Zelda (SSBM)

Zelda in Super Smash Bros. Melee
Princess Zelda
Universe	The Legend of Zelda
Alternate form	Sheik
Other playable appearance	in Brawl
Availability	Starter
Tier	F (18)

Zelda (ゼルダ, Zerudā) is one of the more unique characters in the lineup for Super Smash Bros. Melee. Zelda's most notable traits are her array of powerful magical attacks and her unique ability to transform herself into her alter ego, Sheik. This alternate form is very different from Zelda, and each was intended to help balance the other's weaknesses, so that ideally, one would change between the two so to match the flow of battle. However, of the two, Sheik is the far more effective standalone character.

Zelda is 18th on the tier list, in the F tier. Zelda's positive attributes include an effective killer with her Lightning Kick, as well as powerful attacks with transcendent priority. Additionally, Zelda has a somewhat long recovery, though it has few options that allow it to be extended. Zelda's primary weakness is her poor movement, due to having the slowest dash speed in the game, slow falling, and air speed, resulting in a short, slow wavedash. Zelda also lacks effective combos due to her high knockback moves, preventing her from easily racking up damage; Zelda's throwing ability is also very disappointing, with a poor chaingrabbing ability. This contributes to Zelda having poor matchups against others, though she does have a few even matchups against those higher than her, such as the Ice Climbers.

Attributes

File:Zelda.jpg

Zelda has powerful, high priority attacks, but she shares the undesirable attribute of the slowest dash speed in the game with Jigglypuff, and neither her wavedash nor dash-dance make up for her slow mobility because they are both short.

Despite this poor mobility, she can be very unpredictable if used well through use of her priority close to her opponent and her Din's Fire from afar. The Lightning Kick (her forward & back aerial) is fast and powerful. However, Zelda lacks true combos beyond two or three hits as most of her attacks have high knockback. Generally, she also has very poor grabs and throws; the exception to this is her up throw, which can combo. Zelda's up & down smashes are both very fast.

She has a projectile (Din's Fire), but it is slow and fairly predictable. In terms of recovery, her up special move (Farore's Wind) covers a long distance, but is easily edge-guarded due to being predictable and laggy. Zelda has the second-slowest falling speed. This means she is immune to many combos, but she is also very lightweight, meaning she is easy to KO through the top blast line.

Zelda can transform into Sheik at any time.

Moveset

Ground attacks

Normal

• Neutral attack: Zaps magic quickly from her palm, in a similar fashion to Ganondorf's neutral attack. The three hits add up to 5% damage.
• Dash attack: Shoves her hands in front, with magic sparks coming out them. 9-13% damage.
• Forward tilt: Swipes her hand forward with sparks. 13% damage.
• Down tilt: Thrusts her foot out quickly from under her dress. Can meteor smash. 7% damage.
• Up tilt: Waves her hand in an arch above her, her hand filled with sparks. Surprisingly powerful. 11% damage.

Smash attacks

• Up smash: Waves her hand in an arch similar to her up tilt three times. Multi-hitting, powerful. Can be SDI'd out of. 14% uncharged, 20% fully.
• Down smash: Quick roundhouse-like kick. Short range with a sightly disjointed hitbox, but fast. 11% uncharged, 15% fully.
• Forward smash: Sends a fierce jabs of magic in front of her. Like her up smash, multi-hitting and strong. Also, this attack can be SDI'd out of. 15% uncharged, 22% fully

Aerial attacks

• Neutral aerial: Spins with magic sparks twice. Many hitboxes, good for spacing. 14% if all hits connect, though it may be DI'd out of, and full damage doesn't occur as often as Zelda players would like.
• Up aerial: Releases a giant fireball upwards. Good power. 13% damage.
• Back aerial: Lightning Kick. Kicks backward. If the foe is hit with the tip of her foot just as the move comes out, it zaps them very powerfully, even rivaling The Knee. 10% if not sweetspotted, 20% if sweetspotted. A bit faster than her forward Lightning Kick, so it can be used twice in a short hop.
• Forward aerial: Lightning Kick. Virtually identical to her back aerial in all but direction.
• Down aerial: Thrusts her foot downwards. A very weak meteor smash. 8% damage

Grabs & throws

• Pummel: Zaps her foe. 2-3% damage per pummel
• Forward throw: Launches her foe forward, above average power. 12% damage.
• Back throw: Similar to her forward throw, only directly behind her. If the player uses her back throw very close to the ledge, she can set up an early edgeguard by using a sweetspotted forward or back aerial. 11% damage.
• Up throw: Thrusts foe to the sky. 11% damage.
• Down throw: Drops foe and zaps them, send foe behind her with weak knockback. Multi-hitting, hits add up to 9%.

Other attacks

• Ledge attack: Gets up and swirls her skirt forward. 6% damage.
• 100% ledge attack: Slowly gets up and slaps in front. 8-10% damage.
• Floor attack: Swirls her dress around with foot extended and gets up. 6% damage

Special moves

Zelda's special moves

Neutral special	Nayru's Love
Side special	Din's Fire
Up special	Farore's Wind
Down special	Transform		Phantom Slash

Matchups

Super Smash Bros. Melee Character Matchups

Avg.

Combos

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Fast fallers

(First note: These combos are directional influence based)

1. Chain throwing: Throw them up and attempt to grab again right before they land on the player's head. If they DI, the player can follow a short distance to catch. Stops working around 30-40%.
2. Up+throw to lightning kick: Throw them up and connect it with a Lightning Kick (note: the player should wait until near the end of the chain throwing process before doing this) If they DI left, jump straight up and kick left. If they DI right, jump straight up and kick right. If they don't DI and they try to fall back into Zelda, jump right or left (depending which edge is closer to Zelda) And connect it that way.
3. Up+A (Smash): If caught just right, the player can connect a series of these at low damage. And just like in combo #2, the player can, depending on DI, Lightning Kick them.
4. Down+throw -> Lightning Kick: If Zelda is facing right down+throw and short hop Lightning kick to the left. If Zelda is facing left Down+Throw and short hop lightning kick to the right.
   1. If the enemy DI's away from Zelda, she can't connect it.
   2. If the enemy smashes buttons to break out of the grab, might be a good idea to throw down quickly and since they were too busy breaking out. Their chance to DI is gone and it can be connected.
   3. If the opponent seems to go straight to attempting to DI. Get a few bits of damage by tapping A before throwing. Then it's suggested that Zelda go for combo #2 (if they are around the right damage).
5. Dash attack spam: If the first dash attack connects too early they will most likely be stunned a bit and pushed away. If the player dash attacks as they nearly touch them, the opponent will be sent above the player. The player can dash away and back in for another dash attack most likely (depends on DI as they rack up damage). If they DI right above the player, change it to a combo #3 or combo #2 By grabbing them above the player. From this point, the player can connect any move.
6. Tilt spam: If they are too far away when doing a mid aimed tilt, it will send them away. However if the player catches them in it, they can DI straight up, or behind the player (doesn't work at low damage because they can tech out of this). When DI'ing straight up, the player can do another one or anything that seems good for the situation. If they DI behind the player, [[short hop\\ Lightning Kick is a good idea, but so is going for another mid aimed or low aimed tilt if they are close enough.
   1. Note: This is extremely Damaged based.
7. Down tilt: This is useless but possible combo nonetheless. At really high percentages when the fast faller finally starts popping off the ground to this move. the player can connect a few sometimes

Average weight & floaty

1. Down+throw -> Lightning Kick: If Zelda is facing right, down throw and short hop Lightning Kick to the left. If Zelda is facing left, down throw and short hop Lightning Kick to the right.
   1. If the enemy DI's away from Zelda, she can't connect it.
   2. If the enemy smashes buttons to break out of the grab, might be a good idea to throw down quickly and since they were too busy breaking out. Their chance to DI is gone and it can be connected.
   3. If the opponent seems to go straight to attempting to DI. Get a few bits of damage by tapping A before throwing.
2. Dash attack -> Up+A: Around usually 0-10% depending on the character, if the player can get a dash attack connected this early, they'll fly just right above Zelda. Up Smash or Up tilt is good after this. Some characters (ex: Ganondorf, Roy), can be Lightning Kicked in the opposite direction based on the enemies choice of DI.
3. Dash attack -> Grab: Same concept as the second combo listed for floatys, only if they go up right above Zelda's head. The player can sometimes nail a grab. Only works around 0-10%.
4. Forward tilt-> Choice: If they are too far away, it'll send the opponent away. If they are close enough to Zelda they usually end up behind her or sent right above her(DI based). At this point, any move the player chooses could be connected. If they DI above, Zelda could grab (if they don't fly too far away.), up tilt, then up smash.
   1. Note: Some characters can spam a move to get out of these. Like Link or Samus' sex kicks can take out the Up DI Scenario.

Ledge game

• Down smash: Quick, and punishes characters who failed to sweet spot. Best against Ganondorf, and Captain Falcon.
• Down aerial: Weak meteor smash, but can get the job done with good timing.
• Forward smash: If timed correctly, it can punish a Fox or Falco player that attempted to use their side special to go past the player into the stage or any character whose up special goes over the ledge.
• FLightning Kicks: Time it well with the opponents up special. The player can land the Lightning Kick really close to ground level.
• Din's Fire: With great accuracy, the player can destroy Samus's Bombs, making it hard for her to recover. It can also set up an opponent for another Lightning Kick.

Princess tricks

Baiting

Concept of watching the opponent and baiting them to make the first move so the player can make the he attack miss.

1. Long High Heels: Short hopping away from the opponent when the player anticipates an attack against them. Smash towards the enemy.
2. I'm back: Fox trot away, and come back in after a missed attack.
3. I'm open!: Zelda's short dash dance is actually useful in this baiting. Zelda appears kinda vulnerable, but she has tricks. Shield against long lag moves like Link's up special & Marth's Forward Smash, and punish them buy kicking out of the shield.
4. Reverse Shield Grab?: Again short dashdancing helps out with this. This only works on opponents who tend to try and land behind the player, after an Aerial. Dash dance, and as they wonder what the hell the player is doing they come in for a Aerial move. Dash dance and end it with Zelda facing away from the enemy and bring up the shield, after they land behind you hitting the shield, the player should grab them.
   1. Note: Doesn't work on everybody especially not Space animals who even if they land behind Zelda, they can just L-cancel it into a shine, and get away.
5. Teleport: Realistically if your opponent is well aware, the shift of the screen zooming in and out or left and right can tell them where you are going whether you have a game tag on or not. However Teleport is an OK baiting move if Zelda at the right distance. Knowing how to space Zelda is important here. Teleporting in place or quite a bit away from your enemy can bait them into thinking your so gonna be open when your Teleport is done. Zelda's Teleport is pretty laggy but that's why it can bait. Most opponents don't know when the lag ends making it easy to punish.
6. Naryu's Love: When Zelda is fighting an opponent who has a ranged base of attacks, she can bait them by simply just reflecting their attacks, or dodging them, until they come to Zelda.
   1. Note: Link, hard because right after a boomerang is thrown he can chuck a bomb he was already holding so it hits you after Naryu's Love is finished.
   2. Note: Won't work on Falco or Fox, their projectiles are just too fast.
   3. Note: Samus, a lot easier to use against. Just be sure she doesn't have an already charged up Beam. A thing to watch out for is when Samus starts spamming missiles and also has a saved up charge beam. There is a good chance where the Samus user wants you to use Nayru's Love on the missiles, since there is a slight delay you finish Nayru's Love. During the delay, Samus can use this to her advantage and fire a fully-charged beam. Avoid the missiles instead since they don't travel far for very long. Overall, use caution when fighting a Samus user.
   4. Note: Peach, Easiest to bait. Catch her turnips or reflect them to your liking until she comes to you. However, be wary of the possible Bob-omb she pulls out.

Offense

Zelda's Defense/baiting technique is normally better. But she has some tricks up her sleeve when on the offensive.

1. Double Air: Short hop with a Lightning kick. If the opponent is facing Zelda have her aerial land behind them, and go for a L-canceled neutral+A or another Lightning kick. Good to know if your first kick was countered with a shield, so it isn't as easy to shield grab the Zelda player.
2. Jab Jab Grab: Good Idea to mix these up when Zelda is forced with a close encounter. So you opponent is thinking more about not getting grabbed or jabbed or which is coming.
   1. Note: They can defiantly shieldgrab your jab if they are a quick grabber. Point is if they expect a jab, they will most likely shield and you can grab. If they expect a grab they background dodge or some other alternative like try and hit Zelda first since she's a slow grabber. Jab is rather quick, and can sometimes lead to a Forward Smash.
3. Up+B out of shield: If Zelda is being overwhelmed with a barrage of attacks and the player needs Spacing this is a good idea to try. The beginning animation even stuns them momentarily. If it doesn't, a fast character like Captain Falcon can follow Zelda anyway. Depends on opponents character.

In single-player

In the game's single-player Adventure Mode, Zelda is fought after completing the Underground Maze on the Great Temple stage.

Zelda is featured in the following event matches:

• Event 9: Hide 'n' Sheik: The player faces two Zeldas on the Great Bay stage. However, the KO will only count if Zelda is Sheik.
• Event 15: Girl Power: the player is tiny and faces Zelda alongside Peach and Samus on the Fountain of Dreams stage with two stock each.
• Event 20: All-Star Match 2: Zelda is the third opponent the player must fight in this series of staged battles. The player's character battles her on the Great Temple stage, and their character has 2 stock while Zelda has 1. With a timer of four minutes, the player must defeat her and the other four characters with the overall time and life the player has: Samus, Link, Captain Falcon, and Fox.
• Event 29: Triforce Gathering: The player, as Link, is teamed with Zelda, the player faces Ganondorf on the Great Temple stage. At no point in time should the player or Zelda get KO'd. If that happens, the match will end in failure.
• Event 44: Mewtwo Strikes!: Although Zelda appears, she is not the one the player must KO. After 15 seconds, Mewtwo will appear and the player must avoid KOing Zelda at all costs. Doing so will forfeit the event for the player.

Instruction booklet description

A graceful princess with powerful magical attacks.

Trophy descriptions

The crown princess of Hyrule. Zelda entrusted Link with the future of Hyrule after a revelation came to her in the world of dreams. She knows much about the Triforce; in fact, the only person who likely knows more about Triforce lore is Ganondorf himself, whom Zelda evaded in Ocarina of Time by transforming into her alter ego, Sheik.

Game: The Legend of Zelda [07/87]

In addition to the normal trophy about Zelda as a character, there are two trophies about her as a fighter, unlocked by completing the Adventure and All-Star modes respectively with Zelda on any difficulty:

Zelda (Smash Red)

Zelda is a bit slow and, because of her light frame, easy to send flying. On the other hand, her magical skills lend her reliable and explosive attack power. Zelda's easier to use if you focus on waiting and countering rather than pressing attacks. She can use Nayru's Love to reflect projectile attacks or as an offensive weapon. (B: Nayru's Love, Smash B: Din's Fire)

Zelda (Smash Blue)

Zelda's midair Lightning Kick centers immense magical power in the ball of her foot. If she strikes perfectly, the attack is as strong as can be. If her aim is slightly off, it'll be exceedingly weak. Farore's Wind again utilizes Zelda's magical prowess, this time by transporting her great distances. It's vital to know the lay of the land before using this move. (Up & B: Farore's Wind, Down & B: Transform)

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Costume gallery

File:Alt-zelda.jpg

Zelda's changeable clothing in SSBM

Trivia

• Zelda is the only character with the ability to transform into another character in Melee, and the first to do so in the Smash Bros. series, by being able to turn into Sheik. Pokémon Trainer in Brawl would later have the ability to "change" fighters by switching out different Pokémon, and Samus would gain the ability to change into Zero Suit Samus through her final smash.
• In a screenshot of the character select screen in Melee, from Smabura-Ken, Zelda's portrait is missing, which suggests that she was once planned to appear as an unlockable character.