canon: legend of zelda: twilight princess | character: hero's shade

[postoffice]

CHARACTER INFORMATION
Name: Link (Hero's Shade)
Canon: Legend of Zelda (OoT/MM/TP)
Character Type: Canon
Age: Unknown. Over a century, at least, but he's technically dead.
Gender: Male
Species: Hylian

Appearance:
The Hero's Shade has three separate appearances (two canon and one fannon*):

Golden Wolf - A large golden furred wolf that glows with an otherworldly light. His left eye is a field of red and his right eye is shut tight with the line of a faded scar cutting across it.

Shade of Regret - A ghostly that stands at least seven feet tall (If not eight, it's hard to judge sizes in the games) and resembles a Stalfos. Notable differences being that the only part of his skeleton that can be seen is his skull (a red glow where his left eye would be and an empty socket for the right). The rest of his body is partly covered in broken, decayed armor and what parts it doesn't cover are outlined in a soft glow that give the semblance of a body once existing within. His armor is medium to heavy with a lot of chain mail and some plating over it, all of it adorned with bird (own specifically) motifs.

Past Self - Adult OoT!Link with a blinded right eye and a scar cutting across the skin above and below it. The back of his hand bears the mark of the Triforce - this is all that remains as proof of his deeds before his death as Courage has moved on to be held in the heart of his living descendant.

*Due to a lack of variety in art/screen caps for either the Golden Wolf or Shade forms of the Hero's Shade, I plan to use icons of the Hero of Time from his "Adult" appearance with his right eye blinded and a scar running across it. This will effectively give him his 'old' body back so that he can properly interact with the world and would be the same as 'humanizing' him in the same way one would, say, Optimus Prime. I can only justify this in game as part of his known shapeshifting powers and hope that it will be acceptable.

Canon Point:
Twilight Princess: after the fifth Hidden Skill (Mortal Draw) is taught.

Background:

The Hero's Shade is taken from a course of events in Ocarina of Time that result in the 'Dark World & Hero's Decendents' Timeline, more commonly referred to as The Child Timeline.

The Hero's Shade as Link's ghost vs the Hero's Shade as the embodiment of his regret is debatable because of the two fan translations of Hyrule Hystoria currently available. Both are found here. This history and application assumes the Hero's Shade is Link's ghost as that is the translation that makes the most sense to me within the context of the three games and the conversations OoT!Link and TP!Link have during the Hidden Skill Training sessions.

----

In this timeline, Link, a young boy who grew up in the Kokiri Forest is forced by Destiny to become a hero and save all of Hyrule at roughly the age of 10. After meeting Princess Zelda and aiding her in the manner she asked (gathering the 3 Spiritual Stones) he returns to Hyrule Castle and finds it and Castle Town under attack. The Princess is fleeing with her guardian/nursemaid Impa and as they ride past the young boy, Zelda throws the Ocarina of Time into the moat. Seconds later Ganondorf, the evil man of the desert and main antagonist of the game, rides out of Castle Town looking for the Princess. When Link is quite stubbornly of no help, Ganondorf idly tosses a ball of dark magic at him to remove the boy from his path as he rides off to continue his search.

Link gathers up the Ocarina of Time and heads to the Temple of Time as instructed by Zelda. There he opens the Door of Time and steps through to where the Master Sword lay at rest. When he draws it, he unknowingly opens the Door to the Sacred Realm, where the Sacred Triforce is hidden. Ganondorf - a smart, if overconfident, man - has followed Link to this point after realizing the child was likely hiding something that Zelda didn't want him to have. When the Door to the Sacred Realm is opened, Ganondorf steps through and attempts to take the Triforce. He is partially successful and obtains the Triforce of Power.

Seven years pass.

Link, the boy of roughly 10, sleeps the whole time. When he awakens he his body has aged appropriately, to the point that he can now physically wield the Master Sword. He is a literal child in an adult's body with all the advantages and disadvantages that come with. The Sage Rauru, who watched over Link during the seven years he slept, acts as the first of his many guides and tells Link he needs to awaken the new Sages of the other temples scattered across Hyrule and that Link is now the 'Hero of Time', chosen by the Master Sword. His innocence and lack of knowledge of the world plays to his benefit at the start of his journey in the future: his determination is not yet tempered by experience or real tragedy. He has no reason to believe he can't finish the mission and save the land. He's only been delayed.

It takes time, but Link eventually awakens the other five Sages. During this period he travels back and forth through the river of Time and gains the experience he'd been lacking and new reasons to fight than just because it was his 'destiny'. And he learns about himself.

He is finally told of his mother's death during the Unification War that occurred roughly ten years before he left the Kokiri Forest. It was her fleeing the destruction of her home that brought her and the baby she named Link before the Great Deku Tree. It was only because Link was marked by Destiny that he was allowed to live and grow up amongst the Kokiri, believing himself one of them. It was why, until the Great Deku Tree sent Navi to him, he was the 'boy without a fairy' - an outcast often bullied by others. Something he'd never been able to understand because he wasn't deemed old enough to be told.

His best friend growing up, the Kokiri girl Saria, awakens as the Sage of Forest and only by defeating Ganondorf can his former home be returned to peace. His 'fiance' Ruto, Princess of the Zora, awakens as the Sage of Water and is the only one of her people not frozen in ice by Ganondorf's evil magic. Link's 'brother' Darunia, leader of the Gorons, awakens as the Sage of Fire. The only way to ensure the tribe can live without the fear of Volvagia being revived again to eat them is defeat Ganondorf. Even those he did not know as well, Impa and the Gerudo Nabooru, awakened as Sages of Shadow and Spirit. Of course the only way to truly help them and those they cared about was to, once again, defeat Ganondorf.

The constant, daily battles forged his skills as much as learning about and aiding the people of the land forged his spirit. When he finally faced Ganondorf, he faced the man with courage worthy of the Triforce piece Link had unknowingly carried in his heart. He succeeded in defeating Ganondorf and, with the help of the Sages, sealed the dark creature he'd become inside the Sacred Realm.

After the battle, thinking that all was well, Link spoke with Zelda. His hope for a bright future together shattered when she said she would send him back in time to before the events her meddling had set in motion. Despite his wish to stay with her, he did not protest. She was the Princess, after all. She knew what was best.

Returning to the past brought with it regret and the pain of friendships lost. Navi, her duties over, left Link as she'd been instructed to. She couldn't stay with him forever. He wasn't a Kokiri. The friends Link had made after first leaving the forest were no longer his friends because those events had yet to happen... and they never would for that timeline. The boy, who now held the mind of an adult, sought out Zelda and told her not to seek the Spiritual Stones. That if she did, her visions of evil covering the land would come true. With his knowledge of what could be, Zelda gave him the Ocarina of Time and bid him leave Hyrule until she could get Ganondorf executed.

Months later, Link did just that. After renewing, re-creating what friendships he could, Link left Hyrule on the back of Epona in search of Navi. The Ocarina of Time in his possession. It was while he searched the Lost Woods that he was accosted by the Skull Kid. The imp stole the Ocarina and Epona and led Link on a chase through the forest that ended with him falling into the world of Termina.

In this world, the Moon was falling, pulled down by the Skull Kid. Link himself was cursed to the form of a Deku Scrub until the night of the third day. This was the first time the Moon was about to crash. With his Ocarina in hand, Link could play the Song of Time to reset the three days - and all events in them - to Dawn of the First Day. The curse on Link was broken by the Happy Mask Salesman who taught Link the Song of Healing. It had the power to force a curse off of a creature and into a mask that reflected it. The first mask Link received was the Deku Mask.

Three days can last a surprisingly long time. More so when you repeat them over and over ad-nauseum just to make sure you can save everyone... only to realize in the end, that you can't. This was Link's first encounter with failure as a hero. While he could repeat a the three days, even slow them down to half speed, he still didn't have the time to save everyone and everything he'd encountered in Termina before facing the Skull Kid and the power of Majora's Mask. Link was forced to make choices on who to save before the end: on who to leave disappointed.

When Link left, he did so quietly. His heart both happy and sad. Happy for the new friends he'd made and those he could help finding their own happiness. Sad for feeling as though he'd failed as a hero because he finally learned that sometimes you had to make a hard choice, no matter how much you wanted otherwise.

After this, Link's personal tale becomes obscured by time and legend. He goes on to live in obscurity and nothing else. What deeds he performed are not known and never hinted at. But we do know he was likely a knight of Hyrule (indicated by the armor he wears as the Hero's Shade) and lost his right eye some time before his death. Nothing else about him was important to the timeline so far as any are aware. Ganondorf, however, was.

It was during his execution that the Triforce of Power appeared on his hand, saving him from the deathblow of the Sage's Sword piercing his heart. While Ganondorf had never entered the Sacred Realm or layed his hand upon the Triforce in this new timeline, the pieces had still separated to enter the hearts of their bearers. Because for all he'd done to stop the time of evil from coming to pass, Link had still carried the Triforce of Courage in his heart. To ensure balance, the other two pieces had fallen to Zelda and Ganondorf.

Instead of dying, Ganondorf was sealed away in the Twilight Realm and the mirror that acted as a gateway was shattered. It's pieces scattered across Hyrule. Link likely played a part in hiding them as one was found in the remains of an ancient city in the sky - a city that no one during the time of Twilight Princess knew existed save for within ancient legends older than the founding of Hyrule.

After the failed execution turned banishment, a great deal of time passed. Exact accounts are unknown, but at least a century. The Hero of Time died and his spirit lingered on, fueled by his regrets until a time of crisis returned to Hyrule. His descendant, another boy named Link, eventually set out on a quest to save Hryule from the darkness that had swallowed it. And the Hero of Time, now known as the Hero's Shade, was finally able to start easing the regrets that held him to the world by teaching the last of his bloodline the skills he'd never been able to pass on.

[Headcanon of Link/Hero's Shade beyond here.]

Link continued traveling outside of Hyrule, no longer searching for Navi - but keeping an ear and eye out for her - while waiting until word came of Ganondorfs execution. Once it was safe to return without risking the evil man getting his hands on the Ocarina of Time, Link did so. It was years later and he was physically grown by then. His skills in battle honed to a razors edge, having taught himself hidden secrets of the warrior that only his bloodline could and should possess. Such knowledge imparted to him by the Triforce of Courage without him having any real awareness of the fact.

When he came back to Hyrule, the Zelda of the past had grown and while she recognized him for the friend and fellow child of destiny he was, they had long since grown apart. The love he had for her was for who she could have been in another time and another place. What love she could have had for him he never knew nor encouraged - he acted only as her loyal friend and servant. She did not ask him to return the Ocarina, as it would continue to be safest in his hands and he was awarded a position as a Knight of Hyrule. Over the years he eventually rose to the position of an Elite amongst the Knights - as signified by the rather unique armor he wears as the shade.

Unable to act on his love for Zelda and resigned not to burden her with it, he made a life for himself with another woman: the Bombchu Bowling operator (who did not have a name in OoT or MM, but resembles Marcy from MC and Sue-Belle from WW). He loved her dearly and she gave him several fine children. However, his happiness began to fade as his children grew up and each of them reached adulthood in turn. Because as they reached adulthood and moved on with their lives, he realized that none of them were worthy to learn what he had to teach, none of them were worthy of the secrets of their bloodline.

He did not realize at first, that to pass on his skills, the one they were passed to had to possess the spirit of the hero. As the hero of his lifetime, none of his children - or anyone esle for that matter - could do so. He could teach them the basics of fighting, some of the more advanced techniques such as the jump strike and ending blow, but none of the skills that drew on the inner well of courage and determination that the true hero was required to posses. And his children didn't really want to learn. There was no need for them to become warriors like their father when the land had fallen into a blessed time of peace

So while they humored him and followed his lead when they were young, as they grew and become more and more their own persons, though they proved to be as fast and skilled learners as Link had been when he first left the Kokiri, they felt no drive to continue beyond the basics. They were not determined. They did not care. They did not hold the spirit of the hero. And each one, giving up on it in turn, weighed heavily on his heart. They proved themselves unworthy in spirit and deed and no others outside his bloodline could meet the standards he set in training with the sword.

Having his deeds, what earned him his place as a hero, forgotten led to Link developing a deeply rooted desire to have a legacy that would be remembered. But by living, by being the true hero and accepting the life it brought, he could not create this legacy by passing on the skills. It was entirely his fault that his children could not learn, simply by virtue of him still being alive, being a child of destiny, and bearing the Triforce of Courage. His regret grew and when his children were still relatively young, just starting families of their own, and his wife only beginning to enter old age, he left them.

He left everyone. He donned his armor and set out once more, telling no one he was leaving and only his failure to return telling them that they would not see him again. He could not face hurting his family by letting it slip how disappointed he was in his children. He knew it was not their fault and yet he could only find resentment and a growing bitterness when he watched them. And he would not make them suffer the pain of knowing that. Better they believe he died while on patrol in the waning years of his life. He traveled into the lost woods where the Master Sword had been transplanted to the ruins of an old temple (the remains of the Temple of Time/Temple of Hylia from SS) to preserve it until it was needed again. And it was there that he lived out his days, alone save for a moon-faced child that liked to dance to an old tune he played. One that reminded him of younger days when he still believed in adventure and possibilities.

He did not become a Stalfos when he died, because he was not lost. He knew the woods too well for that. But he die alone and his spirit lingered on to watch the world pass, waiting for the day he could remove the burden of guilt, the regret that shackled him to the world.

Personality:
In life, Link defined himself by his deeds as a hero. But in death, the Hero's Shade defines himself by his regrets. They are what bind his spirit to the land of Hyrule long after he should have passed from the world.

Barely remembered as little more than the spirit of a great swordsman, he regrets having allowed Zelda to return him to the past. The respect and honor he'd gained from so many, the acceptance he'd had in that future were no longer his upon the return. No one save Zelda and perhaps Impa, saw him as anything more than the child he appeared to be. And on top of that, he was a child without family or home. Uneducated save for his uncanny skill with the sword.

Link had to work twice as hard to prove himself worth half the respect he'd had in the future. Because there was no crisis, it was only his skill with a sword that gave him anything to stand on while he was forced to grow up again. He grew embittered at the world, knowing he was worth more, could do more, than he was allowed to. All because he'd prevented Ganondorf's rise preemptively.

The man who was once open and friendly to all became closed off, grim and angry at himself. He had accepted the life of a hero, but had not realized what it would mean. While he had never been a braggart or sought the spotlight, he had not realized how much he treasured the thankfulness of those he helped, the respect and happiness in their hearts for him. As little more than an extremely skilled swordsman he passed from the world without ever passing on his knowledge, the skills that only those of his bloodline - those who held the spirit of the Chosen Hero - could wield.

The Hero's Shade is somber creature. His purpose post death is fueled by his regrets at not being remembered as a hero and not being able to pass on his knowledge before his death. He speaks with a grim, sometimes angry tone to his words and has little to no patience for failure. He is aggressive and curt in his first interactions with his descendant.

He knows that the new Chosen Hero holds Courage and he knows that he has the potential to be the 'hero for which this world despairs' but he judges his descendant as unworthy in their first meeting. He does not yet see the strength of conviction needed to see the mission through. He teaches only one skill with each meeting, forcing his descendant to prove himself worthy of learning more every time. He pushes his student and does not hold back despite the risk that he, himself, could very well kill the boy before he can meet his destiny.

That is not to say the Hero's Shade does not care about the child. He cares very deeply. The Link of Twilight Princess is the last of his bloodline so far as he knows and if he dies there is little hope for the world. Certainly he would have no one to pass his skills on to. But even knowing that, he does not hold back. It is the seriousness of the goal that drives him, in fact. The knowledge that to be the hero Hyrule needs, Link will have to face dangers equally deadly and to hold back would be to hamstring him. To hold back would not prepare him adequately. And for the Hero's Shade to move on, he very much needs to have his descendant prove himself as worthy of the green tunic he wears as the Shade did during his lifetime.

Battle is about all he knows anymore. A constant fight for survival and an inability to 'settle down' since a very young age has made him edgy. He feels threatened easily as he is used to always looking over the proverbial shoulder in case of attack. His focus on battle means he can easily lose himself in it, entering a bloodlust that is difficult to break. His training sessions are always short for this reason: only one move, rarely attacking, focusing on defense while he's attacked. If he loses himself, he dooms the world. As much as it is a benefit to his fighting skill, it is a drawback to every other part of his life.

The Hero's Shade does have a, well, a less harsh side. After Link has learned a move his tone changes to one of hopefulness and expectation that he will see the man again. He sees a future in his descendant that he could not have for himself. One where despite being bound by fate, the hero is not bound by regret. This child will have the respect he earned as a hero and all the opportunities that come with it, instead of just the burdens.

Just as in life, the Hero's shade cares about others. He can't bring himself not to care. To do so would go against who and what he is. He does not seek to hurt his descendant with his harsh words. He seeks only to ensure there is no unnecessary optimism. The shade is very firmly realistic about what can and cannot be done. Possibilities are considered carefully before a decision is made. Not every ending is a happy one, after all.

The Hero's Shade is a wanderer, constantly on patrol as he likely was in life. His spirit in the shape of the 'sublime beast' (Golden Wolf) crosses the length and breadth of Hyrule unseen by all but his descendant. Not even Midna, Link's shadow, could see him. His presence was felt only by he who shared his blood.

Though he does not like to stay in one place for long, unlike the man he once was, he is not easily distracted by every little side quest and a need for exploration. He does, however, retain the voyeuristic tendencies that come with solving other people's problems: he likes to people watch. While this is useful for the life he had, this habit and the ability to take in a great deal of information about their lives from only a little observation, he genuinely enjoys watching others go about their daily routines. Always having had a trouble 'fitting in' to the various societies he was a part of, the easiest way to feel like he might belong was to simply sit down somewhere unobtrusive and watch. And for an unknown amount of time after his death until his descendant first called him via the howling stones, it was the only hobby he had.

When in a place and time he can relax, the Shade is calm, his good eye filled with a bittersweet happiness. In death he can acknowledge and accept his failures more readily than he ever could in life. This gives him a greater confidence of purpose. A wry sense of humor born from experience and a life otherwise well-lived occasionally breaks up the monotony of his grim focus.

Powers and Special Abilities:

At one Point in Time, the Hero of Time had a very diverse range of powers and abilities separated into three categories: songs, magic and items. This is a comprehensive list of all powers and abilities from all incarnations. The appearance on this list is not an indication that he still has them, it is simply a comprehensive listing of all that he has had access to throughout his life and death for the mods to go through and say 'yes' or 'no' to in regards to if he has access or has regained access to them as they requested.

Songs:
In Hyrule and Termina, music has power. The following songs are ones Link knows and what power they have:

• Ballad of Gales - Howled with TP!Link at the Snowpeak Trail Howling Stone.
• Ballad of the Windfish - A song he learned from the Indigo-go's. Does nothing.
• Bolero of Fire - in Hyrule, transports Link to the Fire Temple.
• Epona's Song - Calls his faithful steed to him for when he needs to ride her to get around. Can also be used to speak to other animals: Playing it in front of a cow, for example, will let the cow know Link is worth talking to and usually gets him fresh milk.
• Elegy of Emptiness - Allows Link to create 'statues' in the shapes of the people who's souls are embodied by the masks he wears. If he uses it without wearing a mask, a statue resembling him with an eerie smile is created instead.
• Goron Lullaby - Has the ability to put people, especially Gorons, to sleep. Because it's a lullaby. One of the Song TP!Link howls with the Hero's Shade at the Lake Hylia Howling Stone.
• Minuet of Forest - in Hyrule, transports Link to the Forest Temple.
• New Wave Bossa Nova - Awakens the Island Turtle. That's it.
• Noctourne of Shadow - in Hyrule, transports Link to the Shadow Temple.
• Oath to Order - Calls the the four Giants to Clock Town to stop the fall of the moon once Link frees them all.
• Prelude of Light - in Hyrule, transports Link to the Temple of Time. Howled with TP!Link at the Sacred Grove Howling Stone.
• Regret's End - canonly, an unnamed song in game that is howled by TP!Link with the Hero's Shade at the Hidden Village Howling Stone. Has no other power. As it is the last of the songs howled to start the final training session, I decided to call it Regret's End.
• Requiem of Spirit - in Hyrule, transports Link to the Spirit Temple. Howled with TP!Link at the Zora's River Howling Stone.
• Saria's Song - in Hyrule, allows Link to speak with Saria over vast distances. Also, is a great song to play at parties.
• Scarecrow's Song - A song Link wrote that calls out to Pierre the Scarecrow and summon him to certain locations.
• Serenade of Water - in Hyrule, transports Link to the Water Temple.
• Sonata of Awakening - Has the ability to wake sleeping things up - even things that are magically asleep.
• Song of Healing - Can heal troubled spirits and souls and remove curses by turning them all into masks that can be then worn to gain the beneficial effects of each. It can also be used to 'heal' broken objects in the same way that Zelda's Lullaby can within the boundaries of Hyrule. One of the Songs (the very first, in fact) that TP!Link howls with the Hero's Shade at the Death Mountain Howling Stone [Fan speculations have it that it's role as the first song howled is imporant to the Hero's Shade being able to eventually ease his regrets as it starts the process by calling out to him and healing his soul.]
• Song of Soaring - Using this, Link can teleport on white wings to various points around Termina.
• Song of Storms - Can create a short-lived rainstorm, complete with thunder and lightning. It can counter-act the effects of Sharp's 'Melody of Darkness' as well as weaker curses, as if merely washing them away with the rain.
• Song of Time - In Hyrule: can open certain doors and move special blocks marked by the symbol of the Door of Time. In Termina: Can 'slow down' or speed up time by playing backwards or twice as fast. 'Time Slow' is more likely to speed up the actions of the song player so that it appears as if everything is going twice as slow as normal. 'Speed Up' skips 6 hours for the player, meaning they probably get held just outside of time for 6 hours before being dropped right back into the time stream. During the course of Majora's Mask: If played normally, will reset the three-day cycle of the game back to the Dawn of the First Day.
• Sun's Song - Link can make the sun rise or set depending on what time of day he plays the song.
• Zelda's Lullaby - in Hyrule, acts as a sign that he's connected to the Royal Family as well as occasionally encouraging fairies to come out of hiding in spots around Hyrule, particularly Gossip Stones. TP!Link howls this at a Howling Stone to open and the Temple of Time in the Sacred Grove. (personal speculation: OoT!Link got this set up somehow so that if the hero to come didn't learn the song of Messenger of the Royal Family, he would still be able to enter the Temple when needed)

Magic
While some of the songs Link plays are inherently magical, they are not linked directly to his own magic power: anyone who knows them can presumably use them. When using magic for one thing, Link cannot use it for another, limiting his effectiveness slightly. Magic that Link had to learn and which draws on his own reserve of power are as follows:

• Fire Arrows - Burns stuff.
• Ice Arrows - Freezes stuff.
• Light Arrows - Light which pierces the darkness of Evil... and lights up certain switches.
• Bubble attack - while in Deku Form (Deku Mask Required)
• Spikes - while rolling in Goron Form (Goron Mask Required)
• Electric Barrier - while in Zora Form (Zora Mask Required)
• Magic Blasts - while in Fierce Deity Form - also used by the Hero's Shade in training with TP!Link. His blasts of magic are bright and filled with golden light.
• Din's Fire - creates a circular blast of fire that bursts out in a roughly 30ft radius before dissipating.
• Nayru's Love - creates a blue crystalline shield that surrounds Link and keeps him from taking damage for as long as he has magic to power it. Note that this does not keep him from being hit, only that it keeps him from being wounded or taking damage from the hit. This protection is from both physical and magical damage alike. He cannot use any other magic while Nayru's Love is in effect.
• Farore's Wind - creates a call back point at the start of rooms or the beginning of a dungeon for Link to travel between for more strategic exploration of the dungeon.
• Magic Spin Attack - Link can power his spin attack with magic, making the radius and damage output twice as good as the basic Spin Attack. The radius of both are light green, but the Magic one has an obvious 'power up' while Link holds his sword back and blue light pulses down the length of his blade until it's ready to be released.
• Duplication - creates up to two copies of himself, used during training sessions with TP!Link. If any of the copies are hit, the other two disappear. While it seems to be an illusion rather than physical duplication, whichever form is hit is the one that remains when the other two disappear, so it is possible that this is complete duplication and he chooses not to keep the other two copies around longer than needed for the lessons. Not enough is known of this particular magic power.

Link has the ability to learn new spells should someone take the time to teach him.

Other Non-Magic Powers and Abilities
The following are magic-like powers and abilites (skills included) that Link has been shown to have throughout his lifetime that are not reliant upon a magic meter.

• Transformation - as a ghost, the Hero's Shade is able to change his appearance between three* shapes: an ethereal golden wolf, his 'living' self, and a decayed, armored covered warrior with only his skull left of his solid body. Notably, he cannot become this skeletal warrior anywhere than in an 'other world' which he can transport others to for the purposes of training them. In game encounters indicate that this may just be inside the mindscape of TP!Link and take place in the blink of an eye rather than an actual physical transformation.
  
  *the third, 'Past Self' is a headcanon created for general playability.
• Transportation to an 'Other World' - As noted in the Transformation section, the Hero's shade can transport a single person to an other world for training purposes. This could be entirely in the mind or, as he is the Hero of Time, a place set out of the grasp of the river of time where any visitors do not lose time in the actual world. This 'Other World' is able to be reached by TP!Link via the howling stones - where the Golden Wolf howls with him as TP!Link proves he is ready to meet again for further training. The 'Other World' is a foggy landscape with the landmarks of Hryule set in the distance somewhere, seen but unreachable.
• Minor Prophesy and Sensitivity to the Balance of Good and Evil - Like so many of his bloodline and those who are chosen by fate to hold the Triforce, Link has some minor precognitive abilities and is sensitive to the rise of evil. This is a rather minor ability, but when Link actually dreams, his dreams are generally of fire or events that will come to pass. This is shown most clearly at the very beginning of Ocarina of Time when Link has a dream about his first face to face encounter with Ganondorf (which came true) and when the Deku Tree speaks to him before he enters the tree:
  

  "Thy slumber these past moons must have been restless and full of nightmares... As the servants of evil gain strength, a vile climate pervades the land and causes nightmares to those sensitive to it... Verily, thou hast felt it... Link..."

  
  There is also evidence of him having seen himself face King Dodongo before it happens, as he had a carving of himself and a fairy fighting the monster on the root of his treehouse.
  
  It is very likely he retained this into his old age and even death as Howling Stones - that which let he takes the form of the Divine Beast call to him - were set up around Hyrule at some point between the events of Ocarina of Time and Twilight Princess. And calling for the Golden Wolf seems to be their only purpose.
• Music - the Hero of Time is a musical prodigy. He can learn music by ear and play any instrument he comes across with only a relatively short amount of practice. He cannot, however, sing. As evidenced by the Howling sessions with his descendant, the Hero's Shade retains knowledge of the songs he learned in life as all but one of the songs Howled were ones he learned in the course of Ocarina of Time and Majora's Mask.
• Hidden Skills - The Hero's Shade is the last (un)living soul with the knowledge of the greatest swordsman skills Hyrule knows. They were learned over a lifetime of fighting passed down through his bloodline... or were supposed to be. While it's true his descendant has the potential to use them - as did all who shared his bloodline before his birth - the Shade had to learn them on his own and never had a chance to pass them on properly in life. This failure of his, of not passing them on and not seeing the opportunity to pass them on, is one of the many regrets he holds and which bind his soul to the land of the living. The Hero's Shade is a formidable opponent in a fight and without mercy. He deals death easily and without hesitation when needed.
  • Ending Blow - (from the zeldawikia.org) The Ending Blow is the first Hidden Skill that is taught to Link by the Hero's Spirit. As its name implies, the Ending Blow is a decisive stroke that will eliminate any enemy if properly executed. Once an enemy is temporarily knocked down, Link will have a chance to finish off the foe by jumping in the air and performing a Down Thrust right into the enemy's chest, thus instantly defeating it. The move reappears in Skyward Sword as the Fatal Blow.
  • Shield Attack - (from zeldawikia.org) The Shield Attack is the second Hidden Skill in Twilight Princess. This skill lets Link bash the enemy with his shield to open their defenses. Other than bringing the enemy's defenses down, the Shield Attack can also be used to deflect certain enemy projectiles. The move reappears in Skyward Sword as the Shield Bash.
  • Back Slice - (from zeldawikia.org) The Back Slice is the third Hidden Skill in Twilight Princess. While Link is targeting his enemy, he can side jump with the Action Button to roll around the foe, which will cause for the young hero to end up directly behind his opponent and thus give him a chance to strike. By pressing the Sword Button at the end of the sidewards roll, Link will perform a jumping slice to stab into the enemy's back. This is seemingly one of the most useful Hidden Skills, as it can be used anytime and is one of the fastest ways to attack and defeat armored foes, such as Darknuts. The Back Slice is nearly identical to the vertical-countering parry seen in The Wind Waker.
  • Helm Splitter - (from zeldawikia.org) The Helm Splitter is the fourth of the Hidden Skills taught by the Hero's Spirit in Twilight Princess. This skill proves useful when the enemy is too fast to successfully perform a Back Slice. The move is initiated by a Shield Attack to stun the enemy, then, by pressing the Action Button, Link will jump in the air above the foe and slices its head in a vertical flipping motion. After performing the Helm Splitter, Link will land behind his opponent, giving him a possible chance to attack the foe again from behind. This skill is most effective against enemies with helmets (hence the name), such as Darknuts. The Helm Splitter is nearly identical to the horizontal-countering parry seen in The Wind Waker.
  • Mortal Draw - (from zeldawikia.org) The Mortal Draw is the fifth Hidden Skill taught by the Hero's Spirit in Twilight Princess. It is perhaps one of the most useful and devastating of the hidden skills, but it requires a low defense. To perform it, Link must stand still with his sword sheathed and not target the opponent he wishes to eliminate. Once the foe gets close enough to the young hero, the Action Button will change to "Draw", which causes Link to quickly draw his sword and perform a devastating blow to the nearest enemy. This skill will defeat most enemies in a single hit, and is notably the most damaging sword technique in the entire series in terms of how much it amplifies Link's regular slash.
  • Jump Strike - (from zeldawikia.org) The Jump Strike is the sixth Hidden Skill in Twilight Princess. This move is an upgraded version of Link's already devastating Jump Attack, giving him a greater advantage against a group of enemies. Instead of tapping the Action Button while locked on to an enemy, holding the button will charge the Jump Attack to the upgraded Jump Strike. When the A Button is released, Link will jump into the air, swing his sword left and right to knock any enemies in his path, and then slam his sword into the ground, creating a shock wave that will knock down all enemies in range. Unfortunately, this attack is harder to pull off than most other Hidden Skills. It forces Link to remain in one place for a moment to charge before striking, allowing enemies to strike him prior to his strike. Even after Link leaps up and swings away in mid-air, many enemies will still be able to attack him mid-jump.
  • Great Spin - (from zeldawika.org) The Great Spin is the last Hidden Skill in Twilight Princess. This move is a much stronger version of Link's normal Spin Attack. At full health, Link uses a wide-range Spin Attack with a powerful wave for extended radius. The difference between the Great Spin and the Spin Attack can be noticed by how the Great Spin's attack radius is red instead of the Spin Attack's light green. (/end wikia copypasta) Notably, this is the only Hidden Skill the Hero's Shade does not demonstrate to TP!Link first. Likely due to the fact that he is dead and has no life energy with which to power the Great Spin. So while he knows the skill and can pass it on, he cannot perform it himself unless he becomes 'alive' again.
• Minor Magical Protection - As the bearer of the Triforce of Courage, Link is granted some minor resistance to mind-altering effects and being directly effected by hostile telepathic/telekinetic powers. (This is inferred off the fact that while there are some enemies who clearly have the ability to brainwash others and the like, they never attempt to use it on Link. Likely sensing that it won't work and thus not even trying it.) As the Hero's Shade, he no longer has the Triforce of Courage (it having passed on to TP!Link), so what protection he has in this regard, if any, is entirely up for debate.

Items
Many of Link's 'abilities' are tied to the Items he carries with him. Some of them draw on his own magic to fuel and are noted as such. (The Hero's Shade has access to only the Ocarina of Time unless otherwise noted. The rest of the items are here only for the sake of completeness in what he potentially has knowledge of pending mod approval on a case by case basis.)

• 24 Masks (Majora's Mask Only) :
  • All-Night Mask: a torture device used to force insomnia on the person wearing it.
  • Blast Mask: A mask that can cause explosions just like a bomb! And harm the person wearing it, just like a bomb!
  • Bremen Mask: Can entice others to follow along like mice to the pied piper and can inspire certain animals to grow up rapidly; Link plays a marching tune while using it.
  • Bunny Hood: Link can run about 70% faster than normal and jump farther than usual, in certain situations it will give him an uncanny internal clock.
  • Captain's Hat: Made from the bones of a man, it resembles the body of Captain Keeta, who in life led a hundred soldiers to such glory that they swore to follow him into eternity. The lingering spirits of Ikana's soldiers will follow Link as if he's Captain Keeta himself and ReDeads will dance instead of attacking while he wears it.
  • Circus Leaders Mask: it looks like an older man and when worn, continually sheds tears.
  • Couple's Mask: It has no powers, it simply represents the fact that two people have been married and is rather common in Termina.
  • Deku Mask: When worn, transforms link into a Deku Scrub child with all the benefits and drawbacks of the plant creatures. He can burrow into Deku Flowers and launch himself into the air to fly for short distances on rotating flowers he holds in his hands after leaving. He is also light enough to hop across water for brief distances without falling in.
  • Don Gero's Mask: Allows Link to talk to frogs that would otherwise ignore him.
  • Fierce Deity's Mask: Rather than being the soul of a God, the Mask is one that used to belong to a God and still retains some of his power (as noted by the possessive use of the word, unlike the other shape-shifting masks). Looking much like Link's older self - complete with hat - it allows him to Transform into a 10ft, nearly invincible powerhouse. Fortunately, for the world at large, it can only be used in 'boss rooms'; places where powerful foes have already gathered their power and are ready to fight.
  • Garo's Mask: Allows Link to masquerade as a Garo for a short period of time, also causes ReDeads to dance instead of attack him.
  • Giant's Mask: One of the masks that uses Link's own magic to fuel its power, it causes Link to become a literal giant, towering a good 40 to 50 times his normal size. So far he's only been able to use it in one boss room and it's power seems quite limited to that.
  • Gibido Mask: Created by the Song of Healing when used to remove a curse, it tricks Gibido's into believing the wearer is one of their own and allows him to communicate with them, will also get ReDeads to dance instead of attack.
  • Goron Mask: Allows Link to transform into a Goron with all the benefits and drawbacks that entails. He can carry more, has better traction on ice and can travel by rolling. He can also eat rocks. Mmmm, marble.
  • Great Fairy's Mask: When worn, it attracts stray fairies and can be used to detect when a fairy is nearby and/or trapped within an object.
  • Kafei's Mask: Holds no powers, but looks like the face of Kafei.
  • Kamaro's Mask: Formed from the healed spirit of the Dance Master Kamaro, it is used to perfectly perform his lost masterpiece.
  • Keaton Mask: Allows Link to summon and speak to the legendary Keaton at particular circular formations of bushes.
  • Mask of Scents: looking like a wild boar, it allows Link to smell things out similar to an animal by giving strong scents a visual form (for example, the magic mushroom's scent appears as a purple cloud to Link). Wearing it makes Link look like a humanoid pig and he tends to hunch over, sniffing a great deal.
  • Mask of Truth: Allows Link to speak to Gossip Stones as well as read the thoughts of small animals he's in physical contact with.
  • Postman's Hat: No special power, but allows Link to act as an official postman within Clock Town.
  • Romani's Mask: No special power, but is given to Link to acknowledge him as an adult despite his appearance as a child. Wearing it allows him to enter the exclusive Milk Bar (Excessive amounts of Milk is rather like alcohol to Terminan Hylians and Link can get drunk on it. Eventually).
  • Stone Mask: Allows Link to walk around unnoticed by all but the most skilled or highly sensitive creatures, almost - but not quite - as effective as an invisibility spell.
  • Zora Mask: Transforms Link into a Zora and gives him all the benefits and drawbacks of that form. He can fire his forearm fins like boomerangs, breathe underwater and swim incredibly fast. He's also a total karate master and lead guitarist of a band. Badass.
• Kokiri's Sword: A child's short sword; the only sword the Kokiri ever had and it's Link's now.
• Gilded Sword: A child's longsword and an adult's shortsword; it is the Kokiri's sword re-forged by master smiths to a fine razor edge and a given a such strength that it will never break.
• Master Sword: Adult's longsword; the legendary sword of evil's bane.
• Biggoron's Sword: Adult's two-handed claymore; forged by the best Goron smith.
• Great Fairy's Sword: A child's two-handed weapon and an adult's longsword with a slightly longer reach than most longswords; it is unbreakable and deals four times the normal sword damage due to it's magical and tougher nature, making up for it's rather odd appearance and the pink metal of the blade.
• Megaton Hammer: The Goron Tribe of Death Mountain's legendary weapon. It's used to move or crush large blocks that cannot otherwise be moved or crushed.
• Deku Sticks: They're sticks.
• Deku Nuts: Large nuts (about the size of a fist) that have a flash-bang effect when thrown hard against the ground, able to stun creatures for a short time.
• Bomb: It's a round, cartoonish, hand-held bomb. It blows stuff up.
• Bombchu: It's a bomb on a set of wheels that 'crawl's to it's target - even if that target is up a wall or on a ceiling.
• Fairy Slingshot: A child's toy that uses deku seeds as its main ammunition.
• Fairy Bow: A child's longbow and an adult's shortbow; can be fired from horseback. Comes with a quiver and arrows.
• Hero's Bow: A child's longbow and an adult's shortbow; can be fired from horseback. Comes with a quiver and arrows.
• Boomerang: A weapon to stun enemies and on both the throw and the return! Can be used to bring small, light items back to the thrower.
• Hookshot: A hook attached to a spring-loaded chain that is in turn attached to a gauntlet. When fired at a target, if the target is heavier than the person firing and the hook can embed itself or catch on something, will pull the user to the target. Otherwise brings light objects back to the user. Can be used as an underwater weapon.
• Hero's Shield & Hylian Shield: A basic Hylian Shield that can deflect physical objects thrown at it. Difference is in the designs.
• Mirror Shield: Able to deflect beams of light and magic. In Termina, it's reflective surface has a very horrified face etched into it.
• Ocarina of Time: A magical ocarina that can transform to take on the shapes of instruments most compatible with the various Mask forms. Certain songs contain magical power when played on it. (notably, the Song of Time)
• Iron Boots: Iron shoes that slip over the bottom of Link's boots and make him heavy enough to sink to the bottom of a lake.
• Hover Boots: Golen shoes with wings that slip over the bottom of Link's boots and allow him to hover in the air for a short time; they have little traction so it's like walking on ice when walking on regular surfaces.
• Goron Tunic: A red tunic that keeps Link cool enough to survive the heat of an active Volcano when he's bare inches from the bubbling lava. Does not protect him from being lit on fire.
• Zora Tunic: A blue tunic that allows Link to breath under water. Does nothing to keep him warm.
• Zora Scale: The scale of a Zora that allows Link to hold his breath longer under water and thus allows him to dive further.
• Gold and Silver Gauntlets: Magical Gauntlets that allow Link to lift up really, really, really heavy objects.
• Bottles: Not magical, but Link has four of these in Ocarina of Time and six in Majora's Mask.
• Lens of Truth: Powered by Link's own magic, it allows him to see through illusions.
• Pictograph Box: It's a camera that can only store one photo at a time, but as it doesn't use film, it never runs out of the ability to take pictures.
• Bomber's Notebook: The Official Notebook of the Bombers Secret Society of Justice, dedicated to helping people 24 hours a day. A meticulously kept notebook to organize and track other peoples schedules to better help them in their day to day lives. No magical abilities. Just a notebook.

How does Link carry all this? Fortunately, his world has 'hammerspace' and it all tucks neatly away in some void that is accessible by sticking his hand behind his back until such time as he needs it.
[ Other Important Facts ]:

• He's left-handed.
• The Hero's Shade lost the use of his right eye some time before his death and now has only one good eye. As a ghost (both wolf and shade form) he likely doesn't suffer too much from lack of depth perception, but given a proper body he will have to deal with this constraint.
• To reduce confusion and the fact that he is no longer the man he once was, he will likely end up giving out a false name to some people. Probably Nikl, cause it's an anagram of Link and fits the spelling convention of the setting (i.e. Tatl, Tael)

Items:
A green tunic and hat, some leather gauntlets and boots, a belt and the Ocarina of Time: protected and held in safe keeping even after his death.

Any other needed items he can reacquired over time.

...A sword and shield will likely be his first priority.

Instrument:
Ocarina of Time