The Romance Thread IV: The Debate Continues

OoT and TP are only similar, along with ALTTP, in the hero collects 3 amulets to get master sword, then has to beat 5 more dungeons to beat Ganon and save princess and Hyrule formula. Other than that they are very different, mainly with Link turning into a wolf and the big focus on Midna in TP. Whereas OOT was obviously more focused on Zelda aiding Link as he time traveled back and forth between 7 years.

Originally Posted by Ganonslayer2000

OoT and TP are only similar, along with ALTTP, in the hero collects 3 amulets to get master sword, then has to beat 5 more dungeons to beat Ganon and save princess and Hyrule formula. Other than that they are very different, mainly with Link turning into a wolf and the big focus on Midna in TP. Whereas OOT was obviously more focused on Zelda aiding Link as he time traveled back and forth between 7 years.

I think it was more than that. They essentially took the same characters, plot devices and remixed them, but to a completely different conclusion.

Elaborating, I see Ilia representing both Saria and Malon. In OoT, Saria was eliminated as a romantic interest when she became a sage/Link was an adult. But in TP, rather than this happening, they almost seemed to strengthen the relationship when Ilia remembered Link. With the Malon aspect, it came out as "come live/stay in Ordon and marry me!" that seemed to be coming from Ilia, the mayor's daughter ( rancher's daughter in OoT ). But in OoT it was never seriously reconsidered when he was an adult however, and likewise TP Link seemed to leave Ordon behind at the end. Ilia's memory quest reminded me also of replaying Epona's Song after 7 years and unlocking Epona. ( You can play it for Malon, but she doesn't remember until Epona does. )

Again, I see Midna and the shadow aspect of her as representing Sheik, the shadow of OoT Zelda in a manner of speaking. Both accompanied Link throughout a great portion of his quest yet seemed different than Zelda. ( But not at heart where it counts, as Midna comments in the end ) Where in OoT the Sheik form was lost as Zelda revealed herself, Midna lost her imp form in a scene that seemed reminiscent of the Temple of Time in OoT. ( I'm always amused because I can see OoT Link reacting the same way as Link did to Midna. ) Anyways, in the end, the adult heroic Sheik-Zelda is lost irretrievably as Link is sent back in time, just as Midna breaks the mirror. With the end/MM he's still got Zelda and a strong bond, it's not as developed as that alternate future. With TP Link, he's got Zelda, but IMO, it was merely platonic.
With Midna, I did see the development of a romantic bond throughout the game, but it seemed weak compared to Ilia. Whereas in OoT we saw Saria eliminated, and later Ruto bow out while seemingly discovering Link's feelings for Zelda. All the while Sheik made some interesting speeches touching on love before turning into Zelda: as Zelda herself, the romantic hints/possibilities come through loud and clear to this player.

So these comparisons are what I mean by similarities. But the message I took at the end from both was completely different: from TP it was, Ilia: affirmed, Midna: eliminated, Zelda: irrelevant. From OoT: Zelda: affirmed, Saria: eliminated, Malon: irrelevant.

I know this sounds totally ridiculous but I'm just doing common courtesy to respond to your post. Ahem...In OOT I had a theory that Ingo ended up with Malon because she kept saying the same thing over and over again with a big smile on her face on how glad she was for Ingo. As for Illia I'd just rather go with the theory that the ending of TP was open ended to where maybe Link did end up going back with Illia but he told her to wait their patiently as he rode back to hyrule to tell Zelda that he was dumping her for a common peasant girl who happened to have an enormously swollen skull like the female version of the elephant man, that he thought was way sexier than any of Zeldas physical attributes. But seriously though...you know how I feel about Illia as I still dream of Link doing helm splitters repeatedly on her as she screams in horrid anguish WHY..WHY...WHY

Originally Posted by Ganonslayer2000

I know this sounds totally ridiculous but I'm just doing common courtesy to respond to your post. Ahem...In OOT I had a theory that Ingo ended up with Malon because she kept saying the same thing over and over again with a big smile on her face on how glad she was for Ingo. As for Illia I'd just rather go with the theory that the ending of TP was open ended to where maybe Link did end up going back with Illia but he told her to wait their patiently as he rode back to hyrule to tell Zelda that he was dumping her for a common peasant girl who happened to have an enormously swollen skull like the female version of the elephant man, that he thought was way sexier than any of Zeldas physical attributes. But seriously though...you know how I feel about Illia as I still dream of Link doing helm splitters repeatedly on her as she screams in horrid anguish WHY..WHY...WHY

I'm just trying to keep the debate going. Ridiculous? Actually, I wouldn't call it ridiculous at all. Just unpopular and kind of icky to suggest Malon ended up with Ingo. However, several things can support it. One, Malon's goal is to find a partner: the guy already works there. I don't think Link will ever choose her either.
Two, an interesting observation can be noticed in TP. If Malon has descendants, they are undoubtably Talo and Malo's family, just from looking and comparing the official art of the two games. ( Malo has her face ) But another observation can be made. Talo has Ingo's eyebrows, and so does their mother. And Malo has Ingo's attitude. "My family only owns a waterwheel..."
Again, I'm sure people are looking at me in horror now for suggesting it, but it's plausible. Either that or Malon and Ingo's descendants intermarried and form the lower class ranching/village bums. On the bright side, Malon's descendants look nothing like Link ( his likely blood relatives seen visibly in either Colin and/or TP Link. ) So I doubt the Hero of Time was Malo and Talo's ancestor. ( and Malon's husband )

Yeah Ingo lucked out I guess if OOT is LinkxZelda. But I still want to believe that Ingo is just a jerk who makes Talon and Malon stay outside every night while he sleeps all comfy inside. So this all goes back to what i stated when I first started debating you in that OOT Zelda only sees Link as a naive child like a Forrest Gump that sort of frustrates him to eventually decide and take up Talon's proposition and move in with Malon and kick Ingo outside with Talon as Link spends his honeymoon at Lon Lon Ranch while back at Hyrule castle Zelda is fuming from her throne at Link for not being the loyally predictable puppy dog he was supposed to be. Ha JK

Originally Posted by Ganonslayer2000

Yeah Ingo lucked out I guess if OOT is LinkxZelda. But I still want to believe that Ingo is just a jerk who makes Talon and Malon stay outside every night while he sleeps all comfy inside. So this all goes back to what i stated when I first started debating you in that OOT Zelda only sees Link as a naive child like a Forrest Gump that sort of frustrates him to eventually decide and take up Talon's proposition and move in with Malon and kick Ingo outside with Talon as Link spends his honeymoon at Lon Lon Ranch while back at Hyrule castle Zelda is fuming from her throne at Link for not being the loyally predictable puppy dog he was supposed to be. Ha JK

And part of me sympathizes with Ingo a bit, or I did when Malon was a kid. Talon and Malon always struck me as fairly lazy. Talon is sleeping and Malon is just singing outside while Ingo shovels manure all day and does back-breaking labour. So when I re-encountered Malon standing all forelorn as an adult holding a bucket, I couldn't really muster much sympathy for her. It was unfortunate that Ingo had turned into such a jerk but Talon needed a kick in the butt for his laziness. ( As he later says about turning over a new leaf )

Malon just seemed caught in the middle. But I don't think Malon was ever in any real danger either from Ingo, unlike Zelda, Ruto and Saria, so less sympathy for her. She seemed like a girl who wanted to be rescued from reality rather than embracing it. I guess romantically I see Link as more suitable for a girl who actually needs rescuing, but not because of a lack of trying.

Once again: that impression ( your perrogative to have of course ) seems off to me. Zelda is portrayed as manipulative, and Link as vindictive. But I don't think the games support it. Zelda is compassionate and empathetic, especially towards Link. Link seems like he's learned to take bad things in life, and wouldn't hold resentment easily, especially not towards someone doing their duty, like Zelda.
Also, I don't think the games have ever portrayed Link as actually wanting Malon, so I have a hard time seeing him choosing her. She chooses and chases him.

I see Malon similar to Illia in that they both want Link but in OOT, Link seems to neither accept or reject Malon. Whereas in my open ended theory in TP, Link soundly rejects Illia as she stands there shattered and heartbroken as he rides away back to Hyrule. I agree with some people that Malon is some sort of temptress alternative to Zelda but at the same time I doubt OOT Link would have the guts to think for himself and keep his options open and remain an unattached bachelor as I would want him to be. I can accept the popular vote that OOT or TP Link would be totally wrapped around Zeldas finger to eventually get married, but for some reason I see Zelda doing the proposing instead of Link since he is basically an uber shy mute with no independent thoughts of his own when it comes to the whims of princess Zelda.

Originally Posted by Ganonslayer2000

I see Malon similar to Illia in that they both want Link but in OOT, Link seems to neither accept or reject Malon. Whereas in my open ended theory in TP, Link soundly rejects Illia as she stands there shattered and heartbroken as he rides away back to Hyrule. I agree with some people that Malon is some sort of temptress alternative to Zelda but at the same time I doubt OOT Link would have the guts to think for himself and keep his options open and remain an unattached bachelor as I would want him to be. I can accept the popular vote that OOT or TP Link would be totally wrapped around Zeldas finger to eventually get married, but for some reason I see Zelda doing the proposing instead of Link since he is basically an uber shy mute with no independent thoughts of his own when it comes to the whims of princess Zelda.

That was exactly what I meant when I said the message I took from OoT at the end was, Malon: irrelevant. She's never eliminated like Ruto or Saria, but simply left open as an option. But not the one that Link clearly chose, IMO.

Call me old fashioned, but I'm of the firm belief that in a romantic relationship, the guy needs to show interest and doing some pursuing or nothing will happen. It's probably not a popular opinion with today's modern women ( where it seems we are encouraged to take charge), but I've seen few romantic relationships that ended happily when the girl was the only one chasing.
Dealing with the Zelda games, I have a hard time banishing the concept that Link is pursuing Zelda when he quests to rescue her. He could be merely doing his heroic duty, ( as was my impression of TP ) but in so many cases there's the indication of more. With OoT at the end, Adult Zelda effectively sends him away, yet he marches right back to her as a child again. He leaves in MM, but it's not a permanent goodbye judging by the scene atop the Clock Tower, or the ending. With Malon, he doesn't exactly reject her, but doesn't go out of his way to chase her either. At least nothing he does is something he doesn't do for anyone else. You can make a case that he accepts her by feeling "warm and fuzzy" when Cremia hugs him, but he didn't exactly get a chance in that: she grabbed him and she's quite pretty. I would be surprised if he didn't react that way: even Mario of great dedication to Princess Peach has likewise been known to show a heart here and there to blatant affection from various females.
Another positive romantic indication I've seen with OoT/MM in particular is the impression that Link actually misses Zelda when he is away, or desires to be with her. I thought that was the emotional wallop behind him being sent back as a kid, and leaving in MM.

Back to Ilia once again...I couldn't shake the feeling that Link did indeed miss her, or want to be with her throughout most of the game. But her amnesia served the purpose of making him focus elsewhere and in the end, he didn't seem himself after Midna's departure so I am unsure. But I doubt he left wanting to hurt her.

Originally Posted by gliderpilotgirl

That was exactly what I meant when I said the message I took from OoT at the end was, Malon: irrelevant. She's never eliminated like Ruto or Saria, but simply left open as an option. But not the one that Link clearly chose, IMO.

Call me old fashioned, but I'm of the firm belief that in a romantic relationship, the guy needs to show interest and doing some pursuing or nothing will happen. It's probably not a popular opinion with today's modern women ( where it seems we are encouraged to take charge), but I've seen few romantic relationships that ended happily when the girl was the only one chasing.
Dealing with the Zelda games, I have a hard time banishing the concept that Link is pursuing Zelda when he quests to rescue her. He could be merely doing his heroic duty, ( as was my impression of TP ) but in so many cases there's the indication of more. With OoT at the end, Adult Zelda effectively sends him away, yet he marches right back to her as a child again. He leaves in MM, but it's not a permanent goodbye judging by the scene atop the Clock Tower, or the ending. With Malon, he doesn't exactly reject her, but doesn't go out of his way to chase her either. At least nothing he does is something he doesn't do for anyone else. You can make a case that he accepts her by feeling "warm and fuzzy" when Cremia hugs him, but he didn't exactly get a chance in that: she grabbed him and she's quite pretty. I would be surprised if he didn't react that way: even Mario of great dedication to Princess Peach has likewise been known to show a heart here and there to blatant affection from various females.
Another positive romantic indication I've seen with OoT/MM in particular is the impression that Link actually misses Zelda when he is away, or desires to be with her. I thought that was the emotional wallop behind him being sent back as a kid, and leaving in MM.

Back to Ilia once again...I couldn't shake the feeling that Link did indeed miss her, or want to be with her throughout most of the game. But her amnesia served the purpose of making him focus elsewhere and in the end, he didn't seem himself after Midna's departure so I am unsure. But I doubt he left wanting to hurt her.

Oh yeah without a doubt a guy needs to take the initiative and do the pursuing without being a stalker so no arguement there, but the modern popular version of fan fic OOT/TP Link seems to be this idealistic brave and courageous guy who can fight well but gets a little nervous and unsure around cute girls. Kind of like the Yin and Yang thing that seems to be common in fictional literature nowadays. Zelda seems to be more of an assertive figure at least way more assertive than Link. But at the same time she has a girly girly side that wishes Link would get some nuts for a change and say No to her for once or get in an arguement with her. I'm old fashioned too and I think you need a little reciprocation with sexual tension between a guy and a girl to get a romance really going. I know everyones social experience is different from mine but the whole Link being such a dear to Zelda all the time makes him too much of an unassertive doormat IMO for Zelda to like him in that type of way.

As for Malon, she would probably like him as a doormat anyway and just whip him in shape to be the ideal husband that does all the work on the farm and rewards him with good old fashioned country dinners if he does his work right. In romance Malon seems she would make the first move on the super shy Link whereas with Zelda I don't see that happening at all. She would just wait there and hope that Link would man up and get a clue one day but meanwhile the fire bush redhead is deviously trying to seduce Link everytime he visits Lon Lon ranch to drink some milk.

OK..seriously now..I don't think Link would hurt Illia intentionally at all as IMO he only sees her as a naive but beloved little sister. I believe he was aware of the pure romantic affection she had for him but didn't care enough for a long goodbye that would end in him totally rejecting her face to face. So I guess it was easier for him to get up and leave to do his own thing as she stood there shocked and confused that he actually left.

WHOO 1st post! *shot*

I really like the fact that Midna is the only one I know of (haven't played all the games---so shoot me, I'm a mom in real life, I don't have all the money or time I'd like for Zelda-ing) that Link seems to have some romantic inclination towards. Same with Midna towards Link. Either that or they're just really friendly with each other. XD But you don't see Link and Illia that way and he's lived in a village with her.

Welcome!

Originally Posted by Ganonslayer2000

Oh yeah without a doubt a guy needs to take the initiative and do the pursuing without being a stalker so no arguement there, but the modern popular version of fan fic OOT/TP Link seems to be this idealistic brave and courageous guy who can fight well but gets a little nervous and unsure around cute girls. Kind of like the Yin and Yang thing that seems to be common in fictional literature nowadays. Zelda seems to be more of an assertive figure at least way more assertive than Link. But at the same time she has a girly girly side that wishes Link would get some nuts for a change and say No to her for once or get in an arguement with her. I'm old fashioned too and I think you need a little reciprocation with sexual tension between a guy and a girl to get a romance really going. I know everyones social experience is different from mine but the whole Link being such a dear to Zelda all the time makes him too much of an unassertive doormat IMO for Zelda to like him in that type of way.

It's my observation in life that when a man is really in love, he will do almost anything for the woman he loves. That can be mistaken for being spineless, but I prefer to think of it as utter selflessness out of love. Link doesn't strike me as the type of guy who won't stand up for himself, but rather maybe his feelings for Zelda make him vulnerable to her. We don't usually see Link stand up to Zelda because she's almost always right: it would serve no purpose but for his pride. We do know he HAS given his input however, if not TP likely would never have happened. Aonuma said that when Link returned to Zelda in the end of OoT, they "had a little talk, and as a consequence of that talk, their relationship with Ganon took a whole different direction." To me, that says that rather than repeating the flawed plan, Link conspired with Zelda equally to the end of eventually having him executed by the Sages.

Originally Posted by Ganonslayer2000

As for Malon, she would probably like him as a doormat anyway and just whip him in shape to be the ideal husband that does all the work on the farm and rewards him with good old fashioned country dinners if he does his work right. In romance Malon seems she would make the first move on the super shy Link whereas with Zelda I don't see that happening at all. She would just wait there and hope that Link would man up and get a clue one day but meanwhile the fire bush redhead is deviously trying to seduce Link everytime he visits Lon Lon ranch to drink some milk.

While I do agree that Malon would likely be more pro-active in pursuing Link, I don't think "devious" is quite right. She just strikes me as some simple and vivacious young girl who has little else to think about other than husbands and such, and Link fits the requirement. The sum total of her aspiration in life is likely to marry some guy and have kids: that's not a bad thing, just common. So she can afford to throw all her energy into flirting with him.
She doesn't come across as a bad person though: I'd like to think she'd never attempt to actively take Link if he was in love with Zelda. Like with Cremia, she wanted Kafei, but didn't seem to have attempted to take him from Anju.

Originally Posted by Ganonslayer2000

OK..seriously now..I don't think Link would hurt Illia intentionally at all as IMO he only sees her as a naive but beloved little sister. I believe he was aware of the pure romantic affection she had for him but didn't care enough for a long goodbye that would end in him totally rejecting her face to face. So I guess it was easier for him to get up and leave to do his own thing as she stood there shocked and confused that he actually left.

See..I can agree that Ilia would be bewildered, simply not understanding why he left. Her life has completely returned to normal as has Ordon..yet Link hasn't. If he did leave without seeing her, it would likely be because he didn't want to hurt her, or try to explain.

I agree that Malon would probably back off if she knew Zelda had him on a leash which would not surprise me. But most of the reason why I think Link and Zeldas relationship as being dominated by Zelda is the OOT endscene in the sky where she tells Link to give her the Ocarina which he does without thought or question. Then comes the sad look on her face which told me "Darn it...I wish Link wasn't such an uber obedient girly man and just say No, so he can stay here with me as an adult."

As I said before, everyones life experience varies from person to person and if your husband treats you the way OOT/TP Link probably treats Zelda and you live a happy marriage thats just great. But from my own experience in serious relationships and observing my close friends who are already married, it seems to be my own belief that being too sweet to one another all the time 24/7 makes a relationship seem bland, boring and predictable and there has to be the occasional disagreement to keep the fire going. Now I'm not saying Link should just start fights with Zelda for the sake of macho pride, but next time she gives subtle hints that he doesn't have to give back the Ocarina, be a real man and say No for a change.

Originally Posted by Ganonslayer2000

I agree that Malon would probably back off if she knew Zelda had him on a leash which would not surprise me. But most of the reason why I think Link and Zeldas relationship as being dominated by Zelda is the OOT endscene in the sky where she tells Link to give her the Ocarina which he does without thought or question. Then comes the sad look on her face which told me "Darn it...I wish Link wasn't such an uber obedient girly man and just say No, so he can stay here with me as an adult."

I agree with you in that Zelda seems to be dominant in the relationship, but seeing as who she is...it would be hard for her not to be. She's still a ruler and a very smart lady. I doubt she can stop being a leader.

I don't think he gave it back without hesitation ( he does stop, look at the Ocarina before meeting her eyes and surrendering it ) but he did it because of his love and trust in her. If he had resisted, the result may have been similar to the OoT manga. She asked him in that for the Ocarina back, only to have him resist and be upset: and pretty much flat out imply he had quested out of his feelings for her. But he stops himself short of saying that, likely because he can see what it is doing to her. She is shown with tears running down her face, yet resolute. My point is that if he had resisted, he would have made it harder for her, but it wouldn't have changed her mind. She felt she was doing the right thing, regardless of her own feelings.
I do wish that he could have stayed an adult though. The same way that I wish Midna wouldn't have broke the mirror. At least with OoT we have hope for them as kids when they grow up again. ( Another reason I am so against Link marrying Malon: It would be wrong to see Link and Zelda denied their happy ending again. )

Originally Posted by Ganonslayer2000

As I said before, everyones life experience varies from person to person and if your husband treats you the way OOT/TP Link probably treats Zelda and you live a happy marriage thats just great. But from my own experience in serious relationships and observing my close friends who are already married, it seems to be my own belief that being too sweet to one another all the time 24/7 makes a relationship seem bland, boring and predictable and there has to be the occasional disagreement to keep the fire going. Now I'm not saying Link should just start fights with Zelda for the sake of macho pride, but next time she gives subtle hints that he doesn't have to give back the Ocarina, be a real man and say No for a change.

Saying a happy couple is necessarily always loving and sweet to each to other seems false to me: reality is they will disagree from time to time. I would just hope Link would pick his battles well.

I've never read the Manga before so thats interesting to know that it got deeper on that scene than the game did. But yeah Link better choose his battles with Zelda well even if he will always be defeated. All Zelda would have to say is that she will give Link a peck on the cheek if he behaves and does what he is told. Hence..Links meager attempts at being a manly man goes down in a ball of flame. So believe it or not I agree with a lot you have to say.

I like to think that, at the end of TP, Link returned to Zelda. Not necessarily because of romantic attachment (which is hard to argue given the scanty in-game evidence) but to serve Hyrule alongside her. I like this idea a lot, simply because it opens a lot of interesting story material about the conflict between Link's new duty to Hyrule and his attachment to Ordon village. I can see him feeling caught between these two worlds; one of which is embracing his greater role as hero, and the other as shrinking back to his quiet, old, normal life. Whichever you think he'd choose depends on how you imagine his character to be.

Originally Posted by Ganonslayer2000

I've never read the Manga before so thats interesting to know that it got deeper on that scene than the game did. But yeah Link better choose his battles with Zelda well even if he will always be defeated. All Zelda would have to say is that she will give Link a peck on the cheek if he behaves and does what he is told. Hence..Links meager attempts at being a manly man goes down in a ball of flame. So believe it or not I agree with a lot you have to say.

Really? I will confess my views on Zelda x Link were pretty much set by it: I had suspected from the game, and the manga just expanded it hugely. In it, when Link stopped himself from going furthur ( and making it worse ), he knelt, put his hand to his heart and swore the line in my sig. Being a comic book nerd, I've read plenty of good comics, but I instantly burst into tears at that point.
Another interesting thing that the manga does ( and not the game ) is flat out torpedo the Malon x Link thing. Malon decides maybe Link is her Prince ( Knight from the game ) only to have him call out Zelda's name a second later and destroy that illusion.
M: "What's your relationship with her?"
L: "Huh?" *fighting off hordes of Gerudos
M:" You don't even need to tell me. I saw the look in your eyes. Ahh..what a short love Malon's was."

Again, I've seen/heard of the best of men ( and some real leaders ) who are putty in their wives' hands. But another point to prove he's not completely spineless: In MM, it seems clear to me that Link was hurting Zelda when he left her, and he knew it. But he still went and didn't crumble in the face of her sadness. I definately think he was affected by it though: Tatl had to smack him on the head to get him to pay attention to his impending doom. ( and break him out his memories )

Originally Posted by Sirius B

I like to think that, at the end of TP, Link returned to Zelda. Not necessarily because of romantic attachment (which is hard to argue given the scanty in-game evidence) but to serve Hyrule alongside her. I like this idea a lot, simply because it opens a lot of interesting story material about the conflict between Link's new duty to Hyrule and his attachment to Ordon village. I can see him feeling caught between these two worlds; one of which is embracing his greater role as hero, and the other as shrinking back to his quiet, old, normal life. Whichever you think he'd choose depends on how you imagine his character to be.

I know that's true, but in stepping back for a second: I don't think LoZ overall is a game about romance, individuals or personal desire. It strikes me instead as a game about destiny. Link is called out of where ever he is to assume the role of Hero...why does it end when the adventure does? Zelda's calling is a lifetime job, and using people like the Hero's Spirit as evidence I think Link's is equally. Taking it a step furthur..what if his eventual destiny ( the same for all Link's ) is to rule beside her? ( serve Hyrule alongside her, as you said )
I see anything less as a waste of his potential. He could be her chief knight and leader of her forces, but that's still a limited and subservient role. She'd be on the throne alone, and there'd be many candidates to join her. Link is already her partner, and I don't think a relatively insignificant character ( in the grand scheme of things, someone like Ilia, Malon ) would be enough to prevent them from uniting if they felt it was for a common cause.

That reminds me of a quote from Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, where Spock tells Kirk: "Commanding a starship is your first, best, destiny. Anything else is a waste of material." Likewise, I think it a waste of material for Link to go back to herding coats or tending cattle. The games make it clear that no one in Hyrule is anywhere near the warrior that Link is. TP, in fact, goes out of its way to suggest that pretty much everyone sucks as a fighter in Hyrule except Link, Zelda, and Ashei, and a few others. At the same time, I think Link would be conflicted; Ilia's an open option for him and he no doubt cares for her. But he'd also be aware of his new duty as a hero to Hyrule.

Zelda or Saria. They're both possibilitys. He obviously likes both of them.

Zelda, definately especialy in OoT (with the sole exception of Twilight Princess that is his best match). Saria never, she's cute, she's nice, she'd be perfect for Link if she wasn't a Kokiri. She's a spirit that will never grow up. He'll keep on aging while she'll just stay the same forever.

Originally Posted by Sirius B

That reminds me of a quote from Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, where Spock tells Kirk: "Commanding a starship is your first, best, destiny. Anything else is a waste of material." Likewise, I think it a waste of material for Link to go back to herding coats or tending cattle. The games make it clear that no one in Hyrule is anywhere near the warrior that Link is. TP, in fact, goes out of its way to suggest that pretty much everyone sucks as a fighter in Hyrule except Link, Zelda, and Ashei, and a few others. At the same time, I think Link would be conflicted; Ilia's an open option for him and he no doubt cares for her. But he'd also be aware of his new duty as a hero to Hyrule.

And that reminds me of Star Trek Generations, where Kirk admits his unhappiness at having given up the Captain's life because the result is he's no longer making a difference in the now. If Link DID give up his heroism for the farm life, he may bitterly regret it down the line. I don't think he could have his cake and eat it too either ( Ilia/Malon AND Hero's life ) : it seems clear to me that a marriage to either means obligations. Less with Ilia, but if he did choose that path...I can see him becoming brooding, distant and deeply unhappy once the honeymoon was over and life was back to normal.
I've come across the opinion that Link settling down with Malon ( or Ilia in principle ) and leading a life of peace, babies and farming would be the happy ending for him that he truly deserves. Maybe that's a happy ending for Ilia/Malon but not for him in my mind. He deserves so much more for what he's done, Zelda herself and Hyrule are the only fitting reward I can see.

I do agree: if Link chose not to be a Hero, what a waste. I don't think they'd be able to replace him either. I liked the scene where Shad, Ashei, Rusl and Auru looked up to him: as they would to a ruler or leader. He's the only one short of Zelda who could likely command their respect and loyalty.