Link

Introduction
All creatures big and small owe their lives to this legendary adventurer. Link's list of accomplishments sprawls longer than we could even begin to list here, but he is most well known for his vital role in keeping Ganon, The King of Evil, safely locked away in the Dark World.

Some of Link's most famous accomplishments include rescuing Princess Zelda on multiple occasions, saving the citizens of Termina from certain demise, as well as freeing the island of Koholint from savage monster attacks. Humble to the last, Link is known not merely as a hero, but as a symbol of courage, strength and wisdom as well. Tales of his bravery will never cease, and his legend will never ever die.

On a side note, Link most likely got his name from the Dutch/German word "links," meaning "left". If you have noticed, Link is left-handed. Another possibility is that he got his name to resemble the "link" between the player and the character.

The Different Links
It is common knowledge that throughout the history of Hyrule there have been not only one, but several heroes called Link. The first and "original" Link, was the one seen in Ocarina of Time and Majora's Mask, called the Hero of Time. He got his name due to the fact that he travelled through time during his heroic quests.

The third Link, as seen in The Wind Waker, is a completely different person, and bares no connections with the Hero of Time, as stated by the King of Red Lions when he was talking to Jabun. This Link earned the title of Hero of Winds because of his ability to manipulate the wind by using The Wind Waker.

In addition to these two, there is also a different Link which was seen in A Link to the Past and Link's Awakening, another one in The Legend of Zelda and The Adventure of Link and yet another in the Oracle duo: Oracle of Ages and Oracle of Seasons. A completely different set of characters named Link are the three heroes who have wielded the Four Sword in the three games of the Four Swords series, Four Swords, Four Swords Adventures and The Minish Cap. There is also a new Link (considered the second now that Nintendo announced it's place in the timeline, go to the article to see what i'm talking about) in the not yet released Twilight Princess.

Link of the Gorons
The son of Darunia, Link of the Gorons was born sometime during Link, the Hero of Time's seven year long sleep, and named after the hero who saved the Gorons by chasing off the Dodongos, who had taken possession of Dodongo's Cavern, the place that the Gorons used as their chief source of nourishment.