Daily Debate: Is Link a Motivated Hero or a Sleepyhead Who Gets the Job Done?

Link, as we know, is the hero we deserve. He saves Princess Zelda, saves Hyrule, and helps out the townsfolk. It doesn’t matter whether it’s saving them from an alien invasion or building a whole new town. Yes, Link deserves all the recognition from his countless side quests and world-saving heroics, but is he really that motivated? Perhaps all Link wants to do is go back to his favorite hobby, which is sleeping. 

It’s a common trope to see a hero awaken from their slumber and accept their mission. In chapter 1 of the Sailor Moon manga and the anime’s first episode, Usagi takes a nap after a long day only to be awakened by Luna and gain her powers. She has no idea what’s going on yet, but she fully accepts her role as Sailor Moon. In Square Enix’s Legend of Mana, our hero jumps right out of bed after sleep, and we begin our gameplay. In The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past, we start with Link waking up from his precious sleep and accepts his duty to save Princess Zelda. Even the first episode of  The Legend of Zelda animated series begins with Link asleep and dreadfully having to wake up.

Trope aside, I am convinced that Link–before becoming a hero–is a regular guy who loves snoozing. At the beginning of Skyward Sword, Link is disheveled and slowly coming about as he reads Zelda’s letter. There are bags under his eyes, for goodness sake! Does this mean our boy suffers from insomnia? Even when he sits idly on any chair, he dozes off right before catching himself. Yikes! I’ve been there. And it’s not the first time Princess Zelda is waiting for him either: In The Minish Cap, she has to enter his house and wait for him to wake up before they take off to the Picori Festival. That’s right, Link loves sleeping in so much that he doesn’t care if he makes royalty wait. He’s making sure he’s getting in those full hours (or years) of sleep. 

In Ocarina of Time, Link is asleep in his bed before being rudely woken up by Navi to start his adventure. However, his drowsiness doesn’t end; Link is stretching and yawning throughout the game whenever he stands idly. Our hero doesn’t need Lon Lon Milk, he needs coffee! Lastly, at the beginning of Wind Waker, Link is seen enjoying a sweet siesta in the island breeze–talk about living life!

It seems Link’s core personality trait is being tired, and his favorite hobby is sleeping. I get it because I can relate. We are all heroes in our adventure called life, but sometimes we, too, need a good rest before we fully accept our quests in the morning. 

What do you think? Is Link truly motivated to fight? Or is he fighting to get a snooze in between quests? Let us know in the comments below!