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Link's Uncle is a character in A Link to the Past.[1]

Biography[]

A former knight in service to the royal family of Hyrule, Link's Uncle has been Link's guardian for some time. He teaches him how to effectively use a sword in the game.

Link, woken in the night by a telepathic plea from Princess Zelda, finds his uncle about to leave the house with a sword and shield in hand. Seeing Link wake, he tells him not to leave the house, promising to return for morning.[2] Ignoring his instructions, Link sneaks into the palace via the sewers in an attempt to rescue the Princess himself. Here, Link finds his uncle mortally wounded, unable to go on. Entrusting him with the task of saving the Princess, he gives Link his sword and shield and teaches him the Spin Attack before dying.[3]

At the end of the game, after Ganon has been defeated and Link makes a wish on the Triforce, Link's Uncle is shown to be alive and well in the credits, where he seems to be practicing sword fighting with Link in front of their house.

In the Game Boy Advance version of the game, Link's Uncle appears in the Palace of the Four Sword, wounded. However, when Link speaks with him, he transforms into Blind the Thief.

Other Appearances[]

A Link to the Past (Ishinomori)[]

Link's Uncle (ALttP comic)

Link's Uncle in the A Link to the Past comic

In the A Link to the Past comic by Shotaro Ishinomori, it is mentioned that Link's Uncle adopted Link because his parents stumbled into the Dark World, shielding him from the intrigues of the Royal Family.[4]

At the beginning of the comic, Link's Uncle goes to Hyrule Castle to confront Agahnim while Link is still asleep. When Link wakes up in his house to find that his uncle is missing, he panics but heads to Hyrule Castle after hearing Princess Zelda's plead. Link sneaks into the castle and sees his uncle dueling Agahnim, who deals a deadly strike to Link's uncle, saying that anyone who challenges him will meet their doom, and promptly vanishes afterward.[5] Link rushes to his uncle's side and receives his sword and shield from him. Before passing out, Link's Uncle explains that after the young hero rescues Zelda and the people in the Dark World, he might be able to meet his parents.[6] After he passes away, Link promises to defeat Agahnim with the use of the Master Sword to avenge his uncle's death.[7]

Once Link reaches Death Mountain, he stumbles upon a portal to the Dark World, which activates itself and shows a vision of his parents standing with his uncle.[8] Link's Uncle is not seen again until the end of the comic after Link defeats Ganon and peace returns to Hyrule: at Hyrule Castle, Link sees a vision of his father, mother and uncle, who congratulate him on his difficult victory and tell him to never forget the efforts of the many generations of knights and Wise Men that preceded him.[9]

Legacy as an Archetype[]

The character Rusl from Twilight Princess may have been inspired by Link's Uncle. They are both swordsmen who serve as Link's mentors and father figures, and are wounded during the game. Additionally, they both have their hair parted in the middle and have facial hair of a different color. However, Rusl is not related to Link and recovers from his wounds, unlike Link's Uncle.

In official artwork, Tarin from Link's Awakening resembles Link's Uncle. Both are rotund, have big round noses, black hair (Link's Uncle's hair is purple in the game but black in artwork), and large mustaches.

Trivia[]

  • In the original SNES version, Link's Uncle begins to say, "Zelda is your..." then trails off and dies.[10] This caused some fans to speculate that the full sentence would have read "Zelda is your sister", possibly in relation to the film Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi (less popular sentence endings included "ally" and "only hope").[citation needed] The original Japanese version of the game contains a different line – お、お前は、姫の… …。 (y- you are the Princess's... ...). In the Game Boy Advance version, Link's Uncle's last words were changed.[11] However, the direct translation of the aforementioned line is spoken by Blind the Thief when it impersonates Link's Uncle in the Palace of the Four Sword.[12]
  • The official Japanese soundtrack CD of A Link to the Past contained a short radio drama. In it, a young Link was placed under the care of Zelda's nurse, Egorowa, and her husband Alphon - who he calls uncle. It is unclear if this meant to be a preview of a pre-Ocarina of Time version of the Imprisoning War or simply an alternate history.
  • Link's Uncle is briefly seen in the Japanese commercial for A Link to the Past.
  • A picture of a man resembling Link's Uncle can be seen on the wall of Link's house in A Link Between Worlds.[verification needed]

Nomenclature[]

TMC Forest Minish Artwork Names in other regions TMC Jabber Nut Sprite
LanguageNameMeaning
JapanJapaneseおじさん (Ojisan)[13]Uncle
FranceFrenchEUOncle[14]Uncle
GermanyGermanLinks Onkel[15]
This table was generated using translation pages.
To request an addition, please contact a staff member with a reference.

Gallery[]

References

  1. Encyclopedia, Dark Horse Books, pg. 228
  2. "Link, I'm going out for a while. I'll be back by morning. Don't leave the house." — Link's Uncle (A Link to the Past)
  3. "Unnh... Link, I didn't want you involved in this... I told you not to leave the house... Take my sword and shield and listen. You can focus power in the blade (hold the B Button). ...Then release it using the secret technique handed down by our people... Link, you can do it! Save the Princess..." — Link's Uncle (A Link to the Past)
  4. "Your parents were Knights of Hyrule... But they stumbled into the Dark World... You will never be able to enter the Dark World and find your parents! [...] They dwell now in the Dark World... After they disappeared, your uncle adopted you and shielded you from the intrigues of the Royal Family..." (A Link to the Past manga, VIZ Media, pg. 14)
  5. "You have struck your final blow, puny fool! ...Hmnph! Thus shall all who challenge me, Agahnim, meet their doom!" (A Link to the Past manga, VIZ Media, pg. 8)
  6. "Take my sword and shield. The princess...you must save her! After you rescue Zelda...and the people in the Dark World...you may meet your parents..." (A Link to the Past manga, VIZ Media, pg. 8)
  7. "Of course! Besides, I promised Zelda! And...I have to bring Agahnim to justice for what he did to my uncle!" (A Link to the Past manga, VIZ Media, pg. 13,14)
  8. "Link... Link... We are here with our brother...in the world of darkness...." (A Link to the Past manga, VIZ Media, pg. 6)
  9. "Link... You have done well, Link... In the Imprisoning War of years past, great armies risked all to seal Ganon in the Dark World. You, however, accomplished a much more lonely and difficult victory... It was not only by your own power, but also that of the many generations of knights and Wise Men who preceded you. Let the memories of their efforts humble you. Never forget!" (A Link to the Past manga, VIZ Media, pg. 11, 12)
  10. "Unnh... Link, I didn't want you involved in this... I told you not to leave the house... Take my sword and shield and listen. You can focus power in the blade (hold the B Button). ...Then release it using the secret technique handed down by our people... Link, you can do it! Save the Princess... Zelda is your... ... ..." — Link's Uncle (A Link to the Past, SNES)
  11. "Unnh... That voice... Link? Is it you? I thought I told you to wait at home... I suppose there's no escaping destiny... Here, take this sword and shield from me. I shall teach you one of the secret sword techniques used by the Knights of Hyrule... Hold the B Button to focus power in your blade. Release it to unleash the power. Link...you must rescue Princess Zelda. Our people are fated to do so. But do not fall victim... to fate... Link... I shall always remember... our time... together..." — Link's Uncle (A Link to the Past, GBA)
  12. "Uhhnn... Link... I didn't want you involved in this... I told you not to leave home. You must rescue Princess Zelda... You are... the princess's... ... ... ..." — Blind the Thief (A Link to the Past)
  13. A Link to the Past manual, pg. 7 Nintendo Official Guidebook—The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past Vol. 1 (Shogakukan 1) pg. 122
  14. Encyclopedia (Les Éditions Soleil) pg. 228
  15. Encyclopedia (TOKYOPOP) pg. 228
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