Everybody loves a well-executed spike. They're's something special about dunking your opponent into oblivion. It activates something primal within us. If someone lands a spike in a tournament, the announcers go wild and lose their grasp of the English language in the process. Not every character was blessed to have a spike, and not every character was blessed to have a good one (looking at you Little Mac). However, these characters were blessed to have one or more stylish and equally brutal spikes. Here are the most powerful spikes in Smash Ultimate.
10 Ganondorf - Down Air 𒀰
When it comes to flat out mean spikes, it seems fitting that the King of Evil has . Ganon's down air has been a staple since his introduction in Melee. With each Smash game, he has differed from his Captain Falcon semi-clone days but his down air will forever be a representation of his Smash origins. His spike is similar to Falcon's, but with a bit more oof into it. Ganon's power instills fear 𝓀into those who don't respect it, and his down air is no different. It deals 22.8% and kills early, so its fair for players to freak out a bit when a Ganon chases them off stage. The animation screams power, with Ganon charging his legs before fully extending for the vicious two-legged stomp while puffing out his chest. The electric impact it has can make any pr🐼o lose their grip, .
9 Terry - Pꦐower Dunk
Most Terry players don't utilize this enough and it honestly makes us sad. To get the spike for power dunk, you have to do the input command (Shoryuken motion). If you can land it right, which is the dead center of your opponent, you get a meaty, devastating dunk that kills very early. The point of contact is immense. It takes commitment when going off stage but it's worth it tenfold. What makes this especially powerful is that you can special cancel forward tilt into power dunk at low percents. It can combo on certain characters. Even if it doesn't, it puts opponents in a very precarious position. I🃏f they don't react accordingly, .
8 🔴 R.O.B - Down Air 💫
R.O.B has the best defensive spike in the game, bar none. The cute robot has a spike that covers a lot of ground and has a stalling effect. Because of this, he doesn't even need to go off stage to spike people as the . It can au🐼to-cancel after a short hop and is lethal after a ledge trump. You can even get fancy and . It's a beefy spike that can claim stocks in an instant. There's some build-up to the move, which lends into its impact and makes it all the more satisfying to hit.
7 ꦉ Donkey Kong - Aerial Hand Slap 🥃
Donkey Kong has the pick of the litter when comes to spikes. He has his classic down air and his massive forward air but his most useful and stylish spike comes in the form of his aerial down b, the hand slaps. These slaps have quite a bit of range and stay active for a longer time compared to the other spikes. It serves as one of DK's few kill confirms, even a𓂃t higher percents. But things get interesting when you . The momentum shifts can confuse opponents a꧃nd dunk those who aren't expecting it. .
6 ಞ Snake - Forward ꧑Air
The most important aspects of a spike are as follows: Impact (has to have that feeling of a powerful hit), speed (slow implies power and fast implies sudden force), size (bigger is better but small is satisfying), and difficulty (it won't be as special if it was a gimme). Snake's forward air fills all of these criteria and then some. This midair ax kick has plenty of start-up and end lag but its all to show how much violent force is involved. This also makes the move risky. While it has excellent range wi𝄹th its hitbox, you have to account for the lag so you have to space and time it right to hit the sweet spot. If you can do that at early percents, you will come away with a stock and a very distraught opponent. To make it better, or mortar.
5 Pichu/Pikachu - Thunder 💧
Most spikes involve your opponent being below you. The rats' thunder is the opposite and that's what makes them special. With thunder having a spike hitbox in the cloud, you can rain down your opponent out of the sky. This is especially useful if your opponent always recovers high. There are tons of creative setups for thunder spikes, such as or . The possibilities are endless. 🌠, but if you can land it, major style points to you.
4 🥀 Zero Suit Samus - Flip Kick 🌟
Without a doubt, the most graceful and intricate move in the game. Most people associate flip jump as being an extra jump. While it is used as an additional recovery option and a way to escape a disadvantaged state, it's most impactful use is with the kick. The spike is located at the tip of her boot and requires tight precision to hit consistently. It can claim lives at frighteningly low percents. There's plenty of setups for the spike. These include , back throw at lower percents, falling fair ( a🃏nd the ), and . It's a hard one to master compared to the others but its the most satisfying to land.
3 Wii Fit Trainer - Hea🃏der
Much like DK, Wii Fit Trainer has plenty of options when it come✤s to spikes. Her (or his depending on the color you pick) down air is a solid spike and forward air has a unique spike hitbox on Wii Fit's foot. This is among the fastest spikes in the game. Wii Fit's header♛, however, is in a league of its own. The hitbox is super small, just covering Wii Fit's head but it serves as a great edgeguarding tool. It can catch those who are trying to be too aggressive while Wii Fit is heading soccer balls near the ledge. knowing how small of a window this move has but the incredible power it has.
2 🌳 ♐ Mario - Forward Air
The quintessential spike. . This one move is enough motivation to pick up , which doesn't take much effort to begin with. The way Mario rears back his gi♉ant fist and finishes with the cleanest overhand known to man is just great. It's Mario's most laggy move but as mentioned with Snake, that just shows how much force is packed into it. That split second before the hit gives the players and any bystanders time to comprehend the beautiful moment. It kills early, can be used as a , and is .
1 🐻Kin﷽g K Rool - Back Air
The only spike that can rival Mario's. Everything you love in Mario's forward air but laced with more brute force and put on a back air for extra flair. The move has a considerable start-up, but we know that slow implies power. K Rool has to wind up that giant fist before launching anyone into the next dimension. It kills extremely early and while it doesn't exactly combo off anything, there's ple𒁃nty of creative setups. The best way to use this move is via a reverse aerial back rush, adding some elegance to the brutality. And when you dunk your opponent like this, you can say this prayer ⭕to put your salty opponent to rest. .