How to draw Link from The Legend of Zelda game

The Legend of Zelda built its hero around a single recurring figure, and this tutorial takes on how to draw Link in one of his most combat-ready forms, part of the The Legend of Zelda character guides on the site. The pose here is a sword thrust with the shield raised, which gives the drawing real energy right from the first sketch.

A Battle-Ready Hero: What to Expect From This Walkthrough

This is a full-body drawing with a dynamic angled stance, which means asymmetry is the main challenge throughout the 18 steps. The sword arm extends outward and the shield arm pulls in the opposite direction, so keeping the proportions balanced takes some attention. The steps end on a fully colored result, so the later stages include color work on the tunic, shield face, and hair.

Link’s Visual Details at a Glance

• Short blonde hair, determined expression
• Green tunic, belt, and pointed cap
• Long sword extended forward in thrust
• Hylian Shield carried on left arm
• Wide stance, brown boots, blue shoulder armor

If you want to keep building out your Zelda roster after this one, Midna and Princess Zelda from Ocarina of Time are solid next steps, and Impa rounds out the trio nicely. All three share a similar art style, so the skills transfer well.

Reading the Step Colors in This Guide

Each step uses a three-color system to show exactly what is new and what came before:

• Red Color: lines added in the current step.
• Black Color: lines completed earlier.
• Gray Color: base sketch for structure.

How to Draw Link: Step-by-Step Tutorial

Step 01

Step 02

Step 03

Step 04

Step 05

Step 06

Step 07

Step 08

Step 09

Step 10

Step 11

Step 12

Step 13

Step 14

Step 15

Step 16

Step 17

Step 18

Finished the Drawing? Show It Off

Once you have the final colored version done, drop it in the comments below. It is always good to see how different people handle the color blocking on the tunic and shield. New tutorials go up on Facebook and Telegram as soon as they are published, a new YouTube video based on existing guides goes live every day, and Pinterest gets updated regularly too, so those are the easiest ways to stay current. For more from Hyrule, check out Princess Zelda from A Link to the Past or Medli, both of which pair well with this one. If you want to support the project and get access to hand-drawn coloring pages, the Patreon page is the place to go.