Legend of Zelda Fans Are Still Obsessed With This One Breakout Character

The Legend of Zelda franchise has been a key part of the Nintendo library for decades. With a fairly stand-alone nature, the Zelda series has typically made do with archetypal characters like Link and Zelda, who appear in new but familiar forms with each new version of Hyrule. As a result, single-game characters typically have memorable elements but fade from the overall spotlight. While some stood out for their bizarre touches, like Tingle and the modern Breath of the Wild era has done a better job establishing memorable side characters, it’s not uncommon for Zelda supporting characters to fade from the broad audience’s attention.

There are a handful of exceptions, though, with the titular character in The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess being a very notable one. Released on November 19, 2006, for the Nintendo Wii and GameCube, Twilight Princess was a return to the style of adventure seen in Ocarina of Time and Majora’s Mask, following the more experimental Wind Waker or throwbacks like Four Swords Adventure and The Minish Cap. It also tweaked the sidekick role that had been filled previously by characters like Navi, with a much more favorable

How Legend Of Zelda Introduced Midna

Almost two decades later, Midna remains one of the biggest fan favorite supporting characters in The Legend of Zelda. In The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess, gamers were once again given a companion ally to help guide them through the gameplay and provide hints. While Ocarina of Time‘s Navi and Skyward Sword‘s Fi were both met with mixed receptions by gamers, fans proved to be far more receptive to Midna. Introduced after the player had been transformed into a wolf by the spread of the Twilight onto Hyrule, Midna is quickly established as a spunky imp with a glare and a joke for every situation.

Her more combative attitude and quiet vulnerability endeared her to gamers who otherwise had been less impressed with the more passive personalities of Navi and Fi. While those two helped in their respective stories, Mina was central to the narrative of Twilight Princess and gradually revealed to be the titular deposed ruler. Midna’s arc ran in contrast to Zelda, making her a surprising peer to the Hylian leader.

By actually highlighting her personality, Twilight Princess made gamers actually care about her, giving the game’s bittersweet finale – where Midna reveals her true form and bids goodbye to her friends before being sent back to her own realm – a greater emotional resonance than Fi’s evolution into the Master Sword or Navi’s quiet goodbye. 

How Midna Expanded Beyond The Legend Of Zelda

Twilight Princess was an early release for the Nintendo Wii and a strong success for the console. As a result, Midna became a more high-profile character. While there are consistent archetypes and fantasy races for Link to encounter, it’s rare that a specific character outside the primary characters takes on a life of their own quite like Midna.

Designed by Yusuke Nakano and given an unintelligible but memorable voice (created by sampling and mixing English phrases into a garbled speech), in comparison to the largely silent hero, Midna was quickly distinctive within the Zelda franchise. Her snarky attitude but gradual connection with Link made her a fan favorite — and a frequent focus for fan art, fan fiction, and other fan creations.

Midna has even made multiple appearances in the overall franchise, even as the mainline series has never undone the bittersweet farewell the character received at the end of Twilight Princess. Midna also featured in the plot of Hyrule Warriors, the Dynasty Warriors/The Legend of Zelda fusion developed by Omega Force and Team Ninja, even becoming a playable character through the Twilight DLC pack. She’s also appeared in the Super Smash Bros. games, including as an assist trophy in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. It’s a rare feat for a Zelda character who isn’t a variant of Link or Zelda, making it all the more impressive.

Why Midna Is A Fan Favorite

What makes Midna unique in the Zelda canon is the way she quietly serves as the main focus of Twilight Princess. While players embark on their adventure as Link and work to rescue Zelda, Midna is the character who actually gets a full character arc. It’s her quest to recover the Fused Shadows and the Mirror of Twilight shards that drives the plot forward. As the game progresses, she develops a sense of sympathy and compassion for Link and the people of Hyrule as a whole.

She grows from a single-minded and snarky schemer to a genuinely heroic character, willing to risk her own life to fight Ganondorf on her own for the sake of her new friends. She’s important to the plot, and the narrative is emotionally rooted in her character growth. As the game progresses, Midna gets one of the most effective character evolutions in the entire franchise, a genuine heroic arc in contrast to the more straightforward heroics of Link’s adventures.

It all makes Midna an easy character to fall in love with, especially as the true scope of her tragic backstory comes to light. Coupled with a character design that alternates between creepy cute and memorably stunning, and a sense of personality that differentiates her from other Zelda supporting characters, Mida was quickly unforgettable. It’s no surprise that she remains a fan favorite almost twenty years after she made her debut.