One thing I really enjoy about new Zelda games is the first time we get a good look at Link. Every iteration of our hero has something that sets them apart from the others. More often than not, it’s the outfit at the beginning of each game. Link usually rolls out of bed, still groggy from lack of sleep, to listen to some expository dialogue. In The Wind Waker, Link’s wearing his iconic blue and orange pajamas. The goat herder from Twilight Princess has his Ordonian “outfit”, something that looks like a ton of scrap cloth was draped over a mannequin and then sewn together by someone who has never seen a line before. Of course, my favorite is from Spirit Tracks because he’s dressed like a train engineer and, as we all know, trains rule.
The outfits are one thing, but even Link’s standard green tunic is so detailed and unique to each game. The hats may have different stitching (or talk). The tunic may have chainmail or a different undershirt. One thing that consistently changes, though, is Link’s gauntlets. It would be easy to just put a plain brown glove on Link and call it a day, but luckily, the Zelda designers really care about what our golden boy looks like. Artist EvilRobotCat beautifully highlights the gauntlet differences in their piece “Sword in Hands”.
This beautiful piece has six different Links placing their hand on the Master Sword, which is hovering over the Triforce. Each of the hands have details that reveal which Link they belong to, and the piece has a magical quality to it. The sparkles from the Triforce evoke feelings of mystery and joy, indicating the hero’s battle is at an end.
The coloring in the piece is quite muted, full of browns and dark greens. This reflects Link’s usual attire that consists of those colors. It’s as if the hero is supposed to blend into the background, allowing the Master Sword to really pop in color.
On that topic, the sword looks great. You see a lot of Master Swords in Zelda fan art, and this one really stands out for me. A lot of times, the purples that artists use are brighter, closer to a lilac or lavender, whereas the Master Sword is a rich violet. Of course, that’s me just being pedantic about colors, but it really strikes me as a game-accurate color scheme here. Along with that, the blade is white, not necessarily glowing, but still shining with the power to banish evil. It’s a great callback to the White Sword from The Legend of Zelda on NES. Even that version of Link isn’t grabbing for the hilt in the picture, he’s pointing at the blade.
The Links in this piece are so well thought out. Starting from the top, you’ve got Skyward Sword Link, the first one to pull the Master Sword in the official timeline. Naturally, he’s the one grabbing the hilt. Next is Ocarina of Time Link with a slight embellishment on the gauntlet. I like to think that, instead of having the glowing Triforce on his hand, EvilRobotCat decided to add the patch to still make the distinction as to which version of Link this was. After that is Link from The Wind Waker. This is honestly my favorite part of the piece because his hand is so tiny and cute compared to all of these burly hands. And then I love the subtlety of Breath of the Wild Link. He’s the most customizable version of the hero we have had, yet he just has these plain brown gauntlets. Link from The Legend of Zelda has his iconic brown undershirt. Finally, we have Twilight Princess Link, with his beautiful gauntlets that more than make up for his terrible outfit at the beginning of the game.
EvilRobotCat’s “Sword in Hands” is a great work to show how even the smallest part of Link’s design can create a totally different version of a hero we’ve seen so many times. If you want to check out more of their work, you can visit their DeviantArt or support their Patreon.
Want to potentially be featured on Yuga’s Art Gallery? Submit your work to the Zelda Universe DeviantArt group just like EvilRobotCat did!
