Deep into the lava hot Eldin Caves, a melody plucked across strings bounces around the rocky walls. A familiar tune warms the heart of us players but startles the duo of heroes cornered into battling monsters among the tunnelling caverns. Up high, perched on a cliff, a shrouded figure plays a golden harp adorned with blue fabric that does little to hide the elegant pattern beneath. A few bars into the tune and the music stops, the strange warrior snapping their attention to the chaos below. They jump down with a fierce look burning in their red eyes. Is this a friend or another foe to face? Two strums of the magical harp and the Stalfos surrounding Link, Impa and the Hyrulean soldiers, are defeated. Another warrior had joined the fight to defeat the darkness spreading across the lands.
The proclaimed Sheikah warrior, aptly named Sheik, is one of the many playable characters in Hyrule Warriors. In Legend Mode, the character is introduced in the second level of the Main Quest as Link and Impa are traversing through Eldin Caves in order to reach Faron Woods in search of the missing Princess. The mysterious character tells little about themselves, merely wielding their magical weaponized harp across the battlefield, avoiding questions, and increasing suspicion.
One thing Sheik does confess is that they are a survivor of the Sheikah Tribe — evidence shown through their garbs bearing the iconic red Sheikah eye symbol, along with a quick agile fighting style. This only increases the doubt. Especially from Impa who is the leader of the Sheikah tribe. Impa may be right, Sheik does hide something important; They know exactly where the missing Princess Zelda they all search for lies in wait.
In the midst of the branching timeline battles, Sheik accompanies Impa to the lands from Ocarina of Time, and Impa’s suspicions grow, questioning the mysterious warrior and their intentions. Sheik manages to continue avoiding answers, until they come face to face with Princess Zelda herself. Sheik sees through the imposter with ease, revealing the princess to be fake while also revealing that they too have kept their true identity secret. How did Sheik see the truth? Because Sheik is Princess Zelda in disguise. She had hidden her identity so well, even Impa was surprised to see the Princess alive and well.
The time between Princess Zelda’s disappearance and return is one of freedom. The Princess chose to hide her identity not just to hide from her enemies but also to be free from the chains of her crown. As Sheik, Princess Zelda is a nobody, or rather, she is free to be anyone she wants and can do whatever she desires. She is another warrior on the battlefield who can fight until the end. She doesn’t have to fall to the back to protect the crown on her head. An army of soldiers don’t have to guard her at all times, risking their lives for her. She is free to fight however she pleases without worrying about appearances. Even the way she fights as her Sheik persona is vastly different to her rapier wielding counterpart.
Sheik wields the Goddess’s Harp alongside a series of kunai and smoke bombs. Her movements are fast, agile, and ninja-like, mirroring the style we’ve seen from Sheikah’s across The Legend of Zelda series. While it is not outright said that Impa trained Zelda, it’s clear that the Princess picked up a thing or two from her trusted advisor. Imagine what else the Princess could be capable of if she was to study all the ways of the Sheikah. Nevertheless, she sprints her way across the battlefield, piercing her enemies with deadly blades, whisking them away with powerful musical blows, and disappearing through smoke before anyone can notice she was there.
Like many of the characters in Hyrule Warriors, Sheik pays tribute to past iterations of the game. Sheik is heavily inspired by the designs seen in Ocarina of Time and Super Smash Bros. The familiar blue and white garb adorns her body with a new HD look. The throwbacks don’t stop at design either. Sheik’s move set involves playing songs to unlock elemental abilities. A keen ear will hear some familiar tunes matching their elements: “Serenade of Water” for a tornado of swirling water, “Bolero of Fire” for a ring of exploding fire, “Song of Storms” for a spinning lighting-filled vortex, “Nocturne of Shadow” for surge of shadow energy, “Prelude of Light” for a healing golden square, and, lastly, “Saria’s Song” for a damage filled forest of trees.
Princess Zelda’s alter ego, Sheik, takes the mysterious persona from past games that we know and love, and places her agile abilities in our hands, sprinting across the battlefield. Her story is not explored in depth but that does not mean she does not leave behind an impact. Sheik is one part of Princess Zelda’s story that speaks volumes on the weight of being a royal and the chains that bound her to obligations. A princess can’t hide in the shadows, she can’t stab her enemies in the back or put herself in the front lines risking a blade piercing her skin… but Sheik, the mysterious ninja-like warrior can do anything she pleases, and play a sweet tune while she’s at it.
