Following the launch ofTears of The Kingdom, I accidentally set the Legend Of Zelda fandom on fire. Not on purpose, given most of this misunderstanding was down to headlines eager to take my interview withvoice actor Patricia Summersettout of context. She touched on giving a voice to Zelda, her growth throughoutBreath of the WildandAge of Calamity,alongside a deeper dive into her ambiguous relationship with protagonist Link. Their bond could be love, friendship, or a connection that defies conventional description. That’s why it’s so beautiful.Tears of the Kingdom does add plenty of fuel to the romantic fire. In the years since Breath of the Wild, it appears Link and Zelda have settled into some form of domestic bliss.A houseyou spent the better part of the last game building up from nothing in Hateno Village is now occupied by Zelda. She isn’t just a squatter either, with the entire home being revamped to accommodate both your belongings and even a secret underground workspace where our Princess can toil away without interruption. Upon reading her diary and stumbling onZelda’s handmade Champion’s Tunic, these romantic connotations become even harder to deny.Related:The Next Zelda Shouldn’t Be Anything Like Tears Of The KingdomBut it’s never confirmed, and probably never will be. This ambiguity is wonderful. While Link and Zelda don’t cross romantic borders in spite of their obvious potential, there remains a passionate, unmatched, and tragic bond between them spurred forth by destiny. Ambiguity was the aspect of their relationship that Summersett found so compelling, alongside value found in personal attachments that defy comprehension. She said thatLink and Zelda have a relationship, but not all relationships are romantic; you have work relationships and platonic relationships. Your relationship to your friends is different to your relationship with your parents, and neither are romantic.
Link and Zelda clearly love each other, bearing a tangible connection of intimate trust that constantly brings them together even if the fabric of space and time deems it impossible. Nintendo seldom commits them onto a specific path however, eager to leave things up to our interpretation even when the answer seems so obvious. I’d love for Link and Zelda to fall in love without beating around the bush for several more games, but that irresistible mystery is well worth preserving.
I’m afraid to admit how much Zelda fanfiction I’ve read these past few months, but let’s just say it’s a lot. Within many of these, the romantic relationship between Link and Zelda is done with similar amounts of duplicity. It can be seen as forbidden for a Princess to elope with the very same man charged with protecting her, both in the strict parameters of royalty and such power dynamics that might surface as a consequence. They’re also childhood friends, aware of the timeline in which they occupy and the responsibilities thrust upon them.
If Zelda could marry for love she would have done so years ago, but the duties of her role as Princess and the parts Link has to play in that vision means that personal ambitions must be cast aside. If anything these questions only make the romance even juicier. Fans can read into it however they like, and the ample amounts of fanfic and fanart out there on the internet shows that we have developed a passion for these fictional characters we’d love to see ushered into canon.
Denying us this pleasure is equally powerful though, and part of me prefers it. Link and Zelda may be the opposite gender and fulfil roles perfectly suited to a fantasy romance, but in denying that eventual conclusion we are able to view their relationship as complicated and nuanced, blurring the lines between friendship and romance as it takes on a meaning much greater. Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom didn’t just give its characters voices, they gave them layered personalities and tragic motivations intertwined with the bitter shackles of destiny.
Their shared home in Hateno Village could be little more than an opportunity to flee the demands that come from saving the world in the company of the one person in this entire mess who makes them feel safe. Link and Zelda are meant for each other, and it’s up to us whether that union commits to friendship, romance, or something else entirely.
Next:Not Playing Final Fantasy 7 Remake Before Rebirth Is A Bad Idea
