The Case for Kingship: What Comes After the Adventure?
An article by gliderpilotgirl and Love_of_Zelda
Over the course of the Zelda series, there have been about 10 different heroes named Link. All have the same thing in common: they will be called to embark on a grand adventure which will end in saving Hyrule from the danger it faces. Some will go on to save other lands and worlds, either in reality or even dreams.
But when the adventure is over and his job is done, what is to become of the Hero? A big part of the adventure, dare we say one of the most important parts of the tale, is the personal transformation the Hero undergoes. Typically he comes from humble beginnings: in Ocarina of Time he was an orphaned forest boy, in Twilight Princess a farmhand, in Windwaker a typical non-descript island boy. In the course of the adventure the Hero will meet many people and take on many evils, big and small for those same people. His journey will culminate in him facing the ultimate source of the evil, and he will often partner up with Zelda, the Princess of Hyrule, to take the evil down with their unique combined gifts. He becomes a legend, the defender of his land. But after that, what comes next?
Some people feel that after this, the Hero will need peace and a refuge from the blood he has shed, and quietly moves off to live anonymously and carry on with life. In some cases, he has been imagined carrying on his bloodline, which some believe is necessary to ensure the birth of the next Hero.
But it has been shown that bloodline is not a necessity, as the Wind Waker made it explicitly clear that the new Link had no relation to the previous hero, the Link of Ocarina of Time, yet was chosen by fate and approved to take up the mantle of the previous hero. Another fairly recent game, Twilight Princess, continually refers to the new hero as “chosen”, implying while he could theoretically be blood-related to the previous hero, it’s not important. What is important is that he is chosen. But this is a subject for another time and place.
Another flaw we believe in the previous stated opinion, works partially with the second popular opinion: that after his adventure, the Hero is so remarkably changed that he cannot retreat to a “quiet” life, but will continue to wander, never finding inner peace and still trying to make a difference in the world.
This is actually not an uncommon predicament at all, and it is not reserved to the Hero of Hyrule. Many Olympic athletes train all their lives for the Games, and after they arrive, compete, and win their medal, there is inevitably the question of, “What do I do now?” This also happens with many retirees. They work in a particular occupation nearly all their lives, and then they retire. The question that many ask themselves after the cake and ice cream is, “Now what?” People change; adventure and experiences change you over the course of your life. The question is, how must you move on from it?
Considering this dilemma of the Hero after his rescue of Hyrule, our theory of what he very probably could do in the aftermath comes in. In the course of his journey to save Hyrule, the hero inevitably crosses paths with a girl named Princess Zelda, who is called to protect and ensure her nation’s safety, like him. In many cases, he becomes close to her, sharing some part of the grand adventure with her and at her behest. But after the adventure, she is often left in charge and solely responsible for the future of Hyrule. She must determine the fate of the land as its’ rightful ruler. But she is alone.
Her father has in most cases been removed from the picture, and the traditional defenders of the land have failed, thus creating the need for a Hero in the first place. Here he is; selfless, caring, in most cases close to her ( this is quite often implied in a romantic fashion ) and he possesses a unique love and knowledge of her land and people. She cannot fit in among the people as she will always be above them by virtue of being the impartial ruler, and he also has been taught by his experience to look at the big picture, what he is fighting for. He is something of an outsider as well.
Logic would say that they could make the most difference together. The very qualities that have enabled him to become the Hero he is; his sense of justice, his courage, his ability and desire to fight for Hyrule and his righteous heart make him the perfect man to preside over his land. Paired with Zelda’s wisdom, compassion, and natural knowledge of ruling, they are a winning combination.
In the course of his adventures, Link has already played the part of the monarch. He has consulted with Zelda, taken her superior wisdom into account, and gone and put the plan into motion, albeit with a more direct hand than he would have as the sovereign ruler.
But now that Hyrule has been saved, and his original purpose is served, would he choose to withdraw and cease to make a difference when he is needed most? We think not.
Taking a look at the previous games, support can be found for this idea for Link’s future, from within the games and from the creators. The original Legend of Zelda’s Link started the series in motion. He was the original boy from nowhere, a boy who would have two great adventures that would lead him to save the land and eventually awaken a Princess, and supposedly an interview in 1995 with Miyamoto stated he would marry Zelda and rule Hyrule together with her.
The Link who would appear in A Link to the Past was possibly based off the great King from Zelda II: The Adventure of Link ‘s backstory. This is the King who ruled with the complete Triforce, which ALTTP Link is seen receiving at the end of the game. It stands to reason that they are one and the same, especially if ALTTP is considered the prequel, as the original box cover of the game states. Regardless, he would save the land from Ganon’s oppression and receive the Triforce, making him an outstanding candidate.
Ocarina of Time’s Link had the standard great adventure of the previous game’s heroes, but was sent back in time, to a time where the terrible future he had conquered had not occurred. That however did not deter him, and he returned to Zelda as a child and together they ensured that future would not repeat itself. He would then go on to save the land of Termina, before likely returning to Hyrule.
Moving hundreds of years into the future, into the world of Twilight Princess, this same hero’s legend is said to be spoken of “in countless tales “in the land of Hyrule. When the new hero encounters those particularly knowledgable about the past, and is recognized for what he is by association to the previous hero, he is given bows of respect, even by no less than the Princess herself. This may indicate he was more than just Hyrule’s savior.
Also, among the items picked up by the new hero; there is a suit of distinctly royal armor, aged by look, but containing unmistakable touches that hint at its’ previous owner, or who it was originally made for. Part of the gear includes the obviously male version of Twilight Princess Zelda’s crown, Link’s famous hat in the Hylian royalty’s colors ( red and gold ) and the armor itself adorned with green gemstones, symbolic of the courage theme that Link bears. The inclusion of this item may be ultimately unimportant, but both other garbs received in the game are specifically linked to the previous hero. Considering this, if Twilight Princess Link was given the Hero of Time’s green tunic, as well as Zora Armor fashioned specifically for the Hero, would it be a long shot to say that the Magic Armor could have been the Hero of Time’s at one point, possibly worn during his reign? It is not too far-fetched. This armor is undeniably unique, especially for its’ original cost of 100000 rupees, and this could be another case of divine co-incidence, with the new hero inheriting the old’s possessions, as well as his mantle in a symbolic sense.
Lastly, there is the matter of the Hero’s Shade, the ghostly mentor of TP Link who is appears dressed in aged golden armor. He is summoned through Wolf Link’s song by what appear to be reworked Sheikah Gossip Stones, and it should be noted that the Sheikah were the especially dedicated servants of the Royal Family.
As we were already speaking of the next hero: Twilight Princess’s Link spent his adventure developing a close bond to the Princess of Twilight, and saved not only his own world, but hers as well. The end of his tale did not leave him nicely at her side, but at the side of the respective “Light side of the coin” to Midna’s Dark. The parting scene of the game shows him leaving his childhood home of Ordon Village and heading towards Hyrule, and there is a distinct possibility of him having a future there. Considering the level of respect he receives, this may not only be a link to the previous hero, but maybe a hint to his future.
Windwaker’s Link was directly accompanied in his adventure by the actual King of Hyrule, in fact the last ruling one. One of the most prominent duties handed to him by this said King was conducting the sages in prayer, a duty traditionally performed by the King himself. This works with the theme of passing the mantle on to the future, the same theme the Hero’s Shade embodied in Twilight Princess.
After performing this duty and defeating Ganondorf for the final time, Link and Zelda stand in front of the King as he essentially blesses them and sends them off on their journey to look for a new land. They stand before him together; the message that comes out is that they are united in that goal.
The other adventures, mainly the 2D games, have Link still conveniently connected to Zelda, whereupon he saves the land from destruction, likely to a similar fate as the others.
So, to summarize; Link is in most cases close to Zelda. He’s saved her land and is faced with his future after the adventure. Will he return to the simple life he led before his quest? Based on the endings of most of the Zelda games, this is probably not going to be the case.
There is no question that he has changed. He can’t go back to what he was before the adventure; his heart has made the transition from boy to fully grown man. He no longer can fit into his origins and the life he had there. Take a look at the actions of the Heroes after their first quest is done: they often embark upon another journey, seeking adventure or to continue their new lifestyle. They need purpose. They have made a new life of serving others first, and what can they do but continue it? Look at Ocarina of Time’s Link. Months have gone by, he is depressed and not fitting in. He has lost not only his valued friend, but undoubtably his purpose and role as hero. He is just a kid again. He “creeps away” from the land of Hyrule to Termina, supposedly to look for this friend, and while he makes the journey, he seems to be quite downcast and he certainly feels lonely. What breaks him out of this “funk”? Helping others in need and making a difference again, of course. But the hero inevitably returns to Hyrule because his work is done in Termina, and what is there for him to do in Hyrule? How can he make the biggest difference and have self-actualization?
When dealing with the idea of Link becoming King, the way to achieve that is clear. A commoner like himself would have to marry the Princess. The romance issue is one that ruffles many feathers, and many people have their own ideas about who is suited for Link. They are not wrong either, as the creators typically leave the ending open for this purpose. The romantic hints in the games are typically balanced, obviously well, or we wouldn’t have these debates in the first place.
But in our opinion, and it works with this theory: there is only one person in Hyrule who is right for our changed Hero. To reiterate what we have previously stated, Link has a much bigger view of life and the world now. He has learned to look at the big picture, and especially how his actions will affect everyone. This was is part of the lesson learned from his quest, to be the true hero he must not only think of others but especially the greater good.
Now who else understands this unique view, in what it is like to be called to give her life in the service of others, to think of others first all the while considering the big picture, and was pre-destined for that purpose? None other than Zelda. Her heart is the same as Links’. But do the games support romantic (not just platonic) feelings between them? Yes. It really doesn’t take too much digging in most of the games themselves, particularly the earlier ones, to expose feelings between Link and Zelda. In fact many times they share a deep fulfilling bond, with love for each other present in some degree, if not openly said. It is typically subtle and down-played, but romance is definitely a recurring theme between the hero and heroine of this series. The non – canon material such as the comics, manga and cartoon support this even more than the games. But dealing with pro’s and con’s of the romance debate is for another time and place.
The last major argument in this theory deals with legends in general. We should consider, for one, how the making of the game could have been influenced by real-world legends and fairy tales. The standard structure and elements of many Zelda games are quite similar to the basic fairy-tale where the dashing hero arises from nowhere, defeats the evil villain to rescue the fair princess. What usually happens to the conquering hero in these tales? He and the princess fall in love, get married and they rule the land happily for many years to come. It’s not unheard of for a hero to choose a quiet lifestyle ( along with a simple girl) but from our previous points, we do not believe the spirit of the Zelda games supports this end fate for Link. He inevitably grows apart from his origins and that ordinary life, and his feelings for Zelda are often clear.
Another thing about legends: the nature of some of them must also be considered. Tales such as Majora’s Mask and Link’s Awakening in particular are very personal tales. They concern not only a great adventure, but the private experience of the hero. We have already established that during Majora’s Mask, Link was depressed, coming down from his “Olympic athlete high”, and feeling out of place. In addition, he was searching for a personal friend of his. These kinds of private details would not likely be originally shared with people he held only in professional regard. He would have had to have been close to them for them to hear this tale. And tales like this, especially ones of a personal nature, would resonate more if the Hero became someone even more important, such as the eventual King. As evidence of this point, take the legend of King Arthur. Would the Sword in the Stone, which chronicles his childhood adventures and feelings be as dear to so many if he had not grown up to be the great King of legend?
In conclusion, if we take all these points we’ve discussed into account, about the change of the hero, the state of Hyrule after the adventure, romantic feelings for Zelda and other tales of a similar nature, we can conclude that the idea of Link becoming the eventual ruler is not an idea too far-fetched, or too far from the spirit of the games. The games themselves are seldom explicit as the endings are left open to the imagination of countless fans, but it is in our opinion that this fate seems to be one that fits Link and the type of story that The Legend of Zelda is particularly well.
We would be remiss in not quoting Christopher Nagasaki’s excellent article from the Zeldawiki as an inspiration and source of ideas. Also, another wonderful source is that of Zelda Blog, a highly recommended site.
LinkXZelda – Zelda Wiki.org
ZeldaBlog » Blog Archive » Eternally a Princess
Part 2:
In our previous article we made a case for the beloved hero of the Legend of Zelda series eventually assuming the ultimate responsibility, the leadership of Hyrule alongside Princess Zelda. Without repeating the entire article, we covered the internal change and growth of the hero, the situation he faces at the end of the adventure and how real world legends and tales in general echo similar situations.
But we felt the theory could use some expansion, and some discussion about the more common arguments against it.
1) Link is a farmboy, not a King.
We feel the problem with this argument is that it fails to take the change in the hero into account. As we previously expanded upon, Link has undoubtably changed. He can’t go back to what and where he was before. Twilight Princess’s Link seemed the most likely of the heroes to return to his origin. He had a loving family in the villagers, a girl who loved him and a home. But he is seen riding away at the end, forever changed as the people he knows look on in apparent confusion and sadness. We don’t know he won’t return, but the feeling was that of a deja-vu, as in nothing had changed in his home, except him.
Ocarina of Time’s Link was literally forced away from his home as he not only internally matured over the course of the adventure, but externally as well. That pushed him away from the forest and his childhood, and when he did get invitations to have a simple life again, destiny would inevitably lead him away from that option and back to Hyrule. Our point is that the change and his new role has made him more than a simple boy who can settle into oblivion, he is Hyrule’s new hero and his kingdom needs him. This leads into the second part.
2 ) He won’t be happy, what could he possibly do in a castle?
The same thing he has done in his starting situation and since then. Adapt and find his place as best as he can, and he’ll do whatever he feels he needs to, which would be helping Zelda in the unique way he can.
His quest has already prepared him to be right for the job, take the Zelda II: Adventure of Link’s manual:
“For generations, my family has been handed down these things which have been set aside for a time when a great king will come”
This is said by Impa, the nursemaid of Princess Zelda, when she hands the preserved scroll to Link.
The scroll, which only Link can read, says this.
“A crest will appear on a young man with that character that has been brought up correctly, has gained many kinds of experiences and reached a certain age.”
These quotes not only hint that that this particular Link is the great King to come, but say that his experiences are most important to his future. He has been groomed by destiny to not only inherit the Triforce, but take his place at Zelda’s side and lead Hyrule.
Link already possesses many of the attributes which he needs to rule the kingdom. Two of which are particularly notable:
Leadership:
At first glance our hero may appear least likely to ever step up and take control of anyone, but a quick study of the qualities of leadership reveals he already possesses them in spades. Initiative, for one: a leader must always take point, and be willing to be the one to make the first step. Link does this consistently and gladly. He may be told what he needs to do by Wisdom, represented by his partner-in-crime, Zelda, but he is capable of deciding what to do on his own and then carrying it out. Since the introduction of partners for gameplay reasons this may seem to have decreased, but Link still chooses to do what he does.
A leader must also always be able to do what he expects his followers to do. One obvious way the Hero could particularly demonstrate this is in the military aspect of a kingdom. In a kingdom like Hyrule, the King would be expected to be able to lead his forces against those who threaten his land, and he should be the ultimate challenge for an aggressor. Not only able to physically take down the most formidable enemy, but he must also have an excellent grasp on fighting strategy. Would most question Link’s ability in these aspects? Certainly not. Link could most certainly take over the leadership of the defense of his land, and any lackings he may have in protocol or style would be more than covered by Zelda’s knowledge and wisdom. And his growth does not stop after the adventure, he would grow into the role.
A leader must also be the ultimate voice of authority. The one who makes a judgement call and stands behind it. With him and Zelda together on this, they would be most formidable and the land would prosper under their just hand.
Ability to Create Unity:
A good leader must be able to unify his people, especially in a time of conflict. A quick perusal of Ocarina of Time’s beginning reveals that at that point in history, the tribes of the land are held unified by loyalty to the current Royal Family, in a peace which was forged by a previous King who unified the land after a fierce war. At the time of the game however, that loyalty is in danger of collapsing, based on the reactions of the respective tribe leaders. This is the result of the interference of Ganondorf. Our hero rises up and deals with the situation with Zelda’s aid, and the ultimate end of the adventure has him standing beside her and with a representative of each tribe ( each of whom are Sages ) as he and them seal the evil away. He is then returned to a time before this has happened, leaving that unified Hyrule of the future still existing.
It would not be a bad assumption to assume he continued to unite the people of Hyrule after his restored childhood, as in the world of Twilight Princess, the one thing all the tribes have in common is a link to and respect for the previous Hero. But it is has unravelled once again as he has undoubtably died and time has marched on. Our new hero gains the confidence of the tribes and restores the unity.
Windwaker’s Link visits all the respective surviving peoples of Hyrule and once again they unite under his guidance as he is advised by the King of Red Lions. The land above the waves will know peace because of his deeds.
The other heroes once again perform similar feats.
The end result of each Hero is that the land is in better shape, and peace has been wrought. He has brought the land together.
Moving on, now that we have established that he has the necessarily qualities to make him the perfect leader, what if he chooses not to use them? Here’s our last argument.
Argument 3: Link should marry another girl, not Zelda.
This one borders on the conflict – inducing grounds of the romance debate, but is valid and needs to be addressed for the purpose of our theory. Leaving aside the fact that Link canonly shows romantic interest in Zelda in nearly every incarnation, the way we feel to tackle this is by duty versus personal feelings, and the effects of duty. These are lessons Princess Zelda already lives by, and Link undoubtably grows to adopt over the course of his adventure.
The Hero’s Spirit in Twilight Princess had this to say:
“You must use your courage to seek power…and find it you must. Only then will
you become the hero for whom this world despairs.”
The statement here is that the world needs Link to become the hero he will be, and it is expanded on in another quote:
“You must persist on the lonely path of the sword to obtain true courage and
earn the strength to conquer the great evils of this world!”
This effectively says that the job will not be easy. We could go a step furthur and say as well that his job is not necessarily done when the adventure is over either. This is a lifetime, and even beyond life commitment, as the situation of this ghost of a former hero testifies.
Link will be needed and is. But his kingdom needs him first of all. We already argued in the previous part of the article that Zelda herself needs Link, and she is as well in essence the representative of Hyrule itself.
We need to consider her dilemma again and elaborate on it. It is her duty to not only govern the land, but to ensure royal heirs are born. This means she has to take a husband. But if Hyrule is like most medieval fantasy kingdoms, her husband will become King and the sovereign ruler of the land when she marries him. As you can probably deduce, the damage done to the kingdom in the event of a wrong choice in spouse would be unimaginable. After the adventure, as previously established, Hyrule is in shambles. A man of unique quality and character is needed to ensure a bright future and to supervise the restoration of the land back to glory. Physical damage exists, but the land’s spirit has been broken. A strong leader with a firm hand is needed. And not one man is more the embodiment of quality itself than the Hero. Zelda has to marry, why not marry him?
There is another aspect to consider. Link and Zelda have essentially been running the kingdom, and in many cases he has already informally taken on the role of her partner. If another man came in and became King, this new monarch would rightfully resent Link’s intrusion into the duties of his position and may even be suspicious of Link’s undeniably special bond with his wife, Zelda.
But if Link were to simply remove himself from the picture, Hyrule would suffer because of it. While men of valor and courage may exist in the land, none are the Hero except for Link. As evidence of this take the situation of Wind Waker. Look what happened when the Hero was not there to lend his power. While the kingdom may not see turmoil again within the Hero’s lifetime, his power would benefit all.
Considering Link himself: If he took a wife other than Zelda, this would likely interfere with his duty. Link would not be a normal man if he did not unconsciously put his wife and family first, or struggle greatly with the task.
He knows what he is called to do, and personal interests not consistent with it would be harmful to all concerned. The result would be an emotionally torn hero.
In Twilight Princess, this was portrayed beautifully. Link had a pre-existing love interest in a girl named Ilia, and her capture was part of the catalyst to the adventure in the first place. But after he found her, it was not hard to tell she was a distraction in his mind. Take this statement of Telma’s.
“How’s that Ilia doing, honey?
I’m sure that shaman will find a way to get her memory back. That Renado is a
talented man, for sure!
Anyway, honey, you’ve got your own things to worry about, so you just make sure
you do what needs doing right now, OK?”
By his “own things”, she means saving Hyrule, though she may not comprehend who exactly he is at that moment. Anyways, previous to this scene, Link had appeared completely devastated by Ilia’s memory loss, but her effectively being inaccessible to him served the purpose of making him focus on the entire land and how others needed him, not just this one girl. When Ilia did eventually regain her memory, she told Link she would wait for him, but she also remarked about going home when the adventure was finished. There is a great likelihood she did not understand that Link will never be finished being the Hero, as it is his destiny. Nor would she understand the amount of change he has undergone either. One could imagine resentment and trouble would eventually form when he did not come home, as his focus is no longer there. Life would never be the way it was before.
And again, another woman would harm the crucial bond between Link and Zelda that benefits Hyrule. Link’s wife would not be human if she did not feel concerned about her husband’s strong connection and devotion to his land, which is represented in bodily form by a woman of undeniable quality and great beauty, who is ultimately more important to him than her. These worries and his wife’s unhappiness would distract him, and form a barrier between him and Zelda.
Overall, it’s a recipe for disaster and unhappiness.
In our opinion, it would be far simpler for Link to both marry the girl he is usually portrayed to have feelings for: Zelda, and ensure Hyrule has the King it needs. Him.
In conclusion, we hope we addressed these common counter arguments well, and that we’ve made a decent case for our theory once again.
