To provide a link member for transmission chains, a link member that improves the yield of materials in manufacturing and that has high strength and high quality, to provide a method of manufacturing the same, and also to provide a transmission chain.

The body 13A of a link plate 13 constituting a transmission chain is plate shaped that is longer in the longitudinal direction L2 of both ends than in the lateral direction L1 of both sides. The periphery 15 in the center in the longitudinal direction is shaped into a constricted part 16, and the periphery 15 at both ends of the constricted part 16 is formed in a bulged part 17 bulging out in the lateral direction L1 from the constricted part 16, with both end sides from the bulged part 17 are nearly circular arcuately formed. The body 13A of the link plate 13 is shaped by cold forging from a wire cut to an arbitrary length, with the periphery 15 formed in a heading shaped face.