Say it with me: Wind Waker Link is the best Link.
Link’s transformation into a hero was not an easy one, but his courage, resolve, and humor made the process bearable for him and enjoyable for me. The Wind Waker has always been my favorite video game, and its version of Link has always been my favorite version of the legendary hero and the reason I feel such a strong connection to all of his incarnations.
In Wind Waker, the
As they travel to their destination, Link completes the first challenge of his skill and ingenuity (and also teaches Niko some humility) by clearing a rope-swinging obstacle. Niko claims the test would be hard, but Link clears at a record pace. Breezing through the obstacle is the first sign, both to the pirates and to himself, that Link has what it takes to be a hero.
Link quickly showed his natural ability to focus and be brave in order to face and clear any adversity. As I played this rope-swinging part for the first time, I noticed how capable Link was and how dauntless he acted to Niko after completing it. I became thrilled with how much of a “doer” this kid was. Actions, not words, were what Link was all about.
Almost immediately after teaching his teacher a lesson, Tetra calls to Link and informs him they have reached their ominous destination: the Forsaken Fortress. They covertly survey the area and realize they need a way in, which is how Tetra comes up with her clever-yet-incredibly-insane idea to get Link past the fortress walls.
This is when I first witnessed another one of Link’s greatest attributes: his comedic behavior. The shock of realizing he was suddenly and somehow stuffed into a barrel and about to be catapulted hundreds of feet through the air was one of the funniest things I have ever seen in a game. He tried his best to get out by struggling and wiggling with all of his might, but once he realized there was nothing he could do about it, he gritted his teeth and prepared. He then screamed throughout his entire flight and I laughed some more.
The following scene — the one when he smacked into the stone wall, fell into the water, climbed out of the water, and then got right to business — is what made me fully understand Link’s character. He was a mix of traditional, quiet bravery and frantic comedy, which is why he is so endearing. He was brave like all the other Link’s, but he also had more sense about him.
Proof of his common sense comes later in the story when he has finally obtained all of the orbs and places the last one in the statue’s hand. He doesn’t just stand there or cautiously back off when the statue starts to glow. No, he screams and runs for it. Link is always painfully aware of the danger he is in and often responds in a hilarious manner.
Endearing. I called him this earlier, but it warrants repeating. It’s the core descriptor for Link. No matter what he did — whether it was helping his Rito friends appease Valoo, solving the challenges of the Tower of the Gods, or cutting bosses like Kalle Demos down to size — he did it with sincerity, but he also did not hide the fact that he had no idea what he was doing and was making up everything as he went along. Link wanted to do the right thing and didn’t care if he looked silly in the process.
This is why his facial expressions were so phenomenal to me as I played Wind Waker. During many crucial plot points, I could see how Link was as confused as I was about what was happening. When he first met the King of Red Lions, or when the Great Deku Tree talked to him in ancient Hylian, or even when Ganondorf rambled about his life in the desert, Link was often and appropriately flabbergasted.
He had been ripped out of his realm of comfort, out of his previous understanding of the world. The thing is, it didn’t matter. He was often at a loss, but he always got over it and remained focused. Link knew he had a job to do. He would figure everything out later.
As Link holds up his hand while the King of Red Lions bestows upon him the title of the Hero of Winds, there is a look of determination in Link’s eyes. He’s ready and planning for his inevitable showdown with Ganondorf. Being a hero is not his goal, but he’ll use this destiny in order to see things through to the end. And he does see things through in splendid fashion.
At the end of Wind Waker, Link matures considerably and his goals change, but his personality does not. He now wants to see the world and help others, but it’s clear he’ll also probably find the time to sneak a nap in whenever possible.
