Momentum Canceling is a very important element of Super Smash Bros. Brawl's competitive play. The concept is that certain attacks will halt or reduce a character's aerial momentum, such as Oil Panic. Combined with the ability to attack and air dodge while tumbling or reeling in Brawl, this makes it possible to use these moves to avoid being KO'd.
Momentum cancelling has two steps:
- Once hit, use a fast aerial attack to escape the reeling or tumbling.
- Use the momentum-cancelling move.
This technique allows survival around 200% with most heavy characters, as long as the attack isn't ridiculously powerful like Snake's up tilt. You can take this technique farther by fast-falling and using Directional Influence on the aerial. If hit upwards, it is generally recommended that you use your down aerial as most of the character's down aerials tend to give you a slight push downwards and are easier to fast-fall with.
Vertical Momentum Canceling Chart
This is a chart showing the vertical momentum canceling abilities of each character. To momentum cancel when launched vertically, all you have to do is perform one of your aerials and fast-fall. This can simply be done by tapping down on the c-stick as this will simultaneously perform your dair and fast-fall. It should be noted that stall-then-fall attacks DO NOT help at all with vertical momentum canceling. With such characters, you'll have to tap the c-stick (or d-pad if you're using the Wii remote and Nunchuk)in a direction other then down and simultaneously tap the control stick down.
These percentages were found in Training mode by hitting each character from the center of Final Destination with Olimar's dair (blue pikmin). This attack was chosen since it has pure vertical knockback and KOs Mario around 150%. How well a character can vertical momentum cancel is based entirely on the difference between the speed of their normal fall and the speed of their fast-fall. Link, who has the biggest difference, has the most notable benefit from vertical momentum canceling. Wolf, who has the smallest difference, gains the least notable benefit from vertical momentum canceling. This chart does not factor in DI because the ranking of each character would not change if DI was factored in. Characters are ranked on their total vertical endurance. Even though there are a few special moves that can stop vertical momentum, all characters survive longer through the basic method, including Mr.Game & Watch.
| Rank | Character | Non-Momentum Canceled | Momentum-Canceled |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | King Dedede | 176% | 195% |
| 2. | Snake | 172% | 188% |
| 3. | Donkey Kong | 171% | 185% |
| 4. | Link | 161% | 185% |
| 5. | Captain Falcon | 165% | 182% |
| 6. | Bowser | 168% | 179% |
| 7. | Ganondorf | 164% | 179% |
| 8. | Ike | 163% | 178% |
| 9. | Charizard | 161% | 171% |
| 10. | Wario | 159% | 170% |
| 11. | Yoshi | 159%, | 168% |
| 12. | R.O.B. | 157% | 165% |
| 13. | Samus | 156% | 164% |
| 14. | Ivysaur | 154% | 164% |
| 15. | Wolf | 159% | 161% |
| 16. | Lucario | 152% | 160% |
| 17. | Mario | 151% | 160% |
| 18. | Pit | 150% | 160% |
| 19. | Sonic | 150% | 159% |
| 20. | Diddy Kong | 147% | 158% |
| 21. | Luigi | 150% | 157% |
| 22. | Ness | 148% | 157% |
| 23. | Lucas | 147% | 157% |
| 24. | Toon Link | 146% | 157% |
| 25. | Marth | 146% | 157% |
| 26. | Falco | 142% | 155% |
| 27. | Pikachu | 138% | 154% |
| 28. | Ice Climbers | 144% | 151% |
| 29. | Fox | 134% | 150% |
| 30. | Sheik | 137% | 149% |
| 31. | Peach | 141% | 147% |
| 32. | Olimar | 139% | 147% |
| 33. | Zero Suit Samus | 138% | 147% |
| 34. | Zelda | 138% | 145% |
| 35. | Kirby | 134% | 144% |
| 36. | Meta Knight | 135% | 143% |
| 37. | Squirtle | 128% | 141% |
| 38. | Mr. Game & Watch | 131% | 137% |
| 39. | Jigglypuff | 123% | 128% |
Horizontal Momentum Canceling Chart
This is a chart showing the horizontal momentum canceling abilities of every character. Horizontal momentum canceling is notably more complicated then vertical momentum canceling. The basic method for horizontal momentum canceling is to perform your fastest aerial followed by a midair jump. This method allows all characters to survive at least 1% longer. How good a character is at the basic form of horizontal momentum canceling is based on two factors, how fast their fastest aerial is and the physics of their midair jump (air speed isn't a major factor, evident by Wario's poor horizontal momentum canceling). Unlike with vertical momentum canceling, there are multiple special moves that aid with horizontal momentum canceling. Note that Ike and Snake have their best results using an air dodge instead of their fastest aerial. Coincidentally, these two gain the biggest bonus from the basic method. Also note that Lucario's fair provides his most notable benefit from basic momentum canceling but his dair provides a bigger benefit when momentum canceling and DIing.
These percentages were found in Training Mode by hitting each character from the center of Final Destination with Wolf's forward smash (only the second hitbox). This attack was chosen because it KOs Mario around 150% and produces horizontal knockback. The third box shows which percentages each character is KOd at without DI or momentum canceling, the first percentage being without any controller output at all and the second percentage being with the control stick tilted towards the stage. The fourth box shows their KO percentage with the basic method of momentum canceling. The fifth box shows their KO percentage with momentum canceling via special move. The sixth box shows their KO percentage with DI, no momentum canceling. The seventh box shows KO percentages with DI and the basic method of momentum canceling. The eigth box shows KO percentage with DI and momentum canceling via special move. DI is factored in this chart since character rank does change once you factor in DI. Note that if a character does not have a special move to momentum cancel with, their KO percentage will be the same in these boxes as their KO percentage was in basic momentum canceling boxes.Characters are ranked by their total horizontal endurance.
* = Indicates that the character does not make it back to the stage, therefore falling below the bottom blast line and getting KOd. ** = Indicates that the character's special move provides no additional benefit without DI.
| Rank | Character/Attack/specialMove | No MC/ No DI | Basic MC/ No DI | Special MC/ No DI | DI/ No MC | DI/ Basic MC | DI/ Special MC |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Donkey Kong /bair / Spinning Kong | 155%/163% | 176% | 204% | 189% | 199% | 234% |
| 2. | Bowser / fair / none | 157%/165% | 174% | 174% | 192% | 204% | 204% |
| 3. | Yoshi / uair / Egg Roll | 149%/157% | 169% | 181%* | 181% | 197% | 204%* |
| 4. | King Dedede / bair / Super Dedede Jump | 152%/159% | 165% | 172%* | 184% | 194% | 204% |
| 5. | Ike / AD / Quick Draw | 147%/153% | 167% | 167%** | 178% | 189% | 203% |
| 6. | Snake / AD / none | 153%/159% | 174% | 174% | 184% | 201% | 201% |
| 7. | Ganondorf / uair / Flame Choke | 149%/155% | 165% | 168%* | 181% | 192% | 197%* |
| 8. | Samus / uair / none | 151%/159% | 167% | 167% | 182% | 195% | 195% |
| 9. | Charizard / uair / none | 151%/157% | 165% | 165% | 182% | 195% | 195% |
| 10. | Captain Falcon / uair / none | 145%/152% | 164% | 164% | 178% | 189% | 189% |
| 11. | Lucario / fair / dair | 144%/152% | 164% | 164% | 177% | 188% | 188% |
| 12. | Wario / fair / none | 148%/160% | 163% | 163% | 184% | 188% | 188% |
| 13. | Link / bair / none | 146%/152% | 162% | 162% | 177% | 186% | 186% |
| 14. | R.O.B. / fair / Arm Rotor | 149%/155% | 156% | 157% | 179% | 180% | 184% |
| 15. | Mr. Game & Watch / nair / Oil Panic | 124%/132% | 140% | 157% | 152% | 161% | 184% |
| 16. | Sonic / fair / Spin Dash | 139%/145% | 156% | 156%** | 169% | 179% | 183% |
| 17. | Diddy Kong / bair / Monkey Flip | 137%/144% | 153% | 160% | 167% | 171% | 182% |
| 18. | Ivysaur / bair / none | 143%/151% | 155% | 155% | 175% | 182% | 182% |
| 19. | Wolf / bair / none | 142%/151% | 164% | 164% | 178% | 179% | 179% |
| 20. | Ness / nair / none | 139%/147% | 154% | 154% | 170% | 179% | 179% |
| 21. | Lucas / nair / none | 138%/147% | 153% | 153% | 170% | 179% | 179% |
| 22. | Pit / fair / none | 139%/146% | 152% | 152% | 169% | 179% | 179% |
| 23. | Mario / uair / none | 142%/150% | 160% | 160% | 173% | 177% | 177% |
| 24. | Ice Climbers / uair / Squall Hammer | 137%/144% | 151% | 156%** | 166% | 174% | 177% |
| 25. | Marth / fair / none | 134%/141% | 152% | 152% | 163% | 176% | 176% |
| 26. | Luigi / fair / none | 142%/149% | 158% | 158% | 171% | 174% | 174% |
| 27. | Peach / uair / none | 137%/144% | 152% | 152% | 166% | 173% | 173% |
| 28. | Toon Link / bair / none | 138%/145% | 155% | 155% | 168% | 172% | 172% |
| 29. | Zelda / bair / none | 133%/140% | 148% | 148% | 161% | 170% | 170% |
| 30. | Zero Suit Samus / uair / Flip Jump | 128%/136% | 145% | 147% | 158% | 167% | 169% |
| 31. | Olimar / uair / none | 131%/137% | 144% | 144% | 158% | 167% | 167% |
| 32. | Falco / uair / none | 128%/135% | 143% | 143% | 159% | 166% | 166% |
| 33. | Pikachu / uair / Skull Bash | 127%/135% | 143% | 149% | 156% | 157% | 165% |
| 34. | Meta Knight / uair / Drill Rush | 126%/133% | 141% | 160% | 154% | 156% | 164% |
| 35. | Shiek / fair/ none | 129%/137% | 143% | 143% | 163% | 162% | 163% |
| 36. | Kirby / uair / none | 127%/134% | 139% | 139% | 155% | 161% | 161% |
| 37. | Fox / uair / none | 123%/132% | 138% | 138% | 158% | 158% | 158% |
| 38. | Jigglypuff/ bair / Pound | 120%/127% | 131% | 131%** | 146% | 150% | 155% |
| 39. | Squirtle / uair / none | 123%/131% | 141% | 141% | 153% | 154% | 154% |