Editing Zelda (SSBU)

{{ArticleIcons|ultimate=y}}
{{disambig2|Zelda's appearance in ''Super Smash Bros. Ultimate''|the character in other contexts|Princess Zelda}}
{{Infobox Character
|name = Zelda
|image = [[File:Zelda SSBU.png|250px]]
|game = SSBU
|ssbgame1 = SSBM
|ssbgame2 = SSBB
|ssbgame3 = SSB4
|availability = [[Unlockable character|Unlockable]]
}}
{{cquote|''You might recognize Zelda's look from The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds game. In battle she uses magical moves to reflect and teleport, and for her Final Smash, she seals her opponents away in the Triforce of Wisdom. If an opponent has 100% damage or more, they will be instantly KO'd!''|cite=[https://www.smashbros.com/en_US/blog/ Super Smash Blog]|source=[[Super Smash Bros. Ultimate Official Site]]}}
'''Zelda''' ({{ja|ゼルダ|Zeruda}}, ''Zelda'') is a playable character in ''[[Super Smash Bros. Ultimate]]''. She was confirmed as a playable character on June 12, 2018. Zelda is classified as fighter #17.

This is the first time in the series to not have Zelda voiced by Jun Mizusawa since ''[[Super Smash Bros. Melee|Melee]]''; instead, Zelda is now voiced by {{s|wikipedia|Ayumi Fujimura}}, who reprises her role from ''{{s|zeldawiki|The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds}}''. Similar to {{uv|Star Fox}} characters in ''Melee'', the latter provides a single line of spoken Japanese dialogue in [[Adventure Mode: World of Light|World of Light]]'s opening; this line is dubbed in English by Brandy Kopp, who also voices {{SSBU|Palutena}}.

==How to unlock==
Complete one of the following:
*Play [[VS. match]]es, with Zelda being the 2nd character to be unlocked.
*Clear {{SSBU|Classic Mode}} with {{SSBU|Kirby}} or any character in his unlock tree, being the 4th character unlocked after {{SSBU|Pac-Man}}.
*Have Zelda join the player's party in [[World of Light]].
With the exception of the third method, Zelda must then be defeated on [[Temple]].

==Attributes==
Zelda is a tall and floaty lightweight character, with generally poor mobility. While she has above-average traction, [[air speed]], and a decent [[initial dash]], she has the 16th slowest walking speed, is tied with {{SSBU|Byleth}} for the 8th slowest [[dashing]] speed, slow [[falling speed]], low [[gravity]], and low [[air acceleration]].

Zelda's attacks are based on magic, making most of them disjointed attacks, and generally have decent range and quick startup lag: only four moves (forward tilt, up aerial, down aerial, and forward smash) come out after frame 10, yet most of them have KO potential and she has an impressive damage output, thus making her power comparable to heavyweights despite her below-average weight. Neutral attack has decent range, a good damage output, consists of two hits before transitioning into a rapid jab with a finisher that has KO at the ledge and at reasonable percents, while forward tilt is strong, has good range and low ending lag. Up tilt and down tilt have minimal ending lag and can be used to start combos, with the former having long active duration and being a useful anti-air and combo tool from low to high percents, while the latter lasts surprisingly long and is good for  2-framing opponents, and dash attack has a powerful sweetspot at the hands. Forward and up smash are multihits with great power, with the former also being difficult to punish on shield, while down smash is fast and launches at a semi spike angle with decent knockback. 
Zelda has an outstanding grab game, as her grabs, while having noticeable lag, are disjointed with long-range, and she has an average pummel and very useful throws: forward throw is good to setup edgeguards, while back and up throws are very strong KO throws, with the latter possessing combo potential as well, and down throw is one of her main combo starters.

One of Zelda's strengths is her strong air game, with some of the strongest aerials in the game. Zelda can autocancel her neutral and down aerials in a short hop, and forward and back aerials autocancel in a full hop fast fall, the former doing so one frame after she reaches the peak of a short hop. Neutral aerial is her only aerial without KO potential, but is versatile, having large hitboxes in front of her and behind her, has good combo and edgeguarding potential, and is one of her safest moves on the neutral game. Forward and back aerials are known as the Lightning Kicks, possessing a sweetspot on her foot on the very first frame that makes them the strongest aerials of their type, have long-range and for their power, have extremely fast startup at frame 6. Up aerial is a disjointed fiery explosion with excellent damage and knockback, as well as very good vertical range, and lastly, down aerial is a decently quick meteor smash with long active duration, low ending lag, and the sweetspot, other than being very strong, is useful to start and extend combos, and the sourspot is also a meteor smash. Thanks to a combination of low startup lag in her attacks and very high power, Zelda has an amazing punish game, and she is very good at edgeguarding. She is also very strong at pressuring shields: forward tilt, forward smash, sweetspotted Lightning Kicks and down aerial are safe on shield, with good spacing, and she also has an outstanding out of shield game, especially with Farore's Wind. 

Her special moves also have some unique strengths: Nayru's Love is a reflector, yet it deals decent damage and makes Zelda invincible from frames 4-13, making it not only good against projectile users, but also an effective defensive option that can help her in getting out of combos, while Din's Fire is a good edgeguarding tool, possessing a powerful sweetspot in the inner part of the explosion, has a large hitbox, it's a projectile that can be absorbed, but not reflected, and Zelda can use it to cover her recovery, as it doesn't leave her helpless. Farore's Wind is a great KO option, possessing very fast startup and elevator combos from the first hit on the ground to its very powerful second hit in the air, and is also a strong recovery move, as it can be angled in 8 different directions and teleports Zelda at a long distance, giving her a great recovery when combined with her floaty nature. It can also be canceled on the edge and on platforms, which allows her to quickly move through the stage if performed successfully. Lastly, Phantom Slash is one of her most versatile tools: a Phantom gets created piece by piece and can be sent towards opponents. It counts as a projectile that charges quickly, with several stages depending on the Phantom's stage, having KO potential at high percents, after a little more than a second, Zelda will interrupt the charge and will be able to move again, with the Phantom lunging on its own after a couple of seconds. Because of this, the Phantom is extremely versatile: Zelda can retreat behind it for protection, attack in tandem with it, launch the opponent towards it, perform shield break combos and cover her recovery along with Din's Fire, and while it can be reflected, she can respond with Nayru's Love, when that happens. This makes Phantom Slash a very useful and versatile move for her neutral game and advantage state.

Zelda has noticeable flaws, however. Her mobility, especially on the ground, is slow, and since she is light, tall and floaty, she is vulnerable to juggling and can be KOd earlier than a good part of the cast, while also giving her a poor approach and because of this, she usually struggles against quick opponents like Fox, and her very poor disadvantage state makes her vulnerable to momentum changes. While rage improves her excellent KO potential even further, her mediocre endurance doesn't make her able to take advantage of it as much as heavy characters. While her moves have a generally fast startup, they also have noticeable lag, so they must be used carefully to avoid being punished, and while her KO options are strong, some of them have: sourspots that are either unreliable or lack KO potential (dash attack and Lighting Kicks), a punishable amount of ending lag (up smash, up aerial and at some extents, forward smash) or a combination of both (Din's Fire, Farore's Wind), while her jab and forward tilt have hitboxes that are placed high or narrow, so they have trouble in hitting short and crouching characters, and up aerial has a blindspot that makes it almost impossible to hit opponents on the ground. Nayru's Love has noticeable ending lag, making it punishable if overused, if Zelda gets hit before sending the Phantom with Phantom Slash, it will fall apart and she has to reuse it again, and if Farore's Wind is not used properly, it can cause her to teleport in the wrong direction, causing an SD, and while it can be used to hit an opponent due to its large hitbox, she can be hit or KOd if she does so in the wrong time, as sometimes it's better to just grab the ledge.

Overall, Zelda has an excellent advantage state and can easily KO opponents thanks to a variety of strong attacks and KO setups, but she has to be careful to the sourspots of her attacks, and she is very vulnerable when she is in disadvantage, making her a glass cannon. She usually does well with bait and punishes playstyle or at pressuring opponents.

==Changes from ''[[Super Smash Bros. 4]]''==
Zelda has historically and consistently been regarded as one of the worst characters (and, at one point in ''[[Super Smash Bros. 4]]'', the overall worst) in previous games, due to her combination of underwhelming frame data as a whole, a lackluster special moveset, bad hitbox placements, and an undesirable mix of attributes: being slow, light, tall, and floaty. While ''Smash 4'' had brought updates to her offensive game, her weaknesses remained, causing her to nevertheless remain unviable. Likely as a result of being a poorly regarded character in competitive play, Zelda has been significantly buffed overall in the transition from ''Smash 4'' to ''Ultimate'', especially comparing to the game’s initial release.

One of Zelda's biggest buffs is her greatly improved moveset: many of her moves have either reduced lag, better KO potential, or other improvements. Her [[neutral attack]], previously the slowest in the game, comes out significantly faster, and has been reworked to possess an infinite portion with better damage racking ability and knockback. Her [[forward tilt]] has more range, less ending lag, and increased damage that improve the sweetspot's KO potential, though it does have 2 more frames of startup, smaller hitboxes with the sweetspots outprioritized by sourspots and the latter have less KO potential, while [[Neutral aerial]] now doesn't use the [[autolink angle]] and [[set knockback]] anymore, causing it to connect less reliably without the right momentum, but also has decreased landing lag, allowing it to start combos into multiple ground options, including down tilt into forward air. [[Up aerial]]'s hitbox is larger, has been moved upwards and its duration has been extended; while the placement makes it difficult to hit grounded opponents, this increases its already solid large vertical range and makes it more difficult to spot dodge, while also giving it a new late hit that deals 12% with less knockback. Her already good grab game was improved to the point it is now among the most useful in the game: her [[back throw|back]] and [[up throw]]s are much stronger, while down throw deals more damage and, although its knockback and angle were altered, its combo ability remains mostly intact. Her Lightning Kicks have been improved as well, having a larger sweetspot and the forward kick is now active as fast as the back kick, increasing their potency for followups when landing with them, and making them more devastating [[out of shield]]. This allows Zelda to secure KOs more easily, and down throw in particular possessing more reliable KO setups, as it can now combo into back aerial at mid percentages. 

Zelda's special moveset, considered among the most situational in previous games, has seen various improvements. [[Nayru's Love]] has faster startup and [[intangibility]], and preserves Zelda's momentum, strengthening its already strong defensive ability and improving its edgeguarding applications. [[Din's Fire]] no longer causes [[helplessness]], giving it utility as an anti-edgeguarding option, has increased duration of effect and the sweetspot is larger and easier to land, making it more difficult to spot dodge and more effective in neutral or advantage state. [[Farore's Wind]] has faster startup, making it a more effective out of shield option, and more precise angles for reappearance, allowing her to land its second hit easier even if the enemy DIs the first hit, making "elevator" combos much more consistent. Most importantly, however, [[Phantom Slash]] has been heavily reworked to possess several more stages that can be unleashed faster, and the last stage allows Zelda to move around before it is unleashed, allowing for intricate trap setups and combos when edgeguarding and approaching, while the Phantom no longer has any cooldown if destroyed. Since the Phantom is formed behind Zelda, it is now better used in her advantage state, though with sufficient spacing it is also a strong tool in the [[neutral game]]. It's damage and KO potential have also been improved post-release. With precise input, Zelda can also short hop behind the Phantom while charging it, allowing it to block incoming projectiles while charging.

Additionally, Zelda noticeably benefits from the universal changes. Despite still having below-average mobility relative to the rest of the cast, the universal 3-frame [[jumpsquat]]s and reduced landing lag improve her the most, as they greatly supplement her neutral game, previously one of her main weaknesses. This allows her to approach more reliably with her powerful Lightning Kicks, and improves her combo potential, giving her more consistent and durable followups from moves such as [[up tilt]], [[neutral aerial]], up throw, and down throw, which can dish out large amounts of damage. The changes to [[air dodging]] also generally benefit her, as they improve her edgeguarding game with moves like Din's Fire, and also give her an emergency recovery option.

However, Zelda has received some mixed changes and a few nerfs as well. Despite the improved speed and combo potential of her neutral attack, it is no longer a nearly unpunishable option against shields, and none of her other attacks has had their ending lag reduced enough to fully compensate. Down tilt has less ending lag, but has less range and its new angle worsens its combo potential in general, removing its ability to combo into up aerial, although it can now combo better into neutral aerial and dash attack and has a new KO setup into forward aerial. The changes to down aerial's hitboxes increase the clean hit's range and remove the blindspot located in Zelda's lower leg, but causes the late hit to have smaller hitboxes. Zelda's dash and pivot [[grab]]s, already below-average in speed, have received even more startup, although her pivot grab has very large range for a non-tether grab and both of them have less ending lag. Both [[forward throw]] and Farore's Wind are weaker, most significantly the former, now only being usable for setting up edgeguards in a similar vein to {{SSBU|Ness}}' own forward throw, though Farore's Wind is more consistent for self-combos due to faster startup and more precise DI options for reappearance that can hit opponents who DI the initial hit.

Lastly, while Zelda does benefit from the changes to the game's engine, some of the changes impair her; the universal increase in mobility doesn't benefit her as much due to her slow grounded movement, since it still doesn't allow her to catch up with most of the cast. The increased [[shieldstun]] both helps and hinders Zelda, as it allows her moves to be more safely spaced, but combined with the universal reductions to landing lag (despite aerials having less shieldstun), it also slightly impairs her out of shield game. Finally, Zelda keeps some of her weaknesses from previous games that were not addressed, mainly her slow movement speed, light weight, a few poor hitbox placements, and extremely weak sourspots on her Lightning Kicks, which are otherwise her strongest KO moves. However, the nerfs she has received are not as meaningful as her buffs.

Overall, Zelda's moveset has been considerably enhanced from previous installments, making her strengths much more defined, and allowing her to play defensive much more reliably. This makes her ''Ultimate'' iteration the strongest, although she still faces competition from several returning characters that have been likewise buffed to varying degrees. Her perception in the competitive metagame has been more positive than in previous games, and certain smashers such as {{sm|ZeRo}}, {{sm|Samsora}}, and {{sm|VoiD}} consider her a mid-tier character, while {{sm|Mew2King}} even sees her as a high-tier character. However, while Zelda has gathered some decent results, her overall tournament representation has been average, and combined with her polarizing traits and lack of major improvements in updates, some other smashers still consider her to be a low-tier. Nevertheless, her representation has improved in more recent times thanks to the buffs she received in [[7.0.0 (SSBU)|7.0.0]], which have noticeably improved her consistency, making her less polarizing overall. As such, while Zelda’s true viability remains debatable, most professionals agree that she is unarguably much better than her previous incarnations, and she is no longer considered to be unviable.

{{SSB4 to SSBU changelist|char=Zelda}}

==Update history==
Aside from minor animation adjustments and [[Phantom Slash]]'s shield damage output being decreased per [[charge]] level, Zelda was buffed via update {{SSBU|7.0.0}}. 

'''{{GameIcon|ssbu}} {{SSBU|3.0.0}}'''
{{UpdateList (SSBU)/3.0.0|char=Zelda}}

'''{{GameIcon|ssbu}} {{SSBU|4.0.0}}'''
{{UpdateList (SSBU)/4.0.0|char=Zelda}}

'''{{GameIcon|ssbu}} {{SSBU|7.0.0}}'''
{{UpdateList (SSBU)/7.0.0|char=Zelda}}

==Moveset==
''For a gallery of Zelda's hitboxes, see [[Zelda (SSBU)/Hitboxes|here]].''

{{MovesetTable
|game=SSBU
|neutralcount=1
|neutralinf=y
|neutralname=&nbsp;
|neutral1dmg=2.5% (hits 1-2)
|neutralinfdmg= 0.2% (loop), 3% (end)
|neutraldesc=Extends her palm to emit a burst of magical energy, then follows up with a series of several magical bursts before finishing with a slightly larger blast, which can KO near the edge at reasonable percentages. Unlike in the previous games, where it was the slowest at frame 11, it now comes out quickly, at frame 4. Decent range, although it can miss small characters due to its high hitbox placement. 
|ftiltname=&nbsp;
|ftiltdmg=15% (hand, blade), 11.5% (arm)
|ftiltdesc=A magically-infused outward knifehand strike. It can be angled and has two sweet spots (one on her hand and the other being a blade of magic) that possess respectable power. Its sweet spot KOs middleweights at around 93% while near the edge of {{SSBU|Final Destination}}. It has three sour spots, which are located on Zelda's arm and take priority over the sweet spots, is also reliable for KOing in spite of being noticeably weaker. Its sour spots KO middleweights at around 109% while near the edge of Final Destination. Due to its somewhat low ending lag for its power (24 frames), it's safe on shield with good spacing, and thanks to its five hitboxes sharing almost identical knockback values, it has good range. However, it has noticeable startup lag at frame 12, as well as small and narrow hitboxes, and it can sometimes miss small or crouching characters.
|utiltname=&nbsp;
|utiltdmg=7.2%
|utiltdesc=Waves her arm in an overhead arcing motion while her hand is infused with magical energy. Due to it hitting on frame 7 and having very long active duration and almost no ending lag, it is one of Zelda's most reliable combo starters. It can combo into itself, neutral attack, forward smash, [[Nayru's Love]], and [[Farore's Wind]] at low percentages; into neutral aerial from low to medium percentages as well as into s Lightning Kick out of a reversed up tilt; and up aerial at medium percentages out of a reversed up tilt. It is also good as an anti-air attack thanks to its long active duration.
|dtiltname=&nbsp;
|dtiltdmg=5.5%
|dtiltdesc=A kneeling low-level roundhouse kick. Due to it hitting on frame 5, it is Zelda's fastest tilt attack. However, unlike in ''SSB4'', it has noticeably less combo potential, mostly serving as a fast safe poke. It can, however, combo into a dash attack or neutral aerial at mid percentages. With proper timing, it can also be a KO combo into forward aerial. 
|dashname=&nbsp;
|dashdmg= 12% (clean sweet spot), 9% (clean sour spot), 6% (late)
|dashdesc=A double palm thrust that emits a blast of magical energy from her hands, similarly to [[Peach]]'s dash attack. The sweet spot lasts for two frames and is located on Zelda's hands. Due to it hitting on frame 6, it is one of the fastest dash attacks in the game. To complement this, its sweet spot's base is strong enough to KO middleweights at around 99% while near the edge of Final Destination. However, it has a noticeable ending lag, while its other hitboxes lack KO potential.
|fsmashname=&nbsp;
|fsmashdmg={{ChargedSmashDmgSSBU|1}} (hits 1-4), {{ChargedSmashDmgSSBU|13}} (hit 5)
|fsmashdesc=A palm thrust that emits a multiple-hitting blast of magical energy. Its last hit's respectable damage output and very high knockback growth make it strong enough to KO middleweights at around 65% while near the edge of Final Destination. Its multiple hits also make it useful for pressuring shields, especially when it is charged, which combined with its moderate ending lag, with 26 frames, it is safe on shield and very hard to punish with good spacing. Due to it hitting on frame 16, however, it has the highest start-up lag out of Zelda's smash attacks.
|usmashname=&nbsp;
|usmashdmg={{ChargedSmashDmgSSBU|2}} (hits 1-4), {{ChargedSmashDmgSSBU|0.8}} (hits 5-6), {{ChargedSmashDmgSSBU|5}} (hit 7)
|usmashdesc=Waves her arm twice in an overhead fanning motion while her hand is infused with magical energy. It hits on frame 9, which is fairly fast for a smash attack. When coupled with its multiple hits and its last hit's extremely high knockback growth, it is useful for both KOing and pressuring shields. Its last hit KOs aerial middleweights at around 104% from anywhere on Final Destination. It also has some combo potential at low percents, and the looping hits of neutral aerial can connect into an up smash. However, it has minimal horizontal range, long duration and 30 frames of ending lag, thus making it punishable if not used properly. 
|dsmashname=&nbsp;
|dsmashdmg={{ChargedSmashDmgSSBU|12}} (front), {{ChargedSmashDmgSSBU|10}} (back)
|dsmashdesc=A spinning, low-level roundhouse kick. Due to it hitting on frame 5, it is tied with {{SSBU|Mario}}, {{SSBU|Dr. Mario}}, {{SSBU|Pit}}, {{SSBU|Dark Pit}}, {{SSBU|Ryu}}, and {{SSBU|Ken}}'s down smashes for the second-fastest smash attack of any kind in the game, being surpassed only by {{SSB4|Meta Knight}}'s [[buffer]]ed down smash. It is also a [[semi-spike]] that hits on both sides, which makes it very useful for punishing rolls or setting up an edge-guard. Although it is Zelda's weakest smash attack, it is still quite powerful and has a rather low ending lag. Its front hit KOs middleweights at around 117% while near the edge of Final Destination. In comparison, its back hit KOs them at around 122% while near the edge of Final Destination.
|nairname=&nbsp;
|nairdmg={{ShortHopDmgSSBU|2.5}} (hits 1-4, front), {{ShortHopDmgSSBU|1.5}} (hits 1-4, back), {{ShortHopDmgSSBU|5}} (hit 5)
|nairdesc=Twirls with her arms outstretched and her hands infused with magical energy. Due to it hitting on frame 6, it is tied with forward and back aerials for the lowest amount of start-up lag out of Zelda's aerials. It has a decent amount of utility: it has a great damage output, especially if the opponents are hit from the front, can be used as a follow-up from down throw; as a combo starter when [[SHFF]]'d, or as an edge-guarding option, and it can autocancel in a short hop. The last hit also has decent knockback for its type, as it can KO middleweights at around 150% at the edge of Final Destination without rage. However, at higher percents, opponents can get launched out of the multi-hit portion, reducing its consistency and reliability.
|fairname=[[Lightning Kick]]
|fairdmg={{ShortHopDmgSSBU|20}} (clean foot), {{ShortHopDmgSSBU|4}} (clean leg, late)
|fairdesc=A magically-infused flying kick. Its sweet spot is at the tip of her foot, has both an outstanding damage output and high knockback growth, KOing middleweights at around 59% while near the edge of Final Destination, similarly to Captain Falcon's Knee Smash, although faster and marginally stronger, making it the strongest forward aerial in the game. Due to coming out on frame 6, it's also extremely fast for its power. Compared to back air, it has slightly less knockback, but autocancels slightly earlier and have less landing lag. However, the sweet spot only lasts for one frame when the hitboxes become active, and the sour spots lack KO potential and are very unsafe because of their extremely low damage outputs and average knockback growth. Its considerable ending lag also makes it punishable at low percentages, even if it is sweet spotted, and due to the aforementioned very low damage and knockback, the sour spot can lock opponents and set-up in other moves, lacks utility otherwise. Autocancels in a full hop fast fall, just one frame after Zelda reaches the peak of her short hop, similarly to Kirby's forward aerial. 
|bairname=Lightning Kick
|bairdmg={{ShortHopDmgSSBU|20}} (clean foot), {{ShortHopDmgSSBU|4}} (clean leg, late)
|bairdesc=A magically-infused flying kick. It functions almost identically to forward aerial, with the only difference being that its sweet spot has slightly more base knockback and knockback growth. Its sweet spot KOs middleweights at around 54% while near the edge of Final Destination. However, it has the highest amount of landing lag out of Zelda's aerials.
|uairname=&nbsp;
|uairdmg={{ShortHopDmgSSBU|17}} (clean hit), {{ShortHopDmgSSBU|12}} (late hit)
|uairdesc=Leans back and turns slightly to extend her arm in order to use her magic to create a fiery explosion from her index and middle fingers. It is the most damaging and second strongest up aerial in the game, only slightly weaker than Shulk's up aerial if the second hit is sweet spotted. When coupled with its consistent hitbox, it is Zelda's most reliable aerial KOing option, KOing middleweights at around 100% from a full hop. It can also clip through platforms or the bottom of a stage's edge and has a great vertical range thanks to its large hitbox. However, it is slow, hitting on frame 14, which makes it tied with down aerial for the highest amount of start-up lag out of Zelda's aerials. It also has high ending lag (40 frames), a short duration, and a fairly short horizontal range. It autocancels in a full hop. 
|dairname=Meteor Heel
|dairdmg={{ShortHopDmgSSBU|16}} (clean), {{ShortHopDmgSSBU|5}} (late, leg), {{ShortHopDmgSSBU|4}} (late, foot)
|dairdesc=A magically-infused [[Stomp (archetype)|stomp]], also known as the Lightning Stomp. All of its hitboxes are [[meteor smash]]es, with its sweet spot being the most powerful among them and they can also lock opponents. Its sour spot, though significantly weaker, lasts deceptively long, allowing it to potentially gimp fighters with poor recoveries. It also has low ending lag and the lowest landing lag out of Zelda's aerials, which enables its sweet spot to start combos on grounded opponents quite reliably, as it can lock. Safe on shield with proper spacing. It hits on frame 14, which ties it with up aerial for the highest amount of start-up lag out of Zelda's aerials but combined with its deceptively long duration and its low ending lag, it's somewhat fast for a meteor smash. It can also autocancel in a short hop. 
|grabname=&nbsp; 
|grabdesc=Restrains the opponent with magic. Zelda's grabs have long-range and are somewhat disjointed, with her pivot grab being one of the longest non-tether pivot grabs, but also have a noticeable start-up and ending lag.
|pummelname=&nbsp;
|pummeldmg=1.3%
|pummeldesc=A blast of magical energy. Moderate speed and damage. 
|fthrowname=&nbsp;
|fthrowdmg=10%
|fthrowdesc=Magically spins the opponent in front of herself and then throws them away. It is useful for setting up edge-guards thanks to its high base knockback and good damage output but lacks KO potential because of its low knockback growth, often not KOing until 200% without rage. However, it puts the opponent in a dangerous position. 
|bthrowname=&nbsp;
|bthrowdmg=12%
|bthrowdesc=Magically spins the opponent and turns around with them in tow before throwing them away. In addition to being good for setting up edge guards, it is among the strongest throws in the game, KOing middleweights at around 105% while near the edge of Final Destination.
|uthrowname=&nbsp;
|uthrowdmg=11%
|uthrowdesc=Magically spins the opponent overhead and then throws them upward. It is one of the most damaging up throws in the game and has both excellent KO potential and decent combo potential, but it only applies to heavyweights and fast-fallers, as it can combo into neutral aerial at low percentages against such characters; In addition to its combo potential, it can KO middleweights at around 146% from anywhere on Final Destination, and is tied with Incineroar and Lucas's up throws for the fifth strongest up throw in the game. Overall, these attributes make it one of the best up throws in the game. 
|dthrowname=&nbsp;
|dthrowdmg=1.5% (hits 1-4), 2% (throw)
|dthrowdesc=Magically shoves the opponent underneath herself and then blasts them with fiery, magical energy from her hands. It launches up and behind Zelda, which allows it to combo into neutral aerial, up aerial and if timed precisely back aerial. Its neutral aerial combos are easily avoidable with correct DI, especially past low percentages. In comparison, its up aerial and back aerial combo at mid percentages are more consistent, especially with proper timing. Its up aerial combo also boasts the ability to KO any character at high percentages. However, this combo will lose its effectiveness if Zelda has too much [[rage]].
|floorfname=&nbsp;
|floorfdmg=7%
|floorfdesc=Kicks in front of herself and then behind herself.
|floorbname=&nbsp;
|floorbdmg=7%
|floorbdesc=Kicks in front of herself and then behind herself.
|floortname=&nbsp;
|floortdmg=5%
|floortdesc=Kicks around herself.
|edgename=&nbsp;
|edgedmg=9%
|edgedesc=Performs a kick while climbing up.
|nsname=Nayru's Love
|nsdmg=2% (hits 1-3), 5% (hit 4, close), 4% (hit 4, tip) 1.25× (reflected projectiles)
|nsdesc=[[zeldawiki:Nayru's Love|Creates a crystalline barrier around herself]]. The barrier deals damage and [[Reflection|reflects]] projectiles with 25% more power and speed than they originally had. It also grants [[intangibility]] on frames 4-13, making it good as a defensive option against combos. However, it has a moderate start-up for its hitboxes (frame 11) and considerable ending lag, making it punishable if used recklessly, so it must be used carefully and not overuse it to avoid punishment.
|ssname=Din's Fire
|ssdmg=7%-14% (sweet spot), 3.5%-7% (sour spot)
|ssdesc=[[zeldawiki:Din's Fire|Launches a magical fireball]]. It can be aimed up or down, and releasing the button causes it to explode. It has a large hitbox, and despite being a projectile, it cannot be reflected but only absorbed. The longer the button is held down, the farther the fireball will travel, and it will automatically detonate when it reaches its maximum distance. Its sweet spot, which is located in the inner part of the explosion, is quite powerful, especially when fully charged. It is very useful for edge guarding. Fully charged sweet spotted Din's Fire KOs middleweights at around 87% while near the edge of Final Destination. However, it is very predictable, and its sour spot is very weak regardless of its charge.
|usname=Farore's Wind
|usdmg=6% (hit 1), 10% (grounded hit 2 near), 7% (grounded hit 2 far), 12% (aerial hit 2 near), 8% (aerial hit 2 far)
|usdesc=[[zeldawiki:Farore's Wind|Warps to a given direction]].  It travels a long distance and can be angled in eight directions similarly to Fox's Fire Fox, but is much faster compared to it. It deals damage upon contact while disappearing and while reappearing, and grants intangibility on frames 21-39. When combined with a jump, its travel distance is greatly increased. Its grounded disappearance has very high base knockback, very low knockback growth and launches at 91°, all of which enable it to combo easily into its reappearance when it is aimed upward. In comparison, its reappearance has a sweet spot near Zelda that has a decent damage output, high base knockback, and high knockback growth, all of which makes it very reliable at KOing, especially near the upper blast line. Its sweet spotted reappearance KOs middleweights at around 68% while near the upper blast line of Final Destination and in conjunction with the initial grounded hit, while the grounded reappearance can KO middleweights at around 71% from the edge of Final Destination. However, its reappearance has a sour spot that, although safe, lacks KO potential because of its lower damage output and average base knockback, and due to it incurring [[helpless]]ness, it is highly punishable if whiffed. It can be edge-canceled, a trait it shares with Sheik's Vanish, Mewtwo's Teleport and Palutena's Warp. 
|dsname=Phantom Slash
|dsdmg=5.9% (level 1), 8.2% (level 2), 10.5%/11.8% (level 3) 14.1%/15.4% (level 4), 17.7% (level 5)
|dsdesc=Conjures a {{s|zeldawiki|Phantom}} piece by piece and propels it forward with another button press. Serves as a projectile with varying attacks reaching various levels of damage and distance depending on the charge. When fully charged, the phantom will delay its attack for around a second, giving Zelda time to add pressure, perform combined combos or to retreat behind it for protection, and if the opponent tries to reflect it, she can react by using Nayru's Love. When fully charged, the phantom can KO middleweights at around 84% from the edge of Final Destination. Very versatile and one of Zelda's best options in the neutral game and advantage state. 
|fsname=Triforce of Wisdom
|fsdmg=7% (initial vacuum), 3% (subsequent vacuum), 60% (main)
|fsdesc=Uses the [[zeldawiki:Triforce|Triforce of Wisdom]] to generate a triangular portal that sucks in opponents using massive periodic shockwaves. Upon catching an opponent, they will either be launched with poor knockback. However, if they reach 100% or higher during it, they are instantly KO'd. Very difficult to avoid on smaller stages (such as {{SSB|Dream Land}} or [[Mushroom Kingdom II]]), due to its long duration and large vacuum hitboxes.
}}

===[[On-screen appearance]]===
*Appears facing the screen, generating magical sparkles from between cupped hands. Zelda then flourishes her hands while smiling before assuming her idle pose.

===[[Taunt]]s===
*Scoffs with a hand on her hip, while generating magic and twirling it in front of her.
*Closes her eyes and summons [[Din's Fire]] between cupped hands.
*Giggles and waves with a smile.
<gallery>
SSBUZeldaTaunt1.gif|Zelda's up taunt.
SSBUZeldaTaunt2.gif|Zelda's side taunt.
SSBUZeldaTaunt3.gif|Zelda's down taunt.
</gallery>

===[[Idle pose]]s===
*Brushes her hair while looking back.
*Smiles and performs a pondering gesture with a finger tapping her cheek.
<gallery>
SSBUZeldaIdle1.gif|Zelda's first idle pose
SSBUZeldaIdle2.gif|Zelda's second idle pose
</gallery>

===[[Victory pose]]s===
*'''Left:''' Creates magic with her fingertips and waves it around.
*'''Up:''' Creates fire from her fingertip and waves it around while giggling.
*'''Right:''' Summons a [[Phantom]] behind her with a snap of her finger and poses with it.
[[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.]]
<gallery>
ZeldaVictoryPose1SSBU.gif
ZeldaVictoryPose2SSBU.gif
ZeldaVictoryPose3SSBU.gif
</gallery>

==In competitive play==
As one of the characters playable in the E3 demo build, players were fairly divided early on regarding Zelda as a competitive character. Much of the optimism surrounding the character could be attributed to noticeably improved frame data, particularly on her jab and out-of-shield options, which were key points of grievance with the character's past iterations, as well as [[Phantom Slash]]'s changes. However, just as players took notice of the character's improvements over ''SSB4'', they found that some of her key issues, such as her mobility and poor endurance, were retained from previous games as well. In spite of this, players such as {{Sm|ven}} used to her to a fair degree of success in the early metagame. This left consensus on Zelda as a mid-tiered character.

However, as time went on and the metagame progressed, her flaws were only further exploited, and her success was not as high in comparison to the early metagame. This led to a more negative perspective, with the general consensus of professionals considering her as a low-tier character.

In more recent times however, opinions on Zelda began to improve, as players such as {{Sm|ven}}, {{Sm|Naskino}}, {{Sm|Marf}}, and {{Sm|ZeroTwoNone}} continued to place well with her. Furthermore, she has received noticeable improvements towards her consistencies in 7.0.0, which is one of her major weaknesses. As such, many players now have a more positive opinion on Zelda, and she is widely considered as a mid-tier character, with some such as {{sm|Mew2King}}, {{Sm|Salem}}, and {{Sm|Goblin}} considering her a high-tier character due to her out of shield options, KO power, and ledge trapping. {{Sm|ESAM}}, who once viewed her as a low-tier now believes that she has the potential to be an upper mid or even high-tier character, although some players claim that Zelda is still too polarizing as a character and believe she’s still a mid-tier at best. For now, her viability remains debatable, although it is widely agreed that Zelda is much better than all of her previous incarnations.

===Notable players===

====Active====
''Any number following the Smasher name indicates placement on the [[Fall 2019 PGRU]], which recognizes the official top 50 players in the world in [[Super Smash Bros. Ultimate]] from July 13th, 2019 to December 15th, 2019.''
*{{Sm|AceAttorney|USA}} - Placed 33rd at {{Trn|Let's Make Big Moves}} with wins over {{Sm|Jw}}, {{Sm|MattyG}}, and {{Sm|Dunston}}.
*{{Sm|Bonren|USA}} - Placed 9th at {{Trn|Smashpoint}} and 97th at {{Trn|Frostbite 2020}} with wins over {{Sm|CaptainZack}} and {{Sm|Salem}}.
*{{Sm|Kisuke|Japan}} - Placed 25th at {{Trn|EGS Cup 2}} and 65th at {{Trn|Umebura SP 7}}. Has wins over {{Sm|HIKARU}}, {{Sm|Eim}}, and {{Sm|Arika}}.
*{{Sm|Marf|Canada}} - The best Zelda in Canada. Placed 3rd at {{Trn|Animethon 26}}, 4th at {{Trn|Salt Flats 2020}}, 7th at {{Trn|SKL: Prairie Pummel}}, and 13th at {{Trn|VORTEX}}. Ranked 3rd on the [[Alberta Power Rankings]].
*{{Sm|Meru|Netherlands}} - Uses Zelda as a secondary to {{SSBU|Peach}}.  Placed 2nd at {{Trn|BURST 4}} and {{Trn|The Ultimate Performance 3}} with Zelda as one of his characters.
*{{Sm|Naskino|France}} - The best Zelda player in France and one of the best in the world. Placed 7th at {{Trn|Smash4Glory - Ultimate Edition}}, 9th at {{Trn|Ultimate WANTED 2}} and {{Trn|European SEL Clash}}, and 33rd at {{Trn|Ultimate Fighting Arena 2019}}.
*{{Sm|Rizeasu|Japan}} - While better known for his large character roster, he is also considered the best Zelda player in Japan. Placed 5th at {{Trn|Sumabato SP 6}}, 13th at {{Trn|Sumabato SP 3}}, and 33rd at {{Trn|Sumabato SP 8}}.
*{{Sm|Samsora|USA}} (#2) - Uses Zelda as a secondary to Peach. Placed 1st at {{Trn|CEO Dreamland 2020}} using both Peach and Zelda. Has wins over {{Sm|LingLing}} and {{Sm|MuteAce}}.
*{{Sm|ven|USA}} - The best Zelda player in the world. Placed 9th at {{Trn|LVL Up Expo 2019}}, 17th at {{Trn|2GG: Prime Saga}}, 25th at {{Trn|2GG: SwitchFest 2019}}, as well as 33rd at {{Trn|2GG: Kongo Saga}},  {{Trn|Frostbite 2020}}, and {{Trn|Super Smash Con 2019}}. Ranked 4th on the [[Las Vegas Power Rankings]]. He has defeated {{Sm|ESAM}}, {{Sm|Jw}}, {{Sm|Prodigy}}, {{Sm|Gackt}}, {{Sm|Elegant}}, {{Sm|SweetT}}, {{Sm|Karna}}, and {{Sm|Megafox}}.
*{{Sm|ZeroTwoNone|USA}} - The best Zelda player in the Tri-state. Placed 13th at {{Trn|Tri-state Showdown: Fall 2019}}. He has defeated {{sm|Zomba}}, {{sm|Stocktaker69}}, {{sm|The Great Gonzales}}, and {{sm|Sinji}}.

====Inactive====
*{{Sm|Aikota|USA}} - Tri-mained Zelda with {{SSBU|Mii Gunner}} and {{SSBU|Ness}}, and was considered one of the best Zelda players in the United States before dropping all three characters in favor of {{SSBU|Lucas}}. Placed 25th at {{Trn|Super Smash Con 2019}} and 33rd at {{Trn|MomoCon 2019}}. He has taken sets off players such as {{Sm|Fatality}}, {{Sm|Mr E}}, {{Sm|ScAtt}}, {{Sm|Sonido}}, and {{Sm|Maister}}. Ranked 7th in the [[Georgia Power Rankings]].
*{{Sm|Mystearica|USA}} - One of the best Zelda players in the United States prior to dropping her for {{SSBU|Palutena}}. Placed 5th at {{Trn|2GG: Run it Back}}, 25th at {{Trn|Pound 2019}}, and 33rd at {{Trn|Smash 'N' Splash 5}} and {{Trn|DreamHack Atlanta 2019}}. She has defeated {{Sm|Tea}}, {{Sm|Goblin}}, {{Sm|Tyroy}}, {{Sm|Darkshad}}, and {{Sm|Ned}}. Ranked 1st in the [[Indiana Power Rankings]].
*{{Sm|Riot|USA}} - The best Zelda player in New England prior to his inactivity. Placed 5th at [https://smash.gg/tournament/push-the-limit-4 Push the Limit 4]. Ranked 2nd on the [[New Hampshire Power Rankings|New Hampshire Ultimate Power Rankings]] with wins on {{Sm|DM}}, {{Sm|LingLing}}, and {{Sm|Pelca}}.

=={{SSBU|Classic Mode}}: Wisdom Prevails==
[[File:SSBU Congratulations Zelda.png|thumb|Zelda's congratulations screen.]]
All of Zelda's battles are on ''The Legend of Zelda''-themed stages, and all her opponents are antagonists. The final battle is against Ganondorf, who transforms into Ganon upon defeat.

{|class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center"
!Round!!Opponent!!Stage!!Music!!Notes
|-
|1||{{SSBU|Wario}} {{Head|Wario|g=SSBU|s=20px}}||[[Great Plateau Tower]]||''{{SSBUMusicLink|The Legend of Zelda|Main Theme - The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild}}''||
|-
|2||{{SSBU|Bowser}} {{Head|Bowser|g=SSBU|s=20px}}||[[Skyloft]]||''{{SSBUMusicLink|The Legend of Zelda|Ballad of the Goddess}}''||
|-
|3||{{SSBU|Mii Swordfighter}} {{Head|Mii Swordfighter|g=SSBU|s=20px}} (x5)||[[Temple]]||''{{SSBUMusicLink|The Legend of Zelda|Temple Theme}}''||Mii Swordfighters are dressed in Yiga Clan Mask and Yiga Clan Outfit.
|-
|4||Giant {{SSBU|King K. Rool}} {{Head|King K. Rool|g=SSBU|s=20px}}||[[Bridge of Eldin]]||''{{SSBUMusicLink|The Legend of Zelda|Dark World (for 3DS / Wii U)}}''||A possible reference to King Bulblin.
|-
|5||{{SSBU|Dark Samus}} {{Head|Dark Samus|g=SSBU|s=20px}}||[[Gerudo Valley]]||''{{SSBUMusicLink|The Legend of Zelda|Hidden Mountain & Forest}}''||
|-
|6||{{SSBU|Link}} {{Head|Link|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Black}} (x4)||[[Hyrule Castle]]||''{{SSBUMusicLink|The Legend of Zelda|Great Temple / Temple}}''||
|-
|colspan="5"|Bonus Stage
|-
|Final||{{SSBU|Ganondorf}} {{Head|Ganondorf|g=SSBU|s=20px}}, then [[Ganon]]||Sacred Realm||''{{SSBUMusicLink|The Legend of Zelda|Calamity Ganon Battle - Second Form}}'' <small>(Ganondorf)</small><br/>''{{SSBUMusicLink|The Legend of Zelda|Death Mountain}}'' <small>(Ganon)</small>||Ganondorf transforms into Ganon upon defeat.
|}

[[Credits]] roll after completing Classic Mode. Completing it as Zelda has ''{{SSBUMusicLink|The Legend of Zelda|Hidden Mountain & Forest}}'' accompany the credits.
{{clr}}

==Role in [[World of Light]]==
[[File:WoL-16Zelda.jpg|thumb|Finding Zelda in World of Light|left]]
Zelda was among the fighters that were summoned to fight the army of [[Master Hand]]s.

During the opening cutscene, Zelda tried to rally the other fighters to fight the army of Master Hands by saying, "Stow your fear; it's now or never!" ("{{ja|ここまで来たらやるしかないでしょう!}}"), and was present when [[Galeem]] unleashed his beams of light. She and {{SSBU|Mewtwo}} attempted to reflect the beams using [[Nayru's Love]] and [[Confusion]], respectively, but this attempt failed, and both of them were vaporized and placed under Galeem's imprisonment along with the rest of the fighters (excluding {{SSBU|Kirby}}).

Zelda was one of the many fighters that fell under [[Dharkon]]'s control upon Galeem's first defeat. She is unlocked in the Dark Realm at [[Sacred Land]], on the bottom left corner of the land which makes up the Triforce of Wisdom. The player must defeat the Spirit of Impa (which is revealed by solving a clock-based puzzle) to clear a boulder that's blocking the path to her unlock battle and then the Zael and Uxie, Mesprit & Azelf spirits. Unlocking her reveals the Triforce of Wisdom in the center of the map. If {{SSBU|Young Link}} is unlocked, the boulders leading to {{SSBU|Cloud}}'s unlock battle and the Master Sword clear out.

Zelda is later seen among several other fighters, making their last stand against Galeem and [[Dharkon]]. She is also seen in the bad ending where Galeem emerges victorious against Dharkon, witnessing Galeem engulf the world in light.
{{clrl}}

===Fighter Battle===
{|class="wikitable sortable" style="width:100%;"
|-
! style="width:5%;"|No.
! style="width:5%;"|Image
! Name
! Type
! Power
! Stage
! Music
|-
| 17
| [[File:Zelda SSBU.png|center|108x108px]]
| {{SSBU|Zelda}}
| [[File:SpiritTypeShield.png|20px|center|Shield]] <center>{{color|#18aef5|Shield}}</center>
| 10,100
| [[Temple]] ([[Ω form]])
| ''{{SSBUMusicLink|The Legend of Zelda|Ocarina of Time Medley}}''
|}
{{-}}

==[[Spirit]]s==
Zelda's Fighter Spirit can be obtained by completing [[Classic Mode]]. It is also available periodically for purchase in the shop for 500 coins. Unlocking Zelda in World of Light allows the player to preview the first 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''.

Additionally, different incarnations of Zelda appear as Primary and Support Spirits.

<center>
<gallery>
Zelda Spirit.png|173. '''''Zelda'''''
Young Zelda.png|189. Young Zelda
Zelda oot Spirit.png|190. Zelda (Ocarina of Time)
Botwzelda.png|238. Zelda (Breath of the Wild)
Zelda Wind Waker Spirit.png|247. Zelda (The Wind Waker)
Zelda Spirit Tracks Spirit.png|259. Zelda (Spirit Tracks)
</gallery>
</center>

==In Spirit Battles==
===As the main opponent===
{|class="wikitable sortable" style="width:100%;"
|-
! colspan=4|Spirit
! colspan=7|Battle parameters
|-
! style="width:5%;"|No.
! style="width:5%;"|Image
! Name
! Series
! Enemy Fighter(s)
! style="width:5%;"|Type
! style="width:5%;"|Power
! Stage
! Rules
! Conditions
! Music
|-
|187
|[[File:Marin Spirit.png|center|64x64px]]
|{{anchor|Marin}}Marin
|''The Legend of Zelda series''
|•{{SSBU|Zelda}} {{Head|Zelda|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Violet}}<br>•{{SSBU|Link}} {{Head|Link|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Green}}
|[[File:SpiritTypeShield.png|20px|center|Shield]]
|4,600
|[[Tortimer Island]] ([[Battlefield form]])
|•Hazard: Slumber Floor
|•The floor is sleep-inducing<br>•Timed battle
|{{SSBUMusicLink|The Legend of Zelda|Tal Tal Heights}}
|-
|189
|[[File:Young Zelda.png|center|64x64px]]
|{{anchor|Young Zelda}}Young Zelda
|''The Legend of Zelda series''
|• ''Tiny'' {{SSBU|Zelda}} {{Head|Zelda|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Purple}}<br>•{{SSBU|Young Link}} {{Head|Young Link|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Red}}
|[[File:SpiritTypeShield.png|20px|center|Shield]]
|3,700
|[[Hyrule Castle]]
|N/A
|•Take your strongest team into this no-frills battle
|{{SSBUMusicLink|The Legend of Zelda|Ocarina of Time Medley}}
|-
|195
|[[File:Malon Spirit.png|center|64x64px]]
|{{anchor|Malon}}Malon
|''The Legend of Zelda series''
|•{{SSBU|Zelda}} {{Head|Zelda|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=White}}
|[[File:SpiritTypeShield.png|20px|center|Shield]]
|3,600
|[[Smashville]]
|•Item Tidal Wave<br>•Item: [[Cucco]]
|•The enemy becomes more powerful after eating<br>•Certain items will appear in large numbers
|{{SSBUMusicLink|The Legend of Zelda|Ocarina of Time Medley}}
|-
|201
|[[File:Greatfairy.png|center|64x64px]]
|{{anchor|Great Fairy}}Great Fairy
|''The Legend of Zelda series''
|•Giant {{SSBU|Zelda}} {{Head|Zelda|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Purple}}
|[[File:SpiritTypeShield.png|20px|center|Shield]]
|9,500
|[[Fountain of Dreams]] ([[Battlefield form]])
|•Health Recovery
|•The enemy's special moves have increased power<br>•The enemy is healed significantly when the enemy's at high damage<br>•The enemy's FS Meter charges quickly
|{{SSBUMusicLink|The Legend of Zelda|Ocarina of Time Medley}}
|-
|215
|[[File:Din Spirit.png|center|64x64px]]
|{{anchor|Din}}Din
|''The Legend of Zelda series''
|•{{SSBU|Zelda}} {{Head|Zelda|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Red}} (×2)
|[[File:SpiritTypeAttack.png|20px|center|Attack]]
|4,000
|[[Bridge of Eldin]] ([[Battlefield form]])
|•Hazard: Lava Floor
|•The floor is lava<br>•The enemy favors side specials
|{{SSBUMusicLink|The Legend of Zelda|Ballad of the Goddess (Remix)}}
|-
|216
|[[File:Nayru Spirit.png|center|64x64px]]
|{{anchor|Nayru}}Nayru
|''The Legend of Zelda series''
|•{{SSBU|Zelda}} {{Head|Zelda|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Blue}} (×2)
|[[File:SpiritTypeShield.png|20px|center|Shield]]
|3,500
|[[Bridge of Eldin]]
|•Temporary Invincibility
|•The enemy will occasionally be invincible after a little while<br>•The enemy favors neutral specials
|{{SSBUMusicLink|The Legend of Zelda|Ballad of the Goddess (Original)}}
|-
|236
|[[File:Hilda.png|center|64x64px]]
|{{anchor|Hilda (The Legend of Zelda)}}Hilda (The Legend of Zelda)
|''The Legend of Zelda series''
|•{{SSBU|Zelda}} {{Head|Zelda|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Black}}<br>•Bunny {{SSBU|Young Link}} {{Head|Young Link|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Blue}}
|[[File:SpiritTypeShield.png|20px|center|Shield]]
|9,100
|[[Temple]]
|•Assist Trophy Enemies ([[Nightmare]])
|•Hostile assist trophies will appear
|{{SSBUMusicLink|The Legend of Zelda|Lorule Main Theme}}
|-
|238
|[[File:Botwzelda.png|center|64x64px]]
|{{anchor|Zelda (Breath of the Wild)}}Zelda (Breath of the Wild)
|''The Legend of Zelda series''
|•{{SSBU|Zelda}} {{Head|Zelda|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Blue}}<br>•{{SSBU|Link}} {{Head|Link|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=White}}<br>•{{SSBU|Inkling}} {{Head|Inkling|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Pink}}<br>•{{SSBU|Donkey Kong}} {{Head|Donkey Kong|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Yellow}}<br>•{{SSBU|Falco}} {{Head|Falco|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Blue}}<br>•{{SSBU|Zero Suit Samus}} {{Head|Zero Suit Samus|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=ShortsBlue}}
|[[File:SpiritTypeShield.png|20px|center|Shield]]
|9,200
|[[Great Plateau Tower]]
|N/A
|•[[Stamina battle]]<br>•Reinforcements will appear after an enemy is KO'd<br>•Defeat an army of fighters
|{{SSBUMusicLink|The Legend of Zelda|Main Theme - The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild}}
|-
|258
|[[File:Phantom.png|center|64x64px]]
|{{anchor|Phantom}}[[Phantom]]
|''The Legend of Zelda series''
|•Clear {{SSBU|Zelda}} {{Head|Zelda|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Black}}
|[[File:SpiritTypeShield.png|20px|center|Shield]]
|3,800
|[[Spirit Train]] ([[Battlefield form]])
|N/A
|•The enemy's down special has increased power<br>•The enemy favors down specials<br>•The enemy is invisible
|{{SSBUMusicLink|The Legend of Zelda|Full Steam Ahead}}
|-
|582
|[[File:Hinawa.png|center|64x64px]]
|{{anchor|Hinawa}}Hinawa
|''EarthBound series''
|•{{SSBU|Zelda}} {{Head|Zelda|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Purple}}<br>•{{SSBU|Lucas}} (×2) ({{Head|Lucas|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Orange}}{{Head|Lucas|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Blue}})
|[[File:SpiritTypeAttack.png|20px|center|Attack]]
|13,100
|{{SSBB|Yoshi's Island}}
|•Easy to Launch
|•All fighters are easy to launch
|{{SSBUMusicLink|EarthBound|Mother 3 Love Theme}}
|-
|659
|[[File:Mist.png|center|64x64px]]
|{{anchor|Mist}}{{s|fireemblem|Mist}}
|''Fire Emblem series''
|•{{SSBU|Zelda}} {{Head|Zelda|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=White}}<br>•{{SSBU|Ike}} {{Head|Ike|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Yellow}}
|[[File:SpiritTypeGrab.png|20px|center|Grab]]
|3,500
|[[Reset Bomb Forest]] (hazards off)
|•Health Recovery<br>•Defense ↑
|•The enemy has increased defense when the enemy's at high damage<br>•The enemy is healed when the enemy's at high damage
|{{SSBUMusicLink|Fire Emblem|Victory Is Near}}
|-
|1,053
|[[File:Maria DX.PNG|center|64x64px]]
|{{anchor|Maria Renard}}Maria Renard
|''Castlevania series''
|•{{SSBU|Zelda}} {{Head|Zelda|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Purple}}<br>•{{SSBU|Falco}} {{Head|Falco|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=White}}<br>•{{SSBU|Charizard}} {{Head|Charizard|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Blue}}<br>•{{SSBU|Incineroar}} {{Head|Incineroar|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=White}}
|[[File:SpiritTypeGrab.png|20px|center|Grab]]
|3,700
|[[Reset Bomb Forest]] (hazards off)
|N/A
|•The enemy starts the battle with a [[Cucco]]
|{{SSBUMusicLink|Castlevania|Slash}}
|-
|1,065
|[[File:Charlotte Aulin.png|center|64x64px]]
|{{anchor|Charlotte Aulin}}Charlotte Aulin
|''Castlevania series''
|•{{SSBU|Zelda}} {{Head|Zelda|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Blue}}<br>•{{SSBU|Richter}} {{Head|Richter|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Blue}}
|[[File:SpiritTypeAttack.png|20px|center|Attack]]
|3,700
|[[Bridge of Eldin]] ([[Battlefield form]])
|N/A
|•The enemy's special moves have increased power<br>•The enemy favors side specials<br>•Reinforcements will appear during the battle
|{{SSBUMusicLink|Castlevania|Hail from the Past}}
|-
|1,174
|[[File:Jenna Spirit.png|center|64x64px]]
|{{anchor|Jenna}}{{s|goldensununiverse|Jenna}}
|''Golden Sun series''
|•{{SSBU|Zelda}} {{Head|Zelda|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Red}}
|[[File:SpiritTypeShield.png|20px|center|Shield]]
|3,500
|[[Temple]] ([[Battlefield form]])
|•Assist Trophy Enemies ([[Isaac]])
|•Hostile assist trophies will appear<br>•The enemy favors side specials
|{{SSBUMusicLink|Nintendo|Battle Scene / Final Boss - Golden Sun}}
|-
|1,236
|[[File:Protagonist.png|center|64x64px]]
|{{anchor|Shop Assistant}}Shop Assistant
|''Style Savvy series''
|•{{SSBU|Zelda}} {{Head|Zelda|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Purple}}
|[[File:SpiritTypeAttack.png|20px|center|Attack]]
|3,600
|[[Tomodachi Life]]
|•Item: Transforming Types
|•The enemy is easily distracted by items
|{{SSBUMusicLink|Nintendo|Style Savvy: Trendsetters}}
|-
|1,241
|[[File:Yuri kozukata fatal frame.png|center|64x64px]]
|{{anchor|Yuri Kozukata}}[[Yuri Kozukata]]
|''Fatal Frame series''
|•{{SSBU|Zelda}} {{Head|Zelda|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Red}}
|[[File:SpiritTypeAttack.png|20px|center|Attack]]
|9,200
|[[Luigi's Mansion]]
|•Assist Trophy Enemies (Yuri Kozukata)
|•Hostile assist trophies will appear
|{{SSBUMusicLink|Super Mario Bros.|Main Theme - Luigi's Mansion (Brawl)}}
|-
|1,365
|[[File:Nakoruru Spirit.png|center|64x64px]]
|{{anchor|Nakoruru}}Nakoruru
|''SAMURAI SHODOWN series''
|•{{SSBU|Zelda}} {{Head|Zelda|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Red}}<br>•Tiny {{SSBU|Falco}} {{Head|Falco|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Orange}}
|[[File:SpiritTypeShield.png|20px|center|Shield]]
|3,800
|{{SSBB|Yoshi's Island}} (winter)
|•Attack Power ↑<br>•Item: Swords
|•Defeat the main fighter to win<br>•[[Stamina battle]]<br>•The enemy has increased attack power when the enemy's at high damage
|{{SSBUMusicLink|Fatal Fury|Banquet of Nature - SAMURAI SHODOWN}}
|}

===As a minion===
{|class="wikitable sortable" style="width:100%;"
|-
! colspan=4|Spirit
! colspan=7|Battle parameters
! colspan=1|Inspiration
|-
! style="width:5%;"|No.
! style="width:5%;"|Image
! Name
! Series
! Enemy Fighter(s)
! style="width:5%;"|Type
! style="width:5%;"|Power
! Stage
! Rules
! Conditions
! Music
! Character
|-
|1,107
|[[File:SPI-Fighting Alloy Team.png|center|64x64px]]
|{{anchor|Fighting Alloy Team}}[[Fighting Alloy Team]]
|''Super Smash Bros. series''
|•{{SSBU|Captain Falcon}} Team {{Head|Captain Falcon|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Red}} (×4)<br>•{{SSBU|Zelda}} Team {{Head|Zelda|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Blue}} (×4)<br>•{{SSBU|Mario}} Team {{Head|Mario|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Yellow}} (×4)<br>•{{SSBU|Kirby}} Team {{Head|Kirby|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Green}} (×4)
|[[File:SpiritTypeAttack.png|20px|center|Attack]]
|3,300
|{{SSBU|Final Destination}} ([[Battlefield form]])
|N/A
|•Take your strongest team into this no-frills battle
|{{SSBUMusicLink|Super Smash Bros.|Cruel Smash}}
|Blue Alloy
|-
|1,246
|[[File:Orville Spirit.png|center|64x64px]]
|{{anchor|Orville}}Orville
|''Takt of Magic''
|•{{SSBU|Robin}} {{Head|Robin|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=White}}<br>•{{SSBU|Pit}} {{Head|Pit|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Blue}}<br>•{{SSBU|Zelda}} {{Head|Zelda|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Red}}
|[[File:SpiritTypeGrab.png|20px|center|Grab]]
|3,400
|[[PictoChat 2]]
|N/A
|•Defeat the main fighter to win
|{{SSBUMusicLink|Nintendo|Struggle Against Chaos}}
|Charlotte
|-
|1,328
|[[File:Hero's Comrades Spirit.png|center|64x64px]]
|{{anchor|Hero's Comrades}}Hero's Comrades
|''DRAGON QUEST series''
|•{{SSBU|Ike}} {{Head|Ike|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Black}}<br>•Tiny {{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>•Tiny {{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]]
|13,300
|[[Yggdrasil's Altar]]
|N/A
|•The enemy has increased melee-weapon damage and move speed<br>•The enemy's smash attacks have increased power<br>•[[Stamina battle]]
|{{SSBUMusicLink|Dragon Quest|The Hero Goes Forth with a Determination}}
|{{iw|dragonquestwiki|Serena|Dragon Quest XI}}
|-
|1,411
|[[File:Duran Angela Spirit.jpg|center|64x64px]]
|Duran & Angela
|''Mana Series''
|•{{SSBU|Roy}} {{Head|Roy|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Green}}<br>•{{SSBU|Zelda}} {{Head|Zelda|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Red}}<br>•Tiny Bunny {{SSBU|Kirby}} {{Head|Kirby|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Yellow}}×2
|[[File:SpiritTypeAttack.png|20px|center|Attack]]
|9,200
|[[Gaur Plains]] ([[Ω form]])
|•Item: [[Ramblin' Evil Mushroom]]
|•Reinforcements will appear after an enemy is KO'd
|{{SSBUMusicLink|Other|Filled with Hope}}
|Angela
|}

===As an ally===
{|class="wikitable sortable" style="width:100%;"
|-
! colspan=4|Spirit
! colspan=7|Battle parameters
! colspan=1|Inspiration
|-
! style="width:5%;"|No.
! style="width:5%;"|Image
! Name
! Series
! Enemy Fighter(s)
! style="width:5%;"|Type
! style="width:5%;"|Power
! Stage
! Rules
! Conditions
! Music
! Character
|-
|243
|[[File:Calamity ganon.png|center|64x64px]]
|{{anchor|Calamity Ganon}}Calamity Ganon
|''The Legend of Zelda series''
|•Giant {{SSBU|Ganondorf}} {{Head|Ganondorf|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Grey}}<br>•Ally: {{SSBU|Zelda}} {{Head|Zelda|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Blue}}
|[[File:SpiritTypeAttack.png|20px|center|Attack]]
|13,900
|[[Great Plateau Tower]] ([[Ω form]])
|•Sudden Damage
|•You lose if your CPU ally is KO'd<br>•You'll occasionally take sudden damage after a little while<br>•The enemy is giant
|{{SSBUMusicLink|The Legend of Zelda|Calamity Ganon Battle - Second Form}}
|Zelda (Breath of the Wild)
|}

==[[Alternate costume (SSBU)#Zelda|Alternate costumes]]==
{|style="margin:1em auto 1em auto;text-align:center"
|-
|colspan=8|[[File:Zelda Palette (SSBU).png|link=Palette swap (SSBU)#Zelda|1000px]]
|-
|{{Head|Zelda|g=SSBU|s=50px}}
|{{Head|Zelda|g=SSBU|s=50px|cl=Red}}
|{{Head|Zelda|g=SSBU|s=50px|cl=Blue}}
|{{Head|Zelda|g=SSBU|s=50px|cl=Violet}}
|{{Head|Zelda|g=SSBU|s=50px|cl=Green}}
|{{Head|Zelda|g=SSBU|s=50px|cl=Black}}
|{{Head|Zelda|g=SSBU|s=50px|cl=Purple}}
|{{Head|Zelda|g=SSBU|s=50px|cl=White}}
|}

==Gallery==
<gallery>
The Legend of Zelda artwork.png|Artwork of all ''The Legend of Zelda'' characters, as posted on the official Legend of Zelda Twitter account.
SSBU Zelda Number.png|Zelda's fighter card.
SSBUWebsiteZelda1.jpg|Zelda idling on [[Temple]].
SSBUWebsiteZelda2.jpg|Using her neutral aerial in her red costume on [[Tortimer Island]].
SSBUWebsiteZelda3.jpg|Zelda using her forward tilt on {{SSBU|King Dedede}} on [[Coliseum]].
SSBUWebsiteZelda4.jpg|Kneeling next to a sleeping {{SSBU|Pichu}} on Tortimer Island.
SSBUWebsiteZelda5.jpg|Using [[Farore's Wind]] on [[Luigi's Mansion]].
SSBUWebsiteZelda6.jpg|Idling in her dark costume on [[Spirit Train]].
SSBUWebsiteGanondorf5.jpg|Zelda taunting next to {{SSBU|Ganondorf}} on [[Hyrule Castle]].
SSBUWebsiteRosalina4.jpg|Zelda giving {{SSBU|Rosalina}} a high-five on [[Prism Tower]].
SSBUWebsiteYoshi2.jpg|Firing a [[Super Scope]] at {{SSBU|Yoshi}} on [[Mario Galaxy]].
SSBUWebsiteKapp'n3.jpg|Taunting near {{SSBU|Donkey Kong}} on [[Kapp'n]]'s bus on Temple.
SSBUWebsiteSummit.jpg|Zelda, {{SSBU|Ridley}}, {{SSBU|Jigglypuff}}, and the {{SSBU|Ice Climbers}} on [[Summit]].
SSBUWebsite13.jpg|Using [[Phantom Slash]] on Mario Galaxy.
SSBUZeldaJPTwitter1.jpg|With all playable {{uv|The Legend of Zelda}} veterans on the [[Great Plateau Tower]].
SSBU LegendofZeldaReps.jpg|With Link and Ganondorf on the Great Plateau Tower.
SSBU challenge image 011.png|Zelda with Cloud in Tortimer Island
</gallery>

=== Character Showcase Video ===
{{#widget:YouTube|id=fMDgFn3qQ_c}}

==Trivia==
*Masahiro Sakurai chose to base Zelda's design in ''Ultimate'' off of her ''A Link to the Past'' and ''A Link Between Worlds'' incarnations instead of her more recent ''Breath of the Wild'' incarnation because that version of Zelda, according to him, "is more into research than fighting."<ref name="SpecialSmash" /><ref name="DirectJP" /><ref name="PaluGuidance" /><ref name="DirectEN" /> He also mentioned in a subsequent Nintendo Treehouse Live event that he chose this design to better represent ''The Legend of Zelda'' franchise as a whole instead of having all of its representatives come from the same game.
*Zelda's current default design was previously [[Alternate costume (SSB4)#Zelda|an alternate costume]] in terms of coloration of her model, whereas her previous default design based on ''Twilight Princess'' has now become [[Alternate costume (SSBU)#Zelda|an alternate costume]] in that same regard.
**Coincidentally, Zelda was revealed in ''SSB4'' at the same time ''A Link Between Worlds'' was released, which inspired her current design.
**Ironically, despite her ''Twilight Princess'' incarnation being retired after this game, even though Ganondorf's design from that game is still directly referenced via a spirit, as well as Link's Wolf from that game, Zelda is the only returning ''Zelda'' character from ''SSB4'' that doesn't have her ''Twilight Princess'' design directly referenced in ''Ultimate'' at all.
*Zelda can be unlocked by Kirby via his Classic Mode route, which references their team-up from ''Brawl''{{'}}s Adventure Mode, [[The Subspace Emissary]]. 
*Zelda is currently the only playable ''The Legend of Zelda'' character in ''Ultimate'' whose design originates from either a handheld game or a non-3D game.
**She is also the only ''Zelda'' character whose design comes from the [[zeldawiki:Zelda Timeline#Fallen Hero Timeline|"Fallen Hero" timeline]].
*The [[World of Light]] opening marks Zelda's first spoken line of dialogue in the ''Smash'' series. This is also the first time in the series that any ''Zelda'' character is voiced in English.
**She is one of the few characters to have her cutscene dialogue dubbed in English, but otherwise keep her Japanese voice actress's battle grunts, after {{SSBM|Fox}} and {{SSBM|Falco}} in ''Melee''.
**Zelda speaks English in all Western language versions of ''Ultimate'', unlike ''Breath of the Wild'', which was dubbed into multiple languages.
**She is the second ''Zelda'' character to speak in ''Smash'', the first being {{SSBM|Sheik}} in ''Melee''.
*Zelda is the only ''The Legend of Zelda'' character whose animations are mirrored.
*Zelda is the only female fighter to face a boss from her own universe in Classic Mode, being [[Ganon]].
*Zelda's Classic Mode route is vaguely similar to {{SSBU|Diddy Kong}}'s, as both characters fight villains and/or final bosses of various series for opponents.
*Zelda, {{SSBU|Peach}}, {{SSBU|Falco}}, {{SSBU|Olimar}}, {{SSBU|Duck Hunt}}, and {{SSBU|Dark Pit}} are the only fighters to appear as allies in spirit battles.
*Despite her ''Twilight Princess'' design now being retired and replaced with her ''A Link Between Worlds'' design in ''Ultimate'', Zelda's Mii Fighter wig is still based on the former's hair, albeit colored blonde.
*''Ultimate'' marks the first time Zelda's Kirby hat no longer resembles Young Zelda's wimple from ''Ocarina of Time'', despite her appearance in ''Melee'' being based on her adult design from the same game, and her ''Brawl'' and ''SSB4'' designs both being based on her appearance in ''Twilight Princess'', which also makes it the first time said Kirby hat is based directly on how she appears in-game.

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{SSBUCharacters}}
{{Zelda universe}}
[[Category:Zelda (SSBU)]]
[[Category:Spirits]]
[[es:Zelda (SSBU)]]
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