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'''Link''' is the hero of the first two games in the [[The Legend of Zelda (Series)|''The Legend of Zelda'' series]], ''[[The Legend of Zelda]]'' and ''[[Zelda II: The Adventure of Link|The Adventure of Link]]''.  
 
The '''Hero of Hyrule''' is the main protagonist of ''[[The Legend of Zelda]]'' and ''[[Zelda II: The Adventure of Link|The Adventure of Link]]''. He received his title from [[Zelda (The Legend of Zelda)|Princess Zelda]].
 
This incarnation of [[Link]] was a humble traveler, who discovered that [[Ganon (The Legend of Zelda)|Ganon]] had conquered [[Hyrule]] with his army of monsters and set out on a quest to liberate it. After collecting the scattered pieces of the [[Triforce of Wisdom]], Link confronted Ganon atop [[Death Mountain]] and ultimately defeated him, killing Ganon and claiming the [[Triforce of Power]] - he then freed [[Zelda (The Legend of Zelda)|Princess Zelda]], and together, they used their respective Triforce pieces to restore Hyrule. Some time later, Link would discover the existence of the [[Triforce of Courage]], and set out on a quest to complete the [[Triforce]] and awaken [[Zelda (The Adventure of Link)|Zelda's ancestor]] from her eternal slumber. Link would prove successful in his quest once again, awakening Zelda from her slumber.


==''The Legend of Zelda''==
==''The Legend of Zelda''==
{{quote|A long, long time ago the World was in an age of Chaos. In the midst of this chaos, in a little kingdom in the land of Hyrule, a legend was being handed down from generation to generation, the legend of the "[[Triforce]]"; golden triangles possessing mystical powers.|[[The Legend of Zelda Instruction Manual]]}}
{{quote|A long, long time ago the World was in an age of Chaos. In the midst of this chaos, in a little kingdom in the land of Hyrule, a legend was being handed down from generation to generation, the legend of the "[[Triforce]]"; golden triangles possessing mystical powers.|[[The Legend of Zelda Instruction Manual]]}}


Link first encountered [[Ganon (The Legend of Zelda)|Ganon's]] minions attacking an old woman. After he successfully forced them to leave her be, she thanked him and gave her name as [[Impa]], trusted nursemaid of the ruling [[Zelda (The Legend of Zelda)|Princess Zelda]].
Link is a [[Hylian]] with an unknown past, living as a humble traveler. At the beginning of the game, he is 10 years old  - while travelling through [[Lesser Hyrule]], he encounters an old woman being attacked by monsters; Link intervenes, and saves her. The old woman thanks him, explaining she is [[Impa (The Legend of Zelda)|Impa]], the trusted nursemaid of [[Zelda (The Legend of Zelda)|Princess Zelda]]; the evil [[Ganon (The Legend of Zelda)|Ganon]] had invaded the kingdom with an army of monsters, and won due to bearing the [[Triforce of Power]]. Zelda was captured, but she split the [[Triforce of Wisdom]] into eight [[Triforce Shard|Triforce Shards]] and hid them in dungeons around the kingdom to keep it safe. Impa had been sent to find a hero with the courage to oppose Ganon.


She went on to explain to him what has happened to [[Lesser Hyrule|Zelda's kingdom]] within [[Hyrule]] - the evil Ganon had raised an army to attack the kingdom and stolen the [[Triforce of Power]], one of Hyrule's most powerful treasures. With this, he had subjugated the land and captured Zelda.  However, before her capture, the princess had done two things. First, split the [[Triforce of Wisdom]], the [[Royal Family of Hyrule|Royal Family]]'s other great treasure, into eight [[Triforce Shard|fragments]] and had them hidden in [[The Legend of Zelda Dungeons|deep labyrinths]]. And, second, sent Impa to find someone with the courage to defeat Ganon.
Link accepted his role as the hero, and armed with only his [[Wooden Shield]] and a [[Sword (The Legend of Zelda)|Sword]] given to him by an [[Old Man]], journeyed across Lesser Hyrule to search for the eight dungeons. He found that the kingdom was mostly abandoned and swarming with monsters - only a few Hylians remained, hidden in caves and underground chambers to remain safe, who would sell Link their goods - he also met two more old men, who gave him the [[White Sword]] and [[Magical Sword]], respectively. In the dungeons, Link obtained various [[Items|equipment]], such as the [[Boomerang]] (and later the [[Magical Boomerang]]), [[Bomb|Bombs]], [[Bow]], [[Raft]], [[Ladder]], [[Recorder]], [[Magical Rod]], [[Red Candle]], [[Book of Magic]], and the [[Magic Key]], and defeats monsters such as [[Aquamentus (The Legend of Zelda)|Aquamentus]], [[Dodongo (The Legend of Zelda)|Dodongo]], [[Manhandla (The Legend of Zelda)|Manhandla]], [[Gleeok (The Legend of Zelda)|Gleeok]], [[Digdogger (The Legend of Zelda)|Digdogger]], and [[Gohma (The Legend of Zelda)|Gohma]].


Accepting Impa's challenge, Link took up the [[Sword (The Legend of Zelda)|sword]] offered by an [[Old Man]] who warned him of the dangers of going alone, and set off to recover the Triforce fragments and use them to defeat Ganon.
Eventually, Link manages to recover the completed Triforce of Wisdom. He travels to [[Spectacle Rock]] atop [[Death Mountain]], and gains access to [[Level 9: Death Mountain|Ganon's lair]]. Link fights his way through, discovering the [[Silver Arrow|Silver Arrows]] and the [[Red Ring]] along his way, before finally coming face-to-face with Ganon. The completed Triforce of Wisdom temporarily neutralised the Triforce of Power, enabling Link to fight Ganon - with the help of the Silver Arrows, he slew Ganon, retrieving the Triforce of Power from his ashes. Link then freed Princess Zelda from her cell - she thanked Link for his courage, giving him the title "Hero of Hyrule", and they use their respective Triforce pieces to restore peace to Hyrule.
 
From this [[Starting Screen|starting point]], he travelled across the kingdom, searching far and wide. He encountered few other humans on his quest, and those he did encounter were reclusive, living in caves or holes in the ground - sometimes even sealed against entry! These included [[Merchant|merchants]] selling supplies such as a [[Blue Ring]] which protected from damage; more old men with [[White Sword|better]] [[Magical Sword|swords]]; and old women who refused to even talk to him without a [[Letter#The Legend of Zelda|letter]] of introduction, let alone sell their potions.
 
After finding the eight monster-filled labyrinths with the Triforce fragments, and reuniting the Triforce of Wisdom - collecting other useful items such as a [[bow]] on the way - he gained access to [[Level 9: Death Mountain|Ganon's lair]], hidden inside [[Spectacle Rock]] on [[Death Mountain]].
 
While fighting his way through, he found the [[Silver Arrow]]s, hidden by Ganon to prevent them being used against him. On finally reaching the Prince of Darkness himself, the Triforce of Wisdom flashed, temporarily neutralising the Triforce of Power and rendering Ganon vulnerable to Link's sword and the Silver Arrows. Taking the opportunity, Link killed Ganon, the latter crumbling to ashes after the final Silver Arrow hit, leaving the Triforce of Power behind and the way to the captured Zelda open.  
 
Freed, Zelda thanked him, and titled him the "Hero of Hyrule" for his valour.


===''The Legend of Zelda'' Gallery===
===''The Legend of Zelda'' Gallery===
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File:LinkBlue-LoZ-Sprite.png|Sprite w/[[Blue Ring]] from ''The Legend of Zelda''
File:LinkBlue-LoZ-Sprite.png|Sprite w/[[Blue Ring]] from ''The Legend of Zelda''
File:LinkRed-LoZ-Sprite.png|Sprite w/[[Red Ring (The Legend of Zelda)|Red Ring]] from ''The Legend of Zelda''
File:LinkRed-LoZ-Sprite.png|Sprite w/[[Red Ring (The Legend of Zelda)|Red Ring]] from ''The Legend of Zelda''
File:Zelda I awakens - TAOL.png
File:Loz triforce.png
File:Zelda I thanks Link - TAOL.png
</gallery>
</gallery>


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{{quote|Hyrule was on the road to ruin. The power that the vile heart of Ganon had left behind was causing chaos and disorder in Hyrule. What's more, even after the fall of Ganon some of his underlings remained, waiting for Ganon's return. The key to Ganon's return was the blood of Link - the valiant lad that overthrew the King of Evil. Ganon would be revived by sacrificing Link and sprinkling his blood on the ashes of Ganon.|[[The Adventure of Link Instruction Manual]]}}
{{quote|Hyrule was on the road to ruin. The power that the vile heart of Ganon had left behind was causing chaos and disorder in Hyrule. What's more, even after the fall of Ganon some of his underlings remained, waiting for Ganon's return. The key to Ganon's return was the blood of Link - the valiant lad that overthrew the King of Evil. Ganon would be revived by sacrificing Link and sprinkling his blood on the ashes of Ganon.|[[The Adventure of Link Instruction Manual]]}}


Link remained in [[Lesser Hyrule]] after saving Princess Zelda, attempting to help in its restoration after Ganon's invasion, even as monsters hunted him down in their efforts to revive Ganon with his blood.
After he saved Zelda, Link chose to remain in Hyrule and aid the kingdom's restoration. However, he was constantly hunted by Ganon's followers; they sought to kill Link, so Ganon could be revived if the hero's blood was sprinkled on his ashes. When Link turned 16, a strange mark suddenly appeared on the back of his left hand - it resembled the [[Royal Crest]], with the bottom right triangle glowing. Link consulted Impa about the mark, who almost fainted at the sight of it - once she recovered, she took Link to the [[North Castle]], and used his hand to open a sealed door - inside, [[Zelda (The Adventure of Link)|a woman who resembled Zelda]] lay on an altar, asleep. Impa explains that the woman is Zelda's ancestor, Princess Zelda I. A long time ago, Zelda I's brother, the [[Prince of Hyrule]], desired the completed [[Triforce]], but only inherited one of the pieces; however, Zelda I knew the locations of the other two pieces. When she refused to disclose the location, the Prince's [[Magician]] struck her down with a sleeping spell, only to be killed by his wildly arcing magic. Unable to reverse the spell, the Prince mourned his sister and lay her in the hidden chamber, before decreeing that every female in the royal family shall be named "Zelda", in memory of the tragedy.


As his sixteenth birthday approached, a strange mark - three triangles joined into one, which also appeared on the [[Royal Crest|crest of the kingdom]] - suddenly appeared on the back of his left hand. Consulting [[Impa]], the old nursemaid was astounded by it, and almost fainted with shock.
Impa gives Link a chest that contains six crystals, and a scroll that only a future king of Hyrule could read. Link found that while he had never seen the language on the text before, he could understand it perfectly - it explained that a third Triforce piece, the [[Triforce of Courage]] existed - if one obtained all three pieces of the Triforce, it would grant incredible power. However, the Triforce required a strong, morally-good character to use properly, and to prevent its misuse, the [[King of Hyrule]] sealed the Triforce of Courage inside the [[Great Palace]]. To access the Palace, Link must insert the six crystals into palaces scattered across Hyrule, then he must pass a final trial to deem himself worthy of the Triforce.


Once she recovered, she took Link to the [[North Castle]], and the "door that does not open" there. Using secrets held only by her family, she opened it to reveal [[Zelda (The Adventure of Link)|another Princess Zelda]], lying seemingly asleep on an altar.
Link accepted his quest and journeyed out across Hyrule, searching for the palaces. Along the way, he learned various [[Magic Spell|Magic Spells]] from [[Wise Men]] across the kingdom. As he explored each palace, he obtained equipment such as the [[Candle]], [[Handy Glove]], [[Hammer]], Raft, [[Boots]], [[Flute]], Magic Key, and [[Cross]], and defeated the monsters guarding each statue. Eventually, Link successfully inserted all six crystals; entering the Great Palace in the [[Valley of Death]], he met an [[Sage (The Adventure of Link)|elderly figure]], who summoned [[Dark Link (The Adventure of Link)|an enemy based on Link's shadow]] as his final test. Link successfully defeated his doppelganger, and the Sage rewarded Link with the Triforce of Courage. Link returns to the North Castle, and wishes for Zelda I to awaken; her sleeping spell finally broken, she thanks Link for freeing her and calls him a real hero.
 
Impa went on to explain that this was not [[Zelda (The Legend of Zelda)|the Zelda he knew]], but her ancestor, Princess Zelda I. This ancient Zelda had been cast into an eternal stasis after her [[Prince of Hyrule|jealous brother]], who had not been allowed to inherit the full Triforce, and a [[magician]] ally of his, demanded she tell them where the third part had been hidden. When she had refused, the magician had cast a spell of eternal sleep on her, and died in the process. The now-repentant brother had sealed her in the room until the day came when she might be revived.
 
Impa then gave Link a package with six crystals and a scroll. The scroll, which could only be read by those bearing the Triforce mark on their hand, explained further; there were not just two pieces of the [[Triforce]], but three - the third being the [[Triforce of Courage]]. When a [[King of Hyrule]] who had wielded the whole Triforce died, he passed on only the [[Triforce of Power]] and [[Triforce of Wisdom]] to [[Prince of Hyrule|his son]], owing to his evil thoughts; while casting a spell that would cause the crest to appear on the hand of "a young man with that character who has been brought up correctly, has gained many kinds of experiences and reached a certain age".
 
The Triforce of Courage was sealed in the [[Great Palace]] of the [[Valley of Death]]. The [[Binding Force]] sealing it could only be removed by placing the six crystals in the [[The Adventure of Link Dungeons|six palaces]] linked to the force. Once in the Great Palace, there would be one final guardian to defeat, and then the full Triforce would be reunited under Link's control.
 
Impa bade him to collect the Triforce of Courage and use the Triforce's power to awaken the comatose Zelda I. Looking at the sleeping woman, Link agreed and set off with [[Magical Sword]] & [[Magical Shield]] in hand; aware that not merely the ancient King's challenge, but the threat of Ganon's army seeking to revive their master awaited him.
 
Travelling beyond Lesser Hyrule into what had once been the greater Kingdom of Hyrule, Link visited each of the palaces in turn, defeating their guardians and placing the crystals in their respective spots. With the binding force dispelled, he travelled to the Great Palace, where an [[Sage (The Adventure of Link)|elderly figure]] summons [[Dark Link (The Adventure of Link)|an enemy based on Link's Shadow]] as his final test. With this done, the sage awards link the Triforce of Courage.
 
Taking the three pieces of the Triforce to the North Palace, Link wishes for Zelda I to awaken. Conscious for the first time in many, many years; she sits up and thanks Link. Calling him a "real hero", she seemingly embraces him as a curtain falls.


===''The Adventure of Link'' Gallery===
===''The Adventure of Link'' Gallery===
====Sprites====
====Sprites & Screenshots====
<gallery>
<gallery>
File:Link-Sprite-NES.png|Sprite from ''[[Zelda II: The Adventure of Link|The Adventure of Link]]''
File:Link-Sprite-NES.png|Sprite from ''[[Zelda II: The Adventure of Link|The Adventure of Link]]''
File:Link-Sprite-Famicom.png|Sprite from the Famicom Disk System version of ''The Adventure of Link''
File:Link-Sprite-Famicom.png|Sprite from the Famicom Disk System version of ''The Adventure of Link''
File:Zelda I awakens - TAOL.png
File:Zelda I thanks Link - TAOL.png
</gallery>
</gallery>


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{{Listbox|The Adventure of Link Characters}}
{{Listbox|The Adventure of Link Characters}}


{{Cat|Link}}
{{Cat|Link|Legend of Zelda, The}}
{{Cat|The Legend of Zelda Characters}}
{{Cat|The Legend of Zelda Characters}}
{{Cat|The Adventure of Link Characters}}
{{Cat|The Adventure of Link Characters}}

Latest revision as of 19:27, February 28, 2024

This article is about the Link who debuted in The Legend of Zelda, the first game of the Zelda series. For other versions of the character, see Link.

The Hero of Hyrule is the main protagonist of The Legend of Zelda and The Adventure of Link. He received his title from Princess Zelda.

This incarnation of Link was a humble traveler, who discovered that Ganon had conquered Hyrule with his army of monsters and set out on a quest to liberate it. After collecting the scattered pieces of the Triforce of Wisdom, Link confronted Ganon atop Death Mountain and ultimately defeated him, killing Ganon and claiming the Triforce of Power - he then freed Princess Zelda, and together, they used their respective Triforce pieces to restore Hyrule. Some time later, Link would discover the existence of the Triforce of Courage, and set out on a quest to complete the Triforce and awaken Zelda's ancestor from her eternal slumber. Link would prove successful in his quest once again, awakening Zelda from her slumber.

The Legend of Zelda

"A long, long time ago the World was in an age of Chaos. In the midst of this chaos, in a little kingdom in the land of Hyrule, a legend was being handed down from generation to generation, the legend of the "Triforce"; golden triangles possessing mystical powers."

Link is a Hylian with an unknown past, living as a humble traveler. At the beginning of the game, he is 10 years old - while travelling through Lesser Hyrule, he encounters an old woman being attacked by monsters; Link intervenes, and saves her. The old woman thanks him, explaining she is Impa, the trusted nursemaid of Princess Zelda; the evil Ganon had invaded the kingdom with an army of monsters, and won due to bearing the Triforce of Power. Zelda was captured, but she split the Triforce of Wisdom into eight Triforce Shards and hid them in dungeons around the kingdom to keep it safe. Impa had been sent to find a hero with the courage to oppose Ganon.

Link accepted his role as the hero, and armed with only his Wooden Shield and a Sword given to him by an Old Man, journeyed across Lesser Hyrule to search for the eight dungeons. He found that the kingdom was mostly abandoned and swarming with monsters - only a few Hylians remained, hidden in caves and underground chambers to remain safe, who would sell Link their goods - he also met two more old men, who gave him the White Sword and Magical Sword, respectively. In the dungeons, Link obtained various equipment, such as the Boomerang (and later the Magical Boomerang), Bombs, Bow, Raft, Ladder, Recorder, Magical Rod, Red Candle, Book of Magic, and the Magic Key, and defeats monsters such as Aquamentus, Dodongo, Manhandla, Gleeok, Digdogger, and Gohma.

Eventually, Link manages to recover the completed Triforce of Wisdom. He travels to Spectacle Rock atop Death Mountain, and gains access to Ganon's lair. Link fights his way through, discovering the Silver Arrows and the Red Ring along his way, before finally coming face-to-face with Ganon. The completed Triforce of Wisdom temporarily neutralised the Triforce of Power, enabling Link to fight Ganon - with the help of the Silver Arrows, he slew Ganon, retrieving the Triforce of Power from his ashes. Link then freed Princess Zelda from her cell - she thanked Link for his courage, giving him the title "Hero of Hyrule", and they use their respective Triforce pieces to restore peace to Hyrule.

The Legend of Zelda Gallery

Sprites & Screenshots

Artwork

Main article: Gallery:Link#The Legend of Zelda

The Adventure of Link

"Hyrule was on the road to ruin. The power that the vile heart of Ganon had left behind was causing chaos and disorder in Hyrule. What's more, even after the fall of Ganon some of his underlings remained, waiting for Ganon's return. The key to Ganon's return was the blood of Link - the valiant lad that overthrew the King of Evil. Ganon would be revived by sacrificing Link and sprinkling his blood on the ashes of Ganon."

After he saved Zelda, Link chose to remain in Hyrule and aid the kingdom's restoration. However, he was constantly hunted by Ganon's followers; they sought to kill Link, so Ganon could be revived if the hero's blood was sprinkled on his ashes. When Link turned 16, a strange mark suddenly appeared on the back of his left hand - it resembled the Royal Crest, with the bottom right triangle glowing. Link consulted Impa about the mark, who almost fainted at the sight of it - once she recovered, she took Link to the North Castle, and used his hand to open a sealed door - inside, a woman who resembled Zelda lay on an altar, asleep. Impa explains that the woman is Zelda's ancestor, Princess Zelda I. A long time ago, Zelda I's brother, the Prince of Hyrule, desired the completed Triforce, but only inherited one of the pieces; however, Zelda I knew the locations of the other two pieces. When she refused to disclose the location, the Prince's Magician struck her down with a sleeping spell, only to be killed by his wildly arcing magic. Unable to reverse the spell, the Prince mourned his sister and lay her in the hidden chamber, before decreeing that every female in the royal family shall be named "Zelda", in memory of the tragedy.

Impa gives Link a chest that contains six crystals, and a scroll that only a future king of Hyrule could read. Link found that while he had never seen the language on the text before, he could understand it perfectly - it explained that a third Triforce piece, the Triforce of Courage existed - if one obtained all three pieces of the Triforce, it would grant incredible power. However, the Triforce required a strong, morally-good character to use properly, and to prevent its misuse, the King of Hyrule sealed the Triforce of Courage inside the Great Palace. To access the Palace, Link must insert the six crystals into palaces scattered across Hyrule, then he must pass a final trial to deem himself worthy of the Triforce.

Link accepted his quest and journeyed out across Hyrule, searching for the palaces. Along the way, he learned various Magic Spells from Wise Men across the kingdom. As he explored each palace, he obtained equipment such as the Candle, Handy Glove, Hammer, Raft, Boots, Flute, Magic Key, and Cross, and defeated the monsters guarding each statue. Eventually, Link successfully inserted all six crystals; entering the Great Palace in the Valley of Death, he met an elderly figure, who summoned an enemy based on Link's shadow as his final test. Link successfully defeated his doppelganger, and the Sage rewarded Link with the Triforce of Courage. Link returns to the North Castle, and wishes for Zelda I to awaken; her sleeping spell finally broken, she thanks Link for freeing her and calls him a real hero.

The Adventure of Link Gallery

Sprites & Screenshots

Artwork

Main article: Gallery:Link#The Adventure of Link