Should Link Die?

[Caleb, Of Asui]

98.72358976% chance it DOESN'T happen. Enough Zelda games have a different character as Link, though, that they could hypothetically make it work. If it's just a random and stupid thing, of course nobody would like it. If they ever decide to have Link die, it has to be a new Link and it has to make sense. For it to work, they have to set it up so that it's inevitable, or at least predictable, that Link will die within the story. It has to fit somehow and work with the story for that specific game.

It would be sad, of course, or else it would be pointless. It might roll over better with fans if it's uncertain whether or not he actually dies. Something would have to happen that makes you think "yeah, he's probably dead," but nothing like a dead body or someone saying he's dead. This would be the darkest Zelda game by far.

If they do make a sequel to this hypothetical game (i.e. AoL, LA, MM, PH), though this is even less likely, I can imagine them putting this Link in an environment where it's rather dubious whether or not he's dead.

I still hold to the fact that it's pretty much impossible and it would be tremendously hard for them to make a game like this that we'll actually like. Even if they kill Link, they should never just keep him out of all future games. This might confuse a lot of people who don't realize that there are different Links. It's most likely a bad idea if Link dies.

 

[HeroofAges]

Well if there are several 'Links' in the series I doubt you can kill him off. Also you can't kill off the 'face of the franchise' Zelda wouldn't be Zelda without Link. But I could see one incarnation maybe sacrificing himself to banish some evil at the end of a game.. then maybe Becoming the evil of the next game.. like FF10.. If they want to take one of the timelines to a more serious place, they could totaly use a death to bring the story home.. or why not have a Princess Zelda die?

 

[Gokou]

Link has died...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4GxARm_QiCo

 

[Gokou]

Oh boo hoo. You added a negative to my rep for that last post. Do the classic Zeldas annoy you?

 

[Zeruda]

If Link ever dies in a game, it should not be the hero of said game. Why? Because, in the Zelda series, Link=Player, and until that is changed, it'd be killing off the player. Nintendo would not do that, especially our beloved Shiggy. However, say a former Link is seen in the game, it wouldn't be a bad idea to have him offed. It might start the Link specific to the game off on his journey, whether it's to avenge the former Link or to aspire to be like him.

Killing off the hero only works in very emotionally developed games like Fire Emblem. Zelda has been developing their characters' emotions more and more as games are released, but right now, offing the hero wouldn't fit with the type of game that Zelda is. If Nintendo decides to drop the whole Player=Link thing (which I hope they do not), then it wouldn't be so bad... but Zelda is different from other games, and killing off the hero- honorably or not- just wouldn't be a good idea.

 

[zzRICHzz]

so i been thinking about this for a while after seeing the thread and i came up with an idea....

i, for the most part agree with Zeruda there. you cant really just kill off Link cuz he IS the player. he has always been described as a link or avatar that is essentially the player... he is what connects the player to the game. he is what makes you being part of the game possible. its the reason why none of what he has to say is in dialogue. thats the reason why he always has a sort of an innocent yet vacant personality type. what you say is what he says and his personality is your personality.... so as Zeruda said

killing off Link would be killing off the player...(can't put it any simpler than that)

however, i do like the idea of him being "revived" in some way as some have said earlier. but what i was thinking was i would like to see something like a new Link who is you, the player, (as always) but in THIS new era the previous hero is a lot more glorified and when things in the world start to go evil then it is somehow up to this new Link to revive the old hero in order to defeat the evil that had emerged.

so it'd be like throughout the game you know that you're NOT the hero instead you have to revive the hero... except you have to go through all these trials and tests of courage to collect whatever it is you need to collect to revive him. When after you do he or some other greater force reveals to you that after all your efforts and accomplishments you have proven that you are infact the new hero and either he helps you or gives you what it is you need to defeat the new evil...

kinda like handing down the right to be hero from the previous one...

well its just my idea thanks to all your inspirations

i like it ^_^

 

[Gohma]

This could be fun after all:
If Link dies, then it may result in a new Zelda game, where we might control Ganon, (or any other villain) trying to conquer Hyrule...
It would be original.

 

[BlueLink57]

Meh. Link is the mascot of The Legend of Zelda. It would be like killing Mario, which probably has been said before anyway. Unless he would be revived in some way like Sonic '06 (however much that game sucked) or Chrono Trigger, Nintendo would NEVER do that.

 

[Bob Majinki]

I always saw the end of Link's Awakening as the closest we'd ever get to that (although that is my interpretation of the theory - if anyone has counterpoints to this please explain, I am interested)

 

[Dark Princess]

Link needs to live. If he wasn't in the game, there wouldn't be any new games. It's as simple as that. ;P

 

[Blood Wolf]

But DP, Snake dies in the Metal Gear Solid series and they still made them! D:

I may not be heavy into LoZ at the moment, but I agree; Link dying would suck very much and not be fun at all.

If Ganon was to die completely, no more Ganon, people would be happy.
Maybe for an added bonus being crushed by rocks or something. =P

 

[Oathkeeper95]

how about link fakes his own death? he facing ganon/dorf somewhere around the beginning of the game but is thrown of a cliff or something and teh games mentor (navi, KoRL, midna, etc) shows up and saves him but tells link to stay hidden because now that is his secret weapon since apperantly hes "dead". he can put on a new suit of heros clothes or something that covers his face and has a whole new ninja style way of using his weapons and stuff! And he can alternate from ninja link to regular link whenever he wants! ......wow this is really starting to sound like how the TP wolf/link relationship went.Oh ,Oh,and itll be cool to implement being a goron, zora, etc like in MM. After playing MM rolling around in goron form with spikes surrounding you is now my favorite form of transportation.tell me what you guys think

 

[TVTMaster]

If you want Link to die that badly, go ahead and drive him off a cliff a few times.

Anyway, yeah, Link is multiple people, but the destruction of the Triforce of Courage itself would be the closest equivalent. That's how to kill off Link, if you need to.

 

[basement24]

I think it's pretty much impled that certain Links have, at some point in time, died off screen since they disappear and make way for new, younger Links to take their place.

That said, it would be interesting to have one game where he dies at the end. Evil could either triumph, and it could be shown in the end credits how Hyrule would be if evil was the victor. A direct sequel would then be in order to show a new hero rise to do away with the evil. It doesn't have to be moments later, but years could have passed where Hyrule is in a state of disarray.

Of course, this would be a bit depressing, so it could be more interesting to have Link defeat the main evil of a game with his dying breath. I always liked how they handled the Death of Superman in the comic books back in the early 90s (well, except for his ressurection...) He died saving thhe city / world that he loved and found until the bitter end. Even when he had nothing left in him, he still fought on until he was sure the world would be safe, and then he passed away. Something like this for Link would be truly heroic, and would make for some powerful storytelling I believe.

 

[Gohma]

how about link fakes his own death?

That's what I've done in my Zelda comic-
Since Link has the Triforce of Courage, maybe he could "ressurect" like Ganon did with the Triforce of Power.
So, yeah, He dies for a moment then comes back to life to save Zelda.
I would see this scene just before the last dungeon...