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After 28 years, the cult classic The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time has finally made its exclusive debut on the Switch 2. In the lead-up to the launch, Nintendo released trailers and screenshots, which, while generating excitement, also left fans questioning one particular aspect: what has happened to Link’s appearance?
Specifically, Link’s design has attracted considerable attention. Ocarina of Time enables players to traverse time, exploring levels as both a youthful and adult version of the game’s principal character. The adventure begins with a young Link in the Kokiri Forest, which appears lusher and greener than ever in this new rendition. However, aesthetic enhancements have also been made to Link himself, resulting in a character with curled eyelashes, sculpted eyebrows, and a lipstick style reminiscent of Douyin trends.
Fans wasted no time in drawing comparisons between this new design and that of Renesmee, the half-human, half-vampire character from Twilight, as well as the Gerber baby. “He looks way too adorable,” remarked one user on Reddit.
The changes become even more pronounced when juxtaposed with the secondary characters in the remake, who remain noticeably simpler and evoke the designs from the original game.
The original Ocarina was constrained by polygonal shapes and minimal textures due to the limited storage capacity of the N64 cartridges, resulting in a distinctive and beloved visual style. With the increased storage capabilities and faster memory bus of the Switch 2, designers have been able to incorporate details into Link and other major characters that were previously unimaginable.
Changing Expectations in Gaming
Beyond technological advancements, audience expectations have shifted regarding major studio video games. Interconnected level designs, intricate storylines, and highly realistic details in environments and character models have become essential elements in contemporary AAA games. Additionally, the gaming landscape has broadened, with previously regional media such as anime and manga becoming global phenomena over the last three decades, influencing cultural tastes.
Clayton Lundgren, a former quality assurance manager at the video game developer Naughty Dog, who now streams Ocarina of Time along with other games on Twitch, sees the new look of Link as anything but coincidental. “For such a significant decision as the protagonist’s design, it undergoes multiple quality checks beyond the initial artist. Ultimately, you’re defining how the character will appear in official products for the next 20 years.”
A Legacy of Transformation
Since the launch of The Legend of Zelda franchise in 1986, Link has existed in numerous forms. While his long hat, pointed ears, blonde hair, green tunic, and Master Sword are staple elements of his design, none of these features have remained constant throughout his 40-year history. He has sported pink hair, donned blue and red tunics, and even transformed into a tree.
However, this remake takes that evolution a step further. Lundgren, who has accumulated at least 1,000 hours in Ocarina through various playthroughs, challenges, and community competitions, immediately recognised the recent release as a complete remake upon viewing the new trailer. For many fans, the intricate level of detail in the foliage and sunlight filtering through the Kokiri Forest, as showcased in the teaser video, served as proof that this was not the same Ocarina. Yet, Lundgren noticed something more: the terrain relief was different.
Unlike the 2011 remake for the 3DS, which utilised the original’s underlying geometries, the 2026 remake is a complete overhaul, encompassing everything from surface textures to the foundational structure. If everything is different, how can this be the same Link we have played as and cherished before?
Philosophical Dilemmas in Character Design
Luke Cuddy, a philosophy professor at Southwestern College who has edited books on The Legend of Zelda, proposes the thought experiment of “Theseus’s Ship” as a means to reflect on this dilemma. This famous philosophical riddle questions whether the true ship is the one currently sailing with Theseus or the original pieces that have been replaced over time. If one believes that the true ship is the one Theseus sails, they believe that something exists beyond the physical body that defines the essence of an object.
<p"There are only a few minimal characteristics that endure over time in Link's character," Cuddy explains. Aside from some iconic visual and narrative elements, as well as occasional phrases like "Hyah!" or "Hyup!", there is not much else that distinctly defines Link.
This malleability is tempered by other forms of continuity. Beyond aesthetic similarities and a shared title across the Zelda games, contemporary titles influenced by the original Ocarina are shaping the remake, while established gameplay norms set by speedrunners and challenge runners of the original continue to influence player engagement within the gaming community.
Concerns About AI in Game Design
However, another force is fueling the current controversy and unease surrounding the remake, one that looms over all contemporary artistic initiatives: the potential use of AI in creating Link.
AI has long been a component of video games, designed to respond in real-time to player actions. Yet today, when the topic of AI in gaming arises, it often pertains to AI tools used to create visual elements, storyboards, written scripts, or spoken dialogues.
The backlash against these tools is growing, rooted in concerns about environmental impact, artists’ intellectual property rights, and aesthetic preferences. Players are increasingly worried about engaging with a medium that may betray their values, and in the case of a game like Ocarina, the potential juxtaposition of the original’s revolutionary design with derivative and cannibalistic tools poses a significant concern.
Cuddy likens the “super-enhanced version of Link” in the remake to the result of an AI filter, while other fans question why the designs seem to have undergone DLSS 5, a resolution enhancement tool that employs generative AI. Nintendo has confirmed the use of AMD FSR, a competing scaling tool; however, when inquiries were made regarding the employment of AI in the character design process of the new game, the company opted not to comment.
When one of the most cherished titles in a beloved video game franchise receives a remaster, it is natural for fans to scrutinise every design detail. Nevertheless, Lundgren predicts that, based on the experience of Zelda fans with Link’s numerous iterations, “in two years, we will think it looks fantastic.”
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