Toon Link
- For fighter info, see Toon Link (SSBB).
| Toon Link | |
|---|---|
| File:ToonLinkPH.jpg Official artwork of Toon Link from Phantom Hourglass | |
| Universe | The Legend of Zelda |
| Debut | The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker (2003) |
| Smash Bros. appearances | Brawl SSB4 Ultimate |
| Console/platform of origin | Nintendo GameCube |
| Species | Hylian |
| Gender | Male |
| Place of origin | Hyrule |
| Created by | Shigeru Miyamoto |
| Voice actor | Sachi Matsumoto |
Toon Link (トゥーンリンク, Tūn Rinku) is one of Link's multiple incarnations, except typically portrayed in a cel-shaded art style. He appears as a fighter in Super Smash Bros. Brawl based on the Hero of Winds.
Character Description
Toon Link, like most of the "Links", is a different Link to that of Twilight Princess. Toon Link refers to the character from The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker and The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass. However, Toon Link's art style has been used for other Links in The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords, The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Adventures, and The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap and The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks.
In The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker, set hundreds of years after Ocarina of Time and occurs parallel to Twilight Princess. The gods have flooded Hyrule, creating the Great Sea, encompassing the highest mountaintops of Hyrule. At the beginning of the game, Link's younger sister Aryll is captured by Helmaroc King, a giant masked bird controlled by the game's primary antagonist Ganondorf, the latter of which is searching for Princess Zelda. Link travels the Great Sea to rescue his sister and defeat the Helmaroc King; his quest intertwining with that of The King of Red Lions, who reveals, after many trials, that Link is the "Hero of Winds". Using the Wind Waker, a magical conductor's baton, he borrows the power of the gods to aid him in his quest. The wand's user interface is similar to that of the Ocarina of Time, but uses tempo in addition to pitch to form tunes. Link must eventually reassemble the Triforce of Courage to give him the power to fight Ganondorf. After Ganondorf's defeat , Hyrule drowns under the sea forever.
Sometime after, Link and Tetra sail for new lands and is where The Legend of Zelda: The Phantom Hourglass picks up afterwards. As the crew searches for new lands, they see the Ghost Ship, which, when boarded, suddenly turns Tetra to stone, and Link is teleported to the Realm of the Ocean King, where Tetra is imprisoned by Bellum. Link finds the Phantom Hourglass (an item that protects him from the poison coming from the Temple of the Ocean King, but only as long as it has sand in it), and carries it with him as he, Ciela and Linebeck journey to various islands that bring him one step closer to defeating Bellum. Eventually, he claims the Phantom Sword and defeats Bellum, saving Tetra. Oshus, the Ocean King, is returned to his original form, and teleports Link and Tetra back to their own realm. Tetra's crew claims everything to be a dream (as only 10 minutes passed when they supposedly fell asleep, according to them), but Link still has the empty hourglass, and they see Linebeck's ship over at the horizon.
Another recent game that features Toon Link is The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks. It takes place 100 years after the events of Phantom Hourglass, and Link is now an apprentice railroad engineer who travels to Castle Town in order to graduate as a "Royal Engineer". However, the Spirit Tracks are disappearing, and Link, with Zelda's help, must restore these tracks before Malladus is ressurrected.
In Spirit Tracks, the Link from Phantom Hourglass never actually appears, though he is hinted upon by Niko (who is surprisingly still alive despite being over 100 years old) as he looks at the young Link's new uniform (which strongly resembles the Hero's Clothes) and when he gives him the Swordsman's Scroll and the Shield of Antiquity (both of which are items that originated from Phantom Hourglass, and the Shield of Antiquity is simply called "Shield" in said game).
In Super Smash Bros. Brawl
Main Article: Toon Link (SSBB)
Toon Link is a secret character in Brawl, unlocked by either clearing the Subspace Emissary and clearing Classic mode with Link on any difficulty, clearing the Subspace Emissary and going through the hidden door in The Forest stage, or by participating in 400 brawls.
Toon Link's moves are virtually the same as the standard Link, but there are some differences. One of the most obvious is his down-special attack: his bombs. The explosion looks like it did in Wind Waker and Phantom Hourglass-cartoony orange swirls of smoke puff out from the point of impact. The difference is not strictly cosmetic, as the large smoke puff has a greater range but less power.
His Standard-Special attack, Hero's Bow, is also different. The arrows shot fly slower, but farther than Link's arrows. His Spin-Attack (Up-Special) isn't changed much, with the exception of his posture while spinning- Toon Link stands straight up while Link bends his right leg and his back, and that it traps foes within, inflicting multiple hits of damage, before launching them away. The boomerang (side-special) is different because it does not pull opponents like Link's does, and supplies more control when throwing it.
Toon Link, like Young Link in Melee, also has the ability to wall jump. While Link's jumping and falling styles are heavier and faster, Toon Link's jumps are larger and have a floaty quality to them. Toon Link is faster than Link, and Toon Link's Dash-Attack is less powerful in proportion. Additionally, Toon Link's up-smash attack is only one slash while Link's is three. If you perform Toon Link's down-air, he will fly straight downwards with his sword similar to many other Stall-Then-Fall attacks. Interestingly, this move pushes characters and items away, and slides down slopes like Stone. Link's down-air is similar to Toon Link's, but unlike Toon Link, he does not travel downwards any faster. Additionally, all of Link's kick attacks, such as his neutral air and back air, have been replaced with additional sword slashes to compensate for Toon Link's tiny legs.
Toon Link also carries the Master Sword, from the Wind Waker, rather than the hero's sword. This does not affect gameplay, though perhaps his attacks are more powerful then they would be with his normal sword.
Trophy Info
Toon Link has a trophy that is awarded each time the Classic mode is completed with Toon Link on any difficulty. See Triforce Slash for the trophy description of Toon Link's Final Smash:
Toon Link
Link as he appeared in The Wind Waker and Phantom Hourglass, with big eyes and an expressive face. He lived peacefully on Outset Island until a bird captured his little sister, and he came to her rescue. In The Wind Waker, he had to crawl, press up to walls, and the like. His green clothes were worn on his 12th birthday and are the lucky outfit of the hero of legend.
- Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker (2003)
- Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass (2007)
- Legend of Zelda: Sprit Tracks (2009)
Outset Link
Link in his traditional clothing. He wears a blue, V-neck, long-sleeved top with a shrimp pattern, coordinated with slender orange pants. It makes you think that, even on his home, Outset Island, Link was quite the fashion leader, and suggests that he may have changed into his green hero's clothing somewhat grudgingly.
- Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker (2003)
