Introduction to Sheik

A brief introduction into one of Melee's top tier characters: Sheik!

By

In the second installment of the Super Smash Bros. franchise, Nintendo added Zelda, a key protagonist in the Legend of Zelda video game series, to the cast. With her addition, Nintendo and HAL Laboratories introduced Sheik, Zelda’s moniker while she is in hiding. Sheik is the silent ninja of the Super Smash Bros. Melee cast, and is considered a top-tier in the competitive community. One of Sheik’s largest strengths is her simple yet devastating punish game. With her punish game comes her glaring weakness, her exploitable and relatively short recovery.

Sheik is a gatekeeper to many characters on the competitive tier list due to her down throw. Commonly referred to as “dribbling” when Sheik down throws another character, down throw can lead to a chain grab on many of the characters in Melee, if not a kill confirm at higher percents. On many of the low tiers, Sheik can take entire stocks by simply grabbing, down throwing repeatedly, and finishing off with either up smash or forward aerial, depending on DI (or directional influence). On the top tiers, Sheik’s down throw is essential for her to increase damage on her opponent, start her tech chase-based punish game, and set up kills using forward aerial, up aerial, or neutral aerial. However, due to the fact that Sheik throws characters directly vertically instead of at an angle, reacting to a fast-faller’s DI (like Fox or Falco) can be difficult out of down throw.

Beyond her down throw, Sheik can use her fast, safe, and moderately lagless tilts to start her combos. Forward tilt is excellent for comboing into itself, other tilts, forward aerial, neutral aerial, up aerial, and even up smash. Her up tilt is one of the safest multi-hit moves in the game due to the extremely short end lag of the move. In addition, her up tilt can combo directly into grab, which opens up her punish game using down throw. Her down tilt is a relatively less used tilt due to its ability to easily be crouch cancelled. However, on opponents at higher percents and when used as an anti-aerial option, Sheik’s down tilt can provide similar follow ups as forward tilt. On the ground, Sheik possess a devastating punish game featuring both her tilts and her grab.

In the air, Sheik has a near immediate neutral aerial. Dubbed as a “sex kick” by the community, Sheik’s neutral aerial is the fastest aerial startup-wise and can be used as both a combo move and kill move. Her forward aerial is her most devastating aerial. Dealing moderate damage while sending opponents at a horrendous down and away angle, Sheik’s forward aerial, commonly called her “slap”, can be used to quickly end stocks by knocking opponents off-stage quickly. In tandem with her forward aerial is her back aerial. When landed as a strong aerial, Sheik’s back aerial oppresses most of the cast and keeps opponents away from Sheik due to her long extended legs. When landed as a weak aerial, her back aerial can combo into itself, grab, and her tilts to allow for unique aerial to grounded combo routes, in addition to killing. Sheik’s up aerial is a good sharking tool on opponents who are falling from above and can be used to kill floatier opponents like Peach and Jigglypuff. Her final aerial, down aerial, is a unique move in Melee. As one of the few moves that is only a strong hit, Sheik’s down aerial can be easily crouch canceled, but does easily combo into her tilts, all of her aerials, and up smash.

With her slim design and short crouch, Sheik can be difficult for most characters to hit. However, her light weight makes crouch cancel less effective as a defensive option. To counter limited use of crouch cancel, Sheik’s will use her amazing shield to protect her.

As the meta of Super Smash Bros. Melee continues to evolve, so will the playstyle of many characters. Currently, Sheik is fifth best on the most recent Super Smash Bros. Melee community competitive tier list. Years from now, who knows how it will change.

Posted on September 30, 2023