Hyrule Warriors had designs for a female Link
Could we choose our hero's genders for the next Zelda?
While The Legend of Zelda protagonist Link has always been a male character, Nintendo - or possibly Koei - toyed with the idea of a female variation of the Hero of Time in developing Hyrule Warriors.
This potential character design was revealed in scans of the game's Japanese art book (thanks, GoNintendo).
![](https://assetsio.gnwcdn.com/140795225916.jpg?width=690&quality=75&format=jpg&auto=webp)
The label next to this lady Link labels the character "Rinkuru," which Kotaku suggests would be translated to "Linkle" in English.
Kotaku also noted that this lady Link appears in a page labelled "previously unseen rejected characters," and she's described as a "girl version of hero Link." The art book said that she was "devised as being sister-like" - specifically like a little sister, as younger and older siblings have different words in Japanese. It's a fun language.
It's unclear if "Linkle" will actually be in Hyrule Warriors, but she represents a willingness on Nintendo's part to explore a different gender for Link, so perhaps the next proper Zelda adventure will give players a choice between male or female Hylian heroes.
![](https://assetsio.gnwcdn.com/hyrule-warriors-had-designs-for-a-female-link-140795248698.jpg?width=690&quality=75&format=jpg&auto=webp)