Two Donkey Kongs using Giant Punch on each other. However, they're only receiving the damage because the super armor the move grants them prevents them from receiving knockback.
Knockback Resistance, also referred to as launch resistance, super armor, or heavy armor, is a physics trait in the Super Smash Bros. series and Smash Flash Series that limits knockback, hitlag, and hitstun in certain cases. It only affects knockback and the character who is hit will still receive damage from the attack. Yoshi's Double Jump, Captain Falcon's Falcon Kick and Kirby's Stone are examples of moves that have finite amounts of knockback resistance, and commonly referred to as having heavy armor. Some other knockback resistance moves have infinite knockback resistance and are commonly referred to as super armor. However, grab hitboxes ignore all variations of launch resistance. There is no indication of knockback resistance in Super Smash Flash.
Knockback resistance is not to be confused with invincibility frames, which leave an opponent immune to damage as well as knockback or flinching.
Characters with moves that grants them knockback resistance
- Yoshi's Double Jump grants him some degree of heavy armor.
- Captain Falcon's Falcon Kick grants him some degree of heavy armor.
- Kirby's Stone grants him super armor for the duration of the move.
- Donkey Kong's Giant Punch grants him super armor for the duration of the move. Spinning Kong also grants him super armor in the intial frames of the move.
- Certain Final Smashes, all Final Forms and Sem-Final Forms grants the user infinite knockback resistance.
Trivia
- The Wario Waft in Super Smash Bros. Brawl granted Wario knockback resistance. However, he does not gain Super Armor when he uses the move in Super Smash Flash 2.