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Princess Zelda

December 15, 2023

Princess Zelda[e] is the titular character in Nintendo's The Legend of Zelda video game series. She was created by Shigeru Miyamoto for the original 1986 game The Legend of Zelda. As one of the central characters in the series, she has appeared in the majority of the games in various incarnations. Zelda is the elf-like Hylian princess of the kingdom of Hyrule, an associate of the series protagonist Link, and bearer of the Triforce of Wisdom.

Princess Zelda
The Legend of Zelda character
First appearanceThe Legend of Zelda (1986)
Created byShigeru Miyamoto
Portrayed byDiane Burns (Zelda's Adventure)
Voiced by
English
Japanese
In-universe information
Alias
RaceHylian
OriginHyrule

Zelda's role has often been that of a damsel in distress or donor who assists Link. In many games, she is captured by the antagonist Ganon, necessitating Link to come to her rescue. In several games she is one of the Sages whose heroism is essential to defeating Ganon; in others, like Ocarina of Time and The Wind Waker, she adopts alternative personas to take a more active role in the story. In Skyward Sword, she is established as the mortal reincarnation of the goddess Hylia, which gives her incarnations a range of magical powers.

Zelda has been described as one of the most recognisable princesses in video gaming. She has appeared in branded merchandise, comics and manga, and an animated television series. In addition to The Legend of Zelda series, she has appeared as a playable character in a number of spin-off games and other game series, including Hyrule Warriors, Cadence of Hyrule and Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity. She also appears as a playable character in the Super Smash Bros. series. Critics have responded positively to her development into a strong female character and have listed her as one of the greatest female video game characters of all time.

Concept and creation edit

Characterisation edit

According to Shigeru Miyamoto, co-creator of The Legend of Zelda series, Princess Zelda's name was inspired by Zelda Fitzgerald, an American novelist, dancer, and socialite, as well as the wife of fellow novelist F. Scott Fitzgerald. Miyamoto had decided to name the first game "The Legend of X", but did not know what the X would stand for. He said that a public relations planner had suggested the name when proposing an illustrated story for the game involving the rescue of a princess who was defined as an eternal beauty.[1] Miyamoto explained: "I couldn't really get behind the book idea but I really liked the name Zelda. I asked him if I could use it, and he said that would be fine. And that's where the title The Legend of Zelda was born".[2]

Zelda was established as a princess in the first game, with few details given about the Royal Family of Hyrule until later games. She is a princess in most games except in Skyward Sword, which takes place before the founding of Hyrule Kingdom. Like Link, there are multiple incarnations of Princess Zelda in the series who are all connected by The Legend of Zelda timeline, which spans thousands of years of fictional history. Each version of Princess Zelda is a descendant of the first who founded the royal line and Hyrule.[3] The instruction booklet for Zelda II: The Adventure of Link establishes that Zelda's name reoccurs because the prince of the kingdom orders that "every female child born into the royal household shall be given the name Zelda".[4]

Sheik edit

 
Zelda's identity was concealed as Sheik in Ocarina of Time

In Ocarina of Time, Zelda's role was expanded by giving her an alter ego as a surviving member of the Sheikah clan named Sheik (シーク, Shīku). Appearing in the guise of a ninja warrior with muffled voice and a concealed face, Zelda was designed to be unrecognisable. During the game, Sheik plays the lyre and teaches Link new songs to help him on his quest. When Link arrives at the Temple of Time near the end of the game, she uses the Triforce of Wisdom and reverts to Zelda.[5] Sheik's gender was the subject of debate, with some fans believing that Zelda transforms herself into a male character in Ocarina of Time. Nintendo senior product marketing manager Bill Trinen responded that Sheik is a woman: "simply Zelda in a different outfit".[6] In 2016, Miyamoto revealed in an interview that the development team had considered the possibility of producing a spin-off game with Sheik as the protagonist.[7] A game starring Sheik was reported to be in development at Retro Studios but was eventually cancelled.[8]

Tetra edit

 
Zelda appears as a pirate named Tetra in The Wind Waker

Another alter ego of Zelda named Tetra (テトラ, Tetora) was introduced in The Wind Waker and its Nintendo DS sequel, Phantom Hourglass. Like Sheik, she plays a major role in the storyline as a young pirate captain who helps Link to find his sister, Aryll. In this incarnation, Zelda is unaware of her royal bloodline until the end of the game.[5] Throughout The Wind Waker, she is depicted as a strong but compassionate leader and like Sheik appears at various points in the storyline to help Link. When Ganondorf realises that Tetra is really Zelda, she only believes it is her true identity when it is revealed by the Triforce of Wisdom.[9] The Phantom Hourglass follows on from The Wind Waker with Link and Tetra exploring the sea. Tetra is captured on a ghost ship, and Link must defeat the monster Bellum to save her.[10] In a 2011 interview with GamesRadar+, series producer Eiji Aonuma commented on the possibility of Tetra reappearing within the Zelda series: "Personally, I really like the character, but the director on the DS games after that, Mr. Iwamoto, said he didn't really like her, so he didn't want to use her".[11]

Zelda was given a more active role in Spirit Tracks by adventuring alongside Link in spirit form, which made a sharp contrast to her damsel in distress role in earlier installments. Aonuma explained that this decision reflected the desires of fans and developers alike. A survey conducted in the United States signified consumers preferred more independent female characters, including Zelda's alter-egos Sheik and Tetra. Director, Daiki Iwamoto, also expressed an interest in making Zelda "a more integral part of the game" during the game's development.[12]

The character's significance within the mythology of the series was expanded further in Skyward Sword, where Zelda is established as the mortal reincarnation of the goddess Hylia, a recurring deity worshipped by the Hylians that appears in statue form.[5] Aonuma said that his team had been looking at how to portray Zelda more as the title character rather than just a princess to be rescued and wanted to give her an active role in the story. He also said that by establishing a connection between Zelda and Link, it helps the player to be better immersed in the adventure.[11]

Aonuma said that for Breath of the Wild, Zelda was designed to be "complex and multifaceted".[13] He went on to explain that he wanted players to "explore and see these different sides of Zelda, different emotions that she evokes".[14] During development, the team briefly considered giving Zelda the lead role as female protagonist.[15] Director Hidemaro Fujibayashi said that in Tears of the Kingdom her character development is a key aspect of the narrative: "She's going through growth, experiencing things, and ultimately figuring out what kind of a person she's going to be".[16] In 2023, Aonuma said that Nintendo was open to giving Zelda a starring role in the future if it best served the gameplay.[17]

Character design edit

 
Zelda was depicted in promotional artwork for the original The Legend of Zelda video game as a princess wearing a pink gown.

Official artwork created for the original game depicted the character dressed in a long pink gown wearing a necklace and tiara.[18] Artwork for Zelda II: The Adventure of Link was similar and depicted her with red hair.[19] For the development of A Link to the Past, Zelda was originally designed wearing a sci-fi themed outfit to correspond with an early multi-world game concept, but this was eventually scrapped.[20] For Ocarina of Time her royal dress was designed with a tabard featuring the Sheikah coat of arms and the Hyrule royal family crest.[21]

In the anime-inspired video game The Wind Waker, Tetra's hair was designed as a swirl to mimic the wind and smoke in the game. Her alter ego contrasts with Zelda's traditional appearance in the game as princess wearing long hair and royal dress.[22]

During the development of Twilight Princess illustrator Yusuke Nakano tried to portray the princess as a pensive character, "as if she's wondering about something". He drew illustrations of Zelda with feelings of "hopelessness and anxiousness", but tried to avoid depicting her and Link "too full of gloom and doom".[23]

In Skyward Sword Zelda was presented as a student of the Knight Academy instead of her usual role as princess. The designers wanted her to look like a "typical village girl" and aimed to "establish her as a heroine". They removed the royal ornamentation from her head and designed her wearing sky blue and a red dress. They also created Zelda in her goddess form, in which she was designed, "dressed simply, and in white".[24]

For the release of Breath of the Wild, a variety of concept art was considered for Zelda's character design. Fujibayashi commented that Zelda's character was the most difficult to define because while the planners had approached her by thinking about what kind of person she is, the designers took a different approach and considered how Zelda's design could make players feel. The team was so concerned that they repeatedly made refinements to her design until the end of development.[25] Alongside various dress designs, Zelda's image was updated to include outfits that showed her ready for combat, including the final blue blouse and pants that complemented Link's primary outfit.[26] Fujibayashi said that Zelda's shorter hairstyle in Tears of the Kingdom was designed to make her feel more realistic, due to being actively mobile while restoring the kingdom after Breath of the Wild.[27]

Portrayal edit

 
Patricia Summersett provides Princess Zelda's English voice in Breath of the Wild, Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity and Tears of the Kingdom.

Princess Zelda has been voiced by several voice actors, including Bonnie Jean Wilbur in Link: The Faces of Evil and Zelda: The Wand of Gamelon,[28] Brandy Kopp in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate and Stephanie Martone in Cadence of Hyrule.[29] She is voiced by Canadian-American actress Patricia Summersett in Breath of the Wild, Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity, and Tears of the Kingdom.[29] Zelda has also been voiced by several Japanese actors, including Jun Mizusawa (Ocarina of Time, Twilight Princess, Super Smash Bros. Melee),[30] Hikari Tachibana (Four Swords Adventures, The Wind Waker, Hyrule Warriors),[31] Akane Omae (Spirit Tracks),[32] Ayumi Fujimura (A Link Between Worlds and Super Smash Bros. Ultimate),[33] Saori Seto (Hyrule Warriors)[34] and Yū Shimamura (Skyward Sword, Breath of the Wild, Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity and Tears of the Kingdom).[35] In Zelda's Adventure, she was portrayed by a receptionist at the Viridis Corporation named Diane Burns.[36]

Characteristics edit

Zelda is a princess and member of the royal family of Hyrule.[3] In the early games, her role is the damsel in distress for Link to save after she is kidnapped by the series main antagonist, Ganon.[37] Her appearance bears the characteristic traits of the Hylians, a fictional people that are human in form with elfin features, such as pointy ears.[38] Throughout the series her age has ranged from a child to a young adult who is typically aged 16 or 17 years.[39]

Within the fictional mythology of the series, the first Zelda is the mortal reincarnation of the goddess Hylia. Each subsequent incarnation possesses the blood of the goddess and represents the physical embodiment of Hylia's struggle to protect Hyrule from evil.[40] Zelda is also associated with Nayru, one of the three Golden Goddesses who create the world in the creation myth of the series. Like Link and Ganon, she is the bearer of one of three components of the Triforce named the Triforce of Wisdom, which gives her the inherent qualities of intelligence and wisdom. In the first game, the Triforce of Wisdom is split into fragments, necessitating Link to retrieve it in order to defeat Ganon. In later games, it manifests itself within Zelda, giving her the ability to conjure light arrows.[41] Most iterations of Zelda have magical powers, such as teleportation, precognition, and the ability to heal.[42]

Throughout the series, Zelda has wielded various weapons. In Twilight Princess she is depicted holding a sword and also fights with a sword in Hyrule Warriors. She is also skilled in the use of a bow, which she uses to shoot light arrows at enemies, such as Ganondorf.[43] In addition to using the Twilight Bow in Twilight Princess, Zelda's signature weapon is the Bow of Light, a recurring legendary weapon in the series.[44]

Relationships edit

In the mythology of the series, Zelda's role is directly connected to the other two main characters, Link and Ganon. The trio represent the three virtues of the Triforce, a mysterious artifact and prominent icon that is positioned at the heart of the series, with Link embodying Courage, Ganon representing Power, and Zelda possessing Wisdom.[45] Zelda's relationship with Link is ambiguous, with some games, such as Zelda II: The Adventure of Link, Ocarina of Time and Spirit Tracks hinting at the possibility of a romantic relationship between the two characters. Skyward Sword placed greater emphasis on a romantic relationship in its storyline, illustrated by Nintendo releasing an official "Romance Trailer" for the game. Aonuma explained that originally he planned to cut out any elements of romance from the game but decided to keep it in: "it wasn't that we wanted to create a romance between Link and Zelda as much as we wanted the player to feel like this is a person who's very important to me, who I need to find".[46]

Appearances edit

The Legend of Zelda series edit

Princess Zelda has appeared in most of The Legend of Zelda games, but there have been several games where she does not make an appearance, including Link's Awakening (1993), Majora's Mask (2000), where she only appears in a flashback, and Tri Force Heroes (2015).[47] Due to being the titular character, it is a common misconception amongst non-players that Zelda is the protagonist of the series, when in-fact she is almost always a non-playable character.[48]

Zelda made her debut in the original The Legend of Zelda (1986), where she is kidnapped by Ganon, the series' main antagonist, who seeks to steal the Triforce of Wisdom. Before he is able to capture her, she divides the Triforce of Wisdom into eight pieces and scatters them across the land to hide them from Ganon. She then sends her nursemaid Impa to find Link and is eventually rescued by him.[49]

The princess returned in the sequel, Zelda II: The Adventure of Link (1987), which is set six years after the first game. Link discovers that she has been cursed into an eternal slumber and can only be revived by the Triforce of Courage.[49] Link breaks the curse by visiting six temples to place crystals on their altars and, after defeating his shadow, retrieves the Triforce and using its power to awaken her.[50] Zelda rewards Link with a kiss at the end of the game.[46]

In A Link to the Past (1991), Zelda is one of seven maidens descended from seven sages who sealed away Ganon during the Imprisoning War, a battle fought against Ganon's evil army.[50] She is kidnapped by the dark wizard Agahnim and telepathically pleads with Link to rescue her. After being rescued, she and the other maidens assist Link in breaking the seal on Ganon's tower so that Link may defeat the villain.[51]

Zelda initially appears as a child in Ocarina of Time (1998) but later appears as an adult. Suspicious of Ganondorf's intentions, she charges Link with the task of collecting three spiritual stones to open the door to the Sacred Realm to obtain the Master Sword and Triforce before Ganondorf does. Just before Link pulls the Master Sword from its pedestal, Ganondorf reveals his wicked intentions and Zelda flees Hyrule Castle and goes into hiding, giving Link the Ocarina of Time. Seven years later, she poses as a mysterious Sheikah named Sheik and guides him on his quest to save Hyrule's Sages from Ganondorf.[51]

In Oracle of Seasons and Oracle of Ages (2001), Zelda only appears after inputting a secret code that is obtained upon completing one of the games.[52] In the storyline, she senses danger in the lands of Holodrum and Labrynna and sends her handmaiden Impa to protect Din, the Oracle of Seasons, and Nayru, the Oracle of Ages. In the full linked game, Zelda is captured by Twinrova and it is revealed that they plan to sacrifice her in order to ignite the Flame of Despair and resurrect Ganon once again, but Link intervenes and takes on Ganon in the final boss battle.[53]

Four Swords (2002) presents Princess Zelda as one of many descendants who protect the seal on the Four Sword. She takes Link to the Four Sword Sanctuary, which seals the evil sorcerer Vaati. Sensing that the seal's power is diminishing, she tries to inspect it, but is captured by Vaati, who had already escaped and takes her to his Palace of Winds to marry her. She is again rescued by Link with the power of the Four Sword and together they seal Vaati away.[51]

Zelda's incarnation in The Wind Waker (2002) is unaware of her royal identity and lives as the pirate captain named Tetra.[5] When Link's younger sister Aryll is kidnapped by the Helmaroc King, she agrees to help him explore the islands with her pirate crew.[49] She decides to help Link confront Ganon at the Forbidden Fortress, but they are unsuccessful in defeating him. Ganondorf discovers Tetra's true identity as Princess Zelda when the Triforce of Wisdom is repaired.[54] In the final boss battle against Ganondorf, she assists Link by using his bow to shoot arrows of light.[55]

In Four Swords Adventures (2004), the storyline is set in motion when dark clouds cause Zelda to fear the return of Vaati. While attempting to reseal him, she and the six maidens are captured by Dark Link. To save them, Link uses the Four Sword but accidentally sets Vaati free.[56] After Link rescues her, it is revealed that Ganon is behind the capture. After Vaati is defeated, Zelda helps Link to finally defeat Ganon by giving him the Magic Bow.[57]

In The Minish Cap (2004), Princess Zelda is turned to stone by Vaati, who shatters the legendary Picori Blade and breaks the seal that prevents evil spreading across Hyrule. Link is tasked with saving the princess by restoring the Picori Blade in order to lift the curse.[58]

Twilight Princess (2006) centres around the Twilight King Zant invading the kingdom of Hyrule. Zelda is forced to surrender to Zant in order to protect her people. This results in the kingdom being enveloped in Twilight and the people of Hyrule disappearing and becoming spirits.[59] The game involves Link, who is transformed into a wolf by the Twilight Realm's power, and his companion Midna working together to free Hyrule from the Twilight before finally defeating Zant, who is revealed to be a devotee of Ganondorf.[60] Towards the end of the game, Zelda appears as the ninth boss when she is possessed by Ganondorf and controlled like a puppet. In the final battle with Ganondorf, Zelda accompanies Link on horseback and offers support by stunning Ganondorf with Light Arrows.[61]

Phantom Hourglass (2007) follows on from the storyline of The Wind Waker and reintroduces Zelda in her Tetra incarnation. When Tetra is turned to stone and kidnapped by a Ghost Ship, Link jumps overboard and is rescued by a fairy named Ciela. In order to save Tetra, he must set sail with Ciela and a sea captain named Linebeck to find the guardians of Power, Wisdom, and Courage.[62]

In Spirit Tracks (2009) Zelda meets Link, who is a railroad engineer, at his graduation ceremony. She is attacked by villainous Chancellor Cole and her spirit is separated from her body. In this ghostly form, she agrees to accompany Link on his adventure.[63] Spirit Tracks differs from other Zelda games by featuring Zelda as a playable cooperative character. In her spirit form, she is able to possess Phantom Knights in order to help Link restore the Spirit Tracks. Her character can perform various tasks to help Link, such as carrying him on her shield or distracting enemy Phantoms so that Link can sneak past.[9]

Though not a princess in Skyward Sword (2011), Zelda is presented as the reincarnation of the goddess Hylia and the character's first incarnation within the fictional timeline. Zelda is a close childhood friend to Link who grew up with him in Skyloft, a city in the clouds. When she is spirited away in a tornado conjured by the demon lord Ghirahim, Link travels to the Surface to search for Zelda. He is eventually reunited with Zelda after opening the Gate of Time. Ghirahim drags Zelda to the past and uses her power to release the antagonist Demise in the past to change events. After Link defeats Demise in battle, he and Zelda remain on the Surface to establish Hyrule Kingdom.[64]

In A Link Between Worlds (2013), Zelda entrusts the Pendant of Courage to Link when the sorcerer Yuga begins capturing the descendants of the Seven Sages. After pursuing Yuga, Link watches as he turns Zelda into a painting and casts her into the dying world of Lorule. He then follows Yuga into Lorule to rescue Zelda and the sages.[51] Princess Hilda of Lorule conspires with Yuga to steal the Triforce of Wisdom and Triforce of Courage to save her own kingdom, but Yuga betrays her. Hilda refuses to accept defeat until Link's Lorule counterpart Ravio convinces her to make amends. After Hilda returns Link and Zelda to Hyrule, they use the Triforce to restore Lorule.[65]

In the backstory of Breath of the Wild (2017), Zelda is at the forefront of the storyline, which is revealed through a series of cutscenes showing Link's memories. The cutscenes depict her struggles to awaken her sacred power and show her insecurities and initial resentment towards Link after he is appointed as her personal knight. Calamity Ganon appears and takes control of the Guardians and Divine Beasts, ancient Sheikah machinery used to defeat him ten millennia previously. Zelda finally awakens her sacred power while protecting Link from a fatal blow and sends him to be placed in stasis in the Shrine of Resurrection. She uses her power to seal Calamity Ganon and herself in Hyrule Castle. After 100 years she awakens Link so that he can finally destroy Ganon. In the final battle, she gives Link the Bow of Light to defeat Ganon in his dark beast form.[66]

In Tears of the Kingdom (2023) Zelda plays a pivotal role in helping Link to defeat Ganondorf. After she and Link accidentally awaken Ganondorf beneath Hyrule Castle, she falls into an abyss and disappears thousands of years into the past to the time of the Zonai. There she meets the first king of Hyrule named Rauru and his wife Sonia who tell her that she has both sacred and time control powers. Having taken possession of the decayed Master Sword, her sacred power slowly restores it. Aware of Ganondorf's threat to Hyrule's future, she sacrifices herself by swallowing a Secret Stone, which transforms her into the Light Dragon and gives her the immortality to return the Master Sword to Link.[67] After Ganondorf's defeat she is transformed back into a Hylian by the power of time and light.[68]

Spin-off games edit

Zelda appears in three CD-i games based on The Legend of Zelda series, which were developed out of an agreement between Philips and Nintendo to use Zelda characters on the CD-i console. In Link: The Faces of Evil (1993), she is kidnapped by Ganon and has to be rescued by Link.[69] In Zelda: The Wand of Gamelon (1993) and Zelda's Adventure (1994), Princess Zelda is the protagonist and must save Link.[70] Zelda: The Wand of Gamelon is noteworthy as the first time that Zelda appeared as a playable character.[71] Having been developed with little input from Nintendo, the games have been criticised for their poor story, gameplay and animation and are not recognised by Nintendo as canon.[72]

Zelda is a playable character in Hyrule Warriors (2014) and, according to the game's producer Yosuke Hayashi, was designed to be a stronger character with the feeling of a ruler.[73] Her weapons include a rapier, baton and also the Dominion Rod, which was made available as downloadable content. Sheik is also a playable character and wields daggers and a harp.[74] In addition to her Hyrule Warriors incarnation, Tetra and Toon Zelda (her incarnation from Spirit Tracks) appear in Hyrule Warriors Legends[75] and were added to Hyrule Warriors as downloadable content.[76][77]

In the rhythm game Cadence of Hyrule, which was released in 2019 for the Nintendo Switch, players can choose to play through the game as either Link or Zelda. The game is a crossover between Crypt of the NecroDancer and The Legend of Zelda series. Zelda has a magical shield to protect her and can use Link's weapons, such as the hookshot and boomerang.[78]

A spiritual successor to Hyrule Warriors titled Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity was released in 2020 and designed as a prequel to Breath of the Wild. Princess Zelda is one of several characters from Breath of the Wild that appears as a playable character and fights using the Sheikah Slate and a bow.[74]

Other game series edit

Zelda was introduced in the Super Smash Bros. series as a playable character in Super Smash Bros. Melee and has appeared in every subsequent game. In Melee and Super Smash Bros. Brawl, Zelda possesses the ability to transform into Sheik. In Super Smash Bros. for 3DS and Wii U and Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, they are separate characters. Her moves mainly involve magical attacks, while Sheik is focused more on speed and physical attacks.[70] In Melee her design was based on her Ocarina of Time incarnation, while in Brawl it was based on her appearance in Twilight Princess. The Twilight Princess incarnation of Zelda returned in Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U.[79] In Ultimate, Sheik's design took inspiration from the Sheikah Set in Breath of the Wild and her final smash is the Sheikah Dance.[80] Zelda's design is based on her appearance in A Link Between Worlds and her final smash is the Triforce of Wisdom.[81]

Television series edit

A set of The Legend of Zelda cartoons aired from 1989 to 1990 as a part of DiC's The Super Mario Bros. Super Show. It was loosely based on the original game and centres on Link, Zelda, Ganon and a fairy named Spryte, and also features Zelda's father, King Harkinian. Thirteen episodes were produced before the cancellation of The Super Mario Bros. Super Show. Although Zelda is sometimes captured by Ganon, she is depicted as a smart, resourceful character. The series also emphasises a romantic relationship between Link and Zelda, in which Link is always begging Zelda for a kiss.[82] Zelda was voiced by Cyndy Preston in the TV series.[83] Writer Phil Harnage thought that Zelda's characterisation was ahead of its time and a role model for girls. He said that rather than being a Disney Princess, Zelda was an "action hero in her own right". Preston said that she portrayed Zelda as an independent woman: "She didn't need a hero to save her, and that was so cool".[84] Zelda and Link also appear in three episodes of Captain N: The Game Master, where they befriend Kevin Keene and work together to stop the revival of Ganon.[85]

Comics and manga edit

Main article: The Legend of Zelda (manga)

Shortly after the release of the first game, a companion manga book was published by Wanpaku Comics in September 1986. "The Hyrule Fantasy" manga was released in Japan and follows the same plot as the game with an expanded role for Zelda.[86] In 1986, a Choose Your Own Adventure style of manga was published titled The Legend of Zelda: The Mirage Castle. Published entirely in Japanese, the manga features playing as Zelda and some scrapped concepts, including Zelda's father named King Graham II.[87] Zelda also appears in a similar manga book published in 1992 titled The Legend of Zelda: The Triforce of the Gods, which is based on A Link to the Past.[88] A comic series published in the early 1990s by Valiant Comics was based on the adventures of Zelda and Link.[89] It ran for five issues, with a sixth story published under the Nintendo Comics System brand. The storyline echoes The Legend of Zelda animated television series, which was being aired around the same time. Like the animated series, it involves Link attempting to get a kiss from Zelda, but also depicts Zelda displaying affections towards Link. In the storyline for "To the First Power", Zelda trains to defend herself and eventually defeats a wizzrobe in order to save Link.[90] A serial comic by manga author Shotaro Ishinomori was originally published in 1992 in Nintendo Power magazine and later collected in graphic novel form. It was based on The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past and tells an alternate version of the events. It was reprinted as a single volume in 2015 by Viz Media. Other manga adaptations of The Legend of Zelda games have also been published, including Majora's Mask, Ocarina of Time, The Minish Cap and Phantom Hourglass, which are illustrated by Akira Himekawa.[91]

Gamebooks edit

Alongside Link, Zelda appears in several Nintendo gamebooks. Two books titled The Crystal Trap and The Shadow Prince were published in 1992, which were written in the style of Choose Your Own Adventure books. In The Crystal Trap, the plot focuses on Zelda freeing Link from the trap, while The Shadow Prince involves Link saving Zelda.[92]

Merchandise edit

Zelda has been reproduced in the form of figurines and plush toys.[93][94] Various amiibo have been released since 2014 depicting her in several incarnations. Two amiibo of Zelda and Sheik were released for the Super Smash Bros. series in 2014 and 2015. Several amiibo of Zelda have been released for the Zelda series, including the Wind Waker incarnation, the Breath of the Wild incarnation and Zelda and loftwing from Skyward Sword.[95] In November 2023, an amiibo for Tears of the Kingdom depicting Zelda holding the Master Sword was released.[96]

Reception and legacy edit

Critics and gamers consider Zelda to be a significant video game character in popular culture. The book Female Action Heroes described Zelda as "perhaps one of the most well-known princesses in video game history", though acknowledged that her role in the games was to serve as a "damsel in distress".[97] In 2009, she was voted the third greatest female character in games on Nintendo systems by the Official Nintendo Magazine, which appreciated her as "a strong woman who, with her sword and bow and arrow, is capable of holding her own in a fight".[98] In 2016, Digital Spy ranked her as one of the "most iconic female game characters of all time".[99] In 2018, readers of Guinness World Records Gamer's Edition voted her as one of the top video game characters of all time.[100] Readers of the Japanese publication Famitsu chose her as their favourite Tears of the Kingdom character in 2023.[101] Alex Huebner of iMore said that she is a "badass", illustrated by her various alter egos as a fighter in disguise, a pirate leader and a goddess.[102] Ozzie Mejia, writing for Shacknews, chose Zelda as one of the best characters in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, emphasising her increased speed and dash attack with additional knockback. He also praised her character development within the Zelda series for developing from a passive princess to a strong heroine.[103] Eric Ravenscraft of Wired commented that despite not being the playable character in the mainline series, Zelda is often the driving force behind the story as the embodiment of wisdom and light, and opined that Link is "simply the sword Zelda wields".[104]

Zelda's character development in Ocarina of Time was praised by Richard George and Audrey Drake of IGN, who commented that it was the first time in the series that she was given more depth. They particularly enjoyed seeing her develop from a carefree child to the warrior Sheik as a result of the game's time shifts.[105] Maddy Myers writing for The Mary Sue considered Zelda and Sheik to be two halves of a flawed, complex character, but felt that the game "doesn't seem to respect her much".[106] The Wind Waker was a highlight for Chad Concelmo of Destructoid, who commented on its rare gaming moment of creating a plot reveal in which the pirate Tetra is revealed to be Zelda, which was considered particularly rewarding due to the notoriously repetitive nature of the Zelda series.[54] Tetra was recognised by The Guardian as one of 30 "interesting female game characters", with the comment, "Tetra demands respect and gets it".[107] When reviewing Spirit Tracks, Abbie Stone of GamesRadar praised Zelda's role as a ghost that can possess enemies, as it places her in the position of co-lead throughout the game, and opined that this proves "action and femininity aren't mutually exclusive".[108] Oli Welsh of Eurogamer commented that for most of the game she fulfils a similar role to Navi or Midna by providing hints and comments, but praised the close romance between her and Link that replaces her usual position as a distant ideal.[109] Tom Mc Shea writing for GameSpot focused on the "endearing rapport" between Zelda and Link in the story of Skyward Sword, noting that rather than being a damsel in distress, Zelda is presented as Link's equal and that both characters must make a sacrifice.[110] Jonathan Holmes writing for Destructoid highlighted a particular scene in Skyward Sword in which Zelda communicates her love for Link through her eyes and body language, describing it as "beautiful" and opined that Nintendo had made it an unforgettable moment.[111]

 
Zelda's updated design, character development and prominent story arc in The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild received widespread praise from critics.

Speaking for Nintendo Life, Alex Olney appreciated the human traits and flaws displayed by Zelda in Breath of the Wild and considered this to be her best incarnation, citing the pressure of her responsibilities, her determination to protect her kingdom and Link, her strength and power, and her ability to match Calamity Ganon and restrain him for 100 years.[112] Gita Jackson writing for Kotaku considered her blue adventuring outfit to be a "cool departure from the norm" of the traditionally pink Hylian princess and illustrated her prominent story arc within the game.[113] Madeline Carpou of The Mary Sue listed her Breath of the Wild incarnation as one of the most inspiring female characters in video games, stating that although she is "a living representation of the people's salvation" and struggles under the pressure of expectation, she refuses to give up on her responsibilities.[114] Laura Dale of Syfy expressed delight at having the ability to play as Zelda throughout the entirety of Cadence of Hyrule, despite not being an official Zelda title. She said that exploring dungeons and fighting enemies as Zelda felt "absolutely awesome" and was made more enjoyable for a female gamer due to having something in common with the hero.[78] Patricia Hernandez writing for Polygon said that Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity had transformed Zelda into a "total badass" and a capable fighter, which was particularly welcome after seeing her lamenting her inability to contribute more to the fight against Calamity Ganon in Breath of the Wild.[115]

Steve Watts of GameSpot felt that the story in Tears of the Kingdom belongs to Zelda, not only because she is the focus of the main quest line, but also because the mystery of discovering her location slowly unravels throughout the game and leads to an "incredible, stirring revelation".[116] He also praised the game for inverting the story trope of Link being the prophesied hero and making Zelda the strategist who makes him the hero by helping him in the distant past, thereby being the author of the prophecy.[117] Zelda's story in Tears of the Kingdom was particularly praised by Matthew Byrd of Den of Geek, who described it as an "emotional and engaging arc", highlighting her sacrifice for those she loves and her memorable reveal as the Light Dragon. He praised her altruism for being dependable and aspirational, saying that it "doesn’t feel like some cheap emotional ploy designed to drum up sympathy".[118]

Analysis edit

Timothy Monbleau writing for Destructoid commented that Zelda had existed in the first three games mostly as a plot device and a goal for the player to save, but highlighted that Yoshiaki Koizumi's involvement in writing Link's Awakening caused a fundamental shift in the series by producing stronger storylines. He opined that by giving the female character Marin a more intimate relationship with Link, Koizumi effectively impacted Zelda's role in subsequent games by giving her a more active role in the narrative.[119] Brendan Main for The Escapist magazine commented that Zelda's alter-ego Sheik in Ocarina of Time broke the conventions of the character's role because "Sheik is everything Zelda is not". He commented that while Zelda's elegance and femininity had restricted her to being a captive, Sheik's ambiguous gender gave the character freedom, but noted that once Zelda is revealed to be Sheik, she is immediately returned to a captive again.[120] Zelda's evolution from the "princess in peril" was noted by Kyle Hilliard of Game Informer who commented that in most games she is simply a goal for the player to acquire, but in more recent titles she has grown into a more fleshed-out character.[14] Jason Guisao of Game Informer said that although Zelda has the potential to be equal to Link, "Nintendo is attached to tired scenarios where she is captured or immobilized". He opined that she had been sidelined in Breath of the Wild and should instead be leading a new era of fully integrated co-operative play.[48] Jacob Kastrenakes for The Verge opined that switching Link's and Zelda's roles could be possible without requiring Link to be absent, but highlighted that Aonuma confirmed that this idea had been rejected because, "if we have Princess Zelda as the main character who fights, then what is Link going to do?"[121] Sara Gitkos of iMore opined that Zelda deserves her own game due to being "a scholar, a leader, and a fierce princess who takes charge of her own destiny", but noted that this would be difficult because her role is so embedded within the lore of the series that the entire concept would need to be changed.[122] Jay Castello writing for Polygon described the ending of Tears of the Kingdom as a tragedy for perpetuating the status quo of Zelda's repetitive role in the series, commenting that the gendered elements "appear to skate by simply because this has been going on so long that mentioning them feels blasé".[123] Heather Wald of GamesRadar highlighted that Tears of the Kingdom had reignited the longstanding debate about the possibility of Zelda becoming a playable character in the series: "It speaks to just how much demand there is to have the opportunity to be Zelda in a mainline adventure".[124]

See also edit

Notes edit

  1. ^ a b c d e f Zelda, Sheik
  2. ^ Zelda, Tetra
  3. ^ a b Tetra
  4. ^ Toon Zelda
  5. ^ Japanese: ゼルダ姫, Hepburn: Zeruda-Hime

References edit

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External links edit

 
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Princess Zelda.
  • Princess Zelda page at Play Nintendo

December 15, 2023
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Princess Zelda e is the titular character in Nintendo s The Legend of Zelda video game series She was created by Shigeru Miyamoto for the original 1986 game The Legend of Zelda As one of the central characters in the series she has appeared in the majority of the games in various incarnations Zelda is the elf like Hylian princess of the kingdom of Hyrule an associate of the series protagonist Link and bearer of the Triforce of Wisdom Princess ZeldaThe Legend of Zelda characterPromotional artwork of Zelda for The Legend of Zelda A Link to the Past and Four SwordsFirst appearanceThe Legend of Zelda 1986 Created byShigeru MiyamotoPortrayed byDiane Burns Zelda s Adventure Voiced byEnglish Cyndy Preston The Legend of Zelda Bonnie Jean Wilbur Link The Faces of Evil and Zelda The Wand of Gamelon Patricia Summersett The Legend of Zelda Breath of the Wild Hyrule Warriors Age of Calamity and The Legend of Zelda Tears of the Kingdom Brandy Kopp Super Smash Bros Ultimate World of Light only Stephanie Marton Cadence of Hyrule Japanese Naomi Fujisawa BS The Legend of Zelda Mariko Kouda The Legend of Zelda Sound amp Drama and BS The Legend of Zelda Ancient Stone Tablets Yayoi Nijima The Legend of Zelda A Link to the Past commercial Jun Mizusawa The Legend of Zelda Ocarina of Time a The Legend of Zelda Majora s Mask Super Smash Bros Melee a The Legend of Zelda Twilight Princess Super Smash Bros Brawl a and Super Smash Bros for Nintendo 3DS and Super Smash Bros for Wii U a Hikari Tachibana The Legend of Zelda The Wind Waker b The Legend of Zelda Four Swords The Legend of Zelda Four Swords Adventures The Legend of Zelda The Minish Cap The Legend of Zelda Phantom Hourglass c and Hyrule Warriors c Akane Omae The Legend of Zelda Spirit Tracks and Hyrule Warriors d Yu Shimamura The Legend of Zelda Skyward Sword The Legend of Zelda Breath of the Wild Hyrule Warriors Age of Calamity and The Legend of Zelda Tears of the Kingdom Ayumi Fujimura The Legend of Zelda A Link Between Worlds and Super Smash Bros Ultimate a Saori Seto Hyrule Warriors a In universe informationAliasSheik Ocarina of Time Tetra Wind Waker Phantom Hourglass RaceHylianOriginHyruleZelda s role has often been that of a damsel in distress or donor who assists Link In many games she is captured by the antagonist Ganon necessitating Link to come to her rescue In several games she is one of the Sages whose heroism is essential to defeating Ganon in others like Ocarina of Time and The Wind Waker she adopts alternative personas to take a more active role in the story In Skyward Sword she is established as the mortal reincarnation of the goddess Hylia which gives her incarnations a range of magical powers Zelda has been described as one of the most recognisable princesses in video gaming She has appeared in branded merchandise comics and manga and an animated television series In addition to The Legend of Zelda series she has appeared as a playable character in a number of spin off games and other game series including Hyrule Warriors Cadence of Hyrule and Hyrule Warriors Age of Calamity She also appears as a playable character in the Super Smash Bros series Critics have responded positively to her development into a strong female character and have listed her as one of the greatest female video game characters of all time Contents 1 Concept and creation 1 1 Characterisation 1 1 1 Sheik 1 1 2 Tetra 1 2 Character design 1 3 Portrayal 2 Characteristics 2 1 Relationships 3 Appearances 3 1 The Legend of Zelda series 3 2 Spin off games 3 3 Other game series 3 4 Television series 3 5 Comics and manga 3 6 Gamebooks 4 Merchandise 5 Reception and legacy 5 1 Analysis 6 See also 7 Notes 8 References 9 External linksConcept and creation editCharacterisation edit According to Shigeru Miyamoto co creator of The Legend of Zelda series Princess Zelda s name was inspired by Zelda Fitzgerald an American novelist dancer and socialite as well as the wife of fellow novelist F Scott Fitzgerald Miyamoto had decided to name the first game The Legend of X but did not know what the X would stand for He said that a public relations planner had suggested the name when proposing an illustrated story for the game involving the rescue of a princess who was defined as an eternal beauty 1 Miyamoto explained I couldn t really get behind the book idea but I really liked the name Zelda I asked him if I could use it and he said that would be fine And that s where the title The Legend of Zelda was born 2 Zelda was established as a princess in the first game with few details given about the Royal Family of Hyrule until later games She is a princess in most games except in Skyward Sword which takes place before the founding of Hyrule Kingdom Like Link there are multiple incarnations of Princess Zelda in the series who are all connected by The Legend of Zelda timeline which spans thousands of years of fictional history Each version of Princess Zelda is a descendant of the first who founded the royal line and Hyrule 3 The instruction booklet for Zelda II The Adventure of Link establishes that Zelda s name reoccurs because the prince of the kingdom orders that every female child born into the royal household shall be given the name Zelda 4 Sheik edit nbsp Zelda s identity was concealed as Sheik in Ocarina of TimeIn Ocarina of Time Zelda s role was expanded by giving her an alter ego as a surviving member of the Sheikah clan named Sheik シーク Shiku Appearing in the guise of a ninja warrior with muffled voice and a concealed face Zelda was designed to be unrecognisable During the game Sheik plays the lyre and teaches Link new songs to help him on his quest When Link arrives at the Temple of Time near the end of the game she uses the Triforce of Wisdom and reverts to Zelda 5 Sheik s gender was the subject of debate with some fans believing that Zelda transforms herself into a male character in Ocarina of Time Nintendo senior product marketing manager Bill Trinen responded that Sheik is a woman simply Zelda in a different outfit 6 In 2016 Miyamoto revealed in an interview that the development team had considered the possibility of producing a spin off game with Sheik as the protagonist 7 A game starring Sheik was reported to be in development at Retro Studios but was eventually cancelled 8 Tetra edit nbsp Zelda appears as a pirate named Tetra in The Wind WakerAnother alter ego of Zelda named Tetra テトラ Tetora was introduced in The Wind Waker and its Nintendo DS sequel Phantom Hourglass Like Sheik she plays a major role in the storyline as a young pirate captain who helps Link to find his sister Aryll In this incarnation Zelda is unaware of her royal bloodline until the end of the game 5 Throughout The Wind Waker she is depicted as a strong but compassionate leader and like Sheik appears at various points in the storyline to help Link When Ganondorf realises that Tetra is really Zelda she only believes it is her true identity when it is revealed by the Triforce of Wisdom 9 The Phantom Hourglass follows on from The Wind Waker with Link and Tetra exploring the sea Tetra is captured on a ghost ship and Link must defeat the monster Bellum to save her 10 In a 2011 interview with GamesRadar series producer Eiji Aonuma commented on the possibility of Tetra reappearing within the Zelda series Personally I really like the character but the director on the DS games after that Mr Iwamoto said he didn t really like her so he didn t want to use her 11 Zelda was given a more active role in Spirit Tracks by adventuring alongside Link in spirit form which made a sharp contrast to her damsel in distress role in earlier installments Aonuma explained that this decision reflected the desires of fans and developers alike A survey conducted in the United States signified consumers preferred more independent female characters including Zelda s alter egos Sheik and Tetra Director Daiki Iwamoto also expressed an interest in making Zelda a more integral part of the game during the game s development 12 The character s significance within the mythology of the series was expanded further in Skyward Sword where Zelda is established as the mortal reincarnation of the goddess Hylia a recurring deity worshipped by the Hylians that appears in statue form 5 Aonuma said that his team had been looking at how to portray Zelda more as the title character rather than just a princess to be rescued and wanted to give her an active role in the story He also said that by establishing a connection between Zelda and Link it helps the player to be better immersed in the adventure 11 Aonuma said that for Breath of the Wild Zelda was designed to be complex and multifaceted 13 He went on to explain that he wanted players to explore and see these different sides of Zelda different emotions that she evokes 14 During development the team briefly considered giving Zelda the lead role as female protagonist 15 Director Hidemaro Fujibayashi said that in Tears of the Kingdom her character development is a key aspect of the narrative She s going through growth experiencing things and ultimately figuring out what kind of a person she s going to be 16 In 2023 Aonuma said that Nintendo was open to giving Zelda a starring role in the future if it best served the gameplay 17 Character design edit nbsp Zelda was depicted in promotional artwork for the original The Legend of Zelda video game as a princess wearing a pink gown Official artwork created for the original game depicted the character dressed in a long pink gown wearing a necklace and tiara 18 Artwork for Zelda II The Adventure of Link was similar and depicted her with red hair 19 For the development of A Link to the Past Zelda was originally designed wearing a sci fi themed outfit to correspond with an early multi world game concept but this was eventually scrapped 20 For Ocarina of Time her royal dress was designed with a tabard featuring the Sheikah coat of arms and the Hyrule royal family crest 21 In the anime inspired video game The Wind Waker Tetra s hair was designed as a swirl to mimic the wind and smoke in the game Her alter ego contrasts with Zelda s traditional appearance in the game as princess wearing long hair and royal dress 22 During the development of Twilight Princess illustrator Yusuke Nakano tried to portray the princess as a pensive character as if she s wondering about something He drew illustrations of Zelda with feelings of hopelessness and anxiousness but tried to avoid depicting her and Link too full of gloom and doom 23 In Skyward Sword Zelda was presented as a student of the Knight Academy instead of her usual role as princess The designers wanted her to look like a typical village girl and aimed to establish her as a heroine They removed the royal ornamentation from her head and designed her wearing sky blue and a red dress They also created Zelda in her goddess form in which she was designed dressed simply and in white 24 For the release of Breath of the Wild a variety of concept art was considered for Zelda s character design Fujibayashi commented that Zelda s character was the most difficult to define because while the planners had approached her by thinking about what kind of person she is the designers took a different approach and considered how Zelda s design could make players feel The team was so concerned that they repeatedly made refinements to her design until the end of development 25 Alongside various dress designs Zelda s image was updated to include outfits that showed her ready for combat including the final blue blouse and pants that complemented Link s primary outfit 26 Fujibayashi said that Zelda s shorter hairstyle in Tears of the Kingdom was designed to make her feel more realistic due to being actively mobile while restoring the kingdom after Breath of the Wild 27 Portrayal edit nbsp Patricia Summersett provides Princess Zelda s English voice in Breath of the Wild Hyrule Warriors Age of Calamity and Tears of the Kingdom Princess Zelda has been voiced by several voice actors including Bonnie Jean Wilbur in Link The Faces of Evil and Zelda The Wand of Gamelon 28 Brandy Kopp in Super Smash Bros Ultimate and Stephanie Martone in Cadence of Hyrule 29 She is voiced by Canadian American actress Patricia Summersett in Breath of the Wild Hyrule Warriors Age of Calamity and Tears of the Kingdom 29 Zelda has also been voiced by several Japanese actors including Jun Mizusawa Ocarina of Time Twilight Princess Super Smash Bros Melee 30 Hikari Tachibana Four Swords Adventures The Wind Waker Hyrule Warriors 31 Akane Omae Spirit Tracks 32 Ayumi Fujimura A Link Between Worlds and Super Smash Bros Ultimate 33 Saori Seto Hyrule Warriors 34 and Yu Shimamura Skyward Sword Breath of the Wild Hyrule Warriors Age of Calamity and Tears of the Kingdom 35 In Zelda s Adventure she was portrayed by a receptionist at the Viridis Corporation named Diane Burns 36 Characteristics editZelda is a princess and member of the royal family of Hyrule 3 In the early games her role is the damsel in distress for Link to save after she is kidnapped by the series main antagonist Ganon 37 Her appearance bears the characteristic traits of the Hylians a fictional people that are human in form with elfin features such as pointy ears 38 Throughout the series her age has ranged from a child to a young adult who is typically aged 16 or 17 years 39 Within the fictional mythology of the series the first Zelda is the mortal reincarnation of the goddess Hylia Each subsequent incarnation possesses the blood of the goddess and represents the physical embodiment of Hylia s struggle to protect Hyrule from evil 40 Zelda is also associated with Nayru one of the three Golden Goddesses who create the world in the creation myth of the series Like Link and Ganon she is the bearer of one of three components of the Triforce named the Triforce of Wisdom which gives her the inherent qualities of intelligence and wisdom In the first game the Triforce of Wisdom is split into fragments necessitating Link to retrieve it in order to defeat Ganon In later games it manifests itself within Zelda giving her the ability to conjure light arrows 41 Most iterations of Zelda have magical powers such as teleportation precognition and the ability to heal 42 Throughout the series Zelda has wielded various weapons In Twilight Princess she is depicted holding a sword and also fights with a sword in Hyrule Warriors She is also skilled in the use of a bow which she uses to shoot light arrows at enemies such as Ganondorf 43 In addition to using the Twilight Bow in Twilight Princess Zelda s signature weapon is the Bow of Light a recurring legendary weapon in the series 44 Relationships edit In the mythology of the series Zelda s role is directly connected to the other two main characters Link and Ganon The trio represent the three virtues of the Triforce a mysterious artifact and prominent icon that is positioned at the heart of the series with Link embodying Courage Ganon representing Power and Zelda possessing Wisdom 45 Zelda s relationship with Link is ambiguous with some games such as Zelda II The Adventure of Link Ocarina of Time and Spirit Tracks hinting at the possibility of a romantic relationship between the two characters Skyward Sword placed greater emphasis on a romantic relationship in its storyline illustrated by Nintendo releasing an official Romance Trailer for the game Aonuma explained that originally he planned to cut out any elements of romance from the game but decided to keep it in it wasn t that we wanted to create a romance between Link and Zelda as much as we wanted the player to feel like this is a person who s very important to me who I need to find 46 Appearances editThe Legend of Zelda series edit Princess Zelda has appeared in most of The Legend of Zelda games but there have been several games where she does not make an appearance including Link s Awakening 1993 Majora s Mask 2000 where she only appears in a flashback and Tri Force Heroes 2015 47 Due to being the titular character it is a common misconception amongst non players that Zelda is the protagonist of the series when in fact she is almost always a non playable character 48 Zelda made her debut in the original The Legend of Zelda 1986 where she is kidnapped by Ganon the series main antagonist who seeks to steal the Triforce of Wisdom Before he is able to capture her she divides the Triforce of Wisdom into eight pieces and scatters them across the land to hide them from Ganon She then sends her nursemaid Impa to find Link and is eventually rescued by him 49 The princess returned in the sequel Zelda II The Adventure of Link 1987 which is set six years after the first game Link discovers that she has been cursed into an eternal slumber and can only be revived by the Triforce of Courage 49 Link breaks the curse by visiting six temples to place crystals on their altars and after defeating his shadow retrieves the Triforce and using its power to awaken her 50 Zelda rewards Link with a kiss at the end of the game 46 In A Link to the Past 1991 Zelda is one of seven maidens descended from seven sages who sealed away Ganon during the Imprisoning War a battle fought against Ganon s evil army 50 She is kidnapped by the dark wizard Agahnim and telepathically pleads with Link to rescue her After being rescued she and the other maidens assist Link in breaking the seal on Ganon s tower so that Link may defeat the villain 51 Zelda initially appears as a child in Ocarina of Time 1998 but later appears as an adult Suspicious of Ganondorf s intentions she charges Link with the task of collecting three spiritual stones to open the door to the Sacred Realm to obtain the Master Sword and Triforce before Ganondorf does Just before Link pulls the Master Sword from its pedestal Ganondorf reveals his wicked intentions and Zelda flees Hyrule Castle and goes into hiding giving Link the Ocarina of Time Seven years later she poses as a mysterious Sheikah named Sheik and guides him on his quest to save Hyrule s Sages from Ganondorf 51 In Oracle of Seasons and Oracle of Ages 2001 Zelda only appears after inputting a secret code that is obtained upon completing one of the games 52 In the storyline she senses danger in the lands of Holodrum and Labrynna and sends her handmaiden Impa to protect Din the Oracle of Seasons and Nayru the Oracle of Ages In the full linked game Zelda is captured by Twinrova and it is revealed that they plan to sacrifice her in order to ignite the Flame of Despair and resurrect Ganon once again but Link intervenes and takes on Ganon in the final boss battle 53 Four Swords 2002 presents Princess Zelda as one of many descendants who protect the seal on the Four Sword She takes Link to the Four Sword Sanctuary which seals the evil sorcerer Vaati Sensing that the seal s power is diminishing she tries to inspect it but is captured by Vaati who had already escaped and takes her to his Palace of Winds to marry her She is again rescued by Link with the power of the Four Sword and together they seal Vaati away 51 Zelda s incarnation in The Wind Waker 2002 is unaware of her royal identity and lives as the pirate captain named Tetra 5 When Link s younger sister Aryll is kidnapped by the Helmaroc King she agrees to help him explore the islands with her pirate crew 49 She decides to help Link confront Ganon at the Forbidden Fortress but they are unsuccessful in defeating him Ganondorf discovers Tetra s true identity as Princess Zelda when the Triforce of Wisdom is repaired 54 In the final boss battle against Ganondorf she assists Link by using his bow to shoot arrows of light 55 In Four Swords Adventures 2004 the storyline is set in motion when dark clouds cause Zelda to fear the return of Vaati While attempting to reseal him she and the six maidens are captured by Dark Link To save them Link uses the Four Sword but accidentally sets Vaati free 56 After Link rescues her it is revealed that Ganon is behind the capture After Vaati is defeated Zelda helps Link to finally defeat Ganon by giving him the Magic Bow 57 In The Minish Cap 2004 Princess Zelda is turned to stone by Vaati who shatters the legendary Picori Blade and breaks the seal that prevents evil spreading across Hyrule Link is tasked with saving the princess by restoring the Picori Blade in order to lift the curse 58 Twilight Princess 2006 centres around the Twilight King Zant invading the kingdom of Hyrule Zelda is forced to surrender to Zant in order to protect her people This results in the kingdom being enveloped in Twilight and the people of Hyrule disappearing and becoming spirits 59 The game involves Link who is transformed into a wolf by the Twilight Realm s power and his companion Midna working together to free Hyrule from the Twilight before finally defeating Zant who is revealed to be a devotee of Ganondorf 60 Towards the end of the game Zelda appears as the ninth boss when she is possessed by Ganondorf and controlled like a puppet In the final battle with Ganondorf Zelda accompanies Link on horseback and offers support by stunning Ganondorf with Light Arrows 61 Phantom Hourglass 2007 follows on from the storyline of The Wind Waker and reintroduces Zelda in her Tetra incarnation When Tetra is turned to stone and kidnapped by a Ghost Ship Link jumps overboard and is rescued by a fairy named Ciela In order to save Tetra he must set sail with Ciela and a sea captain named Linebeck to find the guardians of Power Wisdom and Courage 62 In Spirit Tracks 2009 Zelda meets Link who is a railroad engineer at his graduation ceremony She is attacked by villainous Chancellor Cole and her spirit is separated from her body In this ghostly form she agrees to accompany Link on his adventure 63 Spirit Tracks differs from other Zelda games by featuring Zelda as a playable cooperative character In her spirit form she is able to possess Phantom Knights in order to help Link restore the Spirit Tracks Her character can perform various tasks to help Link such as carrying him on her shield or distracting enemy Phantoms so that Link can sneak past 9 Though not a princess in Skyward Sword 2011 Zelda is presented as the reincarnation of the goddess Hylia and the character s first incarnation within the fictional timeline Zelda is a close childhood friend to Link who grew up with him in Skyloft a city in the clouds When she is spirited away in a tornado conjured by the demon lord Ghirahim Link travels to the Surface to search for Zelda He is eventually reunited with Zelda after opening the Gate of Time Ghirahim drags Zelda to the past and uses her power to release the antagonist Demise in the past to change events After Link defeats Demise in battle he and Zelda remain on the Surface to establish Hyrule Kingdom 64 In A Link Between Worlds 2013 Zelda entrusts the Pendant of Courage to Link when the sorcerer Yuga begins capturing the descendants of the Seven Sages After pursuing Yuga Link watches as he turns Zelda into a painting and casts her into the dying world of Lorule He then follows Yuga into Lorule to rescue Zelda and the sages 51 Princess Hilda of Lorule conspires with Yuga to steal the Triforce of Wisdom and Triforce of Courage to save her own kingdom but Yuga betrays her Hilda refuses to accept defeat until Link s Lorule counterpart Ravio convinces her to make amends After Hilda returns Link and Zelda to Hyrule they use the Triforce to restore Lorule 65 In the backstory of Breath of the Wild 2017 Zelda is at the forefront of the storyline which is revealed through a series of cutscenes showing Link s memories The cutscenes depict her struggles to awaken her sacred power and show her insecurities and initial resentment towards Link after he is appointed as her personal knight Calamity Ganon appears and takes control of the Guardians and Divine Beasts ancient Sheikah machinery used to defeat him ten millennia previously Zelda finally awakens her sacred power while protecting Link from a fatal blow and sends him to be placed in stasis in the Shrine of Resurrection She uses her power to seal Calamity Ganon and herself in Hyrule Castle After 100 years she awakens Link so that he can finally destroy Ganon In the final battle she gives Link the Bow of Light to defeat Ganon in his dark beast form 66 In Tears of the Kingdom 2023 Zelda plays a pivotal role in helping Link to defeat Ganondorf After she and Link accidentally awaken Ganondorf beneath Hyrule Castle she falls into an abyss and disappears thousands of years into the past to the time of the Zonai There she meets the first king of Hyrule named Rauru and his wife Sonia who tell her that she has both sacred and time control powers Having taken possession of the decayed Master Sword her sacred power slowly restores it Aware of Ganondorf s threat to Hyrule s future she sacrifices herself by swallowing a Secret Stone which transforms her into the Light Dragon and gives her the immortality to return the Master Sword to Link 67 After Ganondorf s defeat she is transformed back into a Hylian by the power of time and light 68 Spin off games edit Zelda appears in three CD i games based on The Legend of Zelda series which were developed out of an agreement between Philips and Nintendo to use Zelda characters on the CD i console In Link The Faces of Evil 1993 she is kidnapped by Ganon and has to be rescued by Link 69 In Zelda The Wand of Gamelon 1993 and Zelda s Adventure 1994 Princess Zelda is the protagonist and must save Link 70 Zelda The Wand of Gamelon is noteworthy as the first time that Zelda appeared as a playable character 71 Having been developed with little input from Nintendo the games have been criticised for their poor story gameplay and animation and are not recognised by Nintendo as canon 72 Zelda is a playable character in Hyrule Warriors 2014 and according to the game s producer Yosuke Hayashi was designed to be a stronger character with the feeling of a ruler 73 Her weapons include a rapier baton and also the Dominion Rod which was made available as downloadable content Sheik is also a playable character and wields daggers and a harp 74 In addition to her Hyrule Warriors incarnation Tetra and Toon Zelda her incarnation from Spirit Tracks appear in Hyrule Warriors Legends 75 and were added to Hyrule Warriors as downloadable content 76 77 In the rhythm game Cadence of Hyrule which was released in 2019 for the Nintendo Switch players can choose to play through the game as either Link or Zelda The game is a crossover between Crypt of the NecroDancer and The Legend of Zelda series Zelda has a magical shield to protect her and can use Link s weapons such as the hookshot and boomerang 78 A spiritual successor to Hyrule Warriors titled Hyrule Warriors Age of Calamity was released in 2020 and designed as a prequel to Breath of the Wild Princess Zelda is one of several characters from Breath of the Wild that appears as a playable character and fights using the Sheikah Slate and a bow 74 Other game series edit Zelda was introduced in the Super Smash Bros series as a playable character in Super Smash Bros Melee and has appeared in every subsequent game In Melee and Super Smash Bros Brawl Zelda possesses the ability to transform into Sheik In Super Smash Bros for 3DS and Wii U and Super Smash Bros Ultimate they are separate characters Her moves mainly involve magical attacks while Sheik is focused more on speed and physical attacks 70 In Melee her design was based on her Ocarina of Time incarnation while in Brawl it was based on her appearance in Twilight Princess The Twilight Princess incarnation of Zelda returned in Super Smash Bros for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U 79 In Ultimate Sheik s design took inspiration from the Sheikah Set in Breath of the Wild and her final smash is the Sheikah Dance 80 Zelda s design is based on her appearance in A Link Between Worlds and her final smash is the Triforce of Wisdom 81 Television series edit A set of The Legend of Zelda cartoons aired from 1989 to 1990 as a part of DiC s The Super Mario Bros Super Show It was loosely based on the original game and centres on Link Zelda Ganon and a fairy named Spryte and also features Zelda s father King Harkinian Thirteen episodes were produced before the cancellation of The Super Mario Bros Super Show Although Zelda is sometimes captured by Ganon she is depicted as a smart resourceful character The series also emphasises a romantic relationship between Link and Zelda in which Link is always begging Zelda for a kiss 82 Zelda was voiced by Cyndy Preston in the TV series 83 Writer Phil Harnage thought that Zelda s characterisation was ahead of its time and a role model for girls He said that rather than being a Disney Princess Zelda was an action hero in her own right Preston said that she portrayed Zelda as an independent woman She didn t need a hero to save her and that was so cool 84 Zelda and Link also appear in three episodes of Captain N The Game Master where they befriend Kevin Keene and work together to stop the revival of Ganon 85 Comics and manga edit Main article The Legend of Zelda manga Shortly after the release of the first game a companion manga book was published by Wanpaku Comics in September 1986 The Hyrule Fantasy manga was released in Japan and follows the same plot as the game with an expanded role for Zelda 86 In 1986 a Choose Your Own Adventure style of manga was published titled The Legend of Zelda The Mirage Castle Published entirely in Japanese the manga features playing as Zelda and some scrapped concepts including Zelda s father named King Graham II 87 Zelda also appears in a similar manga book published in 1992 titled The Legend of Zelda The Triforce of the Gods which is based on A Link to the Past 88 A comic series published in the early 1990s by Valiant Comics was based on the adventures of Zelda and Link 89 It ran for five issues with a sixth story published under the Nintendo Comics System brand The storyline echoes The Legend of Zelda animated television series which was being aired around the same time Like the animated series it involves Link attempting to get a kiss from Zelda but also depicts Zelda displaying affections towards Link In the storyline for To the First Power Zelda trains to defend herself and eventually defeats a wizzrobe in order to save Link 90 A serial comic by manga author Shotaro Ishinomori was originally published in 1992 in Nintendo Power magazine and later collected in graphic novel form It was based on The Legend of Zelda A Link to the Past and tells an alternate version of the events It was reprinted as a single volume in 2015 by Viz Media Other manga adaptations of The Legend of Zelda games have also been published including Majora s Mask Ocarina of Time The Minish Cap and Phantom Hourglass which are illustrated by Akira Himekawa 91 Gamebooks edit Alongside Link Zelda appears in several Nintendo gamebooks Two books titled The Crystal Trap and The Shadow Prince were published in 1992 which were written in the style of Choose Your Own Adventure books In The Crystal Trap the plot focuses on Zelda freeing Link from the trap while The Shadow Prince involves Link saving Zelda 92 Merchandise editZelda has been reproduced in the form of figurines and plush toys 93 94 Various amiibo have been released since 2014 depicting her in several incarnations Two amiibo of Zelda and Sheik were released for the Super Smash Bros series in 2014 and 2015 Several amiibo of Zelda have been released for the Zelda series including the Wind Waker incarnation the Breath of the Wild incarnation and Zelda and loftwing from Skyward Sword 95 In November 2023 an amiibo for Tears of the Kingdom depicting Zelda holding the Master Sword was released 96 Reception and legacy editCritics and gamers consider Zelda to be a significant video game character in popular culture The book Female Action Heroes described Zelda as perhaps one of the most well known princesses in video game history though acknowledged that her role in the games was to serve as a damsel in distress 97 In 2009 she was voted the third greatest female character in games on Nintendo systems by the Official Nintendo Magazine which appreciated her as a strong woman who with her sword and bow and arrow is capable of holding her own in a fight 98 In 2016 Digital Spy ranked her as one of the most iconic female game characters of all time 99 In 2018 readers of Guinness World Records Gamer s Edition voted her as one of the top video game characters of all time 100 Readers of the Japanese publication Famitsu chose her as their favourite Tears of the Kingdom character in 2023 101 Alex Huebner of iMore said that she is a badass illustrated by her various alter egos as a fighter in disguise a pirate leader and a goddess 102 Ozzie Mejia writing for Shacknews chose Zelda as one of the best characters in Super Smash Bros Ultimate emphasising her increased speed and dash attack with additional knockback He also praised her character development within the Zelda series for developing from a passive princess to a strong heroine 103 Eric Ravenscraft of Wired commented that despite not being the playable character in the mainline series Zelda is often the driving force behind the story as the embodiment of wisdom and light and opined that Link is simply the sword Zelda wields 104 Zelda s character development in Ocarina of Time was praised by Richard George and Audrey Drake of IGN who commented that it was the first time in the series that she was given more depth They particularly enjoyed seeing her develop from a carefree child to the warrior Sheik as a result of the game s time shifts 105 Maddy Myers writing for The Mary Sue considered Zelda and Sheik to be two halves of a flawed complex character but felt that the game doesn t seem to respect her much 106 The Wind Waker was a highlight for Chad Concelmo of Destructoid who commented on its rare gaming moment of creating a plot reveal in which the pirate Tetra is revealed to be Zelda which was considered particularly rewarding due to the notoriously repetitive nature of the Zelda series 54 Tetra was recognised by The Guardian as one of 30 interesting female game characters with the comment Tetra demands respect and gets it 107 When reviewing Spirit Tracks Abbie Stone of GamesRadar praised Zelda s role as a ghost that can possess enemies as it places her in the position of co lead throughout the game and opined that this proves action and femininity aren t mutually exclusive 108 Oli Welsh of Eurogamer commented that for most of the game she fulfils a similar role to Navi or Midna by providing hints and comments but praised the close romance between her and Link that replaces her usual position as a distant ideal 109 Tom Mc Shea writing for GameSpot focused on the endearing rapport between Zelda and Link in the story of Skyward Sword noting that rather than being a damsel in distress Zelda is presented as Link s equal and that both characters must make a sacrifice 110 Jonathan Holmes writing for Destructoid highlighted a particular scene in Skyward Sword in which Zelda communicates her love for Link through her eyes and body language describing it as beautiful and opined that Nintendo had made it an unforgettable moment 111 nbsp Zelda s updated design character development and prominent story arc in The Legend of Zelda Breath of the Wild received widespread praise from critics Speaking for Nintendo Life Alex Olney appreciated the human traits and flaws displayed by Zelda in Breath of the Wild and considered this to be her best incarnation citing the pressure of her responsibilities her determination to protect her kingdom and Link her strength and power and her ability to match Calamity Ganon and restrain him for 100 years 112 Gita Jackson writing for Kotaku considered her blue adventuring outfit to be a cool departure from the norm of the traditionally pink Hylian princess and illustrated her prominent story arc within the game 113 Madeline Carpou of The Mary Sue listed her Breath of the Wild incarnation as one of the most inspiring female characters in video games stating that although she is a living representation of the people s salvation and struggles under the pressure of expectation she refuses to give up on her responsibilities 114 Laura Dale of Syfy expressed delight at having the ability to play as Zelda throughout the entirety of Cadence of Hyrule despite not being an official Zelda title She said that exploring dungeons and fighting enemies as Zelda felt absolutely awesome and was made more enjoyable for a female gamer due to having something in common with the hero 78 Patricia Hernandez writing for Polygon said that Hyrule Warriors Age of Calamity had transformed Zelda into a total badass and a capable fighter which was particularly welcome after seeing her lamenting her inability to contribute more to the fight against Calamity Ganon in Breath of the Wild 115 Steve Watts of GameSpot felt that the story in Tears of the Kingdom belongs to Zelda not only because she is the focus of the main quest line but also because the mystery of discovering her location slowly unravels throughout the game and leads to an incredible stirring revelation 116 He also praised the game for inverting the story trope of Link being the prophesied hero and making Zelda the strategist who makes him the hero by helping him in the distant past thereby being the author of the prophecy 117 Zelda s story in Tears of the Kingdom was particularly praised by Matthew Byrd of Den of Geek who described it as an emotional and engaging arc highlighting her sacrifice for those she loves and her memorable reveal as the Light Dragon He praised her altruism for being dependable and aspirational saying that it doesn t feel like some cheap emotional ploy designed to drum up sympathy 118 Analysis edit Timothy Monbleau writing for Destructoid commented that Zelda had existed in the first three games mostly as a plot device and a goal for the player to save but highlighted that Yoshiaki Koizumi s involvement in writing Link s Awakening caused a fundamental shift in the series by producing stronger storylines He opined that by giving the female character Marin a more intimate relationship with Link Koizumi effectively impacted Zelda s role in subsequent games by giving her a more active role in the narrative 119 Brendan Main for The Escapist magazine commented that Zelda s alter ego Sheik in Ocarina of Time broke the conventions of the character s role because Sheik is everything Zelda is not He commented that while Zelda s elegance and femininity had restricted her to being a captive Sheik s ambiguous gender gave the character freedom but noted that once Zelda is revealed to be Sheik she is immediately returned to a captive again 120 Zelda s evolution from the princess in peril was noted by Kyle Hilliard of Game Informer who commented that in most games she is simply a goal for the player to acquire but in more recent titles she has grown into a more fleshed out character 14 Jason Guisao of Game Informer said that although Zelda has the potential to be equal to Link Nintendo is attached to tired scenarios where she is captured or immobilized He opined that she had been sidelined in Breath of the Wild and should instead be leading a new era of fully integrated co operative play 48 Jacob Kastrenakes for The Verge opined that switching Link s and Zelda s roles could be possible without requiring Link to be absent but highlighted that Aonuma confirmed that this idea had been rejected because if we have Princess Zelda as the main character who fights then what is Link going to do 121 Sara Gitkos of iMore opined that Zelda deserves her own game due to being a scholar a leader and a fierce princess who takes charge of her own destiny but noted that this would be difficult because her role is so embedded within the lore of the series that the entire concept would need to be changed 122 Jay Castello writing for Polygon described the ending of Tears of the Kingdom as a tragedy for perpetuating the status quo of Zelda s repetitive role in the series commenting that the gendered elements appear to skate by simply because this has been going on so long that mentioning them feels blase 123 Heather Wald of GamesRadar highlighted that Tears of the Kingdom had reignited the longstanding debate about the possibility of Zelda becoming a playable character in the series It speaks to just how much demand there is to have the opportunity to be Zelda in a mainline adventure 124 See also editCharacters of The Legend of ZeldaNotes edit a b c d e f Zelda Sheik Zelda Tetra a b Tetra Toon Zelda Japanese ゼルダ姫 Hepburn Zeruda HimeReferences edit Greenbaum Aaron 2022 10 31 Why The Legend of Zelda Isn t Named After Link Den of Geek Retrieved 2023 10 18 Hyrule Historia Nintendo 14 April 2020 p 2 ISBN 9781506721385 a b Greenbaum Aaron 2023 01 12 The Legend of Zelda How Every Version of Zelda Is Related Den of Geek Retrieved 2023 08 01 Parkin Jeffrey 2023 03 08 The Zelda timeline doesn t matter Polygon Retrieved 2023 10 21 a b c d Huebner Alex 2021 02 13 Zelda has a lot of alter egos here are all of them and their backstories iMore Retrieved 2021 11 21 DanielleRiendeau 2014 08 05 Zelda fans debate Sheik s gender but here s Nintendo s final word Polygon Retrieved 2021 11 21 Legend of Zelda Development Team Discussed a Spin Off Starring Sheik Game Rant 2016 06 16 Retrieved 2021 11 12 Skrebels Joe 2022 09 05 New Details on Cancelled Zelda Sheik Game Seemingly Emerge It Was an Experiment Gone Wrong IGN Retrieved 2023 11 14 a b Every Disguise amp Alternate Form Princess Zelda Uses In The Games ScreenRant 2021 08 05 Retrieved 2021 11 21 Review The Legend of Zelda Phantom Hourglass DS Nintendo Life 2007 11 23 Retrieved 2021 11 21 a b Gudmundson Carolyn 2011 11 09 Zelda past and future An interview with Koji Kondo and Eiji Aonuma GamesRadar Retrieved 2021 11 21 Totilo Stephen 2009 11 25 Zelda Developer Was Stumped By New Zelda Game s Puzzles Kotaku Gawker Media Archived from the original on April 19 2010 Retrieved 2015 09 07 Nunneley Jackson Stephany 2017 01 19 Zelda s complex and multifaceted in The Legend of Zelda Breath of the Wild so don t read too much into the trailer VG247 Retrieved 2023 04 18 a b Hilliard Kyle Everything We Know About Princess Zelda In Breath Of The Wild Game Informer Retrieved 2023 04 18 Nunneley Jackson Stephany 2016 06 14 The Legend of Zelda Breath of the Wild Zelda once under consideration as main character VG247 Retrieved 2023 11 15 Pulliam Moore Charles 2023 05 12 A conversation with The Legend of Zelda Tears of the Kingdom s creative leads The Verge Retrieved 2023 05 20 Bailey Dustin 2023 05 12 Will Princess Zelda ever be playable Nintendo says it would take a particular gameplay idea GamesRadar Retrieved 2023 11 15 The Legend Of Zelda Art And Artifacts Nintendo 17 February 2017 p 11 Aonuma Eiji Himekawa Akira 2020 04 14 The Legend of Zelda Hyrule Historia Dark Horse Comics p 104 ISBN 978 1 5067 2138 5 Sahdev Ishaan 2019 06 26 Zelda Wouldn t Be Great Without Its Wild 2D Experiments Kotaku Australia Archived from the original on 4 November 2021 Retrieved 2021 11 04 Aonuma Eiji Himekawa Akira 2020 04 14 The Legend of Zelda Hyrule Historia Dark Horse Comics p 146 ISBN 978 1 5067 2138 5 Aonuma Eiji Himekawa Akira 2020 04 14 The Legend of Zelda Hyrule Historia Dark Horse Comics p 155 ISBN 978 1 5067 2138 5 Inside Zelda part 3 Nintendo Power Vol 194 Nintendo 2005 Archived from the original on 2010 05 02 Retrieved 2015 09 07 Hyrule Historia Nintendo 14 April 2020 pp 10 11 ISBN 9781506721385 Hernandez Patricia 14 March 2017 At First Nintendo Couldn t Agree On How To Depict Zelda In Breath of the Wild Kotaku Retrieved 2021 10 22 Frank Allegra 2017 03 14 Check out Breath of the Wild s Link and Zelda transition from weird to wonderful Polygon Retrieved 2021 10 16 革命の その先の冒険 ゼルダの伝説 ティアーズ オブ ザ キングダム 開発者インタビュー ページ 3 Nintendo DREAM WEB in Japanese 2023 10 26 Retrieved 2023 11 26 This Week in Games AI Voice Scraping Can t End Soon Enough Anime News Network 2023 10 23 Retrieved 2023 10 23 a b Princess Zelda Voices Legend of Zelda Behind The Voice Actors Retrieved 2021 11 10 Jun MIZUSAWA Anime News Network www animenewsnetwork com Retrieved 2023 10 23 Hikari TACHIBANA Anime News Network www animenewsnetwork com Retrieved 2023 10 23 Akane OMAE Anime News Network www animenewsnetwork com Retrieved 2023 10 23 Ayumi FUJIMURA Anime News Network www animenewsnetwork com Retrieved 2023 10 23 Saori SETO Anime News Network www animenewsnetwork com Retrieved 2023 10 23 Yu SHIMAMURA Anime News Network www animenewsnetwork com Retrieved 2023 10 23 Wright Stephen T 1 May 2023 The Worst Zelda Game Ever Has Been Ported To Game Boy GameSpot Retrieved 2023 10 23 The Memory Card 84 A royal assist Destructoid 2011 03 31 Retrieved 2021 11 01 The Legend Of Zelda 25 Strange Things About Hylians That Everyone Forgets TheGamer 2018 12 30 Retrieved 2021 10 31 Greenbaum Aaron 2022 08 04 The Legend of Zelda How Old Are Link and Zelda Supposed to Be Den of Geek Retrieved 2023 11 12 The Legend of Zelda How Zelda Differs From Hylia Explained Game Rant 2021 07 29 Retrieved 2021 11 01 Legend Of Zelda 10 Facts You Didn t Know About The Triforce Of Wisdom TheGamer 2019 08 29 Retrieved 2021 11 01 The Legend Of Zelda 20 Wild Details About Zelda s Anatomy ScreenRant 2019 01 07 Retrieved 2021 11 01 10 Things Even Diehard Fans Didn t Know About Princess Zelda Game Rant 2020 10 13 Retrieved 2021 11 01 The Legend of Zelda The 15 Most Powerful Bows In Breath of The Wild Ranked TheGamer 2020 04 16 Retrieved 2021 11 01 Plunkett Luke 2011 07 21 The Real History of the Triforce Kotaku Retrieved 2023 10 21 a b Byrd Matthew 2021 07 15 Is Skyward Sword the Only Link and Zelda Romance Story Den of Geek Retrieved 2021 10 29 Loveland Justin 2021 11 21 Legend Of Zelda Games That Don t Actually Have Zelda In Them ScreenRant Retrieved 2023 11 19 a b Guisao Jason The Legend Of Zelda The Princess Deserves Her Own Game Game Informer Retrieved 2021 10 24 a b c Alexander Cristina 2023 08 25 How to Play The Legend of Zelda Games in Chronological Order IGN Retrieved 2023 11 19 a b Mackey Bob 2013 11 22 The Legend of Zelda Timeline GamesRadar Retrieved 2023 11 20 a b c d Needleman Ariel 2017 07 04 Ranking The Different Versions Of Princess Zelda From Worst To Best TheGamer Retrieved 2023 11 20 Legend Of Zelda Games That Don t Actually Have Zelda In Them ScreenRant 2021 11 21 Retrieved 2021 12 14 The Oracle Games Were Some Of Zelda s Finest Hours TheGamer 2019 09 20 Retrieved 2022 01 30 a b Concelmo Chad 2007 08 30 The Memory Card 14 The legend of Tetra Destructoid Retrieved 2023 11 09 Colwander Michael 2022 01 24 Zelda Every Wind Waker Boss Ranked By Difficulty CBR Retrieved 2023 11 20 15 years later Four Swords Adventures is still the best multiplayer Zelda game Destructoid 2019 06 07 Retrieved 2022 01 30 Legend Of Zelda Every Version Of Ganon Ranked By Power TheGamer 2021 07 07 Retrieved 2022 01 30 Crites Jacob 2011 12 19 Review The Legend of Zelda The Minish Cap 3DS eShop GBA Nintendo Life Retrieved 2022 01 31 Little Riley 2018 09 21 Most Terrible Things Princess Zelda Has Ever Done SVG com Retrieved 2022 01 31 Twilight Princess The Lore Behind Zant Explained Game Rant 2021 08 31 Retrieved 2022 01 31 Zelda Every Twilight Princess Boss Ranked By Difficulty CBR 2022 01 27 Retrieved 2022 01 31 Miller Zachary 5 October 2007 The Legend of Zelda Phantom Hourglass Review Review Nintendo World Report Retrieved 2022 01 31 Stone Abbie 2021 06 24 Legend of Zelda Spirit Tracks was a flawed series entry that shined a long overdue spotlight on its title character gamesradar Retrieved 2022 02 01 Skyward Sword Ending Explained And So The Legend of Zelda Begins Collider 2021 07 20 Retrieved 2022 02 02 McEvoy Sophie 2023 02 23 The Legend Of Zelda 6 Villains Who Weren t Always Evil Game Rant Retrieved 2023 11 20 Wilhelm Daley 2019 09 19 The Entire Breath Of The Wild Story Explained SVG com Retrieved 2021 11 07 Watts Steve 25 May 2023 Zelda Tears Of The Kingdom Inverts One Of The Oldest Story Tropes GameSpot Retrieved 2023 05 28 Marks Tom 2023 05 23 The Legend of Zelda Tears of the Kingdom Ending Explained IGN Retrieved 2023 05 29 IGN Presents the History of Zelda IGN 28 August 2010 Retrieved 17 November 2021 a b Christopher Michael 2020 08 30 Nintendo Every Game Where You Can Play As Princess Zelda TheGamer Retrieved 2021 11 16 First Legend of Zelda videogame to make Princess Zelda a playable character Guinness World Records 10 October 1993 Retrieved 2021 10 28 The Legend of Zelda 35th anniversary retrospective A windy adventure iMore 2021 02 02 Retrieved 2021 10 28 Pitcher Jenna 2014 06 25 Watch Princess Zelda kick some serious ass in this Hyrule Warriors trailer Polygon Retrieved 2023 11 19 a b Greenbaum Aaron 2023 05 08 The Strange History of Legend of Zelda Games That Let You Play as Zelda Den of Geek Retrieved 2023 11 19 Hussain Tamoor June 10 2015 Hyrule Warriors Announced for 3DS With New Characters GameSpot CBS Interactive Archived from the original on June 13 2015 Retrieved June 13 2015 Hyrule Warriors Footage Shows Toon Zelda s Moves Plus The Sand Rod In Action Siliconera 2016 09 02 Retrieved 2023 11 19 Hyrule Warriors Footage Features Tetra And The King of Hyrule Wii U Gameplay Siliconera 2016 01 22 Retrieved 2023 11 19 a b Dale Laura 2019 06 27 Cadence of Hyrule shows it s time for a playable Princess Zelda SYFY Official Site Retrieved 2023 11 07 Nintendo calls Princess Zelda back to fight in the next Super Smash Bros VentureBeat 2013 12 26 Retrieved 2023 11 11 Green Jake 2020 01 17 Super Smash Bros Ultimate Character Every Fighter in Smash Bros Ultimate USgamer Archived from the original on 2021 11 16 Retrieved 2021 11 16 E3 2018 All Super Smash Bros Ultimate Character Changes That We Know Of So Far GameSpot 2018 06 13 Retrieved 2018 06 13 The Legend of Zelda Animated Series A Very Strange History Den of Geek 2018 04 06 Retrieved 2021 10 27 Cynthia Preston visual voices guide Behind The Voice Actors Retrieved 2021 10 27 Carpenter Nicole 2023 01 11 Excuuuuse me Princess An oral history of The Legend of Zelda cartoon Polygon Retrieved 2023 04 19 Childers Juliet 2020 10 28 Legend Of Zelda Every Side Game And Spin Off TheGamer Retrieved 2023 11 15 McClain K J 2017 08 21 Video Take a Detailed Look at the Original Legend of Zelda Manga Nintendo Life Retrieved 2023 11 12 Gray Kate 2022 01 28 Random Check Out This 1986 Choose Your Own Adventure Book Where You Play As Zelda Nintendo Life Retrieved 2023 11 12 Hagues Alana 2022 05 23 Random The Final Zelda Choose Your Own Adventure Book Has Been Uncovered Nintendo Life Retrieved 2023 11 12 Carpenter Nicole 2023 03 28 Remember the time when Link turned into Ganon in The Legend of Zelda Polygon Retrieved 2023 03 31 Ganguli Srijani 2020 12 05 Zelda Everything You Didn t Know About The Valiant Comics Series CBR Retrieved 2021 11 12 McWhertor Michael 2015 01 26 The Legend of Zelda A Link to the Past comic returns to print after more than 20 years Polygon Retrieved 2021 11 12 Hilliard Kyle 2017 05 01 Legendary World of Zelda Triumph Books ISBN 978 1 63319 818 0 Campbell Evan 2014 04 01 350 Limited Edition Zelda Statue Announced IGN Retrieved 2023 10 20 Liu Stephanie 2023 06 06 Legend of Zelda Breath of the Wild Plushes Will Reappear Siliconera Retrieved 2023 10 20 Macy Seth G 2023 05 11 Here s Every Legend of Zelda Amiibo IGN Retrieved 2023 10 20 Doolan Liam 2023 11 03 Reminder The New Zelda Tears Of The Kingdom amiibo Are Now Available Nintendo Life Retrieved 2023 11 03 Knight Gladys L 2010 Female Action Heroes A Guide to Women in Comics Video Games Film and Television ABC CLIO p 62 ISBN 978 0 313 37612 2 Leading Ladies Official Nintendo Magazine 2009 09 12 Archived from the original on 2012 06 15 Retrieved 2009 09 12 Loveridge Sam 2016 08 08 Most iconic female game characters of all time ranked Digital Spy Retrieved 2021 10 25 Marchiafava Jeff February 16 2011 Guinness Names Top 50 Video Game Characters Of All Time Game Informer Retrieved February 2 2018 Doolan Liam 2023 10 29 Zelda Voted Favourite Tears Of The Kingdom Character In Recent Famitsu Survey Nintendo Life Retrieved 2023 10 30 Huebner Alex 2021 02 13 All of Zelda s alter egos and their back stories iMore Retrieved 2023 10 19 Mejia Ozzie 19 November 2018 Super Smash Bros Ultimate Character Profiles Zelda Shacknews Retrieved 2023 04 17 Ravenscraft Eric What We Want Out of a Legend of Zelda Movie Wired ISSN 1059 1028 Retrieved 2023 11 09 Drake Richard George and Audrey 2011 04 30 Hyrule Times The Impact of Ocarina of Time IGN Retrieved 2023 11 11 Myers Maddy 2015 11 18 I Love Linkle But Linkle Is Not Enough The Mary Sue Retrieved 2023 11 13 Beyond Lara Croft 30 truly interesting female game characters part one The Guardian 2016 01 25 Retrieved 2021 11 01 Stone Abbie 2021 06 24 Legend of Zelda Spirit Tracks was a flawed series entry that shined a long overdue spotlight on its title character gamesradar Retrieved 2023 04 17 Welsh Oli 2009 12 08 The Legend of Zelda Spirit Tracks Eurogamer net Retrieved 2023 10 19 Mc Shea Tom The Legend of Zelda Skyward Sword Review GameSpot Retrieved 2023 11 07 Holmes Jonathan Review The Legend of Zelda Skyward Sword Destructoid Retrieved 2023 11 07 Olney Alex 2017 03 22 Video Here s Four Solid Reasons Zelda Breath of the Wild has the Best Princess Zelda to Date Nintendo Life Retrieved 2023 04 18 Jackson Gita 2017 03 24 Princess Zelda s Breath of the Wild Outfit Helps Tell Her Story Kotaku Retrieved 2023 10 30 Carpou Madeline 2022 05 17 10 of the Most Inspiring Women in Video Games The Mary Sue Retrieved 2023 11 07 Hernandez Patricia 2020 11 20 Hyrule Warriors Age of Calamity is a must play for Zelda fans Polygon Retrieved 2023 11 10 Watts Steve 11 May 2023 The Legend Of Zelda Tears Of The Kingdom Review GameSpot Retrieved 2023 10 19 Watts Steve 25 May 2023 Zelda Tears Of The Kingdom Inverts One Of The Oldest Story Tropes GameSpot Retrieved 2023 10 19 Byrd Matthew 2023 05 17 Princess Zelda Is the Real Star of Tears of the Kingdom Den of Geek Retrieved 2023 06 23 Monbleau Timothy 2023 05 13 Link s big date in Link s Awakening marked a sea change in the franchise Destructoid Retrieved 2023 11 11 Main Brendan 2009 10 06 Dude Looks Like a Lady The Escapist Retrieved 2021 10 24 Kastrenakes Jacob 2016 06 14 Nintendo offers really stupid reasons why you can t play as a woman in The Legend of Zelda The Verge Retrieved 2021 10 26 Gitkos Sara 2021 02 18 The Legend of Zelda Why she should be the hero iMore Retrieved 2021 10 24 Castello Jay 2023 07 22 Tears of the Kingdom s ending is its own kind of tragedy Polygon Retrieved 2023 10 19 Wald Heather 2023 04 14 We only need to know one thing after the final Tears of the Kingdom trailer can we play as Zelda gamesradar Retrieved 2023 04 18 External links edit nbsp Wikimedia Commons has media related to Princess Zelda Princess Zelda page at Play Nintendo Portal nbsp Video games Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Princess Zelda amp oldid 1189841265 Sheik, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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