Weakest Link

[vengenz]

So after playing most Zelda games I noticed they generally have different items, abilities, etc. in each and wondered, if all Links' were to get into their own Super Smash battle, who would be the winner?

This involves all Link incarnations. Who do you guys think would be victorious? Who would be the weakest?
and most of all... why?

Shoot.

 

[JuicieJ]

It would be either The Wind Waker, Twilight Princess, or Skyward Sword Link. TWW Link is a little kid that took on the quest of an adult, TP Link has that huge arsenal and the Hidden Skills, and SS Link is much more agile and properly-trained than the others. It could go to any of these three.

 

[Zorth]

WW Link, He's the only one that never had it in his blood and probably the youngest of them all. ;P

 

[Ventus]

Victorious
TP Link, in my opinion, would be the victor. He has the sword skills of his day as well as legendary techniques that the Hero of Time himself developed and refined over many ages. His arsenal is diverse, fast and very efficient (with the exceptions of the Iron Boots and Ball and Chain, lol). Given the right setting, he could squash every other Link.

Weakest
SS or LoZ Link would be the weakest Links in my opinion. I separate LoZ Link from AoL because different arsenals. SS Link gets physically tired out after but a little bit of sprinting, and he has an awkward limit on the about of Spin Attacks he can do. LoZ Link's arsenal, while diverse, has limited range and application as far as the eye can tell. They'd be demolished in mere minutes, I'm thinking.

 

[JuicieJ]

SS Link gets physically tired out after but a little bit of sprinting, and he has an awkward limit on the about of Spin Attacks he can do.

1) That's a gameplay feature added for strategy purposes.

2) Every Link in all reality would have physical limits. Just because previous Links didn't get tired out in-game doesn't mean they wouldn't in actuality.

 

[Rafa1996]

Probably TP Link. The Ball and Chain is pretty deadly. Aside from that, he is able to swing his sword unerwater; it takes a lot of strength to do that.

 

[Spirit]

Victorious
I'm torn on this one; I'm thinking either TP Link or WW Link.
TP Link because of his heavy arsenal, sword skills passed down form the Hero of Time himself and the ability to give you rabies/turn into a wolf. Midna would also probably Lend a hand, she is after all the most violent companion Link has had.
WW Link for the reasons everyone so far has mentioned, small little guy, takes a beating and keeps getting back up, took on the quest of an adult and had some tough breaks;
"You're telling me this isn't the Hero of Time?"
"Unfortunately, no."
Give the kid a break. Yet he succeeds, his parry and whirlwind spin would also make short work out of other incarnations.

Weakest
SS or LoZ Link would be the weakest Links in my opinion. I separate LoZ Link from AoL because different arsenals. SS Link gets physically tired out after but a little bit of sprinting, and he has an awkward limit on the about of Spin Attacks he can do. LoZ Link's arsenal, while diverse, has limited range and application as far as the eye can tell. They'd be demolished in mere minutes, I'm thinking

this

 

[DarkestLink]

OoT/MM Link. FD Mask.

 

[RegalBryant]

SS Link, while having the limit on the amount of Spin attacks he can do, has the benefit of being able to unleash them instantly.

 

[vengenz]

1) That's a gameplay feature added for strategy purposes.

2) Every Link in all reality would have physical limits. Just because previous Links didn't get tired out in-game doesn't mean they wouldn't in actuality.

Thank you JuicyJ!

Emphasis on the 'Super Smash' battle...

 

[JamesBond007]

Strongest - SS Link with his Skyward Strike (unless FD Link from MM is allowed).
Weakest - AoL Link - even spells won't help much.

 

[Sir Quaffler]

Strongest: Probably SS's Link. I'm having the feeling agility would overrule a large arsenal in this case, being able to run and parkour without the need for any items is a pretty big advantage. Plus he's still got some pretty powerful tools in his arsenal, many of his attacks don't require magic or ammo so he can last longer than most, and if you really think about it his potions can become much more potent than normally seen so there's that. Although OoT/MM's Link might be trouble to deal with, if he uses those magic spells and the transformation masks in tandem...

Weakest: AoL's Link. Seriously, that sword can't be more than a foot long. His magic spells wouldn't really help much in combat, and he isn't terribly strong. Although, to be fair, his actual swordplay skills are probably on par with SS's Link, so if it's just a one-on-one sword fight he might stand a chance...

 

[caleb11roy]

Link from SS would lose! he lost a whole heart when he got hit! Unlike other links only taking half or a quarter!

 

[OcarinaBoy]

...if all Links' were to get into their own Super Smash battle, who would be the winner?

Emphasis on the 'Super Smash' battle...

It depends on what you mean by "Super Smash battle". If it is strictly the type of combat in the Super Smash Bros. games, then each Link would be fairly evenly matched. In the Smash Bros. universe, Link has only ever used items that almost every Link has had (bow, boomerang, bombs, hook/clawshot, and his sword). Under circumstances like that, it would all boil down to who is physically the strongest. In this case, I would say that Toon Link and Young Link lose in all situations, as they are both just kids. It would basically be a fight between the older Links. I believe that TP Link would be the eventual winner. I don't know why, but to me he just seems like he would be able to take more hits and dole out more punishment.

Now, if the Links can use their full arsenals, you would get... a pretty similar result. You see, a lot of Link's more devastating weapons and items require strength, which, again, the older Links would have more of. This time around, SS Link would probably recieve the brunt of the pain in this fight, but the younger Links would still lose first. Toon Link and Young Link both have power bracelets of some sort, giving them ungodly amounts of strength, but that doesn't necessarily mean that they can use that strength with their items. Their bows, for example, are designed for younger archers, meaning that they don't require a great amount of force to string an arrow. Applying more force than necessary could break the bow, leaving them with one less useful item. Young Link's transformation masks would give him an edge over Toon Link, but not the adults. TP Link knows how to deal with Gorons, and Zoras can't be that much harder to defeat (and let's face facts, what is a deku scrub really going to do to anyone?). SS Link is at a distinct disadvantage from the beginning, as he has a far lower amount of offensive items. However, the few items that he has allow him very potent long range attacks, keeping him clear of any damage the younger Links can do. I belive that TP Link is victorious in this situation. Assuming he has a full wallet, his Magic Armour (should he decide to use it) would last longer than Toon Link's Magic Armour and Young Link's Nayru's Love, making for a very unfair fight. This coupled with the devastating power of the Ball and Chain (or as I fondly refer to it, the "Wrecking Ball") would make quick work of the younger Links. As for SS Link, even if he continued his long range assault, TP Link would still prevail, as he has the Zelda equivalent of a sniper rifle (Bow+Hawkeye).

As you can see, I've thought about this before.

Edit: I forgot one tide turning possibility. If Young Link is allowed to use the Fierce Deity mask, well... you saw what he did to the bosses of Majora's Mask

 

[The Wanderer]

I'm assuming we're being realistic about all this, so "TP Link only takes a quarter heart of damage!" and that sort of thing doesn't apply. I'm also assuming they're at maximum power and have basically reached the ends of their games.

Who Would Win
OoT/MM or TP Link. OoT Link has a plethora of spells and isn't too shabby with a blade, although he never appeared to be trained like the more recent Links were. MM Link would theoretically have a bunch of masks with him. Fierce Deity Link would wipe the floor with anyone, but even without that ability, try fighting someone you can't see (the Stone Mask) or who runs at superhuman speeds (the Bunny Hood). OoT Link has the Triforce of Courage to bail him out as well. TP Link, meanwhile, is a trained fighter who also has the Triforce of Courage, and his constant acquiring of Hidden Skills throughout the game (by a post mortem OoT Link, no less) makes him even more formidable. He doesn't have any magic, but his deadlier arsenal of a bow, massive ball and chain, two Clawshots, and possibly Magic Armor should offset that imbalance.

Who Would Lose
The Link from the first couple of Zelda games; possibly the Links from the ALttP/LA/OoX games or Four Swords. The only notable thing about Four Swords Link is that there are four of him. Take that away, and he's the simplest of the heroes. I've only played Link from Link's Awakening in that game, so I'm not sure how powerful he is in the other games, but he also seems a bit of a simplistic hero in LA. The original Link, again, isn't that noteworthy, doesn't know magic until the sequel, and has a very basic arsenal. We don't know if he's a trained fighter or not, though he can probably survive in the wild considering he's implied to have been a wanderer before Impa bumped into him.

Honorable Mention
Despite my previous statement, we've got to give it up for Link's portrayal in Zelda II, right? He goes all the way through what's said to be the hardest game in the series, surviving onslaughts of powerful enemies, only to have to kill what's essentially his clone at the end. Perhaps his magic wasn't as potent as that of other Links, and perhaps he too was simple. But you've got to give him credit for reaching the end of the game. Tough cookie, right there.