Opinion: Link Will Speak in the New Zelda Movie, and That’s Nothing New

It’s been over nine months since we got the announcement that a Zelda movie was in production and very little is still known about it. One thing that we can be certain of, however, is that Link will have a voice. In an April Reddit AMA, director Wes Ball was asked if he thinks Link should speak in the upcoming movie. Ball said, “When I play Zelda as Link I speak with many villagers and creatures throughout the game; asking and answering many questions.” While his answer was a bit indirect, it’s clear that Ball is set on giving the hero of Hyrule a speaking role.

Not everyone shares this sentiment though. Dive into the comments of any social media posts that mention the Zelda movie and you’ll see a few users bemoaning the possibility that Link would ever speak in a live-action adaptation. Some notable publications have even run articles with headlines such as “10 Reasons Link Should Never Speak“, or they propose ways to circumvent the speaking issue by removing Link from the movie altogether.

One problem with this line of thinking is that it makes silence a part of Link’s identity, or it incorrectly assumes that Link is mute. Some publications will even assert that “Link has no dialogue to speak of in any of the mainline Zelda games“. That simply is not correct. Link speaks in every game. Sometimes, he even has visible or audible dialogue.

So, let’s take a look at some of the moments where Link has spoken throughout the Zelda series to show why a vocal Link in the upcoming film really isn’t that big of a deal. But before we get to that, let’s talk about why Link is silent in the first place. And no, we won’t be diving into the non-canon sources, so, “Excuuuuuuuse me, princess.”

The Silent Protagonist

A silent protagonist is a playable character with little to no visible or audible dialogue, and it can manifest itself in many different forms. Sometimes, games have a silent protagonist because the character doesn’t need to speak. Does Metroid‘s Samus have anyone to speak to when she’s isolated on a desolate alien planet? Could a Call of Duty protagonist have any meaningful dialogue when their only job is to take orders and shoot guns? This type of silence removes unnecessary distractions for the player and can contribute to the game’s atmosphere.

One of the most common uses of this trope is in games where the main character is an avatar for the player. Players are expected to put themselves in the shoes of this character, and are given the freedom to make decisions on their behalf. Games like The Elder Scrolls and Fallout have championed this type of silent protagonist for decades. Having the character remain silent allows players to insert their own dialogue, and the degree of freedom which is afforded to the player allows them to direct the events of the game quite successfully. Even though dialogue options are often available, the player doesn’t hear the full extent of conversations. Dialogue trees really only exist for the player to communicate their decisions to the game or to glean more information from non-playable characters (NPCs).

In many other instances, as is the case with most  Zelda games, the playable character’s dialogue is hidden, not because they can’t speak or won’t speak, but because it helps immerse the player in the game. This type of silent protagonist can be as talkative as their heart desires and, although the player will likely see evidence of this speech, they will rarely hear it.

So, how does this help immerse the player? Is it really that important to get a player invested in the game? Let’s consider this common scenario: An NPC is speaking with the main character. The player takes the role of an omniscient fly on the wall — a third-party spectator who is watching a conversation between two people. How would you, the player, feel about this? Maybe it’s informative or entertaining, but it will never feel like you are a part of the conversation. No matter how much you play The Last of Us Part II, that will always be Ellie’s story. When Red Dead Redemption‘s John Marston is sharing trail stories on a long wagon ride, they never once feel like your experiences. These types of games are often called “cinematic” because they can feel more like watching a movie than playing a game.

In contrast, when an NPC speaks to Link in any Zelda game, it feels like they are speaking directly to the player. This takes your relationship with the game from third person, to first person, even if it really isn’t. When Rusl charges Link with taking a sword to Hyrule Castle in Twilight Princess, he is giving that order to the player. When Sheik reveals his true identity, he is revealing it to the player. Zelda games feel less like Link’s adventure and more like your adventure.

The Not-So-Silent Hero of Hyrule — The Early Years

While Link certainly fits the silent protagonist trope, this doesn’t mean that he is a mute — and it doesn’t necessarily mean that his speech is always muted to the player. So, let’s look at some of the moments where Link has verifiably spoken, and there’s no better place to start than with the game that started it all, 1986’s The Legend of Zelda.

Although Link’s freshman outing is scarce for dialogue — aside from cryptic messages from cave-dwelling hermits — the game’s manual further elaborates on the story, item descriptions, and other information that may be useful to the player.

Well, wouldn’t you know it, Link has some dialogue! Albeit brief, it is in quotations, and it is in a speech bubble beside Link’s head. In an image of Link throwing a boomerang at an Octorok on page 24, Link is clearly shown yelling, “Stop right there!”

Is this dialogue brief and inconsequential? Sure, but it is a canonical source that shows Link speaking in his very first appearance.

The next instance of Link speaking can be found in Zelda II: The Adventure of Link. Before he ventures into the game’s second dungeon, the Midoro Palace, Link finds a mirror under a table in the Water Town of Saria. When he collects the item, a text box is displayed in which he aptly says, “I found a mirror under the table.” It may be a little odd that Link is speaking to himself inside of an empty house, but that doesn’t matter. The fact is that he said it, and it was a full sentence this time too!

The Adventure of Link‘s manual also contains cartoon images of Link speaking, though these are fourth wall breaks directed at the player, and probably not canonical dialogue. He says things like, “Look below for the main landscapes,” and, “When I have no more lives left, that’s the end of me.”

Other images show pictures inside of speech bubbles, implying that he is saying something about these objects, even if the exact wording isn’t visible. One thing that’s commendable about these graphics are the way they characterize Link. They give him a personality and tone that’s lighthearted and fun, despite the game being grim and challenging. Regardless, these are still very early examples of Link speaking. If silence was an integral part of this iteration of the character, I can’t imagine Nintendo would have allowed Link to be depicted in this manner.

Another brief moment of dialogue in these early games can be found in Link’s Awakening, when Link learns the secret of the Wind Fish. After looking over the mural in the Ancient Ruins, Link says, “What? Illusion?” Again, this is short and relatively inconsequential, but it’s still evidence of a vocal Link — but don’t worry, he’ll be a lot more talkative soon.

The GameCube Era and Its Influences

Next, let’s jump ahead to Link’s GameCube iterations, starting with The Wind Waker. This Link was shown to be more expressive than any other Link prior, due in no small part to his large eyes and other cartoonish features. This is also the first Link to have audible dialogue that isn’t just shouts or grunts. After 16 years of nothing but short dialogue boxes and quippy quotes in manuals, Link finally breaks his silence.

So, what does he say? Is it anything profound or of lore-breaking consequence? No. He just meows like a cat. This meow comes in the midst of a stealth trailing mission and, when Link is almost caught, he imitates a cat to throw off his scent.

Now, one could argue that this isn’t a real word he is speaking, and that would be totally fair. However, this isn’t the only time Link speaks in this game. While traversing the Earth and Wind Temples, Link is joined by companions, Medli and Makar, respectively. While in the Temples, Link can issue a command to his companions, “Come on!” He waves his hand, calls them over, and yells, “Come on!”

Like the other examples already provided, this isn’t anything groundbreaking. While it’s certainly significant that we finally get to hear Link’s voice, he doesn’t say anything of consequence. The GameCube’s next 3D Zelda game, however, is going to change all of that.

Twilight Princess marked a bit of return to form for the Zelda franchise. After lighthearted games like The Wind Waker and Four Swords Adventures, fans clamored for a more grounded, grittier Zelda game like Ocarina of Time. However, Twilight Princess‘ Ocarina of Time influence goes beyond just tone and style, as it is believed to have carried over Ocarina‘s Link in the form of the Hero’s Shade.

The Hero’s Shade is an armor-plated specter who teaches Link hidden sword techniques. Through his extensive dialogue, we learn that he was once a hero and, though not explicitly told to us, we can infer through various hints that this is a past incarnation of Link — most likely the Hero of Time. Hyrule Historia also supports this claim, even if it isn’t strictly canon.

Something unique about the Hero’s Shade, when compared to other Links, is that his dialogue is lengthy and detailed. He provides instruction. He talks about his history. He offers words of wisdom to the new hero of Hyrule. He even criticizes Link for being weak, but later commends him for becoming strong and capable. Notable quotes include:

“A sword wields no strength unless the hand that holds it has courage.”

“Although I accepted life as the hero, I could not convey the lessons of that life to those who came after. At last, I have eased those regrets. You who have marched through countless foes, each mightier then the last… You who now gaze to the future with vision unclouded… Surely you can restore Hyrule to its stature of yore as the chosen land of the gods.”

“You must use your courage to seek power…and find it you must. Only then will you become the hero for whom this world despairs.”

The Hero’s Shade is evidence that Ocarina of Time‘s Link was verbal and even well-spoken. This reaffirms that while Link as a playable character is a silent protagonist from the player’s perspective, this does not mean that he is silent. Unfortunately, the Hero’s Shade is the only time we have gotten lengthy verbal dialogue from Link (unless you believe the theory that Gramps from A Link Between World is A Link to the Past‘s Link).

The GameCube era did, however, create a new trend in Link communication that continues on to this day — body language.

In cutscenes, Link will express himself with body language to convey the message and tone of his voice to player. Link’s mouth will move and he will make gestures with his hands. This signifies that Link is conversing within the world of the game, and though the player isn’t privy to the exact words he uses, the message and tone are understood through context clues.

We can see this method of communication clearly in Link’s interactions with NPCs in Tears of the Kingdom, for example. He moves his arms with purpose, such that the player knows the tone of his voice. The NPCs’ responses typically clue us into what he said.

Another example is found in Twilight Princess. Of course this game is riddled with Link using body language to communicate with the player as well as NPCs, but one such instance that comes to mind is when Ilia scolds Link for pushing Epona too hard. We can see Link’s mouth moving as he speaks with the mayor. He also uses some not-so-subtle gestures to express different emotions in conjunction with his unheard dialogue.

This manner of using body language to communicate with the player has become the preferred method for Link to express himself in modern Zelda games, as opposed to short text boxes or verbal sound bites. These are sometimes accompanied by dialogue options, like those found in Skyward Sword, Breath of the Wild, and Tears of the Kingdom.

Unheard Does Not Mean Unspoken

There are a few other unique moments throughout the series where NPCs acknowledge things Link has said. One of the most notable of these moments come from Spirit Tracks. Embrose, the Lokomo of the Fire Sanctuary, actually comments on Link’s voice. After criticizing Zelda’s tone and lack of eye contact, he turns his comments towards Link. After asking Link a question, he remarks, “Good answer! And good posture and volume! You remind me of myself, boy!”

This is significant for two reasons. First, it establishes that Link’s voice has resolve. It is loud and confident, though probably not overbearing. Second, Link’s tone reminds Embrose of himself, who Zelda previously described as “peppy.” This means that Link, when he speaks, is not timid but upbeat and optimistic.

There is one incarnation of Link, however, that has silence baked into his personality. Breath of the Wild was the first Zelda game to have extensive voice acting. Absent from this vocal upgrade was Link. The game even provides a practical explanation for this.

In a diary, Princess Zelda writes:

“Bit by bit, I’ve gotten Link to open up to me. . . When I finally got around to asking why he’s so quiet all the time, I could tell it was difficult for him to say. But he did. . . With so much at stake, and so many eyes upon him, he feels it necessary to stay strong and to silently bear any burden. . . A feeling I know all too well… For him, it has caused him to stop outwardly expressing his thoughts and feelings.”

Just to emphasize: “I could tell it was difficult for him to say. But he did.” Link was stoic, and withdrew himself from speaking on personal manners. This doesn’t mean his character never spoke, just that he only spoke when needed, or when appropriate.

Mipha’s diary references Link speaking on such an occasion.

“When we were almost there [Ploymus Mountain], he told me to turn back. He insisted he would be fine on his own.”

“He told me.” “He insisted.” Even the one version of Link who is canonically quiet will speak. As such, it stands to reason that other incarnations of Link that are more outwardly expressive than Breath of the Wild‘s would be even more vocal.

Echoes of Wisdom’s Role Reversal

We know that Link’s silence has typically been for the sake of immersion; to put the player in his shoes. With that in mind, the upcoming Echoes of Wisdom takes Link out of the player role, even if he may be playable for at least a portion of the game. Does this role reversal open up the possibility for a Link with more dialogue? Think of it like this: If the sole reason that Link was silent was to immerse the player, then why keep him silent if it doesn’t serve that purpose?

From what was shown in the announcement trailer, Link and Zelda will share some screen time, so communication will have to take place in some capacity. With Princess Zelda taking on the playable role, it’s entirely possible (and not unlikely) that she will be the silent protagonist this time around for that same sense of immersion. It wouldn’t be unreasonable or out of character then for Link to shoulder the responsibility of carrying out these conversations with visible dialogue.

Would such an idea garner the same backlash as a vocal Link in the movie? Maybe a vocal Link in Echoes of Wisdom would help ease people into the idea of our hero having a more obvious speaking role. Either way, it will be interesting to see what this new Zelda game does with Link as an NPC.

A Silent Protagonist on the Big Screen?

Let’s look back again at the reason Link is “silent” in the first place. It is for the sake of immersion. Players are controlling Link. They are making decisions on his behalf. Silent dialogue allows the player to put their own voice and personality into conversations. This creates an illusion that NPCs are speaking directly to the player and vice versa, drawing the player into that world. Movies don’t interact with their audience in that way, and unless the Zelda movie goes full Hardcore Henry with a first-person perspective (please don’t), the silent protagonist trope will do nothing to immerse the audience.

Also, consider the broader perspective. For the Zelda movie to be successful, it needs to appeal to a wider audience than just the existing fan base. If the movie’s Link is silent, audiences unfamiliar with the source material may have a hard time connecting with the character. Being that this is Nintendo’s sophomore outing in the film industry, the types of projects we get from them in the future will ride on the success of this movie. So, like The Super Mario Bros. Movie (which similarly featured a speaking role for a traditionally quiet character), the filmmakers are going to play it safe in a lot of ways, and do their best to cast as wide a net as possible over the audience.

Keeping the Qualities of a Hero

There is sufficient evidence that Link has been a vocal character throughout the Zelda franchise, down to the very first game. Different incarnations of Link have different personalities and means of expressing themselves. The fact is though, that none of them are mute, and even those that are stoic are not silent.

By analyzing Link’s dialogue and the way he expresses himself, it seems that the through line of his character in all of its many iterations is his courage and his cheerful disposition. Even when Link’s silence is explained as an expression of stoicism, tough and full of resolve, he still has lighthearted, sassy responses in dialogue options. Link’s upbeat personality always shines through in his voice.

So, arguably, Link will speak on the big screen. What’s the big deal? As long as he is cheerful, optimistic, confident, and courageous, his character will be true to the games. Director Wes Ball has exhibited his profound love and respect for The Legend of Zelda, so have confidence that he and his writers will respect the source material and do the hero of Hyrule justice in his big screen debut.

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Now let’s hear what you think. Did you know Link was as vocal as he really is? Do you think Link will have a bigger speaking role in Echoes of Wisdom? What tone should Link’s voice carry in the upcoming movie? Tell us these thoughts and more in the comments below.