Does Fighting/Combat Prowess Contribute to Building Link's Character

[Din Akera]

Characters are built through many different aspects of storytelling; dialogue, reactions to situations, body language, background information, relationships with other characters, and much more. In the Zelda series, Link is the hero who always rises to the occasion, usually form a fairly low societal status (farmer, kokiri child, just a young boy living on an island, ect.). As the player we have watched Link grow and develop over and over again and develop into the hero that saved the world. I feel there is certain characteristics of Link that allow us to view him as that hero, his amazing fighting ability and courage being one of the most prominent.

In my experience, games in which Link presents very high quality fighting abilities and techniques I have developed a more heroic sense of character. On the flip side, games in which link's fighting style is more simplistic, obviously he is still the hero, but the character is not developed into the same extent as a fighting threat, in my opinion. The best example being Twilight Princess GC's Hidden skills versus Skyward Sword's one-to-one motion that resulted in much flailing by Link and I.

Do you feel that the extent of link's fighting ability effects his character development? Do you view Link as more or less heroic in some games over others? Are there other aspects than combat that contribute to Link's heroism?

 

[JuicieJ]

I'm sorry to say, but if Link looked foolish in Skyward Sword because you waggled, that's your fault. If you'd slow down, he would have the prowess you're looking for.

Anyway... well, um... I don't know how to answer this. It's never really crossed my mind before. I guess no, but also yes? I mean, I don't want Link to look goofy while fighting, but flashy moves aren't quite necessary, either. As long as the combat is well-designed and engaging (Majora's Mask and Skyward Sword being the prime examples), I'm good.

 

[Din Akera]

I'm sorry to say, but if Link looked foolish in Skyward Sword because you waggled, that's your fault. If you'd slow down, he would have the prowess you're looking for.

I didn't mean to imply it was the game's fault. I know it was mine. But it still contributed to my construct of his character. This is also true of the earlier games. Which you could tell me that the combat was simplistic due to the technology of the time. Yes, I recognize that. But, does your view of Link in those games differ from the newer ones regardless of the reason for the differences in the combat system?

 

[Ventus]

Combat alone doesn't define Link's character, but I do agree that it makes him seem more "heroic", depending on what he does, when and why. For example, we see Link's ferocity in Twilight Princess as well as Skyward Sword. Although I'd dub SS Link as the more technical of the two fighters, they both prove from gameplay as well as emotional cues that they have a certain zeal to save the world (or whatever their goal is to save). They aren't lazy at all.

Actually...no I do see a problem with this though. Despite the combat showing me that Link doesn't joke around, he never actually progresses into the fighting style. He somehow automatically knows it from the start! Link needs to start exhibiting a bit of laze or ineptitude, then eventually grow out of it to make his character more believable.

 

[Dragoncat]

Very interesting question, I would say it doesnt really matter. Storywise, having the triforce of courage, while not as potent as the triforce of power, pretty much insures that the hero will be an absolute terror to all who oppose him on the battlefield. He has nerves of steel and a strong will to achieve his goal, so he will fight tooth and nail, yada yada. The triforce of courage to my knowledge is embeded in every Link from SS to ST and all in between. So basically, even if he begins as someone who fights like an old lady, his triforce piece will bring out that ability when the time comes.

I never really thought much about this, so yeah...

 

[ihateghirahim]

indeed it is true.

Link jumping up into the air, impaling his opponent, and the doing that sword swinging thing, made TP awesome for me. He needs a fierce and stylish combat approach. This, and other factors, contributed to the success of games like TP. The lack of it, and other factors, led to the downfall of WW when compared to other Zelda games.