“Double, double toil and trouble; fire burn and cauldron bubble.” Everyone’s favorite ditzy little Cucco farmer stirs up a new look fit for children (and heroes) who wind up lost in the fog heavy mystical forests. Gone are the beloved twin crossbows and in its place a flowering witch’s hat and a belt of resources to prove that Linkle is most definitely the hero of legends. Hyrule better watch out for something boundlessly cheerful this way comes.
This witching new look was first designed in a collaboration project by Sunset Dragon and Mahou Shojo, Together they designed Link and Dark Link witches, sharing the Hylian Shield and Master Sword, and ready to bewitch the citizens of Hyrule. Their caption invited cosplays to bring the design to life, a challenge Shin (BlupeeBuilds) took on with her own little twist. Rather than creating a female Link as the initial concept shows, Shin took the design of Linkle from Hyrule Warriors and turned the bubbly girl into a witch instead.
Over a two month period, Shin sewed, stitched and snipped through green and gold materials, fought with zippers, and crafted a hat brimmed with decorations (shout out to Kinpatsu Cosplay’s Witch Hat Pattern designs that helped Shin complete her masterpiece). The full journey is documented on Shin’s social media pages with captions that show her love for the character and the craft even when some tasks grew a little daunting or when things didn’t go to plan. At least Shin didn’t have to worry about styling a new wig. Having already cosplayed Linkle before, she already had the perfect wig to sit under the flowering hat.
No cosplay is complete without some props. Linkle’s iconic twin crossbows sit in the closet for now and her misdirecting compass left behind as this witch only needs some potions, Rupees, and a couple of Silent Princess flowers to bring magic to life. Most of the items are pinned to the hat or sitting on the belt, but no hero would be complete without a sword. Linkle may never wield the Master Sword, but this little witch won’t be led astray and will become the Hero of Hyrule, not once ever dropping her cheerful smile.
Shin is a full time Prop Maker and Cosplayer for Illustris Models based in Sydney, Australia. Their aim is to make cosplay accessible to everyone and assist cosplayers with some of the more tricky aspects of prop making and design. While Shin’s Linkle witch cosplay is not a prop heavy character, her skills with prop making, design and sewing are all on display.
Sunset Dragon and Mahou Shojo’s collaboration transformed the iconic green hero into a dazzling witch equipped with all a hero might ever need. Shin’s brilliant cosplay skills brought the design to life, adding her own personal touch as she gave Linkle a second chance to call herself a hero and bewitch all by conquering the darkness over Hyrule. Linkle, being a character from a non-canon game, may never appear in a Zelda game, but its artists like Sunset Dragon, Mahou Shojo, and Shin that help us see what another iteration of our favorite characters may look like.
