Daily Debate: Which Zelda Characters Deserve Their Own Official Novel?
Posted on April 19 2024 by Leslie Jacobson
In my household Final Fantasy VII: Rebirth has taken over our main TV since its release in February. My husband guided my way through the original about 15 years ago and while it won’t replace my love for all things The Legend of Zelda, I respect Final Fantasy VII as a game and as a great example of deep storytelling. Compared to Zelda, it has a way more complicated, intricate plot that takes several twists and turns. Cloud, Tifa, Aerith, and crew have captured the hearts of gamers around the world. Cloud and Sephiroth have even made their way into Super Smash Bros. and have amiibo. The game has endured for many years and fully deserves the gorgeous remakes that Square Enix has put out so far.
As I was scrolling through my social media feeds one day, I learned about the book Final Fantasy VII Remake: Traces of Two Pasts by Kazushige Nojima. At first, I thought it was published fanfiction. Then I learned Nojima is the story writer for not just Final Fantasy VII, but multiple games in the Final Fantasy franchise as well as a story writer for Kingdom Hearts. I bought the book since I thought it would be cool to learn more about Tifa Lockhart and Aerith Gainsborough, especially considering that it would be canon to the rest of the story. I was pleasantly surprised at how complex their characters are. There were no big secrets or reveals, but knowing more about their struggles before the game even starts helped to explain their motivations for their decisions later on. Overall, I recommend it to anyone who has played Final Fantasy VII or the remakes.
That got me thinking — wouldn’t it be cool to have an official novel for some Zelda characters? My immediate thought was Zelda from Ocarina of Time. I’ve always wondered what she did between the time when Link grabs the Master Sword and when he wakes up seven years later. Did she become Sheik immediately, or did she have to train to become Sheik? The story of how she and Impa escaped the castle and survived those years would be fascinating. I’d also like to know her thoughts as she guided Link to awaken the Sages. The other character that I think deserves more background is Nabooru. I’d like to know how she remained with the Gerudo but worked against Ganondorf during that time. For a more recent example, in Tears of the Kingdom we got just a glimpse of Sonia and Rauru’s lives together. Plus, we know that Zelda spent more time in the past than what we see in cutscenes because of the chambermaid’s stories about her, Mineru, Sonia, and Rauru. Zelda fans have always had fanfiction, but knowing that what you are reading is official makes it seem that much more real.
With all of that being said, what characters in the Zelda series deserve an official novel? Does it make a difference to you if it’s fanfiction or not? Let us know in the comments!
Leslie is a mom, a cosplayer, an educator, and a fervent fan of The Legend of Zelda series. She lives in an area of the United States that reminds her of the Akkala region in the fall and Hebra the other 11 months of the year. She owns The Legend of Zelda t-shirts older than most of her students.
