History Main / AirDashing

* ''Franchise/KingdomHearts'': The majority of games have the Air Slide ability,[[note]]while it first appeared in ''VideoGame/KingdomHeartsII'', it was called "Quick Run" and was more of a grounded dash[[/note]] which grants a burst of speed while in midair, allowing the user to propel themselves forward.

* ''VideoGame/CastlevaniaAria ofSorrow'': The Black Panther Soul lets Soma dash at high speeds both on the ground and in the air in the direction he’s facing. It requires MP to use, but the Chaos Ring’s limitless MP pool allows Soma to use it infinitely.

* ''VideoGame/CastlevaniaAriaofSorrow'': The Black Panther Soul lets Soma dash at high speeds both on the ground and in the air in the direction he’s facing. It requires MP to use, but the Chaos Ring’s limitless MP pool allows Soma to use it infinitely.

* The TropeCodifier for this mechanic in fighting games is widely considered to be the ''VideoGame/{{Darkstalkers}}'' series; more specifically the character Lord Raptor who is the only character in the first game to have an air dash. Later entries in the series would add more characters with air dashes: Hsien-ko, whose dash is functionally very similar to Lord Raptor, Q-Bee, whose air dash can home in on the opponent, and Jedah Dohma, whose air dash doubles as a direct attack.

Air-dashing is a common ability in many 2D fighting games, some mainstream examples being the works of Creator/ArcSystemWorks, Creator/{{Capcom}} and French Bread[[note]]creators of Melty Blood and Under Night In-Birth[[/note]]. Air dashing gives characters another option for advancing towards an opponent and be applied in all sorts of mix-ups[[note]]The act of using a variety of attacks or maneuvers that require specific defensive options to counter[[/note]] or be used to cross over an opponent to attack from behind.

* ''Franchise/KingdomHearts'': The majority of games have the Air Slide ability[[note]]while it first appeared in ''VideoGame/KingdomHeartsII'', it was called "Quick Run" and was more of a grounded dash[[/note]], which grants a burst of speed while in midair, allowing the user to propel themselves forward.

* ''Franchise/StreetFighter'': Akuma's "Ashura Senku"[[note]]translates roughly to "Asura Air Flash"[[/note]] lets him dash forward in the air, giving him greater mobility than many other fighters. He's also completely intangible during the duration of the move, though he does need to be careful about where he lands so his opponents can't attack him once it ends. Evil Ryu and his successor Kage can also use this ability.

** The Venom Dash from ''VideoGame/SpiderManMilesMorales'' can be used while web-swinging across the skyline to launch Miles forward in the air, building up more mid-air speed even if you've flung yourself into an area with nothing to web onto.

* ''VideoGame/DevilMayCry''

* ''VideoGame/DynastyWarriors'': ''9'' includes this maneuver, referred to in-game as somersault, presumably because of [[SpectacularSpinning the spinning]] a character performs when doing it. The somersault allows for the player's officer to move into or away from combat quickly, and is useful for moving across structures in the game's open world. The somersault can also become a WallJump if used close enough to a wall. There is also an accessory that can be equipped that allows for multiple somersaults to be performed in succession.
* ''VideoGame/TheForceUnleashed'' and its sequel, which are about playing as a exaggeratedly powerful [[BastardUnderstudy Sith Apprentice]] Starkiller who [[HeelFaceTurn turns good]], often requires you to use The Force to do this for platforming, and it's combined with other abilities for {{Combos}}.

** The Insect Glaive introduced in ''Monster Hunter 4'' allows hunters to propel in the air for a short bit and use aerial attacks to knock down monsters.

* The Venom Dash from ''VideoGame/SpiderManMilesMorales'' can be used while web-swinging across the skyline to launch Miles forward in the air, building up more mid-air speed even if you've flung yourself into an area with nothing to web onto.

* ''VideoGame/{{Skullgirls}}'': Many characters have access to an air-dash[[note]]Fillia, Ms. Fortune, Peacock, Valentine, Eliza, and Annie[[/note]], sometimes supplementing a DoubleJump. It's mainly applied to [[CloseRangeCombatant rushdown]], though [[LongRangeFighter zoners]] like Peacock also have one which improves her hit-and-run capabilities.

* ''VideoGame/DragonBallFighterZ'': Every character can make use of a horizontal air dash, by double tapping the respective direction in the air. Some characters can get an additional air dash. Frieza gets one upon becoming [[GoldenSuperMode Golden Frieza]], Gohan(Adult) gets one after hitting Potential Unleashed level 3, and [[FusionDance SSJ4 Gogeta]] gets one by default.

** [[VideoGame/Destiny2 D2]] follows this up by granting Dawnblade Warlocks using the subclass’s top tree the Icarus Dash ability, which works in a similar fashion but doesn’t require any additional armor to use.

* ''VideoGame/MegaManX'': Starting with ''VideoGame/MegaManX2'', X's legs can get upgraded to allow him to use their propulsion system to dash in the air when he finds a specific capsule in a level. The propulsion that allows him to air dash also allows him to DoubleJump, so in most games he can only use one of the two before landing. Zero can get a similar ability in some games.
* ''VideoGame/MegaManZX'': [[BlowYouAway Model]] [[ShockAndAwe H]] provides this thanks to its jet boosters and not only boosts left and right, it can also boost upwards which can serve as an effective ''triple'' jump when combined with the DoubleJump.

* ''VideoGame/PokkenTournament'': Certain characters such as Blaziken and Lucario have access to an air dash in Duel Phase.

* ''VideoGame/HollowKnight'' features the Mothwing Cloak, which allows the Knight to dash in whichever direction they're facing. This can be upgraded into the Shade Cloak to dash through both enemy attacks and Shade gates that can't be bypassed otherwise.

* ''VideoGame/HollowKnight'': The Mothwing Cloak lets the Knight air-dash in the direction they're facing. It can be upgraded into the "Shade Cloak" which allows them to phase through enemies with the dash, and with the Dashmaster and Sharp Shadow Charms which enable downwards air-dashing and the ability to damage enemies that are dashed through, respectively.

* [[VideoGame/Overwatch]]: Hanzo has this as an ability. Tracer, Genji, and Brigitte can all do this as well by using their respective Blink, Swift Strike, and Shield Bash abilities while in midair.

* ''VideoGame/Overwatch'': Hanzo has this as an ability. Tracer, Genji, and Brigitte can all do this as well by using their respective Blink, Swift Strike, and Shield Bash abilities while in midair.

* In the ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBros'' series, some characters have specials moves (most of the time their up or side specials) that propel themselves forward both on the ground and midair. Some such as Fox, Pikachu, Captain Falcon, Ike, Squirtle, Charizard and Banjo-Kazooie have dash-like ''attacks'' that can be used as a recovery, in order to get back onto the stage.

* ''VideoGame/SuperMario'': In many of Mario's 3D outings, he can perform a dive maneuver in the air by double clicking the crouch command, effectively functioning as an air dash. This greatly improves his ability to reach far-off platforms and can synergize with the respective mechanics of each game, like how in VideoGame/SuperMarioOdyssey the dive can be combined with Mario's hat toss to bounce up and gain more vertical ground.

[[caption-width-right:350:[[VideoGame/SonicColors https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/sonicdash.png]]]]

* Both titles in the ''VideoGame/Destiny'' series have some form of air-dashing in addition to all player characters’ standard DoubleJump abilities: