Hyrule has little to no room for a damsel in distress. Throughout the entire Legend of Zelda series, there is a welcoming abundance of strong, independent, female characters whose fight against the grain brings guidance and empowerment to Link on his legendary journey to becoming a hero. Whilst awe-inspiring and refreshing, Ocarina of Time serves as a platform to shine a light on the women of Hyrule, whose stories may seem smaller than our protagonist’s, but still hold a lot of significance to the bigger picture.
Born and raised in Kakariko Village, Impa is the last of the mysterious Sheikah. Chosen to protect the royal family and Hyrule whilst acting as a mentor to Zelda and a guardian to her beloved village. The woman really does take multitasking to a whole new level! A legend in her own right, Impa is an embodiment of true duty and loyalty that, despite being somewhat overlooked and overshadowed, has a huge impact on the growth of a legend.
Link first encounters Impa after seeking out the princess that haunted his dreams for so long. After sneaking past the castle guards, having his destined meeting with Zelda and learning the truth of the evil yet to come, Impa is entrusted to aid Link under the guidance of the princess’s premonition. The ancient song passed down by the royal family, “Zelda’s Lullaby,” is bestowed upon Link by Impa who guides him to her hometown of Kakariko Village, the very start of his big adventure.
There has always been something mysterious about Impa. From the moment you meet her you want to know more of her story and the mystery that surrounds her race, but you also know that she is not a woman to mess with. Throughout Ocarina of Time, we get fragments of Impa’s life but never enough to piece together a history, which in turn, adds to the secrecy of such a character. Despite this, and although very little time is spent with her, Impa’s influence can be felt throughout the people Link meets and the places he visits. This becomes apparent through the respectful words of the Kakariko residents, who speak admiringly of her actions to defend the village and her efforts to protect it during Ganondorf’s reign.
What I always loved about Impa is that she is clearly a strong adult who puts you at ease from the moment you meet her as child Link. In fact, she is the first and only adult you come across who truly believes in the quest at hand and wants to help in any way she can. We all know how much hard work it is for a child who is trying to get an adult to listen, but Impa fights against that stereotypical current and provides Zelda with the one thing that she genuinely needs and subsequently the one thing that her father did not provide: support.
During Ganondorf’s take-over, Impa is seen riding out of Castle Town with Princess Zelda in tow. After waiting for as long as they could for the fairy boy and the Spiritual Stones, it became apparent that they were all too late. As Hyrule Castle surrendered, Impa took Zelda to a safe haven where she could continue her teachings and watch over the land from afar, protecting the princess at all costs.
It wasn’t until growing older and replaying Ocarina of Time that I fully appreciated Impa’s importance
Link would not see Impa again for another seven years, only emerging from the shadows when her village was threatened by an old evil. When visiting the village again as an adult, Link finds it in ruin and discovers Sheik staring down at the old well. Things go from bad to worse when an invisible force is seen creating destruction, easily overpowering both Link and Sheik and escaping into the world. After learning that Impa is one of six sages and had journeyed to the Shadow Temple alone in order to defeat the evil spirit, Bongo Bongo, Link swiftly follows and triumphs over the evil once again.
After awakening as the Sage of Shadows, Impa commends Link on becoming a fine hero and reassures him of Zelda’s safety. Knowing that she cannot leave the Sacred Realm and that her help as a sage is crucial, Impa gives up the entirety of Zelda’s and Hyrule’s protection to Link, knowing that he is worthy and capable of such a responsibility.
It wasn’t until growing older and replaying Ocarina of Time that I fully appreciated Impa’s importance for the character growth of both Link and Zelda. I have always seen a small part of Impa within Link, almost as a reflection of one part of himself. Both characters have many, clearly defined responsibilities that destiny bestowed upon them, but sharing an intertwining path that is bound to Princess Zelda and Hyrule’s protection is the one connection that holds the most importance.
From the moment that Impa entered Zelda’s life, she saw something special in the child. Believing in her gifts and putting her trust into someone so young, she built Zelda up from an early age and aided her through the darkest of times as her only friend and ally. This impact on Zelda’s life was crucial during the seven-year absence of Link. Zelda became a shadow of Impa, training under the ways of the Sheikah and creating an alias whose disguise was clearly influenced by the strongest woman in her life.
