The fight against Dark Link in The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time holds a creepy secret that is hiding in plain sight. Dark Link might be one of The Legend of Zelda's weirdest mini-bosses, yet it's easily more famous than the actual end boss of the Water Temple. This is because it offered players the unique opportunity to have a mirror match with a foe that can use all of Link's moves in combat.
Dark Link is faced in the Water Temple in Ocarina of Time. Part of what makes the battle so memorable is the eerie arena in which he is faced, as Link enters a room with a seemingly endless water-covered floor and a small island in the middle of the area. It's on this island that Dark Link will spawn and face Link in battle. This fight contains several of Ocarina of Time's references to older Zelda games, as Dark Link's vanishing animation matches the way he falls through the floor when he's defeated at the end of Zelda 2: The Adventure of Link.
The Dark Link boss battle is so memorable because it gives the player another skilled swordsman to fight, which is why a lot of people kept a save file in the Water Temple, just to be able to experience this epic fight over and over again. The Dark Link fight is one of the most famous in the series, yet it has a secret that a lot of players don't notice. This is because it involves a part of the visuals that a lot of players take for granted.
Link's Reflection Turns Into Dark Link In Ocarina Of Time
Now that Ocarina of Time's Worse-Looking Water Temple has been fixed on Nintendo Switch, players can experience the hidden detail regarding the Dark Link fight for themselves. Once the player enters Dark Link's boss arena, Link's reflection will be in the water. The player will eventually need to approach the island in order to spawn the Dark Link boss battle. Once they leave the island, Link's reflection will vanish and Dark Link will appear, suggesting that Dark Link is Link's reflection come to life. When Dark Link is defeated, the illusion covering the room will vanish and Link's reflection will return.
The fact that Link fights Dark Link in the Water Temple and not the Shadow Temple is an aspect of Ocarina of Time that makes no sense, as Dark Link is the evil version of Link. The detail about Dark Link being Link's reflection is what ties him to the Water Temple, as Link is battling his own reflection and not his shadow self. The Dark Link encounter is one of the most memorable parts of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time and the detail about him being a reflection just adds to his mystique.