Since first making an appearance in the 1986 game The Legend of Zelda, Link has starred in multiple games as the hero of Hyrule. Though he occasionally travels to other lands, Link’s main quest has usually been to save the kingdom from falling to destruction at the hands of the evil Ganon.
There are a ton of games in the Zelda canon and several different iterations of Link starring within. In honor of the release of the new The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, we’ll be ranking all 12 iterations we’ve seen so far.
Though there are many releases in the franchise, some games are sequels or prequels to others, so the same Link can make an appearance in multiple titles. However, not all Links are created equal, and some are just cooler than others. This ranking is (obviously) subjective, based on varying criteria like overall vibes and abilities, and will no doubt differ from your ranking. That being said, let’s get into it!
12. Skyward Sword (2011)
Skyward Sword is probably the most polarizing Legend of Zelda effort, even with an HD Switch remake. The game was criticized upon release for its awkward motion controls, meandering plot, and some clunky animation, while many of these criticisms remained even in the remastered game. The Link in Skyward Sword isn’t horrible by any means but he’s definitely not the best, despite having a ton of potential. Given his great bird companion and sword-wielding abilities, I wish I could rank him a bit higher, but the awful controls and annoyingly slow-loading stamina bar puts this Link in last place.
11. Four Swords (2002)
In Four Swords, an evil wizard named Vaati escapes from a mythical sword called the Four Sword and kidnaps Zelda with the intention of marrying her. When instructed to pull the sword from its pedestal, this Link inadvertently creates three copies of himself, which sounds kind of cool but is really just a gimmick to make the game multiplayer. The Links are all very cute, though, and they do succeed in vanquishing Vaati. Strangely, they never returned in any game since; the villain, however, will return.
10. A Link Between Worlds (2013) and Tri Force Heroes (2015)
This Link is not only the hero of Hyrule, but also its dark counterpart Lorule. In A Link Between Worlds, he has to save both kingdoms when Ganon merges with the evil Yuga in a high-stakes adventure. With the ability to turn into a painting (which is seriously cool, I can’t lie) and the help of his companions, Link is able to save the day. So why is he ranked so low? While the same Link returns in the sequel Tri Force Heroes, he not only looks different (after being animated in the Toon Link style), he feels different. The plot is decidedly sillier than A Link Between Worlds – Link must save Hytopia’s princess from the horror of bad fashion – and while that’s not a bad thing, it does make it harder to justify a higher score.
9. Spirit Tracks (2009)
This Link lives in New Hyrule and is a simple man; rather than dreaming of heroic adventures, he aspires to become an engineer and drive trains across the land. Unfortunately, his way of life is threatened when Hyrule’s train lines, – called Spirit Lines – begin to disappear. Link and a disembodied Zelda (it’s a long story) must vanquish the Demon King Malladus and return Zelda to her body. The plot stands out among the many mainline games, and driving the trains is a fun little mechanic in an overall silly little romp.
8. Four Swords Adventures (2004)
Like the game Four Swords, Four Swords Adventures stars Link and three clones on an adventure to save Hyrule from destruction. Unlike that one, though, Adventures takes place centuries later, so this is a completely different Link (Links?) than the other mutliplayer offering. Link must face even greater perils and defeat both Vaati and Ganon in order to restore peace to Hyrule, and defeating two of Hyrule’s biggest baddies makes this one of the toughest Links around. While there are other multiplayer-capable versions, I think this Four Swords Adventures beats them in the end.
7. The Legend of Zelda (1986) and Zelda II: The Adventure of Link (1987)
This picture is not from either of these games (it’s the original Link’s Awakening box art) but the Link from The Legend of Zelda and the 1987 sequel is a legend. The young protagonist is only 10 years old in the first game, but manages to single-handedly reassemble the Triforce of Wisdom, defeat Ganon, and rescue Princess Zelda. In the sequel, a now 16 year-old Link is destined to awaken the sleeping Zelda (a different one) from a centuries-long slumber. Without him, there would be no franchise but he is a bit boring compared to other iterations, so this Link ranks solidly in the middle of our list.
6. The Minish Cap (2004)
In The Minish Cap, Link is once again an average citizen living in Hyrule when adventure comes calling; during the city’s annual Picori Festival, Vaati turns Zelda into stone and destroys one of the two artifacts protecting the world from evil. The Picori – a race of small beings that call themselves the Minish – are the only ones capable of restoring the artifacts, and since only children can see them, a young Link is tasked with finding them. Along the way, he gains a talking cap named Ezlo that gives him the ability to shrink down to Minish size. The shrinking is a cool gimmick, and I think small Link is one of the cooler ones out there.
5. The Wind Waker (2002) and Phantom Hourglass (2007)
The Wind Waker was one of the first Link games I actually remember coming out, so I might be a little biased, but I think this weather-controlling, sailing Link is pretty cool. This Link proves that heroic deeds can come from regular people, and although he might not have a prophetic destiny as part of his story, he is fully capable of saving the day. After rescuing his little sister, Link goes on a journey with a talking boat, the King of Red Lions, to defeat an iteration of Ganon. In both games, Toon Link is a successful hero, one that accomplishes some great things as an ordinary little fellow.
4. Link to the Past (1991) , Link’s Awakening (1993) and Oracle of Seasons/Ages (2001)
Yes, this Link is adorable in the Switch remastered version of Link’s Awakening, but that’s not the only reason he’s here. He’s just ridiculously accomplished in a way no other versions are; after breaking a curse where he turns into a rabbit, he defeats a Ganon at full power in order to save Hyrule. Then, he breaks himself and the Wind Fish out of a dream they’re both trapped in. Finally, he saves Hyrule from Onox, General of Darkness, and Veran, Sorceress of Shadows. Since this Link appears in the most games, he’s had the chance to go on some truly wild adventures, and I respect that.
3. Ocarina of Time (1998) and Majora’s Mask (2000)
Hey, listen! Ocarina of Time and Majora’s Mask benefit from the nostalgia factor, as I played the GameCube release frequently as a kid. For me, this Link is who I picture when I think of the hero from Hyrule. The time-traveling hero is also a musician and uses an ocarina to solve multiple pluzzles throughout the game before eventually gaining the Ocarina of Time. The temporal tampering makes the already-convoluted Legend of Zelda timeline even more confusing, but I can’t deny this musical, 3D Link is one of my favorites.
2. Breath of the Wild (2017) and Tears of the Kingdom (2023)
First released in 2017, Breath of the Wild quickly became a fan-favorite thanks in part to its great story and open world gameplay. This iteration of Link awakens in a low-tech Hyrule after a century-long nap without any memories and little possessions, save for a magical multi-purpose tablet called a Sheikah Slate. Link served as an attendant to Princess Zelda as one of the Knights of Hyrule before a catastrophic event known as the Great Calamity occurred. This one has more abilities than any of his earlier iterations, including jumping, a rare ability in the Legend of Zelda games. Jokes aside, with his suave demeanor and easy-to-use controls, this is one of the best Links out there.
1. Twilight Princess (2006)
Twilight Princess Link can literally turn into a wolf, which is already enough to get him into the number one spot on this list. What makes this Link special isn’t just his ability to transform into a canine (which is undoubtedly very cool), but how he shows that he can be a serious video game protagonist in his own right. Out of the Legend of Zelda games, Twilight Princess has a darker tone and Link never feels out of place as this Hyrule’s hero. In many ways, Twilight Princess‘s Link is a predecessor for Breath of the Wild, which similarly has a heavier story. Armed with the Master Sword and his wolf abilities, this Link is also the only iteration to have killed Ganon in any of the games, which makes him even more badass.