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Discussion I think that Link is a really underrated character. (And much more than a blank slate)

Irene

Irene

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I feel like the Zelda team hasn't got enough credit for this guy. Link is the silent protagonist, designed with this in mind, meant to be an avatar for a player to project themselves on, and just a guy that doesn’t say much. But for a silent protagonist, I’ve always been able to read a whole lot of personality into him. Links many incarnations has various interactions with quips and nuances here and there. He’s eager, albeit a bit of a sleepyhead in Skyward Sword. He’s stoic, brave but probably anxious over his fate in Ocarina of Time and later Majora’s Mask. And in Breath of the Wild, he really likes food, and stays silent for a reason.

This isn’t to say that you can’t project yourself onto Link. Rather, I think that he hits a pitch perfect sweet spot, where you really feel like you are on an adventure, you yourself, there in Hyrule, but at the same time, you’re participating actively in this engaging story about the loyal knight who does what he feels is the right thing to do and greatly cares for, and is devoted to, everything that he feels a connection to. For me, I’ve never experienced any sort of disconnect in this.

It’s in the details, I think. I’ve always noticed subtle hints here and there about who Link is, what drives him and the fact that he just lets nothing stand in the way of him and his destiny, however frightened he may feel. Look at how concerned he looks here. The kingdom is in ruins, the princess is in despair. He cares. Of course he cares.

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Or this shot. Again someone he greatly cares for, this time someone who has no memory of him. Just a really subtle facial animation, but I've really felt like I'm able to read a lot into that one simple detail.

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I’ve personally always been interested in that special bond and empathy that forms between a character and the player that controls said character. There’s understanding there, and you can play with someone, and as someone, who you’re rooting for, or who you’re feeling sad for. And you are allowed to put yourself in the shoes of someone that you develop a bond with, silent or not. Whether it’s sharing Joel’s fatherly feelings for Ellie, seeing the world through the eyes of a Final Fantasy protagonist or commanding troops as Byleth, video game interactivity is powerful stuff, and the Zelda series fells like they prove this again and again with Link. Maybe I’m just over-interpreting all of these things, but I really have grown attached to Link over the years in a way I didn't think I could ever grow attached to a character originally designed to be a silent avatar.

And let’s not forget that he, from a character design standpoint, more often than not just rocks hard.

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I know this became a somewhat opinionated OP, but I'm interested to hear other people's take on Link here.
 
I've always believed in the value of there being a prominent male protagonist who isn't this hyper-masculinized and braggadocious character common in popular action games, but a soft elf boy who plays music as a superpower, solves puzzles, develops courage and duty, and expresses joy and love towards his friends and family.
 
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Like many Nintendo characters, link is a great, iconic character design. As an actual character, though? He is effectively nothing. A blank slate like a custom rpg character? No. But he is ultimately one dimensional.

But I don’t think that’s a bad thing. I think it’s perfectly fine to have a character with no internal struggle, no character arc, and who always does the right thing. It’s perfectly fine to just have a dauntless, heroic hero in a black and white world where evil is evil and good is good.

Just make him left-handed again and we’re golden.
 
I feel like he is always exactly as much of a defined character as he needs to be, no more, and no less.

Which also means that I don't really agree with those who, for example, feel like Link's characterization (or the perceived lack thereof) detracts from the storytelling (such as it is) in BOTW; I feel like that game (much like every other game in the series) actually does a great job of characterizing its Link; in this case, Link the person who wakes up after a hundred year slumber is not the person who was put into the shrine of resurrection. That Link was stoic, quiet, heroic, and focused on his duty to the exclusion of all else. The new Link makes puns, has a sense of humor, seems to actively enjoy life, and also seems to be so far removed from who he was pre-Calamity that he can't reconcile who he is now with who he was before. All of this is conveyed through subtle cues like body language, facial expressions, and even dialog options.

I'm just meandering and rambling, but all of this is to say, I agree with you. I think Link's significance as a character is often overlooked by a generation for whom video game characterization equates prescribed force fed storytelling, rather than something that provides a meaningful framework for players to project on to and gain authorship over their adventure; that latter kind of characterization is really rare in games these days, which is why I tend to greatly appreciate it when a game does end up doing it well (such as Breath of the Wild, Metroid Dread, Persona 5).
 
From my perspective he isn't really underrated. Many people genuinely like him and his personality, specially Toon Link which is the most expressive of the bunch. The people who dislike him (who usually think that silent protagonists are inherently bad) just happen to be really loud.
 
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I feel like a lot of what OP is praising is down to the skill of the artists on the Zelda team. They have created this extremely likeable and popular character with not a line of dialogue. Fantastic design and art work from the first title in the series onwards.
 
Nah, I like link when he's actually a "blank slate". In those games, he shifts spotlights to actual interesting characters like Linebeck in Phantom Hourglass or Ezlo in Minish Cap. Or the animal buddies and Witch Maple in Oracle games. More blank the link's character is, more the developers can change the tone of the games without sacrificing much.
 
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I think for me Link is a pairing of two things- the link to the player (which isn’t exactly unique- he’s the player avatar), but primarily also the personification of courage. And I mean literally, in that he’s often the avatar of the triforce of courage, where Zelda is wisdom and Ganon is power and any two can defeat the third. That he always looks determined isn’t just a convenient and often silent videogame protagonist- he’s also literally that very emotion, the desire to press on, to adventure, to explore, to dust yourself off and try again. And, sure, every other JRPG teen lead or square-jawed space marine does that too, it’s shonen adventure stuff, but Link personifies it instead of it just being a tropey character trait.
 
Undeniablybiased said:
Like many Nintendo characters, link is a great, iconic character design. As an actual character, though? He is effectively nothing. A blank slate like a custom rpg character? No. But he is ultimately one dimensional.

But I don’t think that’s a bad thing. I think it’s perfectly fine to have a character with no internal struggle, no character arc, and who always does the right thing. It’s perfectly fine to just have a dauntless, heroic hero in a black and white world where evil is evil and good is good.

Just make him left-handed again and we’re golden.
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What if Link was a real person who’s mute. Would he be considered one dimensional still?
I’ve never projected myself onto Link. He’s always been the character for the game I’m playing in and he has lots of personality. He doesn’t need to speak to express himself.
 
AxkilAvenger said:
What if Link was a real person who’s mute. Would he be considered one dimensional still?
I’ve never projected myself onto Link. He’s always been the character for the game I’m playing in and he has lots of personality. He doesn’t need to speak to express himself.
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Considering the literary meaning of a one dimensional character has nothing to do with whether or not they can speak, yes.
 
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I love his two outfits that are being used for Tears of the Kingdom marketing materials. It's like they decided to crank the Ghibli up to 11.
 
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I always enjoyed the arc of the Hero of Time. Dreaming of being a hero, fulfilling his dream at the cost of being forced to 'grow up', finding out the tragic fate of his own family, being sent back to a timeline where his deeds never happened despite the good intentions of Zelda, then having to save a world constantly being rewound over and over. His regrets manifested as a shade who endeavors to pass on his knowledge to his descendants.

And even as a grumpy spooky boi, he enjoys musical duets with his great great great grandson.
 
Windwaker link deserves is not only the best link but one of the best main characters from Nintendo.
Sometimes a character doesn't need to talk to be an actual compelling character and I think in most 3d zelda they achieved with making a mute protagonist actually work.
Little moments like link escaping the Gordon hug in ocarina of time or the barrel scene in windwaker or just the cute animation of link freezing to death in botw are perfect way to show how link is much more than a blank slate
 
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Nah, he's almost entirely a blank slate and while it works, it sucks for the story. You're inventing his character from the barest of hints - as people did with Samus prior to Other M - and while it's what Nintendo intend, I don't think you can make the case that it makes him a compelling or underrated character.

Wind Waker Link was the furthest from that. He's cheerful and expressive. Cares deeply about his granny and sister and shows it.

Most other Links give you the bare minimum facial expression or body language in every situation, and thus don't in any way feel like real characters to me. Particularly in Skyward Sword, where it was story heavy, having a silent Link really hurt. Having Zelda pourring her heart out to him while all he can do is stand there with a shocked / puzzled expression was simply awful, and cut the heart right out of what should have been an extremely emotional scene.

Even in the OP you say multiple times you can "read a lot into a simple detail". That's just another way of saying you're projecting what you want onto an almost totally blank slate. Because I'm not seeing the same things you are. And that projection is what Nintendo intend. You say OoT Link is "probably anxious over his fate"... you have to say probably because we don't know. He never shows it. Never shows anything. That anxiousness is all in your imagination.

You also say that you've become attached to Link as a character over the years, but he's been like 10 different characters. The fact that you treat him as just one seems like further proof that he isn't really a distinguishable individual person himself.
 
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I'm sick of people acting like he's not important or a nothing character. Not only have I never seen him as a "avatar" but he's always been my favorite Nintendo character, and probably fictional character ever.

He's just as important to Nintendo as Mario.
 
I like Link and will probably always like Link, but lately I feel like he is doing less and less for me. As these worlds and stories become more involved him being a relative blank slate is becoming a bummer. Speaking to the 3D games in particular, before BOTW I feel like Link had a clear place in each world that sort of grounded him. The four Links had relationships with characters that weren’t necessarily deep, but they were there in how characters reacted to him and the times Link would express himself in cutscenes. Wind Waker gets a lot of love, but personally Twilight Princess was the one that I think showed Link at his best and was the time I most connected with him.

Breath of the Wild Link on the other hand, I feel a detachment to. He has very few meaningful relationships in the present time by design and in the past there is a disconnect I feel with other characters having full voice acting and him being weirdly silent. I was disappointed to learn in Japan Link kept a colorful diary that was gutted in the North American version. I don’t think it would have budged the needle for me too much, but it would have helped for sure!

I really want a character now that can be more involved in the story and properly react to other characters and events. If not then, I at least want more ownership of the character to be more of an avatar. I’d be happy with at least some basic options like Pokemon. This weird middle ground Link occupies isn’t working for me with how the games are evolving.
 
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I love how expressive Link is in Windwaker. The scene where they launch him from the catapult on Tetra's ship is so good.

In my dream Zelda animated movie, they'll find a way to keep Link silent. Have goofy child Link communicating through gestures and be really expressive, like a silent film character. Navi can hang around to be his interpreter. I could live with Adult Link being voiced, I guess, but leave him silent in the games.
 
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rickyson33 said:
no character is improved by being silent

at best maybe they can still be okay in spite of it but they would still be better if they weren't
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Hard disagree for Samus at least. Ness I don't care enough about to comment. But Samus is a warrior. Her speaking parts in Other M were horrendous. She was a submissive, whiny person. In every other game where she is silent (or 90% silent), she is stoic, strong, and does not take shit. In Dread, she speaks once, and it was to basically confirm she was about to kick ass. That is meaningful. Had she been talking the entire game and then had that line, it wouldn't be significant or have emotion.

Through all the games aside from Other M, she was the Samus that shoots Kraid right in the face like in Metroid Dread. She's had mostly silence and has been "stronger" for it. Her silence represents her character much more than her wordy Other M self does.
 
MeatheadSamus said:
In Dread, she speaks once, and it was to basically confirm she was about to kick ass. That is meaningful. Had she been talking the entire game and then had that line, it wouldn't be significant or have emotion.
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With this in mind, I wouldn't mind at all if Link spoke just one or two lines at some point (not including Hero's Shade) near the climax or end of a game, and if it were a poignant moment.
There was this custom OoT speedrun where they modded an entire Triforce Quest, and BotW Link speaks in Japanese at the end (13:14):

"Thank you Zelda. Let us create the future, together."

Cute moment.
 
Honestly if they're gonna stick with him being a silent protagonist that the player can project onto, then it's high time Link has gender options (and dare I say skintone options). I don't mind Link overall, there's some games where he definitely has a bit of a personality like Skyward Sword, but I don't feel strongly about him overall. If they suddenly made Link talkative and more personable in the next game I would have zero problem with that.

But I doubt any of the changes I listed above will happen anytime soon, it's pretty clear Nintendo has a strong idea about how Link should look and act.

Serif said:
I've always believed the value of there being a prominent male protagonist who isn't this hyper-masculinized and braggadocious character common in popular action games, but a soft elf boy who plays music as a superpower, solves puzzles, develops courage and duty, and expresses joy and love towards his friends and family.
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I think my hangup on this idea is, while not wrong exactly 1) it focuses on western ideas of masculinity (Link's look while somewhat androgynous is typical and commonplace for men in media created for Japanese audiences), and 2) I really feel like TLOZ has a serious issue with colorism and orientalism, with the whole "kingdom of fair skinned blond elves battling the invasion of desert people led by a king whose servants are all harem women" thing.

That's one issue that could at least be modified if Link's skin tone could be changed, but again, Nintendo will almost definitely not allow that.
 
Links just a funny little guy. He should never speak. The moment he starts speaking is the moment he ceases being a funny little guy. Maybe though, Link can be a funny little gal too...
 
I'm fine with Link talking. He clearly is his own entity and character.

I'm not fine with changing his gender or look, but that's just my opinion.
 
rickyson33 said:
a protagonist being silent is always a negative thing

no exceptions
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This is crazy reductive. The main character of Disco Elysium is a silent protagonist and it’s incredible. That game wouldn’t be able to tell the story it does with a defined protagonist.

Like everything else in the medium, silent protagonists are all about how they’re implemented.
 
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Serif said:
With this in mind, I wouldn't mind at all if Link spoke just one or two lines at some point (not including Hero's Shade) near the climax or end of a game, and if it were a poignant moment.
There was this custom OoT speedrun where they modded an entire Triforce Quest, and BotW Link speaks in Japanese at the end (13:14):

"Thank you Zelda. Let us create the future, together."

Cute moment.
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Agreed! I'd be fine with him making just a few impactful lines.
 
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Nice thread, I enjoyed reading everyones replies to this one!

I had a question though, does a character with a stoic personality, who doesn't talk much (for example Samus) fall under a silent protagonist? I mean if being quiet is a part of said characters personality, is there a need to project on a character like that?

I personally don't project onto characters in general, so Link for me is just a chill fella in BotW!
Haven't finished any other Zelda games thus far but I'd like to change that with the NSO online games!
 
Xaltmas said:
I love his two outfits that are being used for Tears of the Kingdom marketing materials. It's like they decided to crank the Ghibli up to 11.
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I know, right? I feel like I could spend forever looking on fanart for Toga Link.
 
Phosphorescent Skeleton said:
Links just a funny little guy. He should never speak. The moment he starts speaking is the moment he ceases being a funny little guy. Maybe though, Link can be a funny little gal too...
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Not only CAN Link be a funny little gal, Link SHOULD be a funny little gal. Would be a massive improvement to the series, and the sooner it happens the better!
 
I can't recall exactly, but I know in the Zelda games I've played there have been moments where Link is being talked to and it's very immersion breaking when he just offers them a blank stare in reply, or the other person keeps on talking as if they're responding to something Link just said. I think in those moments he should speak, I mean he does other nonverbal things to express himself which aren't controlled by the player, why not verbal too?
 
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Appelsider said:
Nice thread, I enjoyed reading everyones replies to this one!

I had a question though, does a character with a stoic personality, who doesn't talk much (for example Samus) fall under a silent protagonist? I mean if being quiet is a part of said characters personality, is there a need to project on a character like that?

I personally don't project onto characters in general, so Link for me is just a chill fella in BotW!
Haven't finished any other Zelda games thus far but I'd like to change that with the NSO online games!
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This is exactly how I feel
 
Silent protagonists are great, because they're great. There isn't a reason. It started as a technical necessity and has evolved into a broadly useful tool that game devs have available to them. Sometimes it's the right fit, sometimes it isn't. It's hard to articulate what makes it work and what makes it fail.

I will say that people who can't stand silent protagonists baffle me. There's a lot of talk of immersion that doesn't at all reflect what my experience of being immersed in a game is like. There's gotta be some kind of personality difference, I don't know.
 
Mekanos said:
I think my hangup on this idea is, while not wrong exactly 1) it focuses on western ideas of masculinity (Link's look while somewhat androgynous is typical and commonplace for men in media created for Japanese audiences), and 2) I really feel like TLOZ has a serious issue with colorism and orientalism, with the whole "kingdom of fair skinned blond elves battling the invasion of desert people led by a king whose servants are all harem women" thing.
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Sure, to your first point. I can't detach from my own perspectives growing up in Western culture and seeing rugged masculinity everywhere. It's why I find Link to be distinctive, since the Zelda series has penetrated pop culture and has massive popularity overseas, which invites comparison. I wanted to bring up Link's 'prominence' and iconic status as an action hero, which would include his place amongst other heroes across gaming, and there is value in his contrast. As I was discussing video games in particular, and as I don't have an inventory of Japanese action game protagonists to compare with, I'll admit ignorance here.

As for 2), it does have an issue with both of those, but it seems like a separate point. It doesn't change how I feel specifically about Link's physical build and disposition as a male character being distinct amongst action game protagonists. I didn't say anything about the series as a whole.

I'm also not saying Link is this total non-masculine character who eschews gender roles. He is still clearly put in a savior / protector position and engages in combat as a means to victory. But there's enough of a distinction between him and other protagonists for me to appreciate, and it's one I hope they lean into.
 
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Serif said:
Sure, to your first point. I can't detach from my own perspectives growing up in Western culture and seeing rugged masculinity everywhere. It's why I find Link to be distinctive, since the Zelda series has penetrated pop culture and has massive popularity overseas, which invites comparison. I wanted to bring up Link's 'prominence' and iconic status as an action hero, which would include his place amongst other heroes across gaming, and there is value in his contrast. As I was discussing video games in particular, and as I don't have an inventory of Japanese action game protagonists to compare with, I'll admit ignorance here.

As for 2), it does have an issue with both of those, but it seems like a separate point. It doesn't change how I feel specifically about Link's physical build and disposition as a male character being distinct amongst action game protagonists. I didn't say anything about the series as a whole.

I'm also not saying Link is this total non-masculine character who eschews gender roles. He is still clearly put in a savior / protector position and engages in combat as a means to victory. But there's enough of a distinction between him and other protagonists for me to appreciate, and it's one I hope they lean into.
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Sure, sorry, I should have clarified what I meant better. It just got me thinking about whether or not Link was particularly subversive in the realm of machismo protagonists who embody the status quo of masculinity, and how often those particularly egregious ones feel like a reflection particularly of western white masculinity (all the Sad Dad characters who are angry, fair skinned, and have beards for one). The cultural differences are of course there, and I do like that Link embodies less of those stereotypical tropes, it's just interesting to compare and contrast.

I think giving Zelda more roles besides being the princess to save, even if she's not playable, would help as well to make Link feel less like a typical savior type.
 
james said:
contender for worst take on the website and boy howdy my brother

that is an accomplishment
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and yet every time I do play a game with a silent protagonist I come away feeling it even stronger

look at the two Fire Emblems on Switch for example, Alear is like a 10x better character than Byleth by not being one even though the game has worse writing
 
rickyson33 said:
and yet every time I do play a game with a silent protagonist I come away feeling it even stronger

look at the two Fire Emblems on Switch for example, Alear is like a 10x better character than Byleth by not being one even though the game has worse writing
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i havent played engage yet but the vast majority of the people that whined about byleth were absolutely wrong.

both byleths are absolutely hilarious and fun protagonists, especially if youre capable of projecting even the TINIEST modicum of your own imagination onto them.
 
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eh, I liked the farm/schoolboy thing going on in tp/ss but otherwise he's just...there. Maybe if NoA didn't butcher the journal in BotW I'd include him too
 
Zeal543 said:
eh, I liked the farm/schoolboy thing going on in tp/ss but otherwise he's just...there. Maybe if NoA didn't butcher the journal in BotW I'd include him too
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Botw Link should be included imo just because Japanese version is the intended Link
 
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