Geek Girl Authority Crush of the Week: PRINCESS ZELDA

Melis Noah Amber

Princess Zelda stands in the sunlight in a forest while looking distressed. She wears a white sleeveless dress with her hair down.

Welcome to this week’s installment of Geek Girl Authority Crush of the Week, wherein we shine a spotlight on strong, usually geeky women and nonbinary folk who inspire us — that includes fictional characters and creators. They are prime examples of empowerment, which is crucial for youth to follow.

Princess Zelda

Fast Facts:

The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom for Nintendo Switch releases next month (September 26, 2024). It’s the first main-timeline Zelda game where Zelda is playable, so now is the perfect time to learn more about this princess. 

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Zelda was introduced in 1986’s The Legend of Zelda (NES). In this game, she’s mostly a damsel in distress, a plot device, as Link’s goal is to save her from the evil Ganon. While a relatively inactive NPC, Zelda does something significant: scatter the pieces of the wish-granting Triforce across Hyrule to stop Ganon.

The most important thing to take away from this is whether playable or not, Zelda is a ruler dedicated to protecting her lands. In many games, she’s more invested than either the queen or king. Zelda has a wealth of knowledge and a great compassion. 

The Real Deal:

The Legend of Zelda.
Cartoon image of Zelda, a blonde, white elf-like woman, in front of a field. She wears a leather glove and a blue dress. Below her are the words "All that we can hope."

Zelda’s agency (or at least importance) has certainly evolved since her first appearance in 1986! Fast forward to 1998’s Ocarina of Time, where, while still an NPC, Zelda provides Link a lot of guidance by disguising herself as the mysterious Sheik.

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As Sheik, she reveals a wealth of knowledge and some combat skills. In The Wind WakerTwilight Princess and Breath of the Wild, Zelda plays similar roles. Her growth in Tears of the Kingdom and Breath of the Wild are of note. In these two games, she increasingly realizes her duty to Hyrule. They’re a perfect setup for having her own game.

Unfortunately, amidst those releases were several other Legend of Zelda games in which Zelda had little agency. However, there have been several spin-offs where Zelda is playable, including the Super Smash Bros series and Cadence of Hyrule: Crypt of the NecroDancer Featuring The Legend of Zelda (what a mouthful!). 

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Unsurprisingly, Zelda’s POV game is called Echoes of Wisdom. Wisdom has always been one of Zelda’s defining traits. She’s extremely well-educated about Hyrulian lore, often sharing that knowledge with Link to aid him in his quests. Zelda is much more even-keeled than The Legend of Zelda’s main character, and where he uses a sword, she uses magic.

A disguised Zelda. A "man" with short blonde hair, wearing a white and blue ninja-like outfit.

After all, the games are called The Legend of Zelda, not The Legend of Link or even The Legend of Hyrule. Zelda is the driving force. Whether kidnapped, hiding pieces of the triforce or imploring Link to do something (sometimes, all three), she is the heartbeat of this series — the icon of an iconic series. 

Why She Matters:

All genders play video games, and they all need to see themselves reflected in those games. Even if boys were the only people on the planet who played video games, they’d still need to see positive examples of other genders—being exposed to “the other” in media matters. Zelda is a strong female character, a great one for boys to look up to.

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But Zelda isn’t only important because she is female. She is a shining example of how to lead well. She does what needs to be done but delegates when necessary. Zelda rules but with compassion, and she continues to learn and grow. We’re constantly evolving as people, even in positions of authority. There’s always more to learn.

Image of cover of The Legend of Zelda Echoes of Wisdom.Zelda and Link are featured over the land of Hyrule.

So, be like Zelda. Be curious! Keep striving to learn more and explore the world around you. Be brave like Zelda; doing the right thing is not always easy. But time and time again, Zelda learns that it’s possible. She doesn’t give up and works to find a solution, involving others when necessary. When the going gets tough, you can keep going, too.

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Long live Zelda! May she reign for years to come. If you want to follow her journey into Echoes of Wisdom, check out Nintendo’s Official Website to learn more.  

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Melis Noah Amber
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