 2% (far range)
|[[Wii Fit Trainer]]||Performs the Single-Leg Extension, stretching an arm in front of herself and a leg behind herself, both at a diagonal angle. The leg part also has a hitbox allowing her to hit someone behind her as well.
|-
|-
|{{SSB4|Wario}}||Wario quickly thrusts his leg out, it has very low start up lag, autocancels, and combos very well. || 7% (clean) 4% (late)
|[[Wolf]]||Swipes his claws with one arm in a downward arc.
|-
|-
|{{SSB4|Wii Fit Trainer}}||Performs the Single Leg Extension pose. The outstretched leg can [[meteor smash]].|| 10% (arm), 6% (leg)
|[[Yoshi]]||Swings his head in a downward arc.
|-
|-
|{{SSB4|Yoshi}}||Yoshi slams his opponent with his head, the nose can meteor. This move as some start up lag. || 15% (body), 14% (head)
|[[Young Link]]||Slashes horizontally in front of himself, then does a full spin and delivers a second slash.
|-
|-
|{{SSB4|Zelda}}||Zelda kicks with an extremely powerful pulse from her feet with great knockback, yet a terrible sourspot. || 20% (sweetspot) 4% (sourspot)
|[[Zelda]]||Performs a magically infused lunging kick that is extremely powerful if it hits near Zelda's foot, but extremely weak otherwise. It is known as the [[Lightning Kick]].
|-
|-
|{{SSB4|Zero Suit Samus}}||Two quick kicks with her rocket heels. The second hit is difficult to chain into after the first. || 12% if both hits connect.
|[[Zero Suit Samus]]||Throws out two consecutive kicks with her respective legs.
|}
|}


==Notable forward aerials==
==Notable forward aerials==
*In ''[[Melee]]'', ''[[Brawl]]'', and ''[[SSB4]]'', [[Captain Falcon]]'s forward aerial is the famous [[Knee Smash]] and has very high KO potential if sweetspotted. It is considered more useful in ''Melee'' than ''Brawl''.
[[File:MarioFairSSBM.gif|250px|thumb|{{SSBM|Mario}}'s forward aerial attack in ''Melee'']]
*[[Ganondorf]]'s forward aerial is nicknamed the [[Skull Crusher]] and has high KO potential, although it is not as powerful or fast as the Knee Smash.
*The forward aerials of [[Cloud]], [[Donkey Kong]], the [[Ice Climbers]] (only Nana's in ''Brawl'' and ''Ultimate''), [[Mario]] (from ''Melee'' onward), [[Steve]], [[Snake]], [[Yoshi]], and [[Wii Fit Trainer]] can all [[meteor smash]].
*{{SSBB|Snake}}'s forward aerial is the most powerful forward aerial meteor smash in ''Brawl''.
**Snake's forward aerial is among the strongest meteor smashes in both ''Brawl'' and ''Ultimate'' and boasts great [[reach]], though its power and range come at the cost of having significant lag.
*[[Zelda]]'s forward aerial is known as the [[Lightning Kick]], and is a powerful finisher at high percents when sweetspotted.
**The meteor smash hitbox of Wii Fit Trainer’s forward aerial is located on her leg, behind her, making it the only forward aerial capable of hitting behind its user.
*[[Marth]]'s forward aerial is considered one of the best in its respective games, due to its fast startup and low ending lag, good range, its edgeguarding capabilities, and versatility.
*Both [[Bayonetta]] and Sora's forward aerials are the only ones in the series to consist of a [[natural combo]].
*In ''Brawl'', {{SSBB|Falco}}'s forward aerial is often considered the worst in the game, due to its poor range, high ending lag, and inferiority to similar attacks, such as {{SSBB|Pikachu}}'s and {{SSBB|Sonic}}'s.
**In Bayonetta's case, her forward aerial in ''Smash 4'' was often considered one of the best forward aerials in the game due to the first hit's large hitboxes and low lag allowing it to easily hit opponents and combo into various other moves (including [[After Burner Kick]] and [[Witch Twist]] to start [[ladder combo]]s), as well as loop into itself to drag opponents offstage. In ''Ultimate'', however, it has been significantly [[nerf]]ed, possessing smaller hitboxes and much more lag that removes all of the first hit's followups aside from the next hits of the natural combo.
*{{SSBU|Simon}} and {{SSBU|Richter}}'s forward aerials have two unique distinctions from every other in the series: they can be [[Angling|angled]] up or down much like [[forward tilt]]s and [[forward smash]]es, and function as [[tether recoveries]]. Their [[back aerial]]s also have these properties.
*The forward aerials of [[Villager]], [[Mii Gunner]], [[Isabelle]], and (in ''Ultimate'') [[Mr. Game & Watch]] are [[projectile]]s, and as such, can be [[reflect]]ed or [[Pocket]]ed, as well as [[absorb]]ed in the case of Mii Gunner and Mr. Game & Watch.
*{{SSBU|Steve}}'s forward aerial is the only one which changes depending on whether it is performed using the short hop aerial shortcut in ''Ultimate'' or not. It is a more powerful pickaxe swing in front of him if performed without the short hop aerial shortcut, but becomes a faster and weaker sword swing with similar properties to [[neutral aerial]] if performed with the short hop aerial shortcut. This property is shared with [[back aerial]].
*[[Captain Falcon]]'s forward aerial from ''Melee'' onward, the famed [[Knee Smash]], deals very high damage and knockback with its clean hit. It is the strongest forward aerial in each game it features in (except in ''Brawl'' where [[Zelda]]'s is stronger). It is considered more useful in ''Melee'' than in later games, due to the former possessing the ability to [[L-cancel]] and more favorable sweetspot placements and superior frame data for the move.
*[[Zelda]]'s forward aerial is one of her [[Lightning Kick]]s, and deals very high damage and knockback at high percents when [[Sweet spot (hitbox)|sweetspotted]], but is extremely weak when sourspotted. Much like Captain Falcon's Knee Smash, it is particularly powerful in ''Melee'', but its utility has been reduced in later games due to the removal of L-canceling, as well as receiving a smaller hitbox on its sweetspot, much more ending lag and a less favorable [[auto-cancel]] window starting in ''Smash 4''.
*[[Marth]]'s forward aerial is considered one of the best in ''Melee'' and ''Brawl'', due to its low lag all around, long range with a wide arc, and edgeguarding capabilities. Starting in ''Smash 4'', however, it was drastically nerfed by receiving more lag (starting, ending and landing) and a shorter hitbox duration, no longer being as safe to use upon landing or if untippered against shields.
*[[Jigglypuff]]'s forward aerial is useful in performing the [[wall of pain]], especially in ''Melee''.  
*[[Jigglypuff]]'s forward aerial is useful in performing the [[wall of pain]], especially in ''Melee''.  
*[[King K. Rool]]'s forward aerial in ''Ultimate'' is widely considered to be one of his best moves overall. While the move has high ending lag in the air, it more than compensates for it with its huge range, lingering hitbox, massive damage, great KO potential and very low landing lag for its power and range. As K. Rool can negate the otherwise high FAF by performing the move close to the ground, the move has very few downsides and thus has extreme versatility: it is very useful and important in neutral due to its safety and high reward, is very safe on shield when spaced correctly, is arguably King K. Rool's best combo starter at low- and mid percents, is a great KO move at higher percents due to it being relatively non-committal for a move with good KO potential, and its also fantastic at ledgetrapping, catching jumps, bad approaches, and even for edgeguarding as of patch 13.0.0. Due to this, the move is extremely important for King K. Rool's general gameplan.
*[[Sheik]]'s forward aerial is one of her best moves for spacing and approaching, and overall one of the best aerials in the series, with an extremely early [[autocancel]] window (starting on frame 11) and long range enabling her to land it multiple times on opponents upon hitting them. In ''Melee'', it is a devastating [[semi-spike]] with very high knockback for its speed. Conversely, its incredibly low knockback in ''Smash 4'' and ''Ultimate'' allows it to freely combo into itself and most of her other moves, including [[Bouncing Fish]].
*[[Fox]]'s forward aerial from ''Brawl'' onward causes him to rise slightly when used. In ''Smash 4'', it is also notable for being able to lead into a [[footstool jump]] offstage if used in a [[fast fall]], which can lead to very early KOs; in ''Ultimate'', this is still possible, albeit significantly harder to pull off.
*[[Mewtwo]]'s forward aerial in both ''Smash 4'' and ''Ultimate'' is known for its sheer versatility, having very low lag all around, decent range, being a potent combo starter at low percents, and having strong KO potential at higher percents due to its knockback scaling. While it was slightly nerfed from ''Smash 4'' to ''Ultimate'', it is still considered to be among the best in the game.
*Much like [[Marth]]'s in ''Melee'' and ''Brawl'', {{SSBU|Wolf}}'s forward aerial in ''Ultimate'' is often considered one of the best in the game due to its deceptively fast startup, low landing lag, wide vertical arc, decent damage output, and high launch angle that synergize well with his fast [[falling speed]] and [[gravity]], allowing it to combo into itself and several other moves even up to high percents.
*[[Min Min]]'s forward aerial is considered the longest ranged forward aerial in the game due to how long it extends, especially when using the Dragon.
*[[Sephiroth]]'s forward aerial can cling to walls up to three times before landing making it useful for recovery.


{{Attacks}}
{{Attacks}}
[[Category:Game Controls]]
[[Category:Aerial attacks]]
[[Category:Forward aerials|*]]
[[Category:Game controls]]
[[es:Ataque aéreo hacia delante]]

Latest revision as of 21:10, August 15, 2024

"fair" redirects here. For the American smasher, see Smasher:fair.
Zelda using Lightning Kick, forward aerial attack in Ultimate
Captain Falcon using Knee Smash, his forward aerial attack, in Brawl.
Jigglypuff's forward aerial attack in Melee.

A forward aerial (前空中攻撃, Front/Forward midair attack; commonly abbreviated as Fair or f-air, and referred to as AttackAirF internally) is an aerial attack that is performed in midair by pressing the attack button and tilting the control stick in the direction the character is facing. Its official term varies between titles; it is known as a front midair attack in Super Smash Bros. Melee, a front air attack in Super Smash Bros. Brawl and Super Smash Bros. 4, and a forward air attack in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. Forward aerials are typically weak, but are fast with a long range, making them well suited to the neutral game and edgeguarding.

List of forward aerials[edit]

Character Description
Banjo & Kazooie Banjo swings one fist in a downward arc.
Bayonetta Whips one of her hand pistols forward, then the other one, and finally follows up with an overhead axe kick. A three-stage natural combo.
Bowser Super Smash Bros. Melee Swings one arm in a downward arc.
Super Smash Bros. BrawlSuper Smash Bros. 4Super Smash Bros. Ultimate Swipes his claws with one arm in a downward arc.
Bowser Jr. Deploys a wrecking ball from the Koopa Clown Car and waves it in front of himself. Possesses a landing hitbox.
Byleth Hits with the side of Areadbhar's blade.
Captain Falcon Super Smash Bros. Throws out two consecutive kicks with his respective legs. From Melee onward, this is his neutral aerial.
Super Smash Bros. MeleeSuper Smash Bros. BrawlSuper Smash Bros. 4Super Smash Bros. Ultimate A knee strike that is extremely powerful during its first active frames, but much weaker during its later frames. It is known as the Knee Smash.
Charizard Super Smash Bros. Brawl Flaps its wings forward to send out a fiery wind, hitting multiple times.
Super Smash Bros. 4Super Smash Bros. Ultimate Swipes its claws with one arm in a downward arc.
Chrom Slashes in a heavy downward arc.
Cloud Slashes in a large downward arc with a double grip after a delay.
Corrin Slashes in a downward arc.
Daisy Grabs her crown and swings it in a downward arc.
Dark Pit Performs a series of horizontal buzzsaw-like slashes with the Silver Bow, hitting multiple times.
Dark Samus Unleashes five small electric blasts from her Arm Cannon from top to bottom.
Diddy Kong Performs a spinning dropkick.
Donkey Kong Performs a double axe handle swing.
Dr. Mario Swings one fist in a downward arc.
Duck Hunt The dog thrusts his lower back to propel the duck, who performs a corkscrew peck.
Falco Super Smash Bros. Melee Performs five consecutive spin kicks.
Super Smash Bros. BrawlSuper Smash Bros. 4Super Smash Bros. Ultimate Spins in a horizontal corkscrew to perform a drilling peck, hitting multiple times. Possesses a landing hitbox in Smash 4 and Ultimate.
Fox Super Smash Bros. Performs a spinning dropkick.
Super Smash Bros. Melee Performs five consecutive spin kicks.
Super Smash Bros. BrawlSuper Smash Bros. 4Super Smash Bros. Ultimate Performs five spin kicks in quick succession, rising slightly with each kick. Possesses a landing hitbox in Ultimate.
Ganondorf Punches in a large downward arc.
Greninja Slashes horizontally with a large kunai made out of water.
Hero Slashes in a heavy downward arc.
Ice Climbers Swing their hammers in a downward arc.
Ike Slashes in a downward arc.
Incineroar Performs a dropkick.
Inkling Performs a dropkick.
Isabelle Fires a pellet from a slingshot.
Ivysaur Swings both vines in a downward arc.
Jigglypuff Performs a dropkick.
Joker Throws out two consecutive kicks with his respective legs. If active, Arsene throws out a roundhouse kick in tandem with Joker's second kick.
Kazuya Performs a flying kick.
Ken Performs a flying kick.
King Dedede Super Smash Bros. Brawl Swings his hammer in an upward arc from a horizontal spin.
Super Smash Bros. 4Super Smash Bros. Ultimate Swings his hammer in a downward arc from a somersault.
King K. Rool Performs a dropkick.
Kirby Super Smash Bros. Performs a spinning dropkick, hitting multiple times.
Super Smash Bros. MeleeSuper Smash Bros. BrawlSuper Smash Bros. 4Super Smash Bros. Ultimate Performs three consecutive spin kicks. Possesses a landing hitbox in Melee.
Link Super Smash Bros. Slashes horizontally in a circle around himself.
Super Smash Bros. MeleeSuper Smash Bros. BrawlSuper Smash Bros. 4Super Smash Bros. Ultimate Slashes horizontally in front of himself, then does a full spin and delivers a second slash.
Little Mac Weakly throws out a hook.
Lucario Performs a stretch kick.
Lucas Performs a lunging kick, releasing a PSI spark from his foot.
Lucina Slashes in a downward arc.
Luigi Super Smash Bros. Peforms a spinning dropkick.
Super Smash Bros. MeleeSuper Smash Bros. BrawlSuper Smash Bros. 4Super Smash Bros. Ultimate Performs a vertical knifehand strike.
Mario Super Smash Bros. Peforms a spinning dropkick.
Super Smash Bros. MeleeSuper Smash Bros. BrawlSuper Smash Bros. 4Super Smash Bros. Ultimate Swings one fist in a downward arc.
Marth Slashes in a downward arc.
Mega Man Swings his Flame Sword in a downward arc.
Meta Knight Performs three consecutive arcing slashes.
Mewtwo Swipes horizontally with one hand infused with dark energy.
Mii Brawler Throws out two consecutive kicks with their respective legs.
Mii Gunner Fires a blue energy shot from their arm cannon.
Mii Swordfighter Performs three consecutive stabs at different angles.
Min Min Extends and fires her ARMS. Can also change depending on Megawatt, Ramram, and Dragon.
Mr. Game & Watch Super Smash Bros. MeleeSuper Smash Bros. BrawlSuper Smash Bros. 4 Thrusts a cement brick in front of himself.
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate Tosses out an igniting bomb downwards, exploding after half a second or hitting a part of the stage (platforms).
Mythra Slashes the Aegis Sword in front of herself in a wide arc starting below herself.
Ness Super Smash Bros. Thrusts both palms forward.
Super Smash Bros. MeleeSuper Smash Bros. BrawlSuper Smash Bros. 4Super Smash Bros. Ultimate Thrusts both palms forward and emits PSI sparks from them, hitting multiple times.
Olimar Grabs his leading Pikmin by its stem and swings it in a downward arc. If no Pikmin are following Olimar, he still performs the move, but it has no effect.
Pac-Man Performs an outward spin kick.
Palutena Performs a lunging kick, releasing a spark from her foot.
Peach Grabs her crown and swings it in a downward arc.
Pichu Spins in a horizontal corkscrew and discharges electricity from its head, hitting multiple times. Deals recoil damage to Pichu.
Pikachu Spins in a horizontal corkscrew and discharges electricity from its head, hitting multiple times.
Piranha Plant Swings its pot in an upward arc.
Pit Super Smash Bros. Brawl Separates the Palutena bow and stabs with both blades simultaneously.
Super Smash Bros. 4Super Smash Bros. Ultimate Performs a series of horizontal buzzsaw-like slashes with the Palutena Bow, hitting multiple times.
Pyra Slashes the Aegis Sword in front of herself in a wide arc starting below herself.
R.O.B. Swings both arms in a downward arc.
Richter Whips horizontally with the Vampire Killer. Can be angled diagonally up or down, and function as a tether recovery.
Ridley Performs three consecutive stabs with his tail at different angles.
Robin Slashes in an upward arc ending in front of himself. Can use either the Bronze Sword or the Levin Sword.
Rosalina & Luma Rosalina: Somersaults backward and emits a starry trail from her feet in front of herself, hitting multiple times.
Luma: Performs a headbutt.
Roy Super Smash Bros. Melee Slashes in an downward arc.
Super Smash Bros. 4Super Smash Bros. Ultimate Slashes in a heavy downward arc.
Ryu Performs a flying kick.
Samus Unleashes five small fiery blasts from her Arm Cannon from top to bottom.
Sephiroth Stabs forward with the Masamune.
Sheik Swipes her arm in a downward arc.
Shulk Slashes in a downward arc.
Simon Whips horizontally with the Vampire Killer. Can be angled diagonally up or down, and function as a tether recovery.
Snake Performs an axe kick.
Sonic Spins in a horizontal corkscrew, hitting multiple times.
Sora A 3 hit combo of a downward swing, an upward swing, and a front-flip swing. Can be canceled at any phase.
Squirtle Super Smash Bros. Brawl Performs a dropkick.
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate Performs a dropkick with a water vortex around its legs.
Steve A arcing forward swing of a pickaxe. If initiated using the short hop aerial shortcut in Ultimate, becomes a quicker forward swing with a sword instead.
Terry A diagonally angled kick.
Toon Link Slashes in an upward arc from a horizontal spin.
Villager Fires a pellet from a slingshot.
Wario Performs a flying kick.
Wii Fit Trainer Performs the Single-Leg Extension, stretching an arm in front of herself and a leg behind herself, both at a diagonal angle. The leg part also has a hitbox allowing her to hit someone behind her as well.
Wolf Swipes his claws with one arm in a downward arc.
Yoshi Swings his head in a downward arc.
Young Link Slashes horizontally in front of himself, then does a full spin and delivers a second slash.
Zelda Performs a magically infused lunging kick that is extremely powerful if it hits near Zelda's foot, but extremely weak otherwise. It is known as the Lightning Kick.
Zero Suit Samus Throws out two consecutive kicks with her respective legs.

Notable forward aerials[edit]

Mario's forward aerial attack in Melee
  • The forward aerials of Cloud, Donkey Kong, the Ice Climbers (only Nana's in Brawl and Ultimate), Mario (from Melee onward), Steve, Snake, Yoshi, and Wii Fit Trainer can all meteor smash.
    • Snake's forward aerial is among the strongest meteor smashes in both Brawl and Ultimate and boasts great reach, though its power and range come at the cost of having significant lag.
    • The meteor smash hitbox of Wii Fit Trainer’s forward aerial is located on her leg, behind her, making it the only forward aerial capable of hitting behind its user.
  • Both Bayonetta and Sora's forward aerials are the only ones in the series to consist of a natural combo.
    • In Bayonetta's case, her forward aerial in Smash 4 was often considered one of the best forward aerials in the game due to the first hit's large hitboxes and low lag allowing it to easily hit opponents and combo into various other moves (including After Burner Kick and Witch Twist to start ladder combos), as well as loop into itself to drag opponents offstage. In Ultimate, however, it has been significantly nerfed, possessing smaller hitboxes and much more lag that removes all of the first hit's followups aside from the next hits of the natural combo.
  • Simon and Richter's forward aerials have two unique distinctions from every other in the series: they can be angled up or down much like forward tilts and forward smashes, and function as tether recoveries. Their back aerials also have these properties.
  • The forward aerials of Villager, Mii Gunner, Isabelle, and (in Ultimate) Mr. Game & Watch are projectiles, and as such, can be reflected or Pocketed, as well as absorbed in the case of Mii Gunner and Mr. Game & Watch.
  • Steve's forward aerial is the only one which changes depending on whether it is performed using the short hop aerial shortcut in Ultimate or not. It is a more powerful pickaxe swing in front of him if performed without the short hop aerial shortcut, but becomes a faster and weaker sword swing with similar properties to neutral aerial if performed with the short hop aerial shortcut. This property is shared with back aerial.
  • Captain Falcon's forward aerial from Melee onward, the famed Knee Smash, deals very high damage and knockback with its clean hit. It is the strongest forward aerial in each game it features in (except in Brawl where Zelda's is stronger). It is considered more useful in Melee than in later games, due to the former possessing the ability to L-cancel and more favorable sweetspot placements and superior frame data for the move.
  • Zelda's forward aerial is one of her Lightning Kicks, and deals very high damage and knockback at high percents when sweetspotted, but is extremely weak when sourspotted. Much like Captain Falcon's Knee Smash, it is particularly powerful in Melee, but its utility has been reduced in later games due to the removal of L-canceling, as well as receiving a smaller hitbox on its sweetspot, much more ending lag and a less favorable auto-cancel window starting in Smash 4.
  • Marth's forward aerial is considered one of the best in Melee and Brawl, due to its low lag all around, long range with a wide arc, and edgeguarding capabilities. Starting in Smash 4, however, it was drastically nerfed by receiving more lag (starting, ending and landing) and a shorter hitbox duration, no longer being as safe to use upon landing or if untippered against shields.
  • Jigglypuff's forward aerial is useful in performing the wall of pain, especially in Melee.
  • King K. Rool's forward aerial in Ultimate is widely considered to be one of his best moves overall. While the move has high ending lag in the air, it more than compensates for it with its huge range, lingering hitbox, massive damage, great KO potential and very low landing lag for its power and range. As K. Rool can negate the otherwise high FAF by performing the move close to the ground, the move has very few downsides and thus has extreme versatility: it is very useful and important in neutral due to its safety and high reward, is very safe on shield when spaced correctly, is arguably King K. Rool's best combo starter at low- and mid percents, is a great KO move at higher percents due to it being relatively non-committal for a move with good KO potential, and its also fantastic at ledgetrapping, catching jumps, bad approaches, and even for edgeguarding as of patch 13.0.0. Due to this, the move is extremely important for King K. Rool's general gameplan.
  • Sheik's forward aerial is one of her best moves for spacing and approaching, and overall one of the best aerials in the series, with an extremely early autocancel window (starting on frame 11) and long range enabling her to land it multiple times on opponents upon hitting them. In Melee, it is a devastating semi-spike with very high knockback for its speed. Conversely, its incredibly low knockback in Smash 4 and Ultimate allows it to freely combo into itself and most of her other moves, including Bouncing Fish.
  • Fox's forward aerial from Brawl onward causes him to rise slightly when used. In Smash 4, it is also notable for being able to lead into a footstool jump offstage if used in a fast fall, which can lead to very early KOs; in Ultimate, this is still possible, albeit significantly harder to pull off.
  • Mewtwo's forward aerial in both Smash 4 and Ultimate is known for its sheer versatility, having very low lag all around, decent range, being a potent combo starter at low percents, and having strong KO potential at higher percents due to its knockback scaling. While it was slightly nerfed from Smash 4 to Ultimate, it is still considered to be among the best in the game.
  • Much like Marth's in Melee and Brawl, Wolf's forward aerial in Ultimate is often considered one of the best in the game due to its deceptively fast startup, low landing lag, wide vertical arc, decent damage output, and high launch angle that synergize well with his fast falling speed and gravity, allowing it to combo into itself and several other moves even up to high percents.
  • Min Min's forward aerial is considered the longest ranged forward aerial in the game due to how long it extends, especially when using the Dragon.
  • Sephiroth's forward aerial can cling to walls up to three times before landing making it useful for recovery.