Link's Secret Diary Reveals His True Personality in Breath of the Wild

After waking from his 100 year slumber, Link is even more expressive than ever. How has this destiny changed him?
Beath of the Wild's adventure log functions as Link's personal diary in Japanese, allowing us to truly explore Link's personality and character.
If Link were able to escape the bounds of his destiny, what kind of life would he choose to live? In this video, we dive into Link's personality to answer that very question.
First Video: • Link Has a Secret Diar...
How Link Views Himself: • Link's Secret Diary in...
From looking at Link's diary, we learn about what his favourite things are, what he enjoys, and ultimately explore what his ideal life may look like.
Link is so expressive in his diary! It's so exciting to learn more about him, and I can't wait for you to see a new side to Link too! I truly hope some element of a diary is implemented in the sequel to Breath of the Wild, only time will tell!
I believe that a diary is a really effective way to allow us to see more of Link's character while retaining the traits that make him special. What do you think?
I want to point out that Japanese can be a difficult language to translate, and at times the author of the text can sometimes be ambiguous as the Japanese language often omits pronouns.
However, there is no doubt that Link has recorded his thoughts and feelings in the adventure log. The localised English version removes so much of this, so I want to show you what you may have missed if you didn't play (and understand) the original Japanese version of the game.
Disclaimer: The possibility of the adventure log being Link's diary was first brought to my attention by @Evaix. Upon later research, the original discovery seems to have been made by Chinese Gamer @AtomaruU. Props to them! This is amazing.

[@bluejae825]

i love how silly he actually is. he comes off as a strong, stoic hero, but he's also just a regular kid who loves food and goofing off just like anyone else.

[@ZeranZeran]

That's the truth for most men, strong or not heh. We're all alike. Some of the toughest scariest dudes I've met, have been very sweet, passionate about art, and very funny too. I love tough softies.

[@luigi7781]

It's almost like he's still a teen... he's 17 (117) after all...

[@tabbynoodles3685]

omg same i love tough softies too

[@enriquegarciacota3914]

Haaaah? Hiaaaa! Humph!

[@D.H.1082]

We're all human. Even the best of us, and even the worst of us.

[@niagargoyle]

I believe there is a note in Creating a Champion that says Link experienced a bit of a personality shift with his amnesia. When he was the Chosen Knight 100 years ago, the weight of his responsibilities made him quiet and withdrawn. After emerging from the Shrine of Resurrection, he is much more expressive and like the child Mipha described in her diary.

[@QuestWithAaron]

That certainly does explain a lot! Being chosen as Zelda's personal knight, and as the hero is without a doubt, a ton of pressure. It makes sense why he might have kept to himself more. Thanks for sharing this, it's super interesting, I'll have to check more of the book out.

[@immimregit]

I’ve actually seen several Japanese fandom mangas on BotW that depict the personality shift i.e. Link being more open and friendly due to his loss of memory and also Link’s openness being his base personality (maybe) before he became a royal guard.

[@Supersonicblue1027]

He reverted back to his original personality and when he regained his memories his personality became a mix of both of his personalities still continuing to write in the diary and being friendly to others but quiting down and being serious when he has to be in situations like Ganon or from other threats.

[@golfpen108]

Woah were miphas diary

[@LollyPop1444]

@@golfpen108 The Zora King has it

[@Rhymia]

When link is cooking, you could literally hear him humming happily in tears of the kingdom. It's quite cute and special when you hear it from him like he's excited for the food.

[@abdomen9038]

He actually humming old Zelda songs too it’s a cute Easter egg

[@shokumiyazaki4931]

@@abdomen9038 I thought I was trippin when I thought I heard him humming the beginning of lost woods

[@Tailzy26]

I know I loved that so much when I first heard that!

[@Alexandra-ng1ih]

He did that in botw ..

[@MyAramil]

Or if you use a shield to surf on, he gives little cheers or notes of excitement when he gets air.

[@superbigtime]

Zelda's diary goes into detail regarding Link's stoicism. He apparently once opened up to her and shared that he keeps a straight face and suppresses his emotions since people look up to him as Hylia's chosen swordsman. If he shows an excessive amount of joy, people may think his focus is faltering, and if he shows fear, those around him may lose hope. I like that, even with that in mind, we still get to see that Link is still just a younger guy who gets excited over things like taming a big horse and a cooking recipe going well.

[@SaviorGabriel]

I like knowing that Link feels the need to keep his game face on when needed.

[@celes42017]

That was what was so incredible to me. Link knows when to show joy and when to be brave. He knows that if he shows fear, people will become scared too. He also knows that if he shows too much joy, people become too content. It shows he pays attention to others closely. What I love about this Link is that he has a history of failure, but still manages to get back up.

[@Sephiroth08150]

Link loosening when with horses and while cooking makes a ton of sense in-universe too. You have to be nice and gentle to horses to max their bond level, and that's apparently common knowledge by the tile Calamity Ganon came about. Link can afford to be expressive over horses. As for food? Well it is also widely known that eating is healthy, and provides you stats boost. And as you may have noticed, people in BotW make such a big deal of food. In that sense, food makes Link and the common folk equal - everyone enjoys a good meal.

[@MyAramil]

Nah personally if the hero is serious 90% of the time, but enjoys the little things, that improves the hero to me.

[@serialexperimentslainkinnie]

So he’s basically me

[@marianamora4203]

Do you ever look at someone and wonder what is going on in their head? Link: *What the heck?!*

[@heroofangst]

XD

[@shadowstar8619]

Honestly, though, that's a pretty appropriate reaction to that statue deciding to turn a profit of 20 rupees per purchase. Like, it's a STATUE. What would it need the rupees for?!

[@marianamora4203]

@Number1miraculousfan Poker night? I've also wondered what do the goddess statues do with the spirit orbs?

[@JS-kn6pg]

I feel so robbed! What a wholesome way to give Link a voice without giving him audible dialogue! I really hope we get that in BoTW2...

[@r3medyproductions]

I feel this. They really dropped the ball with the translations. This would have been way cooler.

[@raven5048]

😢 after seeing this I feel English version shitty ... I mean they already rob us if petting dogs now this 😅

[@hilol7366]

Spoiler alert: no :(

[@jakkdlaw]

I feel cheated too😂

[@unluckyone1655]

Yeah. Bummer

[@amandapaschoalsereia]

I feel robbed by the English translation. They robbed Link's personality from us. Why they did this?

[@QuestWithAaron]

Yeah, some of the choices the translators made are definitely questionable. I'm hoping to showcase more of the translation differences between the versions in regards to other things in future videos. The Japanese language does often omit pronouns which can make the author sometimes seem ambiguous... But even so! There is no doubt that Link has written down his thoughts and opinions on things in the adventure log, which are all completely absent in the English version. Perhaps Nintendo of America translated it like that to try and create a stronger link between Link and the player? There are some quests that are blatantly written by Link, like the quest Captured Memories where he expresses how he wants to see Zelda's smile again. A lot of the quests read much better in the first person too... in the Japanese version, you can really feel it's Link who has written the entries.

[@XCloudyXl]

WHYYYYYYYYYY

[@linkmaster253]

I just want to see his thoughts on being chased by giant robotic, ancient magical, lazer blastin', piano inspiring spiders with doctor octopus legs.

[@djbaconbitzinc]

Well excuuuuuuse me Princess.

[@mariogpx2990]

They change everything and a lot of important stuff get lost on English version

[@chamab.6800]

I always wonder why we can’t ever get a direct translation in English. This is so frustrating. This kind of thing matters. It changes the whole energy of the game.

[@r3medyproductions]

Yeah it is kind of strange. I mean sometimes there are words in Japanese that don't really mean the same things in English or don't necessarily have a good way to express what they are saying in a different language but with something like this, you'd think it would be simple enough to make a more accurate translation but idk I barely know any Japanese so it could be hard lol

[@SinisterShrink]

It might be similar to the reasoning behind making their characters look angry on the box art for western releases. For some reason Nintendo seems to think that westerners resonate more with angry and/or stoic characters rather than characters with real emotions and feelings. Maybe they thought the western audience wouldn't appreciate a hero with a goofy, childish side

[@_axdn]

especially with the love letter quest or whatever with that zora child and the adult hylian which ended up seeming very pedophilic and creepy

[@tke1249]

Also with Revali! In the japanese version he is so much respectful towards everyone, he isn't worried about being a sidekick, he is troubled because he thinks the beasts should attack instead of being a defense, and, instead of only thinking that he is better that Link, he is worried about Link being enough to stop Ganon. He even admits that in the memory when he confronts Link, he wasn't being truly an asshole, he was trying to get a response from Link, something that validated all the efforts he put on and the abilities he just showed up to him, but only ended more frustrated because the lack of emotion in Link's face Also, at the end he admits that Link was in fact strong and that he had won in the one sided rivalry, but in the English version he says that it was just luck

[@Kronosdoesshit]

@@SinisterShrink We know that they know that Spider-Man and Deadpool exist

[@stuffz1757]

My one secret hope for BOTW2 is that they take this idea and expand it greatly. Letting Link really express himself, in all versions of the game.

[@QuestWithAaron]

I really hope so too! Maybe we'll get some hints about it soon when they eventually show us gameplay.

[@lillygames6117]

Yes plz

[@XCloudyXl]

Oh hell yes

[@usednametag7005]

I wish my uncle really DID work at nintendo.

[@linkmaster253]

Where's playable Zelda? 😢

[@lilytherandomperson5576]

I never thought link would say “what the heck”

[@QuestWithAaron]

Yeah, I was a little surprised by this too. I think the devil statue really got him, he's a little shocked about being able to purchase and trade in heart containers and stamina meters. If we think about it from Link's perspective, trading in your life force for the ability to climb and run more, or even purchasing more "life" is a little weird actually lol

[@haileeraestout5567]

@@QuestWithAaron Can You Do A Full Translation Story????? Like A No Commentary One????

[@QuestWithAaron]

For sure! I'm currently in the midst of compiling all of the entries into a complete collection, amongst other related projects. In the mean time I'll still be releasing videos to share with you and everyone the more interesting ones. Then I'll do an announcement when I've finished translating them all!

[@cifge_404]

@@QuestWithAaron I'm really excited for the full translation! I've been looking for one but never did find it.

[@ifyouloveChristyouwillobeyhim]

That is incredible. Keep at it.

[@diyarts9378]

After learning about his diary entries before, it makes me wish that the English version stayed true to that. I've never seen Link as an 'avatar'. I always believed him to have different personalities based on the game I'm playing.

[@quil72]

Something that I'm genuinely curious about are what Link's thoughts are on the Eighth Heroine quest, you know, the one where you basically catfish a guy in order to get boots

[@QuestWithAaron]

That certainly sounds like a great quest to look at! Let's see if he's as sarcastic in Japanese as he is in English!

[@givmi_more_w9251]

Bozai deserved every second of that. I was taken aback at first and thought 'come on, Link, that's low', but in the end, I was ready to bleed him dry. Fucking creep.

[@dietotaku]

@@givmi_more_w9251 that character skeeved me out so bad that i can't listen to any of the characters in TOTK that use the same audio clips. i hate selling stuff to fyson in tarrey town because every time i select something to sell, i have to hear that weird excited-weeb "mmm!" that i have come to associate with bozai.

[@oh-happy-gaes257]

@@dietotakui only played botw recently and i don’t think i’ve come across this “bozai” guy.. why is he creepy and also where is he? i’m curious since i don’t think i’ve done this quest

[@waffler-yz3gw]

@@oh-happy-gaes257i believe he's the guy outside gerudo town who gives you the snow/sand boots

[@linkmaster253]

Giving Link a journal is a great idea! Perfect way to view his thoughts throughout the game while not needing to hire a voice actor to make him talk. No "excuuuuse me princess" after saving zelda in BOTW2

[@QuestWithAaron]

I feel the same way! I think giving him voiced lines would somewhat take away the charm of his character. A diary is a much more personal and discrete way to showcase more of his character in my opinion!

[@TarsonTalon]

Honestly, I actually think I like that Link now, because the BS he has to go through kinda justifies the attitude. Especially after getting a solid knock on the head and getting amnesia, it just seems poetically fitting that, after everyone else was a jerk to him before the calamity, that he became the king of jerks afterwards.

[@Hylian_Legends]

You pronounce if wrong it’s: WELLLLL EXCUSEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE ME PRINCESS! (This is a joke if you can’t tell)

[@MiraBoo]

To be fair, the fandom joked that Link was mute/silent; however, he has NEVER been depicted as mute/silent. Yes, in some games Link is more quiet and reserved-this is especially true in BotW-but even that isn’t the case in every game. Each incarnation of Link, though very similar, are their own unique person with distinct personalities. To a degree, yes, Link has always been intended as a “blank slate” so that the player can easily graft themselves onto the character, but Link’s personality is still expressed in various ways throughout the games-he even has written and/or implied dialogue in many of them.

[@Lissbirds]

Some of them aren't joking, they believe that for real.

[@7Write4This9Heart7]

Knowing it's LInk's DIARY makes me, an English player, feel incredibly robbed. I wanna know more about my boy, Nintendo! :'(

[@JulianCaesaro]

My favorite part of Link’s personality is all of the eccentric reactions that he has in botw in normal conversations. Though it kinda sucks that Link is made to be a blank slate in the US version of the game, I do still enjoy seeing how often he’ll casually use puns 🤔

[@monhi64]

Either it’s Nintendo being weird and thinking that Americans need to pretend they are the main character. Even Nintendo is like the only developer that does the whole blank slate main character thing and the vast majority of American made games have typical fully fleshed out main character dialogue… Or and honestly this is pretty likely the Americanization team felt intimidated about what personality to give him after 30 years of him being near silent and didn’t wanna do all that work. I know that Nintendo is pretty hardcore about localization with the English version so I could see them not letting the US team just translate it straight to English. Personally the general Nintendo blank slate thing drives me nuts it just makes the games boring in that aspect

[@lakosta7202]

I am russian and i play with russian localisation,and i just noticed what it is Links personal diary too, everything was written from Links perspective,i was happy to notice this after your video,thanks

[@user-nx3gk1xu2u]

Same hahahh. Guess we got that lucky.

[@mariothane8754]

The most personality I found from Link was when he made all of those Seal puns in Gerudo Village. The guy has a lot of fun with silly things. He’s also very VERY excited about things like the paraglider and by the idea of shield surfing. We rarely hear him laugh in joy except for when he’s shield surfing. The fact that he changes how he talks with people depending on who it is also shows, and it gives him a bit more of the personality you’re talking about.

[@AnimeAmimatorMizore]

Love that this tells me Link's a total country homebody when he's not wrapped up in saving the world. The man just wants to decorate his house, cook, and generally just vibe.

[@drawn_by_starla9462]

This is actually really useful for making fanart/fanfiction lol. Whenever I draw Link I never know what personality to give him, whether warm and cheerful, stoic and cold, or witty and smug. Seems like he’s the warm and cheerful type!

[@nicolenowotnik7121]

omg this. i kind of go somewhere between cheerful, sarcastic, and determined when i write fanfics? O_o idk, i wrote a long fanfic from link's pov in first person and people always are like 'i like the voice in this' so idk xD

[@drawn_by_starla9462]

@@nicolenowotnik7121 link (haha get it) to one of your fanfics! I wanna read them!!! :O

[@nicolenowotnik7121]

@@drawn_by_starla9462 ohgoddddd they're Really Weird tho xD lemme find

[@nicolenowotnik7121]

did it delete my response wiht the links in it bc like yeah O_O

[@drawn_by_starla9462]

@@nicolenowotnik7121 looks like it did. It could be that you’re no longer allowed to post links in the comments

[@Alice-lx4ml]

I hope BOTW 2 translates directly instead of doing this. I like the idea of Link writing these notes

[@QuestWithAaron]

I really hope the same for BotW's sequel too! Fingers crossed!

[@danishchawla690]

@@QuestWithAaron i don't have TotK but is the problem solved there? Or There are still differences in the English version.

[@i.belive.in.venti.supremacy]

@@danishchawla690 unfortunately I think, nothing it's change and it's very sad for me... I don't nothing about Link's personality, I play zelda from 2-3 years and I don't really know that... im not sure, but I see some gameplays of Totk and in the description nothing change... or better, this is not change in italy, but I don't know if in english too.

[@wave81210]

@@danishchawla690 nope, still the same.

[@hyrulemythology6055]

🥲

[@julien6871]

mans so underrated

[@QuestWithAaron]

Thank you so very much!

[@braddutchak2084]

@@QuestWithAaron i think he ment link but your also underrated!

[@aliklove1756]

I love these videos! I heard about ‘Link’s Diary’ a few years ago but there weren’t many translated examples of it for us English speakers. I’m so happy that we can finally enjoy Link’s thoughts and feelings. Thank you so much for taking the time and making these videos!

[@QuestWithAaron]

Thank you very much for your kind comment! I really appreciate it! I'm so glad you're enjoying them :D

[@Supersonicblue1027]

Ya know I've noticed that in the English version if you do some of the quest after getting all the memories like the house one is dialog changes to "what are you doing?" And "are you destroying the house" and then the next options are "I'll buy the house" and something else that's also him agreeing to buy the house so maybe the dialog also changes if you have all the memories in Japanese, and if so perhaps his adamants about buying the house is more than excitement perhaps the house once belonged to his family as we know he had a father and sister so perhaps even without his memories something in his heart told him he had to get that one house and that could be the real reason his brain forgot but his heart remembered and if you have the memories then he won't hesitate to get the house and if you don't have the money with all the memories then the guy says he'll except you grabbing all the wood as a substitute cause he likes Link's determination. And I feel like the English version robbed us with the journal entries 😂

[@QuestWithAaron]

Wow!! Those are some amazing observations and interesting thoughts. I didn't realise the dialogue changes like for the Hylian Homeowner quest depending on how far you've progressed the game. I've also been real curious as to who used to live in Link's house before him too!

[@eddnox]

The game does mention that the house once belonged to someone who had to leave the village because the person was appointed to work for Hyrule's royalty. 👀

[@DepressedCrow]

People tend to forget that despite being a hero, link was an ordinary soldier for a while so he's adapted to that kind of life style where he's very quiet when he needs to be but will express himself doing something he enjoys

[@nkryptedexe3961]

I had no idea the Japanese version was so much more personal. I hope they have that in in the English version for the sequel. Subbed and here to stay. You rock man

[@QuestWithAaron]

Thank you very much for your kind words! I'm really hoping for that to be the case with the sequel too! Hopefully not too long to wait now!

[@nkryptedexe3961]

@@QuestWithAaron I’m looking forward to your telling of the journal regardless. Even if Nintendo won’t make that leap, the community has you.

[@peytontohodrew]

@@QuestWithAaron tears of the kingdom is out, lets hear it lol

[@IronianKnight]

God, this Link was such a pure and wholesome person when they allowed him to have a personality. Sometimes the english speaking world pisses me off...

[@aeneas.csproj]

exactly why the combine took over the world frfr

[@IronianKnight]

@@aeneas.csproj Affirmative.

[@aeneas.csproj]

@@IronianKnight Subject is friendly. Stand down.

[@Anime10473]

Is it just an English thing? What about the other localizations? He only mentioned the English localization.

[@theultimatep1e40]

@@Anime10473 german here, same stuff, no personality for link :C

[@semaj35]

i love the more curious side of link. it fits perfectly with the themes and gameplay of breath of the wild, stepping out into a new world and exploring to your hearts content.

[@netherqueen5891]

When Bolton changed it price to 3,000 and wood I was like, “BUDDY! Here’s the 50,000 take it, I AINT GONNA SPEND HOURS GETTIN WOOD FOR MY OWN ALREADY BUILT HOUSE!”

[@QuestWithAaron]

Right!! Actually, though, I wonder why he made Link collect the wood... For future projects? For the house's exterior? Just for fun? Knowing Bolson it may well be the latter.

[@givmi_more_w9251]

... 30 wood ... how do you spend hours collecting 30 wood. Clear out the trunks at Rito stable and grab the axe and you have that in less than half an hour.

[@netherqueen5891]

@@givmi_more_w9251 I just had stuff I already wanted to do and collecting wood was boring. Especially since I didn’t know how much I needed in total.

[@aurum3747]

​@@netherqueen5891Bombs are an effective and fun way to collect wood

[@netherqueen5891]

@@aurum3747 I know that now, the og comment was a year ago, when I was first getting back into the game after a couple years

[@FaroshsFang11]

Your Link diary videos bring me so much JOY, I would've never known if it weren't for you making these vids oml I cryy thank you so much keep up the awesome work AAAA !!!

[@QuestWithAaron]

I'm really happy you're enjoying them that much! I will try to keep bringing you joy! :D

[@laschicvalisca2481]

I had a thought while listening to this. With Link being such a foodie, I can easily see him opening a restaurant, serving dishes he's learned from all over Hyrule. If he didn't have to contend with destiny, I can easily see a game where the player has Link learning and discovering meals, and cooking them in the kitchen while Zelda (or a different character) running the front of the house. ...... why hasn't Nintendo thought about something like this as post game content to learn every dish in the game? 🤔

[@elanes2005]

This makes me love him even more! ❤

[@QuestWithAaron]

He's so lovable, isn't he? :D

[@sisNChristLovesTheLordJesus777]

​@@QuestWithAaron Yeah, Link is so lovable. I just want to hug him lol. 🥺😎😎❤️❤️

[@monbub]

@@QuestWithAaron Very! He's so cute to me, even with the small mannerisms. Thank you for making this video!

[@sisNChristLovesTheLordJesus777]

The thing that really stands out about Link to me, is that he's like soooo powerful and strong, extremely highly intelligent, so courageous, lol very handsome, and yet remains so humble, doesn't look down on anyone, so kind, so caring, loves helping people, protective, so incredibly heroic. This is why I love this character so much, because in reality, if someone was powerful and strong and highly intelligent etc like him, they would turn out to be narcissistic and look their noses down on people, and wouldn't give a damn about anyone. I think Link is probably the best video game role model character. He's serious and focused and yeh he's not to be messed with, but he has the most amazing kindest personality ever. 🥺🥺😍😍

[@ItsYaBoiV]

I like the idea of Link finally getting a more complex persona, but also that each version of Link has been his own person. Twilight Link is older and more chill, WW Link is a sassy lil guy, etc. This version of Link was raised to be a soldier, and you gotta think he probably never got to be his own person until waking up in the future.

[@thememeilator2633]

I always felt like Link and the zelda series has always been one of the better examples of the "Burden of the Hero". Link always feels like a chipper person at the start or at least a bit childlike but as it goes on i always had a feeling that the weight of the world was starting to get to link in some way either from an event in the story or just from the progressing narrative. BotW/AoC link has demonstrated this perfectly with how at first he was a cheerful goofball soldier but once that Master Sword finds it's way on his back he slowly stops being that person, he grows quiet and almost reclusive in his emotions, most of those symptoms are linked to stress so it's safe to say he didn't entirely like his new destiny. This is further reinforced by his move set in AoC becoming more and more violent as you unlock the combos. His moves go from standard sword swings with some unorthodox tactics to full blown Warhammer 40k Space Marine, decisive and deadly as if he's venting out all his emotions and stress onto his enemies. And even durring his last stand against the guardians he is probably running on 100% adrenaline fueled stress and frustrations with some other mixed emotions due to Zelda being one of the main things that could've prevented it yet didn't because no powers.

[@KumaBones]

Its really a shame that it wasnt translated correctly in English. This was a very enjoyable glimpse into his personality, thank you. It's sad that theres barely anything that discusses Link as a person.

[@crimson3532]

It’s really nice that we get to see Link enjoy food and his adventures, when I was playing I was just going through the motions completing quests without really connecting with Link, but now that this has brought his personality to attention I feel like I’ll be able to connect to him and the game in a deep and more meaningful way

[@miezmiau9708]

Man i should really learn japanese now... I mean I knew a lot of these facts already, but now that I know that he wrote all of this in his view in another version of the game is just so crazy to me. I mean c'mon! He's so adorable. Why would you make the entrys so boring when you could have a deep character development and new knowledge about the person you're playing as? Did they seriously think it would hurt his purpose to make you feel like you're Link? God dang it. Let that poor guy have a deep personality already.

[@thicclegendfeep4050]

I genuinely love Link as a character and kind of like that his personality is something subtle but still present, always will consider Link to be one of my all-time favorite video game characters

[@RandomDude647]

i actually think the english version of botw does a great job showing link's character . . . in the dialogue options, not the quest boxes. there are so many dialogue options that are sassy in this game, especially when you're talking to the old man on the great plateau and you can just go "paraglider please?" instead of listening to his speech

[@-Ph0en.X-]

Don't forget his haste in getting the sand and snow boots from Bozai Especially the 'Not a chance.' part XD

[@JumptheTrench]

Link seems like a real humble person, I like to do a low armor playthrough just so i feel like a normal hylian

[@AcTiveKF]

The Japanese Version is filled with personality i wish there was a Mod to have this in the English Version.

[@JustJamesNotJerry]

I really like the quest log in first person, it gives link more personally, which I think is really needed in Botw.

[@jorisvandeBrande]

Wow i didn't knew Links writes recepies in his log :) how convenient! *Get item Jingle*

[@LegoPrime1225]

I like the idea for link’s own diary you’ll get to understand link’s feelings and excitement 😀

[@jmn327]

On the one hand, I get it from the English version: the whole idea of Link is what his name implies, he's the "link" between the player and the gameworld, not meant to have his own character but to be a stand-in for the player. On the other, man, Link's response choices when talking to NPCs in BotW and TotK have so much more attitude and personality than previous Links had! Wouldn't it be fun to lean into that more? There's a part of me that eventually wants a Zelda game where Link has a very fleshed out personality, maybe even one where he genuinely speaks with character dialog. Yet at the same time I'd be afraid that'd make the series lose something of what makes it, well, what it is. But that's kind of the beauty of a series like Zelda: it can be whatever it wants to be, can have any art style, can decide it wants to have more consistent timeline stuff or disregard it entirely, depending on what the developers want to do. Maybe that freedom will one day allow a game that explores Link as a character more.

[@Sluppie]

TIL Link really is the kind of the kind of guy who'd say unironically, "I can't wait to bomb some dodongos!" in his private journal, even if it'd be out of character for him to say that outright.

[@jmbats42]

Thank you for giving us much more insight of the english and japanese version of sheikah slate... I love it

[@QuestWithAaron]

You're welcome. I'm glad you like it!

[@zjuraeventide8949]

What I like about the japanese text, or at least the rough translations, is that unlike the english version which treats Link as the player, the japanese version treats it as if Link is having an adventure with the player.

[@hopenolan4447]

Glad Link is having as much fun as we are

[@hourglass-pastor]

Link and zelda are such interesting characters it sucks how much they are muffled in botw. Link pretty much doesn't get to express anything, and zelda has such an interesting personality, but we only get to see it in some short memories.

[@stefl3431]

"What the heck" Now that is just great. Really wish they kept that. =D

[@Jimpipecigarbear]

This video is why I enjoyed the mangas so much. Enjoyed getting to see those personalities of the different links. The one of them with Majora's mask was very mystical and would love to get to learn more about that Link.

[@skycreeper0173]

Oh man. I would have loved to see Link’s feelings and opinions in the English translation of the game. It helps give Link a lot more personality. Awesome video.

[@kleia27]

I think it would have been neat to see a shift in how Link expresses himself through these entries; especially after he regains his memory. I know in Creating a champion, they mention that he became quiet and withdrawn because of the weight of his duties of saving Hyrule, and due to his amnesia was able to be a more expressive person - maybe regaining his memories made him kind of, at least partly, revert back to his closed off, withdrawn self. Maybe they didn't do that shift bc he learnt how great it felt to express himself? maybe it feels like less of a burden to carry when he expresses himself...?

[@QuestWithAaron]

I think it would be wonderful for Nintendo to incorporate exactly what you said here. They could paint us such an amazing picture of Link's thoughts through a more expansive diary. I think regaining his memories definitely had a huge impact on him, and some of that reflects in his diary entries. Like when he writes "I want to hurry and see Zelda's smile again with my own eyes". Link really wants to make a good impression on Zelda, as seen with the Trial of the Sword quest. I think that element of his personality has remained. He's always trying to better himself, to make himself stronger so he can protect Zelda.

[@Lumberjack_king]

2:13 I think he'd always try to help others even if it's only in a small way as long as he makes people happy that's what matters whether that's helping gather ingredients for a meal or comforting some one who's lost someone they love hell be fulfilled

[@kourtneytrujillo6470]

Link definition: hot, fine as hell

[@QuestWithAaron]

That is a very nice summary!

[@kourtneytrujillo6470]

@@QuestWithAaron thanks

[@lyras.9161]

I like the contrast between the responsible, stoic champion and the kid-at-heart Link still is. It's really charming,.

[@leasagna2202]

Link is just so adorable. I hope that we see more of his personality in Tears of kingdom

[@Tobias_is_under_the_lake]

When you find a room of pots in breath of wild English version : You found a room of pots you wonder if there is anything else in here.... Japanese version: Pots...POTS!..I want to break them all Every last one i want to destroy them

[@lillygames6117]

This channel is underrated

[@QuestWithAaron]

Thank you so very much for your generous words!

[@solmartel360]

I surprise myself to often forget that Link is technically a teenager on a mission. He’s 16-17 in BOTW and it all makes sense when you find out he’s that young! He’s vibrant personality and his energy are typical of a well-balanced teen.

[@thenintendable7387]

Great video! I'm very happy I came across you! These diary videos are awesome! Keep up the fantastic work!

[@QuestWithAaron]

Thank you very much! I'm happy you're enjoying them!

[@Here_for_the_Chaos_]

Your videos are so nice and calm, and you have one of my favorite intros I’ve ever seen it absolutely struck me with how pretty the music and art was. So excited to see what you make next!!! 🌟

[@QuestWithAaron]

Thank you so very much for your super kind and encouraging words! I'm so glad you enjoyed the introductions, I really put effort in trying something a touch different. It makes me so happy to hear you like them that much. I have another video releasing this weekend, I can't wait to share it with you! :D

[@rewrose2838]

Thank you for making this video mate, really brings to life what I have been hoping for all these years! I'm relieved to know that Nintendo has done well to deliver on Link's character and voice his thoughts at least in the original version of the game.

[@mangolie21]

I read somewhere that the term "I" isn't said in the quest log actually, and that it's more implied with certain terms. I forgot exactly what it said, but basically, it's not 100% sure that it's written from Link. Either way though, doesn't it say "you are excited" etc, implying Link's feelings? The more litterate translations though are really interesting, thank you for sharing them. Really adds depth in comparison to English

[@QuestWithAaron]

Hello! Thank you for your comment, I'm glad you enjoyed it! You are correct in that "I" is not explicitly written in the adventure log! The reason for that is because the pronoun "I" is not used often at all in Japanese. For this very reason, I can understand why the English localisation team may have chosen to write the adventure log to include "you", as the lack of "I" in Japanese makes it challenging to translate for sure. However, to me, the adventure log in Japanese reads very much like a personal diary. I am not a native Japanese speaker, but I have also asked my native Japanese friends, and they also agree that it truly feels like Link has is the true author! There are so many times where sentences have been cut from the English version. The sentences in question are always the thoughts or feelings that someone else has written. In Japanese, these sentences definitely come directly from Link, as they are always written in the first person. Honestly, I love how Japanese makes the adventure log bring up all this mystery! It doesn't directly confirm who the author is, but instead, it reads with implications that Link is the author, with sentences every now and then that indirectly confirms it!

[@tabbynoodles3685]

these make me so happy, he's so sweet and silly. i hope totk reveals more of his personality!

[@LilBrownieD]

Awesome video, had no clue we missed out on all this!

[@DragonDancer357]

To be fair eachbreincarnation of Link would have their own personality. Based on how they were raised, life expriences with in their journeys and not, the culture of their Hyrule and the time period in which they were born in. While there are there some consistantancy between each of the Links this only really covers BotW Link.

[@usednametag7005]

I’m probably going to end up re-reading the quests in first person from now on :)

[@Sephiroth08150]

The name "Link" usually was used to refer to the avatar that makes the link between player and the game (extra bit: "link" is German for "left", and Link is left-handed) One could also change his name. BotW Link? Right-handed, his name can't be changed, and is the most expressive of the bunch (mostly seen in the sidequest for the snow boots and sand boots) Do I want him to be voiced? Hell no, that would remove some of the character's charm. But I do want to see more expressive bits, and Link having a journal would help.

[@RyuuKageDesu]

Just watched all three videos. I'm looking forward to more.

[@captaineleni]

Thank you so much for making this video and translating the japanese diary entries into English! Seeing Link's thoughts makes him more relateable to me and far more endearing than the English blank slate text.

[@smcb9979]

thanks for doing these!! It's great to finally have a proper resource for this stuff. I'd love to see you dig into what Link might have to say about the Champions, there's probably some good stuff in the questlogs related to the Divine Beast segments and the Champion's Ballad

[@QuestWithAaron]

I had glanced over the Divine Beast segments before, but I've given it another look and found some super fascinating stuff! Thank you for the ideas! I have a new video I'm working on that will shed some new light on a particular champion. I'm excited to share it with you soon!

[@lilaacu]

That’s so interesting ! Thank your for the video ❤

[@sleepyslipper9208]

Wow! Having the objectives written down from links point of view actually feels more immersive! Really hope we get that first person translations in tears of the kingdom!

[@jessemalan748]

This is such an awesome series. Thank you for your work!!

[@QuestWithAaron]

Thank you! I'm happy you're enjoying it!

[@natnat8393]

I really like his personal touch in the Japan version and REALLY HOPE that this will be a thing in Tears of The Kingdom (Eng version). Also in the Fireflies quest at Kakariko village there was an option to flirt with the cute quest girl. PLEASE let there be more like that in the new game lol 🥺

[@Sabbalab92]

I totally get that Nintendo of America was trying to help you immerse yourself into thinking that Link is you, but I wish Link got more characterization like this in the English version. I loved in Hyrule Warriors where it's shown how Link can't say no to a challenge and starts eating the rocks that Daruk handed him. I want more of that.

[@GrayToysGaming]

This was really interesting - thanks for sharing!

[@QuestWithAaron]

You're very welcome! ^^ Glad you enjoyed it

[@Grexxx-kd6dm]

That was a great video!

[@sisNChristLovesTheLordJesus777]

Link is my fav video game hero character. He's very serious, focused, extremely intelligent and an amazing powerful knight, archer etc. On top of all his admirable traits, he is humble, caring, very protective and will be a hero to anyone. He puts people before him. Hyrule is full of dangers despite it being a beautiful place, but I would definitely feel safe with Link around lol. I absolutely adore his character so much. He's the perfect guy. 🤗😎

[@dranoradragonqueen1494]

MOWR!!!! Take your time but please keep it up! Loving it so far!

[@QuestWithAaron]

Thank you! There is definitely more to come!

[@randomcat4052]

I really hope the next one let's us read it as his diary. It would make it so much better

[@NicholasKratzer]

I am so disappointed that the localization didn't keep the diary style for the adventure log. I was so happy with how the diary notes and such gave insight into Link's personality and thoughts, so having every quest description do the same would have been a joy! I almost never read the English adventure log because it was just a dry, boring reminder of the quest details. Having the personal touch of Link's perspective would have made me actually read it far more.

[@Vaidiss]

the thing i love about BOTW is that its full of adventure, even when you've finished the main quests the side quests make it more fun and there's always bugs and hidden areas in the map to explore. don't even get me started on the DLC its definitely worth buying.

[@mancillamarie]

dude i really like your channel. i’m definitely subscribing!!

[@Lucky_Lia]

I love how they showed Link’s emotions in this way! I’m just sad I didn’t get to experience myself in the english version

[@gdgiannini]

This was a really great video. It's rare I leave a comment, but I really enjoyed this.

[@jaden149]

when i first found out about links diary about 1 or 2 years ago i was really interested in them and also was disappointed they changed it over here in botw 2 if the quest are still written from links perspective i hope they keep it the same when they localize it this time

[@QuestWithAaron]

I hope they write it in the first person next time too! Hopefully not long to wait and see!

[@charlesedwinbooks]

Loved this video!

[@musiclover5082]

Holy That is really interesting. I just clicked on your first video and couldn't stop watching xD. I hope there will be some more parts where we get to know Link more, or his opinion of the champions

[@QuestWithAaron]

Thank you so much! I'm so happy you enjoyed them! I have a video coming out very very soon covering his opinion of a particular champion :D

[@musiclover5082]

@@QuestWithAaron I am already excited :)

[@KaiDrawsShit03]

WE WERE ROBBED! As much as I absolutely love BOTW Link (I’d even go so far as to say he’s my favorite of the heros) I wanted more of his personality to come out! Hopefully with Tears of the Kingdom we get to see this side of Link.

[@Junosensei]

Professional translator here. A friend pointed this video to me and at first I was surprised I had never picked up on any of this, but after looking at some of your examples and then going through the entries on my own game, I've noticed a pretty major flaw in this idea. The language in the Japanese sounds more like a narration accompanying Link on his adventures, not something a person would write in their diary. It's definitely not speaking to the player _directly_ like it is in English, but it is still talking _indirectly_ to you or Link. I know it's confusing because Japanese doesn't often use pronouns, and this text intentionally avoids speaking to anyone directly, so many of the entrees _look_ like they are speaking from first person by default. There's also expressive language in it, making it feel more personal. However, the text will also sometimes suggest you/Link to hurry, or to do something, and much of the expressive language is _not_ expressed in raw feeling, but in general descriptive language. "How exhilarating!" (non-direct, impersonal) vs. "I felt exhilarated!" (direct, personal). Having played many a game in Japanese, this language is very common for quest logs and game narration and such, like when a text box appears to tell a player what to do, or that a DM would use in a TTRPG directed to the other players. I apologize that this is 2 years late, but I guess it's better said now than never. If you have questions or have other examples, I can help clarify more! ^^

[@QuestWithAaron]

I really appreciate your comment and explanations! I agree with you and I very much love the way the Japanese text is presented precisely for the reasons you've stated. As you know, in Japanese, pronouns are naturally frequently omitted in text and speech, and the adventure log is no exception. In fact, there isn't a single instance of "I" appearing in the Japanese version at all throughout the entire thing. An important factor to consider is for sure the use of expressive language, but I think there are a few other lines of the adventure log that further compliments the decision to translate it into first person. There are several entries like this, but the one that I believe is the most important is this line that appears in the adventure log about Zelda: 彼女の笑顔をもう一度この目で見たい To me, this reads exactly like first person, despite the absence of any "I"s. I'm curious how you would choose to translate or localise this sentence. Perhaps it would feel more natural to translate lines like this into first person and the others that are a little more "ambiguous" into second? But then, to me, I feel that that would feel a little awkward to read. This is one of the reasons why I think the Japanese version of the adventure log works so brilliantly, I'd be interested to hear your take! Thanks again for your comment and for breaking stuff down!

[@Junosensei]

@@QuestWithAaron - Of course it'll sound like a personal pronoun should go there in English. English without pronouns is _weird,_ so we're more likely to assume a perspective is intended and make assumptions. The Japanese is able to keep the perspective vague so as to allow the player to interpret the narrator. Much in the same way the narration is expressing interest, fun, and such (ie.「楽しみ!」), it is still _conveying_ Link or the player's feelings in that manner, too, if the player chooses to see it that way. That's also why it's written as 見たい and not 見たがってる, since it's not talking _directly_ to or about Link. If I was asked to keep the perspective vague as a narration, I'd probably translate the _full_ line, in context, as "The sooner she is saved, the better. It would be nice to see her smile once again." However, since the idea of a narrator keeping record of Link/the player's journey through their perspective isn't quite as easy to portray in English without pronouns that would separate this perspective, I assume this is the reason why the translators ended up scrapping the attempt.

[@OctozenX]

I loved this soo much ❤ I’d really like to see the this go even further than 100 days if you end up wanting to do that. But certainly do 100 days

[@muglokdecrepitus1301]

Whoever decided that was a good idea to completely remove Link's perspective from the mission description is a soul-less monster

[@ShaunDelier]

Wtf I thought you had atleast 10k subs or something lol Daaaammmn this qualityyyy!!

[@QuestWithAaron]

Thank you so much for your kind words! They're very encouraging!

[@the_big_george]

Please make your videos longer they are so good

[@hiddendesire3076]

Reminds me of how we have journal entries in Pikmin 2. Not just the end of day ones, but the treasure and creature notes.

[@StarEmi1]

These videos are incredible! Thank you so much for all the hard work that went in to making these. I'd seen people explain and show the differences in the journal between versions and I always hoped to see someone go even more in depth! So I wanted to ask you, do you know of any differences between the dialogue options for conversations? Like the 2 or 3 options where you can choose what Link says to someone. I always felt that in the English version some are quite snarky/sarcastic and borderline mean lol and I wondered if the Japanese would really make Link respond like that or not as sometimes in the English version, it makes me think it's just a funny response written by the writers and makes me wonder if Link would truly say something like that! What do you think? And thanks again for the amazing videos!!

[@QuestWithAaron]

Thank you so much for your kind words! I have actually recently started comparing Link's responses to NPC's between the Japanese and English version, because like you said, there are times where he comes across as quite sarcastic. It's hard to give you a general answer that's more than "it depends on the encounter" here without talking about specific dialogues. I've had a look at a few of the dialogues that I could remember off the top of my head, like Link's encounter with Bozai in the Gerudo Desert where he asks (or demands him) for his boots. In English, Link can say "gimme those boots," however the literal Japanese translation is: "I'd like your sand boots". There are so many NPC encounters in the game and I'm debating whether or not to do a video on it. There certainly are times where the English version has changed what Link says... Sometimes it's because the Japanese text can't be directly translated into English without further explanation of the Japanese grammar if that makes sense. Other times it's because the developers made the decision to completely change what Link says. I have also noticed that some NPC dialogue is completely different between versions, which also prompts Link to respond differently compared to how he can in the English version. I hope this gives you some kind of idea about what could be different, it's quite difficult to quickly compare the two versions directly sometimes lol (especially when searching for NPC encounters!).

[@StarEmi1]

@@QuestWithAaron Yeah I totally get what you're saying and it's so interesting. I'd totally watch a video on it if you were down to make one but I get how it would be really tricky lol Thanks so much for the insight you gave, it's awesome!!

[@LibanAli]

I've just come across this and I NEED MORE!!!