A new Legend of Zelda game is on the horizon and has the internet abuzz, reigniting an age-old question: how old is Link, the recurring hero of this three-decade old franchise?
The series’ titular hero has appeared in many forms over the years, ranging in age from child to adult. Adding to the confusion, his age is rarely mentioned outright within the games themselves, leaving fans to determine for themselves how old Hyrule’s hero truly is.
There’s also the fact that most “adult” versions of Link are actually around 17 years old, which is not really adult age. The whole thing is honestly kind of insulting for those of us who have fallen a bit short of “Hero of Time” by the time we reached 30. Do Shigeru Miyamoto and Takashi Tezuka think people can’t accomplish anything once they become legal?
Either way, the timeless question surrounding Link’s age has again been prompted by the impending release of Breath of the Wild 2, which is set to be released sometime this year.
How old is Link in Breath of the Wild 2?
Link’s age has only been confirmed in a few of his releases, and Breath of the Wild isn’t one of them. Zelda’s age is referenced within the game’s storyline, however, and pins her at right around 17. Since Link is already a sworn knight and Zelda’s personal protector, he has to be around her same age. The general assumption is that Link was 17, like Zelda, when he entered stasis. Some fans like to pin him a bit older, around 20, based on his appearance in the game, but given his age through Legend of Zelda‘s history, 17 is a better bet.
Link remained in stasis following the Great Calamity and awakened a full century later to find the world he knew in shambles. That makes him 117 during the events of the game, a fair bit older than most of his previous iterations.
Finally, a version of Link with some years under his belt.
The age makes sense based on Link’s general appearance. He obviously doesn’t look like he’s lived more than a century, but this version of Link does appear to be somewhere between 16 and 20. He has a youthful face but has clearly left his adolescence behind.
The timeline in Breath of the Wild 2 is still largely unknown. It could easily take place immediately after the story in Breath of the Wild concluded, maintaining Link at that 117 mark. But if the game did a time jump — which seems like a genuine possibility, based on its latest trailer — he could be a few years older in the upcoming title. His hair certainly looks to have grown based on glimpses we’ve gotten.
It seems unlikely that the plot in Breath of the Wild 2 takes place more than five or six years after the first game ended, which means that — at most — Link could be 123 or so. The difference between 117 and 123 hardly seems relevant considering that Link will likely look and act largely the same way he did in the first game. Once you’ve got the first century or so under your belt, the years really stop seeming so important.
There’s a chance that Breath of the Wild 2 will reveal the exact amount of time that has passed once it is available for players to enjoy, but for now we’re left to wonder. Hopefully the game’s official release date will be announced soon so we know exactly how long we’ve got to wait.
