Link/Other Appearances

This page details all appearances of Link outside the canon, main series games.

The Legend of Zelda Animated Series
In the Zelda animated series, Link's appearance is similar to the official artwork of the original game: a green hat with a lighter green (sometimes yellow) stripe around the brow, and a green tunic with a brown belt, accompanied underneath it with a brown, long-sleeved shirt and brown pants. Interestingly, even though Link's hair and eyes are black in the first two aired episodes of the series, the third episode, "The White Knight", showed Link's hair and eyes as brown, which would remain until the last episode. Jonathan Potts serves as the voice actor for Link.

Living in North Castle with Princess Zelda and King Harkinian, Link is in charge of protecting the Triforce of Wisdom from falling into Ganon's hands. However, he dislikes his new lifestyle, claiming that it is boring and would rather be off fighting monsters and roaming the world. The only positive thing, he says, is that he gets to be in company of Princess Zelda, who usually dislikes Link's overall personality. Despite this, it is revealed in "The Missing Link" that she loves the young hero anyway but would rather keep it a secret to prevent it from going into Link's head. Link is persistent at any rate in trying to get Zelda to kiss him, and asks for a reward any time the young hero saves her. Any time that seems like Zelda is about to kiss him,  they are always interrupted by Spryte, Ganon's minions or even Link's own clumsiness ruining the moment, leaving the young hero frustrated. Link's motives for rescuing Zelda are not always a kiss, however, as he seems to genuinely care for her and would do anything to save her, which seems to be his weakness. Even so, he will take any chance to impress Princess Zelda or even to make her jealous.

For the most part, Link is depicted as a capable swordsman and a quick thinker, although he is often shown to be a rather arrogant warrior as well, something that displeases Zelda the most. Because of this, he sometimes underestimates the situation he is and ends up in more trouble than he predicts: in "The Moblins Are Revolting", Link mocks Ganon for not being able to fight back since he is inside an indestructible bubble and decides to throw him around for a bit, which results in the bubble bursting and ruining Zelda's chances to retrieve the Triforce of Power. He is also characterized for his somewhat childish nature, trying to avoid any responsibilities that do not have to do with fighting Ganon: in "Cold Spells", he decides to fake being sick so that he will not have to do chores around the castle.

The cartoon series establishes that Link's entire inventory is actually shrunk inside his magic pouch around his belt: when Link is fighting a dragon, he pulls a miniaturized shield from the pouch, which then grows to normal size. Link always carries his sword, the Crissword, to fire Sword Beams at Ganon and his minions and thus send them back into the Evil Jar. The young hero only wields his Magical Shield in four episodes, which he just uses for a brief time during battles. He also often fights alongside Zelda, who proves to be invaluable and even saves the young hero several times throughout the show.

Captain N: The Game Master
Link makes four episode appearances in Captain N: The Game Master. Unlike his depiction in the Zelda animated series, he is now portrayed as an older, more mature Link who is no longer obsessed with trying to steal a kiss from Princess Zelda. His hair is longer, and his tunic is also slightly different to accommodate to his older look, but it still retains the same overall style. Jonathan Potts reprises his role as Link's voice actor in this television show.

Link lives with Princess Zelda in North Castle, still protecting the Triforce and the kingdom of Hyrule from evil even after Ganon's fall. He is Kevin's favorite video game hero, and although the two of them get along very well when Kevin first meets Link in "Quest for the Potion of Power", Link begins to become jealous of Kevin's fighting abilities as the heroes travel to the Parapa Palace since Kevin's skills are making Link look like a clumsy swordsman. When the hero of Hyrule is fighting Horsehead inside the palace, he shamefully loses his sword against the foe, and just as he's about to get hit by Horsehead, Kevin rushes in and saves Link from the deadly blow, leaving Kevin to finish off the monster. The young hero, feeling humiliated, then begins to act competitive against Kevin, refusing to receive instructions from him on how to defeat an Iron Knuckle. It isn't until Zelda gets taken by the Iron Knuckle that he and Kevin sort out their differences, learning to work together instead of against each other. From then on, Link becomes much more friendlier with Kevin, always willing to help Kevin whenever the need arises.

The Legend of Zelda Comic
In the Legend of Zelda comic published by Valiant Comics, Link's appearance is also heavily based on the artwork of the first Zelda game: the young hero has long, reddish hair with brown eyes and a large, round nose. He was born in Calatia, where he lived with his parents Arn and Medilia. Due to his thirst for adventure and talent for swordplay, Link departs from Calatia in search for excitement, where he eventually stumbles into Impa and helps Zelda save the kingdom of Hyrule from Ganon's forces. After accomplishing a daring quest, the Triforce of Courage displayed itself in Link's heart. From then on, he begins to live in North Palace with the princess and King Harkinian, protecting both Zelda and the Triforce of Wisdom from Ganon's clutches. Despite not living in Calatia anymore, he is still loyal to his homeland and would do anything to protect its people and its queen, even if it means not being able to protect the Princess of Hyrule.

Link is a skillful swordsman who is considered to be a formidable opponent, even if his moves are said to be predictable by some. Although a great part of Link's strength comes from the Triforce of Courage, he is still capable of fighting and defeating other imposing foes, such as Shadow Link. Just like in the animated series, Link can be seen trying to steal a kiss from Zelda any time the chance arises, but they always seem to get interrupted by Ganon's minions or Zelda changing her mind. Unlike the animated series, however, the comic makes it clear that Link and Zelda love each other, as they both plainly state it to one another several times throughout their adventures. Furthermore, in "Assault", Zelda is even willing to give up the Triforce of Wisdom to Ganon in exchange for Link's life, while the young hero is always ready to do anything to protect the princess from danger, despite Zelda insisting in accompanying him in his many adventures in the Underworld.

Despite being the bearer of the Triforce of Courage, Link at one point in the comics gets corrupted by the Triforce of Power after he manages to take it from Ganon's lair. The young hero, blindly wanting more power, demands that Zelda turn over the Triforce of Wisdom to him, even going as far as firing a magic spell at the princess. Because Link has misused the power of the Triforce, the Triforce of Courage leaves his heart and goes to Zelda to protect her from Link's malevolence. It is not until the princess shows him how his lust of power has corrupted him that Link realizes he is becoming like Ganon and what the price of that power is. By choosing to throw away the Triforce of Power in order to keep his soul, Link once again proves to be worthy of being the bearer of the Triforce of Courage, which restores his life after nearly dying in Zelda's arms.

Nintendo Adventure Books
In the Nintendo Adventure Books series, Link is portrayed as an outgoing, brave, playful, and even sometimes arrogant young warrior. Despite his young age, he is still recognized as being the best swordsman in all of Hyrule and even has the Triforce of Couarge buried deep in his heart. Link is also best friends with Zelda, and he seems to enjoy annoying her whenever the chance arises, although the princess also does not miss the opportunity to poke fun at the young hero. Whenever in need of advice, Link seeks Impa, the castle's nursemaid, who often reminds him to not act rashly and to think things through, somewhat serving as his mentor and even giving him items which might help the young hero along his adventure.

The Crystal Trap
In the first book of the series, The Crystal Trap, Link and Princess Zelda are running inside the Midoro Palace trying to escape from Ganon's grap. However, the evil wizard finds them and eventually encases Link in a Crystal. Ganon explains that since he cannot obtain the Triforce of Courage and Wisdom from Link and Zelda respectively, he used a Magic Scroll which cast a spell to encase both pieces of the Triforce, including the Triforce of Courage encased in Link's heart. Zelda is now forced to seek the three items dictated in the Fairy's Scroll that will help free Link from the Crystal, but she has just 24 hours before the young hero gets trapped inside the crystal forever.

Eventually, Princess Zelda finds the Magic Honey, the Handprint, and the Magnifying Glass and uses them to shatter the Crystal. With Link now free, the young duo head off to find the Spear, which is the only weapon that can defeat Ganon. Link, with the help of Zelda's friend Greenbeard, obtains the Spear and uses it to defeat Ganon once and for all.

The Shadow Prince
In The Shadow Prince, Link and Zelda meet a strange knight known as Sir Charles from the kingdom of Moria. Although the princess and the King of Hyrule are all quick to trust Charles, Link gets suspicious of his actions from the moment he meets the knight from Moria. After the King of Hyrule decides to show the Triforce of Wisdom to Charles and dubs him a Knight of the Triforce, Link, outraged at the king's decision, goes to Impa for advice and suggests that the young hero go to the Water Town of Saria and retrieve the Mirror of Truth, which will show Charles's true identity.

After Link finds the Mirror of Truth in the Wiseapple Farm of Saria Town, he returns to North Castle only to find that the King has chosen Charles, and not Link, to deliver the Triforce of Wisdom to the Fifth Castle of Ancient Hyrule to keep it away from Ganon's grasp. The young hero furiously reminds the king of all the brave deeds he has done and claims that Charles can't be trusted because he is evil. With the Mirror of Truth in his power, Link holds it up to Charles only to reveal that Charles is actually Ganon in disguise. The false knight quickly takes the Triforce of Wisdom and rushes off to the woods, where Link follows him and promptly defeats Charles by striking Charles's Necklace, which was the true source of Ganon's power. Link safely returns to the castle with the Triforce of Wisdom, and the king decides to celebrate in honor of Link having saved the kingdom once again.

A Link to the Past comic
In the A Link to the Past comic, Link starts out as a simple, bumbling kid who gradually grows more confident about his abilities and succeeds in rescuing Princess Zelda with the help of the friends he makes along his adventure. Like in the game, Link is a descendant of the Knights of Hyrule; because Link's parents stumbled into the Dark World, he was adopted by his uncle, who shielded him from the intrigues of the Royal Family. In the comic, Link and Zelda have a close bond with one another, as they share a dream together where Zelda comforts the young hero and heals his wounds while searching for the Pendants of Virtue.

At the beginning of the comic, Link is awoken as he is contacted telepathically by Princess Zelda, who asks him to save her from Hyrule Castle's prison. Sneaking into the castle, Link witnesses his uncle's defeat against Agahnim and as such passes on his sword and shield to the young hero. Before passing out, Link's Uncle explains that after the young hero rescues Zelda and the people in the Dark World, he might be able to meet his parents. Although Link is successful in rescuing the princess, Agahnim finds her once they reach the Sanctuary. As he kidnaps her, Zelda explains to Link that the Master Sword is the only weapon that can defeat the evil wizard. Knowing this, Link begins his search for the two remaining Pendants of Virtue to wield the Master Sword after Sahasrahla grants him the Pendant of Courage. Link eventually finds the rest of the Pendants with Sahasrahla's guidance and travels to the Lost Woods, where the Master Sword selects him as its bearer. Although the young hero makes it to Hyrule Castle before Agahnim casts his final incantation on the princess, he is unable to defeat the wizard and Zelda is transported to the Dark World. With the help of Sahasrahla, Link kills Agahnim by deflecting his own magic, but Agahnim, with his final breath, manages to transport Link into the Dark World.

Instead of turning into a rabbit when he stumbles into the Dark World like in the game, Link momentarily turns into a beast before suppressing his negative emotions and managing to stay in his human form. He then resumes his search for the princess, and befriends Epheremelda the fairy after rescuing her from monsters. Helping Link out as a guide, Link and his fairy companion successfully free two Maidens from their crystals, with one of them revealing to Link that Zelda is imprisoned inside a rock that looks like a turtle. Link, with the help of Roam, shows up and aids the young hero in defeating the monster in Turtle Rock. With Zelda now saved, the trio head to Ganon's Tower, where Ganon rises from the defeated body of an Agahnim specter. Link stuns the beast with the Master Sword, allowing Zelda to fire a Silver Arrow from Roam's crossbow and defeat Ganon. The Triforce rises from Ganon's body and asks Link to touch it with one wish in his heart as its new master. The Triforce transports them back to the now-peaceful Hyrule, where Link sees a vision of his father, mother and uncle, who congratulate him on his difficult victory. The newly-crowned Queen Zelda appoints Link as the Master of the Knights of Hyrule, and the two of them, now being kept apart by their duties, share one last moment in the Lost Woods before Zelda gallops away on her horse.

Philips CD-i Games
In Link: The Faces of Evil, Link is seen to be similar to his canonical version, although with the ability to coherently speak and with a very childish attitude. He also appears to live in Hyrule Castle. He remarks that it is boring in Hyrule due the age of peace, but Gwonam arrives, telling him that he is the only one who can defeat Ganon, who has seized Koridai. Link then asks Zelda for a kiss, but is rejected. The young hero proceeds to go off to defeat the masters of the Faces of Evil and rescue Koridai. During his quest in the island, Zelda is kidnapped by Ganon and is put under a sleeping spell. At the end, Link fulfills his destiny by defeating Ganon, trapping him in the Book of Koridai and proceeds to awake Zelda by ringing a gong. Link once again asks Zelda for a kiss, but ends up being rejected.

In Zelda: The Wand of Gamelon, Link retains his childish personality from Faces of Evil, but has a much smaller role. In the game, the land of Gamelon has been seized by Ganon. Duke Onkled, King Harkinian's cousin, has sent a request for urgent assistance to the royal family. Link is ordered to go to Gamelon if King Harkinian does not return, and does so when the king winds up missing, but is apparently imprisoned by Ganon. Later, Zelda smashes a mirror owned by Lady Alma, and Link reappears, implying he was trapped within it. He seems to have no knowledge of what had happened to him.

Link is much different than his The Faces of Evil and The Wand of Gamelon characterization in Zelda's Adventure. He is more similar to the canon version in appearance, but his manner is only hinted at. He was apparently adventuring in Tolemac, but was captured by Ganon. At the end of the game, when Ganon is defeated, Link and Zelda return to Hyrule.

Super Smash Bros. Series

 * See SmashWiki's article on Link for more information.

Link has been one of the 12 playable characters that have appeared in all three Super Smash Bros.games, first appearing as one of the eight playable characters available at the beginning of Super Smash Bros. Here, he is depicted in his adult form from Ocarina of Time, wearing his traditional Kokiri tunic. He also has some of his usual arsenal from the Legend of Zelda series at his disposal, including bombs, his boomerang, and a hookshot. His Super Smash Bros. appearance marks the default look for Link in the rest of the fighting series, with him bearing the Master Sword and Hylian Shield as his default weapons and sporting the green tunic as the standard color of tunic. His home stage is Hyrule Castle. Link returns as one of the 14 playable characters available from the start in Super Smash Bros. Melee, the 2001 sequel to Super Smash Bros. In Super Smash Bros. Melee, he has his bow in addition to the equipment he brought with him to the original Super Smash Bros. Also playable in the game as a secret unlockable character, is Young Link, the youthful Link from most of the games in the series. Modeled after the Ocarina of Time/Majora's Mask version of the hero, Young Link is more agile but weaker than the older Link. He has some of the same weaponry and moves as his adult counterpart, although they are usually accompanied with a few changes, like his hookshot and boomerang having a shorter reach. Adult Link's stage is the Temple, while Young Link's is Great Bay.

On May 10, 2006, at an after-hours press conference during the E³, Link became one of the first confirmed fighters in the Wii installment of the franchise, Super Smash Bros. Brawl. Unlike the previous games of the series, Link appears as depicted in the GameCube Twilight Princess, rather than Ocarina of Time. The Master Sword he has in Brawl is much shorter than the one in Twilight Princess. Link's Final Smash move is known as the Triforce Slash. It slashes an enemy mercilessly with the power of the Triforce. In this game, "Young Link" does not return to the brawl, but rather, Toon Link takes on his role. This Link first appeared in The Wind Waker and has appeared in this form in several games since. Although he is different in many ways, the two Links are surprisingly similar and also have the same Final Smash. The Bridge of Eldin serves as the stage of the adult Link. In the Subspace Emissary story mode from Brawl, Link appears in a forest where he finds the Master Sword and teams up with Yoshi upon being attacked by the Subspace Army. Depending on which princess was saved, Link will either confront a mind-controlled Peach or confront Mario and Pit after seeing Zelda supposedly defeated by the plumber. They later team up and track down King Dedede to try and rescue the trophies stolen by him. Eventually, upon reaching Subspace, Link and Zelda are both present when meeting Tabuu but are both defeated by Tabuu's Off Waves. If Link and Zelda were rescued during Kirby and King Dedede's exploration of Subspace, a cutscene will show them both agreeing to revive Ganondorf, at which point they show him where their common target is. Link helps the other heroes throughout the rest of the story as they try to reach Tabuu inside the Great Maze to defeat him.

In all three games, Link can choose different color tunics. In the original Super Smash Bros., only the Green, Red, Blue, and Blue Ring tunic from the original The Legend of Zelda are available; however, in Melee, the Black Tunic was added, and the Golden Tunic debuted in Brawl.

Link retains the same moves for most of the series, which are usually iconic weapons he has used throughout the Zelda series. The Hookshot serves as Link's grab move and also as a tether recovery in both Super Smash Bros. and Super Smash Bros. Melee, though not in Brawl, where it has been replaced by the Clawshot. While the boomerang from Ocarina of Time appears in the series' first two games, the Gale Boomerang appears instead in Brawl, replacing Link's standard Boomerang from Melee. The bow is the young hero's neutral special move, and the more the bow is charged, the farther the arrow will travel. Lastly, the Spin Attack makes a return as one of Link's most powerful moves and as his recovery move when used in the air.

Soulcalibur II

 * See also: Soulcalibur II/Link's Moveset

Link is a playable "guest character" in the GameCube version of Soulcalibur II. His appearance is taken from his adult incarnation from Ocarina of Time. Though he is voiced by Hiyama, he does not have a deep voice (as Adult Link does in Ocarina of Time), he now has a timbre relative to that of a tenor (similar to that of Zora Link, without modification). His voice is the same exact tone as Nightmare in the Japanese voicing of the game, as well as the seiyū voice of Siegfried Schtauffen in the entire Soul Edge and Soulcalibur series. Expectedly, Link's voice remains unchanged regardless of what language voice setting it is set to. Shigeru Miyamoto did not see a problem with Link appearing in what some had thought to be a "violent fighting game" since he had already been established as a fighter in the Super Smash Bros. games.

Not much is revealed about this incarnation of Link, but it is known that after saving Hyrule from an evil wizard who was being controlled by a fragment of Soul Edge, he went on a secret quest to destroy the evil sword. Quickly pulling the Master Sword out of its pedestal, he set out to travel to this world to destroy Soul Edge with his trusty and Hylian Shield. Eventually, he successfully seals away the evil within the Soul Edge, saving his homeland and quietly leaving the world he had come upon, leaving only a faint echo of his Ocarina.

In Soulcalibur II, Link is the only character with a ranged attack (aside from Necrid, the guest character for the Xbox version Spawn) and the only guest character to have his own theme and more than three costumes--the same colors that were his Super Smash Bros. costumes. His weapons are a number of weapons from the Zelda games, ranging from the Razor Sword to the Magical Sword and even the Bug Catching Net. In addition, Link's fighting style retains many of his signature moves from past games in the Zelda and Super Smash Bros. series. Some of these moves include the Spin Attack, the Jump Attack, the Down Thrust, the Up Thrust, and the Dash Attack.

Cameo appearances
Link has appeared in cameos in Mario games for a long time as well as one of the F-Zero games. He also was mentioned in Donkey Kong Country 2 and Donkey Kong Country 3. Link from the cartoon series' most used line also appeared in Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga. A costume based on Link's appearance in Skyward Sword is available in the Dynasty Warriors game, Dynasty Warriors VS for the 3DS. The costume also includes the True Master Sword and Hylian Shield, but they are not used in battle.