Link is the protagonist of Nintendo's video game series The Legend of Zelda. The character appears in several incarnations over the course of the games, and also features in other Nintendo media, including its merchandising, comic books, and a cartoon series. He is one of Nintendo's main icons as well as one of the most well-known and popular characters in video game history. Shigeru Miyamoto, his creator, gave his full name as Link Link.

Through The Legend of Zelda series, Link is depicted as a child, teenager, or young adult of the Hylian race, originating from the fictional land of Hyrule. Link often travels through Hyrule, defeating creatures, evil forces, and the series' primary antagonist, Ganon, while attempting to save Princess Zelda and Hyrule. To defeat Ganon, Link usually requires the mystic Master Sword and Light Arrows, or a similar legendary weapon, obtained after many trials and battles. In the course of his journey he will typically acquire various other magical objects or items, including musical instruments and weaponry.

Link has also made several cameo appearances in a few Mario games. He is a playable character via DLC in the newest installment to the Mario Kart series of games, Mario Kart 8. (He is available without a in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe.) He is also a playable character in the Super Smash Bros. series, being one of the eight original starting characters.

first game was called:

The legend of Zelda (1986)

The first game of The Legend of Zelda series, it was originally released in Japan as a launch title for the Family Computer Disk System peripheral in 1986.More than a year later, North America and Europe received releases on the Nintendo Entertainment System in cartridge format, making the game the first home console title to include an internal battery for saving data. This version was released in Japan in 1994 under the title The Hyrule Fantasy: The Legend of Zelda 1. The game was ported to the GameCube and Game Boy Advance,and is available in emulated form via the Virtual Console on the Wii, Nintendo 3DS and Wii U.

The Legend of Zelda was a bestseller for Nintendo, selling over 6.5 million copies. It is often featured in lists of games considered the greatest or most influential. A solitary sequel, Zelda II: The Adventure of Link, was first released in Japan less than a year after its predecessor's debut. The game spawned several prequels and a number of spin-offs, establishing a series that has become one of Nintendo's most popular.