How to Read Super Smash Bros. Melee Frame Data

Updated

Frame data tells you when a move hits and how long it lasts, measured in frames at 60 frames per second. On FightCore, a move entry shows three core numbers — first active frame, last active frame, and total frames — and reading them correctly lets you compare startup speed, judge how long a hitbox stays out, and understand why some moves feel safer than others. This applies to any character lookup; the interpretation is the same across the roster.

What the numbers mean

Melee runs at a fixed 60 FPS, so one frame is about 1/60 of a second (roughly 16.7 ms). Every move's timeline is counted in these frames.

  • First active frame: the first frame the hitbox can connect. This is the move's startup — a lower number means a faster move.
  • Last active frame: the final frame the hitbox is out. The window between first and last active is how long the move can actually hit.
  • Total frames: the full duration of the move animation, including startup, active frames, and recovery.

Reading a real entry

FightCore lists moves with exactly this structure. Take a Down Air entry from the site:

Field Value
First active 5
Last active 27
Total frames 49

Read it as: the hitbox appears on frame 5, stays active through frame 27 (a 23-frame active window), and the whole animation runs 49 frames. So there are 4 frames of startup before it can hit, and 22 frames after the last active frame before the animation ends.

Compare that to a Forward Air entry on the same page:

Field Value
First active 4
Last active 7
Total frames 33

Here the hitbox is only active for frames 4–7 (a 4-frame window) but the move runs 33 frames total. Same three numbers, very different feel: quick to come out, brief to connect, with a long tail.

Why this matters in practice

The gap between last active frame and total frames is where most practical decisions live.

  • Startup (first active) tells you whether a move can beat or trade with an opponent's option. Lower first-active numbers win more interactions when both players commit at the same time.
  • Active window (last minus first active) tells you how forgiving the move is to time. A wide window is easier to land; a narrow one demands precision.
  • Total frames tells you the commitment. A move with a late last-active frame and a long total is a big commitment — you're locked in for the full duration.

For example, if you want to know whether a move is safe to throw out in neutral, compare its total frames against how fast a typical punish comes out. A move that ends quickly gives you less recovery to be punished; one with a long tail after its active frames is a bigger risk.

Where to look up per-character data

FightCore (fightcore.gg) is built for this lookup. The site provides:

  • Frame data for every character, with each move's first active, last active, and total frames.
  • Interactive hitbox visualizations, so you can see where a hitbox actually sits rather than just its timing.
  • A crouch cancel calculator and ASDI down percentages, which relate to how moves interact with a defending character.
  • A search shortcut (⌘ K) for jumping straight to a move — the site's own examples include fox upsmash, marth fsmash, peach dsmash, and rest.

The site also surfaces popular moves by view count, which is a reasonable starting point if you're new and want to see which moves players look up most.

Common pitfalls

  • Confusing active frames with total duration. A move active on frames 5–27 does not end on frame 27. It runs for 49 frames. The recovery after the last active frame is often the part that gets you punished.
  • Ignoring IASA and landing lag. Total frames describe the animation, but a move may be interruptible as soon as IASA (interruptible as soon as) frames, and aerials have separate landing lag when you touch the ground. The listed total is not always the full commitment in practice.
  • Treating startup as the whole story. A fast first-active frame with a tiny active window can be harder to land than a slower move with a wide window. Read all three numbers together.
  • Assuming frame data alone decides safety. Whether a move is safe depends on spacing, shield, and what the opponent can do out of their own state — frame data is the input to that judgment, not the answer by itself.

Once you can read first active, last active, and total frames, you can compare any two moves on the same terms and make faster decisions about what to use and when.