Template:SSB4 to SSBU changelist/Ganondorf

Aesthetics

• Ganondorf's design has been reverted back to his appearance in The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, which was the basis of his appearance in Melee; unlike Melee, which based his design off the SpaceWorld 2000 GameCube Tech Demo, his model has been updated to accurately be based on his appearance in Ocarina of Time, with his overall design being an amalgamation of his designs from before and after the game's seven year time skip. It features a more vibrant color scheme due to the aesthetic used in Ultimate, and his clothing and hair now feature simple detailing.
  • His facial features and muscles are more pronounced, and his skin tone is more green. He has the red eyes, ear rings, and the short vibrant red hair from his pre-time skip self. His bracers and greaves have visible hair detailing; his attire overall has a suede finish instead of a leather finish. He also wears the crown, boots, gauntlets, epaulets, and cape that come from his post-time skip self.
  • Ganondorf's sword has also been reverted back to the sword seen in the SpaceWorld 2000 GameCube Tech Demo.
  • Palutena's Guidance conversation for Ganondorf has been changed to accommodate for his Ocarina of Time design.
• Ganondorf has received two new alternate costumes based on his appearance in The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker and The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess respectively; the latter replaces his yellow costume in SSB4, which was based on his Ocarina of Time appearance, effectively swapping its place with his default costume.
• Ganondorf's cape has improved physics and rigging, allowing for more fluid animations.
• Ganondorf's darkness particle effects appear more liquid-like, most notably seen during his on-screen appearance and Flame Choke. They resemble how his dark magic was depicted in Ocarina of Time.
• Initial dash, walking, running, spot dodge, roll, air dodge, hitstun, jump, and backwards jump animations have changed, further differentiating him from Captain Falcon.
• Like many other characters, Ganondorf is more expressive. The corners of his mouth once again open, allowing for his facial expressions to be more natural and dynamic.
• Ganondorf's new blast KO voice clips no longer play past the duration of the KO animation.
• Much like in Melee, Ganondorf vocalizes upon waking up from sleep status when not suffering from any knockback. He shares this addition with Link, Zelda and Wolf.
• Ganondorf's victory poses have been updated:
  • His left-inputted victory pose now has him flipping his cape and turning to face the screen before pumping his fist, showing the back of it. Ganondorf also no longer kneels when pumping his fist.
  • His up-inputted victory pose now has him levitate in the air, land on the ground while punching his palm, then reel back before thrusting his hand towards the screen rather than pumping his fist.
  • His right-inputted victory pose now has him flip his cape before crossing his arms and laughing wickedly, then looking at the screen with a sinister smile.

Attributes

• Like all characters (with the exception of Kazuya), Ganondorf's jumpsquat animation takes 3 frames to complete (down from 7).
• The inability to move past opponents on the ground prevents dash attack, Flame Choke, and Wizard's Foot from whiffing up close.
• Ganondorf dashes slightly faster (1.218 → 1.34), being nearly as fast as he was in Melee.
  • Ganondorf's initial dash animation is both faster (1.3 → 1.87) and moves him farther, resulting in his foxtrot outpacing his dash.
• Ganondorf walks slightly faster (0.73 → 0.767), being slightly faster than he was in Melee.
• Ganondorf's traction is higher (0.068 → 0.125).
• Ganondorf's air speed is slightly higher (0.79 → 0.83), being nearly as fast as he was in Brawl.
• Ganondorf's gravity is slightly higher (0.107835 → 0.108).
• Ganondorf is considerably heavier (113 → 118), weighing more than Charizard. This improves his already excellent endurance.
• Forward roll has less ending lag (FAF 34 → 33).
• Forward roll grants less intangibility (frame 4-19 → 4-16).
• Back roll has more startup with less intangibility (frame 4-19 → 5-17), and more ending lag (FAF 34 → 38).
• Spot dodge has faster startup (frame 4 → 3).
  • However, its total duration remains the same, giving it one frame more ending lag.
• Air dodge grants more intangibility (frame 4-29 → 4-32).
• Air dodge has drastically more ending lag (FAF 35 → 47).

Ground attacks

• Neutral attack:
  • Neutral attack deals more damage and no longer has sourspots (8%/10%/6% → 11%).
  • It has slightly less ending lag (FAF 29 → 27).
  • The move's knockback values are consistent across its hitboxes (38/30/40 base/ 90/90/105 scaling → 41/74). It deals more knockback than its previous two sourspots, but less than its previous sweetspot.
• Forward tilt:
  • Forward tilt deals more damage (12%/13% → 13%/14%), with its knockback compensated (30 base/88 scaling → 31/82).
  • It has slightly smaller hitboxes (5.5u/5.3u/5.1u → 5.5u/5u/4.8u).
  • The sourspot takes priority over the sweetspot.
• Up tilt:
  • Up tilt has significantly less startup (frame 81 → 60) and ending lag (FAF 115 → 96). Because of this, the windboxes have a shorter duration (frames 6-70 → 6-53).
  • Its windboxes have higher set knockback (1 → 22/22/10/10), allowing them to pull opponents in more effectively.
  • The explosion has more vertical reach.
  • Its sweetspot has decreased knockback scaling (80 → 68), no longer KOing opponents under 50% from the center of the stage.
  • The explosion has much less horizontal reach.
  • On frames 62-63, the move has a new sourspot at the height of the explosion. It launches opponents at a semi-spike angle (80° → 0°) but with much less damage (18% → 13%) and has decreased base knockback (60 → 0), being unable to KO even at realistic percentages.
  • The move deals consistent damage (28%/20%/18% → 24%), dealing more than the original sourspot, but less than the original sweetspot.
    • The sourspots increased damage allows it to shatter full shields like the sweetspot, and boosts its KO potential despite its lower angle (80° → 70°).
  • Its sweetspot triggers Special Zoom.
  • The windboxes no longer affect items or attackable stage elements. Notably, this prevents Ganondorf from riding on rolling crates at high speed.
  • The move has a revamped animation; rather than simply holding his pose, he reels back and anticipates the kick. His foot produces a flame effect rather than wind, and he no longer holds his leg up with his hand, much like in Melee.
  • Ganondorf now vocalizes during the move's startup.
• Down tilt:
  • Down tilt deals more damage (13% → 14%), with its knockback scaling compensated (100 → 94).
  • The priority on its angles has been swapped (80°/70°/60° → 60°/70°/80°). This weakens its KO ability especially out of Flame Choke.
• Dash attack:
  • Dash attack deals more damage (14% → 15% (clean), 10% → 11% (late)).
  • Its clean hit has higher knockback scaling (80 → 85). Combined with its higher damage, it now KOs around 120%, making it the second strongest dash attack in the game.
  • The late hit has improved combo potential due to Ganondorf's faster jumpsquat.
  • The late hit deals more shieldstun (1x → 1.3x), improving its safety on shield.
• Ganondorf has new smash attacks: they utilize his sword from the Space World 2000 tech demo. They also all have the slash effect, with forward smash losing the darkness effect, and up and down smash losing their normal effect.
• Forward smash:
  • Forward smash is now a downward sword slash in front of Ganondorf, similar to Ike's.
    • This new forward smash has disjointed hitboxes and significantly more range, allowing it to hit opponents above Ganondorf, further in front of him, and slightly below the edge of the stage. This gives the move more coverage and allows it to be used for onstage edgeguarding.
    • It now deals consistent and more knockback (35/30 base / 83/75 scaling → 61/75), KOing around 65% from the center of the stage.
    • It has noticeably more startup lag with a shorter duration (frames 21-26 → 29-31) and more ending lag (FAF 60 → 70).
    • Forward smash can no longer be angled.
    • Ganondorf does not lean back during his new forward smash, making it less safe than his previous forward smash.
• Up smash:
  • Up smash is now an overhead sword swing from front to back, appearing visually similar to Ike's up smash, and Link's previous up tilt from Smash 4.
    • This new up smash has disjointed hitboxes and significantly more range that hits all around Ganondorf, making it more effective as an anti-air, at covering platforms and catching rolls. It also hits slightly below the edge of the stage, allowing it to be used for onstage edgeguarding.
    • It has less startup lag with a longer duration (frames 21-23 → 20-25).
    • It has significantly more ending lag (FAF 42 → 62), going from one of the fastest smash attacks interruptibility-wise to one of the slowest. This removes its ability to bait opponents into approaching.
    • It has a blind spot directly in front of Ganondorf. This can cause it to miss on certain situations.
• Down smash:
  • Down smash is a forward hilt thrust that leads into a backwards stab, similar to Cloud's.
    • Its hitboxes are disjointed and placed lower, reliably hitting crouching opponents.
    • Ganondorf ducks while performing it, lowering his hurtbox.
    • It has less ending lag (FAF 64 → 60).
    • The hitbox on the first hit that previously sent opponents away from Ganondorf has been removed. In addition, its first hit launches at a more horizontal angle (160°/165°/147°/150° → 160°/175°/147°/150°) with decreased base knockback (90/110/90/110 → 90/95/90/95). This allows it to connect into the second hit more reliably.
    • The second hit deals consistent damage (15%/13% → 15%) and sends opponents at a semi-spike angle (130° → 35°), improving its KO potential, especially near edges, despite its lower knockback (60 base/94 scaling → 61/81).
    • The first hit deals less damage (6% → 5%).
    • Both hits have slightly less horizontal range.

Aerial attacks

• All aerials have less landing lag (17 frames → 10 (neutral), 22 → 13 (forward), 19 → 11 (back, up), 26 → 16 (down)).
  • The lowered landing lag improves neutral aerial's and down aerial's safety, while allowing them to function as effective combo starters.
• Neutral aerial:
  • Neutral aerial has slightly less ending lag (FAF 42 → 41), and auto-cancels slightly earlier (frame 38 → 37).
  • Both hits have a shorter duration (hit 1: frames 9-13 → 9-12, hit 2: 19-29 → 19-26).
• Forward aerial:
  • Forward aerial has an altered animation: Ganondorf leans farther forward as he punches, similar to its animation in Melee. This increases its range.
  • The move auto-cancels earlier (frame 55 → 45), matching the move's interruptibility and auto-canceling in a double jump.
• Back aerial:
  • Back aerial deals more damage (16%/17%/16% → 17%/18.5%/17%), with its knockback scaling not fully compensated (89 → 86), improving its KO potential.
  • The hitboxes are significantly smaller (5.5u/6.3u/4.8u → 4u/4.5u/3u), greatly reducing its vertical range.
  • It has an altered animation where Ganondorf leans further back into the move, kicks one of his legs out and keeps his arm out for a longer duration. This makes Ganondorf significantly more vulnerable to being punished and makes him a larger target to hit.
  • In addition to the aforementioned change, Ganondorf's arm hurtboxes are stretched during and after the swing, making him even more vulnerable to being attacked and reducing the effective safety of the move.
• Up aerial:
  • Up aerial's hitbox is marginally larger (5.76u → 5.8u).
  • It has more startup lag and a shorter duration (frames 6-16 → 8-16). Not only is the move no longer Ganondorf's fastest attack, this causes the late hit to no longer hit below Ganondorf, significantly weakening its gimping potential and lock combos.
  • It has a slightly altered animation: Ganondorf brings his kicking leg forward midway through the spin.
• Down aerial:
  • Down aerial has less ending lag (FAF 47 → 45).
  • It no longer has transcendent priority, allowing it to cancel out projectiles.
  • It has a slightly altered animation: Ganondorf leans back slightly as he stomps, similar to its animation in Melee.

Throws and other attacks

• Grabs:
  • All grabs have a longer duration (2 frames → 3).
  • All grabs have more range (Z2 offset: 9.0u → 10.0u (standing), 10.8u → 11.8u (dash), -15.1u → -15.6u (pivot)).
  • Standing and pivot grab have slightly more startup lag (frame 7 → 8 (standing), 10 → 12 (pivot)).
  • Standing and dash grab have more ending lag (FAF 36 → 39 (standing), 45 → 47 (dash)).
  • Ganondorf now grabs with his left hand.
  • Ganondorf has a different pose while holding the enemy.
• Pummel:
  • Pummel deals much less damage (3% → 1.6%).
  • It deals more hitlag (5 frames → 15), but has less startup (frame 4 → 2) and significantly less ending lag (FAF 24 → 8), shortening its duration. This makes it faster and more reliable for racking up damage.
  • Pummel has a different animation, with Ganondorf arching forward as he delivers his knee strikes.
• Forward throw:
  • Forward throw deals more knockback (60 base/65 scaling → 68/70), KOing around 150% near the edge.
  • It has an altered animation: it is now an uppercut with his right hand instead of a gut punch with his left hand.
• Back throw:
  • Back throw has a slightly altered animation: his upper body is near parallel with the ground during the kicking portion.
• Up throw:
  • Up throw's first hit deals more damage (7% → 10%, total: 10% → 13%).
  • It has an altered animation: Ganondorf punches with his right hand. The animation itself also has more weight to it.
• Down throw:
  • Down throw has improved combo potential due to Ganondorf's faster jumpsquat.
  • It is no longer weight-dependent, improving its combo potential on heavyweights, while leaving it generally unchanged against lightweights due to Ganondorf's faster jumpsquat.
  • It has a slightly altered animation: Ganondorf slams the enemy onto the ground more forcefully.
• Edge attack:
  • Edge attack deals more damage (8% → 10%).

Special moves

• Warlock Punch:
  • Non-reversed Warlock Punch has more knockback scaling (42 → 46).
  • All of its variants have a longer duration (frames 70-71 → 70-73 (normal), 80-81 → 80-83 (reversed)).
  • It has more super armor (frames 11-65 → 11-68 (normal), 21-67 → 21-75 (reversed)).
  • The outermost hitbox is slightly larger (4.3u → 4.8u).
  • Like up-tilt, it triggers Special Zoom upon hitting the opponent.
  • It has slightly altered animation, with his other hand being closer to his body.
  • Ganondorf's voice clip now echoes during the move, similar to that of a Final Smash.
  • Ganondorf no longer slides forwards as the hitbox is coming out, instead simply leaning forwards, reducing the move's range slightly.
• Flame Choke:
  • Both versions of Flame Choke have less ending lag upon grabbing an opponent (grounded: FAF 62 → 58, aerial: FAF 41 → 38), significantly improving its combo potential, with the grounded version allowing for more possible follow-ups on missed techs; in particular, a combo into down tilt or dash attack is guaranteed against all characters.
  • The grounded version's super armor upon grabbing an opponent lasts slightly longer (frames 17-40 → 17-41).
  • The grounded version no longer dashes over an edge, and ends earlier if used toward an edge, making it safer to use.
  • The aerial version has less startup lag (frame 19 → 16), no longer whiffing up close.
  • The aerial version can be escaped by button mashing, which scales with the opponent's damage percentage, significantly hindering Ganoncide's utility at low percentages.
    • Additionally, the opponent is no longer KO'd first during a Ganoncide, removing the technique as a viable option when both players are on their last stock and its ability to deter edgeguards.
• Dark Dive:
  • The disjointed grabbox on frame 14 can now grab aerial opponents, giving the move more range against them.
  • The grabbox while rising is extended above Ganondorf, increasing the move's vertical range.
  • Dark Dive's looping hits deal more damage (1.2% → 1.9%, total: 13.8% → 16.6%).
  • The throw deals drastically more knockback (40 base/90 scaling → 50/108), restoring most of its lost KO power from Melee, now KOing around 110% near the edge.
  • The throw has significantly less ending lag (FAF 60 → 25), greatly reducing the effectiveness of Tech Checking, and thus improving the safety of Ganondorf's recovery.
    • However, Ganondorf leaps back farther out of a throw, and he still does not regain directional control until much later in the animation, allowing his recovery to still be gimped to some degree.
  • The grounded version's grabbox is now only active after Ganondorf has left the ground, causing it to whiff against smaller opponents.
  • The throw causes a vibrant burst of purple magic rather than a fiery explosion. It also has the electric effect.
  • The uppercut at the end of the move now uses the kick SFX instead of the burn SFX.
• Flame Choke and Dark Dive no longer experience RCO lag.
• Wizard's Foot:
  • The grounded version has a slightly different animation at the startup, with Ganondorf bending his knee forward before kicking.
  • The grounded version's foot hitbox deals more damage (12% → 16%) without full compensation on its knockback (60 base/70 scaling → 65/65), now being the move's sweetspot. This significantly improves its KO potential, now being a reliable KO move under 100% near the edge.
  • The grounded version's foot hitbox is larger (3.5u → 4u) and it has been moved further away from Ganondorf (x offset: 6 → 7), improving its range.
  • The grounded version travels faster.
  • The grounded version's animation is closer to its appearance in Melee, with Ganondorf traveling closer to the ground. This means that shorter characters and characters with a low crouch can no longer consistently crouch under the move.
  • The grounded version has significantly less ending lag when it ends on the ground (FAF 77 → 61).
  • If Ganondorf travels from one platform to another using the grounded version, the move will now end in the grounded ending animation rather than the aerial ending animation. As the grounded ending animation is now shorter, this benefits the move overall.
  • Due to the changes to meteor smashes, the aerial version's meteor smash can no longer be teched by grounded opponents.
  • If Ganondorf immediately performs the aerial version after dropping through a platform, he will no longer quickly land on the platform for a frame before he falls through the platform, improving its reliability.
  • The aerial version's late hit is coded to have a shorter duration (frames 19-38 → 19-29), however this change has no impact on gameplay as the attack animation was only 29 frames long in the previous game, making it active from frames 19-29 previously.
  • Ganondorf has a slightly different animation and pose upon landing, where Ganondorf's landing arm is more centered to his body and he no longer brings his free arm down.
  • The grounded version's leg hitbox deals less knockback (60 base/70 scaling → 65/65), hindering its KO potential.
  • The grounded version's leg hitbox is smaller (4.5u → 3u) and it has been moved closer to Ganondorf (x offset: 0 → 2.7), reducing its range above and behind Ganondorf.
  • The aerial version has smaller hitboxes (5.8u/6.8u → 5u/3.5u) and the leg hitbox has been moved closer to Ganondorf (x offset: 6 → 8), reducing its range, especially above Ganondorf.
  • Both versions no longer have a hitbox on Ganondorf's thigh, reducing the grounded version's range behind Ganondorf and reducing the aerial version's range above Ganondorf.
• Final Smash:
  • Ganondorf's Final Smash is called Ganon, The Demon King, and is based on his bipedal form from Ocarina of Time. It is functionally identical to Beast Ganon; however, instead of slamming the ground with his body, Ganon slashes with his twin greatswords before rushing forward. When Ganondorf activates his Final Smash, the Triforce of Power briefly flashes on the back of his hand.
  • The charge deals more damage (40% (sweetspot) / 30% (sourspot) → 45%/35%).
  • The charge has noticeably more range due to Ganon's increased size in his new form.
  • The move now applies 6x Slowdown to all opponents for 2 seconds upon activating the move, making it harder to avoid.
  • The charge has altered knockback (20 base/70 scaling → 122/25), being stronger on small stages at the ledge and weaker in all other circumstances.
  • The charge launches at a worse angle for KOing (30 → 42).
  • The sourspot is more likely to connect due to the hitboxes being rearranged, and one of the sweetspots becoming a new sourspot.
    • Additionally, the sword hit will knock opponents into the sourspot now.
  • Opponents are meteor smashed sooner upon being hit by the twin greatswords. This can cause the dash to miss, but against offstage opponents it allows for gimps due to the high set knockback.
  • The burying hitbox that occurred when transforming was removed.
  • The meteor smash hitbox has significantly less horizontal reach, stopping at his twin greatswords.