Legend of Zelda fans, enjoy some unique art long-lost to time. While we’re all happy to put Link in any kind of androgynous clothing in Breath of the Wild, there exists real art of an actual genderbent Link. With the discovery of an old Tips & Tactics guide, a Twitter user uploaded official art depicting Female Link, with pink hair and all.
Female Link is official
Thanks to the efforts of Twitter user HistoryofHyrule, we now have scanned images of long-lost Female Link art. HistoryofHyrule acts as a “Zelda archivist and campaigner” for over 20 years, hunting down rare retro official art of the series. Recently, they’ve made a huge discovery with a 1986 copy of Tips & Tactics.
Zelda fans once had access to the Tips & Tactics guide. The guide offered, as one would expect, tips and tactics to lead them through The Legend of Zelda game. Though it was available in both the U.S. and Japan, the U.S. version unfortunately had removed content. The Japanese guide discovered by the Zelda archivist holds rare art of a pink-haired, genderbent Link.
Though our favorite protagonist Link usually has blonde hair, Zelda fans likely have also seen him sporting a ping ‘do in one of the games. Particularly, in A Link to the Past, his in-game sprite looks pink even though official art depicts him as blonde. In the Tips & Tactics guide, it seems they decided to make Female Link pink.
HistoryofHyrule lovingly dubs her by a few different names: Female Link, Linka, and Plinka. I think Plinka’s particularly cute given the hair. The account graciously offered 2400dpi scans and plenty of pictures of their findings.
Check out the “Hyrule Historia”
I think she looks quite adorable, and it’s fun to see a gender-swapped version of Link. The guide also contains exclusive art of the fairy. Zelda fans, be sure to dig through more of HistoryofHyrule’s archive to find all the lost art of your dreams, and enjoy seeing this adorable art of Female Link.
