In The Legend of Zelda series, Link is the legendary Hero who saves Hyrule and the world time and again, yet perhaps he needs style coaching for how to wear that iconic hat of his. Yes, the kingdom is engulfed in a darkness created by Ganon which threatens to destroy everything. Can’t Link pause for a second from his saving the world to at least fix his fashion faux pas?
In both Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom, Link’s new look doesn’t incorporate his green hat or the rest of his Hero’s Clothes from the previous games. His new outfit does not include a hat at all, which is probably for the best if he is not going to wear them correctly. The traditional Hero’s Clothes include a hat that appears to be based on one from the real world of ancient Roman design, only it shouldn’t be loosely falling down his back or to the side as depicted in the games.
In The Legend Of Zelda, Link’s Hat Is Actually A Phrygian Cap
The Phrygian cap (Wikipedia shows its different styles), also known as the Liberty cap, symbolizes freedom and liberty from oppression and was worn with the apex bent forward over the top of the head. The soft felt cap matches Link’s hat in style, other than Link wearing his hanging down behind him or sometimes to the side. Perhaps the Liberty cap was chosen for Link’s design because during wars throughout the history of Zelda‘s Hyrule, Link himself is a symbol of freedom and hope for the people of the kingdom.
Tetra Should Teach Link How To Style His Hat
In The Wind Waker, Link allies himself with the pirate Tetra, who appears to have a rather unusual hairstyle. In fact, Tetra’s hair is curved upward in a very difficult-to-maintain style which looks strikingly similar to how the Phrygian cap should be worn. This could be another subtle nod towards the Liberty cap, and perhaps Tetra should assist Link in his headgear.
When contemplating the amount of activity and acrobatics which Link has to perform throughout the series, it does make sense that keeping his cap curved upward in the traditional Phrygian cap fashion could be hard to accomplish. He may have simply given up keeping it styled and decided to let it hang loose for ease of focusing on the greater tasks at hand. All of that being said, it is important to remember The Legend of Zelda is a fantasy video game and though Link’s hat is often unique, it may be a more common style in fictional Hyrule.
Sources: Wikipedia, MysteryGirlWhite/Reddit