Main Characters

Link

Link is the main character.  He is in all the Zelda games. There are many different Links.  In most of the Zelda games there is a different Link (Exceptions: Wind Waker, Phantom Hourglass, and Spirit Tracks, which are publicly related), but some of them seem to be related (see split timeline post).  He never starts out as THE Hero of Time, though in some he is already a hero.  He becomes THE Hero of Time when he draws the Master Sword (or the Four Sword, etc.).  He always saves Zelda in the end (except for Link's Awakening and Majora's Mask). 


Zelda

Zelda is the game's princess.  She suffers from Frequent Kidnapping Syndrome.  Zelda and Link seem to have a romantic relationship, but never seem to do romantic things.  In fact, sometimes she has yelled at him.  She needs to help him figure out they like each other or else he'll turn to one of his other romantic intrests.
Princess Zelda has many different forms. I will put this in another post.


Ganondorf  (Ganon)

Ganondorf is the main bad guy.  He appears in almost all the games.  He is always trying to capture Zelda.  He either is really stupid, really wants whatever power Zelda has, or really thinks she is hot!  He always thinks he is better than Link.  He will sometimes use a greedy person to help him, or do his dirty work.  In the end battle, he may sometimes turn into a beast, like the picture above.  Ganon is his alternate form.  Ganondorf cannot die unless his Beast Form dies.  Ganon appears in some of the earlier games and is Beast Form Ganondorf.  So far he has not been able to beat Link.