Link Guide: Matchup Chart and Combos

This is a guide to using Link in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. Link's bread and butter combos, how to unlock, frame data, alt costumes and skins, as well as Link's matchups, counters, and tier list placement can all be found here.

Link Tier and Overview

Stats and General Info

Link
Game Series	The Legend of Zelda
Smash Bros. Debut	Super Smash Bros. (64)
Fighter Number	3
Unlock Order	Default
Number of Jumps	2
Weight	104 Units (22/87)
Dash Speed	1.534 (71/87)
Air Speed	0.924 (76/87)
Fast Fall Speed	3.04 (6/87)
Special Attributes	None

Tier List Placement

Tier

Heavy hitting attacks and excellent zoning ability

Link in SSBU has a plethora of zoning tools in his arsenal to deal damage without getting too close. He has great range with both his projectiles and sword attacks, and has plenty ofhard hitting moves that can take a stock off of an opponent. His movement speed is not quite as good as his younger counterparts, and he has some noticeable lag on many of his normals, so he will mainly need to rely on nair when cornered.

See Our Tier List Here!

Link's Strengths and Weaknesses

Strengths	・Excellent zoning tools to rack up damage (→ + B, ↓ + B, B) ・Several KO options (Tilts, Smashes, Dash Attack, as well as edgegaurding with projectiles) ・Can take a lot of damage before getting KO'ed ・Great reach with his long sword ・One of the best Neutral Airs in the game ・Can use bomb offstage on himself to extend his recovery
Weaknesses	・Struggles a bit up close (most of his attacks are a bit slow) ・Gets comboed a lot due to his size ・Slow movement speed

Link Matchup Chart

Matchup Chart

-2
-1
0
+1
+2

Notes About Matchup Chart

1. -2 = Disadvantage. -1 = Slight Disadvantage or Even. 0 = Even. +1 = Slight Advantage or Even. +2 = Advantage.
2. The matchup chart was based around both the opinions of professional players of each character, as well as our own experience through playing Link.
3. Characters within each tier are unordered
4. Pokemon Trainer's individual Pokemon (Squirtle, Ivysaur, and Charizard) as well as Echo fighters with no significant difference than their regular counterpart are not shown.
5. For other characters who are not shown here, we are still investigating the matchup.

Good Matchups For Link

With a wide array of projectiles in his kit, Link does well against most big body characters (similar to the other Links), since they are an easy target for boomerang and bomb. Out of all three Links, his sword grants him the most range, so he also can do well against characters with short range on their attacks.

Link Counters

Link generally has a pretty good matchup for most characters, although there are some characters who may give him trouble. Characters with good frame data are much better at punishing Link's slower attacks, so ZSS, Pikachu, or Joker may be trouble. His recovery is also easy to exploit for characters with counters, and small body characters may be tough for him to land his attacks on.

How to Beat Link

Countering Remote Bomb

An essential part of Link's gameplan is his remote bomb, which can be pulled and detonated remotely with down B. Since it functions as an item, dash attacks, tilts, jabs, and aerials will all allow you to intercept it and hold it. While you are holding it, he cannot detonate it, so use this to your advantage. There is noticeable startup when he pulls it, so if you throw it offstage and wait for him to pull it again, you can punish him during the move's startup.

Link can also use this move to extend his recovery offstage, so be on the lookout for how he recovers. If Link is already offstage but his bomb is placed somewhere on stage, he will not have enough time to detonate, pull again, and redetonate for a bomb recovery.

Deal with his projectiles

Projectiles are another integral part of Link's gameplay, so you will have to find a way to deal with them. If your character has a reflector, this is rather easyーjust don't be too predictable in using it, or Link can counter it. If your character does not have a reflector, you'll instead need to play patiently, and look for patterns in how he uses his specials.

Careful use of shielding, spotdodging, parrying, as well as jumping are the key to manuevering around Link's projectiles to find an opening. Boomerang is one of Link's best neutral tools, but it does have considerable startup, so you can punish him as he begins the move if you are close enough. Once you have made your way in, keep the pressure up and don't let him get too far away.

Bait out moves for a punish

Many of Link's moves have significant endlag on them, particularly his smashes, tilts, and up special. Since Up Special is such a quick option out of shield, Links may use it to try punishing your moves that hit his shield. If you can feint an aerial by jumping toward his shield, then jumping away without doing anything, you may be able to bait the move out. Since the move only hits once, you can either shield hit and drop shield for any punish you want, or move in at the end to punish it. Up Smash can be dealt with in a similar way.

When in disadvantage, Links (especially at lower levels) may try and land with down air. If he misses the move, it has enough lag to punish easily, so it can even be baited out by waiting underneath him, dodging it, then moving in for a quick move.

Edgeguarding

If the Link you are playing against does not know how to bomb recover, Link's normal recovery is quite easy to deal with. Since it has no hitbox above it, he is still very easily hit with a move that attacks downward (such as a spike). If your character has a counter (Marth, Lucina, etc), you can also use it just before he gets back to the ledge, and you will easily stop his recovery. Just be sure to mix up your timing, or else the Link will just wait until after you finish using the move.

Link Combos

Bread and Butter Combos
Down Throw → Up Smash
Down Throw → Up Tilt
Side B → Forward Air
Advanced Combos
Neutral Air → Fast Fall → Jab (x3)
Neutral Air → Forward Smash
Back Air →Back Air → Back Air (Up B)

Link Bread and Butter Combos

Link Advanced Combos

Link Frame Data and Moveset

Link's Best Out of Shield Options

Move	Frames
Up B	7 Frames
Bomb Throw	7 Frames
Back Air	9 Frames
Neutral Air	10 Frames
Up Smash	10 Frames
Grab	10 Frames

Up B out of shield is a very fast and powerful move, and can easily KO an opponent depending on % and positioning. However, be warned that it is very easy to punish, so do not use it to try and counterattack a move that is very safe on shield. If you have a bomb in hand, you can throw it for a quick OOS option. Additionally, Nair and Grab will typically come in handy, depending on what you think your opponent is about to do next (grab if you think they will shield, and Nair if you are less certain).

Link Jab (Light Attack)

	Damage	Startup Frames	Active Frames	Cooldown Frames
Jab 1 (A)	3.6	8	2	15
Jab 2	3.6	5	2	18
Jab 3	4.8	6	2	27

Jab Info

Link's jab is pretty quick, especially when compared to his other grounded options. In particular, it is a good for an easy follow up to a fast fall neutral air. It can be used to break out of combos, but Nair will fit this role as well.

Link Dash Attack / Tilt Attacks

	Damage	Startup Frames	Active Frames	Cooldown Frames
Dash Attack (Dash ＋ A)	16.8/15.6/14.4	20	4	33
Forward Tilt (← or → + A)	15.6	15	5	20
Up Tilt (↑ + A)	13.2	8	5	23
Down Tilt (↓ + A)	10.8	10	2	19

Dash Attack Info

Link's DA is very powerful, although it has significant startup and end lag. It is a bit high risk/high reward, and you should not be reckless with it, but it can sometimes be used to catch opponents that are landing.

Forward Tilt Info

Link's FTilt has excellent range, and it is also very strong. It is a very good KO option for Link, although it does have significant startup and end lag on it.

Up Tilt Info

This move covers a lot of space, and has a pretty quick startup. It covers the entire 180 Degree area above Link, so it is good at snuffing out jumps, or when used as an anti-air. It is also a good follow-up for down throw.

Down Tilt Info

D Tilt has both a quick startup and good range. It is one of Link's best combo tools due to the angle it sends opponents, and can be followed up with a Fair.

Link Smash Attacks

	Damage	Startup Frames	Active Frames	Cooldown Frames
Forward Smash (1) (Smash ← or → + A）	8.4/16.8/8.4	17	2	32
Forward Smash (2)	15.6/15.6/14.4/14.4	10	2	49
Forward Smash (Light Beam)	6.0	19	30	-48
Forward Smash (Beam - Charged)	15.6	19	38	-56
Up Smash Hit 1 (Smash ↑ + A)	4.8	10	4	64
Up Smash Hit 1 (Late)	4.8	14	2	62
Up Smash Hit 2	3.6	25	4	49
Up Smash Hit 2 (Late)	3.6	29	2	47
Up Smash Hit 3	13.2/13.2/12/10.8	41	5	32
Down Smash (1) (Smash ↓ + A)	16.8/19.2/20.4/19.2	12	2	41
Down Smash (2)	14.4/14.4/13.2/12	24	2	29

Forward Smash Info

FSmash is a strong two-hit move that can KO opponents. Unlike most smash attacks, you need to press the A button (or smash button) twice in order to use both hits. The window for inputting the second hit is pretty long, so you can sometimes throw the first hit on an opponent's shield and delay the second until they drop their shield, if you expect them to try and punish your first hit.

When Link's % is at 0, an F Smash will also shoot out a beam of light that can damage opponents. Although it is not really very good when compared to his other projectiles, it is still a neat feature that Legend of Zelda fans will appreciate.

Up Smash Info

USmash has a very wide range to catch opponents. Like his up tilt, he strikes to cover a 180 degree angle. This attack consists of three hits, and has a long active hitbox. However, because of how long this attack is, you are extremely punishable if you miss.

Down Smash

Link's quickest smash attack, although still very laggy. It is not as strong as his other smash attacks, but it sometimes catch a foe doing normal getup from ledge, or one who has used all of their invulnerability on a ledge. It is also good for a quick punish, and can cover a roll, since it hits both sides.

Link Aerials

	Damage	Startup Frames	Active Frames	Cooldown Frames
Neutral Air (Strong) (A + no direction while airborne)	13.2/10.8/10.8	7	2	30
Neutral Air (Weak Hit)	7.2	9	23	7
Forward Air (1) (Hold ← or → in the direction you are facing + A while airborne)	9.6	16	2	34
Forward Air (2)	12	24	2	26
Back Air (1) (← or → Opposite of the direction you are facing + A while airborne)	6.0	6	3	22
Back Air (2)	8.4	15	3	13
Up Air (Early) (↑ + A While Airborne)	18	11	3	46
Up Air (Late)	15.6	14	27	19
Down Air (Early) (↓ + A While Airborne)	21.6	14	6	60
Down Air (Late)	18	20	45	15
Down Air (Pogo)	13.2	-	-	-

Neutral Air Info

This is one of Link's best moves in his kit, and possibly one of the best Nairs in the game, thanks to its quick startup, long active hitbox, and low end lag. It is a good Get-Off-Me option, and can even be used to break from untrue combos. In general, this move can be used in a ton of situations, and its utility should not be underestimated. It is -2 on shield for the strong hit and -3 for the weak one. When you aren't sure what else to do, try Nair!

Forward Air Info

Link's Fair is a high damaging multi-hit attack. While its startup is a bit slow, it can combo with boomerang to take stocks.

Back Air Info

Link's Bair has low startup and is good for comboing. Additionally, it is a pretty fast out of shield option, and it is pretty safe on an opponent's shield (-3). Link will not get many KOs off of this move alone, but he can make Bair strings that combo into Up B for tons of damage.

Up Air Info

This move is good at juggling, thanks to its huge range and long lasting hit box. It can KO opponents, and is a good follow-up to things like DTilt, etc.

Down Air Info

This move has a very long lasting hit box, and can deal a ton of damage. While it does not combo from other moves, the initial hit box can spike opponents, leading to early KOs. This is best done with a T-Spikeーa method of grabbing ledge, hitting down, and then immediately pressing jump and dair at the same time to recover while hitting an opponent recovering low. Do not over use this move on stage, as it is pretty easy for an opponent to predict and then punish.

Link Specials

	Damage	Startup Frames	Active Frames	Cooldown Frames
Neutral Special (Uncharged) (B)	9.6	27	10	9
Neutral Special (Fully Charged)	14.4	-	-	23
Side Special (← or → + B)	7.2	27	9	？
Side Special (Late)	7.2	36	28	？
Side Special (Returning)	3.6	64	92	？
Up Special (↑ + B)	16.8/13.68	7	2	68
Up Special (Grounded/Late 1)	14.4/14.4/11.64	9	5	63
Up Special (Grounded/Late 12)	10.8/10.8/8.64	14	10	53
Up Special (Grounded/Late 13)	8.4/8.4/6.72	24	16	37
Aerial Up Special (Hit 1)	4.8	8	2	-9
Aerial Up Special (Hit 2)	2.4	16	2	-17
Aerial Up Special (Hit 3)	2.4	22	2	-23
Aerial Up Special (Hit 4)	2.4	31	2	-32
Aerial Up Special (Hit 5)	4.8	47	3	-49
Down Special Grounded/Explosion	8.4	12	1	27

Neutral B (Arrow)

Arrows are Link's neutral special. By holding B longer, the arrow will fly further and deal more damage. It is not one of your main neutral tools, and you mainly only want to use it at a distance. It can fly extremely far when fully charged though, making it excellent for edge guarding. When you fire an arrow onto the ground, you can pick it up and throw it as an item. If you are holding an arrow and you fire from your bow, you can deal 1.5x damage.

Forward B (Boomerang)

Link's side B is the boomerang. This deals a good amount of damage, and can hit your opponents when you first throw it out, as well as on the return. By holding up or down when throwing it out, you can alter the angle that it flies.

This tool is great for keeping opponents from rushing in at you, and it is also one of Link's most important combat tools, so use it as much as possible.

Up B (Spin Attack)

This attack spins around Link and sends the opponent away It can even be charged when grounded by holding B, to deal more damage. It is a very good KO option, and since it comes out in just 7 frames, it is an amazing OOS option as well. It is also Link's recovery when used in the air, and catching opponents with this will send them up and away. Catching an opponent in the air with this move is very strong, so if you can trick an opponent into recovering high, then read their movement, you may be able to take their stock much earlier than expected.

Down B (Remote Bomb)

Down B will pull out a remote bomb, which Link can then use as an item and throw at the opponent. It detonates when you press down B again, when coming into contact withfire, or after enough time has passed. Additionally, when thrown at a charge shot from Samus, Lucario, Mewtwo, etc, it will cancel the shot, so it can shield him from this type of enemy. When combined with Z-Dropping and Fair, bomb throw has unlimited combo potential as well, so it may be worth putting some training time into.

Bombs can also be used to extend Link's recovery. If you pull bomb as soon as you are sent off stage, you can Z-Drop and detonate it to move Link close to the stage before using your Up B as a recovery. While it takes some practice to get used to the timing, it is a great way to both extend your recovery and mix up your route. The way to use a bomb recovery is shown below.

When you have a jump Pull the bomb after getting knocked off stage Face the stage and jump Return your stick to neutral and Z-Drop the bomb Detonate the bomb

When you have no jump Pull the bomb after getting knocked off stage Face the stage and move toward it Return your stick to neutral and Z-Drop the bomb Face the stage and move toward it again Detonate when Link is between the bomb and the stage

Link Grabs and Throws

	Damage	Startup Frames	Active Frames	Cooldown Frames
Pummel	1.56	1	1	5.0
Grab (Normal)	-	6	2	27
Dash Grab	-	9	2	32
Pivot Grab	-	10	2	26
Forward Throw (Hitbox) (← or → While Grabbing)	3.6	12	2	24
Forward Throw (Throw)	3.0	13	1	24
Back Throw (← or → While Grabbing)	3.6	12	2	25
Up Throw (Hitbox) (↑ While Grabbing)	6/4.8	26	4	20
Up Throw (Throw)	2.4	28	1	21
Down Throw (Hitbox) (↓ While Grabbing)	3.6	22	2	25
Down Throw (Throw)	3.6	24	1	24

Grab Info

Link no longer has the hookshot/tether grab from previous Smash titles. In its place, he has a standard grab, with a quick startup of only 6 frames. His grab game may not be spectacular, but a quick grab certainly doesn't hurt him.

Forward Throw Info

Forward throw is mostly just used for gaining stage control, or throwing your opponent off stage. It does not combo into anything.

Back Throw Info

Back throw is also just used for gaining stage control, or throwing your opponent off stage. It does not combo into anything either.

Up Throw Info

Up throw will throw the opponent straight up. It does not combo, but it can KO off the top from around 200%.

Down Throw Info

This is generally your go to throw at lower percents, due to the fact that it combos easily into Up Smash, Up Tilt, or Nair.

Final Smash

Attack	How to Use	Effect
Ancient Bow and Arrow	Press B after obtaining the Smash Ball	Link shoots an Ancient Arrow that flies straight forward. The arrow explodes if it hits the opponent's terrain. You can only directly hit one opponent, but the explosion also affects surrounding fighters and blows them away.

Link Balance Changes

Version 13.0.1 Balance Patch

	Change
Neutral Attack 1	Increased attack speed.
Down Tilt Attack	Adjusted launch angle.
Up Smash Attack	Extended launch distance for the final attack.

Version 11.0.0 Balance Patch

	Change
General	Matched the vulnerability with other fighters when falling in place.

Version 7.0.0 Balance Patch

	Change
Other	Increased shield size.

Version 4.0.0 Balance Patch

	Change
Basic Movements	Can now shieldstun shuffle when blocking a projectile with his shield.
Basic Movements	Adjusted the vulnerability when waking up from sleep to match other fighters.
Up Special	Shortened launch distance when the full combo doesn't connect.

Version 3.0 Balance Patch

	Change
Side Special	Reduced the power against shields.

Version 2.0.0 Balance Patch

	Change
Up Air	Shortened the landing time after using the move.→Buff
Neutral Special	Extended the time from when the arrow is loosed to when it disappears.

Major Changes from Smash 4

	Change
B	You can now pick up arrows from the ground.
Up Special (Up + B)	Hit box size increased. Buff to size of attack
Down Special (↓ + B)	Bomb replaced with remote bomb. Being able to control detonation is a buff. However, the startup time is a bit longer.
Forward Air (← or → in direction facing + A while Airborne)	Damage output slightly decreased. Nerf
Back Air (← or → away from direction faced + A while Airborne)	Total frames on move have been decreased, making it quicker to come out. Buff
Down Air (↓ + A while Airborne)	Landing lag significantly decreased. Buff

How to Unlock Link in World of Light

Link can be found in the western area of the Light Realm, by a hill near the sea. He is most quickly found by taking the Villager's path.

How to Unlock Characters Fast

Link Alt Costumes and Skins

Link Reveal Trailer

Smash Ultimate Character Guides

List of Fighters
Tier List	Unlocking Fighters

Character Stat Lists

Character Stats
Weights of All Characters	Run Speeds of All Characters
Air Speeds of All Characters	Fast Fall Speeds of All Characters