• Welcome to ZD Forums! You must create an account and log in to see and participate in the Shoutbox chat on this main index page.

Zelda's Importance

Mthegreat

Long Time, No See.
Joined
Feb 16, 2011
I know this looks like i'm copying Random on this but i am not, i'm acknowledging his thoughts. Actually he himself told me to make a thread on it if I feel this strongly. In z-talk he talked about the importance of her in the games. I also know that several people think of her as somewhat useless. (If you do thenn shame on you, but i'm not goin to judge). Anyways, to those who think like this, let us have a bit of a flashback, shall we. If you remember back to TP, she fought by Link, shooting arrows and fighting alongside you. This was such a happy thing. And then people continue to bad mouth her or talk against her. Please tell me that you have the urge to yell out against them.
 

Random Person

Just Some Random Person
Joined
Feb 6, 2010
Location
Wig-Or-Log
What a copy cat! :P JK. But seriously, rather than follow that urge to yell, I think in my head of a seriously logical debate of Zelda's importance, especially in TP because she has recently become my favorite Zelda. I once made a thread about who was more important, Zelda or Link, when it came to defeating Ganondorf. There was actually a good response to it. Link has to do most of the frontal work and we all know that he is the one who defeats Ganondorf, but generally, a lot of the weakening comes Zelda herself, including the final sealing of Ganondorf in OoT. That's why I believe Zelda is a crucial part of the series, as important to the adventure as Link himself. And as far as Personality wise goes, as I explained on the podcast, she's most likely not favored because she's being compared to characters of action when she herself is a character of wisedom.
 

Mthegreat

Long Time, No See.
Joined
Feb 16, 2011
"Behind every great man, there is a great woman." thanks random.! Great explanation towards the topic. But i still bet you wanna yell don't you
 
Joined
Mar 7, 2011
Location
The Netherlands
She is important to most games no doubt, but especially in several major games (OoT, TP) you see her so little and get so little information that her role in everything is hugely diminished. That's a shame.
 

Meego

~Dancer in the Dark~
Joined
Jan 30, 2010
Location
England
I think Zelda plays a big part in some of the games, like in Spirit Tracks she does assist Link quite a bit using the phantom suit. But then again, in some of the other games Zelda is only really there as a reason for Link to be on the quest in the first place, and perhaps a source of information. Like RP said in Z-Talk, I think Zelda should come upfront and fight or at least assist Link. Also, maybe Zelda should be Link's companion for one of the games, then I suppose the original quest, plot idea may have to change from the classic Zelda rescue mission. I think Zelda is extremely important, nevertheless, but there's something about her that makes me wonder what happens after Link rescues her. Because most of the time after she is rescued nothing much happens but there must be some sort of event or something that occurs between the two... I mean their whole lives can't just be one big infinitive vicious circle, can it?
 

LinkLover

You Mean, Green Thing
Joined
Mar 11, 2011
Location
Amsterdam, NY
I have always had alot of respect for the princess of Hyrule. I feel bad for her, considering she is thrown around like a rag doll in the games, but I suppose that can not be helped. Zelda plays a big part in some games, and sometimes is the whole reason for Link's quest. You gave valuable in information from her in TP, and she battles beside you. In ST, she helps you while in her Phntom form. I really hate that she is not usually a main character. They have her in the sidelines, while Link is saving Hyrule. I think they should have her be like Midna was in TP, a character that is with you the whole game, and helps you with obstacles to big for one to handle. I will always hate this because if she is not there for you to have by your side, then you have no idea what she is doing. They could be torturing her, and your off fishing. Not very wise, huh Nintendo? I hope in SS that we see her more, and she accompanies you on your journey. I do have a question though. What do Link and Zelda do in their spare time? They probably see each other like friends, but that is never mentioned. Would the princess just brush aside the hero, or would they spend quality time together? I always wondered this, because their lives can't just be one big fight. I also hope that this becomes known, because I am curious. What happens after the adventure? Link probably fishes, while Zelda plans Hyrule's future. :)
 
Joined
Nov 7, 2010
yeah, how come that zelda is really important to the legend of saria?... oh, wait...


I like zelda and I hope to see her more offten, I dont think she is useless, well... maybe she can go smash-zelda more offten against ganon xD
 

linkman8

True and Noble
Joined
Oct 17, 2007
Location
United States of America
I agree with some of the opinions I see here, namely Meego and Random. From the very beginning they had sort of belittled her importance, because she was just seen as some sort of "goal" almost. You were supposed to save the princess and live happily ever after, or so to speak. I think that's changing in the more recent games. In Twilight Princess they portrayed her as a noble, graceful individual who did what was best for her country, and we also see her willing to fight. Even back in Wind Waker we needed her in order to defeat Ganondorf. And as was mentioned, in Spirit Tracks they tried to make her out to be more of a help to Link, fighting alongside him and solving puzzles with him as this giant Phantom suit.

I think it's great that in the recent games they've been making her slowly more important, but as some of you said, why isn't she in the front lines (not as a phantom) fighting the enemies with you? It's difficult to say, but with the way the games have been geared more recently, I think we'll see it happen in the near future.
 

Djinn

and Tonic
Joined
Nov 29, 2010
Location
The Flying Mobile Opression fortress
Zelda's importance comes and goes depending on the game. Yes she was the plot device of the early days, just like almost every other game of the time. Almost all video game protagonists went out on their missions to rescue a princess/girlfriend/random girl/etc from some big bad monster. However Zelda has evolved into something much more important than the purpose behind the mission. Now she is an integral part of the three representing the triforce characteristics in Hyrule. She represents wisdom along with Link's courage and Ganon's power. (although I later came to believe Kaepora Gaebora would represent the concept of wisdom a little better) Anyway, Zelda has now come to be a representative of a fundamental aspect of the world in the mythology of the game. She has become more than just another character or someone to be rescued.

Even in games where she has very few appearances, she still has a very important role that Link requires to continue on his quest. Either to open Ganon's tower so Link can enter, to help Link set out on the great sea and rescue his sister, to heal Midna, or teach Link the secrets of the temples in Hyrule. She always has a very important purpose that Link requires each time she appears. She has also been the one to begin Link's quest in several games

So from each of her appearances, she seems to be the drive that pushes Link into his quest and guides him throughout. Often appearing to help him when he cannot go further on his own and teaches him skills necessary to continue, even opens the pathway for him. Emotionally or physically she helps Link move further until he has finally accomplished saving Hyrule. Either through Tetra's help and guidance, TP Zelda's healing, ALTTP Zelda's contacting him and sending him on his quest, or making a bridge into Ganon's castle. Link can only do so much on his own, and on several occasions could not defeat Ganondorf without her direct intervention.
 

Random Person

Just Some Random Person
Joined
Feb 6, 2010
Location
Wig-Or-Log
They could be torturing her, and your off fishing. Not very wise, huh Nintendo?

Okay, that's hilarious.

I do have a question though. What do Link and Zelda do in their spare time? They probably see each other like friends, but that is never mentioned. Would the princess just brush aside the hero, or would they spend quality time together? I always wondered this, because their lives can't just be one big fight. I also hope that this becomes known, because I am curious. What happens after the adventure? Link probably fishes, while Zelda plans Hyrule's future. :)

It would vary on the game. MM shows us that Link and Zelda still had some sort of connection after the events of OoT were over. In MC, Link and Zelda begin as friends and Link acts as though he is her older protective brother while Zelda is the hyperactive younger sister. This would most likely continue after Vatti is defeated. I highly doubt that Link and Zelda have many afterword interactions in TP as they hardly knew each other and Link had more of a connection to Illia. As for the older games, you got me.

Now she is an integral part of the three representing the triforce characteristics in Hyrule. She represents wisdom along with Link's courage and Ganon's power. (although I later came to believe Kaepora Gaebora would represent the concept of wisdom a little better)

I think Zelda is the representation of wisdom while KG is a representation of knowledge. Dude knows a lot about Hyrule. that's how he's able to help you.
 
Joined
Oct 26, 2008
Location
Brexit
Originally, Zelda held little importance in the Zelda series, considering she was much like Princess Peach was in the Mario games, a generic princess that couldn't do much for herself, got kidnapped and then just waited for a hero to come and save her (along with a lot of other games that were created back then). However, as the plot to a game has become more important over the years, so has Princess Zelda's role in the Zelda games.

In Ocarina of Time, Zelda pinned down Ganon so that Link could deliver the final blow with the Master Sword (although, she could have totally like, you know, thrown the Master Sword to him earlier in the fight to help as well >_>). She was also a key in the plot, as she was the one that gave Link the Ocarina of Time so that he could open the Door of Time and get the Master Sword alongside the fact that the fact she was in control of the Triforce of Wisdom was well emphasised.

When you meet Zelda for the second time in Twilight Princess, she makes it clear that she is patriotic and will do anything for her land. That's then followed by her doing the weird spirit thing in which she helps Midna recover so that she and Link can strive forward in their quest to defeat Ganondorf. Then there is the fact that she actually fights against Ganondorf whilst Link is transporting her on horseback, something that is very helpful to Link.

If I had played more of the Zelda series, I'm sure I could make this list continue, but unfortunately I have not. But those points above are sufficient in showing the fact that recently Zelda's importance in the series has been growing for a while, and from what others have said, is still growing.
 

Kybyrian

Joined
Jan 31, 2008
Location
Amherst, MA
Gender
Didn't I already answer this one?
Zelda's importance depends on the role the developers give her. There are a lot of games where Zelda wasn't present at all, so she certainly didn't have much importance in those games. Depending on which game she is in, her importance has varied. In The Wind Waker, she had a fairly large role, and I like that. Not only did she help the player at the end of your quest during the fight against Ganon, but she also helped throughout the entire quest and was a major character. Tetra was the leader of a band of pirates and, unknowingly, Princess Zelda the entire time. Though she may not always have a large role in a lot of the games, she usually does have a bit of importance.

In a lot of games her role was that of the generic princess. She gets captured and the hero has to save her, which is similar to what we see in the Mario series with Princess Peach. This was particularly present in the older generation of Zelda games, where they didn't give her much of a role at all except in a few simple tasks or a little information. She's still very important despite the smaller roles, however. I'm glad to see it deviating a bit from that path and making her a little more helpful in some of the games, though. The Wind Waker's Zelda was excellent, and I would like to see something like it again. Giving a character like Zelda a more important role makes for a more exciting game, in my opinion. She's only as important as the developers make her.

Over the years she has grown more important, varying from game to game, but still more important than she was in the past. I already mentioned how in The Wind Waker she had a huge role - though we didn't know she was Princess Zelda at the time - in helping Link get started with his quest. In Twilight Princess she helped in various parts of the game where it would have been impossible to continue without her, and it's those little things that make Princess Zelda have a very important role beside just being the objective in the games. She has been given increasingly more important roles as the games progress through time, and that's definitely a change for the better. She is a very important figure in the series, and I like to see her depicted as such.
 

Mthegreat

Long Time, No See.
Joined
Feb 16, 2011
I think that these were some great answers and I want you guys to keep thinkin about it.
 

Users who are viewing this thread

Top Bottom