It's all in the presentation, and I doubt Nintendo would ever portray Link as emo or rebelious. If you want an example of a hero against an entire world without being overdramtic or emo, look no further than Metroid. And, like I said, Link's Awakening did this too, but it a much different way. You were trying to wake the Wind Fish from the nightmare to get off the island (which happened to be the nightmare). During this time, you meet several characters that really grow on you, but they are just part of the dream that you destory in the end. Yes, it sounds emo, but the game pulled it off without even a hint of being overdramatic.

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