Link not talking makes sense. Give him strong facial expressions and that's fine.

The other characters maybe should though.

Body language is the most powerful kind of language.

Up the animations and Link's facial features and movements will do all that needs to be done. Have voice acting for other side characters if you wish, but putting a voice on Link is pointless at this stage. It will just split the fanbase.

Making the companions and NPCs more compelling with voice acting, back story and the likes should be the way forward.

I won't hunt down Aonuma as long as Link remains silent! I am 100% OK with NPCs having voices though!

Keep them mute.

My kids should practice to read whenever it is possible, including video games.

Link is genetically a mute and better stay one!

But I am fine with every other character being voiced.

Making him talk will make Zelda just like a lot of other games?  WTF?  Not making  him talk still makes it like a lot of other games.  Boss fights, inventory, pressing start to play...

I just don't get it.  I really don't.  Not now that video games have professional level voice actors.  Giving the characters a voice should be a simple thing, now.  Mario started talking in 1996 (to a limited degree).  At first, it was kind of shocking but after a little while, it was pretty awesome.  It's way past time the Zelda games followed.

I don't mind Link remaining more or less silent. Giving him conversation--and particularly conversation options--would make Zelda much more like Bioware games, where none of the options feel appropriate. Link is always characterized first by what he does, and words would likely try to displace that with what he says.

That said, Link is not a mute. He will answer yes or no questions directly.

Most of the other characters should do the Midna thing and speak Hylian gibberish. It would be too easy to fault delivery otherwise, but if it's a foreign language we're apt to forgive much.

Do an hylian language and keep Link mute.

sigh

WHY can't they do both?

OPTIONS MENU
LINK TALK - ON/OFF
GRAFIX - ARTSY NINTENDO VISION / WHAT THE GAMERS WANT

He's missing the point. It isn't Link who needs a voice. He doesn't speak. It's everyone else.