See the underlined text.
Well, I think you just kicked yourself in the *** there. You blatantly admitted that LINK was the main character of the story---and considering that the games revolves around the things that he does...
Hm. If I recall, the plot isn't able to move along without the actions of Link. Zelda may be the primary MOTIVATOR to the plot as a whole but all of the story centralizes around Link and what he does from point A to point B. And so, I guess, you could say it was with Geno. Sure, Mario is the big cheese and is the guy who has the name in the title, but when Geno was introduced into the story proper everything hinged on HIM and his PLIGHT. You could say that, after a fashion, he fell into a backdrop that could be similar to Zelda's in the LoZ games: He was a plot device, utilized in a way to further the story at some points.
The biggest difference that I can note here is the fact that Geno is pretty much playable right from the get-go; it doesn't take you long to get him in his party. Zelda, as I recall, has never been available to the player (aside from Melee, of course). That gives Geno a unique dynamic over Zelda; in your traditional RPGs, it is NOT unheard of for the player to assume control of the resident plot device. That's why Geno is important and has a good amount of clout behind him. Zelda, on the other hand, IS NOT PLAYABLE. THEREFORE, SHE ACTS AS THE PRIMARY CAUSE AND EFFECT FOR THE STORY. And she doesn't go beyond that. Geno goes beyond that and falls into the mold of traditional RPG characters.
In other words: Stop being a troll.
Smooth Criminal