Editing Dark Link

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{{Boss
|name         = Dark Link
|image        = [[File:Dark Link OoT.png|200px]]
|caption      = [[File:ZeldaSymbol.svg|50px|class=invert]]<br />Dark Link's in-game model in ''The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time''.
|boss         = ''[[Melee]]''<br />''[[Brawl]]''<br />''[[SSB4]]''
|universe     = {{uv|The Legend of Zelda}}
|console      = Nintendo Entertainment System (Famicom Disk System)
|location     = [[Temple]]<br>[[Bridge of Eldin]]
|creator      =
|voiceactor   =
|interwiki     = zeldawiki
|interwikiname = Zelda Wiki
|interwikipage = Dark Link
}}
'''Dark Link''' ({{ja|ダークリンク|Dāku Rinku}}, ''Dark Link''), or '''Shadow Link''' ({{ja|シャドウリンク|Shadō Rinku}}, ''Shadow Link''), is a dark doppelgänger of [[Link]] that appears in multiple {{uv|The Legend of Zelda}} titles, including ''[[Zelda II: The Adventure of Link]]'', ''[[The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time]]'', and ''{{s|zeldawiki|The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Adventures}}''. While Dark Link and Shadow Link are considered separate entities in the ''Zelda'' series, the ''[[Super Smash Bros.]]'' series reconciles elements of both characters in its representation of Dark Link.

==Origin==
[[File:BOTW Dark Armor Set.png|thumb|left|100px|The Dark Link-inspired Dark Armor Set in ''Breath of the Wild''.<!--Included in this article to demonstrate Smash's influence upon the Zelda series. This costume more closely matches the Dark Link costumes in the Super Smash Bros. series than most "actual" incarnations of Dark Link, except for Ocarina of Time 3D. Note the white hair and lighter-colored underclothes, in contrast with the Dark Interlopers from Twilight Princess.-->]]
Dark Link's origin is shrouded in mystery, and he is sometimes believed to be a creation of [[Ganondorf]]. Dark Link's strength and abilities differ in the games he has appeared in. In most of Dark Link's appearances, he appears to know every technique Link knows or has learned and can effectively match and counter his attacks; other games also show that he is capable of using Link's items as well.

Dark Link's design varies between games. In his earliest appearances, such as ''The Adventure of Link'' and ''Ocarina of Time'', he appears as a completely black version of Link, sometimes with glowing red eyes. After the Dark Interlopers used Dark Link's likeness in ''{{s|zeldawiki|The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess}}'', he started being depicted with various gray shades in his color scheme, occasionally including white hair; this color scheme was first directly associated with Dark Link himself in ''[[Super Smash Bros. Brawl]]'' before retroactively being featured in ''Zelda'' titles such as ''Ocarina of Time 3D''. While Dark Link himself does not appear in ''{{s|zeldawiki|The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild}}'', the Dark Armor Set is based upon his updated appearance in ''Ocarina of Time 3D''.

''{{s|zeldawiki|Hyrule Warriors}}'' features dark versions of many characters, including [[Young Link]] and [[Toon Link]].
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==In ''[[Super Smash Bros. Melee]]''==
[[File:DarkLink copy.jpg|thumb|left|Dark Link as he appears in ''Melee''.]]
{{Head|Dark Link|g=SSBM|s=16px}}
In ''Melee'', Dark Link is fought by the player controlling a red-colored {{SSBM|Link}} in the [[event match]] [[Event 18: Link's Adventure]]. This version of Dark Link is an allusion to the Shadow Link final boss of ''{{s|zeldawiki|Zelda II}}'', {{s|zeldawiki|Link's Shadow}}; the playable Link's red palette swap likely references the Reflect spell from ''Zelda II'', which turned his tunic from green to red. An all-black character does not appear anywhere else in the game, and aside from the texture and lack of voice effects, he is identical to Link. However, this texture can be applied to any character via the {{SSBM|debug menu}} or the [[black character glitch]]. If playing as Dark Link through these methods, his icon and voice will be the same as regular Link; the event match's settings can be recreated in the debug menu by setting his sub-color setting to 3 and status modifier setting to 18 (respectively, dark icon and no voice).

In addition to Dark Link himself appearing, a Dark Link-inspired alternate costume is available for both [[Alternate costume (SSBM)#Link|Link]] and [[Alternate costume (SSBM)#Young Link|Young Link]]. Unlike later installments, only Link's tunic changes, with his eyes, skin, and hair remaining unchanged.
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==In ''[[Super Smash Bros. Brawl]]''==
[[File:E18-darklinkduel.png|thumb|left|Dark Link as he appears in event matches in ''Brawl''.]]
Dark Link appears as an [[Alternate costume (SSBB)#Link|alternate costume]] for {{SSBB|Link}}.<ref>[http://www.smashbros.com/wii/en_us/howto/technique/technique08.html Smash Bros. DOJO!! - Color Changes]</ref> Rather than the traditional completely-black Dark Link, this costume resembles the design of the Dark Interlopers in ''{{s|zeldawiki|The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess}}''.

Dark Link also reprises his role as the enemy of [[Event 18: Dark Link Duel]]. However, the Dark Link in said event is shown as being completely black, like Shadow Link in ''Melee'' and ''Zelda II''. Despite that, Dark Link uses the damage meter icon for the normal palette swap. [[Co-Op Event 7: Battle of the Dark Sides]] features the players as Link and {{SSBB|Samus}} versus Dark Link and [[Dark Samus]].

{{SSBB|Toon Link}} also has an [[Alternate costume (SSBB)#Toon Link|alternate costume]] that resembles a toon version of Dark Link, such as {{s|zeldawiki|Shadow Link}} from ''{{s|zeldawiki|The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Adventures}}'', while likewise featuring a similar color scheme to that of the Dark Interlopers.
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==In ''[[Super Smash Bros. 4]]''==
[[File:SSB4 - Shulk Screen-6.jpg|thumb|The Dark Link costume as it appears in {{forwiiu}}.]]
The Dark Link {{SSB4|alternate costume}}s from ''Brawl'' return in ''Super Smash Bros. 4'' for {{SSB4|Link}} and {{SSB4|Toon Link}}. In {{forwiiu}}, the Link costume is used to represent the Dark Link character in the [[Final Battle Team-Up]] event match and two entirely darkened Links in the [[A Fated Battle]] event match.
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==In ''[[Super Smash Bros. Ultimate]]''==
[[File:SSBUWebsiteYoungLink5.jpg|thumb|Young Link's Dark Link costume as it appears in ''Ultimate''.]]
In addition to the Dark Link {{SSBU|alternate costume}} for {{SSBU|Toon Link}} returning from ''Brawl'', {{SSBU|Young Link}}'s black costume has been overhauled to make him highly resemble Dark Link as he appeared in ''Ocarina of Time 3D'', albeit as a child instead of an adult. Due to the Hero of the Wild succeeding the Hero of Twilight as the [[Link (SSBU|default Link of ''Ultimate'']], his Dark Link alternate costume is based on a combination of his {s|zeldawiki|Hero of the Wild Set}}'s design and his {{s|zeldawiki|Dark Series}}' color scheme.
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==Gallery==
<gallery>
Dark Link Zelda II.png|Shadow Link as he appears in ''Zelda II: The Adventure of Link''.
HWDE Dark Link Portrait.png|thumb|Dark Link in ''Hyrule Warriors: Definitive Edition''.
HWDE Dark Young Link Portrait.png|Dark Young Link in ''Hyrule Warriors: Definitive Edition''.
HWDE Dark Toon Link Portrait.png|Dark Toon Link in ''Hyrule Warriors: Definitive Edition''.
Dark Link costume SSBB.jpg|Dark Link as he appears as a palette swap in ''Brawl''.
SSB4 Dark Link Alt.jpeg|The Dark Link alternate costume in ''SSB4''
SSB4 Dark Toon Link Alt.jpg|{{SSB4|Toon Link}}'s Dark Link costume in ''SSB4''
SSBU Dark Link Alt.png|The Dark Link alternate costume in ''Ultimate''
SSBU Dark Young Link Alt.png|{{SSBU|Young Link}}'s Dark Link costume in ''Ultimate''
SSBU Dark Toon Link Alt.png|{{SSBU|Toon Link}}'s Dark Link costume in ''Ultimate''
</gallery>

==Trivia==
*Although each playable incarnation of Link has a black alternate costume that makes them virtually identical to Dark Link, the [[Young Link|Hero of Time]] is canonically the only one among them who actually fought him.
**While the [[Toon Link|Hero of Winds]] did not fight Dark Link, his successor in ''{{s|zeldawiki|The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks}}'' can do so via the {{s|zeldawiki|Take 'Em All On!}} minigame. 
**While Dark Link does not make an actual appearance in ''{{s|zeldawiki|The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild}}'', the [[Link (SSBU)|Hero of the Wild]] can obtain an armor set that makes him appear virtually identical to Dark Link's appearance in ''{{s|zeldawiki|The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D}}''.
*Dark Link and {{s|wikirby|Dark Meta Knight}} are the only "dark" characters to be alternate costumes instead of unique fighters.
*Coincidentally, the Dark Link [[Event Match]]es in both ''[[Super Smash Bros. Melee]]'' and ''[[Super Smash Bros. Brawl]]'' are Event 18.

==See also==
*[[Dark Samus]]
*[[Dark Pit]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{Zelda universe}}

[[Category:Unplayable characters]]
[[Category:Bosses]]
[[es:Link Oscuro]]
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