The Hero of Time

Across many games in the the Zelda series Link represents a different reincarnation of himself. Link in "The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time" and "The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask" era, is given the title "Hero of Time." "Hyrule Historia" revealed that the "Hero's Shade" from "The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess" to be the ghost of the Hero of Time. (Explaining why the hero's shade passes down the Green Tunic, and the Hylian Shield to Link. For more information on link's reincarnations see Timeline