Link
Link – or, as he is known to countless parents across the glove, Zelda – is the silent protagonist of 29 video games since 1986. He is the pointy-eared, tunic-wearing Hyrulian who is forever bound to a generational quest to protect the princess of Hyrule.
Generational is key here. The timeline of the main entries in the franchise spans thousands of years and three distinct timelines. In some of those alternate futures, the world is covered in water. In others, trains are important.
No matter the timeline or state of the land, though, Link is on a mission to solves puzzles and explore 3-7 dungeons, unite some macguffin, and stop calamity.
I was born just about the same time as Link, in the late 80s. I had a NES, but the first Zelda I played was A Link To The Past – one that many tout as the best of the series. I loved it, yes. And of course Ocarina of Time was incredible. But Majora's Mask is where it all came together for me.
I distinctly remember playing those 72 hours out for the first time, stopping the moon and restarting the timeline just before it crashed. That game is what hooked me completely on the franchise, and I went back to the beginning to form a greater appreciation for our quiet hero.
Keys to the Character
Master Swordsman
The Master Sword is as iconic a symbol as it gets in video games. And that is almost a shame, because it is ugly. But aesthetics and 28 games aside, when Young Link pulls that sword out and we see Adult Link for the first time... wow.
Hyrule Rules
It floods, it glooms, it grows & shrinks. Hyrule, the setting of the franchise, may look different from game to game, but it has a lot of similarities to make us feel at home every time.
We're an Item
Link's backpack is somehow filled with thousands of pounds of items. Consumable, combustable and configurable... these are the special sauce that makes these games so replayable.
You Don't Know Unless You Triforce
Sometimes it is Sages, other times it is Divine Beasts. No matter what they're called, Link will always be on a quest to unite them and use them against an enemy whose name probably starts with Gan.
In many ways, this is the easiest, most straight-forward build on the entire site.
Link is a Fighter. In fact, he is such an archetypal fighter that it is possible that he has inspired many tabletop rpg character designs, rather than the other way around. So what can we do within that class to really hit that fantasy?
Here, we focused on another time-honored mechanic present in every Zelda entry: items.
Potions. Bombs. Hookshots. Ocarinas. Magnet boots. Gliders. Boomarangs. The list continues forever. This isn't your regular unlocks and item hoarding present in many RPGs. Every entry in the franchise features puzzles that require more and more combinations of these items to solve.
On the battlefield, Link uses his skills as an exceptional swordsman to stay toe-to-toe with enemies. Additionally, his prowess with a shield can help him play an "off-tank" role, or even a main tank when needed.
And between sword strikes and shield blocks, those ever-present items do their thing.
Build OVERVIEW
Ancestry
Ancient Elf
Link checks several "Elf" boxes. He's got pointy ears, lives in the woods. That's pretty clear cut – the heritage is a little harder.
Woodland would have been fine, but we're going with Ancient. Link isn't technically ancient – in some entries, he's literally a child – but the Hero of Hyrule is old as a concept. It could be argued that some knowledge, some kernel of experience is passed on through the generations to the Links of the future, ensuring that they become the princesse's protector.
So in this way, the "Ancient" heritage is a genetic one. And it really helps the build by granting a dedication at level 1.
Background
Nomad
Wandering across Hyrule, solving the problems of the citizens – Link fits the idea of a Nomad perfectly. He's also a bit of a nomad through time, but usually not in a specific time-travel type way.
The Nomad background gives Link training in an environment-specific Lore. Forest works well for him, since he often begins in the Great Deku Forest, or some variation thereof.
The Constitution bonus helps to bring back some that was lost by the Elf flaw.
Class
Fighter
This class gives Link the weapon proficiency and combat actions he needs to feel like the real Swordsman of Hyrule. The great thing about the proficiency scaling is that – like in the games – Link can take along many different weapons and still score big hits. Bows, boomerangs, spears – whatever he picks up, he can use.
Additionally, Link gets an Alchemist Dedication to craft bombs and other consumables on the go, in the heat of things – like a pause menu.
Skills & General Feats
Exploring and crafting. In a way, that is the Legend of Zelda experience distilled into two actions. Link's skills reflect that in a big way, going ultra top heavy into three skills, only briefly branching out to Survival.
Legendary: Athletics, Crafting
Master: Acrobatics
Expert: Survival
Attribute Increases
Equipment
Suggested Starting Equipment
Key Spells
Changelog
