Zelda (Super Smash Bros. Brawl)


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

Zelda (, Zeruda) is a character for Super Smash Bros. Brawl. She looks nearly identical to her appearance in The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess. From The Legend of Zelda universe, Zelda re-appears in Brawl as a graceful character utilizing strong magical attacks.

Despite many of her attributes being strongly buffed, her tier position is far worse than in Melee, at 35 out of 37 (third from last), compared to 19 out of 26 in Melee. Zelda's very inconvenient combination of defensive attributes (slow, light, tall, and floaty), having near non-existent approach options, very poor projectile, predictable and terrible recovery (like Wolf, suffers from major angle issues), atrocious metagame, below average tournament results and having very bad match ups against many higher tiered characters clocks her in G Tier. Zelda currently holds the record for highest tier descend of all Smash history, having lowered 9 spaces from 26 to 35.

Attributes
Zelda is a floaty, lightweight character with poor DI(making her very easy to KO but difficult to chaingrab) with strong, graceful attacks, usually augmented with magic. Many of her moves hit multiple times before causing knockback. This allows her to easily deal large damage to multiple targets, but it also means that these attacks can be DI'd out of fairly easily. She has very good defensive options, with her up smash having extremely high priority and her down smash having very fast start-up, and locking opponents with her down tilt. She is fairly good at juggling thanks to her up smash duration and priority and her powerful up air. Her directional aerials are single, powerful blows that cause a lot of damage and knockback if landed properly, but her attacks are extremely weak and have low stun when sourspotted. Many of her moves make powerful finishers, including her smash attacks, her forward and up tilt attacks, up aerial, down aerial, and her side aerial, the Lightning Kick. Her strong defense is counter-balanced by her generally poor mobility (very slow dash speed, mediocre air speed). Her grab is long-ranged, but very slow (especially for a non-tether grab) making it hard to land. Zelda can be described as a glass cannon: she can pump out a lot of damage, but she won't survive long once she starts getting hit.

Her special attacks are also assets to Zelda, granting her a projectile reflector, a teleport with large range and many invincibility frames, and the ability to transform into her alter-ego, Sheik. Din's Fire is slow, is long-ranged, has a large hitbox, deals much damage, KOs at high percents, cannot properly be reflected, can be controlled, and be used for edgeguarding. However, it is still one of the worst projectiles in the game and is extremely predictable and avoidable against skilled players (easy to spot dodge or air dodge), being impossible to camp with. against most characters (except very few exceptions, like Ice Climbers). Nayru's Love is a decent-duration reflector attack and spacing tool but suffers from many frames of lag. Despite her defensive game, it's easy to force her to play offensively and she has abysmal approach options, because of her poor approach aerials and very slow dash speed and grab. As mentioned before, she can't camp with her Din's Fire either. This means despite her defensive game, she gets very few chances to use it and instead is forced to play with her horrible offensive game due her very limited approach. Farore's Wind is a long-distance recovery/attack, but her linear recovery is below-average (falls almost straight down after it, and she has a small ledge sweetspot range) among cast members because of its low reliability as it's also easy to hit her before she disappears due its slow start-up. Transform can shore up some of Zelda's weaknesses by turning into Sheik, and vice-versa.

Changes from Melee to Brawl
Zelda has been buffed from SSBM to SSBB, as most moves generally improved in speed and/or power. For example, her standard attack has increased damage and knockback. Nayru's Love's reflect duration is slightly longer, and it reflects projectiles faster. Din's Fire's hitbox now increases as it travels further, detonates quicker, deals more damage, has less lag, deals more knockback, and is faster to use, but in high level play it's still a situational move because of its easy to dodge and it's predictable. If Zelda is hit while performing Din's Fire, the fire will travel its full distance and explode (as opposed to traveling the full distance and disappearing as it did in Melee). Farore's Wind has an explosive hitbox when it reappears, but it gives slightly less recovery distance. If Zelda is tagged before Farore's Wind is used, the tag vanishes until Zelda reappears, thus not giving away her location to where she is warping. Transformation is Zelda's only special move that didn't improve, as the transformation time is longer. Zelda's non-sweetspotted aerials are weaker, but her sweet-spotted aerials are stronger. Her up aerial is now a much better KOing move, and her down aerial has lightning-kick style damage and knockback on its sweetspot. Both Zelda's dash speed and grab speed have slightly increased (though both are still very slow).

Zelda also had a few cosmetic changes. Her fighter design is now based on the Princess Zelda from The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess, whereas Melee ' s was based on the one from The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, which is now an alternative costume for Zelda in Brawl. Her dashing animation and "toppling" animation are both new.

Normal

 * Dash attack - Zelda extends her arms, palms out. Any enemy caught in her path is electrocuted and knocked upwards. Does 12% damage when close and less damage (about 9%) when at the tip of her hands.
 * Standard attack - Zelda extends one arm. A circular magical spark appears at the end of it, hitting up to three times. Disjointed with decent range. Does 2% damage per hit.
 * Forward Tilt - Zelda steps forward and slashes one arm in front of her, with a trail of sparkles. The attack has moderate knockback. Depending on how the opponent is hit, they may end up slightly behind Zelda. This can be directed slightly up or down. Does 11%-13% damage.
 * Down Tilt - Zelda crouches and stabs one foot forward. This attack can meteor smash an airborne opponent. It also usually trips people on the ground, and easily combos with Zelda's quick down smash. This move can also combo into itself. Does 7%-8% damage.
 * Up Tilt - Zelda waves her hand above her head in an arc, starting in front of her to behind her, trailing sparkles like her forward tilt. This move has incredible knockback, and makes an excellent finisher. Although it is less reliable and slower than her Up-smash, recent testing has shown that, depending on how fresh it is, her Up Tilt can produce more knockback than her Up-smash. Does 11% damage.

Smash

 * Forward Smash - Zelda extends her hands with a thrust, and a burst of sparkles appears. If an enemy is hit by this, it expands its animation, shocking them multiple times and then launching them away with high knockback. Quick, with large range. Is very easy to SDI out of. Does 17% damage (23% when fully charged).
 * Up Smash - Zelda waves her hand back and forth over her head once quickly, trailing a stream of light. If an enemy is caught in this, the animation expands in to more back and forth, hitting and shocking multiple times before launching them away. At low percentages, especially against heavy characters, this can combo several times with itself, and is also easily followed by an up tilt. Fast, with large range. Does ~15% damage (~20% when fully charged).
 * Down Smash - Zelda kicks along the ground in front of her and then behind her, appearing to sweep forward and back with her dress. This smash comes out very quickly, and powerfully knocks almost entirely horizontally. Semi spike with decent range. Does ~12% damage (15% when fully charged).

Other

 * Ledge attack- Zelda climbs up and swings her legs in a circular motion, while pulling her self up. Does 6% damage.
 * 100% ledge attack- Zelda raises up slowly, and after gaining some strength, smacks the enemy with the back of her hand. Does 10% damage.
 * Floor attack- Zelda swings her legs around, hitting enemies on both sides of herself. Does 6% damage.

Aerial Attacks

 * Neutral Aerial - Zelda spins in place, slowly trailing sparkles from her hands. This hits 5 times and sucks people in, dealing a decent amount of damage. The first few hits of this move cannot be DI'd or SDI's whatsoever. Does ~13% damage.
 * Forward Aerial - Known as the Lightning Kick, Zelda kicks to one side, with a spark at her foot. In the first few frames, if you hit directly with the foot, this attack pauses the opponent in place for a second dramatically, before dealing heavy lightning damage and launching them away with huge knockback. If any other part of this attack hits, or if it hits after the first few frames, it deals only a small amount of damage, with very little knockback. Larger foes tend to be more vulnerable to falling victim to a sweet-spotted hit. Does 20% damage when sweet-spotted, otherwise 4% damage is done.
 * Back Aerial - Identical to Zelda's forward Aerial, except the opposite direction and much faster, and recent studies have shown that it has higher knockback. Does 20% damage when sweet-spotted, otherwise 4% damage is done.
 * Down Aerial - Zelda sticks one foot out beneath her. Like her Forward and Back aerials, if this hits within the first frame with the foot, it causes a dramatic pause in the opponent's movement, then deals high damage and spikes the opponent straight downwards very fast. If it hits with any other part or outside this window, it does a very small amount of damage and still knocks downwards, but much slower. If it hits a non-airborne opponent, the sweet-spot cannot hit, and it is always the weak hit. The sweet-spot itself is slightly smaller than the weak hit and does not actually cover the tip of her foot. Does 16% damage when sweet-spotted, otherwise 5% damage.
 * Up Aerial - Zelda holds one hand up, and a small trail of sparkles extends to a point above her where it shortly explodes and launching the enemy upward. This explosion has a smaller hitbox than "Melee Zelda's" Up-air, but it is significantly faster and stronger, with enormous knockback. Does 15% damage.

Grabs and Throws
Note: She has by far the slowest non-tether grab, but the range is the third longest of the non-tether grabs.
 * Pummel: Discharges magic into them. Does 3% damage.
 * Forward Throw: Telekinetically twirls opponent and throws them forward. Does 12% damage.
 * Back Throw: Telekinetically twirls opponent behind herself and tosses them. Does 11% damage. Strongest knockback of all her throws, mediocre KO potential.
 * Up Throw: Telekinetically twirls opponent above her head, then releases them upward. Does 11% damage.
 * Down Throw: Throws opponent on ground and shocks them repeatedly with magical bursts. Does 10% damage.

Taunts
Zelda is the quietest Taunter in the game.

Up: Jabs her arm upwards, creating sparkles above her palm.

Side: Claps her hands. When she does, a ball of fire appears between her hands, a remodel of one of her victory poses from SSBM.

Down: Leans forward and waves.

Role in the Subspace Emissary
In the Subspace Emissary single-player mode, Zelda and Peach have two different storylines, depending on which one you save from Petey Piranha. At the start, she and Peach are watching a friendly match between Mario and Kirby. After the Halberd appears, she and Peach rush from offstage after the stadium is attacked by the Primid. The player can choose out of the four to fight off the Primids. When the Ancient Minister appears and drops a Subspace bomb, Mario is blasted away by a cannonball when he tries to stop it. Zelda and Peach are captured by Petey Piranha. The player, as Kirby, must save either Peach or Zelda by destroying one of their cages.

Storyline 1
If Zelda is saved, she joins Kirby as they both escape from the stadium on a Warp Star. They are pursued by the Halberd, and land on top of it. Soon they fall off and reach the ground, fighting along through hordes of Subspace foes. Later on, Kirby leaves Zelda behind, and Bowser appears from the sky and turns her into a trophy.

The Shadowbugs (that came along with Bowser) make a clone of Zelda that proceeds to ambush Link and Yoshi with a Dark Cannon. However, Pit destroys the Dark Cannon and he and Mario fight and defeat her. When the clone is defeated, Link witnesses her trophy disintegrating into Shadowbugs and, believing it was the real Zelda, proceeds to attack both Mario and Pit with Yoshi’s help.

Storyline 2
If Zelda was not saved, Wario appears whilst she is trapped under her wrecked cage. He blasts her with a Dark Cannon and turns her into a trophy, before fleeing the stadium with her. She is later captured by King Dedede when he ambushes Wario and steals his Cargo along with Ness. As he passes Link and company, Link spots her on the back of the Cargo, and Pit shoots the Cargo, slowing it down so that they can pursue Dedede.

Dedede puts his own Dedede brooch on her, but when Bowser attacks his castle, he finds her trophy and takes it. However, he is pursued by Mario and Pit, and when Pit fires an arrow at Bowser, the Dedede brooch falls of and is found by Kirby. Bowser escapes in the Koopa Clown Car and takes her trophy up to the waiting Halberd.

Re-merge

 * After this point, the storylines are the same regardless of who was rescued.

At a later part of the story, Zelda and Peach are discovered by Lucario, Meta Knight, and Snake in cages aboard the Battleship Halberd, stuck in their trophy form. Shadowbugs of the princesses then fight the trio. After being freed, Snake tells both Zelda and Peach to stay in the room that they were being held captive in. Zelda transforms into Sheik, and both she and Peach make their way to the deck of the Halberd, against Snake's orders.

When Fox attacks the Halberd against and nearly hits Peach by accident, Sheik uses Vanish to appear on top of Fox's Arwing. She then breaks the cockpit and Fox ejects, and they both fall to the Halberd. Just as they begin to fight, Peach holds up a hand and yells, "Hold on!" Both Fox and Sheik look over, and find Peach has just offered them both tea. Fox, looking confused, looks to Sheik, to find she has already begun to drink. Fox accepts the tea and they do not fight again.

As Sheik, Zelda helps Peach, Fox, Lucario, Snake and Falco defeat Duon. She is on the Halberd when Meta Knight lands it and meets up with the two other groups. Sometime between the defeat of Duon and the entrance to Subspace, she returns to Zelda's appearance.

During the fight against Tabuu, Zelda (along with all the other characters) gets turned into a trophy. If she is revived, she, along with Link, revives Ganondorf and points out what happened. She then aids the heroes in defeating Tabuu at the end of the story.

Exclusive Stickers
The following stickers can only be used by Zelda or a few other characters including her:
 * Acro: [Magic] attack +15
 * Ashley: [Magic] attack +22
 * Boomerang: [Weapon] attack +4
 * Bow: [Magic] attack +8
 * Colin: [Specials: Direct] attack +4
 * Daphnes Nohansen Hyrule: [Electric] attack +31
 * Dark Samus: [Electric] attack +31
 * Darknut: [Slash] attack +13
 * Epona & Link: [Arm, Leg] attack +9
 * Fierce Deity Link: [Slash] attack +21
 * Girl [Animal Crossing]: [Magic] attack +21
 * Girl [Magical Vacation]: [Magic] attack +19
 * Happy Mask Salesman: [Leg] attack +9
 * Hylian Shield: [Slash] resistance +10
 * Kamek: [Magic] attack +11
 * Kyorusuke: [Magic] attack +8
 * Lantern: [Flame] resistance +7
 * Legend of Outset: [Arm] attack +26
 * Linebeck: [Throwing] attack +20
 * Link [Link to the Past]: [Electric] resistance +31
 * Link [Twilight Princess]: [Slash] resistance +27
 * Link [Wind Waker]: [Flame] attack +31
 * Link with Goron Mask: [Slash] attack +17
 * Link's Grandma: [Arm, Leg] attack +2
 * Lon Lon Milk: Launch power +18
 * Midna & Wolf Link: [Leg] attack +26
 * Moblin: [Slash] attack +15
 * Moon Fairy Seren: [Magic] attack +16
 * Myrrh: [Magic] attack +15
 * Naomi Hunter: [Leg] attack +5
 * Octorok: [Leg] attack +4
 * Peach & Daisy: [Leg] attack +27
 * Piece of Heart: Heart Container effect +50
 * Pinkle: [Magic] attack +15
 * Salvatore: [Electric] attack +9
 * Shahra: [Leg] attack +7
 * Sheik: [Body, Spin] attack +17
 * The Great Fairy: [Magic] attack +21
 * Tingle [Wind Waker]: [Flame] resistance +24
 * Toadette: [Magic] attack +7
 * Young Zelda [Minish Cap]: [Battering] resistance +16
 * Zelda [Link to the Past]: [Magic] attack +27
 * Zelda [Ocarina of Time]: [Flame] resistance +18

Trivia

 * If Zelda is shrunk or enlarged by someone else picking up a Lightning Bolt, and then, while small or big, transforms into Sheik, she will not naturally return to her normal size, for the entirety of the match, even if she transforms back into Zelda.
 * Each of her special attacks (except Transform) is named after a goddess in The Legend Of Zelda games.
 * In addition to the above, Zelda's special attacks (except Transform) are named after powers used by Link in The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time.
 * Though Zelda's recovery is longer than Sheik's, Sheik can actually get farther upwards because Sheik's jump and double jump, combined with Vanish give more vertical distance than Zelda's.
 * The amount of transformation lag can be shortened by pausing the game during the transformation; doing this, however, causes the replay of the match to lag at the point of where the player transformed.
 * Zelda's taunt in Melee appears as one of her victory poses in Brawl. This is similar to how Fox gained his taunt from SSB as a victory pose in Melee and Brawl.
 * Unlike in Melee, where completing Classic mode with either Zelda or Sheik one would get both Zelda and Sheik trophies, Brawl makes one play both characters separately at the end to retrieve their trophies.
 * During Zelda's Down Smash animation, there is a small rendering error where her arm twists the wrong way near the end of it. It only lasts for about one frame, however, and thus it cannot seen in a normal match; even in Training mode, where you can set the game's speed at 1/4 and zoom in, you can just barely see it.
 * Zelda's Neutral Aerial has zero SDI capacity and is actually impossible to escape if performed correctly.
 * If Zelda uses her Down Tilt to trip an opponent on a platform that can be dropped through, she can immediately turn around and drop through with a guaranteed sweet-spotted Back Aerial. This works on all characters and is not really difficult, however this opportunity will rarely arise in competitive play.