Which Zelda games show the best roles for Princess Zelda?

[mαrkαsscoρ]

There's always been talk on how much of a damsel Zelda has been in modern games, so now I'll just ask, which games do you think feature her in her best roles?

I imagine Spirit Tracks is a top one despite not having played it myself.

 

[twilitfalchion]

I consider Wind Waker (the first half) to be one of her best. Tetra actually feels like a character with agency rather than a plot device, which makes it all the more frustrating that they reduce her to the tired, traditional role in the second half of the game.

Ocarina also fits the bill, kinda. It's definitely a case of telling rather than showing, but her alias as Sheik at least implies that she isn't just sitting around waiting for the world to be saved.

Otherwise, yeah. It ain't much.

 

[Bowsette Plus-Ultra]

The first half of Wind Waker. Tetra has her own goals, personality, and doesn't have time to deal with your ****. She feels like more than a walking plot device right up until the moment when the game turns her into a walking plot device. At that point the game just puts her in a closet and turns her back into a mcguffin for you to save.

Spirit Tracks gets a default vote due to the low bar it achieved: making Zelda a companion. Unfortunately, they still found a way to make her the damsel in distress goal of the game. "Zelda's a companion, but..."

 

[mαrkαsscoρ]

I consider Wind Waker (the first half) to be one of her best. Tetra actually feels like a character with agency rather than a plot device, which makes it all the more frustrating that they reduce her to the tired, traditional role in the second half of the game.

Ocarina also fits the bill, kinda. It's definitely a case of telling rather than showing, but her alias as Sheik at least implies that she isn't just sitting around waiting for the world to be saved.

Otherwise, yeah. It ain't much.

its really funny how both of these have zelda in a different persona (especially w/ wind waker) and that's the only time she does anything, and the instant she's in a dress, kidnapped at the snap of a finger

at least toon zelda helps out in the final battle....but then phantom hourglass happens

 

[Bowsette Plus-Ultra]

its really funny how both of these have zelda in a different persona (especially w/ wind waker) and that's the only time she does anything, and the instant she's in a dress, kidnapped at the snap of a finger

at least toon zelda helps out in the final battle....but then phantom hourglass happens

I genuinely wonder if there's just an expectation at Nintendo that Zelda has to be kidnapped or imperiled during the course of gameplay. Every potentially cool thing Zelda could do as a character always came with a caveat.

"Tetra can be a cool pirate, but..."
"Zelda can be a companion, but..."
"Zelda can be part of TotK's plot, but..."

It feels like there's either intentional or unintentional reluctance to let Zelda have a prominent role without some massive stipulation being attached to it.

 

[Dizzi]

Ocarina as sheik she had the most to do...

 

[Mima_sama]

In Skyward Sword, she's actually busy evading and escaping Ghirahim (with Impa's help), purifying herself in the springs, and basically leading Link around to where he needs to be, until she seals herself in that crystal to keep the Imprisoned sealed. She's only ever in real mortal peril when she wakes up and Ghirahim steals her soul.
In Ocarina of Time, she manages to evade Ganondorf for seven years, and in the guise of Sheik, guides Link to the temples. She only gets kidnapped after she reveals herself.
In Wind Waker, as Tetra, she helps Link on more than one occasion (launching him into the Forsaken Fortress, letting him take their bombs for free basically, saving him from Ganondorf in the Forsaken Fortress), and only loses agency after it's revealed she's Zelda. To be fair to her though, she does help Link fight and ultimately defeat Ganondorf, which is pretty cool.
Twilight Princess Zelda saves Midna, and even though Ganondorf turns her into a puppet for a brief time, once she's free of him, she also helps Link fight him.
Spirit Tracks Zelda is probably the most helpful, given that she's basically a ghost who can possess a suit of armor and help Link fight and get across obstacles he couldn't on his own.
And then of course there's that time she went to Gamelon and saved Link and her father, but we don't talk about that.
Of course, sometimes, even when she seems to be the damsel in distress, she still manages to find a way to fight back-- giving Link the Light Arrows in ALBW even though she's a painting at the time, keeping Calamity Ganon imprisoned for 100 years while Link revives, giving up her humanity to become a dragon so she can power up the Master Sword into a Ganondorf-slaying weapon.

 

[dragonteacup]

...smash bros!

 

[dragonteacup]

Hyrule Warriors strangely had a lot for Zelda in it!

 

[mαrkαsscoρ]

...smash bros!

"Zelda games"

 

[Hyrulian Hero]

Ocarina of Time gave Zelda a personality and showed her doing childlike things in the early game. It showed her vulnerability as a child and her adaptability as an adult. She still served as the archetype of the fair maiden as well which, however the culture of this blip in time might complain, is a defining aspect of femininity. We got to see her spin wisdom as Sheik and offer Link comfort which proved to be a necessity for the hero. I like her design and arc, I say Zelda (OoT) was great.

 

[Chevywolf30]

Ocarina of Time gave Zelda a personality and showed her doing childlike things in the early game. It showed her vulnerability as a child and her adaptability as an adult. She still served as the archetype of the fair maiden as well which, however the culture of this blip in time might complain, is a defining aspect of femininity. We got to see her spin wisdom as Sheik and offer Link comfort which proved to be a necessity for the hero. I like her design and arc, I say Zelda (OoT) was great.

Her childish mistakes are really what get the plot going.

 

[Farore's Chosen]

Spirit Tracks and Windwaker. And if we want to get controversial in here, the cd-i game she played in.

 

[DivineDragoness]

I was always most attracted to her in Twilight Princess, mostly because she was so regal and Queen-like I guess? She just seemed like a proper and dignified leader, enough to make me want to act older when I was a little kid lol. Skyward Sword was also nice because she wasn't tied down by royalty at that point or anything, so it was nice to see her unfiltered in that regard.

 

[Uwu_Oocoo2]

First pick is obviously Tetra. I liked her character arc a lot. Although arguably she was actually the worst Zelda, considering how much cooler and more useful as Tetra. After she's revealed to be Zelda it feels like her character gets nerfed a little bit. She's a really good leader though in either form and I appreciate the fact that she doesn't let he royal status affect who she is, really. She's absolutely the most useful of the Zeldas.

And my second choice is actually SS Zelda. Even if she is the most damsel-in-distress-y of them she also is the most actively involved in the story. TP Zelda for example, you talk to he maybe twice but she isn't actively on your mind or anything. The entire plot of SS revolves around Zelda. She has a likeable personality too.