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Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

Link (SSBU)

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Revision as of 01:22, September 7, 2024 by Aidanzapunk (talk | contribs) (unnecessary, this alt holds no significance in-game here or elsewhere in the series)
This article is about Link's appearance in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. For the character in other contexts, see Link.
Link
in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
Link SSBU.png
Link-Alt1 SSBU.png

ZeldaSymbol.svg
Universe The Legend of Zelda
Other playable appearances in SSB
in Melee
in Brawl
in SSB4
Availability Starter
Final Smash Ancient Bow and Arrow
Tier C+ (56)
Link (SSBU)

Link (リンク, Link) is a playable character in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. He was suggested to appear in the then unnamed Ultimate in its first teaser trailer at the end of the March 8th, 2018 Nintendo Direct, and officially announced in Ultimate's E3 2018 trailer on June 12th. Link is classified as Fighter #03.

Kengo Takanashi, Link's voice actor from The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, reprises his role in all regions; rather than re-purposing his voice clips from past Zelda as per tradition, Takanashi provides brand new voice clips that mimic his portrayals from Breath of the Wild, succeeding Akira Sasanuma's portrayal from The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess used since 2006 in Brawl and Super Smash Bros. 4.

Link is currently ranked 56th out of 82 characters on the current tier list, placing him in the C+ tier. Despite being buffed overall from SSB4, this is a moderate drop from his placement in SSB4, where he ranked 31st out of 54. Link has solid disjointed range, courtesy of the iconic Master Sword, with several strong KO moves that utilize it, such as his forward tilt, dash attack, forward aerial, his smash attacks, up aerial, down aerial, and Spin Attack. Link's non-sword moves also have amazing utility. His neutral aerial, in particular, is notorious for being a staple of his neutral game, being a strong landing, spacing, edgeguarding, and pressure tool. Link also has a strong projectile game, with his Remote Bomb acting as a dynamic tool for mindgames, item combos, edgeguarding, recovering, and ledgetrapping that he can activate at any time. His Boomerang is also good at catching approaches and keeping opponents in check. Overall, Link has a strong zoning game with powerful KO tools should his opponent get up close to him.

However, Link has several weaknesses. He is on the slower side of the spectrum, so he struggles to keep up with faster characters who can get around his projectiles. Link's sword moves also have below-average frame data, which can cause him to be overwhelmed by faster moves. Link is also a heavyweight, making him one of the easiest characters to combo and juggle and keep in disadvantage. His recovery is also exploitable, as his Spin Attack travels in a predictable path, leaving his head vulnerable to spikes or lingering hitboxes.

Overall, Link has the tools to keep out his opponents and KO them at fairly low percentages, but should his defenses be infiltrated, it makes it difficult for him to get back in neutral. Link had promising results in the early metagame thanks to strong performances from T; however, his results and representation declined significantly in the post-online metagame, with only a few notable performances from players such as Rido and Kyon.

Attributes

Link is a heavyweight swordsman that sports powerful attacks and long range via the Master Sword. Link sports an above-average walking speed, the 15th slowest dashing speed, above-average initial dash, the 10th slowest air speed (tied with Diddy Kong), the 4th slowest air acceleration, average gravity, above-average falling speed, the 6th highest fast falling speed, and above-average traction. Lastly, Link has among the lowest jumps in the game. Overall, these stats render Link's mobility generally poor. Like his alternate timeline counterparts and Hero, Link possesses two shields instead of just one. In Link's case, he wields the Hylian Shield, which blocks opposing projectiles if he is standing still, walking, or crouching. Like Toon Link, Link also wields his respective version of the Master Sword, which sports overall better range compared to the previous installment.

In addition to overall long range, Link's grounded moveset features other merits: neutral attack deals above-average damage and has a reliable semi-spike in its third hit. Forward tilt boasts both above-average damage and knockback, which in tandem with its good range and low ending lag, makes for a great spacing option. Up tilt also deals above-average damage which, in tandem with its low ending lag and large range, makes it a great juggling option. Down tilt possesses low ending lag, satisfactory damage, and high vertical knockback; altogether, these traits render it a great combo starter for devastating chains of aerial attacks. Dash attack possesses high damage, knockback, range, and traveling distance, all of which make it very useful for KOs at around 110%.

Link's KO potential shines strongly in his smash attacks, all of which deal high damage and knockback. Forward smash has large range and a tipper on the first hit. His forward smash is a natural combo without activating the tip. When Link is at 0% or when he has full stamina in a stamina battle, the first swing of his forward smash releases a sword beam that can be charged to improve damage and distance. His up smash hits three times, has wide range, and average startup; these attributes, in tandem with up smash's high damage and knockback, makes it very reliable for both damage-racking and KOing. His down smash deals the lowest damage out of Link's smash attacks, but its decent speed and vertical trajectory make it a very useful edgeguarding option; down smash's edgeguarding capabilities are further bolstered through its second hit's strongest hitbox, which is a reliable semi-spike.

Link's aerial attacks are useful in their own rights. His neutral aerial is a sex kick with low all-around lag and good damage output overall, and is able to lock and combo with other aerial and ground attacks; forward aerial sports long range, low landing lag, and high damage, making it one of Link's most reliable KOing options; back aerial is Link's fastest aerial in terms of startup lag, being able to combo into itself at low percents and other attacks at higher percents; up aerial deals high damage, a long-lasting hitbox, and great range, making it reliable for both KOs and juggles; down aerial is similar to up aerial in some regards, but its clean hit instead functions as a reliable meteor smash that KOs at alarmingly early percents (its grounded hit KOs at 125%). Down aerial can be used to bounce off of opponents, which can actually aid Link's recovery.

Although Link's close combat capabilities are excellent, he shines primarily when it comes to his projectiles: arrows from his bow, Boomerang, and Remote Bomb. Bow and Arrows has Link fire an arrow straight ahead, which can be spammed to some degree; it can be charged, greatly increasing its damage, knockback, and distance, making it a good gimping and pressuring tool. Link's neutral special is unique in the fact that his arrows briefly linger on the ground when landing, allowing him to pick them up and fire two arrows simultaneously; Link is able to deal more damage and knockback, aiding neutral special's KO potential.

Boomerang travels decently far and deals good damage, which can be further exploited by smash tapping the move: the Boomerang's distance and damage are increased as a result. Boomerang also launches opponents vertically with high base knockback on its way forward, and launches opponents towards Link on its way back. When coupled with its ability to be angled up and down, Boomerang is a flexible combo starter and approaching option.

Remote Bomb can be thrown as an item, potentially being able to initiate combos by chaining it with other attacks. This is further bolstered by the Remote Bomb's 30-second time limit, which gives it plenty of time to be abused as a projectile. The Bomb's detonation has large range and deals decent damage and knockback, with enough power to KO opponents at 180%. Although Link can be harmed by his own bomb's explosion, he can exploit its vertical knockback offstage as a means of aiding his recovery. This also allows him to launch himself way past the ledge without going into freefall, avoiding being edge-trapped.

Link's primary recovery move and most offensive special attack is Spin Attack. The move's grounded version boasts decent damage and knockback, good range, and is a fast out of shield option, giving it decent utility; however, it can be charged, increasing its damage output and knockback, significantly improving its KO ability. Aerial Spin Attack is instead a multi-hitting series of sword slashes that gains respectable vertical distance and has good knockback on its last hit, making it good for KOing near the upper blast line.

However, like all fighters, Link has some weaknesses. Although he has noticeably better mobility than his predecessors, Link's mobility is still inconsistent and somewhat on the poor side. Despite his fast walking speed, his dash is only marginally faster, making it very sluggish and unreliable for approaching (with foxtrotting being the only way of mitigating this issue). Link's air speed and air acceleration are both notoriously poor, making his air game solely reliant on the traits of his aerial attacks. On a related note, Link's recovery is burdened by the combination of his low jumps and high falling speed, his aforementioned poor air speed and air acceleration, and the merely average travel distance of Spin Attack. Due to lacking a Hookshot or a Clawshot in his moveset, Link lacks both a tether recovery and another spacing option, the former of which further hinders his recovery.

Link's lack of a Hookshot/Clawshot also results in his grab game differing entirely: due to grabbing opponents with his bare hands, his grab speed is significantly quicker at the cost of his grab having much less range. Thus, Link's grab game is much more aggressive and up-close. Despite being a swordsman, Link's grab game is decent overall. His pummel is fast and his down throw is a reliable combo starter into moves like up tilt, up smash, neutral aerial and up aerial. Although Link's up throw will semi-spike bystanders, it has minimal KO potential. Finally, his forward and back throws deal minimal damage and while both are best suited for setting up edgeguards, only forward throw is decent in that regard.

Overall, Link is a flexible zoner character; while his long-distance projectiles and disjointed hitboxes make him play somewhat defensively for much of the match, his excellent out-of-shield options and KO power allow him to close in on his opponents with the right timing and deal large amounts of damage very quickly. However, Link players must be cautious to not play recklessly due to his below-average frame data and mobility, as many other characters can make it difficult for him to utilize his options with their superior speed. Throughout Ultimate's lifespan, Link has garnered great results from many different players, although his results did go down slightly after the first few months of the game's release.

Changes from Super Smash Bros. 4

Link has received arguably the most noticeable changes of any veteran in Ultimate. Due to his appearance being updated to the Hero of the Wild from The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, he incorporates multiple elements from that game into his moveset, such as the Remote Bomb, the Ancient Bow and Ancient Arrow, the Sword Beam, and the ability to fire two arrows at once. This has led to a much larger overhaul in his moveset compared to other veterans, as several of his attacks either have altered or completely new animations alongside mechanical changes. As a result, Link has gained a large mix of buffs and nerfs in his transition to Ultimate, but has been buffed overall.

Compared to his predecessors (the Hero of Time and the Hero of Twilight) in Smash, Link has better close combat and spacing capabilities, thanks to his faster movement speed, a stronger and longer ranged Boomerang (which also improved his combo game), and the longer range on his Master Sword, now having range on par with other swordfighters, such as Ike or Marth. Particularly, the latter change has either improved or outright granted his attacks' more utility: forward tilt is now much more effective as a ledge-trapping option due to its wider arc, down tilt's reduced damage output allows the move to combo for much longer (even serving as a potential KO confirm at higher percents), up smash serves as a more threatening anti-air option, forward aerial is more effective as a spacing option while the first hit can now be used to start combos, up aerial catches airborne opponents from a farther distance, and Spin Attack has increased reliability as an out of shield option and KOing tool due to its faster start-up and larger sweetspot.

Furthermore, Link benefits from some of the universal gameplay mechanics, all of which have improved his previously below average close combat game. His grab game has slightly improved due to him now possessing a more standard grab; while the Hookshot and Clawshot granted his predecessors a long-ranged grab, they were unsafe due to their high startup and ending lag. Ultimate's improved dash-canceling, when coupled with Link's faster mobility, above average traction and the Master Sword's overall improved range, altogether improve his ground game's utility noticeably.

Link's air game has also benefitted from gameplay changes: the combination of his standardized jumpsquat (which is much faster than his predecessors') and the universal reduction of landing lag make his aerial combo game significantly more potent, as well as result in him having somewhat less difficulty when it comes to landing safely. This has been demonstrated with neutral aerial's weak hit allowing him to set-up for a grab at low percents, forward aerial's first hit comboing into other moves until very high percentages, back aerial's SHFF'd first hit now serving as a KO setup at high percents, and his aerials' damage outputs making them safer on shield despite the reduced shieldstun for aerial attacks.

Unlike his predecessors, Link uses the Remote Bomb instead of a standard Bomb. Compared to standard Bombs, Remote Bombs can be detonated at will, making it function similarly to Snake's C4, and feature both much higher knockback and a much larger blast radius. These changes modify his set-up and combo routes, as the Remote Bomb can now be detonated or Z-dropped into one of Link's own attacks. They also significantly improve Link's pressuring, edgeguarding and edge trapping abilities, since the bomb can be thrown while only being detonated at command. Lastly, the move possesses potential as a strong, albeit difficult recovery option, as it can also be Z-dropped and detonated to launch Link a considerable distance forward.

However, Link is not without his fair share of nerfs. As a result of the several changes and alterations his moveset received, he has inadvertently lost several key strengths that his predecessors possessed. While Link has a much faster grab than his predecessors, his lack of a Hookshot/Clawshot significantly worsens his overall grab range (having, in fact, one of the shortest and least disjointed grabs among the cast), but also effectively removed one of his more potent recovery and spacing options. Some of his sword-based attacks also received hitbox reductions, now mapping them strictly to the Master Sword itself. While this does not necessarily affect the reach of his attacks that involve swinging his sword from above (i.e. forward tilt, up tilt, forward smash), it has reduced the vertical reach of his attacks that are swung in front of him (i.e. down tilt), while also hindering the horizontal range of his thrusting sword attacks (i.e. up aerial, down aerial), making them slightly harder to land overall.

Link's lack of standard Bombs also hinders him in a variety of ways, as he can no longer pull out Bombs as a way to potentially break out of combos, making him slightly more vulnerable to them. Since Remote Bombs no longer explode on impact, KO set-ups with them have effectively become harder to perform. Link can only have one Remote Bomb out a time, resulting in them becoming a worse zoning option overall.

Finally, despite sporting less landing lag and a better Spin Attack than his predecessors, the majority of his frame data is more sluggish in comparison, especially on the ground. A considerable number of his attacks have either increased endlag (such as forward tilt or down tilt) or increased start-up lag (such as neutral attack, forward smash, down smash, and forward aerial), making it harder for him to defend himself up close against opponents with superior frame data, such as Fox or Mario. This requires Link to be more wary when fighting opponents with such strong boxing capabilities and use the longer range of his Master Sword to his advantage, as his weaker frame data can put him at a greater risk of being thrown into a disadvantage state easier.

Overall, the changes to Link have somewhat repurposed his playstyle from that of a hard-hitting zoner with long-ranged melee attacks, to one that also incorporates more stage control and trapping tactics with his Remote Bomb, simiarly to Snake. Link's playstyle has noticeably deviated from not only his predecessors, but also Young Link and Toon Link, due to these changes. Even so, while Link's buffs eclipse his nerfs, the extent of how much is debatable given other veterans have been buffed to varying degrees as well, and various DLC characters have been introduced through game updates. In the end, Link is agreed to fare better than in SSB4, but hasn't improved enough to raise his standing compared to the rest of the cast.

Aesthetics

  •   Link's design is explicitly based on his appearance in The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. His hair is now a dirty blonde color, instead of a lighter blonde; his default outfit is the blue Champion's Tunic and the Hylian Trousers, with the more traditional green Hero of the Wild set as an alternate costume.
  •   Link holds his sword in his right hand and his shield in his left hand. Due to this, Link's entire moveset has been horizontally flipped, with many of his animations changed to coincide with this.
    •   Link has a new idle pose which is somewhat similar to his battle stance when holding a broadsword and shield in Breath of the Wild; his legs are positioned farther apart, his sword and shield are held up at all times, and he does not bounce in place. He also faces towards the screen more often as a result.
    •   Due to having a new idle animation, many of his basic animations (standard attacks, landing, etc.) were reworked in order to better transition into it.
    •   Link has a new on-screen appearance that involves him gliding onto the stage using the Paraglider.
    •   Link has a new side taunt where he holds the Master Sword in front of him with both hands while it glows, similar to one of Ike's taunts. This replaces his Fairy taunt from previous games, which has been given to Young Link.
    •   Link's up taunt and down taunt are much faster; for the former taunt, he no longer twirls the Master Sword before sheathing it.
    •   Link's victory animation where he swings his sword then sheathes it shows him swinging it back, no longer twirling his sword before sheathing it. He also faces away from the camera while doing it.
  •   Link is slightly more vocal overall.
    •   Link now gasps upon waking up from sleep status when not suffering from any knockback, similar to few other characters such as Palutena and Cloud. He shares this trait with Zelda, Ganondorf and Wolf.

Attributes

  •   Like all characters, Link's jumpsquat animation takes 3 frames to complete (down from 7).
  •   Link walks faster (1.188 → 1.247).
  •   Link runs faster (1.3944 → 1.534).
  •   Link's traction is much higher (0.064 → 0.113).
  •   Link's initial dash is significantly faster (1.3 → 1.98).
  •   Link has increased air speed (0.88 → 0.924).
  •   Forward roll grants less intangibility (frames 4-17 → 4-15).
  •   Back roll has more startup with less intangibility (frames 4-17 → 5-16), and more ending lag (FAF 31 → 36).
  •   Spot dodge has less ending lag (FAF 28 → 27).
  •   Spot dodge grants less intangibility (frames 3-18 → 3-17).
  •   Air dodge grants more intangibility (frames 3-28 → 3-30).
  •   Air dodge has significantly more ending lag (FAF 34 → 50).
  •   Link's head hurtbox has been reduced and he sports a slightly thinner hurtbox overall; compounded with his longer Master Sword, this gives him a more favorable disjoint.

Ground attacks

  • Neutral attack:
    •   The third hit has higher knockback scaling (50 → 70), allowing it to set up edgeguards more effectively.
    •   The first hit has smaller hitboxes (3.8u/4.5u/3u/2.5u → 1.8u), noticeably decreasing its range.
    •   All hits have a higher hitlag multiplier (1× → 1.6× (hit 1), 1.2× (hit 2), 2× (hit 3)), giving opponents more time to SDI each hit and DI the last hit.
    •   The first and second hits have altered angles (95°/80°/361°/361° (hit 1), 90°/78°/60°/50° (hit 2) → 361°/361°/180°/361°) and knockback (35/30 base/37 scaling (hit 1), 38/10 (hit 2) → 25/20 base/25/15 scaling) to keep opponents close to Link, akin to other neutral attacks. This allows them to connect better and jab lock, but hinders their previously guaranteed jab cancel setups.
    •   Neutral attack's speed has been modified overall.
      •   The second hit has less startup (frame 6 → 5) and transitions into the third faster (frame 11 → 8).
      •   The first and third hits have less ending lag (FAF 28 → 24 (hit 1), 37 → 35 (hit 3)).
      •   The second hit has more ending lag (FAF 21 → 26), removing its jab cancel setups.
      •   The third hit has a shorter hitbox duration (frames 6-10 → 6-7).
    •   Neutral attack's damage has been redistributed, with the first two hits dealing more damage (2.5% → 3%) and the third hit dealing less (5% → 4%).
    •   The third hit involves Link swiping vertically instead of thrusting his sword.
  • Forward tilt:
    •   The clean hit's hitbox has been placed farther from Link (X offset: 6.2 → 7.8), improving the move's range despite its smaller hitboxes (4.3u/2.8u/2.1u → 4u/2.8u/2.1u (early), 5.2u → 3.5u (clean)).
    •   Forward tilt has more ending lag (FAF 38 → 40).
    •   It always sends opponents in the direction Link is facing, even if hit from behind.
    •   It causes the screen to shake when the sword hits the ground.
  • Up tilt:
    •   Up tilt's sword hitboxes have been placed farther from Link (X offset: 5/0 → 8.4/2), considerably improving its range despite its reduced hitboxes (3.6u/4.32u/2.88u/2.16u → 3.4u/4.3u/2.7u/2.16u).
    •   Up tilt deals more damage (9% → 11%), with its knockback scaling compensated (122/130/124/123 → 103/111/105/104).
    •   It has a new animation, starting from behind Link rather than from his front.
      •   The sword no longer reaches the ground in front of Link before its hitboxes cease, making it more difficult (or sometimes impossible) to hit short or crouching opponents.
    •   It has a lower hitlag multiplier (1× → 0.9×).
  • Down tilt:
    •   Down tilt has less startup (frame 11 → 10).
    •   It has more horizontal range (Z offset: 16.6u → 17.5u).
    •   It deals less damage (11% → 9%).
      •   However, its knockback was not compensated, allowing it to combo for longer, and even serve as a KO confirm at higher percents into Spin Attack.
    •   It has more ending lag (FAF 29 → 31), though its combo potential is compensated by Link's faster jumpsquat.
    •   It has a smaller hitbox (3.1u → 2u), reducing its vertical range.
    •   It can no longer meteor smash aerial opponents.
    •   It launches at a higher angle (80 → 85), improving its combo potential.
  • Dash attack:
    •   The changes to jostle mechanics allow dash attack to hit opponents close to Link more easily, as he can no longer go through them during startup.
    •   It has gained a shieldstun multiplier of 1.4×, which combined with the increased shieldstun for ground attacks makes it safer on shield.
    •   The strong hit has been moved slightly farther from Link (X offset: 8u → 8.5u), and the mid hit has been moved back (X offset: 3.8u → 3u), slightly increasing the range of the strong hit overall.
    •   It has slightly smaller hitboxes (3.5u/3.8u/3u → 3.2u/3.5u/3u).
    •   The sweetspot has a higher hitlag multiplier (1× → 1.2×).
  • Forward smash:
    •   Both hits of forward smash have less ending lag (FAF 52 → 51 (hit 1), 68 → 61 (hit 2)).
    •   The first hit shoots out a spinning Sword Beam as a projectile when Link is at 0% damage, in reference to multiple Zelda games where his sword shoots out beams when he is at full health. Charging forward smash increases the size, distance and damage of the projectile, dealing between 5% and 13% damage. This gives him a new long range option, while increasing the total damage of his forward smash at close range.
    •   The first hit's innermost hitboxes have different angles (75°/55° → 69°/60°) and deal less knockback (47 base/15 scaling → 45/12), while the second hit has less startup (frame 12 → 10), allowing them to connect together more reliably.
    •   Both hits have noticeably more range on the sword hitboxes (X offset: 0.5/6.2 → 2.7/8.5 (hit 1), 1/6 → 1.5/7.5 (hit 2)).
    •   The closest hitbox of the first hit is larger, with tip's hitbox slightly reduced to compensate (3.5u → 4.2u (close), 3.8u → 3.5u (far)).
    •   The second hit has larger hitboxes overall (4u/4u/3.6u/3.2u → 4.5u/4.5u/3.5u/3.5u).
    •   The first hit has increased startup (frame 15 → 17) and transitions into the second hit slower (frame 20 → 22).
  • Up smash:
    •   All 3 hits have had their sword hitboxes placed farther from Link (X offset: 0/5.5 → 2.5/8.5 (hits 1 and 2), 5.5 → 7 (hit 3)), significantly increasing its range despite the move's reduced hitbox sizes (4u/4.4u/4.5u → 3.5u/3u/4.8u (hits 1 and 2), 4.3u/4.3u/3.5u/5.2u → 4.3u/4.3u/3u/5.2u (hit 3)).
    •   The final hit has higher knockback scaling (96 → 101).
  • Down smash:
    •   The first hit's hitboxes have been redistributed so that the weak hits have the lowest priority (14%/16%/17%/16% → 16%/17%/16%/14%), making it easier to land the stronger portions.
    •   Down smash has larger hitboxes (3.5u/3.5u/2.9u/2.5u → 3.5u/3.6u/3.4u/3u (both hits)).
    •   The first and second hit have had their sweetpots moved farther from Link (Z offset: 5.8 → 7.5 (both hits)), noticeably increasing its range and making the sweetspots much easier to land.
    •   It has more startup on both hits (frame 9 → 12 (hit 1), 21 → 24 (hit 2)), and more ending lag (FAF 50 → 55).

Aerial attacks

  •   All aerials have less landing lag (10 frames → 6 (neutral, back), 12 → 11 (forward), 23 → 14 (up), 32 → 19 (down)).
  • Forward aerial:
    •   Forward aerial's animation has been sped up, with the gap between hits being shorter (12 frames → 8). This allows it to connect both hits more reliably.
    •   The second hit deals more knockback (30 base/100 scaling → 43/120) and launches at a slightly lower angle (45° → 44°), being as powerful as the first hit in Smash 4 .
    •   Both hits have had their farthest sword hitboxes moved farther from Link (Z offset: 17u → 18u (hit 1), 15.5u → 17.5u (hit 2)), increasing its range.
    •   Forward aerial has more startup for its first hit (frame 14 → 16), and more ending lag (FAF 50 → 52).
    •   It auto-cancels later (frame 51 → 53).
    •   Both hits deal less damage (11% → 8% (hit 1), 13% → 10% (hit 2)).
    •   The first hit deals significantly less knockback (20 base/130 scaling → 31/25/33/25/33/26 base/28/30/30/30/28/26 scaling), no longer KOing until around 800%. It also has different angles (45° → 43°/367°/47°/367°/47°/38), a lower hitlag multiplier (1× → 0.8×), and uses weight-independent knockback.
      •   This allows it to connect into the second hit even at high percents, and coupled with its lower landing lag, improves its combo potential on landing from low to mid percents.
      •   However, this completely removes the first hit's previously high KO potential, requiring Link to land the slower second hit in order to KO with the move.
  • Back aerial:
    •   Both hits of back aerial deal more damage (3% → 5% (hit 1), 5% → 7% (hit 2)).
    •   The first hit launches at different angles (72°/68° → 73°/70°/66°), has a lower hitlag multiplier (1× → 0.8×), deals different set knockback to grounded and aerial opponents (40 → 50 (grounded)/36 (aerial)), and uses weight-independent knockback. These changes allow it to connect more reliably into the second hit.
    •   The second hit has less startup (frame 18 → 15), thus reducing the frame gap between hits.
    •   The second hit has lower base knockback (70 → 45), but higher knockback scaling (70 → 98). This allows it to combo more reliably at low percents, while also significantly improving its KO potential, KOing middleweights at around 200% from the center of Final Destination.
    •   The second hit has less active frames (frame 18-22 → 15-17). The move's total duration was also not compensated for the second hit's faster startup, increasing its ending lag.
    •   The first hit has slightly smaller hitboxes (4.5u/4.8u/5u → 4u/4.5u/5u).
    •   The second hit has a slightly different animation.
  • Up aerial:
    •   Up aerial's clean hit has increased knockback (18 base/88 scaling → 23/93), improving its KO potential .
    •   It auto-cancels earlier (frame 47 → 43).
    •   It has a smaller hitbox (6u → 4.5u). This is somewhat compensated for by the hitbox being more extended (X offset: 6u → 6.9u, X2 offset: 0u → -1.5u), but the hitbox is slightly shorter and noticeably narrower overall.
    •   It has an increased hitlag multiplier (1× → 1.2×).
  • Down aerial:
    •   Down aerial has been reverted to possessing only a clean hit and late hit like in Brawl, with its early hit being removed. The clean hit remains mostly unchanged against grounded opponents, but meteor smashes aerial opponents like the early hit in Smash 4.
      •   Because of this change, the move can KO grounded opponents much more reliably. The meteor smash against aerial opponents is also stronger, due to its knockback not being compensated for the clean hit's higher damage compared to the previous early hit.
      •   Due to the removal of the early hit, down aerial can no longer combo into its bounce-off hit as effectively at higher percents, reducing its damage potential.
    •   Down aerial's hitboxes are smaller (5u → 4u (clean), 6u → 4.2u (late)).
    •   The clean hit (against grounded opponents) and late hit launch at a lower angle (65° → 60°), with the former also having decreased knockback scaling (80 → 78), slightly hindering their KO potential.
    •   All portions of the move have a higher hitlag multiplier (1× → 1.2×).
    •   It has a different animation, with a more exaggerated downward thrust.

Throws and other attacks

  •   Link grabs opponents with his hand instead of using his Clawshot.
    •   All grabs have noticeably less startup (frame 12/14/15 (standing/dash/pivot) → 6/9/10) and ending lag (FAF 62/66/67 → 35/43/38), making them safer to use at close range, and allowing Link to set up into them more effectively.
    •   However, all grabs have much shorter range, and their hitboxes have a shorter duration (6 frames (standing), 8 frames (dash, pivot) → 2 frames (all)).
  •   Link no longer has a grab aerial or a tether recovery due to losing the Clawshot.
    •   However, this allows him to Z-drop items without triggering the grab aerial's lengthy animation.
  • Pummel:
    •   Pummel deals less damage (2.1% → 1.3%).
    •   It deals more hitlag (4 frames → 14), but has much less startup (frame 4 → 1) and ending lag (FAF 16 → 7).
  •   Link's forward, back, and down throws deal knockback to bystanders, making them safer to use in battles with multiple opponents.
  • Forward throw:
    •   Forward throw launches at a more favorable angle for edgeguarding (50° → 33°).
    •   It has slightly more ending lag (FAF 36 → 38).
    •   It deals less damage (4% → 2.5% (release); 7% → 5.5% (total)).
    •   It has higher base knockback (55 → 75), but lower knockback scaling (120 → 85). This allows it to knock opponents offstage more easily at low percents, but reduces its already lacking KO potential.
    •   It has an altered animation where Link swings his foot upward as opposed to thrust kicking the opponent.
  • Back throw:
    •   Back throw deals less damage (4% → 2.5% (release); 7% → 5.5% (total)), with only its base knockback somewhat compensated (50 → 67).
  • Down throw:
    •   Down throw has one frame less ending lag (FAF 50 → 49). Combined with Link's faster jumpsquat, this increases its combo potential.
    •   It has drastically increased knockback scaling (85 → 125), KOing middleweights at around 250%. This further improves its combo potential at low to mid percents, but weakens its KO setups into up aerial at high percents.
    •   Its speed is no longer weight-dependent. This improves its combo ability on heavyweights, but reduces it on lightweights.
  • Edge attack:
    •   Edge attack deals more damage (7% → 9%).

Special moves

  • Bow and Arrows:
    •   Link uses the Traveler's Bow from Breath of the Wild instead of the Hero's Bow.
    •   Arrows fired have a bright tip, making them easier to track. Arrows will also become momentarily lodged in opponents' bodies.
    •   The move has less startup (frame 18 → 16), with its total duration reduced as well (FAF 47 → 45), improving its camping ability.
    •   Arrows have higher knockback scaling (66 → 71).
    •   Arrows that fail to hit an opponent will linger on the ground for a longer period of time, and can be picked up as throwable items. Arrows used in this way deal little damage and knockback, allowing them to set up combos. Using the Bow and Arrows while holding an arrow causes Link to fire two arrows at once for 1.5× as much damage.
      •   Arrows can be picked up by opponents and thrown at Link.
    •   Arrows can no longer be held indefinitely upon reaching full charge, being fired automatically if held for more than three seconds.
  • Boomerang:
    •   The more traditional Boomerang has replaced the Gale Boomerang, functioning as it did in Smash 64 and Melee.
    •   Boomerang has regained its damaging hitbox while returning, allowing Link to interrupt opponents' attacks and perform combos more reliably than he could with Gale Boomerang's returning windbox.
    •   It deals more damage (7% → 8% (clean), 5% → 6% (late)), which increases further if used as a smash special move (7% → 9.6% (clean), 5% → 7.2% (late)). In addition, the returning hitbox deals 3% damage.
    •   Its throw distance has been increased.
    •   It damages Link if it gets reflected back at him.
    •   It has received negative shield damage (0 → -4 (clean), -3 (late)), effectively dealing half its usual damage to shields.
    •   Due to the removal of the Gale Boomerang, Link can no longer perform the Gale Guarding technique.
    •   Boomerang travels more slowly upon returning. This increases the amount of time the hitbox is active, but also increases the amount of time it takes before Link can throw it again.
    •   Rather than simply disappearing, the Boomerang will drop to the ground and disappear in a puff of smoke if it is intercepted by another projectile.
      •   The Boomerang cannot be rethrown during this animation, reducing the utility of Boomerang in trade situations.
  • Spin Attack (grounded):
    •   Spin Attack has more vibrant graphics and generates a blue "slash" around Link. Link moves his arm while charging the move, and the Master Sword glints with light up to three times, referencing the three levels of charged attacks in Breath of the Wild. The grounded version is an inward spin.
    •   Link has separate voice clips for grounded and aerial Spin Attacks.
    •   The grounded version has less startup (frame 8 → 7), with its total duration reduced as well (FAF 78 → 77).
    •   The grounded version's sweetspot hitbox is larger, with its sourspot smaller to compensate (3u → 3.5u, 3u → 2.8u).
    •   The grounded version's early and clean hits deal more knockback (early: 86 scaling → 88, clean: 48 base/86 scaling → 52/88).
  • Spin Attack (aerial):
    •   Each hit has a longer duration (frames 8/11/16/19/22/26/31/38/47-48 → 8-9/12-13/16-17/19-20/22-23/26-27/31-32/38-39/47-49).
    •   The multihits have a significantly reduced SDI multiplier (1× → 0.3×), making it much harder to escape from.
    •   Due to the Sakurai angle sending aerial opponents at a lower trajectory (45° → 38°), the last hit is worse for KOing off the top blast line, but better for KOing off the sides.
    •   The front hits use one large hitbox instead of 3 smaller ones (5u/4u/4u → 6u (hit 1), 5u/4u/4.5u → 6u (hits 2-3), 5u/4u/4.5u → 7u (hit 4)).
  • Remote Bomb:
    •   The spherical Remote Bomb from Breath of the Wild replaces Bomb as Link's down special. Rather than exploding on contact or after a short time, the Remote Bomb bounces off opponents and objects, and can be launched around by attacks (including Link's). It is detonated by inputting down special again, similar to Snake's C4. Alternatively, it detonates automatically after about 30 seconds. This changes up Link's item play and recovery tactics substantially.
    •   Remote Bomb's 30 second fuse allows it to remain in play much longer than Bomb's 3.66 seconds.
    •   The explosion has a significantly larger blast radius.
    •   The explosion deals significantly higher knockback, improving its KO potential. It also launches opponents at a more horizontal angle, allowing it to edgeguard more effectively.
    •   Remote Bombs themselves can lock opponents if thrown lightly.
    •   Remote Bomb's detonation has 12 frames of startup before it can damage the opponent. It also cannot be manually detonated if it is held by an opponent; if attempted, Link will try to generate another Remote Bomb, but this will fail and give him high ending lag.
    •   Only one Remote Bomb can be on the field at a time, as opposed to two traditional Bombs.
    •   The explosion damages Link even if opponents are caught within it.
    •   The Remote Bomb itself deals less damage when hitting an opponent (5%/9% → 1%), since it no longer explodes on contact and cannot be detonated while held by the opponent.
    •   Remote Bomb cannot be detonated while Link is helpless, preventing him from using his up special multiple times offstage. This hinders Link's vertical recovery.
      •   However, in a similar vein to Snake's C4, Link can Z-drop and quickly detonate a Remote Bomb on himself to supplement his recovery, especially at higher percents due to its higher knockback.
    •   Remote Bomb's explosion deals consistent damage (5%/9% → 7%).
    •   Remote Bomb lacks the flame effect.
  • Ancient Bow and Arrow:
    •   Link's new Final Smash is the Ancient Bow and Arrow, replacing Triforce Slash. It is functionally similar to Zelda's Light Arrow and Dark Pit’s Dark Pit Staff from previous games, although it only deals a single powerful blow to the first opponent in the arrow's path along with any bystanders.
    •   Ancient Bow and Arrow has more horizontal range than Triforce Slash.
    •   It deals significantly less damage than Triforce Slash (60% → 35%).

Update history

Link received a mix of buffs, a single nerf and glitch fixes via game updates, but was buffed slightly overall. The most significant nerf Link received was in Version 3.0.0 where Boomerang now deals much less shield damage as part of the universal projectile nerf, worsening his zoning potential. However, most of the buffs specifically improve Link's combo potential, as his combo starters were altered to more reliably connect into each other and the kill potential of some combo enders has been increased. Another small but significant buff came in Version 4.0.0 with Link being able to Shield SDI projectiles, allowing him to more easily escape combos that characters set up with projectiles.

Overall, Link fares mildly better than he did at launch. His projectiles have not been significantly affected and his combo game has been improved across the board, making him more effective with a bait-and-punish style of setting traps and rushing down caught opponents.

  1.1.0

  •   The animation for crouching when holding an item has been adjusted.

  1.2.0

  •   Fixed the Invisible Bomb glitch.

  2.0.0

  •   Up aerial auto-cancels earlier (frame 47 → 43).
  •   Arrows from Bow and Arrows travel a longer distance (40 frames → 46).

  3.0.0

  •   Boomerang deals less shield damage (0 → -4,5/-3/-1.5 (clean/late/returning)).

  4.0.0

  •   Link can now shield SDI if a projectile hits his Hylian Shield.
  •   The lag for his wakeup animation has been adjusted to match the rest of the cast.
  •   Aerial Spin Attack's back hits no longer use set weight, fixing a glitch that caused their position vector to last much longer than usual and launch opponents much farther if the move was interrupted.
  •   Fixed reintroduced Invisible Bomb glitch from patch 3.1.0.

  7.0.0

  •   Overall shield size has been increased.

  9.0.0

  •   Up smash's first two hits have different angles (105° → 107°) and lower set knockback (39 → 28) on their ground-only hitboxes, and all hitboxes have gained a hitstun modifier of 3. This allows the move to connect more reliably, especially against opponents on platforms above Link.

  9.0.1

  •   Fixed an issue in which Link could fall though the stage when breaking Steve's blocks.

  11.0.0

  •   Changed the length of vulnerability when crumpling to be consistent with other fighters.

  13.0.1

  •   The first hit of neutral attack has less startup (frame 8 → 7), with its total duration reduced as well (FAF 25 → 24).
  •   Down tilt launches at a higher angle (80˚ → 85˚), improving its combo potential.
  •   The final hit of up smash has higher knockback scaling (96 → 101).

Moveset

  • While Link is standing still, walking or crouching, any incoming projectiles that hit his Hylian Shield will simply push him back slightly instead of inflicting damage. It can block any amount of projectiles, regardless of their power.

For a gallery of Link's hitboxes, see here.

Note: All numbers are listed as base damage, without the 1v1 multiplier.

  Name Damage Description
Neutral attack Morning Slash (けさ斬り) / Counter Slash (返し) / Slash Up (斬り上げ) 3% A downward slash, followed by an outward slash, followed by an upward slash. Has slow startup for a neutral attack (frame 7), but deals above-average damage overall, has good reach, and its third hit is a semi-spike with high base knockback, making it useful for tech-chasing and forcing opponents near edges offstage. The first two hits are based on the final series of strikes that the Hero of Time inflicts to Ganon in The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time.
3%
4%
Forward tilt Bamboo Splitter (からたけわり) 13% A lunging downward slash. It has noticeably slow startup for a tilt attack (frame 15), but deals high damage and knockback for one in return, while possessing long range, the ability to hit opponents above and slightly behind Link, and only average ending lag that makes it safe on shield if spaced properly. It resembles the Z-Targeting slash used by the Hero of Time.
Up tilt Vertical Slash (直上斬り) 11% An overhead arcing slash, starting from behind. Has good juggling potential from low to mid percents, comboing into itself depending on the victim's weight and falling speed, and good KO potential at high percentages for its start-up (frame 8).
Down tilt Grass Cutter (草薙ぎ) 9% A kneeling inward slash. Has slow startup for a tilt (frame 10), but low ending lag with vertical knockback, granting it combo potential into aerials and making it safe on shield with proper spacing.
Dash attack Jump Slash (ジャンプ斬り) 14% (tip), 13% (blade), 12% (body) The Jump Slash. It is generally the 2nd strongest dash attack in the game, KOing at around 110% from center stage when sweetspotted at the tip. However, it also has very slow startup (hitting on frame 20) alongside high ending lag, making it very punishable if whiffed or used recklessly.
Forward smash Sword Slice (スマッシュ斬り, Smash Slice) / Double Sword Slice (二段スマッシュ斬り, Double Smash Slice) 7% (blade), 14% (tip), 5%-13% (Sword Beam) A two-handed, lunging downward slash. If the attack button is pressed again, Link will perform a single-handed outward slash. The first hit deals respectable damage and knockback at the blade's tip, but only deals half as much damage with much lower knockback when not tipped; however, the non-tipped hit is a natural combo into the second slash. Extremely powerful when both hits connect, being one of the strongest forward smashes in the game. If Link is at 0% damage, the first swing will launch a Sword Beam, a reoccurring ability of Link's since the first The Legend of Zelda game. However, the Sword Beam may occasionally push opponents out of range, not allowing the second hit to connect. This depends on the weight and body size of the opponent. The Sword Beam disappears after 32 frames (0.53 seconds) when forward smash is uncharged and 40 frames (0.66 seconds) when fully charged
13% (blade), 12% (body)
Up smash Triple Sword Slice (三段斬り) 4% (hit 1), 3% (hit 2), 11%/10%/9% (hit 3) A series of three overhead arcing slashes, the last of which launches opponents vertically. Has average startup, covers a wide range, deals high damage and can KO under 100%, but has high ending lag. The third hit deals more damage the closer opponents are to the tip of the Master Sword.
Down smash Front and Back Sword Slice (前後足元斬り) 17%/16%/14% (hit 1), 12%/11%/10% (hit 2) A kneeling inward slash in front of himself, followed by a kneeling outward slash behind himself. The first hit launches opponents at a vertical trajectory, and can KO at around 100% uncharged with the strongest hitbox. The second hit is a semi-spike that has high base knockback, making it effective near edges, but deals less damage and overall knockback than the first hit.
Neutral aerial Link Kick (リンクキック) 11% (clean foot), 9% (clean leg), 6% (late) A flying kick. It is a sex kick with relatively low startup (frame 7), ending and landing lag. While it cannot autocancel in a short hop, it has gained notoriety for its sheer effectiveness in Link's arsenal, as it lets him escape pressure, is safe on shield with proper timing, and can even lock and combo into other moves on landing especially with the late hit, a notable followup being dash attack as a KO setup at high percents. Additionally, it has a rather large disjoint and can anti-air opponents reliably. As such, it is considered to be one of the best neutral aerials and sex kicks in the game.
Forward aerial Spiral Slash (螺旋斬り) 8% (hit 1), 10% (hit 2) Two alternating, spinning outward slashes. The first hit has weak knockback in order to connect into the second hit, which deals high enough knockback to be one of Link's most reliable KO options. The move deals high damage if both hits connect, and due to its low landing lag and long range, it is also safe on shield with proper spacing and timing. However, its slow startup at frame 16, high ending lag and inability to autocancel before it can be interrupted leave it easy to punish if overused, as it only autocancels in a double jump.
Back aerial Double Kick (二段蹴り) 5% (hit 1), 7% (hit 2) A hook kick followed by a mid-level roundhouse kick. Link's fastest aerial, coming out on frame 6, and has low ending and landing lag, allowing it to combo into itself at low percents. The first hit can also set up various attacks on landing, including an up tilt, up smash, or most notably, a Spin Attack, the last two of which can serve as KO setups at high percents.
Up aerial Jump Thrust (上突き, Up Thrust) 15% (clean), 13% (late) The Jump Thrust. It is quite powerful when clean and has a long lasting hitbox that is difficult to dodge, making it an effective KOing and juggling option. However, it has moderate startup, coming out on frame 11, can only autocancel in a full hop if done near the start, and leaves Link highly vulnerable from other positions due to its long duration.
Down aerial Downward Thrust (下突き) 18% (clean), 15% (late), 11% (bounce) The Down Thrust. Upon hitting a target without fast falling, Link bounces off them and can then hit them a second time, albeit dealing less damage. The clean hit is a powerful meteor smash against aerial targets, while also dealing high knockback to grounded targets, KOing them at around 125%. Like up aerial, the move has very long lasting hitboxes, which along with its disjointed range make it useful for contesting attacks from below and intercepting recoveries offstage. However, due to its very long duration, high landing lag and inability to autocancel even in a full hop, it is Link's most committal aerial.
Grab Grab (つかみ) — Reaches out with one hand. A relatively fast grab, but possesses poor range, the third shortest in the game.
Pummel Grab Hilt Strike (つかみ柄なぐり) 1.3% Hits the opponent with the Master Sword's pommel. Average power and speed.
Forward throw Kick Off (蹴り飛ばし) 3% (hit 1), 2.5% (throw) A front kick. Deals meager damage, but its very low launching angle makes it decent for setting up edge-guards, particularly into Remote Bomb. It resembles the way Link punts objects in Breath of the Wild.
Back throw Back Kick Off (後方蹴り飛ばし) 3% (hit 1), 2.5% (throw) A side kick. Deals the same amount of damage as forward throw, but at a slightly higher angle, but it is otherwise identical to forward throw.
Up throw Throw Away Slash (投げ捨て斬り) 5% (hit 1, blade), 4% (hit 1, tip), 2% (throw) Raises the opponent overhead and slashes them upward. Has relatively high knockback growth, which allows it to KO around 170% without rage. Against bystanders, it is a weak semi-spike with a sourspot at the base of the Master Sword; the thrown opponent is always hit by the sweetspot.
Down throw Elbow Drop (ひじ落とし) 3% (hit 1), 3% (throw) Pins the opponent to the ground and then performs an elbow drop. A reliable combo starter into his up tilt, up smash, neutral aerial and up aerial.
Forward roll
Back roll
Spot dodge
Air dodge 		— —
Techs — —
Floor attack (front)
Floor getups (front) 		  7% Slashes in front of himself and then behind himself.
Floor attack (back)
Floor getups (back) 		  7% Slashes in front of himself and then behind himself.
Floor attack (trip)
Floor getups (trip) 		  5% Slashes in front of himself and then behind himself.
Edge attack
Edge getups 		  9% The Crouch Stab from The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time.
Neutral special Bow and Arrows 4% (uncharged), 12% (fully charged), 6% (uncharged, two arrows), 18% (fully charged, two arrows), 2.1%-3.9% (thrown arrow) Wields a Traveler's Bow to fire an arrow. Charging increases the arrow's speed, distance and damage output; at full charge, the arrow flies almost completely straight and covers a very long distance. Good for gimping recoveries and pressuring opponents from afar. Upon hitting the ground or a wall, the arrows also linger for a while before disappearing, during which they can be picked up and thrown as items. If Link uses this move with an arrow picked up, he will fire two arrows at once, greatly increasing the damage dealt to opponents.
Side special Boomerang 8% (close), 6% (far), 9.6% (clean smash throw), 7.2% (far smash throw), 3% (return) Throws a Boomerang. It flies forward and then returns to Link. On the way forward, it launches enemies vertically with moderate base knockback, and on the way back, it launches them towards Link with weaker base knockback, allowing it to set up combos. It can be angled up or down, and inputting it like a smash attack increases its damage, as well as the distance it can travel.
Up special Spin Attack 14%/12%/9%/7% (grounded blade), 11.2%/9.6%/7.2%/5.6% (grounded tip), 4% (aerial hit 1), 2% (aerial hits 2-4), 4% (aerial hit 5) Spins rapidly to perform a series of inward slashes. Much like in the The Legend of Zelda series, it is a powerful attack, and can be charged on the ground to inflict even higher damage and knockback. Conversely, an aerial Spin Attack is Link's primary recovery move that covers respectable vertical distance, but minimal horizontal distance. The grounded version is a fast out of shield option and its damage decays over time; its strongest hit KOs at around 120% when uncharged. In comparison, the aerial version deals up to 5 hits consecutively and can KO reliably near edges. However, the grounded version is extremely unsafe on shield, with nearly every character being able to punish it from out of shield.
Down special Remote Bomb 1% (throw), 7% (detonation) Pulls out a Remote Bomb, which can be thrown as an item. After throwing it, using the move again has Link detonate the Remote Bomb with his Sheikah Slate, creating a large explosion of energy. The Remote Bomb has a maximum duration of about 30 seconds before detonating automatically, and can be knocked back by attacks, which also causes it to damage opponents in range. The Remote Bomb's throw deals low damage and knockback, but its explosion is significantly more powerful, having enough knockback to KO at around 180% from center stage with no rage. The explosion hurts Link as well if he is in range, which has its pros and cons; while being detrimental to him if he detonates the Remote Bomb with opponents too close to him, it also gives him a useful bomb recovery, especially at high percents.
Final Smash Ancient Bow and Arrow 35% Wields an Ancient Bow and fires an Ancient Arrow straight forward, which explodes upon impact with the nearest opponent in its line of fire. Despite dealing below-average damage compared to other Final Smashes, it is still powerful enough to KO reliably at low percents.

Stats

Stats Weight Dash speed Walk speed Traction Air friction Air speed Air acceleration Gravity Falling speed Jumpsquat Jump Height Double jump Height
Value 104 1.98 – Initial dash
1.534 – Run		 1.237 0.113 0.0038 0.924 0.01 – Base
0.04 – Additional		 0.096 1.6 – Base
3.04 – Fast-fall		 3 27.8 - Base
13.38 - Short hop		 29

Announcer call

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  • English/Japanese/Chinese

On-screen appearance

  • Glides in on his Paraglider, and pulls out his sword.

  • Link's on-screen appearance

Taunts

  • Link's up taunt.

  • Link's side taunt.

  • Link's down taunt.

Idle poses

  • Assumes a battle stance.
  • Looks behind him.

  • Link's first idle pose.

  • Link's second idle pose.

Crowd cheer

Cheer (English) Cheer (Japanese/Chinese) Cheer (Italian) Cheer (Dutch) Cheer (French)
Cheer  

 
 

 
Description Link Link Link! Lin - k! Forza Link! *claps 3 times* Link! Link! *claps 3 times* Allez Link! *clap 3 times*
Cheer (German) Cheer (Spanish) Cheer (Russian) Cheer (Korean)
Cheer
 

 
Description Link Link Link! *claps 3 times* Link! Link! *claps 3 times* Lin - ku! *claps 3 times*

Victory poses

  • Left: Swings the Master Sword three times and looks to his right. It resembles the Hero of Time's "character chosen" animation in Super Smash Bros., albeit with Link facing a different direction.
  • Up: Thrusts the Master Sword in front of himself, then brings it near his face before thrusting it upward while giving off a battle cry. Based on the animation that occurs when he pulls the Master Sword in The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild.
  • Right: Swings the Master Sword briskly, then turns his back to the camera and sheaths it. It resembles the Hero of Twilight's victory pose in The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess.
A flourished and abridged remix of the theme that plays when Link obtains a Triforce Piece in The Legend of Zelda and has since become the main theme of The Legend of Zelda series.

In competitive play

Most historically significant players

See also: Category:Link players (SSBU)

Tier placement and history

In the beginning of Ultimate's metagame, many players noticed that Link had significantly improved from SSB4, recognizing the increased reach of his sword, the return of his previous Boomerang from Smash 64 and Melee, his improved mobility, most of his aerials being safe on shield (most notably his neutral aerial), and the versatility of his new Remote Bomb special. Compounded with Salem's strong success with the character at majors and supermajors in the game's early months, Link received an extremely positive reception from the community, being regarded as a high-tier or even a top-tier character. Although opinions on the character eventually mellowed out, especially after Salem dropped the character, the community continued to remain positive thanks to strong results from Link players on a regional level and T's strong performances at majors, leading Link to have a relatively average playerbase.

However, the post-pandemic period saw Link's position in the metagame decline, most notably due to T's lower activity and worse results. On the other hand, there were not a lot of Link players active at a national level, with only a few players such as Rido and VinS seeing some success outside of regionals. This led to a noticeable decline in Link's metagame representation, with the character dropping from 32nd at the end of 2019[1] to 55th by the end of 2022.[2] Due to this, most players reassessed the character as a mid-tier, which is reflected in his current position on the tier list, where he is ranked 56th out of 82 characters and on the C+ tier.

Classic Mode: A Quest to Seal the Darkness

 
Link's congratulations screen.

Link's opponents are all affiliated with darkness, referencing the main goal of every game in his series: to destroy darkness.

Round Opponent Stage Music Notes
1   Dark Pit Reset Bomb Forest Dark Pit's Theme
2 Giant   Ridley Norfair Vs. Ridley
3   Bayonetta Umbra Clock Tower One Of A Kind
4   Dark Samus Frigate Orpheon Boss Battle 4 - Metroid: Samus Returns
5   Ganondorf Gerudo Valley Gerudo Valley (Remix)   Zelda is a CPU ally. Items do not appear.
6   Link Temple Great Temple / Temple Represents Link's recurring battles with his shadow, Dark Link. The stage and song choices reference their first battle in Zelda II: The Adventure of Link. If the player is using the Dark Link costume,   default Link appears as the enemy.
Bonus Stage
Final Ganon Sacred Land Calamity Ganon Battle - Second Form

Credits roll after completing Classic Mode. Completing it as Link has Title Theme - The Legend of Zelda accompany the credits.

Character unlock tree

Link's Classic Mode character unlock tree includes the following characters in order:

  1. King K. Rool
  2. Ice Climbers
  3. Simon
  4. Meta Knight
  5. Snake
  6. Young Link
  7. Richter
  8. Toon Link

Each character can be unlocked by clearing Link's Classic Mode, or the Classic Mode of any preceding character, if all preceding characters have been unlocked. Once all the above characters are unlocked, clearing Classic Mode with any of them will default to Mario's character unlock tree, starting with Sonic.

Role in World of Light

 
Finding Link in World of Light

Link was among the fighters summoned to the cliffside to fight the army of Master Hands.

During the opening cutscene, Link was present on the cliffside when Galeem unleashed his beams of light. Link successfully deflected three beams of light with his shield, but he lost his footing on the third blow, and, failing to block the fourth beam coming for him, was vaporized and placed under Galeem's imprisonment along with the rest of the fighters (excluding Kirby).

Link is unlocked near a Sheikah Tower when taking Villager's route. The player must defeat Don's spirit to access his unlock battle.

Fighter Battle

No. Image Name Type Power Stage Music
03
 
 Link
 
Shield
 3,600 Great Plateau Tower (Ω form) Main Theme - The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild

Spirits

Link's fighter spirit can be obtained by completing Classic Mode as him. It is also available periodically for purchase in the shop for 300 Gold. Unlocking Link in World of Light allows the player to preview the second spirit below in the Spirit List under the name "???". As a fighter spirit, it cannot be used in Spirit Battles and is purely aesthetic. His fighter spirit has an alternate version that replaces it with his artwork in Ultimate.

Additionally, various incarnations of Link make an appearance in various primary and support spirits.

  • 93. Master Cycle

  • 172. Link

  • 178. Link (The Legend of Zelda)

  • 196. Epona

  • 217. Ricky

  • 218. Dimitri

  • 219. Moosh

  • 223. Wolf Link & Midna

  • 231. Loftwing

  • 233. Wall-Merged Link

  • 234. Link (A Link Between Worlds)

  • 262. Totem Link

  • 1,322. Link (Link's Awakening)

In Spirit Battles

As the main opponent

Spirit Battle parameters Inspiration
No. Image Name Series Enemy Fighter(s) Type Power Stage Rules Conditions Music Character
183
 
 Darknut The Legend of Zelda Series •Link  
 
 3,800 Bridge of Eldin (Battlefield form) •Move Speed ↑
•Defense ↓ 		•The enemy's melee weapons have increased power
•The enemy has increased move speed when the enemy's at high damage
•The enemy gets a major stat boost when badly damaged 		Main Theme - The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess
208
 
 Fierce Deity Link The Legend of Zelda Series •Giant Link  
 
 13,900 Great Bay (Ω form) •Defense ↓
•Easy to Launch
•Attack Power ↑ 		•You are easy to launch
•You have reduced defense after a little while
•The enemy has increased attack power 		Calamity Ganon Battle - Second Form
227
 
 Fi The Legend of Zelda Series •Link  
 
 9,500 Skyloft (Ω form) N/A •The enemy's melee weapons have increased power
•The enemy's FS Meter charges quickly 		Ballad of the Goddess (Remix) Link (Skyward Sword)
1,086
 
 Crispin  
Geoff   		StreetPass Mii Plaza Series •Link  
•Curry Mii Swordfighter   (Moveset 3123, Super Mushroom Hat, Standard Outfit, Normal Voice Type 7)
 
 1,500 Onett (Battlefield form) •Item: Food •Defeat the main fighter to win
•The enemy becomes more powerful after eating
•The enemy breathes fire 		Personal Trainer: Cooking
1,233
 
 Glory of Heracles Hero Glory of Heracles Series •Link   (140 HP)
 
 3,700 Wuhu Island (Swaying Bridge) •Defense ↑ •Stamina battle
•The enemy has increased defense after a little while 		Revolt -Striving for Hope-
1,247
 
 Frey & Freya Zangeki no Reginleiv •Link  
•Robin  
 
 3,700 Reset Bomb Forest •Giant •The enemy's melee weapons have increased power
•The enemy's magic attacks have increased power
•You are giant 		Save the World, Heroes! Frey
1,432
 
 Skeleton Minecraft Series •Link  ×3
 
 3,400 Minecraft World (Stone Shore, Night) •Sudden Final Smash •The enemy will suddenly have a Final Smash after a little while
•The enemy favors neutral specials 		Clockwork Crafter
1,444
 
 Cid FINAL FANTASY Series •Link  
 
 1,800 Halberd •Assist Trophy Enemies (Jeff) •Hostile assist trophies will appear after a little while
•The enemy has increased jump power 		Opening - Bombing Mission

As a minion

Spirit Battle parameters Inspiration
No. Image Name Series Enemy Fighter(s) Type Power Stage Rules Conditions Music Character
187
 
 Marin The Legend of Zelda Series •Zelda  
•Link  
 
 4,600 Tortimer Island (Battlefield form) •Hazard: Slumber Floor •The floor is sleep-inducing
•Timed battle (1:30) 		Tal Tal Heights Link (Link's Awakening)
238
 
 Zelda (Breath of the Wild) The Legend of Zelda Series •Zelda   (50 HP)
•Link   (60 HP)
•Inkling   (30 HP)
•Donkey Kong   (60 HP)
•Falco   (50 HP)
•Zero Suit Samus   (50 HP)
 
 9,200 Great Plateau Tower N/A •Stamina battle
•Reinforcements will appear after an enemy is KO'd
•Defeat an army of fighters 		Main Theme - The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild Link (Breath of the Wild)
1,328
 
 Hero's Comrades DRAGON QUEST Series •Ike   (120 HP)
•Tiny King Dedede   (120 HP)
•Zero Suit Samus   (100 HP)
•Sheik   (130 HP)
•Tiny Robin   (90 HP)
•Zelda   (110 HP)
•Link   (100 HP)
 
 13,300 Yggdrasil's Altar N/A •The enemy has increased melee-weapon damage and move speed
•The enemy's smash attacks have increased power
•Stamina battle 		The Hero Goes Forth with a Determination Erik

Alternate costumes

 
               

Gallery

Fighter Showcase Video

Trivia

  • Ultimate marks the first time in the Smash series where Link:
    • does not use recycled voice clips from his respective Zelda games; this also applies to Ganondorf.
      • By extension, Ultimate marks the first time in which any incarnation of Link (including Young Link and Toon Link) has new voice clips recorded exclusively for Smash as opposed to recycling ones from the Zelda series.
    • does not fight left-handed, matching Breath of the Wild; this resulted in multiple animation changes.
    • does not wield the Triforce, as it does not appear in Breath of the Wild.
      • This also makes Link's Ultimate iteration the first playable The Legend of Zelda character that does not wield the Triforce.
    • has his trademark green tunic delegated to an alternate outfit rather than his default costume.
    • It is also the first time Link no longer has his Goron and Zora tunics from Ocarina of Time as his respective red and blue alternate costumes. His new red and blue costumes are based on armor sets from Breath of the Wild - the Hylian Tunic and the Royal Guard Uniform, respectively.
      • Ironically, Link's Champion's Tunic cannot be dyed in Breath of the Wild despite being the base for four of his costumes in Ultimate. Although the Hero of the Wild set can be dyed, the recolors seen for Link's alternate costume are not possible dye colors in Breath of the Wild, but these recolors do appear as obtainable armors in the game.
      • Despite being recolored versions of the Hero of the Wild outfit, neither his Fierce Deity nor his Twilight Princess-inspired costumes appear to expose his knees. This is in line with how both outfits appear in their respective Zelda games. Additionally, if one views him wearing these costumes during gameplay, then one can tell that his trousers were indeed lengthened due to the appearance of seams and other fabric detail and not just simply recoloring his legs.
      • Despite Link's default design lacking a cap, Kirby still gains his familiar green cap when copying Link.
      • Link's Skyloft-based alternate costume (now a white recolor of his Champion's Tunic) is the only one of his eight costumes in this game that does not appear in Breath of the Wild.
  • In the E3 demo of the game, Link's portrait used his in-game model instead of his official artwork. This was also the case for Mario, Pikachu and Villager.
  • Link is one of the five veterans from Smash 4 to have their Boxing Ring alias changed in Ultimate, the others being Kirby, King Dedede, Mega Man, and Ryu.
  • Link is classified as fighter #3 on Ultimate's roster, which is coincidentally the same number of playable Links in the game as well as the same number of pieces in the Triforce, as well as the number of sides of a triangle.
  • While Link's Smash series amiibo is based on his SSB4 appearance and does not match his Ultimate design, he possesses an amiibo in the Breath of the Wild line that matches his incarnation in Ultimate (despite possessing different weapons) and is identical to his Fighter Spirit.
  • In Link's Hero of the Wild outfit, there's a gap on his right arm.[3]
  • One of Link's Tips talks about how his name is only in five titles in the series, and that one is trickier to remember than the others. These games are Zelda II: The Adventure of Link, The Legend of Zelda: A Link To the Past, The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening, The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds, and the one that is "trickier to remember" being Link's Crossbow Training.
  • Link is the most common opponent for Classic Mode routes, as he appears in 23 different routes.
  • Despite his Twilight Princess incarnation (which based his designs in Brawl and SSB4) being retired after this game, the Twilight Princess version of Link still makes an appearance in Ultimate as a spirit, although in his Wolf form.
  • Marketing for Ultimate depicts Link as a mascot of the game alongside Mario with roughly equal status for the first time in the series; for instance, Mario and Link were the two most prominent veterans teased for the game in March 2018, they are the two most prominent characters on the "Everyone is Here" cast artwork, and they were shown on interstitial screens to represent the game at EVO 2019.
    • The only cases in which Link does not share prominence with Mario are the How to Play video (depicting Mario and Bowser as has been tradition since Melee), the Controls menu (due to the fact that only one character is used to test controls), and Adventure Mode: World of Light (as Mario is the first required unlock while Link can be skipped over, although Kirby is the mode's de facto starter character). While Mario is marginally more prominent on the boxart for Ultimate, it still depicts him and Link as a mascot duo.
  • Link has some carryovers from Smash 4:
    • Although Link has a new side taunt, an unused model of the fairy from his previous side taunt (which is given to Young Link instead in Ultimate) remains in his character files.[4]
    • Link's tether recovery grab hitbox goes unused due to losing his grab aerial.[5]
    • If Link performs a dash attack while holding a battering item, he will briefly transition to his previous idle stance from Smash 4, albeit mirrored; however, he will transition to his new idle animation afterwards. This can be seen using Camera Controls and going frame-by-frame.

References

  1. ^ OrionRank 2019 character data from July-December 2019.
  2. ^ OrionRank 2019 character data from July-December 2022.
  3. ^ [1]
  4. ^ Super Smash Bros. Ultimate - The Cutting Room Floor
  5. ^ Super Smash Bros. Ultimate - The Cutting Room Floor


Fighters in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
Veterans Bayonetta · Bowser · Bowser Jr. · Captain Falcon · Cloud · Corrin · Dark Pit · Diddy Kong · Donkey Kong · Dr. Mario · Duck Hunt · Falco · Fox · Ganondorf · Greninja · Ice Climbers · Ike · Jigglypuff · King Dedede · Kirby · Link · Little Mac · Lucario · Lucas · Lucina · Luigi · Mario · Marth · Mega Man · Meta Knight · Mewtwo · Mii Fighter (Mii Brawler · Mii Gunner · Mii Swordfighter) · Mr. Game & Watch · Ness · Olimar · Pac-Man · Palutena · Peach · Pichu · Pikachu · Pit · Pokémon Trainer (Charizard · Ivysaur · Squirtle) · R.O.B. · Robin · Rosalina & Luma · Roy · Ryu · Samus · Sheik · Shulk · Snake · Sonic · Toon Link · Villager · Wario · Wii Fit Trainer · Wolf · Yoshi · Young Link · Zelda · Zero Suit Samus
Newcomers Banjo & Kazooie · Byleth · Chrom · Daisy · Dark Samus · Hero · Incineroar · Inkling · Isabelle · Joker · Kazuya · Ken · King K. Rool · Min Min · Piranha Plant · Pyra / Mythra  · Richter · Ridley · Sephiroth · Simon · Sora · Steve · Terry
  The Legend of Zelda universe
Fighters Link (SSB · SSBM · SSBB · SSB4 · SSBU) · Sheik (SSBM · SSBB · SSB4 · SSBU) · Zelda (SSBM · SSBB · SSB4 · SSBU) · Young Link (SSBM · SSBU) · Ganondorf (SSBM · SSBB · SSB4 · SSBU) · Toon Link (SSBB · SSB4 · SSBU)
Assist Trophies Tingle · Skull Kid · Midna · Ghirahim · Moon
Bosses Ganon
Stages Hyrule Castle · Great Bay · Temple · Bridge of Eldin · Pirate Ship · Gerudo Valley · Spirit Train · Skyloft · Great Plateau Tower
Underground Maze (Adventure Mode)
Items Heart Container · Bunny Hood · Deku Nut · Fairy Bottle · Cucco · Bombchu · Beetle · Gust Bellows
Enemies Bubble · Cucco · Darknut · Like Like · Octorok · Peahat · ReDead · Stalfos
Other Bulblin · Dark Link · King Bulblin & Lord Bullbo · King of Red Lions · Koume & Kotake · Majora's Mask · Navi · Phantom · Sacred Land · Tetra · Yiga Clan
Trophies, Stickers and Spirits Trophies (SSBM · SSBB · SSB4) · Stickers · Spirits
Music Brawl · SSB4 · Ultimate
Masterpieces The Legend of Zelda · Zelda II: The Adventure of Link · The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time

Navigation

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