The Legend of Zelda Links Showdown

[Papa Nier]

All the incarnations of Link face off against each other, each at their strongest with all of their weapons, equipment, gear, magic, and power-ups, even if they lost them in their respective games. For example, the Hero of Time Link gets all of his stuff from both Ocarina of Time and Majora’s Mask. Each Link starts at a different location around the Great Plateau from Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom.

Participants

1. Four Links (Four Swords)
2. New Hero of Hyrule (A Link Between Worlds & Tri-Force Heroes)
3. Hero of the Minish (Minish Cap)
4. Hero of Trains (Spirit Tracks)
5. Hero of Hyrule (The Legend of Zelda & Adventure of Link)
6. The Hero (Hyrule Warriors)
7. Hero of Twilight (Twilight Princess & Link’s Crossbow Training)
8. Hero of the Skies (Skyward Sword)
9. Hero of the Wild (Breath of the Wild & Tears of the Kingdom)
10. Hero of Light (Four Swords Adventures)
11. Hero of Winds (Wind Waker & Phantom Hourglass)
12. Hero of Calamity (Age of Calamity)
13. Hero of Time (Ocarina of Time & Majora’s Mask)
14. Hero of Legend (A Link to the Past, Oracle of Ages/Seasons & Link’s Awakening)

 

[Doronbo_Shirake]

I believe Hero of Legend wins.

 

[Darth Nihilus]

Hero of Legend of Hero of the Skies

Hmm

 

[Blade]

Hmm

i dont see z tapion in this list, i knew he was too much

 

[MusubiKazesaru]

Triforce Heroes specifically does not have Link

The one you're calling Hero of Legend wins

 

[Papa Nier]

Triforce Heroes specifically does not have Link

It’s apparently one of the heroes in Triforce Heroes is the same Link from A Link Between Worlds, but disguised to hide his heroic origins.

 

[ChaosTheory123]

It's the Link from Breath of the Wild/Tears of the Kingdom/Age of Calamity

Calamity Ganon was already in a stalemate with a Zelda harnessing the power of the Triforce for purposes of sealing shit over 100 years. Said stalemate exhausted the Triforce. Calamity Ganon was basically just a fraction of Ganon under Hyrule Castle, who nuked the Master Sword that had previously contended with Calamity Ganon. The newly reforged Master Sword bathed in the Holy Power of Dragon Zelda was only strong enough to contend with this stronger Ganon.

 

[Darth Nihilus]

Even compared to Demise and Ganon from A Link to the Past?

I always thought the latter was the stronger of the three villains with the Triforce included

BUT you did say Ganon was in a 100 year struggle with Zelda with the Triforce so...

 

[ChaosTheory123]

Even compared to Demise and Ganon from A Link to the Past?

I always thought the latter was the stronger of the three villains with the Triforce included

BUT you did say Ganon was in a 100 year struggle with Zelda with the Triforce so...

It seems like Ganon's been power creeping some sizable fraction of the Triforce given Calamity Ganon is to Ganon what Phantom Ganon was to Ganondorf in OoT essentially shrugs

Because the Master Sword got wrecked despite being its usual bullshit self by the end of BotW.

 

[Papa Nier]

It's the Link from Breath of the Wild/Tears of the Kingdom/Age of Calamity

I always thought Age of Calamity wasn't part of the main story because it doesn't follow the events in the same order as the original game. The time-travel stuff changes what happens during the Great Calamity, so it feels like a different storyline to me. Seems it exists in its own separate timeline or a 'what-if' scenario instead of part of the main story. Which is why I separated Age of Calamity Link and BotW/TotK Link.

 

[Darth Nihilus]

It seems like Ganon's been power creeping some sizable fraction of the Triforce given Calamity Ganon is to Ganon what Phantom Ganon was to Ganondorf in OoT essentially shrugs

Because the Master Sword got wrecked despite being its usual bullshit self by the end of BotW.

Now that makes sense. That makes a LOT of sense.

I always thought Age of Calamity wasn't part of the main story because it doesn't follow the events in the same order as the original game. The time-travel stuff changes what happens during the Great Calamity, so it feels like a different storyline to me. Seems it exists in its own separate timeline or a 'what-if' scenario instead of part of the main story. Which is why I separated Age of Calamoty Link and BotW/TotK Link.

Considering Zelda has multiple timelines it's likely a what if scenario as you have just stated

Would it still be considered canon though?

 

[Solar Sailor]

It seems like Ganon's been power creeping some sizable fraction of the Triforce given Calamity Ganon is to Ganon what Phantom Ganon was to Ganondorf in OoT essentially shrugs

Because the Master Sword got wrecked despite being its usual bullshit self by the end of BotW.

Didn’t one of the ganons in ALttP have the literal full Triforce?

Granted I think this was just to grant his wish to rule Hyrule and a grand sorcerer, but still.

And I recall Link’s Master Sword also being improved like twice to become Golden in order to Fight Ganon

I recall even in the beginning of Tears—the master sword needed to be bathed in sacred light for those Thousands of Years in order to withstand not being corrupted, considering even a corrupted & broken Master Sword shard was able to make Ganondorf bleed.

 

[MusubiKazesaru]

It’s apparently one of the heroes in Triforce Heroes is the same Link from A Link Between Worlds, but disguised to hide his heroic origins.

That's completely different from what all other material about the game says, but okay?

 

[MusubiKazesaru]

I always thought Age of Calamity wasn't part of the main story because it doesn't follow the events in the same order as the original game. The time-travel stuff changes what happens during the Great Calamity, so it feels like a different storyline to me. Seems it exists in its own separate timeline or a 'what-if' scenario instead of part of the main story. Which is why I separated Age of Calamoty Link and BotW/TotK Link.

Agreed there's no way AoC is core canon. It threw out that chance pretty early on.

Didn’t one of the ganons in ALttP have the literal full Triforce?

Granted I think this was just to grant his wish to rule Hyrule and a grand sorcerer, but still.

And I recall Link’s Master Sword also being improved like twice to become Golden in order to Fight Ganon

I recall even in the beginning of Tears—the master sword needed to be bathed in sacred light for those Thousands of Years in order to withstand not being corrupted, considering even a corrupted & broken Master Sword shard was able to make Ganondorf bleed.

aLttP Ganon is basically OoT Ganon if he beat Link and then forced his way into the Sacred Realm to reclaim the Triforce. He got trapped in there, but he used his wish to make the entire sacred realm under his control while maintaining ownership. The Master Sword indeed gets reforged by a smith and then buffed by the Great Fairy, though both are optional. Other than that the only weapons that can deal damage are the Silver Arrows.

Dehydrated weakened Ganondorf lolstomped Post-BotW Link and broke the Master Sword, but that doesn't mean it wasn't still an effective weapon, just that Ganondorf could overcome it physically.

Zelda having the full Triforce is a bit vague in BotW. It's nowhere to be seen in TotK.

 

[ChaosTheory123]

I always thought Age of Calamity wasn't part of the main story because it doesn't follow the events in the same order as the original game. The time-travel stuff changes what happens during the Great Calamity, so it feels like a different storyline to me. Seems it exists in its own separate timeline or a 'what-if' scenario instead of part of the main story. Which is why I separated Age of Calamity Link and BotW/TotK Link.

I wouldn't really separate it, the abilities are representative. It doesn't really matter, next Encyclopedia they release because they enjoy money the timeline will look however they want it to look anyway.

Didn’t one of the ganons in ALttP have the literal full Triforce?

So Did Zelda per the BotW encyclopedia's clarification. Who cares when a shade of Ganon was able to exhaust its powers after a stalemate of 100 years.

And I recall Link’s Master Sword also being improved like twice to become Golden in order to Fight Ganon

While it was certainly canonically improved, its the Silver Arrows that do him in. Sword only stuns his ass regardless of which version hits him.

I recall even in the beginning of Tears—the master sword needed to be bathed in sacred light for those Thousands of Years in order to withstand not being corrupted, considering even a corrupted & broken Master Sword shard was able to make Ganondorf bleed.

This being done by a Ganon stronger than the essentially Phantom Ganon that stalemated Triforce Zelda.

That's completely different from what all other material about the game says, but okay?

There's literally only 2 sources on it, and they both corroborate each other

So nah

aLttP Ganon is basically OoT Ganon if he beat Link and then forced his way into the Sacred Realm to reclaim the Triforce. He got trapped in there, but he used his wish to make the entire sacred realm under his control while maintaining ownership. The Master Sword indeed gets reforged by a smith and then buffed by the Great Fairy, though both are optional. Other than that the only weapons that can deal damage are the Silver Arrows.

Also got his ass sealed by the Sages sans Link and the sages that helps ALTTP Link are noted to be weaker.

That said, a Ganon with only the Triforce of Power forced the trio of fuck ups to flood hyrule and stop its time to handle his ass, because why do a job well when you can be a biblically worthless pantheon?

Dehydrated weakened Ganondorf lolstomped Post-BotW Link and broke the Master Sword, but that doesn't mean it wasn't still an effective weapon, just that Ganondorf could overcome it physically.

Didn't say it wasn't effective, it obviously cut him when the shard flying at him rammed into his cheek

Point is, the power of the Master Sword has not been something any previous incarnation of Ganon could do this kind of bull shit to. Not even the malice that stalemated Zelda accomplished anything remotely similar, and Ganon did this as beef jerky

Zelda having the full Triforce is a bit vague in BotW. It's nowhere to be seen in TotK.

Stated in making of a champion, its not vague. She's only able to direct its power for purposes of sealing, but she still exhausts it all at the end of those 100 years.

Why would it be seen in TotK? She had burned through it by the end of BotW.

 

[Solar Sailor]

While it was certainly canonically improved, its the Silver Arrows that do him in. Sword only stuns his ass regardless of which version hits him.

That’s all I need to hear

This being done by a Ganon stronger than the essentially Phantom Ganon that stalemated Triforce Zelda.

this is interesting because in ToTK you can canonically defeat the Rehydrated Ganondorf without the Master Sword in a seperate timeline in the same game—when Zelda saves you in her dragon form for the final dragon fight is when she gives you the master sword

So in the same canonical story, its at least a possibility for Link to be able to basically 1v1 Super Saiyan Demon King Ganon in a fight and win

Edit:

 

[Solar Sailor]

Which honestly just makes this Link seam more like a beast than normal lmao

 

[ChaosTheory123]

That’s all I need to hear



this is interesting because in ToTK you can canonically defeat the Rehydrated Ganondorf without the Master Sword in a seperate timeline in the same game—when Zelda saves you in her dragon form for the final dragon fight is when she gives you the master sword

So in the same canonical story, its at least a possibility for Link to be able to basically 1v1 Super Saiyan Demon King Ganon in a fight and win

Edit:

Eh, Link can technically beat things like Calamity Ganon straight out of the start of the game with random bullshit he loots in Hyrule Castle. Nintendo in that respect is always gameplay first, story later. This lends true especially with how historically most dungeon bosses focus on being vulnerable to the dungeon weapon while they may be wholesale immune to sword strikes despite the Master Sword being the most potent weapon Link has outside of light/silver arrows.

I'd again focus more on pivoting around what Calamity Ganon accomplished over a 100 year stalemate and the fact Ganon at the start of TotK murks the Master Sword.

 

[Solar Sailor]

Eh, Link can technically beat things like Calamity Ganon straight out of the start of the game with random bullshit he loots in Hyrule Castle. Nintendo in that respect is always gameplay first, story later. This lends true especially with how historically most dungeon bosses focus on being vulnerable to the dungeon weapon while they may be wholesale immune to sword strikes despite the Master Sword being the most potent weapon Link has outside of light/silver arrows.

True, but that’s purely from a gameplay perspective. But yet, BoTW made it a narrative necessity that Link needed at least the Light Arrows to defeat Ganon’s final form: Dark Beast Ganon

ToTK basically says its a narrative necessity to defeat Ganon’s final form with the reforged Master Sword—but the narrative can split and you can objectively defeat Rehydrated Ganon without the improved Master Sword.

The fact that you can change the story sequence to basically tell you “ok, THIS is the point where you need the Master Sword” does say something about what Link can do to Ganon by himself before that.

 

[Solar Sailor]

New Timeline for Legend of Zelda just dropped