As much as I loveThe Legend of Zelda’s iconic protagonist Link, I think it’s time for him to be killed off. At least for one game. Since the series debuted on the Famicom in 1986 (it wouldn’t come to the NES until 1987), Link has played the starring role in almost every single mainline game –2024’s excellentEchoes of Wisdombeing the lone exception. Getting to play as Zelda felt like a long time coming, and I’m grateful the princess is finally getting her flowers, butI’m afraid more drastic measures may be necessary to give her the full breadth of the spotlight.
Nintendo is exceedingly protective of its flagship characters, and it’s not hard to understand why. Mario isn’t just a popular video game character, he’s in the running for the most recognizable fictional character of all time, the face and the image of a massive multimedia franchise, one that aims to be family-friendly.Zeldafrequently treads more mature ground thanSuper Mario, but aside from some shocking imagery in older games and unnerving sub-text,Zeldahas also never faced the mortality of its lead characters.
The Legend Of Zelda Has Never Killed Off A Leading Character In-Game
Link & Zelda Are Never Killed On-Screen
Being whooped by a boss and losing all your hearts technically counts as Link dying, buthe and Zelda have not canonically met their demise in any game. The closest you can get is by virtue of thehilariously convolutedZeldaseries timeline, in which one unseen outcome ofOcarina of Time’s final fight against Ganon results in Link’s death (and the subsequent imprisonment of Ganon in the Sacred Realm by the Sages). This is a special case, though, as it was seemingly devised retroactively to connect what are essentially self-contained entries in an anthology.
It’s also notable that this happens at the end of a game, or in an alternate ending to a game – while it has massive consequences for theZeldauniverse,Link’s death is never really felt by players, nor is its fallout witnessed.Ocarina of Timeremains a curiously tragic game among its peers; death looms over the story quite heavily. Link’s mother dies prior to the game’s events while fleeing theHyrulean Civil War, the Great Deku Tree succumbs to Ganondorf’s curse, a Castle Town guarddies in front of Link in a missable dialogue, Dampé passes while Link is trapped in the Sacred Realm, and the royal family sans Zelda is presumably executed as part of Ganondorf’s coup.
Ocarina Of Time’s Weirdest Room Holds My Favorite Moment In The Game
One room in Ocarina of Time sticks out for its strange and unique design, and it also happens to host one of the game’s more emotional cutscenes.
But Link and Zelda remain (physically) unharmed, or at the very least, alive. This remains true throughout the entire series. Even inTears of the Kingdom, arguablyPrincess Zelda’s most tragic story, permanent physical harm is not inflicted. I don’t necessarily believeThe Legend of Zeldaneeds to strive for a more mature tone – even though I have a soft spot forTwilight Princess' melancholy – butI think Zelda’s potential as a playable protagonist is severely stunted by Link’s presence, regardless of his role in the story.
Even In Echoes Of Wisdom, Zelda Has To Share The Spotlight
Defeating Null Isn’t Zelda’s Victory Alone
Echoes of Wisdomis still primarily Zelda’s story, and I’m not saying it’s worse off because of Link’s role, but it is indicative of howthe common confines of the series' narratives keep Zelda from being the lone hero. Part of the issue comes down toEchoes of Wisdomfeaturing the Triforce, known in this era as the Prime Energy. When thePrime Energy splits inEchoes of Wisdom, the series' divine governance ordains that the three pieces are inherited by those with matching characteristics: Zelda gets the Triforce of Wisdom, Link the Triforce of Courage, and Null seeks the Triforce of Power.
It would seem that with the Triforce present, there must always be a Link figure, though there is evidence to suggestZelda has all three Triforce pieces inTOTK.Breath of the WildandTOTKshow that the Triforce doesn’t necessarily have to be a contributing factor to the primary conflict, even when Ganon is the main threat.A solution to truly elevate Zelda as the lone protagonist of a game is therefore to remove Link from the equation, and seeing him killed arguably carries the most dramatic weight.
Echoes of Wisdomis simply a new spin on what theZeldaseries has been doing for a long time. Princess Zelda is rarely the typical damsel in distress; she disguises herself as Sheik inOcarina of Time, leads her pirate crew as Tetra inThe Wind Waker, and works to keep Demise imprisoned throughoutSkyward Sword. These examples are not unlike Link’s role inEchoes of Wisdom, who even joins the climacticfight against Nullin a supportive role à la Zelda and her trusty Light Arrows.
Killing Link Is The Most Effective Way To Ensure Zelda Shines As The Protagonist
Check Him For Bottled Fairies First
I believe that an unutilized plot point in the series at large is a primary character’s death, and the inverse would be equally effective: Zelda dying in a game that stars Link would be heartbreaking, but is worth exploring. As the series currently stands, however,Zelda has the most potential benefit as the one to survive. Now thatEchoes of Wisdomhas finally set a precedent that’s long overdue, Zelda could dramatically enshrine herself as a capable hero in her own right by triumphing against evil in Link’s absence.
Queen Sonia’s death inTears of the Kingdomis arguably the most we’ve seenZeldacharacters confront mortality, and it’s a great example of how emotionally resonant characters being killed off can be.
There are other avenues, of course – Link stars in titles likeLink’s AwakeningandMajora’s Maskwhere Zelda simply isn’t present – but killing off the series' traditional lead doesn’t just symbolically pass the torch, it also provides an opportunity to give Zelda unexplored emotional depth. Link has done plenty of pioneering in the series, far more than Zelda has. Killing off one of the main two is uncharted territory forThe Legend of Zelda, but there’s serious potential in the idea because of how groundbreaking it could be for Princess Zelda as a leading character.
The Legend of Zelda
The Legend of Zelda franchise follows the adventures of Link, an elf-like Hylian, and Princess Zelda as they protect the land of Hyrule from the evil warlord-turned-demon king Ganon. The series is known for its mix of action, adventure, and puzzle-solving elements, often revolving around the collection of the Triforce, a powerful relic left by the goddesses who created Hyrule. Each game features different incarnations of Link and Zelda, maintaining core elements while introducing new characters and settings.
