The Legend Of Zelda: Every Version Of Link, Ranked By Power

Summary

• Skyward Sword Link is one of the strongest, being the first to wield the Master Sword, hold all Triforce parts, and defeat powerful villains.
• Breath of the Wild's Link is formidable, boasting a diverse arsenal and unique powers like time manipulation and arm replacement.
• The Hero of Legend is iconic, defeating multiple villains, saving realms, and being the only Link to defeat Ganon with all Triforce pieces.

The hero of Hyrule has appeared in numerous forms since he debuted in The Legend of Zelda in 1985, with different iterations of Link appearing throughout his adventures across Hyrule, Koholint Island, Termina, and more. Each version of this iconic character has possessed unique skills and tools from others, making every Link different from the rest.

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Some Links are definitely stronger than others, with factors such as weapons, tools, and even the enemies each Link faces being taken into account when deciding the strongest version of the character.

Updated December 24, 2024 by Rebecca Phillips: Link has had a lot of iterations over the course of the Zelda series. Each version of him has been on adventures and had to face various adversities, but which one of them is really the strongest? We've updated this list to include Link from Tears of the Kingdom.

15 Four Links

Four Swords

In this adventure, Link is tasked with defeating the evil mage Vaati, who has escaped from his entrapment in the 'Four Sword.' The real point of interest in this version of Link is the fact that there are four separate versions of the character, meaning the game can be played with four players.

The four heroes do manage to seal Vaati back in the Four Sword, but he eventually finds his way out of the seal anyway. They also have a limited move set, with only the typical bombs, bow, and boomerang appearing among other series staples.

14 The New Hero Of Hyrule

A Link Between Worlds & Tri-Force Heroes

The New Hero of Hyrule has a fairly simple adventure for Link's standards, although his ability to blend into walls is a pretty cool addition to Link's move set. He does manage to take down both Ganon and Yuga, as well as saving both Hyrule and Lorule, but the character itself just isn't very powerful compared to others.

He does reappear in Tri-Force Heroes, defeating the evil witch Maud. This adventure is on a much smaller scale, though, with the greatest evil Maud commits being the fact she places a curse on the Princess of Hyptopia in which she must always wear an ugly jumpsuit.

13 Hero Of The Minish

The Minish Cap

The Hero of the Minish is tasked with defeating Vaati in an adventure that takes place long before Four Swords. This Link's ability to become tiny is certainly cool, but it's very much a situational power, and one that doesn't have much use outside of allowing him to enter the world of the Picori.

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​​​​​He does have an awesome talking hat, though, who accompanies Link on this bite-sized adventure. Unfortunately, this Link isn't even able to defeat Vaati properly; instead, he seals him in the Four Sword that the mage eventually breaks out of anyway.

12 Hero Of Trains

Spirit Tracks

Spirit Tracks is an odd game by Zelda standards, with this version of Link owning a train and being accompanied by a ghostly armor set which turns out to be Zelda. He's not a warrior by any means, with this Link's dream job being that of an engineer as opposed to a world-saving hero.

In fairness, he does a pretty decent job of defeating Malladus, all things considered. But he is unable to match up against the majority of Links, hence his low placement on this list.

11 Hero Of Hyrule

The Legend Of Zelda & The Adventure Of Link

The original Link deserves some respect purely because without him, there wouldn't be any others to compare. He also went on his first kingdom-saving adventure at just ten years old! Equipped with only a sword given to him by a strange man in a cave, this Link manages to restore the Triforce of Wisdom and defeat Ganon.

His next adventure tasks him with finding the Triforce of Courage, all while facing off against Ganon's henchmen, who are determined to use Link to restore their deceased master. Link is able to restore the Triforce of Courage and awaken the sleeping Princess Zelda—a fairly successful set of adventures by all accounts.

10 The Hero

Hyrule Warriors

Although not considered part of the main canon, Hyrule Warriors offers a different version of Link, who begins as a trainee royal knight. Similar to other incarnations of the hero, this Link also bears the Triforce of Courage, which reveals itself when Link is beaten by Volga but is still determined to protect Impa. The hack-and-slash gameplay also means Link can use plenty of sword techniques and combos to dispatch his enemies with ease.

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On his journey. Link develops his skills but becomes reckless thanks to his newfound power - a quality that the villainous Cia exploits to create dark versions of the hero. Link realizes his weaknesses when his friends come to his side to aid him. Although Link has the innate power of the hero, he still has some growing to do in Hyrule Warriors to eventually become a worthy heir to the spirit of the hero.

9 Hero Of Twilight

Twilight Princess

The Hero of Twilight has one of the best abilities of the lot, being able to turn into a wolf, as well as being accompanied by Midna, one of the most interesting companions the series has seen. He has a fairly standard move set but is one of the most skilled versions of Link when it comes to his ability to wield a sword.

He is also the only version of Link to actually kill Ganondorf, with every other encounter with the legendary villain resulting in his defeat but without Link striking the killing blow.

8 Hero Of The Skies

Skyward Sword

Chronologically, Skyward Sword Link is the first in the series, and this Link is training to be a Knight before his adventure even begins. Not only is this Link the first to wield the legendary Master Sword, but he also uses it to defeat both Ghirahim and Demise, two of the series' strongest villains.

He also manages to hold all three parts of the Triforce and has access to a Loftwing that allows him to fly across the world of Skyloft. This Link is definitely not one to be messed with.

7 Hero Of Light

Four Swords Adventures

This version of the split Links is much stronger than his predecessor, mainly because they can defeat both Ganon and Vaati, two of the series' most commonly seen villains. Hyrule's Knights disappear, and Zelda, along with the Six Maidens, are sealed away, leaving the four Links as the only obstacle stopping Hyrule's destruction.

Link's move set and arsenal are fairly similar to the standard ones seen across the series, but a few extra additions, as well as the obvious multi-Link component, mean this Link is definitely stronger than a lot of his counterparts.

6 Hero Of Winds

The Wind Waker & Phantom Hourglass

Another Link that features in multiple adventures, The Hero of Winds wields the Wind Waker, which grants him the ability to alter the weather itself. He also has a talking boat that is, in fact, the King of Hyrule, Daphnes Nohansen Hyrule.

This Link managed to locate the hidden Master Sword, earn himself the Triforce of Courage, and even defeat Ganon, all while being just an ordinary boy, lacking the heroic destiny shared by most other Links.