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Zelda

Jab1 (-13):
NAir (Frame 7)

Rapid Jab Finisher (-32):
FSmash (Frame 26)

FTilt (-14):
NAir (Frame 7)
GSA (Frame 9)
USmash (Frame 10)
(Can be spaced out)

UTilt (-15):
GSA (Frame 9)
USmash (Frame 10)

DTilt (-10):
NAir (Frame 7)
GSA (Frame 9)
(Can be spaced out)

Dash Attack (-18):
GSA (Frame 9)
USmash (Frame 10)

FSmash (-16):
GSA (Frame 9)
Grab (Frame 16)

USmash (-25):
GSA (Frame 9)
USmash (Frame 10)
Grab (Frame 16)
DSmash (Frame 20)

DSmash (-17):
Grab (Frame 16)

NAir (-12):
GSA (Frame 9)
USmash (Frame 10)
(Can drift away during mulithits)

FAir (-8/-12):
NAir (Frame 7)
GSA (Frame 9)

BAir (-8/-12):
NAir (Frame 7)
GSA (Frame 9)

UAir (-6):
NAir (Frame 7)
(Cannot be punished from a platform)

DAir (-6):
NAir (Frame 7)

Nayru's Love (-25):
GSA (Frame 9)
USmash (Frame 10)
Grab (Frame 16)
DSmash (Frame 20)

Din's Fire (-18 to -10):
Unpunishable
(Projectile usage)

Farore's Wind (-19):
GSA (Frame 9)
USmash (Frame 10)

Phantom Slash (-19 to -15):
Unpunishable
(Projectile usage)

• Neutral Moves: Tilts, Aerials, Jab, Grab, Phantom Slash, Nayru's Love.

• Kill Moves: Phantom Slash, Din’s Fire, Farore’s Wind, FTilt, UAir, FAir/BAir, Smash Attacks.

• Kill Confirms: NAir1 > FAir, DTilt > FAir.

• Zelda wants to play a long-ranged game vs Young Link, using her specials to keep him away.

• Nayru’s Love can counter projectiles and quick follow-up. She is intangible and reflects starting Frame 4.

• Her other option to call out projectile spam is Farore's Wind, by immediately closing gaps with a punish.

• Zelda has a similar deadzone issue to Young Link. Her Phantom Slash has the most range but is an insane investment, and isn’t rewarding with lower charges. In addition to that, she is slower and doesn’t have directly safe aerials.

• She’ll look to reset neutral mainly in the corner and trying to land. Her deadzone is outside of her burst range, which is close enough to punish Phantom Slash.

• This range is where Young Link wants to be in the MU, since this is where Zelda struggles most.

• Zelda does have a burst option in a Frame 6 Dash Attack, and spaceable pressure in her Frame 5 DTilt and a high-killpower FTilt.

• After shutting down her long range neutral, Zelda might opt for aggressively punishing your projectiles (landing aerials, Farore's Wind) but everything is punishable out of shield, and whiff punishing is very effective.

• ZAir is a safe way to poke Zelda while she’s using Nayru's Love.

• Warp cancelling allows Zelda to move quickly around platforms, which acts as a mix-up movement option in all states of the game.

• If Zelda is hit while charging a Phantom Slash by a Fire Arrow, the phantom charge is interrupted and destroyed.

• Phantom Slash covers a sizable amount of stage width. It has several charges, which allow Zelda to hit the opponent in close quarters combat and block projectiles. The main concern is the fully-charged Phantom. Zelda usually gives up stage control to use fully-charged Phantom Slash in neutral. The move has some vertical blindspots near the start of the move, meaning platforms can be used to avoid Phantom Slash at times.

• After the Phantom is fully charged, Zelda is free to move, meaning she can Grab the opponent shielding, or anti-air the opponent jumping over the Phantom Slash.

• It’s impossible to dash through the Phantom. Move through it by rolling.

• Running in on an uncharged Phantom is a good way to punish Zelda since she can’t act out of it like the fully charged version.

• Displaced Phantom can be placed in-front of Zelda, allowing Zelda to charge a Phantom behind it. It blocks Fire Arrow interruption.

Boxing

(How do I escape this situation?):

• Phantom Slash when Zelda has stage control is safer and doesn’t forego the cost of stage control to use. If not interrupted, its options to avoid it are limited. Jumping over it is the best option at that point.

• Zelda can corner pressure with DTilt on shield safely.

• When Zelda is cornered, and she has time to charge and set up Phantom Slash, you have to mix up your options:

• • You can shield Phantom Slash and her follow-up pressure; you might get Grabbed or shield poked, or it becomes the RPS of what you pick out of shield.

• • You can double jump to get over the sword; you can get UAir’d or your landing can get caught.

• • You can roll through the advancing Phantom, but she can read and hard punish it, and the timing is also strict.

• • If time permits, you can run forward and short/full hop over the hitbox/windbox, or run forward and shield; she can anticipate these.

• • If time permits, you can interrupt the charging with a Fire Arrow or any fast move (NAir).

Platform Pressure

(What tools do they have? How can we escape this pressure?):

• Zelda’s UAir is a large and high-killpower anti-air. Fall through or move to the sides.

• Using ZAir dropdown from a platform can help escape platform pressure.

• Phantom Slash will not always cover the entire platform. Be wary of it though when trying to land. Double jump can be used to stall out the hitbox.

Landing

(How do they cover it? What are my best options?):

• UAir plays the same for Zelda’s juggling, as well. Airdodge through it and/or move to the sides. Its strong hit lasts for 3 frames, followed by its weak hit lasting for 3 frames.

• Zelda’s Dash Attack is fast at Frame 6, it can be used to cover aggressive/airdodge landings and reset juggling.

• Although Phantom Slash covers a sizable amount of stage width, it still has vertical blindspots, which can be abused trying to land.

• Although Zelda can still act after fully charging Phantom, so be careful.

• Din’s Fire allows Zelda to pressure landings from afar. Use NAir to clank with it.

Offstage

(How Do I Escape This Position And What Do I Look Out For?):

• Zelda can edgeguard directly offstage with NAir, FAir, DAir, and Nayru's Love.

• Zelda uses Phantom Slash offstage to deny space at a certain altitude, forcing the opponent above or below it.

• Use Fire Arrow offstage in an attempt to stuff out Zelda charging Phantom Slash. She can’t move fast enough to punish it offstage. If Zelda anticipates it and shields it, jump directly onto stage.

• Din’s Fire allows Zelda to snipe Young Link with a projectile from onstage, mainly for taking his double jump, and punishing the aforementioned Fire Arrow offstage.

• NAir clanks with Din’s Fire reliably (it's dumb, we know).

• Conserve double jump and drift out of range of Zelda’s aerials.

Ledge:

• Phantom Slash hits ledge, 2-frames, covers jump and neutral getup.

• If Phantom Slash is slated to hit ledge, stalling with tether can avoid it.

Juggling/Boxing:

• Nayru’s Love counters Boomerang and other projectile conversions, but leaves Zelda open for roughly 45 frames. Bait and punish.

• Nayru’s Love stalls Zelda’s fall.

• Zelda is a floaty character, meaning she has more airtime to move left and right, but that also means more time to get positional pressure.

• Zelda doesn’t have the greatest landing options, so juggling her is really strong. She struggles to cover space diagonally down from her when landing. Positional pressure in those areas.

• Her landing options are essentially NAir and Nayru’s Love, neither of which are ideal. Watch out for NAir though, as it can setup into FAir.

• Warp Cancelling allows Zelda to land quickly and away from Young Link. She can immediately warp again, so don’t commit early and wait for Zelda to finish, as she could go for an aggressive warp after the first cancel.

• Zelda can’t reliably use Phantom Slash unless displaced. Approach while she’s charging.

• Rushing Zelda down is important in advantage to force deadzone pressure. Make Phantom Slash a risky investment.

Offstage:

• Zelda can overshoot Farore's Wind to be slightly above ledge, which activates the hitbox and avoids the 2-frame window.

• Zelda can use Phantom Slash or Din’s Fire to throw out hitboxes while recovering, and Phantom Slash can cover Zelda getting up from the ledge.

• Opt for ledgetrapping, as Farore's Wind is difficult and risky to hit, and has many trajectory mix-ups.

• Watch for how she uses Phantom Slash offstage. Zelda can charge it there, so that it’ll cover ledge as she chooses a ledge option, which will either hit you or force shield.

• Use Fire Arrow to stuff out a Phantom meant to cover Zelda’s ledge getup.

• Watch out for aggressive Farore’s Wind onto stage.

• Zelda’s UAir can hit Young Link at ledge.

Ledge Info:

XLR8’s Spreadsheet Young Link Ledge Info:

DTilt: Yes, Specific

DSmash: Yes, Specific

FTilt: Yes

Most Reliable Move: FTilt

Animation Info: N/A

Note: Space correctly, or FTilt otherwise.

• FD DTilt > ASA %s: 104, 95

• FD Ledge FThrow %s: 165, 142

• FD Milkshake %s: 94-119, 84-95

• NAir clanks with Din’s Fire.

• DI DThrow down and away at low %s.

• Zelda Kill Throws: BThrow

• Zelda’s BThrow Kill %s (near ledge): 110, 94 Max Rage

• Zelda’s UThrow Kill %s: 141, 120 Max Rage

• Farore's Wind clanks with projectiles, meaning it can’t be called out by projectiles.

• FAir and BAir can pancake BAir out of shield sometimes.

• Battlefield:
  Indifferent. The platforms are useful for avoiding Phantom Slash, but getting back to the ledge can be challenging. Overall preferable to other stages.

• Final Destination:
  Terrible. Lack of platforms is an extreme downside that limits counterplay to Phantom Slash. Landing and getting out of the corner is much harder because of this, too.

• Smashville:
  Good. Although being on the platform can be disadvantageous, Phantom Slash can not cover the entire platform, and the small stage width allows for strong openings. Zelda’s UAir goes through the stage, though.

• Town & City:
  Indifferent. Flat stage that stays open during stage selection. Zelda’s Phantom Slash can’t cover both high platforms and ledge.

• Lylat Cruise:
  Good. Similar reasons to SV + Fire Arrows are stronger here.

• Pokémon Stadium 2:
  Great. Platforms are useful for avoiding Zelda. The space to move around Phantom Slash and rush in is valuable.

• Kalos Pokémon League:
  Terrible. Similar reasons to FD, Phantom Slash covers side platforms anyway.

• Yoshi’s Story:
  Terrible. Same reasonings as BF.

• Hivesteel’s Young Link vs Zelda VOD Playlist: Zelda vs Young Link

• Stretch vs Ven (not Young Link vs Zelda, but 40 Minutes of good neutral vs Zelda): MSM Online 25 - Stretch (Lucina) Vs. SUGOI | ven (Zelda) Grand Finals - Smash Ultimate

• Zelda BThrow & UThrow Kill %s, from Zeldacord Resources: Super Smash Bros. Ultimate Zelda Kill% by Doomis

• Info on Zelda’s Pivot Grab and Dash Pivot Grab, @IRenning on Twitter: https://twitter.com/IRenning/status/1254668274173792257 https://twitter.com/IRenning/status/1254669434649636864 https://twitter.com/IRenning/status/1254679207642193920

• (Zeldacord Resources): Zelda 6.1.1 to 7.0.0 Changes

• (Zelda Out of Shield Visual by @_Equin0x_): https://twitter.com/_Equin0x_/status/1194005704883015687