Oh come on,what did you expect? We all knew Link would be number one! This wasn't even...wait. What's that? I think I hear like two or three people that don't know why Link, from The Legend of Zelda series, is the best hero in video game history. Well, how about we enlighten them?
Link is the quintessential hero from video games. His first game, The Legend of Zelda, was about him traversing the land of Hyrule, on his own, armed with little more than a sword and a shield, to rescue the princess Zelda from the clutches of Ganon, the Prince of Darkness, who has engulfed the kingdom of Hyrule in chaos. Finding out that the only way to save Hyrule is by reassembling the Triforce, a mysterious relic that's split into three parts, Link wastes no time at all, volunteering to undertake this perilous journey, eventually conquering eight dungeons, defeating Ganon, and saving Princess Zelda.
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Another great adventure that Link had was in A Link to the Past, a classic from the Super Nintendo. The wizard Agahnim wishes to break the seal that imprisons Ganon. To do so, he kidnaps the Seven Maidens, who hold the seal, and deposes the King of Hyrule. Princess Zelda, one of the Maidens, communicates with Link via telepathy, asking him to save Hyrule.
To save Hyrule, Link needed to find the Three Pendants of Virtue. To retrieve them, Link faces off dangerous monsters in deep, dark dungeons. Having attained the Pendants, Link is told of the weapon that would help him destroy Agahnim: the Master Sword. Trudging through the Lost Woods, Link eventually finds the sword, pulling it out of its pedestal like he's Arthur.
Link eventually finds out that he needs to face off Agahnim in the Dark World, a land filled with dangerous monsters. Without giving it a second thought, Link goes off to the Dark World to save the Maidens, finish off the vile wizard, and save Hyrule. Crossing seven dangerous dungeons, confronting deadly monsters, armed with no more than a sword, a shield, and a few magic items, Link faces off against impossible odds, and wins! Having saved the Maidens, and defeating not just Agahnim, but a revived Ganon as well, Link uses the Triforce to wish away the darkness brought by Ganon. Link then returns the Master Sword to its sanctuary, leaving it where it belongs,
In Ocarina of Time, Link is tasked with protecting the Spiritual Stone of the Forest, which had been held by the Deku Tree of the Kokiri Forest until the vile thief Ganondorf (that's him up there) had cursed the Tree. Ganondorf aims to take the Spiritual Stone, plus two other stones, to open the Door of Time and obtain the Triforce, so he can take over the world.
In order to prevent Ganondorf from collecting the Triforce, Link is trusted with the Ocarina of Time, which can open the Door of Time, in order to protect the Triforce from Ganondorf. However, Ganondorf attacks Hyrule Castle, creating a distraction that would allow him to take the relic. Link enters the Sacred Realm, where the Master Sword is located...
OK, I need to make a parenthesis here. The Legend of Zelda games are not very chronological, and many have elements that contradict each other. It is said in Hyrule Historia, the official Zelda manual, that there are three timelines: One where Link defeats Ganondorf in the past (I'll get to that one in a minute) one where Link fails to do so, and a third one I don't understand because the terminology confuses me. Anyway, Ocarina of Time is the game that causes the split, and therefore could be seen as the game that begins the entire series (but was the fifth released). Oh and by the way, the first four games released all belong to the same timeline.
Anyway, long story short, Link goes back in time, fights Ganondorf, who uses the Triforce to turn to Ganon, and plans on enveloping the world in darkness. Link beats Ganon, then goes to the Zelda of the past to warn her of everything that's going to happen. Which leads to one of Link's finest adventures, Majora's Mask.
After having been sent back in time to relive his childhood, Link finds himself in the land of Termina. Here, a mask merchant says that a mask of his was stolen by an imp named Skull Kid, and the merchant asks Link to find the mask and return it to him. The Skull Kid, however, uses the mask to summon the moon of Termina, which will crash unto the world within three days. It is up to Link to stop the Moon from crashing unto Termina.
I'll stop here, because there's about sixteen games in the series, and to summarize them all is a pain in the rear.
Link, what makes him so good? He's a silent protagonist, one who never speaks, or seldom speaks, in all his games. We don't know much about his personality, we don't know much about his hopes or his dreams. He is a mystery in and of himself. And yet, what little we know of him is enough to determine who he really is.
Link is altruistic, always placing others before himself. He always has time for helping others, as evidenced with the high amount of side quests that each game provides. Perhaps one of the greatest examples of Link's altruism is in how, in Majora's Mask, he stays with Anju, who is waiting for her husband to be, Kafei, to return to her. Outside, the Moon is hours away from crashing unto Termina, but Link stays with her, promising her that Kafei will return. And yes, he does, putting an end to what many consider the saddest sidequest in Zelda history.
Link is brave, and really, do I need to give examples of his bravery? Do I need to mention the hundreds of dungeons Link has faced, the hordes of monsters, zombies, ghosts, wizards? Do I need to mention how he does it all armed with only a sword and a shield? Do I even need to mention that anytime the Triforce is split, Link is recognized as worthy of wielding the Triforce of Courage? Really? Do I need to do that?
Link is one who places his duty above himself and his interests. In Link's Awakening, he had two choices: stay in Koholint Island with Marina, a girl he was developing feelings for (very likely, not confirmed) and lead a peaceful life, or leave the island forever, continuing his role as the Hero of Hyrule, dooming himself to a life of conflict with Ganon. Link chose the latter.
Link never asks for any reward for his many, many, many acts of heroism. A safe Hyrule is good enough for him. Having Zelda free from harm is good enough for him. The smiles of children living in peace is good enough for him. The thanks of those he helps is all he needs to feel like he's done something worth doing.
Link is, when I think about it, an Arthurian knight made for the modern era. His is a tale of the chivalrous hero, the man willing to put himself in danger for the good of all, only to ask for nothing in return. Link may wear little more than a green tunic, but he is, for all intents and purposes, a Knight in Shining Armor.
The best part about Link is that, everything we know about him, we know from his actions. It's Link's actions that define him. It's Link's actions that identify him. While other heroes may get monologues and several theatrics to help define their character (I'm looking at YOU, Tidus) Link is all action. And really, what else do you need?
Courage, compassion, self sacrifice. These are all the elements of a hero, and these are the three words that best describe Link, the greatest hero in video game history. Anyway, the summary:
Name: Link
Motivation: Unknown and Irrelevant
Main Enemy: Ganon
Finest Achievement: Saving Termina from a falling moon within 72 hours, as a CHILD
Current Status: Keeping Hyrule safe from the forces of Ganon...in three separate timelines!
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