Link

Page 1
Background Info
Costumes
Moves List
-Weak Attacks
-Recovery Attacks
-Taunt
-Strong Attacks
-Running Attack
-Smash Attacks
-Throws
-Aerial Attacks
-Special Attacks





Background Info

Link is the elfin hero of the Legend of Zelda series of games. Link has to go around saving Princess Zelda and a bunch of other people from the forces of evil. He does so with his trusty Master Sword and a variety of other weapons he uses to pummel his enemies.
In Smash, Link of course brought along that big sword of his, along with a boomerang and some bombs. Due to his weapon, Link's attacks generally have pretty good reach and some of them are quite powerful. However, all of Link's equipment added together is very heavy, making it difficult for Link to jump high. The fact is Link is the worst jumper in Smash, and his recovery is bad due to his bad jumping and not so great recovery move.
Personal Stage: Hyrule Castle
Personal Symbol: the Tri-Force, which is an equilateral triangle made of 4 smaller equilateral triangles. The triangle in the centre is lighter in colour than the other triangles.
Entrance: Link slowly falls down in a beam of light and draws his sword from its scabbard on his back. Notice that Link holds the sword in his left hand and the shield on his right.
Character choosing: Link swings his sword in the air a few times before turning his back on you.

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Costumes

C up: Classic Link in green... uh... Kokiri tunic. This is the green team costume.
C left: Link in so called Yeti Mail. For those of you that aren't Zelda buffs, the tunic is now a light purple.
C down: Link in blue or Zora tunic. This is the blue team costume.
C right: Link in Goron (red) tunic. This is the red team costume.

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Moves List

Weak Attack

Buttons: Press A continously while on the ground
Damage: 5% + 3% + 4% after that the stabs are 1% each
KKT score: over 300%
Startup: Fast
Duration: Short
Recovery: Fast
Reach: Medium
Flight Path: Regular
Description: Link first does a small forehand slash, then a backhand slash, then thrusts his sword straight forward. After that if he was hitting somebody or something, Link will stab very quickly with his sword. Link can only do this while he's dealing damage. If no one is getting hit by one of the first three hits, Link can't go into the multi-stab.
My Opinion: This weak attack is a bit more useful than most other weak attacks, because the infinite combo stabs can be used to trap an opponent against a corner. Don't expect any KOs out of this move though.
Rating: 2 out of 5

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Recovery Attack 1

Buttons: When lying back to the floor, press A
Damage: 6%
KKT score: none, constant power
Startup: Fast
Duration: Short
Recovery: Fast
Reach: Medium
Flight Path: Regular
Description: Link gets on his knees will slashing forward first with his sword, then he slashes backwards and gets up. Link is invincible when he does this.
My Opinion: Not much to say about this really, since its your only attack option when lying on the floor facing up. Can get Link back on offense if you manage to hit an opponent. Useful for clearing people who happen to stand too close for their own good. Link's recovery moves seems to have better reach than other people's since he has a sword.
Rating: 2.5 out of 5

Recovery Attack 2

Buttons: When lying face down on the floor, press A
Damage: 6%
KKT score: none, constant power
Startup: Fast
Duration: Short
Recovery: Fast
Reach: Medium
Flight Path: Regular
Description: Same as the other recovery attack, but Link slashes backwards first then forwards. Link is invincible when he does this.
My Opinion: It's Link's other recovery attack. It happen less often than the first recovery attack since most of the time victims of hard hits will lie face up.
Rating: 2.5 out of 5

Edge Attack 1

Buttons: When hanging on the edge with damage lower than 100%, press A
Damage: 4%
KKT score: none, constant power
Startup: Fast
Duration: Short
Recovery: Fast
Reach: Medium
Flight Path: Regular
Description: Link pulls himself up quickly and slices with his sword in one motion. He flips himself back on the stage on uses the momentum of the flip to slice with his sword. He yells in the process too. Link is invincible when he does this.
My Opinion: Edge attacks can save lives, if you can time them. This attack can get edge guarders out of the way and therefore save Link from danger. Use it only if no one's around or the edge guarder is standing close to the edge. Experienced players will stand a bit away from the edge if you (as any character) manages to hang on to it, so you need to evaluate the situation before you use the edge attack.
Rating: 2.5 out of 5

Edge Attack 2

Buttons: When hanging on the edge with damage over 100%, press A
Damage: 4%
KKT score: none, constant power
Startup: Slow
Duration: Short
Recovery: Medium slow
Reach: Short
Flight Path: Regular
Description: Link pulls himself slowly then stabs anyone in front of him with the sword. Link is invincible when he does this.
My Opinion: This is worse than the low damage edge attack, but better than nothing at all. Same guidelines as above.
Rating: 2 out of 5

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Taunt

Buttons: L when on the ground
Startup: Fast
Duration: Medium
Recovery: Fast
Description: Link raises his right foot and holds his sword over his head and poses while yelling "Huh!"
My Opinion: This taunt is kind of awkward. It's weird looking and not very noticeable. Not a very good taunt.
Rating: 3.5 out of 5

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Walking Sword Slice

Buttons: Tilt stick sideways + A on the ground.
Damage: 18%
KKT score: 87%
Startup: Medium Fast
Duration: Medium Short
Recovery: Medium
Reach: Medium long
Flight Path: Regular
Description:Link pulls his left hand back and slices forward with his sword.
My Opinion: This is the strongest strong attack in the game. It is not much weaker than a smash and is pretty quick for the amount of damage and power it has. The hit zone is pretty big too due to the arc of the slice. A good alternative to the forward smash since this move is a bit faster.
Rating: 4.5 out of 5

Ankle Slice (or some people call it Grass Cutter)

Buttons: Tilt stick downward + A on the ground
Damage: 12%
KKT score: star finish at 155%
Startup: Medium Fast
Duration: Medium Short
Recovery: Medium
Reach: Medium Short
Flight Path: Steep diagonal
Description: Link crouched on the ground and tries to slice the enemies at their ankles.
My Opinion: This is weak compared to Link's other sword attacks, and it isn't fast either. Kind of useless if you ask me. Link can start a juggle with this if you are into juggling.
Rating: 3 out of 5.

Crescent Slash

Buttons: Tilt stick upward + A on the ground
Damage: 10%
KKT score: star finish at 164%
Startup: Medium fast
Duration: Medium short
Recovery: Fast
Reach: Medium, but this is an arcing slash.
Flight Path: Straight up or steep diagonal
Description: Link swings his left arm upwards in an arc the starts in front of him and ends behind him. Anyone hit by the back of his sword will fly upwards.
My Opinion: Another one of these rare weak sword attacks, but you can start a ground juggle with this move. You can hit low damaged people several times with this move before they can escape. It does hit in an arch so Link can use it to get rid of people all around him.
Rating: 3.5 out of 5

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Running Sword Stab

Buttons: A while running
Damage: 16%
KKT score: 92%
Startup: Medium
Duration: Long
Recovery: Medium Slow
Reach: Medium Long
Flight Path: Regular
Description: Link stabs his sword forward with both hands as he stops from a run.
My Opinion: This is the strongest running attack in the game. This move will kill light character at high damage. It does give partial hits so you need to time it to get the full damage. Overall a pretty good move, but a bit slow than I would have liked it to be.
Rating: 4 out of 5

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Overhead Sword Smack

Buttons: Smash sideways + A while on the ground.
Damage: 20%
KKT score: 65%
Startup: Medium
Duration: Medium Long
Recovery: Medium Slow
Reach: Long
Flight Path: 45 degrees launch angle for the full hit. Other launch angles such as regular launch path or even a more horizontal flight is possible for a partial hit
Description: Link will hold his sword with both hands and raises his arms up, making the sword go behind his back. Then he'll yell and swing the sword forward in an overhead arcing hit that will send opponents flying.
My Opinion: This is a very powerful smash attack. This move has a very big hit zone due to the huge arc of the sword swing. This move will hit in front, above and even behind Link. The so-called sweet spot of the attack is the middle of Link's sword. Hitting the opponent with that part will deliver maximum damage and power. This hit sends people quite far and tends to send people pretty high, so there's a fair chance of getting a star finish with this move. The sword smack is also one of the best edge guarding moves in Smash because it hits right to the ground, so it can even get people who are trying to jump back from below.
Rating: 5 out of 5

Double Ankle Slash

Buttons: Smash down + A while on the ground
Damage: 16%
KKT score: 73% sideway (horizontal flight path), 91% for star finish (vertical flight path)
Startup: Medium Fast
Duration: Medium Long
Recovery: Medium
Reach: Medium Long
Flight Path: Steep diagonal or a bit lower than regular
Description: Links yells, crouches down, does a forehand slash to the front and a backhand slash to the back at ankle height.
My Opinion: This is a pretty good down smash. It sends people pretty far and the reach isn't bad. There are two launch angles for this smash. If you hit the victim with the tip of Link's sword, the victim will fly to the sides. If you hit the victims with the part of the sword near the handle, the victim will fly upwards in at a steep angle. It's easier to kill with the horizontal hit, but both hits can KO quite well. Oh yeah, both the forward and back hit damages the same and there is no partial hit to this move, which is a big plus.
Rating: 4.5 out of 5

Triple Slash

Buttons: Smash up + A while on the ground
Damage: 7% + 3% + 12%
KKT score: star finish at 126% with all three hits connecting
Startup: Fast
Duration: Medium
Recovery: Fast
Reach: Medium vertically, but pretty short laterally
Flight Path: Straight up
Description: Link slashes upwards three times with his sword. This hits are pretty fast.
My Opinion: This is a combo move made up of three hits. The first two hits are pretty weak but the last hit can send people flying for a bit. This move is not very useful for KOing people since it's not all that strong, but you can use it to juggle people with low damage. The victims probably can't escape until they've taken a few hits from you. This is a good way to get some cheap damage.
Rating: 3.5 out of 5

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Boot in the Face

Buttons: Grab (press R or Z + A) while on the ground, then push stick forward, press A, press R, or wait for a few seconds.
Damage: 14%
KKT score: 90%
Startup: Fast
Duration: Short
Recovery: Fast
Reach (of Link's grab): Long
Flight Path: Regular
Description: Link reels his victim in with the grappling hook and gives him/her the good ol' old boot in the face with his right foot.
My Opinion: This is an okay throw. It's a bit more powerful than the average forward throw and I like the sound made when Link's boot hits the victim on the face. Hehehehe... Wish the throw was a bit more powerful though, especially with Link's slow grab. Link has to grab with caution or he'll be wide open against attacks.
Rating: 4 out of 5

Backward Boot

Buttons: Grab (press R or Z+A) while on the ground, then push stick backward
Damage: 16%
KKT score: 86%
Startup: Fast
Duration: Short
Recovery: Fast
Reach (of Link's grab): Long
Flight Path: Regular
Description: Same as the forward "throw", except this time Link kicks the victim backwards.
My Opinion: There nothing special about this throw. In fact it is identical to Falcon's back throw except the fact that Link uses a grappling hook to grab. The throw is okay, but think before you grab with Link.
Rating: 4 out of 5

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Jump Kick

Buttons: A or R while in the air
Damage: 10%
KKT score: 146%
Startup: Fast
Duration: Medium Long
Recovery: Short
Reach: Medium Short
Flight Path: Regular
Description: Link sticks his left foot forward in an effort to kick opponents in the air.
My Opinion: This move is pathetically weak. I've never seen this move KO. The reach is short and the move lasts too long for its own good. No wonder Link can't jump. His legs are so weak! Just look at this kick.
Rating: 2 out of 5

Rotating Slashes

Buttons: A or R + push stick forward in the air
Damage: 20% for the forward hit. The backward hit does 12%
KKT score: 71%
Startup: Slow
Duration: Medium Long
Recovery: Slow
Reach: Medium
Flight Path: Regular
Description: Link spins to his left while slashing forward. As he is turned 180 degrees, Link slashes again. Finally Link faces forward again and the attack ends.
My Opinion: This move is very strong and does a lot of damage, but it is awkward to use since it is so slow. Do not use this move when very close to an edge because Link can fall to his doom if you don't watch out. Only the forward hit is strong. The backward hit is much weaker in comparison. This move is fair for KOing people standing on platforms but not all that great for air to air combat.
Rating: 3.5 out of 5.

Double Backward Kick

Buttons: A or R + push stick backwards in the air
Damage: 10% + 10%
KKT score: 161% for the first hit. Too hard to get both.
Startup: Medium Fast
Duration: Medium Short
Recovery: Medium
Reach: Medium Long
Flight Path: Regular
Description: Link kicks backwards with his left foot, then spins to his left and kicks again with his right foot. When the whole move is over, Link has spun once around.
My Opinion: Another one of those weak kicks that Link has got. This time he kicks twice in the air. You usually won't be able to get both kicks to hit the same target. The second hit is stonger than the first, but both kicks are pretty weak. Don't bother with this move.
Rating: 2.5 out of 5

Upward Sword Stab

Buttons: A or R + push stick upwards in the air
Damage: 16%
KKT score: Star finish at 114%
Startup: Fast
Duration: Very Long if Link stays in the air
Recovery: Long
Reach: Long
Flight Path: Steep diagonal or nearly vertical
Description: Link holds his sword with both hands and thrusts the sword upwards in mid air. Link will hold this pose until he hits the ground or until he falls a few stories.
My Opinion: This move is not bad. It's pretty powerful, but there are a number of up A moves that can kill faster than this one, and this move lasts too long, so you can't really use it to juggle. Curiously enough, Link's sword will still deliver full damage even if he is falling downwards. When Link lands after this move, he has to bend his legs before he goes back into ready position, so the best thing to do is Z cancel. I've tried it and Z cancel works with this move. Other things about this move is that the priority for this move is pretty good and reach is long. An okay move in my books.
Rating: 3.5 out of 5

Downward Sword Stab (aka Sword Plant)

Buttons: A or R + push stick downwards in air
Damage: 16%
KKT score: 81%
Startup: Fast
Duration: Very Long if Link stays in the air.
Recovery: Slow
Reach: Medium
Flight Path: Regular
Description: Link holds his sword with both hands, points the sword downwards and falls downward at a pretty fast speed. Anyone who happens to be under him will get poked in the head by his sword.
My Opinion: Probably Link's most fearsome air move. This move has very high priority and sends people pretty far. During this attack, Link can also bounce on the victim more than once to deliver more damage or bounce from this victim on to another enemy. The bad thing about this move is that the move lasts a very long time, which means if Links happens to fall in a gap while doing this move, he's probably not going to make it back. This means you shouldn't use this move when near an edge or Link could bounce off into the pit and commit a self destruct. The recovery of this move is also horrendous seeing that Link has to pull his sword out from the ground before he can move. This is where Z cancel comes in very handy. Always Z cancel when doing this move. It will shorten the recovery considerably and put Link's shield up to protect himself. Overall this is a pretty good move that will score Link a fair number of KOs.
Rating: 4 ouf of 5

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Boomerang

Buttons: Press B and Link will get out his boomerang and chuck it. Tilt the stick upwards or downwards a little to throw the boomerang at an angle. Tap the control stick to make the boomerang go further
Damage: 9%
KKT score: Well above 300%
Startup: Medium Fast
Duration: Depends if the boomerang hits anyone of its outgoing flight
Recovery: Depends if Link gets the boomerang back or not
Range: Long (across the whole way of Kirby's Stage)
Flight Path: Steep Diagonal, but you can't really tell until the victim is over 300% in damage.
Description: Link will pull out a boomerang from his back with his left hand and throw it forward. The boomerang will immediatly return to Link if it hits an enemy on its outgoing flight. If the boomerang doesn't hit anything during the out bound flight, it will go to its maximum range and tries to fly back to Link. Link can jump around to bend the path of the boomerang. Link cannot launch another boomerang until he gets the old one back or the old one flies off the screen.
My Opinion: The boomerang is an unique projectile in Smash Brothers. You can use the boomerang as both a long range and a short range attack. As a short range attack, you can use the boomerang to mess up people's move, combo them a few times with the boomerang and set up a power hit due to the stun of a boomerang hit. The boomerang isn't as good as a long range attack since it reloads slowly, but you can use it to peg people nontheless. The boomerang is fun to use and can frustrate other people.
Rating: 4 out of 5. It has its uses.

Spinning Slash (The proper name, Spin Attack, doesn't sound descriptive enough)

Buttons: Push stick up + B.
Damage: 16%.
KKT score: 78%
Startup: Fast
Duration: Long
Recovery: Slow
Reach: Long
Flight Path: Normal
Description: Link will hold the sword in both hands and stick out his arms in front of himself, and he'll spin to the right very fast and spins about 5 times around, holding his sword in front. Anyone who gets hit by the sword will be sent flying. Links can't do anything else after this move until he lands or gets hit by something.
My Opinion: This move is more of an offensive more than a comeback move. As a comeback move, the spin slash doesn't carry Link quite far enough to be a good third jump, but as an attack, this move will earn Link a lot of KOs. When used on the ground, Link will just spin on the spot he is standing on. The spin slash has a very long reach, therefore it's actually a pretty good ground clear out move if timed properly. Remember that the full hit is only delivered on the initial spin. Only when used in the air will Link jump upwards and forwards. I find that it is easier to use the spin slash in the air than on the ground because the aerial hit is easier to time. This move is great for knocking people back off the stage if they try to drift back on to the stage. Sometimes you can hit one enemy more than once in one spin slash. This is not necessarily a good thing because the later hit will be a weak hit that keeps the enemy from flying very far.
Rating: 4 out of 5. Would have gotten a higher score if it wasn't such a crappy recovery move, but it is one of Link's main KO moves if used properly.

Bomb

Buttons: Push stick down + B, then throw the bomb like it is an item.
Damage: 17% in two hits
KKT score: way over 300%
Startup: Slow
Duration: Depends
Recovery: None really since the bomb behaves like an item.
Range: Can be very long but the bomb falls pretty quickly.
Flight Path: Straight up, but you can't tell unless the victim has very, I mean very very high damages.
Description: Link uses his left hand to take out a bomb from an invisible sack on his back. Link then can throw the bomb in any direction he wants, because the bomb behaves like an item. The bomb will blow up on contact if thrown far or hard enough or will explode after a period of time. The bomb can cause 5% to Link himself if he was caught in the blast. If Link throws the bomb and it doesn't explode on contact, other players can pick up the bomb and throw it like an item. Because the bomb behaves like an item, when Link has a bomb in his hand, he can't pick up any other items, and consequently if he has an item in his hand, then he can't take out a bomb.
My Opinion: This move is kind or useless, except on certain stages where Link can chuck the bomb from long range. The move is slow, and the bombs are weak, so there's not much you can do with these things. Mostly you just use them to annoy your opponents.
Rating: 3 out of 5.

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