One-hit KO

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For the smasher OHKO, see Okoru.

A one-hit KO, commonly abbreviated as OHKO (also referred to as an Instant KO in Melee), is an attack in the Super Smash Bros. games with such high base knockback that it KOs an opponent at 0%. Such attacks currently exist in every installment of the series. However, moves with the potential to OHKO are not necessarily guaranteed to do so, and may fail to OHKO under the following circumstances:

• The opponent techs, DIs, utilizes momentum cancelling, and/or crouch cancels to reduce the knockback or alter the trajectory of the attack.
• The opponent is flung into a wall, which absorbs enough knockback to prevent the OHKO.
• Knockback may be insufficient to KO at 0% on very large stages (e.g. Temple, New Pork City, and 75m), or from the far edge of a stage.
• Knockback may be insufficient to KO at 0% if the attack had already been landed previously (due to stale-move negation).
• Knockback may be insufficient to KO heavy characters at 0%.
• Opponents are under an effect that makes them more resilient (such as being giant, metal, or in an event that reduces the knockback they sustain), or the player is weakened (such as being tiny or given a lower handicap).
• The launch rate is lower than standard, reducing knockback.

The general rule for a move to be considered a one-hit KO is being able to KO an average-weight character, such as Mario, at 0% damage from the center of Final Destination under standard conditions as mentioned above. Another common standard is to compare the move's knockback to the smash attack of the Home-Run Bat, one of the few moves intended to be the quintessential OHKO by the developers.

Moves or hazards that inflict no knockback are not considered to meet the definition of one-"hit" KO's; for example, being flown off the screen by the Landmaster or eaten by the Summit's Fish or Distant Planet's Bulborb are not listed below.

In Super Smash Bros.

Moves that KO'd at 0% were almost nonexistent in the original Smash. In fact, aside from the Home-Run Bat, only one move in the game is able to OHKO, under uncommon conditions:

Items

• A smash attack with the Home-Run Bat.
• If Fox uses Reflector on a walking Bob-omb, he (as well as any character caught in the blast radius) will be OHKO'd.
• If 2 Foxes use Reflector on a Green Shell, it will eventually gain OHKO power after 3-4 reflects.

In Super Smash Bros. Melee

Unlike in Smash 64, there are multiple moves that can OHKO in Melee. They still remain rare however.

Playable characters' moves

• Roy's fully charged Flare Blade.
• Mr. Game & Watch's fully loaded Oil Panic after absorbing three strong projectiles (such as three PK Flashes).
• Roy's Counter upon countering an extremely powerful attack; a hitbox that deals around 35% damage will result in an OHKO if countered (such as a smash thrown Bob-omb).

Items/Enemies

• A smash attack with the Home-Run Bat.
• Getting caught in Lugia's Aeroblast (can whiff if the player is hit at the left or right endpoint of its attack).
• Touching Moltres.
• A thrown Polar Bear.

Stage hazards

• Banzai Bill's explosion on Princess Peach's Castle (if all hits connect).
• In Flat Zone, if a falling tool is launched at enough speed (after either being hit by an extremely powerful attack such as a Home-Run Bat swing, or being launched after receiving enough damage), it will OHKO anyone it slams into.

In Super Smash Bros. Brawl

Brawl continued the trend of adding several OHKOs into the game. However, the majority are Final Smashes, items, stage hazards, or - mainly - boss attacks, with very few being standard moves of playable characters.

Playable characters' standard moves

• Ike's stage 8 Eruption (stage 7 Eruption can't be classified this way - though it can OHKO light characters in particular situations, but usually KOs at 8%). If Ike gets absorbed by Kirby, the latter's stage 8 Eruption normally loses OHKO Power.
• Ivysaur's up smash can OHKO every character in the lower difficulties of Classic and All Star mode (Easy and Normal only; usually it KOs from 18% to 38% in Brawls).
• Mr. Game & Watch's fully loaded Oil Panic after absorbing three strong projectiles (such as PK Flash).
• Ganondorf's reverse Warlock Punch.
• Pikachu’s Thunder in stages if the enemy is near to the upper lines or in stages with an high platform, such as 75 m or Onett?
• The following counterattacks:
  • Ike's Counter upon countering an extremely powerful attack (a hitbox that deals at least ~45% damage).
  • Marth's Counter upon countering an even more powerful attack (a hitbox that deals at least ~50% damage).

Contrary to common belief, Mr. Game & Watch's Judge #9 is not an OHKO, having very high knockback but not quite enough to qualify under the required conditions (although it can OHKO light carachters in particular situations, it usually KOs at 10%). Also, Bowser’s Koopa Claw could be an invariable OHKO if used offstage, but it is classified in a special category: Sacrificial KO.

Final Smashes

• Marth's Critical Hit (even on Giant characters). It is the most powerful playable attack of all Smash games.
• Ganondorf's Beast Ganon (if most hitboxes land). If a character paralyzed by Beast Ganon is not hit by the charge afterward, they can be inflicted with a meteor smash of OHKO power.
• Lucario's Aura Storm at full power when all hits connect, or when Lucario has suffered enough damage.
• Pokémon Trainer's Triple Finish (if most hits connect]].
• Zelda's and *Sheik's Light Arrow (barely in OHKO threshold, easily DIed).
• Wario-Man's fully charged Wario Waft.
• Samus's Zero Laser (if most hits connect or if the player is pushed over the ending line).
• Touching Zero Suit Samus while she is performing Power Suit Samus leads to an OHKO.
• Luigi's up smash during Negative Zone.
• Mario's Mario Finale if the enemy is trapped and pushed offscreen.
• Ike's Great Aether when used in small stages or when there is an high platform; it is an invariable OHKO in 75 m and Onett.

Giga Bowser’s Koopa Claw could be an invariable OHKO if used offstage, but it is classified in a special category: Sacrificial KO.

Items

• The Dragoon.
• A smash attack with the Home-Run Bat.
• Touching Moltres, except for the lower body (even on Giant characters). If the player touches Moltres in the lower body, he is inflicted meteor smash with OHKO power. If the character is meteor smashed where Moltres is above him, he will suffer up to 160% damage before being OHKOed.
• Getting caught in Lugia's Aeroblast, unless the character is hitten at the left or right endpoint of the attack. Touching Lugia's body has also massive knockback but not sufficient to OHKO like Moltres.
• Suicune's Aurora Beam.
• Deoxys's Hyper Beam, both the single initial blast and the following multi-hitting blast.
• Electrode's explosion after being smash thrown.
• A trown Bonsly.
• Knuckle Joe's Vulcan Jab to Rising Break attack.
• If Wario runs over a buried Pitfall while riding on his Wario Bike, he will be sent flying at OHKO power.
• If an uncharged Hothead is hit by a fire-based hitbox that deals over 30% damage (such as Ike's stage 7-9 Eruption), it will OHKO both when smash thrown and when traversing the stage. Any sparks it gives off while traversing the stage at this strength or when fully charged (the last turn) will also OHKO any character.
• If a Soccer Ball is launched at enough speed (after either being hit by an extremely powerful attack such as forward smash, a Home Run bat swing, or being launched after receiving enough damage), it will OHKO anyone it slams into.

Stage hazards

• Touching or being bitten by the Ultimate Chimera in New Pork City (even for Giant characters). This is the most powerful attack in all the Smash games along with Tabuu’s Off Waves, both for knockback and damage (100% or 200%).
• Touching the hull of the Pirate Ship.
• The first and the fourth spike on Rumble Falls (can easily be teched).
• The explosion of the bomb on The bridge of Elvin.
• Dialga's and Palkia's Hyper Beam in Spear Pillar, both the vertical and the horizontal beam (if most hits connect).
• Dialga's Roar of Time and Overheat attacks in Spear Pillar (even on Giant characters). Simply touching Dialga's body inflicts massive knockback and damage, and is an invariable OKHO when Dialga is using Overheat.
• When Cresselia, Dialga and Palkia revert the stage in Spear Pillar, characters who are offstage or near the bottom lines shall be OHKOed.

Despite the common belief, the fish in Summit is not an OHKO, but an instant KO, since the player is swallowed and not hit. The same applies to the river’s current in Jungle Japes and the ships in Big Blue, which both lead characters beyond the bottom lines.

The Subspace Emissary’s hazards

• Touching the Porky Statue on Normal or higher difficulties in The Subspace Emissary. The Porky Statue can also be considered an enemy since it chases the player.
• Being crushed.

Enemies

• Big Primids's punch on Intense difficulties in The Subspace Emissary.
• The forward smash of all the 4 R.O.B. species on Intense difficulties in The Subspace Emissary.
• Armank's main attack on Very Hard and Intense difficulties in The Subspace Emissary.
• Armight's double blade attack on Intense difficulties in The Subspace Emissary.
• Auroros's flying attack on Intense difficulties in The Subspace Emissary.
• Autolance's slash on Very Hard or Intense difficulties in The Subspace Emissary.
• Touching a Bombed makes it explode with OHKO power on Very Hard and Intense difficulties in The Subspace Emissary, even when fighting against Porky.
• Floow's mind attack (if most hits connect) on Intense difficulties in The Subspace Emissary, or the combined assault of multiple Floows in every difficulties.
• Several other attacks of the Subspace Army's enemies on Very Hard and Intense difficulties in The Subspace Emissary, also depending on the stage.
• Touching the Porky Statue on Normal or higher difficulties in The Subspace Emissary. The Porky Statue can also be considered a stage hazard, although it chases the player.

Bosses

• Tabuu's Off Waves on Normal or higher difficulties in The Subspace Emissary, or on Very Hard and Intense difficulties in Boss Battles Mode.
• Tabuu's Golden Bracket, Chain of Light and Dragon Laser attacks on Intense difficulty in the SSE.
• Galleom's attack when he stiffens and falls on the player on Intense difficulty in the SSE.
• Galleom's tornado spin on Intense difficulty in the SSE (if most hits connect).

Video

The following video demonstrates all the moves and hazards that KO at 0% in Brawl:

In Super Smash Bros. 4

Like Brawl, SSB4 continues to add OHKOs to the game.

Playable characters' standard moves

• Roy's almost fully charged and fully charged Flare Blade when sweetspotted.
• Mr. Game & Watch's fully loaded Oil Panic after absorbing three medium power projectiles or one very strong one.
• Villager's Pocket after it has absorbed a particularly strong projectile, most notably Timber. Powerful projectiles released by Pocket that can still be reflected will also OHKO, such as Zelda's fully charged Phantom Slash.
  • Many other reflectors also share this behaviour, especially Ness's bat.
• The following counterattacks:
  • Ike's Smash Counter and Shulk's Power Vision custom moves upon countering a hitbox that deals 30% damage or more.
  • Corrin's Counter Surge, Ike and Roy's Counter, and Shulk's Vision upon countering a hitbox that deals 35% damage or more. These counters technically have varying degrees of knockback, but they nevertheless achieve a KO at 0% without DI.
  • Mii Swordfighter's Blade Counter upon countering a hitbox that deals 37% damage or more.
  • Lucina and Marth's Counter, Little Mac's Slip Counter, and Palutena's Counter upon dealing the 50% damage cap with their counters (this requires countering a hitbox that deals at least ~38.5% damage for Little Mac and Palutena, and at least 40% damage with Lucina and Marth).
  • Peach's Toad will KO Ness at 0% if she counterattacks his fully charged forward smash while she is wearing a Franklin Badge.

Contrary to its name and intention, Little Mac's KO Uppercut does not KO until above about 30% damage. At 0%, it falls short of the necessary amount of knockback, even to a character as light as Jigglypuff, KOing it only at 12%.

Playable characters' moves [with Rage applied]

While the following moves do not, under normal circumstances, guarantee an OHKO state, with Rage they can perform an OHKO:

• Lucario's Forward Smash, fully charged. Aura and rage stack.
• Ganondorf's reversed aerial Warlock Punch.
• Kirby's Giant Hammer.
• Mr. Game and Watch's Judge 9

Final Smashes

• Giga Mac's fully charged Straight Lunge sweetspot, fully charged up smash when sweetspotted, and forward smash when angled up or horizontally.
• Marth and Lucina's Critical Hit.
• Shulk's Chain Attack when boosted with the Hyper Smash Monado Art (Extremely frame-precise, as the final hit must land before the Art expires, as shown in this demonstration video).
• Wario-Man's fully charged Wario Waft.

Items/Enemies

• The Daybreak's sweet spot.
• The Dragoon.
• A smash attack with the Home-Run Bat.
• Electrode's explosion after being smash thrown.
• If the Hothead is powered up significantly (30% total or higher), it will gain OHKO power.
• If a Soccer Ball is launched at enough speed (after either being hit by an extremely powerful attack such as a Home-Run Bat, or being launched after receiving enough damage), it will OHKO anyone it slams into.
• Smash attacks when boosted by the Black Knight item from Smash Tour.

The Beetle and Boss Galaga items can carry players past the upper blast line, but as they inflict no knockback they are not one-"hit" KOs and both can be escaped by button mashing.

Stage hazards

• Touching the hull of the boat on Wuhu Island.
• Touching the hull of the Pirate Ship.
• Odin's Zantetsuken attack on the Midgar stage (top platform only).

Other

While it isn't accessible in regular battles, the bomb used in the Target Blast stage apparently has more than enough power to OHKO under normal conditions.

Bosses

• Master Core's final attack if the player does not defeat it in time (about 45 seconds).

In Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

Like SSB4, Ultimate continues to add OHKOs to the game.

Playable characters' moves

• Roy and Chrom's fully charged Flare Blade.
• The following counterattacks:
  • Roy and Chrom's Counter, Joker's Tetrakarn with Arsene, Shulk's Vision with Smash Art, and Mii Brawler's Counter Throw countering a hitbox that deals around 35% damage or more.
  • Corrin's Counter Surge and Ike's Counter countering a hitbox dealing around 40% damage or more.
  • Marth and Lucina's Counter countering a hitbox dealing around 43% damage or more.
  • Any sufficiently strong or repeatedly reflected projectile when reflected.
• R.O.B.'s fully-charged Gyro will OHKO opponents beyond its maximum speed. However, it requires a much stronger windboxes consecutively at the gyro making it extremely difficult to achieve its power. [1]

Playable characters' moves [with Rage applied]

• Hero's Hatchet Man with Psyche Up and Oomph active.
• Mr. Game & Watch's Oil Panic if absorbed a strong enough projectile like Hero's Kafrizz.
• Mr. Game & Watch's Judge 9.

Final Smashes

• Marth and Lucina's Critical Hit.
• Lucario's Aura Storm at max aura.
• Donkey Kong's Jungle Rush at max rage.
• Little Mac's Giga Mac Rush at max rage.

Items/Enemies

• A smash attack with the Home-Run Bat.
• Electrode's explosion when smash thrown.
• The Dragoon.
• The Daybreak's sweet spot.
• If the Hothead is powered up significantly, it will OHKO any fighter it touches.

Stage hazards

• Touching the hull of the Pirate Ship.
• Touching the hull of the boat on Wuhu Island.
• Getting hit by a Klaptrap on Jungle Japes.

Bosses

• Galeem's Lens Flare with weaker or no spirits.

Other

While inaccessible in a regular fashion without hacking, the gun found on the Free the Spirit screen's stage is programmed in as its own usable item, inflicting 25% damage with OHKO power. This situation is similar to Smash 4's Target Blast bomb.

Video

The following video demonstrates several of the moves and hazards in Ultimate that inflict enough knockback to KO at 0%, alongside some powerful moves that don't. However, it also includes a few moves and hazards that do not inflict any knockback: