Template:SSB4 to SSBU changelist/Zelda

Aesthetics

• Zelda's appearance is based on her design from The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past, and A Link Between Worlds, with her overall design being a combination of the two. Her slightly smaller eyes, red necklace, more detailed epaulets, belt and bracers, and the white dress is from A Link to the Past, while her crown, bangs, and the pink dress are from A Link Between Worlds. Her Twilight Princess design (which was her default in Brawl and Smash 4) is now the basis for an alternate costume.
  • Consequently, Zelda's hair and the jewel of her crown are once again blonde and red respectively, as opposed to brown and blue respectively, with the former being no longer tied at the bottom, similar to her predecessor in Melee; her eyes are larger; her epaulets are smaller; she wears a crimson, gem-like necklace; a sleeved, white dress with a cape and a sleeveless, pink dress with a yellow, Triforce embroidery, as opposed to a purple bodice and a white silk skirt; a more traditional, crimson belt with golden ornaments instead of a gold metallic belt with a tapestry; pants under her dress; bracers with being bare-handed instead of gloves; and high heels instead of boots.
  • As a result of her design change, many of Zelda's basic animations have been altered, including her standing pose, idle poses, and walking animations. All of these animations depict her as very cheerful and somewhat mischievous, making her far more expressive than her SSB4 incarnation, which rarely showed any emotion.
  • Zelda has an updated Palutena's Guidance conversation to coincide with the design change.
• Many of Zelda's alternate costumes have been altered:
  • The skirt of her red and blue costumes are now white, instead of maroon and navy respectively.
  • Her black costume now features a purple gradation at the edges of the sleeve and the skirt.
  • The skirt of her Ocarina of Time-inspired costume is now lavender and violet, instead of white and dark purple, better matching the coloration of the original.
• Zelda always faces the screen regardless of which direction she turns, causing all of her animations to be mirrored.
• All of Zelda's taunts have been altered:
  • Her up taunt is entirely new; she draws a cross pattern with magic akin to her grab from her fingertips, uttering a short grunt similar to Daisy's down taunt.
  • Her side taunt has a faster and flashier animation.
  • Her down taunt is a more casual and joyful wave.
• Zelda hangs onto ledges with one hand.
• Zelda's dress has independent physics.
• Many of Zelda's attacks produce brighter, flashier magical effects.
• All of Zelda's victory poses are completely new:
  • For the left-inputted pose, she conjures a small flame out of her finger and swirls it around playfully, akin to Lucas' right-inputted victory pose.
  • For the right-inputted pose, she summons the Phantom armor and proudly poses in front of it.
  • For the up-inputted pose, she emits magic out of two fingers and points at the screen.
• Zelda is significantly more vocal.
  • She vocalizes in all of her taunts and victory poses; she giggles during her down taunt and new up-inputted victory pose; makes a Kiai noise during her side taunt; makes a breath during her new right-inputted pose.
  • Zelda vocalizes upon waking up from sleep status when not suffering from any knockback, similar to a few other characters such as Palutena and Cloud. She shares this addition with Link, Ganondorf and Wolf.
  • Zelda's voice clips, in general, sounding significantly more dynamic and exaggerated than her predecessors, in a similar vein to Pit and Ike in their transition from Brawl. For instance, her attack and knockback voice clips are louder compared to their Brawl/Smash 4 counterparts, while stun and sleeping voice clips are quieter and longer.

Attributes

• Like all characters, Zelda's jumpsquat takes 3 frames to complete (down from 6).
• Zelda runs faster (1.3 → 1.43).
  • Her initial dash speed is also much faster (1.6 → 1.958). This improves her approach on the ground and gives her an above average foxtrot.
• Zelda walks slightly faster (0.87 → 0.914).
• Zelda's air speed is slightly faster (1.04 → 1.092).
• Zelda's traction is much higher (0.054 → 0.116).
• Zelda's full hop has less air time (62 frames → 57). This allows her to land faster, but reduces her window to use aerials.
• Forward roll grants less intangibility (frames 4-17 → 4-15).
• Back roll has more startup with less intangibility (frames 4-17 → 5-16), and more ending lag (FAF 31 → 36).
• Spot dodge has less ending lag (FAF 28 → 27).
• Spot dodge grants less intangibility (frames 3-18 → 3-17).
• Air dodge grants more intangibility (frames 3-28 → 3-30).
• Air dodge has significantly more ending lag (FAF 34 → 57).

Ground attacks

• Neutral attack:
  • It has significantly less startup lag (frame 11 → 4), no longer being the slowest neutral attack in the game.
  • The third hit has been removed. Combined with the move's faster startup, this makes the move much less safe on shield and eliminates its combo potential at low percents.
    • However, neutral attack has gained a rapid jab with a finisher, which can be transitioned into after the second hit. This partially compensates for the lost third hit by having similar damage output and higher KO potential.
  • The first two hits deal less damage (3% → 2.5%). With the removal of the third hit, it deals much less total damage (11% → 5%).
  • The first hit lasts for 2 frames, up from 1.
  • The first two hits have a lower hitlag multiplier (1× → 0.6×). They have more horizontal launch angles (361°/140°/140° → 361°/361°/180°), with only the outermost hitbox sending inward now.
    • The outermost hit uses a separate outward angle (361°) for non-fighter targets, preventing Zelda from launching incoming items and projectiles toward herself.
    • Due to the inner two hits all using the Sakurai angle, they can now jab lock and trip until high percents. The outermost hit can do so at nearly any percent due to never lifting opponents off the ground until ridiculous percents.
  • It no longer has set knockback (40/30 set/100 scaling → 25 base/35/30/20 scaling (hit 1), 40/25 base/25/20/25 scaling (hit 2)). The second hit has gained a hitstun modifier of 2.
    • This makes the inner hits deal more knockback at high percents, giving them jab cancel setups.
    • Compared to the inner hits, the outermost hit has notably lower knockback, making it negative on hit until high percents and unable to jab cancel until unrealistically extreme percents. This makes the move riskier to use without transitioning into the rapid jab, and makes its jab cancel ability inconsistent.
    • The knockback scaling eventually makes only the first hit connect, though this only occurs at ridiculous percents.
  • It has smaller hitboxes (3.2u/3.2u/4u (hits 1-2), 3.6u/3.6u/6u (hit 3) → 2.4u/2.4u/3.2u (hit 1), 3u/3.2u/3.5u (hit 2)) which are positioned closer to Zelda (z-offset 5.5u/9.5u/13u (all hits) → 4u/7u/10u (hit 1), 5u/8u/11.5u (hit 2)), drastically reducing its horizontal range and spacing utility.
    • The hitboxes are positioned lower (y-offset 12.5u (all) → 12u/12u/11.8u (hit 1), 11.8u/11.8u/11.5u (hit 2)), worsening their range above Zelda while not improving their reach below due to their smaller sizes.
    • However, there is a new hitbox in front of Zelda's lower body, improving its ability to hit shorter opponents at point-blank range.
• Forward tilt:
  • It has more startup lag (frame 10 → 12).
  • It has a shorter total duration (FAF 38 → 37), effectively reducing the ending lag by 3 frames due to the increased startup.
  • Forward tilt no longer has a blind spot directly in front of Zelda. Instead, if she is close to another character, her lunge animation will push her backwards to allow the hitbox to connect.
  • It uses five small hitboxes (2.1u/2.2u/2.3u/2.4u/2.5u) instead of three medium-sized ones (3u/3.5u/4u). This makes it much narrower, reducing its vertical range.
    • However, its outer hitbox is positioned farther out (x-offset 3.5u → 6.2u), improving its horizontal range and making it more disjointed.
  • It deals more damage (12% → 15% (sweetspot), 10% → 11.5% (sourspot), which with its lower ending lag makes it safer on shield.)
    • The knockback was not fully compensated on the sweetspot (50 base/88 scaling → 72/69), significantly increasing its KO potential, especially near the horizontal blast zone.
    • The sourspot has more base knockback (50 → 72), but noticeably less knockback scaling (88 → 68). With its higher damage, its KO potential is slightly higher overall, especially near the horizontal blast zone, but is slightly worse from across stage.
  • The three sourspot hitboxes take priority over the two sweetspot hitboxes, making them much harder to land.
• Up tilt:
  • Up tilt has a longer hitbox duration (frames 7-18 → 7-19), allowing it to hit opponents lying down.
  • The outermost hitbox is larger (5u → 5.5u), improving its range.
• Down tilt:
  • Down tilt has less ending lag (FAF 25 → 22).
  • It has 3 small unextended hitboxes (2.6u) instead of 1 medium-sized extended one (3.6u). Instead of being attached to her leg, they are now static hitboxes positioned closer to each other. Overall this notably reduces its range.
  • It sends opponents at a lower angle (80° → 62°), and has less base knockback (20 → 15), but more knockback scaling (120 → 125).
    • This allows it to combo more reliably into a dash attack and neutral aerial at mid percents and gives it a new KO set-up into forward aerial in combination with its lower ending lag.
    • However, this greatly worsens its combo potential into other attacks at low and high percents, and no longer has a guaranteed set-up into up aerial.
• Dash attack:
  • Dash attack's hitboxes are larger (2.2u (sweetspot)/5u (sourspot)/4.8u (late hit) → 2.8u/5.2u/5u). The sweetspot is extended (z-offset: 12.8 → 12.6-13.2), but the sourspot and late hit's horizontal ranges were compensated on the far side (z-offset 7.8-13.8 → 7.8-13.6). Overall this improves the move's range and makes it easier to land the sweetspot.
  • The late hit has a longer duration (frames 8-10 → 8-12).
  • Dash attack has less ending lag (FAF 40 → 36).
• Forward smash:
  • The looping hits have been moved further out (Z offset: 8/16 → 9/17), as has its final hitboxes (Z offset: 9.5/16 → 10.5/17), increasing its horizontal range while not introducing a blind spot due to the new jostle mechanics.
  • The looping hits have altered launch angles (25°/165° → 366°) and higher set knockback (40/50 → 60/60), improving their consistency.
  • The final hit is slightly larger (5.5u/6u → 5.7u/6u).
• Up smash:
  • The looping hits are larger (3.5u/3.5u/3.5u/4.2u → 3.5u/4u/4u/4.6u) and are positioned higher (y-offset 11u/17u/17u/18u → 12u/18u/18u/19u), improving its range, though marginally decreasing its range below Zelda.
  • The looping hits use continuous hitboxes with a rehit rate, significantly reducing the gaps between its hits (frame 9/12/15/18/25/28/31/34 → 9-23/25-32 (rehit rate 4)).
  • The side looping hits use different launch angles for grounded and aerial opponents (200° → 100° (grounded)/160° (aerial)) and set knockback (40 → 60 (grounded)/20 (aerial)), allowing them to connect more reliably against aerial opponents, but no longer pulling in opponents standing on either side of her as easily.
  • The first four looping hits have lower knockback scaling (105 → 100), and the top looping hit has lower set knockback (40 → 20).
  • Up smash has only six looping hits, down from seven, reducing its total damage (15.4% → 14.6%).
  • The final hit has more knockback scaling (214 → 222), improving its KO potential.
  • The side hitboxes for the final hit are smaller (7.5u/7.5u → 6.5u/6.5u).
• Down smash:
  • Down smash has higher knockback scaling (86 (front)/96 (back) → 89/100), improving its KO potential.

Aerial attacks

• Neutral aerial:
  • Neutral aerial has altered hitlag (1× (all) → 0.6× (looping hits)/2× (last hit)).
  • Neutral aerial is vulnerable to SDI again (0× → 0.8× (looping hits), 1× (last hit)).
  • The looping hits use weight-independent knockback.
  • The looping hits now use different hitboxes for aerial versus grounded opponents.
  • On aerial opponents, instead of 2 medium hitboxes, the looping hits now consist of 4 small extended hitboxes (4.7u/4.7u → 1.5u/1.5u/1.5u/1.5u). Due to being extended, they can no longer interpolate.
    • They no longer use the autolink angle (366° → 132°/230° (front), 152°/210° (back)), causing the move to connect less reliably. The opponent's final launch position and direction are less controllable due to always sending inward and no longer following Zelda's movement, making follow-ups more difficult.
    • The aerial hitboxes have drastically lower knockback and thus hitstun (75 set/100 scaling → 30 base/10 scaling (bottom hits), 15 base/10 scaling (top hits)). This makes it much easier for the opponent to punish Zelda if they fall out of the looping hits, and completely removes neutral aerial’s drag-down combo potential at realistic percents despite the move’s lower landing lag.
  • On grounded opponents, the looping hits' angles send more outward from Zelda (80° → 70°), making it harder to connect subsequent hits.
    • They also no longer use set knockback (75 set/100 scaling → 50 base/80 scaling), now sending into tumble at higher percents. Combined with the new knockback speed-up effect, at higher percents it becomes harder or even impossible to fully connect the move against grounded opponents, due to the first hit sending them too far.
    • However, the angle and knockback changes improve a single hit's combo potential on grounded opponents at high percents if used in a fast fall.
    • Due to the removal of set knockback, the front hit's higher damage now makes it stronger than the back hit.
    • The hitboxes are slightly larger (4.7u → 5u).
    • The hitboxes have altered positions (y-offset 11 (front)/12 (back) → 10/13, z-offset 7.6/-6 → 7.6/-5).
  • The hand hitboxes for the final hit are larger (4u → 5u) and have altered positions (y-offset 11 (front)/12 (back) → 9/13.5, z-offset 7.6/-6 → 8.5/-7), increasing their range.
  • The last hit has less base knockback (40 → 35), allowing it to combo for longer, while preserving its edgeguarding potential due to the changes to the Sakurai angle (40° (grounded)/45.2637° (aerial) → 38°).
• Lightning Kick:
  • Zelda now uses a specific voice clip when performing either her forward or back aerial; it somewhat resembles Fox, Falco, Pit and Dark Pit's voice clips when they perform Fox Illusion, Falco Phantasm, Palutena Bow and Silver Bow respectively.
• Forward aerial:
  • Forward aerial has less startup (frame 9 → 6), with its total duration reduced as well (FAF 53 → 50).
  • It auto-cancels earlier (frame 50 → 43), although still not fast enough to auto-cancel in a short hop.
  • The sweetspot is slightly larger (1.9u → 2.2u) and extends further into the Z-axis (X offset: -1–1), making it easier to land and preventing it from missing due to opponents leaning into the Z-axis.
  • Its initial auto-cancel window is shorter (frames 1-3 → 1-2).
• Back aerial:
  • Back aerial has less ending lag (FAF 53 → 50).
  • It auto-cancels earlier (frame 52 → 45).
  • The sourspots have a longer duration (6-9 → 6-10.)
  • The sweetspot has more base knockback (28 → 30).
  • The sweetspot is slightly larger (1.9u → 2.2u) and extends further into the Z-axis (X offset: -1–1), making it easier to land and preventing it from missing due to opponents leaning into the Z-axis.
• Up aerial:
  • Up aerial consists of a clean hit and a weaker late hit that deals 12%, doubling the move's hitbox duration (frames 14-16 → 14-16 (clean)/17-19 (late)).
  • It auto-cancels slightly earlier (frame 55 → 54), with its auto-cancel window no longer exceeding its animation length.
  • The hitbox is larger (8u → 9u).
  • Its hitbox is higher up (Y offset: 23 → 26.5). Combined with its larger size, this noticeably improves its range above Zelda, but introduces a blindspot and makes it very hard (or even impossible) to hit grounded opponents onstage.
  • It has more base knockback (30 → 55), but less knockback scaling (84 → 73 (clean)/70 (late)). Overall, it KOs earlier.
  • It has a new animation which is longer than the previous one (54 frames → 63). This increases the amount of time Zelda cannot grab the ledge after using the move although the move has interruptibility frames to compensate for its total duration.
• Down aerial:
  • Down aerial's clean hit is larger, and has an additional hitbox that covers Zelda's lower leg, giving it more range (4u → 4.2u/4u). This removes its blind spot and makes it easier to land.
  • The late hit has smaller hitboxes (6u/6u → 5u/5u), reducing its range and worsening its gimping potential.
  • The removal of teching for grounded meteor smashes improves down aerial's combo potential onstage, combined with its reduced landing lag.

Throws and other attacks

• Zelda's animation when holding a Super Scope or Gust Bellows has been altered, as she now holds the item in a manner similar to a rifle.
• Grabs:
  • Standing grab has more ending lag (FAF 38 → 40).
  • Dash and pivot grabs have more startup lag (frame 11 → 13 (dash), 14 (pivot)).
    • However, dash grab's total duration was not fully compensated (FAF 47 → 48), giving it one frame less ending lag.
  • Dash grab has less range (Z2 offset: 14.5u → 13.3u).
  • Pivot grab has significantly increased range (Z2 offset: -16.7u → -19.2u), becoming one of the farthest reaching non-tether pivot grabs in the game.
  • Pivot grab has less ending lag (FAF 45 → 43).
• Pummel:
  • Pummel deals more hitlag (5 frames → 14), but has significantly less startup (frame 7 → 2) and ending lag (FAF 25 → 8), shortening its duration.
  • It deals much less damage (3% → 1.3%).
  • Zelda grabs and pummels opponents with one hand instead of two.
• Forward, back, and up throws have altered animations, and Zelda's hands emit brighter trails of magic.
• Forward throw:
  • Forward throw deals less damage (12% → 10%) and knockback (70 base/50 scaling → 100/30). This significantly hinders its KO potential despite launching at a lower angle (45° → 42°), to the point it can no longer KO under 215% even near the edge.
• Back throw:
  • Back throw deals more damage (11% → 12%) and has less base knockback (80 → 40), but more knockback scaling (60 → 90), greatly improving its KO potential from center stage.
• Up throw:
  • Up throw has much higher knockback scaling (60 → 82), allowing it to KO middleweights at around 150% without worsening its combo ability due to the change below, while in SSB4, it was unable to KO until around 200%.
  • It has increased combo potential due to Zelda's faster jumpsquat and jump speed.
  • It sends opponents at a marginally less vertical angle (88° → 87°).
• Down throw:
  • Down throw's four looping hits deal more damage (1% → 1.5%), increasing its total damage output (6% → 8%).
  • It has less base knockback (85 → 75), but more knockback scaling (55 → 85), increasing its combo potential at lower percents in combination with Zelda's faster jumpsquat and jump speed, but reducing it at higher percents.
  • It sends opponents at a less vertical angle (100° → 104°), leaving it unable to combo into an up aerial at low-mid percents, but allowing it to combo better into a sweetspotted back aerial.
• Edge attack:
  • Edge attack deals more damage (7% → 9%).

Special moves

• Nayru's Love:
  • The hitboxes of Nayru's Love have less startup lag (frame 13 → 11), with their total duration reduced as well (FAF 60 → 58).
  • Its intangibility starts one frame earlier (frame 5 → 4).
  • It no longer halts vertical momentum, allowing Zelda to move in the air while using the move.
  • Its reflective hitbox timing (frames 5-43 → 5-40) has a shorter duration. The intangibility also ends two frames earlier, reducing its duration by one frame (frames 5-15 → 4-13).
• Din's Fire:
  • Din's Fire no longer leaves Zelda helpless in the air.
  • It travels a slightly longer distance.
  • Its hitboxes are larger, especially the sweetspot (2.1u → 3.5u (sweetspot), 4.5u → 4.8u (sourspot)).
  • The flame has a more stylized appearance.
• Farore's Wind:
  • Farore's Wind has less startup lag with the first hit having a longer duration (frame 8 → 6-7 (hit 1), 41-42 → 35-36 (hit 2)), and its total duration reduced as well (FAF 81 → 76).
  • Its intangibility starts earlier and lasts longer (frames 21-39 → 11-35).
  • Zelda can drift in the air much sooner after reappearing.
  • Zelda has more precise angles of reappearance, allowing her to land its second hit on enemies who DI the initial hit.
  • The second hit has less base knockback (90/70 → 80/60), hindering its KO potential despite the aerial version's sweetspot having higher knockback scaling (90 → 94).
  • It shows small green orbs that move in the direction Zelda is moving while before reappearing.
  • A more intense green/yellow vortex is produced at the start and end of the move.
• Phantom Slash:
  • Phantom Slash has been heavily reworked. The Phantom armor assembles itself behind Zelda rather than appearing fully formed out of a portal in front of her. It is a single-press chargeable move; pressing the special move button again will cause the incomplete armor to attack at its current charge level. The move has five charge levels, each resulting in a different attack:
    • 1st: Kick (frame 15)
    • 2nd: Punch (frame 20)
    • 3rd: Outward slash (frame 28)
    • 4th: Downward slash (frame 38)
    • 5th: Upward slash (frame 50, can be delayed up to frame 120)
  • The move reaches full charge much faster and with less ending lag (FAF 67), and the Phantom can be delayed in place even after the charge is finished, allowing Zelda to move around before it rushes forward. Zelda can set it as a trap and attack the opponent in tandem with the Phantom, or she can retreat behind it for protection. This improves Zelda's neutral game and advantage state, and also discourages the opponent from reflecting the Phantom since she has enough time to respond with Nayru's Love.
  • All levels have a longer hitbox duration, and all after the first also have less startup (frame 11 (1st), 13-14 (2nd), 18-19, 24-27 (3rd) → frames 11-12 (1st), 8-12 (2nd), 8-11 (3rd & 4th), 7-17 (5th)).
  • Releasing the Phantom has less ending lag (FAF 47 → 40).
  • There is no longer a cooldown if the Phantom is destroyed. Once the armor disappears, the move can be used again immediately.
  • Phantom Slash deals less damage overall, especially when fully charged (≈6%-≈8% (1st level), ≈11%-≈15% (2nd), ≈24% total (3rd) → 5.9% (1st), 8.2% (2nd), 10.5%-11.8% (3rd), 14.1%-15.4% (4th), 17.7% (5th)), as the fully charged hit only hits once. It has also received negative shield damage (0 → -1, -1.5, -2, -2.5, -3).
  • The Phantom charges behind Zelda instead of in front, leaving her more vulnerable since it has to travel a short distance before it can hit in front of her.
  • The last level has more base knockback (32 → 60), but less knockback scaling (100 → 75), and launches at a lower angle (50° → 46°). This make it better for KOing at the ledge, but worse from afar.
• Final Smash:
  • Zelda has a new Final Smash called Triforce of Wisdom. She magically opens a glowing, triangular portal that sucks in the opponent and immobilizes them while dealing damage. If the opponent is at or above 100% damage before the portal closes, they are "sealed away" and instantly KO'd; otherwise, they receive set knockback. Other opponents above 100% damage can be launched significantly if they are within a certain radius of the portal when it closes.
  • Compared to Light Arrow, Triforce of Wisdom has a significantly longer duration and more range covering the entire stage, making it almost impossible to avoid. It also deals more total damage (40% → 67%).
  • Triforce of Wisdom can only trap one opponent, making it less effective in battles with more than two players.
  • Triforce of Wisdom does not produce the Home-Run Bat sound effect, unlike Light Arrow.