For nearly 40 years, The Legend of Zelda’s Link has been the protagonist, only losing that role in Echoes of Wisdom. And for those four decades, Link has remained silent. The Hero has been voiceless and more gender-neutral than most male characters in the gaming space. This was by design so that players could easily imprint on Link and see themselves as the hero of the story. That silence was nearly broken in 2024 before series producers and developers decided it just didn’t make sense to finally give the Hero of Time a voice.
Link Almost Spoke in Echoes of Wisdom
Though only Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom have genuine voice lines, characters in all The Legend of Zelda titles speak. There are cut scenes with dialogue frequently. Everyone has had a line at some point except for Link. That almost changed in Echoes of Wisdom with Link transitioning into an NPC role.
They initially had given the character some lines, but the developers struggled with what he would say and how. Eiji Aonuma, the longtime series producer, said in an interview, “Link would never speak like that. It felt really strange. Nobody knew what Link would say – that’s only natural because he’s never spoken before.” Ultimately, they scrapped the idea.
Echoes of Wisdom Explains Links Mute Nature
In other games, Link not speaking isn’t a plot hole. It’s clear based on his reactions and the lines of dialogue by those speaking with him that he does talk. There’s just no need for the players at home to hear Link say what they already know and have experienced. Characters will respond to things that Link is implied to have said, it’s just not heard.
But with Link being an NPC, that explanation can’t stand on its own two legs. The Legend of Zelda team thought of this and came up with a reasonable if convenient excuse. Lueberry’s journal reveals that Link had been stolen away by rifts before, and as a result, he lost his voice. Other kids from the village lost things, and Link’s voice was taken.
Why Link Doesn’t Talk Much
It’s clear that Link does talk to people in these games. It wouldn’t make sense for any Hylian, Goron, Zora, or anyone else to ask questions, make statements, or just speak to a silent wall. At some point, he alerts many of them as to what’s been going on, and they learn and respond to that. He just isn’t heard and generally keeps his speaking to a minimum most of the time.
This is not explained in many games, but it is in Echoes of Wisdom and 2017’s Breath of the Wild. In Breath of the Wild, Zelda’s diary reveals that Link chooses not to speak often, but that he has on occasion spoken to the princess. She addressed getting him to open up before noting that he prefers to silently bear all burdens. Since it’s the same exact version, Tears of the Kingdom‘s Link likely functions the same way. In these games, he’s not mute but purposefully quiet.
In Conclusion
So far, Link from The Legend of Zelda has never spoken a word heard or read by any gamer. That almost ended with Echoes of Wisdom but the developers decided against it. Barring an unforeseen change, that’s likely to remain true in all subsequent games, so the first time Link is heard speaking might be the upcoming live-action film that’s in development. For now, though, the video game protagonist remains a silent hero and it doesn’t look like Nintendo wants to change that any time soon.
