GGML/Zato

Overview

Players familiar with Zato from later games may be expecting a puppet character. However, that is not the case in Missing Link. Here, Zato and his shadow cannot move independently as he can later in the series. Instead, he functions as a zoning character, with a variety of strong pokes and projectiles to both wall the opponent out and harass them from far away. He also boasts solid buttons all around, many of which having the speed and range to turn nearly any stray poke into a Charge Cancel infinite.

Lore:

Soon after becoming the Guild leader, he launched a large-scale mission that deployed many of the Guild's personnel, ultimately failing due to

Millia Rage's betrayal, who held a crucial role in the mission. Not long after his incarceration, he learned of the Second Holy Order Selection Tournament, which allows the participation of criminals. Believing that this was his chance to exact revenge against Millia, he participated in the tournament. However, his mind and body were weakened gradually due to the price of his curse, and his body was eventually taken over by the shadow (Eddie).

Playstyle

Zato zones the opponent with large normals, varied projectiles, and anti-zoning tools.
Pros	Cons
Break the Law: Break the Law is obscenely strong in Missing Link with only 6 vulnerable frames on startup, 4 vulnerable frames during recovery, and great speed. Combined with guard cancels it's very hard to deal with and lets Zato gain space from the opponent without much risk. Good Zoning Options: With Invite Hell, Climb Darkness, Break the Law, and huge normals like j.S and 5H, Zato is a powerful zoner. Strong Anti-Zoning: Invite Hell is good at catching opponents trying to zone and Drunkard Shade is an incredibly effective projectile reflector. Honest Footsies?: Zato has a variety of relatively safe long-range normals for poking, including 5K, f.S, 2S, and j.S. Combined with his fast and long-ranged 5H, this lets him turn stray hits into Charge Cancel infinites from remarkably far away.	Long Vulnerability on Invite Hell: Invite Hell lasts for a very long duration and Zato is open to a full ground punish the entire time. This is partially helped by Aerial Invite Hell, but comes at the cost of nerfed hitboxes. Incredibly Weak Reversal: Zato's 623P, Rise and Fall, is fully invincible on startup. However, it's fully punishable by an infinite on block and hit, making it useless outside of kills. Weak Super: Dark Sentinel, despite looking cool, is a very underwhelming super, lacking any use outside of specific situations. Most of the time Zato will be spending meter on FD. Small Instant Kill: Zato's instant kill, while fairly fast, has barely any range and can be crouched by most of the cast.

Zato

Defense:	100%Raw Value: 10
Jump Startup:	3f
Backdash:	22f
Meter Gain Mod:	100%Raw Value: 10
Charge Time:	70f
Forward Walk Speed:	73%Raw Value: 563
Backward Walk Speed:	65%Raw Value: 384
Dizzy Resistance:	100%Raw Value: 30

Normals

How to Read Frame Data

Damage

A quantification of how a character's health bar is reduced when they are hit.

Guard

The act of defending against incoming attacks. Guarding either negates the damage from an attack entirely or reduces it to minor chip damage.

Low: Guarded against while crouching
Mid: Guarded against in either the crouching or standing state, but not while airborne
High: Guarded against in the standing state
All: Guarded against while crouching, standing, or while airborne
Throw: Cannot be guarded against, but only applies to grounded opponents
Unblockable: Cannot be guarded against

Startup: The time before an attack is active including the first active frame. For example, an attack with 10F startup means the attack will do nothing for 9 frames, then hit the opponent on the 10th frame.
Active: The active frames of an attack refers to the amount of time an attack can hit the opponent.
Recovery: The recovery of an attack refers to the amount of time an attacker must wait before he may perform another action, even blocking.
On-Block: A measure of frame advantage when the opponent blocks an attack. Positive values indicate that the attacker can act first. Negative values indicate that the defender can act first.
On-Hit: A measure of frame advantage when the opponent is hit by an attack. Positive values indicate that the attacker can act first. Negative values indicate that the defender can act first.
Invuln: No results

5P

Damage	Guard	Startup	Active	Recovery	On-Block	On-Hit	Invuln
5	All	7	4	12	+2	0	none

A relatively slow 5P with decent range. Although it's more advantageous on block than on hit, the frame advantage on hit is fairly unimportant due to gatlings.

5K

stanky leg

Damage	Guard	Startup	Active	Recovery	On-Block	On-Hit	Invuln
9	All	8	9	8	+1	-1	none

A fairly large footsies button which is + on block. Despite the animation it is not a low, but it is still useful for tic throws.

c.S

c.S

Damage	Guard	Startup	Active	Recovery	On-Block	On-Hit	Invuln
9	All	10	4	12	+1	-1	none

c.S is used as filler for CC infinites, but is otherwise unremarkable. The frame data isn't particularly outstanding, nor is the hitbox interesting, so it's just something to stuff combos with at close range.

f.S

f.S

Damage	Guard	Startup	Active	Recovery	On-Block	On-Hit	Invuln
8x2	All	6	4,4,7	30	-20	-22	none

This move has great range and a decent disjoint, but it's horribly unsafe. If you use this, be prepared to cancel into another normal, or into Charge.

5H

Damage	Guard	Startup	Active	Recovery	On-Block	On-Hit	Invuln
16	All	4	10	25	-10	-8	none

5H is Zato's fastest normal, and has enough hitstun to structure into a CC infinite. It comes with some notable issues.

The Hitbox to Hurtbox ratio is very poor.
Whiffs on most crouching opponents. Characters' hurtboxes extending upwards when hit generally remedies this in combos, but not always. You can't use 5H to structure into infinites on crouching Millia, Baldhead, or Zato, and whether you can use it on Baiken is range-dependent(you can't be too close or too far).
Lengthy recovery and poor frame advantage uncanceled.

6P

Damage	Guard	Startup	Active	Recovery	On-Block	On-Hit	Invuln
9x2	All	8	4,5	5	+7	+5	none

6P in missing link is significantly advantageous on block, but lacks the upper body invulnerability that it has in later games. The frame data is actually good, making this a solid button to press in pressure.

6K

even stankier leg

Damage	Guard	Startup	Active	Recovery	On-Block	On-Hit	Invuln
9	Overhead	31	4	16	-3	-5	none

Zato's classic overhead, except it's painfully slow in this game. You're more likely to be hit out of it than to ever land it. Bizarrely, it can be special canceled at any point in the move's duration, which would be cool if he had any low hitting specials but unfortunately he doesn't in Missing Link.

For some baffling reason, the command list gets the input for this move wrong. It says "Press forwards when holding K" but that doesn't even work. Instead of doing [K]6, like the command list implies, you just do a normal 6K input.

2P

Damage	Guard	Startup	Active	Recovery	On-Block	On-Hit	Invuln
4	Low	7	5	11	0	-2	none

Unlike in later games, 2P is a low. It has the same bizarre on-block and on-hit properties as 5P, but a bit worse.

2K

Damage	Guard	Startup	Active	Recovery	On-Block	On-Hit	Invuln
8	Low	12	10	16	-4	-2	none

Zato's classic sweep, except because of how teching works in this game, you won't knock them down and will potentially be minus on hit if your opponent's on the ball. Goes pretty far, like 5K, but is also jointed.

2S

Damage	Guard	Startup	Active	Recovery	On-Block	On-Hit	Invuln
12	Low	12	4	13	-1	-3	none

A large, fairly low commitment poke which can combo into 5H to start a CC infinite, even at maximum range.

2H

Damage	Guard	Startup	Active	Recovery	On-Block	On-Hit	Invuln
18	Low	8	9	13	0	+4	none

Big vertical hitbox. Not very much disjoint, so it isn't amazing as an anti-air. Necessary for intinites on characters 5H won't work on.

j.P

j.P

Damage	Guard	Startup	Active	Recovery	On-Block	On-Hit	Invuln
5	Overhead	10	4	1	N/A	N/A	none

j.P is really slow for an air jab, but it only has 1 frame of recovery.

j.K

j.K

What is going on with this frame data

Damage	Guard	Startup	Active	Recovery	On-Block	On-Hit	Invuln
16	Overhead	10	4	26	N/A	N/A	none

j.K has the same startup as j.P, but with way more recovery. Generally, it's worse than j.S as a jump-in and j.H as an air-to-air due to its pretty bad frame data.

j.S

j.S

Damage	Guard	Startup	Active	Recovery	On-Block	On-Hit	Invuln
11	Overhead	15	5	11	N/A	N/A	none

Giant landing normal with a tiny bit of invuln on startup. Useful for hitting opponents below you. Has a big hurtbox accompanying it so it is whiff punishable and can lose trades to disjoints. Will sometimes win trades against disjointed moves thanks to the startup invincibility.

j.H

j.H

Damage	Guard	Startup	Active	Recovery	On-Block	On-Hit	Invuln
14	Overhead	8	11	19	N/A	N/A	none

Giant dedicated air to air normal. The hitbox is big but so is the hurtbox, so be careful with it. Very active, meaning you can throw it out pre-emptively to an extent.

Universal Mechanics

Dust Attack

S+H

Damage	Guard	Startup	Active	Recovery	On-Block	On-Hit	Invuln
16	Overhead	16	5	9	+10		none

Fast overhead that whiffs on over half the cast crouching. Useful in the few matchups you can use it in for mixups, little use otherwise.

Throw

4H or 6H

Damage	Guard	Startup	Active	Recovery	On-Block	On-Hit	Invuln
20	Throw	1	N/A	N/A	N/A	+17	none

It's a grab, and has the usual properties of one. Zato's throw is decently plus on hit, even if they tech. If they do tech they are left very high in the air for you to catch their landing.

Sideswitches on hit
Sends the opponent flying very far horizontally as well as vertically

Dash Attack

6[6]

Damage	Guard	Startup	Active	Recovery	On-Block	On-Hit	Invuln
13	All				+16	+2

Pretty standard dash attack. Moderate hitbox, and pretty plus on block.

Instant Kill

Fear of the Dark

P+K > 236X

Damage	Guard	Startup	Active	Recovery	On-Block	On-Hit	Invuln
FATAL	All	6	6	10	N/A	N/A	Above Knees 1~11, 15~40

Weak instant kill. Crouched by everyone but Potemkin and Justice while still being smaller and slower than some other instant kills. You won't be seeing this one as often as other characters' instant kills.

Specials

Drunkard Shade

214K or 214P

Damage	Guard	Startup	Active	Recovery	On-Block	On-Hit	Invuln
9	All	12	40	13	-32	-32	Upper Body

Drunkard Shade is pretty cool. First of all, the move is invulnerable above the knees and has a tall hitbox that extends up from the ground.

The K version will immediately reflect any projectile which contacts it.

The P version will instead absorb the last projectile to contact it. After a couple seconds, that projectile will then automatically fire out of Zato's face, even if he is in hitstun.

Drunkard Shade does not work on the following projectiles:

Justice's Imperial Ray or Gamma Ray

Climb Darkness

41236H

Followup

Name	Damage	Guard	Startup	Active	Recovery	On-Block	On-Hit	Invuln
Climb Darkness	N/A	N/A	19	N/A	3	N/A	N/A	none
Climb Darkness Followup	15	Overhead	2	17	2	N/A	N/A	none

Climb Darkness sends Zato's shadow forwards to the edge of the screen, then calls it back to him. During this time, Zato's only valid actions are the followups to Climb Darkness.

The followups to climb darkness are all the same, but are input with distinct buttons. They are done by pressing H, S, and P in that order. You can use the 3 followup hits at any time that the shadow is away from Zato so long as the order is respected.

Once the first followup is used, the shadow will begin its return to Zato regardless of whether or not it reached the edge of the screen.

Air Unblockable
The earliest valid followup input is on the 10th frame of climb darkness, right after the shadow becomes visible on the animation.
There must be at least 1 frame without an input between the end of one Climb Darkness Followup and the start input of the next.
After the shadow returns to Zato the recovery of the move is 3 frames.

Invite Hell

22S or 22H

level 1
level 2
level 3

Name	Damage	Guard	Startup	Active	Recovery	On-Block	On-Hit	Invuln
Invite Hell	9x2,1	All	17	8,60,5	15	+3	-55	none
Invite Hell Level 2		All	17		15	-15	-27	none
Invite Hell Level 3		All	17		15	-1	-41	none

Invite Hell locks Zato in place and produces a drill a set distance away. The S button places the drill near Zato, and the H version places the drill far away.

The drill hits once when coming out of the ground, once when erect, and once more when retracting into the ground. It has enough vertical range to reach the apex of Potemkin's jump arch, which means that some characters will be forced to superjump or double jump to get around it. Invite Hell is a bit awkward as a zoning tool since Zato is immobile for the entire duration, so it is matchup dependent how you use it.

At Level 2, the drill gains massive hitboxes on its sides which make it considerably harder to contest, avoid, and deal with in general. The hitbox also goes under the bottom of the stage, for some reason.

At Level 3, the move spawns three drills and occupies virtually the entire floor, making it borderline uncontestable.

Aerial Invite Hell

j.22S or j.22H

level 1 and 2
level 3

Name	Damage	Guard	Startup	Active	Recovery	On-Block	On-Hit	Invuln
Aerial Invite Hell	9x2,1	All	1	9,59,18	Until Landing+29	+16	-38	none
Aerial Invite Hell Level 2	9x2,1	All	1	9,59,18	Until Landing+29	+16	-38	none
Aerial Invite Hell Level 3	9x2,1	All	1	9,59,18	Until Landing+29	+16	-50	none

Aerial Invite hell is similar to the ground version, but with some interesting tweaks. It spawns a drill on the ground a short distance in front of Zato's position when the move is first input. The S button places the drill near Zato, and the H version places the drill far away.

Zato's momentum is preserved which can let you move away from or towards your drill by using backwards or forwards jumps. Because this move is in recovery until landing + 29 frames you want to use it as soon as possible before hitting the ground. this will give you the most actionable time before the drill disappears.

Level 2 is identical to level 1 in all known ways.

Level 3 Aerial Invite Hell spawns 3 level 1 drills, which makes it cover considerably less space than the ground version.

Rise and Fall

623P

Cringe nae nae Eddie
"Oh, monkey's paw, how I wish Zato had a reversal"

Damage	Guard	Startup	Active	Recovery	On-Block	On-Hit	Invuln
9,12	All,Overhead	6	7(25)28	29	-60	-58	Full 1~12, 34~37

Invincible on startup DP with a decent hitbox and damage. It has a huge amount of recovery, making it very unsafe on block.

Initially looks like a useful reversal and combo ender, especially considering Zato's status as a zoner, but it has a major flaw. It's fully punishable ON HIT. By teching the second hit of the move, the opponent lands next to Zato fully recovered while he's still going through the move's long recovery. This leaves it fully open to a punish with anything you want, be it an IK or an infinite. This unfortunately renders the move mostly useless.

Break the Law

63214S

Damage	Guard	Startup	Active	Recovery	On-Block	On-Hit	Invuln
N/A	N/A	30	N/A	15	N/A	N/A	Strike 5~30; Full Until Exiting BTL; Strike 1~11 of Recovery

Zato schlorps into the ground making him completely invulnerable. While underground Zato's only valid actions are to move left and right at incredible speeds. Coming out of the ground has a brief animation before Zato becomes actionable.

Startup represents the time it takes to enter the ground from first input. Recovery represents time that it takes to come out of the ground.
- Zato has 4 frames of vulnerability on either side of the animation. 4 Frames at the start when he goes into the ground, and 4 frames at the end after he comes out of the ground.
Pressing S will cause Zato to come out of the ground early.
Pressing P will fake coming out by playing the first 11 frames of the animation.

Supers

Dark Sentinel

412363214H

Damage	Guard	Startup	Active	Recovery	On-Block	On-Hit	Invuln
63	All	39	Until Reaches Enemy/Wall	75	-65	-65	none

An advancing attack with a single hit of huge damage. The startup isn't great and the recovery is incredibly long. As a result this is isn't particularly useful because why try to combo into a weird slow unsafe super when you could go infinite with Charge Cancel.