Why is Link no longer left-handed?
The short answer is that Link‘s handedness has flip-flopped over the years to accommodate changing controls, camera angles, and design choices in each new Legend of Zelda game. Traditionally left-handed, he went right-handed for the motion controls of Skyward Sword before reverting back for Breath of the Wild.
But why mess with an iconic gaming hero‘s stance at all? As a long-time Zelda fan, I‘ve done some digging to uncover the history and theories behind Link‘s handedness identity crisis. Grab your Master Sword and Hylian Shield as we dive in!
A Lefty from the Start
Link‘s left-handed fighting style was present all the way back in the original Legend of Zelda for NES. As the 1986 game manual describes:
"Link is left-handed, so he holds his shield in his right hand and the sword in his left."
This cemented Link as a lefty in fans‘ minds, and his sprite showed him drawing his sword from a left-side sheath across 8-bit classics like Zelda II and A Link to the Past. While inconsequential to gameplay, it became core to Link‘s swashbuckling identity.
Several 90s interviews reinforce this left-handedness as an intentional choice, with designer Shigeru Miyamoto stating:
"Link is left-handed because I am left-handed, and I wanted to make playing the game easier for left-handed players."
So initially, it was a pragmatic decision catering to lefty Miyamoto himself. However over time, it evolved into symbolic lore.
The Triforce Marks His Sword Hand
As the intricate Zelda timeline and mythos developed, Link‘s left hand took on greater significance. The sacred Triforce mark became irrevocably etched there, aligning him with the Triforce of Courage.
This cemented his left hand as the "sword hand" chosen by destiny to wield the Master Sword against evil. No longer just a playability choice, now Link had to be left-handed…or did he?
Motion Controls Flip Everything
When The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword launched in 2011 on the motion control-driven Wii, Link inexplicably switched to being right-handed. As director Eiji Aonuma explained to baffled fans:
"We noticed people seemed to be using the right Wii controller to swing his sword."
Apparently most motion control playtesters were right-handed, causing Link‘s movements to feel unintuitive. So rather than awkwardly adjust players‘ grip or entire game layouts, Aonuma‘s team just flipped Link around.
"That‘s why we decided to make Link right-handed," Aonuma concluded.
So motion controls directly overrode 25 years of tradition! What further effects could this have?
Impacts on Gameplay, Lore, and Legacy
Switching Link‘s dominant hand was no small creative decision. It changed Skyward Sword‘s gameplay, affected deeper lore implications, and threatened his enduring legacy.
Gameplay Changes
The obvious impact was adapting Skyward Sword‘s motion-based sword fighting for righties. But subtler tweaks trickled through development as well:
- Level Layouts: Dungeon crawls and puzzles now flowed for right-hand traversal
- Art Assets: Character models, textures and animations mirrored to the right side
- Camera Angles: Adjusted for a right-handed point of view throughout the game
This probably added complications for devs used to building a left-handed Link adventure!
| Motion Control Impacts | |
|---|---|
 | Reorienting Link right-handed for Skyward Sword‘s motion controls affected level designs, art assets, and camera directions throughout development. |
Tweaking such an iconic hero doesn‘t come easy. But gameplay always comes first, so Link put down his left hand for the motion control age…with lore consequences.
Lore Implications
Nintendo sidestepped explaining why Link suddenly switched dominant hands in-game. But fans still spotted continuity troubles in Skyward Sword‘s lore:
- The Triforce: No longer visually matched Link‘s "sword hand"
- Opening Cutscene: Showed Link catching the Goddess Sword left-handed
- Manga Adaptations: Still depicted events with a left-handed Link
So while the gameplay adapted, left-handed lore persisted in other media. This made Skyward Sword an odd right-handed island amidst 25 years of left-handed legend!
Lasting Impact?
The most concerning issue was Link himself. Would this right-handed aberration become the new normal and override all tradition?
Zelda director Eiji Aonuma seemed to leave the door open, noting ambivalently:
"He is right-handed, for now."
For classic Link fans, it was worrying. Would all future game, art, and merchandise default right-handed forever more?
The Lefty Legacy Returns
Fortunately, Link ultimately rediscovered southpaw status just two games later. 2017‘s massive open-world Breath of the Wild returned Link to his left-handed roots.
Set well after Skyward Sword in the timeline, Breath of the Wild Link draws the Master Sword left-handed once more in flashbacks. He canonically remains left-oriented throughout his sprawling Switch adventure.
So why the swift change back? Likely because Breath of the Wild used traditional controls, allowing Link to wield sword and shield either side fluidly. Motion controls were no longer forcing constraints on his handedness.
With those technical shackles removed, Nintendo restored Link‘s 25-year-old legacy stance. Much rejoicing across Hyrule! Going forward, new Zelda releases seem set to feature Link as his traditional left-handed self:
- Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity – 2020 ensemble Zelda left Link draw his Great Eagle Sword left-handed
- Sequel to Breath of the Wild – Promo art depicts Link standing left-handed with Master Sword and Hylian Shield
So Link now seems safely back to left-handed status, though modern camera controls allow flexible views. Barring another disruptive shift like motion controls, the legacy southpaw Link lives on!
The Hero Adapts…but Should He Have To?
In the end, Link‘s left-to-right-to-left hand flipping highlights development challenges with iconic franchises. As technology evolves, fan expectations collide with gameplay innovations. Heroes defined by 30+ years of muscle memory suddenly wield weapons in an "uncanny valley" kind of way.
Had Skyward Sword forced motion controls on a strictly left-handed Link, the uneasy gameplay may have damaged the whole title‘s adoption. Fans must decide whether immediate fun trumps long-term continuity.
But Link‘s abrupt right-handed switch remains controversial precisely because it broke hardcoded fan conventions. It‘s fuel for purist debates around staying faithful versus chasing temporary innovations. Nintendo made a pragmatic choice for Skyward Sword, but at the cost of fiercely guarded tradition.
As virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) bring further immersive format changes, iconic heroes like Link face tough new handedness questions:
- If AR Zelda has real-life sword fights, do lefties suffer again?
- Would VR trouble a strictly left-oriented Link design?
- Could eye-tracking allow manual perspective switching?
The hero adapts to suit each quest, but retaining identity across generations grows trickier. Still, Link‘s resilience shows that course corrections help restore continuity over time.
So while Skyward Sword‘s "right-handed timeline" was controversial, Breath of the Wild eased worries of permanent change. Nostalgic fans and forward-looking developers both have claims to key franchise decisions like Link‘s handedness.
With wise compromise and vision, The Legend of Zelda can evolve with new technologies and maintain cherished tradition…whether Link swings his sword left- or right-handed!
