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Princess Zelda

October 28, 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 or Champions 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 is a widely recognisable character in video gaming and a popular character with gamers and cosplayers. 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 character development 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.[2] 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".[3]

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, which was established as the incarnation that appears in Skyward Sword.[4] 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".[5]

Character design edit

 
Zelda, as depicted in promotional artwork for the original The Legend of Zelda

Illustrations created for the original game and displayed in the Nintendo book titled The Legend Of Zelda: Art And Artifacts present a detailed design for the character dressed in a long pink gown decorated with white bows and wearing a necklace and small tiara.[6] Artwork for Zelda II: The Adventure of Link imitated Zelda's original appearance, presenting her wearing a similar long pink gown and red hair.[7] For the development of A Link to the Past (1991), Zelda was originally designed wearing a sci-fi themed outfit to correspond with an early multi-world game concept, but this was eventually scrapped.[8]

The 1998 video game Ocarina of Time introduced a radical development for the character as a result of the improved graphical capabilities of the Nintendo 64. Princess Zelda was rendered in 3D for the first time and her detailed character model was accompanied by a more intricate backstory and involvement in the game. The princess was created in two forms, as a child and an adult. Her royal dress was designed with greater detail and displays a tabard featuring the Sheikah coat of arms and the Hyrule royal family crest.[9]

Zelda appeared in cartoon form in the anime-inspired 2002 video game The Wind Waker. The art style was a vast departure from previous entries, both in terms of the cel-shaded graphics and also in the presentation of the character.[10] Zelda appears as Tetra, a pirate captain whose disguise is vastly different to her traditional appearance as princess.[11] Tetra's hair was designed as a swirl to mimic the wind and smoke in the game. This contrasts with her more traditional appearance as princess in the game wearing long hair and royal dress.[12]

For the release 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".[13]

For Spirit Tracks (2009), Zelda was given a more active role in the gameplay, adventuring alongside Link in spirit form, which made a sharp contrast to her damsel in distress role in earlier installments. Eiji Aonuma, the series' longtime manager and producer, 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 (from Ocarina of Time) and Tetra (from The Wind Waker and Phantom Hourglass). Director, Daiki Iwamoto, also expressed an interest in making Zelda "a more integral part of the game" during the development of Spirit Tracks.[14]

In 2011, Zelda appeared in Skyward Sword 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".[15] Aonuma stated that his team had been "looking at how we can create a Zelda that's not just a princess that needs to be rescued, but as somebody who has an active role and has her own part in the story".[16]

For the release of Breath of the Wild in 2017, a variety of concept art was considered for Zelda's character design. In a three-part series on the making of the game, director Hidemaro Fujibayashi commented that Zelda's character was the most difficult to define: "The planners started by thinking about what kind of person Zelda is, and why she's in a position that makes us want to save her... The designers, on the other hand, took a completely opposite approach, or perhaps I should say different approach compared to the planners. For them it was all about first impressions... about how Zelda's design could make you feel something deep inside". The team was so concerned about her design that they repeatedly made refinements to her design until the end of development.[17] 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.[18] Aonuma said that in Breath of the Wild, Zelda was designed to be "complex and multifaceted".[19] He went on to explain that he wanted players to "explore and see these different sides of Zelda, different emotions that she evokes".[20]

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,[21] Brandy Kopp in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate and Stephanie Martone in Cadence of Hyrule.[22] She is voiced by Canadian-American actress Patricia Summersett in Breath of the Wild, Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity, and Tears of the Kingdom.[22] Zelda has also been voiced by several Japanese actors, including Jun Mizusawa (Ocarina of Time, Twilight Princess, Super Smash Bros. Melee),[23] Hikari Tachibana (Four Swords Adventures, The Wind Waker, Hyrule Warriors),[24] Akane Omae (Spirit Tracks),[25] Ayumi Fujimura (A Link Between Worlds and Super Smash Bros. Ultimate),[26] Saori Seto (Hyrule Warriors)[27] and Yū Shimamura (Skyward Sword, Breath of the Wild, Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity and Tears of the Kingdom).[28] In Zelda's Adventure, she was portrayed by a receptionist at the Viridis Corporation named Diane Burns.[29]

Characteristics edit

Zelda is a princess and member of the royal family of Hyrule. She is typically depicted with blonde or brown hair and blue eyes and wears a royal dress, tiara and jewellery.[30] Her appearance bears the characteristic traits of the Hylians, a fictional people that are human in form with elfin features, such as pointy ears.[31] Throughout the series her age has ranged from a child to a teenager and young adult.[32]

In the early games, Zelda primarily takes the role of the damsel in distress for Link to save after she is kidnapped by the series main antagonist, Ganon. However, her role has evolved over the course of the series. She sometimes assists and guides Link during his adventures and aids him in battle. In Ocarina of Time, she appears dressed as a mysterious ninja named Sheik who helps Link on his journey.[33] In The Wind Waker, she plays an active role in the game in the guise of Tetra and also takes part in the final battle to defeat Ganondorf.[34] In Spirit Tracks she travels alongside Link in the form of a spirit and assists him in overcoming various obstacles.[35] In Breath of the Wild, she plays a prominent role in the storyline, with a complete story arc that is revealed in the form of Link's memories and portrays her as an emotionally complex character.[36]

In the lore of the series, the first incarnation of Zelda is the mortal reincarnation of the goddess Hylia, a prominent deity within the games. Each subsequent incarnation of Zelda possesses the blood of the goddess. Zelda also represents the physical embodiment of Hylia's struggle to protect the mortal world from evil and takes responsibility for protecting the kingdom of Hyrule.[37] Most iterations of Zelda have magical powers, such as teleportation, precognition, and the ability to heal.[32]

Zelda is also closely associated with Nayru, one of the three Golden Goddesses who are the creators of the fictional world of Hyrule. Like Link and Ganon, she is the bearer of one third of the Triforce, a mystical artefact and icon within the series. Zelda possesses the Triforce of Wisdom, which gives her the inherent qualities of intelligence and wisdom. In the original 1986 The Legend of Zelda, 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.[38]

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.[39] 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. In Breath of the Wild, it is the most powerful bow in the game and she gifts it to Link to help him defeat Ganon in beast form.[40] In Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity, Zelda is able to unleash several powerful attacks using the Bow of Light, including creating rings of light around enemies to deal greater damage.[41] She also uses the Sheikah Slate, a handheld tablet featuring several runes, to attack enemies remotely.[42]

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.[43] 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".[44]

Alter egos edit

Sheik edit

 
Sheik as depicted in promotional artwork for Ocarina of Time

In Ocarina of Time, Zelda disguises herself as a surviving member of the Sheikah clan under the name of Sheik (シーク, Shīku). With voice muffled and face concealed, as well as wearing a form-fitting blue unitard with the red Sheikah eye in the center, Sheik is unrecognizable as Zelda. 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.[45] Zelda reveals that she disguised herself as Sheik to hide from Ganondorf, who wants to take the Triforce of Wisdom from her so that he can possess all three pieces of the Triforce and control its power. When she reveals her real identity to Link, she magically transforms into her traditional form wearing her princess attire. This reveal is foreshadowed by a Gossip Stone located outside Hyrule Castle that states, "contrary to her elegant image, Princess Zelda of Hyrule Castle is, in fact, a tomboy".[46] Sheik's gender was the subject of debate, with some fans believing that Zelda transforms herself into a male character in Ocarina of Time. However, Nintendo senior product marketing manager Bill Trinen responded that Sheik is a woman — Zelda in a different outfit.[47] 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.[48]

Tetra edit

 
Tetra as depicted in promotional artwork for Wind Waker HD

Tetra (テトラ, Tetora) is a young pirate captain who is the incarnation of Zelda in The Wind Waker and its Nintendo DS sequel, Phantom Hourglass. Like Sheik, she plays a major role in the storyline, by helping Link to find his sister, Aryll. However, rather than purposefully taking on the guise of Tetra, Zelda is unaware of her royal bloodline until the end of the game. Tetra is an orphan who inherits her position as pirate captain from her mother, who died when she was young.[45] 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.[49] Tetra's transformation into Zelda takes place when the long lost king of Hyrule attaches a small golden object to Tetra's necklace to form the Triforce of Wisdom. This surrounds Tetra with blinding white light that subsides and reveals Zelda in her true princess form.[50] After this reveal, she spends the remaining part of the game in her traditional appearance of Zelda, but reappears as Tetra at the end of the game.[49]

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.[51] In a 2011 interview with GamesRadar+, 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".[16]

Appearances edit

The Legend of Zelda series edit

As the eponymous character of the series, Princess Zelda has appeared in most of The Legend of Zelda games. However, there have been several games in which 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).[30]

In Zelda's first appearance in the original The Legend of Zelda (1986), she is kidnapped by Ganon, the series' main antagonist, who seeks to steal the Triforce of Wisdom from her. Before he is able to capture her, she divides the Triforce of Wisdom into eight pieces and hides the pieces across the land. She is eventually rescued by Link, and the two of them reunite the Triforces of Wisdom and Power. Although Zelda has only a minor role in the game, she was established as a central character in the storyline.

Zelda reappears in the sequel, Zelda II: The Adventure of Link (1987). According to the game's manual, this incarnation of Zelda has been put into an eternal slumber after refusing to give up the power of the Triforce. Link breaks the curse by retrieving the Triforce and using its power to awaken her. This is the first game showing a relationship between the two characters, as Zelda rewards Link with a kiss at the end of the game.

In A Link to the Past (1991), Zelda is given a prominent role in the storyline and is established as a major character in the battle between good and evil. She is described as one of seven maidens descended from seven sages who sealed away Ganon during the Imprisoning War, a battle fought against Ganon's evil army. She is kidnapped and telepathically pleads with Link to rescue her. After being rescued, she and the six other maidens assist Link in breaking the seal on Ganon's tower so that Link may defeat the villain.[52]

In Ocarina of Time (1998), Zelda first appears as a child. Suspicious of the Gerudo King Ganondorf, she charges Link with the task of collecting the three spiritual stones to open the door to the Sacred Realm and 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 with her guardian Impa before he can capture either of them. Still in hiding seven years later, she poses as a young Sheikah boy named Sheik. When Link wakes up after seven years, she guides him on his quest to save Hyrule's Sages before revealing her true identity. With Zelda's help, Link defeats Ganondorf after he transforms into his beast form named Ganon.

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.[53] 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.[54]

Four Swords (2002) presents Princess Zelda as one of many descendants who protect the seal on the Four Sword. In the plot, 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.

The Zelda character in The Wind Waker (2002) is unaware of her royal identity, living instead as the pirate captain named Tetra. She first appears in the clutches of a giant bird called the Helmaroc King, though she struggles and is dropped at the top of Link's home island of Outset. She then agrees to help Link rescue his younger sister Aryll, whom the Helmaroc King has subsequently captured. 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. In the final boss battle against Ganondorf, she assists Link by using his bow to shoot arrows of light.

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.[55] 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.[56]

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.[57]

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.[58] 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.[59] 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.[60]

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.[61]

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.[62] 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.[49]

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.[63]

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 obtaining the remaining two pendants and drawing the Master Sword, Link pursues Yuga but is made to watch when he turns Zelda into a painting and casts her into the dying world of Lorule. Pursuing them to Lorule, Link is nearly destroyed by Yuga when he uses the Sages to revive Ganon and steal his Triforce of Power, but he is saved when Zelda's Lorule counterpart Princess Hilda binds Yuga. On Hilda's suggestion, Link rescues the Sages and is given the Triforce of Courage, then returns to Hilda only to see her taking Zelda's Triforce of Wisdom. She reveals that everything that had happened in Hyrule was intentionally designed to gather the Triforce so that Hilda can steal it and use its magic to restore Lorule. Hilda orders Yuga to take Link's Triforce of Courage, but Yuga betrays Hilda and turns her into a painting alongside Zelda. After Yuga's death, Zelda and Hilda are returned to normal, but Hilda refuses to accept defeat until Link's own Lorule counterpart Ravio convinces her that she has no right to rob Hyrule of its Triforce. Taking pity on Hilda, Zelda and Link use their Triforce to restore Lorule's own, allowing Hilda's kingdom to flourish once again.[citation needed]

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.[64]

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.[65] After Ganondorf's defeat she is transformed back into a Hylian by the power of time and light.[66] Fujibayashi, the game's director noted that 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".[67]

Spin-off games edit

Zelda appears in three CD-i games based on The Legend of Zelda series. In Link: The Faces of Evil (1993), she is kidnapped by Ganon and has to be rescued by Link.[68] In Zelda: The Wand of Gamelon (1993) and Zelda's Adventure (1994), Princess Zelda is the protagonist and must save Link.[69] Zelda: The Wand of Gamelon is noteworthy as the first time that Zelda appeared as a playable character.[70] However, the series is generally criticized by fans and not recognized by Nintendo as canon.[71]

Zelda is a playable character in Hyrule Warriors (2014). Her weapons include the light arrows, which have been associated with her in several previous Zelda games, a rapier, as well as the Wind Waker, the titular conductor's baton from the series' entry. The Dominion Rod from Twilight Princess appeared as downloadable content for the Wii U game and in Hyrule Warriors Legends (2016) for the Nintendo 3DS. In addition to her Hyrule Warriors incarnation, Tetra and Toon Zelda (her incarnation from Spirit Tracks) appear in Hyrule Warriors Legends[72] and were added to Hyrule Warriors as downloadable content. Tetra fights primarily wielding a Cutlass and water magic-infused pistol, though like Princess Zelda can use Light Arrows during certain attacks. Toon Zelda uses her ghostly form to possess a Phantom and fights wielding its sword and shield known as Phantom Arms.[73] In addition to her Phantom, Toon Zelda can also leave it briefly during certain attacks to unleash the power of her spirit. Tetra can be unlocked through the latter part of the main story of Hyrule Warriors Legends, while Toon Zelda appeared as part of the Phantom Hourglass and Spirit Tracks downloadable content.[73]

Zelda is a playable character in the rhythm game Cadence of Hyrule, which was released in 2019 for the Nintendo Switch. It is a crossover between Crypt of the NecroDancer and The Legend of Zelda series.[74]

In Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity (2020), a prequel to Breath of the Wild, Princess Zelda is one of eighteen playable characters. The game tells the story of the Great Calamity that happened 100 years before Breath of the Wild.[75]

Other game series edit

 
 
According to Masahiro Sakurai, Zelda was seen as more of a researcher in The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. Thus, her design in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate takes influence from both A Link Between Worlds and A Link To The Past.[76]

Zelda was introduced in the Super Smash Bros. series as a playable character in Super Smash Bros. Melee (2001) and has appeared in every subsequent game, including Brawl (2008), Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U (2014) and Ultimate (2018). In Melee and Brawl, Zelda possesses the ability to transform into Sheik. In 3DS and Wii U and Ultimate, they are separate characters. Her character moves mainly involve magical attacks, while Sheik is focused more on speed and physical attacks.[69] In Brawl her design was based on her appearance in Twilight Princess.[77] In a 2007 interview, Eiji Aonuma said that his design team had submitted initial character models for Sheik, Link and Ganondorf for use within the Brawl environment and Sheik was confirmed as a returning character.[78] An alternate color variation for Zelda with an appearance similar to that of Melee was also included in Brawl.[79] The Twilight Princess incarnation of Zelda and Sheik returned in Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U, this time as separate characters with no ability to switch between them in mid-battle.[80] In Ultimate, Sheik's design took inspiration from the Sheikah Set in Breath of the Wild[81] and Zelda's design is based on her appearance in A Link Between Worlds and A Link To The Past.[76]

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: "We didn't want a Disney princess. We're not going to be selling princess dresses to six-year-olds. So yeah, she was an action hero in her own right, and that was kind of unique". Preston commented: "I don't think I was playing Zelda as a teenager. She was an independent woman — a young woman, but she was independent. She didn't need a hero to save her, and that was so cool".[84]

A version of cartoon Zelda (with slightly more revealing clothing) appeared in assorted episodes in the second season of Captain N: The Game Master. In this crossover, Zelda and Link befriend Kevin Keene and Princess Lana as they all attempt to restore peace to Hyrule. These appearances function as a follow-up to the original Zelda cartoon.[85]

Comics and manga edit

A comic series published in the early 1990s by Valiant Comics was based on the adventures of Zelda and Link.[86] 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.[87]

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.[88]

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.[89]

Merchandise edit

Zelda has been reproduced in the form of figurines and plush toys.[90][91] 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.[92] In June 2023, an amiibo for Tears of the Kingdom depicting Zelda holding the Master Sword was announced for release later in the year.[93]

Reception and legacy edit

 
Attendees of Otakon 2012 dressed up as different versions of Zelda throughout The Legend of Zelda series

Due to being the titular character, it is a common misconception amongst new players and non-players that Zelda is the protagonist of the series.[94] Actor and comedian Robin Williams named his daughter Zelda Williams after Princess Zelda, due to being a fan of The Legend of Zelda series.[95] Critics and gamers consider Zelda to be a significant video game character in popular culture. 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".[96] In 2016, Digital Spy ranked her as one of the "most iconic female game characters of all time".[97] In 2018, readers of Guinness World Records Gamer's Edition voted her as one of the top video game characters of all time.[98]

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".[99] 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.[100] 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.[101]

Tetra was recognised by The Guardian as one of 30 "interesting female game characters", with the comment that "Tetra demands respect and gets it".[102] 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".[103] 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.[104]

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.[105] 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".[106] 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.[107] 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".[108]

Analysis edit

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.[109] 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.[20] 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.[94] 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?"[110] 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.[111] 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".[112] 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".[113]

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

October 28, 2023
princess, zelda, titular, character, nintendo, legend, zelda, video, game, series, created, shigeru, miyamoto, original, 1986, game, legend, zelda, central, characters, series, appeared, majority, games, various, incarnations, zelda, like, hylian, princess, ki. 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 Bonnie Jean Wilbur Link The Faces of Evil and Zelda The Wand of Gamelon 1 Cyndy Preston The Legend of Zelda Patricia Summersett The Legend of Zelda Breath of the Wild Hyrule Warriors Age of Calamity and The Legend of Zelda Tears of the Kingdom 1 Brandy Kopp Super Smash Bros Ultimate World of Light only Stephanie Marton Cadence of Hyrule 1 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 1 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 1 Ayumi Fujimura The Legend of Zelda A Link Between Worlds and Super Smash Bros Ultimate a 1 Saori Seto Hyrule Warriors a 1 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 or Champions 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 is a widely recognisable character in video gaming and a popular character with gamers and cosplayers 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 character development 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 2 Character design 1 3 Portrayal 2 Characteristics 2 1 Relationships 3 Alter egos 3 1 Sheik 3 2 Tetra 4 Appearances 4 1 The Legend of Zelda series 4 2 Spin off games 4 3 Other game series 4 4 Television series 4 5 Comics and manga 4 6 Gamebooks 5 Merchandise 6 Reception and legacy 6 1 Analysis 7 See also 8 Notes 9 References 10 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 2 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 3 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 which was established as the incarnation that appears in Skyward Sword 4 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 5 Character design edit nbsp Zelda as depicted in promotional artwork for the original The Legend of ZeldaIllustrations created for the original game and displayed in the Nintendo book titled The Legend Of Zelda Art And Artifacts present a detailed design for the character dressed in a long pink gown decorated with white bows and wearing a necklace and small tiara 6 Artwork for Zelda II The Adventure of Link imitated Zelda s original appearance presenting her wearing a similar long pink gown and red hair 7 For the development of A Link to the Past 1991 Zelda was originally designed wearing a sci fi themed outfit to correspond with an early multi world game concept but this was eventually scrapped 8 The 1998 video game Ocarina of Time introduced a radical development for the character as a result of the improved graphical capabilities of the Nintendo 64 Princess Zelda was rendered in 3D for the first time and her detailed character model was accompanied by a more intricate backstory and involvement in the game The princess was created in two forms as a child and an adult Her royal dress was designed with greater detail and displays a tabard featuring the Sheikah coat of arms and the Hyrule royal family crest 9 Zelda appeared in cartoon form in the anime inspired 2002 video game The Wind Waker The art style was a vast departure from previous entries both in terms of the cel shaded graphics and also in the presentation of the character 10 Zelda appears as Tetra a pirate captain whose disguise is vastly different to her traditional appearance as princess 11 Tetra s hair was designed as a swirl to mimic the wind and smoke in the game This contrasts with her more traditional appearance as princess in the game wearing long hair and royal dress 12 For the release 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 13 For Spirit Tracks 2009 Zelda was given a more active role in the gameplay adventuring alongside Link in spirit form which made a sharp contrast to her damsel in distress role in earlier installments Eiji Aonuma the series longtime manager and producer 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 from Ocarina of Time and Tetra from The Wind Waker and Phantom Hourglass Director Daiki Iwamoto also expressed an interest in making Zelda a more integral part of the game during the development of Spirit Tracks 14 In 2011 Zelda appeared in Skyward Sword 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 15 Aonuma stated that his team had been looking at how we can create a Zelda that s not just a princess that needs to be rescued but as somebody who has an active role and has her own part in the story 16 For the release of Breath of the Wild in 2017 a variety of concept art was considered for Zelda s character design In a three part series on the making of the game director Hidemaro Fujibayashi commented that Zelda s character was the most difficult to define The planners started by thinking about what kind of person Zelda is and why she s in a position that makes us want to save her The designers on the other hand took a completely opposite approach or perhaps I should say different approach compared to the planners For them it was all about first impressions about how Zelda s design could make you feel something deep inside The team was so concerned about her design that they repeatedly made refinements to her design until the end of development 17 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 18 Aonuma said that in Breath of the Wild Zelda was designed to be complex and multifaceted 19 He went on to explain that he wanted players to explore and see these different sides of Zelda different emotions that she evokes 20 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 21 Brandy Kopp in Super Smash Bros Ultimate and Stephanie Martone in Cadence of Hyrule 22 She is voiced by Canadian American actress Patricia Summersett in Breath of the Wild Hyrule Warriors Age of Calamity and Tears of the Kingdom 22 Zelda has also been voiced by several Japanese actors including Jun Mizusawa Ocarina of Time Twilight Princess Super Smash Bros Melee 23 Hikari Tachibana Four Swords Adventures The Wind Waker Hyrule Warriors 24 Akane Omae Spirit Tracks 25 Ayumi Fujimura A Link Between Worlds and Super Smash Bros Ultimate 26 Saori Seto Hyrule Warriors 27 and Yu Shimamura Skyward Sword Breath of the Wild Hyrule Warriors Age of Calamity and Tears of the Kingdom 28 In Zelda s Adventure she was portrayed by a receptionist at the Viridis Corporation named Diane Burns 29 Characteristics editZelda is a princess and member of the royal family of Hyrule She is typically depicted with blonde or brown hair and blue eyes and wears a royal dress tiara and jewellery 30 Her appearance bears the characteristic traits of the Hylians a fictional people that are human in form with elfin features such as pointy ears 31 Throughout the series her age has ranged from a child to a teenager and young adult 32 In the early games Zelda primarily takes the role of the damsel in distress for Link to save after she is kidnapped by the series main antagonist Ganon However her role has evolved over the course of the series She sometimes assists and guides Link during his adventures and aids him in battle In Ocarina of Time she appears dressed as a mysterious ninja named Sheik who helps Link on his journey 33 In The Wind Waker she plays an active role in the game in the guise of Tetra and also takes part in the final battle to defeat Ganondorf 34 In Spirit Tracks she travels alongside Link in the form of a spirit and assists him in overcoming various obstacles 35 In Breath of the Wild she plays a prominent role in the storyline with a complete story arc that is revealed in the form of Link s memories and portrays her as an emotionally complex character 36 In the lore of the series the first incarnation of Zelda is the mortal reincarnation of the goddess Hylia a prominent deity within the games Each subsequent incarnation of Zelda possesses the blood of the goddess Zelda also represents the physical embodiment of Hylia s struggle to protect the mortal world from evil and takes responsibility for protecting the kingdom of Hyrule 37 Most iterations of Zelda have magical powers such as teleportation precognition and the ability to heal 32 Zelda is also closely associated with Nayru one of the three Golden Goddesses who are the creators of the fictional world of Hyrule Like Link and Ganon she is the bearer of one third of the Triforce a mystical artefact and icon within the series Zelda possesses the Triforce of Wisdom which gives her the inherent qualities of intelligence and wisdom In the original 1986 The Legend of Zelda 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 38 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 39 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 In Breath of the Wild it is the most powerful bow in the game and she gifts it to Link to help him defeat Ganon in beast form 40 In Hyrule Warriors Age of Calamity Zelda is able to unleash several powerful attacks using the Bow of Light including creating rings of light around enemies to deal greater damage 41 She also uses the Sheikah Slate a handheld tablet featuring several runes to attack enemies remotely 42 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 43 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 44 Alter egos editSheik edit nbsp Sheik as depicted in promotional artwork for Ocarina of TimeIn Ocarina of Time Zelda disguises herself as a surviving member of the Sheikah clan under the name of Sheik シーク Shiku With voice muffled and face concealed as well as wearing a form fitting blue unitard with the red Sheikah eye in the center Sheik is unrecognizable as Zelda 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 45 Zelda reveals that she disguised herself as Sheik to hide from Ganondorf who wants to take the Triforce of Wisdom from her so that he can possess all three pieces of the Triforce and control its power When she reveals her real identity to Link she magically transforms into her traditional form wearing her princess attire This reveal is foreshadowed by a Gossip Stone located outside Hyrule Castle that states contrary to her elegant image Princess Zelda of Hyrule Castle is in fact a tomboy 46 Sheik s gender was the subject of debate with some fans believing that Zelda transforms herself into a male character in Ocarina of Time However Nintendo senior product marketing manager Bill Trinen responded that Sheik is a woman Zelda in a different outfit 47 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 48 Tetra edit nbsp Tetra as depicted in promotional artwork for Wind Waker HDTetra テトラ Tetora is a young pirate captain who is the incarnation of Zelda in The Wind Waker and its Nintendo DS sequel Phantom Hourglass Like Sheik she plays a major role in the storyline by helping Link to find his sister Aryll However rather than purposefully taking on the guise of Tetra Zelda is unaware of her royal bloodline until the end of the game Tetra is an orphan who inherits her position as pirate captain from her mother who died when she was young 45 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 49 Tetra s transformation into Zelda takes place when the long lost king of Hyrule attaches a small golden object to Tetra s necklace to form the Triforce of Wisdom This surrounds Tetra with blinding white light that subsides and reveals Zelda in her true princess form 50 After this reveal she spends the remaining part of the game in her traditional appearance of Zelda but reappears as Tetra at the end of the game 49 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 51 In a 2011 interview with GamesRadar 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 16 Appearances editThe Legend of Zelda series edit As the eponymous character of the series Princess Zelda has appeared in most of The Legend of Zelda games However there have been several games in which 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 30 In Zelda s first appearance in the original The Legend of Zelda 1986 she is kidnapped by Ganon the series main antagonist who seeks to steal the Triforce of Wisdom from her Before he is able to capture her she divides the Triforce of Wisdom into eight pieces and hides the pieces across the land She is eventually rescued by Link and the two of them reunite the Triforces of Wisdom and Power Although Zelda has only a minor role in the game she was established as a central character in the storyline Zelda reappears in the sequel Zelda II The Adventure of Link 1987 According to the game s manual this incarnation of Zelda has been put into an eternal slumber after refusing to give up the power of the Triforce Link breaks the curse by retrieving the Triforce and using its power to awaken her This is the first game showing a relationship between the two characters as Zelda rewards Link with a kiss at the end of the game In A Link to the Past 1991 Zelda is given a prominent role in the storyline and is established as a major character in the battle between good and evil She is described as one of seven maidens descended from seven sages who sealed away Ganon during the Imprisoning War a battle fought against Ganon s evil army She is kidnapped and telepathically pleads with Link to rescue her After being rescued she and the six other maidens assist Link in breaking the seal on Ganon s tower so that Link may defeat the villain 52 In Ocarina of Time 1998 Zelda first appears as a child Suspicious of the Gerudo King Ganondorf she charges Link with the task of collecting the three spiritual stones to open the door to the Sacred Realm and 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 with her guardian Impa before he can capture either of them Still in hiding seven years later she poses as a young Sheikah boy named Sheik When Link wakes up after seven years she guides him on his quest to save Hyrule s Sages before revealing her true identity With Zelda s help Link defeats Ganondorf after he transforms into his beast form named Ganon 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 53 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 54 Four Swords 2002 presents Princess Zelda as one of many descendants who protect the seal on the Four Sword In the plot 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 The Zelda character in The Wind Waker 2002 is unaware of her royal identity living instead as the pirate captain named Tetra She first appears in the clutches of a giant bird called the Helmaroc King though she struggles and is dropped at the top of Link s home island of Outset She then agrees to help Link rescue his younger sister Aryll whom the Helmaroc King has subsequently captured 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 In the final boss battle against Ganondorf she assists Link by using his bow to shoot arrows of light 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 55 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 56 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 57 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 58 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 59 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 60 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 61 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 62 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 49 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 63 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 obtaining the remaining two pendants and drawing the Master Sword Link pursues Yuga but is made to watch when he turns Zelda into a painting and casts her into the dying world of Lorule Pursuing them to Lorule Link is nearly destroyed by Yuga when he uses the Sages to revive Ganon and steal his Triforce of Power but he is saved when Zelda s Lorule counterpart Princess Hilda binds Yuga On Hilda s suggestion Link rescues the Sages and is given the Triforce of Courage then returns to Hilda only to see her taking Zelda s Triforce of Wisdom She reveals that everything that had happened in Hyrule was intentionally designed to gather the Triforce so that Hilda can steal it and use its magic to restore Lorule Hilda orders Yuga to take Link s Triforce of Courage but Yuga betrays Hilda and turns her into a painting alongside Zelda After Yuga s death Zelda and Hilda are returned to normal but Hilda refuses to accept defeat until Link s own Lorule counterpart Ravio convinces her that she has no right to rob Hyrule of its Triforce Taking pity on Hilda Zelda and Link use their Triforce to restore Lorule s own allowing Hilda s kingdom to flourish once again citation needed 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 64 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 65 After Ganondorf s defeat she is transformed back into a Hylian by the power of time and light 66 Fujibayashi the game s director noted that 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 67 Spin off games edit Zelda appears in three CD i games based on The Legend of Zelda series In Link The Faces of Evil 1993 she is kidnapped by Ganon and has to be rescued by Link 68 In Zelda The Wand of Gamelon 1993 and Zelda s Adventure 1994 Princess Zelda is the protagonist and must save Link 69 Zelda The Wand of Gamelon is noteworthy as the first time that Zelda appeared as a playable character 70 However the series is generally criticized by fans and not recognized by Nintendo as canon 71 Zelda is a playable character in Hyrule Warriors 2014 Her weapons include the light arrows which have been associated with her in several previous Zelda games a rapier as well as the Wind Waker the titular conductor s baton from the series entry The Dominion Rod from Twilight Princess appeared as downloadable content for the Wii U game and in Hyrule Warriors Legends 2016 for the Nintendo 3DS In addition to her Hyrule Warriors incarnation Tetra and Toon Zelda her incarnation from Spirit Tracks appear in Hyrule Warriors Legends 72 and were added to Hyrule Warriors as downloadable content Tetra fights primarily wielding a Cutlass and water magic infused pistol though like Princess Zelda can use Light Arrows during certain attacks Toon Zelda uses her ghostly form to possess a Phantom and fights wielding its sword and shield known as Phantom Arms 73 In addition to her Phantom Toon Zelda can also leave it briefly during certain attacks to unleash the power of her spirit Tetra can be unlocked through the latter part of the main story of Hyrule Warriors Legends while Toon Zelda appeared as part of the Phantom Hourglass and Spirit Tracks downloadable content 73 Zelda is a playable character in the rhythm game Cadence of Hyrule which was released in 2019 for the Nintendo Switch It is a crossover between Crypt of the NecroDancer and The Legend of Zelda series 74 In Hyrule Warriors Age of Calamity 2020 a prequel to Breath of the Wild Princess Zelda is one of eighteen playable characters The game tells the story of the Great Calamity that happened 100 years before Breath of the Wild 75 Other game series edit nbsp nbsp According to Masahiro Sakurai Zelda was seen as more of a researcher in The Legend of Zelda Breath of the Wild Thus her design in Super Smash Bros Ultimate takes influence from both A Link Between Worlds and A Link To The Past 76 Zelda was introduced in the Super Smash Bros series as a playable character in Super Smash Bros Melee 2001 and has appeared in every subsequent game including Brawl 2008 Super Smash Bros for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U 2014 and Ultimate 2018 In Melee and Brawl Zelda possesses the ability to transform into Sheik In 3DS and Wii U and Ultimate they are separate characters Her character moves mainly involve magical attacks while Sheik is focused more on speed and physical attacks 69 In Brawl her design was based on her appearance in Twilight Princess 77 In a 2007 interview Eiji Aonuma said that his design team had submitted initial character models for Sheik Link and Ganondorf for use within the Brawl environment and Sheik was confirmed as a returning character 78 An alternate color variation for Zelda with an appearance similar to that of Melee was also included in Brawl 79 The Twilight Princess incarnation of Zelda and Sheik returned in Super Smash Bros for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U this time as separate characters with no ability to switch between them in mid battle 80 In Ultimate Sheik s design took inspiration from the Sheikah Set in Breath of the Wild 81 and Zelda s design is based on her appearance in A Link Between Worlds and A Link To The Past 76 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 We didn t want a Disney princess We re not going to be selling princess dresses to six year olds So yeah she was an action hero in her own right and that was kind of unique Preston commented I don t think I was playing Zelda as a teenager She was an independent woman a young woman but she was independent She didn t need a hero to save her and that was so cool 84 A version of cartoon Zelda with slightly more revealing clothing appeared in assorted episodes in the second season of Captain N The Game Master In this crossover Zelda and Link befriend Kevin Keene and Princess Lana as they all attempt to restore peace to Hyrule These appearances function as a follow up to the original Zelda cartoon 85 Comics and manga edit A comic series published in the early 1990s by Valiant Comics was based on the adventures of Zelda and Link 86 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 87 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 88 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 89 Merchandise editZelda has been reproduced in the form of figurines and plush toys 90 91 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 92 In June 2023 an amiibo for Tears of the Kingdom depicting Zelda holding the Master Sword was announced for release later in the year 93 Reception and legacy edit nbsp Attendees of Otakon 2012 dressed up as different versions of Zelda throughout The Legend of Zelda seriesDue to being the titular character it is a common misconception amongst new players and non players that Zelda is the protagonist of the series 94 Actor and comedian Robin Williams named his daughter Zelda Williams after Princess Zelda due to being a fan of The Legend of Zelda series 95 Critics and gamers consider Zelda to be a significant video game character in popular culture 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 96 In 2016 Digital Spy ranked her as one of the most iconic female game characters of all time 97 In 2018 readers of Guinness World Records Gamer s Edition voted her as one of the top video game characters of all time 98 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 99 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 100 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 101 Tetra was recognised by The Guardian as one of 30 interesting female game characters with the comment that Tetra demands respect and gets it 102 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 103 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 104 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 105 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 106 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 107 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 108 Analysis edit 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 109 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 20 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 94 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 110 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 111 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 112 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 113 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 a b c d e f g Princess Zelda Voices Legend of Zelda Behind The Voice Actors Retrieved 16 August 2021 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 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 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 Zelda Wouldn t Be Great Without Its Wild 2D Experiments Kotaku Australia 2019 06 26 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 Otero Jose 28 September 2013 The Artistic Legacy of the Legend of Zelda Wind Waker IGN The Memory Card 14 The legend of Tetra Destructoid 2007 08 30 Retrieved 2021 10 30 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 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 Hyrule Historia Nintendo 14 April 2020 pp 10 11 ISBN 9781506721385 a b Zelda past and future An interview with Koji Kondo and Eiji Aonuma gamesradar 2011 11 09 Retrieved 2021 11 21 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 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 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 a b The Legend of Zelda Encyclopedia Nintendo 19 June 2018 pp 16 17 The Legend Of Zelda 25 Strange Things About Hylians That Everyone Forgets TheGamer 2018 12 30 Retrieved 2021 10 31 a b The Legend Of Zelda 20 Wild Details About Zelda s Anatomy ScreenRant 2019 01 07 Retrieved 2021 11 01 Hoffman Chris 2017 11 13 15 reasons we love The Legend of Zelda Ocarina of Time gamesradar Retrieved 2021 11 02 The Memory Card 84 A royal assist Destructoid 2011 03 31 Retrieved 2021 11 01 Zelda Spirit Tracks Finally Gave The Princess A Crucial Role To Play Nintendo Life 2021 04 05 Retrieved 2021 11 01 Legend Of Zelda The Best amp Worst Versions Of Princess Zelda ScreenRant 2021 02 04 Retrieved 2021 11 01 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 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 Ramos Jeff 2020 11 20 Hyrule Warriors Age of Calamity guide How to unlock all characters Polygon Retrieved 2021 11 01 Webster Andrew 2020 11 18 Hyrule Warriors Age of Calamity isn t subtle but it s still Zelda The Verge Retrieved 2021 11 01 Plunkett Luke 2011 07 21 The Real History of the Triforce Kotaku Retrieved 2023 10 21 Byrd Matthew 2021 07 15 Is Skyward Sword the Only Link and Zelda Romance Story Den of Geek Retrieved 2021 10 29 a b 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 Ocarina of Time Why Zelda Disguises Herself As Sheik ScreenRant 2020 11 29 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 a b c Every Disguise amp Alternate Form Princess Zelda Uses In The Games ScreenRant 2021 08 05 Retrieved 2021 11 21 The Memory Card 14 The legend of Tetra Destructoid 2007 08 30 Retrieved 2021 11 21 Review The Legend of Zelda Phantom Hourglass DS Nintendo Life 2007 11 23 Retrieved 2021 11 21 The Legend of Zelda A Link to the Past Instruction Booklet PDF Nintendo 1992 pp 3 8 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 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 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 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 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 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 a b Biery Thomas 2016 09 01 Toon Zelda is making her way to Hyrule Warriors Legends Polygon Retrieved 2021 10 30 Statt Nick 2019 06 13 Cadence of Hyrule is a delightfully weird Zelda rhythm game that demands you move to the beat The Verge Retrieved 2021 10 23 Hyrule Warriors Age of Calamity May Be Repeating Big Franchise Mistake Game Rant 2020 10 30 Retrieved 2020 11 05 a b E3 2018 All Super Smash Bros Ultimate Character Changes That We Know Of So Far GameSpot 2018 06 13 Retrieved 2018 06 13 Nintendo Power Vol 219 Brawl Evolves The diva of Hyrule will sport a new look in Brawl based on her Twilight Princess duds Eiji Aonuma Talks DS Development And More Game Informer 2001 08 02 Archived from the original on 2007 08 18 Retrieved 2007 08 02 Smash Bros DOJO Colour Changes Nintendo 2007 11 21 Retrieved 2007 11 23 Super Smash Bros for Nintendo 3DS Wii U Zelda Smashbros com Retrieved 2013 12 26 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 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 25 Things Only Super Fans Know About The Legend Of Zelda Cartoon TheGamer 2018 07 31 Retrieved 2021 10 29 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 Bailey Kat 2023 06 21 Tears of the Kingdom Zelda and Ganondorf Amiibos Announced During Nintendo Direct IGN Retrieved 2023 10 20 a b Guisao Jason The Legend Of Zelda The Princess Deserves Her Own Game Game Informer Retrieved 2021 10 24 Robin Williams Named his daughter after Princess Zelda Destructoid 2009 11 28 Retrieved 2009 11 28 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 1182149378 Tetra, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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