Masahiro Sakurai Helps Zelda Cosplayer Struggling to Unsheathe Link’s Sword By Explaining How It Works in Smash Bros.

One Legend of Zelda cosplayer struggling to unsheathe Link’s sword has received advice from an unlikely source: Smash Bros. creator Masahiro Sakurai.

Cosplayer Sakigake posted some sleek images of their Breath of the Wild Link outfit on X/Twitter before showing the impracticalities of pulling a sword from a scabbard on one’s back. “It was impossible,” they said. “I will practice.” As spotted by Automaton, however, Sakurai appeared to save the day, revealing how he and his team at Nintendo fixed this issue in the Super Smash Bros. games.

“In Smash Bros. Ultimate, Link pulls the scabbard down when sheathing his sword,” Sakurai said. “That alone didn’t quite reach the mark, but I think that’s as far as we could go with our ingenuity and still replicate the action and equipment from the original.”

スマブラSPのリンクは､納刀時に鞘を下に引っぱるようにしました｡
それだけではまだ届かなかったのだけど､原作のアクションと装具に合わせるのであれば工夫はここまでかなあと｡ https://t.co/hVlmYte0C7

— 桜井 政博 / Masahiro Sakurai (@Sora_Sakurai) November 12, 2024

Sakigake and Sakurai continued their wholesome interaction, with the cosplayer saying they’d use Super Smash Bros. as a reference going forward. Sakurai responded again too, complimenting Sakigake’s Link cosplay. Check out how Breath of the Wild Link gets on in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate in the video below.

Sakurai seems to be enjoying his time outside of video game development, having also run a YouTube channel talking about his work until very recently. This wrapped in October, with the famed developer leaving YouTube while teasing a mystery new game.

Whether or not it’s a Smash Bros. entry remains to be seen though, as Sakurai has previously said he doesn’t know how to make a game bigger and better than the one on Nintendo Switch.

Ryan Dinsdale is an IGN freelance reporter. He’ll talk about The Witcher all day.