Editing Young Link (SSBM)

{{ArticleIcons|melee=y}}

{{Disambig2|Young Link's appearance in ''Super Smash Bros. Melee''|the character in other contexts|Young Link}}

|name = Young Link

|image = [[File:Young Link SSBM.jpg]]

|game = SSBM

|ssbgame1 = SSBU

|tier = C-

|tierPAL = F

|ranking = 17

|rankingPAL = 18

'''Young Link''' ({{ja|こどもリンク|Kodomo Rinku}}, ''Young Link'') is a character in ''[[Super Smash Bros. Melee]]''. He is a direct clone of {{SSBM|Link}}, with some minor differences.

Young Link is voiced by {{s|wikipedia|Fujiko Takimoto}} in all regions of ''Melee''. In a similar manner to his adult self, Young Link's voice clips are re-purposed directly from ''The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time'' and its sequel, ''The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask'', featuring a combination of returning voice clips and ones left over from the recording sessions for the two Nintendo 64 ''Zelda'' titles.  

He ranks 17th on the [[tier list]] in the C- tier, one place higher than Link. Young Link has a very good approach due to some low [[lag]] [[aerial]]s, a great [[SHFFL]] and a good [[wavedash]], as well as three [[projectile]]s and good mobility overall. Young Link also is a potent [[combo]]er due to his projectiles, and can also [[edgeguard]] and [[space]] well. However, Young Link's primary flaw is that he has trouble [[KO]]ing, due to the lack of an efficient quick KO move and having difficulty in hitting cleanly with his [[smash attack]]s (except his down smash). Additionally, like Link, Young Link has a slow and predictable [[recovery]], though his ability to [[wall jump]], [[bomb jump]] and use his [[hookshot]] give him some options. Young Link's recovery, however, is rather poor for his [[weight]] class.

As a fighter, Young Link appears as a lighter, weaker, and faster form of Link, and generally falls under the same archetype as a character, similar to characters such as {{SSBM|Ness}}. Other properties of Young Link, however, are almost identical to those of Link. His airspeed and falling speed are identical to Link's, and he has only slightly lower traction, giving Young Link a slightly longer wavedash than Link. Unlike his 16-year-old self, who is a heavyweight, Young Link is a lightweight and gets sent farther and higher (due to having the same fall speed) than Adult Link. Young Link's primary asset is his range. His Kokiri Sword gives him a disjointed hitbox that can allow him to strike from farther ranges, and his neutral, down, and side specials all give him access to a variety of projectiles that can cause damage and start combos from significant distances. Young Link's projectiles are surprisingly damaging, especially in comparison to Link's; his bombs catch opponents in the blast with multiple hits, allowing for combo potential, and both his boomerangs and Fire Arrows inflict more damage and hitstun than Link's, allowing for some dangerous combo starters against his opponents. Coupled with a long-ranged grapple, Young Link's range is among the highest in the game.

Additionally, Young Link has access to a surprisingly good approach game. In addition to his aforementioned range boons, Young Link's aerial approach is very good. Fast, low-lag aerials and a small short hop coupled with a high falling speed gives Young Link an excellent SHFFL, and his high air speed can allow him to easily pursue enemies in the air. These traits also give Young Link a great air game and a surprisingly good edgeguarding game; Young Link's recovery options are great as well, with a relatively high third jump and a wall-grapple to assist him, and the ability to wall-jump.

Young Link's primary flaw, however, is his inability to easily and efficiently hit with his finishers. His neutral air requires him to be in the air first, and the remainder of his attacks can prove too awkward to hit with. His dash attack requires the first few frames to connect, and its ending lag can prove to be problematic; that and the inability to send the opponent upwards unless hit at a precise point of the sword and being a semi-spike, which characters (like Fox and Link) can tech out of. With proper use of DI, it's possible to avoid the second hit of Young Link's forward smash. Furthermore, Young Link's down aerial, which can act as one of the most powerful meteor smashes in the game, has a very small and situational sweetspot, significantly hindering its usefulness off the edge. His forward aerial is also among the weakest forward aerials to both combo and finish with and his up smash is weak and not reliable tue to DI, forcing him to over-rely on dash attack or down smash for KOing.

Young Link's Kokiri Sword makes "smacking" sound effects when it connects for every attack except for Young Link's up throw and up special. Young Link's Deku Shield is also slightly less durable than Link's (higher-damage projectiles will phase through the shield).

==Differences from {{SSBM|Link}}==

 

Young Link also has properties for some of his moves that extend behind damage distribution. Young Link shoots fire arrows for his neutral special, dealing flame damage and dealing more damage uncharged, but less damage fully charged. Young Link's [[Spin Attack]] hits multiple times rather than once, making it better for trapping opponents, but worse for netting KOs. Young Link's {{b|Bomb|Young Link}}s hit four times upon explosion opposed to two, allowing his bombs to deal more damage than Link's. Young Link's down aerial his a sweet-spot near the hilt of his sword, which [[meteor smash]]es opponents while also setting them ablaze.

 

*{{change|Young Link has lower traction (0.1 → 0.08) giving him a longer wavedash than Link, but makes him harder to punish out of shield.}}

*{{nerf|Young Link's fast falling speed is much lower (3 → 2.2) making him more susceptible to juggling, and increasing his time airborne for SHFFL attacks.}}

*{{buff|Young Link has a slightly higher full hop and double jump than Link}}

*{{buff|Young Link has a shorter jumpsquat duration than Link (6 → 4), giving him quicker access to aerials, wavedashing, and platform movement.}}

*{{nerf|Young Link's Deku Shield is smaller than the Hylian Shield, projectiles therefore have a slightly lower chance of being blocked by it.}}

*{{buff|Unlike Link, Young Link can wall jump, aiding his recovery and ledge play options on stages with walls.}}

**{{nerf|All hits deal less damage (5% → 3% (hit 1), 3% → 2% (hit 2), 6% → 5% (hit 3)).}}

**{{buff|Forward tilt has less startup (frame 16 → 11) and ending lag (FAF 40 → 34), significantly increasing its overall utility.}}

**{{buff|Down tilt's meteor smash hitbox has a higher priority than the pop up, making it easier to land.}}

**{{nerf|Down tilt does not deal consistent damage, and is weaker (11% → 7%/9%/10%).}}

**{{change|Dash attack sends the opponent away as a kill/edgeguard tool unlike Link's which pops up to combo.}}

**{{nerf|Young Link's sword swing is lower to the ground, reducing its vertical range.}}

**{{nerf|Forward smash's first hit has set knockback in order to chain into the second more reliably, however the second hit of the string can be avoided with the use of DI. It also has a shorter duration (frames 15-18 → 15-17) and both hits deal less damage (13%/14% → 10% (hit 1), 18%/20% → 9%/11%/12% (hit 2)).}}

**{{buff|Up smash is able to connect against shorter grounded opponents such as Fox and Pikachu owing to Young Link's shorter stature. The third hit also has less startup lag with a longer duration (frames 41-43 → 40-44), giving it more range in front and behind him.}}

**{{change|Down smash sends opponents sideways instead of upwards, giving it better overall KO ability at the cost of lesser combo potential.}}

**{{nerf|Down smash lacks the stronger sweetspots which deal 16%/17%.}}

**{{nerf|Down smash hitboxes are designed in such a way that it is worse than Link's for shield poking.}}

**{{buff|Neutral aerial is stronger than Link's, and deals the same damage throughout (11%/9%/8% → 12%).}}

**{{nerf|Neutral aerial is not active in its hitboxes through the duration of the move, unlike Link's.}}

**{{nerf|Forward aerial has less damage and knockback than Link's version.}}

**{{change|Young Link's forward aerial can only hit once.}}

**{{buff|Back aerial is easier to connect than Link's.}}

**{{buff|Down aerial has a hitbox on the sword's hilt that inflicts a powerful [[meteor smash]] with a fire effect (being the strongest meteor in the game, if Young Link connects with the later portion of the move, inflicting 21%. Otherwise, it'll be the second strongest meteor smash in ''Melee'').}}

**{{change|Down aerial gets stronger later in the attack, unlike Link's that gets weaker.}}

*[[Grab aerial]]:

**{{nerf|Grab aerial deals 1% less damage and has a shorter range which makes it less safe to use than Link's.}}

*{{buff|Young Link's short stature allows him to more easily grab small crouching characters like {{SSBM|Jigglypuff}}, {{SSBM|Kirby}}, or {{SSBM|Mr. Game & Watch}}.}}

*{{nerf|Young Link's Hookshot grab lasts 3 frames less than Link's, significantly costing him range.}}

*[[Fire Bow]]:

**{{buff|Fire Bow's arrows deal more hitstun than Link's arrows, increasing his combo ability and making the move safer on hit up close. It also has slightly faster startup than Link's Bow.}}

**{{change|Fire Bow's arrows deal [[flame]] damage (hence the name).}}

**{{nerf|Fire Bow's arrows travel less distance due to character height, reduced total charge duration, and disappearing 5 frames earlier.}}

**{{change|Fire Bow's arrows have reversed damage roles. It deals more than Bow's arrows uncharged, but less damage fully charged.}}

**{{buff|Young Link's boomerang is stronger than Link's on hit.}}

**{{buff|Boomerang can be angled better to hit close opponents or deflect backwards off the ground.}}

**{{nerf|Boomerang's return hitbox deals 1% less damage (3% → 2%).}}

**{{nerf|Boomerang travels less distance compared to Link's.}}

*[[Spin Attack]]:

**{{buff|Spin Attack lands multiple hits instead of one, allowing it to trap opponents within its hitboxes, and the late hitboxes inflict more damage.}}

**{{nerf|The late hitboxes do not [[semi-spike]] and even if all hits connect, it is still weaker than Link's clean Spin Attack in damage. Also, it is not a viable KO move unlike Link's.}}

*{{b|Bomb|Young Link}}:

**{{change|Young Link's bombs look slightly different than Link's, as they are smaller; it has a smaller projectile hitbox but is slightly harder to track visually when thrown.}}

**{{buff|Young Link's bombs have four hitboxes as opposed to Link's two, increasing their hitstun and combo ability.}}

**{{buff|Young Link's bombs do more damage to opponents than Link's, given that all of their hitboxes connect.}}

**{{nerf|The multi-hit property of the bombs means that their explosion can affect Young Link more often in close range.}}

**{{nerf|Young Link's bombs travel a shorter distance when thrown.}}

|neutralname=Slash ({{ja|なぎ払い|Nagiharai}}) / Counter Slash ({{ja|返し|Kaeshi}}) / Stab ({{ja|突き|Tsuki}}) / Illusion Stab ({{ja|幻影突き|Genei Tsuki}})

|neutralinfdmg=1% (loop)

|neutraldesc=Same as Link's; two initial slashes, and then it can be either a single launching stab if the [[A button]] is pressed just three times, or a barrage of stabs if it's pressed in quick succession.

|ftiltname=Sword Chop ({{ja|ソードチョップ|Sōdo Choppu}})

|utiltname=Half-Moon Swipe ({{ja|半月スワイプ|Hangetsu Suwaipu}})

|dtiltname=Grass Cutter ({{ja|草薙ぎ|Kusa Nagi}})

|dashname=Running Hack ({{ja|ランニングハック|Ran'ningu Hakku}})

|dashdesc=Slashes in front of himself and slows down. Surprisingly powerful for a dash attack, and it has the unusual property of Young Link charging forward. With the ability to KO starting at 95%, it is one of Young Link's most used finishers.

|fsmashname=Sword Slice ({{ja|スマッシュ斬り|Sumasshu Giri}}, ''Smash Slice'') / Double Sword Slice ({{ja|二段スマッシュ斬り|Nidan Sumasshu Giri}}, ''Double Smash Slice'')

|fsmashdesc=Swings his sword in front once with low set knockback, and if the [[A button]] is pressed again, he will do a much more powerful slash to follow. The first hit easily chains into the second, though it can be DI'd out of. Very strong finisher, damage and knockback-wise.

|usmashname=Triple Sword Swipe ({{ja|トリプルソードスワイプ|Toripuru Sōdo Suwaipu}})

|usmashdesc=Slashes in an upwards arc three consecutive times. Hits all usually follow into each other with the final hit having the most knockback, though DI makes it an unreliable finishing attack. Fully charged is usually the toughest time to get all hits successfully connecting. The last hit has the unusual property of being able to send opponents to the left or right side of him.

|dsmashname=Sword Sweep ({{ja|ソードスイープ|Sōdo Suīpu}})

|nairname=Hylian Kick ({{ja|ハイリアキック|Hairia Kikku}})

|fairname=Spinning Sword ({{ja|スピニングソード|Supiningu Sōdo}})

|bairname=Double Kick ({{ja|二段蹴り|Nidan Geri}})

|uairname=Stab-Up ({{ja|上突き|Ue Tsuki}}, ''Up Thrust'')

|dairname=Sword Plant ({{ja|下突き|Shita Tsuki}}, ''Downward Thrust'')

|dairdmg=14%/16% (early), 17%/21% (late), 8%/9% (after bounce)

|dairdesc=Very similar to Link's. Thrusts his sword down with massive damage, knockback, ending lag, and duration, and makes Young Link bounce after hitting a foe. If the opponent is positioned above or to the side of Young Link, they will be hit with an extremely powerful [[meteor smash]]. This is hard to perform as Young Link will most likely self-destruct. If the opponent is below Young Link, it results in considerable vertical knockback on the first hit, making it a great KO move. It is the strongest meteor smash in ''Melee'' (when the 21% hitbox connects) and is the most powerful aerial attack in the game, being even stronger than Ganondorf's down aerial, despite the latter having slightly superior knockback scaling. This is due to Young Link's down aerial having immensely high base knockback (70). Though it is very difficult to meteor smash opponents on a soft platform, it is capable of [[Star KO]]ing any grounded opponents (only if the characters are on the soft platform) under 150%.

|zairname=[[Hookshot]] ({{ja|フックショット|Fukkushotto}})

|grabname=Hookshot ({{ja|フックショット|Fukkushotto}})

|pummelname=Hilt Strike ({{ja|柄なぐり|Gara Naguri}})

|fthrowname=Kick Out ({{ja|キックアウト|Kikku Auto}})

|bthrowname=Reverse Kick Out ({{ja|リバースキックアウト|Ribāsu Kikku Auto}})

|uthrowname=Sword Launch ({{ja|ソード・ランチ|Sōdo Ranchi}})

|uthrowdesc=Takes foe and swings his sword in an arc above, launching the foe above. Can lead into various combos, or simply his up aerial. At high percentage it can lead to his down aerial's meteor smash (up to 200%) if timed correctly.

|dthrowname=Flying Elbow ({{ja|フライング肘|Furaingu Hiji}})

|nsdmg=1% (point blank) 8-15% (arrow)

|nsdesc=Shoots a flaming arrow that does not travel as far as Link's and does slightly less damage, but has more hitstun. Sticks in shields and the ground, and has its own hurtbox that can be hit by other attacks. Can shoot through opponents or hit twice if stale and used at point blank range.

|ssdmg=16% (throw), 19.3% (smash throw), 7% (far), 2% (return)

|ssdesc=Throws a boomerang forward. Young Link's boomerang doesn't go as far as Link's does, but it deals more damage. The boomerang's distance can be extended or have its trajectory altered with the [[control stick]]. The boomerang can be deflected off surfaces, either skidding, or completely changing direction when angled fully down.

|usdesc=Does a spinning attack. When used in the air, it gives Young Link a boost in the air, making it a recovery move. Compared to Link's version, Young Link's Spin Attack has slightly more control when used in midair and hits multiple times on the ground. This move has transcendent priority.

|dsdesc=Young Link takes out a bomb and can throw it like any other item. The bomb eventually explodes on its own, even being able to damage Young Link himself. Unlike Link's Bombs, Young Link's bombs deal multiple hits upon exploding. Oddly, anyone who comes in contact with the bomb will have an [[explosive]] effect on their bodies, despite the bomb not detonating. The explosion can grant Young Link an extra Spin Attack if used skillfully.

|desc-1=Kicks the toes of his boots on the ground, as if knocking off dirt.

|image-1=Young Link Idle Pose Melee 1.gif

|image-2=Young Link Idle Pose Melee 2.gif}}

|desc-1='''B: '''Checks his belt, then readjusts it. Based on one of his idle animations from ''{{s|zeldawiki|The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time}}''.

|desc-2='''Y: '''Puts his sword and shield together and then raises his sword high into the air. Shares this victory pose with Link.

|desc-3='''X: '''Sheathes his sword, then dusts off his hands and looks at the screen while posing.

==In [[competitive play]]==

===Most historically significant players===

<!--This character has a ten player limit for this section. Before adding and/or removing a player, read these guidelines: https://www.ssbwiki.com/SmashWiki:Notability#%22Most_historically_significant_players%22_guidelines -->

*{{Sm|Armada|Sweden}} - Formerly considered to be the second best Young Link player behind Axe, but was the best during the ''Brawl'' era. He developed Young Link only to fight {{SSBM|Jigglypuff}}, and later dropped him for {{SSBM|Fox}}.

*{{Sm|Axe|USA}} - Known for his top level {{SSBM|Pikachu}}, but is also known for some secondaries such as his Young Link. His Young Link is quite known for its flashy play, defeating {{Sm|MacD}} at {{Trn|Kings of Cali 3}} and {{Sm|ChuDat}} at {{Trn|EVO 2014}}, and placed 25th at {{Trn|Smash Camp: End of Summer}} using only Young Link.

*{{Sm|Bambi|USA}} - A notable Young Link main from the Tristate area who has been ranked on the [[New Jersey Power Rankings]] twice. Has placed 49th at {{Trn|Get On My Level 2022}} and has taken sets off players such as {{Sm|Qerb}}, {{Sm|TheSWOOPER}}, {{Sm|JFlex}}, and {{Sm|Wally}}.

*{{Sm|Niklas2912|Norway}} - The best Young Link player in Europe and considered to be one of the best solo players with the character. During 2019, he placed highly at regionals such as 5th at both {{Trn|Vivaldi Autumn 2019}} and {{Trn|Vivaldi Winter 2019}} as well as superregionals with 17th at {{Trn|Valhalla II}}. In the same year, he ranked 14th on the [[Norwegian Power Rankings]], but has become inactive in recent years.

*{{Sm|Rocket|Chile}} - Was the first solo Young Link to be ranked top 100, being ranked 98th on the [[SSBMRank 2022]]. He is considered one of the best solo players in the world, with a 17th place finish at {{Trn|Wavedash 2022}}, picking up a win over {{Sm|Suf}}. He also has taken sets from {{Sm|Spark}}.

Opinions on Young Link in the early metagame were largely pessimistic; he was frequently placed in the mid-low to low tiers, ranking as low as 20th on the seventh [[tier list]]. For a long time, he was considered inferior to {{SSBM|Link}} due to his adult counterpart having greater range, better KOing power, and just as good of a recovery. Young Link also suffered from a dearth of good representation at that time, with {{Sm|Jash}} and {{Sm|Kokiri Soldier}} (then known as Laijin) as his sole high-level representatives, while adult Link had several notable and influential players such as {{Sm|Aniki}}, {{Sm|The GERM}}, and later {{Sm|J666}} and {{Sm|Lord HDL}} pushing his metagame.

 

Link's perceived superiority continued well into and after the MLG era; however, it was around this time that players began to notice Young Link's potential against [[floaty]] characters. His playerbase recognized that he was one of the best {{SSBM|Peach}} answers in the game, due to his ability to defeat defensive Peaches with his speed and projectiles. Even so, high-level players greatly underestimated how significant this advantage was, particularly because they also thought that adult Link was not too far behind in the Peach matchup. This is reflected in the 2010 matchup chart, where both Young Link and Link share a -1 matchup against Peach. They surmised that this seemingly small advantage that Young Link had over Link was not enough to justify placing him higher than Link on the tier list. This still allowed him to rise to just one spot short of Link on the tenth tier list, among other considerations such as Young Link faring slightly better against {{SSBM|Sheik}}.

 

 

 

==In 1-P Mode==

In All-Star Mode, Young Link and his allies are fought on the stage [[Jungle Japes]], with ''Saria's Song'' playing, as the remainder of the Zelda stages are instead taken by Link and Zelda.

YoungLinkClassicMode.jpg|Classic Mode

YoungLinkAdventureMode.jpg|Adventure Mode

YoungLinkAllStarMode.jpg|All-Star Mode

In addition to the normal trophy about Young Link as a character, there are two trophies about him as a fighter that are unlocked by completing the [[Adventure Mode|Adventure]] and [[All-Star]] modes on any difficulty with Young Link.

 

|name=Young Link

|image=Young Link Trophy.png

|desc=Link's younger incarnation is often considered to be the true Link: he was a young boy in the very first Legend of Zelda game, and he has appeared as a youth in most of the subsequent games. Since his debut on the original NES in 1987, Link's appearance has changed over and over again, each time adding to the mystique of his incomparable story.

|gamelist={{Trophy games|game1=The Legend of Zelda|release1=7/87}}

|game=Melee

 

|name=Young Link

|image=Young Link Trophy (Smash).png

|mode=Adventure

|desc=Young Link is lighter and faster than his older self, and his Kokiri sword packs less punch. Even though his Boomerang has a shorter range, he has greater control over it. He's a smaller target, and while his Hookshot has less reach than the older Link's, you can still use it in midair as a last-ditch attempt to grab a ledge.

|gamelist=:B: Fire Bow

:Smash B: Boomerang

 

|image=Young Link Trophy 2 (Smash).png

|mode=All Star

|desc=With a youthful spring in his step, Young Link can perform amazing wall-jumps. Once he hits a wall, tap the Control Stick in the opposite direction to send him leaping upward; you can practice to your heart's content in Target Test. His Spin Attack can strike multiple times even on the ground, and although it's hard to discern, so do his Bombs.

|gamelist=:Up & B: Spin Attack

:Down & B: Bomb

|game=Melee

|colspan=5|[[File:Young Link Palette (SSBM).png]]

|{{Head|Young Link|g=SSBM|s=25px}}

 

SSBMWebsiteYoungLink2.jpg|Dodging {{SSBM|Captain Falcon}}'s [[Falcon Punch]] on Temple.

Young Link's Boomerang Move.jpg|Using [[Boomerang]] on {{SSBM|Mewtwo}} on Fourside.

SSBMWebsiteYoungLink6.jpg|[[Taunt]]ing on [[Princess Peach's Castle]].

[[File:LinkYoungLinkHookshot.png|thumb|A comparison of Link and Young Link's respective Hookshots.]]

*Young Link appears in the background of Link's montage in the introduction to ''Melee'', making him one of the five hidden characters, along with {{SSBM|Ganondorf}}, {{SSBM|Jigglypuff}}, {{SSBM|Mewtwo}}, and {{SSBM|Pichu}}, to have some kind of involvement in the intro.

*Despite the Deku Shield's vulnerability to flames in ''Ocarina of Time'', it is able to block fire projectiles in ''Melee''.

**Because of its length, the variation of Young Link's defeat cry when he is KOed on the left, right, or bottom blast lines does not properly terminate; similar behavior occurs with {{SSBM|Mr. Game & Watch}} and {{SSBM|Captain Falcon}}.

*Young Link is the only character in ''Melee'' to not have any even matchups with any other character.

*Young Link, {{SSBM|Mario}}, {{SSBM|Peach}}, {{SSBM|Yoshi}}, {{SSBM|Link}}, {{SSBM|Kirby}}, {{SSBM|Falco}}, and {{SSBM|Pikachu}} are the only characters whose portraits on the [[character select screen]] match their [[Smabura-Ken]] [[character artwork|artwork]]. Young Link and Falco also have the same pose for their "Challenger Approaching" screens.

*Young Link in ''Melee'' has the worst fast fall speed increase of any character in any official ''Smash'' game, at only 3.3% faster than his maximum fall speed.

*Despite the entire playable ''Zelda'' cast in ''Melee'' all being based on their ''Ocarina of Time'' designs, Young Link is technically the only one to appear in another game; in this case, ''Majora's Mask''.

[[Category:Young Link (SSBM)| ]]

[[Category:Trophies (SSBM)]]

[[es:Young Link (SSBM)]]