It’s a good thing that most games in the Zelda series feature a different Link. Can you imagine how annoying it would be to go to see Princess Zelda only to find out some dastard had carried her off again? Link would never shirk his duty, but he’d probably spout something like “Really? It feels like we just got back!”. If he was feeling a little animated, he might even throw in an “Excuuuuse me?” Thankfully, Echoes of Wisdom gives the hero, but not the player, a little break. Link gets some perhaps-not-so-restful time in the rift while the princess becomes the rescuer. In Robin’s art titled “This Time I Will Save You”, we get to see Zelda make a vow that Link has made many times.
I love the look of Robin’s version of Princess Zelda. It reminds me a bit of a mix between classic Disney and Studio Ghibli, and I absolutely adore it. In addition to the posture and expression of Zelda (which I’ll come back to in a second), the amount of tiny details Robin has included in Zelda’s outfit is amazing. The tiny dots bordering the hem, the plant print on the skirt, and the pattern on her sleeves are so beautiful and take Zelda’s adorable Echoes of Wisdom outfit and improves upon it. The topping on the couture cake are the little golden triangles on the clasp of her cloak. They immediately call the Triforce to mind and are such a cute touch.
People claim that you can tell a lot from a person’s posture, and we can gain some insight into the princess’s mindset through examining her stance. Her feet are set a little wide in comparison to her shoulders, but her feet aren’t set. They’re turned inward. She’s not used to battle. She’s holding the Tri Rod with two hands, but a little more like a sword than a wand or stave. Just as summoning echoes is new to the player, it’s new to her, too! All of these details reveal Zelda’s inexperience at being the hero.
Some of this same feeling is reflected in Zelda’s facial expression. Her eyebrows are drawn downward with a hint of anger or frustration. Her eyes are a little squinted as if she’s trying to focus. Her mouth is turned downward and open in a way that makes her look almost a little surprised. It makes her feel really human to me. She reminds me of myself when I’m thrust into a situation I’m not used to. Like me, she may not really want to be saddled with this task, but that doesn’t mean she won’t do it.
While some fans may feel that Zelda’s nervousness in this art makes her less heroic, I beg to differ. She may not have saved dozens of green-clad heroes, but she’s ready to give it a go. She’s committed to traveling through the heights and depths of her kingdom to rescue Link. She may not have the experience, but with wisdom on her side, there is no doubt that she’ll prevail.
