Princess Zelda knows the feeling of sacrifice before Tears of the Kingdom even starts. After all, she single-handedly held back Calamity Ganon for a hundred years while Link rested and healed. Alone in the foul beast’s cocoon she battled for a century. Even knowing this, her draconic sacrifice hits players even harder. Watching her willingly leave behind her humanity in order to become a dragon because she knows Link will need the Master Sword to defeat the Demon King was a torrential Tears moment. Yet Zelda did it because it had to be done. For her knight. For her kingdom. This feeling of caring is captured beautifully in Lena-Lucia-dragon’s art called, “Have a Good Night.”
Immediately, the gigantic form of the Light Dragon captures the audience’s eye. Zelda’s draconic body is curled in upon itself as if she’s sleeping. After all, she has a long time to wait for Link to appear! Her dragon form is too big to be contained in the frame though, and even with much of it in the background, there are still parts left outside our view. Wind whips around and between her coiling form. Following her brilliant blue crystals and precious golden scales leads us like a meditation maze to the center of the image where a secret awaits.
At the center of the image, what almost looks like an egg of light sits in dragon Zelda’s claws. Her face shows that there is no malice here. The ethereal egg rests safely in her talons. Her whole body is curled around it, protecting it from harm with her very body. Inside this glowing sphere, the Hero of the Wild rests. Even without control of her human mind, a trace of the princess remains. She protects her knight, wrapping him in her embrace not only because she cares for him, but because in doing so, she also protects the hope of her kingdom.
Lena-Lucia-dragon’s art “Have a Good Night” is beautiful for many reasons. The swirling gusts of wind and winding tendrils of the dragon’s body are amazing. The lustrous golden scales and blue crystals shine and glow. It’s the little, glowing sphere that calls our eye the most though, and in doing so, the greatest gift is revealed: Zelda’s care and love for her friend and for her kingdom. That kind of love feels so rare in the world that even seeing it in a game touches our hearts. We all want the safety shown in the art. We want a world where our eyes can close without fear and a morning where a loved one welcomes us back to the land of the living with the gentle words first uttered in Breath of the Wild: “Open your eyes.”
