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in: Hylians, Hyrule Warriors characters, Hyrule Warriors enemies

Link (Hyrule Warriors)

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Subseries warning: This article or section contains information on a subseries within the Legend of Zelda series and should be considered part of its own separate canon.

Link (リンク Rinku?, LINK) is the main protagonist of Hyrule Warriors and Hyrule Warriors Legends and an incarnation of Link. He is a promising yet inexperienced trainee soldier who seeks to defend Hyrule and serve Princess Zelda. Unbeknownst to either himself or his fellow soldiers, he is actually the reborn spirit of the Legendary Hero and chosen bearer of the Triforce of Courage.

Personality

Spoiler warning: Plot or ending details follow.

Link possesses many heroic personality traits common among his various incarnations. Like most incarnations of Link, he is a silent protagonist and relies on his Fairy Companion, Proxi, to speak for him. As a member of the Hyrulean Forces, he is loyal to Princess Zelda and the Kingdom of Hyrule. Despite only being a trainee soldier, Link heroically chooses to take up a Knight's Sword and Shield in order to join in the battle against the Dark Forces. Despite his inexperience, he manages to assist the Hyrulean Forces and soon encounters Proxi, who decides to become his Fairy Companion in exchange for him protecting her from the Dark Forces who had been hunting fairies before the invasion.

Though his inexperience leads him to be defeated by Volga, his courage and desire to save himself and general Impa caused the power of the Triforce of Courage to reveal itself, revealing him to be the current incarnation of the Hero. Though he is unsure he is worthy of being called the Hero, Link dons the Hero's Clothes given to him by Impa; through battles with the Dark Forces, Link becomes more experienced and settles into his role as the Hero.

During his adventures in the Era of Skyloft he meets Fi, who recognizes he is another incarnation of her master and joins forces with him. Like his predecessor, Link relies on Fi's wisdom to advise him.

After obtaining the Master Sword, Link becomes overconfident and reckless due to the power of the legendary blade. This awakens a darkness within his heart that Cia uses to create several Dark Links to attack the Hyrulean Forces. After being saved by his allies, Link is reminded of his limitations and that he only got as far as he did thanks to his friends and allies. As a result, he embraces the true qualities of a hero, causing the darkness in his heart to disappear and maturing into a Hero worthy of wielding the power of the True Master Sword. He also courageously confronted the partially revived Ganondorf to save Princess Zelda when he attacked during their battle with Cia in the Temple of Souls.

Despite having his Triforce of Courage stolen by Ganondorf along with Zelda's Triforce of Wisdom, Link continued fighting courageously against Ganondorf's Forces alongside his allies and, together with them, manages to defeat Ganon despite the Dark Beast having the power of the complete Triforce at his disposal.

Background and History

The Link of Hyrule Warriors is the latest incarnation of the Spirit of the Hero, who, according to the game's universe, has been reincarnated into the various incarnations of Link, such as the Hero of Skyloft, the Hero of Time, the Hero of Twilight, and the Hero of Winds. The Hero would rise to battle the forces of evil over the Triforce, such as the repeated incarnations of his arch-nemesis Ganon.

Ending the Cycle of Evil

Eventually, one incarnation of Link managed to defeat Ganon and split his evil soul into four Spirit Fragments, three of which where sealed in different eras (the Era of the Hero of Time, the Era of Twilight, and the Era of Skyloft), while the fourth and final fragment was sealed by the Master Sword in a temple built on sacred ground. By doing this, it was hoped that the Demon King would never be able to return, ending the repeated cycle of conflict between the Hero's Spirit and that of Ganon.

The Guardian of Time

In a deep forest there lived a sorceress known as the Guardian of Time, who watched over the countless battles over the Triforce, yet never interfered. Over time the Guardian became infatuated with the Spirit of the Hero, whose soul was unlike anyone she had ever known. Eventually, her infatuation turned into love, but with her powers she knew his soul was tied to Princess Zelda. Taking advantage of her sorrow, Ganon drove the Light from her soul, corrupting her and twisting her love for the Hero into a desire to possess the legendary hero's soul. Thus the Guardian split into two beings: the Light became Lana the White Sorceress, and the Dark became Cia the Dark Sorceress. Cia was granted the Triforce of Power by Ganon, who manipulated her as his puppet. Using her power, Cia opened the Gate of Souls, summoning legions of monsters to join her army, the Dark Forces, in order to acquire the Triforces of Wisdom and Courage.

In Hyrule Warriors

Link wearing his Trainee Tunic

Meanwhile, Princess Zelda sensed the approaching darkness in a dream and her loyal advisor and protector, General Impa, suggested that it was a vision and that they should begin searching for the reborn spirit of the Hero. They would find it in a promising new recruit named Link, who possessed unnatural talent and fighting ability. He also demonstrated great courage, choosing to join the more experienced soldiers on the battlefield while the other cadets remained in the safety of the Castle. Shortly after stepping on the battlefield, he encountered Proxi, a fairy who was fleeing from the Dark Forces. Proxi decided to join Link as his fairy partner. Eventually, he engaged the Dragon Knight Volga, whom he managed to push back momentarily; however, Volga's might proved too great. Link was saved by Impa, though she too would have been killed by Volga's fire breath had they not been protected by the power of Link's Triforce of Courage, which confirmed to Impa that the Hero had been found. After defeating King Dodongo and discovering that Princess Zelda had gone missing, Impa gave Link the Hero's Clothes in recognition of his status as the reborn legendary hero, despite Link's doubts about his destiny. He joined Impa in searching for Zelda and began the quest that would turn him into another Hero of Legend.

The Sheikah Tribesman

Link and Impa search throughout Hyrule for Zelda, eventually hearing a rumor that a young woman is leading a resistance against the Dark Forces in Faron Woods. In order to reach the forest, Link and Impa have to lead their troops through the Eldin Caves, where they are attacked by the Dark Forces led by Wizzro. They find themselves cornered by the Dark Forces, but are saved by a mysterious warrior wielding a magical harp. The warrior reveals himself to be Sheik, a member of Impa's Sheikah tribe that protects the Royal Family of Hyrule. Sheik reveals that Zelda is alive and will return. Despite Impa being skeptical of his claims, Sheik joins forces with Link and the Hyrulean Forces to escape the Caves.

The Sorceress of the Wood

In Faron Woods, Link and his allies discover a hidden village beset by monsters, where Link jumps into battle to aid the struggling Hyrulean resistance forces. After clearing out the monsters, they find that the leader of the resistance forces is the White Sorceress, Lana. Lana hides her true origins from Link and the others by claiming that she and Cia are from the same magical clan. She offers to provide more information on Cia if Link, Sheik, Impa, and their forces join the resistance in protecting the village from the invading Dark Forces. Link aids Lana and her forces in retreating to their base within the Great Deku Tree; however, Wizzro sets fire to the tree, forcing Link and Proxi to seek out the aid of the Great Fairy that lives in the Fairy Fountain in the woods. After the fire is put out by rain summoned by the Great Fairy and her fairy subordinates, Link joins the others in confronting Wizzro, determined to make him reveal what he knows about Zelda's disappearance. Wizzro flees and summons Gohma to attack the Hyrulean Forces, though Link and his allies manage to kill the beast. Following the battle, Link and Impa lament the fact that they were unable to find anything on Zelda's whereabouts.

The Sorceress of the Valley

After defending the forest, Lana reveals that Cia is using the Gate of Souls in the Valley of Seers to summon monsters to join her forces, and that they must close the gate, stopping the flow of monsters so they can defeat Cia. With their new ally Lana, Link and the Hyrulean Forces journey to the valley to close the gate and put an end to the conflict. Despite managing to defeat Volga and Manhandla, Link and his allies end up falling into a magical trap set by Cia, who steals the Triforce of Courage from Link. She also manages to steal the Triforce of Wisdom, which was in Sheik's possession and not Princess Zelda's. Combining those pieces with the Triforce of Power in her possession, Cia uses the complete Triforce to warp time and space, freeing the three spirit fragments scattered across time. The warping of time and space opens a Gate of Souls in each era and causes locations from various eras to appear, transforming the landscape of Hyrule. Lana manages to shield herself, Link, and the others with a magic barrier, protecting them from the changes to Hyrule. Lana explains that they must close the gates in each era to stem the flow of monsters. As a result, they split up into groups in order to close each gate simultaneously.

Land in the Sky

Together with Proxi, Link journeys to the Era of Skyloft, where he encounters the Spirit of the Goddess Sword, Fi. Though Fi recognizes him as a different incarnation of the Hero, she accepts him as a master and joins him in protecting Skyloft from the invading Dark Forces, led by Volga, and Ghirahim's Forces, led by the Demon Lord himself. Using Pumpkin Soup to summon the aid of Levias, Link and Fi manage to defeat Volga and Ghirahim; however, Ghirahim manages to brainwash some of their allies to serve him.

Sealed Ambition

Together with Fi, Link journeys to the Sealed Grounds to close the Gate of Souls in the Era of Skyloft, which they find is actually the Gate of Time, corrupted by Cia's misuse of the Triforce. They are once again confronted by Ghirahim and his forces, and he uses the Gate of Souls to free his master, The Imprisoned. Link manages to defeat the Imprisoned and confronts Ghirahim in the Sealed Temple. After a fierce battle, he manages to knock the Demon Lord into the Gate of Souls, and uses a Skyward Strike to close the Gate, turning it back into the Gate of Time.

Returning to Hyrule

Joined by Fi, Link and Proxi return to their era and learn that Sheik was actually a disguised Princess Zelda. Link also meets several new allies from various eras who had joined with the Hyrulean Forces to close the gates in their eras as Fi had with Link. Also, at Midna's urging, Lana reveals her true connection with Cia and the Guardian of Time before revealing that Ganondorf was the one responsible for separating her from Cia and starting the war. Meanwhile, unbeknownst to Link or his allies, Ganondorf regains his physical form and ends his partnership with Cia, intending to steal the Triforce from her and break the final seal himself; however, Cia turns the tables on Ganondorf by sending the Triforces of Courage and Wisdom back to Link and Zelda before resealing him with the Triforce of Power.

The Sacred Sword

Due to the revelation that Ganondorf was behind Cia's actions, Princess Zelda decides that they would require the power of the Master Sword, and thus the Hyrulean Forces journey to the Temple of the Sacred Sword to have Link acquire the legendary blade. Near the temple, Link and Zelda noticed the return of their respective Triforce pieces and realize that Cia is weakened, giving them a chance to defeat her. Despite Impa's fears that removing the Master Sword will weaken the barrier on the final spirit fragment and whether Link is ready to wield the blade, Zelda and Lana insist that he is, so Link agrees with Zelda's plan. Despite Wizzro manipulating the Ghost Forces that protect the temple into attacking Link and his allies, they manage to open the doors to the Temple, where Link defeats the two Fiery Aeralfos guarding the Door of Time. Entering the Sacred Pedestal chamber, Link pulls out the Master Sword, proving himself to truly be the current incarnation of the Hero. While he is distracted following the blade's removal from its pedestal, Wizzro tries to attack Link from behind; however, Link easily deflects the blast with the Master Sword. Wizzro retreats from the chamber, weakened by the barrier keeping Ganondorf's spirit fragment contained, which remains active despite the blade's removal, just as Lana had predicted. Equipping the Master Sword and Hylian Shield, Link joins his allies in defeating Wizzro, who reveals that Cia is hiding in the Temple of Souls. Link fails to realize, however, that the legendary blade's power is causing him to become increasingly arrogant and reckless, and as darkness clouds his heart, it prevents him from accessing the blade's true power.

War of Spirit

Ignorant of the growing darkness within himself, Link joins the Hyrulean Forces in attacking the Temple of Souls. The temple had previously been home to the Guardian of Time, but following Cia's corruption had become warped. Statues of the Hero's various incarnations and pictures of Link were scattered all over the temple, the apparent result of Cia's obsession with Link. Noticing the growing darkness within Link's heart, Cia decides to use it to her advantage and lures Link into the temple's central chamber. Spurred on by Proxi's cheering, Link enters the chamber, unaware it is a trap. Cia uses her magic to transform the darkness within Link's heart into a dark shadowy doppelgänger named Dark Link. Despite managing to overcome his doppelgänger, four more Dark Links appear, surrounding Link and bringing him to the verge of defeat; however, Darunia, Midna, Fi, Impa, and Lana appear and rescue him. Realizing his limitations and embracing that he had only gotten as far as he did with the help of his friends and allies, Link manages to drive the darkness from his heart, awakening the power of the True Master Sword. Though he overcame his doppelgängers, Ganondorf appears at the Temple with his army to reclaim the Triforce of Power from Cia. Cia summons even more monsters, forcing the Hyrulean Forces to retreat; however, Ganondorf uses his power to prevent Zelda from escaping, forcing Link to remain behind to defend her. Fortunately, the partially revived Ganondorf is no match for Link and the power of the True Master Sword, forcing the Demon King to retreat.

Shining Beacon

During the fight with Ganondorf, Cia manages to flee to the Valley of Seers. Following his victory over Ganondorf, Link and his allies prepare for the final battle with the Dark Forces. Returning to the Valley of Seers, they find Cia has been completely consumed by darkness, becoming determined to defeat her enemies no matter the cost. After a hard fought battle, Cia and the Dark Forces are defeated.

Parting Ways

Following Cia's defeat, Lana takes possession of the Triforce of Power and, after bidding farewell to his allies from across time, Link joins Zelda and Lana in using the Triforce to undo the damage Cia had caused, returning Hyrule to normal. Link returns to Hyrule Castle with the Hyrulean Forces, where he is hailed as a hero for his role in Cia's defeat.

Ganondorf's Return

Due to Link neglecting to return the Master Sword to its pedestal following Cia's defeat, Ganondorf is able to break the final seal on his soul, completely restoring him. Leaving the Temple of the Sacred Sword, Ganondorf returns to his homeland in Gerudo Desert, where he revives Zant and Ghirahim, making them the generals of his army. After forcing the Monster Forces within the desert to serve him, Ganondorf invades the Valley of the Seers, where he manages to reclaim the Triforce of Power from Lana. With the Triforce of Power in hand, Ganondorf's Forces invade Hyrule Field. In his role as the Hero, Link confronts Ganondorf once more; however, despite his and Zelda's best efforts, Ganondorf manages to defeat them, allowing him to acquire the complete Triforce.

Enduring Resolve

Despite their defeat at the hands of Ganondorf, Link and his allies remain determined to defeat the Demon King. Ganondorf, confident in his victory, had left the battlefield and used the Triforce to summon more monsters, leaving Ghirahim and Zant to lead them in his place. Realizing that this may be their last chance, Zelda, Link, and Lana lead the remaining Hyrulean Forces to Gerudo Desert to defeat Ganondorf's generals; however, they confront doubles of Zant and Ghirahim, while the real ones observe the battle in hiding. Lana manages to summon their allies from across time to aid them, allowing Link and the Hyrulean Forces to turn the tide of battle and locate the real Ghirahim and Zant. Ultimately, Link and his allies are victorious, boosting the morale of the Hyrulean Forces.

Liberation of the Triforce

Meanwhile, Impa and her forces focus on locating Ganondorf. They eventually learn that he has conquered Hyrule Field and Hyrule Castle, which he transforms into Ganon's Tower. Joining his allies, Link prepares for the final confrontation with the Demon King. Together, Link and the Hyrulean Forces manage to retake Hyrule Castle, weakening Ganondorf's power. Ganondorf eventually falls, though the power of the Triforce revives him and transforms him into the Dark Beast Ganon. Using the Light Arrows received from Zelda, Link and his allies manage to defeat Ganon, allowing Link, Lana, and Zelda to reclaim their respective Triforce pieces and use the Triforce to split Ganon's soul and imprison him once more. Bidding a final farewell to their allies, Lana tells Link and Zelda they have one final mission: to return the Master Sword to its pedestal.

Restoring the Seal

Alongside Zelda, Link returns to the Temple of the Sacred Sword to return the Master Sword and completely restore the seal on Ganon's soul. As Link plunges the blade into the pedestal, Ganon's soul tries to prevent him from restoring the seal. Fortunately, with the aid of Zelda, Link manages to place the Master Sword back into its pedestal, restoring the seal. Their mission accomplished, Link and Zelda leave the temple to return to Hyrule Castle.

Spoiler warning: Spoilers end here.

Abilities

Link wielding his signature Master Sword and Hylian Shield

Movesets and Weapons

Hylian Sword

Magic Rod

Great Fairy

Gauntlets

Master Sword

  • Master Sword & Hylian Shield

Horse

Spinner

Material Drops

Link's Boots
Link's Scarf

Gallery

Subseries warning: Subseries information ends here.

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