During the seven years that Link was asleep within the Sacred Realm, Princess Zelda had taken a new identity to hide from Ganondorf, who was searching tirelessly for the girl who wielded the Triforce of Wisdom. She had disguised herself as Sheik, a male warrior descended from and the sole survivor of the Sheikah Tribe. Though Zelda knew she must remain hidden from Ganondorf, she also knew her role in this war was not done. With this new form, Zelda is able to discretely aid the Hero of Time.
From his first appearance directly after Link’s return to the Temple of Time from his seven-year slumber, Sheik made it known that he’s already aware of Link’s fate. The specifics of what he knows is already alarming, yet Link decides to trust this stranger and journies to the first of five temples in search of the sages. With each new temple, Sheik greets Link and grants both words of wisdom as well as new songs that shorten his travels. Each meeting is brief, as Sheik quickly vanishes in a puff of smoke, but not without first assuring Link that they will indeed meet again.
Sheik is shrouded in mystery, hiding his already magically altered face behind a mask and taking precautions to conceal his true identity. He does not even allow Link to approach him. During several interactions, Link is mystified by this stranger, trying to get closer and learn more. Sheik, however, cannot allow it. Although Link is the person he trusts most, it is too risky for Link to know who he really is until the final sage has been rescued.
There have been times, though, when Sheik has shown glimpses of his true identity through subtle actions. When the Evil Spirit of the Kakariko Well is unleashed, Sheik tells Link that he has to help Impa. At first, Sheik keeps his usual, calm demeanor, but as his speech progresses, his worry starts to become apparent. Though Link, and by that extent the viewer, might see this as a tribal connection, Sheik’s concern makes all the more sense once we learn of his true relationship to Impa.
In some other respects, he also pushes himself out of his comfort zone. Though he is by no means careless and does whatever it takes to keep his identity safe, Sheik aids the hero by more than merely teaching him songs or guiding him to the next temple. He rescues Princess Ruto from being frozen under a sheet of ice and attempts to fight the darkness that lurks beneath the Kakariko well. Though it is not his destiny to go through the trials that Link must face alone, he does not idly stand by.
This, I believe, is because Zelda, through the guise of Sheik, lingers on the mistakes of her past. They haunt her continuously, but because of this, she sought to right her immature actions. Through becoming Sheik, she was able to evade the eye of the Evil King for seven long years. She waited for Link to return, knowing the task of defeating Ganondorf could not be done alone, and when the time case, she, as Sheik, stood by his side and assisted him as much as she could.
When I first played Ocarina of Time, it was no secret to me that Sheik was, in fact, Zelda. It was about 2009 when I was finally able to play through Ocarina of Time in its entirety, and Smash Bros Melee had already revealed Sheik’s identity long before then. While I was a little disappointed that I could not experience the same shock that other players faced when the reveal finally happened, it did allow me to view this character from a different perspective.
Since I knew Sheik was Princess Zelda the entire time, Sheik’s actions were understandable and gave much more depth to Zelda as a character. She was never just a pretty face to be rescued at the end of the adventure but an active participant who did everything she could to fix her past mistakes. Sheik was an embodiment of the tragedies Zelda had faced, but he was also a means to overcome them. By becoming Sheik, Zelda was able to stand by Link’s side and follow through on her dream to bring peace to Hyrule once again.
