Matchup Summary (Win Condition and Game Plan)
This matchup becomes dangerous for Link the moment he is forced to fight up close without bomb control, because Ken’s light confirms, low kicks, nair, and Shoryuken pressure can erase the stock swing very quickly.
The win condition is not to camp forever, but to use arrow, boomerang, and bomb to lock down Ken’s approach angles, then hit the pause in his movement with sword spacing and nair before carrying him toward the ledge.
The table shows that Ken’s later jab strings, tilts, Dash Attack, smash attacks, Neutral B, Side B, and Down B can all be punished on shield by Up B, bair, grab, nair, or Up Smash. Nair, Fair, Bair, and many Up B situations are much harder to hit instantly, so landing and ground re-entry reads matter more than blind shield punishes there.
For kills, do not force center-stage haymakers. Keep bomb in play, force jump or shield at the ledge, and finish with Up B, Fair, or a ledge read before Ken gets the close-range Shoryuken turn.
Full Move Frame Quick Reference
| Opponent Move | Startup | On Shield | Link OOS Candidate Moves | Barely Missed Moves |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jab 1 | 2 | -10 |
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| Jab 2 | 3 | -21 |
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| Jab 3 | 8 | -21 |
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| Jab (1) | 7 | -19 |
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| Jab (2) | 9/16 | -10/-6 |
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| Forward Tilt (1) | 3 | -20 |
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| Forward Tilt (2) | 8 | -8 |
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| Forward Tilt (3) | 10 | -18/-14 |
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| Up Tilt (1) | 3 | -8 |
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| Up Tilt (2) | 7 | -19 |
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| Down Tilt (1) | 2 | -9 |
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| Down Tilt (2) | 6 | -15 |
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| Dash Attack | 7 | -22 |
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| Forward Smash | 13 | -24/-21 |
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| Up Smash | 9 | -24 |
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| Down Smash | 5 | -25 |
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| Neutral Air | 6 | -2/-2, -1/-2 |
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| Forward Air | 8 | -7/-6, -7/-6 |
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| Back Air | 8 | -4/-5 |
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| Up Air | 5 | -8 |
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| Down Air | 8 | -10 |
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| Neutral B | 13 | -35/-34 |
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| Side B (1) | 8/13—38 | -25 to -30 |
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| Side B (2) | 8/13/18/23/28/33/38 | -36 |
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| Up B (1) | 6 | ** | ||
| Up B (2) | 5/6/9 | ** | ||
| Down B | 12 (+21), 12(+31), 12(+59) | -32, -33, unblockable |
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| Grab | 6 | — | ||
| Dash Grab | 9 | — | ||
| Pivot Grab | 10 | — |
Win Condition Checklist
- Use arrow, boomerang, and bomb together so Ken cannot start the close-range fight for free.
- When you block the later jab strings, the tilts, Dash Attack, the smash attacks, Neutral B, Side B, or Down B, punish with the OOS routes from the table.
- Treat Nair, Fair, Bair, and many Up B cases as landing and re-entry reads instead of automatic shield punish spots.
- When you hold bomb, use it to force jump or shield first, then connect into sword spacing or nair instead of throwing it away immediately.
- At the ledge, cover jump with Fair or uair and catch neutral getup or roll with grab or Up B before Ken reaches the reversal range.
Actions to Avoid
- Starting extended close-range scraps without bomb control.
- Swinging after every blocked aerial or Up B even when the punish window is not really there.
- Firing projectiles without also stepping forward to actually stop Ken’s advance.
- Fishing with raw smash attacks in center and feeding into Focus or whiff punishes.
- Chasing too deep offstage and giving Ken an easy chance to turn your recovery into his reversal.