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Link is the main character in “The Legend of Zelda” series. He appears at various stages of life throughout the games, generally from perhaps ten years old up to a young adult. His exploits typically involve him being summoned on a grand adventure to thwart the evil plans of his nemesis, Ganon. He uses a sword and shield for combat and typically helps a variety of people on his journey. He obtains new items by plundering dungeons and uses his newfound equipment to progress. I believe there are currently about 17 official games in the Zelda series, all of them featuring Link.
It should be noted that I have not interviewed Link in person. However, after examining many hours of data provided over many years by multiple sources, my diagnosis can be made with a reasonable degree of confidence.
My initial diagnostic impressions include:
-Pica
The following diagnoses have been mentioned on other websites, and their validity will be examined.
CONDUCT DISORDER
The essential feature of Conduct Disorder is a repetitive and persistent pattern of behavior in which the basic rights of others or major age-appropriate societal norms or rules are violated. I will italicize statements that appear relevant to Link.
Diagnostic Criteria:
A: A repetitive and persistent pattern of behavior in which the basic rights of others or major age-appropriate societal norms or rules are violated, as manifested by the presence of three (or more) of the following criteria in the past 12 months, with at least one criterion present in the past 6 months:
Aggression to people and animals
(1) often bullies, threatens or intimidates others
(2) often initiates physical fights
(3) has used a weapon that can cause serious physical harm to others (e.g. a bat, brick, broken bottle, knife, gun)
(4) has been physically cruel to people
(5) has been physically cruel to animals
(6) has stolen while confronting a victim (e.g. mugging, purse snatching, extortion)
(7) has forced someone into sexual activity
Destruction of property
(8) has deliberately engaged in fire setting with the intention of causing serious damage
(9) has deliberately destroyed others’ property (other than by fire setting)
Deceitfulness or theft
(10) has broken into someone else’s house, building, or car
(11) often lies to obtain goods or favors or to avoid obligations (i.e. “cons” others)
(12) has stolen items of nontrivial value without confronting a victim (e.g. shoplifting, but without breaking and entering; forgery)
Serious violation of rules
(13) often stays out at night despite parental prohibitions, beginning before age 13 years
(14) has run away from home overnight at least twice while living in parental or parental surrogate home (or once without returning for a lengthy period)
(15) is often truant from school, beginning before age 13 years
B: The disturbance in behavior causes clinically significant impairment in social, academic, or occupational functioning.
C: If the individual is age 18 years or older, criteria are not met for Antisocial Personality Disorder.
Analysis of Criteria
As you can see, Link displays more than the three required symptoms (under A) to meet the criteria for this disorder. He has initiated thousands of physical fights, and used a weapon during these encounters, typically a deadly sword (criteria A2 and A3). He has been physically cruel to animals on multiple occasions, typically chickens (criteria A5). He has engaged in fire setting with the intention of causing serious damage, both through the use of ignited arrows and by burning structures with a candle (criteria A8). He has deliberately destroyed other people’s property, most commonly their gardens, pots, and signs (criteria A9). Link has broken into other peoples’ homes on multiple occasions, including taking their items (criteria A10 and A12). These disturbances in behavior have caused clinically significant impairment in his social functioning (criteria B) and has even gotten him imprisoned on multiple occasions. The criteria for Antisocial Personality Disorder are not met (criteria C), particularly because Link displays a great deal of care for others and appears to care for their welfare.
One consideration for Link, however, is his cultural context. Symptoms of conduct disorder often appear in young people in war-torn areas or neighborhoods with high crime or violence rates. In such cases, symptoms of Conduct Disorder may actually be culturally appropriate and adaptive. Link’s place of residence, Hyrule, is often in a state of turmoil with people plotting to obtain power, and such an environment may be hostile. Indeed, Link may have engaged in many of his behaviors in an attempt to cope with stressful environmental factors and as a way to assist others.
However, much of his behavior appears unjustified by these cultural considerations. Most of the occupants of Hyrule appear to be able to function without resorting to Link’s behaviors. Certain behaviors seem completely unwarranted, such as being cruel to animals. The frequent property damage and trespassing also seems needless in his circumstances, as does his frequent theft of other people’s property.
Perhaps most concerning is his frequent initiation of frequent fights, including the use of a deadly weapon. These conflicts often involve others without weapons. While some of his acts of violence may be justified given his cultural situation, even a single act of homicide is a significant factor with regard to a Conduct Disorder diagnosis.
DISSOCIATIVE FUGUE
The essential feature of Dissociative Fugue is sudden, unexpected travel away from home or one’s customary place of daily activities, with inability to recall some or all of one’s past.
Diagnostic Criteria:
A: The predominant disturbance is sudden, unexpected travel away from home or one’s customary place of work, with inability to recall one’s past.
B: Confusion about personal identity or assumption of a new identity (partial or complete).
C: The disturbance does not occur exclusively during the course of Dissociative Identity Disorder and is not due to the direct physiological effects of a substance or a general medical condition.
D: The symptoms cause clinically significant distress or impairment in social, occupational, or other important areas of functioning.
Analysis of Criteria
It is perhaps no secret that the chronology of the Zelda games is completely ridiculous and was obviously not thought through ahead of time. Because of this, it is unclear if all of the characters named “Link” in the Zelda series are actually the same person. As of 2011, there are officially several “Links,” but prior to this - and officially in the early 2000s - all Link characters were the same person. Rather than conjecture and diagnose each possible Link separately, I will treat all Link’s up to “Oracle of Ages” as the same individual. This is an important aspect of whether or not Link experiences dissociative fugues.
Part of the difficulty of determining if Link experiences dissociative fugues is that he does not experience them at any observable time during the course of any one game. However, each game sees Link living in a different environment with different people and different relationships. His relationships are often developed and there is no mention of any previous relationships. One may infer that he has left his previous life, forgotten his past, and started anew in another location. However, there is currently insufficient evidence to confidently posit that Link has experienced multiple dissociative fugues.
It is possible that Link has wandered and assumed a new identity as part of a manic episode. Mania (a symptom of Bipolar Disorder) may be ruled out due to the absence of other manic symptoms, such as grandiosity.
EXPRESSIVE LANGUAGE DISORDER
The essential feature of Expressive Language Disorder is an impairment in expressive language development as demonstrated by scores on standardized individually administered measures of expressive language development substantially below those obtained from standardized measures of both nonverbal intellectual capacity and receptive language development.
Diagnostic Criteria:
A: The scores obtained from standardized individually administered measures of expressive language development are substantially below those obtained from standardized measures of both nonverbal intellectual capacity and receptive language development. The disturbance may be manifest clinically by symptoms that include having a markedly limited vocabulary, making errors in tense, or having difficulty recalling words or producing sentences with developmentally appropriate length or complexity.
B: The difficulties with expressive language interfere with academic or occupational achievement or with social communication.
C: Criteria are not met for Mixed Receptive-Expressive Language Disorder or a Pervasive Developmental Disorder.
D: If Mental Retardation, a speech-motor or sensory deficit, or environmental deprivation is present, the language difficulties are in excess of those usually associated with these problems.
Analysis of Criteria
Link doesn’t talk. Ever. This symptom is obvious, but an appropriate diagnosis is more elusive. Does Link not talk because he doesn’t want to? Or because he is incapable of doing so? Does his voice box work? Is there a neurological reason why he is unable to form and speak words?
Ideally, standardized psychological testing could be administered to answer these questions. Since this is not possible, currently known data will need to be used instead (for criteria A).
Link’s difficulties do not appear to be biological. That is, his anatomy appears capable of producing sound. In fact, he frequently makes various noises as he does somersaults and swings his sword. His problems also do not appear to be based neurologically. That is, his mind appears capable of comprehending what is said to him. This is manifest by the many interactions he has with people wherein they speak with him or give him tasks.
For the length of time Link has gone without speaking, a pervasive developmental disorder is considered, such as Autism. Autism is characterized by a deficit in cognitive functioning, a deficit in social functioning, and repetitive movements. Link does not appear to meet these criteria.
Link meets criteria A, and a diagnosis of Expressive Language Disorder appears to be the most appropriate diagnosis.
His lack of speech has caused him trouble at times (criteria B), such as completing bizarre tasks that he likely did not want to complete. He could have objected had he used his voice. Link appears able to understand others, thus voiding a diagnosis of Mixed Receptive-Expressive Language Disorder (criteria C). Link does not appear to be impaired due to the diagnoses outlined in criteria D.
SELECTIVE MUTISM
The essential feature of Selective Mutism is the persistent failure to speak in specific social situations (e.g., school, with playmates) where speaking is expected, despite speaking in other situations.
Diagnostic Criteria:
A: Consistent failure to speak in specific social situations (e.g., school) where speaking is expected, despite speaking in other situations.
B: The disturbance interferes with educational or occupational achievement or with social communication.
C: The duration of the disturbance is at least 1 month.
D: The failure to speak is not due to a lack of knowledge of, or comfort with, the spoken language required in the social situation.
E: The disturbance is not better accounted for by a Communication Disorder (e.g. Stuttering) and does not occur exclusively during the course of a Pervasive Developmental Disorder, Schizophrenia, other Psychotic Disorder.
Analysis of Criteria
Selective mutism does not seem like an appropriate explanation for Link’s lack of speech due to the disclaimer “despite speaking in other situations” (criteria A). Link doesn’t speak in any situation. Additionally, his lack of speech is better explained by Expressive Language Disorder (criteria E).
It is possible that Link’s lack of speech may be due to a social phobia. However, this diagnosis seems unlikely since Link frequently interacts with others in a variety of situations without any issues.
PICA
The essential feature of Pica is the eating of one or more nonnutritive substances on a persistent basis for a period of at least 1 month.
Diagnostic Criteria:
A: Persistent eating of nonnutritive substances for a period of at least 1 month.
B: The eating of nonnutritive substances is inappropriate to the developmental level.
C: The eating behavior is not part of a culturally sanctioned practice.
D: If the eating behavior occurs exclusively during the course of another mental disorder, it is sufficiently severe to warrant independent clinical attention.
Analysis of Criteria
It is unclear if this is what is happening, but it is possible that Link finds portions of human hearts and eats them (criteria A). This does not appear to be culturally sanctioned or appropriate for his developmental level (criteria B and C). However, whether or not Link actually eats these heart fragments or merely collects them is unclear.
KLEPTOMANIA
The essential feature of Kleptomania is the recurrent failure to resist impulses to steal items even though the items are not needed for personal use or for their monetary value.
Diagnostic Criteria:
A: Recurrent failure to resist impulses to steal objects that are not needed for personal use or for their monetary value.
B: Increasing sense of tension immediately before committing the theft.
C: Pleasure, gratification, or relief at the time of committing the theft.
D: The stealing is not committed to express anger or vengeance and is not in response to a delusion or a hallucination.
E: The stealing is not better accounted for by Conduct Disorder, a Manic Episode, or Antisocial Personality Disorder.
Analysis of Criteria
Link does frequently steal a wide variety of items, but there is no evidence that he does so as a way to ease tension and/or anxiety (criteria B and C). Additionally, he steals items that are of use to him either for their utility or monetary value (criteria A). As noted in criteria E, the stealing is better accounted for by Conduct Disorder.
HOARDING DISORDER
Hoarding Disorder in not in the DSM IV TR, but it is in the DSM V. However, the DSM V is not actively in use in all clinical settings. Hoarding disorder is characterized by the excessive acquisition of and inability or unwillingness to discard large quantities of objects that cover the living areas of the home and cause significant distress or impairment.
Diagnostic Criteria:
A: Persistent difficulty discarding or parting with possessions, regardless of the value others may attribute to these possessions.
B: This difficulty is due to strong urges to save items and/or distress associated with discarding.
C: The symptoms result in the accumulation of a large number of possessions that fill up and clutter active living areas of the home or workplace to the extent that their intended use is no longer possible. If all living areas become decluttered, it is only because of the interventions of third parties (e.g., family members, cleaners, authorities).
D: The symptoms cause clinically significant distress or impairment in social, occupational, or other important areas of functioning (including maintaining a safe environment for self and others).
E: The hoarding symptoms are not due to a general medical condition (e.g., brain injury, cerebrovascular disease).
F: The hoarding symptoms are not restricted to the symptoms of another mental disorder.
Analysis of Criteria
I personally consider compulsive hoarding a symptom of Obsessive Compulsive Personality Disorder and sometimes Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. Nevertheless, Link does not appear to meet the outlined criteria for this diagnosis. He does not appear to experience distress associated with discarding the items (criteria B and D), nor has he rendered parts of his living space unusable due to a built up of clutter (criteria C).
Final Diagnosis:
Axis I: 312.89 Conduct Disorder, Severe, Unspecified onset
300.13 Dissociative Fugue (Rule Out)
315.31 Expressive Language Disorder
307.52 Pica (Rule Out)
Axis II: V71.09 No Diagnosis on Axis II
Axis III: Deferred to medical personnel
Axis IV: Problems related to the social environment, Exposure to frequent conflict
Axis V: GAF=47