Link (Super Smash Bros. Brawl)


 * This article is about Link's appearance in Super Smash Bros. Brawl. For other uses, see Link.

Link (, Rinku) was confirmed for Super Smash Bros. Brawl at E3 2006. His graphics have been completely revamped from his Super Smash Bros. Melee form, since his new look is derived from the game, The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess.

His special moves have been changed to fit the style of Twilight Princess.

Link's On-Screen Appearance has changed since SSB; he now arrives in from a whirlwind, a reference to the original Legend of Zelda.

Pros:

 * Broad-sweeping, long-reaching hitboxes on all his sword-based attacks, typical of Swordsman type characters
 * Neutral Aerial deals decent damage
 * Long Duration and high Knockback on Up and Down Aerials
 * Multiple useful projectiles
 * Ranged Grab
 * Tether Recovery Option
 * Fast falling speed
 * Excellent at edgeguarding with many techniques
 * Up Special Move is a good finisher and edgeguarding tool
 * Can recover via bombs (Bomb recovery) and clawshot to keep him alive longer
 * His Hylian Shield can still act on its own and defend against projectiles from the front sometimes will reflect the projectiles back at the other players.
 * Good at edgehogging, as he will automatically grab the edge if he walks off the side.
 * Can Boomerang Cancel (See Below)
 * Smashes are fairly quick, have good knockback, and can score multiple hits
 * Has 3 projectiles of varying use, 2 of which can help reduce landing lag
 * Up Special move (Spin Attack) is a good combo breaker
 * All non-special moves provide good spacing, which leaves many opportunities for smashes
 * Fairly Heavy
 * Attacks are fast
 * Can Quickdraw
 * Several attacks that hit on on all sides
 * Easy to use projectiles allow for avoidance of edgehogging
 * Gale Boomerang can be avoided when coming back, allowing it to disrupt opponent's recovery
 * U-tilt has high vertical knockback and is a good combo starter
 * Great Up Smash, as the first 2 swipes trap the opponent, and sends them flying with third hit. Almost impossible to avoid the final slash if hit with the previous 2, also because the attack hits on both sides with great vertical knockback.
 * Opponents have hard time approaching, due to his long ranged sword attacks and projectiles.
 * Neutral A combo is quick, has good range, racks up damage easily, puts good space between him and the opponent, and is a decent combo-breaker
 * D-tilt is a good combo starter, and has decent range
 * Down aerial is good for picking out enemies who tend to strike when you return to the ground.
 * Surprisingly, decent combos such as "Spin Kick" (N-air followed by Up Special)
 * Good Short Hop, coupled with fast falling allows for quick, powerful attacks (especially with Boomerang Cancel)
 * Throws are all decent combo starters
 * Good Juggler
 * Gale boomerang has good wavebounce

Cons:

 * Most powerful attacks are fairly slow
 * Somewhat sluggish running speed
 * Long landing lag on Down Aerial
 * Spin attack is weak if uncharged
 * Slow grab recovery if it misses opponent
 * Weak throwing power
 * Poor recovery
 * His own bombs can be used against him and his teammates (if he has one)
 * Projectiles have long starting lag
 * Spin attack cannot be charged in midair
 * Very few, if any, Spiking moves

Changes from Melee to Brawl

 * Hero's Bow charges faster, and fires longer uncharged
 * New Side Special: Gale Boomerang
 * Spin Attack can be charged in the ground, but no longer semi-spikes
 * Attacks slightly faster and long-ranged, but a little weaker
 * Link's rapid-normal move has been removed, leaving only a three-hit maneuver when rapidly tapping the attack button.
 * Idle animation occasionally drops shield.

Role In the Subspace Emissary
Link's role begins with him walking through a forest with his fairy companion (possibly Navi). Upon reaching the Master Sword's resting place, Link pulls the sword from its pedestal, wielding it once more. In a clearing of the forest is a napping Yoshi, who Link and his fairy companion at first pay no mind to. However, the Halberd soon flies over the clearing, dropping Shadow Bugs which soon form into Primids. At this point, Link and Yoshi form a team and battle through the enemies while in pursuit of the Halberd, only to lose their aforementioned target as it flies far off into the distance, though they quickly continue their pursuit.

Link's next appearance plays out depending on which princess is saved earlier on in the story. If Peach was saved, Link and Yoshi do battle with a Shadowbug clone of Peach (who had recently been turned into a trophy by Bowser) after it attempted to turn an unsspecting Mario and Pit into trophies until Link prevented the attack by slicing the Trophy Gun in half. Upon defeating the clone of Peach, Link is attacked by Mario, who witnessed the defeat of Peach's copy as it reverts into Shadowbugs and drifts away, apparently mistaking it for the real Peach. Then Link and Yoshi fight him and Pit. If Zelda is saved earlier on, then it is she who is cloned, and Mario and Pit fight the clone of her, and must then fend off an attack by Link and Yoshi. After the defeat (and subsequent trophification) of Mario and Pit/Link and Yoshi, King Dedede arrives in a cargo, and snatches the trophies of the fallen duo with an arm attached to it. Fortunately, Kirby (who had accompanied Peach/Zelda earlier) appears and frees the two trophies, and revives them as well. Upon revival, Pit/Link fires an arrow at the incoming cargo, slowing it down a little. The five characters then form an alliance and pursue Dedede.

During their pursuit, they find Dedede's cargo (now empty) parked outside of a cave, and decide to enter it. After getting out of the cave, they find Dedede's trashed hideout, and, upon finding a hole in the wall, they decide to enter it. After they get out of the hole, they find Bowser, who Mario tries to attack until Bowser raises Peach/Zelda's trophy as a shield, forcing him to miss. Pit then fires an arrow at Bowser, whom he barely dodges, before escaping in his Koopa Clown Car.

They then pursue the Ancient Minister in a desert, trying to stop him from detonating another Subspace Bomb. Mario and Link begin to approach the Minister while dodging the lasers he fires at them. Despite their best efforts, the Subspace Bomb still explodes while the heroes barely escape the blast.

Link later appears after the team makes its way to the desert, where they aid another group (consisting of Marth, Ike, the Ice Climbers, Lucas, and the Pokémon Trainer) in fighting off the Subspace Army. If Link and Zelda's trophy forms are retrieved after the initial attack by Tabuu, they will both be shown agreeing to revive Ganondorf (who was turned into a trophy earlier on when he tried to attack Tabuu on his own), at which point they show him where their common target is. Link helps the other heroes throughout the rest of the story.

Event Matches

 * Event 10: All-Star Battle Regulars- Choose your character and take on the "original 8" fighters, two at a time.
 * Event 18: Dark Link Duel- Link faces the shadowy Dark Link in a 200HP Stamina Match.
 * Event 33: Advent of the Evil King- KO Link, Zelda, and Pit on Hyrule Temple as Ganondorf.

Co-Op Event Matches

 * Co-Op Event 7: Battle of the Dark Sides- Playing as Link and Samus, defeat your dark forms in a 200 HP Stamina match on bridge of Eldin.
 * Co-Op Event 13: Blades of the Quick and Mighty- Take Turns KOing enemies as Marth and Ike on Hyrule Temple. Your three opponents are Link, Meta Knight, and Ganondorf.
 * Co-Op Event 21: The True All-Star Battle- Select your character and take on the entire roster on Battlefield.

Strategies & Tips
Use bombs and the boomerang frequently. They can annoy and interrupt the opponent very well.

Don't forget to use your arrows. They provide quick damage that forces your opponent to go around them to avoid damage.

You can perform a Tether Recovery with your Clawshot (grab move) in midair. But be advised, you must be quite close to your intended ledge for this to succeed.

Taunts
Up: Twirls his sword twice and sheaths it. Seems to have invincibility properties (Similar to his Twilight Princess "Victory Pose", which he performs after defeating a boss or certain enemies)

Side: Takes out a fairy that flies around him.

Down: Poses, like from SSB.

On-Screen Appearance
Appears in a whirlwind.

Victory Pose

 * Gives two swipes of his sword, then sheathes it
 * Horizontal swipe with his sword, then holds it up, giving off a battle cry.
 * Three swipes with his sword, turns to his right.

Wii Remote Choice
Makes the grunt he makes during Up Smash.

Boomerang Cancel
Another new feature to SSBB Link is the Boomerang Cancel. With the boomerang, any lag from an aerial can be cancelled. To do so, one must throw the boomerang, and with precise timing do an aerial then land. The landing frames are cancelled when the boomerang comes back to Link, which results in virtually no lag at all. This is best done with Link's d-air, notoriously known for having a large amount of landing frames.

Trivia

 * Link never puts his shield away unless shooting an arrow or has an item in his hand. He does lower it occasionally, though.
 * Link's arrows have a very long reach; approximately twice as far then in Melee.
 * Link now kneels on one knee when using the Bow.
 * Link and Toon Link are the only characters in Super Smash Bros Brawl who are laterality left-handed. In most of the Legend of Zelda games, Link is left-handed, although some games show Link to be right handed (like the Wii version of The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess to fit the control scheme).