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Nintendo Reveals Official Female Link, and She's Coming to Hyrule Warriors

Now you can really confuse your friends who don't realize that Zelda is the princess.

117 Comments

Zelda and Impa are no longer the only major female protagonists in the Zelda canon--there's now a female Link.

Dubbed Linkle, the character first came about as a concept for Hyrule Warriors, as revealed in the developer's artbook. While she wasn't used at the time, during a Nintendo Direct today Nintendo confirmed that she will in fact be a playable character in the 3DS version of Hyrule Warriors: Hyrule Warriors Legends.

Image credit Siliconera.com
Image credit Siliconera.com

Unlike the traditional Link character, Linkle's primary weapon is a crossbow. And in place of a spinning sword attack, she uses what Nintendo of America's Bill Trinnen described in the Nintendo Direct as a "spinning kick attack."

Linkle will joins a cast of other characters being added to this version of the game from The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker.

While no mention was made of Linkle crossing over to other Zelda titles, like the upcoming Zelda Wii U, franchise director Eiji Aonuma confirmed back at E3 2014 that the Link in that game is male.

Hyrule Warriors Legends will make its way to 3DS on March 25, 2016.

You can read all of the news and announcements from today's Nintendo Direct right here.

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Avatar image for Utahraptor_
Utahraptor_

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Nintendo should create a new character instead of giving Link a sex change. Link has been a guy ever since the beginning. Create a female character who is or is not related to Link. Let players decide which hero to play.

Nintendo is trying too hard to be modern and cool. Hopefully, Nintendo won't reveal Samus Aran as a woman who was originally a guy who got a hi-tech sex change.

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Tony56723

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@Utahraptor_: I really don't find it that hard to believe that the Heros spirit could reincarnate into a girl, just saying

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Charliesix

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@Utahraptor_: Um it's my understanding that most of the Links have all been different guys named Link. I think they could've easily just made a female Link actually named Link.

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Dante9006

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I would have called her Linket.

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MMX377

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Edited By MMX377

Linkle...? What? How comes that up with that name???

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Avatar image for Utahraptor_
Utahraptor_

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@MMX377: Haha. Maybe the alternatives were Linky, Linka, Kinky, Wiink, Wiinku, Mink, Sink, etc. Thus, Linkle was the least lousy name.

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jlenoconel

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@Utahraptor_: Winky.

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JackHague

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Ha I knew link was going to end up getting a sex change. That's the only way to explain why he looks more and more feminine in each new game.

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Utahraptor_

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@jackhague: Plot twist: Link found out Zelda is a lesbian, thus, a sex change gives Link the best chance to sleep with Zelda.

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Avatar image for YearoftheSnake5
YearoftheSnake5

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I'm down with this.

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StonerDemon

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So is Star Fox going to have a Foxy Lady version?

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Xicarah

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@StonerDemon: There already is, her name is Krystal.

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Alurit

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Edited By Alurit

@Xicarah: sounds like a stripper

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Avatar image for jenovaschilld
jenovaschilld

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Am I the only one who for all of these decades thought Link was always a girl? I mean I just assumed from all of the Nintendo release pictures she always was, I mean he was.... Caitlyn Jenner a great american hero.!

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ibonedyourmom

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You mean to tell me Link wasn't a chick?

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ValwinZ

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Edited By ValwinZ

In what part of the direct did they say she was link ? she seen to be her own thing with her own plot

also is not a protagonist to anything the **** are this people pulling this shit from ?

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OldDirtyCR

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Edited By OldDirtyCR

@valwinz: See that screenshot of the Japanese book? (勇者のリンクの女の子版) is roughly, 'Female version of the hero Link'

So, I guess people are "pulling this shit from" Nintendo's official promotional material. I know enough Japanese to understand that phrase. It just says the whole female version of Link and then describes her as having a personality of an imouto, or little sister.

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ValwinZ

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@OldDirtyCR: actually that's the old concept that was drop, both girls dont look exatly the same there was change, for what we seen in the direct she will have her own backstory unrelated to link she will join him it seem,if you can find me were in the press release she is call female link i will be happy

just as SuperGirl is not Superman Linkle here is not Link

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Tony56723

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Are people really getting angry about this?

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ValwinZ

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Edited By ValwinZ

@tony56723 yea people: keep calling her Female link were NOWERE in the direct it was implied she was link

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Tony56723

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@valwinz: I just don't understand the uproar

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ValwinZ

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@tony56723 : nothing just that she is not link

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Tony56723

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@valwinz: Apprently gender swapping is the worst thing a person can do to a character (even if it's been done countless times before)

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Thanatos2k

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Edited By Thanatos2k

What a joke.

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Tony56723

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@Thanatos2k: Not really seeing the problem

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Thanatos2k

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Edited By Thanatos2k

@tony56723: Will "Zeldude" appear as a character as well?

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Tony56723

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@Thanatos2k: and if a Prince Zelda was created that'd be a problem why?

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Avatar image for Thanatos2k
Thanatos2k

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@tony56723: It's hilariously stupid?

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Tony56723

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@Thanatos2k: Right. I can see where this is going

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Thanatos2k

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@tony56723: Her name is "Linkle"

LINKLE

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madsnakehhh

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Edited By madsnakehhh

What if Linkle is the girl that we saw at the Zelda WiiU trailer? That would actually be pretty cool.

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chris120379

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Great, a Link Jenner.

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cwv_rebirth

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Link has always been a girl.

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Avatar image for deactivated-58ce94803a170
deactivated-58ce94803a170

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@cwv_rebirth: Dang bro, watch it with them spoilers now.

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cwv_rebirth

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@mesome713: Nintendo was incredibly progressive...having the first lesbian couple in gaming.

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StonerDemon

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So who's next? Maria and Louis?

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Thanatos2k

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@StonerDemon: Who is Bowser's wife!?!??!

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deactivated-58ce94803a170

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@StonerDemon: Her name is Mary O, and she is awesome.

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Jestersmiles

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ok....

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Seven7Swords

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Please change her name, PLEASE!

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whirlwind12

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Edited By whirlwind12

Zelda and Impa are no longer the only major female protagonists in the Zelda canon

They were never the only major female protagonists, just sayn..

Maybe at least do some fact checking before writing inflammatory rhetoric.

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Avatar image for deactivated-57d188b503c0f
deactivated-57d188b503c0f

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This is so stupid. It's not equality to just make male characters female, what's next male zelda? Ridiculous,...

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Tony56723

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@Frogster8: You obviously don't know Japan, gender bending isn't exactly something new to them

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Derpalon

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@Frogster8: Gender-bending anime characters is standard business in Japan. This has nothing to do with the SJW nonsense happening in the west right now.

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spideyredx

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@Frogster8: Prince Zeldo =)

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chris120379

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@spideyredx: lol that would be something.

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deactivated-58ce94803a170

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@Frogster8: If Nintendo makes a male Link or Zelda, im done.

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LesserAngel

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Would've preferred the characters as DLC for the Wii U version, oh well.

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Flynner102

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I think they should allow you to choose your gender for Zelda Wii U

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ValwinZ

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@Flynner102 Why ?

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