The protagonist of each The Legend of Zelda series installment, Link embodies the selfless hero on a transformative journey, a storytelling trope we’ve seen in countless titles from Mass Effect‘s Commander Shepherd to Halo‘s Master Chief. For most of these games he plays the taciturn chosen one, his presence established by his willingness to embark on dangerous quests to save those important to him (most notably Princess Zelda). But the Zelda games also invest heavily in forms of reincarnation: In each game, a new version of the hero emerges, thrust into crisis with no memory of the series’ prior cycles (also highly useful if you want to focus on gameplay iteration). That notion of the hero’s return, stripped of abilities, inhabits everything from Hideo Kojima’s Metal Gear Solid games, to Ubisoft’s genetic memory informed Assassin’s Creed series.
- Essay: The Tyre Nichols Videos Demand Solemnity, Not Sensationalism
- For People With Disabilities, Losing Abortion Access Can Be a Matter of Life or Death
- Inside the Stealth Efforts to Smuggle Starlink Internet Into Iran
- Natasha Lyonne on Poker Face and Creating Characters Who Subvert Leading-Lady Tropes
- How to Help the Victims and Community After the Monterey Park Shooting
- Why Grocery Staples Are So Expensive Right Now
- Quantum Computers Could Solve Countless Problems—and Create a Lot of New Ones
- Where to Watch All of the 2023 Oscar Nominees
- How to Be Mindful if You Hate Meditating