List of Moves with i-frames

Synnett · Feb 20, 2021

A list of damaging* move that have any kind of invulnerability frames (i-frames) that I'm compiling for a project, not including ledge attacks because Falcon doesn't have the data anywhere for them and get up attacks because a lot of character are missing that info (and they'd make this thread way too big). Counters don't count either because it's a different mechanic, and Kirby's rock because it can be grabbed. *Sheik and Zelda's down specials have i-frames but don't do any damage, and Samus' brings out a projectile, but they still count.

If I'm missing anything, or something is inaccurate, let me know!

Data and Gifs

Green for full body invulnerability.
Red for partial invulnerabiliy.

Bowser:
- Up Smash

Total: 59
Hit: 16-21, 30
Invincible: 16-17

- Up Special Grounded

Total: 79
Hit: 5-46 (several hits)
Invincible: 1-4

- Down Smash (Limbs)

Total: 69
Hit: 14-15, 17-18, 20-21, 23-24
26-27, 29-30, 32

- Up Special Grounded and Aerial (Limbs)

--ON THE GROUND--
Total: 79
Hit: 5-46 (several hits)
Invincible: 1-4

--IN THE AIR--
Total: 49
Hit: 5-46 (several hits)

Doc:
- Up Special

Total: 37
Hit: 3-21
Invincible: 3

- Up Smash (Head)

Total: 39
Hit: 9-11
Head invulnerable: 9-11

DK:
- Neutral Special Fully Charged

Total: 46
Hit: 17-21
Invincibility: 17-18

- Up Special Grounded

Total: 84
Hit: 3-5, 19-58
Invincible: 3-5

- Up Special Aerial

Total: 84
Hit: 2-5, 11-66
Invincible: 2-5
Invincibility on arms: 11-42

- Up Special Aerial (Limbs)

Total: 84
Hit: 2-5, 11-66
Invincible: 2-5
Invincibility on arms: 11-42

- Up Smash (Forearms and Head)

Total: 53
Hit: 14-16
Forearms and head invincible: 12-16

Falco:
- Down Special

Total: 39 (or more, but can be jump-cancelled)
Hit: 1
Intangible: 1

- Up Smash (Head w/beak)

Hit: 7-15
Total: 43
Head intangible (but not beak): 1-10

- Down Smash (Legs)

Hit: 6-10
Total: 49
Legs intangible: 1-6

Fox:
- Down Special

Total: 39 (or more, but can be jump-cancelled)
Hits: 1
Intangible: 1

- Up Smash (Head w/snout)

Total: 41
Hit: 7-17
Head invincible (but not snout): 1-9

- Down Smash (Legs)

Total: 49
Hit: 6-10
Legs invincible: 6

Game & Watch:
- Up Smash (Head w/nose)

Total: 44
Hit: 24-28
Head (but not nose) invincible: 24-28

Ice Climbers:
- Up Aerial Special (Nana only)

Total: 89
Nana hits: 17-59
Nana invulnerable: 5-59

Jigglypuff:
- Down Special

Total: 249
Hit: 1
Invincible: 1-26

- Down Smash (Legs)

Total: 54
Hit: 9-10
Legs invincible: 9-10

Kirby:
- Down Smash (Legs)

Total: 55
Hit: 7-22
Legs invincible: 7-9

Luigi:
- Up Special

Total: 39
Hit: 5-23
Invincible: 5-8

- Up Smash (Head)

Total: 39
Hit: 9-11
Head invincible: 9-11

Mario:
- Up Special

Total: 37
Hit: 3-24
Invincible: 3-6

- Up Smash (Head)

Total: 39
Hit: 9-11
Head invulnerable: 9-11

Marth:
- Up Special

Total: 39
Hit: 5-10
Invulnerable: 5

Mewtwo:
- Up Special

https://i.fightcore.gg/melee/moves/mewtwo/upb.gif

Total: 32
Invulnerable: 7-17

Ness:
- Up Special Hit

Total: 70
Hit: 1-36
Invincible: 1-9

Peach:
- Up Special

Total: 40
Hit: 6-9, 10-11, 12-13, 14-15, 16-17,
18-19, 20-21, 22-23, 24-25, 26-27,
28-29
Invincibility: 3

- Up Tilt (Head)

Total: 39
Hit: 9-13
Head Invincible: 9-12

- Up Smash (Head and arms)

Total: 44
Hit: 13-22
Head and arms invulnerable: 13-22

- Down Smash (Legs)

Total: 39
Hit: 5-6, 9-10, 13-14, 17-18, 21-22
Legs invincible: 3-24

Pichu:
- Down Smash

Total: 54
Hit: 7-13
Invincible: 7-10

Roy:
- Up Special

Total: 48
Hit: 9-21 (several hitboxes)
Invulnerable: 9

Samus:
- Up Special Grounded

Total: 49
Hit: 4-7, 8-9, 10-11, 12-13, 14-15,
16-17, 18-19, 20-21, 22-23, 24-25,
26-27, 28-29
invincible: 1-5

- Up Special Air

Total: 47
Hit: 4-5, 6-7, 8-9, 10-11, 12-13,
14-15, 16-17, 18-19, 20-21, 22-23,
24-25, 26-27
Invincible: 1-3

- Down Special (Limbs?)

Total: 53
Bomb appears: 10
Bomb exists: 73 frames, then boom
Bomb does damage for 11 frames
Limbs invincible: 10-33
Loses invulnerability for 1 frame as you touch the ground.

Sheik:
- Up Special

Total: 94
Hit: 36-42
Invincible: 18-55

- Down Special

Total: 62
Invulnerable: 27-36
First frame of Zelda: 37

- Up Smash (Head and forearms)

Total: 47
Hit: 12, 14-16
Charge frame: 10
Head and forearms invincible: 12-16

- Down Smash (Legs)

Total: 49
Hit: 5-9, 16-19, 22-24
Legs invincible: 5

Yoshi:
- Dash Attack (Head w/nose)

Total: 43
Hit: 10-23
Head invincible (not nose): 5-13

- Up Smash (Head)

Total: 43
Hit: 11-15
Head invincible: 11-15

- Forward Smash (Head w/nose)

Total: 47
Hit: 14-16
Head invincible (not nose): 12-16

Zelda:
- Up Special

Total: 114
Hit: 10-11
Invincible: 33-53

- Neutral Special

Total: 59
Invincible: 4-11
Hit: 12, 15, 18, 21, 24, 27
Reflects: 4-41

- Down Special

Total: 69
invincible: 34-43
First frame of Sheik: 44

- Down Smash (Legs)

Total: 39
Hit: 4-7, 13-16
Leg invincible: 4-16

Extra Data and Trivia

Character	Full Invulnerability	Partial Invulnerability	Total	Character	Full Invulnerability	Partial Invulnerability	Total
Bowser	2	3	5*	Mario	1	1	2
Falcon	0	0	0	Marth	1	0	1
Doc	1	1	2	Mewtwo	1	0	1
DK	3	2	5*	Ness	1	0	1
Falco	1	2	3	Peach	1	3	4
Fox	1	2	3	Pichu	1	0	1
Game & Watch	1	0	1	Pikachu	0	0	0
Ganondorf	0	0	0	Roy	1	0	1
Ice Climbers	1	0	1	Samus	2	1	3
JigglyPuff	1	1	2	Sheik	2	2	4
Kirby	0	1	1	Yoshi	0	3	3
Link	0	0	0	Young Link	0	0	0
Luigi	1	1	2	Zelda	3	1	4

*Bowser and DK are the only character to share both full and partial invulnerability within the same move, for grounded Up Special and aerial Up Special respectively.
Not noted in here, but Bowser's second jump is the only jump in the game to have partial i-frames. (tweet)
Bowser, Samus and Zelda are the only characters to have a hitbox that comes out right after full invulnerability frames, but don't overlap. In the case of Bowser, it gives him a big window to trade and asdi down, which basically gives him a parry, a tech called Shellshock.
DK's neutral special (Donkey Punch) is only invulnerable when fully charged.
Nana is the only "external" hurtbox to have full invulnerability.
Fox, Falco and Jigglypuff have the fastest invulnerable hitboxes, of course.
Bowser and Samus have different grounded and aerial up specials that have i-frames.
Luigi, Mario (etc.)'s up special, both grounded and aerial, have i-frames, but they're the same frame data and use the same animations, so they only count once.
Doc in fact can land right away from doing a grounded down special and still get the hitbox and i-frame, a tech called Up B Cancel.
Ness gains invulnerability only after hitting himself with the up special projectile.
Probably an oversight, but most moves that have head hurtbox invulnerability does not include the nose/snout/beak hurtbox. The only exception being Yoshi's up smash.
Upon landing in the ball state, Samus' limbs become vulnerable for one frame.
The Ice Climbers (Nana) has the most full i-frames for a single move, which is 64 frames for up special. Sheik follows with 38 i-frames for up special, and Ness with 36 i-frames for up special.

Move	Full Invulnerability	Partial Invulnerability	Total
Up Smash	1	10	11
Forward Smash	0	1	1
Down Smash	1	8	9
Up Special	15	4	19
Neutral Special	2	0	2
Down Special	5	1	6
Up Tilt	0	1	1
Dash Attack	0	1	1

Up Special has the most i-frames of all the moves in the game.
Peach's up tilt is the only tilt attack to have (partial) invulnerability frames.
Yoshi has the only dash attack to have (partial) invulnerability frames.
Yoshi has the only forward smash to have (partial) invulnerability frames.
Bowser has the only full invulnerability Up Smash.
Pichu has the only full invulnerability Down Smash.

Sources

Except for the links in the Trivia, all of the data and gifs were collected through the "Hitbox and Frame Data" Threads in the character's subforums. I've made some corrections by testing on my end, most notably Samus' down special. Huge thanks to everyone who worked on those projects, saved me a ton of time.

Alternatively, http://meleeframedata.com/ compiles all of the information above on their website.

List of Moves with i-frames

Synnett

Alligator Lord

Information

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