Link (Hyrule Warriors)

Link (リンク) is the main protagonist and an incarnation of Link from Hyrule Warriors and Hyrule Warriors Legends. He is a promising yet inexperienced trainee soldier who seeks to defend Hyrule and serve Princess Zelda. Unbeknownst to either himself or his fellow soldiers, he is actually the reborn spirit of the Legendary Hero and chosen bearer of the Triforce of Courage.

Personality
Link possesses many heroic personality traits common among his various incarnations. Like most incarnations of Link, he is a silent protagonist and relies on his Fairy Companion, Proxi to speak for him. As a member of the Hyrulean Forces, he is loyal to Princess Zelda and the Kingdom of Hyrule. Despite only being a trainee soldier, Link heroically chooses to take up a Knight's Sword and Shield in order to join in the battle against the Dark Forces. Despite his inexperience, he manages to assist the Hyrulean Forces and soon encounters Proxi, who decides to become his Fairy Companion in exchange for him protecting her from the Dark Forces who had been hunting fairies before the invasion.

Though his inexperience leads him to being knocked down by Volga, his courage and desire to save himself and general Impa, caused the power of the Triforce of Courage to reveal itself, revealing him to be the current incarnation of the Hero. Though he is unsure he is worth of being called the Hero, Link dons the Hero's Clothes given to him by Impa following the defeat of King Dodongo and Zelda's disappearance, before joining Impa in the search for Zelda. Through the battles with the Dark Forces, Link becomes more experienced and so settles into his role as the Hero.

During his adventures in the Era of Skyloft, he meets Fi who recognizes he is another incarnation of her master and joins forces with him. Like his predecessor, Link relies on Fi's wisdom to advise him.

However after obtaining the Master Sword, Link becomes overconfident and reckless due to the power of the legendary blade. This awakens a darkness within his heart that Cia uses to create several Dark Links to attack the Hyrulean Forces. However after being saved by his allies, Link is reminded of his limitation and that he only got as far as he did thanks to his friends and allies. As a result, he embraces the true qualities of a hero, causing the darkness in his heart to disappear, maturing into a Hero worthy of wielding the power of the True Master Sword. He also courageously confronted the partially revived Ganondorf to save Princess Zelda when he attacked during their battle with Cia in the Temple of Souls.

Despite having his Triforce of Courage stolen by Ganondorf along with Zelda's Triforce of Wisdom, Link continued fight courageously against Ganondorf's Forces alongside his allies and together with them managed to defeat Ganon, despite the Dark Beast having the power of the complete Triforce at his disposal.

Background & History
The Link of Hyrule Warriors is the latest incarnation of the Spirit of the Hero, the soul of the Goddesses chosen Hero, who according to the game's universe has been reincarnated into the various incarnations of Link, such as the Hero of Skyloft, the Hero of Time, the Hero of Twilight, and the Hero of Winds. The Hero would raise to battle the forces of evil over the Triforce, such as the repeated cycle of his arch-nemesis Ganondorf/Ganon.

Ending the Cycle of Evil
Eventually one incarnation of Link managed to defeat Ganon and split his evil soul into four Spirit Fragments, three of which where sealed in their different eras (the Era of the Hero of Time, the Era of Twilight, and the Era of Skyloft), while the fourth and final fragment was sealed by the Master Sword, in a Temple built on sacred ground. By doing this it was hoped that the Demon King would never be able to return, ending the repeated cycle of conflict between the Hero's Spirit and that of Ganon. However little did he know that his own existence would give Ganon the perfect pawn to make his escape.

Love of the Guardian of Time
In a deep forest their lived a sorceress known as the Guardian of Time, who watched over the countless battles over the Triforce, yet never interfering. Over time the Guardian became infatuated with the Spirit of the Hero, who's soul was unlike anyone she'd ever known. Eventually, her infatuation turned in love, however with her powers she knew his soul was tied to another. Taking advantage of her sorrow, Ganon drove the Light from her soul, corrupting her and twisting her love for the Hero into a desire to possess the legendary heroes soul. Thus the Guardian split into two beings, the Light became Lana the White Sorceress and Cia the Dark Sorceress, who was granted the Triforce of Power by Ganon and manipulated Cia as his puppet. Using her power Cia opened the Gate of Souls summoning legions of monsters to join her army, the Dark Forces in order to acquire the Triforce of Wisdom and Triforce of Courage.

The Armies of Ruin
Meanwhile, Princess Zelda sensed the approaching darkness in a dream and her loyal advisor/protector General Impa suggested that it was a vision and that they should begin searching for the reborn spirit of the Hero. Unbeknownst to either Zelda or Impa, the Hero was closer than they realized. A promising new Hyrulean Forces recruit named Link, who possessed unnatural talent and fighting ability, which Zelda would witness first hand, while he was sparring with another trainee, he managed to not only block a spear attack directed at his exposed head (as he choose to forgo a helmet) with his wooden shield, then immediately counterattack with a powerful Jump Attack, knocking down his stunned opponent effortlessly. He also demonstrate great courage, despite being a recruit, he choose to join the other more experienced soldiers on the battlefield, while the other cadets remained in safety of the Castle's fortifications, equipped with only a Knight's Sword and Shield. Shortly after stepping on the battlefield, he encountered Proxi a Fairy who was fleeing from the Dark Forces as they had been hunting fairies before their invasion. Proxi decides to join Link as his Fairy partner. Eventually he engaged the Dragon Knight Volga, who he managed to push back momentarily, however the Dragon's might proved to great. Fortunately he was saved by Impa, however she too would have been killed by Volga's fire breath, had they not been protected by the power of Link's Triforce of Courage, which confirmed to Impa that the Hero had been found. After defeating King Dodongo and discovering that Princess Zelda had gone missing, Impa gave Link the Hero's Clothes in recognition of his status as the reborn legendary hero, despite Link's doubts about his destiny. Together he joined Impa in searching for Zelda and began the quest that would turn him into another Hero of Legend.

The Sheikah Tribesman
Link and Impa searched throughout Hyrule, but found no trace of Zelda. However all hope was not lost as they soon heard a rumor that a young woman was leading a resistance against the Dark Forces in Faron Woods, who Impa and Link hoped was Zelda. In order to reach the forest, Link and Impa had to lead their troops through the Eldin Caves. However they were soon attacked by the Dark Forces lead by Wizzro. Eventually they found themselves cornered by the Dark Forces, however were saved by a mysterious warrior wielding a magical harp. The warrior revealed himself to be Sheik, a member of the Sheikah that protected the Royal Family of Hyrule. Sheik revealed that Zelda was alive and would return. Despite Impa being skeptical of Sheik's claims, Sheik joined forces with Link and the Hyrulean Forces to escape the Caves.

The Sorceress of the Woods
In Faron Woods, Link and his allies discovered a hidden village beset by monsters. Link jumped into battle to aid the struggling Hyrulean resistance forces. After clearing out the monsters, they found that the leader of the resistance forces was the White Sorceress, Lana. Lana hides her true origins from Link and the others by stating that she and Cia are from the same magical clan. She offers to provide more information on Cia if Link, Sheik, Impa and there forces join the resistance in protecting village from the invading Dark Forces. Using a bow found in a chest to clear out several Deku Babas spreading poison, Link aids Lana and her forces in retreating to their base within the Great Deku Tree. However Wizzro sets fire to the tree, forcing Link and Proxi to seek out the aid of the Great Fairy that lived in Faron Woods Fairy Fountain. After the fire is put out by rain summoned by the Great Fairy and her fairy subordinates, Link joins the others in confronting Wizzro, determined to make him reveal what he knows about Zelda's disappearance. However Wizzro flees and summons Gohma to attack the Hyrulean Forces. Fortunately, Link and his allies manage to kill the beast. Following the battle Link and Impa lament the fact that they were unable to find anything on Zelda's whereabouts.

The Sorceress of the Valley
After having help defended the forest, Lana reveals that Cia is using the Gate of Souls in the Valley of Seers to summon monsters to join her forces and reveals that they must close the gate to stop the flow of monsters in order to defeat Cia. With their new ally Lana, Link and the Hyrulean Forces journey to the valley to close the gate and put an end to the conflict. Despite managing to defeat Volga and Manhandla, Link and his allies end up falling into a magical trap set by Cia, who steals the Triforce of Courage from Link. She also manages to steal the Triforce of Wisdom, which for some reason was in Sheik's possession and not Princess Zelda's. Combining those pieces with the Triforce of Power in her possession, Cia uses the Triforce to warp time and space, freeing the three spirit fragments scattered across time. The warping of time and space opens a Gate of Souls in each era and causes locations from various eras to appear transforming the landscape of Hyrule. Lana manages to shield herself, Link, and the others with a magic barrier, protecting them from the changes to Hyrule. Lana reveals they must now close the gates in each era to stem the flow of monsters. As a result, they split up into groups in order to close each gate.

Land in the Sky
Together with Proxi, Link journeys to the Era of Skyloft, where he encounters the Spirit of the Goddess Sword, Fi. Though Fi recognizes him as a different incarnation of the Hero, she accepts him as a master and joins him in protecting Skyloft from the invading Dark Forces lead Volga and the Ghirahim's Forces lead by the Demon Lord himself. Using Pumpkin Soup to summon the aid of Levias, Link and Fi manage to defeat Volga and Ghirahim. However Ghirahim manages to brainwash some of their allies to serve him.

Sealed Ambition
Together with Fi, Link journeys to the Sealed Grounds to close the Gate of Souls in the Era of Skyloft, which they would find was actually the Gate of Time that had been corrupted by Cia misuse of the Triforce. However they were once again confronted by Ghirahim and his forces. Ghirahim ordered his brainwashed Turncoat Soldiers to attack their allies, putting the Hyrulean Forces at a disadvantage. With Fi and Proxi's aid, Link managed to find the Turncoat Leader and defeat him, putting an end to Ghirahim's plan to destroy the Hyrulean Forces from within. However Ghirahim switched tactics and used the Gate of Souls to free his master, The Imprisoned. Like his predecessor before him, Link managed to defeat the Imprisoned. Link confronted Ghirahim in the Sealed Temple and after a fierce battle, managed to knock the Demon Lord into the Gate of Souls. Fi then instructed Link to use a Skyward Strike to close the Gate, turning it back into the Gate of Time.

Returning to Hyrule
Joined by Fi, Link and Proxi return to their era and learn that Sheik was actually a disguised Princess Zelda. Link also meets several new allies from various eras who had allied themselves with the Hyrulean Forces to close the gates in their eras as Fi had with Link. Also at Midna's urging, Lana revealed her true connection with Cia and the Guardian of Time, before revealing that Ganondorf was the one responsible. Meanwhile unbeknownst to Link or his allies, Ganondorf had regained his physical form and ended his partnership with Cia, intending to steal the Triforce from her and break the final seal himself. However Cia turned the tables on him, by sending the Triforces of Courage and Wisdom back to Link and Zelda, before resealing him.

The Sacred Sword
Due to the revelation that Ganondorf was behind Cia's actions, Princess Zelda decided that they would require the power of the Master Sword and thus the Hyrulean Forces journeyed to the Temple of the Sacred Sword to have Link acquire the legendary blade. Near the temple, Link and Zelda noticed the return of the respective Triforce pieces and realized that Cia would be weakened, giving them a chance to defeat her. Despite Impa's fears that removing the Master Sword would weaken the barrier on the final spirit fragment and whether Link was ready to wield the blade, Zelda and Lana insisted that he was and so Link agreed with Zelda's plan. Despite Wizzro manipulating the Ghost Forces that protected the temple into attack Link and his allies, they managed to open the doors to the Temple and Link defeated the two Fiery Aeralfos guarding the Door of Time. Entering the Sacred Pedestal chamber, Link pulled out the Master Sword, proving himself to truly be the current incarnation of the Hero. While he was distracted following the blade's removal from its pedestal, Wizzro tried to attack Link from behind, however he deflected the blast with the Master Sword. Wizzro retreated from the chamber due to being weaken by the barrier keeping Ganondorf's spirit fragment contained which remained active despite the blade's removal, just as Lana had predicted. Equipping the Master Sword and Hylian Shield, Link joined his allies in defeating Wizzro, who revealed that Cia was hiding in the Temple of Souls. However Link failed to realize that legendary blade's power had caused him to become arrogant and reckless, which caused darkness to cloud his heart, preventing him from accessing the blade's true power.

War of Spirit
Ignorant of the growing darkness within himself, Link joined the Hyrulean Forces in attacking the Temple of Souls. The temple had previous been home to the Guardian of Time, but following Cia's corruption, had become warped. Statues of the Hero's various incarnations and pictures of Link were scattered all over the temple, the apparent result of Cia's obsession with Link. Noticing the growing darkness within Link's heart, Cia decided to use it to her advantage and lured Link into the temple's central chamber. Spurred on by Proxi's cheering, Link entered the chamber unaware it was a trap. Cia used her magic to transform the darkness within Link's heart into a dark shadowy doppelgänger named Dark Link. Despite managing to overcome his doppelgänger, four more Dark Links appeared. Eventually, Link found himself surrounded and on the verge of defeat. However Darunia, Midna, Fi, Impa, and Lana appeared and rescued him. Realizing his limitations and embracing that he had only gotten as far as he did with the help of his friends and allies, Link managed to drive the darkness from his heart, awakening the power of the True Master Sword. However despite having overcome his doppelgängers, Ganondorf appeared at the Temple with his army, to reclaim the Triforce of Power from Cia. To make matters worse, Cia summoned more monsters, forcing the Hyrulean Forces to retreat. However Ganondorf used his power to prevent Zelda from escaping, forcing Link to remain behind to defend Zelda. Fortunately, the partially revived Ganondorf was no match Link and the power of the True Master Sword, forcing the Demon King to retreat.

Shining Beacon
During the fight with Ganondorf, Cia had managed to flee to the Valley of Seers. Following his victory over Ganondorf, Link and his allies prepared for the final battle with the Dark Forces. Returning to the Valley of Seers, they found Cia had been completely consumed by darkness and had become determined to defeat her enemies, no matter the cost. After a hard fought battle, Cia and the Dark Forces were defeated.

Parting Ways
Following Cia's defeat, Lana took possession of the Triforce of Power and after bidding farewell to his allies from across time, Link joined Zelda and Lana in using the Triforce to undo return Hyrule to normal. Link returned to Hyrule Castle with the Hyrulean Forces where he was hailed as a Hero for his role in Cia's defeat.

Ganondorf's Return
However due to Link neglecting to return the Master Sword to its pedestal following Cia's defeat, Ganondorf was able to break the final seal on his soul, completely restoring him. Leaving the Temple of the Sacred Sword, Ganondorf returned to his homeland in Gerudo Desertwhere he revived Zant and Ghirahim, making them the generals in his army. After forcing the Monster Forces within the Desert to serve him, Ganondorf invaded the Valley of the Seers, where he managed to reclaim the Triforce of Power from Lana. He then set his sights on obtaining the other two pieces.

Battle of the Triforce
With the Triforce of Power in hand, Ganondorf's Forces invaded Hyrule Field. In his role as the Hero, Link confronted Ganondorf once more, however the Demon King power and centuries of experience forced Link to retreat. However Link returned along with Princess Zelda, targeting the enemy base. Using the Triforce of Courage to capture keeps on his march to the base, Link confronted Ganondorf once more. However despite his and Zelda's best efforts, Ganondorf managed to defeat them, allowing him to acquire the complete Triforce. Fortunately, Link and Zelda survived to fight another day.

Enduring Resolve
Despite their defeat at the hands of Ganondorf, who had seemingly won as he had managed acquire Triforce, Link and his allies remained determined to defeat the Demon King. Fortunately, Ganondorf confident in his victory due to having succeed in obtaining the Triforce he had long sought, left the battlefield and used the Triforce to summon more monsters, leaving Ghirahim and Zant to lead them in his place. Realizing that this may be their last chance, Zelda, Link, and Lana lead the remaining Hyrulean Forces to Gerudo Desert to defeat Ganondorf's generals. However they are instead confronted by doubles of Zant and Ghirahim, while the real ones observe the battle in hiding. Lana manages to summon their allies from across time to aid them, allowing Link and the Hyrulean Forces to turn the tided of battle and locate the real Ghirahim and Zant. Ultimately, Link and his allies are victorious, boosting the morale of the Hyrulean Forces.

Liberation of the Triforce
Meanwhile, Impa and her forces focused on locating Ganondorf. They eventually learned that Ganondorf had conquered Hyrule Field and Hyrule Castle which he transformed into Ganon's Tower. Joining his allies, Link prepared for the final confrontation with the Demon King. Together with his allies, Link and the Hyrulean Forces manage to retake Hyrule Castle, weakening Ganondorf's power. Ganondorf eventually falls, however as Link approaches the seemingly dead Ganondorf, the Triforce emerges from the Demon King chest, reviving him into the Dark Beast Ganon. Using the Light Arrows received from Zelda, Link and his allies manage to defeat Ganon, allowing Link, Lana, Zelda to reclaim their respective Triforce pieces and use the Triforce to split Ganon's soul and imprison him once more. Bidding a final farewell to their allies, Lana tells Link and Zelda they have one final mission: to return the Master Sword to its pedestal.

Restoring the Seal
Alongside Zelda, Link returns to the Temple of the Sacred Sword to return the Master Sword and completely restore the seal on Ganon's soul. However as Link plunges the blade into the pedestal, Ganon's soul tries to prevent him from restoring the seal. Fortunately, with the aid of Zelda, Link manages to place the Master Sword back into its pedestal, restoring the seal. Their mission accomplished, Link and Zelda leave the temple to return to Hyrule Castle.

Abilities
Like most incarnations of the Hero, Link is a born fighter capable of mastering almost any items or weapons in a short period of time. Despite his lack of experience, the young Hyrulean Forces Trainee is already a skilled and powerful swordsman. While sparring with another recruit, Link adeptly uses his Wooden Practice Shield to guard his exposed head (due to his lack of helmet) from the recruits wooden spear, then counter attacks with a powerful Jump Attack that knocks his down his sparring partner, an action that catches the attention of Princess Zelda. During The Armies of Ruin, Link manages to knockback the Dragon Knight Volga, though he is later knocked down due to his inexperience. However when Volga tries to finish off Link and Impa (who had intervened to protect Link) with his fire breath, Link saved both himself and Impa through the power of the Triforce of Courage, proving his status as the reborn spirit of the Hero. Shortly thereafter, Link defeated the mighty King Dodongo, proving to Impa that he was worthy to wear the Hero's signature Green Tunic. As a result, the inexperienced recruit quickly found himself leading the Hyrulean Forces as the Legendary Hero, alongside General Impa and Princess Zelda. Together with the rest of the Hyrulean Forces, Link would defeat monsters such as Gohma, Manhandla, The Imprisoned, and Argorok. He would also defeat powerful warriors such as Wizzro, Volga, Ghirahim, Zant, Cia, and eventually his fated archnemesis Ganondorf/Ganon.

Hylian Sword

 * Level 1 - Knight's Sword & Shield
 * Level 2 - White Sword & Shield
 * Level 3 - Magical Sword & Magical Shield
 * 8-bit - 8-Bit Wooden Sword & 8-Bit Small Shield

Magic Rod

 * Level 1 - Fire Rod
 * Level 2 - Prism Rod
 * Level 3 - Magical Rod
 * 8-bit - 8-Bit Candle

Great Fairy

 * Level 1 - Great Fountain Fairy
 * Level 2 - Great Forest Fairy
 * Level 3 - Great Sky Fairy
 * 8-bit - 8-Bit Fairy

Gauntlets

 * Level 1 - Silver Gauntlets
 * Level 2 - Golden Gauntlets
 * Level 3 - Power Gloves
 * 8-bit - 8-Bit Raft

Master Sword

 * Master Sword & Hylian Shield

Horse

 * Level 1 - Epona
 * Level 2 - Twilight Epona
 * Level 3 - Epona of Time

Spinner

 * Level 1 - Ancient Spinner
 * Level 2 - Enhanced Spinner
 * Level 3 - Triforce Spinner

Dark Link
In the A War of Spirit story scenario, Cia uses Link's own arrogance (brought on by his recent acquisition of the Master Sword) to create shadowy doppelgängers known as Dark Links. Dark Link possesses all of Link's abilities and is a reflection of the darkness within Link's heart. Even after defeating the first one, Cia creates four more Dark Links to harass the Hyrulean Forces. After managing to defeat these Dark Links, a new Dark Link appears in the central room of the Temple of Souls. This however turns out to be a trap as several Dark Links converge upon Link and quickly overpower him. However Link is saved by the intervention of his friends and allies. Realizing his limitations and that he has his friends and allies to help him out, Link comes to understand the true spirit of the Hero, dispelling the darkness in his heart awakening the true power of the Master Sword, which destroys the Dark Links and prevents Cia from pulling more Dark Links from Link's soul. However Cia retains the ability to summon Dark Links from the Guardian's Gates she creates with her Scepter. Cia's use of the Dark Links is implied to be due to her love and obsession with possessing Link's soul. In Darkness Falls, Cia's deepening madness causes her to view the Dark Links as the legendary hero defending her from her enemies. Outside of the story, Dark Link appears as a DLC Costume/skin for Link. This costume is unique in that it causes Link's weapons to take on the same Dark shadowy coloration as Dark Link. In the case of the Great Fairy and Horse movesets, dark versions of the Great Fairy and Epona appear with same red eyes and shadowy coloration as Dark Link.

Material Drops

 * Silver Material - Link's Boots
 * Gold Material - Link's Scarf