Too bad.  I wouldn't have minded seeing a Tetra verison of Zelda with this power.  The inclusion of Zelda here just seems odd.

Zelda is looking especially pale.

I wonder if Sakurai split Sheik from Zelda. Or maybe we'll get younger Impa with Sheik's moveset. If this does happen, I guess it makes sense. Sheik is far less relevant today and Sakurai likes updating the characters with newer designs and moves. That said, it makes sense for Zelda to get a Spirit Tracks-based move since it was like the last time she did anything in the games besides walk around and get captured.

I always thought the Zelda/Sheik two-in-one character was really unique so it would be a shame to lose that. Still, Zelda and Sheik worked much better in Melee when she could transform quickly. The delayed transformation in Brawl made it more of a hassle for me to bother with it (and ruined the transform then Nayru's Wind combo) so I ended up just relying on Zelda (and Din's Fire was obscene in Brawl).

I think the Pokemon Trainer does the switching characters much better and with more interesting results than Zelda and Sheik. 


Because one was always used to do the Smashes and one used to be defensive and do quick damage I thought it was fairly limited, and I kept on accidentally transforming.  I do think you are right that the slower transformation hurts the character.


I hope they do split the character, as I thought Zelda would be more interesting paying tribute to all the different ways she has helped. 


This new move of hers is cool.  I would personally love to see her using the light arrows as well. 


As for splitting the characters it is a good idea, because it can actually give us another female fighter.  Sheik becomes Impa and can be re-balanced. 


That would give us 5 female characters, and if they made a Pokemon Trainer male and female that would be sorta 6.  If they would give us a female Fire Emblem character that would be 7.  Then there is Birdo????  Maybe female.

On the issue of female newcomers, Palutena and Dixie Kong are almost guaranteed at this point.  Kid Icarus Uprising not only revived the series after 20 years, it also sold 1 million copies so the Kid Icarus franchise isn't some classic obscure series anymore.  Well out of that series, Palutena is the second most important character behind only Pit and she's by far the most requested Kid Icarus character to be added to Smash Bros.  Add the fact Sakurai himself made Uprising, Palutena is the safest bet anyone could make for a character that be added to this game.

Dixie is also in the same position where Donkey Kong Country Returns sold over 5 million copies making that series huge again.  Out of that series Dixie would be the third most important behind Donkey and Diddy.  She's also been heavily requested by fans, and was even originally planned to be in Brawl during the early stages of development.  Plus with her being in the upcoming Donkey Kong game, making her relevant again, I think her chances are very good as well.

Zelda looks great, she looks a little younger than the actual TP Zelda and less stuck up.

I'd love to see some major new moves from her but so far everything does look the same. That phantom knight is probably an assist trophy with Zelda either doing Din's Fire or a taught. She's doing the exact same movement in another picture with no dark nut phantom knight.

Zelda holds her hand out in a couple of the screenshots, but it's different each time. I wouldn't be surprised if the Phantom Knight is an Assist Trophy, but I could go either way with it. I really wouldn't mind Impa making the cut just for greater series representation. The only other Zelda character I'd care to see is Midna with or without Wolf Link. Being in only one game (albeit the eponymous princess and arguably the second or third most important character in said game) in a long running series hurts her chances.

I have a list of other female characters I'd like to see in Super Smash Bros. but I'll probably post it in the main thread.

If the Phantom Knight was an Assist Trophy it would have more of a cel-shaded look to it like Toon Link since that character is from one of Toon Links games.  The fact its had a redesign that fits the more realistic style of Zelda point pretty heavily to it being a part of her moveset now.

The reason it probably isn't in the other picture could easily be it's a transformation and so the picture of Zelda with the Phantom is actually two Zelda's but one has turned into Phantom while the other makes the pose so it looks like she's commanding it.  Or maybe if her and Sheik are now two separate characters, her new Down B is a counter attack where she makes this pose and if she's hit, the Phantom appears and attacks.  This could actually make the most sense considering every other character with a counter has it as their Down B and so if Zelda needs a new Down B because she doesn't transform anymore, having it changed into a Phantom counter isn't that far fetched.

@adrock peach's counter attack uses the regular b and pit's spinny bow thing does it as well. Heck zelda herself has a reflector spell as a neutral


suspect it's either something she can summon or a new final smash.

In the image with Link and Peach, Zelda is making a strikingly similar pose.  That makes me think it's an assist trophy.

Assist trophy's are based of their original designs.  This is what the Phantom and Toon Link looked like from Spirit Tracks.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/9/91/The_Legend_of_Zelda_Spirit_Tracks_box_art.jpg

Toon Link still looks like this

http://www.smashbros.com/images/character/toon_link/screen-2.jpg

Yet Phantom now looks like this.

http://www.smashbros.com/images/character/zelda/screen-2.jpg


If Phantom was an Assist Trophy it would look closer to its cel-shaded look like Toon Link does.  The fact they redesigned it to look more realistic point to it being part of Zelda's moveset in some way now.

I give you that and I hope you're right. Also unlike Skull Kid this thing looks to have individual fingers, so a little more care has obviously gone into it's design, so it very well may be a part of Zelda now. I'm not expecting it, but I really want her to get something awesome.

Wouldn't Zelda getting Phantom sort of sort to make the Princess similar?

Peach - Sacrificial Toad
Rosaline - Luma
Zelda - Phantom
Girl Ice Climber - Boy Ice Climber

The Phantom retains some of the toon-style with the swirly design. Zelda still has her Twilight Princess look here and since Sheik got a Twilight Princess redesign in Brawl, you'd think if the Phantom was part of Zelda's arsenal, it would also get a Twilight Princess makeover.

Toon Link has a little more detail in Super Smash Bros. He has wrinkles in his clothes and a seam on his sleeve so the Phantom's extra detail fits in with Toon Link. It could still be an Assist Trophy. I was thinking that maybe the Phantom is Toon Link's Final Smash, but the screen dims during Final Smashes unless Sakurai is doing a Raiden-esque fakeout. I suppose the Phantom could always be Toon Zelda as well.

Zelda looks like a corpse, it's freaky.

Not that there are really any patterns on the official site but it seems in every character's catalogue of photos not one of them use items. Maybe that was a conscious effort by Sakurai just to show the characters themselves in all their glory and this Knight is indeed summoned by Zelda.

Though Samus is using her final Smash in one of hers so maybe it's nothing.

Incredibly freaky.

It's funny because in the character image, her skin is pink.

http://www.smashbros.com/images/character/zelda/main.png

It's like the fighting literally kills her.

Well the in-game graphics for all the characters are still unfinished in these pics.  Considering the game is still a ways away I wouldn't be surprised if the characters look closer to their character profile image in the final version then they do now.

So Zelda will probably have more color in the finished version.