ZD Top 5 – Incarnations of Link

Instead of writing a long and flowery introduction for these like I usually do, I’m simply going to let the topic stand on its own. It’s the Top 5 Links, judged by whatever criterion our staff felt like: humor, toughness, heroic deeds… As usual, feel free to leave your own lists in the comments below.

Jon Lett – View Profile

5. Fierce Deity
4. The Hero of Winds
3. Zora Link
2. Dark Link (Four Swords Adventures)
1. Purple Link

Purple Link is love. Purple Link is life. For real, though, If I were to choose one color of Link in Four Swords, it would be Purple. I am not really sure why. Maybe it is just because his is the most unappreciated of the colors. Tri Force Heroes only having three Links out of all of them is, funnily enough, more than a little disappointing. Obviously the idea of three players maximum is quite weird on its own, but Purple being left out is lame. He will always be the most fashion forward of Hyrule’s heroes.

Thomas Jacobs – View Profile

5. Link (Cartoon)
4. Link (Goron, OoT)
3. Purple Link
2. The Hero of Winds (WW, PH)
1. The Hero of Legend (ALttP, OoS/OoA, LA)

My favorite Link is the Hero of Legend: the one who saved Hyrule, Holodrum and Labrynna, and awoke the Wind Fish. Not only does he perform these great feats of power, wisdom and courage four times, he also does it a long time before he’s the age of many other Links (Hero Chosen by the Gods, the Reincarnated Hero). He also gets the sweetest gear: magical items, the Roc’s cape, the Pegasus Boots, the Switch Hook, the Magnet Gloves, the Biggoron Sword, the Magic Rod and so on. Meanwhile, the Hero of Winds is a little adorabadass saving his sister, the ocean and his captain, all in one go. It is also quite possible that he had a hand in founding New Hyrule alongside the pirate crew. Purple Link on the other hand… well, Green, Red, Blue and Purple were a team in the Four Swords games. To not see him appear in Tri Force Heroes is sad, but I’m still expecting him to be the main villain. Goron Link is technically not a Link, but still, his father named him after Link for his heroics when he was a child. That’s pretty badass. Finally there’s the Link from the cartoon, who might not be very nice is still very heroic. Plus, he invented the phrase “Well excuuuuse me, Princess!”, a phrase without which the world would be a lesser place.

Kevin O’Rourke – View Profile

5. Master Quest Link (Hyrule Warriors)
4. Wolf Link (Twilight Princess)
3. Dark Link (Ocarina of Time)
2. Zora Link (Majora’s Mask)
1. Fierce Deity Link (Majora’s Mask)

Majora’s Mask has the most options for this list considering the many transformations that Link undergoes in the game. The top two from Majora’s Mask in my opinion are Zora Link which was a lot of fun to control, and had the coolest instrument in the game. The most fun transformation was the Fierce Deity which could only be used in boss battles, breathing new life into them. Recently in Majora’s Mask 3D you could expand your Fierce Deity play time by using him in the fishing holes. Out of all of the incarnations of Dark Link, the best version was from Ocarina of Time where you fight him in the Water Temple. This battle is one of the standouts in Ocarina of Time and one of the most challenging to most players. Other notable versions of Link are Wolf Link from Twilight Princess and the Master Quest character skin for Link in Hyrule Warriors.

Alasyn Eletha – View Profile

5. Skyward Sword Link
4. Ocarina of Time/Majora’s Mask Link
3. Twilight Princess Link
2. Hyrule Warriors Link
1. Wind Waker Link

I’ve always had a special place in my heart for the many reincarnates of Link. I didn’t really get into the many variations of our favorite hero- Purple Link, Fierce Deity Link, etc- because I was always too busy comparing and contrasting the main guy. I think that Wind Waker Link is my favorite because he’s still just a child and still very much acts like a child as much as he does a hero. It’s different seeing his accomplishments than the Link of Ocarina of Time and Majora’s Mask, and where his journey leads him in a way that seems happy and promising. He reaches out to that cheesy Disney side of me that never seems to want to grow up.

Jarrod Hadrian – View Profile

5. Skyward Sword Link
4. Twilight Princess Link
3. Ocarina of Time/Majora’s Mask Link
2. Hero of Legend
1. Wind Waker Link

It is always interesting to see how Link is changed in Zelda games and he truly does have different personalities in all of the titles. Although Skyward Sword was not the best Zelda game, this was the first iteration of Link in the timeline and his friendship with Zelda really adds to the narrative. Twilight Princess Link is an average young man that works on a farm. He help his town out wherever he can and he later discovers all of the evil present in the Land and he helps to defeat it. Ocarina of Time Link was always made fun of by the Kokira with the exception of his friend Saria, he did not live a joyful life but when he was told that he needed to save the land he accepted his fate. He is shown to care for Navi who was one of his true friends because she was always there to guide and it was great that he looked for her in Majora’s Mask. The Hero of Legend is the most experienced Link and he has decided to save so many people, with the decision appearing to be his own. The best Link is arguably Wind Waker Link. He is shown that he greatly loves his sister and it made me so happy to see how far he went to save her. He is scared throughout the entire game but he overcomes that fear and is so brave by conquering those fears. Even once he had saved his sister he later stepped up to the challenge and defeated Ganondorf due to the motivation he was given from Ganondorf taking his Aryll.