What is the difference between zelda and link

Updated October 21, by Tom Bowen: The relationship shared by Link and Zelda has changed a lot over the past three and a half decades, though it still remains a little inconsistent. In certain timelines, for example, it is only the bonds of friendship that tie the pair together. In others, however, there's strong evidence to suggest that they share a romantic relationship instead.

Regardless of which is the case, it's clear to see that there are many things that link Zelda to the Hylian hero; the most notable of which is, of course, destiny. Whether this will be further explored next year when Breath of the Wild 2 finally releases remains to be seen, but for now, at least, there are more than enough previous Link and Zelda iterations to analyze.

This only makes sense considering Link spends the entire game traveling alone while Zelda is simply stuck in Level 9 for the whole journey. The reward for rescuing Zelda and completing the Triforce? Becoming King of Hyrule and marrying Princess Zelda herself. Despite the fact the two have no connection, this Link ends up becoming King of Hyrule after saving Zelda, marrying her in the process. This of course creates a problem when the other Zelda wakes up at the end of the game and kisses Link.

Despite being married, Link accepts his kiss with pride. A Link to the Past was the game that ultimately set the foundation for the rest of the Zelda franchise, notably opening with Princess Zelda telepathically communicating with Link. From there, the two work together to stop Agahnim before Zelda gets kidnapped come the halfway point. After Link and Zelda's departure, Lorule grows dark, showing that it is at its end at last. They both touch it, with the wish for Lorule's Triforce to be restored after all they had seen.

It is granted and then reforms right in front of Hilda and Ravio. They are surprised and grateful to them both as light shines on Lorule once again, saving it and Hyrule in the end. The top screen shows the main game, while the bottom screen shows various game options and inventory features: It allows access to the map , a Rupee count, item buttons, the inventory , and "Gear", which provides an overview of Link's sword, armor, and main items.

The touchscreen is comparable to that of Ocarina of Time 3D with enhanced map features e. An Energy Gauge that regenerates over time also appears, this time used for every item in the game, even replacing collectible bombs and arrows.

Additionally, after Link meets Irene , he can call her at any time with a button on the screen. The A button controls basic actions like transforming and talking, the B button is dedicated to the sword, and Y and later X use items.

R raises the shield, and the D-Pad can shift the camera in certain areas. This is accomplished via an item rental system, which allows Link to temporarily use or permanently buy most items from the game, provided he has enough Rupees to pay for them. Because of this, most key items are no longer found in dungeons but rather available through Ravio's Shop. If Link loses all of his hearts while renting items, they will be returned to the shop, forcing him to re-rent them. Purchasing items, on the other hand, is far more expensive but allows Link to keep items and to upgrade them via Mother Maiamai.

One of the game's major new abilities is Wall Merging, which is tied both to the plot and used heavily as a gameplay element. The ability can be used to cling to and move along walls, fit through crevices and access Lorule , among other functions. Wall Merging depletes the Energy Gauge and thus cannot be used indefinitely. When Link merges with a wall, he resembles a hieroglyphic sketch, as do other characters who have been transformed into paintings.

Originally, the game was conceived as a sequel to the Nintendo DS games, featuring the cel-shaded Link from Spirit Tracks. The Wall Merging ability was already conceived in an early prototype made in based on this concept, which was approved by Shigeru Miyamoto.

With the team focused on other titles, development did not start fully until Miyamoto suggested to base the new title on A Link to the Past. During development, the team was focused on achieving a frame rate of 60FPS as well as using the stereoscopic 3D effect of the Nintendo 3DS hardware.

In interviews, Eiji Aonuma stated that the game shows what happened to characters from A Link to the Past , but features new incarnations of Link and Zelda.

The final cutscene of the game hints that it is likely to set immediately before Hyrule's Golden Age. The main story of the game ultimately concerns how all three parts of the Triforce are unified and enshrined again in the Sacred Realm.

The game ends with Link and Zelda touching the Triforce together and wishing Lorule, along with its own Triforce, to be restored to its former state and lasting peace. However, wars were fought over Lorule's Triforce, and the people ultimately destroyed it, resulting in Lorule beginning to fall apart.

As a direct counterpart to Hyrule, Lorule also features many direct counterparts to Hyrule's citizens, including Hilda and Ravio. The game features re-arranged music and sound effects from A Link to the Past.

A special limited edition 3DS XL bundle was released, including a gold and black Zelda -themed console, emblazoned with the Triforce on the top and bottom, and an eShop code to download the digital version of the game.

It included a physical copy of the game, a Link's Awakening DX eShop download code, a cartridge holder shaped as Treasure Chest which plays the item get fanfare, and a poster. CD-i Games. Updated July 18th, by Thomas Heath: The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild continues to provide entertainment to Switch owners years after its release, with its expansive content and ability for players to truly create their own unique adventures.

Meanwhile, Link's Awakening has continued to appease fans of the more classic-style Zelda games, providing an adventure that older fans will be more familiar with. This refresh list takes a fresh look at each title's strengths and what stands out in each game. Breath of the Wild is arguably the most jam-packed Zelda game ever, potentially offering you hundreds of hours of entertainment should you choose to indulge in all the content it has on offer.

This includes a "Master Mode," along with five new main quests which add around 15 extra hours to the original playtime. This, of course, doesn't include replaying the game on Master Mode. Even after you finish Breath of the Wild's main story you can explore Hyrule and keep discovering new locations and quests to complete.

Breath of the Wild is renowned in many areas, but the general consensus amongst most fans was that the dungeons were a big letdown. This is due to both the volume of them, as well as the lack of originality within them, something which the series has previously been known for. The overhead dungeon-crawling style and abundance of action give it more of that classic Zelda charm. They all have great bosses too, with unique and interesting boss fights in each and every one.

Breath of the Wild's expansive world is made for exploration, you could even consider the Hyrule in the game a character in itself. There is something to do and see around every corner in this rich, dynamic environment, especially because of the movement options Link has available to him via the glider and Revali's Gale.

Every aspect of Breath of the Wild is geared around pushing you to explore its world, from the towering Sheikah Towers which loom above every region of Hyrule, to the open-ended nature of the narrative of the game, which allows you to explore Hyrule however you choose.

Majora's Mask occurs shortly after Ganondorf 's defeat, when Link is sent back to his childhood at the end of Ocarina of Time , beginning a new history in which Ganondorf never rose to power. After leaving Hyrule and riding deep into a mysterious forest in search of Navi , [] he is ambushed by a Skull Kid who is possessed by Majora's Mask , who steals Link's horse Epona and the magical Ocarina of Time.

Chasing the Skull Kid, Link falls into a crevasse and arrives in a world called Termina. He must save this land from the evil of Majora's Mask, which has drawn the moon into a decaying orbit, which will cause it to crash into Termina's capital city in three days.

Link uses the Ocarina of Time reclaimed early on and the Song of Time , which sends him back in time when he plays it, to relive these three days again and again in order to prevent the disaster.

Along the way, Link finds many magical masks of his own, a handful of which allow him to transform. Those masks can turn him into a rock-like Goron , a petite plant-like Deku Scrub , a graceful aquatic Zora , or the powerful Fierce Deity Link. Eventually, Link succeeds in freeing the Four Giants, enigmatic deities who can halt the Moon's descent, and confronts the Skull Kid.

At this point, Majora, the evil entity residing inside Majora's Mask, abandons its now useless host and retreats into the core of the Moon. Link give chase, and after a long and heated battle against the three incarnations of Majora, the entity is finally defeated and the menacing Moon disappears.

Upon returning the now lifeless mask to the Happy Mask Salesman, Link leaves his new friends and continues his journey, while the people of Termina once more celebrate the dawn of a new day. It is unknown whether or not he returned to Hyrule. During his life after Majora's Mask , up until and after his death, he lamented the fact that he was not remembered as a hero despite saving both Hyrule and Termina, and was unable to pass on his skills and teachings to the next generation.

In order to ease his regrets and finally pass on his knowledge, he teaches the seven Hidden Skills to his descendant, the Link of Twilight Princess. Upon his arrival, he is cared for by a young girl named Din who takes him to meet the troupe of performers that she's a part of; however, soon after, General Onox appears and captures Din, revealing that she is actually the Oracle of Seasons who was just disguising herself as a dancer.

The seasons soon begin to go out of control now that Din has been kidnapped, and it is up to Link to return Holodrum back to normal. With the help of the Rod of Seasons , Link acquires the eight Essences of Nature scattered all over the land in order to restore the Maku Tree 's power and enter Onox's Castle. After the young hero defeats the evil menace and rescues the Oracle of Seasons, peace returns to Holodrum and the order of nature is back to its normal state. Upon landing, he hears a cry for help, and he soon finds that Impa , Zelda's caretaker, is being surrounded by monsters.

Link easily scares them off, and Impa asks that he help her search for a woman named Nayru. After finding Nayru, it is revealed that Veran , the Sorceress of Shadows, possessed Impa in order to manipulate Link into leading her to Nayru, who turns out to be the Oracle of Ages. Veran quickly takes over Nayru's body, which she uses to alter events in the past to ruin the future.

It is Link who, with the help of the Harp of Ages , travels through time in order to rescue the Oracle and restore the ages back to normal. After Link frees Nayru from Veran's possession, the Oracle of Ages teaches the young hero a song crucial to his quest in collecting the eight Essences of Time scattered over the land of Labrynna.

Unfortunately, soon after, the Sorceress of Shadows possesses Ambi , the queen of Labrynna in the past, and takes refuge in the Black Tower. Link, with all the Essences in hand, heads over to the sinister tower to defeat Veran once and for all. After this adventure, Link sets sail to an unknown destination aboard a ship. Working together, the Links must find 3 keys that lead to Princess Zelda, who was captured by Vaati the wind mage.

Link travels with Princess Zelda to check on the Four Sword, a legendary blade said to seal Vaati, a powerful wind mage. As the two enter the Four Sword Sanctuary, Vaati breaks his seal, absconding with Zelda in order to make her his bride.

As Link comes to, he is instructed by three Fairies to draw the Four Sword, which splits the hero into four copies of himself: one green, one red, one blue, and one purple. Together, the four Links journey across Hyrule to meet three Great Fairies, each of whom gives the Links a key necessary to enter Vaati's Palace.

Inside, the four Links defeat Vaati after a fierce battle, sealing him inside the Four Sword once more. With Hyrule saved, the four heroes return the Four Sword to its pedestal, thus merging back into one being. After the valleys of ancient Hyrule are flooded in a deluge, Ganondorf's power is mysteriously tamed for ages before his dark energy begins to be felt over the Great Sea.

Link lives on Outset Island on the Great Sea, the region above Hyrule after it was flooded by the gods to prevent Ganondorf from conquering it. Link is given the green tunic and hat on his birthday to commemorate the Hero of Time, [] but an attack by the Helmaroc King in which his sister is kidnapped starts him on a whirlwind adventure. Link quickly sets sail and acquires the King of Red Lions in his quest to recover Aryll after she is kidnapped by the Helmaroc King and taken to the Forsaken Fortress.

Instead of simply rescuing his sister, Link is drawn into a sequence of events that eventually puts the fate of all the islands of the Great Sea in his hands. Once again, Ganon has appeared with limited power. Link is pulled into the conflict between the island inhabitants and Ganondorf's increasing presence as he, with the help of the Wind Waker , races to recapture the ancient power of the Triforce and the Master Sword before Ganondorf's true power is realized.

Eventually, the King of Red Lions sees fit to grant Link the title Hero of Winds in honor of his ongoing struggle with the forces of evil. The King of Hyrule's wish with the Triforce was to give Link and Princess Zelda a future, and at the end of the game they set out to find a new land to be the next kingdom after Hyrule.

Concerned that the seal which keeps Vaati in the Four Sword may be weakening, Zelda and the rest of the Seven Maidens summon Link and open the way to the shrine of the Four Sword to investigate.

However, Zelda and the other maidens are captured and imprisoned by Shadow Link. Despite the fact that it will release Vaati, Link is forced to draw the Four Sword from its pedestal in order to split himself into four and have the strength to go and rescue the maidens. The Links save all seven of them and collect the four Royal Jewels, which they use to reveal the Tower of Winds. When he followed Shadow Link down to the Four Sword Sanctuary , he pulled the Four Sword splitting him into four like in the original Four Swords, but when he pulled the sword Vaati was released from the seal once again.

After the Links saved Zelda and the maidens, got the four Royal Jewels from different heroes of Hyrule, and defeated Vaati, Zelda and the Links fought against the dark lord Ganon and, with the help of the Seven Maidens, seal him within the Four Sword and restored peace to Hyrule.

The sword is then returned to its sanctuary and sealed there, and the Links are combined into one again. This incarnation of Link is given the title " Hero of Light ," due to the hero's courage and being the only one who can free Hyrule from darkness. Link is the grandson of Smith , the blacksmith of Hyrule Town.

In Twilight Princess , Link is a youth who has been raised as a wrangler outside of Hyrule territory in Ordon Village. He is fascinated by swordsmanship and horse riding. Before Link can go on this journey, his village is attacked by King Bulblin and his band of Bulblins , who carry off the village children.

Pursuing them, Link encounters a wall of Twilight blocking the way. A Shadow Beast pulls him beyond the wall into the Twilight, where he is transformed into a wolf and imprisoned in Hyrule Castle's dungeon. Link is soon freed by an imp-like Twili being named Midna. She agrees to help him if he obeys her unconditionally. She guides him to Princess Zelda in the castle tower. Zelda explains that Zant , the King of Twilight, has stolen the light from three of the four Spirits of Light and conquered Hyrule.

In order to save the kingdom, Link must first restore the Light Spirits by entering the Twilight-covered areas and, as a wolf, recover the Spirits' lost light. During this time, Link also helps Midna locate the fragments of the Fused Shadow , relics containing powerful dark magic. In return, she helps Link find Ordon Village's kidnapped children. After he relieves Midna of the Fused Shadow fragments, she ridicules him for abusing his tribe's magic, but Zant responds that his power comes from another source as he uses it to turn Link back into a wolf.

He then leaves Midna to die from the world's light forced upon her, prompting Link to bring her to Zelda to help her. Link learns that he needs the Master Sword to return to human form.

Zelda sacrifices herself to heal Midna with her power before vanishing mysteriously. Moved by her sacrifice, Midna agrees to help Link find the Master Sword. After finding the legendary blade, Link is cleansed of the magic that kept him in wolf form, transforming it into the Shadow Crystal. Using this crystal, Link is able to switch between both forms at will.

However, they discover that the mirror is shattered. The ghostly Sages there explain that Zant tried to destroy it, but he was only able to shatter it into fragments; only the true ruler of the Twili can completely destroy the Mirror of Twilight.

They also reveal that they used it a century ago to banish Ganondorf, the Gerudo leader who attempted to steal the Triforce, to the Twilight Realm when executing him failed. Assisted by an underground group called The Resistance , they meet in Castle Town, Link and Midna set out to retrieve the missing shards of the mirror, defeating those they infected.

Once the portal is restored, Midna is revealed to be the true ruler of the Twilight Realm, usurped by Zant when he cursed her into her current form. Confronting Zant, Link and Midna learn that Zant's coup was made possible when he forged a pact with Ganondorf, who asked for Zant's assistance in conquering Hyrule. After Link defeats Zant, Midna recovers the Fused Shadows, but destroys Zant after learning that only Ganondorf's death can release her from her curse. Ganondorf fights Link by possessing Zelda's body and eventually by transforming into a beast, but Link defeats him and Midna is able to resurrect Zelda.

Ganondorf then revives, and Midna teleports Link and Zelda outside the castle so she can hold him off with the Fused Shadow. However, as Hyrule Castle collapses, it is revealed that Ganondorf was victorious as he crushes Midna's helmet.

Ganondorf engages Link on horseback, and, assisted by Zelda and the Light Spirits, Link eventually knocks Ganondorf off his horse and they duel on foot before Link strikes down Ganondorf and plunges the Master Sword into his chest. With Ganondorf dead, the Light Spirits not only bring Midna back to life, but restore her to her true form.

After bidding farewell to Link and Zelda, Midna returns home before destroying the Mirror of Twilight with a tear to maintain balance between Hyrule and the Twilight Realm. This incarnation of Link is given the title " Hero of Twilight. Link appears yet again in his youngest form in Phantom Hourglass. Link is a child sailing with Tetra and her crew in search of the Ghost Ship. When they find it, Tetra jumps aboard but is kidnapped, so Link goes after her but instead falls into the sea.

At the end of the game, Oshus returns Link, Tetra, and Linebeck to their world, thanking them for their help. He is an apprentice of a master engineer, named Alfonzo , who has helped him in order to become a Royal Engineer.

When Zelda presents Link with a certificate for this achievement, [] she also gives him a letter, telling him to meet with her, to discuss her suspicions over the mysterious Chancellor Cole as well as the disappearing Spirit Tracks. When Link sneaks Zelda out of the Castle , they meet up with Alfonzo, who escorts them to the Tower of Spirits by train.

However, as the Spirit Tracks begin to fade, they crash, and are then ambushed by the chancellor, who attacks the trio. Link and his master are knocked unconscious while Zelda's spirit is separated from her body, which is seized by Cole's apprentice, Byrne.

Link awakes back in Hyrule Castle to discover that Zelda is now a ghost and that Link is the only person who can see her. After visiting Anjean in the Tower of Spirits, he agrees to help her in defeating Chancellor Cole and recover her body in the process. After this, Link and Zelda begin their journey to restore the Tower of Spirits and the Spirit Tracks, traveling across the overworld using the Spirit Train that is granted to Link by Anjean.

As the pair continues to travel, Link and Zelda establish a close friendship as the two get to know each other better. Once Princess Zelda recovers her body from Malladus with the aid of Link, the two together face up against the Demon King, who has now taken over Chancellor Cole's body. Together, Link and Zelda deal the final blow on Malladus using the Lokomo Sword , and shortly after, Anjean and the rest of the Lokomos depart towards the heavens. As they leave, Anjean entrusts Princess Zelda to watch over the land, asking Link to help her as well.

Unlike other instances where Link departs from the land after having saved it, the young hero stays in Hyrule to fulfill Anjean's request, where he continues to be either an engineer or a warrior, depending on which Link chose.

This is witnessed when Princess Zelda gets up from her seat in her office and waves out the window after having heard either a train's whistle or the clanking of swords. In Skyward Sword , Link has lived his entire life on the floating island of Skyloft , situated above the clouds. He is childhood friends with Zelda , and they attend the Knight Academy together, where he is often bullied by rival student Groose.

After the ceremony, Link and Zelda go for a flight together on their Loftwings , when Zelda and her Loftwing are pulled below the clouds during a sudden and unusual storm. That night, Link is visited by Fi , a being sent by the goddess Hylia in order to help him search for Zelda on the Surface. Fi leads Link to the Goddess Sword , and the following day, he ventures to the Surface.

This woman assures Link that Zelda is safe and has embarked on a quest of her own, and that he needs to continue to track her. While searching for Zelda, Link discovers that Zelda is also being followed by two other people: Impa , a servant of Hylia sent to protect Zelda on her quest; and Ghirahim , a self-proclaimed demon lord who claims responsibility for the storm that dragged Zelda to the Surface.

Eventually, Link finally catches up to Zelda with Impa at the ancient Temple of Time , but their reunion is cut short when Ghirahim finds and attacks the duo. He then holds off Ghirahim in order for Zelda and Impa to escape through the Gate of Time , which Impa destroys as soon as she and Zelda are through. Back at the Sealed Temple, the old woman shows Link a similar portal that leads to the same place as the portal at the Temple of Time, and explains that Link needs to strengthen the Goddess Sword in order to use the portal.

In order to strengthen the sword, Link must temper it in the Sacred Flames hidden in various places on the Surface. Before he can set out on his new quest, however, a giant beast known as The Imprisoned , which was sealed in a pit outside the temple, breaks its seal and begins to climb toward the temple. With great effort, Link stops it and reseals it before it can reach the temple, and then sets out in order to find the Sacred Flames.

After passing the three trials of the goddess, [] gaining spiritual growth, [] and transforming the Goddess Sword into the Master Sword , [] Link returns to the portal in the Sealed Temple.

Before he can use the portal, the Imprisoned breaks its seal again. Link reseals the creature again with the aid of Groose, who had followed Link to the Surface on his second visit to the Sealed Temple. Link then enters the second Gate of Time and reunites with Zelda, who explains that Link is the goddess's chosen hero, [] before telling him that she, as Hylia's mortal reincarnation, must remain in a deep sleep to keep the demon king Demise , the true form of the Imprisoned, sealed within his prison.

Link sets out to the Sky Keep and obtains the Triforce, using its might to wish for the eradication of Demise. Link then challenges Demise, who is impressed with Link's courage, and thus accepts the challenge.

Ultimately, Link defeats Ghirahim and Demise, and seals the remains of the demon king in the Master Sword. But before being sealed, Demise warns him that his hatred will be reborn as a being to pursue domination of the world, as well as those with the blood of the goddess and spirit of the hero, in a cycle without end. He is about to engage in battle, but Gulley comes into Link's room and wakes him up from his sleep.

In the Blacksmith's Forge , the Captain of the Guard comes to pick up the new sword that the Blacksmith forged for him. But he forgets it as he leaves, and Link is sent to return it to him. Shortly afterward, he encounters Yuga, who has transformed the Captain into a Painting on the Sanctuary 's wall after he tried to defend Seres , the Priest 's daughter.

He then traps Seres herself in a Painting. Link crashes into the wall and is knocked unconscious. After this, Yuga leaves with Seres' Painting in hand. Link eventually wakes up in his house and meets a mysterious person named Ravio.

Asking if he can stay in Link's house, Ravio gives him a strange bracelet in exchange. Once Link does this, he is then told to find Osfala , who is in the Eastern Palace, and is a descendant of the Seven Sages.

Sahasrahla worries that Yuga may go after him next. Link meets Osfala at the entrance to the Eastern Palace, but Osfala simply laughs off Link's warning about Yuga, telling the young hero that he is just as powerful as the Seven Sages were. He then leaves to confront Yuga. Link battles Yuga, managing to best him with the help of the Bow he rented from Ravio.

In a fit of rage, Yuga traps Link as a Painting and leaves. However, Link escapes with the help of Ravio's Bracelet and discovers he could now turn himself into a Painting and back at will with the bracelet. Only then will he be able to wield the Master Sword in order to access the castle.

After completing this task, Link obtains the Master Sword and delves into the castle, where he finds Yuga with a Painting of Zelda. Yuga then escapes through a mysterious crack in the wall via his ability to Wall Merge.

Link pursues Yuga to the other side, where Yuga has begun the process of reviving the evil Ganon, using the power of the Sages to do so.

Once Ganon is resurrected, Yuga merges with him, becoming even more powerful. Link is saved by Princess Hilda and is told he is in the kingdom of Lorule - a counterpart of his own Hyrule. Link is then given a new task - to rescue and awaken the Seven Sages. Upon awakening all of the Sages, Link is granted the power of the Triforce of Courage.