Since the announcement of Wind Waker at E3 2002, Toon Link’s appearance caused an uproar in the Zelda community as fans were expecting another game like Ocarina of Time. Instead, they were disappointed to see what they expected to be a “kid-friendly Zelda game”.
Until 2013, fans who once hated Toon Link grew to love him when Wind Waker HD was released for the Wii U. They later revisited his older titles and the games that came after thanks to their story themes, gameplay, and an art style that became appealing as it age over time. But what made Toon Link remarkable?
Toon Link’s Growth from Connection & Experience
Unlike other Links, Toon Link did not hold the Triforce of Courage or is a chosen hero of legend. Instead, in almost every version of Toon Link, he began as a regular boy roughly in his pre-teens. What made him special is that he gained motivation from the people he loved and met along his travels.
The Wind Waker
In Toon Link’s first adventure, The Wind Waker, he didn’t head off on an adventure because of a legend. Toon Link sets out to sea to search and rescue his sister Aryll. However, it came with the cost of leaving Grandma behind.
As he sailed the seas with the talking boat, the King of Red Lions, Toon Link’s courage touched the hearts of the strangers and people he helped along the journey to rescue Aryll. When he returns to visit Outset after progressing halfway through the game, Toon Link will find Grandma sitting in her rocking chair in a blanket, feeling unwell and mumbling when her grandchildren come home.
Luckily there is a fairy fountain in Outset Forest to capture a fairy in a bottle. Once he uses the fairy to restore Grandma from her nightmare, she awakens happily to see Toon Link in front of her. Because of his courageous decision to rescue Aryll, Grandma decided to cook her Elixir Soup to remind Toon Link of home.
The best part about Wind Waker shows Toon Link did not build this courage alone. This adventure began because he spotted the Pirate Girl Tetra in the talons of the Helmroc King, the bird beast under Ganondorf’s control. Tetra helped Toon Link face the unknown beyond Outset while the King of Red Lions prepares him to become a hero of legend.
Phantom Hourglass
This theme of courage translates well in Wind Waker’s DS Sequel, Phantom Hourglass, where Toon Link sails on another adventure to rescue Tetra from the legendary Ghost Ship in a parallel world. This time, his adventuring experience touches the heart of the cowardly sea captain, Linebeck.
Linebeck dreams of being the best treasure hunter of the Great Sea. The problem is he does not want to explore the dungeons his maps will lead him to. He is also on the run from what he calls his partner, Jolene after he stole part of the treasure she gathered on their previous travels.
In the final battle, the cowardly sea captain picked up the Phantom Sword to save Toon Link from Bellum‘s tentacle grip. Because of his bravery, Bellum absorbs Linebeck to become a knight to fight. After rescuing Linebeck, The Ocean King, Oshus appears to grant Linebeck one wish. Instead of wishing for treasure, he wishes for his ship, the S.S. Linebeck to be rebuilt since Bellum destroyed it to prevent the duo from escaping.
Passing Down Kindness Through Generation
For generations, Toon Link’s bravery can be traced to his Gameboy era. According to the Official Zelda Timeline, Toon Link has an ancestor in The Minish Cap. He later has a descendant in Wind Waker’s second DS sequel, Spirit Tracks. They are not only memorable for their bravery but their kindness as well.
The Minish Cap
In this story, Toon Link is the childhood friend of Zelda. They attend Hyrule Town’s annual Picori Festival to celebrate the Pircori or the Minish because of their tiny appearance, visiting Hyrule exactly 100 years ago and the Hero of Men using the Picori Blade to defeat an ancient evil.
This evil reappears in the form of the greedy Minish, Vaati. He grew a thirst for power and didn’t want to stay tiny, so he took the Mage Cap from his friend, Ezio. He shatters the Picori Blade, unlocks the Bound Chest to release the monsters on Hyrule, and curses Princess Zelda into stone. King Daltus asked Toon Link to find the Minish so that they could find a way to defeat the shadow sorcerer.
When he reaches the Minish Woods, Toon Link encounters Ezio in the form of a bird cap. He rescues him from two Octorocks and in return, Ezio explains he became the Minish Cap while trying to stop Vaati. As Toon Link and Ezio progress, so do the townspeople in Hyrule Town and the Picori.
When Toon Link obtains Ezio’s shrinking magic, he will learn that the Picori had never left Hyrule. They always put themselves on the line to help the Hylians with their everyday work. This is handy when Link needs to learn about a certain townsfolk’s problem by asking them.
It’s not only important to be a hero who can fight evil but to help the people around them as well. With the addition of Kinstone Fusion, he can help Picori and Hylian residents get a burst of inspiration to solve their conflict or present a new plotline in their quests.
Spirit Tracks
This is one of my favorite Toon Links of the Zelda series for many reasons. In the final installment of the Wind Waker series, Toon Link has become an official Hylian train conductor and lives with the last living crew member of Tetra’s pirate crew, Niko as everyone is one on the crew either died or has a descendant that resembles them like Alfonzo sharing an appearance to Tetra’s first mate, Gonzo.
He first meets Zelda during his conductor coronation ceremony. Toon Link’s reaction to Zelda coming out of the backroom is adorable when he thinks about how pretty she is. When he gets scolded by Chancellor Cole for raising his head, Zelda immediately shuts him down, then hands Toon Link a letter to help her escape the castle as she suspects Cole is up to something involving the Tower of Spirits.
While escaping the castle, Zelda’s spirit gets separated from her body by Cole after his assistant, Byrne stops Alfonzo’s train from leaving. No one but Toon Link can see Zelda. Unlike Tetra, Toon Link gets to play alongside Zelda in the entirety of the game on a mission to get her body back and restore the Spirit Tracks by uniting the melody of the Lokomo sages.
Zelda can help Toon Link throughout the Tower of Spirits by becoming a Phantom Knight. There will be certain situations and puzzles that will require teamwork. Like taking out mice for Zelda so she can progress without feeling disgusted or Toon Link to hop on her shield to safely traverse lava.
Nintendo emphasizes Toon Link and Zelda’s relationship from beginning to end. Zelda entrusted a stranger to help her escape the castle only to bond with them after they were one of the few who could see her spirit. Because of Toon Link’s kindness, she felt safe and free.
Toon Link Introduced Zelda Multiplayer
Out of all the Links, Toon Link introduced multiplayer in the Zelda series. While Wind Waker had the TIngle Tuner mechanic for three people to play along the first player with the Gameboy-Gamecube link cable, it is Four Swords and Tri-Force Heroes that made Toon Link shine.
Four Swords/Four Swords Adventures
Toon Link wields the power of the Four Sword, a sword constructed by the Picori with the wind, earth, fire, and water elements. In this new generation, three more Links are coming along for the adventure.
Four Swords on the Gameboy Advance required 4 Gameboys with a 4-player Gameboy link cable. This Toon Link has the most chaotic energy to go through the game with three other versions of himself to fight Vaati and rescue Princess Zelda.
In the Gamecube sequel, Four Sword Adventures, one player can play on the Gamecube controller while the rest play on the Gameboy Advance with the Gameboy Gamecube link cables. On Zelda’s 25th anniversary, the original Four Swords was released for the DSi Eshop for veteran and new players to experience the multiplayer without the cables.
Tri-Force Heroes
Tri-Force Heroes has a funky premise to its multiplayer. To fit the Triforce theme, Nintendo cut down the multiplayer to three players and made the Toon Links into the colors of Din (Red), Nayru (Blue), and Farore (Green). Surprisingly, Nintendo gave it a fun concept.
In the original Four Swords, Toon Link can use abilities by gathering two items at a time. In Tri-Force Heroes, he can cosplay for different abilities to use on the battlefield. Not only will the costumes help with attacks and puzzle-solving, but they also offer buffs. There’s plenty of combinations to try, too!
When this game came out, the Zelda community enjoyed Toon Link in the various outfits he could wear. My personal favorite is the Cactus outfit so enemies in close combat can get injured. The fan-favorite costume is the Cheer Outft with Toon Link wearing a wig and cheering on his squad.
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