Link is a fictional character and the main protagonist in Nintendo's The Legend of Zelda series of video games. Created by Shigeru Miyamoto, The Legend of Zelda is one of Nintendo's core franchises, and has sold over 47 million copies worldwide as of 2007. The series' enduring popularity has led to many incarnations of the Zelda story and Link himself; the character's first appearance was in the game The Legend of Zelda. Link has been featured in other video games from Nintendo, including its merchandising, comic books, and an animated television program. Link was awarded with a star on the Walk of Game in 2005, alongside Mario and Sonic the Hedgehog.
Link is depicted as a Hylian boy from the fictional land of Hyrule. His age varies in each game, usually varying from pre-teen ages to late teens. Link often travels through Hyrule, defeating creatures, evil forces and the series' primary antagonist, Ganon. To defeat him, Link usually requires the mystic Master Sword and Light Arrows, or a similar legendary weapon, obtained after many trials and battles gathering magical objects or using other items such as musical instruments and weaponry.
Reception[]
The character Link has been overall well received by critics and fans. In the 1988 and 1989 Nintendo Power Awards, readers voted him as the best character. He was voted by readers as the number one and three "Best Hero" in the 1993 and 1994 Nintendo Power Awards respectively. Link was also awarded a star on the Walk of Game in 2005 along with Miyamoto, the creator of the character. Game Informer listed Link as the number one "Hero of 2006". Link has also appeared in multiple GameFAQs "Character Battle" contests and is the only character to have won more than once. In one of IGN's 2007 "Hero Showdowns", Link was voted the favorite over Cloud Strife.