The Resistance: What Ashei Could Have Been in Twilight Princess

When

Medli reawakened as the Earth Sage and accompanied Link into the temple on

Headstone Island in The Wind Waker,

she brought youthful exuberance and a pair of wings. Makar may have been

vulnerable to Floor Masters, but he could plant seeds to grow Hookshot-able

trees and propel himself about with his Deku Leaf. The quest to restore the

Master Sword ultimately confirmed Link’s status as the Hero of Winds, but he didn’t,

and couldn’t have walked the path alone. Friends had helped him, and he them. The

union was strongest because we had experienced flight, light reflection and musical

performances with each of them in turn.

In

the characters making up the Resistance, Twilight

Princess had opportunities to reform these ties between Link and his

cohorts, and to allow the player that sense of togetherness in defeating evil

once again. But Nintendo left an emotional void in Link’s journey with this

alliance, one that could have brought with it the sensitivity and sensibility

seen in previous Zelda games.

In

this, the second in a series of explorative articles, I am going to delve deeper

into the role of the Resistance and what opportunity they had to bring more to The Legend of Zelda.

When

Link visits Telma’s Bar, the Master Sword in tow, Ashei tells him of her part

in the troupe. He learns of Snowpeak and the evil on those mountains. She

suggests that her training and understanding of the landscape will not help her,

when she says, “I don’t know much yet, but things happen there that happen on no other mountain I know of.” And she can sense that the evil lurking on

Snowpeak is greater also than Link’s current abilities, by stating that until

she knows more, he “should stay away.”

It

is hard to say whether or not her anxieties impact on what is to come, but I am

just as likely to believe that Ashei might have gained some semblance of

courage while Link was in the Arbiter’s Grounds, and found herself as integral as Auru. She, too, could have played

a vital role in the quest for the Mirror of Twilight. The next time Link is in

Telma’s Bar, Ashei has gone to Zora’s Domain, the mountains of Snowpeak

province ahead of her. Auru, relieved of his duties, has returned, his part in

the tale practically over.

Ashei

rightly has her place in the Resistance. She was raised by her father on distant

mountains, and taught how to wield a sword and fire a bow. Link is told about her

exploits in Snowpeak, studying the land from the refuge of her camouflaged Yeti

outfit. He is handed a sketch that she drew of a Yeti holding a Reekfish.

Like

Auru before her, Ashei deserves more game time, more emotional input, a lasting

resonation within the story. Without those elements, her part simply suffers.

Instead of leading our hero into the heart of the mountain, the sketch guides

Link away from Snowpeak in order to find out more information from the Zoras

and go fishing for the scent. All of Ashei’s skills and knowledge are made

futile by Link’s actions and the words of others. With nothing more than a

Reekfish scent to direct him, Link heads to the bitter cold of Snowpeak — in his usual green garb.

It

is in this way that Ashei’s role in Twilight

Princess is undermined. She may not have encountered the evils of Snowpeak

before, but she is prepared for a life in freezing temperatures, has a steadier

hand than a Hylian soldier, and the intelligence to disguise herself in white. Like

his excursion to the desert, Link was expected to undertake the task alone. To realise

his purpose by fighting White Wolfos and hurrying over snowy plains he had

never seen before, Ordon was a long way behind him by now.

At

this point, Ashei should have taken the reins. Like the suggestions for Auru,

she could have run along behind the player. Or she could have been in the lead,

directing Link as they followed the Reekfish scent. Or Ashei could have had the

tundra to herself, finding the Yeti and the way to Snowpeak Ruins first.

With

so much of her past and her abilities vital to this section of Twilight Princess, she could have been

implemented in a variety of ways. Already, her Yeti outfit allows her to stay

warm and out of sight. Packs of wolves may still have noticed her, but it would

have made sense that she could survive in the coldest province while also

getting close enough to a Yeti to get the information about the Mirror Shards Link

so desperately needed. Though her sword may have only been useful for White

Wolfos ambushes, her skills with a bow and arrow could have eliminated or

distracted solitary ones, or even opened up new pathways by bringing icicles

crashing down à la Majora’s Mask’s

entrance to the Mountain Village. Each foe felled by an arrow whistled across

the ice could have let out an eerie howl, left to emanate like an avalanche of

sound upon the wilderness.

It

might have been interesting to experience using a different bow — Link only has

the one, acquired in the Goron Mines — and even have Ashei hand it over to Link

once he reaches Snowpeak Ruins. It might have provided greater accuracy, larger

trajectory, stronger bowstrings, and tougher arrowheads: a gift that contributes to a more meaningful connection with her.

In

Twilight Princess, Link traverses

mist, ice and snow to find the Yeti. After the Shadow Beasts are defeated, the

danger is swiftly extinguished as Link snowboards down to Snowpeak Ruins, a

minigame that’s available for the rest of the game. I feel as though this was

an opportunity missed for Ashei. Link could still have fought the Shadow Beasts — after all it’s him they’re after — but Ashei could have followed the Yeti

couple from Snowpeak Top to the Ruins, careful not to be seen, finding the path

that Link could later race down. Ashei would walk into Snowpeak Ruins and attention

would switch back to Link. Just like with Auru, Ashei had the potential to

bring greater understanding of the landscape as a seasoned adventurer to aid

Link in his quest for the Mirror Shards.

Link

may have found a way to survive the cold and avoid the White Wolfos ambushes,

thanks to game time in which Ashei uncovered the province’s secrets. Our hero

then, fearing the worst, climbs the mountain as both man and wolf, snowboards

down to the Ruins and finds Ashei at Yeto’s side, preparing pumpkin soup. This

would have provided an alternative to Auru’s imprisonment and subverted the

idea that once they had helped Link in scouring the landscape, the Resistance

needed rescuing. Then Link would be free to navigate the dungeon and find the

first Shard.

Despite

Ashei’s differences to Auru, both provided extensive knowledge of an area

beyond Link’s comprehension. Their passion to help and involve themselves in the

fight against Zant and Ganondorf’s army offered the chance to learn about the

lives of other Hylians, deepen our understanding of those affected by twilight.

Link and the courage segment of the Triforce are symbiotic. He will always obtain

it, just as it will him. With every game, another Link is born to become that

hero. But each game provides different characters to surround him, each who feel

the pull of inevitable war. The Resistance are as self-aware as any peripheral

characters in the Zelda series. It wouldn’t have hurt Link’s journey to have them — individuals who have chosen courage rather than been granted it — on his

side.