The Legend of Zelda The series has gone through many changes over the years, but could Link's silent status be changed? Link's silence is as iconic a part of his character as his green tunic, which was removed in Breath of Nature and Tears of the Kingdom. While these more recent games seem to have proven that Link can undergo some serious design changes and still be himself, some players may draw that line when Link speaks.
Link has spoken out in the past, although things didn't go well when he did. Yet, is not completely unheard of for a new Zelda game to give Link a few lines of dialogue. That being said, with Link silent in most of his appearances, it may seem strange to see him speaking in a new language. Zelda game if it's not done well. It's hard to say whether the potential benefits of Link talking would outweigh the risk of messing with one of gaming's most popular protagonists.
Why Link Should Speak in the Next Zelda Game
There may be some pros for linking conversations
One thing to point out about Link's status as a silent protagonist is that it might be a bit of a misnomer. Although Link rarely speaks words, the games imply that he does. When Link engages NPCs in dialogue, there is often an implication that Link said something or responded to what they said in some way. This is most heavily implied in stores when selecting an item. Players can choose them from a menu, but there is an implication that Link is telling the store owner what he wants.
As the series progressed, it did more than just suggest that Link can talk. THE Wind Alarm Clock shows Link shouting “let's go” to make Medli follow him. In Twilight PrincessLink can be seen talking to Ilia, although his words are not shown on screen. Sword to the Sky gave players dialogue options, which continued into Breath of Nature and Tears of the Kingdom. At this point, although Link doesn't speak out loud often, he talks a lot.
Since it's clear that Link can talk, it seems like the decision to keep him silent is more of a stylistic choice. While this choice has worked well in the past, it starts to feel a little strange as the Zelda the games advance their storytelling style. When Link is involved in longer, dubbed scenes, his silence stands out much more. than when the dialogue was all done in text. Link's speech could allow him to participate more in cutscenes and show more of his relationship with Zelda and other characters.
Link talking can also open up some new avenues for storytelling. Players could have more in-depth conversations with NPCs or have more control over the narrative. This could allow the series to add more RPG elements, making the dialogue options already present more impactful. This could complement Zeldathe new open world structure. That said, it is unclear whether this type of change would be positive in the eyes of Zelda fans.
Why Link Should Remain a Silent Protagonist
Link Talking risks its appeal as a protagonist
Link remaining largely silent on The Legend of Zelda the series serves a pretty clear purpose. It allows players to fully step into the role of Link. Since Link doesn't have many defining character traits other than being brave and good, players can project whatever type of personality they want onto him. This allows everyone to connect equally well with Link, even if their personal impressions of him as a character are wildly different.
Like 1989 The Legend of Zelda proven cartoon, giving Link more personality can cause problems. In the first three minutes of the show, Link obnoxiously complains about his new life of luxury before catcalling and sexually harassing Zelda. While this was clearly the worst-case scenario for giving Link lines, it perfectly highlights the danger of doing so. The more Link talks, the more likely he is to say something that will alienate some players or make him less likable. Keeping Link silent helps preserve players' strong affinity for him.
It's hard to see what would actually be added if Link's lines were dubbed. It already has longer dialogue options in games like Breath of Naturewhich allows players to see, or rather choose, more of their personality. Even if Nintendo wants to add more dialogue options and RPG elements to a future Zelda game, this does not mean that Link has to say anything out loud. Games can stick to text dialogue options that better preserve players' connections to the character.
Link shouldn't talk in the next Zelda game
Making Link Talk wouldn't add much to the series
While there may be some benefits to having Link speak in a new Zelda game, they don't really outweigh the risks. Players have a strong connection to Link as a character, and risking that just to give Link some spoken dialogue doesn't seem worth it. This is especially true when games have already given Link the ability to speak and make dialogue choices without the need for voice acting. It's hard to say what having Link say would actually add to games, as well as making it a little clearer that he can actually speak.
The Legend of Zelda the series is also already dealing with a Ship of Theseus problem. The more changes games like Breath of Nature and Tears of the Kingdom do for the Zelda formula, and the more elements like dungeons or Link's traditional appearance are abandoned, the less the series feels Zelda. While providing Link with voice lines wouldn't seem like a big deal in isolation, it would add to the numerous changes the series has gone through and risk reaching a point where the Zelda the series loses its unique sense of identity.
Luckily, as of now, it doesn't look like a talking Link is in the cards. Some team members behind Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom We discussed having Link speak in the game, but we finally decided “I didn't feel good“(through VGC). Hopefully this is an opinion shared by developers working on other THE Legend of Zelda games and Link can continue to be a (mostly) silent protagonist.
Source: VGC