Great Palace

GREAT PALACE

Zelda II: The Adventure of Link has long been considered the black sheep of the Zelda franchise. Most especially standing out from the crowd is each dungeon being set in a more sidescrolling format rather than the normal top-down layout most expect from a 2D Zelda game.

This stage will be an amalgamation of those sidescrolling dungeons, though named after one of the last of them. It will have two main sections, the palace entrance at the top with walkoffs on either side, and an elevator taking players down to a large underground maze full of lava for KOs down there.

Potential theme: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B2zxGm4cUB4

Dark Link

DARK LINK

Though his minions will be an active part of the story, trying to resurrect him, Ganon would not end up appearing in this game. Instead, your final boss will come from the most unexpected of places: yourself. A shadow would rise, taking on your shape and attacking you with all the weapons and skills you had picked up throughout the game.

This is Dark Link, a recurring motif throughout the series. Mostly presented as simply a mirror version of Link who would fight him with all the same abilities the player has, this character would be an easy echo fighter, were it not for his appearance in Four Swords Adventures, where he acted as a henchman to the villain Vaati, with a few distinct moves of his own.

As a fighter, Dark Link will be a near-clone of Link, with all the same stats across the board and most of his moveset copied one to one. The only major differences will be brought over from Four Swords Adventures, shaking him up just a little bit.

Likelihood rating: Already in (kind of).

Thunderbird

THUNDERBIRD

The Legend of Zelda proved a huge success with audiences who loved the openness and freedom to explore the world at their leisure. Soon, a sequel was put into development and released as Zelda II: The Adventure of Link. This game starred the same Link, setting out this time to collect the pieces of the legendary triforce in order to awaken a . . . different Zelda, who had been asleep for several decades. Along the way, he would encounter many familiar enemies and many new faces, including strange bird people with electricity-based powers.

These are the Fokka, Fokkeru, and Thunderbirds. Though technically different, they all share distinct similarities in their appearances and abilities, with the Thunderbird just being a big boss version of them. These enemies would not appear again throughout the franchise, except in a few promotional materials released around the era.

As fighters, they will be quick with shocking attacks that paralyze and wings that allow them to be light and flighty. Their moveset will pull from all three different enemy types.

Likelihood rating: Never gonna happen.

Dodongo

DODONGO

Working your way through the dungeons, you will eventually find your way to the final room, where the boss waits to fight you. The first of these ever fought was a giant lizard-creature that likes to crawl around on its belly and breathe fire.

These are the Dodongos. They often vary between being bosses and regular enemies, the bosses sometimes going by “King Dodongo.” They are often nearly impenetrable, forcing you to use your bombs to blow them up from the inside.

As fighters, Dodongos will be large and slow, but with a lot of power behind them. Their moveset will pull from all of their appearances across the series, including their fire breath, their rolling attacks, and their suction abilities.

Likelihood rating: Piranha Plant clause.

Goriya

GORIYA

Alongside Stalfos, one might also find inside the dungeons strange wolf-like fighters wielding boomerangs.

These are the Goriyas, another set of enemies seen almost exclusively inside the 2D games. They primarily play the role of the boomerang-throwing enemies, but in the animated television series, they did play a prominent role as minions to Ganon, alongside Moblins and Stalfos.

While the boomerang was not enough to get them a playable moveset from the games alone, they played a large enough role in the series alongside enemies that already had movesets, that I’m comfortable enough for their moveset to pull as well from the unique elements used by enemies in that series. They will be agile and strong fighters, befitting their lupine nature.

Likelihood rating: Probably not.

Armos

ARMOS

Another common foe frequently seen in the overworld might take you by surprise. Here and there you will approach what looks like an ordinary statue, only for it to come to life and start tromping after you.

These are the Armos, the most prominent of several enemy types built around the concept of an inanimate object brought to life, such as their laser-blasting relative, the Beamos. Although rarely a major part of the series, no Zelda game would ever really feel complete without them.

More or less our Thwomp of this roster, Armos will be big and heavy and slow, with somewhat limited mobility. Their abilities will pull from across the series, including the abilities demonstrated by Armos themselves as well as those like them, such as Beamos and the statues controlled by the dominion rod.

Likelihood rating: Probably not.

Old Man

OLD MAN

Though your enemies might cause you trouble, taking them out leaves you free to explore once again. One of the first rewards for your efforts is the discovery of a cave hidden beneath a tree.

Hidden inside this cave, you will find an old man presenting you with a weapon and telling you, “It’s dangerous to go alone, take this.” This old man would recur time and time again throughout the first game and into the second game, with more named individuals such as Sahasrahla and King Rhoam acting as references to the character in years to come.

As a fighter, he will be slow and lacking in power, being a bit less on the fighter side, but his moveset will pull from all of the various weapons he supplies Link with, specifically those distinctly unique to the games he appears in. He will also make use of the shovel he dug the place with.

Likelihood rating: Never gonna happen.

Character Sheet: Ganon's Heart

GANON'S HEART

Alright, so we did have one more semi-big character list in us. Let's get into it! This is all characters I could pull out originating from the Legend of Zelda manga, or were given just enough of a boost by the manga to make it into our rankings. They are:

1. Maple

2. Jolene

3. Ricky

4. Captain Stalfos

5. Manga Link

6. Riruto

7. Manga Zelda

8. Raska

9. Tou

10. Ghanti

11. Gonza

12. Kala

13. Captain Arjuna

14. Sir Raven

15. Biri

16. Com

17. Gump

18. Shemlon

19. Rouro

20. Ganon's Minion

21. Ganon's Heart

22. Ganos

23. Haggis

So, in the Mishouzaki manga, Ganon was portrayed as a nearly all-powerful demon unleashed into the world when a human and an elf decided to . . . have intercourse. Alright then. After finally being defeated by Link, the offspring of said blasphemous relationship, a new avatar was created in the sequel, patterning its appearance upon Link, to seek a new way to return to the world. This didn't really have a name, but at one point, it referred to itself as Ganon's heart, so that's what I'm going with.

This avatar could extend its arms, Mr. Fantastic-style, absorb attacks, disappear and teleport, open its mouth wide to eat people, and it stole Link's big old wedge-shaped White Sword. Then there was the big all-powerful demon form that looked like a big cloud with a pig's head (Calamity Ganon before Calamity Ganon was a think), and everything that came with that. I think we can work with all of that.

Here's the moveset I came up with:

Standard B: Extending Grab

The heart will extend its hands out across the stage to grab an opponent and pull them toward it, opening its mouth wide to eat them.

Side B: White Sword

The heart will swing Link's White Sword forward and smash it down, dealing heavy damage and launching opponents.

Up B: Teleport

The heart will disappear into shadow and reappear somewhere else, avoiding damage in the process.

Down B: Absorb

A sort of shielding move, it will turn into a liquid if pressed as an attack lands, completely absorbing the energy put into the attack, which can then be added to the heart's next attack.

Final Smash: Demon Ganon

It will transform back into its full demonic form, filling the stage with shadow and then impaling all fighters on the demon's large tusks.

Entrance: Shadow will form and harden into its avatar.

Taunts: Up, Demon Ganon's head will appear and swirl around its heart. Side, it will heft the White Sword and swing it around. Down, it will turn shadowy with glowing eyes and become more of a blob.

Thanks for reading! Next up, a version of Ganon made by someone who I don't think looked at the character's sprite very hard.

Character Sheet: Ganon's Minion

GANON'S MINION

Alright, so we did have one more semi-big character list in us. Let's get into it! This is all characters I could pull out originating from the Legend of Zelda manga, or were given just enough of a boost by the manga to make it into our rankings. They are:

1. Maple

2. Jolene

3. Ricky

4. Captain Stalfos

5. Manga Link

6. Riruto

7. Manga Zelda

8. Raska

9. Tou

10. Ghanti

11. Gonza

12. Kala

13. Captain Arjuna

14. Sir Raven

15. Biri

16. Com

17. Gump

18. Shemlon

19. Rouro

20. Ganon's Minion

21. Ganon's Heart

22. Ganos

23. Haggis

Okay, so this one's . . . a little bit weird too. So, in the Ran Maru adaptation, Ganon was defeated in the first comic. Naturally, following the first game. Then the second game had a bunch of Ganon's followers who were trying to resurrect him. The manga gave them a leader in the form of this mysterious masked man. Then, in short order, we come to learn that he was the magician that cursed the sleeping Zelda from said game. Then, we also learn that he is Ganon before he became Ganon and is doomed to become him. Wibbly wobbly timey-wimey stuff. And then Ganon kills him so that he can be reborn . . . I don't . . . it's . . . weird, but kinda cool at the same time.

In the manga, Ganon's Minion can teleport and disappear, whip up a storm, shock and burn and fire off magic blasts, fly, and shapeshift. There's also a notably gruesome scene where Ganon's hand bursts from his chest and grabs at our heroes. All plenty of good stuff to work with. And I suppose I should add in that sleeping spell too. Seems marginally important to the plot.

Here's the moveset I came up with:

Standard B: Magic Blast

He will fire off a powerful blast of magic from his hands, launching enemies that it hits.

Side B: Ganon's Hand

Ganon's skeletal hand will burst from his chest, grabbing at any players in front of him and tossing them away.

Up B: Flight

He will spread his cloak and levitate into the air on dark magic.

Down B: Sleeping Curse

He will cast a sleeping curse that will put any player it hits to sleep for an extended period of time.

Final Smash: Ganon's Rebirth

An altar will appear before him and he will chant, making his sacrifice to Ganon as the dark lord bursts from his body and spreads damaging dark magic everywhere.

Entrance: He will be chanting at his altar.

Taunts: Up, he will fix his mask to make sure it's in place. Side, he will wave his hands over his altar and chant for a moment. Down, he will bow his head and kneel in reverence.

Thanks for reading! Next up, a combination of Dark Link and Ganon from that one really weird comic.

Character Sheet: Shemlon

SHEMLON

Alright, so we did have one more semi-big character list in us. Let's get into it! This is all characters I could pull out originating from the Legend of Zelda manga, or were given just enough of a boost by the manga to make it into our rankings. They are:

1. Maple

2. Jolene

3. Ricky

4. Captain Stalfos

5. Manga Link

6. Riruto

7. Manga Zelda

8. Raska

9. Tou

10. Ghanti

11. Gonza

12. Kala

13. Captain Arjuna

14. Sir Raven

15. Biri

16. Com

17. Gump

18. Shemlon

19. Rouro

20. Ganon's Minion

21. Ganon's Heart

22. Ganos

23. Haggis

Same disclaimer as I made for Gump, this character's name's spelling is my best guess at it. Shemlon appeared in Ran Maru's adaptation of Zelda II, and unlike so many other characters, he survived the story. Dude was even a big lovable heartwarming character, who had a great loving relationship with his kid, and had a mentor relationship of sorts with Link. The signs were all there, I don't know what happened. He's a blacksmith from a local village and the father of the little boy Link had to rescue from the woods, who then helps Link defend the village from enemy attack.

As a blacksmith, he, of course, has all the implements one would expect from that, all the hot molten steel and bellows and everything. He also knows a little magic that he can use to enchant the weapons he forges to give them more power. He's also no slouch in using them himself, in slashing and reflecting attacks. I think there's enough here.

Here's the moveset I came up with:

Standard B: Weapon Enchantment

He will cast a spell on any item he holds in his hands, giving it just a slight boost to its attack or use.

Side B: Molten Steel

He will tip over his forge and spill hot molten steel that will deal heavy burns to anyone it touches.

Up B: Bellows

He will use a bellows pointed at the ground to propel himself up into the air slightly while blowing down anyone underneath him.

Down B: Reflect

He will hold out his enchanted sword which will project a shielding spell before him that will reflect all projectiles back the way they came.

Final Smash: The Townsfolk

He will lead a crowd of townspeople, all equipped with magic weapons, and repel the invaders from their town (the stage).

Entrance: He will step up, looking intimidating before laughing heartily.

Taunts: Up, he will give his son a bear hug and lift him off of the ground. Side, he will hold out a sword before him and mumble some magic words. Down, he will sit and work at his forge for a moment.

Thanks for reading! Next up, the last of our ally characters for this round!

Character Sheet: Gump

GUMP

Alright, so we did have one more semi-big character list in us. Let's get into it! This is all characters I could pull out originating from the Legend of Zelda manga, or were given just enough of a boost by the manga to make it into our rankings. They are:

1. Maple

2. Jolene

3. Ricky

4. Captain Stalfos

5. Manga Link

6. Riruto

7. Manga Zelda

8. Raska

9. Tou

10. Ghanti

11. Gonza

12. Kala

13. Captain Arjuna

14. Sir Raven

15. Biri

16. Com

17. Gump

18. Shemlon

19. Rouro

20. Ganon's Minion

21. Ganon's Heart

22. Ganos

23. Haggis

So, first, disclaimer: This is my best guess with the spelling of the character's name. I read the manga he's from (Ran's Zelda II) through a YouTube video where an English speaker translated the Japanese on the page as he read along. No wiki was detailed enough to mention him on it, so the creator's pronunciation is all I have to go on.

Anyway, Gump is a wolf swordsman appearing in Ran's adaptation of Zelda II, an old mentor of Link's who taught him to wield a sword and who joins Link for part of his adventure. After Link gets part of the Triforce, Gump turns on him, claiming to want it for himself, but also possibly just doing it for Link to prove himself capable of continuing his journey. Either, in true Ran fashion, Gump dies at the end of this battle, and that's it for him.

We do get to see him fight quite a bit in his short time. He wields a sword and knows most of the skills Link does. He can perform a back flip, a quick stab, a sweeping slash, and all the basic sword moves, and he also uses a training staff as well. It's not much, but it's there.

Here's the moveset I came up with:

Standard B: Quick Stab

He will thrust forward with his sword, stabbing quickly at his opponent and dealing moderate damage.

Side B: Sword Spin

He will spin forward with his sword, slashing with a quick slicing movement.

Up B: Backflip

As seen in his introduction to get out of trouble, Gump will perform a backflip and land a few feet back from his starting position.

Down B: Training Staff

He will hold out a training staff as a counter, doling out two hits in response to an attack.

Final Smash: Crowd Control

Just like his introduction when he is surrounded by an angry mob who are apparently racist to animal people, he will leap up into the air, and then attack all enemies in his immediate area lightning fast, launching them all.

Entrance: He will saunter in, carrying a pack on his back.

Taunts: Up, he will hold out his sword and challenge his enemy to fight him. Side, he will heft his pack and look unamused. Down, he will fall to one knee and plant his sword in the ground.

Thanks for reading! Next up, another character original to the Ran manga who somehow escapes the Ran manga curse.

Other Zelda Manga

OTHER ZELDA MANGA

Today, we have about six other random Zelda manga that have come out over the years, which couldn't be attributed to one mangaka or were part of a continuous series. This includes the 1986 Legend of Zelda manga by Susumu Kobayashi, the 1988 Adventure of Link manga by Shigoto Daisuke, the 1993 A Link to the Past manga by Taguchi Junko, the 1993 Link's Awakening manga by Fujiaka Masato, the 2012 Ocarina of Time 3D manga by Ming Yukawa, and The Legend of Zelda: An Original Version, a 1987 alternative take on the original game written by Kitadono Mitsunori.

The first five offer up little special. They basically act as visual guides for the games they are based on, or quick little promotional pieces. "The Original Version" however, is a bit like the Mishouzaki stuff, where it takes a lot of liberties. Link is constantly accompanied by a young thief named Com, eventually revealed to be the comic's version of Impa, who can steal things, throw rocks, supply Link with potions, and even bites a tentacle at one point. Link himself can also freeze enemies in time, and they are also accompanied by a crystal bird named Cryckon, an avatar of the fairy Fonti. Ganon takes the form of more of a lion-man named Ganos, who wields a sword, breathes fireballs, breathes thick black smoke, and can trap people in jewels.

Anyway, that's about it. Here's what we've got so far:

Characters:

Manga Link: slingshot, sword, shield, bow, boomerang, bombs, magic wand, Watto, become a fairy, healing magic, thunder, fly on shield, raft, Link to the Past-related stuff, White Sword, Hyper Magical Sword, time freeze

Riruto: sword, lightning sword, spin attack, cyclone sword, sword beam, shield, power bracelet, giant pot, grapple, backflip

Zelda: club, rope, sword, flute, spells, transform, sea monster, magic, sword, Triforce magic

Kalin: energy aura

Biri: sword, torches, pitchforks, battering rams

Com: steal, rock, bite, potion, Cryckon, Triforce blast, time freeze?

Raska: palm thrust, knee, jab, two-palm strike, shield thrust, throwing spikes

Captain Arjuna: Hylian Soldier moveset

Gonza: sword, throwing daggers, bombs, rock, dash

Kala: ferret, worm, dragon, punch, pile driver

Cho: rope, power bracelet

Maple: broom, create cushions, lift things, summon demon, false monsters, crystal ball

Ricky: leap, tornado punch, multi-jabs, tuck into pouch, ski, flying bear

Ghanti: sword, dagger, silver arrows, wolf, monster, apple

Sir Raven: sword, horse, fishing, fish hook lockpick, mystery seeds, axe, peashooter

Marin

Link's Uncle: sword

Kanika

Tou: same as Raska

Couscous: spells, claw, bite

Birina

Gump: trained Link, sword, training staff, flip

Shemlon: forge, enchant swords, sword, reflect

Rouro: fly, peck, flyswatter, bag, storm

Jolene: ship's cannons, twin swords, lunge, block, Linebeck-related moves

Pirate Captain: dagger, sword, hook

Ganon/Ganon's Minion: burn, magic blast, disappear, fly, shock, storm, teleport, shapeshift, Ganon's hand

Demon Ganon/Ganon's Heart: extend arms, White Sword, absorb, disappear, teleport, Demon Ganon form

Ganos: sword, fireballs, smoke, jewel

Agahnim

Nabat: lightning storm

Haggis: steed, protection amulet, punch, flick, bow, head bash, wind strike, kick, lightning strike, energy blast, lightning speed, energy shield.

Stages:

Ganon's Statue

Spirit World Training Arena

Demon World

Thanks for reading! There have been a lot of 4-Koma comics over the years, so I'm next going to cover all of them.

The Legend of Zelda (Ran)

THE LEGEND OF ZELDA (RAN)

I am really excited, because today, we get to start the manga, which was a pleasantly surprising branch of the Zelda series that I got to discover when doing this series. Well, most of it. Like all things, there are some weirdies out there, and this one . . . left a bad taste in my mouth. Like, it started good, but the mangaka, Ran Maru, had a horribly itchy trigger finger when it came to character deaths, and most character arcs ended up going nowhere because he decided to kill the character off in a BIG SHOCKING TWIST at the end of a random chapter. A lot.

Anyway, Ran's run as the Zelda mangaka was published in 1986 by Wanpaku Comics. He wrote two runs, the first based on The Legend of Zelda, the second based on Zelda II: The Adventure of Link as a sequel to the first adventure. The first one mostly follows the game it's based on, the second one took a few more liberties (needless to say this is where all the random deaths happen).

Both comics star a Link that is an adventurer by trade, who happened to wander into Hyrule just as Impa was fleeing from Ganon's forces. He wields a slingshot, sword, shield, bow, boomerang, bombs, and a magic wand. He is also constantly accompanied by a parrot named Watto. In the second story, he could also become a fairy, use healing magic, summon thunder, fly on his shield, and use a raft.

Zelda also appears in the story, not doing much for the first game, but joining Link on his adventure for most of the second, wielding a club, rope, sword, and flute, casting spells, transforming herself, and riding on the back of a giant sea monster. Sadly, she dies. Then Link carries her body around for a couple of chapters pursuing the means to resurrect her. Then she just kinda gets dropped in lava during a random battle and forgotten about. Then the second Zelda (the sleeping one) takes her place as ruler, and Link decides not to use the Triforce to resurrect her for some reason, even though it was established it could. At least, it sounded like it could.

We got to see a few original supporting characters. For the first comic and the second, Link and Zelda had a recurring companion named Biri, or Billy, a local village boy who guides Link through Hyrule and becomes Zelda's captain of the guard for his service. He wielded a sword, and summoned a mob of townspeople, complete with torches, pitchforks, and battering rams, to storm Ganon's Castle and help Link. Another was Hercules, who tries to crush Link with a rock. Then there's Couscous, a moleman who joins Link and a companion and gives Link a whole backstory about wanting to become human. Then he dies. A chapter later. And you just forget about him. He could cast spells, claw, and bite.

Then there was Birina, a local village girl who I think was supposed to be a female counterpart to Biri, but didn't do much. Then there was Gump (Name spelling is mostly guesswork here, I read this through a video where a reader translated it all for you, but since it was spoken, I could only go off what they read), a wolfman and sword master who trained Link in everything he knows, could fight with a sword and a training staff, and could flip high into the air to surprise opponents. He dies too. Then there was Shemlon (Also uncertain on name), a blacksmith living in a local village, who could work a forge, enchant the swords he created, wield those swords, and use them to reflect attacks. He did not die, surprisingly enough.

Ganon is the main villain of the story, both technically. In the first, he could burn with fire, throw a magic blast, disappear, and fly with wings. In the second, a masked figure known only as Ganon's Minion led his forces in trying to resurrect him, and its eventually revealed that he is the man who put the sleeping Zelda under her curse, and that he would eventually become Ganon (timey-wimey shenanigans). He could shock his opponents, summon a storm, teleport, and shapeshift, and in the end, Ganon's hand bursts from his stomach as he is freed once again. A lot of common minions appear, including Moblins, Goriyas, Stalfos, Wizzrobes, Octoroks, Vires, Zoras, Darknuts, Zols, Peahats, and Lynels.

At least one noteworthy location unique to the comic is a gigantic statue of Ganon that acts as his castle.

Anyway, here's what we've got so far:

Characters:

Manga Link: slingshot, sword, shield, bow, boomerang, bombs, magic wand, Watto, become a fairy, healing magic, thunder, fly on shield, raft

Zelda: club, rope, sword, flute, spells, transform, sea monster

Biri: sword, torches, pitchforks, battering rams

Couscous: spells, claw, bite

Birina

Gump: trained Link, sword, training staff, flip

Shemlon: forge, enchant swords, sword, reflect

Ganon/Ganon's Minion: burn, magic blast, disappear, fly, shock, storm, teleport, shapeshift, Ganon's hand

Stages:

Ganon's Statue

Thanks for reading! Next up, we'll cover Ran's successor, Cagiva Ataru, and his line of comics.

Character Sheet: Goriya

GORIYA

There's not much point to a big returning character review this time around, so let's cover the small handful of characters we were able to pull from the Legend of Zelda cartoon series created by DiC, and the few western comics published under the Zelda series banner. We have eleven to add, including:

1.     TV Link

2.     TV Zelda

3.     King Harkinian

4.     Queen Seline

5.     Roam

6.     Sing

7.     Doof & Automaton

8.     Sleezenose

9.     TV Ganon

10.  Goriya

11.  Water Monster

Today, an old, long-standing enemy finally gets its due. Goriyas have appeared since the very first game, generally cropping up in 2D titles as bipedal wolves wielding boomerangs. Sadly, boomerangs was all they were good for until now, but in the cartoon series, they alongside Moblins and Stalfos made up the main body of Ganon's minions, and as such, I feel they can be an easy catch all for anything unique to the series minions, as they probably handled most of those things too.

On top of their boomerangs, this gives us staffs, bombs, bows made of bone, transforming people into frogs, giant magnets, and the capture staff that they used to trap Ganon in a bubble. They could also float inside of Ganon's giant jar and be revived from it. I think that should do us well enough.

Here's the moveset I came up with:

Standard B: Boomerang

Obviously, we do have to include the boomerangs that they were known for in the original games.

Side B: Bombs

The Goriya will toss a bomb from the cartoon forward as a projectile, exploding on impact.

Up B: Captured

Although side B could just be the Capture Staff like it was for Ganon, I thought we'd mix it up and get the Goriya stuck in a bubble, allowing them to float upwards before it pops.

Down B: Giant Magnet

The Goriya will pull out the giant magnet it used in one episode and fire a beam from it, pulling enemies and items toward it.

Final Smash: Magic Jar

Ganon's magic jar will appear on the stage, and the Goriya will then fire Capture Staff bubbles that trap opponents inside the jar, keeping them there for a considerable amount of time.

Entrance: It will be summoned from the jar.

Taunts: Up, it will lean its head back and howl. Side, it will move back and forth, tossing its boomerang forward and mimicking its original animation. Down, it will toss its boomerang in a circle around itself.

Thanks for reading! Now, let's finish up with the Water Monster created by Sprite and her fairies.

Character Sheet: Thunderbird

THUNDERBIRD

Today, we begin our very first run of Legend of Zelda character sheets, figuring out just what kind of movesets we can pull from all these characters and building a roster. For the moment, we have about fourteen:

1. Link

2. Dark Link

3. Princess Zelda (Currently honorary)

4. Marin

5. Sahasrahla

6. Old Man

7. Hylian Soldier

8. Ganon

9. Agahnim

10. Nightmare

11. Moblin

12. Stalfos

13. Vire/Keese

14. Thunderbird

Now, this is a weird one. In Zelda II: The Adventure of Link, the Great Palace plays host to a specific brand of enemy coming in three types. The central figure is the Thunderbird, a large boss that flies and spits fireballs and protects the piece of the Triforce it guards. Throughout the castle, the other two forms, Fokka and Fokkeru appears as basic enemies. Fokkas are bird-like swordsmen capable of throwing beams with their swords just like Link, and Fokkerus are more winged bestial creatures, leaping up and down and shooting fireballs in an arc like a Hammer Bro. I was initially going to pass them up, but with everything laid out here, I think it's only fair. (Though I am going to be going with the Thunderbird name for the whole, as Fokka and Fokkeru are names just asking for trouble).

Here's the moveset I came up with:

Standard B: Sword Beam

It will charge up a sword beam and launch it forward, in a very similar manner to Link's own version of it.

Side B: Fireballs

The Thunderbird will toss a string of fireballs in an arc. The fireballs will linger for a time and even move along the ground.

Up B: Flight

Given their winged nature, it's only fitting. The fighter will swoop upward, similar to the motion of the Thunderbird boss.

Down B: Face Shield

A major detail of the boss fight is that the Thunderbird will have its face covered, making it impervious to harm. This will cause the fighter to perform that action, rendering it invincible for a short time.

Final Smash: Guardian of the Triforce

While the base design will likely pull from the Fokka specifically, with elements of the Fokkeru and Thunderbird thrown in, the final smash will transform it into the full on Thunderbird boss of the game, and it will fly around, shooting destructive fireballs.

Entrance: It will swoop down from above just like in the boss fight.

Taunts: Up, it will flap and hover for a couple seconds. Side, it will rustle its feathers. Down, it will take on a Fokkeru appearance for a moment.

Thanks for reading! Now, here's our roster!

Character Sheet: Stalfos

STALFOS

Today, we begin our very first run of Legend of Zelda character sheets, figuring out just what kind of movesets we can pull from all these characters and building a roster. For the moment, we have about fourteen:

1. Link

2. Dark Link

3. Princess Zelda (Currently honorary)

4. Marin

5. Sahasrahla

6. Old Man

7. Hylian Soldier

8. Ganon

9. Agahnim

10. Nightmare

11. Moblin

12. Stalfos

13. Vire/Keese

14. Thunderbird

Another major recurring enemy type is the Stalfos, skeletal warriors risen from the dead that often seem to be the go-to basic enemy of dungeon areas (at least in the 2D games). They would go on to receive multiple alternate forms, such as their smaller versions, the Stalchildren, and many, many, many versions in Breath of the Wild based on all the regular enemy types.

Stalfos are most often seen wielding swords, and can often carry around shields as well. Jumping seems to be pretty standard for them, as is the propensity to collapse when defeated, returning to life if not all of their comrades have been defeated in time. They can throw their own heads when need be, and some appearing in Link to the Past could even cast spells and wore Wizzrobe-type shrouds.

Here's the moveset I came up with:

Standard B: Head Throw

The sword its standard weapon, the Stalfos will instead throw its head forward as its base special, the head flying out as a projectile and returning like a boomerang.

Side B: Magic Shroud

It will cast a spell forward that will explode on impact, the character animation briefly taking on a Wizzrobe shroud to cast it.

Up B: Flying Leap

Not too much in the way of aerials yet, but for now, I think we can stick with the standard of leaping into the air, with its sword over its head, and coming down with a vertical slash.

Down B: Stalchild

It will summon as Stalchild from the ground, which will walk forward in front of it. It will be very weak, and collapse in one hit, but the Stalfos will be able to revive it with another Down B-press within five seconds of it being hit.

Final Smash: Blood Moon

Considering it has to do with reviving the dead, I'd say it works. The stage will turn a dark red, and all manner of Stal-enemies will crawl their way up out of the stage floor, terrorizing everyone on it.

Entrance: It will start as a pile of bones before coming together.

Taunts: Up, it will toss its own head gently into the air once. Side, a Stalchild will run around it for a second. Down, it will collapse in a heap and rise again.

Thanks for reading! Next up, the Vire and/or Keese enemies!

Character Sheet: Old Man

OLD MAN

Today, we begin our very first run of Legend of Zelda character sheets, figuring out just what kind of movesets we can pull from all these characters and building a roster. For the moment, we have about fourteen:

1. Link

2. Dark Link

3. Princess Zelda (Currently honorary)

4. Marin

5. Sahasrahla

6. Old Man

7. Hylian Soldier

8. Ganon

9. Agahnim

10. Nightmare

11. Moblin

12. Stalfos

13. Vire/Keese

14. Thunderbird

I used to think strange men living in caves distributing swords was no basis for a system of heroism, but here we are. Honestly, it tickles me pink to include this character, and if we want, the Old Woman character model from the first two games could easily act as a color swap. Across the two games he notably appears in, he gives Link a sword and teaches him a spell to shield himself, a spell to jump really high, a spell to heal himself, a spell to transform into a fairy, a spell to cast fireballs, a spell to reflect projectiles, a spell to open a door, and a spell to call down lightning. If he can teach it, I presume he can also perform it, so . . . let's do it!

Here's the moveset I came up with:

Standard B: Fireball

He will cast the fireball spell, shooting one out as a projectile and inflicting burn damage on his opponents.

Side B: Reflect

He will cast the reflect spell, bouncing back an oncoming projectile with the same speed and force with which it was thrown at him.

Up B: Jump OR Fairy

Honestly, either one of these would work great and both are iconic to Zelda II, so . . . Jump would send him jumping really high in a more-or-less straight line, and Fairy would let him move around more in the air.

Down B: Water of Life

Adopting this from his female counterpart, he will drink some Water of Life and heal some of his damage.

Final Smash: Take This

Now, I think Thunder is more the go-to spell to include here, but that was boring, so thinking more creatively, I liked the idea of his iconic text popping up on screen, as swords appear next to every single opponent on screen and slash through them.

Entrance: An 8-bit tree will burst into flames, and he will emerge from a stairwell leading down.

Taunts: Up, he will hold up a sword and his iconic text will appear. Side, the text box "I AM ERROR" will appear. Down, he will display the options typically offered by the Merchant below him.

Thanks for reading! Next up, the generic soldiers of Hyrule!

Character Sheet: Princess Zelda

PRINCESS ZELDA

Today, we begin our very first run of Legend of Zelda character sheets, figuring out just what kind of movesets we can pull from all these characters and building a roster. For the moment, we have about fourteen:

1. Link

2. Dark Link

3. Princess Zelda (Currently honorary)

4. Marin

5. Sahasrahla

6. Old Man

7. Hylian Soldier

8. Ganon

9. Agahnim

10. Nightmare

11. Moblin

12. Stalfos

13. Vire/Keese

14. Thunderbird

For the moment, this is only an honorary slot, because, well, it's Zelda. Literally the title character. We all know she's going to get onto the roster, we just don't have enough to work with yet. Across these three games, she breaks apart the triforce, contacts Link through his dreams, and opens a door with magic. Maybe the gems the maidens get sealed inside can work too, considering even her Smash version of Nayru's love reflects the shape, but that's all we've got.

No moveset yet, but here's a general approximation of what it could be:

Standard B: Light Arrow

Light arrows are a massive part of her legacy, so it might be an option here.

Side B: Light Barrier

Creating and dispelling magical barriers are also prominent, so we'll see.

Up B

All manner of magical teleportation is often used by Zelda throughout the games, so that's more than an open option.

Down B: Gem

As a perfect shield, the gemstone seal that she gets trapped in numerous times throughout the series is a nice contender. I imagine the barrier above would be more of a counter.

Final Smash

Definitely some Triforce shenanigans (or to do with the goddess Hylia, considering certain Skyward Sword spoilers.

Entrance: She will appear in a beam of light.

Taunts: Up, she will pray, with the triforce appearing above her. Side, she will wave her hand and cause some magic sparkles. Down, she will play a few notes of Zelda's Lullaby.

Thanks for reading! Next up, a few gimmick reps starting with Marin for Link's Awakening.

Character Sheet: Dark Link

DARK LINK

Today, we begin our very first run of Legend of Zelda character sheets, figuring out just what kind of movesets we can pull from all these characters and building a roster. For the moment, we have about fourteen:

1. Link

2. Dark Link

3. Princess Zelda (Currently honorary)

4. Marin

5. Sahasrahla

6. Old Man

7. Hylian Soldier

8. Ganon

9. Agahnim

10. Nightmare

11. Moblin

12. Stalfos

13. Vire/Keese

14. Thunderbird

Next up is Dark Link. For a while, I wasn't sure if this character would be their own thing, or just do the current Smash thing of being a color swap for the other Links, but a certain game we'll be covering later convinced me he had enough to stand on his own. However, since we haven't covered that one yet, he is here as an echo for Link for the moment.

Here's the moveset I came up with:

Standard B: Sword Beam

Naturally, he would use the same sword beam his echo would use, just made of shadow rather than light.

Side B: Bow and Arrow OR Boomerang

Once again, largely the same.

Up B: Sword Spin

He would do the same, but probably create a cloud of shadow around himself when doing it.

Down B: Bombs

Probably with some dark fire to the explosions.

Final Smash: Triforce and Master Sword

Basically the same, probably not as strong, since its just a shadow of the Master Sword and not a real one, possibly with the dark Triforce seen in Link Between Worlds and such.

Entrance: He will rise from a shadow on the ground.

Taunts: All of Link's, but reversed and only with shadows of the items used.

Thanks for reading! Next up, we'll . . . at least talk about Zelda!

Zelda II: The Adventure of Link

ZELDA II: THE ADVENTURE OF LINK

The Legend of Zelda proved a massive success, allowing for a sequel to be released in the following year entitled Zelda II: The Adventure of Link. The game would prove to be an oddball of sorts, with lengthy 2D platforming sections breaking up the normal top-down action, and a massive difficulty spike that would turn off many players. The game saw the same Link, bothered by a strange Triforce pattern appearing on the back of his hand, leading him to go to Impa for help. Impa would then tell him of a different Princess Zelda from the first game, who had been asleep for a hundred years and need to be awakened by the Triforce of Courage.

Link is once again our playable character, coming complete with a sword that he can shoot beams with and a shield. He can also pick up items such as a candle to see in the dark, a hammer, a power glove that gives him super strength, a raft that lets him cross over water, boots that let him cross small gaps, a whistle to transport to other dungeons, and a cross that lets you see invisible enemies. He also has eight magical abilities taught to him by the Old Men found around the place, including: a shield spell that raises his defense, the ability to jump higher than before, a healing spell, the ability to turn into a fairy and reach high or distant places, the ability to shoot fireballs, the ability to reflect projectiles, one to open up a specific building, and thunder that exposes a boss's weak spot. He can also stab up or down with his sword.

As for our supporting characters, Zelda appears once again only at the end of the game when you wake her up from her sleep. Impa once again only appears in the game's manual and not in the actual game (unless she's one of the old women found in various towns, but there's nothing even close to confirmation there). The game introduced towns where NPCs hung around and helped you with hints and so on (including what might be a prostitute inviting you into her house and "refreshing" you), but the most notable for our purposes here would be the Old Men types, which act much like the Old Men in the first game, teaching you each of the major spells Link can use (meaning they can use them too).

Ganon does not appear in this game, though it is implied that his forces are acting against you to try and resurrect him, with your final boss instead being your own shadow, the first appearance of Dark Link in a Zelda game. He basically does everything you can do, making you fight literally yourself as your final challenge. The other seven bosses of the game include: Horsehead, a mace-swinging knight with a horse's head; Jermafenser, a knight whose head can be knocked off which then flies around and shoots lasers at you; Rebonack, a jousting knight on horseback; Carock, a wizard that teleports around and casts spells; Gooma, a massive troll swinging a mace; Barba, a long-necked fire-breathing dragon; and the Thunderbird, which flies around and shoots fire.

As for our enemies, we have a few returning characters, such as: Leevers, Tektites, Octoroks, Moblins, Goriyas (now armed with clubs on top of their boomerangs), Zoras, Bubbles, and Stalfos, all mostly as they appeared before. Then we have a few that are basically returning characters, just with different names, including: Aches and Achemans, literally just Keese and Vires; Bits and Bots, which are Gels and Zols; Anerus, which are basically just Ropes; Iron Knuckles, which seem to be the same thing as Darknuts, just different games use different names; and Magos and Wizards, both of whom seem to be basically Wizzrobes. From there, we have: Mobies, basically birds; Boons, basically wasps; Deelers, basically spiders; Arurodas, basically scorpions; Girubokku, floating eyeballs; Lowders and Megmats, larva things of which the latter can jump; Bago-Bagos, flying monster heads; Geldarms, worms sticking up from sand; Dairas, axe-wielding dinosaur warriors; Gerus, the predecessors of the Lizalfos, seen wielding tridents, maces, shields, and throwing fire from behind cover; Moas, invisible flying eyeballs that drop fire; Maus, floating cat heads that breath fire; Ras, dragon head statues; Wosus, rat warriors that hop and stab with daggers; Gumas, ogres that throw maces; Parutamus, similar to the Stalfos; and Fokkas and Fokkerus, bird warriors related to the Thunderbird, spitting fireballs, jumping, and wielding maces and shields.

As for our locations, the map of Hyrule has a bit more detail to it, with way more place names. Specifically, Zelda's castle now actually appears on the map as North Castle, and seven towns surround the area, named Rauru, Ruto, Saria, Mido, Nabooru, Darunia, and Kasuto respectively (the origin of Ocarina's sages' names plus one major NPC), and the dungeons now take the form of palaces in specific regions, including one in a desert called Parapa, one in a swamp called Midoro, one on an island in the ocean, one inside a massive maze, one simply in the middle of the sea, one in between three large rocks, and the final one dubbed the Great Palace.

Other items include trophies, heart containers, magic containers, dolls, and the Water of Life.

And that's about it! Here's what we've got so far:

Characters:

Link: sword slash, sword beams, shield, bombs, arrows, candles, boomerangs, life potions, magical rod, book of magic, flute, rings, power bracelet, hammer, power glove, raft, boots, cross, shield spell, jump spell, healing spell, fairy spell, fireball spell, reflect spell, opening spell, thunder spell, stab up, stab down.

Princess Zelda: Triforce.

Impa

Old Men/Old Women: swords, life potions, shield spell, jump spell, healing spell, fairy spell, fireball spell, reflect spell, opening spell, thunder spell

Great Fairies: heal

Ganon: teleport, shoot fireballs, turn invisible, statue fire.

Dark Link: sword slash, sword beams, shield, hammer, power glove, raft, boots, cross, shield spell, jump spell, healing spell, fairy spell, fireball spell, reflect spell, opening spell, thunder spell, stab up, stab down.

Moblins: throw spears

Octoroks: shoot rocks

Zoras: swim, spit fireballs

Tektites: jump around

Armos: shields, tridents

Lynels: swords, shoot beams

Vire/Acheman: turn into Keese

Moldorms: slither

Stalfos: swords

Goriyas: boomerangs, clubs

Darknuts/Iron Knuckles: swords, shields, heavy armor, throw swords

Wizzrobes/Magos: spells, teleport, fire

Gibdos

Aquamentus: fireballs

Dodongo: breathes fire

Gleeok: breathe fire

Gohma: energy balls

Dairas: axe

Gerus: tridents, maces, shields, fire from behind cover

Wosus: hop, daggers

Fokka/Fokkeru/Thunderbird: fly, fireballs, jump, mace, shield

Bosses:

Aquamentus

Dodongo

Manhandla

Gleeok

Digdogger

Gohma

Ganon

Horsehead

Jermafenser

Rebonack

Carock

Gooma

Barba

Thunderbird

Locations:

Overworld-based stage

Dungeon room-based stage

Death Mountain

North Castle

Rauru

Ruto

Saria

Mido

Nabooru

Darunia

Kasuto

Parapa Palace

Midoro Palace

Island Palace

Great Maze Palace

Palace on the Sea

Three-Eye Rock Palace

Great Palace

Items:

Bombs

Bow and Arrows

Candles

Boomerangs

Life potions

Magical rod

Book of magic

Flute

Rings

Power bracelet

Hearts

Heart containers

Triforce pieces

Rupees

Clock

Raft

Step ladder

Hammer

Power glove

Boots

Cross

Magic Container

Trophy

Thanks for reading! Next up, let's cover A Link to the Past!