Let’s be real here: How many people have ever joked about how effeminate Link is, or ever mistaken him for a woman, or ever mixed him up with Princess Zelda? The numbers are probably astronomical. It’s little wonder, then, that some fans have really rolled with the idea: What if Link was a woman?
Discounting the jokes, the concept of a female Link isn’t entirely foreign to the series’ creators. The Zelda fanbase erupted with excitement and controversy when the idea surfaced that the Link featured in E3 2014’s glorious trailer for the Wii U’s Legend of Zelda game might be female. While Nintendo replied to the rampant guessing by saying that this Link was male, Zelda director Eiji Aonuma noted that Link wasn’t truly male or female, or even really a character; rather, he was simply an avatar for the player, no matter who that might be. Further adding fuel to the fire was a particular image from a Hyrule Warriors artbook featuring a distinctly familiar — and distinctly female — design:
The character, named Linkle, was meant to be a younger sister of sorts to Link in Hyrule Warriors, but never made it into the actual game. Her resemblance to Link has been the source of much wonder and speculation.
Fast forward to this week: Fans are putting together a project called the “Female Link Jam.” Set to run from midnight on April 1 to midnight on May 1, the goal of the Female Link Jam is for fans to come together and create their own Zelda-style games featuring female iterations of the Hero of Hyrule. Entries are welcome from experienced developers to newbies with no prior experience, with the winner being promised a slick framed art piece featuring a female Link. The only requirements for entries are that the player character be a woman named Link, and that the game take place in the Zelda universe. Entries will be judged on their art, music, story and overall experience (or, as worded on the official site, “How sweet is the game?”).
The official website for the Female Link Jam can be found here. Questions about the jam can be directed to the main organizer’s Twitter account, here.
