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[maxcriden]

Update:

Zelda series producer Eiji Aonuma credits fan speculation for the creation of a female Link in the recent Legend of Zelda: Hyrule Warriors 3DS game, but he clarified to Kotaku here at E3 that the Link in the new Wii U Zelda who first showed up in a 2014 trailer was always planned to be a guy.

Aonuma said he had been vague about the specifics of the new game’s Link when he was giving interviews about that trailer in 2014. He thinks that helped lead some Zelda fans to think that the somewhat androgynous Link shown in the trailer might be a girl. Aonuma said his lack of specifics on the character two years ago hadn’t been intended to stoke fan theories. “My intention was to say this isn’t done and there may be changes coming to that. I in no way had intention of leading people into believing Link was female.”

But why not have a female Link in this big new game? “You know there’s the idea of the Triforce in the Zelda games we make,” he told Kotaku. “The Triforce is made up of Princess Zelda, Ganon and Link. Princess Zelda is obviously female. If we made Link a female we thought that would mess with the balance of the Triforce. That’s why we decided not to do it.”

Source: http://kotaku.com/zelda-producer-explains-why-despite-speculation-the-n-1781973528

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During the conversation, which was translated by a Nintendo representative, we asked Aonuma if the rumors of having the option to play as a female version of Link are accurate. He said that he's aware of the conversations happening online, stating: "So yes, there were rumors like that, and we did discuss as a staff as to what would be possible if we took that route."

However, instead of entertaining the idea of the player being able to choose the hero Link's gender, Aonuma said his team considered what they deemed to be the simplest option; making princess Zelda the lead character. "We thought about it," said Aonuma, "and decided that if we're going to have a female protagonist it's simpler to have Princess Zelda as the main character."

This idea was ultimately rejected, because according to Aonuma "...if we have princess Zelda as the main character who fights, then what is Link going to do? Taking into account that, and also the idea of the balance of the Triforce, we thought it best to come back to this [original] makeup."

Bit more at the link:


http://www.gamespot.com/articles/why-zelda-breath-of-the-wild-wont-have-a-female-he/1100-6440862/

 

[ViewtifulJC]

Wow, first Alison Rapp and now this. Nintendo really hates women.

 

[TheGeniusArcana]

I think this reasoning is somehow even more disappointing than the actual lack of a female Link.

 

[Malus]

That is not very strong logic lol. "What is Link gonna do?"

I dunno...anything you want?

 

[Neoxon]

R.I.P. Emily Rogers

She at least got the voice acting part right.

 

[sunshine and gasoline]

"We thought about it," said Aonuma, "and decided that if we're going to have a female protagonist it's simpler to have Princess Zelda as the main character."

Would be perfectly fine with this.

 

[Shaanyboi]

That reasoning is super fucking dumb.

 

[Codeblue]

I feel like FemLink is an inevitability. Maybe not for this title, but it's going to happen sooner or later.

 

[Choppasmith]

Well I guess that's that. I'm cool either way.

I wonder if they could add Linkle as DLC or something?

 

[Cmerrill]

A shame, but not really a big deal.

 

[Platy]

"Instead of making Link a women we choose to make Zelda playable but if Zelda is playable what Link will do"

.... but if Link was a girl this would not be an excuse therefore you did not choose the simplest option

 

[Ray Down]

Pretty weak reasoning imo.

 

[Human Trashcan]

That explanation makes no sense. Link is a different character in every game, there's no reason gender shouldn't be a selectable option.

"We thought about this, but only for about 30 seconds."

 

[Veldin]

Not a well-reasoned answer at all.

 

[Space Medafighter X]

Would be perfectly fine with this. Get on this Nintendo.

I'm down for that, or hyrule warriors shiek.

 

[Shauni]

It was always a far-fetched dream, no matter what 'insiders' were trying to peddle.

 

[Hellsing321]

"...if we have princess Zelda as the main character who fights, then what is Link going to do?

I don't know. How about literally anything else?!

 

[Richie]

Poor reasoning though it may be, I do agree that I prefer Zelda as opposed to fem Link for a female character. And I want to think Aonuma couldn't be arsed to give a more in-depth explanation and just when with "then what with Link lol". He can be very facetious.

And this should -thank the goddesses- make Zelda threads more about the actual game instead of endless gender toggle debates.

 

[FluxWaveZ]

About to read the full thing but this:

...if we have princess Zelda as the main character who fights, then what is Link going to do? Taking into account that, and also the idea of the balance of the Triforce, we thought it best to come back to this [original] makeup.

Doesn't make much sense to me. A story where a legendary adventurer is doing his own thing far away while you're doing your own? What's wrong with that? There are a ton of situations that could fit around that context.

"Balance of the Triforce" is absolutely meaningless. Well, I know very little about Zelda lore, but I'd assume that there isn't anything about "Courage" that puts one over "Wisdom" in that regard.

 

[Portugeezer]

Goodbye Emily.

 

[Ultimadrago]

I don't know. Some people on GAF were really positive about it from some lanyard photos.

Maybe it's going to be a surprise!

 

[Jarmel]

It's clear from that answer that they definitely view Link as a male.

 

[Ydelnae]

So if the female protagonist of the franchise fights, then what is the male protagonist going to do? Sit down and wait to be rescued? Go to sleep for half the game? Appear just to ask for help to save the kingdom? Woah, that would be disrespectful for the male character, he's right.

 

[The Lamonster]

Very disappointing.

and FYI Aonuma and co.: it's okay for the female to be the fighter and the male to require her help.

 

[Soapbox Killer]

Well if this is to believed then at least they listened. They didn't comply but the dialog was there.

 

[ElectricBlanketFire]

Reasoning aside, people worked themselves into a shoot over this. There is no reason to get mad at Nintendo over a rumor that didn't come true.

 

[GrantDaNasty]

It's a dumb answer.

Whatever, if Nintendo doesn't want to make female Link/female MC a thing in Zelda, just go ahead and say "because we don't want to", all these statements feel like them dancing around it in pathetic ways.

 

[Blackleg-sanji1]

What the hell do you mean what us link going to do? Take a back seat for one game.

 

[Scientist Supreme!]

Lame excuse.

 

[ultron87]

That's a real bummer. So it's fine to have Zelda not be the active hero, but if Link was passive it is unacceptable.

And obviously even that reason would let Link be a lady.

 

[KingBroly]

That explanation makes no sense. Link is a different character in every game, there's no reason gender shouldn't be a selectable option.

"We thought about this, but only for about 30 seconds."

It doesn't seem like this is a different Link this game.

 

[User1608]

A damn shame

 

[Asd202]

How the fuck would making Zelda playable be simpler than gender option for Link?

 

[NinjaCoachZ]

if we have princess Zelda as the main character who fights, then what is Link going to do?

Huh??? You could always, y'know... Give them a different role in the story? The whole damsel dynamic is old. Kind of a copout.

 

[Sephzilla]

If we'd have a playable female protagonist I'd rather it just be Zelda instead of a gender-swapped Link. Zelda being the main character opens up way more interesting doors, in my opinion.

 

[Already Torn]

We already knew Nintendo hates women, nothing to see here.

If we'd have a playable female protagonist I'd rather it just be Zelda instead of a gender-swapped Link. Zelda being the main character opens up way more interesting doors, in my opinion.

But then what about Link?

 

[SneakersSO]

"Instead of making Link a women we choose to make Zelda playable but if Zelda is playable what Link will do"

.... but if Link was a girl this would not be an excuse therefore you did not choose the simplest option

To them, Link is a guy. Their the creative forces in control - they don't feel Link is a character that incorporates or could be represented in both genders. This actually makes the decision to create Linkle make that much more sense.

Huh??? You could always, y'know... Give them a different role in the story? The whole damsel dynamic is old. Kind of a copout.

haven't there been Zelda titles where the goal of the game wasn't to rescue Zelda, but to stop Ganon? I don't think they've Damsal'd Princess Zelda in all of them, and whose to say you're rescuing her in Breathe of the Wild.

 

[kunonabi]

A Zelda spinoff would be excellent. Making Zelda the Hero would make Link completely obsolete so I agree with them there.

 

[Clockwork]

It's clear from that answer that they definitely view Link as a male.

That's because Link is a male.

 

[Jarmel]

They probably should have nipped this rumor in the bud a long time ago though.

 

[Kojirospath]

If we'd have a playable female protagonist I'd rather it just be Zelda instead of a gender-swapped Link. Zelda being the main character opens up way more interesting doors, in my opinion.

Aonuma just closed those doors

 

[Flame Lord]

I like the idea of just having a playable Zelda at one point way more than just gender bending link; hey already got half way there in Spirit Tracks.

 

[Captain Smoker]

People being upset about a story they invented.

 

[KingBroly]

Huh??? You could always, y'know... Give them a different role in the story? The whole damsel dynamic is old.

If you have a playable Zelda, you probably can't have a playable Link. That's probably what their thinking was.

 

[bobawesome]

Wow, shocking.

Reasoning aside, people worked themselves into a shoot over this. There is no reason to get mad at Nintendo over a rumor that didn't come true.

Seriously. The internet (GAF) comes off as being filled with man babies because they don't get their way. You know who you have to blame for your hype? Yourselves. You convinced yourselves it was so going to happen.

 

[Sophia]

Make Zelda the protagonist, with the Triforce of Courage.

Make Link the Prince, with the Triforce of Wisdom.

Or just do a female Link.

I think they may have overthought this. :\

 

[Shikamaru Ninja]

R.I.P. Emily Rogers

She at least got the voice acting part right.

There is a narrator who speaks in the intro. That doesn't corroborate "voice acting in Zelda".

 

[tolkir]

Mother 3 dream is dead.

 

[mp1990]

The reasoning behind this is just insane and retrograde, but I don't know what I expected from the company who terminated a employee who was being aimed by a harassment group. This is all just really off putting.

 

[dmr87]

Finally we can put that to rest.