Linkle
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Linkle | |
|---|---|
| The Legend of Zelda character | |
 Linkle, as she appears in Hyrule Warriors | |
| First game | Hyrule Warriors Legends (2016) |
| Designed by | Chris Pranger |
| Voiced by | Mikako Komatsu |
Linkle (Japanese: リンクル, Hepburn: Rinkuru) is a fictional character who appears in various versions of Hyrule Warriors, a non-canon spin-off title in Nintendo's The Legend of Zelda series, starting with the 2016 Nintendo 3DS release of Hyrule Warriors Legends. She was originally featured in concept art for Hyrule Warriors, and was conceived as Link's sister, though this idea was rejected by The Legend of Zelda designer Eiji Aonuma who felt this conflicted with Link's sister, Aryll, in The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker.
The decision to include her in Hyrule Warriors Legends was due to a strong response to the concept art. Reception towards Linkle was generally positive, though it was mixed across different groups. Western fans showed more excitement for her than Japanese fans. There were also disagreements with regard to how Linkle was executed, namely with the concept of a female Link.
Concept artwork of Linkle wielding a red and silver crossbow was first seen in the official art book for Hyrule Warriors, with a note that a female Link was considered for the game.[1] A later tweet from Hyrule Warriors developer Koei Tecmo's Twitter account pondered whether they should include her due to the attention she received.[2] A trailer for the Nintendo 3DS re-release Hyrule Warriors Legends showed a red-and-silver crossbow, prompting speculation that she would be added in this version.[1] Linkle was officially revealed for Legends in November 2015, complete with attire similar to The Legend of Zelda series protagonist Link.
While Linkle does not have any relation to Link, she was originally meant to be his sister. This was proposed by Hyrule Warriors designers at Koei Tecmo, but The Legend of Zelda franchise designer Eiji Aonuma felt that this conflicted with Link's sister Aryll in The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker, who is the only sister he has in the series. Linkle was designed in part to add greater diversity to the game.[3] She is the last character written by Chris Pranger before leaving Nintendo, with Pranger stating that he "wanted her to be special."[4] A scene where Linkle rescues Tingle from Ghirahim was cut from the final game due to the designers feeling like it clashed with Linkle's heroic attributes.[5] When asked if she would appear in future games, Aonuma remarked that they would keep her in mind.[6] She is described as "boundlessly cheerful", kind and naive, and "she always stops to help those in need".[7] She is voiced by Mikako Komatsu.[8]
