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legendofzoodles · 2 years

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LOZ Character Analysis/Rant

The Hero of Twilight

The core of his character is duality. You look at the official character art and you assume he’s this dark, serious brooding hero (and there’s a smidge in the form of the loneliness that comes with traversing the Twilight covered kingdom without anyone able to see you), but then you play the game and you realise he’s just as much of a dork as the other hero incarnations.

On one hand he’s the cool lone wolf type and on the other, he a soft farm boy who by simply walking into the room will make your pet love him more than they love you.

But that’s oversimplifying a bit.

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Life was routine before the Twilight Invasion. Little village, little worries. Link spent his days working long hours at the ranch and the farms. On his days off, he’d spend his time sword training with Rusl, running errands for the villagers, hanging out with Ilia, playing with the village kids or spending some quiet time alone at home. Occasionally venturing out into the Faron woods.

Link wouldn’t have been bored of his life, he’d have been content with it. In the backstory I made up for him he hasn’t lived in the village all his life and has been part of the community for less than that. So for now he appreciates what he has.

He’s really close with Rusl’s family. To them he’s like the son who moved out but still comes round for dinner at least once a week and spends time with his younger brother, Colin. In the backstory I made up for him they practically raised him, so it makes sense that they’re the closest thing Link has to a family. He doesn’t have any (living) blood relatives around.

It’s pretty much established that he radiates big bro energy. Incredibly patient with the children no matter how bratty they act, he’s reliable in every sense of the word, thrives off responsibility and he’s a great role model with a big heart.

Life for the simple goat farmer was predictable, comfortable and peaceful. And he didn’t see any reason to ask for more than that.

But then the Twili invade Hyrule and his entire world is flipped on its head as he is thrust into a great conflict far bigger than himself.

So going off of the inciting incident when the Bulblin tribe raid his village and kidnap the children, Link would probably regret failing to stop them for most of the journey. I don’t know whether to go with the in-game events or the ones posed in the manga, but I don’t think it matters (his arm getting chopped off was cool though and fits with his lopsided Ordon clothing- the stitched green sleeve that’s belted around his torso). Either way, that guilt would motivate him for the first couple of temples in the adventure.

I found it interesting that in the game, he got dragged into the Twilight instead of passing through willingly. He ran up to the gateway without hesitation, but then stopped in his tracks when he saw the black wall. It’s not at all a bad thing though, that was a normal reaction for anyone to have when faced with the unknown. Referring to the backstory I made up for him, the reason he stops is because he recognises the patterns on the wall as similar I gave him ones adorn a few of the spellbooks he has at home (now’s probs a good time to mention that some of the spellbooks originate from the Interlopers).

Moving onto the titular Twilight Princess herself, Link would have disliked her at the beginning, because a couple things tipped off to him that something was up with her. Firstly she watched him get dragged into prison by the shadow beasts but didn’t help him, which will have made him immediately not trust her. Then she makes fun of him for having been turned into a wolf, talks down to him and basically treats him like a servant. Plus, after meeting Zelda she manipulates him into going along with her plans by impersonating his friends. At first, Midna was rude, uncaring to the world of light and only teamed up with Link to achieve her goal, essentially using him like a tool.

And he was probably very much aware of this and only stuck around because she know a lot about what was going on and could help him rescue the village kids.

Regarding the destiny stuff posed by the Light Spirit (I headcanon that this Link only worships the Ordon light spirit. It’s just funny to me), he probably didn’t have much of an opinion on it in the beginning, not realising the true weight of his new responsibility. Then again he’s not the type of person to get easily overwhelmed, so he would have come to peace with it pretty quickly, deciding to just to focus on one thing at a time and manage things as he went.

Sticking with Midna ended up being the right choice. With time she proved to not be malicious and willing to help out the world of light, as long as it furthered their goal too. Together they undid the effects of the Twilight and restored power to the Light Spirits. As Midna starts to warm up to Link, opening up about why she’s doing what she’s doing and telling him about what he’ll be up against, he in turn warms up to her (well, apart from when she left him alone in that burning building in Kakariko- I think it was the bomb shop guy’s house. That probably fueled a nightmare or two for him in the future).

Btw, Midna never hated Link, she distrusted him to start with, but didn’t harbour any genuine animosity towards him.

Moving on, how does Link feel about turning into a wolf?

At first it’s fucking weird. Definitely the strangest shit to happen to him, and that’s going up against competition like the hell spawn wall walking nipple chickens. The transformation came out of nowhere and before it was explained to him, he probably worried if he’ll ever be human again. That being said, he gets the hang of it pretty quickly- going back to my story- since he was raised by wolves when he was really young, he has a good frame of reference for how to maneuver in his new body. At first he probably didn't feel like himself and only saw the wolf thing as a means to an end, but gradually got used to it over time.

The awful experience of the villagers attacking him when he came back in wolf form is the reason why he keeps it his secret. He understood why they acted how they did, he had the animals to guide and comfort him (speaking to the villager’s pets for the first time must have been a lot of fun) and he doesn’t hold a grudge at all. But it still hurt. Particularly the memory of having Rusl brandish a flaming torch at him while his wife screamed in terror from behind, will forever haunt his nightmares.

Colin’s sacrifice when he shoved Beth out of the way and got held hostage had a big impact on Link. It shows Link the power of inspiring courage in others, makes him realise just how much Colin and the others admire him and it’s the moment that truly sets him on the hero’s journey. In another way it kind of robs him of his choice to back out of all this. Colin, despite having no power or skill to back it up, has the courage to push Beth out of the way and put himself in danger. The fact that Link inspired Colin, inspires Link to keep going with this quest.

Midna and Link probably assumed the quest was over when they collected all the pieces of the Fused Shadow, until Zant rocked up at the Lanayru Spring and undid all their progress. That must have been extremely frustrating for them, but what was even more devastating was what the Usurper King did to Midna. The rush to Hyrule Castle as the rain fell and the stupid monsters appearing making the piano track cut out for the battle theme, was the lowest point. By now the two could be considered friends and Link was pretty desperate in getting to Zelda, to the point of ignoring all the screaming townsfolk as he ran through Castletown.

Speaking of Zelda, how does Link feel about her? Well, a mixture of respect because she’s the Princess and indifference because they’re strangers, even at the end of the game. He pities her for her current circumstance, is grateful for her sacrifice when she saved Midna, and he wouldn’t be angered that she surrendered to Zant so much as underwhelmed. Like his predecessor was. He forgives her for it of course, and doesn’t blame her, because it was clear to him as he explored the land that Hyrule has been a state of decline for decades now. It’s not her fault she inherited a broken kingdom, and like Midna, would never wish harm on her.

However, he doesn’t have much faith in her army. His dislike for Hyrulean soldiers was kicked off when the cowards refuse to escort Ilia, Telma and the Zora Prince to Kakariko.

Next up, the Master Sword! Link’s opinion of it is that it’s an incredible weapon. It has only ever been exclusively beneficial to him: it’s a huge step up from the Ordon sword, it cured him of the shadow crystal curse and it’s able to revert the corrupted Twili back to their original state. He respects its power and thanks to the teachings of the Hero’s Shade, never relies on it or becomes overconfident in using it.

Oh gosh, ok now for the Hero’s Shade. So in my story Link has had a golden wolf appear in his dreams a few times throughout his life. He was never sure if it was friendly or not, but when it appeared to him for the first time in the flesh, you best believe he went after it for answers and only for it to shapeshift into a armoured skeleton and transport him to this dreamlike world. The skeleton said nothing as it began to attack the young hero, who fought as best he could before being knocked down and given a lecture about strength. From there he teaches Link all his advanced sword techniques, meeting with him at different points of the journey, also teaching him songs from his first adventure. Link assumes this spectre is mentoring him simply to better prepare him to defeat Zant and this Ganondorf because he’s the chosen saviour. It’s not until the final hidden skill has been passed down that Shade reveals his identity as his ancestor, the founder of Ordon Village and lays out his reasons for teaching him.

Que heartbreaking scene when he reveals that he’s been watching over the young hero all his life, add in some lore regarding their family, that he’s very proud of him and that now his soul can finally rest. Maybe have Shade phase into a more human appearance and give his descendant a long hug before disappearing into ghostly particles. (Sheesh, I need to write out a short story for that)

Sidenote: the Hero’s Shade/spirit of the Hero of Time has nothing to do with Midna and the Twili. She doesn’t know him at all and kind of watches his escapades with Link from the sidelines.

Link would’ve had a bone to pick with the sages who botched Ganondorf’s execution. Mostly due to how their failure ended up causing the downfall of both realms of Light and Shadow, but also thanks to Midna telling him her backstory (when it is revealed much later on that she’s the Twilight Princess). He’s allowed to take it personally because it ended up causing Midna to suffer as much as she did, and he now cares a lot about her. They also don’t do shit to help them other than tell stories and send them on a fetch quest to reclaim the mirror pieces, so I think Link would have very little respect for them.

Ilia’s lost memory definitely took a toll on Link through the latter half of his adventure and was a major source of anxiety. He worried constantly about it in between slaying monsters and solving puzzles, talking with Midna, Ranado, Telma even Shad about ways they could restore it. He probably didn’t spend much time with her while her memory was gone as to not confuse or overwhelm her, because it was painful for him and because he just didn’t have the time. When it is restored it’s like a huge weight is lifted off his shoulders and things go back to normal for the two of them.

Link likes the Resistance. A whole lot actually. They’re the only ones standing up and doing a damn thing about the current state of affairs, and they’re doing the fucking most, which is is more than he can say about those with much more power than them. Going quickly through the members:

Telma is like the teasing aunt who’s easy to talk to and knows when to set you straight. She can be a bit much for Link sometimes, but he enjoys her company and is grateful for her keeping Ilia safe.

Auru is like the no nonsense uncle who acts all strict and serious, but he’s a total goof once you get to know him better. He’s not really friends with Link, he’s more like a friendly acquaintance who’ll have his back no matter what and gives great life advice.

I see Ashei as a cold loner gothic type. Who’s similar to Link in the sense that they’re both people of few words, come off as kind of aloof in their mannerisms, they both believe that actions speak louder than words and they’re both tough as nails. That being said, Link is much warmer, slightly more talkative and more expressive than she is. Still, those two get along like a house on fire, able to skip the small talk in every encounter and act like old friends. I like to think that the reason Link only has one eye of the hawkeye goggles in LU is because he gave the other half to Ashei (she’s an archer as well as a swordswoman)- who in return gave him an ornate crossbow from her father’s weapon collection. Just imagine these two emo buddies sniping monsters with their long range weapons while exploring the snowy mountains together.

So...Shad. These two did not like each other to start with. I did say that during Midna’s desperate hour Link was solely focused on saving her, but I forgot to mention the one thing that did divert his attention. And that was overhearing Shad say in the bar that those who don’t know the city life do not know fear. Well, it was a horribly elitist for him to say and that small comment rubbed Link the wrong way.

From there Link avoided Shad’s company as best he could, because almost everything he said annoyed him (he’d say backhanded comments that sound like compliments about his strength but are really just pleasant insults). Which to Link’s credit, Shad did kind of look down on him for being a simple country peasant. They were kind of forced to work together to restore Ilia’s memory and access the canon in the basement, and that made them at least respect other’s talents. It would be a missed opportunity if Shad didn’t follow Link into the City of the Sky, and I feel like he would do that.

That way, their petty frenemy dynamic would eventually turn into a genuine friendship as they navigate the decrepit city together, maybe have Link save Shad a few times (humbling Shad) and have Shad gush adorably at every little thing (showing a side of him that Link finds he actually likes).

That being said Shad would absolutely pester Link for possession of the dominion rod. Link would always refuse of course, but that wouldn’t stop the scholar bugging him with every argument and justification he can come up with.

Goes without saying but Link despises Ganondorf and Zant. Not only because of all the suffering they caused, hurting his friends, surrogate family, tragedies like the death of the Zora Queen and taking over kingdom, but again everything they did really screwed over Midna. So he has no sympathy for Zant even when Midna pops him like a balloon, although the sudden violent action did startle him.

Also...can I gush over how amazing their bond is?! Watching them grow to really care for and depend on each other was the highlight of the game for me. The cute side glance they do when getting ready to fight Dark Beast Ganon is the best thing ever. Or when Link holds Midna bridal style after she shattered the barrier around Hyrule Castle with the Fused Shadow (just- I can’t, they’re such a great duo!).

So TP as a whole, Link definitely went through many hardships, but the quest as a whole improved his life. He’s now a famous figure within the kingdom with a fanbase in Castletown, he’s found a cool group of people he really clicks with and can go on adventures with whenever farmlife gets a little too boring and he’s connected more with his lineage. Zelda will 100% give him some sort of reward for all he’s done, I’d argue she’d knight him, as well as giving him his title as the Hero of Twilight.

That being said there are a couple wrinkles in this bright future.

Midna left. That’s a weight he’ll carry for the rest of his life and he’ll never get answers as to why she did it. Maybe I’ll do a character analysis of Midna to explain why, but for now know that it deeply hurt both Zelda and Link.

His past. Or at least the past I gave him. There’s a lot he doesn’t know like: who his parents were, what happened to them, where he came from, how he ended up in the care of a wolf pack and why they abandoned him (like his parents and Midna...oh geez). Those are answers he’ll spend his life looking for.

Miscellaneous things:

Link isn’t dismissive of magic. He doesn’t distrust it like the Ordonians, he has little to no problems or fears regarding dark magic and doesn’t look down on those who use it excessively or as a crutch. Quite the opposite in fact, magic fascinates him. He’s had an acute interest in it and those who can use it since he stumbled upon that chest of books years ago. Hardly uses it much himself because he’s...magically inept. Absolutely talentless when it comes to performing magic. There’s that and he also doesn’t use magic himself much because he’s aware of the consequences (learning these during his adventure, such as when the Lanayru Light Spirit gave him that freaky vision of the dangers of the Fused Shadow) of delving too far into what’s forbidden.

He may not use magic much save for the shadow crystal, but we can all agree that he doesn’t even need it. The. man. is. buff. My boi be over here throwing every whole ass goron on Death mountain to the ground, picking up huge iron cannonballs and bodying goats for breakfast. He can bench-press a mountain and this platform’s future.

Despite his humble upbringing, Link is surprisingly sharp with pretty good streetsmarts. He was able to learn the Hylian language fast despite being a (very) late bloomer, naturally good at problem solving and decent deduction skills. So don’t think he just sat there while Shad was chatting all that shit, nope, he clapped back with his own brand of wit.

Throughout the game you encounter a lot of dead people, like tons of wandering spirits and poes. Link is probably desensitised to them. I’ll say he stopped getting shocked or put off by their appearances upon visiting the Arbiter’s Grounds.

I have a headcanon that this Link is secretly a romantic. Not that he’s this amazingly suave ladies’ man (nah he’d be the opposite). It’s just that he doesn’t have much experience when it comes to love, his only exposure being Ilia’s old storybooks, Beth’s advice, anecdotes from his farm buddies and Rusl/Uli’s stories of when they courted. Beth and Ilia’s views would be pretty idealised and not so realistic sources of information, making him believe in things like love at first sight, soul mates- sappy stuff like that.

I can easily see TP Link being a popular figure in Ordon, with more than one secret admirer pining after the rancher. The reason they’d stay secret is just due to how unapproachable he comes off as to those outside his orbit and he doesn’t normally go out of his way to meet new people. Total sweetheart once you make the first move and get to know him.

Just don’t bug him while he’s doing his farm work, it won’t go over well.

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Thanks for reading! Feel free to add your opinions in the comments, I’d love to read them. Also for the record TP Link has always been my favourite.

From Shadows is a story I made up while playing TP, here’s the origin story I made up for Twi:

Hero of Twilight Backstory