Nintendo’s Legend of Zelda franchise has a storied history that echoes through almost every entry. Those echoes encompass pieces of lore like the wielders of the Triforce, as well as content like items, enemies, and bosses. One iconic recurring characters is Dark Link, a being which has also gone by names like Link’s Shadow and Shadow Link in different titles. A Dark Link armor set appears in Breath of the Wild, but Nintendo has the opportunity to create more than just an Easter egg for the shadowy figure in The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild 2.
Dark Link debuted as the final boss of Zelda 2: The Adventure of Link, and to this day, he is revered by many for punctuating the side-scrolling adventure with Link having to overcome his mirror match. Shadowy doppelgangers of the silent hero appear in tons of games thereafter, most famously as a mini-boss in Ocarina of Time‘s Water Temple. He is referenced in cutscenes from Twilight Princess, in the online battle mode of A Link Between Worlds, and as a secret boss in the Link’s Awakening remake by using Amiibo. That’s not to mention his appearances in spin-off games such as Hyrule Warriors, as well as visual references through alternate color schemes in Smash Bros.
This history sets Dark Link up to be an interesting potential addition to Breath of the Wild 2, especially considering how Nintendo treats evil counterparts in other franchises.
The Legend of Zelda is not the only Nintendo property that has used a dark copy of the main protagonist. Shadow Mario from Super Mario Sunshine is a polluting force who ruins Isle Delfino with graffiti and living goop. Mario is blamed for this mayhem, but he becomes the island’s cleansing hero thanks to his water-spraying companion F.L.U.U.D. In this way, Super Mario Sunshine becomes a perfect example of why the dark doppelganger trope is used so often: it emphasizes the pure qualities of a protagonist by showing how damaging it could be if they instead chose the path of evil.
Samus Aran is special in that she has encountered two different dark versions of herself. Metroid Fusion sees Samus stalked throughout an abandoned research station by a shapeshifting X parasite in the form of her Varia Suit, affectionately called “SA-X.” However, the more well-known example is undoubtedly Dark Samus from the Metroid Prime series. Dark Samus is an embodiment of Phazon, the corrupting substance that appears in all parts of Retro Studios’ Prime trilogy, and the character was popular enough to become an echo fighter in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.
The examples go further than that. Kirby & the Amazing Mirror introduced an alternate dimension with shadow versions of Kirby, Meta Knight, and King Dedede who would be referenced in future titles. Some games don’t use shadow doppelgangers per-say, but have similar parallels. Fire Emblem Awakening climaxes with Robin, the malleable player character, battling his future self and host of the Fell Dragon Grima. Mother 3‘s Lucas and Claus, as well as Kid Icarus: Uprising‘s Pit and Dark Pit, fit this dynamic too.
A running theme among almost every Nintendo doppelganger is how they corrupt the image of an otherwise unflappable hero. It just so happens that Breath of the Wild‘s setting is established via the corruption of Hyrule over the course of Link’s 100-year absence. At the beginning of the game, Calamity Ganon has taken over Hyrule Castle, the four Divine Beasts, and large sections of the open-world map with his malignant spirit. A driving force in Breath of the Wild is cleansing Hyrule of this influence as much as it is about saving the Princess.
With how much the game leans into Calamity Ganon, it is surprising that Nintendo did not take things a step further by bringing players face-to-face with Dark Link, a corrupted version of the protagonist. That being said, there’s an argument that giving Link inner demons to overcome in such a literal sense may have undermined his status as a purifying force that reclaims Hyrule. His personal character arc is more about coming to terms with his lost memories and friends, the four Champions who accompanied Link and Zelda in the past.
Breath of the Wild 2 offers a perfect opportunity to bring Dark Link into the fold. Now that Link no longer has to deal with his past, he can look to the future with Zelda. However, as the sequel’s E3 2019 trailer shows, Ganon may not have been defeated like they one believed. With the recurring antagonist taking a humanoid form again, it stands to reason he may have a more personal stake in the plot. Creating a dark mirror of Link as revenge for the first game seems like one sensible way to approach the story.
Introducing Dark Link into this new version of Hyrule also sets up potentially interesting gameplay. Breath of the Wild is considered by some to be a reboot of the franchise, fleshing out the exploration that made The Legend of Zelda on NES so spectacular. Thus it stands to reason the game’s sequel could pull from The Adventure of Link by including Dark Link as a major boss fight that takes advantage of multiple abilities while being difficult to read because he mimics the player. A Dark Link battle of this scale would far surpass what The Adventure of Link and Ocarina of Time were capable of.
Fans have noted similarities between Breath of the Wild 2 and Majora’s Mask as direct sequels with darker tones, at least going by the upcoming game’s trailer. However, Nintendo could benefit from continuing to draw upon its popular franchise’s storied history, especially lesser-known titles like The Adventure of Link. Utilizing Dark Link could offer Breath of the Wild 2 new story beats and exciting gameplay opportunities, so it would behoove the development team to at least give him a shot.
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild 2 is in development.
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