Toon Link

Toon Link is the cartoony, cel-shaded design of Link first appearing in The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords and was prominently featured in The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker (matching the game's overall cel-shaded art style), which has since been used in several other games in the series. Toon Link makes appearances in Super Smash Bros. Brawl and Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS / Wii U as a playable fighter, and a separate character from Link, with a similar moveset to him. In Super Smash Bros., Toon Link specifically refers to the Link incarnation from The Wind Waker and its follow-up, The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass (though in Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS / Wii U the Link in The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks is also counted as an appearance of Toon Link).

Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga
Link was originally supposed to cameo in Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga as one of the many Nintendo characters (all of whom were replaced by Professor E. Gadd in the final) who would appear at the Starbeans Cafe to test out Mario and Luigi's latest coffee creation. His sprite seems to have been modeled after the incarnation of Link as he appears in The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap. Meeting Link would award the player the Triforce, which was replaced with the Great Force for the final version.

WarioWare: Smooth Moves
In WarioWare: Smooth Moves, there is a microgame called The Wind Waker which involves Link using his Deku Leaf to land on an island. This game uses the form "The Mohawk".

Super Smash Bros. Brawl


In Super Smash Bros. Brawl, Toon Link is a secret playable character. He can be unlocked by either finding a door in The Forest in The Subspace Emmisary after beating the mode, playing Classic after clearing The Subspace Emmisary, or by playing 400 Brawl matches, then defeating him in battle. His statistics and move set mostly similar to Young Link from Super Smash Bros. Melee, in that he is lighter than Link, but also faster than him.

Toon Link's special moves are mostly the same as Link's, though Toon Link's attacks use their The Wind Waker variants. The only different move is the Boomerang, which is the same as Link's Boomerang in Super Smash Bros. Melee. Toon Link's grab also uses theHookshot from The Wind Waker, which like Link's Clawshot also has a ledge-homing property, though its range is not as far. They also share a Final Smash, Triforce Slash. Despite this, some of their other moves are different, and some of their shared moves have different properties.

Toon Link's red, blue, and purple alternate costumes are based upon the copies of Link from The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords. He also has an alternate costume based upon the Link from the original The Legend of Zelda, as well as a Dark Link costume.

The Subspace Emissary
After beating The Subspace Emissary, in The Forest stage, if the player enters the first red door in the beginning of the level, they will be taken to the Pirate Ship. There, Toon Link will be looking out to the sea. However, once he sees the player, he's surprised. Thinking the player is an enemy, he attacks the player. The player then fights Toon Link, and if he is beaten, Toon Link is unlocked as a playable character.

Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS / Wii U
Toon Link returns as a starter playable character in Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS / Wii U. His moveset remains unchanged from Super Smash Bros. Brawl, though with the game's new art style his design has been updated to more closely resemble his actual appearance in The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker.

One of Toon Link's additional alternate costumes in this game is based upon Link's appearance in The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds.

Another rendition of Toon Link, reflecting his appearance from The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks also appears as a background character. This Toon Link appears on the Spirit Train stage, in the Nintendo 3DS version. He is replaced with Alfonzo if Toon Link or Link is involved in the battle.

Super Mario Maker
Toon Link appears as a Costume in Super Mario Maker. The costume can be unlocked with scanning the Toon Link Amiibo or randomly after completing the 100 Mario Challenge.

Snake's codec

 * Snake: Mei Ling, who is this kid with the cat eyes...?
 * Mei Ling: Oh, they call him Toon Link. Doesn't he look familiar?
 * Snake: Yeah, he looks just like Link.
 * Mei Ling: But you know there've been several people who've gone by that name, right? They all have certain things in common--green clothes, a sword, a shield... But they all came from different lands and lived in different eras. And yet the spirit of the hero of the Triforce is timeless. It's an essence that transcends history.
 * Snake: I think I can relate to that.
 * Mei Ling: Huh? What do you mean?
 * Snake: There's been more than one "Snake," too, you know...

Trophies
Red indicates exclusive to the 3DS version.

Palutena's Guidance

 * Pit: This guy's eyes are the size of my head!
 * Palutena: He must be the famous Toon Link.
 * Pit: Where'd he get that name from anyway?
 * Palutena: It's probably because he looks like he jumped out of a cartoon.
 * Pit: Ah, I see how it is. Hmph.
 * Palutena: What's the matter, Pit?
 * Pit: It's just not fair, Lady Palutena! One Link is handsome, and the other is adorable! They're cherry-picking the best bits!
 * Palutena: Awww! Is poor Pit feeling a little insecure today?
 * Viridi: Snap out of it, Pit! You have a fight to focus on. Here's the deal: Toon Link is quick but lighter than Regular Link.
 * Palutena: Don't get distracted by his weapons...or his intense cuteness! Just calm down and plan the best counterattack.

Trivia

 * In an interview, Shigeru Miyamoto described this version of Link as "Cat-eyed Link".
 * Solid Snake also describes Toon Link as having cat eyes during his codec conversation.