There are prisons without bars. Sometimes expectations, whether from parents, society, or ourselves can lock us up and keep us from leading the life we want. Princess Zelda from Breath of the Wild finds herself in this situation. She’s extremely curious and intelligent and wants nothing more than to explore the mysteries of the ancient Sheikah technology and the possible uses of the Guardians. In Age of Calamity, we even see Zelda as a bit of a prodigy as she’s able to build a fully-functioning miniature Guardian from abandoned scraps and screws. Despite her extreme talent and interest, her father pressures and forbids her from studying it because he needs her to unlock her power. Mike Maihack, creator of the Cleopatra in Space graphic novels, manages to show a Zelda who has broken free from expectations and in doing so, found happiness.
Standing in the middle of an illuminated Triforce, Mike Maihack’s portrayal of the scholastic princess exudes freedom and joy. In the crook of her arm, she holds the Sheikah Slate. She cradles the precious technology similar to how a football player would hold their precious pigskin. Its positioning in her arm shows that the techie tablet is important to her. She’s fascinated by its inner workings and the Sheikah culture that created it.
Looking at the princess’s face, happiness radiates as brightly as the sacred triangles. The smile that hastened the hero to her side shines brightly, but it also hints at a newfound confidence. The tilt of the smile makes it almost a smirk. She knows her worth. Her intelligence, ingenuity, and strength are free, and Zelda shines like gold in front of those who doubt her.
Movement is also used by Mike Maihack to imply Zelda’s freedom through a dramatic sweep of her hair and the way she appears to float above the Sheikah patterned floor. Looking at her hair, both the strands framing her face and her longer mane flow dramatically to the side. They’re floating freely in the wind just as the princess is now free.
While it initially appears like she’s standing on tiptoe, it would seem odd for Zelda to be posing like a ballerina. The stance may actually imply a sense of floating, similar to how she does when confidently confronting Dark Beast Ganon. Just as when she calmly looks at the towering monster before obliterating him, Zelda’s pose reminds us of the power and strength she demonstrated at the end of Breath of the Wild.
Seeing loved ones shine and live to their fullest potential is one of the greatest feelings in the world. Through his art of Breath of the Wild’s princess, Mike Maihack allows us into the room to celebrate a young woman who has shaken off the shackles of her father’s expectation and is able to do what she wants.
To celebrate the upcoming launch of Tears of the Kingdom, we are dedicating two weeks of columns articles to its groundbreaking predecessor, Breath of the Wild! Check out our Countdown to TOTK page.
