Linkle was already a concept while they were making Hyrule Warriors (wii u). The strategy guide shows her concept art, and she was supposed to be Link's sister originally.

those cross bows though. of all the weapons they chose cross bows. linkey's cross bow training is going to come soon i shouldn't wonder. the nintendo derect was great, all the hype for zelda is cool. i hope i can get twilight princess hd, tho i really expected they would at least give Zelda U a name.

*[linkle's] crossbow training

Or a male version of Zelda, Zorldo

Well, I honestly think it's not too bad, and kind of nice, as long as Zelda stays female, we can have a JRPG style Link customizer as far as I care.

A male Zelda would probably be called "Zeldan" or something.

Eh, while I think a female Link is unneccesary we got to see if this really qualifies as that considering that, wouldn't a female Link still be called "Link"? That and while this has Aonuma's thumbs up it's basically a Koei Tecmo Original Character. And to be honest I like the design.

Hopefully Nintendo doesn't trash Zelda U with Stinkle as well...

DA TP HD WOLF LANK AMMIBO, YEEEEEEEESSS!!!!! AND EVEN THAT MUCH ZELDA U FOOTAGE, calms me from sueing nintendo.

this is weird cuz i had a dream 6 years ago about link having a female version of him self... ... ... true story...

Yup.

She'd be more likeable if she had a better name, but it was still a bad idea.

As someone who really enjoyed playing Code Name: S.T.E.A.M. this year, I wouldn't mind the situation in the OP at all, actually...

Next thing they're going to do is make Mario a woman *shudders*

For some reason, I just never liked the idea of a female Link. Not even in non canon games like HW. I have to admit, I like her character design though.

I'm tired of everything being politically correct. Just putting that out there for all those people who want a male Zelda, a female incarnation of Doctor Who or a female Mario. It's just my opinion, the whole idea of another-gender/race versions of characters seems a bit oversensitive.

Well... We have Stalfo Link, Wolf Link, Bunny Link, Goron Link, Zora Link, Deku Link, mysterious war god link, child Link, Adult Link, Link in a dress, Cactus Link, coward Link with colored hair, small Link, and some theorize that Gramps is an old version of Link. Now, basically all of those are transformations, so they don't count. I do feel like Linked looks different enough to not be

Considered Link, but this does add an unneeded layer of depth to the overused and unoriginal troll, "wut if zelda wuz a grill?"

*Linkle, not linked

I just don't care about Hyrule Warriors anymore anyways....

Or Link but with long hair. ORIGINAL CHARACTER!!! Nintendo is trying to please it's fans it seems like..

The 'real' fans would remember that Wind Waker Link had a little sister. They'd also remember that Link's clothes aren't unique but worn by all raised in Kokiri Forest. This isn't the first an aspiring hero dressed up like Link either, unless if they somehow'd forgotten about Tingle. But I guess casting aspersions on some imagined political correctness conspiracy is the hip thing to do right now.

the first thing that comes to my mind when i hear linkle is some weird combination of link and tingle... ... ... think about that for a minute

me. there can not be a femle link thats impossible. nintedo. search your feelings you know this to be true.

anyone get my reference

that's regular link jk

I'm not all that excited for Linkle.

I don't think an old man Link would fight well.

No true Scotsman fallacy

Fans when a game company makes a brand new playable character: Wow! Such an interesting idea. Fans when a game company make a new playable FEMALE character: OMG THEY'RE TRYING TO FIT IN WITH THE POLITICALLY CORRECT CROWD DOOOOOM Grow up, it's not 1987 anymore. Linkle seems eons more interesting than Link, as she actually has a personality.

Hold up a second Happymask, are you seriously arguing against gender equality? 'Cuz, you know, most people in the 21st century kinda think that equality is a good thing. Anyhoo, How would you feel if Nintendo didn't do this to keep from offending some group of people but because they actually agreed with them? Because that seems to be the case thus far.

>Claims it's something about equality You're really scrapping the bottom of the barrel for this one.

Linkle's a fun character with a cute design, and brings something completely new the table with the crossbows. But no, despite all those benefits, it's all apparently meant to be something about gender equallity.

What a topic of debate this turned out to be! My opinion: I dislike Linkle, but the ONLY reasons are: I think her name is stupid, and the idea behind her was utterly uninspired.

@Happymask- What is your definition of a real Zelda fan?

Do women want female characters to come from what was originally male characters, females who are simply a female version of the original male? Or do they want female characters who are truly unique and their own person? I see Linkle as a woman copying a man. Women don't need to copy men to prove a point. I wonder what message Linkle is really sending about gender equality.

Also I was never really interested in Hyrule Warriors to begin with. She does seem a bit uninspired and I hope she stays a one-off character.

Correction: Nintendo didn't add Linkle, she was a concept which was originally planned to be in the original Hyrule warriors, but didn't make the cut, probably for the reason that it might make fans think it's just for more female representation. And Koei Tecmo designed her, not Nintendo.

I've suggested before that if we're doing gender swaps that Samus become a man. I usually am called a bigot for even suggesting the idea. But a gaming company swaps the gender of one of the most iconic figures in the media to a female and it's somehow okay? If anything, those who support the swap don't support gender equality.

Look, Linkle is an unoriginal attempt to appease a small but loud community of fans. It's insulting towards both men and women because it's either saying that men aren't good enough and women are better, or that women are only good when derived from men. Either way, not good. Making her Link's sister would be just as poorly written. I mean really, Link and his sister Linkle?? I've seen 10 year

olds wrote better characters. It's lazy through and through. Linkle won't play a big part in the story because she is 1) DLC added in after the main story is finished and 2) Hyrule Warriors is not a story oriented game. Lazy writing and blatant appeasement. I'd expect more from a Nintendo exclusive with the title of Zelda driving it by.

I did ask you to explain further, and you told me to reread your post. In your post you said your problem with Linkle was that she represented gender equality. I do not know how I could connect those dots without coming to the conclusion that you're against gender equality. I am sorry, if this just some sort of communication break down. Please do explain what you meant, if you don't mind.

Here here, Happymask! I agree wholeheartedly.

I suppose I was a bit shocked that you would say something like that, as I generally agree with you. The problem is, short of the developers saying as much, we can't go making assumptions as to what the driving forces were behind including any specific character. When we do, we fall victim to our own biases about how we see the world.

Hmm, very interesting points. I agree with almost all of them. Most people have no idea what equality means. The only thing I disagree with is Linkle's origins. I think her inclusion is because Team Ninja needed more characters to make buying a second game worthwhile, and decided to use a previous scrapped idea. I don't think they included her to appease the people wanting a female Link,

As Nintendo at least tried to make it convincing how she wasn't Link. Her inspiration, however, definately came from toying around with the idea of a female Link.

And the situation is even trickier because HW really doesn't have much a story. So your conditions for a good character are set against her from the start. Or you can go to the other extreme and say that she has to fit the story seeing as how there is no story for her not to fit into. I don't think politics are really applicable here, but if we're talking about them then its worth noting that...

everything can be viewed through the lenses of politics. For example, a game where the conditions are preset up to encourage 'justified' violence and fighting is just as political as a game where only diplomacy can bring about resolutions. Both inform and encourage a specific kind of politics. On the other issue, I agree that its not the best way, but its better than just ignoring their history.

And when its possible to have a great game and support an issue (or agenda, as you call it) then why not do both? Especially when we can all agree that the issue is one genuinely worth promoting.

Linkle isn't worth promoting. Why does she need to wear a green cape, brown boots, have blond hair & blue eyes, carry crossblws and even have "Link" in her name? Is it because she would appear weak or less heroic if she didn't look like him? Women should be themselves. I don't need Linkle to tell me women can use crossbows too.

Many women are great basketball players. You don't see all of them dying their hair dark, putting in brown contact lenses, changing the color of their skin, getting tattoos, and wearing Heat jerseys to every game so they can look like LeBron James. It's just a corny concept that actually goes against gender equality.

@T-Cal, THANK YOU!! In all seriousness, I'd love it if the Zelda series expanded on an already established female character rather than make up new ones. Imagine being able to play a Zelda game where you actually get to control Zelda/Shiek!! That would be great!!!

Not all Links have had blond hair and blue eyes and many Zelda characters wear green. She's called Linkle because likely because she represents a link between the player and the game world. It's fair to worry she might not become a character in her own right, but its premature to argue that before she's even released. Already the compass, a focal point of her design, distinguishes her.

To be honest, she bears a greater resemblance to Zelda from Skyward Sword than Link. But if anything, Linkle seems to suggest that the reincarnating hero of legend does not have to be male; that a female can do the job just as well. Now we just have to see how well she serves that role or what her role will even be. I honestly don't know how the crossbows fit into the whole comparison to Link.

^^^ Methinks I sense denial, and then attempts to justify it.

Link has also had a compass in every game. Nintendo said in the direct that she looked familiar. There are articles all over the web titled "Female Link." Link carried a crossbow in Link's Crossbow Training for the Wii. Anyway you cut it, "new" character, sister, daughter- Linkle is female Link.

Yes, but her design is centered around a compass and also incorporates many elements which are absent from Link's suggesting that she will indeed have her own story and be independent in her role as the "Link" to the player. @Happymask Oh yeah, that's right. I meant strictly in physical appearance. @Carsten I sense a thought-terminating cliche.

@Paul, alright- yes it's a cliche. But it's a pretty accurate one at this point! XD LINKle is female Link. She won't have a crucial or even poignant plot aspect simply because she is DLC (which rarely ever gives major plot) and is in Hyrule Warriors. Remember how wonderful and great the story was in Hyrule Warriors? Yeah, me neither. Heh, "thought terminating"... If anything, I've done more

critical analysis than most others. But because I'm not in denial of the obvious, I halt thought? You could argue that the sky is actually orange by going into existentialism- yet everyone else will tell you that the sky is blue simply from looking at it. ;) Stay classy.

You have done more critical analysis than others Carsten, that's why I do not want you to stop now. These things, I believe, are rewarding of deep thought, and--- as we are currently unaware of what her story might be, critical analysis is therefore limited to her design which contains points of interest unique from Link's own design and bodes well for her as a character. Sky is orange at sunset.

Wrong, actually. The sky can be perceived as orange during the sunset due to pollution in the air. Take away the pollution and you're left with a blue-dark blue sky, depending on the time of day.

Also, I don't appreciate the snide technicality. Lets keep this professional, shall we?

It's rather premature to think women want Linkle. Is she really supposed to appease women? If Nintendo and the other company really want to be ground breaking with gender equality, they should make a new series where the protagonist is female from the beginning. I don't think women want second-hand characters. Same goes for Super Girl.

This is going about it the wrong way. To even it out we don't need to change the heros that have been made, but instead create new ones. Replacing males with females can be 1) unfair to men and 2) insulting to women because they're supposed to be satisfied with that.

Oi, Carsten. But there is pollution, and the sky is orange sometimes. Ignoring what is real just because its a technicality will only lead to a less complex understanding about the world.

T-Cal, I cannot answer those questions in full, and you bring up many good points. However, this also raises an interesting point. Linkle, it seems, faces a higher level of scrutiny and is being judged not only for what she might become, but also for what she simply is not. Whether Nintendo will take the next step and create new series focused on female protagonists goes far beyond the scope of

Linkle as a character. If they do this, would (and should) that change how Linkle is percieved too? It must also be acknowledged that regardless of any new series they might make it still won't change the fact that Nintendo's biggest and most influential series are male-dominated. And there is a unique opportunity with the Zelda series where the hero can become a female without detriment to the

story, which cannot be said for the mario games. A comparison can also be made to the pokemon games which have, by most accounts, successfully incorporated a female protagonist into the games where as previously there were none. Linkle's certainly not perfect, but she's a step in the right direction and we just have to wait and see how well it all goes over and how big of a statement she'll be.