General Zelda Why Does There Need to Be a Damsel?

[Mangachick14]

So... why is there almost always a Damsel in Zelda games? Why do we always need someone to go missing, or be kidnapped or something like that? Is being the only person with the power and ability to save the world from a crazy usurper king or something not a good enough incentive to do so?

I ask this because I think there could be better ways to introduce family members, or friends or even Princess Zelda herself, instead of always casting them aside as the 'thing you gotta save'.

 

[Azure Sage]

I think it would be interesting to see more reasons to step up and save the world, too. Majora's Mask and Link's Awakening were games that didn't have damsels in distress, and they were both still really good. It's been the basic Zelda formula that Link saves the princess, but straying from that isn't a bad thing. I'd enjoy seeing something different once in a while. For example, Link stands up for a group of people being harassed by monsters and gets himself involved in some sinister plot by doing so. Something like that, maybe? There are lots of possibilities, and I'd like to see the series branch out a little more in this department.

 

[Doc]

I think that they have used it so much in the past is for a way to motivate us, as the players, to want to go out on this adventure. People often complained about SS because there was no worry of trying to save Zelda, it was just link trying to find her.

Games like Majoras Mask and Links Awakening had no need for a damsel because there were other motivations that began the adventure and got Link involved (transforming back into a Hylian, escaping the island).

 

[mαrkαsscoρ]

b/c this is nintendo,now where's my oven

Games like Majoras Mask and Links Awakening had no need for a damsel because there were other motivations that began the adventure and got Link involved (transforming back into a Hylian, escaping the island).

uh...don't you mean saving the world from the apocalypse?

 

[Doc]

uh...don't you mean saving the world from the apocalypse?

I meant the initial motivation. Yes, after you first confront Skull Kid on top of the Clock Tower, you are motivated to save the world! But before this, all you want to do is find Skull Kid so you can get Majoras Mask and become a Hylian again.

 

[Dragoncat]

Well, it provides motivation, like in SS do you honestly think Link would go out and risk his life if his best friend/love interest was still in Skyloft safe and sound? Even if the gods told him he had to, he was the chosen one?

But like others have pointed out, MM and LA didn't have this and they did well, so...

 

[Vaati101]

...Because it would be boring if all the young women in the Zelda games were married and Link technically couldn't have romantic feelings for them?
(That's the definition of a Damsel by the way)

lol, Nah I'm kidding, in all seriousness I know what you mean: Why is there always a Damsel in Distress in Zelda?

Well in most cases, the kidnapping of Zelda or whoever is one of the Villain's requirements to carry out his/her plan. Ganondorf needed Zelda for the Triforce of Wisdom, Ghirahim needed her to resurrect Demise, Vaati needed her later on for the Light force etc. It just seems coincidental that the villain needs Zelda for his evil plan to succeed.

Realistically, Zelda doesn't need to have a Damsel in Distress but Nintendo have kept at it since the very first game. There are only a couple of Games that don't have a primary Damsel in Distress, those being Majora's Mask and Link's Awakening. It would be nice to see Zelda out of her usual distressed role, but the way Nintendo develop her personality, that would pose as a challenge to change Princess Zelda's innocent, Benevolent nature to having the willpower and the attitude of a warrior. Sure they tried it with Tetra, but I want to see this done as Princess Zelda herself, not as someone who is supposed to be her.

Nintendo surely can change Zelda's role from being the Damsel in distress to Link's helpful companion, this was sort of proven in Spirit Tracks. Whether Nintendo will go down that route again with Zelda Wii U is another story but one thing is very likely: Zelda will very unlikely be a damsel in distress in the upcoming Hyrule Warriors Game.

 

[Justac00lguy]

Zelda is a series that's very cliché... well as far as story goes anyway. You have this young small town hero defeating evil and rescuing the princess (and they all lived happily ever after..).

The series' core story is very stellar and has hardly changed throughout its 27 years. It's always mostly based around this triangle: Hero, Princess and Evil. A few of the more modern titles have put a slight twist on it, but it still remains. I guess you could say it's because the series has never really been first and foremost about story and it shows. Now I'm actually a big fan of the subtle story telling and lore of the franchise, but I can admit it is rather simple in the grand scheme.

Maybe it's cliché because of the overall audience. Let's face it, Zelda appeals to a younger audience. Now the older audience might question this but they most likely started playing the series when they, you guessed it, young. I'd love for some more clever and complicated story telling especially a darker tale, which is what was done with Majora's Mask and Twilight Princess. However I doubt we'll ever get just exactly that, but hopefully Anouma starts focusing more on story. As long as story doesn't have a negative effect I don't see no reason why they don't aim for such.

 

[JackHM]

I totally agree that there doesn't need to be a damsel, but to me, at least, it seems that Zelda is never really a damsel post-OoT. As the bearer of a piece of the Triforce, it makes sense that she'll be kidnapped/stolen/etc. by Ganondorf in his journey to attain ultimate powerful. She's not there as some damsel that's just there to be pretty - she's a very dynamic character and plot device.

 

[ihateghirahim]

Well Zelda isn't a damsel like Peach. She's actually quite active in many areas of the games. Anyway, I suppose it boils down to tradition. Link and his swordplay are staples of the genre, as is Zelda being involved in some peril that threatens the world. Now generally she is kidnapped for her piece of the Triforce (what exactly is Bowser's reason for going after Peach?). I feel she's involved enough with her light arrows (whether she uses them herself or not), Sheik, Tetra, and the ST incarnation to constitute a satisfactory character in each of the games. i feel that she is good enough.

Granted, they could use some innovation. I don't want them to try to pull off MM again, but a change of setting and motivation would be nice. Still, Zelda's role is fine, and the series will remain awesome in my eyes if she still gets the sort-of-damsel role in future games.

 

[Clank]

Because what's the point of playing a boring game like Zelda if there isn't a pretty girl trapped to motivate me towards my goal

But in all seriousness, would most guys rather play a game about rescuing a kingdom that is just going to fall again and again or would they want to be rescuing a pretty girl with what they do to her only limited by their imagination, I mean really, think of it...
Then again, think of how many girls want there to be a relationship between the two of them, and what is more romantic in their book than a guy risking his life to save the girl he loves.


So, I think that Nintendo figures they might as well just use this tried and true formula, thus bringing in these groups of fans who will drop money at a moments notice for a game like this.

Now don't get me wrong, I am not saying that everyone fits into one of the categories, but surely enough do to make this strategy profitable, at least in my opinion.

 

[Salem]

Why does Zelda even need to be in Zelda games? LA and MM did fine without her(them).

 

[Zurriel]

The only game I liked it was in SS and she was still doing her own thing....sorta.
I can't remember where, but somewhere I heard the reason is because the Zelda series has always been similar to a fairy tale. Small farm boy is destine to save everyone, rescues the princess, defeats evil and they all live happily ever after. Sounded like a good reason for me, I do agree that the series doesn't need her to be the damsel. Just look at LA, MM, ST and think the OoX games. The only problem I had with WW was that (Save for the final battle) Tetra became a useless after turning into the princess and she just waited around for Link.

Some of the modern game haven't made that way in every game, SS almost didn't have it at all. I believe that if they gave Zelda something else to do, the series story would greatly improve, not to mention it would no longer be so predictable. Now that they are rethinking the convictions of Zelda for the game on the Wii U we may just see that.

 

[Burning Beast]

Well as a lot of people have pointed out, not all the Zelda titles have had a damsel in it. (Majora's Mask, and Link's Awakening.)
However, I'm one of those people who don't really like comparing Zelda to just a damsel in distress. Sure Zelda gets captured a lot, and yes Zelda needs rescuing, and yes even when Zelda hasn't been captured she usually still needs Link's help, but that's the Balancing of the Triforce in action there.
Random Person made a marvelous segment for Z-Talk the Zelda Dungeon Podcast a loooooooooooooooooong time ago back in podcast 6 I highly recommend listening to.
[video=youtube;EkCM3HhK3-4]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EkCM3HhK3-4[/video]
So yeah, that there basically sums up my opinion of Zelda. She's not just a damsel in distress. She's the bearer of the Triforce of Wisdom and no, she doesn't just let Ganondorf capture her, she chooses her battles carefully, she knows she can't beat Ganondorf 1v1. She needs Link, and with Link's help, she can face Ganon.
So yeah... I've never looked at Zelda and thought she's a representation of a Damsel in distress, even if that may of been what was implied I feel that when you dig deeper, there's a lot more to it then that.

 

[Random Person]

Stereotypical coming of age-knight story usually involves saving a damsel in distress. Because Zelda games tend to be that, typical knight stories, there's usually some saving of some damsel involved. Of course, as Burning Beast pointed out, I think Zelda is usually more than just a damsel in distress. Thus, the Zelda series is basically taking a crucial part of its storytelling, re-using it but shaking it up each time. I don't think the stories need to have a damsel in distress in them, but I only fault working formulas if they get old or it's blatantly obvious that they could've done much better had they gone a different route.