Everybody say hello to Linkle, a new character in Nintendo's Zelda universe who will enter the fray in the upcoming 3DS game, Hyrule Warriors Legends.
Linkle is a dual crossbow-wielding she-warrior whose green cloak, blond hair and pointy ears bear a striking resemblance to longtime Zelda hero, Link. Her name sticks to Nintendo's rich tradition of groan-inducing noms de plume, from Ganondorf to Tinkle.
Legends is a portable take on the Wii U game Hyrule Warriors, which puts players in control of major Zelda characters as they brawl their way through armies in sprawling 3D battlefields. The game comes from Tecmo Koei, of Dynasty Warriors fame. Dynasty delivers a similar experience, except swap out Zelda's Hyrule setting for Three Kingdoms-era China.
Linkle's existence was first revealed in a Japanese-language art book for the original Hyrule Warriors as one of the game's rejected characters. She's described in the book as a "little sister-like" counterpart to Link, though it's worth noting that the Warriors games exist outside of Zelda's "official" timeline.
Linkle's existence was confirmed during the latest Nintendo Direct, along with a release date: March 25, 2016 in North America and Europe. The presentation also confirmed Final Fantasy VII hero Cloud as a new Super Smash Bros. fighter and a made-for-Wii U HD remake of The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess.
Take a look at the first official artwork for Linkle in Nintendo's tweet below:
A new playable female character named Linkle enters the Zelda universe in #HyruleWarriors Legends. #NintendoDirect pic.twitter.com/UsQPJILMRu
— Nintendo of America (@NintendoAmerica) November 12, 2015