Editing Link (SSB4)

{{disambig2|Link's appearance in Super Smash Bros. 4|the character in other contexts|Link}}

|name         = Link

|image       = [[Image:Link SSB4.png|250px|Link]]

|game         = SSB4

|ssbgame1     = SSB

|ssbgame2     = SSBM

|ssbgame3     = SSBB

'''Link''' ({{ja|リンク|Rinku}}, ''Link'') was confirmed to be a playable character in ''[[Super Smash Bros. 4]]'' on June 11th, 2013 during the [[E3 2013]] [[Nintendo Direct]].<ref>[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vQD1yJinzeQ Wii U & Nintendo 3DS Developer Direct - Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U @E3 2013]</ref> He was also among the first wave of [[amiibo]] figures that are compatible with ''SSB4''.

As in ''Brawl'', Akira Sasanuma reprises the voice of Link in all versions, but through voice clips recycled from ''{{s|zeldawiki|The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess}}''.

While Link has, aside from ''Melee'', been considered one of the more sub-par characters in the history of the ''Super Smash Bros.'' series, some of his attacks have been completely revamped and buffed significantly in the transition from ''Brawl'' to ''SSB4''. While he has also gained some nerfs as well, the potency of his buffs has noticeably improved him regardless, such as some of his attacks having been weakened slightly, yet have had both their speed and knockback increased. Both his ground and aerial games have been improved, and his combo ability has strengthened as a whole. His grab game has also been considerably buffed, with some grabs having better angle placements or knockback altogether. He also is one of the more potent edge-guarders in the game, with a new meteor smash to boot, as well as more offensive options against opponents on the ledge. Additionally, significant buffs to [[Spin Attack]] and his Clawshot as a tether recovery grant him excellent survivability.

Link benefits from the general physics changes brought to ''SSB4'', such as the new edge-trump mechanic further helping his already great recovery. In particular, the transition has given Link a subtle but effective buff in that he is one of the few characters that benefit heavily from the [[rage]] mechanic, as most of his attacks with rage will KO early, even at the middle of the stage; this is especially evident with his up tilt, forward tilt, dash attack, smash attacks, and some of his aerials. Thanks to his heavy weight, he is capable of withstanding most hits with proper DI to ensure the best use of rage. Ultimately, Link has become significantly better than how he was in ''Brawl''. Despite now being a solidly viable character, he suffers from a lack of representation.

*{{change|Link once again appears as his ''Twilight Princess'' incarnation. However, instead of retaining the subdued color scheme that was used in ''Twilight Princess'' and carried over to ''Brawl'', his overall color scheme is, like a number of other characters, now noticeably brighter to appear in line with the more vibrant aesthetics used within ''SSB4''.}}

*{{change|Link's Master Sword trail is now an afterimage-heavy blue blur with white accents, compared to ''Brawl'' where it was a full blue blur.}}

*{{nerf|Link's [[Walking|walks]] slightly slower (1.2 → 1.188).}}

*{{buff|Link's [[Dashing|dashes]] slightly faster (1.328 → 1.3944).}}

*{{change|Link's [[rolling|roll]] animations are now based on the abilities of the Link from ''Ocarina of Time''.}}

*{{buff|Link will now flinch when a projectile or bomb explosion hits his Hylian Shield, making his Hylian Shield more reliable when attempting to block multiple projectiles. It will normally block any projectile in front of him, no matter where it is placed or if he is crouching or not and idle poses will no longer render it useless. His shield can now block projectiles even when walking.}}

*{{nerf|[[Neutral Attack]] Deals 2% less damage.}}

*{{buff|[[Forward tilt]] has less ending lag.}}

*{{buff|Dash attack is far stronger, to the point that it can KO under 150%. Also, it can hit horizontally, vertically, diagonally or even backwards depending on which hitbox connects.}}

*{{buff|[[Up tilt]] is capable of KOs at even lower percentages now.}}

*{{nerf|Dash attack has considerably more start up.}}

*{{change|Dash attack now resembles the Jump Attack used by the Link from ''Ocarina of Time'', as it is now a jumping slash rather than a running stab.}}

*{{buff|Forward smash is stronger, and the second hit can be comboed into from the first hit like Toon Link's.}}

*{{nerf|Forward smash's second hit has more ending lag.}}

*{{nerf|Both hits of forward smash deal less damage (from 15%/20% to 14%/13%), and the first hit can only KO if it hits close to or at the tip.}}

*{{change|The window of time that the A button can be pressed after the first hit of forward smash in able to activate the second hit has been significantly tightened, leading to less accidental activations of the second hit, but making it so that one cannot use the delay as much in order to hit with the second hit.}}

*{{buff|[[Up smash]]'s final hit deals 1% more damage and deals much more knockback.}}

*{{buff|[[Down smash]] is now a powerful [[semi spike]] during the second hit and deals more knockback at the base on the first.}}

*{{change|[[Neutral aerial]]'s clean hit has been split into two parts: the front half does 11% damage, while the back half does 9% damage (previously, it did 10% damage overall).}}

*{{buff|However, the attack's late hits have lower knockback overall and are capable of setting up combos, thanks to its very low ending lag.}}

*{{buff|[[Forward aerial]] is much faster and has less ending lag and landing lag.}}

*{{nerf|Forward aerial does less damage (from 9%/12% to 8%/10%).}}

*{{buff|[[Back aerial]] comes out much faster.}}

*{{nerf|Back aerial does less damage (from 11% to 8%).}}

*{{buff|[[Down aerial]] has an added [[meteor smash]] during the start of the attack, similar to {{SSBB|Toon Link}}'s in ''Brawl''. Link's down aerial also experiences significantly less ending lag and landing lag, providing him now with a safer attack when bouncing off opponents, and allowing him to recover if falling off the stage.}}

*{{nerf|Outside the new meteor, down aerial is significantly weaker overall, dealing a maximum of 18% damage as opposed to 22%. The strong hit can KO in the 110-130% range instead of under 75% and is more difficult to land.}}

*{{buff|[[Up aerial]]'s hitbox is more disjointed, allowing for Link to get in better KOs, as well as being his primary KO move in general. It also has shorter landing lag than before, makes Link's hitbox shorter for a bit, has less ending lag and can even be capable of juggling, all of which improves the move overall.}}

*{{buff|[[Grab aerial]] covers much more distance when used as a [[tether]] and comes out much faster as an attack.}}

*{{nerf|Grab aerial has more landing lag when performed with air dodge + A.}}

*{{nerf|Grab aerial does less damage (from 10% to 6%).}}

*{{buff|[[Grab]] has less startup and far less ending lag.}}

*{{change|Link has a new edge attack based on the Crouch Stab used by the Link from ''Ocarina of Time''.}}

*{{buff|[[Hero's Bow]] charges faster.}}

*{{buff|[[Gale Boomerang]] has more knockback and now sends opponents at a vertical trajectory, making it much better for follow ups.}}

*{{buff|Link's recovery with [[Spin Attack]] is much better overall, as it needs much less momentum than before and its vertical and horizontal reaches are much higher and farther, respectively, compared to ''Brawl''.}}

*{{change|Spin Attack has a slightly altered animation in which Link spins his sword at subtly different heights. However, it has no obvious change in power or range compared to ''Brawl''.}}

*{{buff|If a {{b|Bomb|Link}} explodes due to colliding with an opponent, the explosion does not hurt Link.}}

*{{buff|Bomb fuses are shorter and Link can attack and explode his own bombs in the air after throwing them, improving his bomb-aided recovery.}}

*{{buff|Bombs only deal 5% damage at point-blank range, but deal 8% damage when hitting the feet of the opponent.}}

*{{buff|Bombs will absorb blasts from a fully charged Charge Shot and Aura Sphere, aiding his defensive and camping options threefold.}}

*{{nerf|[[Triforce Slash]]'s damage has been lowered from 83% to 69%.}}

===Version exclusives===

*{{change|In the Wii U version of the game, Bombs are bigger. This does not seem to affect gameplay.}}

*{{change|In the Wii U version of the game prior to 1.0.8, Clawshot, as a grab, will come out shorter and will drop, but end quicker.}}

*{{change|In the 3DS version, the Clawshot no longer falls to the ground as it retracts, like the Hookshot in ''SSB''.}}

|neutralname=&nbsp;

|neutraldesc=A diagonal sword slash followed by a horizontal slash, with a lunging stab finisher. Loosely based on Link's final blow to Ganon in ''Ocarina of Time''. Is a [[natural combo]] with fast startup and little knockback.

|ftiltname=&nbsp;

|ftiltdesc=An overhand sword swing with moderate startup but high knockback.

|utiltname=&nbsp;

|utiltdesc=A half-moon slice above Link's head. Has good juggling capabilities at low percentages, great combo potential at medium percentages and decent KO abilities at somewhat higher percentages.

|dtiltname=&nbsp;

|dtiltdmg=12%

|dtiltdesc=A low sword swipe across the ground with vertical knockback. [[Meteor smash]]es opponents in contact with the base of the sword to Link's arm. Has great combo potential and is sometimes safe on block due to its fast start and end.

|dashname=&nbsp;

|dashdmg=14% (tip), 13% (non-tip)

|dashdesc=Link performs a leaping downward slash (his "Jump Attack" from ''Ocarina of Time''). Deals horizontal knockback when tipped and vertical knockback when hit close, and will KO at early damages.

|fsmashname=&nbsp;

|fsmashdesc=Link lunges forward with a wide sword swing in front of him, dealing good damage and knockback when tipped. The base of his sword has extremely little knockback, designed to [[Natural combo|naturally combo]] into an optional second hit: a sword swing with greater KO power.

|usmashname=&nbsp;

|usmashdesc=Three half-moon sword swings above Link's head, which the first two slashes combo naturally into each other, and the third finishes off. Has great KO potential at higher percentages.

|dsmashname=&nbsp;

|dsmashdesc=A low slash in front and then behind Link. First hit sends opponents at a vertical trajectory while having slightly increased damage and knockback the closer one is to Link. Second hit is a powerful semi-spike with slightly increased damage and knockback on his blade.

|nairname=&nbsp;

|nairdmg=11%/9% (clean), 6% (late)

|nairdesc=Link thrusts his leg out in front of him for an extended time. Is a [[sex kick]] with relatively fast startup and little landing lag. Deals more damage closer to his boot, as well as more knockback during the first few frames of hit.

|fairname=&nbsp;

|fairdmg=8% (hit 1), 10% (hit 2)

|fairdesc=Swings his sword twice while spinning 360˚. While the second hit has more knockback, it is inconvenient to use, as it can only be landed if the first hit misses.

|bairname=&nbsp;

|bairdesc=A two kick combo behind Link with very little landing lag and low damage.

|uairname=Jump Thrust

|uairdesc=Link thrusts his sword up for a long duration. Moderate landing lag unless used alongside a full hop.

|dairname=Downward Thrust

|dairdmg=15% (early), 18% (clean), 15% (late)

|dairdesc=Aims his sword directly below him for a long duration, based on his "Downthrust" from ''Zelda II: The Adventure of Link''. It's possible for Link to "bounce" on opponents into a second hit. The early hit is a powerful [[meteor smash]]. If the strong non-meteor hitbox lands, it results in considerable knockback being capable of KOing under 130%. However, it is difficult to land a strong non-meteor hitbox than the meteor hitbox, as it requires Link to hit with the rising hilt on startup, or immediately after the initial meteor hit, but before the weak hit.  

|zairname=&nbsp;

|zairdesc=Fires his [[Clawshot]] forward in the air with great range and no landing lag. Link can cancel his [[air dodge]] at any point via his tether, however it will not cancel the landing lag suffered from the dodge. The Clawshot also serves as a [[tether recovery]] that auto-snaps the ledge, covering great horizontal distance.

|grabname=&nbsp;

|grabdesc=Link fires his Clawshot forwards. In {{for3ds}}, the chain snaps straight back once fully extended, like the Hookshot from ''Super Smash Bros.''; in {{forwiiu}}, the chain drags on the ground as it does in ''Melee'' and ''Brawl''.

|pummelname=&nbsp;

|pummeldesc=Hits opponent with the hilt of the Master Sword. A fairly fast pummel.

|fthrowname=&nbsp;

|fthrowdesc=Link releases the opponent from his [[pummel]] and kicks them away.

|bthrowname=&nbsp;

|bthrowdmg=3% (hit 1), 4% (hit 2)

|bthrowdesc=Link takes his opponent behind him and kicks them away.

|uthrowname=&nbsp;

|uthrowdesc=Link raises the opponent above him and slashes upward.

|dthrowname=&nbsp;

|dthrowdmg=3% (hit 1), 4% (throw)

|dthrowdesc=Link takes the opponent onto the ground and elbow drops them.

|floorfdesc=Does two slashes front and back.

|floorbdesc=Does another two slashes front and back.

|floortdesc=Essentially the same as his other two floor attacks.

|edgedesc=Stabs forwards while climbing up.

|nsdefdmg=4%-12%

|nsdefdesc=Link equips his bow, with the arrows serving as projectiles. Charging increases the speed, distance and damage dealt by an arrow.

|nsc1dmg=4%-20%

|nsc1desc=At the cost of heavily increasing the charge time of the move, the arrows deal very heavy knockback when fully charged, enough to KO at medium high percents. Uncharged or half-charged arrows have extremely limited range and power, dropping near Link's feet with no charging.

|nsc2dmg=4%-8%

|nsc2desc=Shoots [[magic|magical]] arrows that charge quickly and travel in a straight line. Decently [[spam|spammable]], but with low range and damage.

|ssdefdmg=7% (near), 5% (middle), 0% (far/return)

|ssdefdesc=A projectile which damages opponents as it flies away and drags opponents towards Link during its return. Can be angled up or down. A "smash throw" (similar to performing a smash attack) increases the distance the boomerang can travel.

|ssc1desc=Behaves like the Boomerang from both ''SSB'' and ''Melee'', which deals damage both when the boomerang is thrown and when it returns. It has less knockback, but can be aimed easier.

|ssc2desc=Travels across a much shorter range than the Gale Boomerang, but also deals multiple hits of low damage and adds stun to the opponents, great for setting up combos.

|usdefdmg=12%/9%/7%/5% (ground), 4% (air hit 1), 2% (air hits 2-8), 4% (air hit 9)

|usdefdesc=This move functions differently when grounded and airborne; an aerial Spin Attack is used as recovery which grants Link great vertical distance. Hits 5 times in the air. A grounded Spin Attack is akin to most ''Zelda'' games, and functions similarly to a smash attack with great knockback.

|usc1dmg=14%/9%/7%/5% (ground), 4% (air hit 1), 1% (air hits 2-4), 6% (air hit 5)

|usc1desc=A much more powerful [[electric]] version of the Spin Attack that has enough power to KO at 90%. The downside however is that Link's recovery is much shorter and has poor horizontal motion, almost like his ''Brawl'' Spin Attack. The aerial version can semi-spike, but cannot hit backwards.

|usc2dmg=0%

|usc2desc=A special type of Spin Attack that can only be used as a recovery move. It produces no hits and thus, no damage whatsoever, but actually travels much higher and much further than the normal recovery, even to the point of not relying on momentum and performing multiple left and right movements.

|dsdefdmg=5% (upper body), 8% (feet), 9% (down smash aerial, feet)

|dsdefdesc=An item based [[projectile]] Link pulls out, with its design from ''Twilight Princess''. On contact with a surface, it detonates, dealing damage to opponents and can hurt Link as well (though the bombs do not cause damage to Link if the explosion hits an opponent). The explosion can grant him an extra Spin Attack if used skillfully. An odd function is that it will deal 8% damage when it hits the feet.

|dsc1dmg=8%-10%

|dsc1desc=A massive bomb with a huge explosion hitbox, which deal more damage and knockback. However, they cannot blow up when thrown at the opponent, and blow up based on time or an attack. They deal damage based on range.

|dsc2desc=Weaker bombs with a noticeably short fuse. However, they meteor smash anyone hit by them with moderate knockback, which can affect Link as well if a bomb detonates in his hand. On the ground, it will halt opponents in their tracks, giving considerable stun. It is not practical for recoveries in any way as the bombs simply meteor smash Link, though it allows him to survive vertical KOs longer with luck.

|fsdmg=1% (snag), <!--need to input damage for middle hits here, they're all the same-->30% (last hit)

|fsdesc=|fsdesc=Link sends out a beam of light to stun enemies in front of him. If the beam comes in contact with an enemy, Link dashes forward and slashes them repeatedly while they are trapped in the Triforce, with the last hit being a powerful stab and launching the trapped enemies away.

===[[Taunt]]s===

*Swings his sword twice and twirls the sword before sheathing it. Similar to his ''Twilight Princess'' victory pose, which he performs after defeating a boss, learning a hidden sword technique, or sheathing his sword upon the defeat of harder-to-defeat enemies.

*Link pulls in his right knee and draws his sword back behind his head in a threatening battle pose. It originates from ''[[Super Smash Bros.]]'' and may be loosely based on the attacking pose used by the Link from ''Zelda II: The Adventure of Link''.

*Link takes out a fairy that appears similar to Navi from ''Ocarina of Time''. The fairy then proceeds to fly around as Link watches it until it returns to his pocket.

 

====On-Screen Appearance====

Small whirlwinds appear on the battlefield, from which Link appears. Link then proceeds to equip the Master Sword and Hylian Shield.

====Victory Fanfare====

A flourished remix directly from ''Brawl''. It is a remix of the tune that will play when Link obtained a Triforce Piece in ''The Legend of Zelda'' for the Nintendo Entertainment System. It is shared with {{SSB4|Zelda}}, {{SSB4|Sheik}}, {{SSB4|Ganondorf}}, and {{SSB4|Toon Link}}.

ZeldaUniverseTheme.ogg

====Victory Poses====

</gallery>

*Horizontal swipe with his sword, then holds it up, giving off a battle cry.

*Three swipes with his sword and looks to the right. (His "character chosen" animation in ''Super Smash Bros.'', but ends with him facing a different direction.)

*Gives two swipes of his sword, then sheaths it. This is based on his special sheathing animation in ''Twilight Princess'' which occurs if he puts away his sword immediately after defeating an enemy.

==In [[Competitive play|Competitive Play]]==

===Notable players===

*{{Sm|Izaw|Sweden}}

==In [[Event Match]]es==

===Solo Events===

*'''[[A Fated Battle]]''': Link must fight {{SSB4|Ganondorf}} in a 2 stock battle. If the battle lasts through the third portion, two [[Dark Link]]s will appear.

*'''[[All-Star Battle: Regulars]]''': Link is one of the opponents fought in this event. All opponents are starter characters from the original ''[[Super Smash Bros.]]'' game.

*'''[[Princess Punch-Up!]]''': Link serves as an ally in a 1 stock battle against {{SSB4|Peach}} and {{SSB4|Mario}}.

*'''[[The Demon King and the Goddess]]''': {{SSB4|Ganondorf}} must initially defeat a team of Link and {{SSB4|Zelda}}. After the two are defeated or some time has passed, Giant {{SSB4|Palutena}} appears and the player must defeat her as well.

*'''[[The Ultimate Swordsman]]''': Link is one of the fighters {{SSB4|Ike}} must defeat. All opponents wield swords.

===Co-op Events===

*'''[[A Fairy Nice Trip]]''': Link and {{SSB4|Pac-Man}} must survive against 4 {{SSB4|Kirby}}s until the stage reaches Fairy-Land.  

*'''[[Final Battle Team-Up]]''': Link (in his dark [[alternate costume]]) is one of the opponents that two players fight in this event. All opponents are antagonists in their respective universes.

Link amiibo.png|Link's amiibo.

LinkWiiUVersionE32013.png|Link's appearance in ''Super Smash Bros. for Wii U''.

Link3DS.jpg|Link's appearance in ''Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS''.

LinkUpSpecialWiiU.png|Link's [[up special]] in the Wii U version.

Link&PitSSB4.png|Link and {{SSB4|Pit}} preparing their arrows.

Link on Pyrosphere.jpg|Link's [[forward tilt]] with {{SSB4|Kirby}} watching.

SSB4-DoubleSpinAttack.jpg|Link's [[Spin Attack]] colliding with Toon Link's against Donkey Kong.

Toon Link Throws Bomb At Link.jpg|Toon Link throws a Bomb at Link.

SpinAttack-SSB4.jpg|Toon Link and Link use their Spin Attack on the ground.

Link - Down Stab - SSB4.jpg|Link's down aerial showing its new meteor smash effect on {{SSB4|Samus}}.

Marth and Link dash attack SSB4.jpg|Link using his neutral attack 1 while {{SSB4|Marth}} performs his forward tilt.

Clawshot_SSB4.png|Link using his [[Clawshot]].

SSB4 - Zelda Screen-3.jpg|His side taunt.

Link and Peach.jpg|Link and {{SSB4|Peach}} on {{SSB4|Battlefield}}.  

SSB4 Toon Link Screen-10.jpg|His appearance in the 3DS version, posing with {{SSB4|Toon Link}}.

Edge grab SSB4.jpg|Link stealing a ledge from {{SSB4|Mario}}.

Smash.4 - Colliding Projectiles.jpg|Link's and Pit's arrows colliding in the air.

SSB4 Link aerial.jpg|Forward aerial.

LinkBoomerangSSB4 NintendoDirect.gif|Link using the [[Gale Boomerang]].

SSB4 - Tether Recovery.jpg|Link and {{SSB4|Samus}} simultaneously grabbing a ledge with their [[Tether recovery|tether recoveries]].

Link Skyward Sword Clothes.jpg|The clothes inspired by ''The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword''.

SSB4 - Shulk Screen-6.jpg|The [[Dark Link]] costume.

Link_Cover.png|Link as he appears on the 3DS cover.

*Link is the only ''Legend of Zelda'' character (besides {{SSB4|Toon Link}}) to lack an {{SSB4|alternate costume}} based on his ''Ocarina of Time'' incarnation; however, he has a costume based on Fierce Deity Link, who is one of the [[Young Link|Hero of Time]]'s transformations in ''Majora's Mask''.

*Link's Alt. trophy in the ''Wii U'' version resembles his All-Star trophy in ''Melee'' except with a different costume.

*Link is the only character in ''SSB4'' to have a [[fast-fall]] increase with a value other than 60%.

*On Link's second victory animation, if the player looks at Link's eyebrows, they can see that Link's eyebrows are lighter, only to go back to their original darker shade once the victory animation ends.

{{reflist|1}}

[[Category:Link (SSB4)]]