“The Legend of Zelda? Oh, I know that game. It’s the one where you play as this green-clothed elf with a sword and shield named Zelda, right?” These words are probably familiar (and tiresome) to you if you are a longtime fan of the series. While The Legend of Zelda has definitely garnered global fame across the decades, there are still some people that tend to get confused as to who the main character exactly is. Is the title misleading? Maybe. But that won’t stop Zelda fans from loving their titular Princess and her main hero, Link. And of course, many have dreamed of one day playing as the benevolent Zelda ever since they witnessed her beauty and spunk in the 80’s cartoon show.
In a recent interview with Tears of the Kingdom producer Eiji Aonuma and director Hidemaro Fujibayashi, the question was asked if we will ever see a game where we can play as Princess Zelda, especially since it was a high hope (definitely one of mine) that we would be able to play as Link and Zelda together, even if it was only for a short time in Tears of the Kingdom. Here is what Aonuma had to say on the matter:
“Yeah, it is interesting when you think about the name of the series, the Legend of Zelda, but Link is always the main character,” Aonuma admitted when he was asked about the potential for Zelda to be playable in the future. “Link has been the main character, and Zelda has always been involved, and they have a relationship and their own rules in each of the games. But it is true that, I think there’s always room for thinking about this type of thing and Zelda’s role. And there may be some sort of possibility for something like that in the future.” This was being translated in English by his translator but then Aonuma interrupted him and in English said, ” Maybe, maybe, maybe.” This tiny spark of hope lit a fire in the hearts and minds of many fans. Could this finally mean that Zelda will actually become playable in a main series game?
One can argue that the idea for Zelda to be a playable character comes from how she was first portrayed in the 1980’s cartoon and comics. Those stories featured a Zelda who was not the meek or silent princess as interpreted with the first three games. This Zelda was a thrill seeker who was right in step with Link. She rode horses with confidence and fought enemies in sword-and-shield combat. Some fans have argued that she was even established as an archer in this show, which would permeate into various future games such as Twilight Princess, The Wind Waker, and the Hyrule Warriors series. Indeed, this Princess Zelda was a warrior through and through. It’s no wonder many have wanted to play as their beloved Princess in a game with her own name. Let’s not forget about those magical powers, either. Zelda wielded magical powers such as Din’s fire or Nayru’s love in her first Smash Bros. appearance, making her an exciting character to play as in a fighting game. Even her alter ego, Sheik, is something that many would love to see return. It’s interesting to note that Sheik’s mask, an item that exudes her likeness, can be found in both Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom.
Without revealing too many spoilers here, I feel the only downside to Tears of the Kingdom is not being able to play as our beloved Princess. It seems the developers decided to go with something else as the main focus of their gameplay. Zelda’s story arc in the game was a marvelous idea, I feel it’s just a shame we couldn’t experience it as her. Fortunately Tears of the Kingdom is a wonderful game already with a smorgasbord of other things to see and discover, so not playing as Zelda isn’t a deal breaker by any means. That being said, it still would have been good to include. Hopefully, Aonuma and the Zelda team will deliver us something in the future that will help us scratch that insatiable itch. For now, we will have to wait and see what Nintendo is cooking up for us next on the horizon.
