This article is about the side special move of Link, Young Link and Toon Link. For the item from the Mario series, see Boomerang (item); for Link's variant in Brawl and Smash 4, see Gale Boomerang.
Boomerang
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The Links' Boomerangs in Ultimate.
Users Link
Young Link
Toon Link
Universe The Legend of Zelda
Article on Zeldapedia Boomerang

Boomerang (ブーメラン, Boomerang) is a special move used by Link, Young Link, and Toon Link. It is Link's neutral special move in Super Smash Bros., and his side special move in Super Smash Bros. Melee and Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, while it is also Toon Link and Young Link's side special move in every game that they appear in.

Overview

The boomerang is a useful tool for spacing opponents. One can tap the control stick while doing this move to increase its range, and tilt the stick up or down to aim it towards those directions. If the player dodges the boomerang as it comes back to them, it will continue flying and curving towards the direction they dodged in. Link can only have one boomerang on screen at any time; trying the attack again while a boomerang is out only results in Link doing his boomerang throwing animation without actually throwing anything.

Originally, Link took out the boomerang and merely tossed it with a slight overhanded toss, while as of Melee he instead swings it behind himself before tossing it forward sideways and somewhat underhanded.

Instructional quotes

  instruction booklet   Tap   for longer range and tilt up or down to throw it.
  instruction booklet   Increase range by tapping the Control Stick to the right. Control the angle of his throw with the Control Stick.
  case foldout   Does damage on the way out and on return. Change the angle with  .
  Move List   Throws a boomerang diagonally. The control stick can be flicked for extra power and distance.
  Throws a boomerang. He can even throw it diagonally. A flick of the stick can change the power and distance.
  Deals damage on its way out and on its way back. Can be thrown diagonally.

Customization

Special Move customization was added in Super Smash Bros. 4. These are the variations:

Toon Link

1. Boomerang 2. Floating Boomerang 3. High-Speed Boomerang
"Deals damage on its way out and on its way back. Can be thrown diagonally." "Throw a boomerang that's slow to return. It'll vanish if it hits anything on its way back." "Throw a high-speed boomerang that passes through fighters. Deals less damage than normal."
  1. Boomerang: Default.
  2. Floating Boomerang: Flies slower with more control. More easily returns to Toon Link.
  3. High-Speed Boomerang: Flies faster and passes through multiple enemies, but is slightly weaker and only returns to the spot where it was thrown.

As a custom move for Gale Boomerang

2. Boomerang
"=A normal boomerang with good attack power, but it won't pull opponents."
  1. Boomerang: A variation that lacks the wind effect, functioning identically to games prior to Super Smash Bros. Brawl. It is stronger than the default version, but it loses the ability to pull objects and opponents towards Link.

Glitches

The Boomerang glitch [1] is a glitch in Super Smash Bros. Melee (version 1.1). It is a minor glitch discovered by Jimmymcjimthejim that causes Link's boomerang to get stuck to his arm, thus disabling his ability to throw it again. This glitch is caused by getting touched by a Poison Mushroom, or in Tiny Melee, during the frame animation when Link is throwing his boomerang. The glitch may fix itself at times, and self-destructing will end it automatically.

The boomerang superjump glitch can be performed by both Link and Young Link.

Sticker

Name Game Effect Characters
Boomerang Zelda: Wind Waker AttackWeapon+004  Attack +4 Link Zelda Ganondorf Toon Link    
 
Boomerang
(Zelda: Wind Waker)

Origin

 
Link using the boomerang in the original The Legend of Zelda game.
 
Link's boomerang from The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild.

Boomerangs have been one of Link's main weapons since the very first The Legend of Zelda game; while generally inferior to the Bow as a means of indirect attack, it is reusable, capable of pulling items back to Link, stuns enemies, and triggers switches, making it more of a tool than a true offensive weapon; enemies such as Goriyas also possessed boomerangs as their main weapons as well. Some weak enemies could be defeated using the boomerang, and in some games the boomerang was capable of cutting down objects.

The design used by adult Link in the original Super Smash Bros. and Melee, as well as by Young Link, is based on its design in The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, where it was the main dungeon item of Inside Jabu-Jabu's Belly, the third dungeon. However, in Ocarina of Time, only Young Link can use the boomerang; adult Link cannot.

The design used by Toon Link is derived from the one featured in The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker, where it was the dungeon item of the Forbidden Woods.

The design of Link's boomerang in Ultimate is based on the standard boomerang from The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, where it has no special attributes other than returning to the player after being thrown, although it can also be used as a melee weapon in close combat.

Gallery

Names in other languages

Language Name
  Japanese ブーメラン, Boomerang
  English Boomerang
  French Boomerang
  German Bumerang
  Spanish Bumerán
  Italian Boomerang
  Chinese (Simplified) 飞旋镖
  Chinese (Traditional) 飛旋鏢
  Korean 부메랑, Boomerang
  Dutch Boemerang
  Russian Бумеранг

Trivia

  • Link's boomerang in Smash 64 is one of three neutral special moves to be a side special in Melee, and one of six moves to have its directional input changed throughout the series. The other five are PK Fire, Pound, Rock Smash, Reflect Barrier and Explosive Flame.

Technical details

Link:

Young Link:

Toon Link: