Gossip Stone: How Involved Should the Monarchy be in a Zelda Game?
Posted on March 23 2015 by Alexis S. Anderson
In most Legend of Zelda games, it’s given that Zelda is a princess and therefore a member of the ruling family. However, the rest of her lineage is rarely spoken of and almost never has a profound impact on the course of Link’s adventure. Sometimes Zelda has a brother, or the King makes an appearance, but usually the government just gets brushed under the rug. What if the monarchy had more of a hand in the direction of the games? What if laws were in place, orders were being given by the King, or the main conflict was a result of warring governments? More of a focus on the monarchy may be a nice change, a way to make Link’s plight less of a secret and more of a harrowing public ordeal.
The current involvement of the ruling family is pretty minimal. Daphnes Nohansen Hyrule (King of Red Lions) from Wind Waker is one of the exceptions, as he aids Link throughout his journey and is the one to utilize the Triforce’s power in the end. Aside from him we’ve seen a couple more kings, but they usually just plead for Link to save the kingdom. The Prince of Hyrule in Zelda II had an active hand in Zelda’s being put into an eternal slumber, but was never actually seen in-game. And in Four Swords Adventures, some emphasis is placed on the Royal Knights whom Ganon has cursed and Link must defeat to obtain the Royal Jewels. Other than in these few instances, the royals are just a footnote, though much can be explored with their inclusion.
I really feel like incorporating three things could drastically change the game’s dynamic: Laws, Knights, and Commissions. If the government in Zelda really functioned the way governments typically do, it would definitely have laws laid out for citizens. I’d wager that cock-fighting and breaking and entering would be punishable crimes, so Link might be a bonafide convict. Having silly laws such as those wouldn’t matter too much, though it could open up the idea of a kind of karma-meter. I’m not much of a fan of karma-meters like those in Infamous or Mass Effect, but I do like the thought of Link’s character straying from the flawless-blessed-hero and being more human by making reckless young adult mistakes like shoplifting (don’t try it in Link’s Awakening, you will be severely punished).
As for the knights, they always seem elevated when the esteemed Knights of Hyrule are mentioned, but don’t seem to make much of an impact against the Prince of Darkness. I would like to see a select group of elite knights aid Link, they can fight battles on a different front or in a different area. They can leave Link clues in areas he hasn’t been to, or they can follow up after Link to keep certain areas in check. Each knight can have some backstory or character development, maybe be defeated in the final battle, and add a little more fuel to the Ganondorf-hate-fire.
The idea of commissions probably struck you as odd, what I mean is a deliberate use of Link as a swordsman– before his big quest. I’d almost like Link to start off as a knight, much like in Hyrule Warriors, though I’d like the government to know Link’s skills so he isn’t just some surprise stroke of luck. Rather when evil comes to town, the King directly employs Link to take care of the problem; these orders from the King will lend more real power to the monarchy and make Link’s adventure a collaborative effort.
One last thing I want to touch upon is the idea of a dialogue between governments. The Zora King and the King of Hyrule get together to discuss an alliance, so that both of their armies can combat Ganon and his lackeys together. Or, the King of Hyrule decides to cut off trade with the Gerudos, the Prince being none too happy decides to turn on the country. It would be interesting to see how the layout of conflict would be altered if the monarchy took actions on its own that made different allies at different times. It would be difficult to execute in-game, unless it was on a cycle where certain areas were allied at certain times, and each area would be more or less difficult to clear during that time because of it.
In any case, the monarchy having more of a hand in a Zelda game’s plot would make the conflict more realistic and urgent by requiring large armies to fight. It could also provide compelling characters and allies for Link, or help further develop Link himself. Do you think that government should play a bigger role in Zelda games? Would you like to see the monarchy involved in a different way? Speak your mind in the comments!
Alexis S. Anderson is a Senior Editor at Zelda Dungeon who joined the writing team in November, 2014. She has a JD from the UCLA School of Law and is pursuing a career in Entertainment and Intellectual Property Law. She grew up in the New Jersey suburbs with her parents, twin brother, and family shih-tzu.
