How old is Link in Tears of the Kingdom and how long was he asleep for?

You might be wondering how old is Link in Tears of the Kingdom? The series’ main protagonist has appeared as a child, a young adult, and various ages in between, which naturally raises questions his age in The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom.

The Tears of the Kingdom release date is now fast becoming a distant memory. It marks the next chapter in the long-running adventure of Link and a direct follow up to The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. Here’s the lowdown on our protagonist’s age. If you’re new to the series, or a just want a refresher, it’s worth brushing up on the Tears of the Kingdom timeline before diving into the latest entry of the Zelda franchise.

How old is Link in The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom?

First of all, Nintendo’s Tears of the Kingdom takes place in the same Hyrule as Breath of the Wild, which means we can narrow down Link’s age based on a couple of factors. 

It appears that TotK is set at least a couple of years after the events of Breath of the Wild, with locations in Hyrule being slowly rebuilt following the 100-year Calamity. In BotW, it’s heavily implied that both Link and Princess Zelda are 17 in several cutscenes and story tidbits, meaning that Link is around 19 years old in Tears of the Kingdom.

How long was Link asleep for in Tears of the Kingdom?

However, it could be argued that the young hero is technically closer to 119, given that he spends 100 years asleep in the Shrine of Resurrection prior to the events of the previous game. 

We know that Link is at least 17 in BotW, as we see a flashback of him visiting the Spring of Wisdom and Climbing Mount Lanayru, which Zelda notes in the same flashback, that one must be at least 17 to do. In another flashback, we learn about Zelda turning 17, and assuming that Link and Zelda are of a similar age, it seems probably that Link would be 17 in BotW.

While it’s possible that he could be even older in Tears of the Kingdom, we don’t know for sure how much time has passed since BotW. In the latest trailer we can see rows of tents popped up around Hyrule Town Centre, indicating that both it and Hyrule Castle still have a way to go before they’re back to their former glory, suggesting that not much time has passed.

However, we also see characters such as Riju and Tebin look older than they did in BotW. We also see Sidon wearing the crown previously worn by his father, King Dorephan, suggesting that he has perhaps died or vacated the throne.

Opinions vary among fans, and while many seem to think that around 2-3 years have passed, we simply don’t know for sure.

Make sure to check out the Tears of the Kingdom characters list to see who else makes a return in the latest entry in the Legend of Zelda franchise.

How old is Link FAQ

Why did Link not age?

Link remained the same age in Breath of the Wild he entered a shrine that stopped the ageing process while he healed.

Is Link 117 years old?

Theoretically, yes. But a shrine has stopped the ageing process so he’s between 17 – 19 years old.