6 Most Terrible Things Link Has Ever Done

Over the course of roughly two dozen games, the hero of Hyrule has fought the evil, pig-faced
Ganon, rescued various princesses, and kept the mysterious Triforce out of enemy hands.
That's all well and good... it's just a shame that Link causes so much trouble along the
way.
It's really not okay to break every pot you see, dude.
Whether skyward-bound, adrift in time, or steeped in Twilight, the various incarnations
of Link have saved Hyrule countless times over the Legend of Zelda series.
Unfortunately, that doesn't mean the beloved hero hasn't done his fair share of creepy
stuff along the way.
What kind of stuff?
Well…
Ghost creep
Given that he doesn't say much, it's easy to assume that Link is a humble, selfless
hero.
But according to Hyrule Historia, the official guide to the Legend of Zelda series, that's
not entirely true.
After the events of the Ocarina of Time and Majora's Mask, our hero is so furious that
he's not remembered for his accomplishments that he sticks around for hundreds of years
as a ghost, unable to let go.
In Twilight Princess, he actually haunts the younger Link, one of the Hero of Time's many
descendants.
And it's not just like he takes the form of a grumpy old man: he stalks Link Jr. as a
glowing wolf and terrifying skeleton called Hero's Shade.
It actually ends up working out pretty well for young Link, since the skeleton teaches
Link advanced sword-fighting techniques.
But introducing yourself via wolf attack and a one-punch knockdown just to prove you're
hot stuff is unbecoming of any Link, living or dead.
Chicken smacking
When wandering poultry first appeared in A Link to the Past, they didn't do much but
hop around and cluck, leaving players to wonder what exactly they were good for.
The answer is, well, pretty much nothing, unless you like whacking farm animals with
a sword.
Hyrule's poultry have been hit so often that they've had to organize to stay safe.
Smack a cucco too many times and it'll summon its friends, who swarm Link from all directions
and peck him to death.
This isn't a one-time thing, either.
Attackable and vengeful cuccos have appeared in almost every Zelda game from A Link to
the Past all the way through Breath of the Wild.
So, this begs the question: who's worse?
The guy who programs in birds you can injure, or he player who actively injures birds?
Some things never change, and Link abusing animals is one of them.
Grave robbing
In Hyrule, goodies are stashed everywhere: in pots, under bridges, in chests, and in
the guts of every monster you kill.
And just like in the real world, some of Hyrule's treasures are buried with their owners.
But when Link's on a quest, not even basic morality will stand between him and looting
some corpses.
In the original Legend of Zelda's second quest, Link uncovers a dungeon entrance by pushing
aside a gravestone.
In A Link to the Past, knocking a gravestone and climbing into the tomb below nets Link
a cape with invisibility powers.
Look, if great grandpa wants to be buried with his invisibility cape, who's going to
say no?
Link's worst offense, however, occurs in Ocarina of Time, where the young adventurer doesn't
even bother to do the grave-robbing himself.
When Link visits Kakariko Graveyard, he can fork over 10 rupees to make the local gravekeeper
dig a hole wherever Link wants, uncovering anything from a few bucks to an entire Heart
Container.
Even if you call it "Dampé's Heart-Pounding Gravedigging Tour," it's still ghoulish.
You may find a treasure, but you may also find Aunt Bertha's jawbone and a lifetime
of nightmares.
Fortunately for Link's treasure horde, respect for the dead isn't an issue.
He destroyed an island… for nothing
In Link's Awakening, our hero Link washes up on Koholint Island after his ship is wrecked
during a storm.
Naturally, Link begins looking for a way home by killing everything in sight, and learns
that he can escape Koholint by waking up the Wind Fish, a slumbering monster at the heart
of the island.
But there's a catch: Koholint is the product of the Wind Fish's dream, and waking him will
destroy the island and all of its inhabitants.
That's exactly what Link does.
The island and all of its inhabitants valish, and Link wakes up in the middle of the ocean,
clinging to a piece of driftwood.
This isn't just fan-speculation, either.
The Hyrule Historia calls his choice to destroy Koholint a "bitter decision."
All that, and Link doesn't even get back to Hyrule; that particular version of Link sets
sail after his adventure, but "his further whereabouts are unknown," meaning that Link
effectively destroyed an island for absolutely no reason.
Harassing Zelda
While video game Link is almost entirely non-verbal, cartoon link was an entirely different kind
of hero.
There's no good explanation for why the writers of the 1989 Legend of Zelda animated series
turned Link from noble hero into a wise-cracking brat who's constantly saved by the princess.
If cartoon Link had just been a whiner, it would be bad enough, but he was also pretty
clearly a sexual predator on top of everything else.
From the very first episode, he ogles Zelda while she's getting dressed, catcalls her…
"Lookin' good, Princess.
Especially from this angle!"
....and tries to kiss Zelda when she isn't expecting it.
That all happens in the first six minutes, and it doesn't get better.
Over the course of the show's 13-episode run, Link spends almost all of his time trying
to score, whether it's with Zelda, or with weird, anonymous witches.
"Dying… kiss me!"
"Ugh!"
Combine Link's unseemly behavior with his general whiny-ness and you're left hoping
that Ganon wins.
Speaking of Link's weird perversions...
The Hyrule Streaker
Link's unusual behavior didn't end in the '80s.
In Breath of the Wild, Link roams the free-form open-world game with very few limits.
Want to ignore the main quest and just spend your time causing havoc among Hyrule's ruins?
Go right ahead.
Want to track down shrines and defeat Ganon in your undies?
You can do that, too.
Basically, the game is so free-form that Link doesn't have to wear any other clothes if
you don't want him to, and that's more than enough to offend Hylians' delicate sensibilities.
While some people don't mind seeing Link's tighty whiteys, a teenage girl who lives in
Kakariko Village is absolutely traumatized by the sight of Link's barely-contained buns.
At best, making people uncomfortable like that is selfish and only profitable if you
live in New York City.
At worst, it's a crime, and one that should be punished.
Preferably with death by chickens.
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6 Most Terrible Things Link Has Ever Done

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