‘Legend of Zelda’: Does Zelda Love Link in ‘Breath of the Wild’?
Link and Princess Zelda have a much more complex relationship across The Legend of Zelda series than ‘the hero gets the princess.’ Almost every game features a new incarnation of the pair. Sometimes Link and Zelda explicitly share love, like in Skyward Sword, but it seems harder to crack in Breath of the Wild. Some captured memories even caused fans to ask, ‘why does Zelda hate Link.’ Clearly, Link and Zelda have a complicated love history in BOTW.
Link and Zelda develop from reluctant allies to lovers
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild map has locations across Hyrule for players to unlock Link’s forgotten memories. Since these can be found in any order, fans see Link and Zelda’s developing love at different stages.
Sometimes it even seems like Zelda straight-up hates Link, like in the Capture Memory “Zelda’s Resentment.”
King Rhoam assigned Zelda Link as her appointed knight to accompany her wherever she went. However, the princess felt patronized by this and blew Link off. She even ditched him a few times.
One of these times seems to occur in the Gerudo Desert. However, the Yiga Clan ambushed her in the BOTW memory “Blades of the Yiga.” It does mark a significant turning point for how Zelda feels about Link, possibly even hinting at love.
Zelda likely starts to falls in love with Link during the ‘Blades of the Yiga’ Captured Memory
Princess Zelda flees from an ambush in the “Blades of the Yiga” memory. However, they cut her off in the Gerudo Desert. Before the foes can strike, Link catches up to Zelda and takes them out with the Master Sword.
Zelda has a moment where she sees Link in a new light. Her tone toward him softens.
In Zelda’s Diary, found in her study on the west side of Hyrule Castle, she worried that Link despised her. However, she wrote about the “Blades of the Yiga” memory. It hinted at a developing love between Zelda and Link.
“He saved me. Without a thought for his own life, he protected me from the ruthless blades of the Yiga Clan. Though I’ve been cold to him all this time,” Zelda wrote. “Tomorrow, I shall apologize for all that has transpired between us. And then … I will try talking to him.”
And it works, she writes. While we don’t know how far the two got or if Zelda and Link kiss in Breath of the Wild, they have several heart-to-hearts. And while the players still ask if Link ever talks, Zelda has heard him speak.
“When I finally got around to asking why he’s so quiet all the time, I could tell it was difficult for him to say … With so much at stake, and so many eyes upon him, he feels it necessary to stay strong and to silently bear any burden. A feeling I know all too well … For him, it has caused him to stop outwardly expressing his thoughts and feelings.”
However, there’s one more powerful piece of proof that Zelda loves Link in BOTW.
Campion Mipha reveals why the princess’ powers awaken when fighting Ganon’s Guardians
In the Captured Memory “Return of Calamity Ganon,” Link and Zelda return from the Spring of Wisdom on Mount Lanayru. The Goron Daruk asks if the princess’ true power has awoken, but she says nothing worked.
However, the Zora princess Mipha starts to offer one last piece of advice. When she uses her healing power, she hints that it helps her to think of someone she loves. NintendoBlackCrisis has a great breakdown on YouTube.
As Link tired defending Zelda 100 years before the start of BOTW, Zelda rushed to protect him, with the Goddess’ power awakening, likely from the love she felt for him.
“And perhaps I, too, will be able to bare my soul to him and share the demons that have plagued me all these years,” Zelda wrote in her diary.
While their romance may have been cut short in Breath of the Wild, fans hope to see more of the love between Zelda and Link in BOTW 2.
