Howard Link

Howard Link is a member of the Black Order assigned to keep an eye on Allen Walker. He's also very skilled at making delicious pastries.

Appearance
Link is a short man with shoulder blade long, blond hair fixed into a braid, he has forked eyebrows and brown eyes. He mostly wears official Black Order's uniform.

Personality
Link's personality is serious and strict, though he is not nearly as harsh or cold as his boss, Malcolm C. Levrier. Link has displayed a willingness to protect others and a slight sense of camaraderie as evident by his willingness to carry Allen Walker to the infirmary after his battle with the Level 4 Akuma. He is extremely loyal to Leverier and as such treats him with the utmost respect and honours such as saluting him upon his departure from Headquarters. Link is also an intellectual and skilled at chess as displayed when he defeats the ghost of a chess champion in order to retrieve an Innocence fragment during a mission with Allen, Kanda, and Miranda.

History
Howard Link is an inspector sent to Headquarters, although he appears to be more of Levrier's administrative assistant. Link is part of the special combat division of Central's execution squad referred to as CROW, whose members are said to be trained from a young age.

Noah's Ark arc
Link is first introduced assisting Malcolm C. Leverier at meeting with Generals and Branch Heads as he briefly presents collected data about both Cross Marian and Allen Walker cases. At the end of said meeting he’s assigned to keep an 24/7 surveillance on Allen After the meeting he introduce himself to Allen and presents him a pumpkin pie which Allen happily accepts. He forces young exorcist to fill enormous stack documents and after convincing Walker that library would be more suitable for this task than cafeteria they both take their leave. In their way to library, after confrontation with Cross Marian Link forcefully question his charge about coded language in which the song Allen had played in Ark’s piano room was written. As Allen hesitate to answer and suddenly outburst about reflection of the 14th on the window’s surface Link takes it as a way to avoid the original topic.

Attack on Headquarters Arc
Link takes his job really seriously and literally follows Allen everywhere. After meeting Lavi in the bathroom he received a nickname Two-spots this lack of respect Link interprets with his lack of authority which is (by his judgement) caused by his short height. Link's relationship with Allen is a bit strained at times, but they appear to get along well and don't bicker between themselves much. Although Link tends to point out Allen’s eating habits and when Allen counter attack those accusations(by telling inspector that he eats nothing but cakes) Link explains that he’s an adult and it’s his eating habits are his own business. During the meal Lulu Bell attacks science division to retake the Egg. Allen cursed eye informs his host about the akumas in headquarters – Allen drops his meal dash to help with Link following him. After Bookman and Allen attempt to take the barrier erected by Lulu Bell down. Link suggests to use the Ark to get inside the barrier. After reaching the battlefield he contacts Malcolm C. Levrier and apologizes for unauthorized usage of the ark. Leverier after confirmation of the destroying of the Egg gives Link a mission to recover as many fragments of Egg shell as possible and if it’s possible protect Allen Walker. Link finds unconscious Allen and saves him from metal pipes by cutting them with his switch-blades. and tends Allen’s wounds After victory over level 4 akuma he carries Allen into infirmary. During Allen’s stay in the hospital Link meets Leverier to return collected fragments of Egg and bids farewell to him by saluting upon his departure.

Komuvitan D
When situation in the Order had quiet down to the point that appointment of moving the headquarters has been made. Everyone has been asked to help with the moving to the new location. The worst part of said move is science division belongings – because of various potions which have rather unexpected effects. After the black out and Head nurse’s biting Miranda Link is forced to retreat with other survivors into safe hiding. As he writes report about the situation at hand. New Komurin eats his report in order to ‘destroy evidences’. Not so much time later the group of survivors are attacked by infected with Komuvitan D Generals. Link is bitten by General Froi Tiedoll, who mistakes him for Kanda because of the fogged glasses. As the virus is spread across his body Link mumbles that this situation won’t go unnoticed to which Komui is willing to smack Inspector with hammer believing that it would make Link forget and not report anything to secretary Malcolm C. Leverier. After Bak Chang makes a vaccine he is cured.

Ghost of the Chess Player
Link alongside Allen Walker, Yu Kanda and Miranda Lotto is send on a mission to one of London’s graveyards to retrieve an Innocence from a chess champion, in order to get the Innocence the match of chess has to be won. As the only person who yet hadn’t played(and lost) the game he’s forced to play chess in very distracting conditions with exorcists fighting akumas and people hurrying him up. After winning the game the Innocence fragment is safe and the whole team head back to the headquarters.

Disappearance of Cross
After Leverier’s coming to Black Order to investigate the disappearance of Cross Marian Link accidentally meets his superior as he follows Allen to the room in which Cross last been seen, after brief conversation Walker leaves angered , leaving Laverier and Link alone in the room. Leverier admits that said ambush was made by someone else from the Black Order, of whom he doesn’t know. Link, worried about his boss safety asks if he could escort him back to Vatican, Leverier decline the plead and admits that Link is more needed as a Walker’s watcher.

Thief G
After Timothy destroyed the Level 2 Akuma that had transformed him, Link returned to his human form and helped ward off the other Akumas until a member of Crow named Madarao appeared and defeated the Level 3, leaving the Level 4 to Allen and Kanda. Link expressed surprise and confusion at the depth of Madarao's abilities, indicating that he probably had no idea Crow members were capable of such feats. Upon returning to Headquarters, he returns to his duty of shadowing Allen even when he is hindered by Lenalee falling asleep on the bed next to the recovering Allen. He claims that he was being a gentleman and didn't wish to walk in on a young lady in such a compromising position. When Allen shuts him out to try to speak in private with Lenalee, he threatens to tell Komui that the two are alone behind a locked door - prompting Allen to quickly let him in. Apparently, he was unaware of the conversion of CROW members into Half-Akumas as evident by his shock at the revelation of this fact.

Abilities and Weapons
He is armed with a pair of retractable wrist blades (also called switchblades) hidden under his sleeves  and can use binding techniques that weigh a target down. In addition to this he knows many spells with which to combat Akuma, though they are not nearly as effective as the Anti-Akuma Weapons wielded by Exorcists. In spite of this, Link can hold his own against Akuma for a brief period of time.

Trivia



 * On the right corner of one of Hoshino's sketches can be seen Link, Madarao, Tevak and Tokusa in their younger age on which young Link is portrait not only with dots on his forehead but also with the same facials marks under his eyes like the Third Exorcists have.
 * Link appeared only once in anime's post credit omake