Link (PM)

Link is a playable character in the Brawl mod Project M. He was remade to be closer to his Melee version. 
Link is ranked 30th out of 41 on the official tier list, near the bottom of the C tier. This is an improvement over his placement in Brawl, where he ranked 35th out of 38, but a slight drop from his Melee position of 18th out of 26. In the official Project + tier list, he places slightly higher, ranking 23rd out of 42, now residing near the top of B tier.
==Attributes==
Link is, in general, a well-ranged fighter. He is a heavyweight (tied with in weight) possessing three projectiles and long disjointed hitboxes in his sword attacks, allowing him to zone opponents out, heckle them from far away, and start combos from a distance before moving in. Both his s and Boomerang can be used to create openings, which allow Link to start a combo or get in a finishing hit. Link's is also packed with a stellar defensive game, as his Hylian Shield can block projectiles when standing still, crouching (which aids his crouch cancel), and even while walking. His Spin Attack is also one of the most potent out of shield options in the game. The latter attack is also highly effective for edge guarding onstage, as it will semi-spike any opponent who fails to sweet spot the edge, sending them away towards the blast lines. Link also has a good aerial game; his up and down aerials are very powerful and stay active for a long time, serving as combo finishers, and his Bombs can be used efficiently for glide tossing. His other three aerials have low lag and decent range, serving as both combo and approach tools. His tilts are generally fast, especially his forward tilt, which can be quite devastating on those not expecting it; it is also a potent edge-guarding tool. His up tilt can combo into itself and/or juggle opponents, and his down tilt is also good at edge-guarding and can lead into combos at moderate percentages.
Link's smash attacks are of an above average speed, as well as being of the most powerful. His forward and up smashes are both effective at KOing and pressuring shields, with both leading into combos at low percentages to rack up damage quickly. Finally, his down smash is useful to KO any opponent at higher percentages. His up and down smashes both have incredibly fast startup, whilst the latter has somewhat moderate end lag.
Link's throws are of decent usage, as he is capable of using them rather quickly. His up and down throws can be utilized as combo starters, whilst the prior has immense knockback that could send the opponent into a possible KO at medium-high percentages. His forward and back throws, while sub-par to most, still have decent range at moderate to high percentages. When counting his now-fast grab, his throws are more dangerous than ever.
While Link's recovery is difficult to edge guard, it does not give much distance. However, with Link's glide tossing ability, Link's recovery has become one of the best in the game, as he can throw Bombs upward and use Spin Attack on them to receive knockback, allowing him to consistently repeat the process. Link has also an alternate recovery option with his zair, the Hookshot, which can also be used after shifting towards the stage with an air dodge.
Link is not a character without weaknesses, however. Link's large size, heavy weight and somewhat moderately high gravity make him an easy victim for combos, allowing enemies to rack up damage on him with little effort. His aerials, though possessing high KO potential, have overall long ending lag, save his F-air, B-air and N-air, causing Link to become easily countered by opponents that excel at midair combat, such as or . Also, while his recovery is overall difficult to edgeguard, his Spin Attack's hitbox only extends above him, leaving Link vulnerable against edgeguarding attacks with good horizontal reach, such as 's down tilt or 's back aerial. His bomb recovery also damages him in the process.
== Changes from Melee to PM ==
As with most Melee veterans, Link was reverted back to his Melee iteration although he maintains some of the improvements he saw in Brawl and he has some additional new improvements to further aid him. Because of this, Link was heavily buffed in the transition from Melee, with many of his attacks being slightly faster, stronger and having improved range.
===Aesthetics===
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===Attributes===
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===Ground Attacks===
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===Aerial Attacks===
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===Grabs and Throws===
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===Special Moves===
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==Changes from PM to P+==
===v2.0===
Aesthetics
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Attributes
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Ground Attacks
Up Smash
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Aerial Attacks
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Grabs and Throws
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Down Throw:
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Special Moves
Neutral Special (Arrow):
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Side Special (Boomerang):
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===v2.0 - v2.28===
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==Revisions==
===v2.1===
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===v2.5b===
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===v2.6b===
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===v3.0===
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===v3.5===
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===v3.6===
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==Moveset==
Up to date as of version 3.6.
 	 	Name 	Damage 	Description
Neutral attack 	Neutral attack 	 	5% 	Link performs a diagonal sword slash followed by a horizontal slash, with a lunging stab finisher. The second hit can cancel out and lead into other attacks, giving Link more options for combos or finishers. The infinite links together much better than Melee, but has some Ending lag.
Neutral attack 	Neutral attack 	 	3% 	Link performs a diagonal sword slash followed by a horizontal slash, with a lunging stab finisher. The second hit can cancel out and lead into other attacks, giving Link more options for combos or finishers. The infinite links together much better than Melee, but has some Ending lag.
Neutral attack 	Neutral attack 	 	6% 	Link performs a diagonal sword slash followed by a horizontal slash, with a lunging stab finisher. The second hit can cancel out and lead into other attacks, giving Link more options for combos or finishers. The infinite links together much better than Melee, but has some Ending lag.
Neutral attack 	Neutral attack 	 	1-2% (loop) 	Link performs a diagonal sword slash followed by a horizontal slash, with a lunging stab finisher. The second hit can cancel out and lead into other attacks, giving Link more options for combos or finishers. The infinite links together much better than Melee, but has some Ending lag.
Forward tilt 	Forward tilt 	 	14% (blade), 13% (tip & arm), 12% (body) 	Link performs an overhead sword swipe. This attack can edge-guard against opponents. It also has strong KO potential.
Up tilt 	Up tilt 	 	9% 	Link swings his sword in an arc above himself. The move comes out quick and has low ending lag, mostly being used to juggle opponents at low percentages. It also has good KO potential at high percentages.
Down tilt 	Down tilt 	 	11% 	Link swipes his sword across the ground. This attack can lead into combos and has low startup and ending lag. It can also meteor smash opponents who come in contact with Link's body and the base of his sword, making it a viable edgeguarding tool.
Dash attack 	Dash attack 	 	12% (blade), 10% (tip), 13% (arm), 14% (body) 	Link dashes and attacks the opponent. Low start and moderate end lag, is much faster, and sends opponents at a more vertical angle, making the attack good for combos and dash dancing. It has earlier IASA frames, making it even more dangerous if done correctly, and can be safer to use on shielding opponents.
Forward smash 	Forward smash 	Sword Slice 	(tip), (body) 	Link swings his sword downwards for good knockback, and if the A button is pressed again, he will do a much more powerful horizontal slash to follow. The second hit deals more vertical knockback than the first hit, but it's impossible for the second hit will land at damages above 30% due to the knockback growth of the first hit.
Forward smash 	Forward smash 	Sword Slice 	(tip), (body) 	Link swings his sword downwards for good knockback, and if the A button is pressed again, he will do a much more powerful horizontal slash to follow. The second hit deals more vertical knockback than the first hit, but it's impossible for the second hit will land at damages above 30% due to the knockback growth of the first hit.
Up smash 	Up smash 	 	(hit 1), (hit 2), (hit 3 body), (hit 3 blade) 	Link swings sword in an upwards arc three times. The attack has somewhat low start-up and moderate ending lag. The move can also be dash cancelled, making it a great DACUS move.
Down smash 	Down smash 	 	Front: //Back: // 	Link swipes his sword from front to back, having very quick start-up but moderately long ending lag. At low percentages, it can KO as low as 50-90% damage depending on the character.
Neutral aerial 	Neutral aerial 	 	12%/10%/9% (clean), 7% (late) 	Link thrusts his leg out for an extended time. Has sex kick properties.
Forward aerial 	Forward aerial 	 	14% (hit 1), 10% (hit 2) 	Swings his sword twice while spinning 360 degrees. The first hit is usually hard to follow into the second hit at higher percentages. Each hit has decent knockback.
Back aerial 	Back aerial 	 	7% (both hits) 	Two short-ranged back kicks behind himself. Low start-up with moderate ending lag and low landing lag. The first hit is a weaker attack which links to the second, more powerful hit. Has considerable knockback.
Up aerial 	Up aerial 	 	16% (clean), 12% (late) 	An upward sword thrust, which is based off of the attack in Zelda 2: The Adventure of Link. Moderate start-up, with high ending and landing lag. Its initial hitbox is quite powerful, and can KO at lower percentages.
Down aerial 	Down aerial 	 	20% (clean blade), 22% (clean tip), 19% (late), 8% (after bounce) 	A downward sword thrust, which is based off of the attack in Zelda 2, but acts like it does in Twilight Princess. Has somewhat high start-up, with high ending lag and very high landing lag. It is quite powerful, capable of KOs as low as 60-75%, depending on weight.
Grab aerial 	Grab aerial 	 	4% (hit 1), 9% (hit 2) 	Fires his Clawshot forward, scoring two hits. Second hit has a weak vertical knockback. Has low landing lag. Can be used after an air dodge or as a tether recovery. Very useful for spacing and stopping approaches against taller characters. It is also useful for setting up combos or chain into itself at low percentage and a KO move at high percentage against fast fallers. Link's zair can also be used while a bomb is held to cancel an airdodge, which also allows him to Tether recover with a Bomb.
Grab 	Grab 	 	— 	Link fires his Clawshot forward to grab foes from afar.
Pummel 	Pummel 	 	3% 	Link pummels the opponent with the hilt of the Master Sword.
Forward throw 	Forward throw 	 	3% (hit 1), 4% (throw) 	Link kicks high to send the opponent flying. Very low knockback at lower percentages.
Back throw 	Back throw 	 	3% (hit 1), 4% (throw) 	Link kicks moderately high backwards to send opponents away. Low knockback at lower percentages.
Up throw 	Up throw 	 	4% (hit 1), 8% (throw) 	Link throws the opponent upwards and then slashes them upwards.
Down throw 	Down throw 	 	2% (hit 1), 4% (throw) 	Link slams the opponent down and slams his elbow down on them. Combos well into up tilt and up smash.
Floor attack (front)	Floor attack (front)	 	6% 	Does two slashes front and back.
Floor attack (back) 	Floor attack (back) 	 	6% 	Does another two slashes front and back.
Floor attack (trip) 	Floor attack (trip) 	 	5% 	Essentially the same as his other two floor attacks.
Edge attack (fast) 	Edge attack (fast) 	 	8% 	Pulls himself up into a front flip and slices downward.
Edge attack (slow) 	Edge attack (slow) 	 	10% 	Slowly climbs up and stabs in front of himself.
Neutral special 	Neutral special 	Hero's Bow 	5-15% 	Link fires an arrow at an opponent. The longer it is charged, the farther it will fly and the stronger it will be. At full charge, the arrow will fly straight.
Side special 	Side special 	Boomerang 	11% (close), 6% (far), 3% (return), 4% (slap) 	Link throws his trademark Boomerang, covered with a celestial light. Has decent power with some knockback, but is best used when Link is close to the opponent. The boomerang has a wide trajectory, but doesn't go far. When used again while the Boomerang is out, it produces a very weak slapping hitbox.
Up special 	Up special 	Spin Attack 	Ground: 15% (clean), 5% (late)Air: 4% (hit 1), 2% (hits 2-4), 6% (hit 5)	Link spins in place with a shout, slashing with his sword. Has low start lag, with high end lag. It has a powerful initial/close hitbox which is great for sending opponents flying, acting as one of the best out of shield options. It can also semi-spike at the tip of Link's sword, alongside better length, making it an even better edgeguarding move. In air, it uses multiple attacks and finishes with a powerful ending blow. As a recovery, it has high vertical and horizontal momentum, needing little momentum for Link to recover. He can link the recovery move with his bombs, making for a consistent, amazing recovery.
Down special 	Down special 	Bomb 	6-12% (explosion) 	Link pulls out a bomb. He can throw it at the opponent, but they may have a chance to grab it. Has decent power, but little knockback. The explosion can hurt Link, inflicting damage to him, which when combined with Spin Attack can be exploited for a great recovery.
Final Smash 	Final Smash 	Triforce Slash	5% (trapping), 4% (hits 1-15), 18% (hit 16) 	A Triforce protrudes out of Link's hand and traps the opponent. He then consistently attacks the opponent leading up to a powerful finisher. Has great power and knockback, and can KO at almost any percentage.
==In competitive play==
===Notable players===
* - Best Link in the world. Ranked #12 on PMRank 2022, won .
* - Ranked 3rd in SoCal.
* - Top melee Falco player with strong placements in PM.
* - Ranked 5th on the Southern Ontario Power Rankings for Project M. Placed 13th at EVO 2017.
==Alternate costumes==
===Project M===
Beginning with 3.0, Link received an alternate costume based on his appearance in The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, which was the basis for his default costume in Smash 64 and Melee.
It received recolors that were present in Melee. Additionally, the Master Sword and Hylian shield were also changed to resemble how they appeared in Ocarina of Time. Link has the Triforce symbol in his right hand after getting a Final Smash with his Ocarina of Time costume.
							
							
							
===Project+===
In Project+, Link receives additional purple and pink color, as well as a new recolor that resembles his original design in The Legend of Zelda for the NES. Each of these function as extra team colors. 
His Ocarina of Time outfit was revamped with a more modernized appearance. His white costume from Melee returns, itself based on his sprite while wearing the Blue Ring in . It also includes a new purple recolor that references from . Lastly, it includes an alternate costume based on Link's transformation into the Fierce Deity in , included with armor, face painting, and weapons from Majora's Mask; a unique aesthetic detail when wearing this costume is when using Triforce Slash, Link will instead wield the Fierce Deity's signature sword.
Secret costumes:
 
Z-Secret Costume: NES Link: Based on Link's original appearance in official artwork for The Legend of Zelda and Zelda II: The Adventure of Link. Extra details include the cross-emblazoned Magical Shield, a yellow rim on his hat, a brown undershirt, a sword resembling a hybrid of the Magical Sword and the Crissword from the Legend of Zelda cartoon from 1989, and dirty blonde hair resembling how it looked in artwork and sprites for the NES titles.
R-Secret Costume: Hyrule Warriors Link: Based on Link's appearance in Hyrule Warriors equipped with the Knight's Sword and its corresponding shield.
==External links==
*Link's page at the Project M website
*Labbing Discord Tech Post
Category:Link
Category:Characters (PM)