A hundred heroes raise the Master Sword, a hundred villains obsess over power, and a hundred princesses are trapped, waiting for the hero to save her and the kingdom over and over again. That is the curse burned into the history of Hyrule. For a second, the story was about to begin again. Our hero sneaks into the castle, vanquishes the evil…or so he thought. All consuming darkness lingers—and this time only the princess remains to save the day.
When the crystal shattered around Princess Zelda in the announcement trailer for Echoes of Wisdom, and excitement grew. The screen centered around our beloved princess, no longer a damsel waiting to be rescued, but rather a heroine in charge of her own fate and that of the kingdom. This new version of Princess Zelda is wise, strong, and the new fiercest protagonist for the next instalment in The Legend of Zelda series. This new turn in Zelda’s character instantly caught the attention of artists. Not just because it was something new with a new outfit, weapon, and character to draw inspiration from, but also for the personality and new development in Zelda’s journey.
Icezimy is one such artist inspired by Zelda’s new protagonist nature. Unlike the cute chibi-like nature of the Echoes of Wisdom art style—similar to the style seen in the Switch remake of Link’s Awakening—Icezimy’s art calls for a more epic, fantastical take on the new princess. Watching the June 2024 Nintendo Direct, Icezimy was hoping for a Twilight Princess or The Wind Waker remake. While she says that the new game reveal is almost better, a little bit of that Twilight Princess energy makes it into the piece.
Gone are the bright stylized colors we were introduced to. Instead, we are greeted with muted colors with contrasting lights emphasizing the lines and fierceness of the piece. Zelda claims center attention, showing off her new outfit and weapon in a more realistic art style. A silhouette of the kingdom lies behind her with potential storms brewing in the distance. Almost as if the skies are mirroring Zelda’s wrath as she reclaims her kingdom from the darkness.
Zelda stands tall and strong and directly faces the front. Her eyes are fierce and unmoving despite the movement all around her. Her hair and cape blow in the wind. The mysterious little fairy, Tri, and the Tri Rod glow with energy, magic building with the wisdom Zelda keeps within. This Princess is ready. She won’t back down no matter what gets in her way. Icezimy captures a strength in Zelda we haven’t seen in many iterations of the princess. In just one image, Princess Zelda drops her damsel status and reclaims her right to be the hero of the story. She doesn’t need to be rescued anymore, she’ll do the rescuing.
