Zelda Producer Addresses Whether the Princess Will Ever be Playable in the Series

In The Legend of Zelda franchise, players are put in the role of Link, a hero that’s often tasked with rescuing or working with Zelda, the princess of Hyrule. While Zelda’s role in the narrative has been different depending on the game, she’s never actually been the star of any entry in the series. Fans have been asking about Zelda appearing as a playable character for years now, and series producer Eiji Aonuma once again addressed the possibility in an interview with IGN. While Aonuma doesn’t offer anything concrete, it’s clearly something that’s being considered. 

“Yeah, it is interesting when you think about the name of the series, The Legend of Zelda, but Link is always the main character,” Aonuma told IGN. “And Link has been the main character, and Zelda has always been involved, and they have a relationship and their own rules in each of the games. But it is true that, I think there’s always room for thinking about this type of thing and Zelda’s role. And there may be some sort of possibility for something like that in the future.”

Zelda as a Playable Character

Throughout the years, Zelda’s role in the franchise has evolved significantly. In the original game, Zelda was little more than a “damsel in distress” archetype. However, as the years have progressed, games have made Zelda more capable and given her an expanded role in the narrative. Ocarina of Time represented something of a turning point for the series; in that game, Princess Zelda took on the secret identity of Sheik, aiding Link in his quest to stop Ganondorf. Since then, games in the series have continued to give Zelda more to do. 

While she hasn’t been playable in the main series, Zelda has been playable in spin-off games like Hyrule Warriors and Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity. Since Super Smash Bros. Melee, she’s also remained a staple of Nintendo’s fighting game series. These types of appearances will have to keep fans happy until the day Nintendo decides to make her playable in a main series game! 

The Future of Zelda

While Aonuma has left the door open for Zelda to appear as a playable character in a future series entry, Nintendo hasn’t revealed anything about the future of the series. The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom released back in May, and Nintendo has frequently noted that the game will not be getting DLC. Given that, the next wholly-new Zelda game is likely several years away. Zelda fans also have a live-action movie to look forward to. Announced earlier this year, the movie is being developed by Nintendo and co-produced and co-financed by Sony. At this time, we don’t know who will star in the movie, but Zelda actress Patricia Summersett recently told Games Radar+ that she would be willing to reprise the role. 

Would you like to see Zelda as a playable character? Do you think it will ever happen? Share your thoughts with me directly on Twitter at @Marcdachamp or on Instagram at @Dachampgaming!