If we're getting a second Link, I find it very hard to believe it wouldn't be Toon Link.
I can't see Young Link getting in over him, and I doubt we'll see another Link added as a newcomer ever again.
I highly doubt we'd get any other Young Link if it's not Toon Link. Of the Young Links in the franchise while he hasn't made another appearance in a while he's the only one that has had multiple and consistent appearances throughout the franchise and even at the time of Brawl he was used in at least three different games including WW. There hasn't been another Young Link that has risen up in prominence enough that they would take over as the face of the Young Links, with 'Toy Link' for instance only really having the Link's Awakening remake under his belt and nothing else.
Well, what if a future major Zelda game features a child Link as the lead ala MM or WW, they want this new Link represented but don't make him "Link" in Smash because that has always gone to an 'adult' Link, and this future Smash game doesn't just keep going from Ultimate so the roster is smaller overall and they don't feel three Links are warranted?
I don't think we'll see another Link added as an
original newcomer. But as a clone with the same general moveset? Zelda will keep going indefinitely (as will Smash), they're gonna keep making new Links, some of them are probably going to be child Links. It seems myopic to reject that possibility and imply only adult Links will be swapped in and out.
And I'm not sure they're going to bother with three Links in one Smash when there isn't the goal of bringing back every single character ever.
It's either Link and Toon Link, or just Link.
Well that supports my point that getting rid of Toon Link isn't unfathomable in the way removing Link, Zelda or Ganondorf would be. The chance of them doing that was never actually my contention.
I just replaced him with a different child Link in my scenario because I disagree with you that we'd ever go back down to one Link at this point (barring some ridiculous overhaul), not because I thought it was going to happen. Though I don't think it's some eternal impossibility either.
Also, I would care if Toon Link was gone. He's my favorite Link.
Ok... but this wasn't what I was contesting.
Arcanir said:
If Smash were to bring back the concept of a Young Link I'd imagine it'd stick with the historical choice of Toon Link who has lasted three Smash games and had multiple Zelda appearances over a new Link that hasn't really made a mark.
I agree that currently there isn't a child Link who would supplant Toon Link. I don't think Toy Link will, it was just an example of a child Link. But I also wouldn't claim the situation would never present itself. If one of the future "big" Zelda titles (ala OoT/MM/WW/TP/SS/BotW/TotK) features a new child Link, it's not unreasonable to suggest they'd want to put him in Smash.
It's not always about choosing the Link who made the biggest mark. Sometimes it's just about who's new. BotW Link supplanted TP Link, despite TP being very successful, and BotW (and the Switch) not having released yet. Then in turn, TP Link supplanted OoT Link, despite TP not having released yet, and OoT Link being, like,
the archetypical Link, with OoT being OoT. And now, if the goal is to retain the biggest Links, they may as well keep Champion Link, he's gonna be real tough to beat with BotW and TotK (and AoC and MK8D and Ultimate) under his belt. Those games will end up at like 150 mil units together or something insane. And yet, come next adult Link, chances are he'll be cycled out.
And I know adult Links and child Links don't work exactly the same in Smash, one being a rotating mantle and the other being specific sub-incarnations, meaning we're not going to get more than one of the former at once. But I also don't think it's especially likely we'll get more than one of the latter at once either without a goal like Ultimate's, given their redundancy would likely not find both prioritized. As was bared out pre-Ultimate.