Twilight Princess vs Breath of the Wild: A Battle Between the Links

[Ryu_Ken]

This isn't Sm4sh Link vs. Ultimate Link, nor is it who has the most personality: this is a Death Battle(™) between their in-game incarnations. Which Link would win in a fight? Is the answer obvious, or is it not so obvious?

The debate actually started in this thread here, but since it was a bit off-topic from the thread, I wanted to continue it here. Make sure to keep it civil and within forum rules.

 

[Ryu_Ken]

Continuing where we left off...

You're assuming he's put hours into grinding this stuff too. It's much easier for TP Link to be at peak capacity than BotW Link. Odds are, he wouldn't have 99 fairies or 999 of each type of arrow or even maxed out inventory. However, it's fairly likely that TP Link has a potion or two as well as a couple of fairies and 99 arrows. Also, yes, BotW Link would likely have other weapons, but they break fairly easily as well. All TP Link has to do is hold his shield for that. The bigger weapons too are practically worthless against a Link. TP Link also gets a sniper scope for his bow, so range isn't an issue for him either and is likely even further, and he can pick up all those arrows being flung at him to fire back indefinitely as his bow will never break. Also, if you take the crossbow thing into account, he's a decent shot on horseback. Not to mention, he probably has a better horse as Epona is Amiibo only.

Not true.
In BoTW, Link is known to power through enemy shields with ANY weapon (whether one-handed or two-handed), and TP Link is known to stagger when a powerful hit lands on his shield (especially against skilled sword-wielders like Dark Nuts or Ganondorf). Even if TP Link's shield is invincible, he will eventually be overpowered by BoTW Link simply because BoTW Link's strikes are more powerful than TP Link's defensive stance.
BoTW Link would also win on horseback because he has better control over his horse than TP Link does. Gameplay-wise, BoTW Link can aim his bows/weapons AND move his horse at the same time while TP Link has to commit to either aiming or moving his horse. Even if he's a decent shot and has Epona, TP Link has nowhere near the arsenal of ranged weapons that BoTW Link has, meaning BoTW Link has more ways to deal with TP Link than TP Link himself.

 

[Arthur97]

Continuing where we left off...

Not true.
In BoTW, Link is known to power through enemy shields with ANY weapon (whether one-handed or two-handed), and TP Link is known to stagger when a powerful hit lands on his shield (especially against skilled sword-wielders like Dark Nuts or Ganondorf). Even if TP Link's shield is invincible, he will eventually be overpowered by BoTW Link simply because BoTW Link's strikes are more powerful than TP Link's defensive stance.
BoTW Link would also win on horseback because he has better control over his horse than TP Link does. Gameplay-wise, BoTW Link can aim his bows/weapons AND move his horse at the same time while TP Link has to commit to either aiming or moving his horse. Even if he's a decent shot and has Epona, TP Link has nowhere near the arsenal of ranged weapons that BoTW Link has, meaning BoTW Link has more ways to deal with TP Link than TP Link himself.

You're assuming that TP Link is on par with mooks, and that Wild Link is on par with Ganondorf, the wielder of the Triforce of Power (The mere fact his arm doesn't shatter or that Link can win a sword lock against him speaks volumes). Even Darknut's are massive.
Link also grew up with Epona and around animals, limitations of the game aside, he is almost certainly the better horseman.
Besides, this feeds into my argument that Wild is a better guerrilla fighter, but when it comes to actual head to head combat, TP is better. Most of your strategies for Wild Link involve running away or cheap tactics like stasis runes.

 

[Aetheri]

Well let's compare...

Physical Strength
Twilight>Wild
Growing up on a farm handling Ordon Goats amoung other things has given him some toughness and even though he has the assistance of the Iron Boots to make him heavier it's still a very impressive feat to be able to wrestle with frikkin Gorons as well as being able to toss then aside like bails of hay. Not to forget his battle against Dangoro being a oversized goron that I wouldn't be surprised weighed at least 2000 lbs given the size of him and the fact that Gorons or known to weigh quite a bit even if human sized. Wild Link on the other hand hasn't shown to have the same physical capabilities to do such things and has to rely on other tools to move heavier objects, such as magnesis or stasis. Not to say he isn't strong since he could send a large moblin flying with a good enough sword strike. But Twilight Link would easily manhandle Wild Link if the situation called for it.

Speed
Wild>Twilight
Although Twilight Link is probably definitively faster when in Wolf form, not so much the case in human form since the fastest he can go is the usual roll spamming, which isn't very practical one on one, overall Wild Link is a lot more nimble with the ability to sprint for a short time. Then there's flurry rush which allows him to quickly dodge an attack and take advantage of his opponents opening with a, well flurry of strikes at high speeds, Twilight Link has shown some agility with some of the Hero's Shade swordskills like the mortal draw, helm splitter and backstrike but it still pales in comparison to Wild Links quickness.

Intelligence
Wild>Twilight
This one was very close to even imo considering both faced a multitude of challenges and riddles. While Twilight Link was faced with greater challenges in the forms of labyrinthian dungeons, Wild Link was faced with a greater number of tests in the forms of shrines, some of which were a lot easier to complete with certain weapons which he may or may not have had access to, in which case the need for improvisation was a necessity. Wild Link is also known to use strategy more effectively being able to take out hordes of enemies without even having to face them in hand to hand combat. It's also worth mentioning that Twilight Link also got a lot of help from Midna who guided him through his journey. Wild Link while did need to be pointed in the right direction from Zelda, Impa and the King for the most part had to figure everything else out on his own.

Dexterity and Swordsmanship
Wild>Twilight
This one I'd say is actually pretty close, since every Link incarnation excels at this aspect fairly well. Twilight Link was trained by Rusl in the art of swordplay, who was also a rather skilled swordsman. On top of that he also learned skills directly from the Hero's Shade. However with all that he was still a rancher handling livestock and only really became a warrior once **** hit the fan. Wild Link was a trained Knight, and has likely gone through training from a young age especially since his father was also known to be a Knight as well. Twilight Link was able to pick up archery pretty easily, but once again Wild Link was an actual trained warrior and likely had training in this field as well. It shows his skills as an archer since he could focus his archery skills to essentially slow down time to get a good lock on his target. Even skilled archers like Teba were impressed with his skills in this area. Occupation is a pretty big determining factor and since Wild Link's job was literally to be a warrior and bodyguard to Zelda herself as opposed to some farmer that wrestles livestock for a living it's pretty clear who's really got the edge.

Weaponry & Items
Wild>Twilight
A tough one since every Link is known to be a jack of all trades with their ability to wield weapons of all kinds that he gathers on his adventures. Twilight Link probably has some unique weapons that will be advantagous in certain specific situations like the double clawshot, ball and chain, spinner, dominion rod, and gale boomerang. Wild Link does have his Sheikah slate and the runes which he uses to manipulate metal objects, freeze time on certain objects including enemies, create a pillar of ice on a water surface and generate bombs. Wild Link however can use a multitude of other weapons such as axes, spears, and even stal enemies arms. Access to fire, ice and electric variants on every weapon type which Twilight Link doesn't have access to. Wild Link's bombs could be remote detonated which means he can place them strategically and detonate when the time is right, where as Twilight Link has to time the correctly in order to use them more efficiently. Wild Link still has the edge in this regard, simply with stasis and it's ability to freeze enemies, which would be OP in this fight since Twilight Link is defenseless (mind you for just a couple seconds but a couple seconds is enough to get the upper hand.

Going over these points I'd say it's pretty clear who wins in most areas. Twilight Link is the stronger of the two, but Wild Link will be more likely to best him since he's faster, smarter, more skilled and has better more advantageous weapons. As far as numbers and odds go it's probably looking to be about a 80/20 ratio in Wild Link's favour.

 

[Arthur97]

Well let's compare...

Physical Strength
Twilight>Wild
Growing up on a farm handling Ordon Goats amoung other things has given him some toughness and even though he has the assistance of the Iron Boots to make him heavier it's still a very impressive feat to be able to wrestle with frikkin Gorons as well as being able to toss then aside like bails of hay. Not to forget his battle against Dangoro being a oversized goron that I wouldn't be surprised weighed at least 2000 lbs given the size of him and the fact that Gorons or known to weigh quite a bit even if human sized. Wild Link on the other hand hasn't shown to have the same physical capabilities to do such things and has to rely on other tools to move heavier objects, such as magnesis or stasis. Not to say he isn't strong since he could send a large moblin flying with a good enough sword strike. But Twilight Link would easily manhandle Wild Link if the situation called for it.

Speed
Wild>Twilight
Although Twilight Link is probably definitively faster when in Wolf form, not so much the case in human form since the fastest he can go is the usual roll spamming, which isn't very practical one on one, overall Wild Link is a lot more nimble with the ability to sprint for a short time. Then there's flurry rush which allows him to quickly dodge an attack and take advantage of his opponents opening with a, well flurry of strikes at high speeds, Twilight Link has shown some agility with some of the Hero's Shade swordskills like the mortal draw, helm splitter and backstrike but it still pales in comparison to Wild Links quickness.

Intelligence
Wild>Twilight
This one was very close to even imo considering both faced a multitude of challenges and riddles. While Twilight Link was faced with greater challenges in the forms of labyrinthian dungeons, Wild Link was faced with a greater number of tests in the forms of shrines, some of which were a lot easier to complete with certain weapons which he may or may not have had access to, in which case the need for improvisation was a necessity. Wild Link is also known to use strategy more effectively being able to take out hordes of enemies without even having to face them in hand to hand combat. It's also worth mentioning that Twilight Link also got a lot of help from Midna who guided him through his journey. Wild Link while did need to be pointed in the right direction from Zelda, Impa and the King for the most part had to figure everything else out on his own.

Dexterity and Swordsmanship
Wild>Twilight
This one I'd say is actually pretty close, since every Link incarnation excels at this aspect fairly well. Twilight Link was trained by Rusl in the art of swordplay, who was also a rather skilled swordsman. On top of that he also learned skills directly from the Hero's Shade. However with all that he was still a rancher handling livestock and only really became a warrior once **** hit the fan. Wild Link was a trained Knight, and has likely gone through training from a young age especially since his father was also known to be a Knight as well. Twilight Link was able to pick up archery pretty easily, but once again Wild Link was an actual trained warrior and likely had training in this field as well. It shows his skills as an archer since he could focus his archery skills to essentially slow down time to get a good lock on his target. Even skilled archers like Teba were impressed with his skills in this area. Occupation is a pretty big determining factor and since Wild Link's job was literally to be a warrior and bodyguard to Zelda herself as opposed to some farmer that wrestles livestock for a living it's pretty clear who's really got the edge.

Weaponry & Items
Wild>Twilight
A tough one since every Link is known to be a jack of all trades with their ability to wield weapons of all kinds that he gathers on his adventures. Twilight Link probably has some unique weapons that will be advantagous in certain specific situations like the double clawshot, ball and chain, spinner, dominion rod, and gale boomerang. Wild Link does have his Sheikah slate and the runes which he uses to manipulate metal objects, freeze time on certain objects including enemies, create a pillar of ice on a water surface and generate bombs. Wild Link however can use a multitude of other weapons such as axes, spears, and even stal enemies arms. Access to fire, ice and electric variants on every weapon type which Twilight Link doesn't have access to. Wild Link's bombs could be remote detonated which means he can place them strategically and detonate when the time is right, where as Twilight Link has to time the correctly in order to use them more efficiently. Wild Link still has the edge in this regard, simply with stasis and it's ability to freeze enemies, which would be OP in this fight since Twilight Link is defenseless (mind you for just a couple seconds but a couple seconds is enough to get the upper hand.

Going over these points I'd say it's pretty clear who wins in most areas. Twilight Link is the stronger of the two, but Wild Link will be more likely to best him since he's faster, smarter, more skilled and has better more advantageous weapons. As far as numbers and odds go it's probably looking to be about a 80/20 ratio in Wild Link's favour.

The fact that you even gave Wild the point in swordmanship is ludicrous.

 

[Idon]

Just take a look at the combat systems of these characters and how TP Link's movelist is way way more in depth and detailed than BotW Link. I really can't how you could even begin to say that BotW Link's swordsmanship comes even close to TP Link's. That would require some serious reaching.

 

[Aetheri]

The fact that you even gave Wild the point in swordmanship is ludicrous.

Just take a look at the combat systems of these characters and how TP Link's movelist is way way more in depth and detailed than BotW Link. I really can't how you could even begin to say that BotW Link's swordsmanship comes even close to TP Link's. That would require some serious reaching.

Well, I don't particularly think its ludicrous or reaching to imply that Wild Link is the more skilled swordsman due to actually being a trained knight. I do suppose the lack of additional combat skills that Twilight Link has could be disadvantageous for him, however I feel flurry rush is something that also needs to be taken into consideration as it fulfills the same purpose as some of TP Link's skills acting a parry of sorts, but with seemingly more efficiency. TP Link can parry with his attacks but while they may hit hard they can still miss, Flurry Rush doesn't miss.

Just my opinion on the matter. Regardless if Twilight Link or Wild Link has better swordsmanship I feel given what they have to work with Wild Link still has the edge overall. Flurry Rush and stasis on their own are huge on their own.

 

[ALongWistfulSquiggle]

I think who would win (despite the fact that I don't think they would even want to fight in the first place) would depend entirely on the situation they were fighting in. At sniping range TP Link would have the advantage, while Wild Link would do far better in a labyrinth setting due to his speed and tools. Wild Link would also likely do better in a scenario of two armies clashing, at least if we're going by lore. In a gladiatorial arena, I'm not entirely sure. I think it would depend somewhat on their respective wits. If TP Link has the money, he can be outright invincible for a few minutes, while Wild Link can have better base defense on his clothes in the long term. It depends how long the fight drags out, and who can get the other to play their game.

If you think about it, most of TP Link's sword skills depend on a situation where he and the opponent are circling each other. To roll behind someone, that person has to be in the right position. Quick draw is most effective if the enemy isn't going to back off and fire an arrow at his face. What he wants most in combat is a traditional toe-to-toe sword fight or a shooting match from afar. Wild Link is just the opposite. He can play almost in a fencing style in the sense that he does well going in and backing off. He can manipulate space with the sheikah runes and his archery, which is more nimble than TP Link's. He also has the speed to ensure that the fight would go at the pace he wants, which could make TP Link's life difficult.

In an arena, I think it would be close. TP Link's magic armor, if he were to use it, would give him a significant edge, along with his greater physical strength. Wild Link has the tools to draw things out, though, and that's what makes knowing the outcome difficult.

 

[zeldasmash]

Interesting....

If this is based on up-close and personal, Twilight Princess Link stomps hard. Much more adept in using the sword/shield combat due to receiving multiple forms of training with the Hero's Shade (or Majora's Mask/Ocarina of Time Link) and much more physically strong (being able to throw a Goron). Breath of the Wild Link isn't as strong physically and his swordsman skills are not as efficient as Twilight Princess Link, who has a technique being able to kill most enemies (not counting bosses) in one hit with the Mortal Draw. Plus in Breath of the Wild, weapons break or lose energy in the case of the Master Sword. Twilight Princess doesn't have that so Link doesn't have to worry about his weapons breaking so he can continue with no problem or precaution while Breath of the Wild Link does. Daruk's Protection I don't think will do much here and the Magic Armor will make penetrating through his defense much harder.

However if we are talking long range, Breath of the Wild Link stomps. Twilight Princess Link does have the Hawkeye, but when it comes to arrow efficiency and choice of arrows, Breath of the Wild Link is much more deadly due to headshots, Ice Arrows being able to freeze, Shock Arrows being able to paralyze and Ancient Arrows being literal one hit kills.

In a short-term fight, Twilight Princess Link wins since he can incapacitate Breath of the Wild up close and due to wolf form, he can be more efficient at hiding and sense where Breath of the Wild Link is and that does give him an advantage. In a long term fight, Breath of the Wild Link wins due to being able to wait out the fight more then Twilight Princess Link can, more efficient from far away and due to the Champion's abilities, can switch the tides much quicker in his favor (can resurrect without the need of a fairy with Mipha's Grace and can retreat MUCH more efficiently due to Revali's Gale).

I do think Breath of the Wild Link has more of a shot at winning here because he has more hax then Twilight Princess Link does (Ancient Arrow's can kill Twilight Princess Link in one shot and does have ways to incapacitate him to make it happen).

 

[Ahysel]

The only real advantages TP Link has over BotW Link are his swordsmanship and having the Triforce of Courage. BotW Link has the Champion abilities with their cooldown reduced by 3x, a Master Sword with its damage output doubled, and let alone a fully-upgraded Sheikah Slate. This does not include how the Flurry Rush mechanic makes BotW Link move 19x faster when retaliating or shooting arrows mid-air, how his armor can grant him boosts, and so on.

 

[smashingDoug]

you can't really compare botw to other Zelda games too different



not saying it's a bad game just on a different page

 

[ScuffedSuzuki]

You're assuming that TP Link is on par with mooks, and that Wild Link is on par with Ganondorf, the wielder of the Triforce of Power (The mere fact his arm doesn't shatter or that Link can win a sword lock against him speaks volumes). Even Darknut's are massive.
Link also grew up with Epona and around animals, limitations of the game aside, he is almost certainly the better horseman.
Besides, this feeds into my argument that Wild is a better guerrilla fighter, but when it comes to actual head to head combat, TP is better. Most of your strategies for Wild Link involve running away or cheap tactics like stasis runes.

Nah Wild Links a better hand to hand combatant, hes a master not only with shortswords/longswords, but also spears and greatswords. Botw link can also enter the matrix and do crazy slo-mo combos