Editing Sheik (SSBU)

'''Sheik''' ({{ja|シーク|Shīku}}, ''Sheik'') is a playable character in ''[[Super Smash Bros. Ultimate]]''. She was officially confirmed on June 12th, 2018 alongside {{SSBU|Zelda}} and the rest of the returning roster. Sheik is classified as fighter #16.

Sheik is now voiced by Ayumi Fujimura, who voices [[Zelda (SSBU)|her alter-ego]] in both ''The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds'' and ''Ultimate''.

With the exception of the third method, Sheik must then be defeated on [[Gerudo Valley]].

Sheik is a character that, as a ninja of sorts, fits the "hit-and-run" character archetype. One of Sheik's greatest strengths is her overall mobility, being among the best in the game both grounded and aerial. She also has the 4th highest gravity, which makes her mobility better, but leaves her more vulnerable to vertical knockback. Her crouch is also very low, making her difficult to hit when doing so. Sheik can also wall cling and crawl. However, she is the  6th lightest character in the game, which when coupled with her gravity and tall height, these traits collectively make her very susceptible to combos and KO's, thus giving her very frail survivability overall.

Aside from her excellent mobility, another one of Sheik's greatest strengths is her extremely quick frame data. Her moves have generally negligible amounts of startup or ending lag, making her extremely difficult to punish properly; this is supplemented by the good range of her moveset. She also has an excellent projectile in Needle Storm, with the needles charging and travelling fast, being long-ranged (covers about half of Final Destination), possessing transcendent priority, and causing hitstun. Coupled with her range, her needles give her a strong camping ability. Overall, her mobility, projectile game, range and frame data all combined form her greatest strength: her outstanding neutral game. She can play both defensively, by pressuring and zoning from afar without much trouble, or aggressively, with her fast attack speed giving her an unpredictable approach. Sheik can poke and pressure her opponents with her aerials and tilts, all of which are safe options. If they choose to drop shield, they are wide open to these attacks. At the same time, holding shield presents her with an opportunity to grab and use her throw set-ups.

Sheik's excellent frame data, combined with the low power of many of her moves, gives her among the best combo abilities in the game. Her throws can easily lead into other attacks, with her forward and down throws being particularly effective at starting combos, as they can set up long chains of forward aerials, with her up aerial and Bouncing Fish being useful combo finishers. Her combos are not limited to her air game; all of her tilts can start and extend combos since they send opponents into the air, and can confirm into aerials; her forward tilt particularly, has reliable follow-ups all the way into KO percents. Down tilt, while not chaining into itself as effectively, has even lower power, giving her access to KO confirms as well.  

All aspects of Sheik's moveset are solid overall. A sole few number of her aerial moves possess great versatility; forward aerial in particular, has little startup, decent ending lag, auto-cancels in a short hop fast fall, and has slightly disjointed range, making it an all-purpose move: it can be used to approach, pressure, combo and set up edge-guards. Her back aerial is also versatile to an extent, as it can be used to extend or finish combos. When sweetspotted (at the foot), it can KO at high percents near the ledge and is even safer on shield than her forward aerial. Neutral aerial is her fastest one, allowing her to break out of combos and extend or finish hers, notably into Bouncing Fish. Up aerial is her strongest aerial, and also sends opponents into a great angle for juggling, both of which give it good utility at both KO'ing and finishing combos.

Outside of her Needle Storm, Sheik's special moveset also possesses good utility: her up special, Vanish, grants her intangibility and invisibility, making it hard for the opponent to predict where she will appear. It also has a hitbox on disappearance that is decently strong, and another one and a windbox when she reappears, making it difficult to punish. Meanwhile, her down special Bouncing Fish, is famous for being her primary KO move, being similar to Flip Jump on some regards: it deals good damage with high knockback scaling, can finish combos from her neutral aerial, forward aerial, and aerial Needle Storm, and is safe on shield if it hits. Bouncing Fish can let you bounce on multiple players in a single move, although this is very rare in normal gameplay. Both Vanish and Bouncing Fish also conform Sheik's last strength in her recovery, as they make it versatile and extendable, both of them and can be used in tandem with each other, and they are difficult and risky to intercept, as they both deal high knockback enough to interrupt an edge-guard. Combined with her wall jump, this makes Sheik hard to edge-guard or gimp, without disabling her midair jump, and enables her to reverse edge-guard effectively.

However, despite having immense strengths, Sheik has polarizing flaws. The most notable of them is her frailty: despite her recovery being amazing, in a similar vein to {{SSBU|Fox}}, her on-stage endurance is very weak due to her very light weight (being lighter than characters such as {{SSBU|Kirby}}), succumbing to even decently strong blows, whereas her above average height, high falling speed and gravity make her easy to combo. This is further compounded by her notoriously poor damage output overall: despite her strong damage racking ability, she requires extremely long strings of attacks just to deal the same amount of damage that the vast majority of the cast can inflict in noticeably far fewer hits. While the low damage and power on her moves grant her an awesome combo game, Sheik also struggles to secure her opponent's stock. She has a few moves with high knockback, but she has difficulty landing them; her up smash has a powerful first hit on her arms as she rises them, but it is hard to land outside of a read or confirm, is hampered by its much weaker second hit as she lowers her arms and is very punishable if missed, her forward and down smash are among the weakest smash attacks of their kind, and they have punishable ending lag as well, while Vanish's hitbox when Sheik disappears is hard to land. In the air, she is limited to using her up aerial, back aerial, or Bouncing Fish to KO, and even then, the former two  require to be used close to the blast lines due to their relatively weak knockback, forcing her to rely too much on up smash and Bouncing Fish to score a KO. Furthermore, her aerial KO setups are difficult to pull off due to ''Ultimate's'' faster launch physics, re-addition of directional air-dodges, and the weakening of her neutral aerial's combo potential. Her other aerials are otherwise only useful for edge-guarding and gimping characters with particularly weak or linear recoveries due to their abysmal KO power or sacrificial use. Furthermore, her overall below average grab game has no throws that can KO at realistic percents, and her aforementioned forward and down throws have too much knockback for truly reliable KO set-ups. With all of this working against her, it is not uncommon for her opponents to survive in excess of 150%. Lastly, the rage mechanic hinders Sheik: without rage, she often has trouble KO'ing, though as her rage increases, her combo game slowly dwindles, which when combined with her poor damage output, it can make bringing an opponent to KO percents difficult. Additionally, this brings opponents to a high level of rage enough to KO Sheik herself.

Other weaknesses include a few moves that have very low utility, despite Sheik's moveset versatility. These include her down aerial, which is the slowest of her aerial moveset, has the highest landing lag and is a stall-then-fall, giving it the lowest utility of Sheik's aerial moveset despite it meteor smashing an opponent. Her smash attacks are difficult to land overall and outside of up smash, have little KO power. Lastly, Burst Grenade is powerful but has a slow explosion, which limits it to situational usage on edge-guarding predictable recoveries, extending the damage of a hard punish, or a situational mix-up to deter edgeguarders.  

Altogether, Sheik's strengths are the same with her weaknesses. While she has an outstanding neutral game owing to her excellent frame data and mobility, these traits are overall unrewarding due to her very frail survivability, abysmal damage output, and inconsistency at KOing. Her strengths are further overshadowed by the vastly buffed mobility, frame data, damage outputs, and combo and KO potential of many returning veterans and newcomers. As a result, many top players have a poor view on Sheik's viability, with her tournament representation matching her perception due to her playerbase from ''Smash 4'' largely dropping her.

==Changes from ''[[Super Smash Bros. 4]]''==

Like most top-tier characters, Sheik in ''Smash 4'' was considered one of the most potent characters (and the best character in the middle of the game's lifetime), due to her nearly uncontested [[neutral game]]. Sheik went on to receive the most nerfs from game updates, and while they did somewhat reduce her effectiveness, she remained a top tier character. Possibly as a result, Sheik has been noticeably nerfed overall.  

Sheik's most notable nerfs are to her already weak damage output and poor survivability. Her main combo moves like her [[tilt]]s, neutral aerial and forward aerial, in addition to Needle Storm and Bouncing Fish, all deal less damage. This requires her to string even more hits in order to rack up notable amounts of damage, exacerbated by her lack of KO ability. Furthermore, ''Ultimate's'' faster launch physics, jostling mechanics (which prevents cross-ups and instead pushes opponents away), and re-addition of directional air dodges hinder many of Sheik's combo strings and KO setups. Although the weakening of [[rage]] slightly improves her survivability and combo consistency, this is offset by her weight being decreased to the point of being lighter than characters such as Kirby, making her the 6th lightest character. Lastly, while Sheik does benefit from the universally faster jumpsquats and lower [[landing lag]] like the rest of the cast, the universal changes have overall indirectly nerfed her, as she already had the overall fastest frame data in ''Smash 4'', and most other characters have received more significant buffs in those aspects, allowing more characters to keep up with her.

However, Sheik did receive some buffs besides the universal changes. Her [[rapid jab]] connects more reliably and its finisher has less ending lag, making it more effective for damage racking despite its individual hits dealing less damage. Her up tilt, down tilt and Needle Storm (especially the aerial version) also have less ending lag, improving their combo potential. Her generally least used moves in ''Smash 4'' such as her dash attack, down smash, down aerial, and up throw deal more damage; while forward smash and down smash's hits connect better, and up smash's first hit has more range. Burst Grenade has less ending lag and no longer causes helplessness, while Vanish grants more intangibility when used on the ground. Most notably, her back aerial deals more damage and knockback, improving its previously lacking KO potential when sweetspotted (though it is still a relatively weak aerial) and her pummel has gone from one of the slowest to one of the fastest, allowing it to be used more safely.  

Overall, Sheik's nerfs outweigh her buffs, as the former have exacerbated her main flaws, while the latter were not significant enough to compensate, making her worse than her ''Smash 4'' iteration. Her overall perception has been extremely negative, with many top players such as {{Sm|ZeRo}}, {{Sm|ESAM}}, {{Sm|MkLeo}} and {{Sm|Dabuz}} have claimed that she is not a viable character, since she has to work notoriously harder to rack up damage and score KOs than the vast majority of the cast. As such, her current representation in ''Ultimate'' has been poor, with many notable players such as {{Sm|Vinnie}}, {{Sm|Mr. R}} and {{Sm|VoiD}} dropping her in favor of other characters. While she did receive some improvements in Patch 3.0, including a new kill confirm, they did very little to address her minimal damage output. Despite this, {{Sm|VoiD}} has done well with her as a secondary in tournaments. For now, Sheik's viability remains questionable.  

*{{change|Sheik's design is now based on the [[zeldawiki:Armor|Sheikah Set]] from ''{{s|zeldawiki|The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild}}'', including the long white scarf of the Stealth Mask. Her color scheme is also more subdue, and her hair features simple detailing similar to ''Brawl''.}}

*{{change|Sheik is more vocal. She now vocalizes when using [[Vanish]] and [[Bouncing Fish]].}}

*{{change|Up taunt no longer has Sheik do a flip to rebound.}}

*{{buff|Like all characters, Sheik's [[jumpsquat]] animation takes 3 frames to complete (down from 4).}}

*{{buff|Sheik's initial [[dash]] speed (1.7 → 2.178) and run speed (2.016 → 2.42) are faster.}}

*{{buff|Sheik's [[air speed]] is slightly faster (1.1 → 1.155).}}

*{{change|Sheik's [[weight]] has been decreased (81 → 78), now being lighter than {{SSBU|Kirby}}. This further worsens her endurance, but makes her less susceptible to combos.}}

*{{buff|Sheik's [[traction]] is higher (0.06 → 0.106).}}

*{{nerf|Forward roll grants less [[intangibility]] (frames 4-15 → 4-12).}}

*{{nerf|Back roll grants less intangibility (frames 4-15 → 4-14) and has more ending lag (FAF 28 → 33).}}

*{{buff|[[Spot dodge]] has less ending lag (FAF 25 → 24).}}

*{{buff|[[Air dodge]] grants more intangibility (frames 2-25 → 2-26).}}

*{{nerf|The removal of perfect [[pivoting]] hinders her ground mobility, worsens Needle Storm's [[mindgame]] potential, and worsens her ability to extend combos.}}

***{{nerf|However, this worsens Sheik's guaranteed [[jab cancel]] setups, which played a large part in the utility of her neutral attack in ''Smash 4''.}}

**{{buff|The neutral infinite has less startup lag (frame 9 → 5), a consistent angle (50°/60°/70° → 361°), a lower [[hitlag]] multiplier (1× → 0.5×) and [[SDI]] multiplier (1× → 0.4×), and deals less knockback (14 base/20 scaling → 12/15) while inflicting 2 additional frames of [[hitstun]] per hit. This vastly improves its linking capabilities, making it much more reliable overall.}}

**{{buff|The neutral infinite's finisher has significantly less ending lag (FAF 53 → 36), no longer being the slowest in the game.}}

**{{nerf|All hits except the first deal less damage (3% → 1.6% (hit 2), 0.8%/0.6% → 0.3% (infinite), 3% → 2% (finisher)), with knockback scaling not fully compensated on the finisher (115 → 132), slightly reducing its already lacking KO potential.}}

**{{nerf|Forward tilt deals less damage (4% → 3%), with knockback scaling compensated (158/165 → 180/188).}}

*[[Up tilt]]:

**{{buff|Up tilt has less ending lag (FAF 36 → 33).}}

**{{buff|The second hit has less startup lag (frame 19 → 17), allowing it to connect better from the first hit.}}

**{{nerf|Both hits deal less damage (5% → 3% (hit 1), 6% → 4% (hit 2)) with knockback on the second hit compensated.}}

**{{change|Up tilt has an altered animation where Sheik's heel hits the ground, bearing a closer resemblance {{SSBU|Samus}}'s up tilt.}}

**{{change|It deals less damage (5% → 4.5%). However, this also allows it to combo for longer.}}<!--Knockback values for Smash 4 down tilt on Kurogane Hammer are wrong; they're 37 BKB/100 KBG, not 35/80, which lines up with this result-->

**{{change|Down tilt's middle hitbox is smaller (3.5u → 3.2u), and has been moved inwards (X offset: 4 → 3), making it easier to land the outermost hitbox, but makes it harder to hit opponents below the ledge and reduces the attack range.}}

**{{buff|It has increased shieldstun (1x → 1.5x), improving its safety against shields, although it is still more unsafe than most dash attacks in ''Ultimate''.}}

**{{buff|Forward smash's second hit has less startup lag (frame 26 → 20), allowing it to connect better from the first hit, with the move's total duration reduced as well (FAF 51 → 45).}}

**{{buff|The first hit has a marginally larger hitbox (6u → 6.1u).}}

**{{buff|Down smash has less ending lag (FAF 55 → 52).}}

**{{buff|The second hit launches at a lower angle (48° → 43°), improving its edgeguarding and KO potential.}}

*{{buff|All aerials have less landing lag (10 frames → 6 (neutral), 10 → 5 (forward), 12 → 7 (back), 21 → 13 (up), 30 → 22 (down)).}}

**{{nerf|Neutral aerial deals less damage (8%/7% → 6%/5% (clean), 5%/4% → 4%/3% (late)), with only base knockback compensated (20 → 30), hindering its KO potential while not improving its combo potential.}}

*[[Forward aerial]]:

**{{buff|It has more range after the first 2 active frames (Y offset: 0 → -0.5/-1, Z offset: 0 → 1/1.5).}}

**{{nerf|It deals less damage (4.3%/5% → 3.8%/4.5%), being the least damaging forward aerial in the game.}}

*[[Back aerial]]:

**{{buff|Back aerial deals more damage (7%/8% → 7.5%/9.5% (clean), 5% → 6% (late)), with knockback only minimally compensated on the clean hit (30 base/100 scaling → 32/30 base/98 scaling), improving its KO potential.}}

*[[Up aerial]]:

**{{buff|Up aerial [[auto-cancel]]s earlier (frame 47 → 44).}}

**{{buff|The looping hits have a lower hitlag multiplier (1.3× → 0.7×), making them harder to SDI out of.}}

**{{nerf|However, the significant increase to hitlag and the DI angle indicator make it much easier to react with appropriate DI when the final hit connects, hindering its cross-up potential.}}

*[[Down aerial]]:

**{{buff|Down aerial deals more damage (8% → 10%), with knockback not compensated on the clean hit, increasing the [[meteor smash]]'s power.}}

**{{nerf|The late hit launches at a lower angle (70° → 56°), and has more base knockback (30 → 55), but less knockback scaling (105 → 78), decreasing its KO potential overall.}}

**{{change|The landing hit launches at a higher angle (40° → 48°), and has more base knockback (40 → 77), but significantly less knockback scaling (150 → 50).}}

*[[Grab]]s:

**{{nerf|All grabs have noticeably more ending lag (FAF 28 → 37 (standing), 35 → 45 (dash), 33 → 40 (pivot)).}}

**{{nerf|All grabs have less range (Z2 offset: 8.9 → 7.9 (standing), 10.7 → 9.5 (dash), -14.9 → -13.4 (pivot)).}}

**{{nerf|Dash and pivot grab have more startup lag (frame 8 → 9 (dash), 9 → 11 (pivot)).}}

**{{change|Sheik has a new pummel, a knee strike rather than an elbow jab.}}

**{{buff|It deals more hitlag (5 frames → 11), but has significantly less startup (frame 9 → 1) and ending lag (FAF 24 → 6), shortening its duration. This makes it more reliable for racking up damage, now being one of the fastest pummels in the game.}}

**{{nerf|It deals more knockback (80 base/60 scaling → 110/62), diminishing its 50/50 setups while still unable to KO at realistic percentages.}}

**{{buff|Edge attack deals more damage (7% → 9%).}}

**{{buff|The clean hit has a longer duration with the late hit having a shorter duration instead (frames 1-3 (clean)/4-10 (late) → 1-5/6-10).}}

**{{nerf|It deals less damage per needle (1.9% → 1.5% (clean), 1.2% → 0.8% (late)) and has less knockback scaling (180 → 167).}}

**{{change|The flight trajectory of aerial needles has been altered from approximately a 45° angle to a shallower 30° angle. This makes them worse as a followup from aerials at lower percents, but better at higher percents.}}

**{{nerf|It has slightly more startup lag (frame 17 → 18).}}

**{{change|Sheik has a new [[Final Smash]] called Sheikah Dance, replacing [[Light Arrow]]. Sheik dashes forward while the Sheikah symbol flashes on-screen. If the initial attack lands, Sheik will trap the opponent in place and repeatedly slash them with her dagger before launching them away, similar to [[Triforce Slash]].}}

Sheik has been buffed via game updates. Update 2.0.0 made her KO ability slightly more consistent: up smash's first hit is larger, allowing it to catch landings better and hit even a larger number of tall and/or large characters when they are standing right next to Sheik, whereas down smash's hits connect more reliably at higher percents. In addition to these changes, [[Burst Grenade]] had its ending lag decreased, which slightly improved its safety as an edgeguarding option. Update 3.0.0 brought a few more noteworthy buffs, increasing down tilt's range and slightly improving her neutral game, as forward aerial gained the ability to hit smaller characters beneath her, while [[Needle Storm]] [[charge]]s slightly faster.  

*{{buff|Up smash's first hit has more range.}}

*{{buff|Sheik can grab ledges faster after using forward aerial (88 frames → 59).}}

*{{buff|Up aerial [[auto-cancel]]s earlier (frame 47 → 44), matching the move's [[interruptibility]].}}

*{{buff|Burst Grenade has less ending lag.}}

*{{buff|Neutral infinite's finisher has less ending lag (FAF 42 → 36).}}

*{{buff|Needle Storm charges 1.2x faster, reaching its full charge more quickly (98 frames → 82).}}

*{{buff|The changes to shield mechanics make charged Needle Storm much harder to perfect shield, as each needle must be manually perfect shielded.}}

*{{change|Down aerial no longer has its downward movement disabled when used out of hitstun.}}

|neutralname=&nbsp;

|neutralinfdmg=0.3% (loop), 2% (final)

|neutraldesc=An inward {{s|wikipedia|knifehand strike}}, followed by an upward knifehand strike. When button mashed, Sheik performs a barrage of knifehand strikes, followed by a palm thrust. Fast, at frame 2, and deals about 10% with good SDI. Can kill on certain platforms, such as one of the platforms on Town and City.

|ftiltname=Cycle Kick

|ftiltdesc=An inwards roundhouse kick. Deals very poor damage, but can string into itself and its low vertical knockback grants it excellent combo potential.

|utiltname=&nbsp;

|utiltdesc=Performs a stretch kick that transitions to an axe kick. The first hit is hard to land on grounded opponents. Like forward tilt, its low damage is compensated by its great combo ability.

|dtiltname=&nbsp;

|dtiltdesc=A legsweep. The tip has a hitbox that launches the opponent straight up, while the rest of the move launches at a non-optimal 45-degree angle. The sweetspot combos into forward tilt, up smash, and all aerials besides down air. The tip leads into up smash for a KO at around 90%, though the timing is very strict.

|dashname=&nbsp;

|dashdesc=Lunges to perform an outward fanning knifehand strikes with both of her arms. While situational, its fast startup at frame 5 and decent base knockback make it a decent punishment tool.

|fsmashname=&nbsp;

|fsmashdesc=A roundhouse kick followed by a spinning side kick. Both attacks cause Sheik to move forward. One of Sheik's best KOing moves, although its power compared to other forward smashes is weak. Crosses up shields if done close enough.  

|usmashname=Razor Wing

|usmashdesc=Raises her arms overhead and then quickly swings them downward to perform outward fanning knifehand strikes. There is a hitbox at Sheik's hands, just before she swings down her arms, that hit opponents above her. If close enough to a tall character, it is possible to land both hits of the move, but this is difficult to achieve. When sweetspotted, it is Shiek's strongest move overall and one of her best KOing options. However it has high ending lag and the second hit lacks KO potential.  

|dsmashname=&nbsp;

|dsmashdesc=A modified butterfly kick performed from the [[wikipedia:Windmill (b-boy move)|windmill]] (a breakdancing move). Does very poor damage and has below-average knockback for a smash attack, but it starts up quickly.

|nairname=&nbsp;

|nairdmg={{ShortHopDmgSSBU|6}} (clean sweetspot), {{ShortHopDmgSSBU|5}} (clean sourspot), {{ShortHopDmgSSBU|4}} (late sweetspot), {{ShortHopDmgSSBU|3}} (late sourspot)

|nairdesc=A flying kick. Very fast at frame 3, and a great combo breaking or out of shield option. Great for edgeguarding due to its somewhat powerful sweetspot and sourspot that lingers for a long time. The late hitbox on landing combos into Bouncing Fish at around 100% for a KO confirm. Autocancels in a short hop, but with strict timing.  

|fairname=Hatchet

|fairdesc=A lunging, downward knifehand strike. Its sweetspot is located on Sheik's arm, while the sourspot is on her body. Comes out on frame 5 with minimal ending lag. Low base knockback, but very high knockback scaling. Combos into itself and other moves exceptionally well, including Bouncing Fish which can lead into a KO. Safe on shield if properly spaced. Has a very generous autocancel window, being able to do so after 11 frames.

|bairname=&nbsp;

|bairdesc=A high-angled back kick. While its power is slightly below-average for a back aerial, it can easily gimp characters with bad recoveries or outright KO offstage starting at around 90%. Hits on frame 4, sharing its speed with up aerial and making it one of the fastest moves of its kind in the game and autocancels in a short hop.  

|uairname=&nbsp;

|uairdmg={{ShortHopDmgSSBU|1}} (hits 1 - 3), {{ShortHopDmgSSBU|4}} (hit 4)

|uairdesc=A diagonal, corkscrew flying kick, concluded by another kick with the opposite leg. KOs reliably near the top blast zone, and can be set up into by forward tilt or down tilt, though this requires precise timing and doesn't KO until around 120%. Can be used after a forward tilt to drag the opponent down and lead into another forward tilt. Does not autocancel in a short hop.  

|dairname=&nbsp;

|dairdesc=A diagonal flying kick. It is a [[stall-then-fall]], and its clean hitbox is a [[meteor smash]] during its beginning. One of Sheik's least useful and most situational moves, as its lag makes it very punishable, and trying to use it offstage will most likely result in an instant self-destruct.

|grabname=&nbsp;

|grabdesc=Reaches out. One of the shortest grab ranges.  

|pummelname=&nbsp;

|pummeldesc=A knee strike. Fast but weak.  

|fthrowname=

|fthrowdesc=The tie shan kao{{ref|a}} (a technique used in {{s|wikipedia|Bajiquan}}). Combos into aerials and Bouncing Fish at starting percents. Can be comboed into Bouncing Fish at higher percents, though this is easily escapable with an airdodge. However, this can be conditioned and punished with Sheik's extremely fast movement and frame data.

|bthrowname=

|bthrowdesc=Throws opponent behind herself and performs a mid-level side kick. The weakest [[back throw]] in terms of knockback. KO's Mario at roughly 565% at the edge of [[Final Destination]].

|uthrowname=

|uthrowdesc=A handstand kick. Sheik's least useful throw, as it does the least damage and cannot be comboed out of. It is also Sheik's strongest throw, but fail to KO middleweights until around 288% on Final Destination.

|dthrowname=

|dthrowdesc=A collar drag takedown followed by a somersault axe kick. Can combo into up air at low percents.

|floorfdesc=Kneels and performs a palm thrust in front of herself, and then behind herself.

|floorbdesc=A {{s|wikipedia|kip-up}} transitioned into a double-footed {{s|wikipedia|scorpion kick}}.  

|floortdesc=Squats on one leg and performs a spinning roundhouse kick.

|edgedesc=Performs a corkscrew {{s|wikipedia|dropkick}} while climbing up.

|nsdesc=Accumulates up to six needles that can be thrown immediately or stored for later use. When used in the air, Sheik throws the needles downward at approximately 30°. One of Sheik's best options for [[camping]] and zoning. The needles have [[transcendent priority]], and so cannot stop or be stopped by other attacks (including, for example, other projectiles).

|ssdesc=Throws a grenade attached to a {{s|wikipedia|tripwire}}. On detonation, it creates a small vortex that [[pull]]s opponents towards it, then explodes. The detonation can be delayed a second by holding the special move button. The grenade can be thrown a farther when used in the air or when thrown over an edge, and its explosion is strong enough to KO middleweights at 115% near the edge, making it useful for edge-guarding. If Sheik is attacked before the grenade explodes, the grenade will detach from the tripwire and become a non-[[explosive]] [[item]] that anyone can use.

|usdesc=After a short delay, Sheik destroys a {{s|zeldawiki|Deku Nut}} in order to disappear via a small explosion, before reappearing nearby in a controlled direction. Its disappearing hitbox's respectable damage output and very high knockback scaling enable it to KO at 100% while near the upper blast line. It also grants a small vertical boost when used in the air. Conversely, its reappearance hitbox deals much less damage, but also has a windbox that can [[push]] away opponents who are very close to wherever Sheik reappears. It grants intangibility on frames 19-53. Reappearing near a edge renders her helpless, though [[self-destruct]]ing with the move is difficult to do because it allows Sheik to grab the edge the moment she enters helplessness.

|dsdmg=11% (first kick), 13% (following kicks)

|dsdesc=A 360° Tengkong Pantui Cepu{{ref|b}} (a kick used in Nanquan). If it connects with an opponent, she will backflip a distance away and land on her feet. She can then kick up to three times by pressing the special move button again after the preceding kick connects. Upon missing, she experiences landing lag if she lands before the move's animation is over. It can also be executed earlier by pressing the special button again, and covers more distance if the control stick is held in whatever direction Sheik is facing. Its long horizontal travel distance, respectable damage output, and high knockback scaling make it one of Sheik's most viable KOing options. It KOs middleweights at 120% while near the edge, and grants intangibility on frames 3-4. Due to its earliest input hitting on frame 17 and its landing lag, however, it is punishable if it misses.

|fsdmg= 3% (first hit), 2% (first hit, late), 50% (entire move)

|fsdesc=Sheik dashes forward and slashes with her knife. If she catches anyone, the [[zeldawiki:Eye Symbol|Sheikah eye symbol]] will appear onscreen, and the screen will darken. She will then proceed to launch an onslaught of attacks from multiple directions before finally launching the trapped opponent with a final slash. The last hit of her Final Smash launches opponents the opposite direction of the initial dash. Only one opponent can be trapped in her Final Smash, though anyone nearby will also take damage during the duration.

Appears from a {{s|zeldawiki|Deku Nut}}'s explosion while briefly emanating blue wisps.

*'''Up taunt''': Performs the [[wikipedia:Kick (b-boy move)#Variants|pike]], a breakdancing move.

*'''Side taunt''': Pulls out the {{s|wikipedia|tripwire}} she uses for [[Burst Grenade]] and stretches it out, causing a "twang" sound.

*'''Down taunt''': A modified version of the [[wikipedia:Age-uke|age uke]], a blocking technique in {{s|wikipedia|Japanese martial arts}}.

SSBUSheikIdle1.gif|Sheik's first idle pose

SSBUSheikIdle2.gif|Sheik's second idle pose

*'''Left:''' Kicks once (similar to her forward tilt), spins on the ground (similar to her down smash), then poses with her arms blocking her face.

*'''Up:''' Crouches, swipes with her hand twice, then stands up while rearing back her right hand up to her face.

*'''Right:''' Performs the fumikomi geri{{ref|c}} (a stomp-style kick in karate), followed by a mid-level side kick, and then exhales loudly before performing the [[wikipedia:List of shotokan techniques#Blocking techniques (Uke-waza)|tate shuto uke]]{{ref|d}} (a blocking technique in {{s|wikipedia|Shotokan}}).

[[File:ZeldaSeriesVictoryThemeUltimate.ogg|thumb|A flourished and abridged remix of the theme that plays when [[Link]] obtains a [[zeldawiki:Triforce|Triforce Piece]] in ''[[zeldawiki:The Legend of Zelda (Game)|The Legend of Zelda]]'' and has since become the main theme of ''The Legend of Zelda'' series.]]

==In competitive play==

During ''Ultimate's'' early meta, Sheik's representation was almost nonexistent due to the significance of her nerfs. With the reduction of her overall damage output, it was common for Sheik players to pull off a lengthy string of combos that only amount to the equivalent of 2-3 stray hits that their opponents dealt. As a result, much of her playerbase dropped her entirely due to the sheer amount of effort required when using her compared to the vast majority of the cast (for the same or potentially even weaker result). Her weak damage output even got notorious within the community, with players and commentators alike pointing it out during matches. As such, Sheik was commonly seen as a mid low or even as a bottom tier character by most professionals.

Patch 3.0.0 eventually gave Sheik a handful of buffs, most notably improving the effectiveness of some staple moves like down tilt, forward aerial and [[Needle Storm]]. As a result, some of her former players, most notably {{Sm|VoiD}} and {{Sm|Mr.R}}, began representing her in tournaments again, and her perception within the community has improved somewhat as some players such as {{Sm|ESAM}} believe that Sheik has potential and could make a great secondary character. {{Sm|VoiD}} has been using Sheik along with Pichu and has used her to great success gaining results that were previously unspoken of for Sheik. As of now, Sheik's current spot in the metagame is uncertain, although she is still agreed to be noticeably worse than her iteration in Smash 4.

===Notable players===

<!--If you are planning to add a player you consider to be notable, please provide tournament results in some shape or form in the edit summary (be it a link to a results thread or bracket of placing high in a tournament of other notable players or a video of them beating a notable player). Winning tournaments without notable players present is generally not enough to warrant a spot.-->

''Any number following the Smasher name indicates placement on the [[Spring 2019 PGRU]], which recognizes the official top 50 players in the world in [[Super Smash Bros. Ultimate]] from February 1st, 2019 to July 7th, 2019.''

*{{Sm|kameme|Japan}} (#19) - Uses Sheik as a secondary. Placed 1st at {{Trn|The Mang0 Kickoff}} and 4th at {{Trn|Just Roll With It! 11}} using Sheik as one of his characters. Has wins over {{Sm|Tsu}} and {{Sm|Shogun}}.

*{{Sm|Mr.R|Netherlands}} (#36) - Uses Sheik as a secondary. Placed 2nd at {{Trn|Encuentro Mítico}} and 4th at both {{Trn|Saints Gaming Live 2019}} and {{Trn|Expand Gong 4}} using Sheik as one of his characters. Took a game off of {{Sm|Tweek}} using the character.

*{{Sm|Sylph|Japan}} - Placed 9th at {{Trn|Sumabato SP 4}} and 13th at {{Trn|Sumabato SP 3}}.

*{{Sm|VoiD|USA}} (#9) - Co-mains Sheik with {{SSBU|Pichu}}. Won {{Trn|Goodwill of Orange County's Charity Invitational}}, placed 5th at {{Trn|Mainstage}} with Sheik as one of his characters and beat {{Sm|Salem}} with Sheik game 5 last stock, placed 9th at {{Trn|Glitch 7 - Minus World}}, and 13th at {{Trn|Thunder Smash}} with Sheik as one of his characters. Defeated {{Sm|Yeti}} using solo Sheik.

Sheik's opponents are characters who wear masks or other forms of headwear to conceal their identity.

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

|1||{{SSBU|Meta Knight}} {{Head|Meta Knight|g=SSBU|s=20px}}||[[Fountain of Dreams]]||''{{SSBUMusicLink|Kirby|Forest Stage}}''||

|2||{{SSBU|Captain Falcon}} {{Head|Captain Falcon|g=SSBU|s=20px}}||[[Big Blue]]||''{{SSBUMusicLink|F-Zero|Death Wind}}''||

|3||{{SSBU|Samus}} {{Head|Samus|g=SSBU|s=20px}}||[[Norfair]]||''{{SSBUMusicLink|Metroid|Opening/Menu - Metroid Prime}}''||

|4||[[Bowser Jr. (SSBU)|Roy Koopa]] {{Head|Bowser Jr.|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Roy}}||[[Mushroom Kingdom U]]||''{{SSBUMusicLink|Super Mario Bros.|Underground Theme - Super Mario Land}}''||

|5||[[Little Mac (SSBU)|Wireframe Mac]] {{Head|Little Mac|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Green}}||[[Boxing Ring]]||''{{SSBUMusicLink|Other|Tunnel Scene - X-Scape}}''||

|6||{{SSBU|Mii Fighter}} {{Head|Mii Brawler|g=SSBU|s=20px}}{{Head|Mii Gunner|g=SSBU|s=20px}}{{Head|Mii Swordfighter|g=SSBU|s=20px}}{{Head|Mii Brawler|g=SSBU|s=20px}}{{Head|Mii Gunner|g=SSBU|s=20px}}{{Head|Mii Swordfighter|g=SSBU|s=20px}}||{{SSBU|Final Destination}}||''{{SSBUMusicLink|Super Smash Bros.|Meta Crystal}}''||Horde Battle. Items do not appear.

*{{SSBU|Mii Brawler}} costume combinations: [[Majora's Mask]] and [[Skull Kid]]'s Outfit, Hockey Mask and SSB T-Shirt.

*{{SSBU|Mii Gunner}} costumes: Shy Guy Mask and Butler Outfit, [[Ray Mk III]] Helmet and Ray Mk III Outfit.

*{{SSBU|Mii Swordfighter}} costumes: Black Knight Helm and Black Knight Armor, Yiga Clan Mask and Yiga Clan Outfit.

|Final||{{SSBU|Master Hand}}||{{SSBU|Final Destination}}||''{{SSBUMusicLink|Super Smash Bros.|Master Hand}}'' <small>(Less than 7.0 intensity)</small><br>''{{SSBUMusicLink|Super Smash Bros.|Master Hand / Crazy Hand}}'' <small>(Intensity 7.0 or higher)</small>||On intensity 7.0 and higher, {{SSBU|Crazy Hand}} fights alongside Master Hand.

[[Credits]] roll after completing Classic Mode. Completing it as Sheik has ''{{SSBUMusicLink|The Legend of Zelda|Gerudo Valley}}'' accompany the credits.

During the mode itself, Sheik can be unlocked early on shortly after rescuing {{SSBU|Mario}}, where the player arrives at a crossroads and has the choice to rescue her, {{SSBU|Marth}} or {{SSBU|Villager}}. If one of the others is rescued first, Sheik's path will be blocked by a force field created by {{SSBU|Master Hand}}, which will disappear upon defeating a boss or can be circumvented by looping back to the other side.

{|class="wikitable sortable" style="width:100%;"

! style="width:5%;"|No.

! style="width:5%;"|Image

! Name

! Type

! Power

! Stage

! Music

| 16

| [[File:Sheik SSBU.png|center|108x108px]]

| {{SSBU|Sheik}}

| {{color|#18aef5|Shield}}

| 2,500

| [[Final Destination]]

| ''{{SSBUMusicLink|Super Smash Bros.|Final Destination}}''

{{-}}

==[[Spirit]]s==

Sheik's Fighter Spirit can be obtained by completing [[Classic Mode]]. It is also available periodically for purchase in the shop for 500 coins. Unlocking Sheik in World of Light allows the player to preview the spirit below in the Spirit List under the name "???". As a Fighter Spirit, it cannot be used in Spirit Battles and is purely aesthetic. Each Fighter Spirit has an alternate version that replaces them with their artwork in ''Ultimate''.

Sheik Spirit.png|174. '''''Sheik'''''

==In Spirit battles==

|{{anchor|Geno}}[[Geno]]

|[[File:SpiritTypeAttack.png|20px|center|Attack]]

|•Defeat the main fighter to win<br>•Timed battle<br>•The enemy's FS Meter charges quickly

|{{anchor|Impa}}{{s|zeldawiki|Impa}}

|''The Legend of Zelda series''

|[[File:SpiritTypeShield.png|20px|center|Shield]]

|[[File:Byrne Artwork.png|center|64x64px]]

|{{anchor|Byrne}}{{s|zeldawiki|Byrne}}

|''The Legend of Zelda series''

|[[File:SpiritTypeAttack.png|20px|center|Attack]]

|{{s|fireemblem|Sothe}}

|''Fire Emblem series''

|[[File:SpiritTypeGrab.png|20px|center|Grab]]

|{{s|fireemblem|Jakob}}

|''Fire Emblem series''

|[[File:SpiritTypeGrab.png|20px|center|Grab]]

|[[File:Katana.png|center|64x64px]]

|[[Kat & Ana]]

|''WarioWare series''

|•{{SSBU|Sheik}} (×2) ({{Head|Sheik|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Purple}},{{Head|Sheik|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Red}})

|[[File:SpiritTypeNeutral.png|20px|center|Neutral]]

|{{SSBUMusicLink|Nintendo|The Mysterious Murasame Castle Medley}}

|{{anchor|Gray Fox}}[[File:Gray Fox Spirit.png|center|64x64px]]

|[[Gray Fox]]

|''Metal Gear Solid series''

|[[File:SpiritTypeAttack.png|20px|center|Attack]]

|•[[Assist Trophy]] Enemies ([[Gray Fox]])<br>•Move Speed ↑

|{{s|nookipedia|Rover}}

|''Animal Crossing series''

|•{{SSBU|Sheik}} {{Head|Sheik|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Indigo}}<br>•{{SSBU|Villager}} (x2) ({{Head|Villager|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Cyan}}{{Head|Villager|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Chartreuse}})

|[[File:SpiritTypeShield.png|20px|center|Shield]]

|[[File:Cammy Spirit.png|center|64x64px]]

|Cammy

|''Street Fighter series''

|•{{SSBU|Sheik}} {{Head|Sheik|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Green}}

|[[File:SpiritTypeNeutral.png|20px|center|Neutral]]

|[[File:Lokii.png|center|64x64px]]

|Loki

|''Bayonetta series''

|[[File:SpiritTypeShield.png|20px|center|Shield]]

|[[File:Mummy Castlevania.png|center|64x64px]]

|Mummy

|''Castlevania series''

|•{{SSBU|Sheik}} {{Head|Sheik|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Yellow}} (x2)

|[[File:SpiritTypeGrab.png|20px|center|Grab]]

|{{anchor|Shinobu}}[[File:Shinobu.png|center|64x64px]]

|''StreetPass Mii Plaza series''

|•{{SSBU|Sheik}} {{Head|Sheik|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Purple}}<br>•{{SSBU|Mii Swordfighter}} {{Head|Mii Swordfighter|g=SSBU|s=20px}} (Nia Wig, Ninja Suit)

|[[File:SpiritTypeGrab.png|20px|center|Grab]]

|{{SSBUMusicLink|Nintendo|Boss 1 - Sakura Samurai: Art of the Sword}}

|[[File:Makoto Persona 5.png|center|64x64px]]

|[[Makoto Niijima]]

|''Persona series''

|•{{SSBU|Sheik}} {{Head|Sheik|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Black}}<br>•{{SSBU|Wario}} {{Head|Wario|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Green}}

|[[File:SpiritTypeAttack.png|20px|center|Attack]]

|•N/A

|{{s|fireemblem|L'Arachel}}

|''Fire Emblem series''

|[[File:SpiritTypeShield.png|20px|center|Shield]]

|[[File:Trevor Spirit CoD.png|center|64x64px]]

|Trevor C. Belmont

|''Castlevania series''

|[[File:SpiritTypeShield.png|20px|center|Shield]]

|[[File:Phantom Thieves Spirit.png|center|64x64px]]

|Phantom Thieves of Hearts

|''Persona series''

|•{{SSBU|Joker}} {{head|Joker|g=SSBU|s=20x20px}}<br>•{{SSBU|Pikachu}} {{Head|Pikachu|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Libre}}<br>•{{SSBU|Captain Falcon}} {{Head|Captain Falcon|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Black}}<br>•{{SSBU|Zero Suit Samus}} {{Head|Zero Suit Samus|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Red}}<br>•{{SSBU|Chrom}} {{Head|Chrom|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Black}}<br>•{{SSBU|Sheik}} {{Head|Sheik|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Black}}

|[[File:SpiritTypeGrab.png|20px|center|Grab]]

|[[Mementos]]

|[https://megamitensei.fandom.com/wiki/Makoto_Niijima Makoto Niijima]

|[[File:Hero's Comrades Spirit.png|center|64x64px]]

|Hero's Comrades

|''DRAGON QUEST series''

|•{{SSBU|Ike}} {{Head|Ike|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Black}}<br>•{{SSBU|King Dedede}} {{Head|King Dedede|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Pink}}<br>•{{SSBU|Zero Suit Samus}} {{Head|Zero Suit Samus|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=ShortsBlue}}<br>•{{SSBU|Sheik}} {{Head|Sheik|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Red}}<br>•{{SSBU|Robin}} {{Head|Robin|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Red}}<br>•{{SSBU|Zelda}} {{Head|Zelda|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Green}}<br>•{{SSBU|Link}} {{Head|Link|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Teal}}

|[[File:SpiritTypeShield.png|20px|center|Shield]]

|•The enemy has increased melee-weapon damage and move speed<br>•The enemy's smash attacks have increased power<br>•Stamina battle

|{{s|dragonquestwiki|Sylvando}}

The Legend of Zelda artwork.png|Artwork of all ''The Legend of Zelda'' characters, as posted on the official Legend of Zelda Twitter account.

SSBUWebsiteSheik1.jpg|Sheik posing on [[Skyworld]].

SSBUWebsiteSheik2.jpg|Fighting {{SSBU|Wii Fit Trainer}} on [[Coliseum]].

SSBUWebsiteSheik3.jpg|Surrounded by the fires on [[Kalos Pokémon League]].

SSBUWebsiteSheik4.jpg|Sheik performing [[Bouncing Fish]] near a [[Goldeen]] on [[Tortimer Island]].

SSBUWebsiteSheik5.jpg|Sheik and {{SSBU|Ivysaur}} [[taunting]] on [[Tomodachi Life]].

SSBUWebsiteMrGame&Watch4.jpg|Sheik and {{SSBU|King Dedede}} hit by {{SSBU|Mr. Game & Watch}}'s down smash on [[Yoshi's Story]].

SSBUWebsiteWiiFitTrainer3.jpg|Sheik becoming [[buried]] by the male {{SSBU|Wii Fit Trainer}}'s neutral attack on [[3D Land]].

SSBUWebsite10.jpg|Sheik charging [[Needle Storm]] on Tortimer Island.

SSBUZeldaJPTwitter1.jpg|With all playable {{uv|The Legend of Zelda}} veterans on the [[Great Plateau Tower]].

===Character Showcase Video===

*Sheik is currently referred to with male pronouns on the Smash Blog <ref>{{citeweb|url=https://www.smashbros.com/en_US/blog/index.html?category=cat02_fighter_16|title="Usage of Male Pronouns on Official SSBU Website}}</ref> despite being referred to with female pronouns in every ''Smash'' appearance thus far, as well as on various other official Nintendo social websites.<ref>{{citeweb|url=http://nintendo.tumblr.com/post/178668945609/|title="Usage of Female Pronouns on Official Nintendo Tumblr}}</ref><ref>{{citeweb|url=https://twitter.com/NintendoVS/status/1047018344212250625|title="Usage of Female Pronouns on Official NintendoVS Twitter}}</ref><ref>{{citeweb|url=https://twitter.com/Ixbran/status/1049729171470016512|title="Usage of Female Pronouns on Official Nintendo Switch News Feed, screenshot posted on Twitter}}</ref> Likewise, the game itself uses both female and male pronouns: Sheik is referred to with female pronouns in her moveset and [[tips]], while {{SSBU|Palutena}} and [[Viridi]] refer to Sheik with male pronouns in [[Palutena's Guidance]], albeit in the latter instance is done for comedic purposes as {{SSBU|Pit}} then mentions her being an alter-ego of Zelda.

*''Ultimate'' is the first ''Smash'' game where Sheik's design is based off of a different ''The Legend of Zelda'' game than her alter-ego, {{SSBU|Zelda}}.

*''Ultimate'' is also the first installment in the series that gives Sheik a [[Final Smash]] different from Zelda's.

*Sheik is the only ''Zelda'' character (excluding Ganondorf, who transforms into Ganon) to not face [[Ganon]] as her final boss.

*Sheik is the only character who travels to [[Final Destination]] outside the final round in Classic Mode.

**Sheik is also the only ''Zelda'' character to not travel to her home stages in her Classic Mode route.

*In English, Sheik and Joker are the only characters whose Classic Mode titles are each one word.

*In Palutena's Guidance, Sheik is referred to in the sense of having been present before in ''Smash'' ("Sheik appears to be wearing a traditional Sheikah outfit this time around."), despite every other newly recorded Zelda character guidance bringing up the characters having separate incarnations throughout the franchise (Ganondorf being the same person, Link being a different person than before and Zelda and Young Link being specific incarnations). This implies that she's the same version of Zelda/Sheik seen in ''Brawl'' and ''4'' that was based upon the scrapped ''Twilight Princess'' design. Seeing as Sheik and Zelda are separate characters starting from ''Smash 4'' onwards, It is possible it could instead refer to the original ''Ocarina of Time'' version of Sheik from ''Melee'' as ''Ocarina of Time'' is her only canon appearance.