Clothes

The Tunic is an article of clothing worn by Link in every one of his games. There are many different forms of tunic that Link can don in games, some even with the ability to change in-game to open new abilities with each new garb.

The Legend of Zelda
In The Legend of Zelda, Link mainly wore a green tunic that neither enhanced or hindered his abilities. Optionally, Link could also acquire the Blue Ring or the Red Ring, which would change his tunic's color and enhance his defensive abilities.

The Blue Ring is hidden in a secret shop somewhere in the overworld of Hyrule, where a shopkeeper will sell it for 250 Rupees. By purchasing this ring, Link's tunic would be turned into a very light lavender or periwinkle color and would allow him to take a little less damage when hit by enemies.

The Red Ring, which is also optional, is the dungeon item of the Death Mountain Labyrinth. It turns Link's tunic into red and further increases his defense, making him more defensive than he would be if he had the Blue Ring.

The Adventure of Link
Link once again wears a green tunic throughout The Adventure of Link. Using the Shield Spell will turn his clothes red for as long as the spell is active.

A Link to the Past
The second appearance, since The Legend of Zelda, of changing tunics came with the SNES game A Link to the Past. In the game, Link once again started out in green but could optionally find more garb as he moved through the game.



Green Jerkin (Tunic)
The official name for the clothes Link wears in the game is called the Green Jerkin. The first piece of clothing does just that, it keeps Link clothed throughout the game. No special abilities come with the Jerkin.



Blue Mail
The Blue Mail is hidden in the Ice Palace in the Dark World and is Link's second tunic. When Link wears this, the damage taken from enemies is reduced by 1/4.



Red Mail
This is Link's final tunic in A Link to the Past and best armor in the game. It is found in Ganon's Tower in Dark World where the Tower of Hera was on Death Mountain. When this tunic is worn, it reduces damage taken by ½ making the final battles a bit easier.

Link's Awakening DX
In Link's Awakening DX, the Game Boy Color version of Link's Awakening, Link dons three tunics in the game as well if he can beat the special hidden Color Dungeon, located in the graveyard.

Green Clothes
Link once again wears the original green tunic to start the game. The tunic once again has no special abilities except to keep the hero clothed.

Red Clothes
The red tunic doubles the damage of Link's sword attacks and sends enemies flying when he hits them like a Piece of Power, only permanent. However, it does not increase his walking speed. It is one of the two tunics Link can find in the Color Dungeon. Link can only wear one tunic at a time and must beat the dungeon again to change colors.

Blue Clothes
The blue tunic halves the damage Link takes. It is exactly like a Guardian Acorn, only permanent. It is one of the two tunics Link can find in the Color Dungeon. Link can only wear one tunic at a time and must beat the dungeon again to change colors.

Kokiri Tunic
The Kokiri Tunic, the set of clothes that the Kokiri children wear, is the clothing worn by Link at the start of Ocarina of Time. It is a simple leaf-green tunic that enables no special abilities. However, its one strength is that Like Like will not steal Link's tunic if he is wearing this. As such, if a Like Like manages to swallow Link with another tunic, it is best to quickly swap out a special tunic for this one until the attack finishes, or Link will have to kill the Like Like to get it back or have to buy another one.

Goron Tunic
The Goron Tunic, sometimes known as the red tunic, is one of the few articles of clothing worn by Link besides that of his usual green outfit. It is visually identical to the green version except that it is red. This tunic can be stolen if grabbed by a Like Like, if Link is still wearing it when he gets spit out. If the Like Like is not immediately slain, the tunic will need to be repurchased.

In Ocarina of Time, this tunic helps absorb extreme heat. It is able to do this due to the fact that it is made from Dodongo scales from which the lava-dwelling creatures are made heat-resistant, and Bomb Flower fibers. It is the essential uniform when exploring places such as the Death Mountain Crater, an otherwise deadly habitat. While it is best known for its accessibility, the tunic also offers some heightened protection. While wearing this, Link will no longer burn from fire-based traps and attacks, and Link can safely walk on lava tiles, poison water and even floor spikes for a short period of time (if Link performs Z-Target jumps within certain intervals, he is also virtually invincible from them). It is seen by many players as the tunic of choice for the game due to its unique versatility. It can be bought by Link at the Goron Shop for 200 rupees, or more sensibly be received as a gift from Darunia's son (who is named after Link).

Zora Tunic
The Zora Tunic, sometimes known as the blue tunic, is one of the few articles of clothing worn by Link besides that of his usual green outfit. It is visually identical to the green version except that it is blue. This tunic can also be stolen by Like Likes.

In Ocarina of Time, the tunic allows the wearer (Link) to breathe underwater. While it is almost functionally useless by itself, it must be used in conjunction with the Iron Boots for this ability to really be brought out. The pair renders large undersea areas accessible and traversable, although at a slow speed. Unlike the Goron Tunic, it does not offer any mild defense bonuses; it does not reduce frost damage, only disable the timer seen underwater. It can be bought by Link at the Zora Shop for 300 rupees, or it can be given to him by King Zora when Link helps him to thaw.

Majora's Mask
In Majora's Mask, child Link from Ocarina of Time goes to Termina in his Kokiri Tunic. This game does not include the ability to switch tunics but rather switch persons. The Fierce Deity form of Link dons an armored, white tunic.

Oracle series
In the Oracle games, Link also only dons the Green Tunic throughout his adventure.

Four Sword series
In Four Swords as well as Four Sword Adventures, Link splits into four equal persona due to the Four Sword. Doing so allows Link to sport his traditional Green Tunic as well as a Red, Blue, and Purple Tunic. The colors in the game help players determine which Link they are controlling rather than give Link an ability.

Hero's Clothes
Link receives this nifty set of clothes very early on in his adventure in The Wind Waker. It was customary for the young boys of Outset Island to don a green tunic in honor of the Hero of Time upon reaching a certain age. They were especially made for Link by his Grandma for his birthday and were designed and suited to look like the Hero of Time. As Link wears these, many people will come to realize a feeling of nostalgia and mistake him for the Hero of Time, while others think the outfit is old-fashioned.

Hero's New Clothes
After finishing the game once, the player can start a new file. The new file is the same as a new game except that it carries over figures, Aryll wears her second choice of clothing the entire time, Hylian text boxes are translated for the player, the player begins with the Color Pictobox, and the Hero's New Clothes are given instead of the original Hero's Clothes. Link's grandmother states that it is made with a special fabric that only the honest can see, so they are "invisible" (Link apparently does not see them). He puts the outfit over his old one, and the game can be played in the clothing that Link started with. Some of the NPC text is changed to reflect which version of the outfit they see, with some surprising results. In the ending, they become Hero's Clothes, suggesting he is finally worthy of wearing the attire of the Hero of Time. In Phantom Hourglass, the set returns as a trade item.

The Minish Cap
Link in the The Minish Cap once again travels Hyrule in the Green Tunic. However at the beginning of the game, Link doesn't sport his traditional green hat. It isn't until he meets Ezlo that he wears the cap. At the end of the game, Ezlo gives Link a hat as a going away gift saying that the cap suits him well.

If Link uses Nayru's charm he will become blue and obtain more defense for a while. If he uses Din's charm, he will become red and obtain an offensive bonus. When he uses the Farore's charm, his tunic becomes purple and he gets a offense/defense bonus but in a lower dose of the separate bonuses.

After obtaining the Four Sword, Link has the ability to split into four.

Glitch
Using any of the Oracle's charms inside Mama's Cafe, will turn Link's tunic orange. His skin will turn grey and eyes orange-red. This only lasts while inside of the Cafe. Some fans consider this a version of Dark Link.

Twilight Princess
The idea of tunic switching to help with puzzles made its return to the GameCube and Wii game, Twilight Princess.

Ordonian Outfit
In the early portion of the game, Link wears the standard clothes of the Ordonians of Ordon Village. Most males of the village wear a variation of this garb. There is nothing special about this outfit as it does not grant Link any extra abilities. Once the Hero's Clothes are obtained, Link will not be seen wearing these clothes again, with a few exceptions. When sumo wrestling with Mayor Bo, Link wears the trousers from this outfit, and it also appears in various cutscenes. This is the only outfit of Twilight Princess that does not include a hat.

Hero's Clothes
Once Link returns the light to the Faron Woods, he is given the Hero's Clothes by Faron, the light spirit of the forest. Faron notes that the Legendary Hero once wore these clothes, a treasure kept by the Light Spirits, and that it was only fitting that Link don the clothes as well as his successor. The Hero's Clothes also possess some visual differences from past incarnations. It is similar to what is worn in Ocarina of Time, but with some add-ons. Underneath the green is a chainmail shirt. It also possesses two small pouches attached to the belt. It also looks much more materialistic. The fabric of the tunic and hat has stitches and seams, unlike the seamless formation of all previous tunics, and the boots and undergarments of the tunic also have things such as buckles, small holes, and other indications of wear-and-tear and hurried craftwork.

Zora Armor
The Zora Armor works in similar fashion to the Zora Tunic in Ocarina of Time. It is even designed by "the same person," King Zora. Although the King doesn't make an appearance in this game, his wife Queen Rutela does. She rewards the clothing to Link when he helps deliver her son to Kakariko Village safely. She then lays down for her eternal rest. The Armor allows Link to breathe underwater as long as he is wearing it. It also allows Link to swim underwater, functioning similarly to the swimming aspect of the Zora Mask of Majora's Mask. With the combination of the Iron Boots, Link can also safely walk on the ocean floor. A new twist, however, makes Link more vulnerable to Fire and Ice attacks while wearing the armor, so it is made to be far more situational rather than a replacement for the current clothing. The armor looks like chain mail with short sleeves, unlike Link's normal tunic. It also has a helmet similar to what Zora soldiers wear, yet smaller and only goes on the forehead, and a mask which covers his mouth and nose whilst in the water. One of Link's outfits in Super Smash Bros. Brawl is very similar to the Zora Armor.

Magic Armor


This version of the Magic Armor is in the form of equipment rather than as a magic-based item. allows Link to lose rupees when he is hit instead of hearts. The Magic Armor will consume rupees until he is out, at which time the effect wears off. Without rupees, the armor impedes movement and turns a gray-blue color, and if hit without Rupees, Link will lose health normally.

Interestingly enough, if the Iron Boots are equipped once Link runs out of Rupees while wearing the Magic Armor, his speed will not change.

Phantom Hourglass
In Phantom Hourglass's Adventure Mode, Link only dons his trademark green tunic. However, Battle Mode features Player 1 in a red tunic and Player 2 in a blue tunic.

Recruit Uniform
In Spirit Tracks, Link's green tunic is known as the Recruit Uniform, which is the same uniform that Castle Guards wear. Though it is called Recruit's Uniform upon obtaining, it is referred to as the Hero's Clothes on the Status Screen. It is given to him by Princess Zelda so that he can disguise himself and be able to pass by the guards unnoticed as the two escape from Hyrule Castle. It serves as a replacement to the Engineer's Clothes, but Link can switch back into the Engineer's Clothes later on in the game when he obtains 15 of the 20 stamps in Niko's Stamp Book.

As in Phantom Hourglass, Link wears this trademark tunic in various colors during multiplayer battles, including the red and blue of Phantom Hourglass. With the addition of three and four-player battles, Players 1 and 4 don green and purple tunics, matching up the four colors to those that the four Links wear in the Four Swords series.

Super Smash Bros. series
In the Super Smash Bros. series, Link, like every other character, has a variety of color options that don't have any effect on gameplay whatsoever. For Link, these options modify the color of his tunic.

Super Smash Bros.
In Super Smash Bros., Link has four tunic choices: the Kokiri, Goron, and Zora tunics, as well as a tunic the color of which resembles a very light lavender.

Super Smash Bros. Melee
Super Smash Bros. Melee brought more color options, giving Link the Kokiri, Goron, Zora, white, and black tunics. These tunic colors were reflected with Young Link's character.

Super Smash Bros. Brawl
In Super Smash Bros. Brawl, Link has six tunics available to him: the Kokiri, Goron, Zora, the white tunic, and features a new golden tunic. The sixth option is a full color-scheme change that causes Link to resemble Dark Link. Toon Link features a similar set. In addition to the green, red, blue, violet and dark ones, the sixth one gives him his color scheme from the first game, even changing his hair to a more brownish color. The Toon Link dark color is most likely based on Shadow Link from Four Swords Adventures.

Trivia

 * In The Legend of Zelda, the color of both Princess Zelda's dress and the clothing on merchants will change depending on which ring Link is wearing (if he has one; default is green). Similarly, Ocarina of Time has Nabooru's Second-in-Command's clothing affected by the color of Link's Tunic, but only in the Nintendo 64 version.
 * The Hero's New Clothes may be a references to the fable "The Emperor's New Clothes" where two con men make a "beautiful" robe that is only visible to the wise. The Emperor plays along with the ruse because he doesn't want to be thought of as a fool because he can't see the non-existent robe.