Bomb (Link)
| Bomb | |
|---|---|
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{{{content3}}} Link using bombs in Smash 4. Young Link and Toon Link using bombs in Ultimate. | |
| Users | Link Young Link Toon Link |
| Universe | The Legend of Zelda |
| Article on Zelda Wiki | Bomb |
Bomb (爆弾, Bomb) is Young Link's and Toon Link's down special move, and was previously Link’s down special move up until Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.
Overview
Link will take out a bomb that can be thrown at an opponent and will explode after a set time, or on impact. The bomb has different attributes depending on which version of Link is using them.
Link
Link's bomb, a character-specific item, can be thrown at other opponents, where it will explode on impact. The character hit by the bomb will take about 6% damage. If the bomb is dropped, then other characters can pick it up and use it as an item. The bomb can also be caught by other characters. When the bomb is flashing red, that indicates that it is about to explode. If a bomb explodes on the character holding it, then they will take a minor amount of damage. In SSB4, however, if Link hits an enemy with a thrown bomb, he will take no damage even if he is in the blast radius. As the bomb is an item, Link cannot use the move if he is already holding another item. Link's bomb is unique in the fact that it can deal damage to anyone, including the user's team members.
The bombs from Smash 64 and Melee use graphics from The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. In Brawl and SSB4, Link's bombs are from The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess. In Ultimate, Link’s Remote Bombs are based on their appearance in Breath of the Wild, and are remotely detonated rather than detonated on a fuse, due to the way bombs work in that game.
Damage
| Action | SSB | Melee | Brawl | SSB4 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Explosion | 5% | 4% | 5% | 9% |
| Throw | 5% | 8% | 7% | 5% |
| Forward tilt throw | 5% | 8% | 7% | 5% |
| Up tilt throw | 5% | 9% | 9% | 5% |
| Down tilt throw | 0%+5% (5%) | 9% | 5% | 5% |
| Dash throw | 9%+5% (14%) | 9% | 8% | 5% |
| Forward smash throw | 8%+5% (13%) | 10% | 8% | 5% |
| Up smash throw | 8%+5% (13%) | 11% | 9% | 5% |
| Down smash throw | 0%+5% (5%) | 11% | 5% | 5% |
| Aerial drop | N/A | 5% | 7% | 5% |
| Aerial throw | 7%+5% (12%) | 8% | 8% | 5% |
| Aerial forward tilt throw | 7%+5% (12%) | 8% | 9% | 5% |
| Aerial up tilt throw | 8%+5% (13%) | 9% | 9% | 5% |
| Aerial down tilt throw | 8%+5% (13%) | 9% | 9% | 5% |
| Aerial forward smash throw | 9%+5% (14%) | 8% | 9% | 5% |
| Aerial up smash throw | 11%+5% (16%) | 9% | 9% | 5% |
| Aerial down smash throw | 11%+5% (16%) | 9% | 9% | 5% |
Young Link
Young Link's bombs are largely identical to Link's. They have a slightly different design and are smaller, reducing the projectile hitbox, but also making it harder to see when thrown. However, unlike Link's bombs, Young Link's bombs explode the second they touch the ground, whereas Link's bombs explode after the timer on the bomb runs out even if they touch the ground.
Toon Link
Toon Link's bombs, based on Link's bombs but with a Wind Waker-inspired design, can be thrown at other opponents, where it will explode on impact. The character hit by the bomb will take anywhere from 5% to 9% damage. The blast has a larger radius than Link's and has a more cartoonish appearance to match Toon Link's appearance. If a bomb explodes while a character is holding it, the character holding it and characters in the immediate vicinity will take reduced damage, around 3%. His bombs glow yellow and fluctuate in size to indicate that it is about to explode.
While the bomb has limited capabilities on its own, it can lead into a Quickdraw after a short hop, and can aid in Toon Link's recovery. If the bomb is dropped, other characters can pick it up and use it as an item. It can also be caught and thrown by other characters. Toon Link can also set the bomb on the ground by dropping it right before landing, or right after a ledge jump.
It is interesting to note that while Link's bombs deal damage to breakable terrain such as the towers of Shadow Moses Island, the organic bridge and pillars of Brinstar, and the floors of Skyworld, Toon Link's do not. As the bomb is an item, Toon Link cannot use the move if he is already holding another item. Similar to Link, Toon Link's bombs can also damage team members.
In Ultimate Toon Link's bombs are slightly more volatile than his counterparts, immediately exploding on impact with floors or other surfaces even when z-dropped from a short hop or thrown lightly, though they may still land on the ground should he drop them after taking a hit.
Toon Link's bomb explosions also use graphics from The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker.
Customization
Special Move customization was added in Super Smash Bros. 4. These are the variations:
Link
| 1. Bomb | 2. Giant Bomb | 3. Meteor Bomb |
|---|---|---|
 |
 |
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| "Pull out a throwable bomb that explodes on impact or when the fuse runs out." | "Pull out a huge bomb that makes a huge boom. (Where the heck does Link keep these things?!)" | "Pull out a short-fused bomb that has a meteor effect on airborne foes." |
- Bomb: Default.
- Giant Bomb: A massive bomb with a huge explosion hitbox, which deal more damage and knockback. However, they cannot blow up when thrown at the opponent, instead bouncing harmlessly off them, and blow up based on time or an attack. They deal 8% to 10% damage, dependent on range.
- In Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS, this variation is a Challenge unlock, only obtainable by destroying a total of 300 blocks in Trophy Rush.
- Meteor Bomb: Weaker bombs with a noticeably short fuse. However, they meteor smash anyone hit by them with moderate knockback, which can affect Link as well if a bomb detonates in his hand. On the ground, it will halt opponents in their tracks, giving considerable stun. It is not practical for recoveries in any way as the bombs simply meteor smash Link, though it allows him to survive vertical KOs longer with luck. They deal 5%.
Toon Link
| 1. Bomb | 2. Time Bomb | 3. Short-Fuse Bomb |
|---|---|---|
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 "Pull out a throwable bomb. It'll explode after a while or when it hits something."
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"The bomb explodes only when its fuse runs out. Does less damage but launches foes."
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"A powerful bomb with a very short fuse. The explosion sends fighters flying upward."
|
- Bomb: Default.
- Time Bomb: Bombs don't detonate on impact, deal less damage than usual, and have a smaller blast radius, but have high launching power. This bomb is ideal for shielding against attackers while holding one.
- Short-Fuse Bomb: Bombs have a bigger blast radius, deal more damage than usual in addition to launching foes upwards, but bombs have shorter throwing range due to their increased weight and have a significantly shorter fuse. Therefore, the bombs explode almost immediately.
Instructional quotes
 instruction booklet |
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Pull bombs out and press  to hurl them at enemies.
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 instruction booklet |
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Pull out a bomb, then throw with the A Button. |
 case foldout |
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Pull out a throwable bomb. |
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Take out a bomb that can be thrown. | |
 Move List |
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Pulls out a throwable bomb that explodes on impact or when the fuse runs out. |
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Pulls out a throwable bomb. It'll explode after a while or when it hits something. |
Techniques
Bomb recovery
In Melee, bombs dropped by Link can explode when hit. This can be useful in that Spin Attack can collide with the bombs and deal damage, to Spin Attack again. However the spin attack must be fresh in order to deal enough damage to detonate the bomb; hitting an opponent with a spin attack merely once before using a bomb recovery will lower the move's damage output too much. Additionally, this does not work effectively in later games, as bombs cannot be damaged by the user's attacks to make the bomb explode.
Bomb drop/C4
Normally, if a bomb is dropped from midair, it will explode once it hit the ground or an opponent. However, if Link/Young Link/Toon Link drops a bomb extremely close to the ground, the bomb will stay there, similarly to a dropped Hand Grenade. The simplest way to do this is to short hop, then Z-drop it at the opportune moment. It can also be done by Z-dropping it while jumping up through a platform or dropping down from a platform. It is even possible to perform this by simply tilt throwing the bomb forward or backward. Occasionally, a platform will be high enough for one of the Links to just throw up from the ground. The technique appears to be impossible to perform with Toon Link in Ultimate, but Young Link can perform it.
Bombchu
- Not to be confused with the item the technique derives its name from, Bombchu.
After performing a Bomb drop/C4 in Melee, hitting that bomb with a weak move (<6% damage) will cause it to slide across the stage, an easy setup is to throw or z-drop a bomb on or next to another bomb. The timing for when to hit the bomb is somewhat random, though the window opens a little before the bomb starts flashing. Bombchus primarily move towards the left, with rightward ones either barely moving or exploding outright. The bomb will not explode on contact, it will only explode when the fuse runs out. They don't have much utility, but it can be performed while the opponent is respawning, giving the player an extra option in the downtime.
Bomb rocket
This is a technique in Melee that allows Link and Young Link to reach a greater height than simply using double jump and up-b. This technique consists getting hit by a bomb while on the knockdown state or a miss tech, then immediately jumping or doing an up-b, this will carry the momentum of the bomb into the jump or the up-b. This technique is dependent on damage percent so Link and Young Link won't be able to perform it until a high percent and the effect of the technique will be higher as the percent climbs up. This technique can be used to secure kills, reach platforms quickly and edgeguard particularly high opponents.
Bomb smashing
If the attack button is held during an animation where Link/Young Link/Toon Link cannot throw his bomb (such as during a roll, or during the time when he takes out the bomb), it will allow the player to do a forward smash with the C-Stick without throwing the bomb. The bomb can then be thrown after the smash, stunning the opponent and setting the opponent up for a dash attack, slide smash, or a dash attack cancel. This was completely removed in version 3.1.0 of Ultimate.
Bomb braking
In Brawl, if a Bomb explodes while in knockback, it increases the knockback that Link and Toon Link travel. However, if Link/Toon Link uses his Grab Air right before it explodes while in knockback (other than the knockback of the Bomb), it cancels all knockback, allowing him to survive at percentages where he would usually get KOed by the move that hit him. However, it is very situational, because it takes 7 seconds for a Bomb to explode, and the attack that knocks him has a chance of making him drop the Bomb. Without Link/Toon Link having a way to force the bomb to explode, there is rarely a chance of pulling it off with a result of surviving longer.
Bomb to aerial
Bombs can also be used to setup aerial attacks. When a bomb is thrown or z-dropped on a airborne opponent underneath, the opponent will be sent upwards for a guaranteed aerial follow-up. The most commonly chosen follow-ups are Link/Young Link's nair for its speed and his dair for its KO power. Toon Link's down air is notable for being a meteor smash. As such, a bomb can be used as an effective meteor smash setup, provided the opponent is close enough.
Bomb dash
The bomb dash [1] is a glitch that can be performed in Super Smash Bros. Melee by either Link or Young Link. It is done by taking out a bomb and then short hopping off the stage to grab the ledge. Then, perform an edge hop. Before landing, drop the bomb with Z. Then, perform everything once more and if performed correctly, the bomb should dash across the stage.
Origin
Bombs have appeared in almost all Zelda games, including the original The Legend of Zelda; their designs in the various Smash games are taken from the same game as the respective version of Link.
Bombs are operated by being placed on the ground, and in several games they can be picked up and thrown: a few seconds after its activation, a bomb starts flashing and finally blows up, creating an explosion that, in addition to destroying walls and obstacles and damaging enemies, can damage even Link himself. They are however much larger than they appear in Smash: rather than holding them in his hand, Link has to carry them above his head with both arms. In most games Link can carry a limited number of bombs in the inventory, though replacements can be dropped by enemies, found in chests or bought in stores.
Link's Giant Bomb custom could be a reference to the Super Bomb which appeared in The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past, an enormous bomb which Link has to lug around the overworld and which is required to access specific areas. While the Super Bomb itself made no further appearances, later games introduced similar items like Powder Kegs.
Gallery
Render of a bomb in Smash 64.
Link holding a bomb in Smash 64.
Render of Link's bomb in Melee.
Animation of Link pulling out a bomb in Melee.
Link throws a bomb at Captain Falcon. (Melee)
Toon Link's bombs (blue) compared with Link's (black).
Link's bomb produces a more realistic explosion compared to Toon Link's.
Toon Link throwing a bomb in Super Smash Bros. for Wii U.
Challenge board unlock image for Giant Bomb.
Link carries a Bomb (right) in SSB4.
Young Link carries a Bomb next to Bomberman in Ultimate.
Young Link using Bomb as shown by the Move List in Ultimate.
Toon Link using Bomb as shown by the Move List in Ultimate.
Names in other languages
| Language | Name |
|---|---|
 Japanese |
爆弾 |
 English |
Bomb |
 French |
Bombe |
 German |
Bombe |
 Spanish |
Bomba |
 Italian |
Bomba |
 Chinese (Simplified) |
炸弹 |
 Chinese (Traditional) |
炸彈 |
 Korean |
폭탄 |
 Dutch |
Bom |
 Russian |
Бомба |
