When you close your eyes and think of Link fromThe Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, you probably think of a brave, regal warrior dressed head to toe in fancy armor that he’ll wear whilst smacking down The Demon King. In actuality, all that shield surfing, climbing up cliffs, and torturing Koroks means Link probably works up quite a sweat, and could potentially produce a stench that would make your toes curl if he’s wearing certain pieces of clothing.
Of course, there’s been many variations of Link over the years, but a recent interview from the folks over atWired(thanksKotaku) took the opportunity to ask Tears of the Kingdom director Hidemaro Fujibayashi and producer Eiji Aonuma which Link they think is the stinkiest. Unsurprisingly, Aonuma decides that Breath of the Wild’s version of Link would definitely reek the most, especially when he’s wearing the barbarian outfit which is drenched in “wild animal odor aroma”. He does carry around a massive piece of poo when he gets all the Korok seeds, so that definitely tracks.
Related:Tears Of The Kingdom Feels A Lot More Gated Than BOTW Ever Did
Fubiyashi goes for an older version of Link, as he thinks that there’s one part in Twilight Princess in which Link must surely produce an overwhelming musk. During the game, there are several scenes in which Link must sumo wrestle with a Goron, and it’s during this moment in which Fubayashi believes Link reached his most pungent, claiming that he’s probably “pretty smelly in that situation”. Then there’s the rest of the game on top of that too, which includes Link turning into a wolf and digging through patches of dirt. All of that without a bath too - no the Zora Domain does not count.
Not to put him down for his B.O. too much - he is out saving the world after all - Aonuma doesn’t actually think Link is the smelliest character in the series. Instead, he believes that title should be given to series antagonist Ganon, as he states that he “might be the smelliest, if I’m thinking about it.” Aonuma doesn’t provide a reason as to why he thinks that, though it probably has something to do with the fact that he’s been portrayed as a boar in multiple games at this point.
So, if you’ve ever wondered which Link from across the entire series is the smelliest, you now have your answer. On the topic of answers to long-standing questions amongst the Zelda community, it was recently discovered that Tears of the Kingdomtries to explain why all of your weapons break after a few dozen hits, as a journal written byeveryone’s new favorite scientist Purahexplains that The Upheaval caused all of them to break down, and that “there isn’t a single weapon we know of that hasn’t decayed”.
