Link is the iconic face of The Legend of Zelda series, so it is pretty ironic that this is the first mainline game where he takes a backseat to Princess Zelda. Even so, he remains a notable presence despite being out of the spotlight for most of the story.

The game actually starts with him being playable, and you get to fight Ganon in a battle that strongly resembles the ending of The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past. That opening is both fun and nostalgic.

As the trailer shows, he eventually falls into an evil magical chasm, but not before firing one last arrow that frees Princess Zelda from her prison. It is a heroic sendoff that sets the tone for the rest of the adventure.

After you defeat the Echo version of Princess Zelda, Link is finally freed. However, he takes back all of his equipment, which means you can only attack using Echoes from that point on. Which frankly… sucks.

There is also a mini dungeon you have to complete alongside him. On paper, cooperative puzzles with Link and Zelda sound like a great idea, but the CPU controlling him can be a bit clumsy and stupid at times.

During the final battle against Null, he fights at your side for most of it, except for the underwater section. Thankfully, you do not have to manage his health, and you can clearly see that he is contributing to the fight. The battle is chaotic enough as it is, so I was definitely glad not to handle everything alone.

In the end, they defeat Null together and return to a restored Hyrule. It is unclear whether this game will receive a direct sequel, but you can assume their roles would stay mostly the same. Fans foolishly hope for a romantic pairing, but knowing Nintendo, they would probably keep things vague and leave Link’s future open to interpretation. Such as having him marry a simple farm girl.