Skyward Sword: It’s amazing how misunderstood Fi is

A lot of people miss the point of who and what Fi is. While many see her as a simple and often obtrusive guide in The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword, she serves a much more important — albeit subtle — purpose. And this purpose continues to have lasting effects on the games and the overarching narrative in the Zelda series.

Fi is something of an enigma to players when they first sit down to play Skyward Sword. It is true that she is not a character who grabs your attention in any energetic way, I’ll be the first to point that out, but that doesn’t automatically discredit her from being compelling or from the possibility of her growing into a figure that any player could come to appreciate. She is a character of nuance. That’s what she was meant to be. And that is what Skyward Sword succeeded in portraying her as.

She’s as cold as steel — as she should be

So why exactly is Fi a success if she’s as dry as the Gerudo Desert? The answer is a simple one that requires a detailed explanation: Fi is the manifestation of the Master Sword.

As anyone who has played Skyward Sword knows — and spoilers, I guess, for anyone who hasn’t played the decade-old game yet — Fi is a spirit created by the goddess Hylia and resides within the Goddess Sword. This sword is eventually strengthened and reforged, turning it into the Master Sword. Fi and the sword are one, which means all that the Master Sword is and represents, Fi does as well.

What does this imply, then? It doesn’t imply anything. It reveals the intended and blatant parallels between her personality and her purpose. She is a sword. What does it mean to be a sword? That’s the important question.

Swords are tools: mechanical, cold, and powerful. They don’t yield. They are reliable and stay true to their purpose. They exist to help keep their user alive, protect the innocent, and destroy enemies. Fi’s personality and actions are like an artist’s rendition of a sword’s qualities when brought to life.

When people talk about how stoic Fi is, they are managing to see and miss the point at the same time. She is meant to be stiff and emotionless. Like a sword, a powerfully resilient piece of steel, Fi doesn’t waver in her focus and determination. Her mind is sharp and she cuts to the chase with things — and other traits I can make sword-related puns about. The point is (there’s another one), she is there to support Link and never fail him.

And while her stoic nature was essential, it was only half of the equation. It was Link’s determination that completed the duo’s effectiveness. She needed him so she could fulfill her purpose, and he needed her to fulfill his. Each character’s unique personality and traits came together like a chemical formula — one that turned into a winning formula.

And to stake the point more firmly in the ground than is even needed, consider the name of Link’s sword: The Master Sword. Throughout their adventure together, Fi recognized Link as her master and referred to him as such. Fi was originally the spirit of the Goddess Sword, the sword that belonged to the goddess Hylia. When the Goddess Sword became the Master Sword, it belonged to Link, forever. It is the Master’s sword.

She’s the Steady Voice of Reason

Not every character needs to have a wide range of emotions. That might be what you like, but that’s not what everything is meant to be. Not everything is about you, I’m sorry to say. And don’t worry, I say this to myself as well. We all need this reminder from time to time. Just think of this as me letting out my inner Fi by obnoxiously reminding you of something you don’t want to think about.

Let’s discuss Star Trek, because I have an obsession with comparisons and analogies and Mr. Spock is a perfect one. Spock from the original Star Trek series was an invaluable character to the show. He purposefully had no emotions. Who he was a person when paired with Kirk created a dynamic that moved the stories forward while also having the greatest impact on their quality. The same was done with Link and Fi. Having a dynamic range of personalities, and knowing which personalities play off of each other best, is crucial.

Now, did Spock have a few moments when his human blood boiled to the surface? Yes. And were there times when Fi, with her brain like a supercomputer, was left bewildered? Also yes. Those instances weren’t proof that a livelier character is better, though. They are meant to be reminders. What they remind us of is that these characters are typically robotic and that they need to be. They, like any well-made character, have a lot of depth and character growth. We’ve shared this fact about Fi in another article. But sometimes that depth is, fittingly, buried down deep within them. In these instances, these contradictions to their normal demeanors happen for the purpose of showing how their personalities have an important impact on everything around them.

She’s the Right Woman for the Job

Now, with this idea that differing personalities are essential comes the most prevalent counterargument for Fi as a character: Midna. After all, Midna and Link were very different from each other in Twilight Princess. Their dynamic was one of the greatest ever seen both in the Zelda series and in video games as a whole. Surely Link did better with the sassy and emotionally vibrant Midna, right?

Of course Link did. Twilight Princess’s Link did. But this isn’t about that Link. This is about Skyward Sword’s Link.

Not all Links are the same. And as with their companions, they shouldn’t be. Granted, they all do need to have the same sense of heroic nobility and kindness, but each hero has his own subtle traits that make him special. And all of these traits are strengths in one way and weaknesses in another.

In Skyward Sword, Fi was how she was for a duty-driven reason. Her purpose was to help Link become stronger. Let’s face it, the Link in Skyward Sword was not a strong as the one from Twilight Princess. I don’t mean in the physical sense (though that’s probably true as well), but in the sense of determination, fortitude, and emotional resilience. Link from Twilight Princess had the heart of a beast deep within him. When the condescending and often unhelpful Midna first came into his life, her attitude actually managed to ignite a drive born of righteous anger. He meant business. His friends’ lives were at stake. Someone somewhere was getting a Master Sword to the gut.

The Link from Skyward Sword was more passive. He was also less experienced. Not in sense of how to use a sword, though. He was a student at the Skyloft Knight Academy, so he had some skills. The experience I’m referring to was with life in general. The Hero of Twilight had more real-world knowledge and understanding. The Hero of the Skies was still figuring out what he wanted to do with his life.

That’s why he needed Fi. So much of the unknown was thrown at Link. And he had no one to help him in any substantial way. Even the Hero of Twilight had Rusl and The Hero’s Shade to train him, guide him, and offer him wisdom. Skyloft’s Link had an old man who took too many baths. Fi needed to make sure Link was never lacking. This meant less attitude and more information.

The Hero of Twilight worked well with the emotional and overbearing Midna, but who the Hero of the Skies needed by his side was someone more emotionally consistent. Midna and this Link would not have thrived together. Both Links had the same heart, but Twilight Princess’s Link definitely had more patience. Fi was a living grace period for the first-ever hero.

And we eventually learn that every incarnation of Link needs Fi in some way. She is ever-present through the Master Sword. She gives every incarnation of Link strength by encouraging their heroic nature to come to the surface. Their interactions are subconscious, but every time the Master Sword is pulled from its resting place, Fi’s importance is made obvious.

Fi is who she is meant to be

The criticisms of Fi’s gameplay functions are generally agreed upon by fans to be valid, but the blanket notion that the character is pointless, forgettable, or poorly designed is nonsense, honestly. Every part of a story is exactly that: a part. They exist to combine and work together to accomplish the mission of the whole. Characters are story elements, meant to first and foremost improve the main narrative and push it forward. And how each character does that needs to be carefully considered by the person crafting the tale. Like with real people, you can’t force a character to be something they’re not just because that would fit your personal taste.

Fi is not an “exciting” character, but that’s what makes her amazing. The impact she’s had on the series is profound and permanent — no one can argue against that. It wouldn’t even make sense to try. Some people might attempt to anyway, but if Fi has anything to say about it, I’m sure she’d calculate their probability of success to be very low.