We were fortunate enough to receive a sit-down interview with legendary game creator Shigeru Miyamoto during E3 2016, where we brought up the lack of playable female Link in The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. According to Miyamoto, the reason for this is because Link is an existing male character, and therefore the main series of Zelda titles will always feature the tried and true version of the protagonist.
Miyamoto then wrapped things up by stating “… for me, I think for the main series Link has always been the protagonist.” Understandably, this is sure to upset fans that had hoped that rumors of a female Link would turn out to be true, but it seems an interesting sticking point for Nintendo.
This sentiment more or less mirrors what Aonuma stated about the decision, as both developers believe that Link is inherently a male character. To have a female hero take on the mantle, in their eyes, would be to change what makes their mute hero what he is – which is likely why Linkle exists as another entity within the Hyrule Warriors universe. Whether or not readers choose to accept this justification remains to be seen, but Miyamoto’s vision of what makes Link, well, Link includes the familiar hero everyone has known since the series’ inception back in 1986.
Whether or not this will change as future installments release remains to be seen, but it appears that fans will have to become accustomed to the long-standing version of The Legend of Zelda’s protagonist.
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is set to arrive for both Wii U and NX sometime in 2017.
