Editing Young Link (SSBM)

{{ArticleIcons|melee=y}}

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

|name = Young Link

|image = [[File:Young Link SSBM.jpg]]

|game = SSBM

|ssbgame1 = SSBU

|tier = C-

|ranking = 17

Young Link is voiced by {{s|wikipedia|Fujiko Takimoto}} in all regions of ''Melee''. In a similar manner to his adult self, Young Link's voice clips are re-purposed directly from ''The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time'' and its sequel, ''The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask'', featuring a combination of returning voice clips and ones left over from the recording sessions for the two Nintendo 64 ''Zelda'' titles.

He ranks 17th on the [[tier list]] in the C- tier, one place higher than Link. Young Link has a very good approach due to some low [[lag]] [[aerial]]s, a great [[SHFFL]] and a good [[wavedash]], as well as three [[projectile]]s and good mobility overall. Young Link also is a potent [[combo]]er due to his projectiles, and can also [[edgeguard]] and [[space]] well. However, Young Link's primary flaw is that he has trouble [[KO]]ing, due to the lack of an efficient quick KO move and having difficulty in hitting cleanly with his [[smash attack]]s (except his down smash). Additionally, like Link, Young Link has a slow and predictable [[recovery]], though his ability to [[wall jump]], [[bomb jump]] and use his [[hookshot]] give him some options. Young Link's recovery, however, is rather poor for his [[weight]] class.

Young Link must be defeated in battle before he can be unlocked. There are two ways the player can encounter Young Link:

*One way is to complete Classic Mode, Adventure Mode, or All-Star Mode with 10 characters. If the player fails to defeat Young Link, they can re-fight him by completing one of these modes again. If this method is used and {{SSBM|Jigglypuff}} or {{SSBM|Luigi}} have not been unlocked yet, then neither can be encountered through these modes until Young Link is defeated.

*Another way is to play 500 VS. matches to completion. If the player fails to defeat Young Link, they can re-fight him by playing another VS. match to completion. If this method is used, fighters with lower VS. match quotas must be unlocked before Young Link can be fought.

When fought, Young Link appears on [[Great Bay]], with ''Saria's Song'' playing in the background.

As a fighter, Young Link appears as a lighter, weaker, and faster form of Link, and generally falls under the same archetype as a character, similar to characters such as {{SSBM|Ness}}. Other properties of Young Link, however, are almost identical to those of Link. His airspeed and falling speed are identical to Link's, and he has only slightly lower traction, giving Young Link a slightly longer wavedash than Link. Unlike his 16-year-old self, who is a heavyweight, Young Link is a lightweight and gets sent farther and higher (due to having the same fall speed) than Adult Link. Young Link's primary asset is his range. His Kokiri Sword gives him a disjointed hitbox that can allow him to strike from farther ranges, and his neutral, down, and side specials all give him access to a variety of projectiles that can cause damage and start combos from significant distances. Young Link's projectiles are surprisingly damaging, especially in comparison to Link's; his bombs catch opponents in the blast with multiple hits, allowing for combo potential, and both his boomerangs and Fire Arrows inflict more damage and hitstun than Link's, allowing for some dangerous combo starters against his opponents. Coupled with a long-ranged grapple, Young Link's range is among the highest in the game.

Additionally, Young Link has access to a surprisingly good approach game. In addition to his aforementioned range boons, Young Link's aerial approach is very good. Fast, low-lag aerials and a small short hop coupled with a high falling speed gives Young Link an excellent SHFFL, and his high air speed can allow him to easily pursue enemies in the air. These traits also give Young Link a great air game and a surprisingly good edgeguarding game; Young Link's recovery options are great as well, with a relatively high third jump and a wall-grapple to assist him, and the ability to wall-jump.

Young Link's primary flaw, however, is his inability to easily and efficiently hit with his finishers. His neutral air requires him to be in the air first, and the remainder of his attacks can prove too awkward to hit with. His dash attack requires the first few frames to connect, and its ending lag can prove to be problematic; that and the inability to send the opponent upwards unless hit at a precise point of the sword and being a semi-spike, which characters (like Fox and Link) can tech out of. With proper use of DI, it's possible to avoid the second hit of Young Link's forward smash. Furthermore, Young Link's down aerial, which can act as one of the most powerful meteor smashes in the game, has a very small and situational sweetspot, significantly hindering its usefulness off the edge. His forward aerial is also among the weakest forward aerials to both combo and finish with and his up smash is weak and not reliable tue to DI, forcing him to over-rely on dash attack or down smash for KOing.

Young Link's Kokiri Sword makes "smacking" sound effects when it connects for every attack except for Young Link's up throw and up special. Young Link's Deku Shield is also slightly less durable than Link's (higher-damage projectiles will phase through the shield).

 

However, under the hands of a player with skilled precision, Young Link's projectiles, approach options and mobility can prove to be quite deadly.

 

One of the most noticeable distinctions between the two is that Young Link is faster than Link. This however comes at the cost of having weaker KO power. Being younger than his adult self, Young Link is shorter than Link. This makes him harder to hit, but it also reduces his range. Young Link is also significantly lighter than Link, making him less susceptible to combos, but means he can get KO'ed generally earlier than Link. Young Link has the ability to [[wall jump]], aiding in his recovery options.

Young Link also has properties for some of his moves that extend behind damage distribution. Young Link shoots fire arrows for his neutral special, dealing flame damage and dealing more damage uncharged, but less damage fully charged. Young Link's [[Spin Attack]] hits multiple times rather than once, making it better for trapping opponents, but worse for netting KOs. Young Link's {{b|Bomb|Young Link}}s hit four times upon explosion opposed to two, allowing his bombs to deal more damage than Link's. Young Link's down aerial his a sweet-spot near the hilt of his sword, which [[meteor smash]]es opponents while also setting them ablaze.

In spite of these differences, it is heavily debated on which of the two are better, with them usually being near each other on [[tier list]]s. Young Link does better against [[floaty]] characters such as {{SSBM|Jigglypuff}} and {{SSBM|Peach}}, but Link performs better against non-floaty characters.

*{{change|Young Link wields the Kokiri Sword and Deku Shield instead of the Master Sword and Hylian Shield.}}

*{{change|With the exception of his up special and up throw, all sword attacks make a punch/kick sound effect instead of a slashing sound effect upon impact.}}

*{{change|Young Link's [[taunt]], idle pose, and two of his victory animations are different and longer than Link's.}}

*{{change|Young Link is shorter than Link. While this does make him harder to hit, it also results in him having less reach in his attacks.}}

*{{nerf|Young Link's Kokiri Sword has less of a disjointed range advantage on his attacks than Link.}}

*{{buff|Young Link dashes much faster than Link (1.3 → 1.6).}}

*{{buff|Young Link has a shorter jumpsquat duration than Link (6 → 4), giving him quicker access to aerials, wavedashing, and platform movement.}}

*{{nerf|Young Link is overall weaker than Link in KO potential. Down smash, dash attack, and neutral air KO better than Link's counterparts, but at the cost of lower knockback on all other moves in addition to lacking Link's Spin Attack finisher.}}

*{{nerf|Young Link's Deku Shield is smaller than the Hylian Shield, projectiles therefore have a slightly lower chance of being blocked by it.}}

*{{buff|Unlike Link, Young Link can wall jump, aiding his recovery and ledge play options on stages with walls.}}

*{{nerf|Young Link's Hookshot is shorter than Link's, significantly reducing its utility as a recovery tool.}}

*{{change|Young Link is significantly lighter than Link (104 → 85). While this drastically worsens his endurance for both horizontal and vertical survival, it makes him far less vulnerable to combos than his older counterpart. In particular, it makes him invulnerable to {{SSBM|Fox}}'s waveshine combos, as he is knocked down by the shine as opposed to pushed back.}}

**{{buff|Forward tilt has less startup (frame 16 → 11) and ending lag (FAF 40 → 34), significantly increasing its overall utility.}}

**{{nerf|Up tilt deals less damage (9% → 8%).}}

**{{buff|Down tilt's meteor smash hitbox has a higher priority than the pop up, making it easier to land.}}

**{{nerf|Down tilt does not deal consistent damage, and is weaker (11% → 7%/9%/10%).}}

**{{change|Dash attack sends the opponent away as a kill/edgeguard tool unlike Link's which pops up to combo.}}

**{{nerf|Young Link's sword swing is lower to the ground, reducing its vertical range.}}

**{{buff|Up smash is able to connect against shorter grounded opponents such as Fox and Pikachu owing to Young Link's shorter stature. The third hit also has less startup lag with a longer duration (frames 41-43 → 40-44), giving it more range in front and behind him.}}

**{{nerf|Down smash hitboxes are designed in such a way that it is worse than Link's for shield poking.}}

**{{buff|Neutral aerial is stronger than Link's, and deals the same damage throughout (11%/9%/8% → 12%).}}

**{{change|Young Link's forward aerial can only hit once.}}

**{{buff|Back aerial is easier to connect than Link's.}}

**{{buff|Down aerial has a hitbox on the sword's hilt that inflicts a powerful [[meteor smash]] with a fire effect (being the strongest meteor in the game, if Young Link connects with the later portion of the move, inflicting 21%. Otherwise, it'll be the second strongest meteor smash in ''Melee'').}}

**{{change|Down aerial gets stronger later in the attack, unlike Link's that gets weaker.}}

 

*{{nerf|Young Link's Hookshot grab lasts 3 frames less than Link's, significantly costing him range.}}

*[[Fire Bow]]:

**{{buff|Fire Bow's arrows deal more hitstun than Link's arrows, increasing his combo ability and making the move safer on hit up close. It also has slightly faster startup than Link's Bow.}}

**{{change|Fire Bow's arrows deal [[flame]] damage (hence the name).}}

**{{nerf|Fire Bow's arrows travel less distance due to character height, reduced total charge duration, and disappearing 5 frames earlier.}}

**{{change|Fire Bow's arrows have reversed damage roles. It deals more than Bow's arrows uncharged, but less damage fully charged.}}

**{{buff|Boomerang can be angled better to hit close opponents or deflect backwards off the ground.}}

*[[Spin Attack]]:

**{{buff|Spin Attack lands multiple hits instead of one, allowing it to trap opponents within its hitboxes, and the late hitboxes inflict more damage.}}

**{{nerf|The late hitboxes do not [[semi-spike]] and even if all hits connect, it is still weaker than Link's clean Spin Attack in damage. Also, it is not a viable KO move unlike Link's.}}

**{{nerf|Young Link's bombs travel a shorter distance when thrown.}}

|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}})

|neutralinfdmg=1% (loop)

|neutraldesc=Same as Link's; two initial slashes, and then it can be either a single launching stab if the [[A button]] is pressed just three times, or a barrage of stabs if it's pressed in quick succession.

|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'')

|dtiltname=Grass Cutter ({{ja|草なぎ|Kusa Nagi}})

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

|dashdesc=Slashes in front of himself and slows down. Surprisingly powerful for a dash attack, and it has the unusual property of Young Link charging forward. With the ability to KO starting at 95%, it is one of Young Link's most used finishers.

|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'')

|fsmashdesc=Swings his sword in front once with low set knockback, and if the [[A button]] is pressed again, he will do a much more powerful slash to follow. The first hit easily chains into the second, though it can be DI'd out of. Very strong finisher, damage and knockback-wise.

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

|usmashdesc=Slashes in an upwards arc three consecutive times. Hits all usually follow into each other with the final hit having the most knockback, though DI makes it an unreliable finishing attack. Fully charged is usually the toughest time to get all hits successfully connecting. The last hit has the unusual property of being able to send opponents to the left or right side of him.

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

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

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

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

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

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

|dairdmg=14%/16% (early), 17%/21% (late), 8%/9% (after bounce)

|dairdesc=Very similar to Link's. Thrusts his sword down with massive damage, knockback, ending lag, and duration, and makes Young Link bounce after hitting a foe. If the opponent is positioned above or to the side of Young Link, they will be hit with an extremely powerful [[meteor smash]]. This is hard to perform as Young Link will most likely self-destruct. If the opponent is below Young Link, it results in considerable vertical knockback on the first hit, making it a great KO move. It is the strongest meteor smash in ''Melee'' (when the 21% hitbox connects) and is the most powerful aerial attack in the game, being even stronger than Ganondorf's down aerial, despite the latter having slightly superior knockback scaling. This is due to Young Link's down aerial having immensely high base knockback (70). Though it is very difficult to meteor smash opponents on a soft platform, it is capable of [[Star KO]]ing any grounded opponents (only if the characters are on the soft platform) under 150%.

|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 third longest grab in the game, behind {{SSBM|Link}} and {{SSBM|Samus}}.

|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=Takes foe and swings his sword in an arc above, launching the foe above. Can lead into various combos, or simply his up aerial. At high percentage it can lead to his down aerial's meteor smash (up to 200%) if timed correctly.

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

|nsdmg=1% (point blank) 8-15% (arrow)

|nsdesc=Shoots a flaming arrow that does not travel as far as Link's and does slightly less damage, but has more hitstun. Sticks in shields and the ground, and 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.

|ssdmg=16% (throw), 19.3% (smash throw), 7% (far), 2% (return)

|ssdesc=Throws a boomerang forward. Young Link's boomerang doesn't go as far as Link's does, but it deals more damage. The boomerang's distance can be extended or have its trajectory altered with the [[control stick]]. The boomerang can be deflected off surfaces, either skidding, or completely changing direction when angled fully down.

|usdesc=Does a spinning attack. When used in the air, it gives Young Link a boost in the air, making it a recovery move. Compared to Link's version, Young Link's Spin Attack has slightly more control when used in midair and hits multiple times on the ground. This move has transcendent priority.

|dsdesc=Young Link takes out a bomb and can throw it like any other item. The bomb eventually explodes on its own, even being able to damage Young Link himself. Unlike Link's Bombs, Young Link's bombs deal multiple hits upon exploding. 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 Young Link an extra Spin Attack if used skillfully.

 

 

|desc-1=Kicks the toes of his boots on the ground, as if knocking off the dirt. Based on one of his idle animations from ''Ocarina of Time''.

|desc-2=Looks around himself. Based on one of his idle animations from ''Ocarina of Time''.

|image-1=Young Link Idle Pose Melee 1.gif

|image-2=Young Link Idle Pose Melee 2.gif}}

|char=Young Link

|game=Melee

|desc-1='''B: '''Checks his belt, then readjusts it. Based on one of his idle animations from ''{{s|zeldawiki|The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time}}''.

|desc-2='''Y: '''Puts his sword and shield together and then raises his sword high into the air. Shares this victory pose with Link.

|desc-3='''X: '''Sheathes his sword, then dusts off his hands and looks at the screen while posing.

==In [[competitive play]]==

===Most historically significant players===

<!--This character has a ten player limit for this section. Before adding and/or removing a player, read these guidelines: https://www.ssbwiki.com/SmashWiki:Notability#%22Most_historically_significant_players%22_guidelines -->

*{{Sm|Armada|Sweden}} - Formerly considered to be the second best Young Link player behind Axe, but was the best during the ''Brawl'' era. He developed Young Link only to fight {{SSBM|Jigglypuff}}, and later dropped him for {{SSBM|Fox}}.

*{{Sm|Axe|USA}} - Known for his top level {{SSBM|Pikachu}}, but is also known for some secondaries such as his Young Link. His Young Link is quite known for its flashy play, defeating {{Sm|MacD}} at {{Trn|Kings of Cali 3}} and {{Sm|ChuDat}} at {{Trn|EVO 2014}}, and placed 25th at {{Trn|Smash Camp: End of Summer}} using only Young Link.

*{{Sm|Bambi|USA}} - A notable Young Link main from the Tristate area who has been ranked on the [[New Jersey Power Rankings]] twice. Has placed 49th at {{Trn|Get On My Level 2022}} and has taken sets off players such as {{Sm|Qerb}}, {{Sm|TheSWOOPER}}, {{Sm|JFlex}}, and {{Sm|Wally}}.

Opinions on Young Link in the early metagame were largely pessimistic; he was frequently placed in the mid-low to low tiers, ranking as low as 20th on the seventh [[tier list]]. For a long time, he was considered inferior to {{SSBM|Link}} due to his adult counterpart having greater range, better KOing power, and just as good of a recovery. Young Link also suffered from a dearth of good representation at that time, with {{Sm|Jash}} and {{Sm|Kokiri Soldier}} (then known as Laijin) as his sole high-level representatives, while adult Link had several notable and influential players such as {{Sm|Aniki}}, {{Sm|The GERM}}, and later {{Sm|J666}} and {{Sm|Lord HDL}} pushing his metagame.

 

 

 

 

==In 1-P Mode==

Young Link can appear in ordinary one-on-one matches, in a team as an ally or opponent (paired up with either {{SSBM|Link}} or {{SSBM|Zelda}}), in a giant battle, or as an opponent in the metal fight. In these cases, Young Link either appears on [[Great Bay]] or [[Temple]], with the exception of the metal battle. In all such instances, bar the metal fight, ''Saria's Song'' will play.

In All-Star Mode, Young Link and his allies are fought on the stage [[Jungle Japes]], with ''Saria's Song'' playing, as the remainder of the Zelda stages are instead taken by Link and Zelda.

YoungLinkClassicMode.jpg|Classic Mode

YoungLinkAdventureMode.jpg|Adventure Mode

YoungLinkAllStarMode.jpg|All-Star Mode

In addition to the normal trophy about Young Link as a character, there are two trophies about him as a fighter that are unlocked by completing the [[Adventure Mode|Adventure]] and [[All-Star]] modes on any difficulty with Young Link.

 

|name=Young Link

|image=Young Link Trophy.png

|desc=Link's younger incarnation is often considered to be the true Link: he was a young boy in the very first Legend of Zelda game, and he has appeared as a youth in most of the subsequent games. Since his debut on the original NES in 1987, Link's appearance has changed over and over again, each time adding to the mystique of his incomparable story.

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

|game=Melee

 

|name=Young Link

|image=Young Link Trophy (Smash).png

|mode=Adventure

|desc=Young Link is lighter and faster than his older self, and his Kokiri sword packs less punch. Even though his Boomerang has a shorter range, he has greater control over it. He's a smaller target, and while his Hookshot has less reach than the older Link's, you can still use it in midair as a last-ditch attempt to grab a ledge.

|gamelist=:B: Fire Bow

:Smash B: Boomerang

 

|image=Young Link Trophy 2 (Smash).png

|mode=All Star

|desc=With a youthful spring in his step, Young Link can perform amazing wall-jumps. Once he hits a wall, tap the Control Stick in the opposite direction to send him leaping upward; you can practice to your heart's content in Target Test. His Spin Attack can strike multiple times even on the ground, and although it's hard to discern, so do his Bombs.

|gamelist=:Up & B: Spin Attack

:Down & B: Bomb

|game=Melee

|colspan=5|[[File:Young Link Palette (SSBM).png]]

|{{Head|Young Link|g=SSBM|s=25px}}

 

SSBMWebsiteYoungLink2.jpg|Dodging {{SSBM|Captain Falcon}}'s [[Falcon Punch]] on Temple.

Young Link's Boomerang Move.jpg|Using [[Boomerang]] on {{SSBM|Mewtwo}} on Fourside.

SSBMWebsiteYoungLink6.jpg|[[Taunt]]ing on [[Princess Peach's Castle]].

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

*Young Link appears in the background of Link's montage in the introduction to ''Melee'', making him one of the five hidden characters, along with {{SSBM|Ganondorf}}, {{SSBM|Jigglypuff}}, {{SSBM|Mewtwo}}, and {{SSBM|Pichu}}, to have some kind of involvement in the intro.

*Despite the Deku Shield's vulnerability to flames in ''Ocarina of Time'', it is able to block fire projectiles in ''Melee''.

*Young Link and Roy are the only fighters to use their KO voice cry for other uses. Young Link's is used during his Star KO animation (although it is slightly longer, and treated as a separate voice clip in the [[sound test]]),  and Roy's is used when fully charging [[Flare Blade]].

**Because of its length, the variation of Young Link's defeat cry when he is KOed on the left, right, or bottom blast lines does not properly terminate; similar behavior occurs with {{SSBM|Mr. Game & Watch}} and {{SSBM|Captain Falcon}}.

*Young Link, [[Toon Link]] and [[Roy]] are the only swordfighters in ''Smash Bros.'' whose swords consistently produce a punch/kick sound effect instead of a slashing sound effect for the majority of their attacks.

*Young Link, {{SSBM|Mario}}, {{SSBM|Peach}}, {{SSBM|Yoshi}}, {{SSBM|Link}}, {{SSBM|Kirby}}, {{SSBM|Falco}}, and {{SSBM|Pikachu}} are the only characters whose portraits on the [[character select screen]] match their [[Smabura-Ken]] [[character artwork|artwork]]. Young Link and Falco also have the same pose for their "Challenger Approaching" screens.

*Young Link in ''Melee'' has the worst fast fall speed increase of any character in any official ''Smash'' game, at only 3.3% faster than his maximum fall speed.

*Despite the entire playable ''Zelda'' cast in ''Melee'' all being based on their ''Ocarina of Time'' designs, Young Link is technically the only one to appear in another game; in this case, ''Majora's Mask''.

[[Category:Young Link (SSBM)| ]]

[[Category:Trophies (SSBM)]]

[[es:Young Link (SSBM)]]