Summary
The Legend of Zeldafranchise is one of gaming’s most revered and storied properties. Since the first title debuted in 1986, players worldwide have been captivated bytheZeldaseries’ extensive lore, complicated timeline, and the titular Princess at the center of it all. While Zelda herself spends the majority ofThe Legend of Zelda’s many narratives relegated to the background, a few titles have elevated the character to a co-protagonist, alongside Link. These includeThe Legend of Zelda: Spirit TracksandThe Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, with the latter establishing the truly legendary role the Princess has long deserved. Moving forward, a playable Zelda could very well serve as the protagonist of her very own title, and, when that happens, the character should be halfTears of the Kingdomand halfSpirit Tracks.
The Legend of Zeldais a collection of adventures that take place across various eras in the Kingdom of Hyrule. Classic entries feature a central hero, Link, as he searches for, rescues, or assists Princess Zelda in thwarting evil and restoring peace to the Kingdom. However, the Princess’ role within the series’ narrative has grown far more dynamic and complicated in recent years. The series' most recent entry,Tears of the Kingdom, saw Zelda effectively orchestrate the complete and utter defeat of Ganondorf across centuries, which required her to sacrifice her entire being to deliver the Master Sword to Link. Given this remarkable shift toward a true legend all her own, some fans are more eager than ever for the chance to play as Zelda in a future entry.
The Legend of Zelda Spirit Tracks Saw the Princess Given Her First Playable Role
The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracksis the final entry intheZeldafranchise’s Adult Timeline, taking place a full century afterThe Legend of Zelda: Wind Wakerand its direct sequel,Phantom Hourglass. In the title, Link and Zelda are confronted by the Princess’ chancellor, Cole, who reveals himself to be a demon serving the Demon King Malladus, who is trapped in the Tower of Spirits. Cole and his accomplice then steal Zelda’s body to use as a vessel for Malladus’ escape. Link and Zelda’s spirit, dubbed Phantom Zelda, are tasked with restoring the Tower of Spirits and defeating Malladus once and for all.
While much ofSpirit Tracksplays like a typicalZeldaentry, with Link taking the spotlight,the Tower of Spiritsoffers Zelda her first, and only, role as a playable co-protagonist. As Link and Zelda traversed the many floors of the Tower, each introduced unique obstacles that only Phantom Zelda could overcome. Zelda could enter and roam areas that Link could not, and often carried critical items, or even Link, to areas they otherwise could not progress toward. The two truly depended on each other to succeed, and victory hinged on the abilities of both Link and Zelda to adapt to each new challenge. Unfortunately, no subsequent entry in the mainline series ever saw the Princess given such a crucial, playable role as that ofSpirit Tracks.
A Playable Zelda Could Flourish By Building Upon Spirit Tracks’ and TOTK’s Princesses
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdomdelivered some of the most essential character work that the franchise has ever seen, as it elevated Zelda to the single most crucial role in both the title and the modern franchise, as a whole. Having been cast back in time, and seemingly removed from the title’s core proceedings, the Princess instead forges and delivers the killing blow to Ganondorf across centuries, birthingan actual legend of Zelda, while laying everything on the line. This massive, heroic arc set a new narrative standard for the character moving forward, which, combined with her mechanics and abilities inSpirit Tracks, makes a strong case for a playable future. Luckily for fans, that very future may soon come to fruition.
Before the release ofTears of the Kingdom, many fans believed that Zelda would be made playable, but the title once again restricted gameplay to Link. However, since the title’s release, the producer ofThe Legend of Zelda, Eiji Aonuma, stated that the Princess may become a playable character in a mainline game in the future. What’s more, May 2024 saw a well-known Nintendo leaker claim thata newLegend of Zeldagame starring Princess Zeldaas its main character is currently in the works. It remains to be seen if and when Zelda’s long-awaited starring role will arrive, but fans should be sure to stay up to date with future Nintendo Directs and the company’s Summer presentations, asThe Legend of Zeldamay make an unexpected appearance.
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
WHERE TO PLAY
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is the sequel to the beloved open-world adventure, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. This installment once again sees Link and Zelda battling to protect Hyrule from falling to Ganondorf. This new adventure takes place in the same land of Hyrule as Breath of the Wild but sees something called the Upheaval, which allows link to travel to Sky Islands, as well as deep into the Depths beneath Hyrule. Players can use special abilities to fuse together weapons, and build items to help them progress through the release.
