Zelda: Ocarina of Time remake gives Dark Link a crested shield and a sharper look

Nintendo has shown Dark Link in its Nintendo Switch 2 remake of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, confirming that the shadow doppelgänger returns as the Water Temple’s mini-boss. The footage comes from a 30-second television commercial released by the company’s Japanese arm this week, less than three weeks before the game launches on November 5.

Dark Link is on screen for little more than a second, about halfway through the advert. He flips into the air and comes to rest standing on Link’s sword, recreating one of the best-known moments from the 1998 Nintendo 64 original. The redesign gives the character far more distinguishing detail than before, including a Hylian Shield that now displays its full crest. The spot opens with Ganondorf playing a pipe organ before cutting to a montage of battles. 

In the original game, the encounter takes place in a mist-filled chamber of the Water Temple, where shallow water covers the floor and a lone dead tree stands at the center. Players cross the room to a sealed door and find a dark reflection of Link waiting by the tree. He copies the player’s movements and sword strikes, counters careless stabs, and guards the dungeon’s treasure, the Longshot. Those who resorted to frantic slashing often found him perched on their blade, the same move the new commercial highlights. The character debuted as the final boss of Zelda II: The Adventure of Link in 1987.

The commercial follows an overview trailer of more than four minutes that Nintendo released on October 14. That video introduced the Hall of Fallen Foes, a new area that displays statues of defeated enemies alongside descriptions of where Link encountered them. Interacting with a boss statue starts a rematch, and the game records a completion time for each attempt. Nintendo used King Dodongo, the boss of Dodongo’s Cavern, to demonstrate the feature.

Nintendo has not confirmed which bosses can be fought again, and it remains unclear whether mini-bosses such as Dark Link will feature in the hall.

Nintendo announced the remake during a Nintendo Direct in June 2026 and confirmed its release date at the Legend of Zelda 40th Anniversary Direct on September 8. The Switch 2 exclusive costs $59.99 on the Nintendo eShop and $69.99 at retail and arrives almost 28 years after the original launched in November 1998.