The story of Link, the Hero of Winds from The Legend of Zelda series.
Adult Timeline[]
In this timeline, the Hero of Time successfully defeated Ganondorf and sealed him in the Sacred Realm. However, after doing so, he returned to his own past to prevent Ganondorf from ever rising to power to begin with, leaving this timeline without a hero to protect Hyrule and allowing Ganondorf to rise once again z
Past[]
Link was born and raised on Outset Island in the southern portion of the Great Sea, many years after the disappearance of the Hero of Time and the flooding of Hyrule. The identities of his parents are unknown, but he was eventually joined by a little sister named Aryll and the two were taken care of by their Grandma. Despite growing up mostly happy on Outset, Link often looked out on the horizon of the Great Sea, longing for adventure.
The Wind Waker[]
Link is woken up by Aryll, who reminds him that it's his twelfth birthday. Link goes to visit his Grandma, who dresses him up in the Hero's Clothes as part of a tradition to commemorate the Hero of Time. Afterwards, Link goes outside, only for him and Aryll to witness a pirate ship pursuing a giant red bird carrying a blonde girl just offshore. The bird is hit by one of the pirates’ cannonballs and drops the girl in the forest at the top of Outset Island.
Wielding a sword gifted to him by his mentor, Orca, Link rushes to the forest and defeats some monsters to save the girl, whose name is revealed to be Tetra. As Link and Tetra head back to the beach, Link stops to wave to Aryll, only for the bird— known as the Helmaroc King— to return. The Helmaroc King swoops down and snatches Aryll, carrying her off into the horizon as a panicked Link nearly runs off a cliff trying to save her.
A Rito postman named Quill informs Link and Tetra that the Helmaroc King has been capturing young, blonde girls from all across the Great Sea and bringing them to the Forsaken Fortress up north, for unknown reasons. When Tetra tries to insist that it isn’t her problem, Quill guilt trips her by pointing out that Aryll never would have been kidnapped if the pirates hadn't arrived at the island (as the bird had likely mistaken her for Tetra). Reluctantly, Tetra offers to bring Link to the Forsaken Fortress in her pirate ship. With that, Link says goodbye to his Grandma and sets off on his adventure.
Arriving at the Forsaken Fortress, Tetra uses a catapult to fling Link into the walls of the fortress. Link sneaks his way to the top, where he discovers an imprisoned Aryll. However, the Helmaroc King swoops in and captures Link, carrying him to the master of the Forsaken Fortress. The master, a large, red-haired man cloaked in dark robes, gestures for the Helmaroc King to toss Link aside, and the bird hurls Link into the Great Sea miles away.
When Link wakes up, he is greeted by a talking boat that dragged him to shore. The boat introduces himself as the King of Red Lions and informs Link that the red-haired man is actually Ganondorf, the arch-nemesis of the Hero of Time who ravaged Hyrule centuries ago, causing the gods to flood the land in order to seal him away. Ganondorf has now broken free from his seal and is capturing young, blonde girls in search of the latest incarnation of Princess Zelda so he can steal her Triforce of Wisdom. The King of Red Lions tells Link that the only way to defeat Ganondorf is to collect three Goddess Pearls and obtain the legendary Master Sword, with the King offering to sail Link wherever he needs to go. Additionally, the King gives Link the Wind Waker, a magical conductor's baton that was used to conduct the ancient Sages when signing to the gods. With that, Link teams up with the King of Red Lions and the two set sail to Dragon Roost Island in search of Din's Pearl.
On Dragon Roost Island, Link meets Zephos, the God of Winds. Recognizing Link as a successor to the previous Waker of Winds, Zephos teaches him how to conduct the Wind's Requiem, allowing Link to control the winds themselves.
Further inland, Link meets Medli, a Rito girl who serves as the attendant to the Rito Prince Komali. Komali is seeking to obtain a scale from the dragon Valoo so he can grow wings and fly, but Valoo has become enraged, leaving Komali unable to venture up to the top of island. Link and Medli head up the island's volcano to help the dragon, only for Medli to go missing within Dragon Roost Cavern. Link eventually finds and frees Medli, who was captured by monsters. Link then heads to the top of the volcano and defeats Gohma, who was hurting Valoo from within Dragon Roost Cavern by pulling his tail. With Valoo saved, Komali is able to finally meet the dragon, at which point he gives Link Din's Pearl as a sign of gratitude.
Link and the King of Red Lions then head to the Forest Haven to get Farore's Pearl. There, they meet the Great Deku Tree (a sapling of the original) and his "children", the Koroks, who are preparing to journey across the Great Sea in order to plant trees. However, one Korok, named Makar, has gone missing in the Forbidden Woods. Link journeys into the Forbidden Woods, where he gains the Boomerang and finds Makar, only for the young Korok to get eaten by the monstrous Kalle Demos. Link defeats Kalle Demos and saves Makar, returning him to the Deku Tree. The Deku Tree then gives Link Farore's Pearl as a sign of thanks.
Finally, Link and the King of Red Lions sail to Greatfish Isle to obtain Nayru's Pearl. However, upon arriving, they find that the island has been completely destroyed by Ganondorf, with the isle's deity, Lord Jabun, nowhere to be found. The duo sail to Windfall Island in search of clues, where Link witnesses Tetra and her pirates robbing a bomb shop (as the cashier had overcharged them too much). Link, with Tetra's mischievous blessing, takes some of their bombs and heads to Outset Island, where Lord Jabun is hiding behind a pile of boulders. The King of Red Lions convinces Jabun that Link is a worthy successor to the Hero of Time, at which point the deity hands over Nayru's Pearl.
With all three Goddess Pearls in his possession, Link and the King of Red Lions head to the center of the Great Sea, where Link puts the pearls in three sacred statues. This causes the Tower of the Gods, a massive trial gauntlet created by the Golden Goddesses to test the Hero, to rise out of the ocean. Link enters the Tower of the Gods, where he obtains the Hero's Bow and learns the Command Melody, allowing him to control the mechanical statues within the tower. At the top, Link meets a robot named Gohdan and battles him as the final challenge. After defeating him, Link reaches the top of the Tower of the Gods and rings a giant bell, opening up a portal to the bottom of the ocean.
Link and the King of Red Lions head through the portal, where they are met by the remnants of Hyrule Castle, frozen in time. There, Link pulls out the Master Sword, unfreezing time. Upon returning to the surface, Link and the King of Red Lions head to the Forsaken Fortress. Link meets up with Tetra and her pirates, who rescue Aryll and all of the captured little girls while Link heads to the top of the fortress to face the Helmaroc King. Link battles and defeats the beastly bird, before confronting Ganondorf himself, only to find that the Master Sword has no effect on him. Ganondorf reveals and brags that not only had he murdered the Sages years before to stifle the Master Sword's sacred power, but the sword was also sealing Ganondorf's sorcerous powers, and by drawing it from the pedestal, Link had inadvertently returned Ganondorf to his full power. However, Ganondorf is interrupted by Tetra, who swoops in to save Link. Ganondorf catches her, only for her necklace to start glowing in response to the Triforce of Power. Ganondorf realizes that Tetra is actually Princess Zelda, only for her and Link to be yanked from his grasp by Quill and Komali, who carry the duo away as Valoo burns the fortress to the ground with Ganondorf inside.
Link and the King of Red Lions bring Tetra to Hyrule Castle, where the King of Red Lions reveals his true identity as King Daphnes Nohansen Hyrule, the last King of Hyrule, and that Tetra is actually his descendant: the newest incarnation of Zelda. Link and the King leave Tetra secured within Hyrule Castle and leave to go search for the descendants of the Sages.
First, they go to Headstone Island and meet the ghost of the Earth Sage Laruto, who teaches Link the Earth God's Lyric and instructs him to return to Dragon Roost Island. Upon doing so, Link reunites with Medli and plays the Earth God's Lyric with her. This causes Medli to realize that she is the descendant of Laruto, awakening as the new Earth Sage. Together, Link and Medli sail back to Headstone Island and enter the Earth Temple, where they work together to obtain the Mirror Shield and defeat the ghostly Jalhalla. Afterwards, Laruto's spirit is freed, thus returning some of the Master Sword's power.
Next, Link and the King of Red Lions head to Gale Isle, where Link meets the ghost of the Wind Sage Fado, who teaches the hero the Wind God's Aria and instructs him to return to the Forest Haven. Upon doing so, Link reunites with Makar and teaches him the Wind God's Aria, which causes Makar to realize his lineage and awaken as the new Wind Sage. Together, Link and Makar sail back to Gale Isle and enter the Wind Temple, only for the young Korok to be captured by Floormasters. Link finds the Hookshot and uses it to rescue Makar, and the two of them make it to the end of the temple. Link fights and defeats Molgera, which frees Fado's soul and returns the Master Sword to its former glory.
Finally, the King informs Link that eight pieces of the Triforce of Courage are scattered throughout the Great Sea, and Link must find and reassemble them in order to face Ganondorf. Link sails across the ocean and collects each of the pieces, completing a variety of different quests to obtain them such as:
- Invading the Islet of Steel and playing the Wind's Requiem.
- Using a Hyoi Pair to guide a seagull into a series of switches.
- Sinking a golden ship.
- Tracking the mythical Ghost Ship (not to be confused with the Ghost Ship from Phantom Hourglass), boarding it, and pillaging it.
- Battling loads of enemies through the first thirty floors of the Savage Labyrinth.
- Exploring a grotto on Stone Watcher Island.
- Using the Hookshot to enter a cave on Overlook Island and defeat the monsters within.
- Getting the deed to the Private Oasis, allowing Link to own a beach house and discover a haunted maze underneath.
After gathering the eight shards, Link forms them into the Triforce of Courage and proves himself as the Hero of Winds. Upon returning to Hyrule Castle, however, they find that Tetra has been kidnapped by Ganondorf, who beckons them to come rescue her at his tower, which also underneath the Great Sea.
At Ganon's Tower, Link battles hordes of monsters and defeats Phantom Ganon as he ascends the structure. On the top floor, Ganondorf ambushes him with a demonic marionette known as Puppet Ganon to test the hero's strength. When Link defeats the monstrosity, Ganondorf commends his skill and tosses him a rope, allowing Link to climb to the roof.
At the peak of the tower, Ganondorf reveals his backstory and assaults Link, knocking him out and stealing the Triforce of Courage. Taking the Triforce of Wisdom from Tetra and combining the two pieces with his Triforce of Power, Ganondorf prepares to wish for Hyrule's revival, only for the King of Red Lions— as King Daphnes— to appear and place his hand on the Triforce first. Instead, the King wishes for himself, Ganondorf, and all of Hyrule to be washed away so Link, Tetra, and their friends can have hope for their future. Link and Tetra regain consciousness, only to find the land flooding around them and Ganondorf having a mental breakdown after his plans were ruined. Link and Tetra work together to face Ganondorf in a final battle, culminating in Link driving the Master Sword into Ganondorf's skull.
As Hyrule floods, the King uses his magic to send the Link and Tetra to the surface of the ocean. Link tries desperately to take the King's hand so they can return together, but the King, knowing that he must die with the rest of his kingdom, refuses. Link and Tetra emerge in the Great Sea, where Tetra's pirates rescue them.
Weeks later, Link bids farewell to Aryll and their Grandma as he sets sail with Tetra's pirates once again, seeking to find a new land that they can make their own.
Phantom Hourglass[]
Months later, Link, Tetra, and the pirates are sailing in search of a Ghost Ship. Upon finding it, Tetra boards by herself, only to get captured and dragged into (what seems to be) an alternate dimension: the World of the Ocean King. Link follows after her in desperation.
Link finds himself washed up on the shore of Mercay Island, where he meets a fairy named Ciela and her adoptive "grandpa", a human named Oshus. Link and Ciela go to find an explorer named Linebeck, who entered the island's fabled Temple of the Ocean King in search of treasure. Link finds Linebeck— who turns out to be an egotistical coward— and rescues him. By promising Linebeck treasure from the Ghost Ship, Link forms an alliance with the so-called "explorer", and the trio set out to search for clues on the Ghost Ship's whereabouts. Eventually, Link obtains the titular Phantom Hourglass, which he uses to periodically return to the Temple of the Ocean King and venture further into its depths for sea charts.
Eventually, the trio finds the Ghost Ship. Link boards it, defeats the ghostly Cubus Sisters, and finds Tetra, who has been drained of her life force and turned to stone. Suddenly, Oshus appears and explains that he is actually the legendary Ocean King, taking on a human form after having his own life force drained by the demonic Bellum. Oshus tells Link that the only way to return Tetra's life force it’s to slay Bellum and free the Ocean King's true power. To keep Linebeck ferrying Link around, Oshus promises to grant him one wish when he gets his powers back.
Link, Ciela, and Linebeck travel throughout the rest of the World of the Ocean King, gathering materials and forging the Phantom Sword. With the sword in hand, Link braves the depths of the Temple of the Ocean King, where he faces Bellum, drives him out, and returns Tetra's life force. However, Bellum manages to capture and begin strangling Link and Tetra. In an act of bravery, Linebeck steps in to save them by stabbing Bellum with the Phantom Sword, only to be quickly subdued and possessed by the demon. The horrified Link and Ciela then face the possessed Linebeck in battle, using the combined might of the Phantom Hourglass and the Phantom Sword to exorcise Bellum and destroy him, saving Linebeck in the process.
Afterwards, the Ocean King is restored and Linebeck uses his wish to repair his ship, which was destroyed in Bellum's attack, so he can continue adventuring. The Ocean King then transports Link and Tetra back to their world, where they are once again picked up by the pirate crew. The pirates insist that the pair were only gone for fifteen minutes and that their adventure was just a dream, much to Tetra's chagrin. However, Link looks out on the horizon and sees Linebeck's ship cruising in the distance, confirming that the events of the game were real after all.
Spirit Tracks[]
Link has long since died by the time of Spirit Tracks. However, Niko keeps his memory alive in New Hyrule by sharing the stories of his adventures to the new incarnation of Link.
Era of the Wilds[]
In an unknown timeline, Hyrule is ravaged and brought to ruin by a Great Calamity. 100 years later, a new incarnation of Link rises to save the kingdom.
Breath of the Wild[]
In The Champions' Ballad DLC, the Island Lobster Shirt (the Hero of Winds' starting outfit) can be found in one of Misko's treasure chests at Cora Lake, with instructions to its whereabouts found in the Deya Village Ruins.
Tears of the Kingdom[]
The Island Lobster Shirt can be found in the base game through a side quest in Lurelin Village, where it is said to have been passed down through a Hylian family for generations.
Additionally, the Hero of Winds set can be found in the Depths, with flavor text explicitly alluding to the Hero of Winds adventures while sailing across the Great Sea.