Matchup Summary (Win Condition and Game Plan)
Sora has the freedom to stay in the air for a long time with lingering aerials, magic, and a recovery route that chains Up B into Side B, which makes it easy for him to keep juggling Charizard’s large body once he gets underneath. Charizard can still threaten huge swings, but if he agrees to chase too high into that air game, his slow aerial drift and large hurtbox make neutral air, forward air, and up air pressure much harder to escape.
That said, Sora’s movement is still floaty rather than explosive, and the frame table shows that Charizard can punish Jab 1, Jab 2, Jab 3, Forward Tilt (1)(2), Up Tilt, Down Tilt, Dash Attack, Forward Smash, Up Smash, Down Smash, Down Air, Neutral B (1)(3), and Side B on shield with Up Smash (6f), Up B (9f), Grab (10f), OOS Nair (11f), and OOS Fair (11f). If Charizard reads the landing route first, up tilt, back air, and Flamethrower can pin Sora’s re-entry and force him into kill percent very quickly.
The win condition is not to meet Sora in the air on his terms, but to hold ground and erase the place he wants to come down with Flamethrower and Charizard’s long tail hitboxes. Sora’s back air, up air, and the early parts of neutral air are usually too safe for forced in-place punishes, so it is more reliable to wait for the landing endlag or the Side B end point and hit that spot with Up Smash or back air.
For kills, Charizard should favor Up Smash, back air, up throw, and ledge forward smash on stage. Sora’s recovery distance is simply too long for reckless deep chases to stay favorable, and he can still swing back with aerials or movement specials if Charizard overcommits offstage.
Full Move Frame Quick Reference
| Opponent Move | Startup | On Shield | Charizard OOS Candidate Moves | Barely Missed Moves |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jab 1 | 5 | -22 |
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| Jab 2 | 7 | -22 |
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| Jab 3 | 10 | -23 |
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| Forward Tilt (1) | 13 | -12 |
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| Forward Tilt (2) | 10 | -23 |
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| Up Tilt | 8/12/16/20/24/28/33 | -13 |
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| Down Tilt | 9 | -16 |
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| Dash Attack | 7 | -21 |
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| Forward Smash | 16 | -16 |
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| Up Smash | 11/16 | -26 |
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| Down Smash | 20 | -24 |
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| Neutral Air (1) | 8 | -6 |
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| Neutral Air (2) | 6 | -8 |
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| Neutral Air (3) | 8 | -8 |
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| Forward Air (1) | 10 | -9 |
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| Forward Air (2) | 6 | -10 |
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| Forward Air (3) | 8 | -11 |
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| Back Air | 13 | -6 |
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| Up Air | 10 | -5 |
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| Down Air | 15 | -21 |
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| Neutral B (1) | 16 | -14 |
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| Neutral B (2) | 30/44/58 | ** | ||
| Neutral B (3) | 15… | -17 |
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| Side B | 17/45/73 | -25/-39/-43 |
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| Up B | 9… | ** | ||
| Down B (1) | 7 | ** | ||
| Down B (2) | 25 | ** | ||
| Grab | 7 | — | ||
| Dash Grab | 10 | — | ||
| Pivot Grab | 11 | — |
Win Condition Checklist
- Do not chase Sora too high into the air; hold center stage and pre-cover the landing with Flamethrower, up tilt, and back air instead.
- When Sora’s Jab 1, Jab 2, Jab 3, Forward Tilt (1)(2), Up Tilt, Down Tilt, Dash Attack, Forward Smash, Up Smash, Down Smash, Down Air, Neutral B (1)(3), or Side B hits shield, answer with Up Smash (6f), Up B (9f), Grab (10f), OOS Nair (11f), or OOS Fair (11f).
- After shielding back air, up air, or the safer parts of neutral air, do not force an in-place punish; cover the landing endlag or the Side B endpoint instead.
- At kill percent, finish with Up Smash, back air, up throw, or ledge forward smash while keeping stage position rather than chasing too far offstage.
Actions to Avoid
- Chasing Sora higher and higher in the air and giving his neutral air, forward air, and up air juggling exactly the space they want.
- Panicking at magic or drift mix and throwing out Flare Blitz into a readied punish.
- Swinging an in-place punish every time you shield back air, up air, or neutral air and getting clipped by Sora’s drift away or re-entry.
- Overcommitting offstage for the kill and letting Up B into Side B plus aerials reverse the edge situation.