Game Theory: Is Link the STRONGEST Video Game Character? (Legend of Zelda)

Welcome to Game Theory Retro Edition, a blast from the past covering the absurd science and math behind one of gaming's oldest and most iconic characters: Link.

• Link is the Hero of Time, known to 80s and 90s kids as Zelda due to not reading game manuals • Often underrated in debates about the strongest video game characters • Overshadowed by characters like Minecraft Steve and Kratos in strength discussions

Demonstrate how buff Link actually is and why this Hylian elf could hold his own against modern characters much bigger and badder than him.

Link possesses the Triforce of power lifting, showing incredible strength beyond just his iconic items like bombs, bow, boomerang, and hookshot.

• The Hylian Shield is made entirely of metal, as seen in Ocarina of Time • Some iterations were changed to wood in Ocarina of Time 3D • Full metal construction is unusual for a one-handed shield throughout history

Medieval one-handed shields were primarily wood and animal hide with a small metal shield boss at the center, weighing 10 pounds or less, making them lighter and easier to carry.

• In Breath of the Wild, the Hylian Shield is ferromagnetic metal, identifiable as iron • Shield height is just under 1 meter with a thickness of 3.36 centimeters • Total weight: 252 pounds, vastly heavier than typical medieval shields

Link carrying a 252-pound shield with one arm every time he blocks demonstrates exceptional strength. Child Link cannot even lift it and must crouch under it like a turtle shell.

In 2014, Game Theory concluded that the hookshot was so powerful it would rip Link's arm clean off.

Link's arms are extremely strong, strong enough to withstand the massive amount of force the hookshot dishes out without injury.

This finding completely changes the conclusion about Link's capabilities, revealing his natural strength was underestimated in previous analyses.

• Lifting giant metal cannonballs over his head and jogging around in Twilight Princess • Climbing vertically on sheer rock surfaces throughout Breath of the Wild • Performing feats of strength throughout the entire series

• Blocks are made of limestone based on color, texture, and Gerudo markings • Limestone was commonly used in ancient building societies and is the base rock of many deserts • The Sahara is covered with limestone made from microscopic sea creature skeletons

Link measures 1.7 meters (5 foot 6 inches) tall, confirmed by measuring marks in Lake Hylia and Smash Brothers data. Push blocks are 306 centimeters or just over 10 feet tall.

• Block volume: 28.65 cubic meters • Total weight: 77,677 kilograms or 171,000 pounds • Equivalent to 85 tonnes of weight, more than a hundred and ninety grand pianos

To overcome friction, Link exerts 128,000 pounds of force pushing these blocks, making it impressive that he can budge them at all without any power-enhancing equipment.

Link uses silver gauntlets to push much larger blocks in the Spirit Temple, requiring scaling up the calculations from the original block-pushing feat.

• Silver gauntlet blocks are over twice Link's height at 408 centimeters tall • Total volume: 67.9 cubic meters • Weight: 184,000 kilograms or 406,000 pounds

The horizontal pushing force required with silver gauntlets is 304,000 pounds, compared to 128,000 pounds without gloves.

Silver gauntlets increase Link's strength by 2.37 times, nearly doubling his pushing power. This shows impressive balance design by Nintendo.

• Lifting requires different strength than pushing • Link deals with a much larger object in the golden gauntlet section • He lifts it off the ground and flings it into the air behind him

The pillar appears to be Black Forest granite based on its color and texture, different from the limestone blocks previously analyzed.

• Pillar volume: 258.9 cubic meters or over 9,000 cubic feet • Equivalent to 450 refrigerators in volume • Total weight: 712,000 kilograms or 1.57 million pounds

• 1.57 million pounds is 3 times heavier than Spirit Temple blocks • Equivalent to 6.5 blue whales or 9 space shuttles • Link is 5 times stronger with golden gauntlets than silver, and 12 times stronger than normally

Link's 1.57 million pounds vertical force puts 99.9 percent of other game characters to shame in terms of arm strength.

Despite incredible arm strength, Link struggles to walk when wearing iron boots, demonstrating he needs to work on his lower body and leg strength.

Link has limited stamina and must maintain cardio days alongside his bicep curl training, showing the importance of balanced fitness.

Link is more accurately described as the gym bro of the bicep curl rather than just the Hero of Time, based on these strength calculations and feats.