As the face of the Legend of Zelda series, and one of Nintendo's most recognizable mascots, Link is easily one of the more iconic characters in all of gaming. But while Link is certainly a famous character, that doesn't mean he's necessarily a good one. It might sound blasphemous to some, but as the Zelda series celebrates its 35 years of existence, it may be time for the franchise to feature a hero who isn't Link.
When The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild released in 2017, it marked a dramatic departure for the franchise in a number of key areas. It introduced a vast open world, light RPG elements, and a drastically different weapon system for the Zelda series. It also attempted to tell the most dramatic and emotional story in Zelda's history, a feat which was highlighted by fully-voiced cutscenes, and some surprisingly poignant moments. The game's attempt at a more fleshed-out story was successful in some regards, but if this is a trend that the series continues to pursue in the future, it's going to continue a problem with its titular hero: It's difficult to tell compelling stories with Link at the center.
The most significant problem with Link as a main character is also the most obvious: He doesn't speak. The silent protagonist is a gaming trope as old as any, but as it becomes less common in the modern era of video games, its issues become more obvious. Gaming still has room for silent protagonists in some regards; for example, it's much less jarring in something like the Pokémon series, where there's no voiced dialogue at all. However, in a game like BOTW, where every other major character speaks fully-voiced sentences, and the story is filled with dramatic cutscenes, Link's silence feels starkly out of place.
It's Time For The Zelda Series To Feature a New Hero
Perhaps Link's silence is partly the reason why many of BOTW's side characters have become so popular over the last couple of years. The game's Four Champions - Mipha, Daruk, Revali, and Urbosa - have significantly garnered the affection of the fanbase since release, and many fans were delighted when the characters were revisited in 2020's Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity. The champions aren't perfect by any means, but they're all reasonably fleshed-out characters that people are able to form connections with and opinions on, something that can't be as easily said for Link.
The Champions specifically might not work as main characters of a mainline Zelda game, but they do serve as proof that the Zelda team at Nintendo can create compelling and likable characters quite easily. Now, the next logical step is to provide this treatment to the hero and protagonist of a mainline game in the series. At this point, Link is too well-known of a character to give an actual voice and a fully fleshed-out personality, but introducing a brand new protagonist would give players a chance to connect with the hero and their story in a way that no other Zelda game has, all while still providing the rock-solid fundamentals of the franchise that players have come to know and love.
None of this is to say that The Legend of Zelda needs to do away with Link and never feature him again; he'll always be the face of the franchise and a hugely important character in the world of video games. However, as the series begins to place more of an emphasis on storytelling going forward, its possibilities would be vastly expanded by letting a new character be the hero for once.
