And we're back with the final rundown of Links, starting with number 10...
10. Phantom Hourglass Link
The first in our "Link, but make it nautical" range, the hero of Phantom Hourglass might not be the actual owner of the SS Linebeck (nor really even be allowed to sail it), but the ability to traverse the waves is a definite plus in terms of making a good hero.
This also marked a welcome return of Toon Link. Did it sound a death knell for this art style? We hope not, and he would return, of course. That little guy has a certain charm all of his own.
9. Majora's Mask Link
In a toss-up between the two iterations of the N64 Hero of Time, Majora's Mask Link has to come out on the bottom.
Don't get us wrong, this is a great Link. He's got mask-shifting transforming abilities, is the closest any protagonist in the series has come to walking on the moon, and gets to live out his days trapped in a three-day time loop with no long-term consequences — what a life!
However, when we're comparing his special abilities to the others, he doesn't do quite enough to make it to the very top tiers.
8. Oracle of Ages Link
Not unlike several — okay, most — of his counterparts, this Link is a musician. Not one of those irritating ones that produce an acoustic guitar on a campsite before murdering Country Roads, either. No, he has a magical instrument that can transport him through time itself.
That's a pretty cool concept, right? And totally unique compared to any other Link out there, surely...
7. Spirit Tracks Link
Come on now, say what you will about Spirit Tracks as a game but how many Links do you see with the ability to drive a train?
Perhaps second only to another vehicle that we will discuss later, chugging along the tracks is by far one of the coolest ways to travel around (even if the mechanics of doing so are a little frustrating). This is also one of the few Links to have a believable relationship with Zelda, which we always love to see.
6. Wind Waker Link
You knew that the other sailor Link was going to have to come around at some point!
Wind Waker takes everything that Phantom Hourglass' Link has and just makes it that bit cooler. You've got your low-res Toon Link stylings? Boom, here we've got proper cel-shading. Link needs some help sailing his little boat, does he? Oosh, here he can circumnavigate the high seas all by himself. Your boat is inanimate and used for nothing more than crossing the ocean, is it? The King of Red Lions has all the sentience of a literal king living under the water and talks to you as a consequence...
Ok, that last one got a bit weird, but you get the picture.
You could argue that this is the same Link that we see in both Phantom Hourglass and Spirit Tracks — heck, that's what the Hyrule Historia would have you believe — so why break them all up? Well, just as the Luke Skywalker of A New Hope is a different character to that which we see in The Last Jedi, this is a Link that changes from game to game, maybe not in appearance but certainly in ability.
It wouldn't be fair to group them all together and not get to see each individual's successes and failures now would it? As we've seen, ultimately, some Links are just better than others, even when they're the same.
5. Minish Cap Link
It's true, this Link might not own a train or a boat, but he can shrink down to a minuscule size thanks to a Picori sage in hat form and has the added bonus of being able to split himself into four as a bonus.
In terms of appearance, this Link is simple and clean, but that squishy 32-bit design always serves as a great reminder that this hero is a child. It's all well and good showing an adult saving the world, but there is something a little more touching knowing that the task has been completed by a hero that is still learning his times tables.
4. Ocarina of Time Link
When it comes to the 3D iterations of Link, Ocarina of Time is the standard by which we judge all others. This is a hero that could not only run in all of the directions and dimensions that we had long dreamed of, but could also swing big swords, look up (and down, left, right) at scary monsters and literally travel through time. You have to admit that all of those are a pretty big deal.
You also effectively get two Links for the price of one here, with adult and child Link each having their own unique abilities and appearances. That's the reason why we haven't split this one into two entries: the different ages is this Link's special ability as much as Minish Cap Link's is shrinking. We don't want to judge them separately when being together is what makes this Link so special.
In fact, our only complaint with the OOT Link might have been his original pointy-poly features, but Grezzo did such a brilliant job of smoothing all that out in the 3DS remaster that there is really little to worry about. This is perhaps the most 'Link' that the 3D hero has ever looked.
3. Breath of the Wild Link
If this was a list of 'Which Link is the most hardcore?' then Breath of the Wild's would have to be number one.
This rugged hero can do it all from the get-go: swim, climb, jump, fly (kinda). It's one of BOTW's perks — that you can do whatever you want, whenever you want — and it is made all the more believable by having a hero that looks like he can do it. Seriously, can you imagine climbing Mount Lanayru with, say, Wind Waker's Link? It just wouldn't look right.
And this guy has abilities to boot. Yes, he can do all of the aforementioned skills with ease, but with his Sheikah Slate in hand, this hero can create bombs, move huge objects, even pause time. Add to that the coolest mode of transport of them all (Master Cycle Zero, of course), and it would be difficult to put him much lower on this list.
2. A Link Between Worlds Link
Saving one Hyrule is no mean feat, but saving two? Now that's saying something (ok, one Hyrule and one Lorule, but you get the picture). Link is no stranger to travelling between things — islands, time periods, worlds — but rarely has this been shown as such a task as it is in A Link Between Worlds.
Call it a curse if you will, but the ability to turn into a fully sentient, 2D painting is one of the cooler burdens in the franchise (not the coolest, but we'll get onto that) and LBW uses this to only double the stakes — two princesses to save, two kingdoms to restore.
Consider the fact that this Link manages to do all of that without ever splitting himself physically in two à la Four Swords and you have to admit that this is one of the best heroes going.
1. Twilight Princess Link
We'll admit that we're not the biggest fans of Link's design in this one. The key art's moody realistic aesthetic we could get on board with, but the slightly uncanny glazed-over eyes of the in-game model gives us the creeps. But all of this is forgotten by the fact that this Link can literally turn into a wolf.
There are countless transformations in the Zelda series from shrinking to turning into a Goron, but nothing comes close to turning into an apex predator. This Link can jump higher, run faster, even sniff out ghosts for crying out loud!
Say what you will about the game itself, but boy does this Link put some of the others to shame.
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