No, no, you misunderstood me.
My point wasn't that I don't like him, my point was his function in the story.
Playable, you have Link, the hero, a mellow man, a simple man with a big, strong heart who is willing to throw away his life for his loved ones.
You have Zelda, the wise princess who aids the hero, provides guidance ( and a reason for the plot to get going =P )...
And Ganondorf, the king of evil, the impersonation of false desires, a false god...
And then a middle-aged guy with a mental disorder?
He had various assisting roles, sure, but those could be given to anyone. "I draw maps!" "Now I just happen to be all into kinstones!" "I for some reason know how to translate this ancient text. Give me your money!"
The reason why he keeps popping up, I think, is as a running gag. Something funny that keeps repeating. You know how Disney movies always have some wacky small animal or something to deliver the occasional humor in case the story starts becoming too serious for the kids? That's what Tingle is.
I'm not against light-heartedness and humor, it's a part of Zelda.. but I'd rather Wind Waker Link represents this light-heartedness.
And the second "Source?" wasn't serious, I just thought it was funny to point that out. A running gag, so to speak.
