Link - The Hero
Link has had many incarnations throughout the Legend of Zelda series. He is typically depicted as a blonde boy wearing a green tunic, and is either a child (about 10 years old) or a young adult (about 17 years old). He is always a commoner of some sort, never particularly wealthy or upper-class, and he always returns to this
Being a silent protagonist, Link often finds himself given a task that he had no choice but to accept, especially from one of the strong female characters he encounters. For example, Princess Ruto in Ocarina of Time forces him to carry her throughout the majority of the dungeon; since he has to save her in order to get the item he needs, Link has no choice but to comply.
But even if he has no choice in the matter, Link sees things through without complaint. He is a friendly, if not meek, "nobody" who becomes the savior of Hyrule each and every time. He bears the mark of the Triforce of Courage on his left hand and wields the sacred Master Sword to defeat Ganon.
Goal(s): To restore peace to Hyrule/any other world he may be in and save Princess Zelda
Strength: Natural ability to wield a sword, courageous
Weakness: Unable to speak for himself!
Relationships: Link is the foil to Ganon, who swears vengeance upon Link and Zelda and all of their descendants. When it comes to the Princess, Link is a loyal servant who is trusted by the Princess. Although most fans pair the two romantically, they never officially get together once Hyrule is saved.
Transformations: Link transforms in every game from the peasant boy to the respected, experienced hero.
Zelda - The Princess
The fair and noble Princess of Hyrule, Zelda is the protector of the Triforce and the frequent target of the evil Ganon's schemes. Although her initial appearances portrayed her as more of a helpless damsel in distress, her character has recently taken on more active roles in aiding Link, especially in the final battles. She is an expert in using magic and bears the mark of the Triforce of Wisdom on her right hand.
Zelda normally wears a pink dress and has blonde hair and is always the same age as Link. She loves her kingdom deeply and is well-respected throughout Hyrule, and often places all of her trust in Link. She has been a princess in every game except for Windwaker and Spirit Tracks, in which she is portrayed as the pirate captain, Tetra, and in the upcoming Skyward Sword, where she is Link's childhood friend.
In the Ocarina of Time, she takes on the form of an androgynous ninja-like character named Sheik, who guides Link while hiding her true identity so that Ganon does not discover her location.
Goal: To protect Hyrule
Strength: Magic, ruling Hyrule (her royal parents rarely appear)
Weakness: Inability to prevent herself from being kidnapped
Relationships: Zelda is hated by Ganon almost as much as Link is, seeing as how she is normally the first person to see through his schemes against Hyrule. Her relationship with Link is, as previously mentioned, normally interpreted as romantic, but hasn't been canonically confirmed beyond one kiss in Zelda II and hand holding in Spirit Tracks. Zelda treats Link as her trusted friend and champion and rarely anything more, although according to the graphic novel of A Link To The Past, this is because she is destined to be kept apart from him romantically due to her royal duties.
Goal: To protect Hyrule
Strength: Magic, ruling Hyrule (her royal parents rarely appear)
Weakness: Inability to prevent herself from being kidnapped
Relationships: Zelda is hated by Ganon almost as much as Link is, seeing as how she is normally the first person to see through his schemes against Hyrule. Her relationship with Link is, as previously mentioned, normally interpreted as romantic, but hasn't been canonically confirmed beyond one kiss in Zelda II and hand holding in Spirit Tracks. Zelda treats Link as her trusted friend and champion and rarely anything more, although according to the graphic novel of A Link To The Past, this is because she is destined to be kept apart from him romantically due to her royal duties.
Transformation: Throughout each incarnation, Zelda's character has evolved from a damsel in distress to a strong female character capable of sharing the spotlight with Hyrule's Hero. Even if she is ultim
Ganon -- The Villain
Ganon is the villain of most of the Zelda games. Originally he was the leader of the Gerudo, a group of desert thieves, until he somehow obtained dark magical power. It is never explained as to how he obtained this power. Once he does, he becomes mad with the desire to conquer Hyrule. In Ocarina of Time, he keeps the Triforce of Power even after being banished; therefore, in most games, he already has the Triforce of Power in his possession.
He is a manipulative and cunning, ruthless man who believes himself to be chosen by the goddesses to rule Hyrule. He has been killed before, but is often resurrected by his followers. He is sometimes known as Ganondorf and has taken on several forms in the games, such as a boar-like beast and the human form seen aside.
Goal: To obtain the Triforce and use it to conquer Hyrule
Strength: Dark magic, invincibility to anything but certain holy relics
Weakness: Sacred weapons, Zelda's light arrows
Relationships: Ganon has sworn vengeance upon Link and Zelda and all of their descendants and hates them both. No one is quite sure how he was regarded when he was the Gerudo King of Thieves, but he has several loyal followers that he can trust to resurrect him once he is gone.
Transformations: Ganon's character does not change much more than his physical appearance throughout the games. He is simply a cruel and clever, formidable enemy of Hyrule who will do anything it takes to get the Triforce.
He is a manipulative and cunning, ruthless man who believes himself to be chosen by the goddesses to rule Hyrule. He has been killed before, but is often resurrected by his followers. He is sometimes known as Ganondorf and has taken on several forms in the games, such as a boar-like beast and the human form seen aside.
Goal: To obtain the Triforce and use it to conquer Hyrule
Strength: Dark magic, invincibility to anything but certain holy relics
Weakness: Sacred weapons, Zelda's light arrows
Relationships: Ganon has sworn vengeance upon Link and Zelda and all of their descendants and hates them both. No one is quite sure how he was regarded when he was the Gerudo King of Thieves, but he has several loyal followers that he can trust to resurrect him once he is gone.
Transformations: Ganon's character does not change much more than his physical appearance throughout the games. He is simply a cruel and clever, formidable enemy of Hyrule who will do anything it takes to get the Triforce.