How to add The Legend of Zelda’s Link into your D&D game

Jessica Filby
The Legend of Zelda D&D Link build

Few video game characters are as well suited for D&D as The Legend of Zelda’s Link. So, here’s how to play the Hero of Hyrule in your own D&D game including the best class, weapons, feats, and elements you can’t forget.

The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom has reignited millions of players’ love for Link, after six years of waiting. So, naturally, many are looking to delve into the world of Hyrule in as many ways as possible, whether that’s hunting for shrines in the game or exploring different ways of viewing the world through D&D.

So, if you’ve got a Zelda-inspired D&D game coming up or if you just want to play the Hero of Hyrule as your next character, look no further than our guide to help you build the best Link you can build.

Alternatively, if you’re wanting to put in Links arch-nemesis, we have a guide on how to add Ganon into your D&D game, for a little more evil.

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Link The Legend of Zelda D&D

Link is a multi-talented character proficient in a mixture between swords, bows, and shields, meaning selecting the right class for him can be a little tricky. So, here are two different classes we would recommend. It’s worth choosing the one that fits your playstyle best. Or multiclassing if you want to mix it up a bit.

  • Fighter
  • Paladin

The Fighter is the classic choice for Link and the one we most recommend. It’s versatile, allows you to wield a bow and a sword, and lets Link gain multiple different fighting styles depending on the archetypes you chose. It just screams Link and, due to its relative simplicity, means you can work more on lore and design for your character.

Alternatively, in favor of the Paladin, while Link doesn’t exactly have any spells in Breath of the Wild or Tears of the Kingdom, you could argue that his abilities are somewhat Paladin-like. That and the notion that he is essentially working under oath for what is in most terms a ‘spirit-god-princess’ makes it hard to argue that he wouldn’t make an ideal Paladin.

Now other than the Master Sword and the Hylian Shield, the classic Link weapon is relatively personal, with most using either a certain sword or bow. Due to this, we recommend using the base equipment if starting at lower levels, focusing on simple weapons that suit Link.

However, if you want to mix that up a little, here are our suggestions for the best weapons for Link in D&D 5e:

The Legend of Zelda Link D&D

There are so many feats you could give Link in D&D 5e, with each depending on how you want to play him and what class you choose to go for.

So, here are a few of our recommendations based on a Fighter or Paladin class:

  • Martial Adept: for Sweeping Attack Maneuver or Parry
  • Dungeon Delver: For no impact on traveling quickly and vital resistance.
  • Sharpshooter: For those who prefer using ranged weapons
  • Mounted Combatant: Since Links not Link without his trusty steed.
  • Shield Master: For extra protection and to feel more like Link.

Naturally, there are hundreds of other suggestions but these will make you fight a little more like Link and will likely keep you alive long enough to become the Hero of Hyrule.

The primary element to remember, whether you are playing as Link or putting him in your D&D campaign is how little he speaks. His vow of silence may be a challenge to roleplay but can also introduce an interesting dynamic for any player or DM. Whether you chose to play silently or not, it’s worth keeping Links words to a minimum.

Naturally, no matter how you run Link, he will have to be Lawful good and extremely loyal, kind, and likely the first to run into battle when protecting others. He’s not the Hero of Hyrule for nothing.

Lastly, we highly recommend playing Link as an elf as it’s the closest race to his own in The Legend of Zelda games.

So there you have it, that’s how you can create Link in your own Dungeons & Dragons game. While planning your Zelda one-shot or your next session, take a look at some of our other handy D&D content, or our Zelda guides for those loving Tears of the Kingdom:

How to add Zelda’s Ganon in your D&D game | How to play Dungeons & Dragons | The best tabletop RPG games in 2023 | All D&D 5e books | Are there Shrines in The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom? | How to reach the sky islands | What is Recall in Tears of the Kingdom? | What is Ascend in Tears of the Kingdom? | What is Ultrahand in Tears of the Kingdom? | Do weapons still break in The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom? | All new abilities in Tears of the Kingdom

About The Author

Based in Cumbria, England, Jessica is a Senior Games Writer who joined Dexerto after stints at Game Rant and The Gamer. You can find her covering everything from Minecraft, CoD, Disney Dreamlight Valley, Pokemon Go and more. You can contact Jessica at jessica.filby@dexerto.com