The Legend of Zelda games are the classics of all classics in the history of modern video gaming. Green triforce t-shirts can still be seen on gamers and for sale in Game Stops and Hot Topics the world over.
When it comes to adventure RPGs, Link and Zelda set the standard, and continue to do so to this day.
Princess Zelda and her emerald-clad defender made their debut into the world in 1986, nearly four decades ago.
The most recent mainline addition is Breath of the Wild for the Nintendo Switch, which blew open the Kingdom of Hyrule into a freer, more open experience that still felt organized and directed. BoTW was filled with hidden shrines, mountain peaks, numerous enemies, and even a fun little cooking system.
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Link’s Age(s)
One of the pitfalls of having such a long and varied history is the consistency in lore.
Between all of the Legend of Zelda games, from Ocarina of Time to Minish Cap, to Four Swords, all the way to Breath of the Wild, Link’s age and personal details are pretty much brand new each time.
In this article, we’ll reveal Link’s age in our favorite games among the eye-watering 27 games in the franchise.
How Old Is Link in Breath of the Wild?
It makes sense to start with the most recent hit, BoTW. This title has you step into a world that is incredibly different from previous iterations of Hyrule.
You start your adventure in The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, waking up, as Link, from a 100+ years-long stasis state. For this reason, you can call him over 100 if you want to.
It makes more sense to consider Link’s age before going into his magical hibernation.
It’s evident in flashback scenes that Link is close in age to Zelda; it is a fair guess to say that Link is 17 years old in Breath of the Wild for this reason.
How Old Is Link in Minish Cap?
The Minish Cap is one of our favorite older Legend of Zelda titles.
It doesn’t get as much attention or reference nowadays or at the time, but the dimension-warping spatial mechanics lent a unique gameplay element to the series.
Released in 2004, The Minish Cap had more dialogue and detail than previous titles.
Link is 12 years old in Minish Cap, much younger than BoTW and other games.
How Old Is Link in Ocarina of Time?
Ocarina of Time was released in 1998 for the Nintendo 64 (one of our favorite old systems.)
Before Breath of the Wild, this was THE biggest, most talked about Zelda title; now, it’s a much closer race for top entry.
This game played with time, 3D battles, multiple tools, magic, and a more intricate stage design and atmosphere than before.
This game features Link at two distinct times in his life (but three different snapshots in time of Hyrule.)
Link is 9 years old in the first half of Ocarina of Time and is then aged to 16 years old.
Even as a kid, we see his heroism and determination against evil forces like Ganondorf.