@ mystogan:

... and keep your insecure homophobia out of the forums.

Just an observation, but I have noticed that of all minority groups, people claiming they are black are the only ones I've ever observed who constantly go out of their way to talk against an argument that is made with the intent of favoring them.

I never see women do this, I never see Asians do this, Jewish, Arabic or any other. Just black males seem to feel the need to lobby against themselves and arguments made for increasing their representation and standing.

Go look at the argument that started this about female Link and you want see one girl saying she is against in the comments.

There were also a lot of people who were in favor of Link becoming female but none in favor of him being black.

I find this strange. I wonder if this is a good or bad thing.

Actually there was a black Superman, 2 actually. Also the first Captain America chronologically was also black. But ehh it doesn't matter. The only time you should be able to be a character of your choosing is in RPGs and MMOs that allow you full customization of your character. I'm black but I don't think I'd like every one of my favorite characters to be a visual representation of myself. I like Nathan Drake as a white guy though a wise cracking Black side-kick resembling Chris Tucker would have been badass. Uncharted meets Rush Hour! Lmao I'd play that.

Thank you.

"black American "

I couldn't help but laugh the irony here.
Couldn't you just say American?

You don't hear me say "Middle eastern Dutchman"

"I'm also black for all that matters.."
What about your black gay brothers?

I think it comes more down to the time period being represented. Should there be black kings in games taking place in medieval Europe?...that just didn't exist. However, I do believe that when possible there should be a healthy representation of all races in gaming. So if a game comes out and is set it current day or future America, and there's no blacks, Asians, etc., then one has to wonder.

Also, many games set in current or future day have included ethnic characters, whether that be a main character or just a political figure like the president.

I also agree that sticking in a character and awkwardly making them of a certain race, gender etc. Just to gaimn "brownie points" is no good.

Whatever the character may be, the race etc. should fit within the context of the story or add something to it. So by that point...what really would be the point of "black Zelda?".

EXACTLY. Just like CJ can't be white in GTA:San Andreas.

I agree. I'm sick of this divisive political crap that has infested this country lately. And it all stems from someone who held himself up as the one who will bring everyone together yet he has spent the last 6 years intentionally doing the exact opposite. It's all about divide and conquer, reward friends and sick the IRS on enemies, or run illegal guns to the cartels with the intent of people getting killed so he can blame supporters of the Constitution, labeling them terrorists and extremists. It's f**king sad how evil the SOB is.

The thing is, I don't blame him because he's Black, yet he blames all sorts of things, whether deserved or not because of Whites. I actually wish the first black president was a success that helped heal the problems of the past, and bring the present together. The problem is the man is a Marxist, and regardless of skin color, they're all EVIL human beings. And the people suffering the most because of his ideology are blacks themselves. Median income is down $5-6k per year, black unemployment is sky high, and his stupid decisions to "cut and run" in the middle east is costing hundreds of thousands of innocent lives. He doesn't care... he'd rather play golf.

"Why does it matter?"

A question I have asked repeatedly and endlessly with no factual answer ever given.

Oh wait, sorry, someone tried to give an answer. Apparently gender, ethnicity, and orientation are somehow necessary for gaming to mature. Because everyone knows that a black lesbian woman (I know, I use that example a lot, it's just the easiest example to write out) is more mature than a straight white man.

The actual answer is that A)Those factors are not a requirement for gaming to mature, because themes are more important than fictional body parts, skin colour, or sexual preference. B)Fictional body parts, skin colour, or sexual preference does nothing to enhance or dumb down a game.

Like graphics, those aspects are literally part of the most superficial aspects of any game. Unless you're going to design a game, from the ground up, about living with those specific sets of body parts, or having that skin colour, or having that sexual preference, then it literally DOESN'T matter because any story can fit any character type.

So in the end, it's all about people who feel their individual emotions are more important than the vision of the game and its characters. In the end, it literally has no impact on anything, so no one can say it's a requirement for the maturation of the industry, or necessary for a higher quality experience.

Assume Link was black, yet played through say A Link To The Past in the exact same way as it exists now, would the fact that Link is black in any way change the actual game's quality? Of course it wouldn't.

There's no factual case to make therefore as I've said numerous times, it doesn't matter.

@Zuperman

Michael Jackson was born black :P I had too I'm sorry.

But yeah links character is white... he would not be link if they changed his ethnicity. He would be another person named link that just so happened to live a life like him. lol

AndrewLB, maybe a little off topic, but that's the best comment I've ever read on this website.

I'd give you 20 bubbles for that if I could. I'm just glad somebody else sees him for what he is.

Now, on topic, everyone else pretty much covered it. Link is white. That's how he was created, why would anyone want to change that?

Simple, because he's not black in the first place. Why do people have to force issues like this?

Why can't link be Chinese? or Indian?

@elegant

1. Black Americans are far from delicate.. Just very protective about things at times.
2. Your comment and some others in this tread are kind of why. Its completely off topic..we are talking Zelda not name calling or Obama but a Zelda and why isn't he black conversation. Some how you have to mention how you believe black Americans are delicate .
3. America has a history and if you don't know the history and don't live in america please dont comment or compare america and your home country..you have no idea what blacks have and still go through in america. I'm not saying its all bad but its still a large factor in america...(any clipper fans in here?)..
All in all just stay on topic please..leave this racial bs at the door.

Making him black, just so that there is a black person in the game, is actually racist in its own way... Its is like the gaming media wants to create problems.

It is not like the japanese creators of the new Zelda choose to bot use a black person, they probably did not even think about this for a second. Japanese creating white characters is racist towards black persons? How dumb is this assumption?

Why would we even discuss race? I mean, look at his ears and magic powers! It's not just a race, it's a whole different fictional species! Yes, it's based on human-like characteristics (more specifically a japanese stilyzed view of humans on medieval Europe) but we don't even know if they actually have a human-like black skin color planned for any of the Hyrulean species/races (they have Gerudos, which are dark skinned, but hardly "negroid" and they have a weird red hair that doesn't look human at all - humans of all colors can have the MC1R mutation that causes the hair to become red, but it never comes that red unless it's dyied)...

Could link be made black? Of course he could, he could be made blue with green stripes for crying out loud, it's fictional. He could also be made a "gerudo" and be the dark skinned variant of human within the game's universe instead of a light-skinned "hylian", but that's just not how the character was originally created and changing it now would only create all kind of loopholes and (more) stupid public reaction.

I understand that minorities (not just Black people) tend be seldom represented in games (and other media) or represented stereotypically when done, but changing an existing character just for would-be equality achieves nothing. Centuries of injustice and bad income distribution made white people more likely to achieve the boss chair within content creation business, no ammount of fixing the end product will solve this, the system need to be fixed (or, better saying, ballanced) from the ground and than work upwards from there... In other words, blame it on poor early/basic public education in pretty much all of the western world, don't go around ruining games for it.

Race has never been an issue in video games, whoever keeps asking to change character skin color is pathetic. We never developed these games to be messing with their creators vision. If the color of a character in a game bothers you then don't buy that game you racist buck.

why can't i be black ? well i am born of two white parents ... lol simple ?

I'm not going to get into this argument but I just wanted to point out that your Han Solo analogy is incorrect. Link isn't the same Link in all the video games, each Link is a different chosen person within the generation. Your understanding of Zelda is fundamentally flawed.

Agreed. Equal rights has nothing to do with the political left's constant pushing of equal representation. The fact that video games, tv shows, or movies keep getting labeled racist by these bigoted groups specifically because all races are not equally represented is truly disgraceful. It reminds me a lot of affirmative action and how that racist policy is the complete opposite of what Dr. Martin Luther King spoke of in is "I have a dream" speech. Denying people of a certain race to a college who had good enough grades, only to arbitrarily accept another race with worse grades specificlaly because they're not equally represented is just wrong. You can't correct past wrongs by committing modern day wrongs and lowering the bar for those who didn't achieve it. In my opinion, no College application, job application, etc should even ask your race because it should never be a factor in anything.

@theshonen8899: As is yours. Each Link that has ever been in any Zelda game has very specific characteristics due to the fact that Link's reincarnation is prophesied. It's the same reason why each Zelda is some form of royalty. We're not talking about the spirit of the Hero just inhabiting any body, we're talking about reincarnation into similar bodies.

Adjusting for artstyle, can you name any one Link that was fundamentally different from the rest of them? No, you can't, because Link's design has always remained fundamentally the same due not only to that being what the developer wants, but also due to canon.

So unless Nintendo wants to make some fundamental canon changes, then no Link can't be just anyone.

It should be down to the games creators. If they made a character white, then that's their choice it is after all their decision as it's their property. We live in a world of political correctness, we have it at work, at the shops, on TV and out and about. Just leave games alone, let them be what they were imagined to be by the Devs. Instead of trying to change established games why not create new ips instead.

It would be racist, because you are forcing this stuff upon things, that were not even thought about being racist to begin with. Tgis is like the ultimate form of racism in a way, always wanting to see and find something that could be racist and then wanting change.

Japanese people thinking of white characters is not racist at all, but wanting to change this character, created from another race as the race of that character, just for the sake that there is not a white character, is actually racist. Racism can go in all directions, not only against blacks.