Link
Link (リンク, Link) is the protagonist of The Legend of Zelda series. Unlike the majority of Nintendo protagonists, there are several, distinct incarnations of Link seen throughout The Legend of Zelda series. Regardless, they all share the same destiny as heroes whose courageousness enables them to defeat powerful forces of evil and stop their conquests, most notably Ganondorf/Ganon. Other hallmarks shared by the Links are their ability to wield the Master Sword and their possession of the Triforce of Courage, although these are not depicted universally. As a member of the "perfect-attendance crew", Link has been featured as a playable character throughout the Super Smash Bros. series. However, he holds the distinction of doing so in name only, due to three incarnations (the Hero of Time, the Hero Chosen by the Gods and the Hero of Hyrule) appearing as playable characters. By extension, preteen incarnations have also been playable, with the first instance of this occurring in Super Smash Bros. Melee. 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. ContentsCharacter description[edit]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 the NES' hardware limitations. This appearance has since been traditional for Link, with the exception of his appearance in Breath of the Wild, which nevertheless features versions of his traditional green clothes as unlockables. It is worth noting that while there have been multiple games within The Legend of Zelda series, it has not always been the same Link who the player controls. This is evident with the fact that are there multiple timelines within the series, wherein many games typically feature a new Link with a new origin. Notable examples include Hylia's Chosen Hero (referring to the Link from Skyward Sword), the Hero of Time (referring to the Link from Ocarina of Time/Majora's Mask), the Hero of Winds (referring to the Link from The Wind Waker/Phantom Hourglass), and the Hero Chosen by the Gods (referring to the Link from Twilight Princess). However, each incarnation of the hero is tasked with defeating the main antagonist of the story, most frequently Ganondorf/Ganon, from either taking over the world or, in other cases, destroying it. Due to the The Legend of Zelda series giving Link simple and concise answers that the player can pick instead of traditional dialogue, there is very little insight into the personalities of the majority of his incarnations. While the only incarnations to expressively show distinct personalities are the ones from The Wind Waker/Phantom Hourglass, Twilight Princess, Spirit Tracks, Skyward Sword, and Breath of the Wild, universal traits among Link's incarnations are bravery, humbleness, and politeness. One thing that has varied with Link is his age. In some games, such as The Wind Waker and the present timeline of Ocarina of Time, Link is a child, with these two particular incarnations being represented as playable characters in the Super Smash Bros. series. In Twilight Princess, Skyward Sword, Zelda II: The Adventure of Link, Breath of the Wild, and the future timeline of Ocarina of Time, Link is depicted as a teenager. However, the only teenage Links to appear as playable characters in the Super Smash Bros. series are the Hero of Time and the Hero Chosen by the Gods, his descendant in Twilight Princess. Regardless of his varying ages, Link almost always starts out as a normal person until learning of his heroic destiny and, as his journey presses onward, gradually progresses into a full-fledged hero. For example, Ocarina of Time features him as a young boy whose mother, before dying, entrusted him in the care of the Great Deku Tree. The Wind Waker also features him as a young boy, albeit living a happy and carefree life on Outset Island alongside his grandmother and younger sister. In Twilight Princess, he is an ordinary young man working at Ordon Ranch. In Breath of the Wild, he is an amnesiac knight who was tasked with protecting Hyrule 100 years prior to the events of the game, and regains his memories and experience throughout the adventure. In Super Smash Bros.[edit]As a playable character[edit]Main article: Link (SSB)
Link's first appearance in a fighting game, and by extension his first official appearance in a Nintendo game outside of his home series, is in Super Smash Bros. as one of the eight starter characters. The incarnation that appears is the Hero of Time from The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. He is a slow, heavy character whose Master Sword grants him many disjointed attacks that allow for ranged combat. His neutral special move is Boomerang, which is a fast attack that will return to him. His up special move is Spin Attack, which boasts impressive power, but is cited as his main weakness due to its lackluster recovery potential. Lastly, his down special move is Bomb, which can be thrown either directly at opponents for combos, or to rest on the ground. Due to his flaws, Link is currently ranked 11th of 12 on the tier list, placing him in the C tier. Link's in-game character description says:
In Super Smash Bros. Melee[edit]As a playable character[edit]Main article: Link (SSBM)
Link returns in Super Smash Bros. Melee as a starter character. While his playstyle has been largely retained, his moves have been slightly tweaked. Spin Attack is now a much more reliable recovery move. Like the rest of his fellow veterans, he received a fourth special move, with his being Bow. It is a neutral special move that allows Link to fire an arrow, with the arrow's range being dependent on how long the player holds down the B button. As a result, his Boomerang has been moved to be his side special move. Link has been buffed in the transition to Melee. In addition to retaining his Master Sword's disjointed range and his numerous projectiles, Spin Attack covers more distance in the air and his faster air speed. However, he has a very slow dashing speed, and is easy to combo due to his heavy weight and quick falling speed. Thanks to his buffs, Link is currently ranked 18th out of 26 on the tier list. This places him at the bottom of the E tier, and renders him as the lowest ranking mid-tier character. Trophies[edit]Main article: List of SSBM trophies (The Legend of Zelda series)
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
In Super Smash Bros. Brawl[edit] Link, as he appears in Super Smash Bros. Brawl. As a playable character[edit]Main article: Link (SSBB)
Unlike the previous two installments, Super Smash Bros. Brawl does not feature the Hero of Time. Instead, he has been succeeded by his descendant, the Link from The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess. While this Link's playstyle is essentially the same as his ancestor's, some of his moves are slightly different in order to match their aesthetics and functionalities in Twilight Princess. This is most apparent with the Gale Boomerang and the Clawshot: the former can pull opponents and items toward Link with a small tornado, while the Clawshot can grab an edge, but not plain walls. Other changes include the arrows of his renamed Hero's Bow, which now disappear after a distance, and his Spin Attack now being chargeable. Like the rest of the cast, Link has a Final Smash that he obtains when he breaks a Smash Ball. In his case, 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 Triforce-shaped force fields. Link then dashes at the opponent, unleashes a barrage of slashes, and then finishes with a powerful blow with enough knockback to one-hit KO the opponent if nothing gets in the way. While this Link's attacks are stronger, his mobility and recovery are very poor, to the point that the latter is comparable to his ancestor's in SSB. Due to his weaknesses largely outweighing his strengths, Link is currently ranked 35th out 38 on the tier list. This places him in the F tier, and renders him as a bottom-tier character. Trophies[edit]Main article: List of SSBB trophies (The Legend of Zelda series)
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 The Wind Waker Link: Link
Triforce Slash
Wolf Link
Stickers[edit]
In Super Smash Bros. 4[edit] Mii Swordfighters dressed as Link. As a playable character[edit]Main article: Link (SSB4)
The Twilight Princess incarnation of Link reappears as a starter character in Super Smash Bros. 4. However, his overall color scheme is noticeably more vibrant, due to SSB4's aesthetics. In addition to his playable appearance, Link's appearance 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 SSB4 appearance, its simplified design, brighter color scheme, and mirrored hairstyle closely resemble the Skyward Sword incarnation of Link. Link has been buffed in the transition to SSB4. Many of his attacks are faster and stronger, while SSB4's new edge mechanics make his Clawshot's tether recovery more dependable. His projectiles have also seen some improvements: Hero's Bow charges faster, Gale Boomerang's new launching angle improves its follow-up potential, and Bomb deals more damage if it explodes near the opponent's feet. However, Link is still highly susceptible to rushdowns due to his rather sluggish mobility, while some of his attacks' damage outputs were slightly lowered. Thanks to his buffs largely outweighing his nerfs, Link has been able to attain some notable players in tournament play and achieve respectable results, even at the national level. As a result, he is currently ranked 31st out of 55, placing him near the top of D tier and rendering him as a mid-tier character like his ancestor is in Melee. Trophies[edit]
In Super Smash Bros. Ultimate[edit]As a playable character[edit]Main article: Link (SSBU)
The reveal trailer for the Super Smash Bros. Ultimate game for the Nintendo Switch briefly features a silhouetted Link, ostensibly with his Breath of the Wild design. The Nintendo E3 reveal shows Link donning the Champion's Tunic as his default costume, plus the Tunic of the Wild, resembling closer to Link's classic design, as one of his costumes. Link has received some alterations to his moves, namely a new down special move, Remote Bomb Rune, and a new Final Smash, Ancient Bow and Arrow.
Gallery[edit]
Trivia[edit]
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