In my previous Bombers’ Notebook entry, I wrote about one of my favorite Zelda characters, Vio Link, from the Four Swords manga. Because I hold the manga and the characters very dear to my heart, I proceed onward in exploring each of the Links, continuing with the short-tempered hero in blue.
Contrary to official Four Swords artwork, Blue and Red Link have their personalities swapped in the manga. Vio describes Blue as the hotheaded and aggressive part of the original Link when deciding their respective nicknames. Even Green questions why Blue isn’t more laid-back and mellow compared to Red, which is a color more associated with anger or passion.
Believing that he is the original Link out of the four, Blue initially refuses to be called anything except Link. Green immediately shuts him down by arguing that the main Link wears Green, therefore he must be the original. Despite the blatant truth, Blue still denies this fact and attacks Green. It doesn’t take much to anger Blue or set him off, which makes him an easy target for Vio’s sarcastic remarks – usually eliciting an amusing response each time. It’s actually quite entertaining to watch the banter unfold between Blue and the other three.
In chapter two, “Erune and Rosie,” it appears that Blue’s aggressive nature stems from his lack of patience, resulting in quite a few issues later on in the manga. He is also shown to be quite competitive with Green, whether it’s sword dueling or fighting for Erune’s affection in the Village of the Blue Maiden. When the Links enter the Dark World to save Erune and the other missing children from the village, they each find a weapon to help fight against the Stone Arrghus. Blue chooses the Hammer, which shouldn’t come as a surprise, because it suits his belligerent nature.
In chapter four, “Links Torn Apart,” Blue’s impatience would land the four into trouble. Unsurprisingly, he loses his temper with Green on a boat when the four discover they are paddling the wrong way to Death Mountain. He immediately blames Green for the mess they are in, even hitting poor Red in the process. An argument occurs, and the four lose control of the boat, becoming separated from one another. Oh, Blue, what are we going to do with you?
Blue regains consciousness and finds himself on a snowy mountain. He is ecstatic to find the others nowhere nearby and thinks that they fused back into one body – leading him to believe that he was the main Link all along. His arrogance soon lands him into more trouble, as he is tricked into entering an icy cave where he becomes frozen solid by an Ice Wizzrobe. Blue’s hasty, preemptive attitude ultimately led to his downfall and left him trapped alone in a cave. He needed help from the others, but his stubbornness would never admit to that.
Lucky for him, Red comes to Blue’s aid with the help of a Fairy sent by the Yellow and Blue Maidens. Red uses his Fire Rod to melt Blue from his frozen state. Red cries tears of joy and hugs Blue, thankful to see him again – despite enduring Blue’s abuse all the time. The sweet moment is cut short when Blue notices that Red is missing his sword and shield and beats him with his Hammer. The Fairy gently scolds Blue, and asks him not to be so hard on Red, since Red was the one to save him after all. Blue reluctantly accepts that he was helped and graciously saved by a fellow Link. It is around here that I think Blue slowly starts to become more self-aware of his actions and behavior.
The Fairy, sensing the presence of another Link nearby, transports Red and Blue to the Temple of Darkness. Unfortunately, they walk right into a trap set by Shadow (disguised as Vio) who tricks Red and Blue into thinking that Green and Vio are dead. Shadow sends out Moldorms to attack Blue and Red while they try to process the fact that Green and Vio might be dead. Red, who is now a sobbing mess, falls into a state of despair, believing that Green and Vio are truly gone – even though it is clearly a trap. Meanwhile, Blue is the opposite and doesn’t seem to be upset with the possible loss of Green and Vio.
While Red is immobilized, Blue takes it upon himself to destroy the Moldorms. Afterward, Red questions if Blue is worried about the others. Blue states that he doesn’t care, but we can infer by his demeanor that Blue is lying. While venturing through the temple, a ghostly monster appears and tries to absorb Blue’s soul, noticing his fear. Blue fights back against the ghoul and admits that even if he fell for the monster’s tricks, Green and Vio would never fall for them. For once, he doesn’t bad-mouth his teammates and gives them credit where it’s due. Blue and Red successfully defeat the monster with ease, and the two make their way up Death Mountain to find Green and Vio.
In chapter seven, “Climb Death Mountain,” Blue’s personality begins to soften, and his gallant nature shines through. After Blue and Red rescue Green from a Hinox, Blue playfully remarks, “You know you’re not the only hero, right?” Blue starts to show respect and admiration for his fellow teammates. When Green collapses to the ground after his battle with Vio, Blue rushes over to him immediately. Believing that Green is dead at first, he sheds tears over his fallen comrade. Deep down, he really does care about the others, but is terrible at conveying his emotions properly.
After the four Links save Vio from the clutches of Shadow, they are finally reunited. And for once, they are happy and relieved to see each other again – no fighting or bickering. During his time away from the others, not only did he learn the importance of teamwork, he learned a valuable lesson in patience. It’s not worth getting angry over the small things. It’s also good to see that Blue’s heart wasn’t turned to ice back while he was frozen. In reality, there is a big heart under that rough exterior of his. It’s okay to let your guard down sometimes, Blue.
