Zelda (SSBU)/Down aerial

Hitbox visualization showing Zelda's down aerial.

Overview

Zelda performs a slow, powerful stomp packed with magic. Dubbed the Meteor Heel, it’s a less extreme version of a Lightning Kick. In comparison, the strong hit is not as ludicrous in power, and is slow to come out at frame 14. However, it is relatively large, covering both her lower leg and some space past her foot.

The strong hit is among the highest damaging meteor smashes. With its relatively low landing lag, it can be safe on shield with good timing and spacing. Its knockback scaling is relatively low, which makes it weaker than many lower-damage moves of its kind, but allows it to combo for quite a large window. It can lead into massive damage from platform tech chases, and is the go-to punish against laggy moves. It can combo into practically her entire moveset, but up tilt is the most common extension for damage racking, and Lightning Kick, up aerial, or Farore’s Wind are the most common follow-ups for KOs.

Due to its slow startup, down aerial is situational as a finisher, but can end a Phantom combo for a meteor smash KO if well-timed.

The late hits also launch directly downward, are fairly large and last for 10 frames. They can gimp opponents with weak recoveries, and they can cover jumps in ledge traps by knocking opponents downward into a Phantom. However, they are very weak and thus make the move inherently risky in neutral. In disadvantage, down air should be carefully used as only one option among many other defensive options for landing.

At high percents, especially with rage, a late hit can similarly start combos. Interestingly, the leg hitbox is stronger than the foot hitbox by a significant margin, but will rarely land deliberately due to its position. However, if it does, it will send into tumble much earlier, forcing hard-to-react techs with its minimal hitlag.

Down air is notably her fastest aerial to execute, which is useful for canceling tumble. It also auto-cancels in a short hop. While down aerial is hard to use in neutral, it is a very potent tool in Zelda’s punish game.

Update History

13.0.0

Down aerial's clean hit has a larger hitbox (3.2u/3u → 4.2u/4u).

Hitboxes

ID	Part	Rehit rate	Damage	SD	Angle type	BK	KS	FKV	Radius	Bone	Offset			H×	SDI×	T%	Sound	Hit bits	Hit part
Clean hit
0	0	0	16.0%	0	Standard	30	65	0	4.2	footl	2.0	0.0	0.0	1.0×	1.0×	0%	Magic	All	All
1	0	0	16.0%	0	Standard	30	65	0	4.0	footl	-1.0	-0.5	0.0	1.0×	1.0×	0%	Magic	All	All
Late hit
0	0	0	5.0%	0	Standard	5	90	0	5.0	kneel	0.0	0.0	0.0	1.0×	1.0×	0%	Kick	All	All
1	0	0	4.0%	0	Standard	0	70	0	5.0	footl	0.0	0.0	0.0	1.0×	1.0×	0%	Kick	All	All