“Arrogance… Ego… Pridefulness… This darkness nurtured within you shall be your undoing.” – Cia, Hyrule Warriors.
In the midst of war, villains from across the ages spread darkness throughout Hyrule. The greatest villain of them all is not The Dark Sorceress splitting the world nor The Incarnation of Evil corrupted by power. The greatest challenge of them all is the darkness within our own hearts. A challenge not even the Hero of Ages himself can escape. Born from the shadows of Link, Dark Link is no ordinary opponent on the battlefield.
After claiming the Master Sword, Link is filled with a pride that comes with an irresponsible arrogance. In the Legend Mode level “A War of Spirit”, Cia perceives Link’s reliance on the legendary weapon and the negative personality traits blooming within. With dark magic on her side, she gives life to the darkness within Link, forcing Link to face his demons head on. Rising from Link’s own shadow is a doppelganger of black, save for two piercing red eyes. This new version of Link bears no shadows himself, nor any light. He is the darkness that reigns and will fight to consume Link.
Fighting one’s demons is no easy battle, whether literally or figuratively. Dark Link cannot be defeated by sword alone. Mechanically, Dark Link is a mid-level boss. Mirroring Link’s own move set, Dark Link wields a sword and shield, fighting with the same finesse and skills as the hero. His health bar goes down and for a second, Link and the player feel victory is imminent but defeating something born of only the darkness within us is not so easily vanquished. Four more Dark Links pop up around the level, each as vicious, each as dark, and each a reminder of how quickly darkness can spread.
Upon the defeat of more shadows, one of the Dark Links lures the hero into a room, separating him from his allies. Blinded by his recklessness and his hero complex, Link slays his foe not realizing that his approach continued to fuel the dark creation. Upon defeat, another series of Dark Link’s arise, all attacking at once. In the cutscene that plays, there’s a moment of hopelessness. A split second where the chance of surviving the next blow feels impossible…that demons will win. Unfortunately for the Dark Links, the hero has friends who are willing to help him fight his demons together. For even a foe of pride cannot overcome the power of friendship.
This level is not the last we see of Dark Link. In the bonus content from the original Master Quest DLC, Cia summons Dark Link once more under the delusion that this Link will protect her. Furthermore, multiple combo attacks of Cia involves summoning various Dark Links around her that slash nearby foes. As Cia is the dark and corrupted sorceress lacking light, in some ways, Dark Link represents the hero she wishes she could have. The hero that could turn dark to be with her as she knew she’ll never have the light version.
Dark Link may appear soulless, empty, a mindless puppet for Cia to control, but such a foe could not exist without the hero himself. The shadowed figure represents all that Link must overcome if he wishes to save Hyrule from the darkness. If anything, Link should be thanking Cia for creating an insightful foe. Not everybody gets to face their literal dark side.
