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Zelda Guide: Lightning looks good on you

Zelda Guide: Lightning looks good on you

Game Versions
Smash 3DS, Smash Wii U
New guide video!

I made a website to host the guide on. This allowed me to do a lot of things that I couldn't do here on smashboards such as visual updates and splitting up sections to make the guide easier to navigate. All future updates will only be applied to the guide on my website but I will continue to post update notes here on smashboards. Link to the updated guide can be found here.


The princess of Hyrule returns in Smash 4!

Zelda is a very unique and often underestimated character based around magical attacks and a strong emphasis on sweet spots for most of her move set. She has a wide variety of defensive options in her arsenal that includes a reflector, two different projectiles and easily one of the best escape and recovery specials in the game that doubles as a long ranged kill move! Zelda also possesses a devastating offense that is capable of killing opponents up close or from a distance by using her ranged attacks. However, most of these attacks require you to land sweet spots and have a high amount of ending lag. This makes her a difficult character to play compared to the rest of the cast due to the precision and timing required to use her effectively. Finally, her move set offers a lot of different play styles and creativity to the player which makes her extremely fun to play!

Notable changes from previous games:
  • Zelda can no longer transform into Sheik. Both characters are now completely separated and they received new moves. Zelda's Transform was replaced with the new move called Phantom Slash. This move summons a phantom knight projectile directly in front of Zelda to attack. Phantoms also function as a shield that can block projectiles, items, and opponents.
  • Farore's Wind is much quicker and has a lot of kill power on the ending hit. The start up of Farore's Wind combos into the end hit at higher percents.
  • Din's Fire has a smaller hit box, less range, and received a sweet spot in the center. The damage now increases the longer the move travels and also functions as a ranged kill option at high percents.
  • Nayru's Love has been greatly improved. This move no longer suffers the high end lag it had in Brawl.
  • All aerials received damage increases on sweet spots, adding to their already destructive nature. Sweet spots are slightly easier to hit for these moves now. Unfortunately, her aerials also received increased ending lag with this adjustment. This makes them a high risk move with high rewards.
  • Up Tilt's knock back has been reduced and now functions as a combo move.
  • Smash 4 is a faster paced game than brawl so she has received an increased in movement speed.
Palette swaps:

Some of my game play as Zelda:
This video will give you a general idea of what Zelda is capable of.

Pros:
+ Strong defensive options
+ Great support partner in doubles
+ Farore's Wind is a very strong attack that can quickly punish from across the stage.
+ Easy to escape pressure by warping away.
+ Multiple ranged and spacing options. Capable of punishing opponents from a distance.
+ Easy to pressure opponents offstage which can lead to early KOs.
+ Sweet. Spots. Simply. Slaughter. Stocks. The 5 S's you learn to love as Zelda.
+ She is fun!
Cons:
- Light and floaty.
- Slow movement speed
- Tall character so she is easy to hit.
- Low mobility but Farore's Wind helps this issue a lot.
- Most of her moves have high amount of end lag and require precise timing to be effective.
- Hard to deal with fast characters 1v1.
- Difficult to use compared to most characters.
- No longer a magical ninja princess. :urg:

Roses and thorns:
Playing defense
No matter what character you play you should always have a general idea of how they work and what you want to do during a match. You should also take the time to learn the weaknesses your character has and how to deal with them. A few key things to know about Zelda is that she is slow, she works best from a distance or when she has the momentum, and her attacks are powerful but have very punishable ending lag. To make up for her low speed and the lack of approach options you will spend most of your time forcing others to approach by using your ranged moves. Jab, down tilt, up tilt, and grab are the only attacks in Zelda's move set with low end lag so these will be your primary defensive options. Down tilt and grab in particular will net you a lot of combo options so stick to these two attacks whenever possible.

Ranged options:
  • Din's Fire: Long ranged projectile that can be controlled. This will be your key to forcing approaches and ranged pressure.
  • Phantom Slash: Short ranged projectile that covers grounded and aerial approaches.
  • Farore's Wind: Deadly teleport that can instantly punish the opponent for laggy moves. However, you are easily punished yourself if you miss.
Defensive options:
  • Down Tilt: Your best attack to catch approaches since it's fast and combos into a variety of options for easy damage/kills.
  • Up Tilt: One of your best options to punish aerial approaches and usually combos into Nair or Uair.
  • Jab: A disjointed and fast attack, but it has little combo potential in higher percents. At low percents this will combo into a grab or dash attack.
  • Grab and Pivot Grab: You have multiple combos out of grabs and this can also get your opponents offstage.
  • Nayru's Love: Surrounds yourself with a multi-hit attack that has a lingering hit box. This attack reflects projectiles at 1.2x the power/speed and can be use to catch approaches or rolls.
  • Down Smash: Main use for this move will be to catch opponents with a rolling habit.
  • Farore's Wind: Great option out of shield if the opponent approaches with a punishable attack. Can also be used to warp away from opponents if you are under pressure.
  • Phantom Slash: Can be used to block projectiles while putting something between you and the opponent. This allows you to hide behind your phantom and use Din's Fire safely.

Get off my stage!
Playing offense
Zelda has a great offstage game so you want to try and get your opponent out there as much as possible. This allows you to freely pressure them with Din's Fire, Phantom Slash and your powerful aerial attacks. Down air is a very strong spike that can kill at early percents when sweet spotted so use this move every time your opponent tries to recover low on you. If they try recovering high you can either attempt a forward air or apply pressure with Din's Fire. This will force them to air dodge or die otherwise, setting you up for a down air spike. Phantom Slash is also an option for edge guarding. If you fully charge it from the edge you can cover a good distance off stage to catch opponents trying to make it back to the ledge. Phantom Slash has a non-damaging push box directly in front of Zelda that can gimp some recoveries such has Marth and Lucina's Dolphin Slash. Finally, Phantom Slash can catch opponents that are hanging on the ledge when fully charged.

Getting the kills:
Zelda has a large selection of kill options that range from set ups to the destruction incarnate known as Farore's Wind. If you find yourself having trouble landing kills here are a few options:
  • Farore's Wind out of shield. If the opponent attacks your shield you get a free kill at high percents. Nifty right? The start up from Farore's Wind combos into the second hit which has high kill power.
  • Jab → Farore's Wind. At around 100% on most characters the knock back from jab sends opponents flying the perfect distance to follow up with Farore's Wind.
  • Down tilt → Uair or Fair. At high percents down tilt will pop the opponent into the air which sets up for an easy kill.
  • Down throw → Uair is pretty reliable.
  • Up Throw → Farore's Wind can catch people offguard but it's a 1 trick pony.
  • Use Din's Fire to force air dodges and create landing traps.
  • Throw them offstage and punish.

I'm a lover and a fighter:
Playing in doubles
Zelda's move set can be very limiting in 1v1 against fast characters simply because you punish yourself with end lag and she has a hard time approaching anyone playing defensive outside of grab. In doubles however, Zelda becomes a scary support/stock tank that can constantly supply pressure simply because Farore's Wind is always an option. She is capable of sniping opponents from afar which allows Zelda to follow up her partner's combos from pretty much anywhere on the stage to land her devastating attacks. Din's Fire can be used to cover your partner during approaches and pressure opponents when they are offstage or in the air. Din's Fire and Farore's Wind can also punish opponents every time they grab your partner with easy sweet spots. Being able to reflect projectiles and items is great for maintaining stage control and Zelda also has synergy with a variety of characters in doubles. Long story short: Zelda shines in doubles.
  • Villager can pocket her Phantoms and use them for large amounts of damage and early kills. Zelda can also reflect Villager's tree for them to pocket. Phantom and Din's Fire can be used from behind Villager's tree for projectile camping.
  • Game and Watch can bucket Din's Fire. This can lead to early kills from oil spill.
  • Ness can absorb Din's Fire to recover health. This allows you to heal your partner while you are stock tanking yourself. When done correctly this can be a hard team to take stocks from. Ness can also get free heals when you are using Din's Fire to attack opponents.
  • Lucario makes an excellent partner for Zelda. Even though the Anubis strategy from Brawl was removed, Lucario still gets extremely strong from aura + rage.
  • Zelda can aid characters with a terrible recovery (Little Mac) offstage with her custom Farore's Squall move. This allows her to carry them back on stage without damaging them. (preventing you from taking Little Macs KO punch if it's ready).
  • Zelda flows well with any character that has a strong offensive presence since she works best from a distance.
  • Farore's Wind allows Zelda to escape a lot of pressure. This makes her a great stock tank when paired with her defensive moves and ranged attacks.
  • Zelda + Rage is scary! She can kill as early as 40-50% with an elevator when she is at max rage. Don't be afraid to be an aggressive stock tank!

Things to keep in mind when playing Zelda:
(Sums up the first 3 parts.)
  • You are a defensive ranged character that lacks approach options. Let the opponent come to you if possible and set up combos on your own terms.
  • Grab and Down Tilt are your best friends. They combo into a variety of different options to safely land your otherwise risky kill moves.
  • Offstage is your playground. Zelda is very threatening offstage thanks to her powerful aerials and great recovery. Down Air is one of the best spikes in the game so go for it every chance you get! Don't be afraid to be offstage as Zelda since this is the only time you are free to be as aggressive as you want.
  • Farore's Wind is great for punishing projectile heavy characters such as Link, Samus and Duck Hunt. It is basically a free punish every time they try to zone you out.
  • She is much better when played in doubles. That is not saying Zelda is bad at singles, she is just more threatening when she is not the focus of attention the entire match.
  • You have the tools to end a stock at pretty much any percent which can easily cause you to play overaggressive. Don't, this will get you punished.
  • Din's Fire and Phantom Slash are great for dealing damage from a distance and making it hard for the opponent to approach or land safely.
  • Opponents have to run through your phantom but you can freely pass through it like it's not even there. This unique property can net you some easy grabs and punishes.

Knowing the match up:

The game has only been out for a short time so keep in mind this info is nowhere near 100% fact. This info is based on my personal experience with the match ups. Since the game is still so new I grouped up the characters by typing and did a general overview for them. This is mainly a placeholder for now with tips on what to expect and I plan on expanding this in the future.

:4bowserjr::4duckhunt::4link::4tlink::4megaman::4robinm::4samus: High Projectile/Zoning Characters:
Zelda has a pretty easy time with these characters due to Farore's Wind and Nayru's Love. She can easily force approaches and turn the opponents attacks against them. Farore's Wind in particular allows you to teleport through projectiles and punish the opponent for the end lag. Phantom Slash provides a wall for you to hide behind and out camp if necessary. Be sure to watch out for Link and Samus' tether grabs.

:4bowser::4charizard::4dk::4ganondorf::4myfriends::4dedede: Heavy/Power Characters:
You can easily force approaches and punish their laggy attacks but one wrong move can easily cost you a stock and possibly the game. These match ups are in Zelda's favor as long as you respect the opponent's power and don't play carelessly. All of these characters are easy to pressure offstage (watch out for Ganoncide though).

:4lucina::4marth::4shulk::4metaknight: Sword/Extended Range Characters:
These characters can use their long and disjointed attacks to safely pressure you, but you can still force approaches and keep your distance. Marth, Lucina and Shulk all have a counter which allows them an easy escape to your offstage pressure while Meta Knight has multiple jumps to avoid you when offstage. This will make killing them harder than most opponents. Respecting their range while up close and punishing openings will be your keys to winning these match ups.

:4darkpit::4pit::4drmario::4mario::4palutena::4villager::4gaw::4ness::rosalina: Reflector + Projectile Characters:
These characters make it difficult for Zelda to do any ranged pressure since they can easily reflect or nullify Phantom Slash and Din's Fire. They basically force you to come to them which is not a fun spot to be in as Zelda due to your limited approach options. All of these characters are capable of zoning you out with their own projectiles and are also quicker than she is so Nayru's Love will be important. Focus on safe approaches and setting up your kills from tilts and grabs. Farore's Wind is useful if you can bait the opponent into doing a laggy projectile.

:4falcon::4diddy::4fox::4falco::4greninja::4pikachu::4littlemac::4sheik::4sonic::4zss::4yoshi: Fast/Overly Difficult Characters:
You are not going to enjoy these match ups. Zelda has a very hard time dealing with quick characters that can supply a lot of safe pressure. Din's Fire is easily punished by this group which removes a lot of your ranged pressure and most of them have a better projectile to force you to approach them. Play very safe and stick to your few quick attacks. Fox and Falco also have reflectors which makes Phantom Slash risky.

:4jigglypuff::4kirby::4luigi::4rob::4peach::4wiifit::4lucario::4zelda::4olimar::4pacman::4wario2: Other:
These characters are pretty even match ups for Zelda. They don't have any extreme advantage that make them overly difficult to deal with.


Lots of info here so I put it behind spoilers to save space and make it easier to find what you need. Includes pictures, a detailed analysis of each move, combo potential to and from the move, the damage dealt and frame data. The frame data was not done by me, you can find the original info here.

(Image links break occasionally and I'm not sure why. If you click on a broken picture you can still view it. If this problem continues I may upload them all to a different hosting site.)
:GCA: Jab:

Zelda does a quick jab that hits 3 times with magic. This move is great for catching approaches or to follow up after a down tilt. Jab is one of Zelda's few attacks that is safe to throw out without fear of end lag. It deals 2% damage per hit and 6% total. Jab's hit box is disjointed, which makes this a fairly safe move considering how quick the start up and ending is.
  1. Combos from: Down Tilt at low-mid percents, Up Tilt at low percents
  2. Combos to: Grab at low-mid percents, Dash Attack at low-mid percents, Farore's Wind at high percents.
  3. Remember me: Jab → Grab, Jab → Dash Attack
Frame Data:
Code:
Jab:
Frame 11-11:   [2%]x2     100f/40w            361° Magic
Frame 11-11:   [2%]x2     100f/30w            361° Magic
Frame 11-11:   [2%]x2      100f/7w             80° Magic
Frame 15-15:    2%        24b/150g            361° Magic
Max Damage:    6%

:GCL::GCA::GCR: Dash Attack:
Zelda pushes the opponent back with both hands. Sweet spot deals 12% damage and sour spot 6%. This move can kill at high percents which is rather good for a dash attack, but it's easy to read since it's one of Zelda's only approach option other than grab/nair. Careful about how you use this move if you decide to approach with it since it is easy to punish when shielded.
  1. Combos from: Jab at low-mid percents, Down Tilt at low-mid percents.
  2. Combos to: Dash Attack at low-mid percents, Grab at low-mid percents.
  3. Remember me: Jab → Dash Attack
Frame Data:
Code:
Dash Attack:
Frame  6- 7:   12%         85b/70g (KO@ 147%)  50° 1.2-Hitlag Magic
Frame  6- 7:    9%         80b/50g (KO@ 289%)  50° Magic
Frame  8-10:    6%         80b/50g (KO@ 404%)  50° Magic
Max Damage:   12%

:GCA::GCU: Up Tilt:
Zelda performs a circular motion with her arm above her head. This move lost all the kill power it had in Brawl in exchange for combo potential. At low percents this move will combo into itself for easy damage. Up tilt is one of your main answers to punishing aerial approaches. It has low ending lag and deals 7% damage a hit.
  1. Combos from: Up Throw at low percents, Up Tilt at low percents, Up Smash at low percents, Neutral Air at any percent, Down Air at mid percents (Ground bounce required).
  2. Combos to: Jab at low percents, Up Tilt at low percents, Up Smash at low percents, Up Air at mid percents, Neutral air at low-mid percents, Forward Tilt at low percents, Forward Smash at low percents, Down Tilt at low percents, Farore's Wind at mid-high percents, Nayru's Love at low percents.
  3. Remember me: Up Tilt → Nair, Up Throw → Up Tilt, Up Tilt → Up Tilt
Frame Data:
Code:
U-tilt:
Frame  7-18:  7.2%        45b/110g (KO@ 202%) 100° Magic
Max Damage:  7.2%

:GCA::GCR: Forward Tilt:
Zelda does a magic slash with her arm in front of her. This attack can be tilted up or down but the launch direction remains the same. 10% damage on sour spot (Zelda's arm) and 12% on sweet spot (Zelda's hand/magic trail). This is one of your lesser used moves due to its ending lag. It can kill at higher percents and has a good knock back angle to set up Dair spikes offstage. Pivot forward tilt is good for spacing and will be where this move sees most of its usage.
  1. Combos from: Down Tilt at low-mid percents, Up Tilt at low percents
  2. Combos to: Farore's Wind at mid percents, Neutral Air at low percents.
  3. Remember me: N/A, Pivot tilting for a spacing option.
Frame Data:
Code:
F-tilt:
Frame 12-13:   12%         50b/88g (KO@ 137%) 361° Slash
Frame 12-13:   10%         50b/88g (KO@ 164%) 361° Slash
Max Damage:   12%

:GCA::GCD: Down Tilt:
Zelda crouches and kicks in front of her. Very low end lag and pops opponents into the air at higher percents. This is easily one of Zelda's best moves to set up combos regardless of you opponents percent. Down Tilt is also a good anti-approach option. Learn to love this move because you will be using it a lot! Does 4.5% damage a hit.
  1. Combos from: Down Tilt at low percents, Neutral Air at low-mid percent.
  2. Combos to: Jab at low-mid percents, Down Tilt at low percents, Up Tilt at low-mid percents, Forward Smash at low-mid percents, Neutral Air at mid percents, Up Air at high percents, Forward Air at high percents, Back Air at high percents, Down Air at mid-high percents, Grab at low percents, Nayru's Love at low-mid percents.
  3. Remember me: Down Tilt → Uair, Down Tilt → Nair, Down Tilt → Grab, Down Tilt → Down Tilt, Down Tilt → Fair
Frame Data:
Code:
D-tilt:
Frame  5-11:  4.5%        20b/120g (KO@ 312%)  80° 0.2-Trip
Max Damage:  4.5%
:GCA: Neutral Air:
Zelda spins in the air to hit anyone around her. Deals 11% damage if all 5 hits connect (2%,2%,2%,2%,3%). This is your only combo aerial but it is a good one. Neutral Air can extend a lot of different options so make sure you use this move when you get the chance.
  • Combos from: Up Tilt at low-mid percents, Down Tilt at low-high percents, Neutral Air at low-mid percents, Down Air at mid-high percents(Requires ground bounce), Down throw at low-high percents, Up throw at low-mid percents.
  • Combos to: Neutral Air at low-high percents, Down Air at mid-high percents, Back Air at mid percents, Forward Air at mid percents.
  • Remember me: Down Tilt → Nair, Down Throw → Nair → Bair
Frame Data:
Code:
Nair:
Frame  6- 7:   [2%]x4     100f/75w            366° 0.0-SDI
Frame  6- 7:   [1%]x4     100f/75w            366° 0.0-SDI
Frame 22-23:    3%        40b/160g (KO@ 235%) 361° 0.0-SDI Magic
Frame 22-23:    3%        40b/140g (KO@ 270%) 361° 0.0-SDI Magic
Max Damage:   11%
Enables transition to Nair landing state (landing lag) on real frame 4
Cancels transition to Nair landing state (landing lag) on real frame 38

:GCA::GCU: Up Air:
Zelda points her finger like a gun and shoots a ball of fire above her head. The main use you will see for this move is Down Throw/Down Tilt → Up Air for kills. The radius and damage was slightly lowered from Brawl but this is still a good option to land kills with due to the disjointed hit box. Up air is Zelda's main form of Vertical kills other than Farore's laddering. It deals 15% damage and has punishable end lag.
  1. Combos from: Down Tilt at mid-high percents, Up Tilt at mid-high percents, Up Smash at mid-high percents, Down Throw at mid-high percents, Up Throw at mid percents, Down Air at mid-high percents (Requires ground bounce).
  2. Combos to: N/A
  3. Remember me: Down Throw → Uair, Down Tilt → Uair
Frame Data:
Code:
Uair:
Frame 14-16:   15%         30b/90g (KO@ 136%)  90° Fire
Max Damage:   15%
Enables transition to Uair landing state (landing lag) on real frame 5
Cancels transition to Uair landing state (landing lag) on real frame 56

:GCL::GCA::GCR: Forward/Back Air:
Zelda delivers a devastating forwards/backwards kick (unless you sour spot, then its not very scary). High knock back on this move with early kill potential. Deals 20% damage on sweet spot and 4% sour spot with punishable end lag. Down tilt → Fair is very effective at high percents to land kills.
  1. Combos from: Down Tilt at mid-high percents, Up Tilt at low percents, Forward Smash at mid percents, Down Air at mid percents (Requires ground bounce), Down Throw at mid percents, Up Throw at mid percents.
  2. Combos to: N/A
  3. Remember me: Down Tilt → Fair, Down Throw → Bair
Frame Data:
Code:
Fair:
Frame  9- 9:   20%         24b/95g (KO@  85%) 361° 1.5-Hitlag 0.0-SDI Magic
Frame  9-13:    4%          5b/96g (KO@ 426%) 361°
Frame  9-13:    4%          5b/80g (KO@ 513%) 361°
Max Damage:   20%
Enables transition to Fair landing state (landing lag) on real frame 4
Cancels transition to Fair landing state (landing lag) on real frame 50

Bair:
Frame  6- 6:   20%         28b/96g (KO@  81%) 361° 1.5-Hitlag 0.0-SDI Magic
Frame  6- 9:    4%          5b/96g (KO@ 426%) 361°
Frame  6- 9:    4%          5b/80g (KO@ 513%) 361°
Max Damage:   20%
Enables transition to Bair landing state (landing lag) on real frame 3
Cancels transition to Bair landing state (landing lag) on real frame 52

:GCA::GCD: Down Air:
Zelda delivers a devastating downwards kick. Deals 16% damage on sweet spot and 5% sour spot. This attack will meteor on sweet spots and can gimp on sour spots by foot stooling directly after. Go for this every time someone is offstage! This is your bread and butter for offstage pressure since it can lead to super early kills. Has punishable end lag but well worth the trade off.
  1. Combos from: Down Tilt at mid-high percents, Up Tilt at mid-high percents, Down Air at mid-high percents (Requires ground bounce).
  2. Combos to: Neutral Air at mid percents, Down Air at mid-high percents, Up Air at mid-high percents, Farore's Wind at high percents(All require ground bounce).
  3. Remember me: N/A, go spike people offstage!
Frame Data:
Code:
Dair:
Frame 14-14:   16%         30b/65g (KO@ 241%) 270° Magic
Frame 15-24:    5%          5b/90g (KO@ 528%) 275°
Frame 15-24:    4%          0b/70g (KO@ 814%) 275°
Max Damage:   16%
Enables transition to Dair landing state (landing lag) on real frame 4
Cancels transition to Dair landing state (landing lag) on real frame 40
:GCU: Up Throw:
Zelda throws the opponent above her head dealing 11% damage. Only use this throw for early % combos into up tilt since your other throws are better otherwise.
  1. Combos to: Up Tilt at low percents, Up Air at mid percents, Up Smash at low percents, Neutral Air at low-mid percents, Farore's Wind at high percents.
  2. Remember me: Up Throw → Up Tilt
Frame Data:
Code:
U-throw:
Frame  1- 2:   11%         50b/60g (KO@ 249%)  88°
Max Damage:   11%

:GCL::GCR: Side Throw:
Zelda throws the opponent forwards/backwards. Use this throw to get opponents offstage. Back throw can kill at high percents but it's not reliable. deals 12% damage forwards and 11% backwards. Switch to this throw at higher percents since you can set up kills much easier offstage.
  1. Combos to: Farore's Wind at low percents.
  2. Remember me: N/A, get people off your stage!
Frame Data:
Code:
F-throw:
Frame  1- 2:   12%         70b/50g (KO@ 225%)  45°
Max Damage:   12%

B-throw:
Frame  1- 2:   11%         80b/60g (KO@ 183%)  45°
Max Damage:   11%

:GCD: Down Throw:
Zelda pins the opponent into the ground and attacks them 5 times with magic then they are launched into the air. Deals 6% damage total (1%,1%,1%,1%,2%). This throw is the weakest overall but has the most combo potential. Use this throw every time you need to rack up damage. Down throw → Uair/Bair are notable kill options at high percents.
  1. Combos to: Neutral Air at low-high percents, Forward Air at low-high percents, Back Air at low-high percents, Up Air at mid-high percents, Down Air at mid-high percents, Up Tilt at low percents, Up Smash at low percents.
  2. Remember me: Down Throw → Nair, Down Throw → Up Air, Down Throw → Bair
Frame Data:
Code:
D-throw:
Frame  1-24:    2%         85b/55g (KO@ 705%) 100°
Frame 25-26:   [1%]x4     100f/25w             40° 0.5-Hitlag Magic
Max Damage:    6%
:GCCU: Up Smash:
Zelda waves her hand above her head to attack multiple times with magic. This move deals 16% damage uncharged in front of Zelda and 14% damage behind her if all hits connect. 21% in front and 18% behind at full charge. Up smash range was reduced slightly from Brawl and has punishable end lag. Opponents can occasionally fall out of this move making it less reliable. This is one of your rarely used kill options.
  1. Combos from: Down Tilt at low-mid percents, Up Tilt at low percents, Neutral Air at low-mid percents (depends on angle launched), Down Air at mid percents (Ground bounce required).
  2. Combos to: Up Smash at low percents, Up Tilt at low percents, Down Air at mid percents.
  3. Remember me: Up Tilt → Up Smash
Frame Data:
Code:
U-smash:
Frame  9- 9:   [2%]x4     105f/60w            200° 0.5-Hitlag Magic
Frame  9- 9:   [2%]x4     105f/50w            366° 0.5-Hitlag Magic
Frame  9- 9:   [2%]x4     105f/40w             90° 0.5-Hitlag Magic
Frame 25-25: [0.8%]x3     100f/60w            200° Magic
Frame 25-25: [0.8%]x3     100f/50w            366° Magic
Frame 25-25: [0.8%]x3     100f/40w             90° Magic
Frame 34-34:    5%        24b/190g (KO@ 163%)  88° 2.0-Hitlag Magic Ground-Target-Only
Frame 34-34:    5%        24b/190g (KO@ 163%)  88° 2.0-Hitlag Magic
Max Damage: 15.4%
Smash charge window on real frame 4

:GCCL::GCCR: Side Smash:
Zelda thrust her hands forward and attacks multiple times with magic. This move deals 17 damage uncharged if all hits connect and 23.5% full charge. Opponents caught in the air will occasionally fall out of this move if you use it at the wrong time. One of your main uses for this move is to punish a predicted roll. Has punishable end lag.
  1. Combos from: Down Tilt at low percents, Up Tilt at low percents, Down Throw at low percents.
  2. Combos to: Farore's Wind at low percents (Only if opponent doesn't tech the ground)
  3. Remember me: Down Tilt → Forward Smash
Frame Data:
Code:
F-smash:
Frame 16-16:   [1%]x4     100f/80w            160°
Frame 16-16:   [1%]x4     100f/60w             60°
Frame 24-24:   13%        37b/110g (KO@ 105%) 361° Magic
Max Damage:   17%
Smash charge window on real frame 11

:GCCD: Down Smash:
Zelda sticks her foot out and spins around hitting anyone near her. This is your main answer to roll happy opponents along with Nayru's Love. Deals 12.4% damage uncharged in front of Zelda and 10.4% behind her. 16.5% damage full charge in front and 14.5% behind. This is Zelda's fastest smash attack.
  1. Combos from: Down Tilt at low percents, Up tilt at low percents.
  2. Combos to: N/A
  3. Remember me: Down Tilt → Down Smash
Frame Data:
Code:
D-smash:
Frame  5- 6:   12%         20b/86g (KO@ 154%)  20° 0.2-Trip
Frame  5- 6:   12%         20b/86g (KO@ 176%) 361° 0.2-Trip
Frame 13-14:   10%         20b/96g (KO@ 151%)  20° 0.2-Trip
Frame 13-14:   10%         20b/96g (KO@ 174%) 361° 0.2-Trip
Max Damage:   22%
Smash charge window on real frame 2
:GCB: Final Smash: Light Arrow
Zelda summons a bow and shoots a piercing arrow of light across the stage. Anyone caught by the hit will take 1% damage and will freeze in a quick pause animation before taking another 39% damage with extreme knock back. This move will kill at very early percents but it's only available when you break the Smash Ball item.

Frame Data:
Code:
Final Smash:
Frame 33-39:    1%        100f/80w             80° Stun Unblockable
Frame 50-51:   39%        50b/100g (KO@   4%) 361°
Max Damage:   40%
Article generated on real frame 1

:GCB: Nayru's Love:
Zelda surrounds herself in a blue crystal and smaller crystals circle around her to deal damage to anyone in range. Nayru's Love reflects projectiles at 1.2x the power and speed while granting a short duration of intangibility. Good move to catch rolls and approaches with since it has a lingering hitbox. Hits 4 times for 11% total (2%,2%,2%,5%).

Frame Data:
Code:
Nayru's Love:
Frame 13-24:   [2%]x3      12b/40g            160° Slash
Frame 13-24:   [1%]x3      12b/40g            160° Slash Ground-Target-Only
Frame 28-28:    5%        50b/100g (KO@ 251%) 361° Slash
Frame 28-28:    4%        40b/100g (KO@ 320%) 361° Slash
Max Damage:   11%

:GCB: Nayru's Rejection:

This move acts similar to the default Nayru's Love except the outer diamonds are replaced with a gust of wind that has a spin effect similar to Mario's cape. 3 hits for 7% total (1%,1%,5%). Anyone hit by this move will be flipped into the other direction. This can be useful offstage to cause people to recover in the wrong direction. Nayru's Rejection reflects projectiles at 1.2x the power and speed while granting a short duration of intangibility.

Tradeoffs:
Nayru's Rejection is very similar to Nayru's Love overall. This move is slightly slower and deals less damage, but the outer diamonds are replaced with a cape effect that turns opponents in the opposite direction. The knock back from Nayru's Love is replaced with a weak push effect.

Frame Data:
Code:
Nayru's Rejection:
Frame 18-25:   [1%]x2      12b/40g            160° Slash
Frame 26-26:    5%(+4)       0b/0g            110° 0.3-Trip Cape
Frame 27-31:   [0%(+4)]x2 100f/40w            361° 0.0-Hitlag
Max Damage:    7%

:GCB: Nayru's Passion:

This custom loses the ability to reflect projectiles and the intangibility, but turns into a raw damage move. The diamonds from Nayru's Love are replaced by a strong vacuum that draws opponents towards Zelda then creates an explosion to damage them after. 1 hit for 15% damage. This move has a great draw in distance and works well with B-reversing for mix-ups. The draw in range is also great for punishing rolls since it covers both sides of Zelda.

Tradeoffs:
This move sacrifices the defensive ability to reflect projectiles in exchange for an offensive explosion based attack. You also lose the intangibility from Nayru's Love which is replaced with a vacuum around Zelda that draws opponents into the explosion. Nayru's Passion has the longest range out of the 3 Nayru's Love options when factoring in the vacuum effect.

Frame Data:
Code:
Nayru's Passion:
Frame 13-24:   [0%]x2     100f/40w            367°
Frame 27-29:   15%         50b/65g (KO@ 151%) 361° Fire
Max Damage:   15%

Vacuum: The vacuum effect draws players directly to Zelda. Careful about your usage of this move because it will pull in opponents that are charging attacks also! The vacuum effect makes this custom an excellent option for edge guarding opponents offstage.


Explosion: The explosion effect sends opponents flying! This move can kill at decent percents and is a great spacing option when you don't need a reflector.

:GCL::GCB::GCR: Din's Fire:
Zelda channels a controllable ball of fire in front of her. She is unable to move while controlling Din's Fire and will be placed in a helpless state if this move is used in the air. Din's Fire deals more damage the longer it travels and has a sweet spot that can kill. Deals 14% damage on a sweet spot or 6% on sour spot at max distance and 8% damage on sweet spot or 4% damage on sour spot at minimum distance. This move is great for harassing opponents offstage and will be your main opportunity to use Din's Fire safely. You can use Din's Fire to force air dodges into landing traps and this is also your main move to force approaches. Careful about how you use this move because Zelda is easily punished during it.


Max Distance: 3/4 of FD/Omega Stages

:GCL::GCB::GCR: Din's Flare:

A smaller and faster version of the default with extended range. The explosion is instant and the damage is no longer dependent on distance, but it can't be aimed vertically (It can, just an extremely small amount). Deals 14% damage on sweet spots and 7% on sour spots. Din's Flare is great against fast characters since it allows you to cover a larger range at a faster rate. This is also a safer option to use since there is less time to be punished for use it. The only bad part about this custom is you lose the vertical movement that is useful for creating landing traps and offstage pressure.

Tradeoffs:
Din's Flare is the fastest and easiest version of Din's Fire to use. It has the longest reach and the explosion happens instantly. It can reach all the way across FD/Omega stages in 2 seconds. Unlike the default, Din's Flare does consistent damage no matter how far it travels. The trade off for this move is it's a lot faster and has an extended distance, but it loses the ability to travel vertical. This makes Din's Flare a very simple, but effective attack to use. One thing you will notice immediately when using Din's Flare is that it's very hard to punish players offstage with it.


Max Distance: Edge to edge of FD/Omega Stages.


Spacing: Din's Flare is a great attack at any range since it is quick and has consistent damage. This custom is your main answer to Zelda's issue with fast characters since you can wall them out with a faster and more threatening projectile. They also have a harder time punishing you for using it!

:GCL::GCB::GCR: Din's Blaze:

A slower and more powerful version of the default that gives you a large influence in directional control, but it has a delayed explosion. Deals 16.5% damage on sweet spots and 9% on sour spots. Din's Blaze is great for setting traps when the opponent is high in the air to force air dodges or offstage to punish recoveries. Din's Blaze deals more damage the longer it travels and has a sweet spot that can kill. This version of Din's can be very tricky to use and it's probably the most fun out of her customs to play around with.

Tradeoffs:
Din's Blaze is the hardest version of Din's Fire to use. The delayed explosion means it is even harder to sweet spot than the default and requires a lot of predicting/reads to use properly. However, the delay and increased control of Din's Blaze is what makes it a great move. The tradeoff for this move is it's the slowest version of Din's Fire and the hardest version to use effectively, but it has devastating power and total control of the movement.


Max Distance: 3/4 of FD/Omega Stages


Blaze Grabbing: If you have ever played Robin then this probably looks familiar to you. Many Robin players will create frame traps by using Arc Fire and grabbing afterwords if you make the mistake of shielding it. This is a similar idea that uses the sour spot on Din's Blaze to follow up into a grab. Din's Blaze lacks the multi-hit effect of Arc Fire that traps players in shield so this only works if the sour spot actually hits the opponent.


Blaze landing: You can use Din's Blaze to cover your landings on stage. If Sheik were to approach Zelda in any way here they would risk taking a sweet spotted Din's Blaze as punishment.


Reversed Blaze Landing: Notice how Din's Blaze remains behind Zelda. This protects your back while setting up an attack at the same time. Reversing Din's Blaze has an interesting effect on the move itself also! A regular Din's Blaze will launch opponents away from Zelda while a reversed Din's Blaze will launch opponents towards her. This can lead into some interesting combos.


Edge Guarding: Din's Flare excels at edge guarding! You can set a trap anywhere offstage to catch players trying to get back to the ledge. The lingering effect on this move allows it to supply constant pressure while you get into position to punish an air dodge with a Dair spike if needed. Din's Flare basically allows you to control the opponents recovery.

:GCB::GCU: Farore's Wind:
Zelda surrounds herself with wind and teleports away. Farore's Wind is a two hit move that combos from start up to finish and is a very good option out of shield. First hit deals 6% damage and the second hit deals 10% on sweet spots or 7% on sour spots. The direction traveled can be controlled and she becomes invisible and intangible during the teleport portion of this move. The ending hit of Farore's Wind is very strong and capable of killing at early percents. Farore's Wind is a great move to punish opponents across the stage.
  • Farore's Wind can travel in multiple directions and can also be shortened on the ground by tilting towards the stage. However, when using Farore's Wind in the air you are forced to go the maximum distance. This can cause you to overshoot the stage if are are not careful.
Frame Data:
Code:
Farore's Wind (startup):
Frame  7- 8:    6%        118b/30g (KO@ 438%)  91° Slash
Max Damage:    6%

Farore's Wind (reappearance):
Frame  1- 3:   10%         90b/90g (KO@ 107%) 361° 1.5-Hitlag Slash
Frame  1- 3:    7%         70b/90g (KO@ 184%) 361° 1.2-Hitlag Slash
Max Damage:   10%

:GCB::GCU: Farore's Squall:

A non-damaging version of the default that pushes/pulls opponents with a wind box and throws them into the air on the second hit. During the teleport Zelda becomes a golden ball of light cloaked in wind that pulls anything she passes through with her. This may seem like a useless custom compared to the default but it can have some interesting results when used in teams. Farore's Squall can be used right behind your partner while they are charging an attack to push them towards the opponents team. Farore's Squall can also be used to aid your partner's recovery offstage. For example: Little Mac is very gimpable offstage but Zelda can easily carry him back on stage with Farore's Squall.

Tradeoffs:
Farore's Squall sacrifices the destructive power of Farore's Wind. In exchange, this custom grants a large amount of supportive properties in team battles. Farore's Squall is a non-damaging attack that pushes or pulls players with a wind box. This allows you to push or pull your teammates to extend their attacking range or save them offstage. It also allows you to do the opposite to your opponents by pushing them away from the stage when they are trying to recover. The start up of Farore's Squall is a little slower than Farore's Wind but it travels slightly farther.

Frame Data:
Code:
Farore's Squall (startup):
Frame  1-43:    0%        50b/100g (KO@ 918%) 361° 0.0-Hitlag 0.0-SDI
Frame 44-45:    0%        90b/100g (KO@ 632%) 361° 0.0-Hitlag 0.0-SDI

Farore's Squall (reappearance):
Frame  1- 2:    0%        90b/100g (KO@ 727%)  90° 0.0-Hitlag 0.0-SDI

Squall Boosting: Farore's Squall can be an extremely effective custom in teams by using the push effect to extend your partners range and catch opponents by surprise. You can freely use it on your partner since this is a non damaging attack. You can basically mimic DACUS for every single one of your partner's moves. Look at that distance!


Squall Shifting: Farore's Squall can be used to save your partner launched offstage using the pull effect. This can be extremely handy when you are paired with a character that has a poor recovery. You can also carry or reflect item based projectiles with Farore's Squall.


Squall Walling: Farore's Squall can block attacks while pushing the opponent away. For example, Sheik's Bouncing Fish was completely negated and she was pushed away in the images above. You can also gimp opponents offstage by using the push effect to blow them away from the stage.

:GCB::GCU: Farore's Windfall:

Only teleports up but the second hitbox has a meteor effect. Farore's Windfall can gimp players offstage at extremely early percents unless they have a great recovery. Deals 4% damage on the first hit and 7% on the second hit. The move is pretty gimmicky and situational but very effective if you can land it offstage. Farore's Windfall has horizontal movement after the teleport unlike the default option which makes it easy to use offstage and still recover.

Tradeoffs:
Farore's Windfall can only teleport up which cuts off a huge amount of your movement options compared to Farore's Wind. However, anyone caught by the second hit will be meteor smashed which can gimp players at very low percents. Farore's Windfall has horizontal movement after the teleport unlike Farore's Wind and Farore's Squall which makes it safe to use offstage.

Frame Data:
Code:
Farore's Windfall (startup):
Frame 13-14:    4%       110b/100g (KO@ 190%)  90° Slash
Max Damage:    4%

Farore's Windfall (reappearance):
Frame  1- 2:    7%        50b/100g (KO@ 331%) 300° Slash
Max Damage:    7%
Enables all ledge grabs on real frame 3

:GCB::GCD: Phantom Slash:
Zelda charges a phantom and launches it to attack in front of her. The power and distance of Phantom Slash increases the longer it is charged (6%, 7.5%, 11.5%, 14%, 24.5%). Unfortunately the charge cannot be stored meaning this move is very predictable since you are forced to charge it each time you want to use the phantom to attack. The phantom also has a blind spot in front of Zelda that will completely pass through opponents. While this is not so great in singles it can see some great use in doubles. Now that the bad news is out of the way, this move does have a lot of different uses! Uncharged phantom can catch approaches while putting something between you and the opponent. Mid charged phantom can be used to catch aerial approaches while a fully charged phantom is great for ledge guarding. If you space it correctly the phantom can catch opponents holding onto the ledge if fully charged. B-reversing (explained below under advanced tech) a phantom is a great option to catch players off guard and also covers Zelda for a safe spacing option. Kills at high percents (90+).

Frame Data:
Code:
Phantom Slash (uncharged horizontal slash):
Frame  2-10:    0%           0b/0g              0° Slash
Frame 11-11:    6%        30b/100g (KO@ 259%) 361° Slash
Max Damage:    6%

Phantom Slash (partially charged overhead slash):
Frame  2-11:   [0%]x2     100f/20w            361° Ground-Target-Only
Frame  2-11:   [0%]x2      100f/9w            361° Aerial-Target-Only
Frame  2-14:    0%           0b/0g              0° Slash
Frame 13-14:    8%         30b/80g (KO@ 257%) 361° Slash
Max Damage:    8%

Phantom Slash (fully charged uppercut slash):
Frame  2-23:    0%           0b/0g              0° Slash
Frame  6-15:   [0%]x2     100f/25w            361° Ground-Target-Only
Frame  6-15:   [0%]x2     100f/12w            361° Aerial-Target-Only
Frame 18-19:    3%         90b/10g             62° 2.0-Hitlag Slash
Frame 24-27:    5%        32b/100g (KO@ 323%)  50° 1.2-Hitlag Slash
Max Damage:    8%
Phantom has 3 different variants of attacking that depend on the charge time:

  • Lv. 1: With no charge the phantom remains in front of Zelda and does a single downward slash aimed toward the stage.

  • Lv. 2: At half charge (around 1 second) the Phantom will launch a short distance away from Zelda and do a single slash from the air down that is capable of punishing aerial and grounded approaches.

  • Lv. 3: At full charge the Phantom will launch a long distance and perform a two fold attack. The first hit is a dash attack with the Phantom's sword held out in front. The phantom then follows up this attack with another slash from the ground up into the air.

:GCB::GCD: Phantom Breaker:
The phantom always goes a set distance no matter the charge and it's also capable of breaking a fresh shield when fully charged (5%,6.5%,11.5%,12.5%,20%). This is a great spacing option for Zelda since it always goes the max distance and offers a large amount of shield pressure. This is easily one of her best customs. Only kills at very high percents (150+)

Tradeoffs:
Phantom Breaker always travels the max distance regardless of charge level. You lose your close range phantom attacks in exchange for medium ranged attacks that inflict a high amount of shield damage. Phantom Breaker offers the quickest mid range attacks since it always goes the set distance. A fully charged Phantom Breaker will break a fresh shield if it is held to block both slashes by the phantom.

Frame Data:
Code:
Phantom Breaker (uncharged horizontal slash):
Frame  2-10:    0%           0b/0g              0° Slash
Frame 11-11:    5%(+10)   30b/100g (KO@ 298%) 361° Slash
Max Damage:    5%

Phantom Breaker (partially charged overhead slash):
Frame  2-11:   [0%]x2     100f/20w            361° Ground-Target-Only
Frame  2-11:   [0%]x2      100f/9w            361° Aerial-Target-Only
Frame  2-13:    0%           0b/0g              0° Slash
Frame 13-13:    7%(+15)    30b/80g (KO@ 288%) 361° Slash
Max Damage:    7%

Phantom Breaker (fully charged uppercut slash):
Frame  2-23:    0%           0b/0g              0° Slash
Frame  6-15:   [0%]x2     100f/25w            361° Ground-Target-Only
Frame  6-15:   [0%]x2     100f/12w            361° Aerial-Target-Only
Frame 18-19:    2%(+10)    90b/10g             62° 2.0-Hitlag Slash
Frame 24-27:    4%(+20)   32b/100g (KO@ 380%)  50° 1.2-Hitlag Slash
Max Damage:    6%

:GCB::GCD: Phantom Strike:

Charges faster than the default and inflicts a lot of damage, but the phantom remains next to Zelda regardless of charge level. This custom is a great option to punish approaches since it charges very fast and covers the floor and air with the phantom's attack. Phantom Strike also removes the blind spot in front of Zelda that the default has. This move loses the ability to kill but it deals 28% on full charge if both hits connect. (Phantom Strike only kills at 900%+)

Tradeoffs:
Phantom Strike remains in front of Zelda regardless of charge level. You lose your long ranged phantom attacks in exchange for powerful close ranged attacks. Phantom Strike fully charges in 1 second and offers a great anti-approach option. This custom also sacrifices the kill potential from Phantom Slash in exchange for an increase of damage.

Frame Data:
Code:
Phantom Strike (uncharged horizontal slash):
Frame  2-10:    0%           0b/0g              0° Slash
Frame 11-11:    8%        100f/90w              0° Slash
Max Damage:    8%

Phantom Strike (partially charged overhead slash):
Frame  2-11:   [0%]x2     100f/40w            361° Ground-Target-Only
Frame  2-11:   [0%]x2     100f/15w            361° Aerial-Target-Only
Frame  2-13:    0%           0b/0g              0° Slash
Frame 13-13:   10%        80f/120w             20° Slash
Max Damage:   10%

Phantom Strike (fully charged uppercut slash):
Frame  2-17:    0%           0b/0g              0° Slash
Frame  6-15:   [0%]x2     100f/60w            361° Ground-Target-Only
Frame  6-15:   [0%]x2     100f/10w            361° Aerial-Target-Only
Frame 18-19:    5%         90b/10g             80° 2.0-Hitlag Slash
Frame 24-27:    7%       100f/130w             30° 1.2-Hitlag Slash
Max Damage:   12%

Zelda has a great combo game so be creative! There are countless combos you can do based on reaction and reads. I mained Zelda in every game she has appeared in and I still find new combos all the time.

Low percent combos:
(0%-25%~)
Welcome to the land of down tilts and grabs!

Guaranteed:
  1. Jab → Dash Attack
  2. Jab → Grab
  3. Jab → Grab → Down Throw → Nair
  4. Down Tilt → Jab
  5. Down Tilt → Dash Attack
  6. Down Tilt → Grab
  7. Down Tilt → Forward Tilt
  8. Down Tilt → Farore's ladder
  9. Down Tilt → Down Tilt → Down Tilt
  10. Down Tilt → Jab → Grab → Down Throw → Nair
  11. Down Tilt → Jab → Grab → Down Throw → Bair
  12. Up Tilt → Nair
  13. Up Tilt → Nayru's Love
  14. Up Tilt → Farore's ladder
  15. Up Tilt → Up Tilt → Up Tilt (varies by weight)
  16. Up Throw → Nair
  17. Down Throw → Nair
  18. Down Throw → Bair
Not Guaranteed:
  1. Grab → Down Throw → Fast fall Nair → Grab/Repeat
  2. Grab → Down Throw → Nair → Bair/Fair
  3. Grab → Down Throw → Dair → Grab/Repeat
  4. Grab → Down Throw → Nair → Nair → Din's Fire to follow
  5. Grab → Down Throw → Dair → Nayru's Love → Farore's Wind
  6. Grab → Up Throw → Up Tilt → Up Tilt → Neutral Air
  7. Grab → Up Throw → Up Tilt → Up Tilt → Neutral Air → Bair/Fair
  8. Down Tilt → Up Tilt → Forward Tilt → Dash Attack
  9. Down Tilt → Up Tilt → Forward Smash
  10. Down Tilt → Up Tilt → Up Tilt → Forward Smash
  11. Down Tilt → Up Tilt → Up Tilt → Nair → Forward Tilt
  12. Down Tilt → Up Tilt → Jab → Dash Attack
  13. Down Tilt → Up Tilt → Jab → Dash Grab → Down Throw → Up Air
  14. Down Tilt → Up Tilt → Up Tilt → Nair → Up Tilt → Up Air

Medium percent combos:
(45%-85%~)
Farore's Wind is now a threat. Enjoy being feared by your opponents!

Guaranteed:
  1. Down Tilt → Fair
  2. Down Tilt → Nair
  3. Down Throw → Uair
  4. Farore's ladder
Not Guaranteed:
  1. Up Throw → Farore's Wind (Kills early if it hits)
  2. Up Tilt → Uair
  3. Down Tilt → Up Tilt
  4. Nayru's Love → Farore's Wind
  5. Dair (Ground bounce) → Farore's ladder
  6. Dair (Ground bounce) → Uair

High percent Combos:
(90%+)
Focus less on flashy combos at high percents and set up kills quickly.

Guaranteed:
  1. Down Throw → Uair
  2. Down Tilt → Uair
  3. Farore's ladder
Not Guaranteed:
  1. Down Throw → Farore's ladder
  2. Jab → Farore's Wind (Tech-able but otherwise reliable)
  3. Up Throw → Farore's Wind
  4. Up Tilt → Farore's Wind
  5. Down Tilt → Fair
  6. Dair → Uair


B-Reversing / Momentum Shifting:

Amazing option for every character and Zelda is no exception. To do this tech simply use a special attack and immediately press the opposite direction to shift any momentum your character has to that direction. This works best directly after a jump or after being hit. B-reversing is great for spacing attacks or faking an escape to bait in opponents but it can also be used to dodge attacks in the air. Nayru's Love, Din's Fire, and Phantom Slash are all B-reversable.

Video 1: B-Reverse examples | Video 2: C-stick B-Reversing examples
Input::GCB::GCR:,:GCL: (has to be within the first few frames of starting the move)

Teleport Canceling:

Farore's Wind can be ledge canceled. This allows you to teleport to the edge of a stage/platform and instantly cancel all ending frames and act immediately. This is a strong but dangerous tech that can easily cost you a stock if you misplace your teleport. When used correctly, this not only gives you a fast way to get to opponents offstage, it also gives you a great retreating option for spacing and a flashy option to move around stages. On most stages the sweet spot to ledge cancel is a step or two past middle stage. This works on stage, in the air and on shortened Farore's Wind but all have different distances to sweet spot.

Video 1: Teleport cancel examples | Video 2: Practicing teleport cancels
Input: N/A, simply aim for the edge of the stage. If done correctly you should slide off the edge and be able to act immediately. Note where Zelda is standing in the video to give you a general idea of where you need to be to perform this tech.

Pivoting and Shield Boost Grabs:

This is a simple but effective tech that allows you to change directions during a dash. This can also be used to pivot a forward tilt or a forward smash by replacing the grab input with an attack input.

Pivot Input: :GCR:, :GCL::GCA: or :GCL::GCCL: or :GCL::GCY:(Replace Y with whatever your grab button is if it's different)
Shield Boost Input: :GCR:, :GCLT::GCY: (Replace L with whatever your shield button is and Y with whatever your grab button is if they are different)

Squall Boosting:

Farore's Squall is an extremely effective custom in teams. By using the push effect you can extend your partners attack range and catch opponents by surprise. You can freely use it on your partner since this is a non damaging attack also. Farore's Squall basically allows you to mimic DACUS for most of your partners attacks.


Squall Cancel:

Farore's Squall has a frame 1 wind box that allows Zelda to break out of almost any multi-hit attack in the game. By using this wind box you can push opponents away and escape their attack. If you are hit in the process you can also cancel Farore's Squall into other attacks such as a phantom to punish the opponents while they are in ending lag.


Din's Barrage: (Din Cancel)

Any action that causes Zelda to go into hit stun or a bounce effect will allow you to cancel Din's Fire and use multiple Din attacks at once. You can explode up to 3 Din attacks at once, anymore than that will replace the first Din with the one you are currently controlling. However, you can summon as many as you want as long as no more than 3 explode at the same time. It is important to note that you lose control over Din's Fire when doing this, but you can aim it towards a general direction before canceling it.


Roll Cancel Pivot Grab (Magnet Hands):

Unfortunately the range and effectiveness of this tech was lowered in patch 1.04 to the point where it's not much better than a regular pivot grab. To perform this tech input a dash then input a roll in the opposite direction and immediately press A to cancel the roll into a grab. This is basically a pivot grab with extended range. Since this has been hugely nurfed I didn't bother making a video for it.

Input::GCR:, :GCLT::GCL:, :GCA:


I'm too slow:

Nayru's Love (1) | Din's Flare (2) | Farore's Wind (1) | Phantom Strike (3)
  • This set focuses on dealing with Zelda's weakness to quick characters by giving her a faster projectile and a phantom suited for close combat. Phantom Strike covers a large area directly in front of Zelda that can easily punish approaches. This option also removes the blind spot that fast characters can easily get by on the default. Din's Flare is faster and covers a very long range. This allows you to space out the opponent and rack up safe damage.

Don't get hit:

Nayru's Passion (3) | Din's Blaze (3) | Farore's Wind (1) | Phantom Breaker (2)
  • This set focuses on keeping the opponent out of range and under pressure with Din's Blaze and the shield breaking phantom. Nayru's Passion continues to draw in if you B-reverse it offering the longest and safest range out of the 3 Nayru's options. It's also a close range kill option that punishes rolls rather well.

I'm falling but I can't.. Oh nvm:

Nayru's Love (1) | Din's Blaze/Din's Fire (3/1) | Farore's Squall (2) | Phantom Breaker/Phantom Strike (2/3)
  • A support set for doubles when your partner has a lacking recovery (Little Mac for example). Farore's Squall allows you to carry people back on stage without damaging them. You can also use it to push people away offstage for gimps. Phantom Breaker can be a little difficult to use when there are 4 players on the stage but it supplies a large amount of shield pressure. Phantom Strike also works if you need a move to halt approaches without worrying about hitting your partner. Din's custom is a matter of personal preference. Din's Blaze allows you to set up traps for your partner to follow up with while Din's Fire allows you to follow up your partner to land kills.

You use it better:

Nayru's Rejection (2) | Din's Blaze/Din's Fire (3/1) | Farore's Squall/Farore's Wind (2/1) | Phantom Slash (1)
  • Another set for doubles aimed to support a Villager partner. This set uses the phantom's blind spot in front of Zelda to your advantage by shooting it from directly behind your partner to pocket. Nayru's Rejection allows you to potentially turn around opponents to hit each other while still being able to reflect Villager's tree for them to pocket. With Farore's Squall you can push your Villager teammate into opponents while they release a phantom/tree for surprise KOs.
Author
「 Derk 」
Views
2,143
First release
Last update
Rating
4.96 star(s) 56 ratings

Latest updates

  1. Update 2.1

    Added a new video that covers a lot of info on Zelda. Includes: - Options to stop approaches and...
  2. Update 2.0

    Massive update. -Created a website to host the guide. This allowed me to give the entire guide a...
  3. Update 1.3

    -Updated pictures from 3ds version to Wii U version for the moves section. -Added/Updated...

Latest reviews

Fantastic stuff. Packed with info and well presented.

About Din's Barrage: Are there any videos or examples out there of this being used (preferably without Sonic's spring)? And are there any practical uses for it?
Best guide I've seen.
Amazing guide.
Very well written, provides the basic and advanced statistics for Zelda players to understand her strong, "disjoint, punishing reads and potential combo game in addition to a unique campy style".
Will remember this guide!
Amazing! As a Zelda main who is trying to get better, this is extremely helpful! I love how you included videos showing what she is capable of. Villagers beware! ;)
Very good guide, the revelations about ledge cancelling with her up b have lended some much needed speed and versatility to her coming back to stage options. Still needs work on her lightning kick hitboxes and insane lack of approaching
Beautiful guide that covers almost, if not, everything a player needs to know about Zelda.
Moveset rundown, tricks, combos, techniques, even custom builds are included in this well-organized guide. The guide is especially successful at giving an... encouraging tone as it teaches readers about the princess of Hyrule.
A lovely, well-organized guide. Real, strategic applications for each move are right there, without having to hunt around for the good stuff. My only complaint is that I never saw a definition for Farore Elevator or Farore Ladder, and those terms are used frequently throughout the guide.
I read through some of it and I'll definitely book mark it for later (it's too late to be reading now!)

Love the layout and how detailed and straightforward this guide is.

I loved using Zelda for fun in Brawl and I'm somewhat underwhelmed by some of the changes. Found out that she is really good in doubles after playing the past weekend and I may learn her more so I can do well in doubles using her.
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