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The Hero of Time is the legendary title given to the Link who appears in the critically acclaimed Nintendo 64 games Ocarina of Time, Majora's Mask, and later in Twilight Princess as the Hero's Spirit.[1] Link is bestowed this title upon awakening from his seven-year slumber after retrieving the Master Sword from the Pedestal of Time.[1] By traveling through time to awaken the Six Sages and stop the King of Evil Ganon from conquering Hyrule, the Hero of Time's tale becomes a legend that is passed down through many generations, proving to be of great relevance to both the Mythology in The Legend of Zelda series as well as the timeline in which the games take place.[2] According to the offical timeline of the long-running franchise, the Links from Twilight Princess and The Wind Waker, known as the Hero of Twilight and the Hero of Winds, respectively, are his successors, with the former being his descendant as well. The Hero of Time's predecessors are the incarnations from Skyward Sword, The Minish Cap and Four Swords, the former being the Legendary Hero himself. The Hero of Legend from A Link to the Past would be his potential successor if Ganon ultimately defeated the Hero of Time.

Biography[]

The Rise of the Hero of Time[]

Tree

The Great Deku Tree telling the young Hero of Time about his future density to save the land of Hyrule

In the earliest days of his life, the Hero of Time grew up in the Kokiri Forest believing that he was a Kokiri, but in reality he was an orphaned Hylian, due to his dying mother left him under the guardianship of the Great Deku Tree as a baby during the Hyrulean Civil War. Because the Hero of Time was not a Kokiri despite being raised as such, Link did not possess a Fairy companion, which led to him being ostracized by the majority of the Kokiri tribe, with the exception of his close friend Saria and the Deku Tree. He himself had been plagued with ominous nightmares about a princess on horseback fleeing from a wicked man dressed in black. One day, the Hero of Time was bestowed with a Fairy named Navi by the Great Deku Tree to help guide him on his grand quest to save Hyrule. At the beginning his adventure, Link managed to save the Great Deku Tree from a dangerous parasite inside and earning the Kokiri's Emerald, the first of three Spiritual Stones. But, despite Link's brave efforts, the Kokiri Forest guardian was already doomed by the man in black's curse and ultimately dies as a result after the Deku Tree tells his destiny to meet the princess of Hyrule, Princess Zelda, and save the land as the chosen hero, in which he must leave the forest.

Castle Courtyard OoT

Young Princess Zelda shares the Hero of Time about her dark dreams of Ganondorf's plan to enter the Sacred Realm to take over Hyrule

In the land of Hyrule, with a little bit of help by a rancher girl named Malon, upon meeting Zelda inside the courtyard of Hyrule Castle (who also shares the dreams of the man in black and even had a vision of Link) for the first time, she tells Link the legends that speak of the Triforce, the omnipotent mythical Golden Power said to reside in the Sacred Realm which has the powerful ability to grant any wishes of whoever touches it, whether it is good or bad.[3][4] Ganondorf, the King of the Gerudo tribe, aware of his advantage of the Triforce not being able to discriminate against evil, schemes to enter the Sacred Realm to claim the Triforce himself, and thus rule the world.[5][6]Although Zelda had told her father, the King of Hyrule, about her dark dreams and Ganondorf's likely betrayal, he doesn't believe the princess' important warning. Link even sees the evil man through the window Zelda herself was looking at, swearing "allegiance" to the King (despite Ganondorf himself soon spotting him). With them being the only ones in the kingdom knowing the villain's plan, the duo agreed to stop him and save Hyrule with all their power. Just before leaving the castle and resumes his quest, Link met Zelda's attendant and personal bodyguard Impa, one of the last surviving members of the Sheikah tribe, who escorts him back to Hyrule Field safely.

OoT Pedestal of Time Artwork

As he was too young to bear the title, Link was immediately sealed for 7 years upon pulling the Master Sword

However, with the unwitting assistance of a young courageous boy named Link and Hyrule's Princess Zelda, after the former collects the remaining Spiritual Stones - the Goron's Ruby and Zora's Sapphire, and meeting more new friends along the way such as Darunia and Princess Ruto after solving their troubles within Dodongo's Cavern and Jabu-Jabu's Belly, respectively, Ganondorf attacked Hyrule Castle, with the young princess escaping on horseback with Impa - exactly like in his earlier nightmare. But Zelda herself notices Link, and, in a desperate move, throws the Ocarina of Time toward him as she entrusts him to finish his duty of protecting the Sacred Realm. Link then meets Ganondorf in person and although the boy boldly tries to challenge him by drawing his weapons, he was no match for the Gerudo King, as he knocks Link to the ground with a blast of magic energy, and then Ganondorf seemingly chases after Zelda and Impa again. After looking on in frustration, Link soon enters the Temple of Time to open the Door of Time using the Spiritual Stones, which inside lies the Master Sword, a legendary weapon with the power to repel evil. What the young hero or Princess Zelda does not know, however, was that Ganondorf had been following him as he entered the Temple, as he quickly realized Link has the Royal Family's Ocarina given by Zelda. When Link retrieves the Master Sword from the Pedestal of Time, he was suddenly sealed by the blade without warning, as he was too young of age to bear the title as the "Hero of Time". In addition, the Sacred Realm was opened as Link pulled the Master Sword, as it is also one of the keys to the secret place like the Ocarina of Time. Consequently, as the magical seal is beyond his control, he helplessly watches Ganondorf entering the Realm (before mocking the hero for letting him reach his ultimate goal), touches the Triforce, and expresses his vile wish to conquer Hyrule.[7]

Although the King of Thieves was successful at reaching the Sacred Triangle thanks to his smart thinking and things are not going according to plan for Link and Zelda, their mission of stopping and defeating him did not entirely fail, however; Because Ganondorf's heart was not in balance due to his wickedness, the Triforce itself separated into three component parts upon being touched by the Gerudo leader, leaving him with only the blessing of the Golden Goddesses he believed to be the most important, the Triforce of Power (Din), and transforming the Sacred Realm into a corrupt world of evil.[8][9] The remaining pieces are given to two special individuals chosen by destiny; Therefore, the Triforce of Wisdom was then bestowed upon Princess Zelda and the Triforce of Courage upon Link, respectively, granting themselves untold sources of mystical abilities by the essence of Nayru and Farore as well (although Zelda and Link were not quite aware of their newfound crests until much later). Even though his strength became god-like by the one Triforce piece he ultimately acquired, Ganondorf was not satisfied with just Power alone and is determined to search and steal the other two from Zelda and Link in order to gain complete control of the world and truly become invincible.[10] Link himself was then put into suspended animation within the Chamber of Sages for seven years until he matured enough to properly handle the Blade of Evil's Bane.[1] Meanwhile, throughout this near-decade gap in time, with the young hero being absent and Hyrule Castle now defenseless, Ganondorf used the Triforce of Power to take over the kingdom, likely murdering the King of Hyrule in the process, and become its new king, transforming the entire world into a dark age and forcing Zelda into hiding as a member of the Sheikah named Sheik, patiently waiting for the hero's late return.[11][12]

The Legend of the Hero of Time[]

Older Link

At last risen from his deep slumber in the Chamber of Sages, Link, now grown into a young man, awakens as the legendary Hero of Time

Now a young adult, Link eventually awakens as the Hero of Time while Rauru, the Sage of Light, explains to him what had happened during his long sleep and he must prove himself worthy of his new title. Using the Master Sword and the Ocarina of Time plus instructions by Sheik, Link travels through time and across Hyrule to seek the Six Sages (most of which revealed to be his childhood friends), who were said to have the power to bind Ganondorf and return peace to Hyrule.[2][13]In addition, they also grant the young man some of their own power in the form of Medallions. When all Sages are at last awakened after destroying various dangerous monsters within six different Temples, including Ganondorf's surrogate mother Twinrova and even his own evil shadow at one point, he returns back to the Temple of Time, where Sheik tells Link about the meaning of the Triforce and why it split, who are the three bearers, and ultimately reveals himself using the Triforce of Wisdom to be Princess Zelda in disguise (who is also revealed to be the seventh Sage and their leader). The princess is pleased to see her invaluable partner in person after 7 years and tells Link her ultimate plan to seal Ganondorf to the Evil Realm, but she needs help from his exemplary courage, once more. She then gives him the powerful Light Arrows, as these special weapons of light can penetrate the Evil King's defenses. But their reunion was cut short when Ganondorf himself, who have been waiting for such a time to come of Zelda fully exposing herself to Link, suddenly captures her in a magic crystal, and the Evil King tells his adversary to enter his castle, known as Ganon's Castle, where Hyrule's formerly stood, for a final showdown if he wishes to rescue the princess, laughing wickedly.

OoT Link Fighting Ganondorf Artwork

The Hero of Time in his ultimate showdown against Ganondorf, the King of Evil

With the assistance of the Six Sages, Link was able to storm the stronghold via a colorful metallic bridge, dispel six powerful elemental barriers (possibly freeing the Sages themselves) with the Light Arrows, and challenge Ganondorf the Evil King at the inner sanctum once and for all. Upon reaching the throne room at the top of the tower where Ganondorf himself is waiting (playing his theme song on a pipe organ in the process) and Princess Zelda held hostage above, all three of their respective Triforce pieces begin to resonate and attempt to become whole again, much to Link and Zelda's surprise. A one-on-one duel between Link and Ganondorf engages soon after. But, the Evil King, despite his great strength, was gravely injured by Link, to the point he even vomits blood. In disbelief that he himself would be bested by the "kid" who is now the Hero of Time, in a burst of anger and frustration, Ganondorf obliterates the ceiling of the tower, though Link remains completely unscathed likely from the Triforce of Courage protecting the hero, before collapsing face down to the ground, apparently dead. Princess Zelda is now freed from her crystal prison.

OoT Ganon's Castle escape

The Hero of Time, Navi, and Princess Zelda running for their lives as they all barely escape in time before the collapsing Ganon's Castle

But, then, as Zelda begins to feel pity about Ganondorf not being able to properly control the powers of the gods due to his evil heart, the tower suddenly begins to crumble, as Ganondorf himself intentionally uses his power to make his own castle collapse in order to kill his foes under the rubble. Link and Zelda manage to escape and watch the entire keep falling before their very eyes. When the destruction is over, the duo believe they are finally victorious. However, a loud bang is heard, and they realize something was very wrong. As the Hero of Time defends the princess and bravely begins to investigate at what caused the noise, with no warning, a fiery barrier traps Zelda again, and then, Ganondorf, still alive, rises out of the ruins of his now-destroyed castle. Link aggressively draws the Master Sword toward him in a threatening display, daring his archenemy to challenge the hero again, since he just beaten him before. Furious and filled with hatred for Link, Ganondorf takes the dare and unleashes the Triforce of Power to the fullest extent, transforming himself into a huge and vicious boar-like demon, which is none other than his true form - Ganon. Armed with two gigantic golden swords, the monster catches Link off-guard (due to his and Zelda's shock by the grotesque transformation) and temporarily knocks the Master Sword out of his hands, forcing the Hero of Time to fight the villain once more in a dramatic, intense battle to the death, more dangerous than anything he has ever faced before, as the fate of Hyrule is now at stake. Ganon himself is unimaginably powerful and his body appears to be indestructible due to the essence of the Goddess Din bestowed upon him, but, Link miraculously finds his Achilles' heel: the tail. With the full combined might of Link's raw skills, the Master Sword, Light Arrows, the Triforce of Courage, and the aid of the Seven Sages and Navi, the Hero of Time eventually manages to weaken Ganon, causing the deadly beast to collapse in pain and the fire barrier to disappear.

OoT Link's final blow on Ganon (side view)

The Hero of Time climactically (and violently) defeats Ganon with a devastating blow during the final battle in Hyrule

Taking her opportunity, Princess Zelda uses her powers to hold Ganon down as she commands the hero to deliver the final blow, but her energy didn't last very long, however. The Master Sword then suddenly glows at its full power. Link, ready to put his archnemesis to sleep for good as he himself is filled with righteous hatred for the monster just as much as Ganon has for him, ultimately slashes the Demon King's face three times, then, in a rather nasty move, furiously thrusts the Master Sword straight into his mouth (with blood spilled yet again), resulting in Ganon, not killed by the seemingly lethal attack, somehow, gets back up roaring and flailing about in agony (likely due to the max-powered Triforce of Power making him able to survive in spite of the legendary blade's ability to vanquish evil). Nevertheless, as the villain is mortally wounded a second time, this gave Zelda and the Six Sages the chance they desperately needed to finally bind Ganon and throw him back into the void of the Evil Realm, thus ending the Evil King's seven year reign over Hyrule.[14][15] Defeated at last by Link's hand, the King of Evil, reverted back to his human form with the Triforce of Power still in his hand, and in a fit of rage and complete shock, threatens the Hero of Time, Princess Zelda, and the Sages he will return one day to exterminate their descendants to make them all pay for his ultimate defeat and imprisonment once the seal is broken (foreshadowing the events of The Wind Waker).[16]

Zelda with the Ocarina of Time

Their mission of saving Hyrule completed, the Hero of Time and Princess Zelda say their goodbyes

With Hyrule now finally at peace, while saying their goodbyes, Princess Zelda uses her power as a Sage with the Ocarina of Time and Triforce of Wisdom to send the Hero of Time back to his original age via seven years into the past in order to regain his lost childhood, as compensation for his heroic role of taking down Ganondorf, and, with guilt, claiming the tragedy that had befallen Hyrule was merely her own mistakes as a child and dragged Link into the ordeal.[17] Through her instructions, the Master Sword is also left in the hero's wake, being returned to its pedestal in turn, sealing the Sacred Realm entirely and therefore closing the road between times. With this act by the princess in the future, the Hero of Time vanishes completely from this branch of Hyrule's history, leaving only his legend behind, as she unknowingly split the present timeline into two and thus created new history, called the Child and Adult Timeline - the latter being the actual universe where all of Ocarina of Time's events were unfolded, and Link is heading to the former, therefore marking the beginning of the Hero of Time's downfall. With him being sent back to his childhood by Zelda, the Triforce of Courage in this particular timeline also shatters into multiple fragments and are scattered throughout the land, which would be found again one day by another Hero that would have need of its power at his own adventure.

The Hero of Time's Terrible Fate[]

OoT Ending

After being sent back to his original time by the future Princess Zelda, the Hero of Time quickly returns back to Hyrule Castle and warns her current self about Ganondorf's true plans as he learned from his adventure

Now back to his original time permanently, in the alternate Child Timeline, Link's trusted Fairy companion, Navi, with her mission completed, suddenly flies away and utterly leaves him without a word to spare. With the memory of his adventure still intact, the Hero of Time returns to the Hyrule Castle Courtyard, and warns Princess Zelda and the King of Hyrule about Ganondorf's conspiracy and what the "future" would unfold if the Gerudo King was not immediately stopped, in order to prevent the previous events from ever occurring again, as he's well-aware of their archenemy's coming assault, and using the Triforce of Courage remaining in his hand as evidence.[18] He gains the Royal Family's trust and stayed in the castle for a short while. After Link tells Zelda he must leave for a secret and personal journey, the princess entrusts Link with the Ocarina of Time, this time in person, and instructs him to head far away, to completely thwart Ganondorf from entering the Sacred Realm and have himself ultimately imprisoned (and eventually sentenced to death in the events of Twilight Princess) by the King. After saying goodbye (again), the young hero then departs from Hyrule, riding on his horse Epona with the magical Ocarina in hand to seek for his missing fairy friend. Upon Link's departure from the kingdom, however, the Triforce of Courage in this branch of the timeline, due to himself being separated from the "elements that made him a hero", ultimately vanishes from the Hero of Time's hand, therefore losing the great mystical powers bestowed upon him by the essence of the Goddess Farore.[19]

MM Link Riding Epona

Link riding on Epona searching for his fairy friend Navi in a dark forest after his departure from Hyrule, a scene which would repeat again after saving Termina, as seen in Majora's Mask

MM Clock Town Artwork

The Hero of Time in the land of Termina, where he must stop the Moon from crashing in three days during his second journey to defeat Majora's Mask

No longer protected by the power of the Triforce and months later in the process, in a distant forest at the very outskirts of Hyrule, the Hero of Time was suddenly ambushed and stumbles into a parallel universe known as Termina, which was being threatened to be destroyed by its sinister Moon in three days, by the Skull Kid, under possession of a powerful evil entity called Majora's Mask. He was then instructed by the mysterious Happy Mask Saleman (who apparently knows him from Hyrule) to take the ancient mask from the Skull Kid as soon as possible, resulting in Link forced to put his search for Navi on hold and do another adventure within this strange Hyrule-like world, which turned out be even darker than the last. With the aid of the Ocarina of Time to travel through time once again, transforming Masks in the form of a Deku Scrub, Goron, and Zora, a new tomboyish fairy partner named Tatl, and the Four Giants upon saving them from capture by the forces of evil within four Temples, Link overcomes many tough obstacles as well as helping many people across the land through their own troubles (earning many regular masks doing so) like he did before at Hyrule. He even regains a few of his older items such as the Lens of Truth, the magic Arrows, including Light, once more at one point. Very late in his second quest, the young Hero of Time also obtains a mysterious transformation mask resembling his adult self's face, which such rare item's dark powers are said to be just as dangerous as Majora's Mask itself. This particular mask is none other than the notorious Fierce Deity's Mask, which would prove especially useful for Link in the final battle...

MM Fierce Deity vs

The Hero of Time as his ultimate form, Fierce Deity Link, defeating Majora during the final battle in Termina

In the eventual final showdown against Majora's Mask (which took in three increasingly more powerful forms), taking place inside the Moon, Link defeats Majora in a harsh battle with the tremendous strength of his ferocious Fierce Deity form, ultimately destroying the wicked monster and the Moon itself, and saves Termina from its imminent destruction. The now-freed Skull Kid gave thanks and seemingly recognized him as the one who taught him "that song" in the Lost Woods. Soon after, he part ways with Tatl and leaves the land to resume his original quest of searching for Navi, though he eventually notices a tree stump in a band of light in the same place where he was originally ambushed, showing a drawing of himself, Skull Kid, Tatl, Tael, and the Four Giants waving, by the Skull Kid himself as a remembrance. However, as soon as Link left Termina and seemingly returns back to Hyrule, the universe itself ceases to exist due to Majora's ultimate defeat, causing the young hero's history of rescuing this place to erase entirely - just like in the end of his previous adventure in Hyrule after defeating Ganondorf. Consequently, the Hero of Time is once again back to square one, with no lasting evidence of himself saving either world. At this point, Link's future whereabouts and activities are unknown.

A Legendary Hero Who Never Was[]

TP Hero's Spirit Model 2

Although the Hero of Time proved himself a true hero, Link's regrets from his adventures and personal life ultimately reduced him into a restless Stalfos-like ghost later in the Child Timelime

Despite he indeed rescued his homeland as well as Termina from certain doom and his legend forever lives on in the Adult Timeline, unfortunately, as the Hero of Time now lives in the Child Timeline - a completely different universe with his title being non-existent and virtually all of his friends were lost, and he is unable to return back to the other where he belongs due to the Sacred Realm being completely sealed, thus forever trapped in this alternate dimension, as time went on, Link continued to lament the fact that he was not remembered as a hero at all after he was returned to his original time against his will by Princess Zelda immediately after defeating Ganon in the events of Ocarina of Time - a questionable decision in spite of her good intentions - and his great heroic achievements were tragically unrecognized to the world even after warning the Royal Family and stopping Ganondorf entirely (and his act of getting the Gerudo warlock executed was in vain when the villain survived due to the Triforce of Power and then cast into the Twilight Realm). In addition, he never found Navi after the events of Majora's Mask, a beloved friend who simply abandoned him without saying goodbye. When he eliminated Majora, an evil perhaps psychopathic demon about as dangerous as Ganon himself, although the Skull Kid did seem to recognize him, the Happy Mask Salesman and Tatl also never gave Link a proper thanks for his hard efforts due to themselves being focused on their own goals. Plus, Termina itself was an ill-fated world destined to disappear regardless if he saved it or not, due to the fact that land was made from the Skull Kid's memories and Majora's Mask's power. In the end, with his two traumatic journeys apparently all for naught, Link, sadly, was never in relative peace, and is filled with complete regret of his actions for the rest of his life and remained isolated from the many hardships, ironically like how Zelda in the seven-year future felt about Hyrule falling under Ganondorf's rule due to her own actions.[20]

TP Link being taught being the Hero's Spirit

Many years after being sadly forgotten, the Hero of Time as the Hero's Spirit (right) makes one final attempt to make himself be finally remembered by teaching the next Link - the Hero of Twilight (left), his own special techniques, as seen in Twilight Princess HD

The once great but now-disregarded hero eventually passes away. However, even after his death, the Hero of Time was unable to go to the afterlife because of the non-stop regrets that kept him tied to the world of the living, feeling that he was unable to pass on the lessons of his life to the younger generations. Therefore, Link remained restless, but his wish would soon come. In order to finally ease his inner demons and at last pass on his long-lost masterful knowledge of the arts of the sword, the Hero of Time teaches the seven Hidden Skills to his descendant, the Link of Twilight Princess, known as the Hero of Twilight, in the form of a ghostly Stalfos-like swordsman and pale golden wolf known as the Hero's Spirit, taking place over a century after his time as the chosen hero by the Goddesses, in order to help this new Link become stronger to match his level and destroy Ganondorf for good as a worthy successor.[20][21] After the Hero of Twilight learns all of the Hidden Skills, the Shade's regrets are finally eased and the Hero of Time ultimately rests in peace into the afterlife.

A Doomed Legend[]

TWW Scroll of the Hero of Time 4

The Hero of Time saving Hyrule before Ganon rises from the earth by the Sages' seal being broken centuries later, as seen in The Wind Waker

Meanwhile, back at the Adult Timeline, following Ganon's brutal defeat, Link's legend as the Hero of Time was fondly remembered and had passed for many generations during Hyrule's longtime peace. However, due to Princess Zelda's decision of permanently sending him back to his original time and unintentionally into the Child Timeline, the world was ultimately left without a hero, and over time, the seal of Ganondorf by the Six Sages, thought to be forever in effect, eventually failed for unknown reasons, causing the Gerudo King to become free as his beast form. Now risen from the earth's ground, well-aware of his dreadful promise for revenge by eliminating their descendants for being defeated by Link and his long imprisonment in the corrupted Sacred Realm at the end of Ocarina of Time and the Triforce of Power was never lost, darkness began to cover Hyrule again. People began to pray that the Hero of Time would return to once again save the land by traveling through time. But the legendary Hero never appeared at all, as Link himself as well as his trusted allies from his era were long gone to history at this point. Because of Hyrule's total defenseless state, the villain manages to completely take over the kingdom with even less difficulty than in the past events of Ocarina of Time, as he had no resistance whatsoever. By this time, the current King of Hyrule, Daphnes Nohansen Hyrule, although he managed to temporarily extract the Triforce of Power as well as splitting the Triforce of Wisdom into two fragments, the king was unable to stop Ganon. In so, he pleaded to the Goddesses via the full Triforce to flood Hyrule away with a worldwide torrential downpour (not before telling chosen people to flee into the mountaintops), sealing the kingdom and Ganon under what will become the Great Sea. The memory of the kingdom vanished, but the Hero of Time's legend survived the wind's breath.

TWW Link Obtaining the Hero's Clothes

In The Wind Waker, the next Link in the Adult Timeline, the Hero of Winds, gains a replica of the Hero of Time's clothing by his grandmother at the start of his own quest

As more time continues to pass, in the events of The Wind Waker, Ganon broke the seal once again (though now significantly weakened and reverted to his human form) to claim the Triforce yet again. In a faraway island, a customary tradition exists where young boys reaching the same age as the Hero of Time would wear a green tunic and hat and search for swords to honor his legend. One day, a completely new Link - the Hero of Winds, came of age and earns this clothing for his birthday, and began his own adventure where he would revive a few memories of the Hero of Time as his successor in this timeline and even destroy the King of Evil himself with the help of an unwitting descendant of Princess Zelda and King Daphnes himself as the King of Red Lions, by the unexpected kidnapping of his younger sister Aryll.

The Tragic Defeat of a Great Hero[]

OoT Downfall Timeline Game Over

The Hero of Time being ultimately slain by Ganondorf in Ocarina of Time, leading to a worst case scenario for his allies as well as a string of dark events to come

Despite Ocarina of Time's ending of the Hero of Time being triumphant over Ganon and this particular event is only possible during gameplay (as there is no unique cutscene or cinematic for it in-game), if the complete opposite were to occur in the Final Boss battle and Link tragically dies by the main antagonist's hand regardless of his human or beast forms, another different branch of the canon timeline would take place known as the Downfall Timeline. In this rather sad scenario, the Hero of Time fails his mission and Ganondorf is completely successful at getting rid of his biggest obstacle to conquer Hyrule. With the King of Evil ultimately victorious, he then steals the Triforce of Courage from the now-dead Link's body and also takes Princess Zelda's Triforce of Wisdom, making himself at last obtain the completed Triforce and thus gaining the True Force. In spite of the seemingly hopeless situation, the Seven Sages all refuse to give up; As a last resort, similar to the true ending of the game, they each quickly use their combined power to seal Ganon away into the Evil Realm. Although Hyrule is now at peace for the moment, Zelda, the Six Sages, and Navi all mourn the loss of their great hero and beloved friend who had sacrificed himself to help save everyone in the land.

ALttP Link Artwork 2

The first Link in the Downfall Timeline, the Hero of Legend, serves as the fallen Hero of Time's replacement in A Link to the Past

As time pass leading to the Era of Light and Dark, the doorway to the Sacred Realm opened again, causing an event known as the Imprisoning War, where people battled to claim the Triforce but never returned. An army of Ganon's minions came forth. The King of Hyrule of this era commands the Seven Wise Men to seal the gate, which they were successful, though many Knights of Hyrule were wiped out, leaving the kingdom impoverished. Eventually, a dark wizard named Agahnim brainwashed Hyrule's soldiers, killed the King, and made six of the seven descendants of the Seven Wise Men, the Maidens, disappear into the Dark World, to weaken the seal of Ganon. The last Maiden is a new Princess Zelda, and she uses telepathy to call out to the incarnation of Link of this point of time, the Hero of Legend, to begin his own adventure. This is where the events of A Link to the Past takes place. Much like in the Child Timeline, the legend of the Hero of Time in the Downfall branch is completely lost.

Legacy[]

The statue of the Hero of Time found in Hyrule Castle in the Adult Timeline (The Wind Waker)

The legend of the Hero of Time becomes of great significance in the development of the Zelda Timeline and the mythology in The Legend of Zelda series. His climactic battle against Ganondorf marked the point in which the timeline split into three branches: the Downfall, Child, and Adult Timeline. Princess Zelda's plan with Link to save Hyrule by retrieving the Triforce before the villain resulted in the King of Evil ultimately obtaining the Triforce of Power,[22] leading eventually, in one continuity, to Link's tragic defeat by Ganon's hand and the formation of the Downfall Timeline.[23] In the alternate continuity where Link succeeds in defeating Ganondorf as seen in the ending of Ocarina of Time, the princess sends the Hero of Time back to his original time, creating two timelines; the Child Timeline and the Adult Timeline. In the latter of the two, the Triforce of Courage is shattered and the Link in the Adult Timeline vanishes from existence due to the time paradox, resulting in Hyrule eventually being flooded since there was no hero whatsoever to defeat Ganon once the Sages' seal broke.[24] In the former, the Hero of Time becomes filled with regret by not being remembered as the legendary hero that saved Hyrule from Ganon or Termina from Majora's Mask, eventually leading him to linger on as the Hero's Spirit in the Era of Twilight.[20]

Although Hyrule was flooded in the Adult Timeline and the memory of the kingdom vanished, the legend of the Hero of Time transcended through time. In Outset Island, it became a custom to clothe boys in green once they came of age.[25][26] A statue depicting the Hero of Time is also prominently displayed in the sunken Hyrule Castle, demonstrating how meaningful the legend of the brave boy clothed in green was to the citizens of Hyrule. When the Hero of Winds, the Link from The Wind Waker, defeats Puppet Ganon, Ganondorf compared this particular hero with the Hero of Time, his predecessor, who had defeated him hundreds of years ago, claiming he is that Link reborn.[27]

Relationships[]

OoT Zelda Link Artwork

A young Hero of Time sitting peacefully with Young Princess Zelda and Navi, in an artwork of Ocarina of Time

In his childhood, the Hero of Time establishes the relationships of certain individuals that will come to his benefit in his adult years, after pulling the Master Sword from the Pedestal of Time. Link is the one to establish his beneficial and plot-necessary relationship with Saria, and Mido's dislike for him can be attributed to this in addition to the Great Deku Tree's favor for him over anyone else, namely Mido himself.[28] The young hero also strikes up a friendship with Princess Zelda, and indirectly with Impa as well, while conversing with her about Ganondorf and the fate of her kingdom in the Hyrule Castle courtyard, after vanquishing the parasite from the Great Deku Tree. In helping Darunia reopen the Dodongo's Cavern (who calls him his Sworn Brother), and saving Princess Ruto from the depths of the stomach of Lord Jabu-Jabu (who claims she is engaged with him after giving the Zora's Sapphire), Link had, unbeknownst to him, met and aided almost all of the future Sages who would, in turn, ultimately help him in his quest to save Hyrule from the Evil King Ganondorf in the young hero's adult years.[29][30] Even after returning to his childhood for the second time to enter the Spirit Temple, he continues this by befriending Nabooru by agreeing to aid her in overthrowing Ganondorf. He is also the one that forms the initial bond with Epona and Malon. In addition, he also met and befriended the scarecrows Bonooru and Pierre, which the latter would aid him controlling the flow of time in Termina. The Skull Kid, once freed from Majora's Mask, remembers Link as the one who taught him Saria's Song.

Personality[]

OoT Link Portrait

The Hero of Time is shown to have a more no-nonsense personality compared to other incarnations of Link, despite being equally pure of heart

MM Link joining Cremia

The Hero of Time accompanying a lonely Cremia delivering her high-class milk as seen in Majora's Mask, a testament of himself eager of helping others

Like with most other Links in the series, as he is known as a "silent protagonist", although he displays distinctive vocals of grunts and screams, the Hero of Time is not seen speaking or emoting to a large degree in the games where he is playable, although the optional texts the player can choose when talking to certain characters implies he is not necessarily mute. He is a benevolent, intelligent, highly brave, honest, calm, and selfless individual with a pure heart, though Link often appears serious or stoic (especially as an adult) in the original N64 versions of Ocarina of Time, Majora's Mask, a few spin-off games, and some offical artwork, and rarely smiles (the 3DS remakes shows himself more relaxed). Despite his rather quiet, "just business" behavior in his in-game appearances, some media such as the Akira Himekawa manga series depict Link in a significantly more cheerful or expressive manner. Twilight Princess and Hyrule Historia serve as the only real look into his thoughts and feelings. The Hero of Time is also shown to be very helpful and caring to others throughout his journeys in both Hyrule and Termina, even if it wasn't related to his main quest, willing to sacrifice his own personal deeds no matter the outcome.

TPHD Hero's Shade talking to Link about his lack of skills

The Hero of Time is rather strict when it comes to discipline and courage in the art of the sword, as seen as the Hero's Spirit in Twilight Princess HD

As the Hero's Shade, where he does actually speak (likely due to the fact he's no longer controlled by the player), he is shown to be much sterner and blunt, telling his descendant, the Link from Twilight Princess, that the latter's current skill level dishonors their bloodline upon first meeting him, regardless of him already having the Triforce of Courage like the Hero of Time himself once did. He also reflected on his former time as a hero, saying that the path to becoming a true hero is a long one, and that while he accepted the tough life as a hero, he regretted that he couldn't pass on the lessons he had learned. As he trained the Hero of Twilight in the long-lost arts of the sword, the former Hero of Time reminded the latter that he must continue to improve his skill and courage himself so that he could become the savior Hyrule needed to defeat Ganondorf, as he saw his former self fully reflected in his descendant. Once the Hero of Twilight mastered all of the Hidden Skills, the shade proudly told his student/successor that he now knew all of what it took to be a true hero, even addressing him his "son", and could now march forth with his vision unclouded at last. Even as a specter, the Hero of Time continued to aid the land of Hyrule and its people with the best of his ability just like when he was alive.

Fighting skills[]

OoT Link Guarding Artwork

The Hero of Time is well-known to be a highly trained and powerful combatant with the skills of a champion

Dark Link OoT

The Hero of Time clashing against his shadow self, Dark Link, a fierce opponent where he must overcome his own fighting talent, as seen in Ocarina of Time

The Hero of Time, like all other incarnations of Link due to himself possessing the spirit of the Legendary Hero, is a character with incredible levels of courage destined to destroy evil, and he is almost always seen with a sword and shield in hand, generally the Master Sword and Hylian Shield (though he has various other related weapons such as the Biggoron's Sword or Mirror Shield). As with the Links in the older games of The Legend of Zelda series, the Hero of Time is born as a fearless fighter with no apparent teacher but ultimately is an expert, with only experience in battle serving as his lessons. As heavily suggested by his aforementioned "serious" personality, even at a young age, due to his endless training as an elite swordsman, archer, and magic user, as well as possessing the Triforce of Courage which augments his abilities to vast proportions by the essence of Farore, the Hero of Time already displayed an immense amount of bravery, discipline, stealth, and skill that only grew further when he became an adult and reached professional levels as the Hero's Spirit, proving himself a master warrior comparable to a Hylian Knight and even impressing the Gerudo, whom themselves are feared fighters in their own right (and the only other male they considered remarkable being their king, Ganondorf, whom Link himself defeated). Likewise, Impa and Sheik, themselves Sheikah, also find Link's natural fighting talents worthy of attention. Although the Hero of Time did ultimately lose the Triforce piece in Majora's Mask due to an unfortunate sequence of events, his raw skills did not decrease whatsoever, but actually continues to improve, as can be observed in-game by himself being more acrobatic and able to frontflip or somersault over ledges, as opposed to a normal jump in the previous N64 title.

Triforce of Courage in OoT

The Triforce of Courage is one of the most important aspects of the Hero of Time's great strength

The Hero of Time is capable of destroying dangerous enemies with ease such as the Dinolfos, Stalfos, the Poe Sisters, Dead Hand, Gerudo Thieves/Pirates, the Garo Master, Gomess, the deadly Iron Knuckles, and even the ancient undead king of the Ikana Kingdom, Igos du Ikana. In addition, stronger foes known to potentially destroy Hyrule or Termina such as Phantom Ganon, Volvagia, Bongo Bongo, Twinrova, or Goht are also slayed by Link's hand. He is so proficient that not only he himself defeated the two extremely powerful demons responsible for all of his troubles in a duel - Ganon and Majora (the latter which he actually killed), but also himself as a shadow, indicating tremendous capabilities of combat adaptation, strength, speed, and great knowledge of the art of the sword. Outside of swordfighting, Link uses a wide variety of items such as the Ocarina of Time, Fairy Slingshot, Hookshot, elemental magic Arrows by his Bow, his transformation masks, and many more such as the Megaton Hammer, Zora Tunic, or Naryu's Love to overcome many obstacles in his adventures. He is also comfortable at sneaking around heavily guarded locations, as seen in Hyrule Castle Courtyard, Gerudo's Fortress and Pirates' Fortress, with the Stone Mask adding extra help to his benefit for the latter. Interestingly, unlike other incarnations of Link where the hero gains an increase of defensive power through special clothing or rare items (such as the Red Ring in The Legend of Zelda), the Hero of Time obtains it through the magical powers of the Great Fairy of Courage in both Ocarina of Time and Majora's Mask. Finally, his mighty Fierce Deity Mask item serves as his weapon of last resort. Although not used in combat, his Silver and Golden Gauntlets also grants Link superhuman strength.

TP Mortal Draw

The Hero's Shade performing a controlled Mortal Draw to avoid decapitating the Link of Twilight Princess

In Twilight Princess, as the Hero's Shade, as demonstrated from his teachings of the Hidden Skills, some of the Hero of Time's advanced techniques are so dangerous to the point that if his descendant were to learn them, they pose an immediate risk to his life, as seen with the Helm Splitter and Mortal Draw. He can also create afterimages and shoot Sword Beams from his blade. Being a specter, he does not feel any pain had the Hero of Twilight perform those special moves onto him even with the Master Sword, suggesting himself to be immortal.

SCII Link Arm Buster

Soul Calibur II depicts the Hero of Time fighting in a more aggressive manner than his other appearances including Super Smash Bros., as seen with himself twisting Raphael's arm during a throw attack

In his spin-off appearances such as the Super Smash Bros. series, Hyrule Warriors, as well as Soul Calibur II, alongside the traditional Spin Attack, Jump Attack, Hookshot, Fairy Bow, Boomerang, and Bombs, Link can perform unique moves not found in Ocarina of Time or Majora's Mask such as swift kicks (although he technically can do this as Zora Link), the Dash Attack, Jump Thrust, Down Thrust, throws, and even the Triforce Slash. Some attacks in the latter game include twisting opponents' arms, shoving his foe's back with his shield before stomping on his/her shoulder, violently tackling one into a forward roll or firing an Arrow with his Bow towards one's leg, indicating a more brutal fighting style than in a typical 3D Zelda game and even Smash Bros..

OoT Morpha Artwork

Even the most masterful of heroes can still fall to unexpected attacks, as seen in an Ocarina of Time artwork of the Hero of Time being caught in Morpha's water-like tentacles and dropping the Master Sword

Despite his extraordinary skills as a heroic character and indeed proved himself worthy of his title, however, the Hero of Time is not invincible; There are cases where he had been caught off-guard in both of the canon games where he is playable such as the evil spirit of Bongo Bongo escaping the well in a burning Kakariko Village knocking him down while attempting to protect Sheik in Ocarina of Time or the Skull Kid ambushing him in the Lost Woods with the help of Tatl and Tael in Majora's Mask, alongside offical artwork of himself being caught by Morpha, as well as some media such as the Akira Himekawa manga series where he had been nearly beaten down by several foes at various points. In fact, as much of a legendary hero this incarnation of Link is, his own possible defeat would have dire consequences for Hyrule's fate, as explained in the Downfall Timeline if he were to be ultimately killed by Ganon.

Lore-wise, the Hero of Time is a highly skilled and experienced assassin, rivaling if not surpassing other particularly strong Links such as the Hero of the Sky, Hero of Legend or Hero of the Wild (from Skyward Sword, A Link to the Past and Breath of the Wild/Tears of the Kingdom, respectively) and he is even the mentor of the Hero of Twilight himself.

Friends/Allies[]

Navi[]

OoT Navi Model

Main article: Navi

Navi the Fairy is the Hero of Time's trusted companion throughout his grand adventure in Hyrule. At the very beginning of his quest, Link never had a Fairy unlike the Kokiri tribe, as he himself is not a Kokiri but actually a Hylian. The Great Deku Tree summoned Navi to become his partner in his journey to save the land. During gameplay, she helps Link focus on targets via Z-Targeting, whether be an object, character, enemy, or simply something of interest, as well as giving information about an enemy or boss (except Ganondorf/Ganon, in which the Fairy says she doesn't know his weaknesses). In addition, she is the only Fairy in the franchise who speaks actual catchprases such as her infamous "Hey! Listen!". At the end of Ocarina of Time, when the Hero of Time returns back to his childhood by Princess Zelda following the ultimate defeat of Ganon, Navi part ways with Link for undisclosed reasons and flies into the lit window of the Temple of Time, as her mission of guiding him to save Hyrule was completed. Her separation with Link is what led the Hero of Time to try to search for her before and after the events of Majora's Mask. However, his efforts ultimately proved futile, as she is unfortunately never seen again. In the latter N64 game, Tatl replaces her for the same gameplay purposes.

Rauru[]

Main article: Rauru/Kaepora Gaebora

OoT Rauru Model
Rauru's owl form, Kaepora Gaebora

Rauru is the wise Sage of Light and an ancient Hylian who, unlike the other Sages in the Era of the Hero of Time, is not a newly awakened one, but rather one of the ancient Sages - likely the only remaining one. He is also the second-in-command, as he seems to act as the leader in the absence of Princess Zelda. From various parts of the Hero of Time's adventure as a child, Rauru appears as a massive owl named Kaepora Gaebora who gives Link advice and transports him to various places, and he himself watches over the young hero since the start of his quest and into as an adult. Link meets Rauru in his actual form when he wakes up from his seven-year slumber in the Temple of the Sages, where he explains to the young man why he was sealed by the Master Sword and what he must do to become prove himself worthy of the Hero of Time, and then gives him the Light Medallion. It is likely Rauru himself was the one who kept Link in his sleep for his well being and awoke when he became old enough to be accounted for his title.

In Majora's Mask, the Sage returns as his owl form to aid the young Hero of Time once more in Southren Swamp and Goron Village to teach him the Song of Soaring and obtain the Lens of Truth, respectively.

Saria[]

Main article: Saria

OoT Saria Model

Saria the Kokiri is Link's closest friend during his early childhood life in the Kokiri Forest. Her and the Great Deku Tree were the only two individuals who never gave distaste towards the young Hero of Time due to him not having a Fairy unlike the rest of the tribe, in particular their boss Mido. When Link receives Navi as his own Fairy companion, she congratulates him and believes he has finally become a true Kokiri initially, but, upon the death of the Deku Tree by Ganondorf and Link learns his destiny as the chosen hero (as well as obtaining the Spirtual Stone of the Forest), she emotionally confesses to him that she actually knows he is not a Kokiri and gives him the Fairy Ocarina as a personal gift, before asking him to come back to visit her again as they say goodbye. Later, after meeting Princes Zelda, Link can return to the Lost Woods and find her playing her famous theme song, Saria's Song, at the Sacred Forest Meadow, in which she will teach him the song and be able to telepathy speak to her at any time (as well as brightening fellow Sage Darunia's mood). When Link becomes the Hero of Time and defeats Phantom Ganon in the Forest Temple, Saria is awakened as the new Sage of Forest. She then tells him that although their carefree days are over, they will forever remain friends, and then gives him the Forest Medallion.

Because Kokiri do not age or grow over time, Saria is the only one of Link's childhood friends who doesn't become an adult when he awakens as the Hero of Time, unlike fellow Sages Princess Zelda and Princess Ruto, as well as Malon.

Darunia[]

Main article: Darunia

OoT Darunia Model

Darunia is the leader of the Goron race and the Sworn Brother of the King of Hyrule. During Link's childhood, in Goron City, Ganondorf attempted to make him hand over the Spiritual Stone of Fire, in which Darunia refused, as it is too important, but consequently the entrance of Dodongo's Cavern became blocked by a massive boulder by the Gerudo king, causing the Gorons to potentially starve to death, as it contains their food source. Darunia locked himself up in his room with the Goron's Ruby, and when Link entered it via playing Zelda's Lullaby, he became furious by the fact that the Royal Family's messenger was only a mere boy in green. To calm him down, the young hero plays Saria's Song, making him break out in a fit of dancing. Despite this, he was unwilling to give Link the Spiritual Stone unless he proves himself worthy by destroying the monsters inside the Cavern but still gives him the Goron Bracelet for him to be able to lift Bomb Flowers. He soon passes that test by defeating King Dodongo. In response, Darunia gained newfound respect for the young hero, declaring him his Sworn Brother and finally giving him the Spiritual Stone of Fire as a reward. Darunia would soon have a son and named him after Link himself in honor.

When Link became the Hero of Time seven years later, Ganondorf the Evil King returned to cause peril to the Gorons again, this time reviving the ancient dragon Volvagia and imprisoned the vast majority of the species inside the Fire Temple with the intention of being eaten by the monster, as a warning for the other races in Hyrule who dare oppose him. Link learns from Darunia's son that the Goron leader himself left for the Temple to save his people, in which Link followed. When meeting in person once again, Darunia is proud to see his young friend had grown up, but tells him they must split up, and rescue his people while he attempts to fight Volvagia himself (though Darunia admits he does not have the Megaton Hammer, a weapon formerly used by a Goron hero to defeat the monster in the past). After the Hero of Time completes his request and destroyed Volvagia, saving the Goron race a second time, Darunia is filled with great gratitude, awakens as the Sage of Fire, and awards him the Fire Medallion, reminding the hero that they were true brothers.

Much like the Hero of Time, Darunia normally appears to be serious, suggesting a no-nonsense personality.

In the events of Majora's Mask, Link would meet a ghostly Terminan counterpart of Darunia named Darmani III, who is a fallen Goron hero renowned by his species in Snowhead. He obtains the Goron Mask to become Goron Link upon playing the Song of Healing by his grave.

Princess Ruto[]

Main article: Princess Ruto

Princess Ruto as an adult

Ruto is the elegant daughter of King Zora and the princess of the Zora race. When Link is a child, he is first mentioned of Ruto when he enters Zora's Domain to obtain the Spiritual Stone of Water, in which it is thrown into a state of disarray with the princess herself being missing. He soon finds a bottle at the bottom of Lake Hylia with a letter inside signed by Princess Ruto and reveals that she was swallowed by the Zoras' patron deity, Lord Jabu-Jabu, and rescue is required. The young hero eventually enters Inside Jabu-Jabu's Belly and finds Ruto shortly after. But the young princess appears to be rather stubborn and denies knowledge of her father's worry, and then orders Link to leave her alone. After some convincing, the young Hero of Time manages to make Ruto come with him (at the cost of carrying her). The duo soon finds the Zora's Sapphire resting on a platform. Ruto recovers the stone, but suddenly gets separated by Link when it rises. When the young hero defeats Barinade, the princess is visibly shaken at first, but then, her demeanor changes completely and she begins to fall deeply in love with him for rescuing her. Link requests the Zora's Sapphire, which Ruto happily hands it over to him and reveals that this particular Spiritual Stone also acts as the "Zora's Engagement Ring", meaning she now considers them both engaged to be married. Despite this, Link is oblivious to the proposal by the Zora princess.

As Link becomes the Hero of Time, Princess Ruto has also matured into an adult. By this point, evil returns to Zora's Domain where Ganondorf uses the Triforce of Power to freeze almost the entire area and its inhabitants under thick ice, including Ruto herself. Sheik soon rescues Ruto and the princess enters the Water Temple to find a way to save her people. There, she meets Link again for the first time in 7 years. The Zora princess is quite happy to see him but is aware it is not the time to talk about love. She then asks the Hero of Time to assist her in saving the Zoras by destroying Morpha (though she separates from his whereabouts shortly after). Upon the defeat of the aquatic monster, Princess Ruto awakens as the Sage of Water. Due to her new duty as a Sage, she tells the Hero of Time that although she still loves him dearly, their possible marriage must ultimately be put on an indefinite hold and tells him to look for Hyrule's princess, Zelda, as she is aware of his goal to save the land. To make up for their cut engagement, Ruto gives Link the Water Medallion, and she also tells him to thank Sheik as well.

In Majora's Mask, the Hero of Time would meet a Terminan counterpart of Ruto named Lulu, who is the leader of the popular The Indigo-Go's band.

Impa[]

Main article: Impa

OoT Impa Model

Impa is Princess Zelda's attendant and a surviving member of the Sheikah. Unlike most other incarnations of the character throughout the series, Impa in Ocarina of Time is depicted as a warrior rather than an old woman. Also unlike most other awakened Sages, it is hinted that she, like Zelda, was aware of her status beforehand. She first meets the Hero of Time after he talks with the princess on their goal of stopping Ganondorf from entering the Sacred Realm. Even at his young age, Impa immediately senses Link's potential and teaches him Zelda's Lullaby. The next time Link sees Impa, she is riding on horseback escaping Hyrule Castle with Zelda (much like in his nightmare at the very beginning of his adventure) due to Ganondorf's attack. When Link becomes the Hero of Time, an evil spirit Impa herself had locked in a well at her hometown Kakariko Village years ago broke free. The Sheikah heads to the Shadow Temple to seal it away again, though Link follows her into the dungeon and eventually defeats Bongo Bongo. As Link finally meets Impa in person after seven years, now awakened as the Sage of Shadow, she tells the Hero of Time her point of view of what had happened in the past, confirms Zelda that she is safe, and ensures him that he would do fine as a hero. Following this, she gives him the Shadow Medallion.

It is strongly implied that Impa is the one responsible for Princess Zelda's training as a Sheikah for her alter-ego Sheik as well as raising her during the seven-year skip.


Nabooru[]

Main article: Nabooru

Nabooru OoT

Nabooru is a high-ranking Gerudo who is well-respected among the race, as she is the second-in-command, with only Ganondorf himself as her superior. She even has a second-in-command herself, who is the Gerudo granted Link permission to freely enter Gerudo's Fortress after saving the four captured Carpenters as an adult. Link first meets Nabooru as a child inside the Spirit Temple where she is unable to enter the hole at the left side of the entrance (the right side has a huge sliver block blocking the path). Upon their conversation, the young hero discovers that unlike other Gerudo, although she is a thief, Nabooru has moral standards and is actually rebelling against Ganondorf due to the villain's evil ways, even claiming that he murdered people. They soon agreed to stop the Gerudo king's plans but she needs Link's help to infiltrate the dungeon and obtain the Silver Gauntlets that she intended to use for herself, promising to "do something great" for him in return. However, although Link managed to acquire the powerful item, Nabooru is suddenly captured by Koume and Kotake - Ganondorf's surrogate mothers and evil twin witches, before ordering him to escape safely.

When Link returns to the Temple as the Hero of Time, now having the Silver Gauntlets equipped, he is able to explore the rest of the dungeon and eventually finds his missing ally, brainwashed by Koume and Kotake, and is now an Iron Knuckle, forcing Link to fight her, and technically making Nabooru a strong opponent for the legendary hero (as unlike regular Iron Knuckles, she instantly counterattacks when hit from behind). When defeated, the armor crumbles and she becomes free of the curse. Despite this, the witches recapture her. After Twinrova is finally defeated by the Hero of Time, Nabooru awakens as the Sage of Spirit. She commends Link for himself becoming a competent swordsman after last seeing him as a child and gives the Spirit Medallion.

Like Ganondorf, although she knows Link's name, she often refers to the Hero of Time as "kid", due to his youth.

Princess Zelda[]

Main article: Princess Zelda/Sheik

Princess Zelda as an adult
Zelda's Sheikah alter-ego, Sheik

Princess Zelda is the princess of Hyrule and eventually the leader of the Six Sages. As with the other incarnations of Link in many games in the franchise having their own different Zeldas, she is a highly important ally who the hero must assist and/or rescue in order to stop Ganon (or, rarely, other antagonists) from conquering Hyrule. In Ocarina of Time, this incarnation of the princess is first mentioned by the Great Deku Tree when the Hero of Time learns about his destiny. As children, the two met in the Hyrule Castle courtyard, sharing the same dreams of Ganondorf. Zelda was confident of Link's mission of obtaining the Spiritual Stones, but her plan backfired when it is revealed that the Gerudo King was actually planning for the duo's actions to be set in motion, forcing the young princess to escape Hyrule Castle with her attendant Impa, though she throws the Ocarina of Time toward Link as she thought it would be their best chance. When he obtains the Royal Family's Ocarina, he enters a vision where Zelda tells him she will not be in Hyrule anymore and teaches him the Song of Time, which would become useful for opening the Door of Time and move Time Blocks to different locations within a Temple. When Link pulls the Master Sword and is abruptly sealed away for seven years, causing Ganondorf to touch the Triforce, it split into its three parts and Princess Zelda herself is bestowed upon the Triforce of Wisdom (with Power and Courage going to Ganondorf and Link, respectively). When the Hero of Time finally awakens with his title, a mysterious man appears, named Sheik, one of the last surviving members of the Sheikah like Impa. Throughout Link's adult adventure, Sheik guides the Hero of Time on what he must do to stop Ganondorf's reign over Hyrule, telling him meaningful messages and teaching the hero various songs that would help him progress. What Link doesn't know until after the Six Sages are awakened, is that Sheik is actually Princess Zelda in disguise in an effort to hide from the Evil King. When she reveals her true identity, Link sees she has grown up like himself, looking more elegant than before, and the princess of Hyrule is glad to finally talk to the hero in person after 7 years. Before they begin their final showdown with Ganondorf after Zelda hands him Light Arrows, the villain suddenly captures her as she had dropped her guard, forcing the Hero of Time to confront him once and for all at Ganon's Castle. Eventually, the two are victorious, and Princess Zelda then sends him back to his childhood using her powers as the seventh Sage, causing the timelines to split, as she believes all of the destruction that had befallen Hyrule was her own carelessness.

In the events leading to Majora's Mask, the young Hero of Time meets Princess Zelda once again to explain Ganondorf's true plans before leaving to find Navi. In the game's storyline, she is only seen once during a flashback when he obtains the stolen Ocarina of Time from Skull Kid, where it shows the Hero of Time leaving Hyrule after being given the magical instrument by young Zelda.

Malon[]

Main article: Malon

Malon as a child

Malon is a young Hylian girl who lives in Lon Lon Ranch and loves to sing. On Link's journey to meet Princess Zelda at Hyrule Castle after the death of the Great Deku Tree, he stumbles upon Malon at the Hyrule Castle Town Market, where she is looking for her father, Talon. At first glance, due to his Kokiri-like clothing and Navi accompanying him, Malon affectionately calls Link "Fairy Boy". When Link finds Talon asleep by the castle, she gives him the Weird Egg hatched into a Cucco to wake him up, so he could be reunited with his daughter. Later, she meets the young hero again when Link visits the ranch, where he finds a certain young female horse named Epona by her side. She then teaches him the song she always sings, Epona's Song, a song which her mother composed, and this particular music played by the Ocarina of Time would also tame Epona to make her become fond of the hero. As the Hero of Time seven years later, Malon, now grown-up, has been working for Ingo out of fear of the ranch's horses facing abuse if they don't obey his orders, due to he he had exiled her father and took over the ranch. When Link stops Ingo from attempting to give Epona as a present for Ganondorf and getting the ranch back in order, Malon reunites with the hero. Although she did not recognize him at first, when Link tells her his name, she reacts with happiness, once again calling him "Fairy Boy".

Among the Hero of Time's friends in Ocarina of Time, although it is not technically required for Link to meet Malon in Lon Lon Ranch to obtain Epona in order to complete the game, himself having his horse companion is obviously canon, as seen in Majora's Mask.

In Majora's Mask, Link would meet two Terminan counterparts of Malon based on both her child and adult self, named Romani and Cremia, respectively, themselves look-alike sisters also living in a ranch named Romani Ranch, and the former would re-teach him Epona's Song. Coincidentally, Romani is also rather fond of Link and calls him "Grasshopper", and Epona would be found in this area after being stolen by the Skull Kid.

Skull Kid[]

Main article: Skull Kid

OoT Skull Kid Model

Skull Kids are lost children who wander into the Lost Woods to become into the sad state of having black-skinned faces with orange lips (later changed to wooden texture and beak due to controversy). Although there are technically three Skull Kids in Ocarina of Time, one individual standing on top of the stump at the left of the entrance is befriended by the Hero of Time as a child when he plays Saria's Song with him (which he will receive a Piece of Heart) and then gives him the Skull Mask during the Mask Trading Sequence, as the Skull Kid was unhappy about having no face, which some of the Kokiri even heard him complaining about. Although Link did become the Skull Kid's friend as a child, if he were to return as the Hero of Time, however, any of his kind he encounters becomes hostile and will attack. Navi explains this is because Skull Kids do not like adults (giving a possible reason why the Happy Mask Salesman ambushed by one in Majora's Mask). If defeated, an Orange Rupee will be awarded.

A certain Skull Kid plays a major role in Majora's Mask, where he steals the Majora's Mask from the Happy Mask Salesman. Although he intendeds to be a friendly prankster, he is unaware of the Mask's evil powers and becomes mind-controlled by the antagonist Majora, making himself appear as seemingly the main villain, even though Skull Kid himself is not evil. With his newfound might as a powerful sorcerer similar in level with Ganondorf by its influence, he wreaks havoc across Termina, ultimately attempting to pull the Moon on a collision course with the land. Prior to these events, he was friends with two Fairies named Tatl and Tael, who the former became separated when Link, after being cursed into a Deku Scrub tries to stop him due to him stealing not only Epona but the Ocarina of Time as well. Although he does soon recover them, the Hero of Time would not be able to confront Skull Kid until the Four Giants are rescued. After playing Oath to Order and the Giants stopping the Moon's descent, the Majora's Mask suddenly detaches from the Skull Kid, therefore freeing him from its influence. Upon Majora's ultimate defeat, the Skull Kid asks Link if he could be friends, and, when he sniffs the young hero, he giggles and says that he has the same smell as the one who taught him "that song" (Saria's Song) in the Lost Woods, heavily suggesting that this is the same Skull Kid Link befriended in his previous adventure. At the very end of the game, after saying goodbye, the Hero of Time finds a drawing on a tree trunk showing himself, the Skull Kid, as well as the Fairies siblings and the Four Giants waving, which was made by none other than the Skull Kid himself.

Tatl[]

Main article: Tatl

MM Tatl Model

Tatl is a tomboyish Fairy who is a close friend of the Skull Kid in Majora's Mask and also Tael's older sister. At the beginning of the game, two siblings launched an ambush onto the Hero of Time, causing Link to temporarily lose Epona and his Ocarina of Time, but ultimately becomes separated by her brother and Skull Kid when she blew a raspberry at him as Deku Link and the door behind her closes. Although initially aggressive in contrast to Navi and even tries to blame him for her troubles, she slowly grows to tolerate his company and eventually apologizes to the young Hero of Time. By the final battle, she even admits to Link that she admires him for his bravery and never giving up. During gameplay, Tatl serves as Navi's replacement for targeting enemies, characters, objects, and gaining advice (though her way is less informative but more direct in comparison). At the ending sequence of the game, upon Majora's Mask's defeat and finally reuniting with Tael and Skull Kid, she bluntly tells Link to leave and go on his business while they attend the Carnival of Time, in which the Hero of Time seemingly agrees, but as soon as he part ways from her riding on Epona to search for Navi (or perhaps entering Clock Town himself as he is shown heading directly for the entrance), she suddenly becomes emotional and quietly says "thank you" as her younger brother comforts her, implying that deep down she really cares for Link. Like Navi, the Hero of Time would never see this Fairy again leading to the eventual events of Twilight Princess.

Link (Twilight Princess)[]

Main article: Hero's Spirit

Link Hero's Clothes

Over a hundred years after his era as the hero chosen by the Golden Goddesses, the Hero of Time, as the restless Hero's Spirit, encounters his own descendant and successor in the Child Timeline, the Link from Twilight Princess, known as the Hero of Twilight. By this point in time, the legendary Hero of Time is filled with regrets due to his status of being forgotten and not being able to pass on the "lessons of his life to those who came after him" when he was alive. The Hero of Twilight first meets his ancestor in wolf form before transporting him into another world, where the Hero of Time himself appears as a nearly transparent Stalfos-like ghost dressed in worn-down armor. At first glance, the Hero's Spirit was disgusted that Link's current skill level is too poor for their bloodline, saying a sword wields no strength unless the hand that holds it has courage, in spite of the Hero of Twilight already possessing the Triforce of Courage. Despite being long retired as a hero, the former Link retains his masterful art of the sword and teaches his counterpart seven highly advanced techniques called Hidden Skills, which would prove crucial to help the Hero of Twilight take down powerful enemies and their archenemy Ganondorf, starting with the Ending Blow (which this attack would ultimately be the finishing blow in the final battle). Although only the Ending Blow is required to complete the Gamecube/Wii game, the player has the option to learn the rest via finding the Howling Stones to resume the training by the Hero's Shade (three of which are songs once played by the Hero of Time himself). Once all of the Hidden Skills are learned, the former Hero of Time says to his descendant that he is fully worthy of his own title with a skill level on-par with his and is a wonderful student that would keep his legacy alive.

Enemies[]

Ganon[]

Main article: Ganon

OoT Ganon Model
Ganon's human form, Ganondorf

Ganon is the mastermind behind the plot of Ocarina of Time and is the Hero of Time's archnemesis, as with the vast majority of other incarnations of Link, because he himself is more than a mere pig-like monster; The demonic beast is the main antagonist of The Legend of Zelda series, as well as the reincarnation of Demise's hatred. As his human form, Ganondorf, the Demon King leads the Gerudo tribe, and schemes to take over the world of Hyrule by obtaining the Triforce. To do this, he needs the Spiritual Stones and the Ocarina of Time to enter the Sacred Realm, first. He is responsible for the death of the Great Deku Tree and causing chaos to not only the Kokiri, but also the Goron and Zora races. Link manages to first see the villain inside Hyrule Castle as he meets Princess Zelda for the first time, through the window she herself was looking at. While Ganondorf was seemingly bowing towards the King of Hyrule, he managed to catch a glimpse at the young hero (startling Link in the process). Link and Zelda had known his plans and intended to stop the Gerudo King at all costs. But Ganon was particularly clever, as he is one step ahead of them; with the unwitting assistance of the duo, he eventually enters the Sacred Realm upon Link pulling the Master Sword and forced into a seven-year suspended animation, which he laughs and mocks him for "helping" him reach his primary goal. Ganondorf then touches the Triforce and transforms the Scared Realm into the Evil Realm. However, the golden relic split into three component parts as his heart was tainted and he ultimately obtained only the Triforce of Power, making Ganondorf become significantly more powerful and uses this piece of the Triforce to take over Hyrule as the new king during Link's sleep and forcing Princess Zelda into hiding as Sheik, and created his own castle upon destroying Hyrule's. Although it seems like Ganon has won, he was not satisfied, as he is soon aware that the other pieces, the Triforce of Wisdom and Courage, are imparted to Zelda and Link, respectively. Consequently, the villain must search high and low to steal them in order to gain the True Force and completely rule Hyrule, while he still lets his minions cause havoc across all of the land. When the Hero of Time awakens all of the Six Sages, Ganondorf sees his opportunity he was long waiting for when Zelda exposes herself to Link upon shedding her Sheikah disguise, capturing her in a crystal and demands the hero to challenge him at his castle (though he admits he underestimated about the power of the Triforce of Courage). At the final showdown taking place at the top of Ganon's Castle, a confident Ganondorf was patiently waiting for the Hero of Time, playing his own theme song on a pipe organ. Eventually, in a fierce one-on-one battle, as both his human and beast forms, Ganon proved himself one of the greatest foes the Hero of Time ever faced, but the Prince of Darkness ultimately loses against the legendary hero, twice, and was finally sealed away into the void of the Evil Realm by the Seven Sages (not before angrily screaming "curse you" and warning his enemies that he will destroy their descendants once the seal is broken).

Because Ganon was never killed by Link in spite of his violent defeat, making himself the only antagonist to survive the Hero of Time's encounter across his two journeys (especially since this incarnation lacks the weapon guaranteed to destroy him - Silver Arrows, in spite of possessing the Master Sword), the villain would eventually return as Ganondorf in the events of The Wind Waker where the Hero of Winds must encounter him in his own adventure in the Adult Timeline (which he would eventually die by the Master Sword impaled to his head). In the Child Timeline, Ganon's original plan was quickly foiled by the Hero of Time warning the Royal Family and was soon executed, but his Triforce of Power made him survive and was cast into the Twilight Realm in the events of Twilight Princess, where the Hero of Time's descendant, the Hero of Twilight, must face and defeat him, with some help by the legendary hero himself as the Hero's Spirit. The Ending Blow, the first Hidden Skill taught by the Shade, would make the Hero of Time indirectly responsible for Ganondorf's death in this game, as it would be used for the final blow.

The alternate Downfall Timeline would occur if Ganon were to be successful at destroying the Hero of Time. At this point, he steals the fallen Link's Triforce of Courage as well as Princess Zelda's Triforce of Wisdom, making him finally obtain the full Triforce. However, he would still be sealed away by the Seven Sages into the corrupted Sacred Realm, where its own set of events would begin like the other two timelines, starting in A Link to the Past.

Majora[]

Main article: Majora's Mask

Majora's Wrath 2
Majora's Mask, the Mask where Majora masquerades as a living item

Majora is the main antagonist of the Hero of Time's second adventure in Termina following the events of his quest at Hyrule. Much like Ganon, this foe is a monstrous and powerful demon with its own set of minions. As the mastermind behind the plot of Majora's Mask, this evil being hides within a certain ancient mask once used by a tribe in the distant past for bewitching rituals, called the Majora's Mask, but its power became so great it was sealed away to prevent a great disaster. The Happy Mask Salesman, the current owner of the Majora's Mask, is aware of the danger, and when it was stolen by the Skull Kid, he fears the devastation that would befall Termina if the Mask was not taken back immediately. It appears the Salesman has a valid point, as when the Skull Kid donned the Majora's Mask before the events of the game, it transformed a world into the land of Termina out of a combination of the evil of Majora and the Skull Kid's memories and delusions. In addition, the monster hidden inside the Mask is using the Skull Kid as a puppet throughout the vast majority of the story, as it gradually began to take complete control of his mind, turning his once harmless pranks into acts of malicious intent. It even cursed others across the land, causing chaos. At the beginning of his quest, the Majora's Mask possessed Skull Kid also curses Link into a Deku Scrub (which would soon become his benefit). Unlike Ganon whom the Hero of Time previously defeated, Majora has no intention of ruling Termina whatsoever, as it has only one thing in mind: destruction. Its main goal was to draw the world's ominous-looking Moon on a collision course toward Termina that will obliterate it within 72 hours (three days). Link consequently has to resort using the Ocarina of Time's Song of Time and its variants to give the young hero a chance to save the world.

Eventually, after saving the four Guardian Deities and stopping the Moon, Majora's Mask detaches itself from the Skull Kid after finding the imp no longer useful for its ultimate plan. It then heads inside the Moon via its mouth to possess it instead, causing it to become more difficult for the Giants to keep it on hold. The Hero of Time follows it inside with Tatl, where he enters a strange peaceful-looking area with five Moon Children, one of which wearing Majora's Mask itself. This particular Moon Child brings Link to the arena where the final battle takes place. Majora begins as its traditional Mask form, followed by Incarnation, where it runs around and performs dances madly, and then its actual shape, Wrath, packing giant whips to smack Link with. The Hero of Time soon becomes victorious after Majora is finally defeated and ultimately dies via disintegrating into ashes. Immediately after, the Moon returns back to orbit (or also becomes destroyed in the 3DS remake), rescuing Termina from its imminent doom. With Majora eliminated, the evil inside Majora's Mask is gone and is now nothing more than an ordinary mask, much to the delight of the Happy Mask Salesman. However, with the Skull Kid free and the evil monster wiped out, the world of Termina no longer exists when Link leaves the land.

The Hero of Time himself through the Fierce Deity's Mask rivals the raw power of that of Majora's Mask, as the transformation is said to be as dangerous as Majora itself (though during gameplay, the villain can be easily defeated, suggesting the Fierce Deity to be even more powerful).

Dark Link[]

Main article: Dark Link

OoT Dark Link Model

Dark Link is the evil shadow of Link himself and arguably the Hero of Time's worst enemy. This enigmatic enity has no backstory nor dialogue, though it is likely he was constructed by Ganon's dark magic. Although this enemy character originally appeared as the Final Boss of The Adventure of Link, in Ocarina of Time, he is encountered as a Mini-Boss inside the Water Temple before facing Morpha (though his high difficulty is unaltered from the NES game). As Dark Link is indeed a corrupted mirror image of the Hero of Time based on darkness rather than light, he is an extremely dangerous opponent for the legendary hero, as the dark swordsman's skills are equal to that of the original and can copy his doppelganger's every move. During the encounter inside a wide room within the temple, he materializes from Link's shadow and appears next to a black tree. When Link gets close to his evil counterpart, the battle begins. From the start, his body appears almost transparent and simply reacts to Link's moves, but gradually becomes opaque as the duel progresses, and when he does become solid, Dark Link begins fighting more fiercely, making it challenging to land hits under normal circumstances, as he rarely drops his guard. One of Dark Link's most infamous moves is if the Hero of Time were to perform a forward thrust, the dark hero would simply hop onto the blade of the Master Sword before counterattacking (when aggressive). Unlike other major enemies, Dark Link's health is based on the amount of Heart Containers Link has (therefore making the fight shorter with less Hearts and vice versa). When eventually defeated, Dark Link is knocked to the ground and ultimately vanishes, allowing his good counterpart to continue on in the Water Temple. This foe is never to be seen again after the encounter, indicating that Dark Link was completely destroyed by the Hero of Time.

Inferno[]

Main article: Soul Calibur II

See SoulCaliburwiki's article on Inferno for more information.

Inferno Soul Calibur

Inferno is the overarching antagonist of the Soul Calibur fighting game series by Namco, and the Hero of Time faces him as the Final Boss at his guest appearance in Soul Calibur II exclusively on the GameCube version. Link's story in-game has himself saving Hyrule's tranquility from destruction by a wizard before entering the Soul universe, as he learns the controlling force behind the disasters at his homeland was an ancient cursed sword called Soul Edge, which, even at its unrestored state, turned out to be the strongest and most dominating sword he has ever encountered, even more so than the hero's best blades. However, as the Hero of Time goes on his secret quest to destroy one of its fragments, he finds that the sword capable of devouring souls has a wicked soul of its own, called Inferno. This demonic being made mostly of hellfire can be fought at the end of the game's modes as the final opponent. Normally, his weapon is Soul Edge itself but can wield others in the "Extra" modes. When defeated in Arcade Mode, Inferno bursts into pieces of flame with Soul Calibur, a powerful holy weapon with powers similar to the Master Sword, impaling the beast's back and becoming free of its control (it was inside his head and torso as its evil form). Finally, with his mission now successful, the Hero of Time plays a faint echo of his Ocarina of Time before leaving the world to return back to the now-peaceful Hyrule.

Other Appearances[]

Super Smash Bros. Melee[]

Main article: Young Link
See SmashWiki's article on Young Link for more information.
SSBMYoungLink
SSBM Link Artwork

The Hero of Time appears in both his child and adult forms in Super Smash Bros. Melee. His adult form is a default character while his child form has to be unlocked. There are two ways to unlock his child form, including by playing 500 Vs. matches, or Completing Classic Mode with 10 different characters, including Adult Link and Zelda. The player will then be challenged by Young Link, and upon defeating him, Young Link will become a playable character. His appearance is based on his younger and older counterparts as seen in Ocarina of Time, since he wields the Kokiri Sword and the Deku Shield during combat as a child, and the Master Sword and the Hylian Shield as an adult. Young Link is more agile, but weaker while Adult Link is slower, but stronger. Young Link has some of the same weaponry and moves as his adult counterpart, but they are usually accompanied with a few changes, like his Hookshot and Boomerang having a shorter reach. Great Bay serves as the home stage of Young Link, and Hyrule: Temple is the home stage of Adult Link.

Both Adult Link and Young Link can choose different color tunics, including the Goron and Zora tunics, and a black tunic. When the Young Link taunts his foes, he drinks a Bottle of Lon Lon Milk, then wipes his mouth.

Young Link's special moves are the same as the adult version. He wields the Fairy Bow from Ocarina of Time as his neutral special move; however, instead of it shooting normal Arrows like Adult Link's, Young Link shoots Fire Arrows, although they do not travel as far as Adult Link's and inflict less damage. Young Link's side special move is the Boomerang. Bombs function as both Link's down special move, while the Spin Attack is their up special move as well as his Template:Ssb:recovery. Young Link's Spin Attack is weaker than Adult Link's, but it can trap nearby foes in a cyclone of slashes upon performing this move.

The Hero of Time is replaced by Toon Link and a Link resembling the incarnation in Twilight Princess in Super Smash Bros. Brawl and Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS / Wii U, for his child and adult forms. Both appear as Trophies in Super Smash Bros. Melee.

# Trophy First Game / Move Description How to unlock
7 SSBM Link Trophy Model
Link
The Legend of Zelda
07/87
Even in his youth, Link was already becoming the warrior who would carry the destiny of Hyrule (and many other lands) on his shoulders. His epic struggles against the forces of darkness are written in legend, and he is bound to the Princess Zelda and the archfiend Ganondorf by the awesome power of the Triforce. Complete Classic Mode as Link
8 SSBM Link (Smash) Trophy Model
Link [Smash]
B: Bow
Smash B: Boomerang
Burdened with a shield, a heavy sword, and plenty of equipment, Link is not a very mobile character. Nevertheless, he's skilled with the blade, and his varied supply of missile weapons makes him a powerful fighter. To master Link, you must control the pace by balancing your long-range attacks with head-to-head swordplay. Complete Adventure Mode as Link
9 SSBM Link (Smash) Trophy Red Model
Link [Smash]
Up & B: Spin Attack
Down & B: Bomb
Link's Bow, Boomerang, and Bombs all take time to wield, so you may want to try drawing them in midair to prevent your foes from attacking you while you're vulnerable. The Spin Attack can score consecutive midair hits, and the final slash is very powerful. Link's Bombs are his trump card, but he can't pull one out if he's carrying another item. Complete All-Star Mode as Link


70 SSBM Young Link Trophy Model
Young Link
The Legend of Zelda
07/87
Link's younger incarnation is often considered to be the true Link: he was a young boy in the very first Legend of Zelda game, and he has appeared as a youth in most of the subsequent games. Since his debut on the original NES in 1987, Link's appearance has changed over and over again, each time adding to the mystique of his incomparable story. Complete Classic Mode as Young Link
71 SSBM Young Link (Smash) Trophy Model
Young Link [Smash]
B: Fire Bow
Smash B: Boomerang
Young Link is lighter and faster than his older self, and his Kokiri sword packs less punch. Even though his Boomerang has a shorter range, he has greater control over it. He's a smaller target, and while his Hookshot has less reach than older Link's, you can still use it in midair as a last ditch attempt to grab a ledge. Complete Adventure Mode as Young Link
72 SSBM Young Link (Smash) Trophy Blue Model
Young Link [Smash]
Up & B: Spin Attack
Down & B: Bomb
With a youthful spring in his step, Young Link can perform amazing wall-jumps. Once he hits a wall, tap the Control stick in the opposite direction to send him leaping upward; you can practice to your heart's content in Target Test. His Spin Attack can strike multiple times even on the ground, and although it's hard to discern, so do his Bombs. Complete All-Star Mode as Young Link

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate[]

Main article: Young Link

Although his adult form remains absent from Super Smash Bros. Ultimate (being replaced by the Breath of the Wild incarnation of Link) the Hero of Time reappears as Young Link. His moveset is almost identical to how it was in Super Smash Bros. Melee, with slight changes.

Trivia[]

OoT Cast Artwork

Promotional artwork of Ocarina of Time, featuring the Hero of Time in both his child and adult ages alongside several other main characters

  • In spite of his highly unfortunate story as a tragic hero, the Hero of Time is universally the most popular and iconic Link in the The Legend of Zelda series community, not only due to the groundbreaking success of Ocarina of Time and its sequel or his major importance in the mythology and timelines according to Hyrule Historia, but also setting the standard for most future Links since, the praised voice performances of Fujiko Takamoto and Nobuyuki Hiyama for his child and adult self, respectively, and even having a unique, very powerful transformation, giving him his legendary status.
  • The opening cutscene of The Wind Waker shows the Hero of Time defeating Ganon as a child, when he was in fact an adult in Ocarina of Time during the final battle. In the same scene, Link also fought him without a shield while Ganondorf battled only in his beast form, unarmed.
    • Notably, the adventure of the Hero of Time in the game's prologue seems to be not entirely based on the actual events of Ocarina of Time or Majora's Mask, as alongside the aforementioned differences, it too shows him riding Epona as a child in the Adult Timeline rather than the Child Timeline, as his legend was remembered there.
  • Although the Hero of Time is technically his adult self, as explicitly explained in Ocarina of Time, The Wind Waker and some media claimed Link's title as a child.
  • As it is never explained by Nintendo what happened to the Hero of Time after the events of Majora's Mask and before becoming the Hero's Shade in Twilight Princess, fans have created many unconfirmed theories about the character, such as Link killed in battle during a very intense war as a knight at Hyrule in his adulthood or inside the Lost Woods while searching for Navi due to the decayed skeletal appearance wearing swordsman armor, as well as the loss of his Triforce of Courage.
    • Ironically, according to Hyrule Historia, it is possible that the Hero of Time was once a Hylian Knight himself.
LinkRuto2

Unique among Links in the series, the Hero of Time is famously known for being the love interest of multiple females such as Princess Ruto, whom he is unintentionally engaged to, as seen in Ocarina of Time

  • Unlike all other incarnations of Link in The Legend of Zelda series, the Hero of Time in Ocarina of Time, despite destiny ultimately separating them and none displayed direct affection, shares a somewhat romantic relationship with four different female characters, three of which whom are also Sages: Princess Zelda, Saria, Princess Ruto, and Malon. Because of this, many fans strongly considered this particular Link to be a ladies' man or in a love triangle. Story-wise, however, he is technically engaged with Ruto, as the Zora princess vows the Hero of Time her husband when obtaining the Spiritual Stone of Water, as it is also called the "Zora's Engagement Ring", even though Link himself was not aware of being Princess Ruto's fiancé due to his important goal of helping Hyrule's princess, Zelda, and, more likely than not, the fact he was still at a young age.
    • In the Ocarina of Time (Himekawa) manga, Kaepora Gaebora, the owl form of the Sage of Light, Rauru, indeed directly tells Link that he is popular with the ladies after meeting Saria, Zelda, and Malon, but not yet Ruto, in which the young hero's response was to hush up, implying he is relatively aware of his relationships. Earlier in the same manga, Zelda can be seen giving Link a kiss to his cheek after agreeing to stop Ganondorf.
    • Nabooru, the Sage of Spirit, also shows interest in Link when she realizes how handsome he is as an adult, and regrets that she should've kept the promise of "something great" she said to him as a child.
    • Although never confirmed by Nintendo and despite the aforementioned possible marriage with Princess Ruto, some fans speculated that Malon may have ultimately won the Hero of Time's affections among the four girls in the events leading to becoming the Hero's Spirit well after Majora's Mask, due to the fact that her wish was to have a knight in shining armor wiping her feet one day according to a Gossip Stone in Ocarina of Time, as well as that Link himself could possibly be one according to Hyrule Historia. His descendant in the Child Timeline, the Link from Twilight Princess, initially a rancher like Malon, knows Epona's Song, the song she herself teaches the Hero of Time.
      • Even Navi has a slight fondness for Link, as according to Shigeru Miyamoto in an interview, she is jealous of Princess Zelda and feels something for the young hero. In the manga adaptation of Ocarina of Time by Akira Himekawa, the Fairy tells Link she loves him before parting ways with him at its climax.
  • Although the Hero of Time's Fierce Deity form by the Fierce Deity's Mask is not actually required to complete Majora's Mask, Link defeating Majora as such is stated to be canon according to Hyrule Historia.
  • In addition to Ocarina of Time/Majora's Mask and their remakes, as he is featured in Twilight Princess (as Hero's Spirit), three of the Super Smash Bros. series (original, Melee, and Ultimate), Hyrule Warriors (Young Link), the critically acclaimed 2002 Namco fighting game Soul Calibur II (as a guest star), and likely the SpaceWorld 2000 GameCube Tech Demo, as well as a cameo in The Wind Waker, the Hero of Time made more appearances than any other incarnations of Link.
    LinkCremia

    The one and only piece of actual affection the Hero of Time has ever experienced in his dangerous adventures...

  • The Hero of Time is the only incarnation of Link to be hugged by another character other than Princess Zelda, based on the events of Majora's Mask. If Link were to help Cremia, the Terminan adult counterpart of Malon, deliver her rare Chateau Romani milk to the Milk Bar after protecting her from the Gorman Brothers' ambush during the night of the Second Day, and the Romani's Mask was already obtained, there is a 50/50 probability for himself to receive a Huge Rupee (even if the counter is full) or an affectionate hug from her as a reward.
    • As displays of direct affection are extremely rare in The Legend of Zelda series, the hug from Cremia in Majora's Mask is the second instance since the ending of The Adventure of Link where Link were to be embraced, and another would not be seen until the final battle of Spirit Tracks (although the linked Oracle game shows Zelda kissing Link in its ending upon defeating the incomplete Ganon).
    • It is often presumed by fans that the Hero of Time had never been hugged before in his life or at least is not used to it, as during this moment, Link can be seen simply standing with his arms hanging loosely, and in the events of Ocarina of Time, he was terrified when several Gorons attempted to hug him after obtaining the Spiritual Stone of Fire from Darunia (though this is may be comic relief), as well as he was orphaned by the Great Deku Tree as a baby.
    • Surprisingly, Cremia's heartwarming hug towards the Hero of Time was not originally planned for the game. According to Yoshiaki Kolzumi, he stated that it was actually made out of an animation mistake during development; When Link's position was being set up, his face was too close and lodged into Cremia. But instead of removing it, the team immediately decided to rework the error and left it in the final game, saying this would have been every boys' dream, including himself.
  • In the Ocarina of Time (Himekawa) manga adaptation, the Hero of Time's blue earrings are a gift from Impa and are a rite of passage for young Sheikah men, in spite of Link himself not being such people.
  • The Hero of Time's model in Ocarina of Time, although seen in official artwork, has the upper belt on his shoulder missing, due to the graphical limitations of the Nintendo 64. It is also missing in the original Super Smash Bros. as well. Despite this, it is fixed in Majora's Mask via increased memory by the Expansion Pak, and in Ocarina of Time 3D.
    • On a similar note, the Hero's Clothes in The Wind Waker, which is supposedly a replica of the Hero of Time's outfit, lacks the upper belt.
  • According to Hyrule Historia, the Hero of Time's age is 10 as a child and 17 as an adult, though it is debated in other sources; For example, the Link from The Wind Waker, was given his Hero's Clothes upon reaching the same age as the Hero of Time when he set out his Hyrule journey as a tradition, and his Trophy in Super Smash Bros. Brawl and amiibo state he is 12, thus suggesting Adult Link to be 19 as well.
    OoT Adult Link next to Impa

    The adult Hero of Time's height in comparison to that of Impa's, as seen in Ocarina of Time

  • Although Link's exact height is unknown, when compared to the corrected measuring graph in the pool in the Lakeside Laboratory via the Iron Boots in Ocarina of Time 3D, the Hero of Time stands 1.7m (5'7") tall in height as an adult, which is around the average for a man. Interestingly, Princess Zelda (and Sheik) is slightly shorter than Link, but Impa, the Sage of Shadow and Zelda's attendant, stands taller than him. On the other hand, as a child, Link stands shorter than Zelda.
    • His Fierce Deity Link form in Majora's Mask is exceptionally tall, likely the same as Ganondorf, who himself measures 230cm (7'6½") in Ocarina of Time according to Hyrule Historia.
    • Himself as the Hero's Spirit in Twilight Princess, due to his Stalfos-like ghost form, stands much taller than when he was alive.
  • If one looks closely in the introduction scene of Ocarina of Time, when Link is having his nightmare about Princess Zelda and Ganondorf, his eyes can be seen still open before he shivers and turns his head around.
  • In the Ocarina of Time (Himekawa) manga, the Hero of Time was shown training with Impa as well as a Hylian Knight named Captain Orsen in its sequel. However, in the original games, unlike most other incarnations of Link, he is a self-taught fighter. Due to his constant increase in raw skills until his death, he even became an instructor in Twilight Princess as the Hero's Spirit - something no other Link in the long-running franchise had done.
  • In the post-credits cutscene of Link meeting Princess Zelda in the Hyrule Castle Courtyard for the second time in Ocarina of Time and Ocarina of Time 3D, the Triforce of Courage can be seen resonating on his left hand.
  • In Twilight Princess, some of the items the Hero of Twilight obtain in his adventure such as the Hero's Bow and even some residents claim of an ancient hero of the past known in Hyrule. This implies the Hero of Time's actions throughout his life in the Child Timeline might not be completely forgotten.
  • The statue of the Hero of Time seen in Hyrule Castle in The Wind Waker has somewhat of a close resemblance to the Hero of Winds incarnation in that it depicts him wearing the same exact clothing and even has the Mirror Shield based on its appearance in-game (despite the N64 titles have much different designs).
  • In the event Link is defeated in Ocarina of Time as an adult and the player consequently receives a Game Over, the Hero of Time can be heard saying "Yuck!" as he collapses, marking the first time in The Legend of Zelda series he speaks English words in a mainline game, before The Wind Waker's "Come on!" as widely believed.
  • In the beta version of Ocarina of Time, the Hero of Time was originally going to summon Epona using a reed whistle. Although this was scrapped, this concept would be reused for Twilight Princess' Horse Call.
    • Similarly, the running slash attack seen in that title was originally planned for Ocarina of Time but was cut for unknown reasons.
  • Although sometimes falsely assumed as such by fans, the Hero of Time is not the first instance in the franchise to feature an older Link, as this debuted in The Adventure of Link. However, his appearance in Ocarina of Time has become a trademark image for the character to many, despite the majority of the games in the series depicted Link as a child.
  • Surprisingly, during early development of Ocarina of Time, the Hero of Time were to begin his adventure in Hyrule already as an adult, as his child self was not originally planned.
  • The Hero's Spirit being the Hero of Time himself has been met with controversy by fans of the series, especially ones who played the N64 games, as the form in Twilight Princess shows this rather iconic Link in a horrific, sad, decayed state vaguely explained how he become such.
    MM Kafei Model

    Kafei, due to his similarity with the Hero of Time, is thought by many to be his Terminan counterpart

  • Although the Hero of Time has no direct counterpart in Termina, Kafei in Majora's Mask is remarkably similar to Link in that he shares the same personality and animations as himself, and during a part of the Reuniting Kafei and Anju sidequest where they must acquire the Sun's Mask inside Sakon's Hideout, he can even be controlled by the player (a first for the series) and can also punch.
  • Link's actions by strictly following Zelda/Sheik's orders throughout Ocarina of Time's storyline solely to save Hyrule led some fans to believe the Hero of Time is simply a pawn of the princess of his era.
  • The introduction of Majora's Mask explains a slightly different reason for the Hero of Time's departure as opposed to Hyrule Historia. Although he is indeed looking for Navi, the game says that Link is also fed up with the dangerous battles he experienced in his previous adventure in Ocarina of Time.
    • It should also be noted, as the N64 title was made well before the introduction of the offical timeline in 2011, its plot says that in Hyrule, Link's legend was echoed by the Royal Family, which suggests that there is no evidence in-game that the timeline by Ocarina of Time's events had split into two and Link himself being in an alternate universe.
  • Ocarina of Time and Majora's Mask combined, the Hero of Time has obtained a total of over 200 items (including reused), 9 Swords (two are Kokiri Sword variants), 5 Shields (two are different Mirror Shields), and accomplished 22 Dungeons (13 which are main). He also fought 163 different enemies including reused, 24 Mini-Bosses (excluding re-encounters), and 17 Bosses including Ganon and Majora's forms.
  • The Hero of Time's encounter with his descendant in Twilight Princess as the Hero's Spirit marks the first time based on canon content where a Link directly speaks with another incarnation of himself.
    OoT Ganon's Defeat

    The ultimate defeat of Ganon by the Hero of Time is widely known as one of the greatest finishes of a Final Boss battle in video game history, in spite of having notably brutal violence for the franchise's standards as well

  • Although often considered to be the most climactic defeat of Ganon in the The Legend of Zelda series, some fans also viewed the Hero of Time's final blow in the Final Boss battle of Ocarina of Time as arguably the most violent scene in the entire franchise as well, due to the beast spewing red blood in the original v1.0/v.1.1 NTSC builds of the N64 game as well as himself stabbing the monster directly in the mouth (Ganondorf also pukes blood when defeated). Due to controversy, this has resulted in all subsequent versions (including PAL) and releases, including its remake, being censored by Nintendo with the blood changed to green and in Ocarina of Time 3D, the Master Sword instead hits Ganon in the forehead much like in some later games' final blows with the scared blade, to tone down the violence, as the game was in fact rated Everyone (E) by the ESRB and would not risk it being re-rated to Teen (T). The 3DS remake, however, has the Everyone 10+ (E10+) rating. No other Zelda game in the long-running series since Ocarina of Time features realistic colored blood.
    • Stained blood can also be seen in Bottom of the Well and Shadow Temple. It remains red even in later v.1.2 versions and the remake.
    • The Ocarina of Time (Himekawa) manga also shows the finishing blow of Link hitting Ganon on the forehead rather than in the mouth.
  • Link's Hero's Shield and updated Kokiri Sword that replaced his Deku/Hylian Shield and older version of the sword in the events of Majora's Mask is possibly due to the Royal Family giving him adequate gear to help him on his adventure.
  • Though not clearly evidenced in-game or his other appearances such as the Super Smash Bros. series or Soul Calibur II, most fans presumed Adult Link in Ocarina of Time as merely his child self in a grown-up body. This is likely due to the fact that he was forced into a magical sleep for 7 years to become the Hero of Time upon pulling the Master Sword, and thus the experience of his growing life was skipped entirely.
    • In the Akira Himekawa manga adaptation, however, this is strongly depicted, as Link was completely clueless about what happened to him between his sleep and awaken, and his behavior remained generally childish through the second part of the story.
  • Perhaps humorously, due to Adult Link's realistic reaction when taking fall damage, some fans like to make fun of it by jokingly believing he said "Ay, s***!", although he never actually said profane language.
  • Similar to Epona, Link's model in Majora's Mask is slightly taller than how he appears in its prequel. This implies the Hero of Time had gained a small growth between the games' events.
  • Interestingly, in his crossover appearance in Soul Calibur II exclusively for the GameCube version, although not canon to The Legend of Zelda or Soul Calibur series whatsoever, the Hero of Time's in-game story not only references his two adventures in Hyrule and Termina, but also A Link to the Past as well. In this game, Link pulled the Master Sword in the Lost Woods as opposed to the Temple of Time, and he had already rescued Hyrule from an evil magician (possibly Agahnim) before entering the Soul universe as he learns the controlling force behind the wizard was by a deadly evil entity sword called Soul Edge, where he must destroy it. When he eventually succeeds in his quest, therefore saving the world, he quietly leaves to return back to Hyrule, like in the ending of Majora's Mask. Although most of his available arsenal in Soul Calibur II are from the N64 games where he is playable such as the Biggoron's Sword or Great Fairy's Sword, a few of such are also items predating Ocarina of Time, specifically the Magical Sword/Shield (named "Magic Sword" in-game), Cane of Byrna, and even the Bug Catching Net. He can even wield Soul Edge itself in the shape of his trademark Master Sword and Hylian Shield weapons. In addition, like in the Super Smash Bros. series, the Blue Ring tunic from the original The Legend of Zelda is also available as an alternate costume.
    • Coincidentally, the Hero of Time's child and adult voice actors, Fujiko Takamoto and Nobuyuki Hiyama, also voiced Taki and Siegfried/Nightmare, respectively, as well as Yoshimitsu for the latter, when set at the Japanese language. The game itself is also the last time of Hiyama himself reprising his role as Adult Link before his official retirement for voicing the character.
    • Soul Calibur II also marks the first and so far only instance where Link was to be featured in a fighting game as well as a non-Nintendo title. Although he did previously appear in the original Super Smash Bros., that series has a completely different ruleset where characters are battling on platforms and therefore is considered distinct from conventional fighting titles.
    • Link would not get another official crossover until Mario Kart 8 in 2014, 11 years after the release of Soul Calibur II, though this game uses the Hero of the Sky (Skyward Sword) incarnation.
  • Despite the Link from The Wind Waker, known as the Hero of Winds, is the Hero of Time's successor in the Adult Timeline and is possibly his descendant like the Hero of Twilight from Twilight Princess, this incarnation is said to be unrelated to the legendary hero in-game according to the King of Red Lions, likely due to the fact centuries have passed since the events of Ocarina of Time and the Hero of Time himself was sent back to his original age into the Child Timeline by Princess Zelda in his era.
    MM Fierce Deity Link Artwork

    The infamous Fierce Deity easily makes the Hero of Time arguably the most powerful Link, as the form itself is strongly considered by many to be the single, most destructive force in the entire series

  • Alongside being the most important Link in the mythology and offical timelines, in terms of power-scaling, the Hero of Time is likely one of, if not the strongest incarnation of The Legend of Zelda series' main protagonist; In addition to possessing the traditional Master Sword, Triforce of Courage, Mirror Shield, Light Arrows, as well as having a large and unique arsenal of items other Links do not have such as the Lens of Truth, transformation masks, magic spells with power of the Golden Goddesses themselves, etc., he himself defeated a prime Ganon while the King of Evil himself almost completely took over Hyrule for seven years, destroyed another powerful demon called Majora and even fought and beaten his own shadow, each of which in a one-on-one fight with no assistance (despite Princess Zelda attempting to hold Ganon down just before the final blow). Physically, he is able to wield the two-handed weapons Biggoron's Sword or Megaton Hammer in one grip when equipped during cutscenes as well as in Soul Calibur II (the Breath of the Wild incarnation for example holds the former like a zweihänder giving its size) and can rival Ganondorf's Triforce of Power superhuman strength with the Golden Gauntlets. His skills in sword combat are so great, that as an immortal ghost, he is even the teacher of the Hero of Twilight to help his descendant defeat Ganondorf in Twilight Princess by showing him how to perform his own highly advanced techniques (Hidden Skills), and, most notably, the mysterious Fierce Deity Link transformation by the Fierce Deity's Mask in Majora's Mask, a deadly form restricted only for boss battles, is widely believed to be the most unstoppable form of any Link possible among the franchise's community, as it is capable of destroying such foes very quickly, including Majora's Mask itself, due to its incredible raw power. The Fierce Deity can even slice the seemingly indestructible Moon in two with a single focused slash as seen in Hyrule Warriors.
    • Despite not being canon to the Zelda series, in Soul Calibur II, the Hero of Time also defeated Inferno, the fiery demonic being behind the extremely powerful Soul Edge - a cursed sword capable of devouring souls, after saving Hyrule from an unknown potent wizard.
    • In Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, he is capable of performing the Triforce Slash as his Final Smash like his other incarnations in-game.
  • In the Akira Himekawa manga adaptation of both Ocarina of Time and Majora's Mask, Link can be heard saying minor profanities, often "Damn".
  • Unique among other incarnations of Link and in a rather dark way, as seen in both of his adventures in Hyrule and Termina, the Hero of Time is capable of eating spirits, as when a captures a Poe in a Bottle and then uses it, he consumes the Poe Soul in the same manner as Milk or a Potion (which randomly recovers or depletes portions of his Life Energy). However, he cannot do this with the Big Poe variant.
  • The Hero of Time is the only incarnation of Link to switch between ages within one mainline game - Ocarina of Time, although he was originally going to do this in Majora's Mask as well by a transforming Mask closely resembling his face but was scrapped during development and was replaced by the Fierce Deity's Mask to become Fierce Deity Link instead. Concept artwork of his adult self can be seen in Hyrule Historia's section of the latter game (see gallery).
    TPG Link Navi Cameo

    The Hero of Time's homage in The Powerpuff Girls

  • The Hero of Time, alongside Navi, has a pop culture appearance in the popular 1998 Cartoon Network superhero TV series The Powerpuff Girls, in the season three episode "Child Fearing", where the character Mayor plays a Zelda game on his Nintendo 64. Based on the then-new Ocarina of Time, Link, without a shield, repeatedly runs directly into walls with Navi saying her infamous line "Hey!", before suddenly being crushed by a block and even kills the fairy with a single horizontal slash with his sword (presumably the Kokiri Sword), which both incidents has him taking three Hearts in damage, despite the latter not actually taking hits. Consequently, he gets a Game Over, in spite of having one Heart Container remaining.
  • The Hero of Time's earliest appearance was possibly the Zelda 64 Spaceworld 1995 tech demo, where the demo was an early test of the N64's capabilities for a Zelda game. Although in 3D, Link's appearance is based on A Link to the Past rather than his final design in Ocarina of Time.

Nomenclature[]

TMC Forest Minish Artwork Names in Other Regions TMC Jabber Nut Sprite
Language Name Meaning
Japan Japanese 時の勇者 (Toki no Yūsha) Hero of Time
People's Republic of China ChineseSI 时光之勇者 (Shíguāng zhī Yǒngzhé) Hero of Time
ERROR: You must enter a country code. ChineseTR 時之勇者 (Shí zhī Yǒngzhé) Hero of Time
Canada FrenchCA Héros du temps (OoT3D)
Federal Republic of Germany German Herr der Zeiten (OoT), Held der Zeit (OoT3D) Lord of Times, Hero of Time
Community of Latin American and Caribbean States SpanishLA Héroe del Tiempo (OoT3D)

Gallery[]

See Also[]

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 "The Master Sword is a sacred blade which evil ones may never touch.... Only one worthy of the title of "Hero of Time" can pull it from the Pedestal of Time.... However, you were too young to be the Hero of Time.... Therefore, your spirit was sealed here for seven years. And now that you are old enough, the time has come for you to awaken as the Hero of Time!" — Rauru (Ocarina of Time)
  2. 2.0 2.1 "This boy, who traveled through time to save the land, was known as the Hero of Time. The boy's tale was passed down through generations until it became legend..." — N/A (The Wind Waker)
  3. "For it is in that Sacred Realm that one will find the divine relic, the Triforce, which contains the essence of the gods..." — Great Deku Tree (Ocarina of Time)
  4. "The three goddesses hid the Triforce containing the power of the gods somewhere in Hyrule. The power to grant the wish of the one who holds the Triforce in his hands. If someone with a righteous heart makes a wish, it will lead Hyrule to a golden age of prosperity... If someone with an evil mind has his wish granted, the world will be consumed by evil...That is what has been told..." — Princess Zelda (Ocarina of Time)
  5. "This evil man ceaselessly uses his vile, sorcerous powers in his search for the Sacred Realm that is connected to Hyrule..." — Great Deku Tree (Ocarina of Time)
  6. "What Ganondorf is after must be nothing less than the Triforce of the Sacred Realm. He must have come to Hyrule to obtain it! And, he wants to conquer Hyrule...no, the entire world!" — Princess Zelda (Ocarina of Time)
  7. "Though you opened the Door of Time in the name of peace... Ganondorf, the Gerudo King of Thieves, used it to enter this forbidden Sacred Realm! He obtained the Triforce from the Temple of Light, and with its power, he became the King of Evil..." — Rauru (Ocarina of Time)
  8. "If the heart of the one who holds the sacred triangle has all three forces in balance, that one will gain the True Force to govern all. But, if that one's heart is not in balance, the Triforce will separate into three parts: Power, Wisdom and Courage. Only one part will remain for the one who touched the Triforce...the part representing the force that one most believes in." — Sheik (Ocarina of Time)
  9. "He went on to invade the Sacred Realm... Ganondorf had become the Evil King, and the Sacred Realm became a world of evil." — Princess Zelda (Ocarina of Time)
  10. "The one who holds the Triforce of Courage is... You, Link! And the other, who holds the Triforce of Wisdom... is the seventh Sage, who is destined to be the leader of them all... It is I, the Princess of Hyrule, Zelda." — Princess Zelda (Ocarina of Time)
  11. "His evil power radiated from the temples of Hyrule, and in seven short years, it transformed Hyrule into a world of darkness and monsters." — Rauru (Ocarina of Time)
  12. "But one day a man of great evil found the golden power and took it for himself... With its strength at his command, he spread darkness across the kingdom." — N/A (The Wind Waker)
  13. "The power of the Sages remains. When the power of all the Sages is awakened... The Sages' Seals will contain all the evil power in the void of the Realm... I, Rauru, am one of the Sages... And... Your power to fight together with the Sages makes you the Hero of Time! The Hero of Time, chosen by the Master Sword! Keep my spirit with you... And, find the power of the other Sages and add their might to your own!" — Rauru (Ocarina of Time)
  14. "I'm using my power to hold the Evil King! You use your sword and deliver the final blow!" — Princess Zelda (Ocarina of Time)
  15. "Ancient Creators of Hyrule! Now, open the sealed door and send the Evil Incarnation of Darkness into the void of the Evil Realm!!" — Rauru (Ocarina of Time)
  16. "YOU... CURSE YOU...ZELDA! CURSE YOU...SAGES!! CURSE YOU...LINK! Someday... When this seal is broken.... That is when I will exterminate your descendants!! As long as the Triforce of Power is in my hand...." — Ganondorf (Ocarina of Time)
  17. "Link, give the Ocarina to me... As a Sage, I can return you to your original time with it." — Princess Zelda (Ocarina of Time)
  18. "Link warned Princess Zelda of what the future would bring. Hearing his words, the princess entrusted the Ocarina of Time to Link and instructed him to travel far away in order to prevent Ganondorf from entering the Sacred Realm." (Hyrule Historia, Dark Horse Books, pg. 110)
  19. "When the Hero of Time was called to embark on another journey and left the land of Hyrule, he was separated from the elements that made him a hero. It is said that at that time, the Triforce of Courage was split into eight shards and hidden throughout the land." — King of Red Lions (The Wind Waker)
  20. 20.0 20.1 20.2 "Link, the descendant of the Hero of Time: [...] The spirit of Link's ancestor, the Hero of Time, teaches him his secrets. Ever since returning to the Child Era, the swordsman has lamented the fact that he was not remembered as a hero. This is the reason he passes down the proof of his courage and his secret techniques to the Link of this era, addressing him as "son"." (Hyrule Historia, Dark Horse Books, pg. 118)
  21. "Although I accepted life as the hero, I could not convey the lessons of that life to those that came after. At last, I have eased my regrets." — Hero's Spirit (Twilight Princess)
  22. "We must not let Ganondorf get the Triforce! I will protect the Ocarina of Time with all my power! He shall not have it! You go find the other two Spiritual Stones! Let's get the Triforce before Ganondorf does, and then defeat him!" — Princess Zelda (Ocarina of Time)
  23. "Ganondorf the thief obtained the Triforce of Power and managed to get his hands on Princess Zelda. The Hero of Time, Link, challenged him in a battle that would determine Hyrule's very existence, and lost." (Hyrule Historia, Dark Horse Books, pg. 92)
  24. "The people believed that the Hero of Time would again come to save them. ...But the hero did not appear." — N/A (The Wind Waker)
  25. "What became of that kingdom...? None remain who know. The memory of the kingdom vanished, but its legend survived on the wind's breath. On a certain island, it became customary to garb boys in green when they came of age. Clothed in the green of fields, they aspired to find heroic blades and cast down evil. The elders wished only for the youths to know courage like the hero of legend..." — N/A (The Wind Waker)
  26. "Today is a day to celebrate! It is the day that you become the same age as the young hero spoken of in all the legends." — Grandma (The Wind Waker)
  27. "Yes, surely you are the Hero of Time reborn..." — Ganondorf (The Wind Waker)
  28. "I, the great Mido, will never accept you as one of us! Shoot! How did you get to be the favorite of Saria and the Great Deku Tree? Huh?! Grumble...grumble..." — Mido (Ocarina of Time)
  29. "Thank you, Brother! I really appreciate what you did. I thank you on behalf of the entire Goron race! You turned out to be a real man, just as I thought you would!" — Darunia (Ocarina of Time)
  30. "Link... I would have expected no less from the man I chose to be my husband. Zora's Domain and its people will eventually return to their original state." — Princess Ruto (Ocarina of Time)
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