Kirby using Inhale on Black Mage to perform a Kirbycide; the most well known sacrificial KO move.
A sacrificial KO (also called a kamikaze or a suicidal KO) is a maneuver in the main Super Smash Bros. games and in Super Smash Flash 2 where one character KOs both themselves and an opponent with a single move. In most cases, this involves grabbing the opponent and dragging them downwards to the bottom blast line, though self-damaging attacks can also prove effective. Sacrificial KOs result in the user self-destructing.
Sacrificial KOs are useful if the user has a high damage percentage and the opponent has a low percentage; as the user is more likely to be KO'd in this way, taking down a comparatively fresh opponent at the same time can even out the match. If the user has a lead in stocks, sacrificial KOs accelerate the match and can even score victories if the victim only has one stock remaining. In the same way, low-damage or trailing players can be harmed by sacrificial KOs, as this often simply brings them closer to losing.
If both players have only one stock remaining, then the user can win, lose, or enter Sudden Death, depending on the exact characteristics of the individual technique. In the case of grab-based methods, this will always result in Sudden Death.
List of sacrificial KO methods
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This section requires to be rewritten or expanded.
The information is not outdated nor incomplete, although it can be rewritten for a more formal explanation and better clarity. It may require an expansion going further on missing details. |
Grab-based methods
| Character | Execution |
|---|---|
| All characters | By grabbing an opponent while standing on a moving platform, if the grab is not broken, both characters will be KO'd if the platform reaches a blast line. This can occur on platforms such as the falling platforms on Mushroom Kingdom, Central Highway, and Sky Sanctuary Zone, the platforms on Butter Building as the stage scrolls upward, Rambi, and Rayman's Plum. |
| Bandana Dee | Much like with Kirby, Bandana Dee's forward throw can be used next to a ledge. |
| Bowser | "Bowsercide" is executed with Flying Slam, with Bowser grabbing the opponent and diving off the side of the stage. |
| Donkey Kong | Executed with Donkey Kong's forward throw, by carrying himself and his victim off the stage. This is typically not used as a straight Sacrificial KO as the opponent can break free and leave Donkey Kong's poor vertical recovery to failure. |
| Ganondorf | "Ganoncide" is executed with the aerial version of Flame Choke, with Ganondorf grabbing the opponent and plummeting off the stage. |
| Kirby | "Kirbycide" is the most famous form of Sacrificial KO, and it can be executed in multiple ways with Kirby. One way is with Inhale, in which he can suck an opponent in and carry them off the stage with him. |
| He can also use his forward throw, up throw and back throw to carry his opponent off the stage if used near a ledge. | |
| He can use Chomp by copying it from Wario, which works in the same way as it does with Wario. | |
| Meta Knight | Executed by using Meta Knight's up throw over a moving platform, when Meta Knight and his opponent are over a ledge or above a ceiling. |
| Wario | Occurs when Wario uses Chomp while falling, taking his opponent down with him. As mentioned previously, the opponent can break free of that. |
Other methods
| Character | Execution | Last-stock behaviour |
|---|---|---|
| All characters | The usage of self-damaging explosive items such as Motion-Sensor Bombs, Blast Boxes, and Bob-ombs in close ranges can lead to a sacrificial KO, though such instances are often unintentional. | Depends on who has suffered more damage. |
| Ichigo | If Ichigo uses Gazan offstage and hits an opponent with the meteor smash hitbox, both characters will plummet to the bottom blast line. | Usually loses, but the move can cause Sudden Death or a win, depending on the move's charge and proximity to the blast line. |
| Kirby | If Kirby uses Final Cutter offstage and hits an opponent with the meteor smash hitbox, both characters will plummet to the bottom blast line. | Usually loses, but the move can cause Sudden Death or a win, depending on the move's charge and proximity to the blast line. |
| Sandbag | Much like with explosive items, if Sandbag uses Bob-omb Toss near an opponent, both characters will take heavy knockback and often fly to the side or upper blast lines. | Depends on who has suffered more damage. |
Trivia
- Originally, Meta Knight could move left or right when using his up throw, which made him able to perform a sacrificial KO with it more easily. However, this function was removed in a subsequent patch due to the technique already being considered effective.
- In v0.9a of the demo, performing Kirby's or Meta Knight's sacrificial KO methods would sometimes cause the game to crash.