How old is Link? It’s… complicated

Over the years, Link from The Legend of Zelda has taken on different forms. From the child with the baby face in The Legend of Zelda: The Windwaker to the moodier, more mature look twilight princess, Link has always seemed quite young. That said, his actual age is rather ambiguous. As with other video game heroes, such as Mario, Link hasn’t aged that much over the years. As the hero of the times, he is more of an archetype than a person – both timeless and not.

While the games themselves often don’t specify Link’s exact age, there are a few reasons why his age might matter. For starters, fans of the series may want to understand so they feel more comfortable choosing favorite romantic pairings for Link. His age also defines his character, as many of the Zelda games revolve around coming-of-age stories where Link also discovers his power during an adolescent period. Here’s what we know about Link’s age.

How old is Link from The Legend of Zelda?

On one level, there is no really good answer to the question. Link is not a single individual. “Link” is the name given to a hero chosen by the goddesses to rebel against evil. The Link we know is more of a narrative archetype of a character in a decades-long series than a specific person. Because of this, Link has no age or design whatsoever. However, thanks to developer interviews, official guides, and in-game context, we can at least find some more concrete answers if we want to know more about how old Link was in a specific game.

It’s safe to say that Link is generally on the younger side and under the age of 18 regardless of his incarnation. Hyrule Historia says Link is 10 years old in the first game, The Legend of Zelda. In Link’s adventurethe hero is 16 years old. In an interview, said Eiji Aonuma the Link in twilight princess is 17. According to an Iwata inquires with the development team of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time quoted by Zelda Wikithe Link in Ocarina travels between the ages of 9 and 16.

Image: Nintendo via YouTube/GTS13

How old is Link in The Legend of Zelda: The Breath of the Wild?

Unlike most Zelda games, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild gives us a pretty solid age for Link via a few hints. For starters, a reminiscing cutscene describes Zelda turning 17, so it’s likely that Link is the same age, due to the similarities in their designs. However, we also get a more concrete hint about his age. In the same scene, Zelda mentions that one must be at least 17 years old to climb Mount Lanayru and visit the Spring of Wisdom. In Breath of the Wild, Link climbs Mount Lanayru and visits the spring, suggesting he is at least 17.