Link
- For fighter info, see Link (SSB), Link (SSBM), Link (SSBB), Link (SSB4), and Link (SSBU).
| Link | |
|---|---|
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{{{content4}}}  Official artwork for various iterations of Link. | |
| Universe | The Legend of Zelda |
| Debut | The Legend of Zelda (1986) |
| Smash Bros. appearances | SSB Melee Brawl SSB4 Ultimate |
| Most recent non-Smash appearance | Game & Watch: The Legend of Zelda (2021; 2 years ago) |
| Console/platform of origin | Nintendo Entertainment System (Famicom Disk System) |
| Species | Hylian |
| Gender | Male |
| Place of origin | Hyrule |
| Created by | Shigeru Miyamoto Takashi Tezuka |
| Voice actor | Nobuyuki Hiyama (SSB/Melee) Akira Sasanuma (Brawl/SSB4) Kengo Takanashi (Ultimate) |
| Article on Zeldapedia | Link |
Link (リンク, Link) is the protagonist of The Legend of Zelda series. Unlike the majority of Nintendo protagonists, there are several distinct incarnations of Link seen throughout The Legend of Zelda series, each of whom are destined to become heroes against powerful forces of evil, most notably Ganondorf/Ganon. Due to the consistent critical and commercial success of The Legend of Zelda series, Link is marketed as one of Nintendo's flagship characters alongside Mario, the company's mascot, to the point that both he and Mario are marketed together as mascots for Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.
As a member of the "perfect-attendance crew", Link has been featured as a playable character throughout the Super Smash Bros. series. Compared to the rest of the crew, however, he holds the distinction of doing so in name only because of three of his incarnations (the Hero of Time, the Hero of Twilight, and the Hero of the Wild) appearing as playable characters. By extension, prepubescent incarnations have also been playable, with the first instance of this occurring in Super Smash Bros. Melee.
Origin
Link's first appearance was in The Legend of Zelda, which depicted his quest to rescue Princess Zelda and the land of Hyrule from the evil Ganon. Link is designed with a green tunic and a green hat, which, like Mario's design, was due to the NES' hardware limitations. This appearance has since been traditional for Link, with the exception of his appearance in Breath of the Wild, which nevertheless features versions of his traditional green clothes as unlockable attires.
It is worth noting that while there have been multiple games within The Legend of Zelda series, it has not always been the same Link who the player controls. This is evident with the fact that there are multiple timelines within the series, wherein many games typically feature a new Link with a new origin. Notable examples include "Hylia's Chosen Hero" (referring to the Link from Skyward Sword), the "Hero of Time" (referring to the Link from Ocarina of Time/Majora's Mask), the "Hero of Winds" (referring to the Link from The Wind Waker/Phantom Hourglass), and the "Hero of Twilight" (referring to the Link from Twilight Princess). While the only blood relation between any Links was shown in Twilight Princess between the Hero of Time and the Hero of Twilight, each Link has nevertheless been shown to possess the spirit of the hero.
On a related note, Link's age has also varied. In some games, such as The Wind Waker and the present timeline of Ocarina of Time, Link is a child, with these two particular incarnations being represented as playable characters in the Super Smash Bros. series. In Skyward Sword, Zelda II: The Adventure of Link, Breath of the Wild, Twilight Princess and the future timeline of Ocarina of Time, Link is depicted as a teenager, with the incarnations from the latter three games also being playable characters in the Super Smash Bros. series.
In addition, Link, regardless of his age, almost always starts out as unremarkable until learning of his heroic destiny and, as his journey presses onward, gradually progresses into a full-fledged hero. For example, Ocarina of Time features him as a young boy whose mother entrusted him in the care of the Great Deku Tree before dying. The Wind Waker also features him as a young boy, albeit living a happy and carefree life on Outset Island alongside his grandmother and younger sister Aryll. In Twilight Princess, he is an ordinary young man working at Ordon Ranch. Breath of the Wild is one of the few exceptions to this rule, introducing him as a knight and a descendant of many other knights.
Link also traditionally never speaks outright, remaining a silent protagonist. There are instances throughout the franchise to imply that Link is speaking, such as other characters replying to him in conversations despite not saying anything and dialogue boxes with responses occasionally appearing. This is done to make Link a blank slate with minimal personality, which makes it easier for the player to project themselves onto Link and immerse themselves in the game.
Regardless of his origin, each incarnation of Link is tasked with defeating the main antagonist of the story, most frequently Ganondorf/Ganon, in order to stop them from either taking over the world or, in other cases, destroying it. Other hallmarks shared by the Links are their ability to wield the Master Sword and their possession of the Triforce of Courage, although these are not depicted universally.
Due to the The Legend of Zelda series giving Link simple and concise answers that the player can pick instead of traditional dialogue, there is very little insight into the personalities of the majority of his incarnations. While the only incarnations to expressively show distinct personalities are the ones from Ocarina of Time/Majora's Mask, The Wind Waker/Phantom Hourglass, Twilight Princess, Spirit Tracks, Skyward Sword, and Breath of the Wild, universal traits among Link's incarnations are bravery, humility, and politeness.
In Super Smash Bros.
As a playable character
Link's first appearance in a fighting game, and by extension his first official appearance in a Nintendo game outside of his home series, is in Super Smash Bros. as one of the eight starter characters. The incarnation that appears is the Hero of Time from The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time.
Link is a slow heavyweight whose Master Sword grants him many disjointed attacks that allow for ranged combat. His neutral special move is Boomerang, which is a fast attack that will return to him. His up special move is Spin Attack, which boasts impressive power, but is cited as his main weakness due to its lackluster recovery potential. Lastly, his down special move is Bomb, which can be thrown either directly at opponents for combos, or to rest on the ground.
Due to his flaws, Link is currently ranked 11th out of 12 on the tier list, placing him in the C tier.
Link's in-game character description says:
- Link
- Link is the valiant boy hero of "The Legend of Zelda" series in which he fights against the evil Ganon to recover the Triforce. Though his tools may change with each adventure, his strength and righteousness remain constant. With his trusty sword and a variety of weapons, he takes adventure head on!
- Works:
- The Legend of Zelda (NES),
- The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past (SNES),
- The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (N64)
In Super Smash Bros. Melee
As a playable character
The Hero of Time incarnation of Link returns in Super Smash Bros. Melee as a starter character. He retains his Ocarina of Time design, although redesigned in a way so that he has a far more detailed look, even more so than the game his design is based on - largely due to the improved graphics of the GameCube. While his playstyle has been largely retained, his moves have been slightly tweaked. Spin Attack is now a much more reliable recovery move, while Boomerang is now assigned as Link's side special. Like the rest of his fellow veterans, he received a fourth special move, with his being Bow. It is a neutral special move that allows Link to fire an arrow, with the arrow's range being dependent on how long the player holds down the B button. Finally, his Hylian Shield is no longer purely aesthetic, as it can block projectiles while Link is standing still or crouching.
Link has been buffed in the transition to Melee. In addition to retaining his Master Sword's disjointed range and his numerous projectiles, Spin Attack covers more distance in the air and his faster air speed. However, he has a very slow dashing speed, and is easy to combo due to his heavy weight and quick falling speed.
Thanks to his buffs, Link is currently ranked 18th out of 26 on the tier list. This places him at the bottom of the E tier, and renders him as the lowest ranking mid-tier character.
Trophies
As a playable character, Link has three trophies - a normal trophy won beating the Classic Mode with Link on any difficulty, and "Smash Red" and "Smash Blue" trophies are acquired by beating the Adventure and All-Star modes, respectively. His Classic Mode trophy reads as follows:
Link
Even in his youth, Link was already becoming the warrior who would carry the destiny of Hyrule (and many other lands) on his shoulders. His epic struggles against the forces of darkness are written in legend, and he is bound to the Princess Zelda and the archfiend Ganondorf by the awesome power of the Triforce.
- The Legend of Zelda, 07/87 (NES)
Main (Classic Mode) trophy
Smash (Red, Adventure Mode) trophy
Smash (Blue, All-Star Mode) trophy
.png)
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In Super Smash Bros. Brawl
As a playable character
Unlike the previous two installments, Super Smash Bros. Brawl does not feature the Hero of Time. Instead, he has been succeeded by his descendant, the "Hero of Twilight" from The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess. While this Link's playstyle is essentially the same as his ancestor's, some of his moves are slightly different in order to match his aesthetics and functionalities in Twilight Princess. This is most apparent with the Gale Boomerang and the Clawshot: the former can pull opponents and items toward Link with a small tornado, whereas the latter can grab an edge, but not walls. Other changes include the arrows of his Hero's Bow, which now disappear after a distance, and his Spin Attack now being chargeable when used on the ground.
Like the rest of the cast, Link has a Final Smash that he obtains when he breaks a Smash Ball. In his case, his Final Smash is the Triforce Slash, in which light from the Triforce of Courage on Link's hand shoots out and traps an opponent in between two large Triforce-shaped force fields. Link then dashes at the opponent, unleashes a barrage of slashes, and then finishes with a powerful blow with enough knockback to one-hit KO the opponent if nothing gets in the way.
While this Link's attacks are stronger, his mobility and recovery are very poor, to the point that the latter is comparable to his ancestor's in SSB. Due to his weaknesses largely outweighing his strengths, Link is ranked 35th out 38 on the tier list. This places him in the F tier, and renders him as a bottom-tier character.
Trophies
Link has a trophy that is awarded each time the Classic Mode is completed with Link on any difficulty. See Toon Link for the trophies based on The Wind Waker Link:
Link
- A young man who emerged to rescue Hyrule from peril. He's the bearer of the Triforce of Courage who fights to keep Ganondorf from conquering the world. His green outfit is a constant throughout the series. He's a skilled swordsman, horseman, and archer. He's also proficient with bombs and boomerangs.
: The Legend of Zelda
: The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess
Triforce Slash
- Link with a Smash Ball, releasing his ultimate attack. Light flares from the Triforce symbol on the back of his hand and rushes out to meet the enemy he faces. The enemy gets trapped within the glittering Triforce, is quickly cut to shreds, and is launched by the last strike. The attack works on one enemy at a time, so it's best to go after the character in first place.
- : Super Smash Bros. Brawl
Wolf Link
- Link's alternate form in the Twilight Realm. In this form, he cannot use weapons such as swords or shields, but he can attack with a ferocious wolf bite. He also has a number of unique skills inherent to his beast form, such as a keen sense of smell, the ability to dig, and a loud wolf howl.
- : The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess
Link trophy.
Triforce Slash (Link) Trophy.
Wolf Link trophy.
_-_Brawl_Trophy.png)
Stickers
| Name | Game | Effect | Fighters |
|---|---|---|---|
| Epona & Link | The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time |   Attack +9
|
   
|
| Link | The Legend of Zelda |  Attack +17
|
|
| Link | The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past |  Resistance +31
|
|
| Link | The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess |  Resistance +27
|
|
| Midna & Wolf Link | The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess | Attack +26
|
|
.png) Epona & Link (Zelda: Ocarina of Time) |
.png) Link (The Legend of Zelda) |
.png) Link (Zelda: Link to the Past) |
.png) Link (Zelda: Twilight Princess) |
.png) Midna & Wolf Link (Zelda: Twilight Princess) |
In Super Smash Bros. 4
As a playable character
The Twilight Princess incarnation of Link reappears as a starter character in Super Smash Bros. 4. However, his overall color scheme is noticeably more vibrant because of SSB4's aesthetics, making him look more like his Skyward Sword incarnation, whom was otherwise unused in Smash.
Link has been buffed in the transition to SSB4. Many of his attacks are faster and stronger, while SSB4's new edge mechanics make his Clawshot's tether recovery more dependable. His projectiles have also seen some improvements: Hero's Bow charges faster, Gale Boomerang's new launching angle improves its follow-up potential, and Bomb deals more damage if it explodes near the opponent's feet. However, Link is still highly susceptible to rushdowns because of his rather sluggish mobility, while some of his attacks' damage outputs were slightly lowered.
Thanks to his buffs largely outweighing his nerfs, Link has been able to attain some notable players in tournament play and achieve respectable results, even at the national level. As a result, he is ranked 31st out of 55; in addition to placing him near the top of D tier, this renders him a mid-tier character like his ancestor is in Melee.
As a costume
In addition to his playable appearance, Link's appearance serves as the basis of a downloadable content costume for Mii Swordfighters. Nintendo also released a QR code for those who wish to have the exact Mii used in the costume's advertising. While the costume is based on Link's SSB4 appearance, its simplified design, brighter color scheme, and mirrored hairstyle closely resemble the Skyward Sword incarnation of Link.
Trophies
- Link
Green tunic? Pointy hat? Yep, it's Link, all right! In this game, his sword and shield make for effective attacking and blocking, and his bow, bombs, and boomerang will spice up any battle. He's even brought his Clawshot for grabbing enemies and edges. Jeez, just how much stuff can Link carry?
Green clothes? Pointy hat? Yep, it's Link, all right! In this game, his sword and shield make for effective attacking and blocking, and his bow, bombs, and boomerang will spice up any battle. He's even brought his Clawshot for grabbing enemies and edges. The hero of Hyrule is really kitted out for a brawl!
- Link (Alt.)
- If Link was on a desert island and could only pick one item, it'd be his powerful sword. This weapon is key to his down-air attack, a move with great launching potential and the ability to strike twice. He can also strike twice with his side smash—the second blow deals more damage and launches harder.
- Of all of his weapons, Link's sword may be the most lethal. His down air attack has incredible launching power. What's more, he'll bounce up afterwards, allowing for a follow-up strike. His side smash can also be followed up with a more powerful second blow that sends foes flying - just press the button again straight away.
- Adult Link (Ocarina of Time)
- The children from Kokiri Forest never seem to grow into adults. Just a young boy, Link is entrusted with a quest by the Great Deku Tree. He leaves the forest and eventually finds the Master Sword in the Temple of Time. When he awakes, he is seven years in the future and an adult!
- Link was once a carefree lad living with the Kokiri in Kokiri Forest, but one day, the Great Deku Tree entrusted him with an important task and he had to leave. His quest led him to find the Master Sword, and when he took it, seven years passed in the blink of an eye. Before he knew it, Link had grown into a young man!
- Wolf Link
- Hey, who let a wolf in here? This is the spot for a trophy of Link! The wolf does look cool, though... Oh, oops! That wolf is Link, from Twilight Princess, after he steps into Twilight. It's actually a pretty handy transformation. Maybe the Master Sword can help him transform at will...
- Hold on a sec! Where's our dashing young swordsman? Oh... This IS him, just...in wolf form. When he steps into the eerie Twilight world, Link becomes this rough-looking beast! Luckily, he turns back into normal Link eventually, but with the Master Sword letting him transform at will, he might feel like going wolf again from time to time.
Classic (3DS)
Classic (Wii U)
Alt. (3DS)
Alt. (Wii U)
Adult Link (Ocarina of Time)
Wolf Link
In Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
As a playable character
Link returns in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate as a playable character. Initially teased alongside Mario and the Inklings during the then-unnamed Super Smash Bros. trailer at the end of the March 8th, 2018 Nintendo Direct,[1] he was formally announced alongside the rest of the cast via Ultimate's E3 2018 trailer on June 12th, 2018.[2]
Like Brawl, Ultimate features a new incarnation of Link succeeding a previously playable one; in this case, it is the "Hero of the Wild" from The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. In addition to wearing the Champion's Tunic as part of his default costume, Link has the Wild Set of clothes as an alternate costume.
Compared to his predecessors, Link features a few noticeably distinct properties to his moveset. He is now right handed as in Breath of the Wild, with several altered animations as a result. While at 0%, he can use his forward smash to launch a Sword Beam, improving his camping potential near the beginning of his stocks. Compared to his previous Bombs, the Remote Bomb Rune is detonated on command, granting it improved utility and KO potential. He lacks a Hookshot or Clawshot due to neither of them appearing in Breath of the Wild; while his grab has less range and can no longer be used for spacing or recovery, it is much faster and thus safer to use. He can also pick up previously fired arrows and shoot two simultaneously, and his Final Smash utilizes an Ancient Bow to fire an Ancient Arrow, similar to Zelda and Sheik's Light Arrow in previous installments.
Aside from these changes, Link has been noticeably buffed from Smash 4. His Master Sword has greater reach, and he greatly benefits from the universal reduction of landing lag, although his already sluggish frame data has been further worsened in other aspects. His Boomerang has reverted to its appearance from 64 and Melee, restoring some of its combo potential. Due to these buffs and his more technical gameplan, Link has been positively received in competitive play with strong representation and results, and is generally agreed to be at least a high-tier fighter.
As a costume
Link's downloadable costume for the Mii Swordfighter from the previous installment is now unlockable, but it is also accompanied by a new outfit based on the Champion's Tunic from The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild.
A Mii Swordfighter costume of Link's Ancient Soldier Gear from Breath of the Wild is available as downloadable content for players who purchase Fighters Pass Vol. 2. This costume wields an Ancient Short Sword and carries an Ancient Shield, although the shield is purely aesthetic.
Spirits
Fighter spirit
172. Link
Primary spirits
| No. | Image | Name | Type | Class | Slots | Base 
|
Max
|
Base 
|
Max
|
Base 
|
Max
|
Ability | Series |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 93 |  |
Master Cycle |  |
★★★★ | 2 | 4175 | 10440 | 2188 | 5471 | 1827 | 4568 | Speed ↑ | Mario Kart Series |
| 178 | .png) |
Link (The Legend of Zelda) |  |
★★★★ | 3 | 4182 | 10459 | 1920 | 4802 | 1882 | 4707 | Sword Attack ↑ | The Legend of Zelda Series |
| 223 |  |
Wolf Link & Midna | |
★★★★ | 3 | 4458 | 11147 | 2103 | 5258 | 2103 | 5258 | Dash Attack ↑ | The Legend of Zelda Series |
| 233 |  |
Wall-Merged Link | |
★★ | 3 | 1429 | 5716 | 793 | 3172 | 636 | 2544 | Can Be Enhanced at Lv. 99 | The Legend of Zelda Series |
| 234 | .png) |
Link (A Link Between Worlds) | |
★★★ | 3 | 2925 | 8776 | 1449 | 4347 | 1311 | 3933 | Weapon Attack ↑ | The Legend of Zelda Series |
| 1,322 | .png) |
Link (Link's Awakening) | |
★★★ | 3 | 3068 | 9253 | 1776 | 5355 | 1065 | 3213 | Water Weakness | The Legend of Zelda Series |
Support spirits
| No. | Image | Name | Class | Cost | Ability | Series |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 196 |  |
Epona | ★★★ | 1 | Undamaged Attack & Speed ↑ | The Legend of Zelda Series |
| 217 |  |
Ricky | ★ | 1 | Fist Attack ↑ | The Legend of Zelda Series |
| 218 | .png) |
Dimitri (The Legend of Zelda) | ★ | 1 | Swimmer | The Legend of Zelda Series |
| 219 |  |
Moosh | ★ | 2 | Instadrop | The Legend of Zelda Series |
| 231 |  |
Loftwing | ★ | 1 | Landing Lag ↓ | The Legend of Zelda Series |
Gallery
Link (Wild Set), as he appears in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.
Link in his Ancient Armor, the basis of a Mii Fighter outfit.
In other languages
| Language | Name |
|---|---|
 Japanese |
リンク, Link |
 English |
Link |
 French |
Link |
 German |
Link |
 Spanish |
Link |
 Italian |
Link |
 Chinese |
林克, Link |
 Korean |
링크, Link |
 Dutch |
Link |
 Russian |
Линк |
 Portuguese |
Link |
Trivia
- Link and Princess Zelda are the only playable characters in the Super Smash Bros. series who have varying designs based on different incarnations of their namesakes. In Link's case, his Hero of Time incarnation is playable in SSB and Melee; his Hero of Twilight incarnation is playable in Brawl and SSB4; and his Hero of the Wild incarnation is playable in Ultimate.
- In Ultimate, while the Breath of the Wild incarnation of Link is a fighter and the A Link Between Worlds incarnation of Link is a spirit, the opposite is true for Zelda.
- Skyward Sword is the only 3D console game whose incarnation is not represented directly by Link himself in the Super Smash Bros. series. However, this design is represented by two spirits in Ultimate: one of him riding a Loftwing, and one of him riding the Master Cycle from Mario Kart 8 and Mario Kart 8 Deluxe.
- Link and Captain Falcon have shared the same weight value throughout the Super Smash Bros. series.
- As of Melee, Link is one of only three characters who has had a forward smash that can unleash a second hit upon a second button press. Fittingly, he shares this trait with Young Link and, prior to Ultimate, Toon Link.
- Coincidentally, Link's appearance and design in both Melee and Smash 4 use a graphically-improved version of the design used in their respective origin games, which was also used in demos for the consoles said Super Smash Bros. games were based on: the SpaceWorld 2000 GameCube Tech Demo and the Zelda HD Experience for the Wii U, respectively.
- Also coincidentally, the three incarnations of Link seen in the Smash franchise had previous versions make cameo appearances in games that would inspire his default designs in subsequent games: The Hero of Time (which was the basis of both his appearances in SSB64 and Melee, as Adult Link, as well as Young Link being a separate character) appeared in Twilight Princess (which was the basis for his appearance in Brawl and SSB4) as the "Hero's Shade", an armored ghost-like figure who assists Link in that game, while the Twilight Princess version of Link appeared in Breath of the Wild (which is the basis for his current appearance in Ultimate) in his wolf form via amiibo.
- Palutena's Guidance is the first official source to refer to the Breath of the Wild incarnation of Link as the "Hero of the Wild". This moniker was originally coined by fans, derived from the Tunic of the Wild and the naming pattern of the other Links' amiibo-unlocked tunics from that game; the Hero of Time's tunic is called the Tunic of Time, the Hero of Twilight's tunic is called the Tunic of Twilight, and so on.
- Link is, along Hero, one of the two playable characters in Smash whose Copy Ability hat is based on an alternate costume rather than the default design. In this case, Kirby still wears the iconic green cap when copying Link in Ultimate, even though it has been relegated to Link's Hero of the Wild alternate costume and is not featured in the default Champion's Tunic.
- Conceptually, Link and Zelda "swapped" their Final Smashes in the transition from Smash 4 to Ultimate. In Brawl and Smash 4, Link uses the Triforce of Courage to attack with Triforce Slash, while Zelda fires an arrow with Light Arrow; in Ultimate, Link fires an arrow with the Ancient Bow and Arrow, and Zelda uses the Triforce of Wisdom to attack.
- In the official one-shot manga The Nintendo All-Stars Free-For-All! Smash Brothers, Link assumes the role of Phantom X, the main antagonist of the manga. He, along with Samus Aran and Fox McCloud as henchmen, decided to create these alter egos so the other characters can stop bickering and unite as friends against a common enemy. Phantom X has never reappeared in any media since this manga.
References
| Character Inspirations for Mii Fighter Costumes in Super Smash Bros. 4 | |
|---|---|
 Mii Brawler
|
Akira · Captain Falcon · Flying Man · Heihachi · Jacky · King K. Rool · Knuckles · Toad |
 Mii Swordfighter
|
Ashley · Black Knight · Chrom · Dunban · Gil · Link · Lloyd · Monster Hunter · Takamaru · Viridi · Zero |
 Mii Gunner
|
Fox · Geno · Inkling · Isabelle · K.K. Slider · MegaMan.EXE · Proto Man · Samus · Tails · X |
| Headgear only | Barbara · Chain Chomp · Chocobo · Daisy · Inkling Squid · Luigi · Majora's Mask · Mario · Meta Knight · Peach · Red Shell · Sheik · Shy Guy · Spiny · Super Mushroom · Waluigi · Wario · Zelda |
