5 Times Zelda Got to Be More Than a Princess

As a series, The Legend of Zelda has explored multiple incarnations of its core characters. Each time, they live slightly different lives, and the threat they face doesn’t always come in the same form. Because of this dynamic, Zelda is able to be more than just a princess in some games, which adds depth to her character by showing a variety of her skills beyond just her ability to lead Hyrule. While Link tends to take the role of the main hero, it’s not uncommon for him to receive a fair amount of help from Zelda, sometimes in unexpected ways. It’s actually becoming more common to see Zelda have greater roles in games, which is an exciting trend for the series’ future.

As the princess of Hyrule, it’s understandable that Zelda’s role and influence in games is often limited to her royal position. However, she can get creative and help Link maintain the safety of Hyrule in roles that let her be more than a princess.

1) Zelda as a Spirit

As a game that was released for the Nintendo DS, The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks is often overlooked in discussions about the series. It’s also a game where Zelda plays a core part in the combat and puzzle-solving mechanics. She’s not dead in the story, but her soul was separated from her body, which has left her as a spirit. Luckily, Link is able to see her, and they work together to stop the villain and get Zelda back into her body.

Throughout the game, you need Zelda’s help to deal with enemies, as she’s able to possess a certain type of them. This not only means that you don’t have to fight them as a result, but she’s able to help you in fights and help with solving puzzles. It’s one game where Link has somebody working alongside him for the duration of the experience.

2) Zelda as a Pirate

It’s no secret that a large group of players are hoping to see Wind Waker brought to the Switch 2 in HD, and part of the game’s charm is the pirate crew you get to interact with at various moments. The leader of this crew is none other than Tetra, who is Zelda in disguise. Tetra doesn’t help Link as directly as Zelda in Spirit Tracks, but she does offer some help after Link saves her alongside his sister from Ganondorf, who’s searching for the missing Princess Zelda.

The great part about Zelda as Tetra isn’t a matter of how helpful she is towards Link, but that she’s able to enjoy the open seas without the weight of royalty being on her shoulders. She doesn’t even know that she’s Zelda until close to the end of the game, where the spell on her is broken and she remembers her true identity. Because of this, she was given a real break from the pressure put on her as a princess, and who doesn’t need that from time to time?

3) Zelda as Sheik

When Zelda made its 3D debut in gaming with The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, Zelda was able to take on a role that let her be more than a princess for the first time when she hid from Ganondorf as Sheik. This was done out of necessity more than anything else, as she knew that Ganondorf was looking for her, so she had to live under a different identity while waiting for Link to return.

As a result, you had this added layer of mystery when you first played OoT about Sheik, who would suddenly appear to help you, then vanish until it was time for you to head to the next shrine. The moment that Sheik reveals that she’s actually Zelda was mind-blowing at the time, but, unfortunately, she’s immediately captured by Ganondorf.

4) Zelda as the Light Dragon

Dragons are quite mysterious in Tears of the Kingdom, especially the Light Dragon, which has left tears across Hyrule. When Link interacts with those tears, he’s able to see glimpses of the past, where Zelda ended up after Ganondorf’s seal broke. He gets to witness Zelda meeting Sonia and Rauru, acting as the Sage of Time, and eventually sees her eat her sacred stone in order to turn into a dragon.

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Of course, this transformation is necessary for the story. It’s the only reason that Zelda is able to repair the Master Sword after it’s ruined by the Gloom, and it lets her hold onto the sword until Link can retrieve it thousands of years later. Luckily, she’s able to regain her human form and memories at the end.

5) Zelda as Hylia’s Mortal Incarnation

This feels like the most overlooked variation of Zelda, yet it’s one of the most important. Without Hyrule being established yet at this point in the timeline, there’s no royal family. So, Zelda isn’t a princess at all in Skyward Sword. However, it’s revealed that she’s the mortal incarnation of the goddess, Hylia. This explains her powers throughout the series, since it’s Zelda’s earliest life on the timeline. Unfortunately, it makes her the villain’s main target.

Zelda gets the chance to be more than a princess a few times throughout the series, and it seems like those chances increase as new games come out. Her character gains more depth, and the dynamic between her and Link changes depending on her role beyond being a princess. Overall, letting Zelda explore different roles makes the stories told through the games interesting in new ways.