Eiji Aonuma was recently interviewed by IGN about Linkle’s inclusion in Hyrule Warriors Legends. In that interview, Aonuma talked about the process of adding Linkle to the game, since she was originally longlisted for the Wii U version of the game.
What is most interesting about the interview, however, is Linkle’s role in Hyrule Warriors Legends. According to Aonuma, Linkle isn’t the female version of Link, nor is she Link’s sister. In fact, Linkle isn’t related to Link at all.
Koei Tecmo first proposed the Linkle character as Link’s little sister for the Wii U version of Hyrule Warriors. However, we felt this conflicted with the concept of Aryll from The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker, the only character we had ever had appear as Link’s sister, so we decided not to include that version. In Hyrule Warriors Legends, though, the proposal was to include Linkle not as Link’s sister, but as a girl with heroic aspirations. This was a totally new and unique background for the franchise, and we thought she would add to the game’s diversity, so we decided to include her in this game.
-Aonuma,via IGN.com
The interview continued to go on about Linkle’s personality and how it will play out in the game. Whereas Link’s story was all about the heroic adventure we already know, Linkle’s is a bit more… misguided to say the least.
According to Aonuma, Linkle has aspired to be a hero ever since she was a child, and that the compass given to her by her grandmother is a symbol of her potential. She is also a cheerful and kind-hearted person who strives to help those in need. After hearing that Hyrule Castle is under attack, Linkle decides to head out to stop the crisis. However, Linkle’s sense of direction is fairly poor – hence the compass necklace – and as a result she winds up in various locations prior to arriving at Hyrule Castle.
This certainly seems like a more interesting story than the original Hyrule Warriors plot, and misadventures are certain to come about. However, the second interview segment becomes much more interesting as Aonuma begins discussing Linkle’s future in The Legend of Zelda series.
“I’m sure we will keep her in mind when thinking about future titles.”
– Aounuma,via e-mail to IGN
Aounuma told IGN in their e-mail interview that he was given a chance to give feedback on the Linkle design. However, he gives the credit of Linkle’s crossbow-focused gameplay solely to Koei Tecmo. While he seems uncertain about whether or not Linkle will reappear in future Legend of Zelda titles, he does admit that she doesn’t feel out of place in the game’s world, even if she doesn’t exactly fit into the series as a whole.
Linkle’s dual-crossbow combat system is unlike that which we have seen from other characters so far. How effective her combat style will be when the game is finally released remains to be seen…
Linkle will make her first appearance in Hyrule Warriors Legends, which launches internationally on March 25, 2016.
