In this Super Smash Bros. Ultimate Zelda Guide, we will guide you on how to play if you choose Zelda as your character of choice in a fight. We will highlight all the moves that are specific to Zelda, plus her defending moves, special moves and her final smash. In addition, this guide will also give you a better understanding of her moves, for if you find yourself fighting against Zelda.

This guide will focus on Zelda’s attacks like neutral attacks, special attacks, and grounded attacks. We will also detailed the amount of damage each attack deals to an opponent. In the end, we will finish off with what her final smash looks like and what it does to your foe.

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate Zelda Guide

Below we have listed all the attacks that are specific and special to Zelda. Refer to each attack for a better understanding of how Zelda combats in the stage.

Introduction

Zelda who is the princess of Hyrule legend comes equipped as a zoning counterpuncher. She has got many attacks that have a good range, powerful sweet spots at the tip and variable aim.

Zelda’s moves favor hit and run, keep away-oriented style. Her forward and back attacks deals insane damage and knockback for aerial attacks, but that is only when your timing is perfect.

This is where her weakness lies, as her attacks require higher than normal precision to deal damage. Plus they are also relatively slow, and floaty with speed compared to many other agile fighters in the game.

Grounded Attacks

This section of the guide contains all the grounded attacks that Zelda can perform while on the stage.

Neural Attacks

Zelda has 2 neutral attacks. The first one deals 2.5×2 damage, while the second one deals 0.2×8, 3 damage. Zelda’s jabs are straight and aren’t fast nor slow, while focusing just in the middle.

If you hold the attack button on the first neutral attack, a rapid fire series of weak hits will be what Zelda will produce, followed by a straight jab that will knock victims low and away. In the second neutral attack, the more buttons you press, the more low damage jabs Zelda will produce as well.

Smashes

Zelda has three smash attacks.

Side Smash

This attack deals 1×4, 13 & 1.4×4, 18.2 damage, where Zelda extends both her arms and creates a multi-hit swirl of energy in front of her hands. After several weaker hits, a powerful final blow ejects victims out of her grasp.

This attack does not require aiming, as it just is a front attack, however just a little bit slowed than the side tilt.

Up Smash

This attack deals 2×4, 0.8×2, 5-2.8×4, 1.1×2, 7 damage, where Zelda conjures a shower of sparks directly above her head, holding enemies who get caught within for several hits. This attack is a reliable option for warding off jumping enemies and for batting tumbling targets back up.

Zelda is punishable if a standing enemy blocks properly against up smash, holding their shield up until after the very last hit. But they might drop shield early, eager to strike back, which makes later hits catch them

Down Smash

This attack deals 12 front, 10 back and 16.8 front, 14 back, where Zelda sweeps to both sides with a quick kick, first hitting directly in front with the same speed as down tilt before spinning to kick behind. The front kick deals slightly more damage than the backward attack that is followed up.

Defensive Attacks

Zelda has two Defensive Attacks. The Ledge attack deals 9 damage, while the Wake-up Attack deals 7 damage.

Tilts

Zelda has three Tilt Attacks.

Side Tilt

This attack deals 12 damage, where Zelda attacks with an arm slash in front. This is relatively slow for a Side Tilt, and is almost like a Side Smash with above average speed. However, it can be aimed up or down angling the control stick a bit during execution.

Zelda is at a big disadvantage after this move is shielded, but if you aim to hit with the sweet spot at the tip, a blocking enemy who goes for a grab or neutral attack out-of-shield will whiff, because Zelda is too far away

Up Tilt

This attack deals 7.2 damage, where Zelda sweeps in a rainbow arc front to back, covering three angles. The attack begins with the direction being at the front, followed by a sweep in the upward direction, and ending with her arm hitting straight back. This attack is not fast, but it’s a nice bonus.

When hit by this attack, enemies are popped up into a juggle vulnerable position above. At low percentages, Zelda can then follow up with a combo two or three up tilts in a row, before going for jumping attacks. This attack is also ideal for swinging at airborne foes above, whether as anti-air or to keep a juggle going.

Down Tilt

This attack deals 5.5 damage, where Zelda produces a low kick that reaches forward a bit, though not quite as far as her neutral attack. She crouches down during the move, which can also help in avoiding incoming attacks, while also being a fast tilt attack, just shy of the speed of her neutral attack.

Grabs

Zelda has 4 grab attacks. The first is the Grab attack that deals 1.3 damage. Next are the Fron and Back throws which deal damage 10 and 12 respectively. The other attacks are the Up throw that deals 11 damage, and lastly the Down throw deals 1.5×4, 2 damage that bounces foes into potential juggle position behind Zelda.

Aerial Attacks

This section of the guide will cover all the Aerial attacks that Zelda has.

Neutral Air Attack

This attack deals 2.5×4, 5 where Zelda twirls quickly in midair, arms hitting on both sides. This attack lasts a long time, and you can safely stick out to neutral air attack right above enemies, then fast fall into them or leap upward toward other jumpers.

Forward Air Attack

This attach deals 20 damage, where Zelda sticks her leg out in a precise frontal jump kick. The sweet spot at the very tip of the kick right upon activation can deal a whopping 20% damage with a heavy knockback. However, you are limited to being precise with accuracy, otherwise the damage rates are only between 4% and 8%.

Forward air attack has a lot of lag after use, so it doesn’t lend itself well to low-altitude attacks, like during short hops or as a jump-in from higher altitudes. It also doesn’t work for “walling” strategies some fighters employ, jumping up and down while sticking out a high-priority forward air or back air over and over again. But if you can aim well on air-to-air hits, this move has tremendous damage and KO potential.

Back Air Attack

This attack deals 20 damage, where Back air attack is just like forward air, only aimed behind Zelda. It hits with the same speed, so there’s no timing penalty for aiming the kick backward. This move also has a hugely damaging sweet spot at the tip, right when the kick begins. Deeper or later hits with this kick deal only 4% damage. Just like forward air attack, this has a lot of end lag in midair, and landing lag if used near the ground.

Up Air Attack

This attack deals 17 damage, where Zelda aims upward with a magical flaming blast. This is kind of like using a jumping smash attack in terms of speed. The hitbox is well above Zelda in midair, beyond where she points her upstretched arm. Anyone hit by this takes severe damage while being popped upward, vulnerable to more attacks.

If you catch an airborne enemy low to the ground with up air while descending, you can usually jump immediately upon landing and hit them again before they can recover, a devastating two-hit combo! However, since Zelda’s reach is so high above, it’s not suited for using last-moment before landing against standing enemies, unlike some up air attacks.

Down Air Attack

This attack deals 16 damage, where Zelda aims downward with a powerful stomp, hitting in about the time it takes for up air to hit upward. Down air attack is much more lenient for aim, though, since her kick persists as a hitbox for a sixth of a second, instead of the eyeblink explosion of up air.

Special Moves

Zelda has 4 special moves. All of them are detailed below.

Neutral Special – Nayru’s Love

This attack deals 2×3,5 damage where Zelda spins in place, surrounded by a temporary crystal shield. The spinning crystals serve as an attack, hitting to both sides with speed the same as a fast smash attack, shredding anyone for several hits on the ground or air. In addition, during this move, if any projectile is directed at Zelda gets redirected to her challengers instead.

Side Special – Din’s Fire

This attack deals 3.5 – 14 damage where Zelda casts a magical fireball that drifts forward as long as you hold the input. While holding the input, the fire grows in strength, and can be curved up or down with the control stick. However, when you release the input, Din’s Fire swells and explodes, creating a local hitbox wherever it is detonated.

Up Special – Farore’s Wind

This attack deals 6, 12 or 10 on the damage where Zelda twirls and vanishes, warping quickly to a new location in any direction. There is a brief hitbox both when she disappears and when she reappears.

The initial spin and vanish hit is quick, slightly slower than down tilt or down smash. The reappearance hit is a half-second later. Opponents standing nearby (or hovering just above in midair) during Farore’s Wind’s vanishing hit are launched high in the air. It’s possible for this launching hit to combo into the reappearance, if you warp at an upward angle to hit their body, but it’s unlikely (this works best if they’re positioned around Zelda’s head when she launches them and vanishes)

Down Special – Phantom Slash

There are many attacks where the damages range between 4.7 to 14.1, and in this attack, Zelda summons a phantom set of mystic armor, which constructs itself piece by piece right behind her. Once completed, the armor strikes two seconds after the move is initiated.

The knight is fully assembled before a second has elapsed (a third of a second before Zelda can act normally, if you don’t trigger a premature swing), so you don’t have to wait the full two seconds for the knight’s full-power swing.

Here are the damage numbers when the armor is with each upgrade:

No gauntlets: Short range kick with 4.7 damage
Gauntlets without sword: Short range punch with 6.6 damage
Sword without chest piece: Short range sword slash with 8.5 damage
Sword with chest piece: Midrange sword chop with 11.3 damage
Chest piece and shield: Midrange sword chop with 12.2 damage
Helmet: Long range upward sweeping sword with 14.1 damage

Final Smash – Triforce of Wisdom

With the energy from a Smash Ball, Zelda is capable of unleashing the power of the legendary Triforce. The Triforce appears before her like a huge icon, repeatedly damaging anyone nearby inside a big radius. Opponents who have extremely high damage (over 100%) are KO’d by the Triforce outright.

For other characters, check out our Super Smash Bros. Ultimate Characters Guide.

Read more Super Smash Bros. Ultimate Guides.

This concludes our Super Smash Bros. Ultimate Zelda Guide. If you want to add anything to this guide, feel free to use the comments section below.

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate Zelda Guide – How to Play, Attack Moves

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate Zelda Guide