Malink

Malink

Malink is a Het ship between Link and Malon in The Legend of Zelda series. It mainly applies to Ocarina of Time but can apply to other games as well since Malon does appear in a few other games.

Ocarina of Time
Link first meets Malon in the market. Her father Talon had gone to deliver milk to the castle and has yet to return. Malon eventually gives Link a Cucco egg and asks him to find her father. Over night, the egg hatches and Link uses its crows to wake up Talon who fell asleep by the castle. He later visits her at Lon Lon Ranch where she introduces him to her horse Epona and teaches the song to tame her.

Over the next seven years, while Link is asleep in the Sacred Realm, the ranch hand Ingo takes over Lon Lon Ranch and drives Talon away. Malon is still there and Link can go see her but she will not recognize him right away. She explains that Ingo used to be nice but changed. However, Link can race Ingo and win Epona from him which will return him to normal. Malon will thank him and be happy with him having Epona. She sets up an obstacle course for Link and sends a cow to his house if he beats her record. When Link tells Malon his name, she will finally remember him and admit that she was not sure if it was him until he said something.

Oracle of Seasons
Link can meet Malon in a small house north of Horon Village. She will be taking care of a large group of Cuccos and explain that her father Talon left her to take care of them and that she does not know that much about them. This becomes a part of a big trading sequence. Link can obtain a Cuccodex which is a guide book on Cuccos. If he gives it to Malon, she will thank him and give him an egg.

Four Swords Adventures
Link encounters Malon alone on the field out in the rain. The green maiden speaks to him in fairy form and asks him to help her. When Link approaches Malon, she will state that she saw a fairy talking to him and believe that he must have a good heart if a fairy is speaking to him. She explains that the soldiers are firing the cannons and that she cannot make it back home. Link escorts Malon back to Lon Lon Ranch. Afterwards, she and her father Talon thank him and allow him to ride their horses.

Minish Cap
Link first encounters Malon and her father Talon while passing through Lon Lon Ranch. They are both locked out of their house as the key is inside. Link turns into his Minish form and enters their house through a tiny hole. He is able to bring the spare key to them which allows them to get back to their house. Later, Malon takes Epona on a cart to Hyrule Town to sell some milk and Link can buy some from her.

Fanon
Malink is a very popular Zelda ship and is often considered to be one of the top three ships involving Link, second only to Zelink and possibly Midlink. It has been popular for a very long time since Malon first appeared in Ocarina of Time. In Twilight Princess, Link is a rancher and he is later revealed to be a descendant of the Link from Ocarina of Time. Many fans feel that this hints to Link ending up with Malon because she was a rancher as well.

Trivia

 * Malon is based on Marin who can be considered to be a semi-canon love interest for Link.
 * Ilia from Twilight Princess seems to be based on Malon and it is implied that she has a crush on Link.
 * A Gossip Stone in Ocarina of Time states that Malon dreams of being swept away by a knight. Many believe that this refers to Link. The Manga seems to make this more apparent.