Did a Hyrule Warriors Art Book Reveal a Female Link? - Update

[2xDouble]

Yep... definitely not Saria in any way. I mean, look at her! She has completely different colored hair... and a hat.

...which is likely why this "Link's Daughter" character was cut; playable Saria confirmed.

 

[JimB]

Gender swaps are pathetic. Trying to make a male character into a female or vice versa just for "social progression" is not progression. True progression is making an independent female character, not just gender bending Link into "girl Link."

How so? In Link's case in particular it seems perfectly justifiable, since almost every Link is a different one than the ones that came before and after, but even otherwise, what is not progressive about showing that a vagina does not bar someone from doing what Link does?

I don't intend to be pushy or argumentative or what have you. I ask because I am interested in hearing you explain why you think that.

 

[JayRPG]

controversy and discussion about the possibility of the next Link being a woman.

What controversy? 99% of what I read on it was "Yeah, that would be cool". The worst I think I saw was a few people who said they don't like when established characters receive huge changes.

Yeah, there wasn't much controversy at all, and that argument that people used didn't really hold up.

Link is never the same person in every game, in Wind Waker you aren't even a descendant, there is really no reason the Hero of Time couldn't have a Female descendant in the first place.

I've always seen the Links as different characters myself, so a Female Link doesn't seem out of place at all but it could be different for other people.

 

[SD-Fiend]

Gender swaps are pathetic. Trying to make a male character into a female or vice versa just for "social progession" is not progression. True progression is making an independent female character, not just gender bending Link into "girl Link".

Even when there's nothing anywhere that actually says that Link is required to be a male? Because there isn't. I have not seen a single thing that implies that the Hero of Time is a gender defined thing, in reality, it all comes down to whether or not they wear a stupid looking hat. Link is quite possibly the biggest non-entity in the history of video game characters, so much so that he makes Master Chief look like a fleshed out character with a fully defined personality, and he serves literally no purpose other than to be a self-insert; appeal that basic isn't going to be taken away by a change in skin color or gender.

There is nothing saying that Ganondorf or Zelda need to be male or female, either. I don't mind a gender swap if they go all the way with it. Sure, have Link as a girl. But I'd like to see Ganondorf as a female, too, since I hate always seeing the villain as the male, especially when the hero is a girl, and make Zelda a boy.

I really don't want to get into this whole Gender flipping argument but Ganondorf does have to be male. There has only ever been one Ganondorf and every time he has appeared within the games he has either been revived by one of his followers or released from his seal in the sacred realm.

 

[loa]

Funny how they have to give him those knee high boots and let his hair flop around to make him "female".
Link is so androgynous, all you have to do to change his gender is alter the audio files of his grunts.

I believe no one ever talks about link in the third person too, do they?
So there wouldn't even be the need to search and replace "he" with "she".

Also this is about as "controversial" as the reveal that final fantasy 13 would have a female protagonist.

 

[endtherapture]

Gender swaps are pathetic. Trying to make a male character into a female or vice versa just for "social progession" is not progression. True progression is making an independent female character, not just gender bending Link into "girl Link".

Even when there's nothing anywhere that actually says that Link is required to be a male? Because there isn't. I have not seen a single thing that implies that the Hero of Time is a gender defined thing, in reality, it all comes down to whether or not they wear a stupid looking hat. Link is quite possibly the biggest non-entity in the history of video game characters, so much so that he makes Master Chief look like a fleshed out character with a fully defined personality, and he serves literally no purpose other than to be a self-insert; appeal that basic isn't going to be taken away by a change in skin color or gender.

Really, if Link were just a girl in the next Legend of Zelda I think it would be about as radical a move as making The Doctor black. There's nothing in the Doctor Who lore that says Time Lords will always regenerate as the same race or gender, and the appeal isn't stolen by switching things up, so what's the problem?

Gender swaps are pathetic. Trying to make a male character into a female or vice versa just for "social progression" is not progression. True progression is making an independent female character, not just gender bending Link into "girl Link."

How so? In Link's case in particular it seems perfectly justifiable, since almost every Link is a different one than the ones that came before and after, but even otherwise, what is not progressive about showing that a vagina does not bar someone from doing what Link does?

I don't intend to be pushy or argumentative or what have you. I ask because I am interested in hearing you explain why you think that.

In both of these cases, making Link female accomplishes nothing. Why can't we play as Tetra or Sheikh or Mindna or one of the many strong female Zelda characters? Link has been male for over 20 years. He's known as Link, Link the blonde haired guy in a green cap with a sword and shield. That's Link.

Gender bending accomplishes nothing. It wouldn't be a true strong or original female character because female Link would always be known as female Link. Do you not see the problem in that? It's a very weak character. "Our female character is exactly the same a our male character but with feminine features".

 

[Shiftygiant]

Shame, I was looking forward to a female Link. Oh well.

 

[Entitled]

In both of these cases, making Link female accomplishes nothing. Why can't we play as Tetra or Sheikh or Mindna or one of the many strong female Zelda characters? Link has been male for over 20 years. He's known as Link, Link the blonde haired guy in a green cap with a sword and shield. That's Link.

Gender bending accomplishes nothing. It wouldn't be a true strong or original female character because female Link would always be known as female Link. Do you not see the problem in that? It's a very weak character. "Our female character is exactly the same a our male character but with feminine features".

Making the new Link male accomplishes nothing either, so why do it? There have been Links of different ages, raised up in different villages, encountering different plots. The sword is actually a plot point that unites them. The penis is not.

Here we have a character who is explicitly not a biological person, but a succession of different people who represent the Spirit of the Hero.

If it accomplishes nothing, then it could 50-50% go either way. Otherwise, why would it be so important to actively make sure that his apparently "iconic" maleness is preserved?

 

[endtherapture]

In both of these cases, making Link female accomplishes nothing. Why can't we play as Tetra or Sheikh or Mindna or one of the many strong female Zelda characters? Link has been male for over 20 years. He's known as Link, Link the blonde haired guy in a green cap with a sword and shield. That's Link.

Gender bending accomplishes nothing. It wouldn't be a true strong or original female character because female Link would always be known as female Link. Do you not see the problem in that? It's a very weak character. "Our female character is exactly the same a our male character but with feminine features".

Making the new Link male accomplishes nothing either, so why do it? There have been Links of different ages, raised up in different villages, encountering different plots. The sword is actually a plot point that unites them. The penis is not.

Here we have a character who is explicitly not a biological person, but a succession of different people who represent the Spirit of the Hero.

If it accomplishes nothing, then it could 50-50% go either way. Otherwise, why would it be so important to actively make sure that his apparently "iconic" maleness is preserved?

That's just the way the franchise is.

I'm going to give you an example here of Wolverine and X-23. X-23 was a clone of Wolverine who was female. It was basically a gender swap like the upcoming Thor one but it actually worked because she was a new character and not just an old one with the genitals switched.

If they gender-bent Link and did something interesting with it, like a story about exceeding the expectations of ones gender and the world coming to terms with a female Link or something like that, then it would be really interesting. However this one would just be a straight swap with no interesting reasoning or ideas behind it and would just alienate a bunch of the Zelda fanbase.

 

[Gearhead mk2]

Making the new Link male accomplishes nothing either, so why do it? There have been Links of different ages, raised up in different villages, encountering different plots. The sword is actually a plot point that unites them. The penis is not.

Here we have a character who is explicitly not a biological person, but a succession of different people who represent the Spirit of the Hero.

If it accomplishes nothing, then it could 50-50% go either way. Otherwise, why would it be so important to actively make sure that his apparently "iconic" maleness is preserved?

That's just the way the franchise is.

I'm going to give you an example here of Wolverine and X-23. X-23 was a clone of Wolverine who was female. It was basically a gender swap like the upcoming Thor one but it actually worked because she was a new character and not just an old one with the genitals switched.

If they gender-bent Link and did something interesting with it, like a story about exceeding the expectations of ones gender and the world coming to terms with a female Link or something like that, then it would be really interesting. However this one would just be a straight swap with no interesting reasoning or ideas behind it and would just alienate a bunch of the Zelda fanbase.

Honestly, I'd be fine with fem-Link being a mostly separate character or just the same Link but a girl. Not every character that's a not a straight white guy needs to have their story focus on them not being a straight white guy. Take Lee from the Walking Dead. He's black, but the story never calls attention to it apart from for an occasional gag. And the last time Nintendo focused on a character's femininity in a plot, we got Other M, which is the worst game they ever made and I will hear no argument to the contrary. Besides, with the resurrection cycle it just makes logical sense that in at least one incarnation Link would be a girl. Also, if we lose a chunk of the fan base because they don't want a girl to be the hero... I won't exactly mourn their loss.

 

[Entitled]

That's just the way the franchise is.

I'm going to give you an example here of Wolverine and X-23. X-23 was a clone of Wolverine who was female. It was basically a gender swap like the upcoming Thor one but it actually worked because she was a new character and not just an old one with the genitals switched.

But according to "the way the franchise is", the various Zelda protagonists are NOT the same character either.

Expecting the next Link from Hyrule Warriors to be also male like the earlier ones, is like expecting X-23 to be male. Even worse than that, clones can be expected to be their source's gender by default, but the Spirit of the Hero in Zelda has no reason to only appear in male characters.

 

[Naqel]

Gender bending accomplishes nothing. It wouldn't be a true strong or original female character because female Link would always be known as female Link. Do you not see the problem in that?

I think you're missing the point entirely.

Link isn't exactly an example of a strong or original character.
He's a blank slate for the (male) player to project themselves onto.

Making that blank slate a woman, or giving us the option to pick it's gender, would be a GIGANTIC step in terms of gender inclusivity.

Inclusivity, not having a strong female lead, is the point here, and gender bending accomplishes it perfectly.

 

[endtherapture]

Gender bending accomplishes nothing. It wouldn't be a true strong or original female character because female Link would always be known as female Link. Do you not see the problem in that?

I think you're missing the point entirely.

Link isn't exactly an example of a strong or original character.
He's a blank slate for the (male) player to project themselves onto.

Making that blank slate a woman, or giving us the option to pick it's gender, would be a GIGANTIC step in terms of gender inclusivity.

Inclusivity, not having a strong female lead, is the point here, and gender bending accomplishes it perfectly.

Link looks fairly androgynous anyway. Giving him/her a feminine outfit and boobs is just going to alienate people.

 

[OldNewNewOld]

There is nothing saying that Ganondorf or Zelda need to be male or female, either. I don't mind a gender swap if they go all the way with it. Sure, have Link as a girl. But I'd like to see Ganondorf as a female, too, since I hate always seeing the villain as the male, especially when the hero is a girl, and make Zelda a boy.

Actually Ganondorf and Zelda need to be male and female.
In every game that stars Ganondord, it's literally the same Ganondorf from OoT.
In one timeline has sealed and breaks out in Twillight Princess, in another Link didn't arrive and the Goddesses had to flood Hyrule with Ganondorf in it and in the third one Link lost and Ganon(dorf) was sealed after many many causalities from the Knights of Hyrule defending the sages who were doing the sealing ceremony during the Imprisonment war (I hope this war gets to be played out in Hyrule Warriors).

So yeah, Ganondorf does have to be male from a story stand point. Unlike Link and Zelda, it's the same person in all games.

Zelda on the other hand needs to be female because only the female descendants of the first Zelda will have the power of the Goddess. The male descendants won't have it.

Which leave Link. While Link is not technically the same person in most games (few Links appear in several games), Link is Link. People see him as a single hero, Link. There is a reason why people recognize Link even with all the changes. He is an established character despite being a different character in every game.

Also please, Toon Link and SS Link have expressed more emotions and character with facial expressions and most character in gaming through 10 hour long cuteness. Link is, yet at the same time he isn't a blank slate. He is there to link the player with the world, but he isn't completely blank. He has his own character. Links aren't there for the player to selfinsert. They are there to link the player and the ingame world.

 

[Aiddon_v1legacy]

Gender bending accomplishes nothing. It wouldn't be a true strong or original female character because female Link would always be known as female Link. Do you not see the problem in that?

I think you're missing the point entirely.

Link isn't exactly an example of a strong or original character.
He's a blank slate for the (male) player to project themselves onto.

Making that blank slate a woman, or giving us the option to pick it's gender, would be a GIGANTIC step in terms of gender inclusivity.

Inclusivity, not having a strong female lead, is the point here, and gender bending accomplishes it perfectly.

No it wouldn't. It's nothing more than throwing scraps; you're saying a game can't be carried on the female herself but the name of the game. It's no different than putting a tone slider on a game and pretending like that's racial diversity. Nintendo know it'd be nothing more than cheap, lazy, and shallow so they don't bother with it. When they make female characters they make sure they stand on their own merits, not because they have some name brand cushioning.

Also, I find it hilarious how Ashcraft says giving Link a sister would be rewriting major lore...when in fact Link HAS HAD A SISTER BEFORE. Seriously, how did he forget Aryll? And that's before getting into the fact that Hyrule Warriors is non-canon thus rewriting lore is kinda the point. Oh well, can't expect much from Kotaku.