Jump Slash

The Jump Attack (not to be confused with the Jump Strike) is of the most basic, but also one of the most reckless of Link's sword-based moves. He performs it by leaping forward into the air, then bringing down his sword towards the enemy. The force of the jump forward, the gravitational pull downwards, and the extra push added by using both hands all contribute to a stronger attack. In all cases of this move's appearance, it deals twice the damage of a regular sword strike.

It was first introduced in Ocarina of Time, and subsequently appeared in both Majora's Mask and The Wind Waker. To perform this attack in any of these games, Link must have his sword drawn, and he must be targeting the enemy. When both conditions are met, a simple press of the sword button will unleash a Jump Attack. It is effective against most enemies, but some foes will be able to dodge or counter it if the timing isn't right.

The move appeared next in Four Swords Adventures, marking its first and so far only appearance in a 2D game. It can be performed by "tapping" the control stick of a Gamecube controller, or D-Pad of a connected Game Boy Advance, and simultaneously pressing the sword button. It is much harder to pull off than in other incarnations, but serves less of a purpose now, as the Roll Attack is better at dealing damage from a distance, and multiple regular strikes up close are comparatively equal in dealing damage up close.

Twilight Princess marked the Jump Attack's next appearance. A player executed it identically as in Ocarina of Time, but this time around less enemies are affected by it, and Link performs it with only one hand instead of two. While in mid-air, if the player moves the Control Stick in a circle, upon landing, Link will do a Spin Attack

Phantom Hourglass is the most recent game to feature the Jump Attack. This time it can be performed simply by tapping on an enemy with the Stylus, but only while Link is distant from his target. At closer range, Link will do a more modest sword thrust instead. To date, this is the only Zelda featuring the Jump Attack where an in-game character never describes how it can be performed.