Identity of the "Hero of Men" (from "Minish Cap")

[Forlong]

I heard a theory that it was Gustaf, who was made king as a reward for his brave deeds. This theory made me want to find a way to smack someone through the internet. I could go into how monarchies don't work that way, but let's just look at this guy:

Gee...he's a kid wearing a green frickin' tunic...
Considering the names of every other Hylian kid wearing a green tunic, who do you think he is!?
I suppose they also think this chick is Lady Gaga:


I just don't get it. The guy is clearly meant to be another Link. Why would you assume otherwise?

 

[Ventus]

Well I think the real question is which Link. I'm willing to say that it is SS Link but at the same time, I don't think TMC is part of the same timeline that the other non FS games are and more than likely SS Link would be "Hero of the Sky" or something to that effect. Hero of Men...hrm....

 

[skybird11]

i think its a link not yet in his own game. this game would have to take place 100 years before MC because the portal opens every 100 years.

 

[JuicieJ]

I agree that the theory that it was the King is groundless, but I also don't think we'll ever see a game with the Hero of Men. We've got the trilogy that is the FSS, and Vaati's (the main villain of the trilogy) origins were brought about in MC. I just personally don't see why an origin story to that is needed. It's not like with OoT, which was begging for a prequel with its unanswered questions (like the MS being legendary and the tales of the HoT, and such). Everything that needed to be explained really already has been for the FSS.

 

[Caleb, Of Asui]

It's almost certainly a Link, that's pretty obvious, and I'd certainly agree that the theory of him being King Gustaf is groundless. I don't think we can say it's the Link of any Zelda game we've played, though. If and when they do make a prequel to The Minish Cap, it will be pretty obvious that we have a prequel to The Minish Cap on our hands, which is exactly what happened when they made The Minish Cap as a prequel to Four Swords in which we got the backstory involving a previous hero. There were some inaccuracies between the two stories, so that may be the case again. I wouldn't say there's absolutely no reason for them to do it, though. They could do something interesting/creative to explain why the Minish are known to most people as the Pociri in The Minish Cap, as well as perhaps some way to elaborate on what exactly the Light Force is, if there's any relation to the Triforce.

 

[Capitaine]

I think the Hero of Men is Swiftblade the First.

This is a technique only I have mastered.
Only one who holds the sacred blade can perform...the Great Spin Attack!

As you can see, he says that he is the only one to have mastered the Great Spin Attack and then immediately goes on to say that only one with the sacred blade (Picori Blade/Four Sword) can perform the Great Spin Attack. He must therefore have wielded the Picori Blade at some point in the past.

 

[Hero_in_Green]

As we know, I think the Hero of Men is it's own story within the Zelda universe. Clearly we haven't seen a game showcasing these events and I also have no reason to believe this character is Gustaf. Of course Gustaf states that he was a hero, but he could be a totally different hero. From the green tunic, we COULD theorize that this is a different Link. However, I believe that Nintendo intended that stain glass window to be a representation of the Hero in the form of Link so we could relate to the character.

 

[Rytex]

I heard a theory that it was Gustaf, who was made king as a reward for his brave deeds. This theory made me want to find a way to smack someone through the internet. I could go into how monarchies don't work that way, but let's just look at this guy:
View attachment 15389
Gee...he's a kid wearing a green frickin' tunic...
Considering the names of every other Hylian kid wearing a green tunic, who do you think he is!?
I suppose they also think this chick is Lady Gaga:
View attachment 15390

I just don't get it. The guy is clearly meant to be another Link. Why would you assume otherwise?

I bet you saw the IGN Retrospect timeline, then. Or my timeline, or another I have to go critique. Anyway, it makes sense at this point that Gustaf could very well be the Hero of Men. Look at Zelda. What color hair does she have? Oh yeah, blonde. THE SAME COLOR AS THE HERO OF MEN'S!!! Provided he does become the new King of Hyrule because the grateful people crown him that, he passes the trait down through the years. However, we just don't know.

But I find this line interesting. Open up that first picture. See that line? The tiny Picori appeared from the sky, bringing the Hero of Men a sword, and a golden light. Now let's look at it in SS terms. The Hero of Men emerged from the sky, bringing with him the Skyward Sword, and the Triforce of Courage. I highly doubt this was INTENDED as an early ref to SS, but it does seem to be the case. Anyway, they may have only used Link because people associate the word Hero with Link. It may have just been a bit of a filler, if you know what I mean by that.

 

[Garo]

Anyway, it makes sense at this point that Gustaf could very well be the Hero of Men. Look at Zelda. What color hair does she have? Oh yeah, blonde. THE SAME COLOR AS THE HERO OF MEN'S!!! Provided he does become the new King of Hyrule because the grateful people crown him that, he passes the trait down through the years.

Link has blonde hair too. Along with a bunch of random NPCs. Zelda has always had blonde hair in the series as well - such a minute detail that is constant throughout the entire series is hardly solid evidence that Gustaf is the Hero of Men.

 

[Jarsh]

I'm not sure I'd agree with the Hero of Men being a Link since TMC's Japanese ending implied that TMC's Link was the "first Link" (and it's very likely TMC was made as a game to present origins for the series). Maybe something of a "proto-Link," if that makes any sense.

 

[Reaca]

I don't really have much to back this up, but I think that the Hero of Men is the SS Link. The Picori Blade does look similar to the Master Sword, and MC could take place near the end of the timeline. So when the Picori Blade breaks, that could explain the absence of the Master Sword in LoZ, AoL, and the FS games.