Why doesn't Link speak?

Link is famous for NEVER speaking in the Legend of Zelda games. But why not? Why doesn't Nintendo let Link say anything? Well, in this video I'll go through the entire Zelda series, from the NES to Breath of the Wild and beyond, to figure out why Link hasn't said a word!
PATREON - / thomasgamedocs
MERCH - teespring.com/stores/thomas-g...
TWITTER - / thomasgdocs
SOURCES
Martinet wanted to be Link’s voice
gonintendo.com/?p=104332
web.archive.org/web/200911200...
Aonuma didn’t want Link to talk in SS
www.destructoid.com/zelda-sky...
Aonuma knows fans want L to speak but feels L’s silence is important to his character
nintendoeverything.com/aonuma...
Link’s name origin
www.nintendoworldreport.com/ne...
mynintendonews.com/2012/11/04...
www.gamekult.com/actualite/mi...
Interviews with creators + cast of LoZ cartoon
zeldauniverse.net/2019/09/03/...
www.polygon.com/zelda/2354052...
Interview with CDI Link voice actor
web.archive.org/web/202102220...

[@youraveragegamer4604]

Link actually does have one English spoken voice line, in the Wind Waker. In the Tower of The Gods, when calling one of those ancient statues to him, Link calls out ”C’mon!” in English

[@tirvine9102]

Yes, I came here to say this too. If I remember correctly he also says "Over Here!"

[@jo.sevigny]

He also speaks (in text) in Zelda 2. "I FOUND A MIRROR UNDER THE TABLE"

[@AnAnonymousPenguin]

Let's not forget his iconic 'meow'

[@luksmuk]

He also says "Meow"

[@chrisandreas3142]

Windwaker is my favorite Zelda game, i played it like 5 times and i never realised that 😅

[@toanuva6178]

Gamers: “Why doesn’t Link talk” Link *In the middle of Hyrule field with not a sign of life that doesn’t want him dead:* “Who the *$&%#* I’m I supposed to talk to?”

[@EsportCat]

LMAO

[@Superkid33]

LOL

[@HotDogeBoi]

himself lol

[@Piiiiiiiiit]

Real

[@violet_broregarde]

i would be talking to myself as i crossed the field

[@maikomarx]

I always imagined link canonically talks, it’s just whatever you as a player imagine him to say during any given conversation. That paired with response options, it seems that link isn’t necessarily mute in universe, just outside the games.

[@jokerlyzermedia6603]

Yes that is actually fact, confirmed by Nintendo! 🥰

[@Tiny_24]

Yeah I like to think that the reason we seem him talk to NPCs in botw is because his personality had changed due to him forgetting he is the hero. Also, almost everyone that knew him as the chosen knight is dead.

[@sebasblos1]

​@@Tiny_24 except the zoras, those guys live a long life lol

[@emz33]

Agreed, it especially shows in Tears of the Kingdom. He’ll talk to other characters about what had happened to him but we don’t need to hear it because we played it out

[@sebasblos1]

@@emz33 i always find funny how some people think that he is purely mute and that he talks in sign language... then we have things like in skyward sword where there is an entire section of link 'talking' and in totk where he speaks... way too much. like he spills all of the reason of why he is there to anyone who asks. this happens way too often

[@HelicopterVr]

I think not adding a voice to link, was a really good idea, it kind of gives him a unique personality.

[@deadx0092]

No🤣. In recent games a little bit because you can see more face expressions but for the most time Link just looks like this "😐" And it ruins emersion when there is people having entire conversation's with Link and he is just staring and their soul

[@wolfy3444]

@@deadx0092 I think I know what Jack is trying to say. It adds some personal experiences that kept him silent. Link felt burdened with such a task and struggled to show emotion (lore wise). It adds a deep perspective.

[@nuance9000]

​@@deadx0092 Lolz. Do you wanna try writing dialogue for Link in a Zelda game: "Excuse me Ganon! I'm here to save the triforce with my 6 sage buds! Get wrecked, come on!"

[@boodledemic6430]

I hope my coworkers think the same about me when I don’t talk

[@neilds1240]

In auction he gets to shout for the price🤣

[@Wolfiyeethegranddukecerberus17]

Link actually does speak at least twice. In Zelda 2, he said "There's a mirror under the table", and in Windwaker, he screamed "COME ON"

[@ArceusDX]

I mean if we're gonna talk about written dialogue, then Link is actually really chatty and surprisingly snarky and sarcastic if his dialogue options in Skyward Sword and breath of the Wild are anything to go by

[@JamieElli]

Yeah, at this point, Link is only silent in cutscenes.

[@ska4dragons]

Also in A Link To The Past. Especially in the japanese text.

[@makonede]

@@PumpkinHead-jt3vx have you watched the video?

[@autumnsprites488]

How about that time in A Link To The Past. When you try to open the big chest without a big key, a text box pops up. Saying that you need the big key, in oder to open it. Or is it just his thoughts?

[@Pizzaetertje]

He’s just too cool to talk 😎

[@victoriakingsland3300]

Lol true 😎

[@absolutenobody1secondago431]

lol

[@b3rnardGamingForever]

_That's a Wonderful Idea!_

[@BBWahoo]

He has a big buttplug so if he talked it would just end up being disheveled moaning

[@samisphere_]

That’s why he’s my inspiration fr

[@ShaOryDow]

There's also a cutscene in BOTW where both Zelda and Link are riding on their horses, with Zelda repeating a line from earlier, followed by her saying "Your advice was quite helpful, thank you." There's also a few moments in BOTW where Link has to explain something, and you can see his hands move around, talking to Riju for example. I guess they forgot to unmute his voice during these scenes, :)

[@ChrisLeeW00]

They forgot to mic him before filming the scene 🎬

[@AAABatteries.]

Wait he was actually supposed to speak then? I thought he was just doing some weird hand signs

[@lbud4092]

@@AAABatteries. My head canon is that he uses Hylian sign language

[@AAABatteries.]

@@lbud4092 that would make sense if his only gestures weren't just kinda holding his palms out and moving one hand. 💀

[@lbud4092]

@@AAABatteries. that's why it's a head canon and not canon lol

[@TheseUseless]

BOTW link is stated to be a chatterbox in some companion material or other I think. But he’s selective mute pre-calamity and we know he speaks to Zelda atleast once. Post calamity he’s lost a lot of the baggage that stopped him from talking or being expressive, so he is now VERY expressive, and is implied to speak constantly within the game itself.

[@WolfWriterL.P]

huh. Never thought of that... Good point!

[@WideSmileOfficial]

He takes energy out of talking and puts it into everything else

[@duppy404]

That is the most badass thing I heard

[@Emma_madison]

@@duppy404 Really🙄

[@thirtythreeflavors]

Hell yeah really.

[@SomeCertainMycorian]

Mainly in the hotness department

[@tsukishima-i-guess]

@@SomeCertainMycorian uhh sure

[@Mazikeen2904]

At this point it would be more strange to have Link talk on screen. Though it's clear that he can speak, I doubt there would be a voice that would suit him.

[@That-girliscrazy]

The person who plays link already suits him but doesn’t speak English

[@WasatchWind]

I think something we need to take note of however, is that seeing the success of the Mario movie, it is almost a certainty that they will make a Zelda movie. Besides my great concern that it will be a lot like the Mario movie and be lacking in story, which feels very incongruous for Zelda's tone, I'm afraid that they will have Link be a mute, or that even if he does, there will be a bunch of groan worthy Marvel jokes alluding to the fact that he doesn't have voice acting in the games.

[@TheEtherny]

In the mangas they have him speaking and it feels okay because it's quite generic, I don't think this would work in the games without sounding cheesy tho

[@bryanna72]

Use the 1989 link voice actor lol

[@QnjtGWonQNqVsbYyzjx4]

@@WasatchWind maybe they try to have his voice be emotional as possible, having him cry or seems happy or something without him speaking out English

[@Judgementfr]

7:44 I don’t know what it is but it just feels so wholesome of Mario for thanking you for playing his game

[@Hollzilla]

Let me rewrite that: I don’t know what it is but it just feels so wholesome of Mario for thanking you for to playing his game

[@Judgementfr]

@@Hollzilla yes

[@DELTA50Q]

Its because hes mewing nonstop

[@Sanstheskelington]

☝️🧏‍♂️

[@ZamzamAhmed-dk9jt]

🧏‍♀️

[@RamenBrothProductions]

🤫🧏🏻‍♂️

[@Finnvolt3000]

Mr.mew

[@NekoTamer15]

Link is not entirely silent. In Windwaker, he yells "come on!" out loud. And in Breath of the Wild, there are moments where he speaks full sentences in the text. My favorite examples are when he's demanding the glider from Rhoam and the boots from the guy that has a crush on him. Zelda revealed in her diary that Link is a glutton but we can see for ourselves that he is also very greedy.

[@lexinicole4317]

…what? Link is “greedy” in what instance exactly? With the paraglider he makes an agreed upon trade (in his mind, as that’s what Rhoam told him it was) and it gets backed out on. Not to mention you have dialogue options in this game, meaning either all of them can define Link’s character, or none of them can.

[@NekoTamer15]

@Lexi Nicole In BotW, instead of saying just yes or no, Link has dialogue to represent yes or no. When talking to Rhoam about the paraglider, if you say yes to wanting the paraglider, Link says "hand it over!" And with the sand/snow boot guy, if you are initiating the side quest, the first 2 things Link says to the guy are "nice sand jogging" and "gimme the boots" Whenever Link is told yes by the player, his first instinct is to demand being given stuff. Getting it through a trade doesn't make him non-greedy. It makes him reasonable and hard working

[@pocarisweat_jp]

Those "full sentences" you're talking about are still silent, they're not _voiced_ like this video is talking about.

[@NekoTamer15]

@@pocarisweat_jp You got me there. I could've worded it better. I should've said verbal.

[@omglol8425]

He has text options in Skyward Sword too, right?

[@paulstephens2861]

A thing I’d like to point out is that Wind Waker Link says things sometimes (like commanding people to follow him (Edit: when he has someone with him, if he walks far away enough he calls out “Come on!”)) and Breath of the Wild Link actually talks a lot in response to NPC dialogue, but never says anything in the cutscenes where you’d be able to hear his voice.

[@Bulba413]

he says one line in the adventure of link too, interestingly enough "i found a mirror under the table"

[@Roshuwah]

I was gonna say that too with wind Waker!

[@pizzatron2010]

yay someone mentioned wind waker! I was waiting for Thomas to say something about it but I guess not oh well

[@UBvtuber]

Ah yes, the genshin impact effect.... .except breath of the wild inspired genshin impact. And they actually have the MC talk a little in major story cutscenes.

[@Link_1129]

@@Bulba413 He also says later in the same game "Looks like I can get in the fireplace." Though, in the cases of these two lines, they seem to work better as thoughts rather than actually being spoken. He does speak a lot as dialogue responses, and even says your file name in Ocarina of Time (the green text in the initial meeting with Zelda), but aside from the "C'mon!" spoken in The Wind Waker to the statues inside the Tower of The Gods, nothing with voice-acting.

[@jessemunoz1]

Zelda's diary actually says that she got him to speak to her in breath of the wild. I guess he told her why he's so quiet all the time.

[@TheBreadPirate]

This is a great recap on the history of Link's voice acting! Thanks for putting this together.

[@isoceptic]

hey its you

[@NipplesTheEnchilada2323]

Fun fact: The only time they ever put words to Link's thoughts was in Breath of the Wild, but only in the Japanese version, via the the Quest Log, as it reads out like diary entries from Link himself.

[@lexinicole4317]

Link also has dialogue options in Breath of the Wild, so he does speak, pretty regularly

[@ghoulchan7525]

there's also a few thoughts he has. when interesting with a few things. like wondering if some fish were caught locally in Lurlin. and i think there's also a few when you interact with books.

[@That-girliscrazy]

@@ghoulchan7525 what do it say with books

[@ghoulchan7525]

@@That-girliscrazy "was this always here before' when you find the DLC books. and he has some when interacting with diaries

[@Tiny_24]

@@ghoulchan7525 "must not read...must not read" when interacting with miphas diary I think

[@BloxxingDinosaurus]

Link really took Stoicism to another level.

[@christopherflux6254]

Stoicism is a philosophical attitude to life, it’s not necessarily about keeping silent

[@ctrl_x1770]

Kind of refreshing, what with all the talkative protagonists lately.

[@slednix8215]

If link spoke too much he’d lose all his charm. My favorite is in OOT when he just stares at everyone like they’re crazy and runs away.

[@infinite1up389]

I much prefer the silent stoic approach to link than to have him be emotionally reactive to everything like a cartoon character would. It helps me take the story a little more serious.

[@NigelThrashner]

Link shows personality in his face now. It started with Wind Waker. He’s often a bit bubbly, even in TP and Skyward Sword. Or when he’s cooking in BOTW 🤭.

[@Victini7472]

well the last time he spoke we got "Well, *_EXCUUUUUUUUUUUUSE ME,_* _PRINCESS!"_ we need him to speak more (also i always wondered why he sounds so passive-aggressive when he says that lol)

[@veratheun1corn]

hey! *exuuuuuuuussee mee, princess!*

[@themetalcatacombs3790]

what about "c'mon" and "meow" from Wind Waker?

[@victoriakingsland3300]

Wel eXscUse mE prInsESsSSsSsssS

[@JuanGomez-ke5py]

How about Philips cdi link

[@Victini7472]

@@JuanGomez-ke5py wasnt the zelda show after cdi tho?

[@Little-Dude]

The question is definitely more of why _we_ don't hear him talk as opposed to why he doesn't "speak". We know because of dialogue options that he talks to the characters in-game. It's pretty straightforward until Breath of the Wild where we get a lot more personality in his response options. Even though we don't hear them spoken aloud, that already is a pretty big step forward in giving him a personality.

[@JCashBeatz]

Exactly!

[@turkostemicentertainment7821]

Every time Link interacts with someone, in game, he talks. He gets info pertaining to his quest, the local area(s) and about their personal lives. They just don't include any of his dialogue. We can use our imagination for Link's parts

[@stevenbarker8864]

There are several games where other characters speaking with Link have dialogue with him that makes it seem as though he’s responding to them. I think in A Link Between Worlds, you actually see Link telling a character a whole story as the scene cuts out. And then in other games, you’re given the option to chose one of 2 or 3 response options when talking to another character. I think that Link does actually talk, we as the player, are just not allowed to hear it or see it (with the exception of choosing his responses in a couple of titles).

[@SoniXperias]

Yeah link has alot of dialogue in botw too

[@stevenbarker8864]

I do like the idea of him being 100% mute outside of his grunts and yells, but it does seem that he talks, it’s just not anything we get to see for ourselves.

[@stevenbarker8864]

Also, I love your videos, Thomas! You have such a delightful voice ❤

[@Juan_blooms]

He just straight up, says come on in wind Waker

[@stevenbarker8864]

Lol yes that’s true as well

[@NaiveSteve]

A funny omission to this conversation is that link does have written dialog. Especially in breath of the wild he has dialog options that npcs react to. So link does speak, just not for us

[@monke7919]

Exactly it follows the silent protagonists rule while still not being cannonicly mute

[@IceBlueLugia]

I mean, silent protagonists do this all the time. Pokémon is an easy example. This isn’t really anything noteworthy

[@WasatchWind]

@@monke7919 It really makes me groan whenever I see some comedy skit where people act like he is canonically mute. He is not. I'm afraid it will result in this actually happening in the inevitable Zelda movie, which will be the final nail in the coffin that I will not see it.

[@ahypocriticalorange]

not only does he talk in botw, he also shows off a particular enjoyment of puns. sand seals? sealiously?

[@Tiny_24]

@@ahypocriticalorange let's seal the deal!

[@taemien9219]

Being that Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom are the Zelda games Miyamoto always wished to produce, I think its safe to say that Link has always been meant to be the Silent Knight Protector that bears his burdens selflessly, alone, and without complaint. If there was any time he was to break this near oath of silence and say anything beyond a simple phrase (such as he has in previous games) it means his will is breaking and the fate of the world is in peril. I don't really see this happening anytime soon as Demise, Demon King Ganon, and Calamity Ganon have yet to make this happen.

[@eljaminlatour6633]

There were also certain instances where Link does speak. In Wind Waker, when Link calls Medli or Mekar, he says "C'mon!". Another instance are the manga adaptations of the games by Akira Himekawa. The last thing I can remember regarding Link's voice was that Robot Chicken show.

[@RazoE]

If you notice, up until BOTW/Hyrule Warriors, Link could always be renamed, so his name was never set in stone. It wouldn't make too much sense calling him by name in the games

[@darrenmacqueen9884]

I always liked that option. To me, it helped explain away the seeming coincidence that all the heroes have the same name. They really don't have the same name, their name is just whatever you choose to name them. Just like all the trainers in Pokemon. The royal family has the tradition of passing down the Zelda name, but I think each hero canonically has different names. I don't understand why BOTW removed that option. It's not like there's that much voice acting in the game, they could have easily avoided having his name spoken in voiced cut scenes.

[@guywithdreads]

@@darrenmacqueen9884 cause he actually is link

[@TheReZisTLust]

​@@darrenmacqueen9884 There's probably set Links for certain big battles then. Set in stone that this individual is called link by parents.

[@newbcakeful]

That made it funny when I first played Ocarina of Time and I thought that Link's name was supposed to be Zelda so I named him that, then when I met Zelda for the first time and she asked my name she replied something like, Zelda? Wow, that sounds so familiar! and I died laughing (I was a little kid)

[@RazoE]

@@newbcakeful if you named Link "Zelda" in the first game, you immediately unlocked the 2nd quest, so it was worth a shot 😁

[@hajimesenpai7996]

I'm glad I'm not the only one who noticed that Link does talk! My favorite line from Link in BOTW is when he spoke to NPC about being 100+ years old or something like that. It was funny 😂

[@victorbatalha1424]

hahahahah i rememberr!! he said it at Gerudo Town

[@bukachell]

There's a pretty big error in the subtitles, just to let you know. At 3:58 the subtitles repeat from the beginning of the video until 7:20, where it picks up from where it should've continued at first, eventually speeding up to resynchronise with the video at 9:32. Made what you were saying fairly difficult with the mismatched subtitles, and it's probably worse for people that really do need them.

[@surrenedyj8695]

Awesome video man! I learned so much from this! Count me as subscribed. 😄 I personally have always really liked the freedom that came with Link not having a voice/not speaking. There’s such a presence about him, that he doesn’t really need it. Although, I really appreciated how they integrated his lack of speaking into the story of Breath Of The Wild. It brought so much more depth! And although I always liked how he didn’t speak, I always felt that there should be a plausible reason within his character to explain it shown in the games. And now there is. 😊

[@Kisarasart]

He speaks in Wind Waker when using the command to make statues follow him. He says, "Come on!" So, he has spoken before.

[@kadelemonade]

He also meows haha

[@yakushishi]

@@kadelemonade Thanks, I was looking for someone to mention it

[@Kisarasart]

@@kadelemonade Oh yeah! You're right about that! ☺

[@KrimzonCasper]

I could’ve sworn Link said “come on” when he was patting the horse in botw

[@boggle4763]

Well link does say “ha-ha” while pressing the attack button while shield surfing in botw

[@realsalu634]

Well, in TP, the ghost soldier that trains Link and teaches him moves, he speaks an bunch, and he is the OOT/MM one...thus Link can speak full phases

[@artsyebonyrose]

your videos are always so thorough, its so entertaining :)

[@AnarchoTak]

link does time travel in some of his games. so you can say he is still the "link" to the present and future.

[@delreybaby]

i mean if forespoken has thought us anything is that having a silent protagonist is a rare blessing

[@lordecke]

has nothing to do with the fact that he never talks in cutscenes. and thats dumb in my opinion

[@superbodoque7860]

"so let me get this straight, I'm somewhere I wouldn't call Hyrule, I'm seeing freaking Gleeoks and, oh yeah, I'm talking! Yeah ok that's something I do now, I do magic, kill jacked up beasts, I'll probably glide next"

[@delreybaby]

@@lordecke relax it’s a youtube comment

[@Tomato.toothpaste]

I do like that Link speaks in the flavour text of items within the game. In Japanese, BOTW Link gives his own thoughts and insight on items you pick up. Also every dialogue option you choose could be seen as Link speaking. (Though, my head cannon is he uses a hyrulian sign language)

[@chknrsandTBBTROX73]

This is racist, sexist and homophobic

[@weirdwaterboy8224]

Fun fact he actually talks in all of the Zelda mangas and has his own personality in them

[@spongefan6170]

Joseph Joestar: *"OOOOOOOHHHHHHH NNNNNNNOOOOOOO!!!!!!!"*

[@IamMonvi]

I like to imagine he doesn't speak, due to the ptsd he's acquired by repeatedly dying, while saving an infinitely resetting world

[@TGOS-Official]

In the Mario Movie, Charles Martinet actually voices Mario's dad.

[@SoniXperias]

9:18 it worked. I always imagined myself as link when I was a kid.

[@CuriousKey]

I'd argue Mario also counts as a silent protagonist - his utterances are more along the line of thematic vocalisations than actual statements. "Mamma mia!" and "haaa!" both serve the same purpose - to make the character feel more dynamic and present, and give a sense of their personality and character. In neither case is the character actually *saying* anything, like "I should go to the shops for milk". Both characters make *sounds*, but that's it. With the exception of the slightly questionable-sounding line Mario has at the ending of 64.

[@cocoapowered]

yeah I thought it was a little strange that he made it seem like Mario talks all the time - said some people would argue Mario talks too much? i feel like it’s almost the total opposite, he speaks just slightly more than Link. he has his catchphrases, sure, but that’s about it.

[@mrshmuga9]

@@cocoapowered One of the only ways you could get Mario to say an actual line (outside the ending) is if you… literally do nothing. Just leave the controller idle, he’ll fall asleep, and eventually talk in his sleep about spaghetti or something.

[@HelpTheWretched]

That was made really clear in Super Mario RPG. He frequently "talks" by waving his hands around or acting things out, and other characters respond like he just spoke in full sentences.

[@chrisandreas3142]

Mario speaks a lot

[@jkekbe4336]

“So long, gay Bowser!”

[@maryam.m]

9:00 Make him seem a little more human with noises like these. "HUP, HUT, HYAAAH!!" 10/10 comedy 😂

[@giby8866]

8:04 god just imagine "SO LONG GAY GANON" simply perfection

[@moonchild8105]

Loved this video. Link's quietness is part of his character, as much as being talkative is Nathan's Drake distinguishing trait. Also, it gives a unique charm and warmth to the game, having this very stoic and brave warrior getting put into any kind of situation (ranging from epic fights to more clumsy moments) without ever feeling jarring. Truly a man for all seasons. Having Link talk/react at each new zone/encounter/situation would add an unneeded layer of cognitive complexity, instead we have a very close relationship between both the player's and Link's journey of discovery.

[@ilive4retro]

“WELL EXCCCUUUUSSSSEEEEE ME THOMAS!”

[@hakimi69420]

lmao

[@tuberobsessor]

I remember watching the cartoon as a kid. Looking back, that voice is unironically a decent fit for (at least an older) Link. I watched another video a few weeks ago but I don't remember from who. It was about the journal entries in BotW. In English, it's written as "You did this, now you need to go do this". In Japanese, however, it's written in Link's perspective, and it actually gives a lot of insight's into Link's personality, and it can honestly be applied to almost every Link. Link loves opening chests and getting treasure (I think in almost every game, Link always looks incredibly happy to get treasure), and it seems like Link is actually a major foodie. There's also several times in BotW's dialogue choices where Link is shown to be a bit of a jokester (seals!). Post-amnesia BotW Link seems to have lightened up a lot now that a lot of the stress was lifted as a result of the amnesia.

[@mikuubacteria]

6:58 YIPPIEEEE

[@CyrilHul]

Thomas is seriously one of my favorite KZbinrs. I always get so excited when he uploads. I love learning about what went into creating my favorite games.

[@wattsnottaken1]

It’s amazing how much work goes into good video games like OoT MM and Windwaker. I should buy the new Zelda game and grind it

[@cdreamworld]

I loved Link's cartoon series' voice.

[@flytothemountains824]

same, i do think that his Link voice does have that courageous vibe. but it’s a really big shame that his Link was such an awful character

[@TheNiggler17]

I would say Red is the most iconic silent protagonist cause he doesn’t even grunt

[@ThroneViI]

I feel like the self projection idea aspect would be far better if he at LEAST was give choices that he would act upon on certain cotisations, I get that they’re going for a “whatever the players think of Link” idea but I feel like it’ll fit much better having choices as it will ACTUALLY give him personality just like the persona 4 and 5 protagonists they’re silent as well but they still have ALOT of personality

[@TompaA]

In Zelda II, Link actually says: I FOUND A MIRROR UNDER THE TABLE. Surprised this was looked over. Nice nonetheless!

[@KingX]

I came here to post that. You could harmonise this by saying he was alone when he said that so has less issue thinking aloud than speaking in social situations - but I highly doubt they were thinking that deeply about it at the time. I would also add that he does speak a bit in Ocarina of Time whenever you answer with green text (such as when answering Zelda's questions).

[@Royale..winx..club9]

Older Zelda games hold a special place in my heart (oot,mm,tp,ww,ss,lttp) so Link having a voice would change it too much

[@tattertot8259]

Link's first cannon voice acted line (that's not meow) will now be " Boy I sure do want to save Marin from being trapped as a seagull forever !" .

[@yasserarguelles6117]

I feel like the fancy dialogue boxes in Skyward sword or the time he has to explain what happened to Zelda implied him talking, there's a variety of other places like sometimes you're talking to someone and there's no dialogue box but then that person reacts as if you're speaking... I'm like 99% sure Link is relatively quiet but implied to talk

[@RetroCVBS]

Speech was possible on the NES, and several original games did it. The only real limitation was it took a LOT of cartridge space, and quite a bit of CPU time so only a few specific actions could be done at the same time as playing the DPCM sample.

[@David-dz1cb]

Honestly, it'd be kinda fun to have Potts return in a Zelda game- not as Link, but as one of his relatives. He'd be a great sassy uncle or something.

[@issanghessi5661]

similarly to how peach's voice actress from the super mario bros super show had a cameo in the mario movie, if nintendo ever does make a zelda movie i can see potts having a cameo

[@jokerlyzermedia6603]

Nintendo has literally come out and said the reason Link doesn't talk in games is because they didn't want to break the immersive experience of you yourself being Link. Link is meant to be the player themselves, so you feel more involved and engaged. Capture that immersion magic. They also said he can in fact talk, but it's your own voice that's meant to be Link's voice. Again, immersion magic.

[@Akirathehusky]

Link does talk but you just don't hear him. If he's asked a question and you choose the answer he replies to the other person.

[@King_Cisco]

I think it's clear why, but I wonder how Charles Martinet would voice Link?

[@Austin-kt7ky]

Link looked younger in the older games, so he probably would have gone with something you'd expect from a 90's young boy adventure protagonist. Something like the English dub Sonic X is what comes to mind. Or even SatAM.

[@UBvtuber]

yeah he would not have been able to pull off an older twink link. lol

[@pearlplayaa]

He's got a lot of range, to be fair, I think he could pull it off

[@Frrk]

It's-a me! Linkio! Mamma mia, where is Zelda at?

[@sleepy_existence]

I for one am happy with Link being a mute protagonist. Opens up for more representation of a minority people dont usually think about. Theres also other valid ways of communicating that doesn't require someone to speak. I personally like to headcannon that Link knows sign language. ☺️

[@wonkyslushgamer]

I'm a big fan of you Thomas Game Docs!

[@Sauraen]

Have you noticed that in Ocarina of Time and Majora's Mask, when an NPC asks you a question and you get a choice of the answer, the answer choices are in green text? Those are the responses that he is speaking to the NPC. It makes sense that they'd put them in green because Link is (usually) green.

[@ple8379]

But is it actually him speaking? Because he's using Navi to be able to talk to others, I always thought she's like his ventriloquist.

[@Sauraen]

@@ple8379 He doesn't always use Navi to talk to others, only if he's targeting them. In fact Navi will "get put away" (fly into Link's hat and disappear) in the middle of conversations. Plus, Navi has screen text, and it's white.

[@ple8379]

@Sauraen Huh, I see. Thanks for the info. Dunno why I never noticed her "hiding" while having conversations with others :0. Thanks for correcting me. I honestly just think the green dialogue is nothing else than just highlighting the options to choose from, though. Like, if it stayed white, it could have "blended" a bit with the rest of the text, and some people maybe wouldn't notice they need to pick an option.. so I personally don't think it has much more of a purpose besides that, but that's a nice theory still :D.

[@Antasma1]

I’d be perfectly ok if they went the Persona route where he’s still a silent protagonist with occasional voiced words and selectable lines so the player can still project themselves onto Link

[@luckydawg257]

Didn’t anyone see that one commercial for breath of the wild where link was like “I’ll do anything for you Zelda!”?

[@reitairue2073]

He is THE silent protagonist. No other character has done it better imo.

[@zeromontalvan1514]

You can confirm this since in botw you can't change link's name, I think this isn't because it would make impossible the voice acting instead is to create link as a character, at the end link in botw forgets all its past so technically you can still use it as a blank page but probably in Tears of the kingdom link would have more defined its personality just like in age of calamity

[@gamerdrache6076]

tears of the kindoom link is litarry botw link

[@The_Story_Of_Us]

It really is just part of the identity of this iconic video game character, just like Mario’s over the top italian exclamations. Breath of the Wild integrated it into the story a bit, yes… But you are also able to have conversations with NPCs where you pick and choose dialogue options, often the game shows that he is in fact quite chatty when he wants to be. The lack of spoken voice lines is just tradition.

[@issanghessi5661]

to bring the "player immersion" thing a step further, in phantom hourglass and spirit tracks, you, the player, get to voice link! using the mic on the DS, the gsme prompts you at some parts of the story to speak (or really, make any sound you want) into the mic to do things like call out for an npc's attention or literally yell as loud as you can to beg for a discount on a cannon

[@andressacruz6530]

2:11 His old design looks like hes wearing green eye shadow.

[@PKshockwave]

I guess what makes it so extra interesting is that I'd like to hear him speak just to get a little taste of what he'd sound like in a conversation. I remember always wondering what Pikachu would sound like if he could say more than his name, then I found his VA in the dub is the same as Japanese, and she voices Chopper from One piece very similarly. Twas so cool to find out and hear.

[@fatalwaffle1715]

Awesome video bro. There has been times when Link does talk. Like in the CDI games.

[@matheusulisses5579]

Great video!

[@emmanuelmatchuca3871]

I love how the videos are slowly becoming longer videos after the merry Christmas video

[@christianmiller0192]

Link speaks in all the manga versions of LoZ. Almost everyone seems to forget about that. If a movie is ever made or a mainline game entry is made with a speaking Link, the manga is a good foundation to build upon.

[@oni2662]

he is very shy...

[@devikjha4173]

3:35 You're forgetting the best copmanion ever: Epona doesn't speak but is a major character (Also patricia)

[@redstonecommander5190]

1:15 I’ve heard some of the sound samples and legend of Zelda for the NES, and some of those noises mainly the sound effects for the monsters are actually quite terrifying and horrific almost sound like something you may hear of a nightmare

[@verkhvo]

the subtitles become mismatched from 3:59 onwards

[@HelpTheWretched]

Some comments have mentioned "C'mon!" and "Meow!" from The Wind Waker, but there's another possible one in that game. Whenever someone makes a bid in the auction mini-game, the text box includes their name, like "Garrickson: 123 Rupees." It does this for Link too. I said "possible" because it could be argued that the auctioneer is actually saying the characters' names, but that would be weird because how often do we say things as if they're written with a colon? And also, it would be a bit disjointed if the auctioneer said their name and bid, and then gave a reaction in the next text box.

[@idancharleslevine4094]

Link does actually talk when in a discussion with an NPC in botw.

[@jacquelingriffin8899]

We love your videos

[@akisgeorgiadis3928]

Hi Big fan. Actually link talks in a way in one of the memories in botw. Zelda is talking to her horse and says thanks to link for his advise.

[@jamesr6959]

As a kid I always thought OoT Adult Link had a Scottish accent based on his grunts and yells.

[@davesherman2096]

Would be cool if the devs tied him being silent to something grander like the goddess giving him the triforce at the price of his voice

[@dmcmusiclover2995]

9:06 I think Link is saying "Here! Take that!"

[@YassineTorchani-dc2cm]

Well no

[@dmcmusiclover2995]

@@YassineTorchani-dc2cm It almost sounds like it to me.

[@OlleWtn]

How does it take so long to explain a simple question

[@glenngriffon8032]

There's a Ganon x Zelda comic I read once, i think it's still going on, but a character in it once described Link as something of an immortal soul that has accumulated so much pain and trauma from centuries of fighting and reincarnating that it's rendered him basically mute. Which is fairly in line with BotW where he's someone who acts strong and stoic because he's the hero of legend and everything is riding on him. Which is a stark contrast to WW Link who is always yelling and never shies away from showing his emotions.

[@colt5189]

1989 Legend of Zelda cartoon on DVD was the first thing I rented from Netflix way back in the day on their DVD through mail service.

[@megabolt5898]

This is probably gonna be a major talking point amongst fans once a Legend of Zelda movie comes out for the NCU.

[@tanemahutaa]

link is unimaginable when he speaks

[@soluna4784]

what does that mean

[@tanemahutaa]

its hard to imagine link speaking.

[@deatheater810]

If link had a spoken voice, I think link should sound British because of the time period just like how Zelda sounds

[@corruptedteka]

Actually not a bad idea ! I like that. I'd like if they got an actually British VA though if they were gonna do that. Ohhh if Link had a voice a little like Noah from Xenoblade 3... gosh I would love it. Soft-spoken but matter-of-fact and determined, and so full of kindness.

[@buss1205]

yeah i really hope they never do that. they gave ganondorf a British accent which makes no sense since hes a desert man, and link is just a dude, hes not royalty like Zelda is

[@deatheater810]

@@buss1205 people in the UK have British accents and they're not part of the royal family

[@buss1205]

@Deatheater that's exactly my point, why does zelda have a british accent when almost no one else in hyrule does? Doesn't make a whole lot of sense since we develop our accents from our communitys. So my theory is that they wanted her to stand out more with her status as royalty compared to regular hyrule residents

[@deatheater810]

@@buss1205 in a movie what accent do you think link would actually have

[@geoffreyblakeley5601]

The only other time Link has ever talked regularly, was in the Manga adaptations of the zelda games. They are pretty fun adaptations. And link has a ton of personality and is a fun character.

[@tricksterkitsune]

I’d like to think that an early Link suffered a throat injury at the hands of Ganon and it acted like a curse that sometimes afflicts his future incarnations with varied levels of severity which is why some can talk somewhat.

[@logandulken163]

With the recent success of the Mario movie and the newly popular Zelda movie discussion. I see too many people speculate a celebrity voice actor for him but I feel letting him speak just goes against his whole character. Link is mute, his grunts are his charm, if it’s necessary for him to communicate in a film add sign language to his skill set, I feel a lot of people would really appreciate that because one it respects the character’s legacy and allows representation for people who aren’t able to verbally communicate

[@greenleopard49]

Ocarina of Time Link as the Hero's Shade spoke to Twilight Princess Link. I think it would be great to have past Links speak to their reincarnated selves and to give them advice., similar to how Aang could talk to previous Avatars in Avatar the Last Airbender.

[@TheMusicMaster1994]

Awesome Video Thomas Game Docs. Can You Do A Video On Why Does Wario Doesn't Sounds Like He Used To?

[@ironicgaming1347]

2:44 bro she doesn't even give you a "thank you" she says "thanks"😂

[@Lord_CopperCrow]

There is one other example speaking, although not much. In windwaker and maybe some other games he says some english phrases, such as toon link yelling "Come on!"