The Legends of Zelda
Rise of Final Darkness
(Dark link)
Dark Link is everything that Link is not and everything that he is at the same time. It would be accurate to say he is Link's exact opposite, for whatever Link desires, Dark Link wants the opposite. He holds the skills of the Hero but instead of all things good, he is bad, this making it possible that Dark Link was created from all of the negative thoughts and feelings in Link, the Hero of Time. It is also possible that Ganon brought life to Link's shadow using dark and evil magic. He is filled with evil and a need to destroy the Hero and the line of the Hero. Dark Link in Zelda II: The Adventure of Link is the same person as the one in The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time possibly, but the Link is different. Unlike Dark Link, Link is not immortal and eventually dies. However, several of the incarnations of the Hero of Time had to face Dark Link, or some of the mass-produced Shadow Links. It is unclear if Dark Link works for Ganon directly, or merely fights the hero on his own accord as he did in The Adventure of Link.
Dark Link's creation is not often elaborated upon in the games he appears in. However, it is generally assumed that Ocarina of Time reveals his backstory. As Link is traversing through the Water Temple, he comes upon a surreal room matted with water, a skyline, and a small tree in the middle. Link's shadow suddenly leaves the floor without him noticing and hides behind the tree, causing Link to lose his reflection in the water as well. After Link has no success opening the door on the other side of the room, he turns around and is ambushed by a dark version of himself. The weaker, mass-produced Shadow Links all come from various sources. In Four Swords Adventures, they are continuously spewed out by the magical Dark Mirror, obviously being separate entities from the original Dark Link. In Oracle of Ages, Veran produces four of her own, though they are the weakest to ever be displayed. In the Gameboy Advance version of A Link to the Past, four Shadow Links appear in a hidden dungeon, and it is stated that they represent the final challenge to the Hero before he can claim the Four Sword. In the non-canonical Four Swords manga, Dark Link is said to be Link's doppelganger from the Dark World; he does evil acts to be noticed, since people turn their backs to their shadows. This Link is also afraid of the light. In the end, he realizes that he is a part of Link, which made him a hero. He destroys the Dark Mirror, killing both Vaati and himself for the sake of the world. Before Dark Link dies, one of the four Links tells him, "You are one of us." This pretty much sides with the statement of me talking about dark link fighting link over the years to see how much he’s improved. Let me tell you of some of the games dark link has appeared in, Zelda II: The Adventure of Link, where Dark Link serves as the final boss of the game. Link is forced to fight him after the defeat of the Thunderbird, in order to win the Triforce of Courage. Dark Link appears when Link approaches the Triforce of Courage. The lights go out, and Link's shadow jumps away from his body and then proceeds to attack with his sword. He is eventually defeated by Link, who after the ordeal revives Princess Zelda. Dark Link is never described as one of Ganon's servants; more likely, he was a final test left for Link by the King who hid the Triforce of Courage. Nor is he at the time referred to as Dark Link. It is possible that he is a separate entity from the incarnation of Dark Link from Ocarina of Time. He also appears in, The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past, Dark Link appears only in the Game Boy Advance port of A Link to the Past. After clearing several sub-challenges included in The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords and the main game itself, the hidden Palace of the Four Sword appears. In this palace's final room, Link must battle four Shadow Links, each with a different tunic and different powers. Their tunics correspond to the colors of the Links that hold the Four Sword: Green, Red, Blue, and Purple. Each Shadow Link has a different power, and the powers of the previous ones. These powers include using Link's charge, sword beam, a jump attack, and the hurricane blade. Dark link also appears in the legends of zelda a link to the past, ocarina of time, oracle of ages, the four swords, and twilight princess. Although you do not fight him in
TP, there is a part where if you look at your shadow before extinguishing the lantern, your shadow really resembles him. It is very clear that dark link has indeed appeared in many of the recent zelda games. Proving my point in saying that he is watching link over the years to see, each time how much he’s improved. It wouldn’t surprise me at all to see dark link be the final most difficult boss, link has ever faced. He pretty much is always pretty damn close anyway! However, I do belive that dark link is links real enemy, and whether ganon is going to help link destroy it, or link do it alone, it’s one battle that is sure going to end the battle between good and darkness once and for all! Reggie one of nintendos biggest spokesman, has reviled this about dark link, “Hes a very interesting problem that seems to always linger around are hero, in an agonising sort of intimidated way. Mabye one could suggest that if are hero lives so will dark link, lets just say his darkness is sure to bring tears to the uplift of this story.” He than went on to say right before he left, “dark link interveining in the story is the final sand grain to reach the bottom of an hour glass. Very much to ones delight, the hour glass is only half full!” This was a very great statement made by reggie, but he can’t hide the answeres to our questions quite as good as Miyamoto can himself. This statement was very clear to the publics eye, it was telling us what we wanted to know and more! First off when reggie said, by link living so will dark link, I belive that if link dies so will dark link? I don’t know what he intended on us thinking, but that’s what it sounded like clear as day to me. Secondly, when reggie actually admitted to us where the zelda franchise with dark link will occur, im pretty sure it is the last in the book. You might ask how I know this, but it’s easy go read the quotes again for yourself. He actually said that the zelda where dark link intervines strongly, is the last grain to hit the bottom of the hourglass!!! Yea, yea. I know what you all are thinking, “NO! this can’t be the end of zelda!” Mabye that last installment could be? However there is some really great news to this as well! Reggie then went on to say that the hour glass is only half full! So that MUST mean that there are plenty of more zelda games to come before the last one reaches, and that is to our delight indeed!!! We also found out that dark link is the final foe that link must face, a tool he must defeat and keep from darknesses bane. There is indeed coming a Rise of Final Darkness.
02-19-2009, 07:32 PM
legends of zelda rise of final darkness article #2
