Editing Sheik (SSBM)

{{ArticleIcons|melee=y}}
{{disambig2|Sheik's appearance in ''Super Smash Bros. Melee''|the character in other contexts|Sheik}}{{for|information about Sheik's alter-ego|Zelda (SSBM)}}
{{Infobox Character
|name = Sheik
|image = [[File:Sheik SSBM.jpg]]
|shareslot = {{SSBM|Zelda}}
|game = SSBM
|ssbgame1 = SSBB
|ssbgame2 = SSB4
|ssbgame3 = SSBU
|availability = [[Starter character|Starter]]
|tier = A
|ranking = 5
|tierPAL = A
|rankingPAL = 5
}}
'''Sheik''' ({{ja|シーク|Shīku}}, ''Sheik'') is a [[starter character]] in ''[[Super Smash Bros. Melee]]''. Announced at [[E3]] 2001, she transforms from {{SSBM|Zelda}} by using her [[down special move]] ([[Transform]]), and can transform back. By holding the "A" button at the stage loading screen, Zelda will automatically transform into Sheik at the start of a match.

Jun Mizusawa reprises her role as Sheik from ''Ocarina of Time'' in the game. In the Japanese version of ''Melee'', she is the only ''Legend of Zelda'' character with any actual dialogue (a single phrase spoken in Japanese). She shares this trait with {{SSBU|Zelda}} in ''Ultimate''.

Sheik currently ranks 5th out of 26 on the tier list, in the top of A tier. One of Sheik's greatest strengths is her formidable combo game. Sheik's [[down throw]] is one of the best [[combo]] starters in ''Melee'', as it can [[chaingrab]] many characters and start [[tech chase]]s on [[fastfaller]]s, leading to heavy damage or even a [[zero-to-death combo]] if Sheik is able to get in her opponent's head. Sheik possesses a fast [[dashing speed]] and great [[frame]] data on her attacks, with wide coverage, good [[reach]], and a fair amount of [[disjoint]] to boot, which makes her extremely difficult to break through defensively. Sheik's strong combo/punish game is bolstered by access to numerous great finishing moves. Her forward aerial is notoriously dangerous, as it's fast, powerful, surprisingly large, and sends opponents into a [[semi-spike]] that is extremely hard for many characters to [[recover]] from. Sheik is also an excellent [[planking|ledge planker]], with intangibility on her up special that can be abused while regrabbing [[edge]]s to stall indefinitely.

Sheik's primary weakness is her recovery. Her up special, [[Vanish]], is slow, travels a short distance, and lacks a hitbox when she reappears, providing her with virtually no protection as she returns to the [[stage]]. On top of that, Sheik receives a large amount of landing [[lag]] upon landing on the stage. As a result, her recovery is easily [[edgehog|edgehogged]], and often punished if she lands on the stage. Sheik also has trouble dealing with [[crouch canceling]], as none of her moves besides a grab can break through crouch canceling at low percents. This, combined with her slow [[air speed]], limits her ability to find openings in [[neutral game|neutral]], especially against slippery characters such as {{SSBM|Jigglypuff}} and the {{SSBM|Ice Climbers}}. Additionally, Sheik's combos can be unreliable against fastfallers, because her down throw tech chase requires her to correctly predict or react to her opponent's actions, which can limit her damage output if she incorrectly reads the opponents' tech patterns.

Nevertheless, Sheik is a very well-rounded character who excels competitively, with an ideal matchup spread across the cast, plentiful representation, and very strong tournament results by players such as {{Sm|Jmook}}, {{Sm|Mew2King}}, and {{Sm|Plup}}.

==Attributes==
[[File:Sheik ChainGrab Melee.gif|thumb|Sheik [[chain grab]]bing in {{SSBM|Final Destination}}.]]
Sheik is a very agile fighter, possessing a fast dash, high falling speed, good jumping prowess, and very quick, combo-friendly attacks. While only a small portion of her moveset can reliably KO to compensate for her speed, such options are very reliable combo finishers at most percentages, greatly offsetting her power loss. Sheik, however, has poor [[air speed]] (tied for 5th worst among the cast) and a rather high short hop. As a result of having high traction and a high falling speed, Sheik has a rather short, but fast, wavedash.

Sheik's main strength is her edgeguarding ability, which is among the best in the game. While she lacks a spike like {{SSBM|Marth}}, or even a meteor smash, Sheik's good jumping prowess and fast, powerful aerials give her amazing options off the edge. Sheik's forward aerial is among the most feared in the game, due to its fast startup, high knockback scaling, [[semi-spike]] angle, and its ability to [[autocancel]] itself if used correctly, and is her main pressuring and edgeguarding tool, while also being an outstanding combo finisher. Her back aerial is slightly weaker (but still very powerful if sweetspotted) with a more diagonal angle, but has more [[reach]] and is safer to use, allowing for it to be used as a potent edgeguarding option as well. Sheik also has one of the best projectiles in the game, [[Needle Storm]], which aids in her edgeguarding; the needles are quick to charge, can travel quickly when thrown, and can cut through or stop most other projectiles in the game, allowing Sheik to neutralize projectiles from characters who rely on them to cover their recovery, such as {{SSBM|Samus}}. Needles also have high hitstun and low knockback, making them excellent for intercepting recoveries, especially more linear options such as [[Fire Fox]]. In addition, Needles travel in a diagonal downward path when thrown from the air, presenting the edgeguarder with more options. Sheik also has the means to force edgeguarding situations very easily, possessing a back throw that sets up edgeguards on fastfallers, and the speed to effectively corner opponents once they're close to the ledge.

Sheik is also notable for having among the best punishing abilities in the game. Her tilts, dash attack, and up smash all come out quickly and all send the opponents straight into the air, giving Sheik guaranteed aerial followup options, especially at lower percentages. Aside from the aforementioned forward and back aerials, Sheik's other aerials also possess amazing utility for punishing, despite her low air speed. Her neutral aerial is a quick [[sex kick]] that serves as a potent [[out of shield]] option that can dispel the opponent's shield pressure; her up aerial is a combo extender at lower percentages that can reliably KO at higher percentages, especially near the ceiling; her down aerial, while possessing the slowest startup out of all of her aerials, sends opponents upwards with a great deal of hitstun, allowing followups into her aforementioned up, back, or forward aerials, or even a sweetspotted up smash. Due to their low lag and high power, most are of relatively low-risk to use off the edge. Sheik's aforementioned Needle Storm also aids in her punishing game; when used in midair, the needles travel diagonally downwards, allowing them to hit grounded opponents. Due to the fact that Needle Storm has no landing lag after being used in midair, Sheik can use the hitstun or shield stun from her needles to immediately grab or attack the opponent upon landing. This is further compounded (in NTSC only) with Sheik's excellent down throw, which boasts a chain grab on many characters in the game at lower to mid-percentages, including {{SSBM|Pikachu}} and {{SSBM|Link}}, and sets up [[tech chasing]] situations on fastfallers such as Fox, {{SSBM|Falco}}, and Falcon. Skilled Sheik players can convert a single down throw into potential stock losses for the foe by utilizing either chain grabbing or tech-chasing until the opponent is at combo-friendly percentages, where they will use Sheik's launching options to begin nearly inescapable combos that result in a KO or a fatal edgeguarding situation.

Sheik's neutral game, however, is merely average at best, especially compared with other top tiers. Due to her high short hop, Sheik suffers from a poor [[SHFFL]], which impairs some elements of her aerial approach. Sheik also possesses a short [[dash-dance]], forcing her to rely on her short wavedash to adjust her spacing. While Needle Storm has no landing lag when used in midair, it does have significant ending lag when used on the ground; however, Sheik's needles will only travel straight if she throws them while grounded, impairing her ability to approach with her projectile from afar. Sheik usually struggles in approaching opponents who are at low percent, as they can use crouch cancelling to make her tilts, dash attack, jab and aerials unsafe, forcing her to rely on grabs or her downsmash. Sheik also lacks universal disjoint, causing her to have a very small and concentrated "threat zone" where she can create openings by threatening the opponent with a forward aerial, her tilts, or an aerial Needle Storm into a grab. As such, high-level Sheik players will often look for openings to close distance and go into that "threat zone," a spacing where Sheik can threaten the opponent with her outstanding punish game. This is easier to do against characters with even worse neutral games, particularly low- and bottom-tier characters, as they lack the means to zone Sheik out of that ideal area. However, other top-tier characters have the tools to keep Sheik out, whether it be through projectiles or disjoint, and can similarly harshly punish Sheik if she unsafely attempts to close this distance.

One of Sheik's more universal weaknesses is her exploitable recovery. Despite her high midair jump and fast aerial attacks that can aggravate edgeguarders, [[Vanish]] does not give significant vertical or horizontal distance, and when she reappears, there is no offensive hitbox, allowing easy edgeguarding. Additionally, Sheik is horizontally locked after performing Vanish, disallowing her from drifting back to the stage from afar. In some situations where Sheik cannot recover at all, Sheik may be forced to utilize [[Transform]] and use {{SSBM|Zelda}}'s superior recovery to try and safely get back onstage and retransform. If Zelda does not quickly retransform back, the opponent can send her back offstage and repeat the cycle or even outright KO her. A common strategy is to DI upwards and use Zelda's superior air speed and lower falling speed to drift back to stage, or in worst case scenarios, use [[Farore's Wind]] to recover. Further compounding these recovery flaws are Sheik's fast falling speed and low air. Sheik can wall jump, but its use is situational, dependent on the stage, and is shorter than most others due to Sheik's fast falling speed. Sheik's low air speed compounded with her fast falling speed also makes her very easy to combo herself, especially against characters with reliable launching throws or attacks such as {{SSBM|Marth}}, Falco, and {{SSBM|Jigglypuff}}.

Overall, Sheik is a versatile character with the tools to combat every fighter in Melee. She is a very punish- and control-based character, relying on her excellent comboing abilities to rack up damage and force edgeguarding situations where she can intercept the foe for quick edgeguarding KOs. However, against most other top tiers, Sheik must play with the utmost caution and precision to create those same openings and succeed.

==Version history==
Like other characters, Sheik has received some changes in the [[PAL]] version of ''Melee'', which [[nerf]]ed her overall. This is due primarily to the changes to her down throw, which caused Sheik to lose her chaingrab, some tech-chasing options, and several KO setups. Along with the nerfs to her finishers, Sheik generally has a much harder time KOing characters that she had no trouble KOing in the NTSC version, such as {{SSBM|Peach}} and {{SSBM|Marth}}, resulting in much poorer matchups against them.

'''PAL'''
*{{nerf|Sweetspotted up smash deals 1% less damage (17% → 16%) and has less knockback scaling (105 → 102).}}
*{{nerf|Up aerial deals less damage (12% (clean)/9% (late) → 10%/8%), and has less knockback scaling (120 → 110), significantly hindering its KO potential.}}
**{{buff|However, this improves its combo potential at higher percents.}}
*{{buff|Down throw's hitbox has increased set knockback (90 → 100), making it slightly more effective against bystanders.}}
*{{nerf|Down throw launches opponents at a less vertical angle (80° → 60°), significantly hindering its followup potential, especially with chain grabs.}}

==Moveset==
[[File:SheikAerialAttacksSSBM.png|thumb|Sheik's aerial attacks]]
''For a gallery of Sheik's hitboxes, see [[Sheik (SSBM)/Hitboxes|here]].''
{{MovesetTable
|game=SSBM
|neutralcount=3
|neutralname=Slicing Blade ({{ja|小太刀|Kodachi}}, ''Kodachi'')<br>Cutting Blade ({{ja|逆小太刀|Gyaku Kodachi}}, ''Inverted Kodachi'')<br>Piercing Blade ({{ja|連突|Rentotsu}}, ''Chain Thrusts'')
|neutral1dmg=4%
|neutral2dmg=3%
|neutral3dmg=1% (loop)
|neutraldesc=Two fast swipes with good [[jab cancel]] potential followed by a series of [[rapid jab]]s.
|ftiltname=Wheel Kick ({{ja|円弧|Enko}}, ''Circle Arc'')
|ftiltdmg=7%
|ftiltdesc=A quick spin kick forward. Serviceable range, and launches the foe directly up, reliably leaving them open for aerial combos. Can follow-up into itself, as well as a [[Sheik_(SSBM)/Forward_aerial|forward aerial]]. It is fast and useful from up close.
|utiltname=Bow Form ({{ja|真弓|Mayumi}}, ''Spindle Tree/True Bow'')
|utiltdmg=8% (hit 1), 4% (hit 2)
|utiltdesc=Kicks up, and lets her leg down in an axe-like way. This attack is famous for its chainability against heavy characters such as {{SSBM|Bowser}}. It can also sometimes lead into a follow-up forward tilt.
|dtiltname=Crouching Sweep ({{ja|旋風|Tsumuji}}, ''Whirlwind'')
|dtiltdmg=8%
|dtiltdesc=A quick ankle-sweep performed while crouching. Despite possessing limited utility at most percents, it can be used to prepare a forward aerial at percents where a forward tilt no longer combos.
|dashname=Gale Form ({{ja|疾風|Shippū}}, ''Hurricane'')
|dashdmg=10% (clean), 7% (late)
|dashdesc=Slashes with her arms forward while coming to a stop. Excellent for setting up juggling due to having little ending lag, sends opponents up and behind her. Is very fast and can catch opponents off guard who are not anticipating it. Can also lead into a forward aerial follow-up, similar to her tilts.
|fsmashname=Double Snake ({{ja|双蛇|Sōja}}, ''Twin Snakes'')
|fsmashdmg={{ChargedSmashDmgSSBM|5}} (hit 1), {{ChargedSmashDmgSSBM|10}} (hit 2)
|fsmashdesc=Kicks twice in front of herself. Both hits combined has moderate knockback. Can rack up damage, but not exactly easy to land both hits at higher percentages as the opponent can [[DI]] out of the first kick. Rather [[lag]]gy.
|usmashname=Razor Wing ({{ja|割符|Warifu}}, ''Tally/Split Sign'')
|usmashdmg={{ChargedSmashDmgSSBM|17}}/{{ChargedSmashDmgSSBM|16}} (sweetspot NTSC/PAL), {{ChargedSmashDmgSSBM|13}} (sourspot)
|usmashdesc=Raises her arms over her head, then quickly brings them down to her sides. Incredibly powerful up smash when [[Sweet_spot_(hitbox)|sweetspotted]], being among the most powerful in the game (2nd strongest next to Pikachu's), but otherwise does moderate knockback when sourspotted. In the NTSC version, it can be a reliable KO move after a down throw chaingrab, or after a down throw on its own. Both of Sheik's arms and her head are intangible while the hitboxes are out.
|dsmashname=Windmill ({{ja|大車輪|Daisharin}}, ''Big Wheel Ring/Giant Swing'')
|dsmashdmg={{ChargedSmashDmgSSBM|13}} (clean), {{ChargedSmashDmgSSBM|10}} (late)
|dsmashdesc=Gets on her back and does a break-dance style rotation. Can hit 3 times. The first active frame of the move, frame 5, grants Sheik intangibility on her legs. A good "get off me" tool, and a long-lasting smash attack.
|nairname=Falling Leaves ({{ja|落葉|Rakuyō}})
|nairdmg=14%/10% (clean leg/knee), 9% (late)
|nairdesc=A typical [[sex kick]] that gets weaker the longer it's out. Mostly used for its horizontal knockback, continuing combos, or potentially setting up an edgeguard game, or even using it to edgeguard alone. It is also a common [[out of shield]] option, and can be a strong option on shield and crouch cancel when [[SHFFL]]'d, although due to Sheik's fall speed this is difficult to execute.
|fairname=Hatchet ({{ja|鉈|Hata}})
|fairdmg=13%
|fairdesc=A quick swipe in front of her, great finisher and edgeguarder that [[semi-spike]]s with high knockback, and very deadly offstage, particularly against characters and players who lack very good recoveries. Can potentially be done against an opponent repeatedly if Sheik can maneuver correctly. It is one of her best moves.
|bairname=Flying Swallow ({{ja|飛燕|Hien}})
|bairdmg=Clean: 14%/10% (right foot/leg), 8% (left leg)<br/>Late: 10%/9% (right foot/leg), 6% (hip), 7% (left leg)
|bairdesc=A quick kick in behind her, good for edgeguarding. The [[sweetspot]] is located at the foot. It is also her 2nd most powerful aerial after her forward aerial, dealing high knockback, which is enough to KO Mario at around 100%.
|uairname=Vortex Form ({{ja|錐|Kiri}}, ''Auger'')
|uairdmg=NTSC: 12% (clean), 9% (late)<br/>PAL: 10% (clean), 8% (late)
|uairdesc=A spinning kick upwards with high vertical knockback and KO potential (most notably near a ceiling). In the PAL version, the attack's knockback is considerably reduced, making it a better attack for comboing, though it can be a very useful tool for combos in both versions.
|dairname=Butcher Bird ({{ja|百舌|Mozu}}, ''Shrike'')
|dairdmg=11%
|dairdesc=A downwards kick with long ending lag. This move has a lot of hitstun and can lead into her other aerials easily, or even her up-smash, as well as tilts.
|grabname=Grab ({{ja|つかみ|Tsukami}})
|grabdesc=
|pummelname=Forearm ({{ja|つかみ肘打|Tsukami Chūda}}, ''Grab Elbow Strike'')
|pummeldmg=3%
|pummeldesc=Hits opponent with her elbow.
|fthrowname=Battering Ram ({{ja|肩打|Kenda}}, ''Shoulder Strike'')
|fthrowdmg=6% (hit 1), 2% (throw)
|fthrowdesc=Launches her opponent forward with low horizontal knockback and hitstun.
|bthrowname=Backlash ({{ja|踵打|Shōda}}, ''Heel Strike'')
|bthrowdmg=5% (hit 1), 2% (throw)
|bthrowdesc=Throws her opponent behind and kicks them away. Better knockback and hitstun than her forward throw, but otherwise relatively weak, though it can force opponents offstage to set up edgeguards.
|uthrowname=Standing Crane ({{ja|倒立打|Tōritsuda}}, ''Handstand Strike'')
|uthrowdmg=6% (hit 1), 2% (throw)
|uthrowdesc=Launches opponent above her. Excellent for an aerial attack follow-up, but due to low hitstun, follow-ups are difficult. Can chain grab the space animals at high percentages.
|dthrowname=Guillotine ({{ja|断頭|Dantō}}, ''Beheading'')
|dthrowdmg=5% (hit 1), 3% (throw)
|dthrowdesc=Throws opponent on the ground, then performs an axe-kick, knocking the opponent up into the air. Overall, this is the best of Sheik's throws because it can reliably [[chain grab]] or [[tech chase]] many characters to high percentages, with a reliable KO option being an up smash. However, in the PAL version, it does more knockback, and so it cannot chaingrab, or be used for follow-ups as reliably. It is one of her best moves.
|floorfname=&nbsp;
|floorfdmg=6%
|floorfdesc=Gets up and kicks both sides of herself.
|floorbname=&nbsp;
|floorbdmg=6%
|floorbdesc=Gets up and punches both sides of herself.
|edgefname=&nbsp;
|edgefdmg=8%
|edgefdesc=Climbs up and kicks onto the stage.
|edgesname=&nbsp;
|edgesdmg=6% (body), 8% (arm)
|edgesdesc=Slowly gets up and thrusts out her elbow.
|nsname=Needle Storm
|nsdmg=3% (needles), 6 needles max
|nsdesc=Charges up needles, which can be fired by releasing the [[B button]]. The charge can be saved by pressing the shield button, and continued by pressing and holding the B button again. They are quick to charge, travel fast and far when thrown, can cut through or stop most other projectiles in the game, and also have high hitstun and low knockback, making them good for distracting foes. They can even edgeguard characters easily and effectively. If used in the air, they travel roughly 45 degrees to the ground. An excellent [[projectile]] overall.
|ssname=Chain
|ssdmg=3% (chain), 5% (tip)
|ssdesc=Pulls out a long metal chain and whips it around (controllable with the [[control stick]]). Does minor damage to opponents, and an electric effect at the tip of the chain. Due to the low damage and high lag, it is almost never used in competitive play. Despite this, it can be used for edgeguarding. Sheik will lose her Needle Storm charge if hit during the move.
|usname=Vanish
|usdmg=12%
|usdesc=Vanishes into the air, then reappears further in one direction, which can be controlled with the [[control stick]]. Mainly for [[recovery]]. It does not travel as far as {{SSBM|Zelda}}'s [[Farore's Wind]], though if Sheik is above the ledge and far away from the stage, transforming into Zelda to get back to the stage is possible, but this should only be done if Vanish absolutely can't make it to the stage. Vanish deals decent knockback and can be used as a risky edgeguard move also. Can possibly hit twice (a "[[double poof]]")<!--this technique should have its own article--> if Sheik lands onstage with specific timing.
|dsname=Transform
|dsdmg=0%
|dsdesc=Transforms into {{SSBM|Zelda}}.
}}

===Stats===
{{Attributes
|cast = 26
|weight = 90
|rweight = 12-14
|dash = 1.7
|rdash = 8
|run = 1.8
|rrun = 3-5
|walk = 1.2
|rwalk = 6-10
|trac = 0.08
|rtrac = 7-13
|airfric = 0.04
|rairfric = 2
|air = 0.8
|rair = 21-22
|baseaccel = 0.02
|rbaseaccel = 2-23
|addaccel = 0.04
|raddaccel = 5-11
|gravity = 0.13
|rgravity = 3-5
|fall = 2.13
|rfall = 7-9
|ff = 3
|rff = 4-5
|jumpsquat = 3
|rjumpsquat = 1-7
|jumpheight = 34.08
|rjumpheight = 10
|shorthop = 20.16
|rshorthop = 2
|djump = 38
|rdjump = 3
|ellag = 4
|rellag = 2-23
}}

===[[Announcer]] call===
[[File: Sheik Announcer SSBM.wav]]

===[[Taunt]]===
{{Taunt/SSBM|char=Sheik|desc=Performs a threatening pose with her left hand before her face.}}

===[[List of idle poses (SSBM)|Idle pose]]===
{{Idle|desc=Shakes her hand in front of her face, then swings it to the side.|image=Sheik Idle Pose Melee.gif}}

===[[Crowd cheer]]===
{| class="wikitable" border="1" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="1"
|-
!{{{name|}}}
!Cheer (International)
!Cheer (Japanese)
|-
! scope="row"|Cheer
|[[File:Sheik Cheer International SSBM.ogg|center]]||[[File:Sheik Cheer Japanese SSBM.ogg|center]]
|-
! scope="row"|Description
|Goooooooo Sheik! || Sheik! Sheik!
|}

===[[Victory pose]]s===
{{Victory/SSBM
|victory-theme=ZeldaThemeMelee.ogg
|victory-desc=An orchestrated portion of the main theme from ''The Legend of Zelda'' series.
|desc-1=Uses one arm to hold up the other while she holds her other hand to her chin, as if in deep thought.
|desc-2=Throws two needles, then holds her right hand up to her mouth. When the language is set to Japanese, Sheik says "{{ja|貰った。|Moratta}}" ("I got it.") during this pose.
|desc-3=Kicks two times, then holds her left hand in front of her while exhaling loudly. When the language is set to Japanese, her exhale is delayed.
|char=Sheik}}

==In [[competitive play]]==
===Most historically significant players===
<!--This character has a fifteen 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 -->

:''See also: [[:Category:Sheik players (SSBM)]]''
*{{Sm|Amsah|Netherlands}} - One of the greatest Sheik players of all time and one of the best overall players to come from Europe. Considered the best player in Europe before the rise of Armada, he showed dominance in the continent, winning a variety of tournaments, including {{Trn|Epita Smash Arena 2}}, becoming the first solo-Sheik player to win an undisputed major. Outside of Europe, he notably placed 3rd at {{Trn|Pound 4}}, where he took sets over {{Sm|Armada}} and {{Sm|Jman}} in losers. Even past his peak, he still managed to make notable results at majors, including 17th at {{Trn|Get On My Level 2018}} and 33rd at {{Trn|EVO 2018}}.
*{{Sm|CaptainJack|Japan}} - The best player from Japan and one of the overall best players during the Golden Age of ''Melee''. He was considered one of the first successful Sheik players in competitive play, and was best known for winning {{Trn|MLG San Francisco 2004}} over {{Sm|Isai}} twice, an event that several sources consider to be Sheik's first major win. Outside of that win, he was also known for placing 2nd at {{Trn|Tournament Go 6}} and {{Trn|Epita Smash Arena 2}}, as well as 3rd at {{Trn|MLG New York 2004}} and 7th at {{Trn|Jack Garden Tournament}}.  
*{{Sm|Drephen|USA}} - Known for being one of the longest-active ''Smash'' players in competitive play. He was one of the best Sheik players during the Golden Age of ''Melee'', ranking 8th on the [[RetroSSBMRank 2007]] after placing 4th at {{Trn|MELEE-FC Diamond}} and 5th at both {{Trn|Zero Challenge 3}} and {{Trn|Viva La Smashtaclysm}}. Following a period of low activity, he returned to competitive play in mid-2015 and has been ranked on nearly every [[SSBMRank]]/[[MPGR]] ranking since then, alongside notable performances such as 9th at {{Trn|Smash 'N' Splash 5}}.
*{{Sm|Faceroll|USA}} - A dominant top Sheik player from SoCal, commonly winning notable events in the local area. He hit a peak in 2019, winning regionals such as {{Trn|Fête}} and {{Trn|DreamHack Atlanta 2019}} by double-eliminating {{Sm|Setchi}} and Mew2King respectively, and placing 9th at {{Trn|GENESIS 7}}, beating {{Sm|Cody Schwab}} and {{Sm|Wizzrobe}}. He ranked 17th on the [[2019 MPGR]], becoming the third best Sheik player of that year under Mew2King and Plup.
*{{Sm|Ice|Germany}} - Formerly a triple-main of Sheik, Marth, and Fox, but focusing primarily on Sheik, becoming the best Sheik in Europe and one of the best Sheik players in the world in 2013, being ranked 13th on the [[2013 SSBMRank]]. Placed 2nd at {{Trn|B.E.A.S.T 3}} and 3rd at {{Trn|B.E.A.S.T 4}}, and went undefeated in European tournaments between those events. Internationally, he placed 7th at {{Trn|EVO 2013}} and 9th at {{Trn|Apex 2014}}. He later switched to Fox as his primary main and slowly phased out his other characters, including Sheik.
*{{Sm|Jmook|USA}} - One of the greatest Sheik players of all time, and the best in the post-Slippi metagame. He rose to prominence after his Cinderella run to 2nd at {{Trn|GENESIS 8}}, and eventually became the first solo-Sheik player to win a ''Melee'' supermajor by winning {{Trn|GENESIS 9}}. Since then, he has also won {{Trn|Collision 2023}} and {{Trn|Nounsvitational 2024}}, and was ranked 3rd on the [[SSBMRank 2023]], becoming the highest-ranking solo-Sheik player in ''Melee'' history.
*{{Sm|KDJ|USA}} - One of the best players from 2006-2008; triple-mained Sheik, Marth and Fox before retiring. He used Sheik to win {{Trn|MLG Long Island 2007}}, where he double-eliminated Mew2King, and placed 2nd at {{Trn|MLG Las Vegas 2006}} with solo Sheik and taking a win over {{Sm|Ken}}. He eventually retired from competition in 2016.
*{{Sm|KirbyKaze|Canada}} - Previously the best Sheik player in Canada before going on hiatus in 2018. He notably placed 3rd at {{Trn|Revival of Melee 3}}, defeating {{Sm|Mang0}} and {{Sm|PPMD}} in his bracket. He additionally placed 4th at {{Trn|Apex 2012}} beating {{Sm|Hungrybox}}, and continued placing well at events throughout the latter half of his career, such as 7th at {{Trn|Apex 2015}} and 9th at {{Trn|The Big House 6}} and {{Trn|Super Smash Con 2017}}. As such, he was one of the best solo Sheik players in the world for most of the 2010s, peaking at 9th in the world in [[2013 SSBMRank|2013]].
*{{Sm|Krudo|USA}} - One of the best Sheik players in the post-[[Slippi]] era, regularly ranking among the top 25, and the only solo-Sheik player ever ranked above Jmook during this time, ranking 10th in the [[SSBMRank Summer 2025|first half of 2025]]. He has placed top 8 at a multitude of majors, and is best known for placing 3rd at {{Trn|Tipped Off 16: Safari}}, where he defeated {{Sm|Mang0}}, {{Sm|moky}}, and {{Sm|aMSa}}. In addition, he had placed 5th at both {{Trn|Supernova 2024}} and {{Trn|Luminosity Makes Moves Miami 2024}}.
*{{Sm|Mew2King|USA}} - One of [[the Five Gods]], and is considered one of the greatest Sheik players of all time, commonly playing Sheik as a matchup advantage or in stage counterpicks. He used primarily Sheik to win {{Trn|The Big House 3}} and {{Trn|Pat's House 2}}, and has used Sheik alongside his other characters to win several other majors, including {{Trn|Shine 2016}} and {{Trn|Smash Summit 6}}.
*{{Sm|Overtriforce|Spain}} - One of the best players from Spain and one of the best Sheik players in Europe. He became the first Spanish player to be ranked top 25 in the world, placing 25th on the [[SSBMRank 2013]]. He has placed 3rd at {{Trn|B.E.A.S.T 3}} and 4th at {{Trn|Heir 3}}, the latter of where he defeated Leffen, and placed 25th at {{Trn|EVO 2018}}. He has been permanently banned from tournament play following controversies involving sexual misconduct.
*{{Sm|Plup|USA}} - One of the greatest Sheik players of all time. He won {{Trn|GENESIS 5}} and {{Trn|Smash World Tour 2021 Championships}} with primarily Sheik, and made runner-up and top 8 placements at a multitude of supermajors in the game's history. Has beaten all Five Gods with Sheik, a feat that no other Sheik player achieved when all of the Gods were active.
*{{Sm|Shroomed|USA}} - A top 10 player with Sheik from 2015-2016, and remains one of the best Sheik players in the world. Started primarily playing Sheik after dropping his renowned {{SSBM|Dr. Mario}}, and continued his top player status with placements such as 4th at {{Trn|Smash 'N' Splash 2}}, 5th at {{Trn|Super Smash Con 2016}}, and 7th at {{Trn|GENESIS 7}} with solo Sheik. His most recent ranking is 45th on the [[SSBMRank 2023]].
*{{Sm|Spark|USA}} - First came to prominence in the late 2010s, breaking out onto the scene after defeating Mang0 and aMSa at {{Trn|Smash Camp: End of Summer}} to place 4th, alongside strong major placements such as placing 13th at {{Trn|Shine 2019}}. He especially found greater success in the post-Slippi era, when he established himself as one of the best Sheik players of the era and became a top 20 player following successful performances at large events such as 4th at {{Trn|Pat's House 4}} and 7th at both {{Trn|Supernova 2024}} and {{Trn|Battle of BC 7}}.
*{{Sm|Swedish Delight|USA}} - One of the best Sheik players in the world in the 2010s. He remained a top 20 player from 2016 to 2019 and made top 8 at many supermajors such as 7th at both {{Trn|Get On My Level 2018}} and {{Trn|Shine 2019}}, an finally grand finals of {{Trn|Smash 'N' Splash 2}}, placing 2nd. His win on Armada at {{Trn|EVO 2018}} marked the first time a non-top 6 player beat him in a tournament in eight years.

===Tier placement and history===
Sheik has always been a high/top-tier character, as her long-ranged aerial attacks, amazing punish game, and strong edgeguarding capabilities have led to her seeing widespread use in all levels of play. For the first five years of the ''Melee''{{'}}s competitive life, Sheik was considered the best character in the game, ranking at the top of every tier list up until the eighth (July 2006). Her down throw [[chain grab]]bing ability was considered especially powerful in the early metagame, and her ease of use allowed Sheik mains to succeed consistently, especially since counterplay to her options had not yet been popularized. In fact, at some points, players believed Sheik was so good that they contemplated banning her, although such a ban was never carried out. However, over time, competitive players slowly adapted to Sheik's weaknesses, leading to growing matchup problems that would still be present in the modern metagame.

Sheik's dominance as a character was faltered with the discovery of the incredible potential of Fox and Falco. With these characters now perceived as having much higher skill caps while still being good against relevant top tiers, they took the top two spots while Sheik dropped to third place. With these developments in place and the growing skill of the playerbase, players soon found that Fox had an advantage over Sheik, as did the {{SSBM|Ice Climbers}}, both of whom were growing in prevalence in the metagame. Soon after, {{Sm|Mang0}} and {{Sm|Hungrybox}} took {{SSBM|Jigglypuff}} to the next level, and demonstrated that it, too, was a very poor matchup for Sheik and possibly her worst, largely due to Jigglypuff's ability to exploit Sheik's laggy recovery by landing [[Rest]] KOs at extremely low percents. With three bad matchups and the metagame being more adapted against her strengths, Sheik was no longer considered even a contender for the best in the game. Other top-tiered characters started improving their Sheik matchups as well (most notably Marth and Peach), causing less of an incentive for players to pick up Sheik just to deal with those characters. Due to this, and opinions on Marth improving further due to his better matchups against Fox and Falco, Sheik dropped to 4th in the twelfth tier list, and further to 5th on the thirteenth and current tier list largely due to the rise of Jigglypuff.

Despite being considered one of the best characters in the game, Sheik was known in the ''Melee'' community for her lack of success as a solo main. Prior to 2023, solo-Sheik had won only one major ({{Sm|Amsah}}'s victory at {{Trn|Epita Smash Arena 2}}) and an additional event considered by some sources as a major ({{Sm|CaptainJack}}'s victory at {{Trn|MLG San Francisco 2004}}), but had never won a supermajor, the latter of which lower-ranked characters such as {{SSBM|Captain Falcon}}, {{SSBM|Pikachu}}, and {{SSBM|Yoshi}} were able to achieve. This was largely due to several factors, the first being that her most prominent top level players, {{Sm|Mew2King}} and {{Sm|Plup}}, switched to other characters in certain matchups, particularly against Hungrybox's Jigglypuff; as a result, her metagame advancements stagnated compared to those of the other top tiers. In addition, most ''Melee'' community members believed that winning a supermajor as solo-Sheik required a lucky bracket that avoided running into Hungrybox (the #1 ranked player from 2017 to 2019), as well as extremely optimized play versus the multitude of Fox players that was considered unfeasible at the time. 

However, perceptions of Sheik's competitive viability were completely revived following the rise of {{Sm|Jmook}}, who burst onto the world stage in 2022 with his breakout performance at {{Trn|GENESIS 8}}, where he defeated Plup and {{Sm|iBDW}}, two Fox players who were known for hardly ever losing sets to Sheik, en route to a 2nd place finish, only falling to {{Sm|Zain}}, the number one ranked player, in grand finals. Jmook became a consistent tournament threat throughout the rest of 2022, boasting strong records against almost all the other top ten players, before finally winning his first supermajor -- and by extension Sheik's first supermajor -- at {{Trn|GENESIS 9}}. Jmook's meteoric rise was the result of him developing solo-Sheik even against her most difficult matchups. In particular, Jmook pushed Sheik's defensive and punish game to never-before-seen levels, becoming well known for utilizing Sheik's incredible [[crouch cancel]]ing abilities and [[Needle Storm]] edgeguards, as well as landing grabs at significantly higher rates than other Sheik players. As such, Jmook became the first player to truly optimize Sheik's reaction [[tech chasing]] versus the [[spacie]]s, being able to consistently convert [[zero-to-death]]s against Fox and Falco and off of a single grab. With these advancements, many players began to rethink the Sheik-Fox matchup, arguing that Jmook's unforgiving punish game against Fox was enough to tilt the matchup more in Sheik's favor. 

Although Sheik's perceived competitive viability has continued to rise, she is still considered to be a step below contenders for the best character in the game. While her viability has been aided by a decline in Ice Climbers players following the [[wobbling]] ban, her tricky matchup against Jigglypuff holds her back from the very top tiers. Hungrybox still maintains a winning, lopsided record over Jmook, and Jmook has been able to dodge Hungrybox through his major victories so far. As such, it remains to be seen whether Sheik mains will be able to overcome their challenges in the Jigglypuff matchup. Sheik still remains popular as a secondary character, especially among spacies mains, as many Fox and Falco players (most notably {{Sm|Leffen}}) have started using her as a counterpick against Marth; she is also known for excelling against mid-tiers such as {{SSBM|Yoshi}}, {{SSBM|Pikachu}}, {{SSBM|Donkey Kong}} and {{SSBM|Link}}, whom other top tiers, in particular Marth, can struggle with.  
                            
====PAL viability====
Like several other characters who would coincidentally become known to be top-tiered, Sheik was nerfed in the PAL version of ''Melee''. Her up aerial was weakened, making it more of a juggling tool than a KO move, and her down throw, which boasted a chaingrab on much of the cast in NTSC and gave Sheik follow-up options, now has a much more horizontal launch angle, removing those guaranteed chaingrabs and follow-ups. These changes make some of Sheik's winning matchups in NTSC much harder. For example, in NTSC, Sheik could KO Marth, {{SSBM|Peach}}, and sometimes {{SSBM|Jigglypuff}} reliably with down throw to forward or up aerial. In PAL, however, not only does down throw send those characters too far at KO percentages, up aerial is no longer a reliable KO move until much higher percents. Sheik must, however, still deal with Marth's range and more effective neutral game and Peach's edgeguarding and [[Vegetable]] projectiles.

Despite these nerfs, there were initially more top-level Sheik players in PAL regions at the time than in NTSC regions, namely {{Sm|Amsah}}, among others. Due to Sheik's nerfs, they adopted an even more defensive playstyle using primarily Needle Storm and forward aerial camping to find openings. These PAL Sheik players were very successful at that stage of the metagame, even moreso than NTSC Sheik players, arguably because they developed stronger fundamentals (with less of a reliance on grabs) to overcome their more difficult punish game. For nearly 5 years (March 2010 - March 2015), Sheik was ranked 2nd on the [[PAL tier list]], higher than she was in NTSC during that time span. However, Sheik's shortcomings over other top-tiered characters became increasingly prevalent as the technical ceiling of ''Melee'' increased, and she is now ranked 5th on the PAL tier list instead. However, she still retains her powerful air game, punish game, and excellent combo ability despite her down throw nerf.

==In 1-P Mode==
===In {{SSBM|Classic Mode}}===
[[File:SheikIntro.png|thumb|Sheik's unused intro image.]]
Like {{SSBM|Ganondorf}} and {{SSBM|Roy}}, Sheik does not appear as an opponent in the game's Classic Mode. However, Sheik can be fought if the opponent is {{SSBM|Zelda}} and transforms into Sheik. Despite this, Sheik does have an introduction image for the "Now Loading..." screen between matches in the game's files.

===In [[Adventure Mode]]===
Sheik's sole appearance in the [[Adventure Mode]] is in the second portion of Stage 3, the [[Underground Maze]]. The player has to fight against Zelda on the Temple stage; Sheik can be fought if Zelda transforms.

===In [[All-Star Mode]]===
In All-Star Mode, Zelda/Sheik and her allies are fought on the [[Temple]] stage.

===In Event Matches===
Sheik is featured in the following [[event match]]es:
*'''[[Event 9: Hide 'n' Sheik]]''': The player is pitted against two Zeldas on [[Great Bay]]; to win, however, players have to wait for Zelda to transform into Sheik and then KO them. Upon getting KO'd as Sheik, the CPU will be removed from the game; KOs against Zelda, however, merely cause her to respawn as normal.
*'''[[Event 15: Girl Power]]''': The player, with two stocks, has to fight against {{SSBM|Samus}}, {{SSBM|Peach}} and Zelda, all of whom also have two stocks; the player, however, is tiny, and must KO all three, who are on the same team. Friendly fire is turned on in the match, easing it slightly for the player.
*'''[[Event 20: All-Star Match 2]]''': Zelda/Sheik is the third opponent the player must fight in this series of staged battles. Their character battles her on the [[Temple]] stage, and the player's character has 2 stock while Zelda/Sheik has 1. With a timer of four minutes, the player must defeat her and the other four characters with the overall time and life they have: {{SSBM|Samus}}, {{SSBM|Link}}, {{SSBM|Captain Falcon}}, and {{SSBM|Fox}}.
*'''[[Event 29: Triforce Gathering]]''': The player plays as Link with Zelda as their partner, both of whom have one stock. They face {{SSBM|Ganondorf}} on the [[Temple]] stage, who has two stock. Clearing the event allows the player to unlock Ganondorf.
*'''[[Event 44: Mewtwo Strikes!]]''': In this event, the player is initially placed on Battlefield, against Zelda. After fifteen seconds, however, Mewtwo appears on stage and will fight the player. The player's goal is to KO Mewtwo; while Zelda can be attacked, KOing her will result in failure.

===[[Congratulations_screen#Super_Smash_Bros._Melee|Congratulations Screens]]===
Sheik and Zelda share ending images for the one-player modes, as well as the same cinematic; clearing the mode with one also gives the player both of their trophies.

<gallery>
ZeldaSheikClassicMode.jpg|Classic Mode
ZeldaSheikAdventureMode.jpg|Adventure Mode
ZeldaSheikAllStarMode.jpg|All-Star Mode
</gallery>

==[[Trophies]]==
In addition to the normal trophy about Sheik as a character unlocked by completing {{SSBM|Classic Mode}} as Zelda/Sheik on any difficulty, there are two trophies about her as a fighter, unlocked by completing {{SSBM|Adventure Mode}} and [[All-Star Mode]] respectively as Zelda/Sheik on any difficulty. Each of the trophies can also be unlocked by playing 100, 200, and 300 versus matches respectively as Zelda/Sheik. The player will also unlock Zelda's equivalent trophy upon meeting either criteria:

{{Trophy/Fighter
|name=Sheik
|image=Sheik Trophy Melee.png
|mode=Classic
|desc=This is Zelda's alter ego. Using a variation of the name of the ancient Sheikah tribe, she appears before Link and teaches him melodies instrumental to his success. It's believed that she's not just a quick-change artist, but rather that she is able to instantaneously alter her clothing and her eye and skin color by using her magical skills.
|gamelist={{Trophy games|game1=The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time|release1=11/98}}
|game=Melee
}}
{{clrl}}

{{Trophy/Fighter
|name=Sheik
|image=Sheik Trophy (Smash).png
|mode=Adventure
|desc=Strategically switching between Zelda and Sheik is key. Compared to her Zelda form, Sheik is nimble and has gorgeous moves, but she lacks a strong knockout attack. The number of needles thrown in Needle Storm is based on how long you hold the B Button before releasing it. Use the Control Stick to wave the Chain after brandishing it.
|gamelist=:B: Needle Storm
:Smash B: Chain
|game=Melee
}}
{{clrl}}

{{Trophy/Fighter
|name=Sheik
|image=Sheik Trophy 2 (Smash).png
|mode=All Star
|desc=The best strategy to use when playing as Sheik is to let her flow from one powerful attack into another, like a river of quicksilver. Zelda has some techniques with more punch, however, so in one-on-one battles, use Transform as needed. Sheik only travels a short way when using Vanish, but the move comes with a small explosion that damages foes around her.
|gamelist=:Up & B: Vanish
:Down & B: Transform
|game=Melee
}}
{{clrl}}

==[[Alternate costume (SSBM)#Sheik|Alternate costumes]]==
{|style="margin:1em auto 1em auto;text-align:center"
|-
|colspan=5|[[File:Sheik Palette (SSBM).png]]
|-
|{{Head|Sheik|g=SSBM|s=25px}}
|{{Head|Sheik|g=SSBM|s=25px|cl=Red}}
|{{Head|Sheik|g=SSBM|s=25px|cl=Blue}}
|{{Head|Sheik|g=SSBM|s=25px|cl=Green}}
|{{Head|Sheik|g=SSBM|s=25px|cl=White}}
|}

==Gallery==
<center>
<gallery>
SSBMWebsiteSheik1.jpg|Posing on [[Temple]].
SSBMWebsiteSheik2.jpg|Using [[Vanish]] on [[Pokémon Stadium]].
SSBMWebsiteSheik3.jpg|Next to {{SSBM|Link}} on Temple.
ChainMelee.jpg|Using [[Chain]] on {{SSBM|Mario}} on Pokémon Stadium.
Needle Storm SSBM.jpg|Using [[Needle Storm]] on [[Corneria]].
STransMelee.jpg|Using [[Transform]].
</gallery>
</center>

==Trivia==
*In ''Melee'', Sheik ends up sending opponents flying {{file link|Sheik Bat Melee.gif|vertically}} with the [[Home-Run Bat]]. As a result, she needs to transform into Zelda to use the Home-Run Bat properly in the [[Home-Run Contest]].
*Sheik is the only playable character in ''Melee'' to not appear on the character selection screen.
**Since {{SSBB|Sheik}} shares a character selection screen portrait with {{SSBB|Zelda}} in ''Brawl'', and ''Smash 4'' and onwards splits {{SSB4|Zelda}} and {{SSB4|Sheik}} into separate characters, this marks the only time Sheik does not appear on the character selection screen.
*All the unplayable characters have their name erroneously default to Sheik in the results screen.
*This is the only ''Smash'' game where Sheik uses her canonical design. ''Brawl'' and ''Smash 4'' based her design off of unused concept art for ''Twilight Princess'' (which is the basis for Link, Zelda, and Ganondorf in those games), while ''Ultimate'' uses a completely original design based on the Stealth Armor set from ''Breath of the Wild'' (which is the basis for Link's design in ''Ultimate''), although retaining her braid. Because of this, ''Brawl'' had her canonical design appear as a sticker, while ''Ultimate'' has this appear as a spirit. This leaves ''SSB4'' as the only game where Sheik's canonical design is not directly referenced.
*Tuesday, February 22, 2022 was declared "Sheik Day" by the community, due to the "tu" noise Sheik makes every time she jumps (and wavedashes).

==External links==
*[https://www.nintendo.co.jp/n01/n64/software/nus_p_nalj/smash/flash/1030/index.html Sheik's page at Smabura-Ken]

*[[smashwiki:26TP/Sheik|Translation]] 

{{SSBMCharacters}}
{{EnemiesAdvSSBM}}
{{Zelda universe}}
[[Category:Sheik (SSBM)| ]]
[[Category:Trophies (SSBM)]]
[[es:Sheik (SSBM)]]
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