Dink

Dink is a fierce, large, and brutish creature and the brother of Sam. Dink was the guardian of the dungeon maze under the wizard Mordack's castle. Graham played the tambourine for him, which Dink took, and then he dropped his hairpin as he left the room. The hairpin turned out to be the key to the exit of the dungeon Maze. He was friends with his brother and the imprisoned Princess Cassima.

In some contexts its refers to the race as a whole, the Dinks.

Background

It is unknown just what kind of a creature the Dink really is. It looks to be a cross between an ogre, a lion, a witch and a wardrobe, and it gets its name from the sound it always likes to make, "Dink! Dink! Dink!". Princess Cassima called it Dink to King Graham, but she might as well have called it Sam. She claims that Dink has a brother by that name, and it can only be assumed that the creature goes around making the sound "Sam! Sam! Sam!".

Dink is a simple-minded creature with keen hearing. Cassima told Alexander that it enjoys the sounds and rhythms of music. She also claimed that it spends many hours taking care of its hair, always forming and re-forming it into different kinds of braids, pony tails and top-knots. Dink, she said, could always be found by following a trail of hairpins and clasps.

Dink, for want of a better name--patrols and protects the Labyrinth Maze under Mordack's Castle. Dink was trained by the wizard to let no one leave the maze alive. Dink, however, is more stupid than deadly, although, to attack him is fatal enough. Princess Cassima was able to befriend Dink and his brother Sam. This warm human contact probably had much to do with Graham's opportunity to survive his encounter with the deadly beast.

Personality and traits

He is a big, dumb beast called Dink (named by Princess Cassima...probably having to do with his manner of speech.) Dink isn't a bad beast; he's just big and dumb, and doesn't know his own strength.

Dink is very childlike, and prone to excitability. He lept happily in the air when Graham gave him the tambourine and lost his hairpin in the process.

Dink technically only says two things... "Duh" and "Dink".

Titles and nicknames

• Dink
• The Dink
• A Dink
• Blue Beast (NES/EGA)

See also

• Dink (NES)
• Sam

Behind the scenes

The King's Quest Companion implies that Dink and Sam are the same species. It postulates that its possible that Dink is not a name but simply the sounds or the language that the species make. If Dink is a name then may be possible that Sam, would go around repeating his own name, like Dink repeats his.

In the PC version of KQ5, the creature (or creatures) known as Dink can be found in 4 rooms of the labyrinth, forcing Graham to have to look for him. In the The Official Book of King's Quest (Second Edition) and automated hint line Dink is referred to as “A Dink” suggesting that there are more than one and it is a race. The official book and the automated hint line also called it “the Dink” suggesting it’s the one who gives its it’s race its name. It also uses “Dinks” plural in one paragraph talking about game mechanics, suggesting there may be more than one.

Another possibility perhaps suggested in the Companion, is that Dink is Sam ("Princess Cassima called the creature in the Labyrinth Maze, Dink, but she might as well have called it Sam."). Or rather Graham encounters Sam the Dink. Explaining why the creature or its species type can be found living in four separate corners of the labyrinth. And some sources implies they exist in plural numbers in the labyrinth.

Curiously in the Companion, in the account by Derek Karlavaegen, Cassima claims that Dink is her 'only friend' (but does not mention Sam). Perhaps suggesting that in Companion universe Sam is not her friend, or supporting the idea that Sam/Dink maybe the same individual (perhaps even a split personality, some kind of hive mind with four bodies, or mutant siamese twin). Though information collected by Derek for the An Encyclopedia of Daventry (2nd Edition) does confirm that Sam is Dink's brother and she befriended both. But at the same time also makes the strange comment that Dink might as well be called Sam, further supporting a theory that they may be one and the same individual.

In the NES version of KQ5, Dink is only located in a single room ('corner' of the labyrinth') in almost the center of the maze proper. Graham can play the tambourine from any room in the dungeon and Dink will come hopping by Graham to take it (making it easier than simply hunting for him).

In the EGA and NES versions dink is blue (though he also appears grey in the EGA death scene). He is grey in the VGA versions of the game.

While Dink can appears in four separate places in the maze, some of the guides only show some of the locations only. KQ5 hintbook shows 3, the Official Book 3rd Edition, shows none, and King's Quest Companion shows all four locations.

The companion more or less does not give Dink a gender, rather calling Dink an "it". The KQ5 Hintbook, and Sierra Automated Hintline though refers to Dink as he/him. He is also referred to as a 'his' in game.