Link from the Legend of Zelda series is often heralded as being the quintessential video game hero, and for good reason. Since his debut in 1986, his action-adventure games have become quite the staple in the genre, as he’s not only a character that exhibits true grit and determination, but one that embodies courage.
He’s a true blueprint for the video game heroes we know and love today, but what is it that sets him apart from the rest of the wannabes with a sword and a shield? Is it his commitment to staying silent? His strong stoic behavior? Or is it because he gets all the fun cool weapons and gadgets that we’re all totally jealous of?
Whatever the case, he’s managed to steal our hearts time and time again by defeating the forces of evil, rescuing Princess Zelda, and restoring order to Hyrule. Link’s coming to age stories are nothing short of inspiring, as the player is influenced into taking the adventure with him. Starting the game from humble beginnings, Link becomes the man worthy of saving his world. It’s a wonder why the game isn’t called, “Legend of Link” huh? For this list, we’re going to focus on Link’s physical traits, abilities, and appearances in and outside his respective franchise. There are plenty of things that don’t meet the eye when it comes to this elusive character, and the fact that he’s stood the test of time for well over three decades is enough to attest to his legacy. Here are 20 Wild Things About Link’s Anatomy.
Here are 20 Wild Things About Link's Anatomy.
Link Needs To Be Male
The hero of Hyrule has been commonly androgynous in appearance in the majority of his iterations, and whether this has been a purposeful move on behalf of the developers is still up for debate. While there are great supporting arguments as to how Link could be male or female, Video Game Producer Eiji Aonuma has provided a brief explanation as to why Link has to be male.
In short, he notes that the balance of the Triforce would be disrupted if Link was a female, as Zelda was already a female. This, in turn, raises so many other questions concerning the Triforce, and why its powers rely on a perfect balance of X and Y chromosomes.
Link Has Had Lots Of Voice Actors
Link is a man of very few words. In fact, practically no words, but boy does he know how to emote pain, strife, and anguish. If you’re familiar with and Legend of Zelda games, you’ll notice that the character has been habitually silent, but has commonly made some keen noises when he’s either attacking, being attacked, or falling from a far height.
In his child and adult iterations, he’s had various voice actors that have helped make this possible. The child version of Link has had three actors (Fujiko Takimoto, Sachi Matsumoto, and Yuki Kodaira) and the adult version of Link has had six voice actors (Hikaru Midorikawa, Nobuyuki Hiyama, Akira Sasanuma, Takashi Ohara, Yuki Kaji, and Kengo Takanashi).
There Is Canon Explanation For His Silence
Let us not be so quick to confuse Link’s silence with a disability. Up until the release of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, many believed that it was canon that the character was simply mute, however, the game gives a brief explanation as to why he doesn’t speak.
In the game, Zelda’s diary notes that Link chooses to stay silent due to the sheer amount of pressure on him and the task he must complete. His stoic behavior puts those around him at ease. A man of few words and all action. What a guy! Link never elects to put us through mind-numbing dialogue and overdrawn speeches to get to the point.
Link's Outfit Was Inspired By Peter Pan
Green tunics and pointy hats were just in that year, we suppose. If you were ever curious as to why Link reminded you of the infamous boy who never grew up, you might have been on to something. Link’s generic outfit is not as original as some may think it is, as it has been confirmed to have been inspired by Peter Pan from the classic Disney animated movie.
The more you look at the two costumes, is the more obvious it becomes. The signature green tunic, pointy matching hat, tights, and even brown boots. If Nintendo opted to give the character the ability to fly, Nintendo might have had a considerable lawsuit on its hands.
Link Has The Anatomy Of A Ken Doll
Nintendo has left a lot of Link’s anatomy to the wild imaginations of fans for quite some time, which has led to the character being reimagined in many different suggestive ways.
Developers have brought the questions to rest and gave all inquiring minds a look at Hyrule’s hero without any clothes on. This picture appeared in The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild Master Works 30th Anniversary and to the dismay of fans, it didn’t feature all of his key body parts. In short, he resembled what a Ken doll would look like without his clothing. Whether this was purposeful or not, it translated to fans to “keep dreaming,” when it came to knowing the secrets of Link’s male attributes.
Link is Left-Handed (Mostly)
That’s right. One of the most skilled swordsmen in gaming makes up part of the 11% population of left-handers in the world. It may be more accurate to define the character as being ambidextrous, as he’s been seen in two titles so far wielding his weapon with his right hand, those being, Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword and Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess.
In an interview with Producer Eiji Aonuma, he addressed the subject, stating that it was a matter of chance that Link ended up left-handed in the first couple of games. It was Link’s first transition to the Wii gaming system that influenced the developers to make the character right-handed to adapt to the majority of players.
He is Depicted as Both an Adult and a Child
Many iterations of the Link character depict him as a strong stoic adult male figure, but those that would describe him as a young boy would also be correct. Link is one of the few video game characters that have been depicted as an adult and a child, and once within the same game, Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time.
You’d be foolish to let Young Link fool you. He’s the same hero, just with a smaller stature. Young Link can run, jump and attack just like his adult form, however, he’s not as nearly acrobatic or strong. Adult Link’s arsenal also ranges much farther, as he’s able to handle heavier and more complex weaponry.
Young Link is Often Voiced By a Female
Did Young Link’s shriek ever sound a little too high-pitched at times. We can fairly blame that on the fact the hero may have not grown into his voice yet, but the more accurate explanation would likely be the voice actor behind the character.
Link has had numerous voice actors throughout his many iterations, however, Young Link was often voiced by a female. The two voice actors that had the pleasure of given the child version of the hero his screams and grunts were Fujiko Takamoto from Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time and Sachi Matsumoto, who began voicing Link in Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker. They both continued to voice the character in following appearances.
Link Has Mastered Many Instruments
The Hero of Hyrule is a man of many talents, and not just ones that involve a bow or a sword. Magical instruments have played a large role in The Legend of Zelda series, and has enabled Link to accomplish a multitude of quests.
Instruments have ranged from recorders, flutes, harps, and he’s even conducted music through a magical baton in Legend of Zelda: Wind Maker. His most iconic has to be his ocarina, which made its debut in Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, and provided most gamers with their first introduction to the woodwind instrument. Aside from producing some sweet melodies, Link’s skills in the musical arts have enabled him to manipulate time, weather, and even the seasons.
There is a Female Version of Link
There are many different versions of the hero clad in green, and while he has unanimously identified as a male, a spin-off game reimagined him as a female. Hyrule Warriors for the Wii-U was a game that stood outside the canon Legend of Zelda series and added a feature where the player could choose to play as Linkle, a young girl who wants to prove that she is the reincarnation of Hyrule’s greatest hero.
Linkle looks and dresses similar to Link, however, she wields dual crossbows rather than a sword and shield. Linkle was originally set to be identified as Link’s younger sister, but the idea was later scrapped because the main character in Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker already had a one.
He’s Not Always Blonde
Link is commonly recognized as an attractive character amongst his fandom, but what exactly is it that has his fans in a frenzy? Is it his soft blue eyes, pointy ears, or perhaps his long flowing blonde locks? If it’s the latter, then you may be dismayed to hear that the character doesn’t always sport the same look.
In fact, the character’s first appearance in Legend of Zelda features him with brown hair. The subsequent entries in the series are a bit inconsistent with the character’s hair color, as aside from brown, Link usually carries varying shades of blonde hair. In the most extreme cases, Link was depicted with pink hair in A Link to the Past, due to graphic limitations, but had auburn hair in the artwork.
Link has been transformed into animals before
You think you know a guy, and then all of a sudden he is a wolf. Don’t get too comfortable with Link’s elfish appearance, as he’s been known to transform into different animals. In fact, it was the main plot point in Twilight Princess, as every time he was exposed to the Twilight world, he would turn into a wolf, forcing the player to advance through the game outside of his base form at several points throughout the game.
It’s a common misconception with fans believing that this is the first occurrence where Link has transformed into an animal. In A Link to the Past, Link gets transformed into a pink bunny when he’s traveling to the Dark Lands.
He’s A lot Stronger Than He Looks
Say what you want about Link’s stature, but for a guy his size, he’s been able to exhibit massive feats of strength. His aptitude to perform with so much speed and precision while carrying his large arsenal of weapons is impressive enough, however, he’s been able to beat the Gorons, in sumo wrestling in Twilight Princess, and beats Ganondorf in a sword lock later on.
He’s wielded Kolokto’s massive sword in Skyward Sword, a weapon several times the size of himself, and later beat the boss with it. While not all versions of Link have exhibited the same level of strength, they’ve all been shown to by uncannily stronger than the rest of the characters in their respective game.
He’s Nearly Defenseless Without His Sword or Items
Link can boast to being one of the most resourceful characters in gaming, but that can also mean that he’s in trouble when his large bag of tricks is out of reach. In many games, Link starts off with no weaponry, leaving him ultimately vulnerable to his enemies until he inherits a sword or a shield.
We see this in The Wind Waker, when Link is stripped of his sword in the Forsaken Fortress and must rely on stealth and stealing enemy weapons in order to survive. If he were to be spotted by enemy’s searchlights, he automatically surrendered. In certain incarnations, Link is given the ability to use magic, which would be his only winning card if he was found without his weapons.
Link Is Fond of Sleep
A common trope left out of most video games is sleep. How is a hero expected to save the world if they aren’t given adequate rest? You can rest assure that Link doesn’t neglect this important activity, as we are often introduced to the hero in a new game doing just that.
His peaceful slumber is usually interrupted by a friend, family member, or a fairy, and he doesn’t always seem happy to have it happen. It can be argued that throughout the game, we don’t see Link catching anymore z’s, but it’s suspected that he does in Ocarina of Time, as every time you save and turn the game off, Link starts back at his place of residence.
Able to store and maneuver easily with a large array of heavy items
One can never carry too many items when you’re off on a quest to save the world, however, Link has a tendency to let things get out of hand. Throughout most of his games, it isn’t uncommon for the hero to be equipped with a sword, shield, bow and arrow, a boomerang, a grappling hook, some bombs, an array of potions, need we go on?
We suppose the first question would be to ask, where does he keep all of these gadgets and gizmos, but an even more pressing question might be how he even gets around and engages in combat with such immense weight? Link has often demonstrated an unreal level of strength and tenacity. Could something like this be a training protocol?
He's a Natural Swordsman
Link is commonly well versed in a number of different weapons, but his aptitude for a sword has always far surpassed his favor in others. This is also true for when players start the game with Young Link. While he initially demonstrates very low swordsmanship skills, he becomes quickly familiar with the weapon when he’s faced with imminent danger, and easily picks up new skills with little to no training.
In The Wind Waker, Orca states that he believes that Link’s ability to use a sword is firmly present in his veins. In other games, such as Twilight Princess, Link learns a barrage of new skills from the Ancient Hero, which aid him in mastering the way of the sword even further.
Link's First 3D Appearance Was In Donkey Kong Country 2
Before Link was stealing hearts in Ocarina of Time, or taking names in Super Smash Bros. he made his first 3D premiere in Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy’s Kong Quest. The game used 3D models for each character and used them to make 2D models in the game. If players were able to complete the came with less than nineteen hero coins, then Diddy will place last in Cranky Kong’s “Video Game Heroes” contest.
The third-place winner would be Link from The Legend of Zelda. He appears in his classic costume but with brown hair. He’s a long way from what we know as the hero of Hyrule, but we can say that he at least paved the way for him.
He is Linked to the Triforce of Courage
The Triforce is the most powerful artifact in The Legend of Zelda series. It is comprised of three pieces, The Triforce of Wisdom, The Triforce of Power, and The Triforce of Courage, which Link is bonded too.
Given Link’s natural heroic behavior, he makes for a natural fit. It would also make sense to assume that his piece may be the most important of them all. Zelda guards The Triforce of Wisdom, while Ganon is in control of The Triforce of Power. Zelda’s goal is to keep Ganon from attaining all three pieces, and Link is entrusted with protecting Zelda. Link also keeps his Triforce symbol on his hand in some games, signifying that he is the chosen hero.
Different Links Star in Different Timelines
That’s right. Despite popular belief, The Legend of Zelda series, isn’t an anthology that just repeats a new story with the same character. The games are actually all connected with different Links starring in different timelines. This is commonly accepted as the “Split Timeline” and infers that after the ending of Ocarina of Time, the Zelda timeline separated into two timelines after Zelda sent Link back to his childhood.
The Adult Timeline is the continuation of the events after Link’s defeat of Ganondorf in Ocarina of Time, while the Child Timeline starts after Link reappears as a child seven years prior to Ganondorf’s defeat, which alters history. Skyward Sword is considered the beginning of the entire universe.
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