A ruler so legendary as to deserve the name of an entire saga: Princess Zelda is the undoubted star of our appointment today
We have reached the halfway point, and after this appointment there will be just over two weeks until the release of The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom – which is why today we are talking about the princess which gives its name to the saga. Like the hero Link, she boasts many namesakes throughout the series, living up to the destiny she shares with all of her kindred. In each of the remaining episodes, we will focus on the three cornerstones of the saga across the timeline and in the three branches. Whenever the cycle of the Triforce repeats, the three chosen holders are reunited.
The monarchy of Hyrule does not seem to consider the fact that the eponymous deuteragonist, in the absence of a king as happens in the vast majority of games, actually carries out the role of queen. The only exception should have been that of the non-canonical Hyrule Warriors, but it was a concept discarded between the start of development and the gold phase of the game. However, the duties of the ruler vary from title to title, with only one constant: to protect the peace and balance of the world. She holds the Triforce of Wisdomand as a member of the royal family (and reincarnation of the goddess of the same name) knows the occult arts.
From divine avatar to keeper of the demon-loved light – Zelda: Road to Tears of the Kingdom (part 4: Princess Zelda)
Before playing the role of princess, the goddess Hylia was reborn as a simple student in the arms school of Oltrenuvola (The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword). Once she regains the power of the goddess, she awakens the hero Link to fulfill his destiny: to protect the world from demons. Trivia: The first Zelda of the timeline was mentioned in a Skyward Sword-themed strip of the Penny Arcade webcomic, commissioned directly by Nintendo itself. With the birth of the monarchy, the first heiress to the throne immediately had her way with the demons.
During the events of The Minish Cap, Zelda finds herself petrified by the spell of the Vaati wizard of the winds in order to extract the sacred Golden Light that the girl keeps inside her. Once again (as often happens, despite the esotericism among her royals) it is Link who saves her, breaking the curse and defeating Vaati. She uses the Magician’s Hat and the Golden Light to restore the kingdom, but Vaati later returns (Four Swords) after breaking the seal of the Quadrisword to kidnap Zelda and make her his bride at the Palazzo dei Venti (below).
Changeling, time mistress and indirect cause of the split – Zelda: Road to Tears of the Kingdom (part 4: Princess Zelda)
Through a dream vision, a very young Zelda (below) learns that the ruler of the Gerudos, the Thief King Ganondorf, desires the Triforce (Ocarina of Time). Although the premonition has been detailed to the point of specifying that the legendary hero dwelt among the Kokiri, he fails to convince his father of the imminent betrayal. Tackling the matter alone, she gives Link a legendary instrument: the sacred Ocarina of Time. ImpaZelda’s nurse, in the meantime passes her off as Sheikah like her, thus saving her from the clutches of Ganondorf in the assault of the latter’s castle.
Seven years later, Sheik (whose gender fluctuates between male in the case of transformation and female in the case of transfer, according to the different interpretations provided by Nintendo) assists the adult Link in Ganon’s exile. The clash between the king of darkness and the hero ends up dividing the timeline in three. This incarnation of Zelda only appears as a memory in black and white (Majora’s Mask) when Link, lost in the parallel dimension of Termina, needs to remember the Song of Time. This melody unlocked access to the Sanctuary of Time in Ocarina of Time, while in Majora’s Mask it only serves to turn time back three days.
Rulers of the Ruined Timeline – Zelda: Road to Tears of the Kingdom (Part 4: Princess Zelda)
Suppose, however, that Link has lost the fight with Ganon. However, the Imprisonment War ended with the demon’s banishment from the world of the living. However, the descendant of Zelda “of time” is kidnapped by the wizard Agahnim for a sacrificial ritual with which to bring the evil king back to life (A Link to the Past). Link, contacted telepathically by the woman, comes into contact with the Triforce together with the virgins descended from the seven sages. However, the role of the eponymous princess remains marginal in Oracle of Ages ed Oracle of Seasons. The events of each of the two games lead to two different fires being lit, but Zelda’s disappearance sets off the Flame of Despair. In tandem with the other two, the latter brings a demented Ganon back to life.
The princess, as she appears in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, is at the center of the events of A Link Between Worlds (below). The androgynous sorcerer Gerudo, the wizard Yuga tries to get Zelda powers of her by turning her into a painting of her after taking her to the parallel world of Lorule. Together with the hero, she manages to restore peace to both kingdoms. Her era of decline hits rock bottom when Ganon emerges one last time to kidnap her and extract the location of the Triforce of Wisdom (The Legend of Zelda). Link foils both his kidnapping and the ritual to bring the demon back to life with the hero’s blood (The Adventure of Link) while the real is in a coma.
Queens of the Age of the Child Hero – Zelda: Road to Tears of the Kingdom (Part 4: Princess Zelda)
Let’s go back to the fight between the Hero of Time and Ganon. When Link emerges victorious, he returns to his life as a child and finds himself alone in Termina (Majora’s Mask). Later, the next in line must choose between the end of her people and unconditional surrender to the Twilight Realm (Twilight Princess). Running out of options, he gives up only to meet incognito (below) with the princess of that dark realm, Midna. The two agree to an armistice to help Link stop Ganondorf, worshiped by the latter’s puppet king of choice, the delusional (and disturbing) Zant.
Only the events of this timeline remain Four Swords Adventures, during which the demon Vaati frees himself from his imprisonment and aims to bring Ganon back to life once again. The role of the princess, this time, is to assist the hero in the fight against the sorcerer Vaati and the revived Ganon, taking back the Quadrisword now placed on the pedestal from time immemorial. Zelda’s magic proves essential in what is, for now at least, a worthy conclusion to the timeline in which Ganondorf was exposed as a traitor during the altered events of Ocarina of Time.
Rulers of the Age of the Adult Hero – Zelda: Road to Tears of the Kingdom (Part 4: Princess Zelda)
In the timeline in which Ganondorf seized power only to be defeated, a Great Flood engulfed Hyrule and turned it into the Great Sea (The Wind Waker). In trying to save his little sister Aril, a new incarnation of Link is assisted by a girl named Dazel, who commands an intrepid crew of pirates. Only during the confrontation with a much older (and, in his way, wise) Ganondorf does the truth emerge. Dazel is actually the new incarnation of Zelda, now ready to leave the past behind her (below). Her exploration leads her to disappear aboard the Phantom Vessel (Phantom Hourglass), but Link rescues her.
Years after Dazel lands on a new land, his great-granddaughter Zelda officially establishes the kingdom of New Hyrule (Spirit Tracks). Unfortunately, bad apples also abound among the royal entourage: Minister Mirona plans to use his body as a new receptacle (yes, exactly like in Kingdom Hearts) for the Demon King Mallard. Retaining her incorporeal soul to possess the armor of the Specters, once fearsome adversaries of Link (Phantom Hourglass), Zelda embarks on an adventurous journey alongside her fated savior, restoring hard-earned peace to Hyrule once and for all.
The scholar in blue
Zelda’s role has changed over the years, and in Breath of the Wild we see a very different version from the past. As heir to the throne of King Rhoam, the girl (voiced in Italian by Martina Felli) guides the hero to awaken him from his centennial slumber while she uses all her strength to contain the Calamity Ganon. Despite the extraordinary magical effort required, and against any preconceptions dictated by her low self-esteem, she has not abandoned the excavations in the empty ruins of Hyrule. Buying time for a hundred years by giving the hero time to regain his strength is a major sacrifice.
In the 2017 game year finale (it bears repeating), it is implied that her archaeologist jobs will resume in full force alongside Link, while Hyrule puts the pieces back together. This brings us to the introductory trailer for Tears of the Kingdom, during which her search of a dungeon brings both her and the hero face to face with a mummified body. We do not yet know at the end of which timeline the two (three, with Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity), But one thing is certain. Now that Ganondorf is truly back, the two certainly won’t be able to rest on their laurels. And about Link? We’ll talk more about him next Sunday.
Now it’s up to you to tell us yours: how many versions of the character did you know? Let us know below, and as always, don’t forget to stay on tuttotek for all the most important news for gamers and more. For your purely gaming needs, you can instead find the best discounts in digital format on Kinguin.