Link (SSB18)

**Link** (リンク, *Link*) is a playable character from Super Smash Bros. OC 2018. He is the second Nintendo Character to be added into Smash and the Second of the Original 8 to be added in (The first being Mario). He is also the very first swordfighter to be added in as well.

## Attributes

Link is a heavyweight and the majority of his attributes are largely reflective of his weight class. His only attribute that is atypical of a heavyweight is his walking speed, which is above average. Link possesses two shields instead of just one. In Link's case, he wields the Hylian Shield, which blocks opposing projectiles if he is standing still or walking. Link also wields his respective version of the Master Sword, which grants him good range, a disjointed hitbox and above average strength, the latter of which is most evident in his forward tilt, smash attacks, dash attack and Spin Attack. However, his forward, up and down aerials also boast impressive power while possessing certain traits: his forward and down aerials can hit twice, his up aerial has a long-lasting hitbox, and his down aerial can meteor smash. Link also has a kill throw in his up throw along with his down throw being a setup to his powerful up aerial.

Link is one of the handful of characters in SSB18 with a tether grab, with his Clawshot being a useful supplement to his zoning, combo and recovery potentials. Although its damage output has been lowered since Brawl, Clawshot still boasts impressive range, has no landing lag and comes out even faster than before. It also assists his combo game, due to his down throw's impressive combo potential. Lastly and most importantly, Clawshot is a pivotal part of Link's recovery, especially due to his sluggish mobility.

Link's special moves all have their uses. Hero's Bow is a strong option against characters who struggle at approaching and is good for providing long-ranged pressure. Gale Boomerang is a decent spacing option and has follow-up potential upon contact or via its wind-based drag effect. Gale Boomerang's drag effect also grants it gimping potential in the form of Gale Guarding. Spin Attack's overall recovery distance has noticeably improved since Brawl, while its already impressive power has been further increased, which in turn improves its KO potential or as a way to punish rolls. However, Link's Bomb is perhaps the most versatile weapon within his arsenal due to its utility. Throwing a Bomb at a foe can cause enough hitstun to help Link's approach and/or set up combos. Conversely, if the opponent shields it, the Bomb simply bounces off, allowing it to be used for spacing. Even holding a Bomb long enough for it to explode can be useful; while doing so damages Link, it gives him a small vertical boost and removes him from being helpless, aiding his recovery and/or allowing him to break out of combos. Bomb can also be super glide tossed, which noticeably supplements his mobility. Additionally, Link is one of only two characters (the other being Iron Man) that is capable of super glide tossing forward and being capable of generating an item to utilize it. When combined with the overall fastest item throw animations in the game, Link's Bomb allows him to pressure opponents at a deceptively fast speed.

Despite his benefits, Link retains some of his flaws from his previous appearances. Even though his recovery has been noticeably improved after formerly being one of his most significant flaws in SSB and Brawl, it still limits how far he can go offstage safely. Link is also still susceptible to combos from faster characters, such as Sheik. As a result, he must make good use of reads, spacing and camping to avoid giving the advantage to such characters. To this end, his neutral aerial is a sex kick that allows him to break out of many combos, and is therefore one of his most useful moves, however, it still isn't particularly fast despite being one of his fastest moves. As a tether, his grab is quite slow and punishable when whiffed. In addition, Link's KO potential is hindered by lag, particularly in regard to his forward tilt, dash attack, forward aerial and down aerial.

## Moveset

### On-screen appearance

* Appears from within a whirlwind and equips the Master Sword and Hylian Shield. It may be based on the warping animation seen upon using the Recorder.

### Taunts

* Up: Swings the Master Sword twice and twirls it behind him before sheathing it. This is similar to his victory pose in Twilight Princess, which he performs after learning a Hidden Skill or defeating a boss or particularly difficult enemies.
* Side: Link takes out a fairy from his pocket, which proceeds to fly around him as he watches it until it returns to his pocket. This taunt references how fairies have been guides for Link in the Zelda series. While it is mainly based off the fairy cursor seen in the Wii version of Twilight Princess, the fairy is likely a reference to Link's fairy companion Navi from Ocarina of Time.
* Down: Link assumes a Fujian White Crane-like stance while rearing the Master Sword behind his head. It originates from SSB and may be loosely based on the attacking pose used by the Link from Zelda II: The Adventure of Link.

### Idle poses

* Assumes a battle ready stance.
* Looks behind himself.

### Victory poses

* Swings the Master Sword three times and then looks to the right. It is his "character chosen" animation in SSB, albeit ending with him facing a different direction.
* Swipes the Master Sword once, twirls it behind his head, then sheathes it while looking at the camera. Like his up taunt, it is based on his victory pose from Twilight Princess.
* Link thrusts the Master Sword forward, holds it up to his face, then thrusts it to the sky while letting out a kiai.