Link

For fighter info, see Link (SSB), Link (SSBM), Link (SSBB), and Link (SSB4).

Link
Official artwork of Link from The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess.
Universe	The Legend of Zelda
Debut	The Legend of Zelda (1986)
Smash Bros. appearances	SSB Melee Brawl SSB4 Ultimate
Most recent non-Smash appearance	The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess HD (2016)
Console/platform of origin	Nintendo Entertainment System
Species	Hylian
Gender	Male
Place of origin	Hyrule
Created by	Shigeru Miyamoto
Voice actor	Nobuyuki Hiyama (SSB and Melee) Akira Sasanuma (Brawl and SSB4)
Article on Zelda Wiki	Link

Link (リンク, Link) is the protagonist of The Legend of Zelda series by Nintendo. There are multiple different reincarnations of Link seen throughout the series, but they all have saved Hyrule and Princess Zelda from evil many times (usually from Ganon, who serves as the main antagonist of the series). Many of the reincarnations wield the Master Sword, hold the Triforce of Courage, and all share the spirit of the Hero of Hyrule. An "adult" Link has appeared as a playable fighter in all four Super Smash Bros. games. Link is marketed as one of Nintendo's flagship characters alongside Mario, with some sources considering him one of the greatest Nintendo characters and gaming protagonists of all time.

Character description

Link's artwork from The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, on which his design in Smash 64 and Melee were based.

Link's first appearance was in the original 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 limitations in the NES hardware. This appearance has since been traditional for Link.

It is worth noting that while there have been many Zelda games, it has not always been the same Link who the player controls. The timelines in which the Zelda games take place skip forward and backward across the centuries, and each time a new Link with a new origin is created, they have received many titles throughout their adventures, which have included the "Hero of Time" (referring to the Ocarina of Time/Majora's Mask Link), "Hero of Winds" (Toon Link, from The Wind Waker/Phantom Hourglass), or "Hero Chosen by the Gods" (Twilight Princess). However, each incarnation of the hero is tasked with defeating the main antagonist of the story, mainly Ganondorf, from either taking over the world, or in other cases, destroying it.

As the Zelda series traditionally does not give Link dialogue during conversations, there is very little insight into Link's personality. However, it has been shown that Link is a brave and polite young man and is very "humble".

Because of the different Links, Link's origins can vary, but almost always, he is a young boy (or man) who starts out as a normal person until learning of his destiny to save Hyrule and Princess Zelda from the evil Ganon (or Ganondorf) and as his journey presses him, he becomes a hero. In Ocarina of Time, he is a young Hylian, whose mother, before dying, entrusted him into the care of the Great Deku Tree. In The Wind Waker, he is a young boy living on Outset Island, given the legendary Hero of Time's clothes. In Twilight Princess, he is an ordinary young man working at Ordon Ranch until several of the villagers' children are kidnapped by monsters which starts his adventure.

One thing that has varied with Link is his age. In some games such as The Wind Waker and the first part of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, Link is a young boy, which is the basis for the two "alternate" Links appearing in the Smash series (Young Link and Toon Link). In Twilight Princess, Skyward Sword, Zelda II: The Adventure of Link, and the second part of Ocarina of Time, Link is depicted as a young adult, which is the basis of the "main" Link's appearance in Smash. Other games, such as A Link to the Past, depict him as being in-between the two.

Link made both his first fighting appearance and his first official appearance in a Nintendo game outside the Zelda series in Super Smash Bros., and has appeared in all installments of the series since.

In all games of the Smash Bros. series, Link carries the Master Sword and a Hylian Shield.

In Super Smash Bros.

As a playable character

Official artwork of Link in Super Smash Bros.

Link's first appearance in a fighting game is in the original Super Smash Bros. as one of the starting eight playable characters. He is based off his appearance in The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. He is a slow character, but as the wielder of the Master Sword, Link's melee attacks have considerable range, which often compensates for the lack of speed, allowing him to hit opponents from farther away to continue combos. His neutral special move is a fast Boomerang which will return to Link, a property that is useful in both comboing and combo-breaking. His up special move is the Spin Attack, which is powerful but does not give him much distance for recovery. In fact, Link's poor recovery is often considered to be the primary reason for the bottom tier placing of what would otherwise be a powerful fighter with moderate combo potential and versatile projectiles. His down special move allows him to pull out a throwable Bomb. Link can throw the bomb so that it explodes after making contact, or he can throw it lightly so that it will not explode. Link is currently placed 11th of 12 characters on the tier list.

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

Link, as he appears in Super Smash Bros. Melee.

As a playable character

Link returns in Super Smash Bros. Melee as a starting selectable character. His appearance is still based off The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. While his play style is similar, his moves have been slightly tweaked. His up special move is now a much more reliable recovery jump. His new neutral special move is the Bow, which allows Link to fire an arrow. The arrow's range depends on how long the player holds down the B button. His Boomerang has been moved to be his side special move.

Link has been buffed from Super Smash Bros. to Melee, ranking 18th on the tier list. Due to increased distance to Spin Attack and higher air speed, Link has an improved recovery, which is considered his main flaw in his previous appearance. He has many projectiles and a disjointed hitbox from his Master Sword. However, he very slow dashing speed and is easy to combo due to his weight and falling speed.

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

In Super Smash Bros. Brawl

Link, as he appears in Super Smash Bros. Brawl.

Link is again a starter character in Super Smash Bros. Brawl. He has undergone a visual update (so that the Twilight Princess incarnation of Link appears, rather than the Ocarina of Time one), but he is essentially the same fighter as he was in Melee.

Some of his moves have been slightly tweaked. To match Twilight Princess, his weapons were also updated accordingly; while his boomerang became the Gale Boomerang and the Hookshot became the Clawshot - the former now pulls opponents and items in a small tornado, while the Clawshot homes in on the nearest ledge but cannot grab plain walls. The other changes are that the arrows of his renamed "Hero's Bow" disappear after a distance, and his Spin Attack is now chargeable.

Like all of the game's returning characters, he now has a Final Smash attack that he obtains when he breaks a Smash Ball. 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 Triforces. Link then dashes at the opponent, unleashes a barrage of sword slashes, and finishes with a powerful blow with enough knockback to one-hit KO the opponent if nothing gets in the way.

Link has been nerfed from Melee to Brawl and is ranked 35th on the current tier list, placing him in the F tier. While his attacks are stronger, his recovery was nerfed to where it is as poor as his recovery in the first game. His mobility is also poor, as his air and dashing speeds are very low.

Trophies

Link has a trophy that is awarded each time the Classic Mode is completed with Link on any difficulty. See Triforce Slash for the trophy description of Link's Final Smash, and Toon Link for the trophies based on 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

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 unqiue 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.

• 

  Wolf Link trophy.

Stickers

Name	Game	Effect	Character(s)
Deku Link	The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask	DefenseElectric+005 Resistance +5	All characters
Epona & Link	The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time	AttackArmLeg+009 Attack +9	Link Zelda Toon Link Ganondorf
Link	The Legend of Zelda	AttackSpecialsIndirect+017 Attack +17	All characters
Link	The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past	DefenseElectric+031 Resistance +31	Link Zelda Toon Link Ganondorf
Link	The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess	DefenseSlash+027 Resistance +27	Link Zelda Toon Link Ganondorf
Link with Goron Mask	The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask	AttackSlash+017 Attack +17	Link Zelda Toon Link Ganondorf
Midna & Wolf Link	The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess	AttackLeg+026 Attack +26	Link Zelda Toon Link Ganondorf
Zora Link	The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask	SpecialSwimTime+060 +60	All characters

Deku Link (Zelda: Majora's Mask)

Epona & Link (Zelda: Ocarina of Time)

Link (The Legend of Zelda)

Link (Zelda: Link to the Past)

Link (Zelda: Twilight Princess)

Link with Goron Mask (Zelda: MM)

Midna & Wolf Link (Zelda: Twilight Princess)

Zora Link (Zelda: Majora's Mask)

In Super Smash Bros. 4

Link as he appears in Super Smash Bros. 4.

Mii Swordfighters dressed as Link.

Link appears as a playable character in Super Smash Bros. 4. His design is once again based on Twilight Princess. He receives a few more buffs, such as his new dash attack, which is Link's staple jump attack from the Zelda series. Toon Link also returns in the games.

In addition to his playable appearance, Link's costume 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 own SSB4 appearance, its simplified design, brighter colors, and mirrored hairstyle closely resemble the Skyward Sword incarnation of Link.

Link has improved from Brawl, resulting in a rise in his tier list ranking, now at 42nd out of 56. Many of his attacks are quicker and stronger, and SSB4's new edge mechanics makes his tether recovery more dependable. His projectiles have also seen some improvements, as Hero's Bow can charge faster, Gale Boomerang's launch trajectory allows for follow-ups, and Bombs do additional damage if they explode on the opponent's feet. However, Link is still rather sluggish in movement, and as a result is highly weak to rushdowns by characters much quicker than him. As a whole, Link does have some notable players in tournament play, yet his overall standing and viability is debatable due the varying degrees that other veterans have been buffed.

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.

• LinkTrophy3DS1.png

  Classic (3DS)

• 

  Classic (Wii U)

• LinkTrophy3DS2.png

  Alt. (3DS)

• 

  Alt. (Wii U)

• 

  Adult Link (Ocarina of Time)

• 

  Wolf Link

Trivia

• Link has always had the same weight as Captain Falcon in each of the Super Smash Bros. games.
• Link (excluding Link from Smash 64), along with Young Link and Toon Link, are the only fighters in the series that have a forward smash that can unleash a second hit upon a second button press.