Princess Zelda

Princess Zelda ( ゼルダ姫 Zeruda-hime) is the eponymous character of The Legend of Zelda series. Similar to Link, the protagonist of the series, Zelda has had many incarnations throughout the series. Princess Zelda has been depicted at various ages depending upon which title she appears in. She has appeared as child, a teenager, and as a young adult; for example, Princess Zelda in Twilight Princess is around 20 years of age.

Zelda is invariably the crown princess of Hyrule in whichever time period she appears. She is also the possessor of the Triforce of Wisdom, imbued with the essence of the Goddess Nayru. The essence of Nayru affords Zelda divine wisdom, allowing her to discern the wisest decisions, especially in situations concerning the welfare of Hyrule. It also grants her a myriad of mystical abilities, including the ability to heal others.

Shigeru Miyamoto has stated that the name Princess Zelda originated from Zelda Fitzgerald, Scott Fitzgerald's wife. American Actor, Robin Williams, named his daughter Zelda, due to his love of the Zelda video games.

Characteristics
Princess Zelda perennially has a charming nature, and despite her age, possesses great wisdom. Her nature is that of a just, compassionate, graceful, and self-sacrificing person. Zelda's most prominent display of compassion and selflessness was when she saved the life of Midna, the Princess of the Twilight Realm, who had been nearly killed by the false King of the Twilight, Zant. Zelda's wisdom is her most valuable attribute. As a matriarch, it is imperative that she make the wisest decision concerning the fate of Hyrule; in Twilight Princess when Zant threatened her life and the lives of all of her subjects, she wisely surrendered to him.

Princess Zelda is one of the most important characters of The Legend of Zelda series, which is also why her name appears in the title of every game. Princess Zelda first appeared in the original The Legend of Zelda, and has since been featured in every subsequent game, with the exception of Link's Awakening. Each Princess is chosen by destiny to be the keeper of the Triforce of Wisdom in their era, which is the main reason why they play such an integral role in the legends of Hyrule.

Throughout the history of Hyrule, there have been several descendants bearing the name Princess Zelda although it has so far become unclear as to which Princess was the first to bear the name, although many suspect it to be the Princess Zelda of Ocarina of Time.

The Legend of Zelda
An army of evil, led by Ganon sought to possess the Triforce to plunge the land of Hyrule into darkness. Stealing the Triforce of Power, Ganon sought to find the last known piece, the Triforce of Wisdom.

Princess Zelda, as a member of the bloodline that carries and protects the Triforce of Wisdom, broke the Triforce piece into eight fragments and hid them throughout the realm in an effort to avoid its possession under Ganon's hand. At the same time, she sent out her handmaiden, Impa, to look for a hero to save the land. Ganon learned of what Zelda had done and imprisoned her within his lair under Death Mountain, surrounded by a wall of flame.

Link would eventually make it to Death Mountain and upon defeating Ganon, free Zelda from her prison.

The Adventure of Link
According to a legend passed down within Impa's bloodline, well before the events of The Legend of Zelda, 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 his little sister, 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.

To break the curse, a hero must possess the complete Triforce, but obtaining the Triforce pieces of Courage would prove difficult as the king of ages ago had hidden them within the Great Palace. Only one who proved themselves worthy would obtain it. In the end, Link obtained the Triforce of Courage and awoke the sleeping princess from her slumber.

It is not known when Zelda was put to sleep. The Japanese name for the Zelda in this game is 初代ゼルダ姫, which literally means "The first Princess Zelda". This only adds to the confusion as the events of Ocarina of Time contradict the statement that the sleeping Zelda is the first Zelda as the Triforce was safely in the Sacred Realm prior to that game. With all these contradictions, the answer may never be known.

One solution could be that prior to the events that sealed the fate of the sleeping Zelda, there was a princess named Zelda only once every several generations. And after the events, every generation's princess was named Zelda. This conclusion comes from the fact that there are apparent gaps in time between certain games that seem to span several hundred years or more.

A Link to the Past
In this game the Princess Zelda is a maiden descendant of seven wise men/sages who had imprisoned Ganon in the Dark World. Seeking freedom, Ganon used the wizard Agahnim to kidnap the descendants in order to sacrifice them and free him from his prison.

As the last free descendant, Zelda uses telepathy to contact the descendant of the Knights of Hyrule, Link, to save her. Despite his efforts in evacuating her from Hyrule Castle, Ganon managed to capture Zelda and sacrifice her to the Dark World, breaking the seal between Hyrule and the Dark World.

While in the Dark World, Princess Zelda was held inside a crystal prison within Turtle Rock. When Link frees her, she, along with the other maidens, breaks the seal surrounding Ganon's lair. When the Triforce is freed, Princess Zelda returns with the maidens to Hyrule Castle to rule in peace.

Ocarina of Time
Growing up in the halls of Hyrule Castle, young Princess Zelda, referred to by the Great Deku Tree as the Princess of Destiny, was growing concerned with one of her father's associates, the Gerudo king Ganondorf, and a vision of his treachery did not help matters. Expressing her concerns with her guardian and nursemaid Impa, she continued to watch the Gerudo despite her inability to do anything about him. That is, until a young Kokiri boy named Link snuck into her garden courtyard.

Convinced that Ganondorf was after the Triforce, Zelda asked Link to find the three Spiritual Stones that would open the Temple of Time in order to prevent Ganondorf from opening the Door of Time and claiming the Triforce to himself. Unfortunately, Ganondorf made his move before Link could return, leading an insurrection in the castle. He chased after Zelda, who had the Ocarina of Time in her possession, when Impa escaped with her from the castle. Dashing out of the castle town with Ganondorf in hot pursuit, Zelda caught sight of Link diving out of their way. She turned and threw the Ocarina of Time to him, trusting that he would keep it safe while Ganondorf chased after them.

For seven years Zelda remained in hiding, training in the ways of the Sheikah by Impa until Link, who had become trapped within the Sacred Realm, was freed. Appearing before him under the name of Sheik, she assisted Link in awakening the seven sages, all the while keeping her real identity secret.

When Zelda finally does reveal herself, she does so not only as the Princess Zelda but as the seventh sage and possessor of the Triforce of Wisdom. However, having being watching them from afar, Ganondorf then captures Zelda deliberately to drive Link into a fight to the death inside his castle.

In the game's conclusion, Zelda sends the Hero of Time back to his childhood to regain his lost seven years in compensation for his role in the war against Ganondorf. This would leave only the Hero of Time's legend behind him as he returned to the past and returned to Hyrule Castle to warn the young Princess Zelda of events to come.

Majora's Mask
It is not known how long Zelda and Link stay together before he leaves for his quest in search of his companion Navi, but Zelda, as a child, makes a single appearance in Majora's Mask when Link has a flashback after retrieving the Ocarina of Time from the Skull Kid. The events of the flashback display Link's last meeting with Zelda, where she states her belief that they would meet again.

Oracle of Seasons and Oracle of Ages
In these games, Zelda is revealed to be the hope of the people. She is the one who sends Impa to Labrynna and Holodrum to find Nayru, the Oracle of Ages, and Din, the Oracle of Seasons, and bring them to Hyrule for safety. Zelda herself appears if the two games are linked. When players have defeated both Onox and Veran in the linked game, Twinrova will kidnap Zelda in order to sacrifice her to resurrect Ganon. Link dashes to her rescue and Twinrova fails to sacrifice Zelda, making them to sacrifice themselves in order to resurrect Ganon. Due to the fact that they could not sacrifice Zelda as planned, the Ganon they resurrect is mindless and raging and is defeated by Link.

The Wind Waker
The Wind Waker presents Zelda in a secret identity as Tetra, a female pirate who leads a small group of thieves after the death of her mother. Tetra, however, is even unaware herself of being part of the royal bloodline, and this is a first occurrence for the Zelda series. The female pirate was, however, aware of the existence of Hyrule, the Master Sword, and the legend of the Hero of Time. Tetra's identity as a descendant of Princess Zelda is revealed when she travels with Link to Hyrule Castle, beneath the Great Sea:

"You are the true heir of the royal family of Hyrule... the last link in the bloodline. You are Princess Zelda."

- Daphnes Nohansen Hyrule

Her true identity was first hinted when Link travels to the Forsaken Fortress for a second time and encounters Ganondorf, who, as he grasps Tetra in his hand, realizes that his Triforce of Power is resonating, which could only indicate that Tetra is indeed the Princess Zelda.

Zelda as Tetra displayed a tomboyish demeanor, taking challenges head on and even seeming bossy at times. At the beginning of the game, she does not think much of Link due to his habit of taking actions without thinking things through, and also due to the fact that he gets melancholic as they are setting sail to the Forsaken Fortress to rescue his sister. Once Tetra discovers her true identity, she gains more respect towards the young hero, and apologizes for all that has happened to him and Aryll. While Link and the King of Red Lions set out to look for the pieces of the Triforce of Courage, Zelda stays hidden away in a basement located inside Hyrule Castle in order to prevent getting caught by Ganondorf. However, she is eventually found and is taken to Ganon's Tower, where Link must rescue her after assembling the Triforce of Courage.

Zelda from The Wind Waker is the first Zelda in the series that fights along Link's side in his battle against Ganondorf. In battle, she wields the bow and Light Arrows, similar to her Twilight Princess counterpart. Once Link and Zelda succeed in delivering the final blow, they witness the second flood of Hyrule and promise the King of Hyrule to search for a new land. Zelda is last seen as Tetra when she and Link set sail from Outset Island.

Four Swords series
Zelda and Link appear here as childhood friends in Four Swords and Four Swords Adventures.

Zelda fights Ganon alongside Link much like some of the other Zeldas. While she does not wield the Light Arrows by name, she does wield a ball of light energy which, coupled with Link's arrows, serves the same function of the Light Arrows.

The Minish Cap
At the beginning of The Minish Cap, Link and Zelda are well acquainted and together head towards the Picori Festival in Hyrule Castle Town. A catastrophe occurs when the evil wind mage, Vaati, appears and turns Zelda to stone. Link fuses the four elements in the Picori sword to reverse Vaati's spell along the conclusion. Zelda reveals to Link that she saw visions of him, as if in a dream.

Twilight Princess
Zelda was the young matriarch of Hyrule until its invasion by Zant, the Twilight King, whom she surrendered to in order to prevent the deaths of herself and her people. Afterward, she is imprisoned inside a tower in Hyrule Castle. It is revealed that Zelda is unaffected by the veil of Twilight Zant casts upon Hyrule and does not become a spirit like all the other inhabitants of the kingdom. As the bearer of the Triforce of Wisdom, Zelda may have been protected by its power.

Zelda, dressed in a dark robe, meets Link during his earliest transformation into a wolf (due to the interaction between the Twilight and his Triforce piece). Later, she transfers her own power to aid the dying Midna, losing her physical being in the process.

Towards the end of the game, Ganondorf possess Zelda, transforming her into an enemy known as Puppet Zelda (see below). Link defeats Ganondorf's puppet, and Midna, with the help of the Fused Shadows, returns Princess Zelda to normal.

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.

Puppet Zelda
Princess Zelda later regains her body, only to be possessed by Ganondorf and becomes the boss Ganon's Puppet Zelda (see image); however, Ganondorf's dark influence is purged from her body by Midna. Under the dark power, Zelda's skin is sickly and marked with Twilight symbols.

Ganon's Puppet Zelda is one of the final bosses from Twilight Princess. Ganondorf uses his power to turn Zelda into his puppet to fight Link. She has three core attacks:


 * She will dive at Link with her sword extended. This attack can be either blocked with the shield or dodged with strategic rolls, jumps, or strafing techniques.
 * Secondly, she will make a triangle of light appear on the floor. Link should quickly leave its area of influence the moment it materializes to avoid damage.
 * Finally, her third and main attack consists of an energy ball which Zelda will fire at Link. This attack is the only method in harming Ganon's Puppet Zelda. Link must rebound the energy ball back to her by swinging his sword or empty bottle when it is near. Continue to volley it back until it finally hits Zelda. There is also another strategy - using the jump strike.  While she is readying the ball, Link must get underneath her and charge up his jump strike.  As soon as she launches the ball, use the jump strike.  It will be in such close proximity that it will almost guarantee a hit.

Phantom Hourglass
Princess Zelda appears in this game solely as Tetra, her alter ego of The Wind Waker. Her role is somewhat limited in the game as she is kidnapped early on in the story. And when Link finds her at last she has been turned to stone. She does not regain her royal persona, although quite often when she appears Zelda's Lullaby plays in the background, and she is called "Zelda" by some of the pirates during the game's intro, much to Tetra's chagrin.

The many princesses named Zelda
As mentioned above, there have been more than one princess named Zelda throughout the history of Hyrule, and since more games are to come, 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 the princess shown in The Adventure of Link was put to sleep, 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. It is unclear if this explains the name of every Princess Zelda, since the order of the games is unknown.

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 and Brawl: 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 descendant of Princess Zelda of Hyrule and also the one destined to be the keeper of the Triforce of Wisdom.

Leader of the sages
Princess Zelda has fulfilled the role of Sage in three games: A Link to the Past, Ocarina of Time, and Four Swords Adventures. It was revealed in Ocarina of Time that she even is the leader of the Sages.

An odd part about her role as Sage is that Zelda is the only Sage in Ocarina of Time who has no (confirmed) element connected to her. A common theory is that Zelda might be the Sage of Time. The arguments for this theory are that the only "Sageless" temple is the Temple of Time (although some believe that it is linked to Rauru), as well as that it would have an accompanying song which in name fits the description of the other "Sage songs" and is learned from the "same person". Also, like the other Sages in Ocarina of Time, the element would be "fitting", as Zelda is associated with Nayru, who is thought to be the Goddess of Time. Otherwise, it could very well be that Zelda has no element bound to her sageship. Her position as leader of the Sages would require her to be an "overall sage", rather than have something specific herself.

Zelda's Swords
Although they have yet to be individually named like Link's swords, Princess Zelda has on more than one occasion been seen possessing or wielding a blade of her own.

Legend of Zelda Valiant Comics
Despite being better skilled with the bow, Zelda does at times wield Link's Magical Sword in battle.

Zelda's Adventure

 * See Spells of Zelda's Adventure

In Zelda's Adventure, the sword is used as a spell through her default weapon, the wand. Using the wand, Princess Zelda can generate broadswords that fly at her enemies. It is fairly strong and can be used against certain knights who fight with broadswords.

Twilight Princess
In the promotional pictures for Twilight Princess, Princess Zelda is seen in possession of a sword and she indeed wields it against Link when she becomes possessed by Ganondorf, although not in hand-to-hand combat. In a scene where Zelda's Knights fell to Zant's Shadow Beasts, the blade was in her hand, seemingly as a status symbol or for imagery.

Legend of Zelda Valiant Comics
The Valiant Comics follow a similar but alternate timeline to the previous two games. In this timeline, Ganon is still alive and Princess Zelda had previously been kidnapped by him like the princess in The Legend of Zelda and also cursed to fall into a deep sleep by him like the princess in Adventure of Link. Both times she was saved by Link and together they stand against Ganon's dark armies, living within the walls of the North Palace.

"Fighting with that girl is like arguing with a stone wall."

- Link

This Princess Zelda is a strong woman. Self-reliant and confident, she is a skilled fighter, proficient in archery, and horseback riding. She also possesses a quick wit and always manages to avoid Link's attempts of affection towards her, but for all her strengths, she possesses a soft heart that is open to her people and friends. She possesses the wisdom of the Triforce of Wisdom and with it, she can conjure powerful magic spells. She holds her duty above all else and has difficulty understanding how others hold other things, such as emotional connections, above duty.

As heir to the royal bloodline, Zelda is responsible for the protection of the Triforce, chiefly the Triforce of Wisdom, and has many friends to help her. Her hero and rescuer Link, her nursemaid Impa, her father the King Harkinian of Hyrule and his men, plus her horse, Storm. She sleeps in the northern tower, which is connected to the tower that contains the Triforce of Wisdom.

During one adventure Zelda decides that due to Ganon's constant attempts to capture her and the Triforce, the best course of action is to leave Hyrule, taking the Triforce of Wisdom with her. She had heard of a magical flute within the 5th Palace that would teleport her to a distant place, where Ganon wouldn't find her.

With Link's help she made it to the Palace but in the end, she decides that the safest place to be is within Link's reach. With this in mind, she insists that Link train her to better protect herself. During one such training mission where she was to go into the Eagle Labyrinth alone, the training ended in her rescuing Link who had been captured by Wizzrobe. During this adventure, she wielded Link's Magical Sword, shield, and bombs as she fought through enemies like Gohma, Patra, and Dodongo but had immense difficulty doing it Link's way. It wasn't until she obtained a Magic Bow that she learned to fight like herself, not like Link, and using only a bow she defeated Wizzrobe and passed her training lesson. When Link obtained the Triforce of Power, the Triforce of Courage moved to Zelda and with it she faced Link and convinced him to relinquish the Triforce of Power.



The Legend of Zelda TV series
In this television series, loosely based upon the first video game, Princess Zelda is a proud princess with a fiery temper though she does have her sense of humor and romantic side. 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 Spryte or any number of unfortunate circumstances such as something making Zelda so mad she no longer wants to kiss Link. It is revealed that Zelda loves Link in one episode, and there is no doubt of their romantic relationship in this series.

"Well excuuuuse me, Princess."

- Link

A smart warrior, Princess Zelda is capable of magic and skilled with the bow and arrow but she knows how to handle other weaponry as well. She, along with Link, lives in the North Palace, guarding the Triforce of Wisdom.

During one attempt by Ganon to escape from North Castle with the Triforce of Wisdom, Princess Zelda uses a overactive growing spell to grow a gigantic thick vine that she and Link can use as a slingshot. In another attempt to take the Triforce, Ganon summons a mirror that creates a dark doppelgänger of the person who looks into it at night. Their personalities are slightly different as the doppelgänger is more willing to kiss Link than Zelda is. This proved to be the doppelgänger's undoing, however, when Link discerns the two by their willingness to kiss him.



A Link to the Past (comic)
The comic is in an alternate timeline in which the events following similarly to the game, but in the end, Princess Zelda is crowned to become Queen Zelda. She knights Link who is charged with guarding the Triforce. The two grow distant and end up going their separate ways.



Super Smash Bros. Melee
The Princess Zelda of Ocarina of Time makes an appearance in the acclaimed Smash Bros. series. Ranking #42 in weight-class next to Princess Peach and Sheik (#15 if poisoned, #73 if Super, #123 when Metal), she is regarded by most as a lightweight character. Princess Zelda, although slow moving, possess some mighty strength through her spell-based attacks.

Super Smash Bros. Brawl
Zelda returns to Super Smash Bros. in Brawl, this time appearing as she did in Twilight Princess. Sheik also appears, using a character model based on an unused design for Twilight Princess. While Zelda's moves are mostly unchanged from Melee, Sheik's physical attack power has been dropped considerably to better balance the game.

Zelda's move list at StrategyWiki