Poll: Would we all be cool with a female Link?

[Hero of Lime]

Not really, instead, I would love to play as Zelda in the absence of a Link in a particular part of the timeline. It would be cool to have a point where a new Link wasn't born, yet there is a Zelda and a villain/Ganondorf. Plus, we could finally get a Sheik game too, it would work like Majora's Mask where you would need to change between Zelda and Sheik to solve puzzles, use certain items, fight certain enemies etc. For me, the character of Zelda deserves a game for herself more than making Link female, the legend is named after her after all.

I just feel like it wouldn't really be necessary, but I wouldn't hate the idea of a female Link either. As long as the game is still like a Zelda game, I would play and love it. If Nintendo ever tried it, they would probably have a gender choice system like Pokemon.

Though considering I got angry when they made Link right-handed in the Wii version of Twilight Princess, maybe I hold Zelda tradition too strongly.

 

[TehCookie]

I wouldn't like it. I wouldn't mind if a new protagonist was female, but Link is male and leave him that way. They should just make a new female character instead.

 

[spartan231490]

I didn't vote. At first I thought I'd be ok with it, since I think link is pretty dang feminine anyway, but then I realized "princess" zelda would likely be re-imagined as "prince" zelda, which would bother me. Also, it seems like pointless pandering to feminists, which always bothered me. Color me undecided

 

[Gorrath]

I wouldn't mind a female link at all, though I think I'd be more happy with Zelda as the Hero of Time and Link as prince of Hyrule instead. The reason being that you could add in play mechanics where you can switch between playing as Zelda (Hero of Time-y version, so green clothes, hat, the whole shebang)and Sheik. Imagine for a moment a Zelda game where there are puzzles that you use the tried and true mechanics, plus a whole new set of puzzles and challenges that use Sheik's abilities. I think that would be far better than just a gender swap.

 

[go-10]

no need to say how I feel about the Legend of Zelda series, just look at most of my past post

now to answer the TC, no I don't mind being a Link, partly because Link has always been a silent hero it's up to the player to imagine how this hero sounds, and it's because of that, that if Link's graphic was changed to a female it wouldn't make anything else change since it's up to us to give him a voice and personality

now as to changing everybody else genders, Zelda, Malon, Saria, Impa, etc. are all now males and the usual males are now females, basically a gender swapped universe; now THAT I'm against. I don't mind them interpreting Link however they want as Ganon always refers to Link as "kid" and Zelda always resorts to "Link The Hero of ..." by the end of the game. This would lead me to believe that as long as Link is young and bears the tri force of courage it doesn't matter what sex he belongs to

 

[aguspal]

Ok why this thread again?... ugh...

Well anyways, I will be honest: I dont care about the Zelda series, so I dont care about Link nor whatver gender it is...


That begin said, if I tried to place myself as a fan of the series even for just a second, and see my main character getting a gender change for no reason (Ok maybe there is an actual justification in the in-game universe but that is besides the point)at all other than "Change!" and "WEEE NED FEM PROTS!!!!!1111", it would certainly feel weird and offsetting, at the very least...


But I am not and I dont care

 

[Autumnflame]

I'd prefer a new main Female lead. that's in the same universe and off doing their own thing. maybe their travels will intersect maybe not.

But just doing a simple gender swap is a little bland.

 

[Stu35]

I've gone for yes.

Link is already pretty androgynous, so it's hardly much of a leap.

as there isn't anything particularly masculine about Link. He's not really a muscleman and the green tunic is more or less unisex. He was pretty much intended to be merely a blank character for the player to project onto, and really the only personality aspects I can think of to define him are pretty gender neutral: brave, intelligent and competent in situations of crisis.

Yeah. That.


I should, however, also point out, that I don't really care for Zelda as a series, if I was a fan, however, I'd probably be irritated if changes were being made for the sake of it.

Sidenote: Are there other characters to whom this would apply? Where gender/race/sexuality/etc are so insignificant that changing them would leave the overall character unscathed? Off the top of my head: Chell(Portal), Master Chief (Halo) and Kirby (well, Kirby).

Samus Aran.
Plenty of Final Fantasy characters.
In fact, pretty much any Japanese made game tends to have plenty of girly-men who it wouldn't make much difference to swap them over with.

 

[Storm Dragon]

Instead of simply making Link female, how about this instead: http://dresdencodak.tumblr.com/post/47724463171/inspired-by-anita-sarkeesians-video-game-tropes

 

[The_Scrivener]

The idea of not being fine with a female Link completely baffles me. This game's canon is a revisionist imprudent alternative reality nightmare. Why is Link okay to be a farmer, fisherman, werewolf, elf prince, whatever else, but not ever a woman?

If I wrote a Zelda game, Link would be female and Princess Zelda would be a lesbian who isn't attracted to female Link in the slightest. Zelda's role would be that of a confidant, a conniving capable battle aid that was working on her own plan until Link came along and provided the perfect teammate. Ganondorf would be a rising dictator with spies throughout the kingdom, manipulating government to put himself in power. Zelda, a chess master, would deduct what was happening purely through deductive observation and cunning. The two of them would become lifelong friends and enable an organized democracy for Hyrule upon Ganon's overthrow.

Nintendo sucks.

 

[Rednog]

Wouldn't be cool with it. Making Link a female for no other reason then just wanting Link to be a female is pretty bad. It kind of falls into the whole Ms Male character trope doesn't it? Considering how supportive people on the escapist seem to be of Sarkeesean's work I'm surprised the current vote has 'yes' winning.

 

[DarthSka]

Honestly, I'd have to say no. Link's been established as a male for over 25 years, and changing that now just comes off as unnecessarily altering him. If they had made a habit of changing his sex early on in his career, then it wouldn't be as big of a deal. Done now, it would feel like they're changing him because female representation in games is such a hot topic, not for actually improving the experience. Either make a game where Zelda has her own adventure or a new IP with a female lead. No need to change a well-established character.

 

[Flatfrog]

You cool with Hollywood "white-washing" a cast? No? Then why be cool with "Vag-washing" one?

Just popping in to say - ew.

Nothing particular to add to the original question except to say I'd be fine with it.

 

[SerithVC]

I voted No because to me Link has to be a male. I'm not saying i'm against a female protagonist for the next Zelda game, but i just don't think it should be Link. A great time to place the game would be in between Skyward Sword and Minish Cap on the official timeline during the founding of Hyrule or during the civil war that happens some time between 4 swords and OoT. Another option would to be to have both Link and a new female character that are both playable and cross paths on their quests, maybe even have a few you save me i save you moments. Have like a rise of a new hero type thing where ganon has become too much for link alone and this new girl shows up and gives the forces of light that boost that it needs. Even have Ganon capture a young link and hold him in prison for years and this new character comes and saves him and then they team up to defeat ganon. But again i don't think a female 'Link' would be a good idea, but a new character who is a female would be.

 

[snowbear]

While not completely against the idea I don't really see the point in it either. IMO it would be change for the sake of change, what would actually be gained by doing it? Even though it is a new hero every time. The point of the legend is that there is three of them. the hero the princess and the manifestation of evil.

I don't see why that needs to change, Sure have the player be someone other than link but why change link for the sake of change. I feel it would confuse the IP too much to have any real benefit.

they should make a new IP if they want a female character so bad.

 

[DanielBrown]

Don't see what it would bring, but at the same time I don't see why not.
Link has no personality or voice(except for HYAAH!) and he's a little kid with long...ish, blonde hair.
Making him a girl wouldn't make it much different.

I think this applies to all mute protagonists.

 

[The_Scrivener]

While not completely against the idea I don't really see the point in it either. IMO it would be change for the sake of change, what would actually be gained by doing it? Even though it is a new hero every time. The point of the legend is that there is three of them. the hero the princess and the manifestation of evil.

I don't see why that needs to change, Sure have the player be someone other than link but why change link for the sake of change. I feel it would confuse the IP too much to have any real benefit.

they should make a new IP if they want a female character so bad.

How is doing literally ANYTHING different change for the sake of change? This IP is so obnoxiously imbred and stale at this point that I'd take not getting a hookshot and a boomerang let alone having a gender change.

 

[The_Scrivener]

Wouldn't be cool with it. Making Link a female for no other reason then just wanting Link to be a female is pretty bad. It kind of falls into the whole Ms Male character trope doesn't it? Considering how supportive people on the escapist seem to be of Sarkeesean's work I'm surprised the current vote has 'yes' winning.

You're surprised that in a community that supports the work of someone with the point of view that it's horrifically tired that male characters are heroically rescuing hapless and helpless female ones there is a poll largely in favor of a female hero in lieu of the same horrifically tired male one?

Yeah I can see why you'd be totally shocked by that.

 

[snowbear]

While not completely against the idea I don't really see the point in it either. IMO it would be change for the sake of change, what would actually be gained by doing it? Even though it is a new hero every time. The point of the legend is that there is three of them. the hero the princess and the manifestation of evil.

I don't see why that needs to change, Sure have the player be someone other than link but why change link for the sake of change. I feel it would confuse the IP too much to have any real benefit.

they should make a new IP if they want a female character so bad.

How is doing literally ANYTHING different change for the sake of change? This IP is so obnoxiously imbred and stale at this point that I'd take not getting a hookshot and a boomerang let alone having a gender change.

That would be your opinion good sir, there is many things I would call skyward sword and Link between worlds but stale would be nowhere near my description of either, both games were amazing. There is plenty of ways to mix things up without buggering around with the characters. Sure let us play as Zelda, and they have done in the past, but really what is achieved by making Link, (a character who has little personality of his own anyway) a female with little to no personality??

 

[gmaverick019_v1legacy]

meh it wouldn't bug me at all, but i think it would be better to just have an entirely new character off the bat in the lore.

generally I don't like gender swapping "because female protagonists! WE NEED MOAR." as it just makes more sense to make a new character, but I'm not completely against it. At this point, whatever stops people from having their panties/boxers halfway up their ass anytime a new game comes out is fine by me, having every single character under a microscope in the past half decade is getting really grating.