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Is Link About to Die?

An anonymous reader writes "Sometimes we know more than we think we know. An about.com article asks if we might already know what happens in The Twilight Princess. If we do, it's not going to be a happy ending. Based primarily on the introduction to The Wind Waker, and the fact that we now know Twilight Princess takes place between Wind Waker and Ocarina of Time, it makes some pretty interesting claims about Link's future. Is Link about to die?" Miyamoto may have been hinting about this earlier this year.

14 of 76 comments (clear)

  1. Huh? by doctor_nation · · Score: 5, Informative

    It's not like there's any real continuity of character here. I mean, there's no specific Link character who is in all of the games. I always interpreted Link to be a sort of genetic/time-less hero born again and again. It's basically implied that each one dies at some point after his game ends. So explicitly having him die in game wouldn't really matter that much, since we know there will be another one at some point. And honestly, I wouldn't be that upset if he died anyway. It's not like there's any personality there.

    1. Re:Huh? by steveo777 · · Score: 3, Interesting
      Agreed, aside from Ocarina and Majora's Mask, there is no continuity, though, in some cases, it is implied. On the other hand... It's always the same, relatively useless, napping Zelda. She doesn't seem to do anything except fire a few arrows here and there. But, even though it's her legend, she spends half the time either sleeping, or not being Zelda.

      Don't even get me started on Marim (Link's Awakening).

      --
      This sig isn't original enough, it's time to come up with something witty...
  2. You know... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Insightful
    Sometimes I wish Slashdot had an option to turn off (potential) spoilers. I still remember screaming "thanks, you fucker" at the screen when Michael posted the story on the front page. I had a similar reaction when the demise of Ken Jennings was announced a month and a half before the event took place.

    I didn't want to know that Link dies before I played the game. I'd be happy to make the discovery on my own. So next time you want to post a spoiler in a story, at least use the [Read more...] function and give us some warning.

  3. Not likely by Leknor · · Score: 3, Insightful

    The Zelda games never had a strong connection between games. Each only alluded to each other with hints and details to excite the fanboys (of which I am). This article is taking a giant leap of faith to force the connection it tries to make.

  4. FAIL not DIE!!?!?!?!? by cttforsale · · Score: 3, Informative

    TFA asks if "Link is about to FAIL". As in FAIL his mission.

    1. Re:FAIL not DIE!!?!?!?!? by DavidLeblond · · Score: 2, Funny

      He's failed his mission PLENTY of times with me controlling him already.

  5. How is this different? by Sugar+Moose · · Score: 5, Funny

    He died dozens of times in the previous games I played with him. Of course he'll die in the next game. I'm not perfect you know, sheesh.

  6. whoa, retroflash by voice_of_all_reason · · Score: 4, Funny

    "Blue Link needs food badly?"

    "Blue Link, your life force is running out?"

    //remember, don't shoot potions!

  7. Um... by RyoShin · · Score: 4, Interesting

    I think you mean A Link is going to die. The games loosely exist along the same time line (though I have yet to see a LoZ with hover boards, foo), and each game is a different Link and different Zelda.

    I think Zelda II on the NES even went through some thing about all the princesses being named Zelda because one was in a deep neverending sleep, or some such stuff.

    In Wind Waker, we're told that the main character isn't even of the Link lineage. He has to search for pieces of his part of the Triforce, remember. The game even says that the hero had left the realm, (referring to Majora's Mask), forcing the Triforce Piece of Courage to split apart.

    Ocarina of Time and Majora's Mask supposedly have the same Link (Majora's Mask taking place a few years after Link defeats Ganon in OoT and is returned to kid form.)

    The Oracle games are supposed to match up with another Zelda game as well, though I can't recall which one right now. The same may be true for Link's Awakening.

    So, even if Link does die in the game (which would certainly be a change; whether it's appreciated or not has yet to be seen), it won't be the end of the Zelda franchise.

    If he does die, I think we'd see it as more of a "selfless sacrifice" type of thing. Link struggles with the main enemy to subdue him while the supporting hero(ine) blasts him into the Dark World or whatever, but in the process Link is pulled in as well. This would actually be a nice set up to the next game (which is most likely on the Revolution,) where you once again have a non-lineage Link and you wind up having to release the real Link to defeat the evil.

    1. Re:Um... by Toloran · · Score: 2, Informative

      Actually in most of the zelda games it is the same link.

      (note: this is copied from http://db.gamefaqs.com/portable/gbadvance/file/zel da_minish_cap_g.txt and no i didn't ask)

      Note: Reading this might spoil the endings for a few of the Zelda games. Read only if you know what happens in each, because I need to draw from important game events to make the timeline. Read at your own risk.

      The Legend of Zelda is a series of twelve separate games at the present time. Since these games were not released in an order that made sense, many peopleargue with one another about just how it should be organized. That's what this timeline is here for - to express my views on the subject. I think that the series in bad need of better organizing. Many timelines are awful and don't make sense. The timeline must abide by certain rules. But before that, here's a list of every Zelda game that either was new when it was released or had
      something new on it.

      The Legend of Zelda
      1987 for the NES
      Zelda II: The Adventure of Link
      1988 for the NES
      The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past
      1991 for the SNES
      The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening
      1993 for the GB
      The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
      1998 for the N64
      The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask
      2000 for the N64
      The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of the Ages
      2001 for the GBC
      The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of the Seasons
      2001 for the GBC
      The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past/Four Swords
      2002 for the GBA
      The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time/Master Quest
      2003 for the GCN
      The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker
      2003 for the GCN
      The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Adventures
      2004 for the GCN
      The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap
      2005 for the GBA

      Note that these release years are all North American. First, notice that A Link to the Past and Ocarina of Time are listed twice. This is because those games had a new game on them when they were re-released. Ocarina of Time had Master Quest, which was a harder version. Master Quest has the same events in it as Ocarina of Time, so it will not be counted. A Link to the Past was re-released with a multi-player game called Four Swords. It is an actual game, and it shall be counted.

      As I said, there are a few rules one must follow when making their timeline. Here are common errors people make. First, what Link or anyone else looks like has nothing to do with the chronological scheme of things. Wind Waker Link was a very popular look so Nintendo showed him that way in a few extra games. This doesn't make Link different. Secondly, items (unless they are extremely important, like the Master Sword) do not determine anything. That is, whether Ganon used his trident in one battle or not does not give us a good timeline. Third, there is only one timeline.

      Many people think that there are two (the Alternate Timeline Theory) because Link time-traveled in Ocarina of Time. If you think about it, this is a really stupid theory. After all, at the end of Ocarina of Time, Zelda sends Link back to relive the seven years of his childhood that he lost (to quote Zelda exactly, "Link, give the Ocarina to me... As a sage, I can return you to your original time with it."). It is as if the latter part of Ocarina of Time never happened. Fourth, there will be no dates.

      Many people try to use dates in their timeline and that is completely false. Fifth, comic books have no bearing on the timeline. Sixth and foremost, if it's not in the game or the manual, then it is speculation and it doesn't count. For instance, one could add tons of different events that weren't in the games or manuals and connect things together (like Ganon revivals, descendants, and other "events").

      Now we can truly start. This is quite anticipated because everyone wants to know how Minish Cap is placed on the timeline. Remember that the timeline tries to string the games to

      --
      Speaking is NOT communication
    2. Re:Um... by arkanes · · Score: 3, Funny

      And kids, this is why you should stay in school and pay attention in English class. Not because otherwise you'll spend all your time on the internet writing pretentious timelines about video games (I wouldn't take that kind of cheap shot, even if there's some truth to it), but because if you're going to spend all your time on the internet writing pretentious timelines about videogames, you should know how to link a narrative together and how to phrase yourself without sounding like you're a 3rd grader reading a book report.

  8. Re:A Big Deal! Kinda... by hibiki_r · · Score: 2, Insightful
    Can I hear a "Hell Yea!" for a massively multiplayer Zelda?
    Hell No. It'd be a wonderful way for Nintendo to run one of their core franchises into the ground. Zelda is all about being the hero, exploring and saving the world. Nintendo will probably change many of the classic Zelda machanics, but there really isn't any way of keeping that same sense of wonder and fight against evil when there are another twenty thousand people in your server trying to do the same thing. Massively multiplayer games are exactly the opposite of what Zelda is about: Leveling up, competing with other players, making the most profit/getting the most loot. A zelda MMORPG would alienate most of the current player base, while trying to attract people that currently don't give a rat's ass about Nintendo and its properties. Great way to shoot yourself in the foot.

    There's also the fact that MMRPGs are not sustainable without getting monthly revenue through fees or ads, while Iwata keeps saying that they want users to play online for free, without having to suffer through ads. Their player base just won't go through with it. How are they going to keep a profitable MMO game if they only get money when the game is purchased? Until there's a good business model for this that wont damage their brands, Nintendo will just not make a MMO game. The closest thing the'll do is what they are doing with Animal Crossing. Other companies would have made it a MMORPG, but Nintendo's vision was far, far, different.

  9. Is Link about to die? by Chris+Mattern · · Score: 4, Funny

    You know, this is a question that could be asked in a *lot* of Slashdot stories...

    Chris Mattern

  10. Re:Continuity in Zelda games by justchris · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Actually, I was fairly certain that at the time it was made, Ocarina of Time was chronologically first, because it was before Ganondorf became Ganon. The GB & GBA LoZ's are so very much aside from the real games that they could fit literally anywhere in the chronology and not make a bit of difference.

    --
    just some guy