hi hello welcome to my wild crazy lore headcanons/rework for botw link wooo
some of these are taking huge Creative Liberties and Hot Takes, not meant to necessarily be accurate but i just find cute and fun that add to a version of link in my head
Arn — Arn was a knight for Hyrule, steadily climbing in ranks. He was a skilled swordsman and trained many soldiers himself. Arn proved himself hardworking and his reputation left his position close to royalty, offering services as among the guardsmen who secured the castle. He grew up in Castle Town.
Medilia — Medilia was originally from Hateno Village, moving into Castle Town as a teenager. Her father had plans to make a name for himself in the city as a blacksmith and leatherworker. She met and married Arn and worked as a seamstress until she gave birth to their firstborn son, Link.
Aryll — Link’s younger sister, born when he was 10. The birth was premature and killed Medilia. Growing up, Aryll was a sickly child with a weakened immune system and required many doctors.
All names are taken from various tidbits of Zelda lore!
History From Childhood to Champion
Link always wanted to be a knight, just like his father. Like many, Link began his training as a child, learning riding, archery, and practiced with various weapons. He was always focused, driven, and a quick learner. Arn had every reason to be proud.
The death of Medilia left the family in grief, but a newborn on their hands left little time for that. Both Arn and Link seemed to shift their attention to baby Aryll, until Link was sent away to the military camp.
In the military camp, Link gained a high reputation and excelled in many avenues with weapons, including archery, swords and spears. He began picking up heavier weapons to practice with, such as claymores and battle axes. His sharp eye and combat prowess gained him recognition, landing him as a young boy hand picked to be trained by more skilled royal knights.
Arn took Link on many trips to Zora’s Domain when Aryll needed treatment for her sicknesses. He became an excellent swimmer and became close with many Zora, including Princess Mipha and young Prince Sidon.
Placing Aryll’s death around 12.
Around his 16th birthday, there were many nights that left Link unable to sleep. There was a whisper that kept tickling his ear, an urge to go into the Korok Forest. It became an urge too strong to resist. He took his horse, Epona, and he entered the Korok Forest. At the entry of the forest, Link saw a fairy, pink and glowing. It lingered until he got off his horse and crept close before flying further onto the path. It would stop and wait for him to come close again. It led Link through the Korok Forest until he was upon the Great Deku Tree, where a sword stood in a stone. The stone platform was triangular, and the sword seemed to glow as rays of moonlight shone on it. The Great Deku Tree spoke to him, revealing to him that he had a divine task to wield the sword that seals the darkness. He was to put an end to the Calamity upon its return. Link accepted his calling and pulled the sword from the stone.
Link gained special attention, exceeding his already high reputation as the chosen Hero. He earned fame as a highly skilled swordsman who had pulled the Master Sword. His training was moved within the castle grounds, where he soon became the youngest appointed knight into the Imperial Guard.
Place Arn death around 17.
Age 19 ATP. During an encampment around a few unearthed Guardians, the King Rhoam and his daughter, Zelda visited to discuss the recently appointed Champions and their connection with Guardians and the Divine Beasts. Link was stationed nearby, training when a Guardian suddenly became hostile. Seeing Princess Zelda was in danger, Link rushed to grab the nearest protective item he could use as a shield — which ended up being a pot lid, and deflected the Guardian’s beam. The Guardian was destroyed and the Princess had been saved. King Rhoam wasted no time in recognizing Link for his skills and for the Master Sword in his possession, leading to Link’s appointment as Zelda's personal bodyguard and Champion.
Pre Calamity — Link learned how to cook out of boredom when he was training. He got tired of eating rations and started hunting, gathering, and cooking for the squad when there was time to.
Though it was widely acceptable to learn sign language by all common Hylians, it was most utilized by the military. It was taught as a requirement for more effective and stealthier communication.
Link wasn’t the most outgoing, but he was cheerful and had a sense of humor. When in his comfort zone, he could be a bit feral and energetic. He was sarcastic and silly, but also knew when to be serious and stoic as a part of his training.
Post Sword — More and more responsibilities were being added onto Link’s shoulders. In addition, with the death of his father and role model, he became quieter and more withdrawn. His many conflicting emotions became easier to mask under a stoic exterior. He needed to be a role model and good example with the sword in his possession. He needed to continue to excel in his fighting skills.
As Zelda would put it in her journal, "With so much at stake, and so many eyes on him, he feels it necessary to stay strong and to silently bear any burden.”
Link is covered in scars, from both Pre-Calamity and accumulating them after waking up from the Shrine of Resurrection.
The Shrine of Resurrection was able to revive and recover physically, but it failed to keep his memories intact in his slumber. Even after some memories are able to be recovered, most of what happened outside of those selective memories is lost.
During his long slumber, Link was often visited by spirits of old Heroes, such as the Hero of Time or the Hero of Twilight, who continuously trained his combative abilities.
Post-Resurrection, Link seemed to be a mixed bag of his old self. There was less formality and recognition, allowing him to return to a sort of cheeriness. He was plagued with this heavy burden of responsibility that still made him more quiet and withdrawn. His comfort zone was usually when he was alone.
He found the most comfort in Impa and Paya, Purah and Robbie, and Sidon, Riju, Teba, and Yunobo after his revival. Out of these, Sidon was his closest friend.
It took one year and 7 months for Link to travel around Hyrule, restore memory fragments, reclaim the Divine Beasts, and defeat Ganon.
Link suffers from Retrograde Amnesia, PTSD, Depression, and a haunting sense of survivor’s guilt.
Link is selectively mute and uses sign language to communicate with most.
