Sheik

For fighter info, see Sheik (SSBM), Sheik (SSBB), Sheik (SSB4), and Sheik (SSBU).

Sheik
{{{content1}}} {{{content2}}} Official artwork for various iterations of Sheik.
Universe	The Legend of Zelda
Debut	The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (1998)
Smash Bros. appearances	Melee Brawl SSB4 Ultimate
Most recent non-Smash appearance	Hyrule Warriors: Definitive Edition (2018)
Console/platform of origin	Nintendo 64
Species	Hylian (disguised as Sheikah)
Gender	Female (disguised as male)
Place of origin	Hyrule
Created by	Toru Osawa Shigeru Miyamoto Yoshiaki Koizumi
Designed by	Yoshiki Haruhana
Voice actor	Jun Mizusawa (Melee/Brawl/SSB4) Ayumi Fujimura (Ultimate)
Article on Zelda Wiki	Sheik

Sheik (シーク, Sheik) is a character from The Legend of Zelda universe. Sheik debuted in The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, claiming to be one of the last surviving Sheikah and aiding Link by teaching him warp songs. In actuality, however, Sheik is the magically-induced alter ego of Princess Zelda.

Origin

Link wearing the Stealth Chest Guard and Stealth Tights of the Stealth Set along with Sheik's Mask in The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. This attire combination was the basis for Sheik's appearance in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.

Sheik is a Sheikah who debuted in The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. Contrasting with Impa, the only other Sheikah seen in the game, Sheik's identity and voice are concealed with conservative clothing and a scarf.

Sheik first appears before Link soon after his spirit is unsealed after being contained within the Chamber of Sages for seven years. Upon meeting Link, Sheik reveals to him his true quest: he is now old enough to properly become the Hero of Time, and now that he has acquired the Light Medallion from Rauru, the Sage of Light, he must also awaken five other Sages and acquire their respective Medallions in order to become powerful enough to stop Ganondorf and save Hyrule.

Following this, Sheik appears before Link at various instances, and uses a harp to teach him warp songs to help him on his quest. In addition to teaching Link these songs, Sheik also imparts words of wisdom before mysteriously disappearing each time, typically via the explosive flash of a Deku Nut.

When all six Sages are awakened, Link arrives at the Temple of Time near the end of the game and is greeted by Sheik, who uses the Triforce of Wisdom to reveal herself as Princess Zelda. It is generally assumed that Sheik is a magically-induced transformation, which is reinforced by her trophy in Super Smash Bros. Melee, and the manga adaptation of Ocarina of Time.

Though Sheik has not made another appearance in a mainline Zelda game to date, her design within the Super Smash Bros. series has been updated over time to match the aesthetics of other installments in the series. When Zelda's design was changed to her Twilight Princess appearance in Brawl, Sheik was also altered to match, now using a design based on concept art the development team created specifically for Brawl. Because Zelda and Sheik were split into unique fighters in SSB4, their designs diverged in Ultimate; while Zelda uses her look from A Link Between Worlds, Sheik was given a unique appearance combining the Twilight Princess design with the Stealth Set, armor based on her design which is available to Link in Breath of the Wild.

Gender dispute

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A popular topic in both The Legend of Zelda and Super Smash Bros. fan communities is Sheik's gender. Many say that Sheik is a female, as she is merely a disguise of Zelda; others suggest that her masculine qualities are because of an actual gender change Zelda undergoes upon transforming into Sheik, explaining the gender alteration as an effect of magic.

The issue originates from Ocarina of Time; in the game, Link encounters Princess Ruto in the Water Temple. She asks Link to thank Sheik for saving her, referring to the Sheikah as "a young man named Sheik..." In addition, the manga adaptation for Ocarina of Time suggests that Zelda uses the Triforce of Wisdom to actually become male while disguised as Sheik; this adaptation, however, is officially considered to be non-canon. Zelda herself apologizes for "meeting Link in disguise", though what she means is very open to interpretation. In addition, it has been argued that the Sheik "character" is male, much like how some real-life crossdressers adopt opposite-gendered stage personas.

While Sheik's gender in Ocarina of Time is still occasionally argued, Sheik is officially considered a female in the Super Smash Bros. series. Sheik's Melee, Brawl, and SSB4 trophies describe her as female, Masahiro Sakurai referred to her as a female in her update on the Smash Bros. DOJO!! website, and she is referred to as female within Brawl's manual. However, Zelda's trophy in Super Smash Bros. 4 refers to Sheik as "a young man", much like Ruto's aforementioned quote in Ocarina of Time (although it could be done to avoid spoilers). Before the Japanese release of Hyrule Warriors, Bill Trinen, Nintendo's senior product marketing manager and head translator for Ocarina of Time, stated in an interview on August 5th, 2014 that since Sheik is Zelda in disguise and Zelda is female, Sheik is therefore also female.

On October 1st, 2018, the Super Smash Blog for Ultimate referred to Sheik as a male; however, the official Nintendo Versus Twitter account referred to Sheik as a female, further perpetuating the dispute. Likewise, the game itself uses both female and male pronouns: Sheik is referred to with female pronouns in her Ultimate Move List and tips, while Palutena and Viridi refer to Sheik as male in the corresponding Palutena's Guidance conversation in Ultimate (much to the confusion of Pit, who knows Sheik's true identity as Zelda).

In Super Smash Bros. Melee

As a playable character

Sheik, as she appears in Melee.

Sheik is one of the new characters introduced in Super Smash Bros. Melee. Rather than being a full-fledged character, she is a transformation of Zelda, which makes them the only characters in Melee to possess such an ability. In addition to her ability to Transform into Zelda, Sheik's Vanish is based on her usage of Deku Nuts in Ocarina of Time.

Unlike Zelda, Sheik boasts very fast attack speed and excellent mobility. When coupled with her deceptively powerful smash attacks, Sheik was initially deemed broken by some players, until the evolution of Melee's metagame revealed that she has a poor recovery and a mediocre neutral game. Overall, Sheik's strengths largely outweigh her weaknesses, and she is currently ranked 4th out of 26 on the tier list.

Trophies

In addition to the Zelda trophies, there are three Sheik trophies available in Melee. Her main trophy reads as follows:
Sheik
This is Zelda's alter ego. Using a variation of the name of the ancient Sheikah tribe, she appears before Link and teaches him melodies instrumental to his success. It's believed that she's not just a quick-change artist, but rather that she is able to instantaneously alter her clothing and her eye and skin color by using her magical skills.

• The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, 11/98 (N64)

• 

  Sheik [Classic Mode] trophy

• 

  Sheik [Smash, Adventure Mode] trophy

• 

  Sheik [Smash, All-Star Mode] trophy

In Super Smash Bros. Brawl

As a playable character

Sheik, as she appears in Brawl.

Unlike Melee, Super Smash Bros. Brawl does not feature the Princess Zelda from Ocarina of Time. Instead, she has been succeeded by her descendant, the Zelda from The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess. Due to this, many debates initially came about as to whether or not Sheik would return.

Many argued that because Sheik did not appear in Twilight Princess, Zelda would not be able to Transform into Sheik. By extension, many cited the fact that the Hero of Time had also been succeeded by his own descendant, the Link from Twilight Princess, who features special moves that were reworked to fit with Twilight Princess' aesthetics. Conversely, others argued that even though the Zelda in Melee was explicitly the Ocarina of Time incarnation, she was not supposed to be based on any specific Zelda, but rather an amalgamation of all Zelda's past and present. As a result, they argued that the Twilight Princess incarnation of Zelda would not be prevented from being able to Transform into Sheik as her ancestor could in Melee.

The debate was settled with the revelation of Sheik's inclusion in Famitsu's review of Brawl. Shortly thereafter, Smash Bros. DOJO!! confirmed Sheik's inclusion via its January 16th update. Sheik's special moves have remained unchanged, but much like Zelda, Link, and Ganondorf, she now features an updated design based on Twilight Princess' aesthetics.

Sheik's updated design was created for Brawl to represent the Twilight Princess version of Zelda. Her new design noticeably includes a braided ponytail, similar to Zelda's design in Twilight Princess.

Sheik's playstyle is largely similar to how it was in Melee, though she now has a Final Smash, Light Arrow, that she shares with Zelda. However, her KO potential has been severely weakened, while her endurance has also worsened. As a result, Sheik is currently ranked 25th out of 38 on the tier list, which renders her as a mid-tier character.

Trophies

Sheik has a trophy that is awarded each time Classic Mode is completed with Sheik on any difficulty. See Light Arrow for the trophy description of Sheik's Final Smash:

Sheik trophy in Brawl.

Sheik
The persona Zelda adopted to escape from Ganondorf. She completely hid all traces of her Zelda identity and appeared to Link as the last member of the Sheikah tribe. She taught Link essential ocarina melodies and then vanished in an instant. She didn't appear very often--rather, she would show up to support Link in crucial situations.

: The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time

Sticker

Name	Game	Effect	Characters
Sheik	The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time	AttackBodySpin+017 Attack +17	Link Zelda Toon Link Ganondorf

Sheik (Zelda: Ocarina of Time)

In Super Smash Bros. 4

As a playable character

Sheik, as she appears in Super Smash Bros. 4.

Sheik returns as a playable character in Super Smash Bros. 4. Although she has retained her Twilight Princess design, her overall color scheme is now more vibrant because of SSB4's aesthetics. By extension, she now has an alternate costume that features the color scheme of her attire in Ocarina of Time.

Unlike in previous installments, Sheik is now a standalone character, like Zero Suit Samus and Charizard. She has also gained two new special moves, one of which compensates for her independence from Zelda: Burst Grenade replaces Chain (and also results in her side taunt being modified), and Bouncing Fish replaces Transform.

Sheik has been buffed significantly in the transition from Brawl to SSB4, thanks to many of her attacks being partially reverted to how they functioned in Melee, or updated outright. Unlike in Melee, she now has a noticeably better neutral game and recovery. Her neutral game benefits from Needle Storm's faster travel speed and increased knockback, as well as her faster walking, dashing, and air speeds.

In comparison, Sheik's recovery benefits from her much faster airspeed, Bouncing Fish's ability to function as a horizontal recovery option, and the removal of edge-hogging. Outside of these changes, Sheik still boasts unarguably the best frame data among the cast, which results in her retaining an excellent combo game, and makes her exceedingly difficult to punish.

However, Sheik retains a low overall damage output, mediocre smash attacks, unimpressive endurance, a lack of reliable KO setups at high percentages, and only a handful of KOing options (sweet spotted up smash, up aerial, Vanish's disappearing hitbox, and Bouncing Fish). In addition, game updates heavily nerfed some of Sheik's most viable options, such as weakening her forward aerial, hindering her forward and down throws' combo potentials at high percentages, and decreasing Needle Storm's range.

Overall, Sheik's strengths largely outweigh her weaknesses, and she has achieved great tournament representation and results as a result. To reflect this, Sheik is currently ranked 4th out of 55 on the tier list, and she has maintained her status as a top-tier character throughout SSB4's lifespan like in Melee.

As a costume

Sheik Mask in SSB4.

A Sheik Mask is available as headgear for all Mii Fighter types.

Trophies

Sheik

In The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, Sheik claimed to be a surviving Sheikah. However, this was just a cunning disguise for Princess Zelda so that she could escape Ganondorf. In Smash Bros., she's the complete opposite of Zelda, striking with fast attacks that can keep an opponent off balance.

Sheik is introduced in The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time as the "survivor of the Sheikah", although it turns out to be Zelda, who took on the disguise to hide from Ganondorf. Sheik's ninja-like speed is a real contrast with Zelda's, and it allows for sneaky, fast-paced attacks that overwhelm opponents before they can even react.

Sheik (Alt.)

Sheik's Burst Grenade side special throws a small grenade that draws in nearby fighters before exploding. Once the button has been released, it'll hop or explode after a time. The down special Bouncing Fish is an attack where Sheik strikes with both heels, falling similarly to the way a fish might flop around.

Sheik's Burst Grenade side special throws a small grenade that draws in nearby fighters then explodes. Hold the button longer to throw it further. The down special Bouncing Fish is a fish-like flop forwards that has Sheik attack with both heels on the way down. If the move connects, Sheik will bounce back up into the air.

• 

  Classic (3DS)

• 

  Classic (Wii U)

• 

  Alt. (3DS)

• 

  Alt. (Wii U)

In Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

As a playable character

Sheik, as she appears in Ultimate.

Sheik returns as a standalone character in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. However, her design has been overhauled to reference The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild; Sheik now wears the Stealth Chest Guard and Stealth Tights from the Stealth Set, while her mask is now similar to its appearance as headgear armor in Breath of the Wild. Unlike her previous appearances, Sheik is now an unlockable character instead of a starter character.

As Sheik was top tier for most of Smash 4 even in spite of the nerfs she received in updates, she was drastically nerfed in the transition to Ultimate. Her damage output was severely reduced, forcing her to rack up extremely long strings of hits to deal any notable damage. Her already low weight was also decreased even further, and she doesn't benefit much from universal mobility improvements compared to other characters. Sheik's initially abysmal perception has slowly improved thanks to recent buffs however, and currently she is generally agreed to be mid-tier.

As a costume

Sheik Mask in Ultimate.

The Sheik Mask returns as headgear for all Mii Fighter types.

Spirit

• 

  174. Sheik

Names in other languages

Language	Name
Japanese	シーク, Sheik
French	Sheik
German	Shiek
Spanish	Sheik
Italian	Sheik
Chinese	希克, Sheik
Korean	시크, Sheik
Dutch	Sheik
Russian	Шиик
Portuguese	Sheik

Trivia

• Sheik and Ganondorf both made their playable debuts in Super Smash Bros. Melee, and both made their playable debuts outside of the Super Smash Bros. series in Hyrule Warriors.
  • Not counting Roy, they are also the first two fighters to make their playable debut in the Smash series before becoming playable in games of their own universe.
• Sheik is the only character in the Super Smash Bros. series to have been ranked at the very top of the tier list in two different games; she was ranked 1st on SSB4's first tier list, and was ranked 1st on Melee's first seven tier lists.
  • She and Diddy Kong are also the only characters in the Super Smash Bros. series to have been ranked 1st on an installment's respective tier list, and then later lose that position on said installment's subsequent tier list.
• Sheik is the only playable Zelda character to only appear in her debut game. Because her design was updated to match the then-latest Zelda game in Brawl and Ultimate in spite of this, Melee is the only game to use a canonical design for her.
  • Strangely enough, despite 3DS featuring the playable Zelda cast introduced in Melee in their Ocarina of Time designs, referencing their appearances in that game as trophies, Sheik was not given a trophy, making SSB4 the only game where Sheik's canonical design is not directly referenced at all.
• Sheik's appearance in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate marks the first time in any video game where she is shown using her dagger.
  • Ironically, Sheik's dagger does not appear to be equipped in her design.
• In Ultimate, Sheik is the only character to have her moves written solely in kanji, including her Final Smash.
• In both Melee and Smash 4, Sheik is somewhat ironically near the top of the tier list, while her true form as Zelda is near the bottom.
  • In fact, the first tier list for SSB4 listed Zelda as the worst character in the game while Sheik was the best.
• Zelda and Sheik are the only characters whose voice actor remained the same in three installments in a row across all regions before being recasted. If regional differences are ignored, this also applies to Falco (in Japanese) and Marth (in international releases) as well.
  • Coincidentally, all four debuted in Melee.