Editing Link (SSBU)

{{recent release}}

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

|image = [[File:Link SSBU.png|250px]]

|availability = [[Starter character|Starter]]<br>([[Unlockable character|Unlockable]] in [[World of Light]])

'''Link''' ({{ja|リンク|Rinku}}, ''Link'') is a playable character in ''[[Super Smash Bros. Ultimate]]''. He was teased in a trailer released on March 8th, 2018 before being fully confirmed as playable on June 12th, 2018. Link is classified as fighter #03.

Link is now voiced by Kengo Takanashi, who reprises his role from ''{{s|zeldawiki|The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild}}''.{{fact}}

Overall, Link received a mix of buffs and nerfs in the transition between ''[[Super Smash Bros. 4]]'' and ''Ultimate''. Link now incorporates many elements from ''The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild'' into his moveset, such as the {{s|zeldawiki|Remote Bomb}}, the {{s|zeldawiki|Ancient Bow}} & {{s|zeldawiki|Ancient Arrow}}, and the {{s|zeldawiki|Sword Beam}}. Compared to his previous iterations in ''Smash'', his faster [[dash]] speed and longer sword improve his close combat capabilities, while the return of the [[Boomerang]] improves his ability to [[combo]]. Alternatively, [[Remote Bomb]]s offer an array of advantages and disadvantages over the previous {{b|Bomb|Link}}s, while the loss of the [[Clawshot]] hinders his [[grab]] range and [[recovery]].

===Aesthetics===

*{{change|Link's design is now based on his appearance in ''The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild''. His default outfit is the blue {{s|zeldawiki|Champion's Tunic}} with the more traditional green {{s|zeldawiki|Tunic of the Wild}} as an [[Alternate costume (SSBU)#Link|alternate costume]], each having their own respective set of palette swaps. The Master Sword's design has also been updated to match its appearance in ''Breath of the Wild.''}}

*{{change|Link holds the {{s|zeldawiki|Master Sword}} with his right hand and the {{s|zeldawiki|Hylian Shield}} with his left hand like he does in ''Breath of the Wild'' and other recent ''Zelda'' games<!--Don't include games here where Link being right-handed is a consequence of mirroring the whole game.-->. He also has an altered [[idle pose]] with his legs positioned further apart and his sword and shield held up at all times.}}

*{{change|Link has a new side [[taunt]] where he holds the Master Sword in front of him with both hands while it glows, similar to one of {{SSBU|Ike}}'s taunts.}}

*{{change|Link's [[victory animation]] where he swings his sword then sheathes it now has him swing it back before sheathing it.}}

*{{change|Link's new [[on-screen appearance]] involves him gliding onto the stage using the {{s|zeldawiki|Paraglider}}.}}

*{{change|Link's [[Boxing Ring]] alias has been changed to "Champion of Hyrule".}}

===Attributes===

*{{buff|Like all characters, Link's [[jumpsquat]] animation now takes three frames to complete (down from 7).}}

*{{buff|Initial dash speed|1.3|1.98}}

*{{buff|Maximum dash speed|1.3944|1.534}}

*{{buff|The {{s|zeldawiki|Master Sword}} is longer, increasing the range of Link's sword-based attacks.}}

*{{change|[[Neutral attack]]'s final hit now involves Link swiping vertically instead of thrusting his sword, much like {{SSBU|Meta Knight}}}}

**{{nerf|Up tilt no longer encircles Link's entire body, hindering its horizontal range. It also leaves Link more vulnerable to frontal attacks.}}

*{{nerf|[[Down tilt]] damage|11%|9%}}

*{{change|Dash attack's initial lunge provides less distance, decreasing the move's horizontal range but allowing Link to more reliably hit opponents closer to him.}}

*{{buff|[[Forward smash]]'s first hit shoots out a spinning {{s|zeldawiki|Sword Beam}} when Link is at 0% damage. Charging forward smash increases the size and damage of the projectile. This is in reference to multiple ''Zelda'' games where Link's sword shoots out beams when he is at full health.}}

*{{buff|All aerials have less landing lag (Neutral: frame 10 → 6, Forward: 12 → 11, Back: 10 → 6, Up: 23 → 14, Down: 32 → 19), with [[neutral aerial]] and [[back aerial]] now being almost as fast as a [[Lag#Normal landing|hard landing]].}}

*{{change|[[Forward aerial]]'s first hit now has significantly weaker knockback, which allows it to reliably link into the second hit.}}  

**{{buff|Forward aerial's animation has been sped up, with the second hit coming out more quickly.}}

**{{nerf|Forward aerial's first hit can no longer KO at reasonable percents.}}

**{{nerf|Both hits of forward aerial deal 2% less damage.}}

*{{buff|Both hits of [[back aerial]] deal 2% more damage.}}

**{{change|Back aerial has a slightly different animation.}}

*{{change|[[Down aerial]] has a different animation, with a more exaggerated downward thrust.}}

===Throws/other attacks===

*{{change|Link now [[grab]]s opponents with his hand instead of using the [[Clawshot]].}}

**{{nerf|All grabs have reduced range.}}

*{{nerf|Pummel damage|2.1%|1.3%}}

*{{nerf|Link no longer has a [[grab aerial]] or a [[tether recovery]] due to losing the Clawshot.}}

**{{buff|Link can now Z-drop his Remote Bombs without triggering the grab aerial's lengthy animation.}}

*{{nerf|[[Forward throw]] and [[Back throw]] hit 2 damage|4%|2.5%}}

**{{change|Link now uses the {{s|zeldawiki|Traveler's Bow}} from ''Breath of the Wild'' instead of the [[Hero's Bow]].}}

**{{nerf|Arrows travel noticeably slower.}}

**{{buff|Arrows that fail to hit an opponent will linger on the ground for a longer period of time and can be picked up and thrown. Using the Bow and Arrows while holding an arrow causes Link to fire two arrows at once for double the damage.}}

**{{nerf|Arrows can be picked up by opponents and thrown at Link.}}

**{{change|Rather than simply disappearing, Boomerang will drop to the ground and disappear in a puff of smoke if it is intercepted by another projectile.}}

**{{buff|Boomerang has regained its damaging hitbox while returning, allowing Link to interrupt opponents' attacks and perform combos more reliably than he could with Gale Boomerang's [[windbox]].}}

**{{nerf|Boomerang will damage Link if it is [[reflect]]ed back at him. Also, Link can no longer perform the [[Gale Guarding]] technique.}}

**{{change|Spin Attack has larger and more vibrant graphics. The grounded version is now an inward spin.}}

**{{change|Link now charges the move like he does in ''Breath of the Wild'', and moves his arm during the charging animation. As the move charges, the Master Sword glints with light up to three times, referencing the three charge levels of charged attacks in ''Breath of the Wild''.}}

**{{change|The spherical {{s|zeldawiki|Remote Bomb}} from ''Breath of the Wild'' replaces [[Bomb (Link)|Bomb]] as Link's down special. Rather than exploding on contact, the Remote Bomb bounces off opponents and objects. It is detonated by inputting down special again, similar to {{SSBU|Snake}}'s [[C4]]. It will also detonate automatically after about 30 seconds. This changes up Link's item play and recovery tactics substantially.}}

**{{buff|Remote Bomb's 30 second fuse allows it to remain in play much longer than Bomb's 7 seconds.}}

**{{buff|Remote Bomb's explosion has a significantly larger blast radius.}}

**{{buff|Remote Bomb's explosion deals more damage.}}

**{{buff|Remote Bomb's explosion deals significantly higher knockback, improving its KO potential. It also launches opponents at a more horizontal angle, and the opponent's location relative to the bomb determines where they are sent. This generally improves its combo and [[edgeguarding]] potential.}}

**{{nerf|Remote Bomb cannot be manually detonated if it is held by an opponent.}}

**{{nerf|Unlike the previous iteration of Bomb, Remote Bomb Runes will damage Link even if the opponent is caught within its blast radius.}}

**{{nerf|Only one Remote Bomb can be on the field at a time, as opposed to two Bombs.}}

**{{nerf|Remote Bomb cannot be detonated while Link is [[helpless]]. Coupled with the bomb's horizontal knockback, this hinders Link's vertical recovery.}}

**{{buff|Link can now Z-drop and detonate a Remote Bomb on himself to supplement his horizontal recovery.}}

**{{change|Link's new Final Smash is the [[Ancient Bow and Arrow]], replacing [[Triforce Slash]]. It is functionally similar to [[Zelda]]'s [[Light Arrow]] from previous games, although it only deals a single powerful blow to the first opponent in the arrow's path, along with any bystanders.}}

**{{buff|Ancient Bow and Arrow has significantly more horizontal range than Triforce Slash.}}

Link's opponents are all affiliated with darkness.

{|class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center"

|1||{{SSBU|Dark Pit}}||[[Reset Bomb Forest]]||Dark Pit's Theme||

|2||Giant {{SSBU|Ridley}}||[[Norfair]]||Vs. Ridley||

|3||{{SSBU|Bayonetta}}||[[Umbra Clock Tower]]||One Of A Kind||

|4||{{SSBU|Dark Samus}}||[[Frigate Orpheon]]||Boss Battle 4 - Metroid: Samus Returns||

|5||{{SSBU|Ganondorf}}||[[Gerudo Valley]]||Gerudo Valley||{{SSBU|Zelda}} is a CPU ally.

|6||[[Dark Link]]||[[Temple]]||Great Temple / Temple||

|colspan="5"|Bonus Stage

|Final||[[Ganon, the Demon King|Ganon]]||?||||

Link was present on the cliffside when Galeem unleashed his beams of light. Link successfully deflected three beams of light with his [[Hylian Shield]] (staying true to the shield's unbreakable nature), but he lost his footing on the third blow, and was vaporized and placed under Galeem's imprisonment along with the rest of the fighters (excluding {{SSBU|Kirby}}).

Link is unlocked near a Sheikah Tower when taking the {{SSBU|Villager}} route. The player must defeat either Don's or Fiora's spirit to access his unlock battle.

<center>[[File:Link Palette (SSBU).png|1000px]]</center>

SSBUWebsiteLink1.jpg|Link [[taunting]] on the [[Great Plateau Tower]].

SSBUWebsiteLink3.jpg|Link performing a [[Spin Attack]] on {{SSBU|Pac-Man}} on [[Spirit Train]].

SSBUWebsiteLink5.jpg|Link performing his new Final Smash, [[Ancient Bow and Arrow]].

SSBUWebsiteLink6.jpg|About to strike {{SSBU|Ganondorf}} with his [[dash attack]] on [[Skyworld]].

SSBUWebsiteRathalos3.jpg|Link, {{SSBU|Marth}} and {{SSBU|Shulk}} advancing towards [[Rathalos]] on [[Coliseum]].

SSBUWebsiteRathalos4.jpg|Link, {{SSBU|Pikachu}}, {{SSBU|Bowser}} and Inkling being attacked by Rathalos on [[Tortimer Island]].

SSBUWebsite30.jpg|Link using [[Bow and Arrows]] on [[Prism Tower]].

8-PlayerSSBU 1.jpg|With Mario, {{SSBU|Donkey Kong}}, Samus, {{SSBU|Ice Climbers}}, {{SSBU|Pit}}, {{SSBU|Villager}} and Inkling on {{SSBU|Battlefield}}.

SSBUKirbyJPTwitter2.jpg|With {{SSBU|Kirby}}, Mario, Inkling, Marth, Pit, {{SSBU|Ridley}} and Villager on Battlefield.

===Character Showcase Video===

<youtube>kfeUdBi67G4</youtube>

*''Ultimate'' marks the first time in the ''Smash'' series where Link does not wear his trademark green tunic as his default outfit, as well as the first time Link no longer has his Goron and Zora tunics from ''Ocarina of Time'' as his respective red and blue alternate costumes; however, his traditional design still appears as an alternate costume, the  {{s|zeldawiki|Tunic of the Wild}}. His new red and blue costumes are based on armor sets from ''Breath of the Wild'', the {{s|zeldawiki|Hylian Tunic}} and the Royal Guard Uniform, respectively.

**Ironically, Link's Champion's Tunic cannot be dyed in ''Breath of the Wild'' despite being the base for four of his costumes in ''Ultimate''. His Tunic of the Wild can be dyed, but the colors used for the other four costumes based on this outfit are not possible in ''Breath of the Wild''.

**Link's Fierce Deity costume is the only recolor of the Tunic of the Wild to not expose his knees. This is in line with how {{s|zeldawiki|Fierce Deity Link}} appeared in ''{{s|zeldawiki|Majora's Mask}}.''

**Despite Link's default design now being the Champion's Tunic, which lacks a cap, {{SSBU|Kirby}} still gains his familiar green cap when [[Inhale (Kirby)|copying]] Link.

*''Ultimate'' is the first ''Smash'' game where Link does not use a [[tether]]; however, his doppelgängers, [[Young Link]] and [[Toon Link]], still use one.

*Link is one of three fighters from ''SSB4'' to have their [[Boxing Ring]] alias changed in ''Ultimate'', the others being {{SSBU|Mega Man}} and {{SSBU|Ryu}}.

*Coincidentally enough, Link is ranked as #3 according to ''Ultimate'''s roster, as his game series revolves around the ''Tri''force, and there are three different versions of Link in this game.