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The Legend of Zelda (universe)

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The Legend of Zelda (universe)
Zelda logo ssbu.png
ZeldaSymbol.svg
Developer(s)Nintendo
Capcom
Vanpool
Grezzo
Monolith Soft
Omega Force
Team Ninja
Tantalus Media
Brace Yourself Games
Publisher(s)Nintendo
Koei Tecmo
Spike Chunsoft
Designer(s)Shigeru Miyamoto
Takashi Tezuka
Eiji Aonuma
Genre(s)Action-Adventure
Console/platform of originNintendo Entertainment System (Famicom Disk System)
First installmentThe Legend of Zelda (1986)
Latest installmentThe Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom (2024)
Article on Zelda WikiThe Legend of Zelda (universe)

The Legend of Zelda universe (ゼルダの伝説,The Legend of Zelda) refers to theSuper Smash Bros. series' collection of characters, stages, and properties that hail fromNintendo's long-running and famousThe Legend of Zelda game series. It is a series of fantasy action-adventure titles produced by Nintendo throughout the company's history. It is widely considered one of the most influential video game franchises ever created, and has earned a spot as one of the company's flagship franchises alongside such notable series asMario andPokémon, withThe Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time being the best-reviewed game of all time by certain sources. The series has sold over 100 million units, making it the one of the best-selling video game franchises of all-time. As a result, it is heavily featured in theSuper Smash Bros. series, with five separate characters playable inSuper Smash Bros. Melee,Super Smash Bros. Brawl andSuper Smash Bros. 4, and 6 separate characters inSuper Smash Bros. Ultimate: The main heroLink, his younger counterpartYoung Link (Melee &Ultimate) andToon Link (Brawl onward) incarnations, the titularPrincess Zelda, her alternate ninja-like guiseSheik, and series villainGanondorf.

Contents

Franchise description[edit]

In 1986, the development team of game designer Shigeru Miyamoto worked concurrently on two equally ambitious projects for the recently released Famicom/NES:Super Mario Bros. andThe Legend of Zelda. The team made a conscious effort to conceptually separate the two titles; whileMario was a linear platformer, Miyamoto wantedZelda to feel like an open adventure that forced the player to think about what they should do next, and also to convey the idea of a game "world" that could be explored at one's leisure. Miyamoto drew his inspiration from his experiences around Kyoto in his early life, where he explored nearby fields, woods, and caves and realized the feeling that could be instilled by going on such an "adventure". Meanwhile, Miyamoto designed the player character,Link, as a coming of age motif for players to identify with; Link begins the game as an ordinary boy, but is strengthened by his quest until he triumphs over a great, evil force. Further revolutionary features of the title were a replay mode that, very unusually for the time, contained an entirely new set of more difficult levels - the "Second Quest" - and the first-ever instance of password-free progress-saving in any cartridge-based system or game, made possible by battery-powered RAM.

The Legend of Zelda, released in the Americas in August of 1987, was an all-time bestseller for Nintendo, and much likeSuper Mario Bros. before it, it often appears on the highest spots in game publications' listings of the greatest games on the NES. It is often considered a spiritual forerunner of the RPG genre, more specifically the action RPG genre, despite lacking key RPG mechanics such as experience points, and is largely responsible for a surge of RPGs that focus on real-time action combat as well as puzzles. It was the spawning point for one of Nintendo's longest-running and most popular video game franchises, which as of 2013 has released over fifteen "primary" installments and several spin-offs. The now well-known "Zelda-style" Action RPG formula is central to almost all of the main series, which in some ways is ironic because the firstZelda sequel ever released,Zelda II: The Adventure of Link, was the only game to feature a considerably different style of gameplay: a side-scrolling platformer with JPRG elements.

Link,Princess Zelda, andSheik in theirOcarina of Time designs, as depicted in theopening movie ofMelee.

At least three other releases in the main series were arguably revolutionary in their own right. The third game,The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past for Super Nintendo in early April 1992, advanced many of the conventions introduced by the original game's formula to resemble what a modern-day top-downZelda-style game traditionally features, with refined combat, item-usage, puzzle-filled dungeon aspects, and more detail to the archetypal story. It is widely considered today to be one of the greatest video games ever released, and the manyZelda games that make use of this top-down style are typically relegated to Nintendo handhelds. However, even more momentous was the late-1998 release ofThe Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time for the Nintendo 64, which seamlessly converted theZelda formula into a fully realized and detailed three-dimensional world presented in the third person, and introduced what has since become common elements in 3D action-adventure games: a target-lock system to orient the player-character towards specific enemies and circle strafe around them in combat situations in areas with a freely rotatable camera, and context-sensitive buttons. On its initial release, it received perfect review scores from the majority of video game publications that reviewed it, and it sold over seven million copies worldwide. LikeA Link to the Past for the top-down 2D perspective,Ocarina of Time introduced to the series the 3D-style of gameplay regularly used by console-basedZelda releases, which typically are the "biggest" releases in the series. Finally, after years of elaborating on the formulas set byA Link to the Past andOcarina,The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild was released in 2017 for the Wii U and Nintendo Switch.Breath of the Wild expandedZelda to a highly engrossing open-world style, giving the player freedom to explore the game's world at their own leisure and adding a high degree of realism to the gameplay mechanics, and received near-unanimous praise as one of the series' best entries and the first truly revolutionaryZelda game sinceOcarina of Time.

It is customary for at least one mainZelda title to be released over the lifespan of a given Nintendo console or handheld. Many of these adhere by default to a realistic, comparatively "adult" aesthetic, starting withOcarina of Time and including titles as recent asThe Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild; however, in early 2003, a radically different "younger" alternative look and style was introduced into the series with the release ofThe Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker for the GameCube. This introduces a heavily cartoon-stylized, cel-shaded design and graphical style both to Link and the rest of his world, and this exact "Toon Link" design and aesthetic is reused in several subsequent releases on Nintendo handhelds, all of which are separate from the games featuring the "adult" aesthetic. Given the nearly-Mario-scale importance and relevance theZelda franchise has had both to Nintendo and to the industry as a whole, it is unfailingly one of the first franchises confirmed for a starring role in each game of Nintendo'sSuper Smash Bros. series of crossover fighting games. Later games in theSmash Bros. series have featured content from both the realistic and the cartoonZelda styles.

Recurring elements of theZelda franchise include Link andHyrule Castle, shown here in the first trailer forSSB4.

Each of theZelda games, for the most part, are set in a fantasy land namedHyrule, which had been created by a trio of goddesses that subsequently left behind embodiments of their power in a three-triangle artifact called theTriforce, a great evil - most often a demonic being namedGanon, or alternatively a powerful humanoid sorcerer namedGanondorf, depending on the game - threatens the land, and the only hope is for a young boy or man garbed in green,Link, in cooperation with a princess namedZelda, to go on an adventurous quest across Hyrule to smite the evil, most often with a blessed blade in an altar named theMaster Sword. There is almost always some sort of variation to a given installment's narrative that ties both into the story and the gameplay; in some games there is a parallel world that Link must explore, while the world may be mostly covered in ocean in other games. Link himself may undertake his quest under a different set of circumstances each game, such as inThe Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess when he can transform into a wolf and receive assistance from an imp-like creature namedMidna, orThe Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap, where a talking hat he acquires allows him to shrink and grow back in size at will. Even Zelda's backstory, role, and relevance can vary between games, such as whether she is a classic damsel-in-distress or a capable ally of Link, but very rarely is any sort of romance between her and Link even implied.

Besides instances where some games are direct sequels and continuations to each other, there is usually no relevance in continuity between any of the seemingly independent portrayals of Hyrule. This, however, did not stop fans from speculating wildly on how all of the titles could be ordered in a chronological timeline that assumes Hyrule in all of these games is, in fact, the same world in different stages of its history, and that the reappearances of Link and related characters represent different individuals that are unwitting reincarnations of eras and Links from the past—due to contradictions between games that arise when trying to place them all in a linear timeline, estimates were made that the Zelda chronology branched off into separate directions. In 2011, during the 25th anniversary of the franchise, Nintendo posted an official timeline for the series that affirmed that there were, in fact, three separate branches with their own corresponding games. The current official ordering ofThe Legend of Zelda series is explained below:

  • "The Legend of the Goddesses & the Hero": The beginning timeline before its triple-branch. After the creation of the heavens and Hyrule, the earliest chronological game isThe Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword (2011), taking place on floating islands in the sky namedSkyloft, which the goddessHylia had lifted to safeguard the Hylian people from the monster hordes of the demon kingDemise infesting the lands below. The original incarnations of Link and Zelda, living on Skyloft along with the other Hylians during this time, are involved in a quest that explains and lays the groundwork for the patterns shown in the rest of the series. Following this, theSacred Realm wherein the Triforce resides is sealed, and Hyrule Kingdom is established. Then, in bothThe Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap (2005) andThe Legend of Zelda: Four Swords (originally released as part of a Game Boy Advance port ofA Link to the Past in December 2002), separate Links fight the wind mageVaati. Finally, inThe Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (1998), a child Link takes part in a pivotal moment of the timeline when an evil human sorcerer, the originalGanondorf, covets the Triforce beyond the Sacred Realm, and Link must regularly travel back and forth between periods separated seven years apart - with Link himself assuming the form of a teenager during his time in the later period - and receive help from the enigmaticSheik in order to defeat Ganondorf and the monstrous form Ganondorf eventually assumes, Ganon.
  • "The Twilight Realm & the Legacy of the Hero": The second timeline branch assumes Ganondorf was never able to enter the Sacred Realm inOcarina of Time, and therefore much of that game's quest never transpired and Link never left being a child; instead, Ganondorf faced execution. Beginning this "child era timeline" isThe Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask (2000), where the Hero of Time ends up in a surreal alternate world calledTermina, where aSkull Kid under the evil influence of the eponymous mask has set the moon on a collision course into the land. Link must use a time-resetting method to repeatedly relive the three-day time period before doomsday so that he has the time to set up the means to avert Termina's fate. A century later, inThe Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess (2006), a new Link is thrust from a life as a ranch-hand into a world-spanning quest against the forces of the king of an alternate twilight realm,Zant, and he is forced into the form of a wolf whenever he enters a twilight-covered area of Hyrule and must accept help from the Twilight native Midna to compensate. Finally, inThe Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Adventures (2004), another Link goes to battle against Vaati's last chronological appearance.
  • "The Hero of the Winds & A New World": The third timeline branch is the one that results from Link's victory and sealing of Ganondorf in the Sacred Realm, as seen in the ending ofOcarina of Time; it is referred to as the "adult" timeline. At a later date, Ganondorf is revived, and the gods flooded Hyrule to seal him back; this sets the stage forThe Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker (2003), where a childish Link sets sail on what is initially a quest to rescue his sister from a monstrous bird, but later on becomes a fight against a once-again-revived Ganondorf. A direct sequel to this game isThe Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass (2007), where a ghost ship steals away Link's allyTetra, and he must enlist the help of a reluctant steamboat captain, Linebeck, to rediscover her. Finally, a century later,The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks (2009) takes place on a newly discovered continent that has since been civilized with an extensive railroad network, and an incarnation of Link that is an aspiring railroad engineer is accompanied by Zelda's disembodied spirit on a quest to discover why the tracks are disappearing.

InThe Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild released in March 2017, Link awakens after a 100-year slumber and is tasked with exploring and saving Hyrule from the return of Ganon, now an amorphous abomination known as Calamity Ganon. Link is able to gather materials, conquer Shrines (serving as small-scale dungeons), and explore the vast open world of Hyrule with virtually no limits. This is primarily facilitated by Link’s ability to climb virtually any surface and paraglide through the skies. The game and its primary goals were originally announced in early 2013, with brief gameplay sequences shown periodically through its development cycle before being officially rerevealed at E3 2016. These primary goals of this installment, according to Eiji Aonuma, were to break from the conventions that the series had held onto sinceOcarina of Time and provide aZelda experience unlike any game in the series before. Serving as the swan song for the Wii U as well as a launch title for the Nintendo Switch, the game has been universally lauded for returning to the open-ended, non-linear structure of the originalThe Legend of Zelda, leaving gameplay aspects up to the player's sense of curiosity, discovery, and experimentation, and introducing elements of realism and interaction with the environment.Breath of the Wild's timeline placement is currently unknown, but has been officially stated to take place sometime afterOcarina of Time. The game went on to become the single best selling entry in the entire franchise, and one of the top ten best selling games on the Nintendo Switch. An Expansion Pass was released throughout 2017 in two DLC packs:The Master Trials in June andThe Champions' Ballad in December. A direct sequel,The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, released for the Nintendo Switch on May 12, 2023. Between the two games, aWarriors-style prequel detailing the events of the Great Calamity 100 years prior,Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity, was released for the Nintendo Switch on November 20th, 2020.

InSuper Smash Bros.[edit]

The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time was the most recentZelda game at the time of the release ofSuper Smash Bros., and certainly the most popular and notable at the time, so theZelda content in the game stemmed from the first 3D entry in the series. TheZelda universe contains one fighter, stage, and item.

Fighter[edit]

  • Link (SSB)
    Link (Starter): A teenage sword-and-shield fighter with elven ears, a green tunic, and a long floppy green cap. The Link fromOcarina of Time was formerly a young boy from a forest but was divinely chosen to oppress the future rule of Ganondorf by being transported seven years into the future, where he became a brave, capable warrior in his older form and wielded the Master Sword along with the Triforce Piece of Courage. Link is never heard speaking throughout the games; he is only heard grunting and yelling in his many battles. He fights inSmash 64 with his various tools fromOcarina of Time. Hisneutral special, theBoomerang, is a good projectile that comes back to Link after it is thrown. Hisup special is theSpin Attack fromA Link to the Past, a slow but powerful spinning maneuver. Hisdown special is him spawning aBomb from the Zelda series, which he can throw like an item. It explodes on contact with an opponent or after several seconds.

Stage[edit]

  • Hyrule Castle
    Hyrule Castle (Starter): A somewhat wide stage taking place on the top of the castle seen inOcarina of Time. The castle is where the royal family governs the land of Hyrule. Whirlwinds pop up here from time to time, though it seems to be more in reference to the transportation whirlwind seen in the firstThe Legend of Zelda than anything inOcarina of Time. In the top middle are three semi-solid platforms, and in the right is a dark green tent-like structure. Characters may stand on top of it and inside it, but cannot jump through it.

Item[edit]

Main article:Item
  • Heart Container: In the originalThe Legend of Zelda and any otherZelda game, when Link defeats a boss, he wins a Heart Container, which increases his total life meter by one heart. InSmash 64, the Heart Container will always spawn in the air, and slowly float to the ground. Any character who picks it up will have their percentage reduced all the way to 0%, making this a powerful item.

Music[edit]

  • 7: Hyrule Castle Stage: A remix of the classicZelda theme heard since the originalThe Legend of Zelda. It is heard on the stageHyrule Castle.
  • 17: Link Wins: The victory theme of Link is an orchestration borrowing elements from the traditional "adventuring music" heard inZelda games.

InSuper Smash Bros. Melee[edit]

Despite the fact thatMajora's Mask was released beforeMelee, most of theZelda content in this game is once again based onOcarina of Time. TheLegend of Zelda franchise gained a massive amount of new content, including four brand new characters. This makes theZelda franchise tied with theMario franchise for having the most amount of playable characters, being five.

Fighters[edit]

  • Link (SSBM)
    Link (Starter): Link returns as a starter character, once again being based on hisOcarina of Time incarnation. While his moveset stays relatively the same, his grab, theHookshot, can now grab onto ledges to help his previously poor recovery. He also gained a new forward smash and dash attack, and his previous neutral special, the Boomerang, is now hisside special. His new neutral special is theHero's Bow, where Link takes out his bow and shoots an arrow in front of him. With a better recovery, Link was slightly buffed fromSmash 64.
  • Zelda/Sheik
    Zelda/Sheik (Starter): Zelda/Sheik refers to both Zelda and Sheik as one character slot, and it also refers to players who alternate between the two characters. Zelda is unique in that she is the only character inMelee who can transform into another character in the midst of battle, the nimble Sheik. This is done via the down specialTransform, which is shared between Zelda and Sheik. They can both transform into one another at any point in the match. While they are technically the same person, they both have completely unique movesets.
  • Sheik (SSBM)
    Sheik: Sheik is the alter-ego of Zelda inOcarina of Time. InMelee, Sheik is a new starter character, whose appearance is based on her look fromOcarina of Time. Her neutral specialNeedle Storm causes Sheik to store up a bunch of needles. When pressing the B button again, she releases all her needles in front of her. Her side special isChain, where Sheik pulls out a long metal chain and whips it around. Her up special isVanish, where Sheik vanishes into the air, then reappears further in one direction, which can be controlled with the control stick. While not appearing in the character select screen, she can be accessed by holding the A button at the beginning of a match when playing as Zelda.
  • Zelda (SSBM)
    Zelda: Zelda is the princess of Hyrule, and the bearer of the Triforce of Wisdom who first appeared in the firstLegend of Zelda. InMelee, Zelda is a new starter character, whose appearance is based on her look fromOcarina of Time. She mainly uses magic and fire attacks. Zelda's neutral special isNayru's Love, a move where Zelda encloses herself into a blue crystal that reflects projectiles. Her side special isDin's Fire, where Zelda launches a controllable fireball that charges as it travels until it explodes. Her up special isFarore's Wind, where a yellow ribbon of magic spins around Zelda, causing her to disappear. After that, she will reappear in any direction held on the control stick. These specials are all magic attacks that Link could learn from the Great Fairies inOcarina of Time.
  • Young Link (SSBM)
    Young Link (Unlockable): Young Link is simply Link as a child. While the Link in the firstLegend of Zelda was a child, the first clear appearance of a prepubescent Link was in the beginning portion ofOcarina of Time in which the "Hero of Time" begins his quest as a young boy. The same young Link would star in the gameMajora's Mask. InMelee, Young Link appears as a new unlockable character. Young Link is a slightly weaker and fasterclone of Link, sharing the same base moveset. His neutral special is theFire Bow, which is like Link's Bow, except it is faster, has shorter range, and has the fire property. His side special is also theBoomerang, but with a shorter range, and higher damage output. His up special is theSpin Attack, which attacks multiple times on the ground. His down special is also aBomb, but it deals multiple hits upon exploding. Unlike Link, Young Link also has the ability to wall jump.
  • Ganondorf (SSBM)
    Ganondorf (Unlockable): Ganondorf is the main antagonist of theLegend of Zelda franchise. First appearing in the originalLegend of Zelda in his pig form, Ganondorf would make his debut in his human incarnation inOcarina of Time. InMelee, Ganondorf is a new unlockable character. He is a clone ofCaptain Falcon, sharing many animations and all special attacks, but Ganondorf has a significantly heavier, slower, and stronger nature. His neutral special is theWarlock Punch, a much slower and stronger version of theFalcon Punch. His side special is theGerudo Dragon, a move like theRaptor Boost, except it does not meteor smash in the air. His down special is theWizard's Foot, a clone move of theFalcon Kick. All three of these moves use "dark" effects instead of fire effects. His up special is theDark Dive. The move itself is essentially a clone move of Falcon Dive, except that there are electric effects.

Stages[edit]

  • Great Bay
    Termina:Great Bay (Starter): This stage is based onMajora's Mask, a game where Young Link travels to another country away from Hyrule called Termina. The stage takes place in the west coast of Termina where the third of the four dungeons in the game lies. The stage consists of three main solid platforms over water. On the right side of the stage is a turtle, acting as a fourth platform that sinks after 30 seconds, only to reappear after some time.Tingle can be seen floating in the air via a red balloon that can be stood on until it pops.
  • Temple
    Hyrule:Temple (Starter): This iconic stage does not necessarily represent a specific location from anyZelda game, but is rather an amalgamation of many designs from throughout theZelda series up to this point, though it does bear a resemblance to the palaces inZelda II: The Adventure of Link. The stage consists of three main sections; the left section that has a large platform above, the larger right section with three small platforms in the sky, and the underground section next to a tiny platform. This is by far the largest stage inMelee.

Adventure Mode stage[edit]

  • Underground Maze
    Underground Maze: Based on the dungeons inThe Legend of Zelda series, Underground Maze appears as the first part of Stage 3 in Adventure Mode. The player is tasked with finding the Triforce in one of the six chambers. The other five chambers contain the Master Sword and lock the player in a duel with Link. Which chamber the Triforce is in is randomly selected on each playthrough.ReDeads,Octoroks, andLike Likes appear as enemies to impede the player's progress. After finishing the stage, the player then fights Zelda on Temple.

Enemies[edit]

  • ReDeads: These hollow zombies are forged from dark magic, and they would bite onto you and do damage before letting go. InThe Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, they also demonstrated the ability to paralyze Link to where he was standing with their gazes. They appear in the Adventure Mode stage Underground Maze.
  • Octoroks: Octopus-like creatures that can shoot nuts from their cannon-like mouths at Link starting with their first appearance in the originalLegend of Zelda. InMelee, they do the exact same thing. They are modeled off their appearances fromOcarina of Time. They appear in the Adventure Mode stage Underground Maze.
  • Like-Likes: Giant leech-like creatures that would swallow up Link and digest his shield before spitting him back out in manyZelda games. They incapacitate a character temporarily inMelee and damage him before spitting him back out. These are modeled off theirOcarina of Time appearances. They appear in the Adventure Mode stage Underground Maze.

Items[edit]

Main article:Item

Bold italics denotes an item new to theSmash Bros. series.

  • Heart Container: Returns fromSmash 64 somewhat powered down. While it still heals players, it now restores only up to 100% damage in normal play rather than all % points to the character that picks it up. InAll-Star Mode, however, it heals fully provided the character remains within theRest Area until their damage reaches 0%.
  • Bunny Hood: An item that first appeared inOcarina of Time as a sellable item, but then appeared inMajora's Mask as an equippable item that allows Young Link to run very fast. InMelee, when it is equipped by the character, it drastically increases that character's walking speed, running speed, jumping height, and falling speed for about 20 seconds.

Music[edit]

  • Great Bay: An orchestration of the "official"The Legend of Zelda theme, heard throughout theZelda series and introduced in the originalThe Legend of Zelda for NES. It is heard on the stageGreat Bay. This song is used as one of Link, Zelda, and Sheik's credits theme, as well as Ganondorf's only credits theme. It is Song 5 in theSound Test.
  • Temple: An orchestration of the dungeon music heard inZelda II: The Adventure of Link for NES. It is heard as the primary track of Temple, and also in the Underground Maze area of the Adventure mode. This song is also used as one of Link's credits theme. It is Song 6 in the Sound Test.
  • Saria's Theme: A simple flute-based remix of "Saria's Song" fromThe Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time for N64. It is heard as a secondary track in Great Bay and often accompaniesYoung Link in his single-player appearances. This is also used as one of Zelda and Sheik's credits theme, as well as Young Link's only credits theme. It is Song 31 in the Sound Test.
  • Zelda Team Victory: The victory theme of allThe Legend of Zelda characters is an orchestration borrowing elements from the traditional "adventuring music" heard inZelda games. It is Song 40 in the Sound Test.

Trophies[edit]

InSuper Smash Bros. Brawl[edit]

As one of the original 10 franchises to be featured in theSmash Bros. series, representation fromThe Legend of Zelda came as expected to be featured inSuper Smash Bros. Brawl.Young Link has been cut; however, newcomerToon Link is featured and the fourZelda series veterans now have updated designs to match their incarnations in the most recent console installment,The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess.

Fighters[edit]

On the final character select screen (after all characters are unlocked), theZelda characters take up the third column.

  • Link (SSBB)
    Link (Starter): Link returns inBrawl, but is depicted here as hisTwilight Princess incarnation rather than his adultOcarina of Time incarnation. Some of his moves have also been slightly modified to reflect theTwilight Princess versions of his items. Link now has theGale Boomerang as hisside special, which will slightly drag the opponent towards Link upon its return. Link's Bow is now theHero's Bow, though it is identical in function, and Link can now charge hisSpin Attack, but only while grounded. Link's extended grab has also been changed to theClawshot, which not only appears to be longer than the Hookshot, but also automatically aims towards the nearest ledge when Link is recovering. His Final Smash is theTriforce Slash, which does heavy, prolonged, and concentrated damage towards one opponent.
  • Zelda/Sheik
    Zelda/Sheik (Starter): Zelda and Sheik return as a character slot inBrawl, mostly unchanged fromMelee. Even though Sheik and Zelda are rated lower in the tier list and they are used less often, somesmashers use Zelda and Sheik together. Also, they have their own character slot in thetier list and they are one spot aboveSheik.Zelda has to be used approximately as much asSheik for it to be referred asZelda/Sheik and simply usingZelda for herrecovery does not count.
  • Sheik (SSBB)
    Sheik: Sheik returns as a playable character once again, and retains her ability to transform into Zelda during battle and can be selected between the two on the character select screen. She did not appear inThe Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess, but her appearance has been based on a "beta Sheik" that was meant to appear inTwilight Princess, but whose design was never seen by anyone but Eiji Aonuma and his development team. She still has her own moveset, but shares herFinal Smash with Zelda.
  • Zelda (SSBB)
    Zelda: Zelda also returns from the last game, now based on herTwilight Princess incarnation, with Sakurai claiming that she now has a "more subdued color scheme". She is a slow, yet light character, but when her attacks hit right, they can be powerful. She retains her ability to transform into Sheik during battle and can be selected between the two on the character select screen. Zelda'sFinal Smash is the heavenlyLight Arrow.
  • Ganondorf (SSBB)
    Ganondorf (Unlockable): Ganondorf returns inBrawl as well in hisTwilight Princess appearance. This time, Ganondorf is quite different from hisMelee incarnation, having very different animations for his moves when compared toCaptain Falcon, who he was considered a clone of inMelee. He is still one of the archetypal heavyweights inBrawl. Ganondorf'sFinal Smash is theBeast Ganon transformation.
  • Toon Link (SSBB)
    Toon Link (Unlockable): Link's childlike incarnation as seen inThe Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker and other titles is introduced inBrawl as the spiritual successor toYoung Link. While not a heavy clone of Link, Toon Link has the same basic special moves and Final Smash, but all with important visual and functional differences.

Stages[edit]

  • Temple
    Super Smash Bros. MeleeMelee Stages:Temple (Starter): One of the few stages to return from the previous game, this stage only received minor changes, such as a few areas that differ [especially the removal of the edge near the bottom right of the fight club] and the addition ofMy Music. It is the onlyMelee stage to receive a new song: a remix of the Great Palace theme fromZelda II.
  • Bridge of Eldin
    Bridge of Eldin (Starter): The majority of this stage is based offThe Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess. With an immensely wide flat bridge location where an enemy character from the game,King Bulblin riding uponLord Bullbo, will ride through and damage combatants, and drop bombs that will destroy sections of the bridge. Shortly afterward, a portal to theTwilight Realm will open in the sky and magically fill in the gap with a new piece.
  • Pirate Ship
    Pirate Ship (Unlockable): Based off the enormous ocean Link must cross inThe Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker, characters fight onTetra's pirate ship, passing by cannons that fire cannonballs, getting swept up in a twister, and getting flung clean up into the sky and plunging back down into the ocean. Sometimes the ship will crash into a giant rock and won't be able to move anymore.

Items[edit]

Main article:Item

Bold italics denotes an item new to theSmash Bros. series.

  • Heart Container: Returning fromSmash 64 andMelee, the Heart Container continues to heal damage up to 100% in normal play, and all damage inAll-Star Mode andBoss Battles mode (in the latter cases, the player no longer needs to wait until fully healed before moving onward).
  • Bunny Hood: Returning fromMelee unchanged, the Bunny Hood is also available as a mode inSpecial Brawl.
  • Deku Nut: A new item introduced inBrawl, taken fromThe Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time — when the Deku Nut is thrown at an opponent, it causes large knockback on contact. If it goes off near an enemy, they will bestunned temporarily.

Assist Trophy[edit]

  • Tingle: Being the onlyAssist Trophy to representThe Legend of Zelda universe, Tingle chants his famous line "Tingle! Tingle! Kooloo-limpah!" and performs a random event on the stage, like summoning a bouquet of flowers or hordes ofhammers.

Music[edit]

Original Tracks[edit]

Returning Track[edit]

  • Super Smash Bros. MeleeTemple (Melee): Taken directly fromMelee, it is the theme for the Temple stage.

Source Tracks[edit]

  • Main Theme (Twilight Princess): Taken directly fromThe Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess Official Soundtrack, this is the theme for Hyrule Field, as depicted in said game. It is the theme for the Bridge of Eldin stage.
  • The Hidden Village: Taken directly fromThe Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess, this is the theme that was played during the monster shoot during Link's first visit to theHidden Village. It is used on the Bridge of Eldin stage.
  • Midna's Lament: Taken directly fromThe Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess, this is the theme that played from the end of theLakebed Temple until Link met Princess Zelda after Midna is attacked by Zant. It is used on the Bridge of Eldin stage.
  • Dragon Roost Island: The theme forDragon Roost Island fromThe Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker, which this theme is taken directly from. It is the theme for the Pirate Ship stage.
  • The Great Sea: The theme while sailing on theGreat Sea inThe Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker. It is used on the Pirate Ship stage.
  • Gerudo Valley: Taken directly fromThe Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, this was the music for the entirety of Gerudo Valley in said game. It is used on the Pirate Ship stage. This song is also played during Ganondorf's Classic Mode credits.
  • Molgera Battle: Taken directly fromThe Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker, this was the music that played during the battle againstMolgera, the boss of theWind Temple. It is used on the Pirate Ship stage.
  • Village of the Blue Maiden: The theme for the restoredVillage of the Blue Maiden fromThe Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Adventures, which is itself a remix of theKakariko Village theme fromThe Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past. It is used on the Pirate Ship stage. This song is also used during Toon Link's Classic Mode credits.
  • Termina Field: Taken directly fromThe Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask, this was the theme for the main overworld area. It is used on the Pirate Ship stage.

Victory Theme[edit]

  • Victory! The Legend of Zelda Series: TheZelda series victory theme has been altered from the one in the original andMelee to the originalThe Legend of Zelda's "Triforce Shard Obtained" theme.

Trophies[edit]

Stickers[edit]

Masterpieces[edit]

InSuper Smash Bros. 4[edit]

With almost no content fromBrawl removed and the addition of several new Assist Trophies, items, and stages,The Legend of Zelda is well represented inSuper Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS andSuper Smash Bros. for Wii U. Though there are noZeldanewcomers, all veterans fromBrawl return.SSB4 features content fromZelda titles released afterBrawl, includingSkyward Sword andA Link Between Worlds, but the majority of the playable characters are still based on their appearances inTwilight Princess.

Fighters[edit]

  • Link (SSB4)
    Link (Starter): Link makes an expected appearance inSuper Smash Bros. 4, and again as theTwilight Princess incarnation. He has received many notable buffs fromBrawl, now being virtually as viable as he was inMelee. Some of his costume options include his tunic fromThe Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword and his "Fierce Deity" design fromMajora's Mask.
  • Sheik (SSB4)
    Sheik (Starter): Sheik returns as a stand-alone character, separated from Zelda and sporting an updated visual design fromBrawl. Like Zelda, she has a new down special move to replace Transform; in her case, it is theBouncing Fish. Sheik also sports a new side special in the form of theBurst Grenade. She has been notably buffed after her drastic nerf inBrawl, now arguably as viable as she was inMelee.
  • Zelda (SSB4)
    Zelda (Starter): Zelda returns in this installment as theTwilight Princess version. One big change is that she can no longer transform into Sheik but can insteadsummon a Phantom to aid her in battle.
  • Ganondorf (SSB4)
    Ganondorf (3DS:Unlockable; Wii U:Starter): Ganondorf was unofficially revealed as a veteran fighter and, as inBrawl, retains hisTwilight Princess form. His moveset is largely the same as inBrawl. However, he has been drastically buffed in terms of power and speed (and even further via patch updates) and has been given a variety ofcustom moves that vary drastically from Captain Falcon's, one of which allows him to attack with his sword for the first time in the series.
  • Toon Link (SSB4)
    Toon Link (Starter): Toon Link returns inSuper Smash Bros. 4 as well, continuing the dual representation of variations of Link that has been present in the series sinceMelee. He was revealed on the official website in conjunction with the Japanese release ofThe Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker HD, and as such has many visual and animation upgrades that resemble that title.

Stages[edit]

for Nintendo 3DS[edit]

  • Gerudo Valley
    Gerudo Valley (Starter): a spacious arena staged in thetitular desert valley fromOcarina of Time, above a chasm leading toZora's River. It aesthetically derives fromOcarina of Time 3D. The central bridge can be destroyed, revealing beds of spikes at the base of the chasm. The sorceress sistersKoume andKotake occasionally appear to wreak havoc on the stage. Koume casts a spell that sets the left side of the stage ablaze, while Kotake unleashes icy spikes on the right side. It is one of the possible stages to appear in Level 2 ofAll-Star Mode as ahome stage for Link and Zelda. ItsΩ form is columnar. Gerudo Valley was one the first stages revealed for the 3DS version, appearing in the 1st Trailer at E3 2013, alongside Spirit Train. It is the first stage based on a location fromOcarina of Time since Hyrule Castle.
  • Spirit Train
    Spirit Train (Starter): staged on adivine locomotive fromSpirit Tracks piloted byEngineer Link. The Spirit Train's cars serve as steady ground in an otherwise fast-moving environment, similar toBig Blue. When Link or Toon Link participate in a match on the Spirit Train, the royal conductorAlfonzo stands in for Engineer Link. It is one of the possible stages to appear in Level 5 ofAll-Star Mode as ahome stage for Sheik and Ganondorf. ItsΩ form is a spacious floating platform likeFinal Destination. It was one the first stages revealed for the 3DS version, appearing in the 1st Trailer at E3 2013 alongside Gerudo Valley. This is one of the few 3DS stages to represent a handheld-exclusive title.

for Wii U[edit]

  • Temple
    Super Smash Bros. MeleeTemple (Starter): a massive arena staged on a floatingpalace fromZelda II: The Adventure of Link. Temple has received a significant graphical overhaul in its transition fromBrawl, and the positioning of its platforms have been adjusted to make theFight Club area less narrow. This stage is large enough to accommodate8-Player Smash and was one of the first stages revealed to support it. ItsΩ form is staged on aFinal Destination-like platform, with the original main Temple platforms floating in the background.
  • Bridge of Eldin
    Super Smash Bros. BrawlBridge of Eldin (Starter): a spacious arena staged on thetitular masonic bridge fromTwilight Princess, high above a canyon at the foot of Hyrule Castle.King Bulbin often rides across the bridge on the back of his steadLord Bulbo, causing damage to any fighters they make contact with. They are occasionally accompanied by aBulbin, who trails behind on foot. King Bulbin occasionally drops a bomb that severs the Bridge of Eldin into two platforms with a bottomless pit between them. The bridge is eventually restored by aTwilight Portal. This stage is large enough to accommodate8-Player Smash, though King Bulbin does not appear. It is one of the possible stages to appear in Level 3 ofAll-Star Mode as ahome stage for Sheik and Ganondorf. ItsΩ form is columnar.
  • Pirate Ship
    Super Smash Bros. BrawlPirate Ship (DLC): staged aboardTetra's vessel fromThe Wind Waker as it traverses theGreat Sea. As it sails, the Pirate Ship occasionally runs and gets temporarily stuck on an island of rocks or gets pulled high into the sky by a typhoon, temporarily changing the platform layout andgravity, respectively. A catapult occasionally rises from the hold to the main deck and, when deployed, will launch any fighter who happens to be near it.The King of Red Lions occasionally appears as an additional platform trailing behind the ship. The Pirate Ship is often bombarded as it passes enemyLookout Platforms. Only itsΩ form can accommodate8-Player Smash, which is staged on the Lookout Platform. The actual ship sails in the background. The Pirate Ship one of the possible stages to appear in Level 2 ofAll-Star Mode as ahome stage for Toon Link. It was released as downloadable content on September 30th, 2015 for the Wii U version. It is the only DLC stage available exclusively for one version ofSSB4. It is also the only stage to have no unique music tracks, instead sharing them with the otherZelda stages.
  • Skyloft
    Skyloft (Starter): staged on floating platforms that travels to various locations on thetitular floating isle fromSkyward Sword. Similar toDelfino Plaza, the primary platform brings the fight to various areas about Skyloft, such as theBazaar, theKnight Academy, theStatue of the Goddess, and theLight Tower. While all visited locales have widely varied platform arrangements, the main floating platform cycles through basicBattlefield-like layouts.Loftwings can be seen soaring in the background, as well asBeedle's Air Shop. It is one of the possible stages to appear in Level 6 ofAll-Star Mode as ahome stage for Link and Zelda. ItsΩ form is a spacious floating platform likeFinal Destination. It was one the first stages revealed for the Wii U version, appearing in the 1st Trailer at E3 2013.

Items[edit]

Main article:Items

Bold italics denotes an item or Assist Trophy new to theSmash Bros. series.
Five newZelda items were introduced. All threeZelda items fromBrawl return.

  • Heart Container (healing): a heart-shaped vessel from the originalLegend of Zelda. It is a returning item that heals 100% damage from the player. It is based on its appearance inSkyward Sword.
  • Bunny Hood (status): headgear with rabbit ears fromMajora's Mask. It is a returning item that increases the wearer's agility. One of the settings inSpecial Smash equips every fighter with the Bunny Hood.
  • Deku Nut (throwing): a unique nut fromOcarina of Time that paralyzes opponents. It is a throwing item returning fromBrawl. Struck opponents are temporarilystunned on contact.
  • Fairy Bottle (healing/throwing): a new healing item fromA Link to the Past. When used, it heals 100% of the user's damage. If the player is at ≤99% damage, the item can be picked up and thrown at opponents or teammates.
  • Cucco (throwing): a new throwing item fromA Link to the Past. When it makes contact with an opponent or is attacked, it will summon a huge flock to attack the offender. Unlike theirSmash Run counterpart, these Cuccos are based on their appearance inTwilight Princess.
  • Bombchu (throwing): a new item fromOcarina of Time. It is a murine bomb that scurries around the stage after being tossed. It will crawl up walls, floors, and ceilings until it makes contact with an opponent and explodes.
  • Beetle (throwing): a new item fromSkyward Sword. It is a mechanical scarab that will grab onto opponents and lift them skyward, past theblast zone of the stage. If the player is at low damage and/ormashes enough buttons, they can break away from the Beetle.
  • Gust Bellows (shooting): a new item fromSkyward Sword. It is a bag of winds that blowspowerful gusts when fired. If discarded, the wind will be blown in all directions.

Assist Trophies[edit]

  • Tingle: a fairy-like man fromMajora's Mask who summons various random effects that will influence the fight, similar toRiki, including the spawning ofHammers, imposingcurry effects on all fighters, making everyonetrip, or spawningflowers on everyone's head. As inBrawl, he is based on his appearance inThe Wind Waker.
  • Skull Kid: a forest-dwelling being under the control of Majora's Mask. When summoned, it distorts the battle by flipping the camera upside down, reversing directional inputs for all players, or turns everyone invisible. It does not explicitly aid the summoner. It was the first Assist Trophy shown off for the game.
  • Midna: Link’s impish companion fromTwilight Princess. She teleports to nearby opponents,grabs them, and tosses them with her hair. She reappears in the center of the stage should she fall off. She will not grab the summoner.
  • Ghirahim: a major antagonist fromSkyward Sword. He teleports towards opponents and attacks them with his sword and knives. He will respawn on the stage if he falls off. He does not attack the summoner.

Smash Tour items[edit]

  • Bunny Hood (Red): headgear with rabbit ears fromMajora's Mask. The user starts battle with the Bunny Hood equipped.
  • Tingle (Blue): a fairy-like man fromMajora's Mask. The user shuffles the fighters of all players.
  • Majora's Mask (Red): an evil, possessive mask. The user inflicts 50% damage to the user, but doubles their stats.
  • Tetra (Blue): a pirate captain fromThe Wind Waker. The user places a trap that can steal fighters.

Enemies[edit]

Main article:Enemies

All enemies are exclusive toSuper Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and appear inSmash Run.

  • Octorok: an octopus-like creature from the originalLegend of Zelda that shoots rocks from its siphon. It is based on its appearance inSkyward Sword. It previously appeared inMelee'sUnderground Maze.
  • Peahat: a large, hovering plant-like creature fromThe Legend of Zelda. It damages fighters with spinning, serrated leaves and will spawn smaller Peahats from its carpel. It is based on its appearance inOcarina of Time 3D.
  • Stalfos: a skeletal warrior fromThe Legend of Zelda. It swings a rusted sword to attack and protects itself with a shield. A similar being appears in the Wii U version insideMaster Fortress. Stalfos is based on its appearance inOcarina of Time 3D.
  • Bubble: a disembodied, floating skull with bat-like wings fromThe Legend of Zelda. It is based on its appearance inOcarina of Time 3D. Two types of Bubble appear in Smash Run:
    • Red Bubble: a Bubble engulfed in fire that burns on contact. It is weak to ice, electric, and water-based attacks.
    • Blue Bubble: a Bubble engulfed in a blue flame that freezes on contact. It is weak to fire-based attacks.
  • Darknut: an armored sword-wielder fromThe Legend of Zelda. Similar to Stalfos, a Darknut relies on spacing in combat with opponents. It guards itself with a shield and utilizes a massive sword, but it is stronger and more powerful than Stalfos. The armor makes it resistant to most attacks, but it sheds its armor after accumulating a certain amount of damage. It is based on its appearance inTwilight Princess.
  • Cucco: a chicken fromA Link to the Past. It is normally peaceful, but if it is sufficiently damaged, a large flock will attack the offender. Cuccos cannot be defeated and consequently cannot drop items. Unlike their item counterpart, the Cuccos in Smash Run are based on their in-game sprites fromA Link to the Past.
  • ReDead: a clay monster fromOcarina of Time modeled after theundead. It moves around slowly without attacking, but it releases a strong scream thatstuns opponents that get too close. It attacks its stunned victims with a powerful swipe. It is based on its appearance inOcarina of Time 3D. It previously appeared inMelee'sUnderground Maze.

Mii Costumes[edit]

Mii Swordfighters wearing Link's Outfit and the Link Cap. The rightmost Mii is available for download via QR code.

Outfit[edit]

  • Mii Swordfighter (SSB4)Link's Outfit (DLC): this outfit is based on Link. It was released with a corresponding hat asdownloadable content on April 15th, 2015. TheMii wears a green tunic and wields theMaster Sword. The tunic resembles the iteration of Link fromSkyward Sword. An official Mii based on Link's likeness can be downloaded via QR code on the official site.

Headgear[edit]

Music[edit]

Original Tracks[edit]

Arrangements and remixes introduced inSSB4.

Returning Tracks[edit]

Arrangements and remixes from previousSmash Bros. titles.

  • Super Smash Bros.Hyrule Castle Stage (DLC): a remix of "Overworld Theme" fromThe Legend of Zelda. It plays on Hyrule Castle (64).
  • Super Smash Bros. MeleeMain Theme (The Legend of Zelda): an arrangement of "Overworld Theme" fromThe Legend of Zelda. It plays on Temple.
  • Super Smash Bros. MeleeTemple Theme: a remix of "Palace Theme" fromZelda II: The Adventure of Link. It plays on Smash Run and Temple. It is featured on Disc 2 ofA Smashing Soundtrack.
  • Super Smash Bros. BrawlMain Theme Ver. 2 (The Legend of Zelda): an arrangement of "Title" and "Underworld" fromThe Legend of Zelda. It plays on Bridge of Eldin.
  • Super Smash Bros. BrawlTitle (The Legend of Zelda): an arrangement of "Overworld Theme" fromThe Legend of Zelda. It plays on Bridge of Eldin.
  • Super Smash Bros. BrawlGreat Temple / Temple: an arrangement of "Great Palace Theme" and "Palace Theme" fromThe Adventure of Link. It plays on Temple.
  • Super Smash Bros. BrawlTal Tal Heights: a techno medley containing "Koholint Island" and "Tal Tal Mountain Range" fromLink's Awakening. It plays on Skyloft and Pirate Ship.
  • Super Smash Bros. BrawlThe Dark World: an arrangement of "Dark World" fromA Link to the Past. It plays on Temple.
  • Super Smash Bros. BrawlHidden Mountain & Forest: an arrangement of "Dark Mountain and Forest" fromA Link to the Past. It plays on Bridge of Eldin.
  • Super Smash Bros. BrawlOcarina of Time Medley: a medley of pieces fromOcarina of Time, including "Zelda's Lullaby", "Sun's Song", "Minuet of Forest", "Bolero of Fire", "Song of Storms", "Epona's Song", the "Song of Time", and "Saria's Song". It plays on Gerudo Valley, Bridge of Eldin, and Pirate Ship. It is featured on Disc 2 ofA Smashing Soundtrack.
  • Super Smash Bros. BrawlHyrule Field Theme: an arrangement of "Hyrule Field Main Theme" fromOcarina of Time. It plays on Bridge of Eldin.
  • Super Smash Bros. BrawlSong of Storms: a medley containing "Windmill Hut", "Ganondorf's Theme", and "Serenade of Water" fromOcarina of Time. It plays on Temple and Pirate Ship.

Source Tracks[edit]

Compositions and arrangements directly sourced fromThe Legend of Zelda series with no alterations.

Victory Theme[edit]

Trophies[edit]

Masterpieces[edit]

InSuper Smash Bros. Ultimate[edit]

Of the "perfect-attendance" franchises, theZelda series has undergone the most substantial reworks of all inSuper Smash Bros. Ultimate.Ultimate marks the first time sinceBrawl that the designs and voices for each fighter (except Young Link and Toon Link) are completely overhauled. However,Ultimate also marks the first time that the design overhaul is no longer uniformed, with the designs for Link, Zelda, and Ganondorf completely drawn from different games throughout theZelda series; previously, all three had been based on theirOcarina of Time designs inMelee and theirTwilight Princess designs inBrawl andSmash 4. In fact,Ultimate features no character designs fromTwilight Princess for the first time since the release ofMelee seventeen years prior, as while Sheik has maintained her design, she was never inTwilight Princess to begin with and now wears the Sheikah Set clothes fromBreath of the Wild. Due to these changes, Toon Link gains the distinction of being the onlyZelda character to feature a consistent design for three separateSmash Bros. installments, being based on hisThe Wind Waker design in all three of his playable appearances. Additionally, all past stages have been curated and updated forUltimate, in addition to a new stage being added that is based onBreath of the Wild. With these changes, theZelda franchise is better referenced as a whole.

Fighters[edit]

  • 03.
    Link (SSBU)
    Link (Starter): The reincarnating bearer of the Triforce of Courage returns as a starting fighter, but this time with a significant design overhaul. Like his transition fromMelee toBrawl, his design, moveset, and voice clips have been updated to reflect his appearance inThe Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. Some key changes include a lack of a Hookshot or Clawshot, arrows becoming equippable items and being able to fire two at once, launching sword beams with his forward smash if no damage has been taken, access to theRemote Bomb rune (replacing his timed bombs from past appearances), and a new Final Smash involving theAncient Bow and Arrows. His green Tunic of the Wild armor set can be selected as an alternate costume. He was suggested to appear duringUltimate's then unnamedteaser trailer at the end of the March 8th, 2018Nintendo Direct, and was later formally announced along with all otherveterans duringE3 2018.
  • 16.
    Sheik (SSBU)
    Sheik (Unlockable): The ninja-like alter-ego returns as an unlockable fighter after being a starter inMelee,Brawl, andSmash 4, with a new design based on the Stealth Armor Set fromBreath of the Wild. Her moveset otherwise remains largely unchanged fromSSB4. Two key changes are that she has received new voice clips for the first time sinceBrawl and she has a new Final Smash,Sheikah Dance, which is a rushing flurry of knife attacks.
  • 17.
    Zelda (SSBU)
    Zelda (Unlockable): The bearer of the Triforce of Wisdom returns as an unlockable fighter after being a starter inMelee,Brawl, andSmash 4, this time with her design overhauled to combine her appearances fromA Link to the Past andA Link Between Worlds. Some notable changes include new voice clips for the first time sinceBrawl, a new rapid jab, reworks to herPhantom Slash, and a new Final Smash utilizing theTriforce of Wisdom.
  • 22.
    Young Link (SSBU)
    Young Link (Unlockable): After a two installment absence, the child incarnation of the Hero of Time returns fromMelee as an unlockable fighter, retaining his design fromOcarina of Time andMajora’s Mask. Despite keeping his status as a full clone, Young Link is not labeled as anEcho Fighter, possibly due to retaining the moveset of the more traditional adult Link fromMelee rather than the current one. Some notable changes include being able to charge hisSpin Attack on the ground like the other Links, having two more taunts, new alternate costumes, and a Final Smash, that being Triforce Slash.
  • 23.
    Ganondorf (SSBU)
    Ganondorf (Unlockable): The bearer of the Triforce of Power returns as an unlockable fighter after being a starter inSuper Smash Bros. for Wii U, with his design having been reverted to his Gerudo appearance inOcarina of Time, last seen inMelee. One notable change is that he now uses the sword from the SpaceWorld 2000 Tech Demo (also seen inMelee in one of his victory screens) for his smash attacks. Otherwise, he has gained many notable mobility buffs across the board. He has received new voice clips to match his past incarnation as well.
  • 43.
    Toon Link (SSBU)
    Toon Link (Unlockable): The Hero of Winds returns as an unlockable fighter after being a starter inSmash 4, retaining his design fromThe Wind Waker. Some notable changes include new sword sound effects that are exclusive to him and only performing one upwards swipe from his forward smash. Otherwise, he remains largely unchanged from his previous appearance.

Boss[edit]

  • Ganon
    Ganon: Ganon appears as a boss, using his Demon-King design fromOcarina of Time. He is fought on a stage reminiscent of the ruins of Ganon's Castle, where the final battle of said game takes place. He wields two swords in battle and his primary weak point is his glowing tail.

Stages[edit]

AllZelda stages from previousSuper Smash Bros. games return with one new stage as part of the base game.

World of Light Sub-World[edit]

  • Sacred Land
    Sacred Land: Based on various locations in Hyrule, the Sacred Land appears as a sub-world inThe Dark Realm. The map is shaped like the Triforce, with the Triforce of Courage section based on the Lost Woods, the Triforce of Wisdom based section based on Kakariko Village, and the Triforce of Power secrion based on Gerudo Valley. Owl Statues are scattered throughout the land, giving hints to the player on how to solve certain puzzles.Ganon appears as the boss, appearing at Hyrule Castle. However, he will only appear onceYoung Link,Zelda, andGanondorf have been unlocked. In addition to these three,Chrom,Mii Brawler,Sonic,Cloud, andBowser Jr. can be unlocked here.

Items[edit]

Main article:Item
  • Heart Container (healing): A heart-shaped vessel from the originalLegend of Zelda. It is a returning item that heals 100% damage from the player. It is based on its appearance inSkyward Sword.
  • Bunny Hood (status): Headgear with rabbit ears fromMajora's Mask. It is a returning item that increases the wearer's agility. One of the settings inSpecial Smash equips every fighter with the Bunny Hood.
  • Deku Nut (throwing): A unique nut fromOcarina of Time that paralyzes opponents. It is a returning item that temporarilystuns stuck opponents on contact.
  • Fairy Bottle (healing/throwing): A healing item fromA Link to the Past. When used, it heals 100% of the user's damage. If the player is at ≤99% damage, the item can be picked up and thrown at opponents or teammates.
  • Cucco (throwing): A throwing item fromA Link to the Past. When it makes contact with an opponent or is attacked, it will summon a huge flock to attack the offender. Unlike theirSmash Run counterpart, these Cuccos are based on their appearance inTwilight Princess.
  • Bombchu (throwing): An item fromOcarina of Time. It is a murine bomb that scurries around the stage after being tossed. It will crawl up walls, floors, and ceilings until it makes contact with an opponent and explodes.
  • Beetle (throwing): An item fromSkyward Sword. It is a mechanical scarab that will grab onto opponents and lift them skyward, past theblast zone of the stage. If the player is at low damage and/ormashes enough buttons, they can break away from the Beetle.
  • Gust Bellows (shooting): An item fromSkyward Sword. It is a bag of winds that blowspowerful gusts when fired. If discarded, the wind will be blown in all directions.

Assist Trophies[edit]

Bold italics denotes an Assist Trophy new to the Smash Bros. series.
All past Assist Trophies return except forTingle.

  • Skull Kid: Returns as an Assist Trophy; he causes one of three random status effects to occur on everyone: flipping the screen upside down, reversing controls, or turning everyone invisible.
  • Midna: Returns as an Assist Trophy; she uses the hand from her hair to grab and throw nearby opponents. Can be attacked and KO’d.
  • Ghirahim: Returns as an Assist Trophy; he warps around the stage attacking with swords and knives. Can be attacked and KO’d.
  • Moon: Appeared as it did inMajora's Mask 3D. It collides into the stage from the background, damaging and launching all participants.

Mii Costumes[edit]

Outfits[edit]

Headgear[edit]

Music[edit]

Original Tracks[edit]

Arrangements and remixes unique toUltimate

Returning Tracks[edit]

Arrangements and remixes returning from previousSmash games.

Source Tracks[edit]

Tracks sourced directly from their original games.

Victory Theme[edit]

Spirits[edit]

Media with elements appearing in theSuper Smash Bros. series[edit]

TheLegend of Zelda universe has media represented throughout theSuper Smash Bros. series with a total of 28 games and media. The latest game represented in this universe isThe Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, released on May 12, 2023.

Trivia[edit]

  • Super Smash Bros. Melee is the only game to introduce more than oneThe Legend of Zelda character.
    • Tied with thePokémon series inBrawl (if Pokémon Trainer's three Pokémon are considered separate characters),The Legend of Zelda series introduced the most characters out of all universes within a single game, introducing 4 intoMelee.
  • InMelee,The Legend of Zelda universe had the highest amount of playable characters in the game, tied with theSuper Mario series at 5.
  • This is the only universe inSuper Smash Bros. for Wii U to have a past stage from each of thefirstthreegames.
  • The Legend of Zelda,Kirby,F-Zero andSuper Smash Bros. are the only universes to retain their series symbols throughout the entireSuper Smash Bros. series.
  • The designs choices for Link, Zelda, and Ganondorf inUltimate, combined with Sheik, Young Link, and Toon Link, appear to reference the timelines forming theZelda franchise: Link referencesBreath of the Wild, taking place long after any of the events in any timeline, Zelda references the "Downfall" timeline, Ganondorf referencesOcarina of Time, just right before the timeline splits; Young Link now references the "Child" timeline, and Toon Link references the "Adult" timeline. Only Sheik is the exception, as her design combines elements of all of the timelines except for the Adult timeline: she is introduced inOcarina of Time, her design is based on the Stealth Armor fromBreath of the Wild, hasTwilight Princess' braided ponytail, and shares her voice withA Link Between Worlds Zelda.
  • The Legend of Zelda universe is the first universe to have 3 playable versions of the main character.
  • This is the only universe inUltimate with a stage inSmash 64 to include all of its stages from past games, and include at least one new stage.
    • It is also the only universe inUltimate to receive a new stage, but not a new fighter, not countingSmash itself.
  • Every non-portableZelda title released sinceOcarina of Time has a representative stage inUltimate.
  • All the stages from theZelda,Kirby, andEarthBound universes are playable onUltimate, a trait shared by none of the other universes present in the originalSuper Smash Bros.
  • Ultimate is the second game to feature all of theZelda fighters inSmash as playable characters, the first beingHyrule Warriors.
    • Hyrule Warriors is also the only other game outside of theSmash franchise where the child version of the Hero of Time and the Link fromThe Wind Waker are both referred to as "Young Link" and "Toon Link", respectively, as opposed to simply just "Link."
  • InUltimate, exactly half ofThe Legend of Zelda characters are controlled byGaleem (Link, Sheik, and Toon Link), and the other half are controlled byDharkon (Young Link, Zelda, and Ganondorf) inWorld of Light.
  • As ofUltimate,The Legend of Zelda andStar Fox are the only universes to have antagonists which do not have separate victory themes.
  • The Legend of Zelda,Mario, andFire Emblem universes are tied for having mostclones of any type, with 3 each.
  • Discounting costumes original to theSuper Smash Bros. series,The Legend of Zelda is the universe with the mostMii Costume sets (Headgear and a matching Outfit), with a total of five.
  • Not including alternate costumes, theZelda series is the first franchise to introduce multiple female characters in one installment; in this case Zelda and Sheik.
  • TheZelda franchise is the only universe inSmash to have at least one character sport an alternate costume that would become the inspiration of that character's redesign, and another character to revert back to their original design in theirSmash debut in a subsequent game: in this case, the characters in question are Zelda and Ganondorf, respectively.

External links[edit]


v • d • e
Universes
HostSuper Smash Bros. (Subspace ·World of Light)
Fighter-basedAnimal Crossing ·ARMS ·Banjo-Kazooie ·Bayonetta ·Castlevania ·Donkey Kong ·Dragon Quest ·Duck Hunt ·EarthBound ·Fatal Fury ·Final Fantasy ·Fire Emblem ·F-Zero ·Game & Watch ·Ice Climber ·Kid Icarus ·Kingdom Hearts ·Kirby ·Mario ·Mega Man ·Metal Gear ·Metroid ·Minecraft ·Pac-Man ·Persona ·Pikmin ·Pokémon ·Punch-Out!! ·R.O.B. ·Sonic the Hedgehog ·Splatoon ·Star Fox ·Street Fighter ·Tekken ·The Legend of Zelda ·Wario ·Wii Fit ·Xenoblade Chronicles ·Yoshi
Stage-basedBalloon Fight ·Electroplankton ·Miiverse ·Nintendo DS ·Nintendogs ·Pilotwings ·StreetPass Mii Plaza ·Tomodachi ·Wii Sports ·Wrecking Crew
Assist Trophy-basedArt Academy ·Bomberman ·Brain Age ·Color TV-Game ·Custom Robo ·Devil World ·Dillon's Rolling Western ·Drill Dozer ·Excite ·Fatal Frame ·Golden Sun ·Jam with the Band ·Joy Mech Fight ·Kaeru no Tame ni Kane wa Naru ·Kururin ·Monster Hunter ·Nintendo Badge Arcade ·Nintendo Wars ·Sheriff ·Shovel Knight ·SimCity ·Sin and Punishment ·Swapnote ·The Legendary Starfy ·The Mysterious Murasame Castle ·Virtua Fighter
Item-basedClu Clu Land ·Galaxian ·GoldenEye ·Panel de Pon ·Perfect Dark ·Steel Diver
Enemy-basedDig Dug ·Rhythm Heaven ·Xevious
OthersMii ·List of minor universes (Nintendo ·Third-party)
v • d • e
The Legend of Zelda (universe)The Legend of Zelda universe
FightersLink (SSB ·SSBM ·SSBB ·SSB4 ·SSBU) ·Sheik (SSBM ·SSBB ·SSB4 ·SSBU) ·Zelda (SSBM ·SSBB ·SSB4 ·SSBU) ·Young Link (SSBM ·SSBU) ·Ganondorf (SSBM ·SSBB ·SSB4 ·SSBU) ·Toon Link (SSBB ·SSB4 ·SSBU)
Assist TrophiesTingle ·Skull Kid ·Midna ·Ghirahim ·Moon
BossesGanon
StagesHyrule Castle ·Great Bay ·Temple ·Bridge of Eldin ·Pirate Ship ·Gerudo Valley ·Spirit Train ·Skyloft ·Great Plateau Tower
Underground Maze (Adventure Mode)
ItemsHeart Container ·Bunny Hood ·Deku Nut ·Fairy Bottle ·Cucco ·Bombchu ·Beetle ·Gust Bellows
EnemiesBubble ·Cucco ·Darknut ·Like Like ·Octorok ·Peahat ·ReDead ·Stalfos
OtherBulblin ·Dark Link ·King Bulblin & Lord Bullbo ·King of Red Lions ·Koume & Kotake ·Majora's Mask ·Navi ·Phantom ·Sacred Land ·Tetra ·Yiga Clan
Trophies,Stickers andSpiritsTrophies (SSBM ·SSBB ·SSB4) ·Stickers ·Spirits
MusicBrawl ·SSB4 ·Ultimate
MasterpiecesThe Legend of Zelda ·Zelda II: The Adventure of Link ·The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time