The Golden Goddesses — Din, Nayru, and Farore — frequently recur throughout the Zelda series. Like most mythical deities, their appearances are left up to the interpretation of mortals, so they usually appear in various forms. They are drawn in tapestries in A Link to the Past, described through stories in Ocarina of Time, and sculpted into statues in The Wind Waker and Twilight Princess, among other references.
But these aren’t the only interpretations that exist of them. Fans of the series have also created their own artwork of the three throughout the years. And one in particular recently caught my attention, created by Taylor, also known as thecannibalkitty.
Like most of the goddesses’ in-game iterations and fan art, they are depicted as human-like (or Hylian-like) in Taylor’s piece, but each of them takes on quite a different form, beautifully reflecting their core elements.
Din has a powerful, almost Gerudo-like stature, with sharp and defined features, which I absolutely adore and make her my favorite. Her whole figure perfectly fits the strength that she represents as the creator of the Triforce of Power. A lovely touch Taylor has added is the orange glow her fire casts on her face, clothes, and body. It’s such a small feature that could have been easily ignored, but it brings an extra bit of life to the raw, living power that Din wields.
Nayru is the pinnacle of elegance and quite the contrast to Din in this piece. Her delicate stance, soft face filled with compassion and understanding, and water-like hair immediately let you know that this is a goddess of grace and the creator of the Triforce of Wisdom. While she may not be wielding an element or occupying a fierce stance like the other two, an air of quiet confidence surrounds her and lets you know she is just as powerful. She wields intelligence; she understands the world and everything in it. She understands justice, emotions, desires, and intentions.
Farore would be my favorite iteration if not for the Gerudo resemblance Din has. Her outfit, hair buns, and martial art-like stance gives off such strong vibes of Chun Lee from the Street Fighter series. But what really ties this all perfectly together is her composed facial expression. There isn’t an ounce of fear or anticipation, only poise and preparedness. She is the epitome of the Triforce of Courage.
All in all, each of the three goddesses perfectly represents each part of the Triforce. Taylor did a brilliant job breathing life into them. They are fluid and alive. If only we could meet the goddesses face-to-face one day in a Zelda game.
