Matchup Summary (Win Condition and Game Plan)
This matchup collapses for Ganondorf when he starts chasing Pikachu’s tiny hurtbox and movement with big swings, because Pikachu’s nair, uair, Thunder Jolt pressure, and landing traps turn every whiff into a long disadvantage sequence. Ganondorf cannot win by pursuing every scramble. He needs to hold center, block the grounded commitments he can actually punish, and keep his answers narrow and deliberate.
The frame table shows that jab, forward tilt, up tilt, dash attack, bair, uair, dair, neutral B, every smash attack, up B, and down B can all be punished on block by Grab (10f), OOS Nair (10f), or OOS Uair (11f). The smash attacks plus neutral B, up B, and down B are especially important because they are the moments where Ganondorf can turn one stop into real kill pressure.
By contrast, down tilt, nair, fair, and side B are mostly too safe to challenge directly after shield. If Ganondorf swings anyway, the small hurtbox and reset speed usually let Pikachu take the next turn. Cover the landing and next dash path instead of trying to answer every button in place.
The win condition is to make a few punishes count all the way. Ganondorf should favor center control, ledge pressure, and heavy reads at the ledge over reckless offstage chases, because his own recovery is far more fragile than Pikachu’s.
Full Move Frame Quick Reference
| Opponent Move | Startup | On Shield | Ganondorf OOS Candidate Moves | Barely Missed Moves |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jab | 2 | -12/-13 |
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| Forward Tilt | 6 | -14/-15/-13 |
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| Up Tilt | 7 | -13 |
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| Down Tilt | 7 | -4 |
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| Dash Attack | 6 | -11 |
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| Forward Smash | 15 | -29 |
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| Up Smash | 10 | -24 |
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| Down Smash | 8/11/14/17/20/23 | -39 |
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| Neutral Air | 3/9/15/21 | -7 |
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| Forward Air | 11… | -10/-9 |
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| Back Air | 4/8/12/16/20/24 | -12 |
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| Up Air | 4 | -11/-11 |
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| Down Air | 14 | -16 |
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| Neutral B | 19 | -20 |
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| Side B | 18/18 | -11 to -2 |
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| Up B | 15/29 | -33 |
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| Down B | 13/** | -26 |
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| Grab | 7 | — | ||
| Dash Grab | 11 | — | ||
| Pivot Grab | 12 | — |
Win Condition Checklist
- Do not chase Pikachu’s hurtbox all over the stage. Hold center and punish only the grounded commitments and landings that are actually yours.
- After blocking jab, forward tilt, up tilt, dash attack, bair, uair, dair, neutral B, any smash attack, up B, or down B, punish with Grab (10f), OOS Nair (10f), or OOS Uair (11f).
- Treat down tilt, nair, fair, and side B as mostly safe resets. Cover the landing or next dash lane instead of forcing an in-place punish that will whiff.
- Build kills through ledge pressure, bair, Up Smash, and Up B callouts rather than overcommitting offstage against Pikachu’s recovery.
- Stay patient through Thunder Jolt chip and landing pressure. The matchup swings when Ganondorf waits for the real opening and makes it hurt.
Actions to Avoid
- Throwing out large whiffs to chase Pikachu’s movement and giving away long combo or edgeguard sequences.
- Trying to punish down tilt, nair, fair, or side B on shield even though those situations usually reset before Ganondorf can reach.
- Overchasing offstage for an early kill and exposing Ganondorf’s own recovery weakness.
- Panicking after chip damage and surrendering center stage, which is exactly what lets Pikachu run the pace of the match.