Link & Tapion

[MysticVegeta]

I'm wondering if anything was stated about Tapion being based on Link?

They both wield swords, have pointy ears and play Ocarinas... That's really specific

[Ajay]

Possibly but I'd say unlikely.

The mental image we have of Link nowadays comes from Ocarina of Time which was released in 1998, a fair bit after Movie 13's 1995 release. There was an ocarina in Link's Awakening in 1993 but it certainly wasn't the iconic item we see it as because of OoT.

There's similarities, for sure. I thought the same until I checked out some of the dates and the older concept art of Link.

There may have been some influence but I'm not sure it's to the degree that we see it as today.

[Duo]

The obvious comparison is seeing them both play the Ocarina, but as the poster before I said, Movie 13 pre-dates Ocarina of Time by around 3 years. It's more feasible to say somebody at Nintendo was a Dragon Ball fan.

[KentalSSJ6]

Its possible, I have only played Twilight Princess and have never really been into Zelda (Never owned a 64.)

[Fizzer]

Are ocarinas of any cultural significance in Japan? If not both could have just been going for a small, slightly obscure, mystical-seeming instrument.

[TripleRach]

There was an ocarina in Link's Awakening in 1993 but it certainly wasn't the iconic item we see it as because of OoT.

There was also an ocarina in A Link to the Past in 1991 (though it was called a "flute" in the English version), and there were the plain flutes in both NES games. But I agree that none of those were very iconic; just one of Link's many items at the time. The sword, on the other hand, was a pretty big deal (especially in LttP, where the Master Sword was introduced). Though Trunks had just debuted with his sword around the same time as LttP's release.

But the idea of pointy ears and woodwinds goes back to ancient Greece with the god Pan and satyrs. Peter Pan is another character with those traits.

[Avenged]

Link has always used an instrument since the first game, and in fact he first used an ocarina in A Link to the Past, which was before movie 13.

[Duo]

Link has always used an instrument since the first game, and in fact he first used an ocarina in A Link to the Past, which was before movie 13.

The point is that the Ocarina was minor, non-iconic part of the game at the time. Nobody thinks of LttP having an Ocarina because it barely mattered. OOT made that a front and center point, which makes that a far more likely candidate for influence, hence the initial question.

[MysticVegeta]

I don't think it's impossible.

Zelda was popular at the time, and if they based Tapion on aLttP Link, it would've probably gone unnoticed.

Isn't the Ocarina called an Ocarina in the JP version?

I think it's possible.

I think it's possible that Link is Tapion's long lost brother. Fanfiction time!