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To be completely honest right from the start - I thought long and hard about how to begin this blog post. As this is a topic of the utmost importance to me, I wanted to introduce the post with something special. But I just couldn't think of anything. That's why I'm starting this topic with my own blunt honesty.
I love being part of the Zelda community. In the years that I've been active in this community, I've met a lot of lovely, nice people. One of the things I particularly enjoy about interacting with other fans is hearing other fans' stories. How they got into Zelda, what their favorite game of the series is, what they associate with Zelda - all these personal stories are something very special and important to me. And one of these questions is, of course, the one I'm answering for you today from my own personal perspective:
"Which Link do you think is the best?"
Or also:
"Which Link do you like best?"
Well, what can I say? I didn't have to think about my answer for long. Because for me, there's only one right one:
Breath of the Wild's Link.
The Link you meet in the wonderful game "The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild", when he wakes up in the Shrine of Resurrection, completely unsuspecting and robbed of all his memories. The Link you accompany on his long journey through Hyrule, helping him to regain his lost memories and make up for past mistakes.
In my opinion, this Link is the best Link there could ever be.
In my opinion, his fate is one of the hardest Link has ever had in the entire Zelda series. He hasn't had it easy even before Calamity Ganon's awakening. As the Hero of Hyrule, he's always been the center of attention, exposed to people's constant expectations of a hero like him. The only people he was able to open up to were the four other Champions and, of course, Princess Zelda. When Calamity Ganon finally awoke, Mipha, Urbosa, Daruk and Revali tragically lost their lives in the process. And Link himself almost suffered the same fate while fleeing with Princess Zelda. Not only did he face death, he was also the first Hero of Hyrule to fail in his mission to save Hyrule from evil.
At least at first.
Because no matter what fate throws at him, Breath of the Wild's Link never gives up.
Instead of bemoaning his fate and feeling sorry for himself, he clenches his fists after 100 years of sleep and sets out to make the most of the second chance he has been given. He makes new friends, fights his way back to his old strength and regains his memories bit by bit. He frees the four Divine Beasts and with them the souls of his deceased friends, who are still actively supporting him after all these years. He becomes stronger than ever before, even surpassing himself, before finally facing Calamity Ganon in battle after a long, long time and defeating him. He faces his challenging task a second time, makes up for his past failures - and heals his own emotional wounds in the process.
art by Rainbowphilosopher
That's why, in my eyes, Breath of the Wild's Link is an inspiration to us all.
He is a shining example of how one can learn to successfully process traumatic experiences and learn from past mistakes. He shows us that there is always a way to solve problems or deal with difficulties, no matter how hopeless a situation may seem. We can also learn from him to enjoy the small, beautiful things in life, no matter how big the challenges are. I think of how happy Link is when he has cooked himself something particularly tasty in the game 😊
I'm sure I know what you're thinking: this lady must have a personal history with Breath of the Wild's Link if she speaks so highly of him.
Well, I do have that 😊
You probably know that feeling when you have "that one character" that means more to you than all the other characters in the entire universe?
For me, this character is Link from Breath of the Wild.
He is someone very special to me and means more to me than I could express in words.
I have post-traumatic stress disorder and for a long time I lived on constant alert for fear that something would trigger me. Since experiencing Link's story in Breath of the Wild, I've been able to live an almost trigger- and flashback-free life, which I never thought possible. In addition, Link has helped me build a healthy sense of self-worth and live according to my own wants and needs. And even that is just the tip of the iceberg. Link has brought so much good into my life that I could fill a library the size of the Library of Congress in Washington D.C. with books about it.
I wrote at the beginning of my blog post that I would introduce it with my own blunt honesty. Now I will end it with the same honesty:
I love Breath of the Wild's Link with all my heart, and I'm so grateful to him for all the good he's brought into my life. He is the one who was there for me when no one else was. He has seen me through the darkest times of my life and has always given me a reason to smile, even when the challenges have almost crushed me. And now that I've made it, he's still there, enriching my life every day. And I only wish one thing for him:
I want Breath of the Wild's Link to be as happy as he made me - and still makes me, every single day of my life.
