How old is Link from Zelda? This is a question that has plagued Nintendo gamers for a long time. For most of this franchise’s long-running history, the developers have just done what they wanted to for each game, not paying much mind to how it fits in the overarching storyline of The Legend of Zelda or any other major details. They have recently tried to streamline it all, but there are still more than a few versions of Link, Zelda, and the rest of the recurring cast of characters. Another thing that’s not terribly consistent is the age of certain characters. Here’s what we know.
How Old is Link from Zelda Games?
In the vast majority of all 29 games (soon to be 30 with The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom), Link is under 18. For the most part, he’s still a teen when he faces unspeakable evil and steps up to save the entire land. The exact age he is often varies, though. In some cases, he’s quite young. For example, one version of Link from Ocarina of Time is barely older than a child. He does have the benefit of time travel, but he still fights evil as a youth. Here’s how old he is generally in most major games:
- The Legend of Zelda: Link is 10 in the original.
- Adventure of Link: Link is 16 years old in the sequel.
- Ocarina of Time: Link is just 9 years old at the beginning, but he is 16 for the majority of the game.
- Majora’s Mask: Link is around 10 years old since this is the sequel from when he was a child.
- The Wind Waker: This cartoon version of Link is just 12 years old.
- Twilight Princess: Link is 17 years old. Producer Eiji Aonuma confirmed.
- Skyward Sword: In the timeline-starter, Link is around 16 or 17 years old
- Breath of the Wild: Link is 16 or 17 years old here.
- Tears of the Kingdom: Link is 16 or 17 since it’s a direct sequel.
So how old is Link from Zelda? That depends on what game it is, but he’s always a child by the legal definition. That makes his heroic exploits even more impressive. The rest of the games don’t have a clear age defined, but they are all pretty closely linked to the above titles, so the age doesn’t change much from game to game depending on the timeline. It is unclear how old Link will be in Echoes of Wisdom, but he will more than likely be pretty young.
How Old is the Princess in The Legend of Zelda?
Just like Link, the Princess herself varies in age. Zelda is often around the same age as Link, but she can be older. For example, she is reportedly 20 years old in Twilight Princess. Usually, she’s closer to Link’s age. For example, she is also 16 or 17 in Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom, which adds to the growing romance between those two characters. Time-skipping does make things difficult, but of course, Hylians don’t age like humans do.
In Ocarina of Time, she’s close to the same age as Link as well, and her Shiek persona aged seven years just like he did. While she is more often the damsel in distress, her heroic efforts have also been made primarily as a child. In most games, her father, the King, is still around (except in Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom) so she’s just a child. However, in those games, she has a glorious purpose since she’s the heir to the vacant throne. The Legend of Zelda as a game series is unrealistic and fantastical, but the most shocking aspect of all might be that the heroes are just kids.
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