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Princess Zelda

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Princess Zelda
''The Legend of Zelda series character
File:SSBM Zelda.jpg
Princess Zelda, in Super Smash Bros. Melee.
First gameThe Legend of Zelda (1986)
Created byShigeru Miyamoto

Princess Zelda (ゼルダ姫, Zeruda-hime) is a fictional character in the Legend of Zelda series of video games. She is a member of Hyrule’s royal family and plays an integral role in the history of Hyrule. Though she is the eponymous character, the player takes control of the hero, Link. Usually, Zelda is in some way kidnapped or imprisoned by Ganon, also known as Ganondorf. In some games she appears as one of the sages (wise men and women). In later games she has been shown to be some kind of prophet. In The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time and The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap she displayed other magical powers, such as powerful attacks and force fields. Creator Shigeru Miyamoto has stated that her name was inspired by Zelda Fitzgerald.[1]

Attributes

Much like Link, Zelda has had multiple incarnations throughout the series. Generally close to Link in age, she is most often portrayed as a child, but she has appeared as an adult three times.[2]

Zelda is portrayed as a beautiful girl or young woman, usually with blonde, or strawberry blonde hair.[3] She often wears a royal gown of pink or a whitish color (sometimes with a royal crest), and jewelry including the ornate earrings which are a traditional Hylian accessory.

Associated with the Goddess Nayru and the Triforce of Wisdom, Zelda is possessed of supremely good judgment in most cases—although this does not always aid her in avoiding capture. Most Zeldas are also gifted with psychic or magical powers, such as telepathy and precognition.[4] At her most powerful, Zelda can cast spells and create or undo barriers and seals. Zelda’s alter egos may have abilities of their own; see their individual sections for further explanation.

Zelda is depicted as a right-handed person, other than in the Wii version of Twilight Princess, although that's because it was completely flipped to make Link right-handed.

Incarnations of Zelda

Template:Spoiler Princess Zelda appears in most Legend of Zelda games, often a central focus[4] of Link’s quests, which is most likely the reason the series' title is attributed to her. To date, she has appeared in some form in each game, the only exception being Link’s Awakening, in which she was just briefly mentioned, though in The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask she is only shown in a flashback.

The Legend of Zelda

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Princess Zelda and Link (with the Red Ring) as shown in the original The Legend of Zelda

Zelda is kidnapped by Ganon, who hides her in his lair on Death Mountain. Before she was kidnapped, she shattered the Triforce of Wisdom into eight pieces and had them scattered throughout Hyrule to hide them from Ganon, then sent her nursemaid Impa in search of a hero. Zelda is not actually seen in this game until after Ganon is defeated. Like several character sprites in the game, her dress color reflects the tunic color Link is wearing.

File:Z2linkimpazelda.gif
Impa shows Link Zelda as she sleeps on an altar in North Castle.

In the sequel to The Legend of Zelda, The Adventure of Link, Link must rescue "the Another Princess Zelda" from long ago. According to the backstory, the power of the Triforce had belonged to one man alone, a great king of Hyrule. When he died, the artifact was divided, and the heir to the throne could inherit only part of it. Before his death, the king had told only the prince’s younger sister, Zelda, where the missing parts of the Triforce could be found. The princess would not give away her precious secret, even under threats from the prince and one of his counselors, an evil magician. In his anger, the magician put a powerful sleeping curse on the princess, despite the objections of the prince. The spell was successful, but the magician died in exhaustion after its casting. The devastated prince ordered that every female born into the royal family would be named Zelda in memory of the tragedy. Princess Zelda was placed in the North Palace and lay there for untold ages until Link (on his 16th birthday, years after the events of the original Legend of Zelda) learned of her fate and set out to break the curse.

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Princess Zelda

Princess Zelda is one of the seven maidens descended from the sages who sealed Ganon away during the Imprisoning War. At the beginning of the game, she is imprisoned in the dungeon of Hyrule Castle by Agahnim, who plans on sacrificing her along with the other six maidens in order to break the seal between the Light and Dark World. This would free Agahnim’s alter ego, Ganon, from the Dark World and allow him to wreak havoc on Hyrule. Zelda telepathically calls for help, contacting Link’s uncle and then Link himself. Link rescues Zelda and takes her into the Sanctuary, where she remains, safe, for part of the game. After Link retrieves the Master Sword from the Lost Woods, Zelda is kidnapped by Agahnim’s henchmen and sent to the dark world in his final ritual, breaking the seal. She is not seen again until she is rescued by Link from Turtle Rock (the seventh dungeon in the Dark World). Saving her and the other six maidens opens the entrance to Ganon’s Tower, the final dungeon of the game.

Ocarina of Time

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Young Princess Zelda

Zelda is the daughter of the King of Hyrule, (who is never actually seen in the game), and eventually the Seventh Sage and the holder of the Triforce of Wisdom, and her destiny is tied with Link, possessor of the triforce of courage, and Ganon; Link and Zelda's arch nemesis (also known as Ganondorf in human form)with the triforce of power. Zelda, the true heir to the royal family, she is of the Hylian race. She begins the game as a young girl blessed with prophetic abilities. In a dream of symbolic importance, she senses Ganondorf’s treachery and predicts Link’s arrival before either occurs. When Link meets her for the first time in Hyrule Castle Courtyard, she sends him on a quest to collect the three Spiritual Stones and protect the Triforce from Ganondorf. When Ganondorf attacks Hyrule Castle, Zelda and her nurse maid Impa, a Sheikah, flee the castle on horseback. The princess throws the Ocarina of Time into the moat in front of the Hyrule Castle Town for Link to retrieve. When Link returns seven years later, he encounters Zelda. She claims to be Sheik, survivor of the Sheikah tribe. It is Sheik who gives Link clues to the locations of the various temples and teaches him special songs enabling him to warp to them at will. After the final temple guardian is conquered, Zelda risks her life, revealing her identity and that she is the Seventh Sage. She informs Link that both she and he hold pieces of the Triforce and gives him the Light Arrows, but moments later is captured by Ganondorf and imprisoned in a pink crystal in his tower at the former site of Hyrule Castle. Following Ganondorf’s defeat, she is freed and assists Link in his escape from the collapsing fortress. She also helps Link defeat Ganon by holding him in place with her magic while Link delivers the final blow. After Hyrule is saved, Zelda uses the Ocarina of Time to send Link back to the past, allowing him (and Hyrule) to regain the seven years they lost to tragedy.


Majora’s Mask

In a flashback, the young Zelda from Ocarina of Time is seen talking to Link as the moon is descending toward Termina on the night of the Third Day. She gives him the Ocarina of Time and re-teaches him the Song of Time. She plays no other role in the game.

Oracle series

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Zelda from the Oracle series

Impa tells Link she has been sent by Zelda to guard Din, the Oracle of Seasons, and Nayru, the Oracle of Ages, and escort them back to Hyrule. The plans go awry when the Oracles are kidnapped, and partway through the second game Zelda has a disturbing vision and comes to find Link. She is briefly captured, but Link rescues her. Once both games have been completed, Twinrova kidnaps her in a plan to sacrifice her to revive Ganon. They ultimately fail and are defeated by Link, who rescues the captive Princess. The castle begins to crumble, but they're rescued by the Maku Tree.

Four Swords

In the beginning of the game, Zelda goes to the Sanctuary of the Four Swords with her friend Link, to check on the seal containing the Wind Mage, Vaati. The seal has weakened, however, and Vaati emerges and kidnaps Zelda.

The Wind Waker

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Zelda from The Wind Waker

A pretty and adventurous young girl named Tetra leads her band of pirates across the Great Sea, in search of a legendary treasure hidden beneath the waves. Her destiny becomes inextricably entwined with Link’s, and eventually the talking boat King of Red Lions[5] explains that Tetra is actually Princess Zelda.[6] During the final battle, Zelda helps by slowing down Ganondorf with the Light Arrow she borrows from Link, the Hero of Winds. This is the second time Zelda participates in a battle in the series, and she plays a more active role than she did in Ocarina of Time.

Four Swords Adventures

Worried about the seal on Vaati, Zelda goes with six other mystical maidens to check on the Sanctuary of the Four Sword, and Link accompanies her. But something goes horribly wrong, and a dark shadowy copy of Link attacks. Link is forced to draw the Four Sword to fight Dark Link, and Vaati escapes. The girls are abducted, and the Links come to their rescue. Zelda helps them defeat Dark Link, and after Vaati is dispatched, the five quickly flee the collapsing Tower of Winds. Finally, the Links face Ganon, who’s behind all the mischief, and Zelda helps them deliver the final blow.

The Minish Cap

Princess Zelda is the daughter of Hyrule’s King Daltus. She and Link are good friends, Link’s grandfather being Hyrule’s Master Smith. One day, Zelda gets Link to take her to the Picori Festival in Hyrule Town. During the ceremony following the festival’s swordfighting tournament, she is turned into stone by the winner, Vaati. Vaati is an evil mage searching for a legendary Light Force, and knowing Zelda has mystical powers of her own, he wants to keep her out of the way. Later, discovering that her power is the Light Force, Vaati invades the castle and abducts the petrified princess, planning to sacrifice her and become a god. When Link defeats Vaati, Zelda uses the Light Force to heal the damage that Vaati caused to Hyrule.

Twilight Princess

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Princess Zelda in Twilight Princess

Zelda was the young ruler of Hyrule until its invasion by Zant, the Twilight King, when she surrendered to him to prevent the deaths of her people. From then on, 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 (possibly because she has the power of the goddesses - in her case, the Triforce of Wisdom). It is here that she meets Link, transformed into a wolf by the Twilight Realm's power. Later, she apparently gives up this power, and her physical form, to aid a purified and dying Midna. She regains her body later, only to be possessed by Ganondorf, but his influence is purged from her body by Midna. 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 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. As an interesting side note, she never actually sees Link as a human until halfway-through the final battle with Ganondorf; the two other times, Link is trapped as a wolf. Zelda in Twilight Princess is the matriarch of Hyrule for the first time, although she retains her title of "Princess". Other incarnations of Zelda have featured her as the daughter and possible heir to the king of Hyrule, as opposed to the land's ruler.

Zelda in Twilight Princess takes more of a supporting role than in previous games. In most other Legend of Zelda games, she is always the focus of the plot and the ultimate aim of the games has been to rescue her or perform some other task directly related to her. In Twilight Princess, the character of Midna seems to take over much of Zelda's role in previous games, the ultimate goal of the game being set by her and interaction between her and Link being a major point of focus, whereas Link and Zelda only meet on three separate occasions, and twice while Link is in Wolf form. Because a close relationship between Link and Zelda has always been a central focus in games in the franchise, their limited interaction in Twilight Princess is one of a number of departures made by Nintendo in the game.

Also, Twilight Princess is the first time Zelda appears as a boss enemy (although she wasn't fighting Link willingly).

Zelda’s alter egos

Sheik

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Sheik, from Ocarina of Time.

Sheik is a character in Ocarina of Time, and is an alter ego of Zelda. In the game, Zelda passes herself off as a Sheikah known as Sheik. With voice muffled and face concealed, wearing a form-fitting blue suit with the red Sheikah eye in the center, the character is essentially unrecognizable as Zelda.[7] The transformation is helped by the fact that the game had no proper voice acting, and thus players had no reason to associate Sheik’s voice with Zelda’s.

Sheik plays the harp and teaches Link new songs to help him on his quest. When Link arrives at the Temple of Time near the end of the game, Sheik uses the Triforce of Wisdom and reverts to Zelda. It is assumed, in this case, that she uses her magical skills (as a Sage) to change her skin tone, hair length, eye color, etc. This is all supported by the Sheik trophy in Super Smash Bros. Melee. It is presumed she changes her voice as well as her build and her clothing; in addition, a female voice actor is heard when in pain in both Ocarina and SSBM, adding to the belief that Zelda may have been imitating a deep voice as Sheik. It has also been argued that Sheik’s apparent build may simply be concealed armor Zelda wears over her torso, however, this would detract from Sheik's apparent flexibility, suggesting the form is genuine. It should be noted however that when Link encounters Princess Ruto in the Water Temple in Ocarina of Time she asks Link to thank Sheik for saving her and refers to Sheik as "him". It is unknown, however, if Ruto was actually aware of Sheik's dual-identity. Many in support of Sheik being female have stated that Sheik is referred to as "her" in Super Smash Bros. Mêlée, but it's questionable whether this reference is canonical or not due to the involvement of Shigeru Miyamoto in this game.

The game is unclear about the true nature and origin of Sheik. [7] One of the Gossip Stones scattered around Hyrule in Ocarina of Time describes her royal highness as a tomboy. Zelda herself apologizes for "Meeting Link in disguise." In the manga, Zelda and Impa speak of Sheik as being male, and it is also indicated that Sheik has no memory of being Zelda.[8]

Although there is no true gender for Sheik, the only known source comes from Super Smash Bros. Melee, where Sheik sounds like a female every time she jumps and attacks, henceforth giving the title of her being a female.

Princess Zelda, known as Tetra for the first half of the game, as seen in The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker

Tetra

Tetra is a pirate in The Wind Waker, an accomplished sailor and pirate captain.[9] Orphaned at a young age, she commands a lot of respect among her pirate crew for her leadership skills and ability to cope - as well as a big heart beneath her gruff exterior. Tetra is short-tempered and impatient at times, and mischievous. She often taunts and teases Link in a fun way, yet has some sort of attraction to him, which becomes stronger between then both of them when she is revealed as Princess Zelda. Eventually discovering her secret identity as Zelda, she guards the Triforce of Wisdom, part of which was given to her by her deceased mother. Clearly a competent archer, Zelda helps Link during the final battle by slowing Ganondorf’s movements with Light Arrows. She is skilled with a catapult (or so she assures Link), and it is reasonable to assume that she knows how to use the bombs she has her pirate crew steal at one point. As a member of the royal family, she can use a certain charmed stone to communicate with the holder and keep an eye on his doings within a certain range. At the end of The Wind Waker, Tetra sets sail with Link in search of the land that will become the new Hyrule. The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass starts just after The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker. It has also been confirmed that she will reappear in Phantom Hourglass, and Link must rescue her.

Tetra's name is derived from tetrahedron, a polyhedron composed of four triangular faces that is the technical term of the shape of the Triforce.

Relationships with other characters

There is a part of the Zelda series that their kiss shows a romantic relationship between the Link and Zelda characters in the series. Although not yet definitely confirmed in the video game titles of the franchise, is based on hints given in some of the games, interviews with the game creators, and the cartoons and comics/manga.

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Zelda is thought to have given Link a kiss behind the curtain in the end sequence of Zelda II: The Adventure of Link

One hint of a romance between the two is given at the end of The Adventure of Link, when the awakened princess apparently kisses Link under the falling curtain. Some cut scenes in Ocarina of Time featuring Link and Zelda have been interpreted as being signs of a budding romance. For example, when Link must follow Zelda out of Ganondorf’s crumbling castle before the final battle she gasps with concern any time Link is hit by falling debris and screams when Link is hit by Ganon during the final battle. And in the final scene, Link and Zelda are floating in the sky together and seem to be sharing a romantic moment.

If the Oracle games are played as sequels to each other, the ultimate ending sequence shows Zelda lightly kissing Link on the cheek, causing him to swoon as hearts float above his head. In The Wind Waker, a strong relationship is sensed between them at the end when Zelda and Link are floating the the top of the water and reach for each other's hands, also in Wind Waker at the end of the credits, two bubbles with Link and Tetra slowly float next to each other with Zelda's lullaby playing. Ganon also often calls Zelda "your precious Zelda" while in front of Link.

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Link and Zelda together as children.

In manga, such as the The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, Link and Zelda are shown to have a much more obvious romantic relationship than seen in the video games. An example of this is the scene where, Zelda kisses Link during the childhood chapters causing Link to react in excitement, and the scene before Ganondorf captures Zelda in the adult chapters, there is a quickly interrupted moment of tenderness between the two. Dialogue within the manga and Link's inability to stop thinking about Zelda throughout the manga provides more evidence of a romantic relationship. An example of this romance in other manga is the official The Legend of Zelda: The Four Swords manga. At the end of the Four swords manga, Link and Zelda are shown holding hands together, it may be proof of a future relationship.

The game creators also seem to imply there is a romance between the characters. Here is one question and answer from an interview[10] with Eiji Aonuma, the director of Ocarina of Time, Majora’s Mask, The Wind Waker and Twilight Princess:

Interviewer: We have received several emails in which our readers ask: Will Zelda and Link ever be involved [romantically]? [laughs] I’m sorry, but we had to ask.
Aonuma: [laughs] Good question. Well, as you already know, we are now dealing with a teenage Link, and as you know, teenagers are very emotional beings, so there are definitely possibilities of seeing Link showing his feelings towards the princess. But honestly, we don’t know what the future holds.

In another interview Mr. Aonuma answers another question about this relationship in Twilight Princess.

Interviewer: Will we see a charming and affectionate romance [between Link and] the princess?
Aonuma: Well, we’re creating an adolescent storyline and we try to present it how it should be; in fact, if you played it – or will play it – you’ll notice that the way Link holds the sword is much cooler than how he used to do it. Link will now do things in a way that will make him look more confident and liberated. And yes, it’s true that teenagers have these relationships -- and we would love if it could happen with the princess – but I can’t talk about anything yet.

A question from an old interview[11] withmShigeru Miyamoto, conducted by Famimaga 64:

Interviewer: Does Link have a girlfriend?
Miyamoto: If it was Princess Zelda, it would be great. However, this time Navi [the fairy] is jealous of Zelda. So within the story, Navi feels something for Link.

It is speculated that Zelda and Link will eventually end up together with Nintendo's remarks about the two. During most of the games, they show interest in each other, and the existence of a romantic relationship between Link and Zelda is a popular theory and wish among many fans of the series.

Impa

In several games, Zelda has a nursemaid named Impa, a faithful servant who is largely responsible for raising her and cultivating her abilities. In The Legend of Zelda, Impa is her most trusted servant, the one whom she entrusts with the task of finding a hero to defeat Ganon. In The Adventure of Link, it is Impa who brings Link to the North Castle and recounts the story of the ancient curse on the sleeping Zelda. The Impa from Ocarina of Time is a survivor of the mysterious Sheikah race. She protects and cares for Zelda, teaching Zelda and Link the royal tune known as Zelda’s Lullaby, and fleeing the castle with Zelda when Ganondorf threatens the princess in an attempt to obtain the Ocarina of Time. Impa then teaches Zelda the ways of the Sheikah, allowing her to hide in plain sight for seven years, awaiting Link’s return. In the end, she rounds out Zelda’s band of sages in her role as the Sage of Shadow. Impa in the Oracle series is an agent operating in Zelda’s interest, sent to the lands of Holodrum and Labrynna to bring the oracles to safety in Hyrule.

Family

Not much is known about Zelda’s family; they are rarely mentioned or seen in-game. The king and the prince who were related to the cursed Zelda in The Adventure of Link are never even named, their actions merely provide an explanation for her fate and the Triforce’s condition. The return of the king to Hyrule Castle is seen briefly in the A Link to the Past end sequence. The next time we hear of a royal relative is young Zelda’s mention of her father in Ocarina of Time, but this is brief and he makes no appearance. (Some speculate this king may be Daphnes Nohansen, but evidence is sketchy.) In The Wind Waker, Zelda’s relations consist of a deceased mother (a picture of her can be seen inside Zelda's quarters on the pirate ship. Unlike her daughter, she has short dark hair) who previously led her band of pirates, and Daphnes Nohansen Hyrule, The King of Red Lions, an ancient ancestor who's spirit often inhabits a red boat. If you look around in the underwater Hyrule Castle, you can also find a painting that features Zelda (not the same Zelda as Tetra) and a bunch of other people that resemble Tetra's pirate crew. The first significant relationship shown is with Daltus, father of Zelda in The Minish Cap. When Zelda is turned to stone, he is desperate to find a way to save her. The quest to do so also requires Link to get help from the spirit of another royal ancestor, Gustaf.

Zelda in other media

Although information is only considered series canon if it comes from the games or instruction booklets (where there is conflict, the games themselves are the accepted source), or occasionally other Nintendo materials, there are a number of other officially licensed Zelda stories. Many of these explore the romantic relationship with Link in greater depth than the actual games.

The Legend of Zelda TV series

A set of Zelda cartoons aired on Fridays from 1989-1990 as a part of DiC’s The Super Mario Bros. Super Show. The series loosely followed the NES Zelda games, mixing settings and characters from those games with original creations. Zelda is depicted as a warrior princess with a firey temper who wears more comfortable and practical garb than the Zelda from the games. In addition to running the kingdom part-time for her father, King Harkinian, she often accompanies Link on his adventures and is quite skilled with a bow. The series exemplifies a romantic relationship between the two protagonists. Link is always begging Zelda for a kiss; however, even when she agrees to indulge him, it never occurs. They are interrupted by monsters, or Sprite (a fairy princess with a crush on Link), or any number of unfortunate circumstances such as something making Zelda so mad she no longer wants to kiss Link. It is directly revealed that Zelda loves Link in one episode, and there is no doubt of their romantic relationship in this series. Thirteen of these cartoons were produced before the cancellation of The Super Mario Bros. Super Show. Zelda was voiced by Cyndy Preston in the TV Series.

A slightly altered version of this Zelda (with messier hair and a slightly more revealing version of the same clothing) appeared in assorted episodes of Captain N: The Game Master.

The Legend of Zelda comic books by Valiant

Featuring characters and settings from the TV series, this comic by Valiant only ran for five issues. Although Zelda’s feelings for Link are made quite clear, there is another element at play here: her duty to the Triforce, which must come before her own needs and desires. When Link is corrupted by the Triforce of Power in one story, this Zelda briefly possesses his Triforce of Courage, which will not reside with one who uses Power without Wisdom.

Created as a serial comic for Nintendo Power magazine by acclaimed manga author Shotaro Ishinomori, and later collected in graphic novel form, this tells an alternate version of the events from A Link to the Past. Zelda calls to Link and he must rescue her, first from Agahnim, and then from imprisonment at Turtle Rock in the Dark World. She is also instrumental in storming Ganon’s floating castle (think: spiky stone Death Star) and destroying him. Link and Zelda definitely develop a strong connection, but the relationship is ultimately portrayed as tragic. At the end of the story, Zelda has become Queen, and Link is head of the Royal Guard and the Knights of Hyrule. This success is bittersweet, as their duties keep them apart, even though they were once so close, sharing an adventure and even coming together in dreams.

Stories from several Zelda games have also been converted to manga format in Japan. These official publications greatly expand parts of each game’s backstory.

Appearances in other games

Zelda is present in a few games outside of the Legend of Zelda series. While varying in their regard within the gaming community, none of these games contributes anything to the series which would be considered Legend of Zelda canon.

CD-i games

Zelda is featured in three games made by a third party for the Phillips CD-i system. In Link: The Faces of Evil she was kidnapped by Ganon again and had to be rescued. In Zelda: The Wand of Gamelon (1993) (in which she wore the same outfit as in the animated series) and Zelda’s Adventure (1994), Princess Zelda was the protagonist (both games involve Link’s kidnapping). Although the games are noteworthy as the first time Zelda has been a playable character, the series is generally immensely criticized by fans and not recognized by Nintendo as canon, with a number of fans refusing to even acknowledge their existence.

Super Smash Bros. Melee

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Princess Zelda as she appears in Super Smash Bros. Melee

The adult Zelda from The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time also appears as a playable character in Super Smash Bros. Melee, a fighting game featuring many of Nintendo’s mascots.[12] She was first shown in the guise of Sheik, but it was later revealed that Sheik was one of two forms. Zelda is one of the most varied characters in the entire game because she is actually two characters in one, each with their own unique moves, attacks, and fighting style. At any time during play, she can change form to take advantage of her full range of abilities. This innovative gameplay mechanic made her one of the most anticipated characters during the game's pre-release hype.

The character normally starts as Zelda, who is somewhat slow and her special attacks are extremely powerful. Her air attacks, dodging, and strong attacks, make her an ideal counter-defensive character. She has a light frame and is easily sent flying. Fans may remember her three magic attacks as the same ones Link acquired in The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. Nayru's Love: which surrounds Zelda with crystal shards which both repel projectiles and damage any who are close to Zelda. Din's Fire: Sends a remote controlled "magic mine" which explodes once the player releases its control. And Farore's Wind: Zelda's "third jump", a teleport move which covers a vast distance and gives damage to any who are close when the move is performed.

As Sheik, the character is completely different. Sheik is not only extremely fast, but also very easy to control, giving her an advantage over roguish characters. She has fluid and swift ninja-like attacks, allowing Sheik to be an evasion-based "hit-and-run" character. It is possible to begin as Sheik at the start of any level by holding down the "A" button while the level is loading. Sheik has three moves utilizing her Ninja-like methods. Needle Storm: A move where she uses throwing needles. The move can be charged to accumulate more needles per throw; up to six. Chain: Sheik lets loose a chain whip which can be twirled around at the player's discretion, and Vanish: Sheik's "third jump", a teleport move similar to Zelda's, but it covers considerably shorter range although it deals more damage to anyone who is close to Sheik upon her using it, making her less open.

If Kirby copies Zelda's powers, he will don Young Zelda's wimple from Ocarina of Time.

It is unknown if Zelda and Sheik will appear in the upcoming Super Smash Bros. Brawl


Note that her attacks, Nayru's Love, Din's Fire and Farore's Wind are actually Link's attacks in Ocarina of Time, and were given to Zelda because of her lack of real attacks in the Legend of Zelda series. The only real attack that she could have had in Super Smash Bros. Melee is the Light Arrow, the only magic given to Link by Zelda in Ocarina of Time.

In Super Smash Bros. Melee, Zelda and Sheik are both voiced by Jun Mizusawa.

Minor cameos

References

Books
  • Nintendo of America. Official Nintendo Power the Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask Player’s Guide. Nintendo of America, 1999. ISBN 1-930206-05-4.
  • Prima Development. Super Smash Bros. Melee: Official Strategy Guide. Prima Games, 2002. ISBN 0-7615-3790-2.
Notes
  1. ^ In the Game: Nintendo’s Shigeru Miyamoto by Todd Mowatt, Amazon.com, last retrieved March 12 2006
  2. ^ Zelda appears as an adult in Ocarina of Time, The Adventure of Link, and Twilight Princess.
  3. ^ In The Legend of Zelda her hair was the same brown as Link’s, but that may be due to the limited capabilities of the NES.
  4. ^ a b Princess Zelda character analysis Internal.tbi.net. URL Accessed April 29, 2006.
  5. ^ in reality Daphnes Nohansen Hyrule, the ancient king who was sealed underneath the sea along with his doomed kingdom
  6. ^ She is a descendant of the one from The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time.
  7. ^ a b The Legend of Zelda database - letter S Zelda.com. URL Accessed April 30, 2006.
  8. ^ The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time volume 2, Akira Himegawa (1998).
  9. ^ The Legend of Zelda database - letter S Zelda.com. URL Accessed April 30, 2006.
  10. ^ Eiji Aonuma Interview, GameCube Advanced, published July 22 2004
  11. ^ The Z-Files, part IV, IGN64, published December 3 1997
  12. ^ Super Smash Bros. Melee information Amazon.com URL Accessed May 1, 2006.