Link is Too Complex of a Character to Just Be You

For over a quarter of a century The Legend of Zelda masterminds Shigeru Miyamoto and Eiji Aonuma have proclaimed that Link is simply an avatar that represents the player. With the release of Hyrule Historia Miyamoto has remained firmly behind that sentiment, writing “Link is the player himself . . . the player saves the world.”

The notion that you are Link has been used to explain why the hero never talks and why he is such a largely bland and unresponsive character. Now while that is mostly accurate for the earliest titles in the franchise, as soon as the series became 3D in Ocarina of Time, then Link begun showcasing his own emotions and could never truly just be you.

[PopRocks359]

If Zelda games were more like Elder Scrolls or any RPG where you make the character from the ground up, then the argument could be made that Link was the player. But Link, especially in newer games, is expressive, thoughtful, reactive. He's his own person. The player just speaks for him in a way. So I sort of see where this article is coming from.

[HITANDRUN]

I think link should of been a girl instead and metroid a guy. Adventure fall in love wear sexy colors ugh link might be more than just a guy and metroid pure hardcore punishment relates to a guy more, so mmm, change them over lol...

[kirbyu]

@HITANDRUN

I understood your 1st sentence, then you lost me.

[Bimkoblerutso]

I agree. Metroid totally should have been a guy.

I remember playing and saying to myself, "why is metroid not a guy?" Some questions will never be answered.

[linkenski]

I also think Zelda is pretty cool guy, eh.

[AWBrawler]

Metroids are both guy and girl. did you mean Samus??

[wishingW3L]

these guys are so fixated with the franchise that they see things where there are none. I mean, just read this quote:

"The whole message of Majora’s Mask—of Link struggling with being an adult trapped inside of a child’s body—is apparent within the game regardless of how we as the players feel while playing the title."

The hell is this...? lol

They think that just because Link can smile or put a sad face that he has a personality. XD

[Irishguy95]

journey ses hello

http://images.wikia.com/lot...

[linkenski]

That whole thing is just a matter of interpretation, but it is actually there in between the lines of Majora's Mask. There has always been alot of speculation about why link doesn't finish what he set out to do "find his friend" aka his fairy Navi. The game ends in the same scenario where it began, and leaves with an open ending leaving the player to wonder if Link will find Navi and/or what it would mean (to him)

Therein is the whole blabber of link's personal struggle. Navi/friend is just a symbol of something that brings link on a journey, which can be an inner struggle, depending on how you see the things that happen. *ramble-ramble* Alot of characters from OoT reappear even though this is another world, but they don't have the same role. This is something i have experienced in real life when i dream, and it's pretty common to most people, so this could be a hint that it isn't real. Of course it was also an easy way for nintendo to reuse game assets, but the strangeness of the game just leaves many to think that there's more to it than we are able to see.

Enough rambling from me :P

[CouldHaveYelledUiiW]

Generally, I think of Link as I do Doctor Who.

Same Adventurous heart and need to right wrongs but with each (re)generation a new flourish.

From Link to Link they all have radically different upbringings and world-experiences.
I never expect Link to be the same each time nor had I ever expected him to be me.

Some, games like Baldur's Gate describe the player as a "Guiding Spirit" or a "god" in many cases the characters would respond to you (esp. if you continually clicked on them).

-This is how I view my relationship to the character's I play, even when there is customization, I never think, "This is me."

[Root]

For me, Link as a character has been the same since when first met him.

The problem is Link as a character will not be able to progress as a character if they don't add a little bit of voice acting, there's a point where you evolve a game so much that the character is the oldest out dated thing in the game....while the world around the character changes and updates it's self your character will feel out of place

For me it's not about Link but for Zelda aswell, Link and Zeldas relationship is very important to the Zelda franchise the only way you can see a better, stronger relationship between the two is if they could both interact with each other. Imagine some Uncharted acting but with Link and Zelda, it would finally let, not only their characters develop more but their relationship aswell

Oh and I'm not talking full on voice acting where they never shut up, just the stuff here and there where it's actually needed. Start out slow and build it up from there, this franchise isn't going anyway so they have all the time they need

[linkenski]

I think Link had a perfect personality in The Wind Waker. The way he was able to emote whether it was through his eyes, making faces, or even his many grunts he just felt alive, and interactive with the other characters. There was a certain drive about his character that defined him, like how he struggles to get his sister back. I remember early in the game when she gets taken by the big bird, and he dumbfoundedly makes a leap of faith over a cliff, almost falling to his death, but it showed clearly what kind of person he was.

A lot of that is lost in Skyward Sword and Twilight Princess, where he's all happy and "durrr" like, always standing in the background or not really reacting properly to things around him. I think maybe some of it is because he's an adult in those games and therefore he has to seem more mature.

That is also why i hope, that whether the next game will be cartoonish or gritty, it will have Link be a child again :)

[AWBrawler]

I agree completely. you summed up part of why wind waker is my favorite Zelda. Toon link is so expressive and full of life compared to the others.

[BlackWolf]

I don't really see the need for having Link talk. I think it wouldn't matter to me if they did, as Link will always be Link. But sometimes you can say a lot of things without speaking a single word.

If you've looked at Brawl's cinematics you know full well they do not talk at all, yet they don't have to because their actions and expressions speak for themselves.

Once again, would it be added, the world will not end. But it's not a must. Link can stay silent as long as they want.