Template:Character Princess Zelda (ゼルダ姫, Zeruda-hime), at around 20 years of age[1], is the crown princess of Hyrule, meaning she is next in line for the throne after her father, the King of Hyrule. She is one of the most important characters of the Legend of Zelda series, which is also why the series is named after her. She made her first appearance in the original The Legend of Zelda, and has appeared in every subsequent game, with the exception of Link's Awakening and Majora's Mask, (technically, she made a small appearance in a flashback). She is also chosen by destiny to be the keeper of the Triforce of Wisdom, which is the main reason why she plays such an integral role in the legends of Hyrule.
Throughout the history of Hyrule, there have been several incarnations of the Princess. The "first" is generally considered to be the one who was seen in Ocarina of Time, where she is depicted both as a child and as a young woman.
Shigeru Miyamoto has stated that Princess Zelda was named after Zelda Fitzgerald, Scott Fitzgerald's wife.[2]
The Legend of Zelda
Zelda is the princess of Hyrule and is kidnapped by Ganon in this game. She breaks the Triforce of Wisdom into eight pieces before being imprisoned, forcing Link to hunt down the pieces and reunite the Triforce of Wisdom before confronting Ganon and rescuing Zelda.
The Adventure of Link
In Adventure of Link, a more complicated origin of Zelda is revealed. The slain Ganon's minions are ravaging Hyrule and a mysterious tattoo has appeared on Link's hand. Impa, Zelda's handmaid, explains the true Legend of Zelda to Link. Well before the events of The Legend of Zelda game, Hyrule was a prosperous land ruled by a king who had two children, an unnamed Prince and Princess Zelda. However, an evil wizard came to the Prince and told him that the path to true power lay with the Triforce. The Prince gives into the wizard's whispers and seeks the Triforce. When the wizard tells the Prince that Zelda knows the location of the mystical object, the Prince demands that Zelda turn the information over to him. Zelda refuses and, in a rage, the wizard puts Zelda into a deep sleep, but dies from the magical backlash. Overcome with grief, the Prince seals his sleeping sister in the North Palace and orders that all female descendants of the Hylian monarchy are to be named Zelda. In the game itself, Link must place six crystals one in each of the statues to open the gates of the North Palace. There Link fights Dark Link, recovering the Triforce of Courage, and awakening the sleeping Zelda. It is not clear whether or not any of the Zeldas in the games are the "true" Zelda or if they are simply the duplicates of the sleeping princess. Because it is not known when Zelda was put to sleep, the answer may never be known.
A Link to the Past
Link and Zelda actually do not know each other until they later meet, When Zelda uses telepathy to get Link to save her. Link's uncle mentions that Zelda is Link's destiny.
Ocarina of Time and Majora's Mask
As the first Zelda in the official timeline, it could be assumed that this was the first princess of Hyrule to be named Zelda. In this episode of the series, Zelda is seen as a child and as an adult. In her adult life, Zelda is held captive by Ganondorf, but uses magic passed down to her through Impa to escape from time to time to aid Link in his quest. When helping Link, Zelda disguises herself as Sheik, and makes sure that he never discovers her true identity until the time is right.
When Zelda finally does reveal her self it is made clear that Ganondorf has been aware of her escape the entire time, and has for a second time in the game tricked Zelda and Link into doing part of his dirty work for him. Ganondorf then recaptures Zelda deliberately to drive Link in to a fight to the death.
In the game’s conclusion, Zelda shows her wisdom explaining to Link that they must return to their childhood, and that no one will ever know of their trials to save Hyrule. It is not known how long Zelda and Link stay together before the Hero of Time leaves for his quest taking place throughout Majora's Mask, but Zelda makes a single reappearance in Majora's Mask when Link has a flash back on retrieving the Ocarina of Time. The events of the flash back display their last meeting with Zelda confident they would meet again.
Oracle of Seasons and Oracle of Ages
In the Oracle Saga, Zelda and Link are presented as childhood friends, similar to their relationship in Minish Cap and the Four Swords series. This is one of few appearnces for Zelda in which she never appears as a fully grown adult.
In these games, Zelda is revealed to be the Oracle of Hope. She is the one who sends Link to Labrynna and Holodrum to bring the Oracle of Ages, Nayru, and the Oracle of Seasons, Din, to Hyrule for safety. Zelda, herself, appears if the two games are linked.
The Wind Waker
The Wind Waker presents Zelda in a secret identity, Tetra, a female pirate who leads a small group of thieves. Tetra, however, is even unaware herself of being part of the Royal bloodline, and this is a first occurence for the Zelda series. Tetra's identity as a descendent of Princess Zelda is revealed when she travels with Link to Hyrule Castle, beneath The Great Sea:
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You are the true hero of the royal family of Hyrule... the last link in the bloodline. You are Princess Zelda. | 
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| — Daphnes Nohansen Hyrule | ||
Zelda as Tetra displayed a tomboyish demeanour not relevant to other Zelda games, taking on challenges head on, this is similar to the role of Sheik although it is a given that Tetra is not quite as aware of the grand size of her situation although it is hinted at that she regularly withholds information from Link.
Tetra's Zelda is also one of only two Zelda's who choose to fight along Link at some point in the game. It has been said that this game runs parallel to Twilight Princess. Two timelines were made in Ocarina of Time, the Young Link and the Adult Link Timelines. Ganondorf was sealed in the Adult timeline but he escaped, which led to Wind Waker. In the Child timeline, it is unknown what happens to Ganondorf but this timeline leads to Twilight princess. (But this stuff was posted in a magazine that has been known to make stuff up so we can not be so sure...)
Four Swords Series
Zelda and Link appear here as childhood friends, and it can be said that Four Swords and Four Swords Adventures are in fact the same story retold on different consoles. The childhood aspect of their relationship could mean that these are the events that take place between Ocarina of Time and Majora's mask for the Link (Hero of Time) and Zelda from Ocarina. It is already stated that Minish Cap and Four Swords are closely related in the timeline as the Four Sword makes a strong appearance in Minish Cap. It can be assumed that these two stories share the same Zelda, as well as Link.
The Minish Cap
At the beggining of The Minish Cap, Link and Zelda are well aquainted and together head towards the Picori Festival in Hyrule Town. A catastrophe occurs when the evil wind mage, Vaati, appears turning Zelda to stone. Link fuses the 4 elements in the Picori sword to reverse Vaati's spell along the conclusion. Zelda revealed to Link she witnessed his actions in visions.
Twilight Princess
Princess Zelda as she appears in Twilight Princess
Zelda was the young matriarch of Hyrule until its invasion by Zant, the Twilight King, when she surrendered to him to prevent the deaths of her people. Afterwards, she is imprisoned inside a tower in Hyrule Castle, although she does not become a spirit under the influence of the Twilight King's magic like her people. The reason may be from Zelda's Triforce of Wisdom. Zelda, dressed is a dark robe, meets Link transformed into a wolf by the Twilight's power. Later, she transfer her own power, and her physical form, to aid a dying Midna.
She later regains her body, only to be possessed by Ganondorf and become the boss Ganondorf's Puppet Zelda (See image below); however, Ganondorf's dark influence is purged from her body by Midna. Under the dark power, Zelda's skin is pale with Twilight markings.
Zelda calls upon the power of the Light Spirits
Ganondorf makes another attempt on Zelda's life soon after, but she is protected by the Light Spirits of Hyrule, who grant her the Light Arrows to assist Link in the horseback part of his final battle. The last time she is seen in the game is when she and Link say good-bye to Midna at the Mirror of Twilight.
Zelda's Triforce is seen on the back of her hand when she heals Midna.
Phantom Hourglass
Princess Zelda appears in this game as Tetra, her alter ego in Wind Waker, after vanishing. It is unknown whether she will retain her royal persona at all in the game.
The Many Princesses Named Zelda
As mentioned above, there have been more than one Princess named Zelda throughout the history of Hyrule, and not even all of them have appeared in the games to this date. All of them generally have the same appearance of a beautiful young girl/woman with red or blond hair and blue eyes.
When Princess Zelda IV (at least to our best knowledge) was put in a deep coma by a wizard in the prologue for Zelda II: The Adventure of Link, her brother the Prince of Hyrule, who was partly to blame for her comatose state, decided that in honor of his sister, every princess born in to the Royal Family of Hyrule should be named Zelda.
The different princesses who have appeared in the games are Princess Zelda who appeared in Ocarina of Time, generally considered the first, then later the Princess Zelda who appeared in The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past, most often considered the second, and then the third who appeared in The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker. It is not definite, but the fourth Princess Zelda is generally considered the one awakened by Link in The Adventure of Link, and then the fifth is the one seen in the original The Legend of Zelda. The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess is based approximately 100 years after Ocarina of Time, so therefore, that Zelda may be placed as the third. There is also a connection between the location of the Master Sword in the transition between A Link to the Past and Twilight Princess. In both games, it is found in a sacred meadow deep in the Lost Woods, however, it was found in the Temple of Time in Ocarina of Time. The Temple of Time also made a huge development between the times of OoT and TP, for in TP, it was extraordinarily larger.
Zelda's Alter Egos
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Sheik
In Ocarina of Time Link met up with a mysterious member of the Sheikah Tribe, fittingly called Sheik. This person taught Link a multitude of different songs and gave him tips on how to proceed in his quest. At the end of the game, Sheik revealed himself to be none other than Princess Zelda in a disguise. During the seven years Link had been asleep while maturing to become ready to fight Ganondorf, Zelda had gone underground and taken the disguise as Sheik so that Ganondorf would not find her in his search for the two remaining pieces of the Triforce, one which was held by Princess Zelda herself. Sheik is also a playable character in Super Smash Bros. Melee: Zelda is able to transform into Sheik during a battle, allowing her to use a different set of moves.
Tetra
Born into a society of pirates on the Great Sea, Tetra, captain of the Pirates, was completely unaware that she was a member of the Royal Family of Hyrule's bloodline. When this was revealed to her by King Daphnes Nohansen Hyrule, she was just as surprised as Link to find out that she was indeed a decendent of Princess Zelda of Hyrule, and also the one destined to be the keeper of the Triforce of Wisdom.
Super Smash Bros
So far, Zelda has appeared in Super Smash Bros Melee, for the GameCube.. Also, as of 25th June 2007, Zelda has been confirmed to be in the next series installment, Super Smash Bros. Brawl, for the Wii. In Melee, she appeared in her Ocarina of Time form. In Brawl, she will appear in her Twilight Princess form, as well as Link.
Gallery
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Zelda in the Oracle Games
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Zelda in Twilight Princess
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Zelda in A Link to the Past
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Zelda in the remake of A Link to the Past
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Zelda from The Four Swords
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Zelda form The Wind Waker
Adult Zelda from Ocarina of Time
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Young Zelda in Ocarina of Time
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Zelda under the control of Ganondorf
Ganon's Puppet: Zelda
Zelda receives the Light Arrows
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Zelda attacking in Super Smash Bros. Brawl
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Princess Zelda figurine from The Minish Cap
Starred In
- The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Ages and The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Seasons - In the linked game.
Non-Zelda Games:
References
- ↑ Hodgson, D. & Stratton, S. (2006). The Legend Of Zelda: Twilight Princess (wii Version) -- Collector's Edition [Hardcover] (excerpt). Prima Games. ISBN 0761555730
- ↑ Amazon.com interview with Shigeru Miyamoto
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