Link (The Legend of Zelda): Difference between revisions
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==Abilities== |
==Abilities== |
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Though Link normally begins his adventures as a young boy, and hence a novice, inexperienced fighter, he quickly becomes an excellent [[swordsman]]. He has amazing agility and is extremely nimble, and is |
Though Link normally begins his adventures as a young boy, and hence a novice, inexperienced fighter, he quickly becomes an excellent [[swordsman]]. He has amazing agility and is extremely nimble, and is able to perform quick jumps and acrobatic feats such as backflips, even at a young age. He is also remarkably strong for someone of his stature. He is most notably a courageous warrior who will rise to any challenge he is faced with. |
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Link is well known for making use of a variety of weapons and items, such as a [[Bow]], various types of [[Boomerang]]s, and [[Bomb]]s, among others. Throughout the course of his adventures, Link dons mystical peices of equipment that give greatly enhance his abilities, such as the Pegasus Boots, which grant him superhuman speed, the Golden Gauntlets, which grant him vast superhuman strength, and the Magic Armor, which makes him totally invincible. Link also learns how to perform various magic spells, usually invoking the power of the Three Goddesses. |
Link is well known for making use of a variety of weapons and items, such as a [[Bow]], various types of [[Boomerang]]s, and [[Bomb]]s, among others. Throughout the course of his adventures, Link dons mystical peices of equipment that give greatly enhance his abilities, such as the Pegasus Boots, which grant him superhuman speed, the Golden Gauntlets, which grant him vast superhuman strength, and the Magic Armor, which makes him totally invincible. Link also learns how to perform various magic spells, usually invoking the power of the Three Goddesses. |
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Link is the chosen Hero of Time, destined to wield the [[Master Sword]]. The same is true of his descendents, all of whom are named Link. |
Link is the chosen Hero of Time, destined to wield the [[Master Sword]]. The same is true of his descendents, all of whom are named Link. |
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Link's most valuable gift, however, is that he is destined to possess the Triforce of Courage, a mystical artifact that holds the boundless mystical valor of the Goddess, Farore, the creator all life. Though Link himself does not fully understand the nature of Triforce of Courage, or it's abilities, the Triforce of Courage protects Link, to some extent, against harm, and it may be that the Triforce of Courage is what gives Link his innate, extraordinary abilities. In essence, the Triforce of Courage gives Link the courage to face unsurmountable odds, and the ability to overcome them. |
Link's most valuable gift, however, is that he is destined to possess the Triforce of Courage, a mystical artifact that holds the boundless mystical valor of the Goddess, Farore, the creator of all life. Though Link himself does not fully understand the nature of Triforce of Courage, or it's abilities, the Triforce of Courage protects Link, to some extent, against harm, and it may be that the Triforce of Courage is what gives Link his innate, extraordinary abilities. In essence, the Triforce of Courage gives Link the courage to face unsurmountable odds, and the ability to overcome them. |
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==Characteristics== |
==Characteristics== |
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Revision as of 10:45, 18 August 2007
| Link | |
|---|---|
| The Legend of Zelda series character | |
| File:TLOZ Phantom Hourglass Link.jpg Link, as he appears in Phantom Hourglass | |
| First game | The Legend of Zelda (1986) |
| Created by | Shigeru Miyamoto |
Link (リンク, Rinku) is the protagonist of Nintendo's The Legend of Zelda video game series created by Shigeru Miyamoto. The Legend of Zelda is one of Nintendo's flagship game franchises, which sold over 47 million copies worldwide as of 2007.[1]
Their enduring popularity has led to many incarnations of the Legend of Zelda story and of its Link character. The character's first appearance took place in the 1986 video game The Legend of Zelda, where he was portrayed by a two-dimensional sprite; in later releases Link's appearance has been conveyed by a computer-generated image. The character Link has been featured in other video games from Nintendo, on Nintendo's merchandising, on comic books, and even on a television show about The Legend of Zelda series. Link was also honored with a star on the Walk of Game in 2005 alongside Mario and Sonic the Hedgehog.
Conception and creation
The character has been portrayed with almost no spoken dialogue in the game series. Facial expressions have only been used since the series went to the Nintendo 64. Shigeru Miyamoto has said in interviews that his conceptualization of The Legend of Zelda series and of Link was based on his childhood memories of books, movies and stories. In one of the interviews, he tells us he tried to make people identify with Link and have the opportunity to be heroes like the character. The games conform to his view, and although at the end of some games Link becomes vastly talented in physical and magical arts, he always starts as a regular boy when the game begins. An example of this is shown in Ocarina of Time where he starts as an orphaned Hylian boy and ends as the legendary Hero of Time.[2] The idea of Link always starting out as "ordinary" may be attributed to the fact that, in almost every game in the Zelda series, Link and Zelda are reincarnations or descendants of the same two people. Ganondorf, however, is always the same person.
Abilities
Though Link normally begins his adventures as a young boy, and hence a novice, inexperienced fighter, he quickly becomes an excellent swordsman. He has amazing agility and is extremely nimble, and is able to perform quick jumps and acrobatic feats such as backflips, even at a young age. He is also remarkably strong for someone of his stature. He is most notably a courageous warrior who will rise to any challenge he is faced with.
Link is well known for making use of a variety of weapons and items, such as a Bow, various types of Boomerangs, and Bombs, among others. Throughout the course of his adventures, Link dons mystical peices of equipment that give greatly enhance his abilities, such as the Pegasus Boots, which grant him superhuman speed, the Golden Gauntlets, which grant him vast superhuman strength, and the Magic Armor, which makes him totally invincible. Link also learns how to perform various magic spells, usually invoking the power of the Three Goddesses.
Link is the chosen Hero of Time, destined to wield the Master Sword. The same is true of his descendents, all of whom are named Link.
Link's most valuable gift, however, is that he is destined to possess the Triforce of Courage, a mystical artifact that holds the boundless mystical valor of the Goddess, Farore, the creator of all life. Though Link himself does not fully understand the nature of Triforce of Courage, or it's abilities, the Triforce of Courage protects Link, to some extent, against harm, and it may be that the Triforce of Courage is what gives Link his innate, extraordinary abilities. In essence, the Triforce of Courage gives Link the courage to face unsurmountable odds, and the ability to overcome them.
Characteristics
Link is "humble", but also possesses legendary bravery, an attribute consistent with his role as the rightful bearer of the Triforce of Courage. The character is known in later Zelda games as The Hero of Time in his Ocarina of Time/Majora's Mask incarnation and as The Hero of Winds in The Wind Waker/Phantom Hourglass, as his heroism has saved countless lives from evil.[3] In the video games he is presented as being a stoic and polite young man. In Twilight Princess, his social status is explored early in the game. He is well known by the inhabitants of his villiage.
He is the rightful bearer of the Master Sword, a powerful and magical sword he wields to defeat the forces of evil. Link does show rare moments of overzealous boldness, such as when he twice attempts to confront Ganon in The Wind Waker ill equipped to defeat him. Also, he inadvertently helped Ganon find the Triforce in Ocarina of Time, forcing Link to undo the damage he had caused.[3] Although Zelda games feature more interaction with friendly or neutral non-player characters (NPCs) than some adventure games, these characters rarely take an active part in Link’s quest which he completes alone. Although Link is perennially parentless, he is shown to have several family members, such as an uncle in A Link to the Past, a deceased mother in The Ocarina of Time, a grandmother in The Wind Waker who raises him in his parents unexplained absence, a grandfather from Minish Cap, and the most developed of Link's relatives, his sister Aryll who plays a critical role in the plot of The Wind Waker. He also has several friends, such as the pirate captain Tetra from The Wind Waker, Kafei from Majora's Mask, and the fairy Navi from Ocarina of Time. He also has a utilitarian relationship with Midna from Twilight Princess, though the two grow to become friends as time goes on.[4] His mother and father appear as spirits in the Link to the Past manga.[5]
Appearance
Link appears as a young Hylian boy, the equivalent to human in The Legend of Zelda mythos. He is renowned for his formidable swordmanship and fighting skill, such as his incredible boomerang accuracy.[6] It is unlikely that his age ever exceeds 19 years at any point in the series, though apparently, in most games he is closer to the age of 7 to 12.[7] Every Link wears a green tunic, an under-shirt (usually white, brown, or green), and a long, floppy green cap, at least for part of each adventure (usually for the vast majority), although the shades of green vary. It is also a common sight to see him wearing light-colored tights (usually white or tan), although he has appeared barelegged in other games. Link’s hair color is usually a dark blond but was originally a brown colour. Link has long pointed ears resembling some conceptions of elves. These are apparently a distinctive trait of the Hylian race (and their descendants), which supposedly allows them to hear messages from the goddesses. Older Links usually wear small blue hoop earrings, described in the official Ocarina of Time manga series, "Link Vs. Link", as a "rite of passage for young Sheikah men" by Impa, who is seen giving a Link his earrings.[8] He bears a Triforce mark on his left hand, marking him as the one destined to possess the Triforce of Courage.[9]
The Issue of Link's Left-handedness
Canonically, Link is left-handed, although this detail has changed over time, with his sword hand being different between games. The Adventure of Link instruction booklet describes Link setting off “with a magical sword in his left hand and a magical shield in his right”.[9] In the Super Nintendo release, he alternates hands, but this is due to sprite mirroring. Starting with The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening, Link holds his sword in his left hand and his shield in his right, no matter what direction he is facing. This occurs in the left and right-looking sprites. In The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap, however, Link returns to alternately holding his weapon in the right or the left hand, depending on his orientation. At the beginning of the Four Swords Plus (Four Swords Adventures) manga, Link is referred to as the “left-handed hero” after defeating pirates that were raiding a Hylian town. In addition, Link's figurine description in Wind Waker lists his "manual preference" as left. However, in the animated TV series, Link is right-handed. In the Wii version of Twilight Princess, Link is right-handed, but this was done as a result of the mirroring of the game's map, to better fit the game's control scheme. Because of this, the maps in the Wii version have also been mirrored. However, in the game's official artwork he is shown holding his sword in his left hand. In the GameCube version, Link remains left-handed, since the game keeps a traditional control scheme.[10]
Character creation
There have been several different "Links" in the history of Hyrule, the land where the Zelda series takes place. The existence of multiple Links is made obvious on many occasions in the games; for example, the introduction sequences of The Wind Waker and The Minish Cap refer to an ancient, legendary champion who is identical in appearance to Link, and The Wind Waker directly mentions the "Hero of Time" (a title given to Link in Ocarina of Time) as a historical entity. Shigeru Miyamoto has stated, "For every Zelda game we tell a new story, but we actually have an enormous document that explains how the game relates to the others, and bind them together. But to be honest, they are not that important to us. We care more about developing the game system... give the player new challenges for every chapter that is born."[2][11] Miyamoto has also confirmed that there have been multiple Links in different times in Hyrule. However, the exact chronology of the Zelda series and the lineage of the various Links, though written down by Miyamoto and his team, has never been released in detail.[12] Some major fan sites have attempted to construct a coherent Zelda timeline based on available information, but with little success.[13] Miyamoto has stated that Ocarina of Time is the first story, then the original The Legend of Zelda, then Zelda II: The Adventure of Link, and finally A Link to the Past, with Link's Awakening falling sometime after Ocarina of Time.[14]
On the design of Link in The Wind Waker, Miyamoto explained, "Link was a young boy and trying to create a very active and very energetic young boy and trying to choose the right style for portraying the young boy in a game like that we tried many different experiments. The ultimate decision we came to was that the cel-shading in The Wind Waker was the best option for expressing that."[15] The Wind Waker takes place with a new Link centuries after the victory of Link in Ocarina of Time.[16]
There is speculation that the movie Ladyhawke inspired The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess. Miyamoto denied that there was any relation, commenting that "We thought that by adding these animals it would help us create a larger and more realistic world."[17] Twilight Princess also incorporated a switch of focus from young Link growing up to a teenage Link, which lead to various designs and features around this idea.[15]
Actor portrayal
In the 3D games, beginning with Ocarina of Time, Link has been voiced by four actors; Nobuyuki Hiyama for adult Link, Fujiko Takimoto for young Link, Sachi Matsumoto as Link in The Wind Waker and Akira Sasanuma in Twilight Princess, but because no Zelda game to date contains substantial spoken dialogue, the part consists only of short phrases, grunts, battle cries, and other sounds.[18] In The Wind Waker, however, Link has been heard saying the phrase, "Come on!" when the player calls upon a special statue native to the Tower of the Gods dungeon or Medli or Makar in their respective dungeons. Voice acting in the series has been limited since the game makers feel that players have their own ideas about how Link is supposed to sound and they wish to avoid a backlash.[19] A professional samurai sword stunt man performed motion capture for Ocarina of Time.[18] Link is described as a young Hylian boy from the fictional land of Hyrule. His age varies depending on the game, incarnations usually vary from preteen to the late teens. He is also one of the few left-handed protagonists in video games. Link often journeys through the realm of Hyrule, defeating evil forces and Hyrule's nemesis Ganon, also known as Ganondorf. To defeat Ganon, Link usually needs the mystical Master Sword, which is often obtained after many trials and battles using other swords and shields, as well as auxiliary weaponry such as boomerangs, bombs, and a bow and arrows. Although young, Link is portrayed as a great courageous warrior who has (or develops, depending on the game) a close relationship with Princess Zelda, whom he has repeatedly rescued. In several games in the series, Link must learn how to play a musical instrument that usually features in the game's plot and can magically unlock several spells.
Appearances
Video games
1986–1996
Link debuted with the February 21, 1986 release of the video game The Legend of Zelda in Japan. Described as a "young lad" who saved Princess Zelda’s elderly nursemaid Impa from Ganon's henchmen,[20] Link assumes the role of the generic hero attempting to rescue the princess Zelda (and the kingdom of Hyrule) from the evil wizard Ganon, who has stolen the Triforce of Power. In the Zelda Comic Books, and various Nintendo Trading Cards, it is said he hails from the Kingdom of Calatia, west of Hyrule. He left it in search of more adventure. Also, it is stated his parents were known for thier long ears.
In Zelda II: The Adventure of Link, Link approaches his 16th birthday. Impa takes him to North Castle in Hyrule, alarmed by the sudden appearance of a Triforce crest on the boy’s left hand. She shows him the true heiress of Hyrule, an older incarnation of Princess Zelda, trapped in an eternal sleep, lying on an altar in the castle. The old woman also tells Link the Legend of Zelda, an ancient tale about the division of the Triforce and the curse that was put upon the older princess. Impa then gives Link six crystals, and a scroll written in an ancient Hylian tongue, which Link understands despite having never learned it. He reads that the mark on his hand is the sign that he was chosen to seek the third Triforce, Courage, in the Great Palace in the Valley of Death. Link then begins a quest to place a crystal in each of six palaces in Hyrule, so that he can later penetrate unhindered into the magically protected Great Palace, claim the Triforce of Courage, reunite the three pieces of the Triforce, and awaken Zelda.[21]
The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past tells the story of how, centuries before the events of The Legend of Zelda, Ganon and his army of evil were banished into the Golden Land, the realm of the Triforce, by the Hylians, at the price of countless lives. The portal to this world was magically blocked by seven sages, and the lands behind that seal, which Hylians hoped would never be broken again, became known as the Dark World, as they were corrupted by Ganon’s malice. The struggle to seal Ganon in the Golden Land became known as the Imprisoning War. Many believe that the Imprisoning war refers to the events in Ocarina of Time. One day, when the Imprisoning War had been all but forgotten, the land is plagued by sudden disaster, until the wizard Agahnim appears at the court of the king of Hyrule and quells the upheaval. Named chief advisor to the throne, he soon seizes power from the king and kidnaps six maidens, descendants of the wise men who had sealed the entrance of the Dark World. The maidens are taken to the castle tower, and never seen again. Agahnim then begins a dark ritual to break the seal on the Dark World and unleash Ganon’s fury upon Hyrule. Princess Zelda herself descends from the seventh sage, and manages to send out a telepathic call for help before being taken away. Link’s uncle heads for the royal castle first, but he is quickly dispatched. He leaves Link his sword and with his last breath imparts the sword-spin technique. The young hero then begins a journey to collect three magical Pendants of Virtue, and claim the Master Sword as his before facing Agahnim.
In The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening, which takes place after A Link to the Past[22] , Link decides to travel the world so he might be prepared if a threat like Ganon ever comes to Hyrule again.[23] While returning to Hyrule, Link’s ship is caught in a storm and wrecked. He washes up on the shore of a mysterious island called Koholint. Link is taken to the house of a kind man named Tarin and his daughter Marin. A strange talking owl tells him that the only way he can escape Koholint Island is by awakening the “Wind Fish”, a giant creature slumbering in a colossal egg in the center of the island.[24]
1997–2001
In The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, a young Link has been raised as one of the Kokiri, the “children of the forest”. Unlike the other Kokiri, Link does not have a fairy companion, and is thus shunned by their leader, Mido.[25] Link's life changes one day when the Great Deku Tree, the forest's guardian, sends Navi the fairy to Link with instructions to bring him immediately. A curse has been cast on the Deku Tree, and he asks Link to break it. While Link is successful in defeating the monsters inside the Tree, the Tree was doomed before Link started. Dying, the Deku Tree tells Link of the Triforce and directs Link to Hyrule Castle, where he encounters Princess Zelda. She sends him on a mission to collect three Spiritual Stones of forest, fire, and water, and save Hyrule. Once Link obtains the Stones, he travels to the Temple of Time and opens the Door of Time with the Stones and the Ocarina of Time. He then draws the Master Sword from the Pedestal of Time. This action imprisons Link in the Temple of Light in the Sacred Realm for seven years, while Ganondorf takes control of Hyrule and seizes the Triforce of Power. Seven years after drawing the sword from the pedestal, Link is awakened as the Hero of Time by Rauru, Sage of Light. Link finds that much time has passed, and he has grown up. He sets off on a quest to cleanse the land of Ganondorf’s evil by awakening the seven Sages, who can seal Ganondorf in what used to be the Sacred Realm. Returning to the Kokiri Forest, he finds that none of his friends have grown up, and most now no longer recognize him. After the player completes the first dungeon in this phase of the game, the Deku Tree's successor, the Deku Sprout, reveals the hidden story of Link's past to him. The Kokiri never grow up; the reason Link has grown, while his Kokiri friends have not, is that he is actually a Hylian, orphaned in the wars that raged before Hyrule was united.[26] When Link was a baby, his mother fled with him to Kokiri Forest, and, mortally wounded, left him under the Deku Tree’s protection. He was brought up as one of the Kokiri, and knew no differently.[27] Through the rest of the game, Link travels back and forth between the two time periods and his two ages using the Master Sword. We discover that the remaining two triforces belong to Link (courage) and Zelda (wisdom). At the end of the game, he is returned to his youth by Princess Zelda, and Navi leaves him.[28]
The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask occurs after Link defeats Ganon and is sent back in time to his childhood. Link leaves Hyrule to search for a lost friend (declared by the official manga to be his old fairy companion, Navi, which is a reasonable assumption in the game as well). While riding deep in the Lost Woods, he is ambushed by a Skull Kid who is possessed by an evil artifact, Majora’s Mask, and his horse, Epona, is stolen. Chasing the Skull Kid, Link falls into a crevasse and arrives in a country called Termina. He must save this land from the evil of Majora’s Mask, which has drawn the moon into a decaying orbit, causing it to crash into Termina’s capital city in just three days. Link uses the Ocarina of Time and the Song of Time, which sends him back in time and saves the game when he plays it, to relive these three days again and again in order to prevent the disaster. Along the way Link finds many magical masks of his own, a handful of which allow him to transform. Those masks can turn him into a rock-like Goron; a petite, plant-like Deku Scrub; a graceful aquatic Zora; or the Fierce Deity. In this game, Link never grows up in the traditional sense, but the dark power of the Fierce Deity’s Mask allows Link to assume a powerful adult form, “Fierce Deity Link”, also known to some fans by the name, “Oni-Link.” This form is easily his largest, standing at least twice as tall as adult Link in Ocarina of Time. Miyamoto mentioned that "we wanted Link to get inside of a wonderland, to experience the adventures and think hard about what he should do."[29]
In The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Seasons, the Triforce sends Link on a mission to another land, Holodrum, to stop the disruption of the seasons by the General of Darkness, Onox. While there, it is his duty to protect the Oracle of Seasons (in disguise as a dancer), named Din. After Onox takes her by force and the seasons are thrown into chaos, Link sets out to rescue her with the aid of the Rod of Seasons, a magical staff which allows Link to control the four seasons.
In The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Ages, Link awakens one day in another land, Labrynna, where he has been sent by the magic of the Triforce. Upon his arrival he is tricked by Veran, the Sorceress of Shadows, into opening the seal protecting the Oracle of Ages, a singer named Nayru. Veran, possessing Nayru’s body and time-traveling powers, goes back in time to change the past and command the present. Link rushes to follow them to the past and save Nayru using the power of the Harp of Ages, which, when played correctly, grants its user the ability to move back and forth through time. After exorcising Veran’s spirit from Nayru’s body, Link ascends her citadel to defeat Veran.
2002–present
In The Legend of Zelda: The Four Swords, a Zelda goes to the Sanctuary of the Four Sword with her friend Link to check on the seal containing the Wind Mage, Vaati. The seal has weakened, however, and Vaati emerges, kidnaps Zelda, and knocks out Link. Link awakens to find 3 Fairies, who instruct him to draw the four sword. The magical Four Sword divideds him into 2-4 identical Links (depending on the number of players). The first Link wears his traditional green outfit; the second, a red version; the third, blue; and the fourth purple. In The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap, released later, it is revealed that these colors reflect the four elements with which the sword is imbued: wind, fire, water, and earth, respectively. The Links must cooperate to overcome obstacles, collect keys, and storm Vaati’s Palace so they can rescue Zelda and seal the mage away again.[30]
In The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker, set hundreds of years after Ocarina of Time, the gods have flooded Hyrule. A new country has been formed, encompassing the islands of the Great Sea, which were once the highest mountaintops of Hyrule. The kingdom of old, lying dormant under the sea, is now a half-forgotten dream, barely surviving in ancient scrolls and dusty memories. In the beginning of the game, Link’s younger sister Aryll is captured by the Helmaroc King (a giant masked bird), who mistook her for someone else with golden hair and pointy ears. Link travels to all corners of the Great Sea to rescue his sister and defeat the shadowy power in control of the bird. He finds his quest intertwines with another, and Link becomes, after many trials, the “Hero of Winds”. Using the Wind Waker, a magical conductor’s baton, he borrows the power of the gods to aid him in his quest. The wand’s user interface is similar to that used for the Ocarina of Time, but adds tempo as well as pitch to form tunes. He goes through many areas with difficult challenges to complete to not only save Aryll, but the world from the rising evil.
In The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Adventures, Zelda, who is again worried about the seal on Vaati, goes with six other mystical maidens to check on the Sanctuary of the Four Sword, and Link accompanies her. But something goes horribly wrong, and a dark shadowy copy of Link attacks. Link is forced to draw the Four Sword to fight this Shadow Link, but when he does, he once again splits into copies of himself, and Vaati escapes.[31]
In The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap, set before Four Swords and Four Swords Adventures, Link is a young boy living with his grandfather, the Master Smith of Hyrule. Link is a childhood friend of Princess Zelda, and on the day of Hyrule’s yearly fair to celebrate the coming of the Picori, they go to join in the festivities. A mysterious stranger, Vaati, shows up and wins the sword-fighting competition; each year the victor of this tournament has the honor of touching the sacred Picori Blade. This sword was a gift to the Hylians from the tiny Picori and was used long ago by a legendary hero (suggested to be a Link in the game's opening sequence, however his name was not "Link" his name was "Gustav", and some believe him to be the first Link) to defeat the forces of darkness and seal them away in the Bound Chest. Vaati destroys the blade and curses Zelda, and it is up to Link to repair the sword, defeat Vaati and save the princess.[32] By the end of the game, the Picori Blade becomes the Four Sword, which Link seals Vaati in, setting the scene for the previously released Four Swords games.
The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess, released in November 2006 for the Wii and a month later for the GameCube, is set decades[33] after the events of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time and Majora's Mask, in an alternate timeline to The Wind Waker.[34] Link is a teen farm boy leading a fairly normal life until two of his friends, Colin and Ilia, are kidnapped by monsters. Link’s rescue mission leads him into the Twilight Realm, a dark place that changes him into a wolf. While in this form, he is aided by Midna, an imp-like creature, and learns why the Twilight invaded this world from Princess Zelda. Yet, in his attempt to save his friends, Link discovers an even greater evil that only he can stop. During the game, Link travels in the normal world in his human form and in the Twilight Realm in his wolf form.
The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass, the latest title in the series, was released June 23, 2007 in Japan. It revives the idea of a fairy companion as in Ocarina of Time and Majora's Mask. A direct sequel to The Wind Waker, it involves the same Link and his quest to reunite with Tetra after both are lost at sea in a mysterious fog.
Non-Zelda appearances
Link is present in a number of games outside of the Legend of Zelda series. While varying in their regard within the gaming community, none of these games contribute anything to the series which would be considered The Legend of Zelda canon.
Link: The Faces of Evil, released in 1993 for Philips’ CD-i system, is the only one of the three Zelda games for the CD-i system in which Link is the protagonist. At the beginning of the game, Link is visited by a wizard who tells him that Ganon and his servants have seized the peaceful island of Koridai and captured Zelda. After being informed that only he can defeat Ganon, Link travels to Koridai to find the magical artifact known as the Book of Koridai. Using the Book, he defeats Ganon and frees Zelda. Although it features Zelda characters, this game was not produced, nor supervised by Nintendo, which also does not officially recognize the game as part of the Zelda series.
There were two other Legend of Zelda games released for the CD-i; Zelda: The Wand of Gamelon and Zelda’s Adventure. However, in both games Princess Zelda was the protagonist, as in both games the plot involves Link’s kidnapping.
Link is one of eight characters available at the beginning of Nintendo’s 1999 fighting game, Super Smash Bros. Link sports his traditional green Kokiri tunic (the player can also choose from several alternate tunic colors inspired by Link's Ocarina of Time tunics: the red Goron Tunic and blue Zora Tunic along with a purplish-white and a black tunic). He also has some of his usual arsenal from The Legend of Zelda series at his disposal, including bombs, his boomerang and a hookshot.
Link is also one of the 14 playable characters available from the start in Super Smash Bros. Melee, the 2001 sequel to Super Smash Bros. In Melee, he has his bow in addition to the equipment he brought with him to the original Super Smash Bros. Also playable in the game, as a secret unlockable character, is Young Link, the youthful Link from most of the games in the series. Modeled after the Ocarina of Time/Majora’s Mask version of the hero, Young Link is more agile but weaker than the older Link.
On May 10, 2006, at an after-hours press conference during E³, Link became one of the first confirmed fighters in the Wii installment of the franchise, Super Smash Bros. Brawl. His appearance was influenced by his character model from Twilight Princess. It is still unknown if an alternate version of Link, similar to Young Link in Melee, will appear in Super Smash Bros Brawl.[35]
In the GameCube version of Namco’s Soul Calibur II, the adult-style Link is a playable fighter. Not much is revealed about the incarnation of Link in this game, but it is known that, after saving Hyrule from an evil wizard who was being controlled by a fragment of Soul Edge, he went on a quest to destroy the evil sword. Quickly pulling the Master Sword out of its pedestal, he set out to travel to this world to destroy Soul Edge, on a secret mission arranged by Princess Zelda. Miyamoto did not see a problem with Link appearing in what some had thought to be a "violent fighting game", since he had already been established as a fighter in the Super Smash Brothers games.[12] And the more realistic Link in this game was used to help develop Twilight Princess's Link.[36] In Soul Calibur II, Link is the only character to use ranged weapons and the only guest character to have his own theme and more than two costumes (he starts with his traditional green Kokiri tunic and the red Goron Tunic; the blue Zora Tunic and purplish-white tunic are unlockable) He uses a number of weapons from the Zelda games.
Cameo appearances
Among SNES games, Link made a notable appearance in Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars, where he is sleeping in a bed at one of the Inns. There is also a reference to Link in the SNES Final Fantasy: Dawn of Souls; in Elftown there is a grave marked "Here Lies Link". He also appears in Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest and Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong’s Double Trouble!, with a reference to Link's collection of seashells in Link's Awakening.[37] Also, some of Link's weapons and items have shown up in different games, such as the Master Sword appearing in Final Fantasy Tactics Advance[38] and Animal Crossing. The Legend of Zelda has been parodied in the WarioWare series.[39]
Other media
The Legend of Zelda (TV series) Link, as voiced by Jonathan Potts, was featured in a set of cartoons which aired from 1989-1990 as a part of DiC’s The Super Mario Bros. Super Show. Based loosely on the first game, the cartoons presented Link as a rude, lovesick teenager, an image many find at odds with his silent persona from the video games. Constantly pursuing Zelda and pursued by the fairy princess Spryte, he would beg kisses from Zelda, and, famously, to burst out “Well excuuuuuse me, Princess!” when fed up with her attitude, very different from his polite and respectful attitude in the original games. Thirteen episodes were produced before the cancellation of The Super Mario Bros. Super Show.[40] The complete series was released October 18, 2005 to very poor reviews.[41] A slightly altered version of this Link (and Zelda) appeared during the second season of Captain N: The Game Master.[42]
A serial comic was created for Nintendo Power magazine by acclaimed manga author Shotaro Ishinomori, and later collected in graphic novel form. This told an alternate version of the events from A Link to the Past. Though Link starts out a hapless, bumbling kid, he displays great courage and proves himself a determined and competent adventurer. He also has a fairy companion, Epheremelda, long before this concept was introduced to the video games. This telling portrays Link’s parents as Knights of Hyrule, lost to the Dark World. It includes an original character, Roam, a descendant of the Knights of Hyrule who fought in the Imprisoning War. (Roam resembles 002, a character from Ishinomori’s first successful creation, Cyborg 009, whose real name was Jet Link.) At the end of the story, Zelda has become Queen, and Link is head of the Royal Guard and the Knights of Hyrule. This success is bittersweet, as their duties keep them apart, even though they were once close, sharing an adventure and even coming together in dreams.[5] There have also been manga based on the original The Legend of Zelda, Ocarina of Time, Majora's Mask, Oracle of Ages, Oracle of Seasons, Four Swords Adventures and The Minish Cap[43]
In the manga Link is portrayed as a heroic and selfless character throughout all of the versions. The different versions of him all had some unique personality traits, however. The version from Ocarina of Time and Majora's Mask had a desire to see the world outside of Kokiri Village. Also, in Majora's Mask Link was portrayed as a forgiving character. But, he was angry with the skull kid for all of the trouble he caused while wearing Majora's Mask. Knowing that the mask was the real cause of the problems, he saved the Skull Kid when it tried to kill him. In the Oracle of Seasons manga there was a conflict over what Link wanted to do with his life. That Link's grandfather wanted Link to become a knight, while Link wanted to live his own life. Link had overcome this problem by the beginning of the Oracle of Ages manga. In Four Swords Adventures, the four Links had trouble working together due to their different personalities, but they overcame this problem.
Notes and references
- ^ David (2005). "Nintendo reveal sales figures". Australia's PAL Gaming Network. Retrieved February 12.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|accessdate=(help); Unknown parameter|accessyear=ignored (|access-date=suggested) (help) - ^ a b Superplay Editorial Staff (2003-04-23). "Shigeru Miyamoto Interview". Superplay Magazine. Retrieved 2006-09-24.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ a b Nintendo (January 1, 2006). "The Great Hyrule Encyclopedia - Link". Zelda Universe. Retrieved 2005-09-20.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: year (link) - ^ Berghammer, Billy (2005-05-25). "Zelda's Twilight Prince: The Eji Aonuma Interview". Game Informer. Retrieved 2006-09-24.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ a b "Zelda a Link to the Past - Manga / Comics". Zelda Shrine. January 1, 2006. Retrieved September 29.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|accessdate=(help); Unknown parameter|accessyear=ignored (|access-date=suggested) (help)CS1 maint: year (link) - ^ Nintendo (January 1, 2006). "The Great Hyrule Encyclopedia - Boomerang". Zelda Universe. Retrieved 2005-09-11.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: year (link) - ^ Kushida (1998-08-01). "Miyamoto Interview". Nintendo Online Magazine. Retrieved 2006-09-23.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ "Chapter 10 - Link vs. Link". zeldalegacy.net. January 1, 2006. Retrieved September 29.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|accessdate=(help); Unknown parameter|accessyear=ignored (|access-date=suggested) (help)CS1 maint: year (link) - ^ a b Nintendo, ed. (1997). Zelda II: The Adventure of Link instruction manual. Nintendo.
- ^ Casamassina, Matt (2006-09-20). "Miyamoto Talks Righty Link". IGN. Retrieved 2006-09-20.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ Chris Zimmerman (2006-06-19). "Gaming Legend Shigeru Miyamoto Speaks". Digital Trends. Retrieved 2006-09-20.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ a b Chris Leyton (February 26, 2003). "The Miyamoto Interview [ News ]". Total Video Games.com. Retrieved September 23.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|accessdate=(help); Unknown parameter|accessyear=ignored (|access-date=suggested) (help)CS1 maint: year (link) - ^ Cory Faller (January 1, 2005). "The Legends of Zelda". N-Sider. Retrieved September 28.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|accessdate=(help); Unknown parameter|accessyear=ignored (|access-date=suggested) (help) - ^ "Miyamoto Interview". Nintendo Power. November 19, 1998. Retrieved October 7.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|accessdate=(help); Unknown parameter|accessyear=ignored (|access-date=suggested) (help) - ^ a b IGN Staff (May 12 2004). "E3 2004: Miyamoto and Aonuma on Zelda". IGN. Retrieved September 23.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|accessdate=and|date=(help); Unknown parameter|accessyear=ignored (|access-date=suggested) (help) Cite error: The named reference "Eree" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page). - ^ "windwaker interview". Nintendo of Japan. May 12 2004. Retrieved September 28.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|accessdate=and|date=(help); Unknown parameter|accessyear=ignored (|access-date=suggested) (help) - ^ Matt Casamassina (2005-05-19). "Gaming Legend Shigeru Miyamoto Speaks". IGN.com. Retrieved 2006-09-23.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ a b Nintendo Power Editorial Staff (1998-08-01). "Miyamoto Interview". Nintendo Power. Retrieved 2006-09-23.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ IGN Editorial Staff (2002-12-04). "Miyamoto and Aonuma Interview". IGN. Retrieved 2006-09-23.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ Nintendo (1997). The Legend of Zelda instruction manual. (in English). [1]
- ^ Nintendo, ed. (1989). The Legend of Zelda: The Adventure of Link. Nintendo. pp. 3–12.
- ^ Nintendo, ed. (1993). The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening instruction manual. Nintendo.
- ^ Nintendo, ed. (1993). The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening instruction manual. Nintendo.
- ^ Nintendo, ed. (1993). The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening instruction manual. Nintendo. pp. 41–42.
- ^ Mido: Hey you! "Mr. No Fairy!" What's your business with the Great Deku Tree? Without a fairy, you're not even a real man! Nintendo ED (1998-11-23). The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (Nintendo 64). Nintendo.
- ^ Deku Tree Sprout: Well, as you might have already guessed, you are not a Kokiri! You are actually a Hylian! Nintendo ED (1998-11-23). The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (Nintendo 64). Nintendo.
- ^ Deku Tree Sprout: A Hylian mother and her baby boy entered this forbidden forest. The mother was gravely injured... Her only choice was to entrust the child to the Deku Tree, the guardian spirit of the forest. The Deku Tree could sense that this was a child of destiny, whose fate would affect the entire world, so he took him into the forest. After the mother passed away, the baby was raised as a Kokiri. Nintendo ED (1998-11-23). The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (Nintendo 64). Nintendo.
- ^ Zelda: Now, go home, Link. Regain your lost time! Home... where you are supposed to be... the way you are supposed to be... Nintendo ED (1998-11-23). The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (Nintendo 64). Nintendo.
- ^ Kris (November 12, 2000). "Miyamoto Interview". GG8. Retrieved September 24.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|accessdate=(help); Unknown parameter|accessyear=ignored (|access-date=suggested) (help)CS1 maint: year (link) - ^ "The Legend". Zelda.com. January 1, 2002. Retrieved September 29.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|accessdate=(help); Unknown parameter|accessyear=ignored (|access-date=suggested) (help)CS1 maint: year (link) - ^ Nintendo Power (June 7, 2004). "The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Adventure". Nintendo.com. Retrieved September 29.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|accessdate=(help); Unknown parameter|accessyear=ignored (|access-date=suggested) (help)CS1 maint: year (link) - ^ Nintendo, ed. (2004). The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap. Nintendo. pp. 3–4.
- ^ "Mr. Miyamoto and Mr. Aonuma Reveal the Identity of the Mystery Woman". Nintendo of America. May 18, 2005.
- ^ "Interview with Eiji Aonuma" (Japanese) [Partial translation: "ND – About when is the Twilight Princess timeline set? Aonuma – In a world some hundred years after 'Ocarina of Time.' ND – And 'Wind Waker'? Aonuma – 'Wind Waker' is parallel. In 'Ocarina of Time,' Link jumps to a world seven years ahead, defeats Ganon, and returns to the time of his childhood, right? 'Twilight Princess' is a world some hundred years after that pacified childhood time."]
- ^ Peer Schneider & Matt Casamassina (May 10, 2006). "E3 2006: Super Smash Bros. Brawl". IGN. Retrieved September 23.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|accessdate=(help); Unknown parameter|accessyear=ignored (|access-date=suggested) (help)CS1 maint: year (link) - ^ "The Miyamoto Interview". Computer and Video Games. May 16, 2003. Retrieved September 24.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|accessdate=(help); Unknown parameter|accessyear=ignored (|access-date=suggested) (help)CS1 maint: year (link) - ^ Fryguy64 (January 1, 2006). "Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong's Double Trouble". Nintendo Database. Retrieved September 29.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|accessdate=(help); Unknown parameter|accessyear=ignored (|access-date=suggested) (help)CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) CS1 maint: year (link) - ^ Paden Brown (January 1, 2006). "Hint: Legend Of Zelda reference:". gamewinners.com. Retrieved September 29.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|accessdate=(help); Unknown parameter|accessyear=ignored (|access-date=suggested) (help)CS1 maint: year (link) - ^ Chaim Gingold (October 1, 2005). "What WarioWare can teach us about Game Design". the international journal of computer game research. Retrieved September 24.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|accessdate=(help); Unknown parameter|accessyear=ignored (|access-date=suggested) (help)CS1 maint: year (link) - ^ "Legend of Zelda Cartoon Series & Downloads". zeldalegacy.net. January 1, 2006. Retrieved September 29.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|accessdate=(help); Unknown parameter|accessyear=ignored (|access-date=suggested) (help)CS1 maint: year (link) - ^ Matt (May 26, 2001). "Captain N, The Game Master: Joins Link & Zelda For A Little Moblin Action in Hyrule!". X-Entertainment. Retrieved September 29.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|accessdate=(help); Unknown parameter|accessyear=ignored (|access-date=suggested) (help)CS1 maint: year (link) - ^ Michael S. Drucker (September 30, 2005). "The Legend of Zelda: The Complete Animated Series". IGN. Retrieved September 29.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|accessdate=(help); Unknown parameter|accessyear=ignored (|access-date=suggested) (help)CS1 maint: year (link) - ^ "Zelda Comics and Manga". Zelda Shrine. January 1, 2006. Retrieved September 29.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|accessdate=(help); Unknown parameter|accessyear=ignored (|access-date=suggested) (help)CS1 maint: year (link)
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