Link

Link is a fictional character and the main protagonist in Nintendo's The Legend of Zelda series of video games. Created by Shigeru Miyamoto, The Legend of Zelda is one of Nintendo's core franchises, and has sold over 47 million copies worldwide as of 2007. The series' enduring popularity has led to many incarnations of the Zelda story and Link himself; the character's first appearance was in the game The Legend of Zelda. Link has been featured in other video games from Nintendo, including its merchandising, comic books, and an animated television program. Link was awarded with a star on the Walk of Game in 2005, alongside Mario and Sonic the Hedgehog.

Link is depicted as a Hylian boy from the fictional land of Hyrule. His age varies in each game, usually varying from pre-teen ages to late teens. Link often travels through Hyrule, defeating creatures, evil forces and the series' primary antagonist, Ganon whilst attempting to save Princess Zelda and her kingdom. To defeat him, Link usually requires the mystic Master Sword and Light Arrows, or a similar legendary weapon, obtained after many trials and battles gathering magical objects or using other items such as musical instruments and weaponry. Each Zelda storyline contains a different incarnation of Link, as whenever a new threat emerges in Hyrule, a new hero must arise.

Link is humble but brave, attributes consistent with his role as the rightful bearer of the Triforce of Courage. He is known as the "Hero of Time" in Ocarina of Time and Majora's Mask and the "Hero of Winds" in The Wind Waker and Phantom Hourglass.

Link is the chosen bearer of the Master Sword, a powerful magical sword which he wields. As a child, he challenges Ganondorf in order to protect Zelda before he inadvertently helps Ganondorf find the Triforce in Ocarina of Time, forcing Link to undo the damage he had caused. Link has several family members, including an uncle in A Link to the Past; an unseen mother in Ocarina of Time, who dies fleeing a war when Link is a baby; a grandmother, who raises him, and a sister, Aryll, in The Wind Waker; and a grandfather in The Minish Cap. He has a utilitarian relationship with Midna from Twilight Princess, though the two grow to become friends as time goes on. His mother and father appear as spirits in the official manga.

Link is a young Hylian boy who is renowned for his swordsmanship and fighting skill, such as his boomerang accuracy. Every iteration of Link wears a green tunic, undershirt and long green cap and has long, pointed ears, a distinctive trait of the Hylian race and their descendants. In the Zelda trading cards released by Nintendo early in the series, it is stated that pointed ears are a sign of the Hylian royal family. In episode 4 of the Adult Saga in the official Ocarina of Time manga series, "Link Vs. Link", Impa gives Link earrings, describing it as a "rite of passage for young Sheikah men". He has a Triforce mark on his left hand, marking him as the one who will find the Triforce of Courage. He uses many weapons and items, such as Bombs, the Hookshot, the Boomerang and the Bow and arrow. When he transforms into a wolf in the Twilight Realm in Twilight Princess, he reflects the mystical aspects of the transformation and his heroism.

Canonically, Link is left-handed, although this detail has changed over time, with his sword hand being different between games. The Adventure of Links instruction booklet describes Link setting off "with a magical sword in his left hand and a magical shield in his right". In A Link to the Past, he alternates hands, but this is due to sprite mirroring. Starting with 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 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 The 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 to better mirror the game's control scheme. In the game's official artwork he is shown holding his sword in his left hand. In the GameCube version, Link remains left-handed, as the game uses a traditional control scheme.