At this point in time, the long-running The Legend of Zelda franchise has a myriad of art and other incredible fan-made projects, from a father building a replica of Link’s house from Breath of the Wild, to fans recreating Ocarina of Time in the sandbox video game, Minecraft.
This time around, Reddit user CactusComics shared their fan creation of the Hylian hero made completely out of cardboard. The image was shared in different Reddit communities, including two separate Legend of Zelda subReddits.
It looks like the artist based this cardboard version of Link on the protagonist’s appearance in the Nintendo Switch release of Link’s Awakening, a remake of the original Game Boy version released in 1993. Although, it’s worth mentioning that the cardboard art has Link wielding the Master Sword, which wasn’t present in that particular game.
This wouldn’t be CactusComics’ first time creating incredibly intricate fan projects of other video game characters. However, this appears to be the first one for The Legend of Zelda franchise, and it’s truly so extraordinary.
What’s even more impressive is the fact that the cardboard art was made out of at least three different types of boxes—or another material—in order to provide some semblance of shade and color.
Take a look at this awesome Link from Legend of Zelda made entirely from cardboard! from gaming
These different materials did a mighty good job at showing off the complexities of this creation as well. For instance, let’s take a closer look at the iconic Hylian shield. CactusComics painstakingly added and glued together miniscule cut pieces to form the shield’s pattern, which were strategically placed on both the outer and inner edges of the shield.
Although all kinds of models and fan art have been created and shared by fans all over the world, this is the first time that we’ve seen something of this caliber and originality. It’s a truly unique medium and requires patience and a whole lot of skill that not everyone has.
Going through the user’s previous Reddit posts, we can see that they have more of these creative cardboard renditions, albeit featuring other characters, but they’re all just as intricate and creative as this Link one.
Some of the other cardboard projects by CactusComics include Hollow Knight, Luke’s lightsaber from Star Wars, and even Solaire from Dark Souls. CactusComics even created their own cardboard version of the iconic Game Boy console. Although sadly, their project is merely a fun recreation and doesn’t actually work, unlike the cardboard-themed Nintendo Switch giveaway by Nintendo Labo back in 2018.
Regardless, this Legend of Zelda cardboard recreation by CactusComics, and all their other cardboard projects for that matter, is superb and deserves all the praise, especially given how incredibly detailed the pieces are. The Link model alone showcases intricate details asides from the patterns on the Hylian shield, like the belt made out of different box materials, Link’s hair and all its waves, and the pointed ears, among others.
Long-time Legend of Zelda fans may be familiar with the fact that Link comes in various versions, but this one in particular should definitely skip out on the infamous water temples.
