Link and Zelda's Relationship

[davidlarocca]

I have been playing the Zelda games for almost 26 years, and I have noticed, as many others might have, that there seems to be little to no evidence in most games of a romantic relationship between the two characters. The one exception, of course, would by the Skyward Sword Link and Zelda who (as far as we know) began the bloodlines of the two characters. Yet, the vast majority of Zelda fans assume that there is an ongoing romance going on between each incarnation. I have a slightly different theory. The only game that I am aware of that mentions one of Link's parents is Ocarina of Time, Link's mother who died shortly after childbirth. In the same game, Zelda mentions her father, the king, but there is no mention of Zelda's mother. I have been thinking that, in OOC at least, Link and Zelda may actually be brother and sister, kind of like Luke and Leah. They probably are not aware that they are related, but I think it's a real possibility that Zelda might be just a year or two older than Link, and then her mother was injured while travelling and pregnant, and she stumbled into the Kokiri Forest just in time to give birth and have the Kokiri raise her son as one of their own. I don't know about the other incarnations, but even in Spirit Tracks, you get more of a brother and sister vibe from Link and Ghost Zelda than a romantic one (this could be because they're kids, but who knows). Anyway, that is my theory. Does anyone have a better one?

 

[VitaTempusN92]

I have been playing the Zelda games for almost 26 years, and I have noticed, as many others might have, that there seems to be little to no evidence in most games of a romantic relationship between the two characters. The one exception, of course, would by the Skyward Sword Link and Zelda who (as far as we know) began the bloodlines of the two characters. Yet, the vast majority of Zelda fans assume that there is an ongoing romance going on between each incarnation. I have a slightly different theory. The only game that I am aware of that mentions one of Link's parents is Ocarina of Time, Link's mother who died shortly after childbirth. In the same game, Zelda mentions her father, the king, but there is no mention of Zelda's mother. I have been thinking that, in OOC at least, Link and Zelda may actually be brother and sister, kind of like Luke and Leah. They probably are not aware that they are related, but I think it's a real possibility that Zelda might be just a year or two older than Link, and then her mother was injured while travelling and pregnant, and she stumbled into the Kokiri Forest just in time to give birth and have the Kokiri raise her son as one of their own. I don't know about the other incarnations, but even in Spirit Tracks, you get more of a brother and sister vibe from Link and Ghost Zelda than a romantic one (this could be because they're kids, but who knows). Anyway, that is my theory. Does anyone have a better one?

OoT Link and Zelda are NOT related, the parents speculation doesn't prove anything. Plus, Link was already born when his mother was heading to forest. Great Deku Tree Sprout told Link that the night that that moment happened Link's mother approached the forest holding a baby in her arms, injured. Something must've happened out in Hyrule to trigger conflicts that lead to Link's mother fleeing baby Link, bringing him to safety, away from the conflict that was started by who I believe to be Zelda's family, not Link's, another reason why they can't be related, at least, not that close in blood. Also, what the heck is OOC???

 

[Djinn]

Really hard to say for majority of them, the earlier games never had a lot of story happening and near the end it was just a typical "they lived happily ever after." Without ever really telling the player what actually happened between them. LoZ/AoL I sort of doubt it since it looked like Zelda went back to ruling while Link sort of remained some kind of wandering adventurer. It almost seems like SS is the only game where it might even be possible for there to be some kind of relationship between Link and Zelda.

As far as OoT Link being related to Zelda there is really not enough to support that. All we hear was random Hylian woman escaping the war. I would not expect Hylian nobility to be escaping the war on the extreme east corner of the country for any reason even during a war. However ALTTP, MC, and TP support Link having a strong relation to the knights of Hyrule, but never any mention of the royal family.

 

[TheRockinStallion]

[video=youtube;oTTbc5CjQO8]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oTTbc5CjQO8[/video]

 

[ReveredPartisan]

While there's really no solid evidence behind it, you can't necessarily disprove it... Frankly, there's more support here than you'd think: genetic similarities, a mutual rise to prominence, each character's lack of the corresponding parent, etc.
There's more, of course: upon meeting Zelda, she alludes to having heard the name "Link" before (which could simply be an outcome of her premonitions, but one must wonder...). Also to be considered is each character's possession of a triforce piece-- it's possible that they share some sort of hereditary spiritual temperance, denoting their worthiness in attaining their respective pieces.
I won't deny, I'm slightly partial to the idea. I theorize that, perhaps, Link, as the heir, was whisked away to refuge by the queen during a time of siege, while the king remained to defend his throne; Zelda, as well, would have remained, as the queen could only carry the most vital child, and a caravan of some sort would have been too bulky. Ultimately, of course, the queen was mortally wounded during her escape (or else she fell ill/was wounded/was starved, etc., in the wild), and the crown prince was, seemingly, forever lost.

 

[AncientPoe]

Actually, there is another game that at least vaguely implies something happening. In Adventure of Link, once you've woken Zelda up, the curtain falls to obscure Link and Zelda. But as it does, you can clearly see them move closer together to the point of touching, essentially the way people would if they were kissing.

(and side note, I'm actually really not a fan of that interview thing. It makes Link seem like a major chauvinist arse, and that ain't my Hero of Hyrule.)

 

[Farore's Chosen]

Well in AoL and SS there was implied romance considering that in one, she was moving into kiss him and the other, there were sentence choices you could use to make an awkward I really like you but I'm too shy to tell you way and in ST, they teamed up. The only connection I can see is the fact that they're both triforce bearers and/or link has been summoned to be Zelda's personal hitman.

now try not to imagine link and Zelda hamming it up pulp fiction style :p

 

[AncientPoe]

Well in AoL and SS there was implied romance considering that in one, she was moving into kiss him and the other, there were sentence choices you could use to make an awkward I really like you but I'm too shy to tell you way and in ST, they teamed up. The only connection I can see is the fact that they're both triforce bearers and/or link has been summoned to be Zelda's personal hitman.

now try not to imagine link and Zelda hamming it up pulp fiction style :p

One of my single favorite elements to the Skyward Sword relationship is when you get the Sailcloth and in small text at the bottom it says "plus it smells nice…"