Nintendo Once Set Off a Wild Leonardo DiCaprio Theory With One of its Most Successful Characters Ever

Leonardo DiCaprio is a star for a whole generation. With his extraordinary acting skills and expressive eyes, the Hollywood superstar has made a legacy for himself. And this legacy was even continued to the gaming world when console giant Nintendo themselves teased that they used the actor as a reference for one of their most iconic characters.

Legend of Zelda is a genre-defining game and one of its kind. Thus, it can’t be denied that the developers would have chosen the best for the design of the main character. The developers of the game themselves revealed that a “famous Hollywood actor” inspired the facial structure.

Nintendo chose Leonardo DiCaprio as an asset for the Legend of Zelda

In a report from 2017, Nintendo artists Yusuke Nakano, Satoru Takizawa, and Yoshiki Haruhana revealed that the facial structure of Link was actually inspired by a “good-looking actor” from the nineties.

During an interview, Nintendo illustrator Yusuke Nakano revealed that they used a “famous Hollywood actor” for the reference for Link. He explained that the actor was used as a nose and eye reference for the famous Nintendo character.

He explained, “At that time, if you were to talk about a really good-looking actor, people immediately thought of this guy. So I recall keeping in mind the point of his nose and that strong-willed look in his eyes when I was drawing.”

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But due to legal issues, the team was unwilling to disclose the name of the actor. This can also be seen by the fact that whenever a personality is used for a point of reference, they’re needed to be paid for their IPs. This is also why they actually revealed it 19 years after the release of the initial launch of the Legend of Zelda Ocarina of Time.

The reason what inspired the creators to take DiCaprio as the reference

In a report by zeldauniverse.net, it hypothesizes the reason behind Leonardo DiCaprio being the face of Link. It is pointed out the fact that Titanic was released in 1997, while Legend of Zelda was launched in 1998. This might have had an important impact on the Nintendo artist’s decision to use him as a reference.

It is also to be noted that by the time Titanic was released, DiCaprio was already an established actor. And everyone, including his co-stars, knew how handsome and good-looking Leo was in his early twenties. Although it can’t be denied that the Oscar-winning actor is still as charming as he was years back.

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