Link

Link (リンク) is the protagonist of the Legend of Zelda series. He is usually depicted as a young boy or a teenager in green clothing who grows to become a hero. Shigeru Miyamoto, the creator of the Legend of Zelda series, originally intended Link to be an adolescent child adventurer, as opposed to a young man.

Link's name was originally going to be Chris or Christo after Miyamoto's godfather, though it was changed to Link through a board and staff meeting in order to reflect the connection between Link and the player. This is why in few early games, opening certain menus would replace the word "Hearts" with a "CHR" or "CHRI". It is also rumored that in the game The Adventure of Link that at about the middle point of the game, if Link walked into a void in a corner where a tree was half-stuck in a mountain that Link would enter a broken conversation where a chat would appear with the words "My Christo it's dangerous." The game crashes shortly after this message appears as Link can not make any actions.

A peculiarity of the character is that there are several different incarnations of Link throughout the entirety of the Legend of Zelda series, although they share a number of distinctive characteristics. The existence of multiple Links is made obvious on many occasions in the games; for example, the introduction sequences of The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker and The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap refers to an ancient, legendary champion, identical in appearance to Link. Shigeru Miyamoto confirmed this in late 2003.

Interestingly, Link bears a slight resemblance to Peter Pan, as they are both elf-like, wear green floppy hats, fight with swords, and are sometimes accompanied by a Fairy.

Age
Typically, Link is a courageous boy or a young man; it is unlikely that his age ever exceeds nineteen years at any point in the series.


 * Zelda II: The Adventure of Link; Link is fifteen years old, approaching his sixteenth birthday.


 * The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time; during the Child Saga, Link appears to be between ten and twelve years old. In the Adult Saga, exactly seven years had passed, so logically Link would be between the ages of seventeen and nineteen. The guide by Nintendo Power states that Link starts his adventure at the age of ten. This is later contradicted by another guide which states that he is twelve.

It is believed that, although the seven years did pass, because Link was in a coma-like state, he awoke still with the mindset of a child. There is some evidence of this in his mannerisms.


 * The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask takes place a few months after the events of Ocarina of Time in the Child Saga Timeline, so Link has aged slightly during those months.


 * The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker; Link is thought to be exactly twelve as the game starts on his birthday. As is custom, when a boy comes of age, he receives a green tunic in celebration of the boy becoming the same age as the legendary Hero of Time.


 * The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess; Link is a young man who is around seventeen years old.


 * The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass; Since Phantom Hourglass takes place right after the events of The Wind Waker, Link is probably slightly over twelve or thirteen years old.


 * The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks; This Link is not the same Link from Phantom Hourglass. Though the game's story takes place approximately 100 years after that of Phantom Hourglass, Link is depicted to be about the same age as the Link who appeared in Phantom Hourglass.

Personality
The Legend of Zelda titles give few hints at Link's personality; ellipses are invariably used to replace Link's speech with certain exceptions, such as Yes-or-No answers condoned by the player (which, in later games, he will sometimes shake his head to indicate the answer given), and thus, his actual words are almost never given. He speaks (or thinks) a few sentences in Zelda II: The Adventure of Link and makes grunts, screams, sighs, sneezes, and shivers. In The Wind Waker it is notable that Link actually is heard saying "Come on!". In The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess, many characters make comments that make it sound like Link made a comment. There were also a few times in The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks where a character has asked Link a question and comments about it afterward, which suggests Link spoke the answer.

Moreover, the third person top-down 2D view in many of the early games, the second person over-the-shoulder view favored during much of 3D play, and the first person manual targeting view akin to those used in Shooter games, are not well-suited to depict Link's facial expressions.

It can be said that the reason Link's personality is kept simple is because he is meant to be a "link" between the character and the player, as his name implies.

However, he is described as humble, he can be depicted to be rather polite, and a defining trait of his character seems to be his bravery, an attribute consistent with his role as the rightful bearer of the Triforce of Courage. In Zelda II, it is explicitly stated that the quest for the Triforce of Courage is to be a trial for whomever seeks it. Despite his young age, and the adversity that he has to face, Link rarely shows signs of fear or cowardice.

In Wind Waker, he is noted by the King of Red Lions to be "surprisingly dull-witted" in their first encounter. This could be interpreted in a number of ways:
 * 1) He expected Link to be a bit sharper, and maybe more refined, as a Hero;
 * 2) He was commenting on Link being passed out for so long, and then gaping at him being a talking boat;
 * 3) He had known a previous incarnation of Link, and due to the fact that said previous incarnation was wittier, he expected this incarnation to be so as well.

Domestic Situation
In most games in the series, Link usually leaves his home and/or relatives at an early age to pursue his destiny and fight his arch-enemy, Ganon or other servants of evil. In almost every game, the exceptions being Zelda II and Twilight Princess, Link is a child when he begins his quest. In certain games, Link has no experience in sword training by default, but in some games Link can or must receive sword training from certain characters.

Most of Link's adventures take place in the kingdom of Hyrule, the exceptions being Koholint Island, Termina, Labrynna, Holodrum, the Great Sea, the World of the Ocean King and New Hyrule.

Physical Appearance
Link invariably wears a green tunic, green cap, and brown, presumably leather boots for at least part of each game, although the style, texture, and shades of green may vary. He also wears different-colored clothes in some Legend of Zelda titles, such as the Red Goron Tunic and the Blue Zora Tunic. He has donned various gloves and bracelets - the Goron's Bracelet, Silver Gauntlets, Golden Gauntlets, Mole Mitts, and Power Bracelets, to name a few. Link has worn capes, such as the Roc's Cape, masks such as the Mask of Truth, and has possessed several different pairs of shoes, including the Iron Boots, Hover Boots, Pegasus Boots, and Zora's Flippers. In Twilight Princess, Link was even able to acquire two full body suits of armor - the Zora Armor, which functioned like a Diver's suit, and the Magic Armor, which protected him against all damage at the cost of Rupees.

While in his teenage form, it is often noted by other people in the world that Link is very handsome. Link's hair color changes throughout the series as well, ranging from brown to light blond. His eye color changes depending on the game, but it is usually blue. His blue eyes are specifically noted in Twilight Princess, as his wolf form is referred to as a "blue eyed beast".

Link has pointed ears; these are a distinctive trait of the Hylian race, supposedly allowing them to hear messages from the gods. The style of his vary however.

Adult Link usually wears small blue and/or silver hoop earrings, which is the Hylian fashion.

It should be noted that Ocarina of Time manga went on to explain that these earrings are a Sheikah's rite of passage into adulthood, which, while from a non-canon source, would explain why Sheikah such as Impa wore them, and could be said to represent Link's close connection to the dying race.

Several games mention a Triforce mark on Link's left hand; the instruction booklet for The Adventure of Link reveals that this mark identifies him as the champion who will find the Triforce of Courage. This mark is also noticed by Nayru and Din in The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Ages and The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Seasons respectively. Ocarina of Time, Wind Waker, and Twilight Princess are the first games to clearly depict the mark, however. Ocarina of Time reveals the Triforce mark to be the embodiment of the Triforce of Courage within Link.

Miscellaneous

 * Link is closely associated with the Triforce of Courage and thus, with the goddess Farore and her color, green. Recovering the Triforce of Courage is key in some Legend of Zelda games, such as Zelda II and Wind Waker.


 * The developers named the main character "Link" ( Japanese: Rinku [Katakana: リンク], Engrish for "Link"), as he was meant to be a "link to the player" as their avatar in the games. Most games in the series, however, give the player the option of changing Link's name at the Name Registration screen.


 * Link is usually portrayed as left handed, the only exceptions being The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword and the Wii version of Twilight Princess. The change was made by the game developers because most players are right-handed and would hold the Wii remote in their right hand. Interestingly, Link is also German for "left" or "left-handed".


 * Some games, such as Zelda II, depict Link holding the sword in separate hands when looking separate directions, suggesting that he might be ambidextrous. A more likely answer is that this may be due to Sprite Mirroring, which allows for less memory to be taken up, allowing the games to fit on the cartridges of the games in question.


 * Interestingly, every three-dimensional console game in the series to date has included a secondary character named Link. In Ocarina of Time and Majora's Mask, this character is a Goron. In The Wind Waker it is a pig, and in Twilight Princess it is a cat.


 * In almost every Zelda game, the exceptions being The Legend of Zelda and Zelda II: The Adventure of Link, Link is either alseep or dozing off at the beginning of the game. In A Link to the Past he is woken by Zelda, Marin in Link's Awakening, Navi in Ocarina of Time, Impa in Oracle of Ages, Din in Oracle of Seasons, Aryll in The Wind Waker, a group of Fairies in Four Swords, Kaepora Gaebora in Four Swords Adventures, Smith in The Minish Cap, and Talo, Malo, and Beth in Twilight Princess. He also appears to be dozing off at the beginning of Majora's Mask and falls asleep during Niko's story in Phantom Hourglass and Spirit Tracks.

Abilities
At the beginning of nearly every game, Link is just a regular child or young adult with no special skill. At the end of the game, however, Link becomes a full-fledged hero with many abilities. He is depicted throughout the series as very courageous and is in almost every game referred to as a hero.

Link grows to be an exceptional swordsman throughout each game, usually learning powerful sword techniques. In some games, however, his skill with a sword remains consistent. His skill with other weapons and items allows him to easily adapt and master each new tool he acquires. He often employs new weapons in his battles with new enemies just after getting them, almost always during a boss fight, giving him an advantage a lot of times in battle. Link shows himself to be an excellent marksman, showing great skill with a Bow, Boomerang, Hookshot, and other projectile weapons.

Link is also very agile, proven as he is able to perform back-flips and somersaults with ease to dodge his enemies' attacks at the very start of his adventures.

Additionally, Link possesses great physical strength, able to easily push stone blocks many times his weight and overpower enemies far larger than himself. In some games he uses special items, such as the Power Bracelet, the Power Glove, the Golden Gauntlets, and the Silver Gauntlets to help make him stronger.

Link has great proficiency with many musical instruments, learning how to use them just after getting them. Almost every game has Link using an instrument with incredible powers: like the Ocarina of Time, Wind Waker, and the Spirit Flute.

In the boxing mini-game early on during Oracle of Seasons, Link is shown to have at least some proficiency in hand-to-hand combat; also, in Twilight Princess, he is shown the art of Sumo wrestling by the mayor of Ordon Village; in all other games, Link is shown to be virtually defenseless without a sword or other weapon. A prominent example is in The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker; when Link loses his sword during his first visit to the Forsaken Fortress, he is forced to rely entirely on stealth to get through the area, and immediately gives in and allows himself to be captured when he is spotted.

In some circumstances, Link can even use magic in the form of Spells.

Equipment
Link uses various items throughout the series. Common items Link finds in most games include the Master Sword, Bow and Arrows, the Hookshot, and Bombs. Link often uses musical instruments that unlock strange powers as mentioned before. Some of the newest items are the Double Clawshots, Dominion Rod and Ball and Chain.

Link uses masks in several games. The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask has 24 unique masks used for different tasks throughout the game, even transforming him into a Deku Scrub, Goron, or Zora. The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time has a Happy Mask side quest side quest involving selling different masks for the Happy Mask Salesman to earn the Mask of Truth.

Link also has numerous tunics, clothing, and armor such as the different tunics appearing in Ocarina of Time and the Zora and Magic Armor in The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess. Each Link uses a green tunic not only because it represents the goddess Farore who brought life to Hyrule, but because the original Hero, the Hero of Time, wore it as the clothing of his adopted race, the Kokiri, who were renowned for their green clothing befitting life in the forest; the Hero of Time's legend was so great that his successors carried on wearing his traditional garb in homage to his legacy. In some games, such as A Link to the Past, Link can obtain different colored, more powerful clothing, such as the Blue Mail.

Oddly enough, equipment that slows him down while in use does not do so when not in use, even though Link is technically still carrying it. No matter how much equipment he carries, it never affects his speed or agility. For example, he sinks in water only when he wears his Iron Boots on his feet. They don't make him sink when in his "pocket." Link's pocket is one of the so-called "magical" devices he gains in the first television Zelda episode, but it doesn't show Link obtaining the bag himself. It allows him to manipulate the object he is stowing into his pocket and make it feel lightweight and shrink it down into a miniature size.

The Legend of Zelda
Link is a hero summoned by Impa, the Royal nursemaid, to save Princess Zelda from the evil Prince of Darkness, Gannon, who is seeking out the shards of the Triforce of Wisdom. Link finds the pieces before he does, and in the end, destroys Ganon with a Silver Arrow and saves Zelda. Link's character and background is given little explanation in the game, and appears to be merely a generic fantasy hero during this incarnation but is described in the prologue to have a burning sense of justice.

Zelda II: The Adventure of Link
Being a sequel set not long after the original game, The Adventure of Link features the same Link from that game. Although Ganon has been killed, his army of monsters remain active throughout Hyrule. They plan to revive Ganon by spilling the blood of his murderer, Link, onto his ashes. Impa finds a Triforce mark on Link's hand as he approaches his sixteenth birthday, and explains that he is the hero chosen to awaken an ancient Princess Zelda from her sleeping curse. Link places six crystals in Hyrule's palaces, and in the end, destroys Dark Link, receives the Triforce of Courage, and awakens Princess Zelda.

The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past
In the SNES version of A Link to the Past, Link's Uncle's dying words were: "Zelda is your...". This unfinished sentence led many to speculate on its cryptic meaning. It was believed that the sentence should have been "Zelda is your sister", though this was not confirmed until the Game Boy Advance remake, in which the Uncle's dialogue was rewritten to explicitly state that it is Link's destiny to save Zelda. Link goes on a journey when he receives a telepathic message from Princess Zelda, who says that she is locked in the dungeon of Hyrule Castle. As the message closes, Link finds his uncle ready for battle, telling Link to remain in bed. After his uncle leaves, however, Link ignores his uncle's command and follows him to Hyrule Castle. When he arrives, he finds his uncle seriously wounded. Link's uncle tells Link to rescue Princess Zelda from her prison, giving him a sword and shield. After his uncle dies, Link navigates the castle and rescues Zelda from her cell, and the two escape into a secret passage through the sewers that leads to a Sanctuary.

Link is told by a man in the sanctuary that Agahnim, a wizard who has usurped the throne, is planning to break a seal made hundreds of years ago by the Seven Sages. The seal was placed to imprison a dark wizard named Ganon in the Dark World, which was once the Sacred Realm before Ganon invaded, obtained the legendary Triforce and used its power to turn the realm into a land of darkness. Agahnim intends to break the seal by sending the descendants of the Seven Sages who made the seal into the Dark World. The only thing that can defeat him is the Master Sword, a sword forged to combat evil. To prove that he is worthy to wield it, Link needs three magic Pendants of Virtue. After retrieving the pendants, Link takes them to the resting place of the Master Sword. After Link has drawn the sword from its pedestal, Zelda telepathically calls him to the Sanctuary, informing him that Hyrule Guards have arrived. Link arrives at the Sanctuary moments after the soldiers have vacated, where he learns from the dying man that Zelda has been taken to Hyrule Castle. Link goes to rescue her but arrives too late; Agahnim sends Zelda to the Dark World. Link then defeats Agahnim in battle but is subsequently also sent to the Dark World.

To save Hyrule, Link is required to rescue the Seven Maidens, descendants of the Seven Sages, from dungeons scattered across the Dark World. Once the seven maidens are freed, they use their power to break the barrier around Ganon's Tower, where Link faces Agahnim again. After Link battles Agahnim for a second time, Ganon rises up from Agahnim's body, turns into a bat, and flies away. Link chases him, finally confronting him inside the Pyramid of Power in the Dark World. After a battle resulting in Ganon's demise, Link touches the Triforce and restores Hyrule to how it was before Ganon intervened.

The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening
Link's Awakening is the first game to take place outside of Hyrule and the main Triforce-Ganon storyline. Link was traveling across the ocean in a ship when a storm catches him. When he wakes up he is in a strange isle. He is found by a young girl named Marin. Link must first retrieve his shield and sword, for later investigation the island. An Owl tells Link about the dangers of the isle, and tells Link to search for the eight Instruments of the Sirens in each temple to wake up the Wind Fish, the deity of the island.

The Link that stars in this game may be the same Link from A Link to the Past, or the Oracle series, as in the latter he is seen leaving on a ship similar to the one he begins on in Link's Awakening.

In this game, Link has the ability to jump on his own with the help of the Roc's Feather, a first for a top-view perspective Zelda.

The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time is confirmed by Miyamoto to be the first game canonically in the series, making that game's incarnation the first Link and arguably the most famous one of all due to his status as the legendary Hero of Time.

Link was born during the Hyrulean Civil War, and was left in the Kokiri Forest by his mother, so that he could avoid the violence. From that point onwards, he was raised by the Great Deku Tree. Though he was actually a Hylian, he was raised as a Kokiri, so that he would fit in with his peers. However, unlike the other Kokiri, he didn't have a fairy, and for that reason, he was ridiculed by some of the other Kokiri, Mido in particular. When Link was in between the ages of eight and twelve, Ganondorf places a curse on the Great Deku Tree, and the Great Deku Tree sends Link a fairy, called Navi. Link gets the Deku Shield and the Kokiri Sword, and defeats Queen Gohma, who was part of the curse. After that, the Great Deku Tree bestows Link the Spiritual Stone upon his death. Saria gives Link the Fairy Ocarina, with which he can play songs important to the gameplay. Link travels to Hyrule Castle, where he meets Princess Zelda. Zelda tells Link about Ganondorf's malicious plans, and sends Link to find the other Spiritual Stones.

Link retrieves the two remaining Spiritual Stones, and sets off for Hyrule Castle Town to place them in the Temple of Time. Before entering the town, Zelda gives him the Ocarina of Time while she is being chased by Ganondorf. Link returns the stones to the Temple of Time, and the Master Sword is revealed to him. However, after pulling the Master Sword from its pedestal, Link is frozen in time for seven years, since the sword did not consider him old enough to carry the title of the Hero of Time. During these seven years, Ganondorf takes over Hyrule. Upon awakening, Link is seven years older and an Adult. Rauru, the Sage of Light, informs him of Hyrule's takeover, and instructs him to find the other sages: Saria, the Sage of Forest, Darunia, the Sage of Fire, Princess Ruto, the Sage of Water, Impa, the Sage of Shadow and Nabooru, the Sage of Spirit. Link gathers the remaining sages, and enters Ganon's Castle. He defeats Ganondorf, in both his Gerudo form and in his Moblin-like Ganon form, and frees Hyrule. Zelda then sends Link back in time to before the events of the game occurred. Thus creating a split in the timeline, the events leading to Ganon's defeat in this game led to the events of The Wind Waker, and in the past, Ganondorf's plot is uncovered before the events began due to Link's knowledge of the future, which leads to the events of Twilight Princess.

The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask
This is the same Link from Ocarina after Zelda returns him to his childhood. He is on a search for a "lost friend" (generally believed to be Navi who left him in the Temple of Time). Link had to save Termina by re-living the same three days over and over (restarting from the first day he arrived in Clock Town) so the moon would not destroy Termina (which was what would happen if the cycle was allowed to complete itself), by using the Ocarina of Time until he released the Four Giants from each of their prisons. He then had to play "Oath to Order" on the Ocarina to summon them at midnight of the third day. Once the Four Giants halted the moon, Link traveled inside with Tatl the fairy and defeated Majora's Mask, Majora's Incarnation and Majora's Wrath, causing the Moon to disappear and saving Termina on the "Dawn of a New Day". Navi, on the other hand, had not been found, and it is unknown if Link ever finds Navi.

The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Ages and Oracle of Seasons
This incarnation is already a hero at the beginning of the game, leading to speculation that he is either the Hero of Time or the Link from A Link to the Past. The two games begin very similarly, with Link going to the shrine of the Triforce. Depending on which game, Link either meets Din the Dancer (in Oracle of Seasons), or Nayru the Singer (in Oracle of Ages), and becomes friends with either of them.

Link has the ability to change seasons in Holodrum with the Rod of Seasons and the ability to travel back and forward in time in Labrynna using the Harp of Ages. After finishing both games, he had to foil a plot by Twinrova to revive Ganon using Zelda as a sacrifice. After ending their plans, he sets sail to an unknown destination, which may be concluded in Link's Awakening.

The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords
At the outset of the game, Link travels with Princess Zelda to check on the seal placed on Vaati, a powerful wind mage. The seal on Vaati has weakened and Vaati escapes. He kidnaps Zelda to make her his bride. Link sets out to save Zelda and restore the seal on Vaati by drawing the Four Sword to split into three other copies of himself. Together, the four Links work together and Vaati is ultimately defeated and sealed once more in the Four Sword.

The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker
This Link lives on Outset Island in the Great Sea, which is Hyrule after being flooded by the Gods. He is celebrating his birthday, which is customary on the island for receiving the Hero's Clothes to honor the Hero of Time legend. (Interesting to note is this has sparked rumors that the timelines may know of each other, as the Adult Link timeline would only know of The Hero of Time as an adult and not the age of the child.) Link ventures to the Forsaken Fortress to track down the Helmaroc King who abducted his sister, Aryll, with the help of Tetra the pirate. Link initially fails to rescue Aryll, then, Link is rescued by the King of Red Lions who helps him in his quest to save his sister. Although the game inspires speculation about his possible relation to the Hero of Time (namely, his family shield which was 'rumored to be used by the Hero himself'), this theory is discouraged by the King of Red Lions, the King of Hyrule, who tells the sea spirit Jabun that 'He appears to have no connection to the ancient one.' After a large number of hardships, the King of Red Lions names him the Hero of Winds, and Ganondorf declares Link to be the Hero of Time reborn.

The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Adventures
The Link in this game may or may not be different from the Four Swords Link. Link is friends with Princess Zelda. When Zelda and the maidens go to the shrine of the Four Sword, Link is tricked into drawing the Four Sword from its pedestal, releasing Vaati, by Shadow Link. Link's soul is split into three other replicas of himself, and the four Links venture to save the maidens and Zelda, who were abducted and trapped in Crystals. Link saves all seven of them, collects four Royal Jewels, climbs the Tower of Winds and defeats Shadow Link and the Dark Mirror in the heavens. In the end, Vaati is killed, and Ganon, who was the mastermind behind all the events, is sealed in the Four Sword by the Links. This Link and his replicas have almost the exact same character design as the Wind Waker Link, even though otherwise the game is not cel-shaded.

The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap
Link is the grandson of Smith, the blacksmith for Hyrule Town. He lives just outside the town with his grandfather. After Vaati shatters the Picori Blade, Link is sent to Minish Woods to find the Minish. There he finds Ezlo, his companion throughout the game.

In the game itself, Ezlo sits on Link's head throughout his adventure to defeat Vaati and restore Zelda from her petrified state, a result of Vaati's precaution of her inherent power. After advancing toward the blade and wiping out a group of Castle Guards assigned to protect the blade, Zelda intervenes. As Vaati prepares to attack, Link notices Zelda is in danger, so he runs in front of her and raises his Small Shield (Which Zelda had won for him a few moments earlier). During these events, Vaati attacks the duo with a petrification curse, blowing Link away (Knocking him out in the process, but protected from the petrification effects, thanks to his shield) and turning Zelda to stone. Besides often giving Link useful advice about his quest, Ezlo also grants Link the power to shrink down to Minish size (With the use of a pedestal) to traverse the land of Hyrule with a Minish eye.

Chronologically, The Minish Cap is the prequel to Four Swords and Four Swords Adventures. Like the incarnation in Four Swords Adventures, this Link has almost the exact same character design as Wind Waker Link, other than his hat. This game is also sometimes considered to be the first game in the series by fans as the introduction mentioned a Hero of Men - not a Hero of Time. A picture depicted the hero in green clothing, but with no hat. At the end of this game Link acquires the real green hat, as he only had Ezlo as a hat before. Ezlo then said that the hat suited him.

The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess
Link is a rancher in Ordon Village who is around 17 years old. He sports a Triforce shaped birthmark on his hand, physical evidence that he possesses the Triforce of Courage from his ancestor of Ocarina of Time, the Hero of Time. One day, Rusl, the town's only warrior and swordsmith, requests Link to be his proxy for a trip to Hyrule to deliver the Ordon Sword and Ordon Shield the Royal Family ordered. As he prepared to leave, King Bulblin kidnaps Ilia and Colin, Link's friends, along with other children, and draws Link into the Faron Province, blanketed with Twilight. The Twilight morphs Link into a wolf.

Link delivers Light back to the Faron Province, with the help of Midna, and awakens as the Chosen Hero, now donning Link's trademark green clothing. Link and Midna venture to collect the Fused Shadows, which can be used to defeat Zant, the king of the Twilight Realm, who covered Hyrule in Twilight. It is said in the Twilight Princess manual that this Link later becomes chief of Ordon village, but this was never seen in the game itself. This Link is often referred to by fans as the Hero of Light because of his acts to restore the Light to Hyrule; however, there are those who refer to him instead as the Hero of Twilight.

The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass
Link is the same Link as in The Wind Waker. After the ending in The Wind Waker, Link and Tetra set off to find the land that would be the next Hyrule after the former kingdom had been completely destroyed. After Tetra is captured by the Ghost Ship, Link makes a bold effort to save her, but gets knocked out. When he wakes up Link meets a fairy companion who helps him reunite with her. He also meets Linebeck, who helps him by letting him use his ship. He has a new sword, Oshus' Sword, which Oshus lets him have.

Link finds three spirits which allow him to find the Ghost Ship, where Tetra is being held. He saves her, but finds she is made of stone, due to her life force being drained.To do this, Link had to defeat Bellum, an evil being inhabiting the Temple of the Ocean King. But to defeat him, he needed the Phantom Sword, a sword made of the three Pure Metals. After finding these metals, Zauz forges the Phantom Sword and Oshus creates the handle out of the Phantom Hourglass. With the Phantom Sword in hand, Link defeated Bellum and restored peace. At the end it is revealed that the world they explored was another world, so Link and Tetra were sent back. The whole adventure took ten minutes in their world, and it looks like it was a dream. Then Link finds an empty hourglass in his pocket, and sees Linbeck sailing away in the distance.

The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks
Link is originally an apprentice engineer, who becomes a hero by saving the land of New Hyrule from the evil of Malladus. Throughout his adventure, he works together with the spirit of Princess Zelda, who inhabits a Phantom Guardian form in certain situations. His appearance is similar to that of the Link from Phantom Hourglass, however, his voice is now similar to that of the younger Link from Ocarina of Time.

The game opens up with Link, an apprentice railroad engineer who travels to the castle of Princess Zelda to attend a Graduation Ceremony, where the honor of Royal Engineer will be bestowed onto him by the princess herself. As she rewards Link for his service, she slips him a note, warning of the suspicious Chancellor Cole, and to take a hidden path and meet her in secret. She requests Link's help in investigating the mystery of the vanishing Spirit Tracks – she's restricted to her quarters, but needs Link's help sneaking out of the castle to figure out why the Spirit Tracks are mysteriously disappearing all over the land. Zelda then presents Link with a change of clothing – the Recruit Uniform– which will help Link blend in and trick the similarly dressed guards.

After their success, the two finally make it out of the castle and bump into Alfonzo, Link's Master Engineer, who taught him how to become an engineer. As Alfonzo was once a soldier, he helps Zelda and Link escape on a train towards the Tower of Spirits, but as they're off to investigate, the tracks start vanishing right out underneath the vehicle. After a spectacular crash they are stopped halfway by Chancellor Cole and his second-in-command. The pair easily defeat Link and Alfonzo, and go on to murder Princess Zelda. Chancellor Cole then takes Zelda's lifeless body and uses it as a vessel in an attempt to revive Malladus.

When Link awakens, he finds himself in Hyrule Castle. Zelda's spirit floats in and after a few moments, Zelda learns she is dead and that no one can see her but Link and a few Lokomos. With her help, Zelda leads Link to a sword. After a bit of training she then directs Link to head to the Tower of Spirits where she might be brought back to life. To help Link, Princess Zelda's ghost inhabits a Phantom Guardian and aids Link in stopping Chancellor Cole and reviving herself.

The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword
Link is the protagonist of the upcoming title. It has also been announced that Skyward Sword is a prequel to Ocarina of Time.

His appearance is similar to that of the Link from Twilight Princess, albeit rendered in a cel-shaded style similar to The Wind Waker. Link was born and raised in Skyloft, a land floating above the clouds; however, as time has passed he grew bored with living there. When a land beneath the clouds, ruled by evil forces, is discovered, Link is forced to go there as he searches for a lost friend. Link has to travel between the two lands during his quest. The titular Skyward Sword, which has the ability to take on a humanoid form, is the driving force behind his traveling between lands. The Skyward Sword transforms into the Master Sword at some point in the game. Just like in the Wii version of Twilight Princess, Link is right-handed in this game. It has been announced that in Skyward Sword, he is supposed to be the "oldest" Link yet. This is also the first Zelda game where Link is right-handed in the canon version.

Allies
Link has fought alongside multiple allies. The first true side-kick of Link was Navi in Ocarina of Time. Since then, Link has teamed up with Tatl in Majora's Mask, King of Red Lions in The Wind Waker, Ezlo in The Minish Cap, Midna in Twilight Princess, Ciela (along with Leaf and Neri) in Phantom Hourglass, Princess Zelda herself in Spirit Tracks, and the Skyward Sword will probably serve as a guide in the new Legend of Zelda game. They have played the same role as Navi in later games.

Controllable allies were first observed in Majora's Mask. In the Kafei and Anju side-quest, the player controls Kafei when he and Link breach Sakon's Hideout. This idea was explored more in The Wind Waker, where the player controls Medli and Makar using the "Command Melody" in their respective temples. In Phantom Hourglass, the Goron Temple involves taking control of Gongoron, and the boss, Dongorongo, must be fought using both, alternating control when one is in danger or when one's skills are needed. In Spirit Tracks, Link can occasionally use a Phantom Guardian, possessed by Zelda´s spirit, to surpass certain obstacles— like fire traps, as shown by the trailer— and aid in fighting certain enemies.

The Four Swords games excercise a unique scenario in which the player(s) controls four Links at once.

Other appearances
Although information is only considered series canon if it comes from the games or instruction booklets (where there is conflict, the games themselves are the accepted source), or occasionally other Nintendo materials, there are a number of other officially licensed Zelda stories.

The Legend of Zelda: Mystical Seed of Courage
Link was set to appear in the unreleased game Mystical Seed of Courage. In the game Link would have to rescue Princess Zelda from Ganon by collecting the eight pieces of the Triforce of Courage. He would also have to obtain the Rod of Seasons from another dimension where he would meet the Uura Tribe.

Link's Crossbow Training
Link is the protagonist of this Twilight Princess spinoff. He wields a Crossbow as his sole weapon.

The Legend of Zelda TV series


A set of Zelda cartoons aired on Fridays from 1989-1990 as a part of DiC's The Super Mario Bros. Super Show. The series loosely followed the NES Zelda games, mixing settings and characters from those games with original creations.

Link is depicted as a traveling adventurer who settles in Hyrule Castle and takes the "job" of guarding the Triforce of Wisdom from Ganon. He is a brave yet boisterous warrior who loves to twirl his sword in one hand before, during and after battles.

His relationship with Zelda is very similar to that of "Moonlighting" characters Dave Addison and Maddie Hayes; he makes his affections for Zelda very clear and frequently tries to get her to kiss him. Mostly, Zelda spurns him, leading him to utter his trademark line, "Excuuuuuse me, Princess!"

He is right-handed in the cartoon, despite most Link characters in the games being left-handed.

Link was voiced by Jonathan Potts in the cartoon.

A slightly altered version of this Link appeared in four episodes of Captain N: The Game Master.

The Legend of Zelda comics
Following a storyline similar to the TV series, this comic only ran for four issues. In the comic, Link is said to have come from the western land of Calatia, and this is the only land he shows more loyalty to than Hyrule. In one issue, when Zelda accuses Calatia's Queen Seline of stealing the Triforce and forces Link to choose between Seline and herself, Link stands by his queen.

Although these are not considered technically a part of the Zelda canon, the comic book series published by Valiant were reprinted in Nintendo Power magazine and authorized by Nintendo, so some fans accept them as being factual. According to these, Link was native not to Hyrule, but to a neighboring realm known as Calatia.

The Hero of Time
Link is the protagonist of the fan film. He is sent by the Great Deku Tree to speak with Princess Zelda at Hyrule Castle. Once there, he finds out about Ganondorf's evil intentions, and travels to the Temple of Time to obtain the Master Sword. Once there, however, he is sealed away for five years. Upon awakening, he finds the land of Hyrule in ruins and Ganondorf as the despicable ruler. He then sets out to stop Ganondorf and save Hyrule.

The Legend of Zelda: The Abridged Series
Link appears as the protagonist of this YouTube video series based loosely on Ocarina of Time. In the series, he is portrayed as a dim-witted, childish person. Link's attitudes especially annoy Navi, who sees him as an idiot. Link shows romantic feelings toward Princess Zelda, but she does not return his affection; however, Link does not seem to notice this and does not tire of harassing her. Later, Link is almost tricked into marrying Princess Ruto. Despite his many flaws, Link is still successful as the Hero of Time.

Majora's Mask: The Abridged Series
Link is portrayed the exact same in the sequel to the popular YouTube series, and continues to both act childish and somehow manage to save the day wherever he goes.

Super Smash Bros. series
Link is one of eight characters available at the beginning of Nintendo's 1999 fighting game, Super Smash Bros. No special information is disclosed about Link in this game. Link sports his traditional green Kokiri Tunic (the player can also choose from a few alternate tunic colors inspired by Link's Ocarina of Time tunics, including red (Goron) and blue (Zora); a purplish white color inspired by the effect of the Blue Ring from the original The Legend of Zelda is also present). He also has some of his usual weaponry arsenal from The Legend of Zelda series at his disposal, including bombs, his boomerang and a longshot, and is presented in the Ocarina of Time style as an adult. He also uses his traditional Spin Attack. Link is also a playable character in Super Smash Bros. Melee, the 2001 sequel to Super Smash Bros. In Super Smash Bros. Melee, he comes equipped with his bow in addition to the equipment he brought with him to the original Super Smash Bros. While his swordplay is formidable, Link is at his best when utilizing all his tools and weapons alongside his fighting skill, rather akin to his motif in the Zelda series. This makes Link one of the most versatile and flexible close range fighters in the game, although in both games he suffers from somewhat poor jumping ability. In Melee however, he is given the ability to use his Longshot to latch onto the ledge of the arena, giving him a slight edge should his jump not be enough. Link's graphics are based of Ocarina of Time but improved similar to the Space World Expo 2000's, a shot teaser showing Link and Ganondorf battling.

The game also introduces Young Link, the younger version of Link from most of the games in the series, as a secret unlockable character. He is more agile but weaker than the older Link, and he has a Hookshot rather than Adult Link's Longshot. As such, his hook range is shorter. His Kokiri Sword and bombs also inflict less damage than adult Link's Master Sword and bombs. Young Link's quiver is stocked with fire arrows rather than traditional arrows. He also jumps considerably higher than Adult Link, and can perform wall jumps, which Adult Link cannot.

The Twilight Princess version of Link was featured in the newest edition of the series, Super Smash Bros. Brawl. Link returns with essentially the same weaponry, except with the Clawshot instead of the Hookshot and the Gale Boomerang instead of the regular boomerang. Young Link, in the guise of Toon Link is featured as well. His Final Smash is the Triforce Slash. The Triforce Slash entraps an enemy in a large Triforce shape, allowing Link to repeatedly slice at the enemy, and deliver a final blow. If there is another player directly behind the one in the Triforce Slash, she/he will also take some damage. Oddly enough, in the Subspace Emissary, Link is seen pulling the Master Sword from its resting place, in the middle of an unnamed forest, along with a fairy, seemingly Navi, making for it to be confusing exactly which Link this is supposed to represent, if at all.

Soulcalibur II
Appearing in the GameCube version of Soulcalibur II, in his Ocarina of Time adult appearance, Link is a playable fighter. Not much is known about Link's story, but it is known that Link, after saving Hyrule from an evil wizard that was being controlled by a fragment of Soul Edge, goes on a quest to destroy the evil sword. Quickly pulling the Master Sword out of its pedestal, he embarked on a secret journey, a journey which Zelda knew nothing about. He left Hyrule to destroy Soul Edge, so that the evil blade would not bring harm to Hyrule or anyone else ever again.

The GameCube version of Soulcalibur II is said to have been more popular than its PlayStation 2 and Xbox counterparts; many believe that this is due to Link's presence, since the GameCube is not the most popular sixth generation console among most gamers. Link was also notable in this game for being the only character with true projectile attacks (his trusty bow and arrow, boomerang, and bomb) - only Spawn, an Xbox exclusive character, could do the same. Link was also given a unique fighting style on par with any of the "regular" characters, and even had several moves from previous Legend of Zelda games, for instance, the Rocket Stab attack may have been inspired by the Pegasus Boots from A Link to the Past. The Upthrust and Downthrust jumping attacks may be from The Adventure of Link, and a backflip, and Jump Attack are nearly identical to attacks used in Ocarina of Time and Majora's Mask. Much like the Super Smash Bros. series, Link has a total of four costumes, although they differentiate only in color, which as it happened was more than any other character had in any version of the game. He is considered a mid-tier character by the tournament community.

Minor cameos

 * In Final Fantasy, Link's name appears on a tombstone in Elfheim. In the original NES translation and the European Origins versions, the name on the tombstone is Erdrick, referring to a character from Dragon Warrior, but all other versions use the original name.
 * In many Kirby games, when Kirby obtains the "Sword" ability, he also gains a green cap similar to Link's. Kirby's sword slightly resembles the Master Sword. When Kirby has full health, the sword is capable of firing Sword Beams.
 * In World of Warcraft, a gnome NPC named Linken makes an appearance. He is dressed similarly to Link and gives players a series of quests titled "It's a Secret to Everybody!" and "Its Dangerous to go Alone" (both are quotes from the original Zelda) that, once completed, give the player "Linken's Boomerang" and "Linken's Sword of Mastery". The player also receives a photograph of Linken standing with a female gnome that looks remarkably similar to Princess Zelda.
 * In Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars, Link can be found sound asleep inside Rose Town's inn. If Mario attempt to talk to him, the "puzzle-solved" theme plays.
 * In Donkey Kong Country 2, the player must collect 20 DK Coins in order to outrank Link in the ranking of Cranky Kong's Video Game Heroes List.
 * In Donkey Kong Country 3, at Bazaar's general store, if Dixie/Kiddy ask about the castle and don't pay for the information the shop keeper will remark, "Some cheeky lad called Link was in just last week and he asked about the castle too. He didn't have enough coins, but he seemed such a nice fellow that I agreed to accept 500 rupees instead. After that he left... muttering about my shells being the wrong shape or something. Oh well!".
 * In F1 Race, at the end of course five, Link is waiting at the finish line.
 * In the NES version of Tetris after completing a B-type gaming at level nine or higher the screen will show many Nintendo characters playing instruments including Link and his Ocarina.
 * In the DS version of Tetris there is a game mode dedicated to Link which also features a picture of him.
 * In Animal Crossing: Wild World there is a conversation where someone in town tells you he or she has been to a land where a guy in green clothes shoots stuff from the air with a magical boomerang. There are also a Master Sword furniture item that plays the puzzle solved theme when activated.
 * In Animal Crossing: City Folk with enough Nook Points, one can purchase the Hero's Cap and Hero's Clothes which are Link's hat and clothes.
 * In Golden Sun: The Lost Age there is an unused sprite based on Link. It is only available through a cheating device.
 * In Marvel: Ultimate Alliance, Link was going to make an appearance, but was later removed.
 * In the Nintendo Collector's Edition of Monopoly, Link is located where Pennsylvania Avenue normally would be and has the same all identical values, including mortgage. Zelda and Ganondorf are in the other two green spaces. There are also two pewter player tokens from the Legend of Zelda series: Link's Iron Boots and Link's Hylian Shield.

Popularity
The character Link has been overall well received by critics and fans. In the 1988 and 1989 Nintendo Power Awards given by Nintendo Power magazine, readers voted him as the best character. He was voted by readers as the number one and three "Best Hero" in the 1993 and 1994 Nintendo Power Awards, respectively. In 2005, Link and his creator were awarded stars on the "Walk of Game." Game Informer magazine listed Link as the number one "Hero of 2006."

Link has appeared multiple times in the annual "Character Battle" contests on the popular gaming website GameFAQs, in which players vote for their favorite video game characters, and he is the only character to have won more than once. Also, in one of IGN.com's 2007 "Hero Showdowns," Link was voted the favorite hero.

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