I like writing about games that I feel don’t get enough love. I mean, I’ve been writing about The Minish Cap since I joined the staff, which was way before people could play it on their newfangled Nintendo Switch device. Have you read my love/hate letters to the Oracle games? I love being able to bring attention to the more underrated games in the canon. Which reminds me: Did you know there is a sequel to A Link to the Past?
Obviously, I’m kidding. I mean, this whole column is named after the antagonist of that game. A Link Between Worlds was a great game for the 3DS and used its gimmick very well. It brought us some amazing characters, notably Ravio, who is known to the Columns Team as “The Goodest Boy”. It also introduced us to Princess Zelda’s Lorulean counterpart, Princess Hilda. Zelda and Hilda are the subject of DeviantArt user RottenCandyApples’ piece called “A Link Between Princesses“.
Hilda was a complex character, much like Zelda herself. They both want what’s good for their people. However, due to the Lorulian Triforce being destroyed, she wants to sacrifice Hyrule for Lorule by stealing the Hyrule Triforce and wishing for the restoration of her land. In the end, she decides to send Link and Zelda home instead of stealing the Triforce, an act of selflessness that inspires Zelda to wish for Lorule’s Triforce to be restored. And everyone lived happily ever after. Hilda’s selflessness is something we see reflected a lot in Zelda, showing that they truly are two sides of the same coin.
The artist shows this duality in a beautiful way in this piece. They are mirror images of each other, identical in every way except for the outfits and hair. It has a reverent, stained glass style that evokes the love and respect that these two have for their respective queendoms. It’s a moment of quiet reflection on the work they have done to stabilize and save their countries.
Both Zelda and Hilda have a smile on their faces. It’s almost as if they can communicate or feel each other through their Triforces, which the artist portrays so well. The soft smiles and even a little blush in their cheeks. A shared secret between two princesses.
As for the piece itself, it’s one of the more beautiful pieces I’ve talked about in this column. Normally, I use words like “cute” or “sweet” to describe the artwork. However, in this case, “beautiful” is the word that comes to mind. Stained glass is always something that I have loved. The idea of using broken glass shards to make something gorgeous is magical to me. Now, of course, this isn’t a physical piece and it isn’t exactly like a stained glass window, but it gives off that same vibe. If you were to shine a light behind this, it would glow. The colors are perfect choices, especially all the different shades of purple. They’re all distinct so it doesn’t look washed out.
RottenCandyApples has a ton of other great Zelda works on her DeviantArt profile, but this one really stood out. “A Link Between Princesses” is a beautiful work that shows the duality of these princesses. They are a reflection of each other, but they work together to make something beautiful. I initially found this piece in our Zelda Universe DeviantArt group. It’s a great place to show off your works of art and you could even be selected for one of our future articles!
