Zelda's Moveset Speculation

[Kenith]

All of Zelda's screens right now are super mysterious. It's impossible to tell what she's doing in any of them. It probably best to wait and see if Sakurai formally reveals the Phantom as an AT or shows Zelda using her attacks.

 

[Protom]

Similar to how the days following Rosalina reveal we're about Rosalina and her moveset, I expect something similar to happen tommorow and Monday/Tuesday next week.

 

[XTheElegantShadowX]

Even gamefaqs realizes that it's extremely likely that it's possibly an assist trophy. lol

So we shouldn't all jump on the moveset change bandwagon. Yet. (It's probably slower then Luma anyway. lol) Wait till we get more footage or Sakurai confirms it.

Eh, I agree, I suppose. It would be awesome, however, if Zelda did get a Luma-esque Assistant to aid her in battle, though.

 

[Kenith]

Similar to how the days following Rosalina reveal we're about Rosalina and her moveset, I expect something similar to happen tommorow and Monday/Tuesday next week.

Though Rosalina had very action-y screenshots and a video of her gameplay to work with. Zelda's just in a bunch of random poses, but then WHOA PHANTOM.

 

[TumblrFamous]

See? It's basically redundant to speculate the moveset. It's so vague on the website, there are barely any moves except the one that is super duper vague.... I'll wait until Sakurai talks.

 

[TheTuninator]

The knight's definitely an assist trophy. Zelda does the same animation in two screenshots, and in one he's clearly not present.

The stance would make sense as her channeling animation for Din's Fire, no? I think that's it.

 

[Moon Monkey]

Just to play devils advocate, her the phantom could be her move and just be out of range of the picture.
Or the Phantom was recently destroyed/summoned and Zelda is doing the animation without anything happening.
Kind of like what happens when you try to throw another boomerang after initially throwing one with Link.

But at this point I'm fairly certain its an assist trophy.

 

[SmashShadow]

The main reason why I don't think the Phantom is an assist trophy is TP style he's in. With us having Toon Link already, why wouldn't the Phantom also be in that style. Compare this

to this

 

[Altais]

Like previous posters said, I really think the Phantom Knight is an Assist Trophy. Plus, Zelda has the same exact animation in two different photos, one of which lacks the Phantom Knight--ergo, logic dictates that the Phantom Knight is most likely not an attack. As to Zelda's animation in the photo, I really think that is a grab animation (if so, then it is much better than the grab animation she had in Melee and Brawl). Or it could be her jab animation.

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If you observe her closely, she is reaching out and leaning forward. To me, that signifies a grab attempt more than anything else.

Anyhow, I really hope they do not change any of Zelda's moves. In that regard, she was fine just the way she was. [Shrugs] Or so I think.

 

[Bowserlick]

I say Zelda keeps her transformation. It is her iconic Smash mechanic.

If the Phantom is in fact a special move, Nayru's love could be regulated as a neutral A attack for the ground and air.

 

[extremechiton]

That reaching out animation could also be her taunt, returing from brawl.
I doubt its a jab or grab due to lack of magic sparkley effects.

 

[Ryan.]

It seems like the most popular opinions are that its her down special or its an assist trophy, but we haven't seen any of her other specials yet so who knows. I'd like to see Din's Fire return though, as well as Up B and B.

 

[Spire]

The truth is, Nayru's Love, Farore's Wind, Din's Fire, and the Sheik Transformation are moves inspired by Ocarina of Time. The majority of Zelda's incarnations in The Legend of Zelda have appeared since Ocarina of Time. Besides the Bow of Light (WW/TP), basing her entire moveset on that game is ignoring most of her lineage. I am very happy to see an amendment with the Spirit Tracks reference and look forward to more contemporary references. I don't think the three Goddess Spells should be cut as they're equally unique and useful, but incorporating as many traits from as many Zelda incarnations as possible would be prime. Spirit Tracks Zelda is necessary in representation: no other LoZ permitted such extensive control of the Princess besides that one CD-i game. Skyward Sword Zelda could easily lend the harp as a taunt.

Also: with Zelda obtaining the Phantom as part of her moveset, chances for Toon Zelda appearing drop immensely. Because it also stirs confusion about Sheik, Impa's chances actually increase. I wrote Impa off long ago thinking her inclusion nigh impossible, and while I wouldn't say she has an advantage over Sheik yet, they're definitely starting to even out. This is too exciting!

The Phantom would not be an Assist Trophy. For the stated reasons, its toon appearance has been updated to fit the TP aesthetic (unlike Toon Link) and frankly, we've seen only a handful of Assist Trophies so far with the first being freakin' Skull Kid. Two LoZ ATs in one month? Yeah right. The Phantom is an integral part of Zelda's legacy thanks to Spirit Tracks and those denying its inclusion in her moveset are simply in denial because they don't want to face the possibility of Sheik getting cut. The truth is, the Phantom could be mapped to just about any attack, so don't worry yet. Sheik and the Phantom are both parts of Zelda's identity so why not include both?

 

[The Real Gamer]

Nah... I'm pretty sure that's Din's Fire.
While Zelda did use that animation when transforming, it was near the end when light surrounds her. Since there's no light arround her in that photo, I highly doubt that's her down B.

If that's Din's Fire then why would Sheik share the exact same pose?

 

[Spire]

Because they're the same person? Gollie.

The Phantom really doesn't diminish Sheik's returning chances. While they may have slipped a bit, there is no reason to write Sheik off yet. We've seen a grand total of one distinct attack, maybe two or three in vague mid-animation screens. We simply have not enough evidence to argue between the Phantom and Sheik. They can co-exist in the same moveset. That said, Sheik's chances have slipped very slightly—not enough to be worried, but slightly. If Zelda's moveset remains identical to Brawl with the Phantom addition, it could become her new down special.

Impa's chances only rise when Sheik's fall. I mean, Sakurai could include both if he wanted, but that seems asinine. As an Impa supported, I'm excited about her slight boost in potential with this Phantom reveal (which I also wanted included as part of Zelda's moveset), so as far as my personal interests go, it's a win-win.

Just remember, Sheik and The Phantom are important aspects of Zelda's legacy. As such, they can both be included in her moveset.

ALSO! Considering the discrepancy between her "grab animation" and the summoning of the Phantom, might it be likely the Phantom is incorporated into her throws? In Spirit Tracks you controlled the Phantom remotely from Link. The Phantoms also appear and vanish in a cloud of smoke, so summoning them from the ether would fit into quick sequences. Considering the distance between Zelda and the Phantom in the one screenshot, if this is a throw, wherein the Phantom slashes the opponent, then the remote control could be a reference to the distance between Link and Phantom Zelda in ST.

 

[ToothiestAura]

We shouldn't rule out the possibility that it's a new Final Smash.

 

[The Real Gamer]

Because they're the same person? Gollie.

So you really think Sakurai would tease us Sheik fans by snapping a pic of Zelda in the exact same pose as Sheik just for the hell of it?

If Sheik ends up not making the roster it would be the biggest kick in the nuts in nut smashing (see what I did there?) history.

 

[Mega Bidoof]

This is a very good point.

For those that don't know, the specific phantom in the screenshot only appears in Phantom Hourglass and Spirit Tracks.
Both of those games feature the "Toon" art style so it wouldn't make much sense for them to take an assist trophy from Toon Links game and give it the Twilight Princess aesthetic.

But you see, it doesn't really HAVE a TP aesthetic.
It still kind of has that "Toon" feel to it.

It could easily be an assist trophy, it seems pretty awkward and possibly OP to have Zelda summon a hug soldier to slash a huge sword.

 

[Spire]

It has relative Toon proportions to keep identification sound (changing it too much could blur the line between Phantom and Darknut), but the textural aesthetic matches the TP modality seen with Zelda and Link more than Toon Link's style.

I think it's safe to say the Phantom is an actual hybrid of represented styles in the Zeldaverse, converse of the incorrect assessment of Link ca. E3 2013, wherein many people argued he was a hybrid of Twilight Princess and Skyward Sword Link. Finally sense has sunk in and most have reformed, recognizing that he is an HD update to TP Link only, retaining zero attributes of SS Link. This Phantom borrows the toon anatomy from its PH/ST origins while adopting a more refined TP-inspired textural style. It's a true hybrid, which makes sense considering our Zelda is TP-inspired, but the move is ST-inspired (and by that leaf, I'd say Toon Zelda is deconfirmed).

 

[Bowserlick]

Could the Phantom be a Forward Smash?

Zelda manifests the golem in front of her and it swings its blade before disappearing. The Phantom could absorb attacks. This adds to Zelda's defensive and offensive game.

The multiple-hitting moves should be left for Sheik. Zelda needs more single hard hitting blows like her forward and backward air.

 

[extremechiton]

We shouldn't rule out the possibility that it's a new Final Smash.

lack of rainbow glowing states that its not a final smash.
the clips of samus and wft trainer using thier final smash showed them glowing in a raibow hue.

 

[ZelDan]

The SSB4 phantom knight's legs are still much smaller in proportion to the rest of his body, which isn't exactly realistic.

That and the knight's armor and shield in SSb4 still seem to have the same art as in previous Zelda games.

Still looks very toon-ish to me.

 

[ToothiestAura]

lack of rainbow glowing states that its not a final smash.
the clips of samus and wft trainer using thier final smash showed them glowing in a raibow hue.

Er, the rainbow glow usually goes away after you hit B. It could be like a summon FS. Doubtful, yes, I know.
Still the most likely option is that it's an AT.

 

[TheTuninator]

That does look like the Din's Fire animation. Interesting.

 

[Dreamking]

Earlier I thought about Toon Zelda being playable and having two transformations, both being chosen through Down B. Toon Zelda would play like the regular Zelda. The first transformation would be Tetra who would be a quick character like Sheik and Phantom would be a slow power character. The order would be Zelda, Tetra, and then Phantom.

 

[XTheElegantShadowX]

Earlier I thought about Toon Zelda being playable and having two transformations, both being chosen through Down B. Toon Zelda would play like the regular Zelda. The first transformation would be Tetra who would be a quick character like Sheik and Phantom would be a slow power character. The order would be Zelda, Tetra, and then Phantom.

I'm sure that a certain Pokemon Trainer wouldn't be upset over a toony princess stealing his shtick.

Though, while I do like this idea, it seems very unlikely to happen. :I

 

[8-peacock-8]

Er, the rainbow glow usually goes away after you hit B. It could be like a summon FS. Doubtful, yes, I know.
Still the most likely option is that it's an AT.

It only goes away if the character transforms. And even then it's debatable since Yoshi still glowed when using his FS.

 

[extremechiton]

yoshi didnt really transform, he just grew wings

 

[Luthien]

As vague as most of Zelda's poses seem to be, I hope most of us can agree that this is Nayru's Love:

I can understand possibly thinking that this might be her f-tilt, but based on the pose I'm pretty sure this is the very early formation of the reflective diamond-shell-thing.

 

[XTheElegantShadowX]

As vague as most of Zelda's poses seem to be, I hope most of us can agree that this is Nayru's Love:

I can understand possibly thinking that this might be her f-tilt, but based on the pose I'm pretty sure this is the very early formation of the reflective diamond-shell-thing.

Hmm... Now that you mention it, I do see a slightly blue-tinted diamond shape in the area around Zelda.

 

[ToothiestAura]

It only goes away if the character transforms. And even then it's debatable since Yoshi still glowed when using his FS.

It goes away on Pit's FS, which is the only summon FS. Like this would be, but it really doesn't matter.

 

[Vann Accessible]

Well it's tomorrow now. Let's see what Miiverse had to say about Phantom Knight.

http://smashbros-miiverse.com/items

No Phantom Knight appearance as an assist trophy. Okay.

http://smashbros-miiverse.com/characters/zelda

And no reveal of any of Zelda's specials.

So..... process of elimination. Maybe Phantom Knight replaced her forward smash?

Come to think of it, Zelda does have a pretty generic set of A moves. This could spice her up a bit.

 

[ぱみゅ]

With that logic it would be safe to assume every tilt of hers is now Phantom Knight.
None of them has been revealed.

 

[SilverRaiden]

i dont think its an assist trophy. none of the other screen shots have anything like an item or assist trophy show casing them. plus, the phantom knight seems to be the highlight of the picture so im guessing that its a new move. itd be kind of stupid for them to showcase zelda using an item. although i do doubt it having a similar usage as rosalina and luma, seeing as there are very few pictures of the phantom knight. its probably one of the specials like maybe down-B

 

[Fuujin]

Hmm... Now that you mention it, I do see a slightly blue-tinted diamond shape in the area around Zelda.

now waiT...

Am I the only other one that sees this?

Nayru's love confirmed?

 

[TheTuninator]

Well it's tomorrow now. Let's see what Miiverse had to say about Phantom Knight.

http://smashbros-miiverse.com/items

No Phantom Knight appearance as an assist trophy. Okay.

http://smashbros-miiverse.com/characters/zelda

And no reveal of any of Zelda's specials.

So..... process of elimination. Maybe Phantom Knight replaced her forward smash?

Come to think of it, Zelda does have a pretty generic set of A moves. This could spice her up a bit.

That site's not official.

now waiT...

Am I the only other one that sees this?

Nayru's love confirmed?

Yeah, that does look like both a Naryu's Love aftereffect and the Naryu's Love cast animation.

 

[Luthien]

Hmm... Now that you mention it, I do see a slightly blue-tinted diamond shape in the area around Zelda.

Oh good, I'm not crazy. I wasn't sure if it was my eyes being tricked by a waterfall off of the floating island in the background in the top right, but I definitely do see a light blue tint as well.

So, excellent! At least we got one picture that we won't have to argue about possibly being Zelda's transform for the next few months.

I do hope they'll be more forthcoming with Zelda pictures now than they were when Brawl was coming out. I remember weeks at a time passing between posts featuring her back when the Brawl dojo was updated daily.

 

[<π]

HAD~ to post.

I think rosealina is getting a lot of the "magical" spells as normal attacks. I think the we'll see some changes.

I wonder if this will be a new smash attack that happens independant of zelda. she summons it and then as it attacks she is free to move around while it finishes its swing. I think it'd be a cool alternative to the multihit smashes that she's had in previous games that will let her be the power house she is supposed to be. Hopefully it will get cleared up soon.

 

[Mocha]

now waiT...

Am I the only other one that sees this?

Nayru's love confirmed?

That definitely looks like Nayru's Love to me. Sakurai simply decided to troll us with a very early casting animation to leave us wondering. Tsk tsk Sakurai.

Her other pics do not show enough of her potential moveset. One shows her hanging on the edge with Rosalina behind her. The other shows her landing on the ground next to Link. She has at least two idle pictures too, where she's simply standing still. And she has one where it 'looks' like she's about to Transform, but we are uncertain.

The argument about her being to summon or not - we don't have enough of anything at this point. While I like the idea, guys, go try this sometime. Go to Brawl, turn on assist trophies, and have Zelda grab a trophy. As soon as she releases the assist trophy, pause, and observe her animation. If I remember correctly, she should point her finger/gesture for the trophy to attack, kinda like PT does with his Pokemon. Now, how does the animation compared to that of her in Smash 4 with the Phantom?

 

[KuroganeHammer]

It's similar but Zelda looks very angry now.