Link Profile and Backstory

Link is the main protagonist of The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. Read on for details on Link's backstory from Breath of the Wild, character traits, as well as his role in Tears of the Kingdom.

Link Character Profile

Link
Voice Actor
Kengo Takanashi
Character Description
Link is the Hero of Hyrule in almost every iteration we've seen in the series, although he often pops up in other lands as well to play the role of hero. .

The Hero of Hyrule

Link is also known by different titles, such as The Hero of Time or The Hero of the Winds depending on the game, but those titles are more of a way to give each separate Link their own sense of identity while acknowledging the specific accomplishments of that Link.

Protagonist of The Legend of Zelda series

Main Characters of the Zelda Series
Link	Zelda	Ganon

Link has been the protagonist for every game in the series ever since the release of the first game, The Legend of Zelda, back in 1986.

The story formula usually involves Link rescuing Zelda and the kingdom of Hyrule from the evil Ganon, though there are some games in the series where this isn't the case like Majora's Mask.

All Confirmed New and Returning Characters

Link in Breath of the Wild

In Breath of the Wild, and now Tears of the Kingdom, Link is portrayed as a capable and courageous fighter with a strong sense of justice.

Although he rarely speaks, certain dialogue choices show his more sarcastic side. Regardless, he selflessly helps people in need that he meets along his journey.

Link's Voice Actor is the same from Breath of the Wild

Voice Actor	Kengo Takanashi

Since Tears of the Kingdom is a sequel to Breath of the Wild, Kengo Takanashi, reprises his role as Link's voice.

Kengo Takanashi has voiced Link in Breath of the Wild, Super Smash Bros Ultimate, and Age of Calamity.
All Voice Actors Cast and Previous Roles

Wielder of the Triforce of Courage

Link possesses the Triforce of Courage and, as expected, is the embodiment of courage throughout the series. Despite going up against seemingly impossible odds, Link doesn't flinch in the face of danger.

Strangely though, the Triforce doesn't play a prominent role in BotW. In fact, Zelda appears to posses the whole Triforce while Link's skills stem from his own battle prowess.

The Triforce of Courage also does not play a huge role in Tears of the Kingdom. Like in Breath of the Wild, Tears of the Kingdom explores a new lore that does not mention the Triforce.

Wielder of the Master Sword

The Master Sword is Link's main weapon throughout the series. With the Blade of Evil's Bane in hand, Link is able to take down Ganon time and time again.

In certain games, however, Link may wield other swords for story related reasons. One such example being Majora's Mask, since Link returned the Master Sword to the pedestal in the Temple of Time at the end of Ocarina of Time.

In Tears of the Kingdom, the Master Sword breaks in the beginning of the game. However, you will recover it eventually from either doing the Recovering the Hero's Sword quest or picking it up randomly from the Light Dragon.

How to Get the Master Sword

Link Backstory

100 Year-Long Sleep

At the start of Breath of the Wild, Link awakens after being asleep for 100 years. As the story unfolds, it's revealed that Link entered this state after falling in battle. He was then rescued and preserved in the Shrine of Awakening.

Link's Memory Loss

Upon waking up in the Shrine of Awakening, Link has lost his memory and must discover the truth of what happened 100 years ago. Recovering all memories in BotW is optional, but it's required to unlock the True Ending.

Princess Zelda's Appointed Knight

Through recovering Link's memories, we learn that Link was Princess Zelda's appointed Knight 100 years ago. Zelda, struggling to awaken her sacred powers, grew frustrated at Link's confidence and capableness. This quickly changed after Link protects Zelda from a hoard of enemies.

The two grow closer over time, but when Calamity Ganon turned the Guardians against Hyrule, Link fell in battle and Zelda's powers awakened just in time to stop the Incarnation of Malice, resulting in a 100 year-long standstill between them.

Defeated Calamity Ganon

This image is taken from The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild

In Breath of the Wild, Link purified the four Divine Beasts and took down Calamity Ganon with the help of Princess Zelda's Sacred Bow, restoring peace to Hyrule−at least until the events of Tears of the Kingdom starts to unfold. The process also resulted to Zelda's release, ultimately saving her from further harm.

Link is Approximately 122-123 Years Old

During the events of Tears of the Kingdom, we can assume that Link is approximately 122 or 123 years old. In previous games, Link was between 17-18 years old before falling into a 100-year slumber. BOTW begins with Link awakening after the deep sleep which makes him around 117-118 years old at the time.

It's possible that Tears of the Kingdom takes place approximately 4-5 years after BOTW, this is because Mattison (daughter of Hudson and Rhondson of Tarrey Town) had already grown into a little girl in TOTK.

So this would make Link technically 122 or 123 years old due to the 100-year deep sleep and the implied short time skip after Breath of the Wild.

Link's Role in Tears of the Kingdom

From the official trailer footage for Tears of the Kingdom, we can see Link and Zelda investigating a dungeon housing Ganondorf's sealed body. The presence of Link and Zelda causes Ganondorf to awaken and break free.

It seems this time around, Link will face off against this new menacing version of Ganondorf, although this is yet to be officially confirmed.

Are Link and Zelda Dating?

No Direct Confirmation

There is no direct confirmation about Link and Zelda's romantic relationship. However, there are several hints that likely confirms it. Notably, it was hinted in the game that Link and Zelda lived together in Hateno Village for a while before the events of Tears of the Kingdom.

Patricia Summerset, Zelda's English voice actor, also shared her thoughts about this and although she did not confirm anything, she appreciates the potential type of loves that people can think of about the two as a couple, whether as friends or lovers. In the end, it is all up to the player's interpretation.

Link's New Abilities

Link's New Powers

Zonai Arm Abilities refer to Link's five new abilities that replace the Sheikah Runes from Breath of the Wild. These abilities allow him to traverse Hyrule easier, solve puzzles, and use clever fused weapons to defeat enemies.

Ability	Description
Ultrahand	Grab and move objects, rotate them, and stick them to other objects.
Fuse	Attach something to an equipped weapon or shield to enhance it. You can undo the fusion, but that will destroy whatever has been attached.
Ascend	Move upwards through solid material and emerge on top of it.
Recall	Reverse an object’s movement until it goes back to where it was. You can stop the reverse movement at any time.
Autobuild	Instantly re-create your Ultrahand projects, using nearby items and zonaite.Autobuild records your previous creations.

Ultrahand

Ultrahand allows Link to carry overworld objects and glue them together to either make transportations or paths. It also allows you to move some obstacles along your way like the door to the Hyrule Castle during the first parts of the Find Princess Zelda Main Quest.

Ultrahand Guide

Fuse

Fuse is primarily used to attach materials to your weapons to gain more attack power and new effects. This is also a great way to make new weaopns like hammers, axes, and sledges which you can do by fusing weapons with rocks and dragon shards.

Fuse Guide

Ascend

You can use Ascend to pass through ceilings and directly move on to the other side instead of going around. This ability is best used when exploring caves.

Ascend Guide

Recall

Recall allows you to reverse the movements of any object that has acted or is currently active in the overworld. You can use this on several objects in the overworld like the falling rocks which you can board to easily reach some sky islands.

Recall Guide

Autobuild

Autobuild lets you record all your Ultrahand inventions and schematics from schema stones. Using this lets you build any recorded inventions regardless if you have the materials or not with the use of zonaite.

Autobuild Guide

All Link amiibo Rewards

amiibo	Possible Drops
Link (Super Smash Bros.)	Notable Exclusive Items: ・ Mirror of Twilight Fabric ・Cap of Twilight ・Tunic of Twilight ・Trousers of Twilight ・Epona Other Drops: Swords, Shields, Fruits
Toon Link (Super Smash Bros.)	Notable Exclusive Items: ・ King of Red Lions Fabric ・ Sea-Breeze Boomerang ・Cap of the Wind ・Tunic of the Wind ・Trousers of the Wind Other Drops: Boomerangs, Fishes
Wolf Link (Twilight Princess)	Notable Exclusive Items: ・Spawns plentiful of meat materials.
ToonLink (Wind Waker)	Notable Exclusive Items: ・ King of Red Lions Fabric ・ Sea-Breeze Boomerang ・Cap of the Wind ・Tunic of the Wind ・Trousers of the Wind Other Drops: Boomerangs, Swords, Fish
Link (Ocarina of Time)	Notable Exclusive Items: ・ Lon Lon Ranch Fabric ・ Biggoron's Sword ・Cap of Time ・Tunic of Time ・Trousers of Time Other Drops: Soldier's Claymroe, Biggoron's Sword, Raw Meat,
Link (Legend of Zelda)	Notable Exclusive Items: ・ Pixel Fabric ・ Sword of the Hero ・Cap of the Hero ・Tunic of the Hero ・Trousers of the Hero Other Drops: Swords, Shield, Arrows, Apples
Link Rider (Breath of the Wild)	Notable Exclusive Items: ・ Hylian-Hood Fabric Other Drops: Soldier's Broadsword, Mushrooms
Link Archer (Breath of the Wild)	Notable Exclusive Items: ・ Tunic of Memories Fabric Other Drops: Ancient Material, Raw Meat, Fishes
Link (Twilight Princess)	Notable Exclusive Items: ・ Mirror of Twilight Fabric ・Cap of Twilight ・Tunic of Twilight ・Trousers of Twilight ・Epona Other Drops: Swords, Shields, Fruits, Vegetables
Link (Skyward Sword)	Notable Exclusive Items: ・ Sword-Spirit Fabric ・ White Sword of the Sky ・Cap of the Sky ・Tunic of the Sky ・Trousers of the Sky Other Drops: Knight's Broadsword, Soldier's Shield, Arrows
Link (Majora's Mask)	Notable Exclusive Items: ・ Majora's Mask Fabric ・ Fierce Deity Sword ・Fierce Deity Mask ・Fierce Deity Armor ・Fierce Deity Boots Other Drops: Swords, Arrows, Mushrooms
Young Link (Super Smash Bros.)	Notable Exclusive Items: ・ Lon Lon Ranch Fabric ・ Biggoron's Sword ・Cap of Time ・Tunic of Time ・Trousers of Time Other Drops: Arrows, Raw Meat
Link (Link's Awakening)	Notable Exclusive Items: ・ Egg Fabric ・Mask of Awakening ・Tunic of Awakening ・Trousers of Awakening Other Drops: Swords, Arrows, Apples
Link (Tears of the Kingdom)	Notable Exclusive Items: ・ Champion's Leathers Fabric Other Drops: Knight's Broadsword, Mushrooms

amiibo Support: All Compatible amiibo Rewards and Unlocks

Link's Previous Appearances

Link's Appearances
Ocarina of Time	Wind Waker
Breath of the Wild	Age of Calamity

Link's character design varies in most of the games. In the Adult Timeline, his design looks more cartoony while he looks more realistic in the Child Timeline.
Story Summary and Timeline Placement

The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom Related Guides

All New and Returning Characters

List of All Characters

All Characters
Link	Zelda	Ganondorf	Rauru
Sidon	Riju	Tulin	Yunobo
Purah	Robbie	Impa	Josha
Paya	Teba	Yona	Dorephan
Buliara	Rhondson and Hudson	Tauro	Hestu
Deku Tree	Mineru	Master Kohga