Age of Calamity brought to life the past of many characters from Breath of the Wild, and gave players the opportunity to explore the war that ravaged Hyrule one hundred years ago. One of those characters Wwas a younger version of Impa, wielding the magical abilities of the Sheikah, and proving once again that Impa is one of the most inspiring characters of the Zelda universe. Impa’s new design and younger nature inspire many artists, including Petite Truffe with their gorgeous rendition of the Sheikah warrior.
Petite Truffe draws a three-quarter portrait of Impa in her full Sheikah garbs while holding her weapon of choice: a kodachi. Inspired by the Arcana skin line in League of Legends, Petite Truffe placed Impa in front of a bordered glowing background with the Sheikah eye looming at the top. While the Arcana artwork uses gold in its design, Petite Truffe uses the signature light blue of Sheikah magic to adorn the background instead. Further magic swirls around the bottom of her body, mirroring the movement of the magic found during Impa’s gameplay in Age of Calamity, complete with Sheikah runes written through the blue.
As stunning as the background is, I’m drawn to her eyes. Darkened by the shadows, her two red eyes stare down in an almost threatening way. Impa’s glare says that she’s ready to fight whoever stands in her way or slash down anyone who thinks of harming her friends. Even the way that she the kodachi speaks of a woman who knows the best place to stab a man in the heart. Traditionally, Impa’s role in the series is to protect Zelda. Skyward Sword in particular showed the fierceness an agent of the goddess can have, and I can see that flare igniting in this artwork of Impa.
However, the combination of the color palette and the painting style creates a subtle softness in the piece. In many previous games, Impa either takes the form of an old woman or a guard of Zelda. Either way, she’s usually older and could be seen as a mother figure to Zelda. Unlike previous incarnations, Impa is about twenty years old in Age of Calamity and would probably be closer to a friend or older sister to Zelda. I believe this subtle softness in the piece emulates the caring side of Impa.
Altogether, the elements of Petite Truffe’s artwork create a gorgeous portrait of Impa, capturing her style and personality. Impa is a warrior, sister, and friend. The willingness to protect all that is important to her is prominent in the paint strokes. I can imagine a series of portraits just like this one for each and every warrior in Age of Calamity, and yet I would still be drawn to Impa and her red eyes. Link may wield the Master Sword but Impa will show you the pain her dagger can cause.
