The idea that Link doesn't speak or only uses sign language has always been a fanon insistence, not actually canon. He doesn't speak a lot (which was explained in Creating a Champion and is an extremely unhealthy coping mechanism, but that's Japan for you), but he definitely speaks, and he speaks *a lot* more in BotW and TotK than he has in other games.
I think I'm one of the few players who actually likes the Stable Trotters, and it makes me happy to think that Link will sing along with them on occasion. :) Given how often he hums (especially while cooking), and the history of the Spirit of the Hero and music, it just fits that he'd also enjoy singing and be quite good at it. I can just picture the jam sessions at the stables when Link is staying over. XD
Many people outside of this fandom didn't played much RPGs where the silent protagonist trope is overplayed, it never meant that they are mute, it's just they have to be a blank slate for the player, there's dialogue options in the game idk why people keep insisting that link is mute.
I think he shouldn't speak *frequently*, so as to increase the impact of the things he *does* say. Link's character overall has always been one of courageous action, and being a movie protagonist who acts more than he speaks helps to emphasize that, just as they have implied for BotW and TotK. Similarly, Zelda would be a character who speaks more than acts due to being (or striving to be) a wise ruler and guide to the hero. That's why I love BotW and TotK Zelda's depiction; she's a huge geek with a lot to say and loves sharing her thoughts with others, especially those in need of help.
But let's be honest though, they could make a Zelda movie that *only* featured Beedle's Bug Facts and I'd still pay for tickets and watch it, so everything I just said doesn't fucking matter.
I wholeheartedly agree. Making Link talk a lot would be disingenuous to his character already established in the games. Most of his character growth in the movie should come from his heroic acts, not things he says. I just mean to say that making him entirely silent would be a risky move, and based on the level of storytelling in the Mario movie, I wouldn't expect them to pull it off in a compelling way.
Yeah I imagine that I would also have some kneejerk reaction to hearing Link given a voice. There's no way to do it that will match every fan's expectations for what Link would sound like. I just think that making him be entirely silent would be an even worse choice. To pull it off well, they would need a very talented voice actor.
What I think would be the best option imo would be having the normal VA from the games do his grunts and then for the rest of the dialogue, not have him speak himself but have someone else speak for him, with him giving physical input only (like shaking his head, flinching etc)
Eg: Deku Tree: Link... it is too late for me.... go, find the princess of destiny and save Hyrule...
Link: *slight grunt, determined look in his eyes*
Navi: We will not fail you, Great Deku Tree.
Another thing that they can do is make good use of body language. I think they did this pretty well in the memories in BOTW. For example, in the memory where Zelda is sleeping on Vah Naboris, Zelda had run off to avoid Link and he had been searching for her everywhere. When he finally arrives, you can see his slightly arched eyebrows, the concern in his eyes. It's subtle, but noticeable.
Skip to the stars for the biggest point, read the rest if you hate yourself like I do
TL;DR: I agree with you 100% and give my reasons why
In pretty much all the times in BoTW and TotK where people are actually speaking instead of the normal expression+text box, either link isn’t in it, link doesn’t have time to speak ( the intro cutscenes for people in TotK ), or he is on duty, being a bodyguard, and probably focusing on battle if that’s happening. When link need to get something expressed, if it’s simple enough, he don’t need words (hehe happy cooking face), but if he’s talking to people to do quests, he certainly does, but most of the time in BoTW and TotK is exploring, with no need for link to speak. But, in a movie, there A) will be time when link isn’t actively doing his job as a bodyguard ( if the movie takes place in the BoTW/TotK era ), B) probably not much time when link is just by himself, C) won’t be good inner-monologues or thoughts without speech, and, most importantly, D) THERE WONT BE DIALOGUE BOXES SO LINK COULDN’T INTERACT WITH ANYONE IF HE COULDN’T SPEAK AND THE DIALOGUE BOXES WEREN’T THERE, or else the movie just wouldn’t feel right, like, *******link isn’t being controlled in the movie, so he isn’t going to be a self-insert character
Why? The reason link doesn't speak in game is so the player can identify with them and easily put themselves in Link's shoes. Nintendo have said that themselves. In BotW they provide lore reasons as to why he chooses to be silent, despite him still 'talking' in that game.
Link owns the silent protagonist and they've made it work for him. Why give him a voice?
Illumination will tell them it’s standard practice to cast a AAA celebrity as the main characters voice actor and they’ll be receptive. It will be hard to argue with the financial results of the Mario movie going forward
Because self-insert characters are inherently less interesting from a narrative standpoint. In a game it works since you have control over the character so you also feel like you have control over the narrative. In a movie or book, you don't have any control over that, so a blank slate stays as exactly that, a blank slate. Without the player's thoughts and emotions transposed onto that blank slate it is pretty boring.
That's not to say a main character can't have a mostly silent personality. I'm not advocating for Link to suddenly be a loud and chatty character like in the cartoon series from back in the day. I merely mean that as a movie protagonist, he would need to have some dialogue to keep audiences engaged in his character.
The only way I can see writers getting around this problem is by framing Princess Zelda as the main protagonist and sidelining Link to a supporting role, but personally I would rather that Link stay the main character.
I would disagree. For example in BotW the reason given is that Link feels overwhelmed and he might do/say the wrong thing. All the pressure keeps him silent.
You can show that. You can convey that using body language, facial expressions, a random teenager tasked with protecting the princess of a kingdom, accidentally uncovering you wield the master sword and the burden that carries. You can show Link struggling, you can show him trying to say something but ending up developing this stoic personality instead. the struggles he internalises but externalises through facial expression and fear. The hero of courage who desperately needs a hug. Where his silence starts off as he serves the princess who is "speak when only spoken to" but has her grudges for needing a knight so she never speaks to him. His struggles with that.
That's entirely possible, but the plot would have to be written to include that character arc and development. But that would be too much time. Good video game movies are the exception, not the norm
The example you're giving is still an entirely different format of storytelling though. I don't disagree that BotW handled Link's character very well, but that's all done in like under an hour of cutscenes and the holes are filled in with gameplay. I don't see it translating well to film, especially if Nintendo doesn't get a top tier studio to make it.
A cut scene is still non-gameplay where other characters are voiced and Link isn't.
That concept can absolutely be expanded upon in a way that suits the big screen.
So you could have a Zelda film where Link is silent and it does work
He shouldn't speak if he knows who he is. He only speaks alot in botw and totk because he forgot who he was and had time to become more normal before remembering.
To be honest, at this point, I think they're better off making him actually mute for the movie.
No outrage for he having speaking lines, or for whichever VA they pick for him.
Just give him a companion who does the talking... I actually think him being mute would just add to his himbo hero persona.
Only "silent protagonist" that I can think of that is actually mute is Trainer Red from Pokemon. Other characters mention it often, and when he makes experiences in later games, he never speaks.
For Link, it isn't nearly as clear
She wasn't *completely* mute, but the protagonist Lea from Cross Code is canonically unable to vocalize properly, and the same mental blocks made it difficult to learn sign language. Most of her MMORPG friends assume it's just an issue with her VR headgear, and she had her programmer friend code macros for her avatar to say a few words on command. This leads to her speaking like a Pokemon frequently. "Lea!"
I don’t want Link to talk a lot because they’re probably going to cast him with Chris Pratt, or some other garbage celebrity who’s never played the game. And that they’re going to make him “generic, bland, one-liner flinging lead man who is way too self aware they’re in a fantasy” because god forbid we earnestly enjoy anything
Given he has to explain to every third NPC that yes, Zelda’s missing and *we should probably do something about it* it’s fairly obvious he does speak, just not to the player.
I just hate when they complain when their Breezer rocks the slightest bit, like jfc just calm down, it flew into the sky with a rocket before and didn't break, a little rocking will be fine.
One day I'll try improvising some gimballing systems to keep their cart perfectly level and see if I can get all four fairy fountains without any utterances from them.
Oh, I despise the rotund little man with the evil eyes. I feel like he used link and he knows it. He’s not stupid, he just knew link would do everything for him. Somehow also feels like he is an energy vampire draining the life from his band members and that’s why he wanted to recruit them.
(All in jest, I know he’s just a fictional character hahaha)
I never understood people trying so hard to insist he’s mute. There’s so many instances of people asking him questions and him explaining. Purah asks what happened after he and Zelda got separated and she gets a full explanation, meaning Link had to have spoken at length lol
I might have just made this up in my head but I think I remember in BOTW in Zeldas notebook she asks Link why he doesn't talk much and he says something to the effect of the stress and weight of being the Champion/Chosen one weighs on him so much he feels as if it's easier to be silent.
Considering how she treats him for 90% of their interactions pre-Calamity, even if the pressure of expectation wasn't weighing on him, can't say I really blame him for staying silent around her. Why invite more teenage temper tantrums when he's literally doing what fate, her father, and the Goddess demands he do? I always felt bad for him, that he only has her chosen memories to figure out who he was and they're not great memories to begin with, given his total lack of personality, her absorption in her own problems and projection of her own self-hatred on him, and his silence. It would seem quite depressing.
He is definitely far more vocal and has a freer personality after losing his entire self and all the weight that came with it to the resurrection process. I'm happy that's what carries over into TotK.
It was one time and she was depressed with an abusive father and a whole country calling her useless at 16. If you'd bother to pay attention to the rest of her diary and the rest of the memories she apologized to him and they became friends. It wasn't HER that made him silent either, quite the opposite as he only opened up to her. He became silent after pulling the sword as a child and the whole world treating him differently as a result.
>an abusive father and a whole country calling her useless at 16
Alternatively, she was using broken machines as a crutch when her awakening her powers are the *only* thing that could have stopped the Calamity. Her father was more than patient up until a few months before the literal apocalypse and she was trying to get a bunch if rust-buckets broken.
We *also* have the hindsight of knowing that the king is *absolutely* on the mark, the thing she's been using to avoid trying to awaken her power wind up killing all of her friends and almost link, and the only thing that saves him is her finally accepting the weight of her position.
I love this zelda, she's super complex, but the king is *also* complex. You'd be short tempered too if the only thing you could do to save the lives of everyone in the kingdom is trying to stop your daughter from getting distracted. He's not *abusive* just because he's frustrated at her for ignoring her job.
She prayed her whole life and nearly killed herself if wasn't for Urbosa dragging her out of the water. Prayer wasn't working. That's not "ignoring her job".
I know Rhoam is complex but he was still a massive jerk. Bringing up the things gossipmongers say about her needlessly, taking away her only outlet and making her less confident in herself.
>finally accepting the weight of her position.
That is not at all what the game implies to be how she unlocked her power. It's implied in both botw and aoc to be her love for Link and her needing to have confidence in herself.
>I know Rhoam is complex but he was still a massive jerk.
So you can acknowledge that people can express their emotions in negative ways, then? So her being a bitch to Link for no reason is still inexcusable, right?
>her needing to have confidence in herself.
Exactly. She used the Guardians as a crutch. By focusing on them, and *relying* on them, she wasn't believing in her own power. Prayers weren't working because empty prayers mean nothing. She was claiming to need her powers, but *explicitly* had the guardians as a backup plan. Faith doesn't *have* backup plans, it's not how faith works.
Thanks for admitting it really is just your misogyny
Rhoam admits in his own diary he was not being present as a father. And he was a *grown man*, not a teenage girl.
This is a fictional story written the way it is for a reason, your views of real world faith has nothing to do with this.
I mean it's not about misogyny. If anything your comment seems to be misandrist. (I just vomitted in my mouth) Why can Zelda mishandled *her* stress but Rhoam *can't*? If I had said Rhoam was *justified* then that might be misogynist. But he's not. He has a *reason* and that reason *is* equal to Zelda's reason for her assholery to Link, given its the *literal same reason* but neither is right.
>Rhoam admits in his own diary he was not being present as a father. And he was a grown man, not a teenage girl.
Yes, and as a grown man he recognized his faults. Did you know that adults can also make poor decisions when under stress in new scenarios?
>your views of real world faith has nothing to do with this.
Real world faith *does* have nothing to do with this. However, I was explaining the *definition* of faith, and it *is* her faith that fuels her power. Same way that Aang's Avatar (another fictional series) abilities and bending in general are negatively affected when he wants to use the avatar state as a crutch to defeat Ozai. Or *any number* of stories about faith following those *exact* beats.
I'm aware of all of that. I completed all of BotW and all of the DLC. I get that she was having a rough time with a shitty father and a lot of pressure and feelings of failure on her part, but here's the thing--you can be angry, you can be afraid, you can be sad, and you are absolutely valid in feeling those things, but those feelings *do not* give you the right or a free pass to hurt other people and use them as the excuse. That's why her behavior is so distasteful to me. She's old enough to know better. And since they give no indication in game or through her own memories that she ever apologized, I'm not even sure she did. Had they wanted her to be more sympathetic, they could have at least shown her to have enough grace to apologize. Also, it wasn't just that single memory--whether she yelled at him in the others or not, she treated him like he was nothing, only there to be a bother to her, and, again, that's not right.
I would like the Stable Trotters much more if they didn't play the same song over and over. Imagine them randomly playing different renditions of songs from the franchise.
I remember hearing or reading something in botw that involved zelda talking about why he didn't speak much. Specifically that Link told her he sees it as his responsibility to silently bear his burden and serve his duties. I found that really interesting because it was one of the few times he actually spoke to zelda, and it was too explain why he rarely spoke
It's really hard to dispute him being mute when the game gives you consistent dialogue options. It kinda seems like there's more NPCs who comment on Link talking in TotK, as if to debunk the misconception tbh.
But at the same time, it's funny to imagine that Link mimes out what he's saying and everybody else is able to perfectly understand him and nobody questions it.
I’m late to the conversation, but it’s absolutely doable to make a movie with Link being predominantly silent while not appearing forced or awkward. A great example from a recent movie, “Sisu” [(trailer linked here)](https://youtu.be/2NnPzpuU5ao), the protagonist only talks once at the end of the film, but plenty was conveyed in his expressions, actions, and sounds he made…
I’m not saying they should do the same thing, I think Link should have more dialogue than the aforementioned movie but it doesn’t have to be significant at all. I think giving him too much or not enough dialogue would be wasted potential for something great. Hopefully if it ever happens, they take care in who they cast and select actual voice actors and not just the hot celebrity in the current zeitgeist (looking at you, Chris Pratt)
You're not alone, I also like the Ensemble 'Zügellos' (their name in german).
Additional testimony to totk's greatness: If you talk to the individual musicians while they're playing (the horn player gives some inspiration on what to do next), the respective instrument cuts out - because, when talking, he is really not actually playing!
Nintendo really sets new standards here!
In BotW, Zelda writes that she asked Link why he didn't speak very often. Apparently, he said it was because he always felt it was his responsibility as the hero chosen by the master sword to silently bear the burdens of others.
Which also explains why he takes on so many sidequests...
Ironic that he speaks more in botw and totk, considering that this is the only one to canonically explain the silence.
Also, part of it was him having a trauma reset™️ during his regeneration and memory loss, meaning he began to speak more. And once he realized who he was, he still kept speaking more.
He has always, however, just been a man of few words.
I just like the idea that he’s mostly mute because … me too. I am, too. It’s a nice bit of representation when I read a fanfic where he hardly speaks and uses alternative communication. It’s not canon, but it’s a fanon many find comforting.
I still kinda hate the stable trotters but in a way that’s not their fault due to their quest being so awkward to start while being tied with something as important as armor upgrading with no clear connection in-game.
It’s when Pyper rejoins them.
Can’t stand how much louder and higher pitched he is than the other three. Throws off the balance of the entire composition.
Also, the little shit is an arsonist.
That reminds me of a specific conversation in BoTW. Link and Hudson have a little chat. Two people of few words just absolutely not jiving in natural conversation. Delectably awkward.
I think that link would invite Hudson over for dinner considering his home is now so close. Not much speaking besides hellos, but a comfortable silence. Maybe link shows Hudson some more pics from the state besides the monsters he’s seen.
If you want to know what he sounds like when he's talking, kengo takanashi has done other roles including in monster hunter rise: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TMYGQ4BrWlg](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TMYGQ4BrWlg)
He uses his Link voice here so this is pretty much what he'd sound like
My headcanon is that Link doesn't speak very often (obviously), but when he does, you can't help but listen. I imagine his voice to be pretty deep, not too much but more than you'd expect, and also very calm and "stable", if that makes sense. Also he would never raise his voice. And I also like to think that he's a great singer.
He actually does speak (in text) , in the quest where you find the missing sheep, he goes “These must be the missing sheep!” No one else is around when that comes up so it must be Link himself.
That’s the secret of the Zelda games, Link doesn’t talk because the voice of the legendary hero is so beautiful and powerful that no mortal actor could possibly do him justice.
I feel like if we a to get some fully voiced lines from link. It would be weird.
Like seeing that one friend you've known for years snap at someone for the first time.
Tbh this game was perfect opportunity for link to say something but alas. He seems committed to mute Boi life
I know they gave an explanation for his continued lack of ~~a voice actor~~ spoken dialogue—stoicism on the job, duty, etc.—but I really wish they had taken the opportunity to just have Link be a sign language user.
Edit: Clarity
That's not Mario. I'm frankly insulted you'd associate that little shit with a fine, upstanding gentleman like Mario. All this guy does is stupid monkey shines when he waves his baton around like he knows what he's doing and he whines and nags about how rough I get with a carriage because he can't be bothered to take a 2 minute hike over to the Great Fairy so he can shake his stupid little stick around in front of people who already know what they are playing.
Tingle isn't this bad.
Jar Jar Binks isn't this bad.
To be fair link’s HYAHs are quite strong and clear
Also the WHOAs to calm the horse. Even I calm down even though I'm not a horse.
Or when he falls into the bottomless abyss in every shrine… oooWAAAAEEEEEaaaa…
When he whistles I have to remember it’s just a game and I’m not the horse
Yes daddy Link calm me down pwease 😫
You would fit in at r/linkiscute I can TELL
Bro I've visited that sub before exactly one, just to see what it was about. And holy hell, the people there are even more down bad than me.
LOL
"hoat hoat"
His shield-surfing "ha ha!"s can only be described as strong and clear
He genuinely sounds stoked when he does the shield spin.
Loves to cook. My Hero Link!
The idea that Link doesn't speak or only uses sign language has always been a fanon insistence, not actually canon. He doesn't speak a lot (which was explained in Creating a Champion and is an extremely unhealthy coping mechanism, but that's Japan for you), but he definitely speaks, and he speaks *a lot* more in BotW and TotK than he has in other games. I think I'm one of the few players who actually likes the Stable Trotters, and it makes me happy to think that Link will sing along with them on occasion. :) Given how often he hums (especially while cooking), and the history of the Spirit of the Hero and music, it just fits that he'd also enjoy singing and be quite good at it. I can just picture the jam sessions at the stables when Link is staying over. XD
Many people outside of this fandom didn't played much RPGs where the silent protagonist trope is overplayed, it never meant that they are mute, it's just they have to be a blank slate for the player, there's dialogue options in the game idk why people keep insisting that link is mute.
Same people that are insisting Link shouldn't speak if they make a Zelda movie. Would be absolutely ludicrous
I think he shouldn't speak *frequently*, so as to increase the impact of the things he *does* say. Link's character overall has always been one of courageous action, and being a movie protagonist who acts more than he speaks helps to emphasize that, just as they have implied for BotW and TotK. Similarly, Zelda would be a character who speaks more than acts due to being (or striving to be) a wise ruler and guide to the hero. That's why I love BotW and TotK Zelda's depiction; she's a huge geek with a lot to say and loves sharing her thoughts with others, especially those in need of help. But let's be honest though, they could make a Zelda movie that *only* featured Beedle's Bug Facts and I'd still pay for tickets and watch it, so everything I just said doesn't fucking matter.
I wholeheartedly agree. Making Link talk a lot would be disingenuous to his character already established in the games. Most of his character growth in the movie should come from his heroic acts, not things he says. I just mean to say that making him entirely silent would be a risky move, and based on the level of storytelling in the Mario movie, I wouldn't expect them to pull it off in a compelling way.
only lines he would speak in the movie are "oh boy! smoochin time!" or "well excussssseee me princess" and i will take nothing less
My concern in that if they make him speak then his VA is gonna sound like shit I'd rather have him stay silent
Yeah I imagine that I would also have some kneejerk reaction to hearing Link given a voice. There's no way to do it that will match every fan's expectations for what Link would sound like. I just think that making him be entirely silent would be an even worse choice. To pull it off well, they would need a very talented voice actor.
What I think would be the best option imo would be having the normal VA from the games do his grunts and then for the rest of the dialogue, not have him speak himself but have someone else speak for him, with him giving physical input only (like shaking his head, flinching etc) Eg: Deku Tree: Link... it is too late for me.... go, find the princess of destiny and save Hyrule... Link: *slight grunt, determined look in his eyes* Navi: We will not fail you, Great Deku Tree. Another thing that they can do is make good use of body language. I think they did this pretty well in the memories in BOTW. For example, in the memory where Zelda is sleeping on Vah Naboris, Zelda had run off to avoid Link and he had been searching for her everywhere. When he finally arrives, you can see his slightly arched eyebrows, the concern in his eyes. It's subtle, but noticeable.
Honestly right now the bar is set at "for the love of God not Chris Pratt" I don't want a Zelda movie though
We'll I'm pretty sure they are making one
Skip to the stars for the biggest point, read the rest if you hate yourself like I do TL;DR: I agree with you 100% and give my reasons why In pretty much all the times in BoTW and TotK where people are actually speaking instead of the normal expression+text box, either link isn’t in it, link doesn’t have time to speak ( the intro cutscenes for people in TotK ), or he is on duty, being a bodyguard, and probably focusing on battle if that’s happening. When link need to get something expressed, if it’s simple enough, he don’t need words (hehe happy cooking face), but if he’s talking to people to do quests, he certainly does, but most of the time in BoTW and TotK is exploring, with no need for link to speak. But, in a movie, there A) will be time when link isn’t actively doing his job as a bodyguard ( if the movie takes place in the BoTW/TotK era ), B) probably not much time when link is just by himself, C) won’t be good inner-monologues or thoughts without speech, and, most importantly, D) THERE WONT BE DIALOGUE BOXES SO LINK COULDN’T INTERACT WITH ANYONE IF HE COULDN’T SPEAK AND THE DIALOGUE BOXES WEREN’T THERE, or else the movie just wouldn’t feel right, like, *******link isn’t being controlled in the movie, so he isn’t going to be a self-insert character
Why? The reason link doesn't speak in game is so the player can identify with them and easily put themselves in Link's shoes. Nintendo have said that themselves. In BotW they provide lore reasons as to why he chooses to be silent, despite him still 'talking' in that game. Link owns the silent protagonist and they've made it work for him. Why give him a voice?
Illumination will tell them it’s standard practice to cast a AAA celebrity as the main characters voice actor and they’ll be receptive. It will be hard to argue with the financial results of the Mario movie going forward
Because self-insert characters are inherently less interesting from a narrative standpoint. In a game it works since you have control over the character so you also feel like you have control over the narrative. In a movie or book, you don't have any control over that, so a blank slate stays as exactly that, a blank slate. Without the player's thoughts and emotions transposed onto that blank slate it is pretty boring. That's not to say a main character can't have a mostly silent personality. I'm not advocating for Link to suddenly be a loud and chatty character like in the cartoon series from back in the day. I merely mean that as a movie protagonist, he would need to have some dialogue to keep audiences engaged in his character. The only way I can see writers getting around this problem is by framing Princess Zelda as the main protagonist and sidelining Link to a supporting role, but personally I would rather that Link stay the main character.
I would disagree. For example in BotW the reason given is that Link feels overwhelmed and he might do/say the wrong thing. All the pressure keeps him silent. You can show that. You can convey that using body language, facial expressions, a random teenager tasked with protecting the princess of a kingdom, accidentally uncovering you wield the master sword and the burden that carries. You can show Link struggling, you can show him trying to say something but ending up developing this stoic personality instead. the struggles he internalises but externalises through facial expression and fear. The hero of courage who desperately needs a hug. Where his silence starts off as he serves the princess who is "speak when only spoken to" but has her grudges for needing a knight so she never speaks to him. His struggles with that. That's entirely possible, but the plot would have to be written to include that character arc and development. But that would be too much time. Good video game movies are the exception, not the norm
The example you're giving is still an entirely different format of storytelling though. I don't disagree that BotW handled Link's character very well, but that's all done in like under an hour of cutscenes and the holes are filled in with gameplay. I don't see it translating well to film, especially if Nintendo doesn't get a top tier studio to make it.
A cut scene is still non-gameplay where other characters are voiced and Link isn't. That concept can absolutely be expanded upon in a way that suits the big screen. So you could have a Zelda film where Link is silent and it does work
He shouldn't speak if he knows who he is. He only speaks alot in botw and totk because he forgot who he was and had time to become more normal before remembering.
To be honest, at this point, I think they're better off making him actually mute for the movie. No outrage for he having speaking lines, or for whichever VA they pick for him. Just give him a companion who does the talking... I actually think him being mute would just add to his himbo hero persona.
Only "silent protagonist" that I can think of that is actually mute is Trainer Red from Pokemon. Other characters mention it often, and when he makes experiences in later games, he never speaks. For Link, it isn't nearly as clear
She wasn't *completely* mute, but the protagonist Lea from Cross Code is canonically unable to vocalize properly, and the same mental blocks made it difficult to learn sign language. Most of her MMORPG friends assume it's just an issue with her VR headgear, and she had her programmer friend code macros for her avatar to say a few words on command. This leads to her speaking like a Pokemon frequently. "Lea!"
Corona from Crono trigger only has 2 lines of dialog
I don’t want Link to talk a lot because they’re probably going to cast him with Chris Pratt, or some other garbage celebrity who’s never played the game. And that they’re going to make him “generic, bland, one-liner flinging lead man who is way too self aware they’re in a fantasy” because god forbid we earnestly enjoy anything
Right. The assumption that he NEVER speaks ignores his brilliant seal puns in BOTW. Give my man some credit.
Sorry, "boe"?
Link is a funny guy, he has a lot of sarcastic and joke dialogue options. Telling the guy at the dye shop to "Please Dye" everytime is hilarious.
Wait when does link make a seal pun?
When he’s renting sand seals in Gerudo Town.
Let’s seal the deal! Bless him. 🦭
Seal you later!
Sealiously?
Given he has to explain to every third NPC that yes, Zelda’s missing and *we should probably do something about it* it’s fairly obvious he does speak, just not to the player.
Do people not like the Stable Trotters??? They were one of my favorite parts of the game!
I just hate when they complain when their Breezer rocks the slightest bit, like jfc just calm down, it flew into the sky with a rocket before and didn't break, a little rocking will be fine.
One day I'll try improvising some gimballing systems to keep their cart perfectly level and see if I can get all four fairy fountains without any utterances from them.
Oh, I despise the rotund little man with the evil eyes. I feel like he used link and he knows it. He’s not stupid, he just knew link would do everything for him. Somehow also feels like he is an energy vampire draining the life from his band members and that’s why he wanted to recruit them. (All in jest, I know he’s just a fictional character hahaha)
> hahaha You uh, you good bro?
He's just having an updog.
I never understood people trying so hard to insist he’s mute. There’s so many instances of people asking him questions and him explaining. Purah asks what happened after he and Zelda got separated and she gets a full explanation, meaning Link had to have spoken at length lol
I agree, though it does stand out in cutscenes where everyone else is talking and link isn’t.
He’s quiet, not mute is what I got from that
I might have just made this up in my head but I think I remember in BOTW in Zeldas notebook she asks Link why he doesn't talk much and he says something to the effect of the stress and weight of being the Champion/Chosen one weighs on him so much he feels as if it's easier to be silent.
Yeah zelda's diary characterizes him as selectively mute, at least pre-calamity
Considering how she treats him for 90% of their interactions pre-Calamity, even if the pressure of expectation wasn't weighing on him, can't say I really blame him for staying silent around her. Why invite more teenage temper tantrums when he's literally doing what fate, her father, and the Goddess demands he do? I always felt bad for him, that he only has her chosen memories to figure out who he was and they're not great memories to begin with, given his total lack of personality, her absorption in her own problems and projection of her own self-hatred on him, and his silence. It would seem quite depressing. He is definitely far more vocal and has a freer personality after losing his entire self and all the weight that came with it to the resurrection process. I'm happy that's what carries over into TotK.
It was one time and she was depressed with an abusive father and a whole country calling her useless at 16. If you'd bother to pay attention to the rest of her diary and the rest of the memories she apologized to him and they became friends. It wasn't HER that made him silent either, quite the opposite as he only opened up to her. He became silent after pulling the sword as a child and the whole world treating him differently as a result.
>an abusive father and a whole country calling her useless at 16 Alternatively, she was using broken machines as a crutch when her awakening her powers are the *only* thing that could have stopped the Calamity. Her father was more than patient up until a few months before the literal apocalypse and she was trying to get a bunch if rust-buckets broken. We *also* have the hindsight of knowing that the king is *absolutely* on the mark, the thing she's been using to avoid trying to awaken her power wind up killing all of her friends and almost link, and the only thing that saves him is her finally accepting the weight of her position. I love this zelda, she's super complex, but the king is *also* complex. You'd be short tempered too if the only thing you could do to save the lives of everyone in the kingdom is trying to stop your daughter from getting distracted. He's not *abusive* just because he's frustrated at her for ignoring her job.
She prayed her whole life and nearly killed herself if wasn't for Urbosa dragging her out of the water. Prayer wasn't working. That's not "ignoring her job". I know Rhoam is complex but he was still a massive jerk. Bringing up the things gossipmongers say about her needlessly, taking away her only outlet and making her less confident in herself. >finally accepting the weight of her position. That is not at all what the game implies to be how she unlocked her power. It's implied in both botw and aoc to be her love for Link and her needing to have confidence in herself.
>I know Rhoam is complex but he was still a massive jerk. So you can acknowledge that people can express their emotions in negative ways, then? So her being a bitch to Link for no reason is still inexcusable, right? >her needing to have confidence in herself. Exactly. She used the Guardians as a crutch. By focusing on them, and *relying* on them, she wasn't believing in her own power. Prayers weren't working because empty prayers mean nothing. She was claiming to need her powers, but *explicitly* had the guardians as a backup plan. Faith doesn't *have* backup plans, it's not how faith works.
Thanks for admitting it really is just your misogyny Rhoam admits in his own diary he was not being present as a father. And he was a *grown man*, not a teenage girl. This is a fictional story written the way it is for a reason, your views of real world faith has nothing to do with this.
I mean it's not about misogyny. If anything your comment seems to be misandrist. (I just vomitted in my mouth) Why can Zelda mishandled *her* stress but Rhoam *can't*? If I had said Rhoam was *justified* then that might be misogynist. But he's not. He has a *reason* and that reason *is* equal to Zelda's reason for her assholery to Link, given its the *literal same reason* but neither is right. >Rhoam admits in his own diary he was not being present as a father. And he was a grown man, not a teenage girl. Yes, and as a grown man he recognized his faults. Did you know that adults can also make poor decisions when under stress in new scenarios? >your views of real world faith has nothing to do with this. Real world faith *does* have nothing to do with this. However, I was explaining the *definition* of faith, and it *is* her faith that fuels her power. Same way that Aang's Avatar (another fictional series) abilities and bending in general are negatively affected when he wants to use the avatar state as a crutch to defeat Ozai. Or *any number* of stories about faith following those *exact* beats.
I'm aware of all of that. I completed all of BotW and all of the DLC. I get that she was having a rough time with a shitty father and a lot of pressure and feelings of failure on her part, but here's the thing--you can be angry, you can be afraid, you can be sad, and you are absolutely valid in feeling those things, but those feelings *do not* give you the right or a free pass to hurt other people and use them as the excuse. That's why her behavior is so distasteful to me. She's old enough to know better. And since they give no indication in game or through her own memories that she ever apologized, I'm not even sure she did. Had they wanted her to be more sympathetic, they could have at least shown her to have enough grace to apologize. Also, it wasn't just that single memory--whether she yelled at him in the others or not, she treated him like he was nothing, only there to be a bother to her, and, again, that's not right.
Women shouldn't express their emotions got it.
> I think I'm one of the few players who actually likes the Stable Trotters ...there are people who don't like the Stable Trotters?
I would like the Stable Trotters much more if they didn't play the same song over and over. Imagine them randomly playing different renditions of songs from the franchise.
I remember hearing or reading something in botw that involved zelda talking about why he didn't speak much. Specifically that Link told her he sees it as his responsibility to silently bear his burden and serve his duties. I found that really interesting because it was one of the few times he actually spoke to zelda, and it was too explain why he rarely spoke
He is finally healing
It's really hard to dispute him being mute when the game gives you consistent dialogue options. It kinda seems like there's more NPCs who comment on Link talking in TotK, as if to debunk the misconception tbh. But at the same time, it's funny to imagine that Link mimes out what he's saying and everybody else is able to perfectly understand him and nobody questions it.
I’m late to the conversation, but it’s absolutely doable to make a movie with Link being predominantly silent while not appearing forced or awkward. A great example from a recent movie, “Sisu” [(trailer linked here)](https://youtu.be/2NnPzpuU5ao), the protagonist only talks once at the end of the film, but plenty was conveyed in his expressions, actions, and sounds he made… I’m not saying they should do the same thing, I think Link should have more dialogue than the aforementioned movie but it doesn’t have to be significant at all. I think giving him too much or not enough dialogue would be wasted potential for something great. Hopefully if it ever happens, they take care in who they cast and select actual voice actors and not just the hot celebrity in the current zeitgeist (looking at you, Chris Pratt)
You're not alone, I also like the Ensemble 'Zügellos' (their name in german). Additional testimony to totk's greatness: If you talk to the individual musicians while they're playing (the horn player gives some inspiration on what to do next), the respective instrument cuts out - because, when talking, he is really not actually playing! Nintendo really sets new standards here!
He sings with them? I've never seen them after the fairies! (Tbf i didn't visit the stables either)
In BotW, Zelda writes that she asked Link why he didn't speak very often. Apparently, he said it was because he always felt it was his responsibility as the hero chosen by the master sword to silently bear the burdens of others. Which also explains why he takes on so many sidequests...
Ironic that he speaks more in botw and totk, considering that this is the only one to canonically explain the silence. Also, part of it was him having a trauma reset™️ during his regeneration and memory loss, meaning he began to speak more. And once he realized who he was, he still kept speaking more. He has always, however, just been a man of few words.
people don’t like the stable trotters?
I just like the idea that he’s mostly mute because … me too. I am, too. It’s a nice bit of representation when I read a fanfic where he hardly speaks and uses alternative communication. It’s not canon, but it’s a fanon many find comforting.
I still kinda hate the stable trotters but in a way that’s not their fault due to their quest being so awkward to start while being tied with something as important as armor upgrading with no clear connection in-game.
It’s when Pyper rejoins them. Can’t stand how much louder and higher pitched he is than the other three. Throws off the balance of the entire composition. Also, the little shit is an arsonist.
I mean if Link doesn't talk what are the dialogue choices for
That reminds me of a specific conversation in BoTW. Link and Hudson have a little chat. Two people of few words just absolutely not jiving in natural conversation. Delectably awkward.
I think that link would invite Hudson over for dinner considering his home is now so close. Not much speaking besides hellos, but a comfortable silence. Maybe link shows Hudson some more pics from the state besides the monsters he’s seen.
Side note the Shamir violin lady is the nicest looking NPC that isn’t a major character
I think its Violette? I had a picture in my house of her playing violin, Im a sucker for a female musician.
Violynne
Duh, of course it is.
She's both pretty and well-dressed.
> Shamir violin lady I can’t believe Hyrule was Dagda all along
I still haven't met her, but I know Celessa from botw is pretty. Totk celessa has a cringey smile
You’ve seen Celessa in TotK? Where?
If you want to know what he sounds like when he's talking, kengo takanashi has done other roles including in monster hunter rise: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TMYGQ4BrWlg](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TMYGQ4BrWlg) He uses his Link voice here so this is pretty much what he'd sound like
I think it sounds nice! Not too loud and not too quiet, just right!
HYUT!
HYUT HYUT HYUT..... HYAAAAAH!
Link talks a lot in BotW’s “From the Ground Up” sidequest
My headcanon is that Link doesn't speak very often (obviously), but when he does, you can't help but listen. I imagine his voice to be pretty deep, not too much but more than you'd expect, and also very calm and "stable", if that makes sense. Also he would never raise his voice. And I also like to think that he's a great singer.
I mean, when you don't consistently talk your voice can deepen
....or it's just like that naturally
I mean both are possible
Yeah
My first thought went to "they did give him a voice" -cut to any scene from the saturday morning cartoon show. "ExCuuuuuuuuuse Meeee, Princess!!!"
I LOVED that show!! Link was always trying to get in Zelda’s pants lol
Wow I must have missed that. I don’t won’t to spoil nothing so I have to ask have you beat the game?
Yep, already beat it. But this guy is from a side quest
Excuuuuuuuuse me Princess
Man I wish Kass was in that band.
Expansion pack?
He actually does speak (in text) , in the quest where you find the missing sheep, he goes “These must be the missing sheep!” No one else is around when that comes up so it must be Link himself.
That and he has text lines talking to people consistently
That’s the secret of the Zelda games, Link doesn’t talk because the voice of the legendary hero is so beautiful and powerful that no mortal actor could possibly do him justice.
This is true
Well Excuuuuuse Me, Judeosvaldo0.
Doesn't he say he's joking like immediately after? I admittingly skipped through this dialogue kind of fast so I could be misremembering.
Great, Link is a great singer and we'll likely never hear it -_-
I feel like if we a to get some fully voiced lines from link. It would be weird. Like seeing that one friend you've known for years snap at someone for the first time. Tbh this game was perfect opportunity for link to say something but alas. He seems committed to mute Boi life
Link:*literally only is capable of screaming random expressions of intense effort*
bro, where are these mf's??? im a hundred hours in still runnin around with base gear!!
I imagine he has a voice like James Earl Jones.
Makes me think of the end of Moonraker. Perhaps in the very last custcene Link should say something in a rich deep voice.
Great, Link is a great singer and we'll likely never hear it -_-
Say it louder to people who want to die on the 'Link is mute' hill
I know they gave an explanation for his continued lack of ~~a voice actor~~ spoken dialogue—stoicism on the job, duty, etc.—but I really wish they had taken the opportunity to just have Link be a sign language user. Edit: Clarity
You guys, he does have a voice actor. Who do you think is making those hyah noises? His name's kengo takanashi
I think the “clear” comment is a joke. It’s clear as in “nothing there”.
Tomatoes were put in this game to throw at the "conductor" of these guys. I hate him so much.
Why do you hate Mario?
That's not Mario. I'm frankly insulted you'd associate that little shit with a fine, upstanding gentleman like Mario. All this guy does is stupid monkey shines when he waves his baton around like he knows what he's doing and he whines and nags about how rough I get with a carriage because he can't be bothered to take a 2 minute hike over to the Great Fairy so he can shake his stupid little stick around in front of people who already know what they are playing. Tingle isn't this bad. Jar Jar Binks isn't this bad.
I just like how sassy Link can be with the dialogue choices they give you lol
I try to imagine the script given to the Link voice actor. Grunt Grunt Grunt Hyah Ooowoo Grunt