A bow featured in the leaked Hyrule Warriors for 3DS trailer might imply that Linkle, the female “sister-like” Link, is making an official appearance.
The Legend of Zelda may have one of the most convoluted timelines in all of gaming, but some things never change – there’s always a Link, a Princess, and identical weapons that barely change from game to game. But now that screenshots for a leaked Hyrule Warriors 3DS port are online, rumors are spreading about a fairly unique change: Letting Link be a woman. Or to be more specific, reintroducing Linkle, the female version of Link who was almost included in Hyrule Warriors‘ Wii U release.
Linkle first appeared in the Hyrule Warrior art book, where she carried a red and silver bow. The text explained that Linkle would have been a “little sister-like” Link – potentially a sibling from one of Zelda‘s timelines – but she wasn’t included in the finished game. Skip ahead to present day, just after the Hyrule Warriors 3DS trailer was leaked, and that exact same bow is tucked into the final character screen.
Now in fairness, since Linkle herself isn’t in the trailer or screenshots, her 3DS debut is just a rumor. But her inclusion would be a promising addition to Hyrule Warriors that helps it stand out from the Wii u original. It would also be the first official in-game appearance of a female Link, a pretty significant milestone despite being a non-canonical Zelda title.
Whatever the case may be, Nintendo will likely have official comments to Linkle and Hyrule Warriors for 3DS at E3.
Source: Eurogamer