For most of the first arc of Phantom Hourglass, Link enjoys relatively smooth sailing through the Ocean King’s realm. There is the occasional monster that threatens Link, but with his expert use of a cannon and Linebeck’s sailing skills, these creatures are no match for our heroes. There is one threat, however, that plagues the sea that truly is a challenge for Link: The Pirate Jolene.
Jolene is probably one of the cooler characters in Phantom Hourglass. Her design makes her both elegant yet threatening, almost reminiscent of the Gerudo warriors from other installments in the Zelda series. Even her fighting style with her dual scimitars is similar to the Gerudo as well. Perhaps she is a descendent of the Gerudo, or at least admired their fighting style enough to learn it.
Her fighting style is not the only dangerous thing about her, either. Jolene appears to be a skilled navigator and sailor, using her skills on the sea to hunt down Linebeck and his ship. Her ship is capable of firing torpedoes and sails much faster than Linebeck’s steamboat. She is a fearsome foe as she prowls the ocean, ready to sink Linebeck’s ship or drain Link’s heart containers.
But Jolene’s threat as an enemy is not what makes her interesting. Rather, it’s her backstory and why she became so fearsome in the first place.
When Jolene first attacks Link, she ambushes the ship and chases Link and Linebeck below deck. Linebeck, as courageous as ever, hides in a crate while Link must cover for him. Jolene rushes into the ship and threatens Link, desperately trying to get revenge on Linebeck. Link is able to fend her off, but she is not someone who goes down once.
Throughout the rest of the game, Jolene relentlessly chases the SS Linebeck. I often had to use the warp mechanic just to get away from her when she blindsided me. She was especially annoying whenever I would try to catch fish for the Old Seafarer’s side quest. However, she truly did keep me on my toes, and she ended up surprising me outside of battle as well.
At one point in the game, the postman delivers a letter to Link from Jolene by accident, and we learn that Joanne, the girl pretending to be a mermaid on Bannan Island, is Jolene’s sister. Jolene seems supportive of her sister and desires to catch up with her sometime, showing that she has a softer side. After Link delivers the letter to Joanne, we also learn that Jolene may not have started out as an actual pirate, since Joanne says that Jolene loves dressing up as a pirate. These sisters really put the “play” in cosplay.
Toward the end of the game, Jolene requests one more duel. After that, Link can finally learn why she hates Linebeck so furiously. Linebeck and Jolene once sailed together after Linebeck accidentally killed a monster that had captured her. However, Linebeck and Jolene had different adventuring styles and eventually parted ways when Linebeck made off with a treasure of hers. It is also implied that Jolene had unrequited feelings for Linebeck, making his thievery all the more painful.
Overall, Jolene is an exciting encounter in Phantom Hourglass. She provides a fun challenge and rewards the player with some interesting backstory throughout the game. Jolene is truly one of the more memorable characters of the game, and it certainly helps that she shares a name with an incredibly catchy song as well.
