Editing Link (SSBM)

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{{Disambig2|Link's appearance in ''Super Smash Bros. Melee''|the character in other contexts|Link}}

|tier = C-

'''Link''' ({{ja|リンク|Rinku}}, ''Link'') is a [[characters|starter character]] in ''[[Super Smash Bros. Melee]]''. Announced at [[E3]] 2001, Link returns as a veteran character from the previous game, acting mostly the same as before, as a swordsman with powerful short range attacks and a wide variety of long range attacks.

 

Link is ranked 18th in the tier list, in the C- tier, which is much higher than his second to last current rank in the ''Smash 64'' [[tier list]] (11th out of 12), and one place below his clone, {{SSBM|Young Link}}. Link's placement is due to his low lag aerials (with his neutral and forward air), a good variety of projectiles, several kill confirms, multiple strong tech-chasing options and a very high air speed. His disjointed hitbox also gives him a slight advantage against others, as well as a [[Passive shield|fully functional shield]] that can block a wide variety of projectiles. Link is also a potent edgeguarder in the NTSC versions of the game; his Spin Attack is possibly the best semi-spike in the game, though he still has many other options like his notoriously active neutral air. Finally, similarly to {{SSBM|Samus}}, Link possesses a wide array of techniques specific to himself or shared between himself and his younger counterpart relating to his bombs, such as the Bomb Jump variants to extend his recovery and the Goron Roll enabling him to techroll on command.

 

Link, however, suffers from a rather high falling speed and a high weight, making him an easy target for chain grabbing and combos. Although his recovery can be extended, he is still vulnerable to being edgeguarded due to his up-B being predictable, though his tether grapple and Bomb Jumps somewhat compensate for this.

Link generally falls under the "slow, but powerful" archetype of fighter, though many of his attacks are fairly versatile and long reaching. Link has a rather high weight, as well as an above average falling speed and high air speed, an unusual combination of physics for someone of his [[weight]] class.

Arguably Link's greatest asset is his range. His sword has a large, disjointed hitbox (though not as large and disjointed as {{SSBM|Marth}}'s sword), allowing him to attack safely from a distance; unlike the duo of Marth and {{SSBM|Roy}}, Link only has one hitbox on his sword, allowing his approach to be considerably less "specific" than either. Additionally, Link has a multitude of projectiles on his Special moves; while the Bow is decidedly situational due to its low range, speed, and power, Link's boomerang and bombs allow him to start combos, continue them, or simply deal damage; the latter also can extend Link's recovery if he slashes them with his [[Spin Attack]]. Bombs can also be combined with the various hits of the boomerang for a wide array of trapping options, as well as decent stage control.

Another benefit are his variety of useful attacks in his arsenal; a majority of his grounded attacks have good KO potential, including his tilts, with his up tilt having rather decent speed and acting as an excellent combo starter that takes advantage of his above-average air game. Link's air game is solid; his fast, low-lag back, forward, and neutral aerials coupled with his low short hop and high falling and air speeds give Link among the best SHFFLs in the game. Link's boomerangs and bombs also give him excellent zoning abilities, with the former's modifiable trajectories potentially making it a good approach tool as well. In addition, Link has a variety of powerful finishers. All of his smashes have decent power with acceptable start-up and cool-down lag. His forward smash can be extended should the first hit fail to connect, and both his up and down aerials can be potent finishers, especially when combined with his aforementioned SHFFL. In the NTSC regions, Link's Spin Attack is also a deadly edgeguarding technique when used on the ground; its later hitboxes sharply semi-spike the opponent, and if Link can land this attack on recovering opponents, he can quickly and safely [[gimp]] opponents. While the attack lost its semi-spike properties in PAL regions, the attack's long range and high power still make it a decent edgeguarding technique.

Link's grab game has a variety of positive and negative attributes; while his grab has a long range, it also has high ending lag. Link's grab also cannot grab opponents in the air, limiting his chaingrab potential. Link's throws, however, have low knockback and relatively high hitstun, as well as low ending lag, allowing Link to potentially string in a few hits against his opponent. Common options include using his down-throw into his spin attack, giving Link a reliable kill confirm vs mid-fallers and fast fallers. His up throw is also useful in several matchups, allowing him to combo into up-tilt and sometimes down-smash vs fast-fallers, and into several aerials vs other characters and high percent fast-fallers. In general, Link's grab has reliably high reward, but is extremely committal and somewhat hard to hit with.

Link's recovery is also considered to be above-average. Link by himself is difficult to edgeguard, as his recovery has a wide variety of options; his wall-grapple can allow him to enter "safe-zones" underneath the ledge, and his spin attack covers the top of him, with his bombs also potentially allowing for some form of recovery if he slashes them with his spin attack or hits them with his back-air to gain additional horizontal distance. In addition, Link's high weight and falling speed make him rather resilient to the upper blast line, though these attributes impact his horizontal survivability.

A high falling speed and being a rather large target, however, reveals Link's primary flaw: Link is a particularly easy target for chain throwing and combos. Against fast characters, such as {{SSBM|Fox}} or {{SSBM|Sheik}}, Link players must read opponents very well as to avoid such techniques; unlike most others, however, Link's only fast move that can potentially break combos is his neutral air, causing him to be rather predictable in these cases. In addition, he is arguably the easiest character for Fox to waveshine, for Falco, shine to down air, as well as one of the easiest characters for Sheik to chaingrab. These major setbacks with three very common characters in tournaments is the main problem. In addition, Link boasts among the worst out of shield options in the game; Spin Attack is relatively slow compared to other up-b's out of shield like {{SSBM|Bowser}}'s or {{SSBM|Samus}}'s, neutral-air is large and fairly fast but limited by Link's long jump-squat animation, and whilst Link's up-smash out of shield is very fast, it is easy for opponents to SDI out of and only covers above him. Combined with his grab not being able to hit airborne opponents, Link has some of the worst tools for dealing with shield pressure in the game, especially against Fox and Falco.

Exacerbating Link's ease to be comboed is his poor overall mobility. While still rather fast for a character of his strength, weight and range, Link still has a rather slow, inflexible approach on the ground, due to his slow dash speed, poor dashdance, and short wavedash. While this can be somewhat mitigated through Link's Goron Roll, which enables him to techroll on command, it is only usable at high percents. Additionally, Link has multiple high-lag attacks, notably his down and up aerial attacks; while this can be alleviated with L-cancelling, they can still be punished, requiring Link players to carefully set up combos and KO moves. Link also struggles to quickly cover space immediately in front of him on the ground, as his grab and down-tilt are both very laggy and his short hop aerials are a little too slow to come out. He also can struggle against crouch-cancelling and ASDI down, as his fastest aerials like back air and neutral air are easily beaten by crouch-cancelling and counterattacking, and some of his strongest combo starters are poor against grounded opponents SDI'ing down, such as his otherwise very good dash attack.

==Changes from ''[[Super Smash Bros.]]''==

In his transition from ''Super Smash Bros.'' to ''Super Smash Bros. Melee'', Link received numerous [[buff]]s, most of which made him a more potent fighter compared to the previous installment. One of his largest weaknesses, his awful recovery, has been greatly improved as his [[Spin Attack]] covers more distance and he now has a [[grab aerial]]. When combined with the addition of [[air dodging]], his recovery options now remain fairly diverse. His lighter weight allows him to be more difficult to combo, though he is still one of the easiest characters in the game to combo. Many of his attacks also have decreased ending lag, while some of his other attacks have decreased startup lag. These changes grant him a safer neutral and advantage state, granting him more opportunities to approach while being more flexible to recover from disadvantage states.

However, Link has also received some nerfs: some of his attacks, such as his back aerial, forward aerial, and throws, are weaker, while others are even slower, such as his down aerial, which also heavily suffers from the changes to [[L-canceling]]. While his grabs are significantly faster, they also have less range, he cannot grab aerial opponents unless he is right in front of them, giving him less room to fend off opponents.

Nevertheless, he is overall a stronger character than in ''Smash 64''. However, he still heavily struggles against most high and top-tiers competitive play due to the faster mechanics of the game offsetting some of the buffs he gained in the transition.

*{{change|The graphical upgrades of the Nintendo GameCube give Link a more proportionate build. His design now more closely resembles {{file link|Link OoT.png|Adult Link's appearance in official artwork}} for ''[[The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time]]''. He now has an added belt going over his shoulder and around his waist and has more detailed gloves and boots. His face is also more proportionate and has bigger eyes.}}

*{{buff|Link [[walk]]s faster (0.9867 (29.6) → 1.2).}}

*{{nerf|Link [[dash]]es slower (1.4 (42) → 1.3).}}

**{{nerf|Link's initial dash is drastically slower (2.267 (68) → 1.3) and covers a fraction of the distance. This hinders Link's ability to run away and keep up with opponents despite his higher maximum dashing speed.}}

*{{buff|Link's [[traction]] is much higher (0.0667 (2) → 0.1), making it easier for him to punish [[out of shield]].}}

*{{buff|Link's [[jump|jumpsquat]] is shorter (7 frames → 6).}}

*{{change|Link's [[air speed]] is faster than his Australian ''Smash 64'' counterpart, but slower than his European ''Smash 64'' counterpart (1.033 (31, JPN/NA) / 0.9 (27, AUS) / 1.233 (37, EUR) → 1).}}

*{{nerf|Link's [[air acceleration]] is significantly lower, especially significant compared to his European ''Smash 64'' counterpart (0.1067 (3.2, JPN/NA/AUS) / 0.133 (4, EUR) → 0.06).}}

*{{nerf|Link [[jump]]s drastically lower (39.96 (1198.8) → 29.67), hindering his vertical recovery and ability to chase opponents above him.}}

**{{change|Link's [[short hop]] is also drastically lower (24.99 (749.7) → 10.99), improves his ability to hit opponents low on the ground with short hop aerials, as well as his ability to quickly land and continue aerial pressure, but also hinders his ability to [[auto-cancel]] his aerials.}}

**{{nerf|Link's double jump also retains its lower multiplier from the European version of ''Smash 64'' (0.9 → 0.88).}}

*{{change|Link's [[gravity]] is slightly higher (0.1067 (3.2) → 0.11).}}

*{{nerf|Link's [[fast fall]]ing speed is much slower, especially significant compared to his Australian and European ''Smash 64'' counterparts (3.4 (102, JPN/NA) / 3.667 (110, AUS/EUR) → 3). The difference between his falling speed and fast falling speed is much lower (increase: 59.4% (JPN/NA) / 71.7% (AUS/EUR) → 40.8%), which makes it more predictable when landing and gives him fewer options in the air.}}

*{{nerf|Link is [[Weight|lighter]], especially drastic compared to his European ''Smash 64'' counterpart (108.333333 (0.96, JPN/NA/AUS) / 122.222222 (0.9, EUR) → 104), hindering his endurance.}}

*{{buff|Link's Hylian Shield now has a special hurtbox if Link is standing still, which nullifies any projectile which touches it.}}

*{{buff|Link benefits from the addition of [[air dodging]] as while he has a poor wavedash due to his long jumpsquat and high traction, it improves his landing options, it gives him a defensive aerial option and most notably, it grants him an additional recovery option when combined with his new aerial hookshot.}}

**{{buff|The third hit of his neutral attack deals more damage (4% → 6%) and all hits except the multi-hits have less ending lag (FAF 24 → 20 (hit 1), frame 22 → 18 (hit 2), frame 40 → 33 (hit 3)). The multi-hits also have less startup lag (frame 11 → 10).}}

**{{nerf|The second and third hits of neutral attack have more startup lag and the first and third hits have a shorter duration (frames 6-9 → 6-8 (hit 1), frames 6-7 → 7-8 (hit 2), frames 6-11 → 7-11 (hit 3)). The multi-hits also have more ending lag (FAF 54 → 58).}}

**{{nerf|Forward tilt has more startup lag, a shorter duration (frames 15-20 → 16-19) and it deals less damage (17%/18% → 13%/14%/15%) and knockback (0 (base), 100 (scaling) → (5/2)/90) significantly hindering its KO potential.}}

**{{buff|Up tilt sends opponents at a higher angle (79° → 95°/85°) improving its combo potential.}}

**{{nerf|Up tilt has more startup lag with a shorter duration (frames 8-16 → 9-15) and deals less damage (10% → 9%).}}

**{{change|Up tilt deals more knockback (20 (base), 100 (scaling) → 30/(122/123/124/130). This improves its KO potential but hinders its juggling potential at higher percents.}}

*[[Down tilt]]:

**{{buff|Most of down tilt's hitboxes are now [[meteor smash]]es (80° → 280°) granting it edgeguarding potential especially with its altered knockback (35 (base), 80 (scaling) → 80/50). Down tilt also has less ending lag (FAF 40 → 32).}}

**{{nerf|Down tilt has more startup lag and a shorter duration (frames 12-19 → 14-16) and deals less damage (12% → 11%). The introduction of meteor canceling also hinders the new meteor smash hitbox's reliability.}}

**{{buff|New dash attack: a slash rather than a stab. It has less startup (frame 9 → 7) and ending lag (FAF 47 → 40) and has slightly better combo ability due to sending opponents at a more vertical angle (361° → 90°/80°°/70°/60°).}}

**{{nerf|New dash attack deals less damage (16%/14%/11%/10% → 12%/11%/9%), hindering the sweetspot's KO potential although the sourspots have increased base knockback (5/0 → 10). It also has a much shorter duration (frames 9-34 → 7-12).}}

**{{buff|New Forward smash: Link’s new forward smash is considerably stronger, dealing more damage if both hits connect (20% → 30%) and covers more space than his old forward smash. It also has less startup (frame 16 → 15) and ending lag if the first hit is used only (frame 58 → 50). The second hit's sourspot deals more damage (12% → 18%) and has higher base knockback (20 → 30) than the sourspot of his previous forward smash.}}

**{{nerf|The first hit of the new forward smash deals less damage (20%/12% → 14%/13%) and has lower knockback scaling (100 → 85/83). The second hit launches opponents at a less favorable angle (361° → 65°) hindering its sweetspot's KO potential. Forward smash is significantly less reliable than the old forward smash as the first hit deals fairly high knockback making it not possible to connect both hits beyond lower percents. Also despite the introduction of smash charging, the second hit is not affected by it.}}

**{{buff|Up smash has less ending lag (FAF 58 → 52) and covers more horizontal [[range]].}}

**{{nerf|Up smash deals less damage (7% (hit 1), 3% (hit 2), 12% (hit 3), 20% (total) → 4%/2%/10%/14% (total)) although the final hit's knockback was compensated (30 (base), 90 (scaling) → 90/80). Its consecutive hits are slower (frame 21 (hit 2), frame 31 (hit 3) → 26 (hit 2), 41 (hit 3), and has less vertical range and smaller hitboxes making it much easier to escape.}}

**{{buff|Down smash has less ending lag (FAF 50 → 42) and it now has sweetspots which deal 17%.}}

**{{nerf|Down smash's first hit has a shorter duration (frames 9-13 → 9-11) and the move now has weaker sourspots which deal less damage (16% → 13%/11%). All hits deal less knockback (35 (base), 100 (scaling) → 20/90) and launch opponents vertically (75°/40° → 75°) hindering its KO and edgeguarding potential as well as its reliability.}}

*{{nerf|Neutral, forward and back aerials [[auto-cancel]] later (frame 30 → 32 (neutral), frame 35 → 51 (forward), frame 27 → 29 (back), frame 64 → 65 (down)). Forward aerial can no longer auto-cancel in a [[short hop]] or even a full hop, while back and especially neutral aerial are now harder to auto-cancel in a short hop.}}

*{{nerf|The weakening of [[L-canceling]] hinders up aerial's combo potential (combined with the general reduction to hitstun and the introduction of [[DI]]), and significantly hinders down aerial's safety if Link lands with it.}}

**{{buff|Neutral aerial has a longer duration (frames 4-29 → 4-39), less ending lag (FAF 40 → 36), its clean hit deals more damage (10% → 11%/9%/7%) and is easier to land.}}

**{{nerf|Neutral aerial's late hit deals less damage (8% → 7%).}}

*[[Forward aerial]]:

**{{buff|Forward aerial has less startup lag (frame 15 → 14) and it now consists of two hits instead of a front hit and a back hit.}}

**{{nerf|Forward aerial deals considerably less damage (20%/12% → 13%/8%) and the second hit has less knockback scaling (100 → 90) greatly hindering its KO potential.}}

**{{nerf|Back aerial deals less damage (10% → 7% for each hit) hindering its KO potential. Despite this, it does not connect anymore reliably. Both hits also have a shorter duration (frames 6-13 → 6-9 (hit 1), frames 18-26 → 18-23 (hit 2)).}}

**{{buff|Up aerial has a slightly longer duration (frames 5-48 → 5-49) and has less ending lag (FAF 70 → 60). It also launches opponents at a higher angle (70° → 80°).}}

**{{nerf|Up aerial now has a late hit that deals less damage (16% → 12%).}}

**{{buff|Link now has a [[grab aerial]], giving him another attack. This also gives him a new versatile recovery option, greatly aiding his recovery.}}

*{{nerf|Link has lower [[grab]] range, and the grab hitbox has a shorter duration (frames 17-28 → 11-17 (standing), 12-17 (dash)), along with Link no longer being able to grab aerial opponents unless he's at point blank range. His new dash grab also has more ending lag (FAF 85 → 95).}}

*{{nerf|Forward and back throws deal considerably less damage (14% (forward), 16% (back) → 6% (both)) and knockback (80 (forward base), 70 (back base), 70 (scaling) → (24/25)/110) making them completely unviable kill options.}}

**{{change|New neutral special move: Bow. This projectile's power and distance can be increased by charging the move before releasing the B button.}}

*[[Boomerang]]:

**{{change|Due to the addition of the Bow, Boomerang is now Link's side special move.}}

**{{buff|Boomerang travels faster and have less startup lag, as well as having a higher chance of returning to Link.}}

**{{buff|The Boomerang throw now also has a close-range hitbox with good damage.}}

***{{nerf|Despite this, Boomerangs deal less damage overall and cannot travel as far.}}

*[[Spin Attack]]:

**{{buff|Grounded Spin Attack has a longer duration (frames 8-39 → 8-41) and less ending lag (FAF 99 → 80) and is now an even better [[edgeguarding]] option as its late hit is now a [[semi-spike]] in NTSC versions (361° → 0°) and has increased base knockback (10 → 60).}}

**{{buff|Spin Attack grants significantly more distance in the air, and now has multiple hits, being a safer and more reliable recovery move.}}

**{{nerf|Aerial Spin Attack, due to now being a multi-hit attack, can no longer KO reliably unless the last hit is landed which can easily be avoided, and even then, it has less power than in ''Smash 64'' as the final hit deals less damage (16% → 4%) and its knockback was not fully compensated (30 (base), 100 (scaling) → 40/160). The grounded version also deals less damage (16% → 15% (clean), 8% → 5% (late) and the sweetspot deals less knockback (30 (base), 100 (scaling) → 32/95).}}

==Version history==

*{{nerf|The [[Chain dance#Boomerang superjump|boomerang superjump]] and [[chain dance]] glitches were removed.}}

*{{nerf|Spin Attack's late hit launches opponents at a much higher angle (0° → [[Sakurai angle|361°]]), no longer being a [[semi-spike]]. This considerably hinders its edgeguarding potential.}}

|neutralname=Slash ({{ja|なぎ払い|Nagiharai}}, ''Mow Down'') / Counter Slash ({{ja|返し|Kaeshi}}) / Stab ({{ja|突き|Tsuki}}) / Illusion Stab ({{ja|幻影突き|Genei Tsuki}})

|ftiltname=Sword Chop ({{ja|からたけ割り|Karatake-Wari}}, ''Bamboo Split'')

|utiltname=Half-Moon Swipe ({{ja|半月スワイプ|Hangetsu Giri}}, ''Half-Moon Slash'')

|utiltdesc=Swings his sword in an arc above himself. Among Link's most flexible moves on the ground, it has good combo potential; it is rather fast with minimal ending lag, and has good knockback.

|dtiltname=Grass Cutter ({{ja|草薙ぎ|Kusa Nagi}})

|dtiltdesc=Swipes sword across ground in front of him. The move can lead into an aerial attack, though this is somewhat predictable. This move can also strongly [[meteor smash]] a ledge-grabbing foe when the inner part of Link's sword makes contact, though this is highly situational.

|dashname=Running Hack ({{ja|たたき割り|Tataki-Wari}}, ''Splitting Strike'')

|dashdesc=Swings sword from head to toe while coming to a stop. Somewhat fast, though it has some ending lag. At higher damages it will knock a grounded foe into the air, often leading into an aerial follow up, though it doesn't have much KO power. At mid-percent it has high combo potential, often leading to another dash attack or an up-tilt, into potentially more moves.

|fsmashname=Sword Slice ({{ja|スマッシュ斬り|Sumasshu Giri}}, ''Smash Slice'') / Double Sword Slice ({{ja|二段スマッシュ斬り|Nidan Sumasshu Giri}}, ''Double Smash Slice'')

|usmashname=Triple Sword Swipe ({{ja|三段斬り|Sandangiri}}, ''Triple Slash'')

|usmashdesc=Slashes in an upwards arc three consecutive times. This attack was taken from ''Smash 64'', but with changes to the hitbox. All hits now have a noticeable arc above him with good range, instead of just the first hit being an arch and two smaller stabs upwards as in ''Smash 64''. Good for racking up damage and setting up for air combos due to below average knockback for an up smash. All three hits can deal up to ≈{{ChargedSmashDmgSSBM|14.92}} when used fresh (though is says 15% when first used in-game). It is also notably the fastest upsmash in the game, which makes it a situational anti-air and out of shield option.

|dsmashname=Sword Sweep ({{ja|前後足もと斬り|Zengo Ashimoto Giri}}, ''Front and Rear Leg Slash'')

|dsmashdesc=Sweeps with his sword in front of and then behind him. The first hit comes out fast, though the second hit has some lag. This move has decent range, and since the hitbox is on the floor, it makes this move good for [[spacing]], and has some KO power. It is often used to cover multiple options in tech chases, due to the two hits coming out on different sides.

|nairname=Hylian Kick ({{ja|リンクキック|Rinku Kikku}}, ''Link Kick'')

|nairdesc=A generic [[sex kick]]; very fast, with low ending and landing lag, making it a good [[Short hop fast fall L-cancel|SHFFL]] option. Its long duration and moderate knockback also make it one of Link's best edgeguarding tools, especially coupled with his decent air-speed. The late hit is uniquely active for the rest of the animation length, even after Link retracts his legs.

|fairname=Spinning Sword ({{ja|回転なぎ払い|Kaiten Nagiharai}}, ''Spinning Takedown'')

|fairdesc=Swings his sword forward twice while spinning 360 degrees. The first hit is usually hard to follow into the second hit. The first hit is relatively safe on shield when well spaced, and done as low as possible in a short hop it is +/-0. Additionally, the first hit has reasonably high knockback that makes it a decent kill option. The second hit comes out very late and as a result is nearly impossible to have come out in a short hop, and has less knockback. Since it is rather laggy, it's rather situational for [[edgeguarding]], but is commonly used after up throw vs fast-fallers as a kill option.

|bairname=Double Kick ({{ja|二段蹴り|Nidan Geri}})

|bairdesc=Two short-ranged back kicks behind himself. The properties of the first hitbox make it difficult to directly segue into the second. This move, unlike most back aerials, is not always considered Link's best viable choice for edgeguarding due to awkward hitboxes and duration, along with relatively low knockback.

|uairname=Stab-Up ({{ja|上突き|Ue Tsuki}}, ''Up Thrust'')

|uairdesc=Thrusts his sword upwards. Good for juggling, and it acts as a reliable vertical finisher at higher damages ~120%. It can directly combo from his up and down throws in several matchups, but rarely at the percent ranges at which the move is likely to KO. Has some sex kick properties, and extremely fast to come out, although also very laggy. Taken from ''[[Zelda II: The Adventure of Link]]''.

|dairname=Sword Plant ({{ja|下突き|Shita Tsuki}}, ''Downward Thrust'')

|dairdesc=His famous aerial from ''Zelda II'' where he takes his sword and thrusts it downward. This move is a move of extremes: huge knockback, huge ending lag, and huge hitbox. It is possible to hit more than once with this move on the same foe. If the move is still in action when Link lands, he must pull it from the ground, with among the highest ending lag in the game; as such, the move can be risky, though [[L-canceling]] substantially reduces its lag, giving it slightly as much cool-down time as an ordinary smash attack. It is one of his primary KO moves, and it can KO reliably starting at 80% to 90%. It is generally not used much outside of a combo from Boomerangs, Bombs, or either up-throw or down-throw.

|zairname=[[Hookshot]] ({{ja|フックショット|Fukkushotto}})

|grabname=Hookshot ({{ja|フックショット|Fukkushotto}})

|grabdesc=Uses his Hookshot to grab at foes from afar. It's the second longest grab in the game, behind {{SSBM|Samus}}. The hitbox at the end of the hookshot can not grab aerial opponents, but the hitbox on Link's hand can.

|pummelname=Hilt Strike ({{ja|つかみ柄殴り|Gara Naguri}}, ''Grab Hilt Strike'')

|fthrowname=Kick Out ({{ja|蹴り飛ばし|Keri Tobashi}}, ''Kick Off'')

|bthrowname=Reverse Kick Out ({{ja|後方蹴り飛ばし|Kōhō Keri Tobashi}}, ''Back Kick Off'')

|uthrowname=Sword Launch ({{ja|投げ捨て斬り|Nagasute Kiri}}, ''Throw Away Slash'')

|uthrowdesc=Raises the opponent above him and slashes upward. Has below-average knockback, allowing it to potentially combo into an up-tilt, up-smash, down-smash, or several different aerials.

|dthrowname=Flying Elbow ({{ja|ヒジ打ち|Hiji Uchi}}, ''Elbow Strike'')

|dthrowdesc=Takes the opponent onto the ground and elbow drops them. Leaves foes wide open for a combo, such as his Spin Attack or u-tilt. Generally Link's best kill confirm at high percents where it can easily combo into Spin Attack.

|nsdmg=1% (point blank) 5-18% (arrow)

|nsdesc=Link takes out his bow and shoots an arrow. Although a bit laggy and travels fairly slowly, Link can increase the speed and damage of the arrow by holding down the [[B button]]. Sticks in shields and the ground. Has its own hurtbox that can be hit by other attacks. Can shoot through opponents or hit twice if stale and used at point blank range.

|ssdesc=Link throws a Boomerang. Deals fair knockback, Link's Boomerang's distance can be extended or have its trajectory altered with the [[control stick]]. Only one Boomerang can be on the field at a time unless it is reflected. It is a relatively strong combo starter.

|usdesc=Does a spinning attack swinging his sword around him, with different properties depending on if it's used on the ground or in the air. In the air, the initial hits have low knockback, but the last one has a much stronger knockback than the rest. Although an unspectacular recovery, the grounded variant can be dangerous as an offensive move, especially an edgeguarder. It deals high knockback and can send opponents in a lower diagonal trajectory, a [[semi-spike]] (not in PAL versions of the game). It is easily combo'd into using Link's down throw versus many different characters and is one of his best kill moves. Link can grab an edge backward with his Spin Attack, unlike most recovery moves, but only during the move. This attack has [[Priority#Transcendent_priority|transcendent priority]].

|dsdesc=Link takes out a bomb. Then, he can throw it like any other item. The bomb eventually explodes on its own, even being able to damage Link himself. Oddly, anyone who comes in contact with the bomb will have an [[explosive]] effect on their bodies, despite the bomb not detonating. The explosion can grant Link an extra Spin Attack if used skillfully, along with several of his other kill moves link forward aerial, forward smash, or his risky down aerial.

 

!{{{name|}}}

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! scope="row"|Cheer

|[[File:Link Cheer International SSBM.ogg|center]]||[[File:Link Cheer Japanese SSBM.ogg|center]]

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! scope="row"|Description

|Go - Link! *claps 3 times* || Lin - k!

|}

|desc-1=Swings his sword three times and turns his back to the camera. This is his animation when he is chosen in ''Super Smash Bros. 64''.

==In [[competitive play]]==

===Most historically significant players===

:''See also: [[:Category:Link players (SSBM)]]''

*{{Sm|Aklo|USA}} - The best Link player in the post-[[Project Slippi]] era. Although better known as a {{SSBM|Fox}} main, he uses Link as a counterpick, usually for {{SSBM|Marth}}. He was the first Link player to rank globally since Lord HDL in 2014. He notably won {{Trn|Redemption Rumble}} using Link to beat {{Sm|KoDoRiN}} and {{Sm|Swift|p=Maryland}} in his bracket, and used Link to beat {{Sm|Zain}} at {{Trn|Luminosity Makes Moves Miami 2024}} and {{Trn|Don't Park on the Grass 2024}}, marking the best result and wins the character has seen in the post-Slippi era. Following this, he became the first Link player to be ranked top 10, ranking at number 10 on [[SSBMRank 2023]], although his ranking was predominantly due to Fox.

*{{Sm|Aniki|Japan}} - One of the first notable Link players, and was the best Link in Japan. Placed 17th at {{Trn|Jack Garden Tournament}}, which remains the best supermajor result seen for Link (outside of {{Sm|Skler}}'s 13th place finish at the major/supermajor {{Trn|Viva La Smashtaclysm}}).

*{{Sm|J666|USA}} - One of the best Link players in the world during the early 2010s, once peaking at 13th in SoCal during 2012. His placements of 33rd at {{Trn|EVO 2014}} and 49th at {{Trn|EVO 2016}} are some of the best solo Link results at ''Melee'' supermajors to this day.

*{{Sm|Lord HDL|USA}} - One of the best Link players in the world during the early 2010s. While he commonly used {{SSBM|Marth}} as well and would eventually solo-main him, he used Link to place 17th at {{Trn|EVO East}} and 49th at {{Trn|Apex 2013}}. He became the first Link player to have been ranked on a global ''Melee'' top 100 power ranking list, with 87th on the [[SSBMRank 2014]].

*{{Sm|Kuya|USA}} - Co-mains Link with {{SSBM|Mr. Game & Watch}} and is currently considered one of the best Link players in the world. He has shown a strong regional presence, ranking 5th in Central Florida in 2023 and placing 7th at {{Trn|Tampa Never Sleeps 8}}, 13th at {{Trn|CEO 2023}}, and 17th at {{Trn|DreamHack Atlanta 2019}}.

*{{Sm|Savestate|USA}} - A Link player well known for advancing the character's technique, popularising many [[glitch]]es such as [[Ghost Arrow]] and [[Dimensional Arrow]]. Briefly resided in Europe and was the continent's best Link player while active, with some respectable placements of 4th at {{Trn|Midgard 2022}}, 17th at {{Trn|HFLAN 2022: Golden Melee Edition}}, and 25th at {{Trn|Fête}}. Formerly held the speedrun record for Link's [[Break the Targets]] stage. Eventually retired in 2023.

*{{Sm|Sixx|Germany}} - Considered the best Link player of all time before his hiatus in competitive play. He placed 9th at one of the biggest European tournaments for ''Melee'' with {{Trn|Heir 4}}, where he notably beat {{Sm|YungWaff}}. His best win with Link was with {{Sm|Amsah}} at [http://challonge.com/AvalonMVIsingles Avalon M-VI], and he has taken sets over other top European players such as {{Sm|nebbii}}, {{Sm|Nicki}}, {{Sm|Zgetto}}, and {{Sm|Mahie}} .

Historically, Link has always been regarded as an average to below-average character in the competitive metagame. While Link's spacing ability and his above-average air game have been noted, his poor mobility on the ground is widely seen as the reason for his low-mid tier ranking; even Aniki's impressive performance with Link at the {{Trn|Jack Garden Tournament}} could not move him up in the tier list, and Link's defensive playstyle has not become particularly powerful in the fast-paced metagame of competitive ''Melee''. As such, as the metagame progressed Link's standings began falling: aside from being ranked sixth on the April Fools' tier list, Link's best ranking was thirteenth on the sixth tier list; however, he has since progressively ranked lower on each subsequent list, including ranking below his clone, {{SSBM|Young Link}}, since the eleventh tier list, owing to Young Link's better mobility. Currently, he sits at 18th, having been ranked there since the twelfth tier list.

The post-Slippi era reignited discussions about Link's viability. These conversations initially revolved around Link's presence in doubles, where {{Sm|Sixx}} (alongside {{Sm|Ice}}) had a resounding first place finish at multiple European tournaments shortly after the release of Slippi. In the present metagame, {{Sm|Aklo}} has collected wins over numerous other top-level players using Link, both solo (such as {{Sm|KoDoRiN}}, {{Sm|Swift|p=Maryland}}, {{Sm|TheSWOOPER}}, {{Sm|Jflex}}, and {{Sm|Eddy Mexico}}) and as a mid-set [[counterpick]] (such as {{Sm|lloD}}, {{Sm|Rishi}}, {{Sm|Trif}}, and {{Sm|Logan|p=Pennsylvania}}). At {{Trn|Riptide 2024}}, {{Sm|Hunybear}} placed 33rd using only Link, marking the best placement for the character in over a decade, which was followed up by Aklo defeating Zain with Link at both {{Trn|Luminosity Makes Moves Miami 2024}} and {{Trn|Don't Park on the Grass 2024}}. While Link is still considered to be a mid-tier character and still struggles against the majority of the cast, it is more commonly agreed that his strong projectile game and kill confirms off of them give him a competitive edge against many of the higher-tier characters on {{SSBM|Final Destination}}.

==In 1-P Mode==

===[[Congratulations_screen#Super_Smash_Bros._Melee|Congratulations Screens]]===

LinkClassicMode.jpg|Classic Mode

LinkAdventureMode.jpg|Adventure Mode

LinkAllStarMode.jpg|All-Star Mode

==[[Trophies]]==

In addition to the normal trophy about Link as a character unlocked by completing {{SSBM|Classic Mode}} as Link on any difficulty, there are two trophies about him as a fighter, unlocked by completing {{SSBM|Adventure Mode}} and [[All-Star Mode]] respectively as Link on any difficulty. Each of the trophies can also be unlocked by playing 100, 200, and 300 versus matches respectively as Link:

|image=Link Trophy Melee.png

|desc=Even in his youth, Link was already becoming the warrior who would carry the destiny of Hyrule (and many other lands) on his shoulders. His epic struggles against the forces of darkness are written in legend, and he is bound to the Princess Zelda and the archfiend Ganondorf by the awesome power of the Triforce.

|gamelist={{Trophy games|game1=The Legend of Zelda|release1=7/87}}

|game=Melee

|name=Link

|image=Link Trophy (Smash).png

|desc=Burdened with a shield, a heavy sword, and plenty of equipment, Link is not a very mobile character. Nevertheless, he's skilled with the blade, and his varied supply of missile weapons makes him a powerful fighter. To master Link, you must control the pace by balancing your long-range attacks with head-to-head swordplay.

|gamelist=:B: Bow

:Smash B: Boomerang

{{Trophy/Fighter

|name=Link

|image=Link Trophy 2 (Smash).png

|mode=All Star

|desc=Link's Bow, Boomerang, and Bombs all take time to wield, so you may want to try drawing them in midair to prevent your foes from attacking you while you're vulnerable. The Spin Attack can score consecutive midair hits, and the final slash is very powerful. Link's Bombs are his trump card, but he can't pull one out if he's carrying another item.

|gamelist=:Up & B: Spin Attack

Link SSBM Artwork.png|Official artwork of Link.

SSBMWebsiteLink1.jpg|[[Taunt]]ing on [[Princess Peach's Castle]].

LinkBombMelee.jpg|Throwing a {{b|bomb|Link}} at {{SSBM|Captain Falcon}} on [[Pokémon Stadium]].

SSBMWebsiteLink4.jpg|Using his aerial [[Spin Attack]] on [[Temple]].

GanondorfClassicMode.jpg|Battling {{SSBM|Ganondorf}} on Temple.

[[File:LinkYoungLinkHookshot.png|thumb|A comparison of Link and Young Link's respective Hookshots.]]

==External links==

[[Category:Link (SSBM)| ]]