The Legend of Zelda protagonist Link is one of gaming's most iconic heroes, but he's something of an enigma - an intentionally empty vessel for the player to inhabit instead of a fleshed-out character.

Rather than being a negative thing, this has led to Link becoming one of the most drawn and imitated video game icons, with countless pieces of artwork, fanfiction and cosplay created in his (or even her) likeness.

We've already seen what a dark and mature Zelda adventure could look like, and now 343 Industries (Halo) senior character artist Kyle Hefley has created a realistic take on Link.

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Link has lost the elf-like grace that his Japanese designs tend to show, and has gained a rugged appearance which is more in tune with western RPGs. What do you think? Would you like to see Link appear like this in a future adventure? Let us know by posting a comment.

[source neogaf.com]