{"id":136982,"date":"2026-04-28T17:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-04-28T17:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nintendolife.com\/#article-200422"},"modified":"2026-04-28T17:00:00","modified_gmt":"2026-04-28T17:00:00","slug":"talking-point-is-legend-of-zeldas-link-left-or-right-handed-lets-look-at-the-evidence","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sickgaming.net\/blog\/2026\/04\/28\/talking-point-is-legend-of-zeldas-link-left-or-right-handed-lets-look-at-the-evidence\/","title":{"rendered":"Talking Point: Is Legend Of Zelda’s Link Left Or Right-Handed? Let’s Look At The Evidence"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\"Zelda<\/a>
<\/span> Image: Nintendo Life \/ Nintendo<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The Zelda<\/strong> series has a passionate and devoted fanbase. Over the years, timelines<\/a> have been debated, settled, shaken up, or outright ignored. Storylines<\/a> have been contested, shredded apart, put on a pedestal. But nothing, not even recovering the Triforce, is more important than making sure Link is holding his sword in the right hand.<\/p>\n

‘Right? You mean left, right?’<\/em> Okay, perhaps ‘correct’ is the right<\/del> better term.<\/p>\n

Upon his debut in 1986<\/a>, our favourite green tunic-donning hero wielded his sword in his left hand and his shield in his right. And in the North American manual<\/a> for Zelda II: The Adventure of Link<\/a>, it even states: “Then, with a magical sword in his left hand and a magical shield in his right, he set off alone on his long travels.” And the Hyrule Historia touches on why<\/a> Link is (largely) left-handed, stating on page 138 that:<\/p>\n

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“Link was depicted in early art examples as right handed. However, in order to aid in the creation of the pixel art and for the purposes of configuration in game screens, he was altered to be left handed.”<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

\"Link<\/a>
<\/span> Image: Nintendo Life \/ Dark Horse<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Pretty definitive, right? Well, no.<\/p>\n

Things have changed, and Link has proven himself to be a little more ambidextrous over the past 20 years. Some whippersnappers out there might not have even seen Link wield his sword in his left hand at all, but I promise, it was that way for a long time.<\/p>\n

Recently, the debate over Link’s dominant hand crept up after the upcoming Legend of Zelda<\/strong> movie’s Director of Photography shared (and promptly deleted) a clipboard with what looks to be our best look at Link yet<\/a>, played by Benjamin Evan Ainsworth, in the full green tunic and the Master Sword in his right hand. *gasp*<\/p>\n

So, what’s the story behind Link’s hand-swapping mastery? Is it really<\/em> a case of inconsistency, or is Link just ridiculously talented and can defeat Ganon with whatever hand he pleases?<\/p>\n

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