The Legend of Zelda What is Link's Motivation in LoZ and ALTTP?

[Zurriel]

I mean yeah, I get that he is a Hero he helps people because thats who he is. But seriously, Link goes though some pretty big things emotionally and physically in the two games mentioned above. I mean can you imagine facing dragons disembody hands and killing hundreds of creatures?

Legend of Zelda
Here Link finds Impa surrounded by Ganon's minions and-being the Hero he is- he steps in and saves her. It then turns out that Impa was looking for someone with courage enough to find the eight pieces of the Triforce of Wisdom, defeat Ganon and save the princess.

Why does Link care? Having courage is one thing but risking your life in eight horror filled dungeons for someone you don't know sounds a little weird to me. Maybe he is a Hero for hire?

A Link to the Past
Similar to Loz, I'm not asking about the beginning of the game when Link gets the message from Zelda. I'm wondering why he became a wanted outlaw and went for 11 dungeons to stop Ganon after he rescued Zelda. I guess you could say he wanted to avenge his Uncles death, in that case he wasn't doing to help Hyrule but to help himself...maybe it was both?

(I'm more wondering of LoZ btw)

I'm not heartless, given the right reason I would do the same (Such as if I was rescuing a friend or family member like in SS) But to me it seems like Link does it just because a princess asked him to and I just don't understand that. So why do you think Link sets out on these quests, is he following orders or is their something personal to be gained?

 

[PalaeoJoe]

Link could easily decide to be the hero based on the possibility that either himself or some one he loves might be killed under Ganon's reign (some one he loves may have already died) and because he is courageous he has the will power to do it. Once Impa tells him exactly what the problem is and how to solve it Link also has the knowledge to succeed.

There need not be a complicated motivation for Link to save the world because if the world get's destroyed so dose he. Fighting is the only way to survive.

 

[Doc]

Well, for LoZ, I think that Link was doing it for the purpose of saving Hyrule. If I were to tell you that you had to rescue someone or fall under the rule of a wicked and power hungry dictator, you would probably do what you could to stop it. And considering that Link clearly was a fighter prior to the game (he rescued Impa, didn't he), he clearly knew he was capable. I don't think Link was thinking "Zelda is in trouble! I must go save her!" I imagine he was thinking "Hyrule must be rescued from this imposing threat. And, golly, if I have to save this chick to do it, then that is what I shall do!"

And for ALttP, I assume it was to carry out his uncle's wishes at first. I also believe that if someone starts talking to you in your dreams, you would most likely find out what was going on. Finding his uncle dying, Link must have realized he had to do this last thing for his uncle and save Zelda. And by doing this, Link was immediately a fugitive, and therefore had to stop Aghanim else he would suffer the same fate as his beloved uncle. Also...he did kinda discover that Aghanim killed the king and was doing weird voodoo magic on a bunch of girls. But, of course, all the guards were trouble and the people (mostly) shrieked away in fear, preventing Link from telling them the information he learned. So of course, he had to be the lone hero in this tale.

 

[43ForceGems]

Can't you see how hot that is??? Motivation is achieved

 

[Curmudgeon]

Yeah, yeah. Collect the Triforce. Save the Girl(s). Defeat Ganon. Blahblublah.

The Old Man sets your mission early

It's pretty simple: Stab Everything. The Link of the Defeated Timeline is a (mostly) silent, emotionless butcher. The Hero of Time will be avenged. In blood.

 

[Salem]

Link in LoZ's instruction manual was said to have a sense of justice I think, I dunno about alttp though.

Having mysterious motivations is fine by me.

 

[r2d93]

Well in LoZ, Link isn't an *******. So when Impa is like "ermagerd Hyrule is a piece of poop now I need someone to save Hyrule and the Princess" Link obviously accepts cuz he's a cool hero nice guy like that. Plus it'd be a dick move to just be like "eeehhhhh I just saved you that's kind of all the nice stuff I wanted to do today..."

And in ALttP He's the last of the bloodline of the Knights of Hyrule and he's the last chance to save the kingdom. Plus he's got both Sahasrahla and Zelda nagging him all the time

 

[Zurriel]

When it comes down to it, I'm starting to think that maybe the developers left Link with "mysterious motivations" on purpose. To leave the reasons to the player, as a "Link" to the game. And with ALTTP was the same reasons, just with an added few (Homeland being threatened, last knight ect...) Still it would be nice to find out what might have been going though his head.

 

[DuelMark]

In the original, it's said he had a burning sense of justice. It wasn't his job, he didn't do it for a kiss, he did it because he was a good kid who wanted to do good.

ALTTP, it's possibly he wanted to avenge his uncle.

 

[Spiritual Mask Salesman]

Ok in LoZ he just did it to save the world from Ganon maybe if he hadn't done anything then all his friends and him would die. Although who's to say he even has friends, you never see them. He probably just did it in hopes of becoming a king if he rescued zelda.

In AlttP he probably did it to get revenge for his uncle. He becomes a outlaw because he is the last possible person to end Ganon's reign.

 

[snakeoiltanker]

In LoZ i feel its almost just your cliche Man Of Justice story, very generic, as games didnt need much explaining then!

In ALttP... i just feel that this kid it a freakin Bad ***. he starts with these creepy voice in his head. He watches his Uncle Die, He rescues Zelda, just to have her ripped out of his grasps again by the same ****** that tried taking her in the first place, and found out this ****** was doing crazy ritualistic crap on a bunch of young girls. I think our hero just dashed into that first fight with Agahnim saying "aww hell no!"

Then he just continues to slaughter an entire Realm of Creatures who have been living in the Dark World all willy nilly having a good life! Systematically takes out these Rare Creatures residing in dungeons strewn across a land he knew nothing of till he has saved all the chicks. And finally defeating this Ganon guy he's been hearing about, and goes home to call it a week.

Yeah i would say this ALttP Link, is just a Beast!

**I just want it to be known, other than slipping the other word for Butt, those other words are not Curse words, LOL i have no idea why they are blocked out. its pretty funny that they are though!