When I think of the classic Zelda companion, my first thought is usually of Navi the fairy from Ocarina of Time. She is respectful to Link and provides support and friendship on Link’s arduous journey. There is a real bond between the two, almost as if they are destined for each other. And while she may be annoying with her classic “Hey! Listen” quote, she embodies the ideal personality that Link needs in Hyrule.
Well, Link is not in Hyrule anymore, and Navi’s successor has other ideas about what kind of helper Link needs.
Meet Tatl, the spunky yellow fairy of Termina. She is wildly different from Navi. In fact, she is downright mean to Link when they first meet. Where Navi’s opening scene is a charming and adorable fly-through of Kokiri Forest, Tatl’s introduction is her knocking Link off of Epona, and aiding Skull Kid in his theft of the Ocarina of Time. She is a prankster and even makes fun of Link once Skull Kid turns him into a Deku Scrub.
She continues to bully and berate Link until she gets stuck with him when Skull Kid accidentally leaves her behind.
I will have to admit that this introduction to Tatl did not make me like her very much. I found her to be rude and even more annoying than Navi. At least Navi was nice to me. Tatl kept acting like I was the reason she got separated from her brother and Skull Kid, even though all of my problems were her fault. Tatl was mean and acted like I was incompetent whenever I asked her for information on enemies or puzzles. She just made me feel bad. For once, I found myself missing Navi and her redundant explanations.
However, Link and Tatl begin to find a mutual understanding with each other as they make their way to Clock Town. They need each other to achieve their goals. Tatl is desperate to reunite with Tael, her brother, and she needs Link to help her. What started out as an unpleasant relationship began to improve as Link and Tatl began to trust each other more and more.
Tatl finally began to grow on me when she and Link confront Skull Kid atop Clock Tower for the first time. Tael, desperate to stop the moon from crushing Termina, tells Link and Tatl to find the key to defeating Skull Kid and the horrible power he wields. This prompts Skull Kid to get angry and slap Tael. This infuriates Tatl, and she declares that Skull Kid is no longer her friend for hurting her brother.
After retrieving the Ocarina of Time, Link and Tatl go back in time to the first day to begin their quest to save Termina. And this is where Tatl finally began to grow on me.
She was not blunt to be mean, she was just being defensive to protect her brother. Her desperation in returning to Tael and her reaction to Skull Kid hurting him revealed an over-protective big sister. It made me wonder what they had gone through to make Tatl so protective. What had hurt her?
Tatl was blunt and rude to Link because she was worried for her little brother, and could not bear to be separated from him. She even apologizes to Link for the way she knocked him off Epona and how mean she was to Link in the beginning. She saw the errors of her ways and sought forgiveness, showing a lot of maturity on her part.
Over the course of many time-loops, Tatl begins to become a true friend to Link, even becoming a big sister figure for him. Sure, she is still very blunt, but she is significantly nicer about her explanations, even helping Link translate the messages of the Giants. Tatl and Link’s friendship eventually evolves into the deep emotional bond we expect from every Zelda companion.
As a character, Tatl undergoes a great development, learning to have empathy for people other than her brother. When Link plans to head to the moon, Tatl initially wants to stay with Tael. However, she cannot let her new little brother, Link, do this fight alone. So, she takes a huge step and leaves Tael by himself in Termina.
Our previously self-centered fairy now fights for the good of everyone in Termina, and her reward for helping Link defeat Majora is her true reunion with her brother. She even forgives Skull Kid for his actions, promising to be friends with him once more.
And then comes her farewell. True to her personality, she bluntly tells Link to leave so that she can go about her business. However, as Link rides off, she calls out to him and thanks him for the journey they had together. She is comforted by Tael as she watches Link leave.
I will admit that I got emotional as Link left Tatl behind. She was a fun companion to have, even if she was rude at times. Her passion never wavered, nor was it downplayed. For Link, who was in desperate need of company after losing his first fairy, a little tough love from Tatl was just what he needed.
