

Since Dark Link is simply Link with a texture swap and the removal of a voice akin to a Metal Box, the texture can be applied to any character with the Debug menu. Aside from the black texture, he is identical to Link. In Melee, Dark Link is fought by Link in Event 18: Link's Adventure, but appears nowhere else.

The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Adventures features a variant of the character known as "Shadow Link", mass-produced shadow copies of Link that cause havoc wherever they travel, which in turn frame the true Link for crimes he had not committed. In some games, he appears to know every single technique Link knows or has learned and can effectively match and counter his attacks, while in other games, he is capable of using Link's items as well. Dark Link's strength and abilities differ in the games he has appeared in. His origin is shrouded in mystery, sometimes often believed to be a creation of Ganondorf.
