The 'Female Link' meme stems from decades of confusion and creative reimagining within The Legend of Zelda fandom. Historically, casual players often mistook the protagonist, Link, for the titular Princess Zelda, leading to the ironic 'What if Zelda was a girl?' joke. However, the meme evolved into a legitimate creative movement featuring gender-swapped 'Rule 63' designs of Link. This concept gained so much traction that Nintendo eventually introduced Linkle in Hyrule Warriors, a character that many fans associate with the trope. Today, the meme is used to explore character design variations, poke fun at gaming misconceptions, or simply celebrate the enduring legacy of the Hylian hero in various forms.