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SiscoCentral1915 — The Personality of Link: Oot/MM Link
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Published: 2016-03-18 03:07:57 +0000 UTC; Views: 13232; Favourites: 275; Downloads: 30
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Description
BEHOLD! I has finished teh analysis of Oot/MM Link!
Now... before we begin, I might have to be honest here, I'm not 100% correct, but this is all
the information I've obtained during my time playing the games
(I only have Ocarina of Time, not Majora's Mask, but I have played the game once and watched TONS of gameplay of it)
and read the mangas in the past enough to piece together a solid analysis of this Link~!
And you might be surprised by how accurately I made this Link in my Manga / Doujinshi retelling of Ocarina of Time ^^
*coughcoughlolshoutoutcoughcough*
Also, the reason they don't have their weapons is because
I'm focusing on the characters themselves, not the weapons they have...
.....
If anyone has any additional information
please let me know and I'll add it to the analysis -w-
So without further ado, let's get started :3
Also happy St. Patrick's Day everywuuuuun~ x3
Reputation
The Link that is known as the Hero of Time from Ocarina of Time, Majora's Mask, and as an Ancient Hero in Twilight Princess, is one of the most recognized and cherished Links in the Zelda franchise and in video gaming as a whole. He is also noted to be a defining example of what a bishonen is.
His actions alongside the Zelda from that time have caused different timelines to occur in the history of Hyrule itself as well as the outcomes to the final battle against the Evil King Ganondorf, making him one of the most important heroes in Hyrule's history, the other being the Link in Skyward Sword. In each beginning to the stories that follow after (A Link to the Past, The Wind Waker, and Twilight Princess) this Link is always mentioned in one form or another with Twilight Princess being the only game he appears in physically as an important character in the story....
Because he was the current Link at the time to get so much attention, he is used for the first two Super Smash Bros. games, Soul Calibur II as the most highly requested guest character alongside Spawn and Heihachi, and in Hyrule Warriors as a DLC character in the form of himself as a child with the Fierce Deity mask.
Although, because this Link is so well-known, the title "Hero of Time", is often being misplaced among other Links. The most common Link to have been mistakened as THE Hero of Time is Oot / MM Link's descendant from Twilight Princess due to his inclusion in "Super Smash Bros. Brawl", which is where most people who wouldn't normally get into the Zelda franchise know him from and would usually assume that all Links are the same person...
Although the Link in Smash Bros. Brawl is actually a mixture of both Oot Link & TP Link, the model still takes heavily after Twilight Princess Link, which heightens the confusion for new and casual fans.
Personality
Ocarina of Time & Majora's Mask
Oot / MM Link's personality in all the main games and spin-offs he's been in, is interesting at best. His character seems to have been more explored in Majora's Mask than Ocarina of Time since Tatl would remark about how he acts in certain dialog cutscenes, but these are very few in between, obviously due to the fact that the whole "avatar" concept is still heavily tacked on him during this time period in which the game was made in (Majora's Mask was released in 2000 while Ocarina of Time was released in 1998)...
Tatl would call Link either stubborn or careless (This is revealed once during the Anju and Kafei sidequest) from the time she spent with him throughout his adventures in the land of Termina. And like every friendly character that got to know Link, she warmed up to him and genuinely became a friend of his.
At the beginning of the game when Link is forced to become a Deku Scrub, he ends up breaking the fourth wall without saying a word after Tatl rushed him to find Skull Kid and Tael. He faces the camera, shrugging in a defeated manner in a gesture screaming, "What did I get myself into this time?" or in a more mundane case, "I don't know what to make of this either."
Shigeru Miyamoto, in an interview with Iwata, confirms Link's main personality, but doesn't go into much detail with it. He says that this Link is childish and playful, which does show from time to time in the main games and in the multiple other appearances he's been in.
But the interesting thing about this is that since he's mentally a 9 year old child trapped in an adult body (or rather teenage body since he's 16 years old) halfway throughout the game, this marks Oot Link as the most recognized Man Child in gaming.
When you obtain an item or talk to certain people in Hyrule Castle Town in Ocarina of Time, the dialog hints at Link's mentality, opinions, and feelings towards certain situations. Even certain cutscenes show Link's reactions to certain things such as the moment when the Gorons wanted to group hug Link after he got rid of the Dodongos in Dodongo cavern (Not to mention getting thrown to the ground by Darunia due to him petting Link too hard). He ends up screaming in fear, running away from them while another one tries to stop him from going down the mountain in a comical fashion.
The most well known Item Get dialogue is when Link obtains the Zora's Sapphire from Ruto, where he doesn't understand what Ruto was talking about, let alone know what a marriage proposal was, which made the end result seven years later in the game that much more amusing to watch. In the end, due to his origin, Link knows next to nothing about anything anyone says, which makes it all the funnier at times due to his naivety.
The way Link responds to Nabooru in the Spirit Temple as a child is good to mention as well. Link downright says to Nabooru that he hates Ganondorf. This is fairly reasonable since Ganondorf caused so much pain and destruction to the world of Hyrule at this point and, if you think about it, destroyed what little innocence Link had left before and after he left Kokiri Forest.
His other optional response is "What if I am?" which hints to Link being a Deadpan Snarker as well. But of course this isn't the only moment in the game he responds in such a way, but is one of the more memorable moments I found noteworthy. One particular Item Get dialogue from Majora's Mask during the Anju and Kafei Sidequest is when you get the pendant from Child Kafei says this:
"Though you may not understand these grown-up matters, you should probably take the pendant to Anju, anyway."
It's been implied many times subtly that this Link is mature for his age, which at the start of Ocarina of Time, is nine years of age. He's much more mature in Majora's Mask, but is still holding on to his childish demeanor. This alone makes him vastly different from the Kokiri, who are mostly childish and abrasive (save Saria) due to knowing absolutely nothing about and wanting nothing to do with the outside world other than what the Great Deku Tree tells them.
It might even be possible that Saria had something to do with his behavior as he was growing up due to how she treats him, which is respectively and kind-heartedly.
The Club Nintendo Ocarina of Time Comics
In the Club Nintendo Ocarina of Time comic (Commonly identified and known as the Oot German comic), it shows clearly that Link was prone to resorting to violence to make Mido stop making fun of him, which makes it possible in that Mido caused Link to develop this kind of violent behavior in the first place.
Even so, Saria always manages to intervene in time to stop him from attacking Mido. In this aspect, it's implied that Link manages to calm down and talk to Saria about what he goes through since she is the only one who truly understands and lets him do as he pleases. Because of this, we can easily tell that he cherishes her as a motherly figure since it's also been implied that she was with him even when he was an infant.
Also in the German comics are two short story arcs that go their own way of depicting the beginning of Ocarina of Time. One where Young Link would end up meeting Adult Link accompanied by Saria and the other is going with the main story in it's own way, ending on when Link first meets Zelda.
In the translation created and fixed by Iron Knuckle and David Butler, it is revealed that he loves surprises and is even aware that he has a goofy grin when figuring out who was standing next to Saria. Hilariously enough, he even says "Groovy" at one point as a response to an explanation in the comic for whatever reason. Either way, it cements the fact that Miyamoto wanted Link as lame as possible in this game, but at the same time be a cool character.
Overall, Link is mainly a static character in these comics due to the lack of content to fully flesh out his character more. However despite how short these comics are, it does show that he is very smart and curious, just like how it's shown in Ocarina of Time.
The Akira Himekawa Mangas
The Ocarina of Time and Majora's Mask mangas by Akira Himekawa are not canon, but still bring up more of Link's personality albeit a bit differently since he can speak in both mangas just like the German comics.
Also like the German comics, the mangas don't really give Link any real, true conflict, which makes him somewhat of a static character despite having tons more content. The mangas give off that feel of, "We know Link is going to win and he's going to win no matter what!" which isn't bad at all since the manga is mostly light-hearted at best (With the exception of the 2011 version).
And although the Volvagia arc was truly the point where Link lost his innocence, it did little to change his overall character. It only made him more aware of how serious his journey and the enemy he's facing was.
Link being static is even more noticeable in the Majora's Mask manga, which makes him out to be an Invincible Hero since none of the situations he's in really put him in any real danger.
Going back to Tatl, she even says that Link is a people lover in the manga, referring to him as an All-Loving Hero . Which, even without this information, is a blatant trait that all Links share in the games, even if some show it differently than others.
(If you want to know what static means, go here: learn.lexiconic.net/characters… )
Soul Calibur II
Even though the Link from Soul Calibur II isn't exactly the one from Ocarina of Time, he still shares similar characteristics both physically and mentally. When Link encounters Raphael, he's seen hopping on the platforms of the old chapel in a slightly silly manner as if imitating Mario's platforming skills or doing a nod to the auto-jump feature in Ocarina of Time and Majora's Mask at the time. When he loses in the campaign mode, he falls comically to the ground and rubs the back of his head, obviously embarrassed and blown away at the loss.
His victory animations are varied and fun to watch. In one animation, he gets excited and hops towards the camera in a hot-blooded manner. Another has him just stretch for a bit. This can be interpreted as him being glad that the fight is over or a gesture of him saying, "I barely broke a sweat" or "That was kind of disappointing / not worth it", and the last animation is of him doing a stylized spin attack which is clearly says that he's just showing off.
Super Smash Bros.
Link's appearances in Super Smash Bros. 64 and Melee also have some interesting details thrown in there, despite only being a toy / trophy of the real Hero of Time.
In the Congratulations Screen for Link in SSB64, he's shown to be in Rebel Relaxation pose with his weapons laying on the wall near him as he's looking at Hyrule below on Hyrule Castle. This looks normal at first, but once you realize the other eleven fighters have some sort of silly or cool kind of flare thrown into their screens, Link's is the most mundane. This is odd considering how Link is portrayed in the game, most notably in his victory animations.
His poses make him seem cool and noteworthy of being a dangerous character to fight against, but in actuality, he's not really the best character to fight with in most situations with most fighters who are significantly faster than he is. However, he is versatile and is THE zoning character that many a player should not take lightly if used right, the same goes for Samus.
While Link's taunt in SSB64 is simply a strange battle stance, his taunt in Melee is the most bizarre for how different it is compared to all the other fighters, who's taunts are easily identifiable.
In the taunt, Link simply sheathes his sword and shield and bushes one of his bangs to the side in a casual gesture, sounding as though he's briefly chuckling to himself in a bashful manner .
The taunt is certainly effective if one were to admittedly screw up on their performance, but other than that, it's a really odd taunt for Link of all people to have. Though it might possibly show just how humble he really is.
(Note: Zelda also has an odd taunt in Melee, but it fits her character more since she's normally a peace keeper and not a fighter.)
Young Link's taunt is the longest in the game and shows that he can be cocky or arrogant. In one particular victory animation, he sheathes his sword, and dusts his hands, putting his hands on his hips. This alone shows that even Link can be conceited at times.
Hyrule Warriors
Even though it's not canon, Hyrule Warriors does a good job at showing this Link's personality as well. In this game, the personality Miyamoto described is shown here more than any other appearance he's been in so far...
In Young Link's encounter cutscene , he acts like a masked fighter, but fails to keep it up when the Keaton mask falls off of his face after swinging his oversized MM Kokiri Sword a bit. When that happens, he smiles a bit, feeling slightly embarrassed it happened, but quickly dismisses it by growing serious, glaring at the screen, readying his sword to fight whoever he's opposing.
There's also an Easter Egg in his moveset where if you are maxed out on magic or if you input the strong attack button right after he does a front flip, he acts like he's transforming when he puts on the Keaton mask (The act was actually believable hilariously enough). And just before it looked like he was actually transforming, he cocks his head to the side and giggles, lifting up the mask with a goofy grin on his face before looping back to his normal stance. As shown here.
"Just kidding! Fooled you didn't I?" is what I'd imagine he would say at that very moment.
This also shows us that Link is a good actor and has a rather vivid imagination. (And while the latter isn't easy to spot in Hyrule Warriors, the drawing on the leg of his treehouse makes it clear in Ocarina of Time despite not being incredibly artistic)
And lastly, his character emotion portraits show his character even more. The most commonly seen portraits are the cheerful and angry portraits. It is rare to see the sad or neutral portraits.
Twilight Princess
Oot / MM Link's appearance in Twilight Princess is in the form of an ancient hero called "The Hero's Shade". This ghost warrior is the one who teaches the Link from Twilight Princess new moves as well as make the young swordsman a lot more wiser about combat in general.
The Hero's Shade carries himself in a calm, almost gentlemen-like manner and the way he speaks is sophisticated and wise, but has a hint of informalness when he talks. This make him comfortable to be around since he not once had the usual tone of a knight who is of higher rank than you.
Due to traveling back in time to relive his childhood, he was not remembered as the Hero of Time, but the boy who stopped Ganondorf from unleashing evil onto Hyrule once more. His main reasons for still feeling regretful is because Ganondorf still managed to stay alive even after many decades due to having the Triforce of Power (Twilight Princess takes place 100 years in the future, making Ganondorf a living breathing ancient relic of the past).
The other reason is the fact that he couldn't pass his newfound knowledge of the sword down to his first descendant due to dying sometime later in his life before his child was even old enough to learn, most likely in the same vein as his father in the German comic, quite possibly during a war / angry riot.
Because he wanted to finally rest his soul, The Hero's Shade finds his descendant, TP Link, in the form of a sublime beast, known as the Golden Wolf. This way, he can take him to the ethereal realm and teach him all of what he knows so he can finally ease his regrets.
Interestingly enough, if you refuse to learn the last skill, he will grow furious at you for wasting his time, telling you to never come back. This is probably because he felt for sure that you (TP Link) was the one to lift the curse that plagued his phantom being and now he is unable to move on and is doomed to linger in regret forever.
This was actually foreshadowed in Majora's Mask in Ikana Valley about souls with lingering regrets. It's rather unfortunate for the Link in Ocarina of Time and Majora's Mask to befall such a fate. But how he is able to transform into a golden, ethereal wolf is a mystery.
The only thing that might make it possible is through Rauru, who reincarnated into Kaepora Gaepora. It is confirmed by Miyamoto that Rauru is the parental / guardian figure for Link in Ocarina of Time. From this, it's possible that Link gained his ability to turn into a wolf from the sages themselves for the same reason Rauru became Kaepora Gaepora: To watch over the next Hero Chosen By The Gods.
Ocarina of Time, Majora's Mask, Twilight Princess, Super Smash Bros., & The German Comics belong to Nintendo
Hyrule Warriors belongs to Koei Temco
Soul Calibur II belongs to Namco
The Ocarina of Time & Majora's Mask Manga belongs to Akira Himekawa
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Comments: 44
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"he couldn't pass his newfound knowledge of the sword down to his first descendant due to dying sometime later in his life before his child was even old enough to learn"
How do you know it was because he died early? I mean, /maybe/, but how do you know that's specifically the reason?
That nitpick aside, great analysis of all the different appearances he's had! (And I like the picture too x3)
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Yeah there's no concrete evidence on how Oot Link's life had went after Majora's Mask and fans for years
have been making their own interpretation. My interpretation was coming from logic and from what we do know
with TP Link being a descendant of Oot Link, to which I assume Oot Link is probably TP Link's grandfather.
It was pretty much just me trying to do simple math when I was obsessed with this series back in 2016 / 2017
...
I'm glad you like the analysis and picture tho :'3
Itsyerfella added some more to the analysis in the comment section that I thought was pretty neat if you want
to take the time to read it. It is super long, but it's worth it lol
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Yeah, him being the grandfather to TP Link does check out with the timespan between the games and all. I just wouldn't say he definitely died early and therefore couldn't teach his kid the ways of the sword. Maybe his child was disabled and couldn't use a sword, maybe the kid just wasn't interested, maybe Link sustained some major injury that prevented him from using a sword. There's a lot of possibilities besides him dying for not passing on his skills.
And I did actually read Itsyerfella's post! Their account is gone though so I didn't reply ^^'
My thoughts on it though, I disagree that the kids in the moon represent Link's psyche. I mean, that's also a maybe but we don't /know/. I always thought they made more sense as the skull kid's psyche, since he acted out due to the giants, his friends, rejecting him. That's the way he saw it at least. Since Link has all the masks and made so many people happy, the moon kids think Link might have the answers about friends and righteousness and all. Their hesitant behaviour saying he's nice when he gives them masks also makes me think they don't represent Link, but the skull kid, who's taken aback by kindness.
I'm also hesitant to take a lot of his behaviour in MM as canon to his personality. Like with Sakon asking to see the sword, you can view this as Link being naive if he says yes. But, Link also knows he can reverse any decision by rewinding time. So, some things he might do out of curiosity since there's no consequences to him, rather than doing it because he's naive. I think with Sakon specifically, that's the exact reason he would say yes. Because when you get to Ikana, Link probably already knows Sakon is a thief and wouldn't innocently trust him. So if it's not innocent trust, I think Link is just not really caring much about consequences since he can undo them. It doesn't hurt to try every random thing to see what happens when you can just reverse time.
However, what Tatl says about Link and the item descriptions in MM, I think those definitely are concrete evidence of Link's personality! I replayed MM earlier this year and was thinking of making a Link personality analysis myself because of all the hints the game gave. But apparently you've already done one, and it's a great job!
I also agree with Itsyerfella that his goofy adorableness in HW was a bit off-putting since in the games he has like, what, three possible facial expressions and it's usually blank? But still, it's an adorable interpretation and I can't say I dislike it x3
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I don't agree at all about Link's lack of expression, having apparently "three possible facial expressions". Not only are facial expressions not the only way to emote, but there is also body language which Link has a fair bit of in MM. In terms of facial expression Link has a decent bit, such as him not being amused with the Skull Kid in the start of the game when his ocarina is taken, or how upset he looks when he learns something happened to Epona. We see him grit his teeth, his eyes flutter, his body leans back, a lot of detail despite being on the N64. Then right after that when Link enters the "Deku Dream" we actually see him turn tail and run away with his head down, hands covering his ears. After that we have the 4th wall break that the author of this topic described. And this is just within the intro to the game. We also see moments of relief such as when he gets his body back, or happiness like when he sees Epona once again and he dashes over to her with a smile on his face. There are plenty more as well.
His body language is also used in good effect. Some examples being with the Rosa Sisters and after Link teaches them the dance they need, they call him "so cool" to which Link bows down, head nodding, and scratching the back of his head bashfully. We also see that Link is generally respectful through out the game. Moments including him bowing to the Deku Princess, him giving a salute to Captain Keeta, and then of course the Mikau scene comes to mind.
This scene really displays how honorable Link is despite being an ignorant forest child. Not only does he make a grave for a person who has just fallen, writes a message on it for other Zora's to read, but then he also bows in respect for Mikau's passing. Link has more important things to take of, but he felt the need to do this gesture.
In regards to Hyrule Warriors, Young Link being cheerful and playful isn't out of place at all. In MM we see examples of him behaving like a child and being playful. HW is just able to express him more due to well... better hardware. Heck even in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate we see him being generally happy via his taunts, one of his victory screens has him with a cheerful smirk, and speaking of which is a smirk that he has in a lot of MM's official artworks.
Without making this become a full on essay, body language goes a long way in conveying character, and MM did this very well for it's time. Link's personality traits are rather surface level, thanks to some facial emoting and body language.
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Okay... I wasn't talking about body language, I was talking about facial expressions
*is violently being shaken by the HMS*
>No expression
*meets a giant*
>No expression
*saves the world*
>No expression
*Tatl reveals her backstory*
>No expression
*Cremia hugs him*
>Game tells you you like it but Link has, you guessed it, no expression. He doesn't even hug back, just stands there limply. Which to me implies he's confused, shocked, or uncomfortable, which is at odds with the game text saying he's happy about it. Which one is his actual reaction? Idk, not like he actually emotes in the scene.
I could go on about his lack of reaction for almost every scene in the game. His characterization is better in MM than OoT for sure but still it's usually just a poker face.
The few moments where he /does/ have a reaction, be it body language or facial, it's rarely a goofy childish behaviour. It's honouring the dead, relief he's a human again or that the baby goron stopped screaming, happy his horse isn't dead, shock at a half-mummy guy, etcetera. The goofy moments such as bowing to the dancers or being weird in a mask, dancing, parading, sniffing etc. (though even that can be argued it's the masks's influence more than his usual behaviour) are not the norm, they're the exception.
If I recall, these are the only times he smiles in both OoT and MM: Getting an item, when he thought he defeated Ganondorf right before he comes back as Ganon, and finding Epona. Outside of getting items, he smiles a total of twice in two games. Well, two and a half times I suppose. In the zora pot-breaking mini game, if you win, the zora says you're smirking. Link isn't smirking but the game says he is so I'll count that as half a smile.
So yes, he has some personality traits. He's respectful, kind, and brave, Tatl says he's reckless, and he likes items, his horse, and not being a Deku Scrub. He wasn't amused he got robbed at the beginning of MM, was horrified at being turned into a scrub, and was ashamed of himself for not holding up his end of the deal with HMS by getting the ocarina back but not Majora's Mask. None of these traits come across as "goofy cheerful kid" to me personally. The fourth wall break and occasionally being silly with a mask aren't how he usually acts, most his reactions, I think, are along the lines of surprise or respect, with very rare moments of annoyance, shame, or joy. I'm not saying he had no personality, but he still doesn't emote much, and when he does, it's not usually to be silly.
So yes, HW and Smash making him cheerful and goofy was out of place to me. Was it the personality the devs always intended? Maybe, but I really never got that vibe from the games themselves.
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To be fair we don't actually get to see his face when he's being shaken by the HMS, but that's besides the point. You're right that there are cases where he just kinda stares there. The Cremia hug can interpreted in a few ways I think, like you said he feels happy, but doesn't know to react. I think this makes sense in the context of him never having a motherly figure in his life, and just doesn't know how to handle some situations like it. An example can be back in OoT where he runs from the Gorons or how he doesn't understand Ruto's marriage offering. He can be socially awkward at times. And while I understand that you weren't talking about body language I just wanted to bring up that it indeed does show personality too, and can also be a type of emoting. Body language = types of emoting is what I was trying to say, sorry if that wasn't clear.
While we don't actively see him smile much, there are still scenes that can depict him as being happy/playful. Again the Rosa Sisters. When he's waving the Deku curse away, when he falls over on his side comically when learning the song from the monkey (who's name I can't remember right now), and how he reacted to the Deku Princess saying Link smells like a monkey. And while not in-game, the official artworks of MM have a decent amount of them with Link smirking/smiling, so I suppose that's something.
Regarding his happy nature in HW and Smash. This could be from some of the official artworks, it could be what Miyamoto described which was listed in this topic above as being "childish and playful", or it could be the developers just simply wanting to add to his character a bit. Considering how limited the N64 was in some areas. I think it serves as a nice extension of his personality which we saw in prior games.
I just think that the N64 games did a good job of giving Link a personality, to the point where he's really the first Link to have a said personality in the series. Be it with the facial expressions we do get, along with his body language, it's all able to convey his character. Then of course plus his back story, character relationships, personal motivations (like finding Navi for example) and then later with the Hero's Shade... which is an entirely different topic haha. So while of course his emoting isn't on the same level as other games to come later, which obviously makes sense due to hardware enhancements. It's still very much present in these games.
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Yeah, my version of what could've happened does have it's flaws.
I mean you're probably right in saying that the child didn't have interest.
The fanchild of Link and Malon I made, Tarin (as tribute to the one in Link's Awakening)
was a simple farmer before becoming a delivery boy. His interest in wanting to become a swordsman
like his father was mainly from him listening to the stories Link would tell him as a child.
While Tarin does succeed in becoming a swordsman when he became an adult, he lacked the skills
his father would've taught him had Link not died in a war similar to how HIS father died.
It's not really a great way to think of how Link meets his end, but it worked for me as a teenager lol
Well, the stuff Itsyerfella mentioned were things I kind of neglected to mention when making the analysis
but I thought they were pretty neat to read through anyway since it brings up discussion.
I can't really be bothered to remember everything since I'm not into Zelda anymore as much as I used to ;w;
Oh man having Tatl around was probably the best kind of way to see into Link's personality.
It made it pretty funny at times because she was always so pushy at least at the start of MM.
I agree, HW kind of didn't try to make him too entirely expressive, which is a shame considering
Young Link is a goofy, but confident boy in his own right.
Though imo, they should've turned that into an animated series where Link could shine completely...
But that's Nintendo for you. They would milk the cow for all it's worth, but don't bother actually
taking care of it and show it the love it deserves.
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Young Link: Can we make it, Daddy?
Link: HYAH! Of course we can!
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This is indeed a great analysis. And I think Link will always be a kid in his heart, which is great I think.
This world he lives in is so dark already that it wouldn't do any harm if someone shares some childish
happiness every now and then
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Pretty thorough analysis, and great usage from what little information the games give us about what Link is actually like as a person.
Personally, I've never really bought the idea of OoT or MM Link being an avatar for the player (does Nintendo even try to say that anymore for the later games?) because Majora's Mask's existence kind of denies that notion. While details of his personality are sparse in OoT, except for those little environmental and dialogue details like you pointed out, MM is decidedly more focused around Link and his character, something which is pretty much spelled out in the opening text crawl - "A secret and personal journey... A journey in search of a beloved and invaluable friend". So while someone could try to transplant themselves onto him, the fact still remains that, when taken away from the player's control over him during gameplay, it is Link acting on Link's own whims and desires. Given that it's such a meme for some people to hate Navi and probably would never want to go searching for her anyway, she's obviously still very dear to Link, so what Link ultimately wants and what the player might want would be at strict odds with each other.
I DO like the idea of him being an avatar in the sense that it means there are many, many different interpretations of Link out there, but also since it could also work in a story sense with all the time shenanigans that goes on in these games. You could literally create parallel universes with slightly different personalities that end up growing into widely different people based on certain choices they make (like, say for example, whether or not one Link accepted/wore the Fierce Diety Mask vs. one that decided to reject it entirely.)
But that's not what your analysis is really about, and in fact it turns the notion of the him being an avatar on its head since what you've written is unbiased and uses only facts from the games and media he's been in. So great work there!
He's definitely equal parts mature and childish in my eyes - I'd tend to lean more towards the former, partly because of his forced change to a supposed adulthood, and especially after all the horrors he's had to endure, though even long before that I'd still characterise him as beyond his years. Again, MM did a great job reflecting this duality between his maturity - Link would sit down and listen to people's problems and do his absolute best to help them, even if he doesn't fully understand what their problem is, and even if it means pushing aside his own issues in order to aid them (which, depending on how you analyse it, could also be interpretated as a character flaw). In essence, he really is the perfect Bomber, because he has enough of a childish heart to see the good in people (sometimes to a fault, especially with Sakon the thief and the instance in Ikana Canyon where he asks to look at whatever sword Link has at the time and you're given the choice to either say Yes and make Link appear really naive before Tatl steps in and chases Sakon off, or pick No and have Link be aware and suspicious of him) and feel the desire to solve their problems, yet also has the maturity and experience and skill to actually do something about it and understand the effects it will or might have on the person he's helping. He doesn't seem like he just wants to 'stop the moon and save the world', it's as though he wants to have an impact on people right down to a personal level. Even if people don't recognise or fully appreciate the extent of his assistance, he'd want to believe that he'd at least improved someone else's life.
Another fairly important thing to note are the Moon Children and the questions they direct at Link:
"Your friends... What kind of... people are they? I wonder... Do these people... think of you... as a friend?"
"What makes you happy? I wonder...what makes you happy...does it make...others happy, too?"
"The right thing...what is it? I wonder...if you do the right thing...does it make...everybody...happy?"
"Your true face... What kind of... face is it? I wonder... The face under the mask... Is that... your true face?"
These questions reek of self-doubt, as though Link is questioning whether what he's doing is actually the right thing, and whether he actually understands himself and others around him. They're really not the kind of questions a simple child would ask themselves, or likely even consider for more than a second, but they're presented in a simplistic and almost infantile fashion from childlike familiars, who may or may not be aspects of his psyche. And then once these questions have been presented to him, there's this quote:
"You don't have any masks left, do you? Well, let's do something else. Let's play good guys against bad guys... Yes. Let's play that. Are you ready? You're the bad guy. And when you're bad, you just run. That's fine, right?"
before he's granted the Fierce Deity Mask.
Just something to think about.
Something about Hyrule Warrior's interpretation of his character bugged me a little to begin with. Mainly I worried that they'd made him TOO childish - the little part in his into cutscene where he looks at the Kokiri (Great)Sword and gives an expression that is less "I'm amazed by its power" and more like 'OHHHH WHAT DOES THIS THING DO??" was what really brought that feeling about. But on reflection, there are little rare nuances that really bring out both his immaturity and seriousness. That Keaton mask taunt is simply priceless!
I really do wish they'd focused less on the Fierce Deity form and put more attention on Link's capabilities without the mask, though. Even them making the Kokiri Sword two-handed is all designed to accommodate the FD form, which you'll want to spend 95% of your time in because otherwise he's severely lacking in range and power. Shame, really, because he could easily have been tremendously fun and powerful in his normal form.
One thing I've always been interested in exploring is exactly what Link goes on to do directly after Majora's Mask. He's never struck me as the type who would just be able to settle himself or stay in one place for too long, and would probably develop some kind of wanderlust and end up wanting to see and learn about what lies beyond Hyrule (there has to be something out there!) whether in continued search of Navi or simply adventuring for the sake of sating his curiosity. Either way, I've never liked the idea of him simply returning to Hyrule and inevitably resigning himself to knighthood, but apparently muh canon demands it.
Was it ever confirmed in-game that TP Link and the Hero's Shade were blood related? The way the HS calls TP Link 'my child' after the final lesson always seemed more as HS finally recognising TP Link as his true successor, having grown closer to him and nurturing him throughout his adventure and coming to think of him as a son, rather than actually being biologically related. That's really just how I thought about it though, since they're very vague about the actual details and I don't often like to take everything the game says literally. I'm not exactly a fan of Twilight Princess overall, but there are still some parts of it that make me curious, and that's one of them.
Oh, also, I'm really liking your OoT comic so far. The story is fun, and your dedication to matching your drawings to the official concept art is super admirable! Really looking forward to seeing more of that in the future.
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First of all, I would like to thank you for taking the time
out to gather more information to add to the analysis ^^
Secondly, I haven't gotten a comment this gigantic in forever lol
But don't worry, I read the whole thing :3
As for the second to last paragraph, yeah it confirms that
TP Link is the Hero Shade's descendant...
Since Twilight Princess is 100 years after Ocarina of Time
in Majora's Mask, most likely Oot Link is TP Link's grandfather...
Especially if you want to start from Oot Link's life to TP Link's....
Which is a complete 100 year gap if Oot Link died at a rather
old age to have a child who would be the father of TP Link..
(So basically.... if by the time Oot Link died around the age of 50
and his child dies at the age of 46 or so, it would complete the gap
with TP Link being 4 at the time regardless if Oot Link
was 9 years old from the start, time was not altered...)
Thanks~! I'm glad you're liking it so far ^^
I plan on doing a retelling of the whole game
in a compete story format from start to finish -w-
It's going to be a long road, but it'll be worth it lol
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Haha, it probably just seems like I'm blowing a lot of hot air, really. OoT/MM Link is one of my all-time favourite characters, so I just love talking about him and seeing him explored in this way. There's so much more nuance to his character than is obvious on first glance, and I personally find him the most relatable and likable out of all the other Link's.
That seems the most likely scenario for TP Link, the generation gap would be necessary to cover that length of time. And if OoT Link was going to have a child, it would have to be late enough in his life for him to not be able to pass on his teachings with the sword/about the life of the hero. Still, I'm not exactly an advocate of official canon for the most part, and since I generally don't pair OoT/MM Link up with anyone (since he seems to me like the one Link that has no trouble connecting with people, yet would have serious trouble settling down with anyone), I prefer to stick with the whole reincarnated hero angle rather than blood relation. But that's just me being stubborn about it...
Really though, OoT/MM has the most tragic existence, and it's sad to eventually see him clinging to the world through regret alone. Makes him all the more interesting for it, though.
Oh it definitely will be worth it! I'm really loving how much detail and personality you're putting into your drawings, and how much time you're spending on establishing the Kokiri Forest and his relationships within it. Everyone acts pretty much how I'd expect them to, and the friendship between Link and Saria is really, really sweet! Probably my favourite part about it so far. So yes, I'm definitely looking forward to seeing more pages!
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Yeah, I feel the same way about him as well...
I draw the guy so much it's not even funny XD
In fact I felt as though I was the only one who realized his reactions in Ocarina of Time <3>
Which was knawing at me for the longest to ask if people actually wanted me to do an analysis or sorts lol
If you don't mind me making this comparison, this Link reminds me a hell of a lot of Sonic the Hedgehog. . .
(I was originally a big Sonic Fan, but has since became an ex-fan around 2011 for other reasons....)
Even though they have different backgrounds, they act somewhat similar in my opinion...
Like Link, Sonic is a kind, powerful, and brave character who's very confident
in himself and makes a lot of friends on his adventures :3
....... and can be stubborn and careless at times |D
Makes sense right? Hell if you think about it...
100 years really isn't that long of a time for us...
especially if you've lived a healthy enough life to even get to that point...
Ah yeah I agree, I'm not really a fan of any couple, but I will go with
the one that's the most logical regardless...
The Spirit of the Hero is definitely an important aspect of Link's character....
It's a shame that the ones who aren't actually chosen get caught up in so much...
True, he is a very interesting Link... very relatable, which makes it all the more sad |'F
Eh, you're honest, that was what I originally thought each Link was like anyway lol
But hey, at least Oot/MM Link managed to have some kind of a happy ending
with the family he never had (You might as well call Saria Link's adoptive mother lol)
I really do enjoy creating the manga as it is, I've been trying to come up with ideas for a long while now
Oh man I adored the pages in which Saria calms Link down and stays loyal to him....
There is too many feels in those pages alone lmao
But yeah, the pages are sometimes spaced out in the times in which they were done in
but I have been keeping each page recent from each other instead of taking 2 years to make or
whatnot like the beginning pages unfortunately... I wasn't really confident in my skills at the time
But now I is, and is making one hell of a comeback >:3
.... Funnily enough, I rarely if ever script any of my projects :"D
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Well it's great that you did decide to write it, then! I'm always happy to see so much thought going into Link's character, and there are lots of fans out there that would appreciate the analysis.
Hah, I'd imagine most Sonic fans have become ex-fans considering his recent performances. At least half of Unleashed and the majority of Generations was pretty enjoyable. (I was always more of a Tails fan myself.)
They do share similar qualities, bar the obvious differences, though I don't think Link would be *quite* as boisterous as Sonic often is.
I definitely characterise Link as almost dangerously reckless and sometimes at complete disregard for his own safety, and also as someone that doesn't quite think his plans the whole way through before acting on them, though still very smart and capable of thinking on his feet. It's the kind of thing I'd think Navi would have scolded him for, and tried to teach him to slow down and give proper consideration to his actions.
Funny, I feel the same way about Link and Saria as well - she really had been his rock for all the time he spent in the forest. And Navi too once they meet - I think she would have eventually settled into the motherly, nurturing role pretty well over the course of their journey.
I feel you on scripting out projects (or rather the lack of scripting.) I've been trying to write a LoZ fanfic over the past year that had only the bare minimum planning for a beginning and an ending (which in a way was kinda intentional to fit in with the theme of the story, but also makes it tough to keep focused on *where* exactly I'm going with it), and then over the past couple of months I lost all motivation to write for it, since I'm really only a beginning writer and wasn't quite confident I was doing a good enough job. No doubt it's a feeling that happens to everyone but it's something that can be tremendously difficult to come back from, so it's absolutely great that you've found the confidence in yourself to continue! Quality takes time, so don't feel rushed to get it all completed right away.
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Heheh yeah ^^
Oh you're a Tails fan, eh? I also like Tails lol
... then again, I actually love Team Sonic because of Sonic Heroes |'D
Sonic Unleashed was friggin amazing, the Werehog sections were my favorite
since I like beat em ups. The day stages were also pretty cool as well x3
. . . . . Dear god, you and I think a hell of alike when it comes to Link's behavior. . . .
Because even I felt as though Link would act like that and get scolded for it. . .
Lol Saria is amaze |3
Dat Navi would definitely be as that... though she felt like a big sister to me towards Link o3o
If you think writing a written story is hard, try doing it in manga form, it's even worse lmao
But I get what you're saying, it really is a pain to plan a legit script without losing sight
of what you're doing...
Thanks~ >w<
I'll definitely take my time with this! But when I get to the Adult Saga. . . . . .
Lordy lord everything's going to get crazy LOL
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Once upon a time, yeah. I was a lot more into the Sonic series when I was younger. (I'm one of those who got to play Sega and Nintendo from a young age, so there's never been a sense of competition between those two in my mind. Always ended up playing Sonic more, though.)
Tails always stood out to me more as a character, and you could relate him to Link as well by saying that they were both sort of ostracised at a young age from their respective communities for being 'freaks'. I haven't been all that into the series for a long while now, still play the games (so long as they're good, haven't touched Lost World or Boom since they seemed sorta mediocre) and I'd love to play some kind of solo 3d adventure game with Tails at the helm.
I actually found the nighttime stages in Unleashed pretty decent the first time through, but never as replayable as the daytime ones. (I actually have the platinum trophy on PS3 for Unleashed, trying to complete the time trials on Eggmanland was an absolute PITA. It was never the time trial challenge itself that was hard, it was just trying NOT TO DIE on a stage that is desperate to kill you at every single corner.)
For me, Tatl always kind of filled that big sister archetype better - she's much more playful and snarky in her dialogues compared to Navi, at least when she's not being outright hostile towards Link. Not that I don't think Navi can't be that though, I just make her a good bit more serious in comparison to Tatl. Would make for a fun contrast should they ever happen to meet each other.
I would find that trying to do a comics or manga would be ten times harder since I can't draw to save my life. Still, both forms have their little intricacies that separate them - for manga it's "easier" (not really easy at all) though more time consuming, to draw out the environments, so dialogue is the main writing focus (which is difficult enough in its own right), whereas with the pure written form you need to focus on painting a picture and establishing everything using only words, which is also tough because you're never quite sure that the reader will see the same image that you imagined in your head while putting the words to page.
That being said, I'd love to learn how to draw as well! Just difficult to know where to go to start teaching myself.
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Lol you and me both, but I was more heavily biased on the fact
that Sonic was the best character ever at the time (Naive child me is naive |D)
Though I didn't grow up with Sonic... I only met him through the horrors of 4kidsTV in 2003
Ever since then, I was a huge fan remembering every single thing Sonic has made since then
And so like every early Sonic fan who can't let the nonsense go, I thought Sonic was better than Mario
until the Olympic Games happened and I played both Nintendo and Sega games more often lol
Though... I (Unknowingly) had Link's Awakening when I was a kid also so apparently
I was destined to eventually be a Link fan instead of a Sonic Fan lmao
.....
Indeed Tails was very relatable to me as well, though this treatment
always felt as more of a little kid tease to me than him getting outright bullied constantly
like Link does unfortunately... Since everyone looked up to Sonic, they completely shrugged off
the fact that Tails was a freak when he became best friends with Sonic...
Funny how Sonic Adventure & Sonic X explored Tails' background a little bit moreso on how he met Sonic
It always gave me teh feelz |'3
You'd think that they would remake Tails' Sky Patrol or (My personal favorite) Tails' Adventure
for Tails fans to fangirl/boy in happiness lmao
Dear lord, and here I thought Eggmanland was a hassle for me only. . . . .
I HATE that stage so much, but it's less painful when you're a Werehog |'F
Ah yeah, true... I guess I got the two mixed up in their behaviors :"D
Navi is pretty much going to be serious and a bit overzealous in my manga
but totes more relevant and useful than she was in the game :3
Ah that makes sense, I suppose it depends on the individual on which is more easier....
I can't type a legit story without getting side tracked due to my mind being absolutely wild and vivid |'D
So me doing a manga is easier than doing a normal comic because there is little color to be had...
Although I can't do certain structures or machines such as detailed castles
and high detailed robots for the life of me without losing my patience. . . .
Sonic has effected me that much lol
Ah well, practice makes perfect... and taking classes is an even better choice :3
Though... I learned to draw on my own, so I probably wouldn't be able to give much advice
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Aside from Majora's Mask, Link's Awakening is my favourite Zelda game! Mostly because I owned it growing up, and despite the fact I could never figure out how to beat the second dungeon for nearly a year, it holds a fond place in my memory.
You've just reminded me that I still need to finish Tails' Adventure... Bought whatever Sonic collection it was in for the Gamecube years ago, but never got around to playing it much. A remake of that game would have the potential to be really great, though.
Best part about the Werehog in Eggmanland was how many of his sections you could shortcut through or outright skip, yet the controls were so wonky that I often ended up dying trying to save myself a couple of minutes. Trying to get through the furnace room with all the balance beams and fire jets was a nightmare no matter what way you tried to do it.
Navi didn't have an awful lot of personality in the game itself, I feel - she was kind of just 'there', only really gave you directions without much input or opinion of her own except for the beginning and ending - and that's probably why it became such a 'thing' to dislike her, since the only times she spoke to you was to more-or-less say 'go here, do this, RIGHT NOW!' But I dunno, I've always loved Navi, there's a lot that could be done with her from a character perspective. Making her more relevant is definitely a good thing!
Makes me wonder just how different Link would have turned out in the end if Tatl had been his guide through Ocarina of Time instead of Navi. The way I see it, Link's still very young at that time, and since he'd only just got his VERY OWN guardian fairy, he would actually listen to them and be influenced by what they have to say. So in that case, he might have picked up a little bit of Navi's seriousness and focus by the time OoT came to a close (though not quite enough to cancel out his recklessness), whereas Tatl would probably have taught him a lot of bad habits (though not bad intentions - Tatl only seems like she wants to play pranks and have fun, not cause anyone serious harm). Just a random thought, though.
There's definitely something to be said about keeping it simple - that's why I like OoT/MM Link's design so much, it's no frills and to the point, yet completely striking and memorable.
I prefer to teach myself things anyway, like I've been doing with attempting to learn 3d animation lately. (The whole reason I started this account in the first place was to catalog my own progress while learning different forms of media, and hopefully get some constructive criticism in the process.)
It's really amazing that you're self-taught though! And I'm sure you've got plenty of neat advice - after all, everyone can learn from everyone else! If you don't mind me asking, how/where did you start to teach yourself?
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I was never able to finish any of the old games I had |F
I never even got to the first dungeon in Link's Awakening because I was too stupid as a child
to realize that I had to give the mushroom to a Raccoonified Tarin. . . . Sad lol
Tails' Adventure was so damn cool to play! But I never finished it unfortunately
due to being stuck in an area <3>
Oh yes, it definitely would've been great, it would've gave
Tails the spotlight finally after all this time -w-
Indeed! That's why I love the Werehog so much, he just has so many
opportunities to get to places the hedgehog form couldn't get to as easily...
Yup, that's why I was kind of disappointed in the fact that Navi didn't have much dialogue...
You'd think she'd be talking a lot in the cutscenes, but I suppose they fixed that for Tatl in Majora's Mask
People be tripping too hard about her saying, "Hey, Listen!"
Half of the time, I kind of just zone out when she says it, because I know what triggers
her to try and say something constantly... so it was never an issue for me lol
You actually have a point there. . . I haven't thought of it that way about Link picking up Navi's personality....
Then again, considering how Saria treats him as he was growing up, it only makes sense since he's still learning
Tis a good random thought lol x3
Another reason for me liking this Link? I love his hair, 'nuff said LMAO
But I hate the fact that whenever some random person comes up to me IRL, they're always like....
"Is dat a skirt?" or "Is dat a girl?, and every single time I have to tell them
that it's a damn tunic and that Link's a boy bjkjgffhfugfkugkudgtfyf-
But regardless this Link was the first Link I saw and it just stuck with me ever since~ >w<
......
Heheh yeah -w-
Oh yeah, I saw the animations you made, you did a really nice job on Link's gestures ^^
I was self-taught at the age of 3 and ever since then, I learned almost all the things most teachers
would teach you in class with perspective being my most difficult to learn by myself, but I did it |'D
I suppose the only advice I can give is to pay attention to your everyday life at home as well as outside...
Whenever you go outside, observe the environment and the people that walk the streets,
but most importantly, find rhythm within yourself!
Feel the movements you want to implement in your animation whenever it's 2-D or 3-D animation :3
....
And for hands as an extra thing.... You have to improvise as your using your hands as reference
But be careful, cuz it's easy to get the angles mixed up if your using the opposite hand lol
Doing all of this comes natural to me, so half of the time I be wondering how the hell
I keep improving each and everytime I start drawing something...
and it usually happens every single month or even a year .3.
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Very interesting! ^^ I wonder if I had weaved Link's character in LoZ:S correctly...
But you've done your homework! Link will always be a child at heart. ^^ And your drawing is great, as usual!
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Heheh thanks Olivia ^^
This was pretty fun to make really -w-
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Glad its fun to make! ^^ Hey, what do you think of the new upcoming Zelda Wii U?
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I think it's going to be quite a different game
than the rest of them -w-
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What makes you say that?
... and what do you think of Linkle in HW?
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WESTERN STYLED FOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOD!
*Shot* lololol
.........................
Y u no follow directions and signs?!
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Western Food??
I don't know if I'll like her... Link is fine as a guy to me (if she is indeed the female Link)
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|D ....
That's what Aonuma said :"D
She's pretty happy go lucky....
But she's DEFINITELY not a female Link...
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I think her name is so corny, to be completely honest. At least Lana was original. XD
Welp, I know one thing about the new Zelda: its gonna melt my eyes from its bright graphics.
BTW, did you get TP HD? ^^
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lol
Yeah, it'll be pretty damn good mixture of The Wind Waker AND Skyward Sword
Nope, cuz I already own the game on the Gamecube |D
There's no point of me really getting the same game...
Despite the better graphics and features the WII U version has...
In the end, it's still the same game for me...
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I drank the cool-aid, then... XP
I could sell the old copies though.
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..... wot? :"D
Good lord |F
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Wow... this has to be the most in-depth description of Link's personality that I've ever seen!
I really like your analysis here. I always imagined OoT Link having a strong will but being slightly reckless at the same time. I also imagined him being somewhat a dork, but in the same breath having cool and even conceited moments. He always came across to me as having a big imagination as well, and I was always curious how he managed to be able to turn into a wolf in TP.
I was also curious how his life could have turned out from being a child then a teenager and then a child again. Young Link had to mature a lot but apparently didn't quite learn about adult things. Figures. 
I really like how you drew him here. I might have to look at your comic sometime.
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Thanks ^^
I always felt nobody tried to explore how he truly was in the games
other than the countless theories and whatnot talking about his legacy
or life after Majora's Mask, which made me go ahead and claim this subject
as my own and go full nerd on it...
Hell I'm probably the first one to do something like this for quite sometime lol
Yeah x3
He's such a silly goose lel
Heheh, I'm glad you like it -w-
My manga / doujinshi is a full retelling of Ocarina in a full story format
But it's not finished yet though, but I'm almost done with chapter 1
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