General Zelda Why Are People Obsessed with Having Dark Link As a Villain?

[Dio]

The title says it all. Why!?
I often look at peoples suggestions for villains being introduced in new Zelda games, and always one of the popular villains that come up is Dark Link. Dark link is not a villain, there is really nothing they could do with him to make him a villain, especially since 3D Zelda games are so story orientated now anyway with more complex characters. He is a creation of Ganon and is simply made of dark magic, how does that make a villain? Villain by definition is an evil character in a story. Dark link is not a evil character, but an embodiment of some magic that happens to be able to mirror the attacks of link and take on his shape. Dark magic has no motive, it does the will of its creator.

I want to hear from those who want dark link to appear as a villain, how exactly he could be used as a character.
And those of you who think he would make a terrible main villain, come and tell me.

 

[DarkLink17]

Dark Link is just as much a villain as Phantom Ganon or Agahnim, and deserves a much larger role than he has previously had.

I wouldn't exactly want him as a main villain, but to have a more pronounced spot as a dungeon boss. I know this has already been done in Zelda 2, but it was so plain and simple. So much more could be done with his fighting style and difficulty.

 

[Salem]

That's something I don't quite understand. Maybe it's because he's a subversion of the main charcater of the series, he's just cool cause, he's dark or something.

Dark Link isn't even a character, he's actually closer to being a thing then an actual person, just like Phantom Ganon.

He is a creation of Ganon

Depends on the dark link in question.

 

[Dio]

Can you tell me of one that was not Ganon's. I have not played every title in the series but all the one's I have seen were Ganon's

 

[Mercedes]

Because people like the bad boy.

The mysterious, dark, 'enigma' type character is something many people are quite partial to, can see examples of it all over games, TV, movies. I'm personally not but, yeah, the gaming populace at large seems to like them type of characters. I guess because they are a mystery, so people would like to see some kind of back story or depth, and seeing 'the other side', so to speak, is full of variety and contrats with the goodie goodie Zelda we always have, and the whole being dark is cool thing that many people think too.

I can live without Dark Link as some kind of Hero, got no real need to see him as anything but something I can hit with my sword.

 

[Heroine of Time]

Right NOW he isn't a character. But I think what people want is for him to BECOME one. He's very mysterious -- I mean, we don't even know if he was created by Ganon as you mentioned; no canon source has said that, unless HH had something about it. I'm pretty sure everyone likes the idea of Dark Link because of that.

Personally, though, I dislike the idea of Dark Link being a main villain and I really hope Nintendo doesn't go through with it. I mean, I'd probably still play the game, but something about giving Dark Link a personality and/or voice kind of bothers me. Maybe part of it is the fact that it wouldn't make sense for Link not to talk if Dark Link does. XD I like him as is and wouldn't mind seeing him return in that state (maybe even as a dungeon boss as mentioned) but not as the main bad guy.

EDIT: Got ninja'd by a TON of people... XD

Can you tell me of one that was not Ganon's. I have not played every title in the series but all the one's I have seen were Ganon's

I'm pretty sure the only ones ever shown to be a creation of the villain are the ones in Oracle of Ages made by Veran. The one in OoT has no background, in ST there's nothing, and most people ASSUME that the one in AoL is made by the King of Hyrule, although that's not confirmed, either. Shadow Link was made by Ganon, though, but he's different.

 

[Salem]

Can you tell me of one that was not Ganon's. I have not played every title in the series but all the one's I have seen were Ganon's

The Aol one was created as a test for Link.

OoT is probably a creation of Ganon, although it wasn't explained to my knowledge
Four Swords adventures one is a creation of the dark mirror, Ganon was the main bad guy of that game, so he's indirectly responsible.

 

[CynicalSquid]

Four Swords adventures one is a creation of the dark mirror, Ganon wasa the main bad guy of that game, so he's indirectly responsible.

I just wanted to clear this up. The one in Four Swords is Shadow Link which isn't the same as Dark Link.

 

[DarkestLink]

I'm not interested in seeing Dark Link as a main villain, but I do want him around to fight--preferably one I can defeat over and over. After playing TP and SS, there is nothing I'd love more than to fight a Link with all the same abilities I have...which is why a versus multiplayer mode also appeals to me.

 

[Salem]

I just wanted to clear this up. The one in Four Swords is Shadow Link which isn't the same as Dark Link.

OOOHHHHH, right, honestly, I thought "dark" and "shadow" where interchange.

I'm not interested in seeing Dark Link as a main villain, but I do want him around to fight--preferably one I can defeat over and over. After playing TP and SS, there is nothing I'd love more than to fight a Link with all the same abilities I have...which is why a versus multiplayer mode also appeals to me.

Maybe, he can be like in a practice mode or something as well?

 

[onebizarrekai]

I just thought it would be interesting if Dark Link had a larger role in a Zelda game. Not even a main villain, just not a random guy whom you don't know anything about whatsoever.

 

[tketle]

I couldn't agree more. Dark Link's role was entirely fulfilled in OoT. He was never intended to be anything more than an obstacle, so giving him a larger role would make no sense.

I'll also point to Dark Samus's lackluster performance in the Prime trilogy for making me reluctant for the idea to return in a Zelda title.

 

[Zorth]

While I agree that Dark Link shouldn't really be a villain one way they could make it work storywise is doing a "fighting the inner demons" kind of story, Dark Link being everything dark that Link has buried within him that takes its own shape and decides to be the "new" Link. So the story could revolve more around those two characters, well one character, but about the good part versus dark. Then at the same time having some dilemma on a grander scale going on in Hyrule, more something that's in the "background" while the main focus is between Link and his evil counterpart.

I actually find that they could do something similar that I mentioned above but not let the entire story revolve around Dark Link as the bad guy, more like an obstacle that occasionally shows up through our adventures as a means by the true main villain to stop us. So Dark Link would get a little more spotlight than just sit in some boring dungeon but not be important enough to be the main thing to focus on.

 

[Big Octo]

I find myself asking the same question. I've seen many fans treat Dark Link as if he was his own character. Well, all I see in him is another enemy to fight. I think it would actually be somewhat difficult to make a game in which he was the main villain. It would raise the question "How did he come into existence?". I think some fans need to come to terms with the fact that Dark Link can't really exist without someone to create him. In all incarnations, he is a lifeless spell. He doesn't have feelings, he doesn't have motives, he doesn't have ambitions, he was conjured to kill Link.

So go ahead, put him in future games, but don't put him in the hot seat. That would just cause a lot of trouble for the writers, and may ultimately be a bad descision. Sure, they could flesh out his character, but I don't really see any reason in doing so.

 

[Mangachick14]

I think maybe people just like the concept the villain being your "dark side" or an evil version of you. I'll admit, I think this is kind of a cool concept, but it would look kind of odd to have someone who looks just like Link talk. I don't know... it just wouldn't feel right.

On another note, I can't think of a time when Dark Link's appearance was fully explained--at least, not OOt. I mean, Dark Link was just there and then you defeat him. Ganon never mentions him, neither does Zelda or Navi or any other NPC. I'm pretty sure HH didn't mention anything about him either. Dark Link very well could've had nothing to do with Ganondorf for all we know.

I personally, would kind of like to see the return of Dark Link, maybe not as a main villain but as the main boss at the end of one of the dungeons. I just wanna fight him.