Link


 * "Link" redirects here. For the Goron character also named Link, see Link (Goron)

Link (リンク, Rinku) is the protagonist of The Legend of Zelda series. He was created for the original The Legend of Zelda game in 1986 by Shigeru Miyamoto. He has been the central character of all canonical The Legend of Zelda games. He was introduced as a young sword-wielding boy, but since The Adventure of Link, his identity, appearance, and role have changed from game to game. As already confirmed by Miyamoto, there are many different incarnations of Link. Link is called the Hero of Time, but many fans used to number them according to their own timeline theories (i.e. Ocarina of Time Link is called Link I by fans who think Ocarina of Time is the first in the timeline).

=Common attributes of all Links= In almost all the games (with the exception of The Adventure of Link and Twilight Princess only), Link starts his journey as a child or young adolescent and has not yet been depicted as being older than his late teens at any point of the series. Link does not speak or have any written dialog as such, which has led some people believe him to be mute. However, given that he is portrayed as being able to communicate with others and clearly shouts and grunts while in battle, it is more likely that the intention is for his role in dialog to be filled by the words and thoughts of the player, to some extent.

Link's adventures mostly take place in the kingdom of Hyrule, which he had to save several times, although Link's Awakening, Majora's Mask, Oracle of Seasons, Oracle of Ages, The Wind Waker, and Phantom Hourglass, and portions of Twilight Princess are set outside of Hyrule proper. However, Hyrule is mentioned in all the games, and in The Wind Waker, the Great Sea is supposed to encompass the mountaintops of Hyrule after a great disaster that resulted in the flooding of the world. In Majora's Mask, the land of Termina is considered a different dimension, a world parallel to the land of Hyrule.

Link is also often associated with the Triforce of Courage and the goddess Farore. The Triforce of Courage activated when Link stepped into the Twilight, and it protected him from becoming a lost soul, and turned him into a wolf.

Invariably, every Link wears a green tunic and a long, floppy green cap, at least for part of each adventure, although the shades of green vary. He also wears different clothes during parts of some Legend of Zelda games, most often color variations on his basic outfit (except for the Magic Armor and Zora Armor in Twilight Princess). His hair color tends to stay light brown from game to game. It could be argued, that in A Link to the Past, Link's hair appeared pink; some people believe it's just his cap. In all games thus far, Link has been descended from the Hylians (though the Valiant Comics state that the incarnation of Link in the first two games was born in a land west of Hyrule, called Calatia), and due to that, appears as a young man with pointed ears. In many games, he has the Triforce mark on the back of his left-hand, either to signify possession of the Triforce of Courage or, in some cases, to signify his exemplary courage.

He is also depicted as left-handed in almost all games, except for the Wii version of Twilight Princess, which depicts him as right-handed, the same hand most people use to hold the Wii Remote. There is no option for left-handers, but in the GameCube version, Link will be a traditional lefty. Arguably, Link is still left-handed in the Wii game and it is only that the camera is somehow reversed; this is supported by the fact that the entire Wii version of Twilight Princess is the complete reverse of the GameCube version. Currently, Link's "canonical" appearance is still as a lefty. However, recent concept artwork for the upcoming Wii game shows Link holding a shield in his left hand, which has led many fans to believe that he will wield his sword in his right.

A peculiarity which Link shares with many video game characters is the uncanny ability to effortlessly carry around many cumbersome items. The concept is known as Hammerspace and allows Link to carry an enormous array of large and heavy items, without the use of a bag of any kind. For example, where does he store the Biggoron's Sword when not in use? And how can wearing the Iron Boots make him any heavier, if he was already carrying them with him? However, in Twilight Princess Midna may store them as Twilight, making them physical only when Link needs them.

This is addressed in the 1980's cartoon series, The Legend of Zelda, in which a couple of scenes, Link is seen taking items out of a bag. The items "grow" to normal size that way he can use them, and "shrink" when he puts them back into the bag.

=Link's Incarnations and Appearances=

The Legend of Zelda
In The Legend of Zelda, the game that started it all, Link is a young swordsman who is asked, after rescuing Impa, to save Hyrule and Zelda from the clutches of the evil Ganon. In this game, he collects the pieces of the Triforce of Wisdom and defeats Ganon in order to secure the Triforce of Power. After almost 21 years since its release, Link's original adventure still holds up and its formula is the basis to all other Zelda games and story lines.

The Adventure of Link
The Adventure of Link is quite a different game than the original title in that it featured side-scrolling game play rather than the overhead view used in The Legend of Zelda. Link returns to rescue a different Princess Zelda from a potent sleeping spell. This time, he journeys to retrieve the Triforce of Courage from the Great Palace. At the same time, he battles with Ganon's minions who are in the process of trying to revive the evil king. Link appears to speak in this game, for when he finds the Mirror in Saria Town, he says, "I found a mirror under the table." (This hero is considered to be the same one from the original The Legend of Zelda)

A Link to the Past
In A Link to the Past, Ganon and his army of evil were banished into the Sacred Realm, the realm of the Triforce, by the Hylians at the price of countless lives. The portal to this world was magically blocked by seven sages, and the lands behind that seal, which Hylians hoped would never be broken again, became known as the Dark World as they were corrupted by Ganon's malice. One day, when the Imprisoning War was all but forgotten, the land was plagued by sudden disaster, until the wizard Agahnim appeared at the court of the King of Hyrule and quelled the upheaval. Named chief adviser to the throne, he soon seized power from the king and kidnapped six maidens, descendants of the sages who had sealed the entrance of the Dark World. The maidens were taken to the castle tower and never seen again. Agahnim then began a dark ritual to break the seal on the Dark World and unleash Ganon's fury upon Hyrule. Princess Zelda, herself descended from the seventh sage, managed to send out a telepathic call for help before being taken away. Link's uncle headed for the royal castle first but was quickly dispatched. He left Link his sword and with his last breath imparted the Spin Attack. The young hero rescues Zelda from the castle dungeons then begins a journey to collect three magical Pendants of Virtue, and claim the Master Sword as his own before finally facing Agahnim, and later, his alter ego Ganon.

Link's Awakening
In Link's Awakening, Link had defeated the evil Ganon and had regained peace in Hyrule. However, he does not enjoy the peace for long and soon becomes restless. He sails away on a boat for training or enlightenment. But when he sails back home, Link is caught in a deadly thunderstorm which results in the destruction of his ship. His unconscious body is later found by Marin on a faraway island's shores. When he awakes, he discovers that he had miraculously been washed ashore on Koholint Island and makes preparations to leave the island by first finding his missing sword. A mysterious owl then approaches Link and explains to him about a sleeping being on the island, The Wind Fish, and that Link can only leave the island once The Wind Fish has been awoken from its eternal slumber. To awaken The Wind Fish, Link was forced to embark on a long journey and go through many dungeons to retrieve the Eight Instruments of the Siren.

Link is eventually instructed by the owl to go to the Southern Face Shrine where he discoveries a startling truth about the island. Koholint Island is but a dream of The Wind Fish, whose dreams had been invaded by Nightmares and who is unable to awaken. If The Wind Fish awakes, the whole island shall disappear. Link had apparently been pulled into The Wind Fish's dream world and was now a part of it, and only he can awaken the dreamer. He eventually acquires all eight of the instruments and defeats all of the Nightmares, thus freeing The Wind Fish from their terror. Link is then named the hero of The Wind Fish's dream world by the owl before it disappears, and Link finally awakens The Wind Fish. As the island fades away, Link is forced out by a stream of water and awakens to find himself on a wooden board, back in the ocean. When he looks up, he sees The Wind Fish flying in the sky and smiles. It is unknown what happens to Link afterward, as he no longer has a ship.

(This hero is considered to be the same one from A Link to the Past)

Ocarina of Time
In Ocarina of Time, a young Link has been raised as one of the Kokiri, the children of the forest. Unlike the other Kokiri, Link does not have a fairy companion and is thus shunned by their self-proclaimed leader, Mido. Link's life changes one day when the Great Deku Tree, the forest's guardian, sends Navi the fairy to Link with instructions to bring him immediately. A curse has been cast on the Deku Tree, and he asks Link to break it; while Link is successful in defeating the monsters inside the Tree, the Tree was doomed before Link started Dying, the Deku Tree tells Link of the Triforce and directs Link to Hyrule Castle where he encounters Princess Zelda.

Zelda sends Link on a mission to collect three Spiritual Stones and save Hyrule. Once Link obtains the Stones, he travels to the Temple of Time and opens the Door of Time with the Stones and the Ocarina of Time. He then draws the Master Sword from the Pedestal of Time. This action imprisons Link in the Temple of Light in the Sacred Realm for seven years so his body can mature, while Ganondorf takes control of Hyrule and seizes the Triforce of Power. Seven years after drawing the sword from the pedestal, Link is awakened as the Hero of Time by Rauru, Sage of Light. Link finds that much time has passed, and he has grown up. He sets off on a quest to cleanse the land of Ganondorf's evil by awakening the Sages, who can seal Ganondorf in what used to be the Sacred Realm. Returning to the Kokiri Forest, he finds that none of his friends have grown up, and most now no longer recognize him.

After the player completes the first dungeon in this phase of the game, the Deku Tree's successor, the Deku Sprout, reveals the hidden story of Link's past to him. The Kokiri never grow up. The reason Link has grown, while his Kokiri friends have not, is that he is actually a Hylian, orphaned in the wars that raged before Hyrule was united. When Link was a baby, his mother fled with him to Kokiri Forest, and mortally wounded, left him under the Deku Tree's protection. He was brought up as one of the Kokiri and knew no differently.

Through the rest of the game, Link travels back and forth between the two time periods using the Master Sword and the Ocarina of Time in order to awaken the Seven Sages and return peace of Hyrule. At the end of the game, after Ganondorf has been defeated and sent to the Dark Realm, he is returned to his youth by Princess Zelda, and Navi soon departs from him.

Hero of Time
In Ocarina of Time, Link ages seven years after pulling the Master Sword from its pedestal in the Temple of Time. He is then given the title of Hero of Time (時の勇者, Toki no Yuusha). The term "Adult Link" is used to differentiate between his child and adult forms in the game. Following the completion of the Forest Temple, Link is able to pass freely between his child and adult stages to make use of different items and locations.

Unlike his child incarnation, adult Link is taller; has donned boots, gloves, and white leggings; and generally looks more sincere. Adult Link is unable to make use of certain child-only items, such as the slingshot, the boomerang, and the Kokiri Sword. Similarly, Young Link is unable to use items such as the hookshot and the Fairy Bow (not to mention the adult-only shields).

There is only one parallel Link who can be sufficiently compared to the Ocarina of Time adult presentation — the hero in the Twilight Princess. Most other games in the series do not cite or otherwise indicate an older character. Link is given this title after he wakes up after drawing the Master Sword.

It's speculated that the Hero's Spirit, a mentor figure in Twilight Princess, might be the ghostly remains of the Hero of Time.

Majora's Mask
Majora's Mask occurs after Ganondorf's defeat and Link has been sent back to his childhood. He leaves Hyrule to search for a lost friend (suggested to be his old fairy companion, Navi). While riding deep in the Lost Woods, he is ambushed by a Skull Kid who is possessed by an evil artifact, Majora's Mask, and his horse, Epona, is stolen along with the magical Ocarina of Time. Chasing the Skull Kid, Link falls into a crevasse and arrives in a world called Termina. He must save this land from the evil of Majora's Mask, which has drawn the moon into a decaying orbit, causing it to crash into Termina's capital city in just three days. Link uses the Ocarina of Time (reclaimed early on) and the Song of Time, which sends him back in time and saves the game when he plays it, to relive these three days again and again in order to prevent the disaster. Along the way, Link finds many magical masks of his own, a handful of which allow him to transform. Those masks can turn him into a rock-like Goron; a petite, plant-like Deku Scrub; a graceful aquatic Zora; or the Fierce Deity. In this game, Link never grows up in the traditional sense, but the dark power of the Fierce Deity's Mask allows Link to assume a powerful adult form, Fierce Deity Link. Aonuma mentioned that "we wanted Link to get inside of a wonderland, to experience the adventures and think hard about what he should do."

With such an apocalyptic aura, this game is considered Link's darkest journey yet.

(This hero is the same one from Ocarina of Time)

Oracle of Seasons
In Oracle of Seasons, Link is a young teenager who is summoned by the Triforce to save the land of Holodrum. Upon his arrival, he is cared for by a young girl named Din who takes him to meet the troupe of performers that she's a part of; however, soon after, General Onox appears and captures Din, revealing that she is actually the Oracle of Seasons who was just disguising herself as a dancer. The seasons soon begin to go out of control now that Din has been kidnapped, and it is up to Link to return Holodrum back to normal. With the help of the Rod of Seasons, Link acquires the eight Essences of Nature scattered all over the land in order to restore the Maku Tree's power and enter Onox's Castle. After the young hero defeats the evil menace and rescues the Oracle of Seasons, peace returns to Holodrum and the order of nature is back to its normal state.

Oracle of Ages
In Oracle of Ages, Link is also a young teenager who is summoned by the Triforce to save the land of Labrynna. Upon landing, he hears a cry for help, and he soon finds that Impa, Zelda's caretaker, is being surrounded by monsters. Link easily scares them off, and Impa asks that he help her search for a woman named Nayru. After finding Nayru, it is revealed that Veran, the Sorceress of Shadows, possessed Impa in order to manipulate Link into leading her to Nayru, who turns out to be the Oracle of Ages. Veran quickly takes over Nayru's body, which she uses to alter events in the past to ruin the future. It is Link who, with the help of the Harp of Ages, travels through time in order to rescue the Oracle and restore the ages back to normal.

After Link frees Nayru from Veran's possession, the Oracle of Ages teaches the young hero a song crucial to his quest in collecting the eight Essences of Time scattered over the land of Labrynna. Unfortunately, soon after, the Sorceress of Shadows possesses Ambi, the queen of Labrynna in the past, and takes refuge in the Black Tower. Link, with all the Essences in hand, heads over to the sinister tower to defeat Veran once and for all. Now that the evil sorceress has been defeated, Labrynna and its queen return back to normal, and a statue of Link is built in honor of his bravery.

(This hero is the same hero from Oracle of Seasons)

Four Swords
In Four Swords, when Link takes the Four Sword, he is divided into four different Links (Green, Blue, Red and Purple), each with their own style and personality. Working together, the Links must find Zelda who was captured by Vaati the wind mage.

The Wind Waker
Link, as seen in The Wind Waker, is completely different when compared to the Links of the previous games with his most different look yet in the series. The cartoon like appearance caused by the cell shading gave Link very comedic expressions. In this game, what begins as a quest to sail across the sea to save his sister later turns into another fantastic quest to save the world from Ganondorf and his evil intentions.

Hero of Winds
After the valleys of ancient Hyrule are flooded in a deluge, Ganondorf's power is mysteriously tamed for ages before his dark energy begins to be felt over the Great Sea, which is where Link and Aryll live with their Grandmother. Link is given the green tunic and hat on his birthday to commemorate the Hero of Time, but an attack by the Helmaroc King in which his sister is kidnapped starts him on a whirlwind adventure. Link quickly sets sail and acquires the King of Red Lions in his quest to recover Aryll after she is kidnapped by the Helmaroc King and taken to the Forsaken Fortress. Instead of simply rescuing his sister, Link is drawn into a sequence of events that eventually puts the fate of all the islands of the Great Sea in his hands. Once again, Ganon has appeared with limited power. Link is pulled into the conflict between the island inhabitants and Ganondorf's increasing presence as he, with the help of the Wind Waker, races to recapture the ancient power of the Triforce and the Master Sword before Ganondorf's true power is realized.

Eventually the King of Red Lions sees fit to grant Link the title Hero of Winds in honor of his ongoing struggle with the forces of evil.

This Link is a separate playable character in Super Smash Bros. Brawl. In Brawl, he is known as Toon Link. He also appears as a trophy wearing his pajamas.

Four Swords Adventures
Four Swords Adventures Link had to save Zelda and six other maidens who were captured by Shadow Link. When he followed Shadow Link down to the Four Sword Sanctuary, he pulled the Four Sword splitting him into four like in the original Four Swords, but when he pulled the sword Vaati was released from the seal once again. After the Links saved Zelda and the maidens, got the four Royal Jewels from different heroes of Hyrule, and defeated Vaati, Zelda and the Links fought against the dark lord Ganon and sealed both monsters away and restored peace to Hyrule.

The Minish Cap
In The Minish Cap, Link lives with his grandpa and is good friends with Princess Zelda. He goes with her to the Picori Festival where Vaati attacks and turns her into stone. Link meets an odd talking cap in the forest that resembles a bird, Ezlo, who can help him shrink to the size of the Minish. Link must infuse the four elements into the White Sword to fully repair the Four Sword which he uses to break the curse on Princess Zelda and seal Vaati away.

Twilight Princess
In Twilight Princess, Link is a teenager (around 16 or 17) who has been raised as a wrangler outside of Hyrule territory in Ordon Village. His friend, Rusl, requests that Link go in his place to deliver a sword he has made for the Hyrule Royal Family. Before Link can go on this journey, his village is attacked by King Bulblin. Link is knocked unconscious and all the children are kidnapped. When Link awakens, he wanders into a darkness and gets pulled into the Twilight Realm. Once in the Twilight Realm, rather than becoming a spirit like everyone else, he transforms into a wolf. He is captured until a creature of the Twilight, Midna, comes to his aid. She helps him escape and get back to the world of light, however Midna is only using Link to change the Twilight Realm (her home) back to normal; she couldn't care less what happens to Link and the light world. Link must journey to save the children of Ordon Village and eventually save the entire land of Hyrule from the mysterious Twilight. Link, in searching for the Ordon children, saves the Spirits of Light, and becomes the Hero Chosen by the Goddesses. He then sets off with Midna to find the Fused Shadows and stop the main antagonist, Zant. This Link sometimes given the fan nickname "Hero of Light," because his deeds involve restoring light to the land as well as the "Hero of Twilight" as he is spoken of in Twili prophecy as noted by Midna. Despite this nickname, this Link is given no official title comparable to "Hero of Time" or "Hero of Winds" in the game itself.

Phantom Hourglass
Phantom Hourglass takes place months after the end of The Wind Waker with the Hero of Winds. Link is sailing with Tetra and her crew in search of the Ghost Ship. When they find it, Tetra jumps aboard but is kidnapped, so Link goes after her but instead falls into the sea. Link is awakened on Mercay Island by a fairy, and they set out on a journey to find Tetra. Link and Ciela traverse the Great Sea, rescuing the Spirits of the Ocean King and Tetra, and forging the Phantom Sword which can slay Bellum, the devil behind all this misfortune. At the end of the game, Oshus returns Link, Tetra, and Linebeck to their world, thanking them for their help.

Something to note is that Link seems to have brown eyes in this game, instead of the usual blue. As this Link is the same as the Link in The Wind Waker, one might conclude that The Wind Waker Link has brown eyes too.

(This hero is the same hero from The Wind Waker)

Spirit Tracks
In Spirit Tracks, Link looks nearly identical to his previous appearance in Phantom Hourglass. Link initially wears a train conductor's outfit, but he uses also his traditional green tunic.

Zelda Wii
In the upcoming Zelda Wii game, Link has been seen in concept art that was released around E3 2009. In this picture, he is shown looking very similar to Ocarina of Time's Adult incarnation (as you can see for his hair), but in an art style much like that of Twilight Princess. Link is shown to, like the Wii version of Twilight Princess, be right-handed, apparently in the interest of gameplay. However, he lacks a sword of any kind, but does seem to be accompanied by a girl bearing resemblance to the Fairy Queen and the Master Sword itself, suggesting a connection. However, as the title remains unannounced, not even the subtitle appearing on the concept art, no other information is known about Link's role in this game.

Link's Crossbow Training
In Link's Crossbow Training, Link travels around the land of Hyrule shooting targets, enemies, and more in order to perfect his crossbow skills. The game most likely takes place at different times during Twilight Princess. In the game, Link has very little interaction with other characters.

=Other Appearances=

Super Smash Bros.
Link was one of the eight playable characters available at the beginning of Super Smash Bros. in his adult form from Ocarina of Time. He sports his traditional green Kokiri tunic. (The player can also choose from two alternate tunic colors inspired by Link's Ocarina of Time tunics: the red Goron Tunic and blue Zora Tunic, as well as a purplish-white tunic inspired by the effect of the Blue Ring from the original The Legend of Zelda.) He also has some of his usual arsenal from the Legend of Zelda Series at his disposal, including bombs, his boomerang, and a hookshot.

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.

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.

Soulcalibur II
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.

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 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, on a secret mission. 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.

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, including 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.

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.

Link the young Goron
The son of Darunia, Link of the Gorons was born sometime during Link's, the Hero of Time, 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.

Link the stuttering Goron
The poor Goron who ends every other word with "goro" loses his reserved room at the Stock Pot Inn when Anju mistakenly gives away his room key to Link the boy. He is forced to spend the night outside

"It's a hard world to live in-goro..."

- Link (Goron)

If Link the boy fails to get the key it time, then Link the Goron will get it. Then he will get the key and start to go up to his room. If Link the boy talks to him, he will complain of poor state of repair that the inn is in.

Link the Pig
A big pig named after its captor on Outset Island.

Dark Link
The shadow form of Link mirrors Link's every movement and attack in battle. He appears in multiple games. It is unknown how he was created.

Wolf Link
The Twilight Form of Link seen in Twilight Princess. Midna can help Link change forms later in the game.

Bunny Link
The Bunny Form of Link seen in A Link to the Past.

Toon Link
Toon Link is a playable character in Super Smash Bros. Brawl. He is a secret character and must be unlocked by playing a certain amount of versus games or in the forest stage after completing The Subspace Emissary. His design is based off of the Link as seen in The Wind Waker with an added "airbrush shading" as opposed to his normal cel-shading. His stage is the Pirate Ship, or more specific, Tetra's Ship. He is confirmed to be a Link clone, even having the same Final Smash as him. It is possible he replaced Young Link from Super Smash Bros. Melee.

Unlike Young Link in Melee, Toon Link has three alternate colors that resemble the Four Swords clones (Red, Blue, and Purple). He also has an alternate color that resemble the first The Legend of Zelda model and The Adventure of Link model. His last costume is Dark Toon Link, which looks like Dark Link. His shield color changes as well, it is an inverted version of the original Toon Link's shield.