General Zelda Link of a Different Origin

[Beauts]

This is somewhat random: I was just wondering whether there will ever be a Zelda game where Link has a different background than he classically has in Zelda games. For example, instead of being brought up in a foresty environment or a ranch/fighting environment, he was brought up in the desert or marshland instead, or even the mountains.

If such a Zelda game was to be made, what differences do you think the change in culture for Link would make to his personality, to gaming experience, or even how he would react to the whole 'save the princess/Hyrule/triforce' situation.

The best way to think about this is probably if you think about it in the context of an existing game: I'll take the example of OoT Link. If Link's mother had taken him for refuge to be brought up by, say Darunia and the Gorons, what difference do you think it would have made to the game? Would Link have handled things differently, been less of kind of an aggressive kid and more peace loving and/or fierce?

Of course you could put that into an imaginary game though. Like, in a Zelda game where Demise in whatever form is trying to take over Hyrule and gain the Triforce, Gerudo-bred Link is destined to save Hyrule, but he's been raised as a thief in a totally different culture from the Hylian one.

So, what do you guys think?

Apologies btw if this makes no sense, I'm kind of tired.

 

[Big Octo]

I actually think that this is an interestinc concept. If Link were born in a more metropalitan area (say, Castle Town), and lived much of his early life there, I'm sure a different reaction could be written for him to the adventure he will inevitably embark on. Compared to other games, where the outset is somewhere that already screams adventure and has potential dangers from the get-go, perhaps this Link will be more reluctant to brave the outside world and live on his own. That would certainly be an interesting plot point for a future game and would build on Link's character. This setting allows him to prove his potential with visible results.

Regarding the setting of the area, I must say, the forest/lush land trope we've been seeing has been growing boring for me. Just for the sake of variety, I would enjoy having the outset in different geographical areas. I've thought about this many times in the past, and I almost always think of a snowy mountain setting. I'm not sure why, but this setting appeals to me. I've also pondered about a desert setting, but certainly not in as much depth as the former.

In both cases, I'd like to see some change and how it would affect a future game.

 

[Dimooshky]

That could be interesting, though we have seen similar circumstances before. In OoT, he is a Hylian living among Kokiri and in TP he is a long-eared humanoid living among small-eared humanoids. But to be brought up with a completely different group of people like Gerudo, Gorons or even Zoras could be cool, and could give link different attitudes or even abilities, perhaps being brought up by a Zora makes him a better swimmer, by a Goron makes him stronger, and by a Gerudo makes him stealthier..? Or possibly makes him dislike helping Hylians but he still has to.

And it did make sense

 

[Mangachick14]

I've always thought that would be a cool idea, especailly if he were brought up as a Gerudo (Except I guess he'd still have to be hylian somehow because of the whole 'one male every hundred years and Ganondorf kinda being that one male' thing) because then that would make Ganondorf his King, which could make for a cool plot element. Also, it would be a good excuse to bring the Gerudo back, 'cause for the biggest villian in the series' people, we sure haven't seen them much.

 

[Salem]

I'm not trying to knock your topic down but I don't really see how different the game might be since Link himself is a silent protagonist/blank slate king of character.

In most instances, he's a good swimmer, fights sword, and in general knows how to handle himself in most situations. So I don't see his skill set changing too much based on the environment he's brought up in.

Maybe he'll have different personality? I don't know, like I said earlier, he's silent protagonist, there isn't much that will change in him to reflect that he's from a different environment, because in from WW to TP and SS, he's brought up in different environments and and generally a very similar character.

 

[DarkLink17]

This is a very interesting topic, and it'd be cool to see it happen. Where Link was raised could ultimately affect his personality and fighting style, and maybe even the weapons he uses. Being raised in a Goron environment could make him more of a brute, while being a Zora orphan could increase his ability and combat skills underwater. Link comes across as a very shy character, and as others have said, him being brought up in a different environment could change his overall personality and views on life itself.

 

[r2d93]

It's interesting, and i would like to see Link raised in different environments, but im not sure how far i'd want to go with that.

I dont want Link raised by Gorons of Gerudos or Zora or anything like that, it just seems off and a bit unrealistic as far as Hyrule goes.
I wouldnt want link raised in a desert, but maybe a mountain village or castle town or by the shore on lake hylia.

I also want them to revisit the idea of Link having no known background, but being instead a wanderer/ traveler like in the original LoZ. This could give him a more vigilante type vibe because nobody knows him

 

[ihateghirahim]

Well, Link has actually been in a variety of origins

He appeared out of thin air in the first game

He was a boy living in the midst of Hyrule with his uncle during the decline (I think) of the kingdom.

He was a Hylian raised by forest children and a magic tree.

He lived with his grandma and little sister on a remote fishing village.

He was a lowly ranch hand in Ordon.

He was a student at the knight academy if skyloft.

So yeah, he's been around. I also enjoy how each story features him as a sleeping boy. This adds a connection and sense of familiarity between each game.

 

[Justac00lguy]

This is quite interesting, I've seen people bring up Link from another race, but this hypothetical scenario just seems a lot more likely and it could have shaped an entirely different story.

If we look at the Kokiri though, they are quite similar to Hylians, they might be kids, but I feel they carry similar traits as to what a typical Hylian/Human would have. They have no stand out strengths except for the fact that they never age, also they have a companion in the shape of a fairy. So I guess Link was raised under this innocence and I don't think it was any more different to how he would be raised in typical fashion -- explaining why his overall character in Ocarina of Time is standard.

So let's say he is in a completely different environment with a different culture - like you mentioned. If he was raised under the influence of the Gorons, then he could maybe inherit more strength-like aspects as well as confident persona. Under the Zoras he could be a noble figure who has been taught the ways of the waters and under the Gerudos he could be more of a stealthy like person and be more arrogant etc.

In fact this has sparked a new idea that I think could work. People want change but not too much right? One popular consensus is RPG-like aspects, well customisation is big, but would it fit into Zelda? Well this could work with this idea in mind, considering not too much change. We could pick what race Link grows up with, this will have minimal change to the story, but it will change certain abilities of Link as well his character. This could also lead to some sort of character development, how Link moulds himself into a hero from his original persona. Not only would this give the game more of a personal customisation feel but more of a strategic and diverse feel.

 

[Beauts]

This is quite interesting, I've seen people bring up Link from another race, but this hypothetical scenario just seems a lot more likely and it could have shaped an entirely different story.

If we look at the Kokiri though, they are quite similar to Hylians, they might be kids, but I feel they carry similar traits as to what a typical Hylian/Human would have. They have no stand out strengths except for the fact that they never age, also they have a companion in the shape of a fairy. So I guess Link was raised under this innocence and I don't think it was any more different to how he would be raised in typical fashion -- explaining why his overall character in Ocarina of Time is standard.

So let's say he is in a completely different environment with a different culture - like you mentioned. If he was raised under the influence of the Gorons, then he could maybe inherit more stench like aspects ad well as confident persona. Under the Zoras he could be a noble figure who has been taught the ways of the waters and under the Gerudos he could be more of a stealthy like person and be more arrogant etc.

In fact this has sparked a new idea that I think could work. People want change but not too much right? One popular consensus is RPG-like aspects, well customisation is big, but would it fit into Zelda? Well this could work with this idea in mind, considering not too much change. We could pick what race Link grows up with, this will have minimal change to the story, but it will change certain abilities of Link as well his character. This could also lead to some sort of character development, how Link moulds himself into a hero from his original persona. Not only would this give the game more of a personal customisation feel but more of a strategic and diverse feel.

This is what I was getting at in my tired nonsensical way- yeah the Kokiri are children but they are still pretty much Hylian, maybe with some magic, but there isn't much cultural difference except they live in treehouses rather than normal houses.

Most of the time, I don't like the idea of different beginnings being chosen etc, but in this case I think it could work like you said, by shaping Link in a different way within the same story. It would definitely be interesting and I definitely think it could be considered. Of course Link has had slightly different backgrounds in all the games, but those differences weren't significant in my opinion. I know a lot of people have pointed out that Link isn't always brought up in the forest or whatever, but it's the cultural aspect I find interesting, and the way it would affect Link's execution during the adventure. I like the idea of altered skill sets- kind of like Majora's Mask, but with more subtle differences than having to put on different masks for thngs.

 

[Doc]

This is quite interesting, I've seen people bring up Link from another race, but this hypothetical scenario just seems a lot more likely and it could have shaped an entirely different story.

If we look at the Kokiri though, they are quite similar to Hylians, they might be kids, but I feel they carry similar traits as to what a typical Hylian/Human would have. They have no stand out strengths except for the fact that they never age, also they have a companion in the shape of a fairy. So I guess Link was raised under this innocence and I don't think it was any more different to how he would be raised in typical fashion -- explaining why his overall character in Ocarina of Time is standard.

So let's say he is in a completely different environment with a different culture - like you mentioned. If he was raised under the influence of the Gorons, then he could maybe inherit more stench like aspects ad well as confident persona. Under the Zoras he could be a noble figure who has been taught the ways of the waters and under the Gerudos he could be more of a stealthy like person and be more arrogant etc.

In fact this has sparked a new idea that I think could work. People want change but not too much right? One popular consensus is RPG-like aspects, well customisation is big, but would it fit into Zelda? Well this could work with this idea in mind, considering not too much change. We could pick what race Link grows up with, this will have minimal change to the story, but it will change certain abilities of Link as well his character. This could also lead to some sort of character development, how Link moulds himself into a hero from his original persona. Not only would this give the game more of a personal customisation feel but more of a strategic and diverse feel.

This is an awesome idea. Possibly one of the better ideas ever to be presented on these forums, IMO. I mean, some of the earlier but not to earlier Zelda games were designed to make the player feel like Link, rather than just controlling Link. This would completely add to our freedom and help quench those who are begging for more RPG elements.

My favorite part of this idea is the fact that when wanting to do another play through, it can feel new as we learn the strengths or weaknesses of the race Link is raised in. Going back and restarting feels less like restarting. And perhaps even the dungeons or bosses can be affected by this. Like, multiple routes possible in a dungeon, because a Link raised by Gorons is stronger than let's say a Link raised by Zoras. The goron brought up Link could have paths he has to move heavy objects or break walls to continue, while Zora brought up Link has to swim somewhere to advance. Only in a few dungeons, or perhaps as just treasures hidden in the overworld.

It could work.

 

[Ventus]

Seeing that pic made me think, what if Link wasn't RAISED at all? I mean, his upbringing really means nothing at all in the grand scheme of things, so what if Link was already a Grandmaster of sorts and he had to go through some rediscovery period? ;p