Shadow Link


 * Not to be confused with Dark Link, the reoccurring boss enemy that first appeared in Ocarina of Time and Link's Shadow, the boss from The Adventure of Link''.

Shadow Link is a dark reflection of Link created from the Dark Mirror, who appears in. Hyrule Historia states that the evil thoughts and resentment of Ganondorf, who had been killed by an earlier incarnation of Link in, manifested through the Dark Mirror in the form of Link. He is possibly related to Dark Link, but has distinct differences in behavior, origin and appearance, making any relationship between them unclear and speculative. He is the only playable boss in the series, albeit only in Shadow Battle.

Hyrulean Adventure
In Four Swords Adventures, Shadow Link is featured as both a main character and a recurring enemy and boss. There are many Shadow Links; the Dark Mirror can create an endless supply from Ganondorf's resentment and evil thoughts from his defeat in, but they all work together as one. He first appears early in the game in the Four Sword Sanctuary and tricks Link into drawing the Four Sword, releasing the ancient Wind Mage Vaati and splitting Link into four Links. He and his copies then plague Hyrule by terrorizing its citizens, some of whom blame the Links for his misdeeds. Shadow Links usually show up repeatedly in each stage, often causing mischief using a certain item, such as setting fires with the Fire Rod or charging at the Links with the Pegasus Boots, or sometimes simply just taunting Link by avoiding his blade. Whoever manages to defeat him can receive a large green Force Gem, but often they will flee to the Dark World.

Shadow Link also sometimes appears and summons a Big Bomb. When this bomb explodes, all Links on screen will be instantly defeated. He will summon and endless supply of Big Bombs until the Links can escape.

He appears as the main boss for the Cave of No Return, Village of the Blue Maiden, Desert Temple and The Dark Cloud stages - where, during each battle except for the Dark Cloud stage, he would eventually take on a color, and only the corresponding Link could damage him. During these battles he usually travels back and forth from the Dark World and attacks Link with his copy of the Four Sword. Shadow Link and his kin are finally defeated in The Dark Cloud stage when, while the Links engage them in combat, Princess Zelda undoes the seal on the Dark Mirror and takes it into her possession, dispelling them. He also appears as a middle boss on other stages.

Shadow Battle
In the additional multiplayer game in Four Swords Adventures known as Shadow Battle, four colored Shadow Links battle for supremacy in a number of different arenas. While appearing identical to the four Links of the normal game, they appear in the same manner as Shadow Link and have his voice at the start of battle. During these battles, Shadow Link has the exact same abilities as Link normally would.

A Link Between Worlds
Shadow Links appear in, but they do not play a part in the main story and have no know connection to the Dark Mirror or Ganondorf. Once Link has spoken to Gramps and activated StreetPass, and the player has received a StreetPass Hit on their 3DS system, a Shadow Link representing another player's Link will appear waiting in one of various locations around Hyrule or Lorule, and a sign will appear in Gramps' field offering a hint to his location. It will speak to Link and challenge him to battle. Accepting this challenge will cause Link and Shadow Link to be transported to a battle arena where they will fight. In this mode of the game, a remix of the "Temple Theme" from The Adventure of Link plays as a homage to Link's Shadow. Shadow Link is only a representation of the other player, and is controlled by the computer. Its items and gear are determined by those set by the other player when talking to Gramps. The combined might of the items held by Shadow Link adds up to a "bounty" of Rupees that can be won once Link defeats it, and a number of Challenges can be attempted, such as defeating Shadow Link using a specific Item.

The player does not have to pass another to receive a Shadow Link as occasionally Shadow Links from a mysterious player named "Shade" will appear. Their names and strengths vary.

Four Swords manga
In The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords manga, Shadow Link was drawn from the Dark Mirror by Ganon to act out his wishes. Shadow Link is a twisted version of Link, born from his own shadow, and is a cruel, malevolent and calculating character. He first appears after causing the Shrine Maidens to vanish, and proclaims himself to be "the hero, Link". Completely avoiding Link's attack, he immediately kidnaps Zelda and sends Link to the Four Sword Sanctuary, from which he observes as Link awakens Vaati. His next move is to lead Vaati's troops to attack Hyrule Castle and send all the Knights of Hyrule to the Dark World. There, he confronts the four Links, revealing himself to be much stronger than they are with their tainted blades, and striking them down with Sword Beams. They are saved by the Blue Maiden, who releases a Fairy to shine light upon him, stunning him long enough for them to escape.

Shadow Link continues to plot, hidden away from the light. As he cannot go out in daylight, he works with Vaati's minions to thwart the progress of the four Links. Using dark magic, he manages to split the four Links apart by sending them to four different lands of Hyrule, thus weakening the strength of the Four Sword. Then, confronting Vio, he attempts to coerce him into joining the side of darkness by appealing to his intelligence. Working with Vio, he traps Red and Blue in the Temple of Darkness, and allows Vio to be placed in charge of the Tower of Flames on Death Mountain. Vio even appears to kill Green in battle, totally convincing Shadow Link that he has turned to the side of evil.

However, Vio is simply putting on a show to gain his trust. Once inside, he learns about Ganon and his potential weakness, and the existence of the Dark Mirror, the source of darkness from which Shadow Link was originally summoned. He also learns that Shadow Link does not desire to follow Ganon, and in fact wishes to rule over Hyrule alongside Vio. Shadow Link simply hates humans and the world for spurning him as "just a shadow". However, after Vio is foiled in an attempt to shatter the mirror, Shadow Link discovers his betrayal and attempts to execute him in by dropping him into the lava of Death Mountain. Saved at the last minute by the three other Links, they confront Shadow Link, and with their new-found strength, destroy him with a combined Sword Beam attack.

Shadow Link is not killed, however, and is pulled by Ganon from the mirror again, dripping and shivering as he tries to resist entering the light. Seeing him in this state, Princess Zelda takes pity upon him. He attempts to spurn her but is momentarily moved by her words as she states that he should not fear the light, as he too is a hero. Driven by a desire to save her from the Dark Cloud, he disguises himself as Vio and aids the three other Links in their battle against Vaati. Realizing that the demon cannot be killed by the Four Sword alone however, he returns to the Dark Mirror, and in an act of self sacrifice he shatters it, destroying both Vaati and himself in the process. Before he vanishes, the four Links thank him, and tell him he will always be a part of them. Shadow Link makes a final appearance on the penultimate page of the manga, appearing as Link's shadow and giving a thumb's up.

Trivia

 * Shadow Link in is tied with Gramps for the highest damage output of any vulnerable enemy in the series. In Hero Mode, he is able to deal 32 hearts of damage with a single use of the Purple Potion.