Link

Link (リンク, Link) is a playable character in Super Smash Bros. 4. His return to the series was confirmed on August 23rd, 2018 during the E8 2018 Nintendo Direct. Additionally, he was also among the first wave of amiibo that are compatible with SSB All Stars. Akira Sasanuma reprises his role as Link's voice actor, albeit via voice clips recycled from The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess.

Link is currently ranked 39th out of 58 on the tier list, placing him in the D tier and making him the second lowest ranked mid-tier character. This is a vast improvement from his bottom-tier placement in Brawl, where he was ranked 35th out of 38. Link possesses multiple projectiles in the form of his Hero's Bow, Gale Boomerang and Bomb, each of which serve as great tools for combos, camping, gimping, and disrupting approaches. Aside from his projectiles, Link's Master Sword grants him disjointed range and above average power.

In addition to his retained strengths, his recovery has been greatly buffed from Brawl, thanks to Spin Attack and Clawshot covering noticeably more distance, and Bomb's shorter fuse improving its recovery potential. As a heavyweight, his respectable durability allows him to take advantage of the rage mechanic introduced in SSB4, which further bolsters his already powerful attacks.

However, Link remains held back by his relatively sluggish frame data. He has moves that are quite easily punishable if they are whiffed, while his heavy weight and slow mobility without super glide tossing render him vulnerable to combos, especially from the fast, rushdown-oriented characters that are prevalent in the metagame. Despite Link's new assets, several of his fellow veterans gained more significant buffs, which downplays the effects that his own buffs grant him in competitive play.

While Link's early tournament results were mediocre at best, he has managed to attain a dedicated playerbase that consists of professionals such as Izaw, Scizor, SOVA Unknown and T, who have managed to achieve top 8 and 16 placements more frequently, even at the national level. One notable example includes T placing 3rd at 2GGC: Civil War, which was one of the most competitive SSB4 tournaments in the world. As a result, Link's tier placement is quite debatable.