Dark Link

Dark Link
Dark Link in Super Smash Bros. for Wii U.
A boss in	Melee Brawl SSB4
Universe	The Legend of Zelda
Console of origin	Nintendo Entertainment System
Location	Temple Bridge of Eldin
Article on Zelda Wiki	Dark Link

Dark Link (ダークリンク, Dark Link), also known as Shadow Link, is a completely black doppelgänger of Link that appears in multiple Zelda titles, including Zelda II: The Adventure of Link, The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, and The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Adventures. His origin is shrouded in mystery, sometimes believed to be a creation of Ganondorf. Dark Link's strength and abilities differ in the games he has appeared in. In most of Dark Link's appearances, he appears to know every technique Link knows or has learned and can effectively match and counter his attacks; other games also show that he is capable of using Link's items as well.

By coincidence, the Dark Link Event Matches in both Melee and Brawl are Event 18.

In Super Smash Bros. Melee

In Melee, Dark Link is fought by the player controlling a red-colored Link in the event match Event 18: Link's Adventure. An all-black character does not appear anywhere else in the game, and aside from the texture and lack of voice effects, he is identical to Link. The texture can be applied to any character via the debug menu or the black character glitch. This version of Dark Link is an allusion to the final boss of Zelda II, Shadow Link. The playable Link's red palette swap is likely referencing the Reflect spell that was used in Zelda II which turned his tunic from green to red. When using an action replay to play as him, he will have voice effects and no dark icon; his icon and voice will be that of a regular Link. The only way to make it so is through the debug menu with Sub-color setting to 3 and status modifier setting to 18 (dark icon and no voice). Also, pressing the b-button will automatically drop to Link on the character select screen when holding a token to select a character.

In Super Smash Bros. Brawl

Dark Link appears as an alternate costume for Link. This design is based on a cameo appearance of Dark Link in Twilight Princess. Also, Dark Link reprises his role as the enemy of Event 18: Dark Link Duel. However, the Dark Link in said event is shown as being completely black, like in Melee and Zelda II. Despite that, Dark Link uses the damage meter icon for the normal palette swap. Co-Op Event 7: Battle of the Dark Sides features the players as Link and Samus versus Dark Link and Dark Samus.

Toon Link also has an alternate costume that resembles a toon version of Dark Link, although this version of Dark Link bears a resemblance to Shadow Link from The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Adventures.

In Super Smash Bros. 4

The Dark Link alternate costumes from Brawl return in Super Smash Bros. 4 for Link and Toon Link. In Super Smash Bros. for Wii U, the Link costume is used to represent the Dark Link character in the Final Battle Team-Up event match and two entirely darkened Links in the A Fated Battle event match.

In Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

In addition to the Dark Link alternate costumes for Link and Toon Link returning from Brawl, Young Link also gains a Dark Link-inspired costume as well.

Gallery

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  Shadow Link as he appears in Zelda II: The Adventure of Link.

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  Dark Link in Ocarina of Time.

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  Dark Link as he appears in Melee.

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  Dark Link as he appears as a palette swap in Brawl.

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  Dark Link as he appears in event matches in Brawl.

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  Young Link's Dark Link-inspired costume in Ultimate.

Trivia

• Dark Link is the only "dark" character to not be a separate playable character from the one they are based on.

See also

• Dark Samus
• Dark Pit