Link (USBIV)

Link (USBIV)
Universe
Appearances in SSB	Super Smash Bros. Super Smash Bros. Melee Super Smash Bros. Brawl Super Smash Bros. for Wii U & 3DS
Availability	Starter
Final Smash	Triforce Slash
Tier	A (25)

Link is a startable playable character in Ultra Smash Bros. IV and makes his fifth appearance in the series. Link was confirmed during the E3 demo and at the beginning of the developement of this game alongside with the Original 8, since he's a member of it since Smash 64, including Luigi, Captain Falcon, Ness and Jigglypuff. In the The Legend of Zelda series, Link is the main protagonist of it, including Zelda, and his own goal is to save the princess and protect Hyrule, fighting against his nemesis, Ganondorf.

Link has a semi-clone, Toon Link (or his alt, Young Link). Comparing to him, Link is stronger based on knockback and on percentage. However, he's still slow on the ground and fast in the air, but cannot jump high as Toon Link in the air. But he maintains the first place to be the fastest falling character in the game (including Fox and King Hippo). Toon Link is floatier. Based on their specials, however still having the same style, Link's specials deals more damage and goes faster than Toon Link's for a good zoning game. Link is heavier and a great surviver at higher procents, differently to Toon Link.

Link's voice clips are, once again, reused from Brawl and Smash 4, voiced by Akira Sasanuma, where they recycled his voices from The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess.

Link ranks the 25th place of the 103rd in the tier list, putting him in the high tier placement (A), before Sonic and after Marth, making him a top tier character, viable at the tournaments. This is a notable strong rise for Link comparing to all his Smash Bros. series since he was a character that wasn't particularily viable at the tournaments (64 (D, low), Melee (E, low), Brawl (F, bottom) and in Smash 4, where he risen up a little (D, mid)).

Link possesses a strong defensive projectile gameplay with his Hero's Bow, Gale's Boomerang, Bombs and his popular Spin Attack, great to gimp, combo and camp opponents out. Link receive some buffs lately. His neutral-air gives a slightly more knockback growth but the percentage stays. His back-air can easily be lag-cancelled while landing (2 frames lag) and his up-air gain more base knockback at low percents. Footstool combos are his especiality thanks to his fall speed.

However, Link has some flaws, especially of his falling speed, which is not great using it during off-stage. His smash attacks are nerfed dealing less knockback at 90%. Overall in the matchups, Link's still viable at the tournaments for his succesful results against higher tiers.