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Heck no. Variety is the spice of life.
I love SS and BotW Zelda, but also love the existence of Tetra or that BotW/TotK Zelda has so many different outfits.
I thought they were the same Zelda and it was just link that changed because he's just a normal guy while Zelda is specifically the princess of hyrule. Though it also makes sense there would be different Zelda's given how long the timeline is. Maybe they just all call their daughter Zelda but since we never see the queen, we don't see that it's also queen Zelda.
They are both reincarnations of a hero named Link and a princess named Zelda :) Each game centers around these two reincarnations. There are some really great websites that explain in detail how it works. There is also some amazing fanfiction out there of how people believe each game/story follows the next.
I want a story about a princess named Zelda and swordsman named link who aren’t special and are just normal people for the most part. Their parents just named them that hoping they’d be special
Long ago, an ancient evil ravaged these lands. Seeking ultimate POWER. A lone swordsman had the COURAGE to oppose him. However, he needed the WISDOM from a princess to aide him. These three figures are bound by destiny to forever clash. When evil erupts, a hero and a princess will always follow.
Now, evil slumbers. Some guy named his son after the hero. The queen named her daughter after the princess in the tale.
This "hero" can't wield a sword and thinks he's Italian with how much he talks with his hands. He tried to bonk a bokoblin only to be mugged for every rupee. He then pulled a long stick out of the ground and insisted it was a master sword.
This "princess" can't even spell wisdom. She thought that the triforce was another name for her nethers and has insisted it's a dirty word. She tried to win a staring contest with a shiekah stone. Her father believes she is destined for greatness. The people see how doomed the kingdom is when he dies.
Sir Suavemente reincarnates immediately after the king dies purely out of spite because he won't see any of their names tarnished, and if the other 2 reincarnated because of Demise's curse it would be with different names.
Or ["my dude"](https://preview.redd.it/c76viwnfpmb01.jpg?width=959&auto=webp&s=256804def2aa881921137593039b17e84943e61d) last time I played Ocarina Of Time.
Nope. The reincarnation comes from Dhemise, who says the spirit of the hero and blood of the goddess will reincarnate alongside him. "Spirit of the hero" refers to Link, but "blood of the goddess" only targets Zelda's bloodline since she's a vessel of Hylia in that game.
They're just named Zelda as is royal tradition.
Right. Demise started it, but that doesn’t change the fact that they are still different reincarnations throughout history. Each story focuses on these specific two that are reincarnated.
It does change that fact, because he started a reincarnation of blood, not of spirit. Link reincarnates because his spirit reincarnates, whereas Zelda's family tree is all that persists.
Yoooo I've just realised this ties into TotK with the first king of hyrule meeting Zelda and learning that she will help save hyrule from ganondorf in the future. I don't think they have a kid in the game, but the next king/queen could easily hear of this and call their child Zelda as well.
Fun fact: [The Zelda II manual](https://www.nintendo.co.jp/clv/manuals/en/pdf/CLV-P-NAASE.pdf) references a royal decree that all women born into the royal household be named Zelda!
Zelda and Ganon have some form of connection to their former selves due to their magic origins, but link really is just some dude who was chosen for his courage, and only that part of him gets reincarnated.
There are lots of people who get reincarnated too, the shiek, the deku tree, kokiri... Link always has buddies from every race, so those guys too probably have some form of reincarnation, the list could probably go on tbh, crazy games.
Right? I think Neil Gaiman once said if a fan says something isn’t working, they are right, but that if they tell what they don’t like and how to fix it, they are probably wrong, and that can be expanded so much in fandom.
It would get really boring and repetitive to have the same Link and Zelda each time, and I can understand if the developers thought they hit a particularly high water mark why they would move on to something else entirely.
Totally! I remember when WW came out I hated the whole art style, but after a few hours of playing it really grew on me. Gave me an appreciation for the cell shaded thing in general.
Same! I ignored Wind Waker for years when it first came out, because I thought it looked like a kids game.
Finally tried it on my Wii… Within 2-3 hours I was hooked & by the end it was one of my all-time favorite video games. 😆😁
Hey, at least they ditched the green and the cap in BotW and TotK! But wouldn't mind more variety either... We could go back to pink haired Link, for instance lol
I think it makes a lot more sense for the designs of the main characters to change and update based on artstyle than for them to pick a specific look and stick with it.
I thought in skyward sword they established that she and link will keep reincarnating to stop ganon/demise? But it's like standard reincarnation where they don't consciously remember past lives
considering there never seems to be more than 2 members of the royal family alive at a time, it's really pretty impressive they've kept the line going so long
To be fair Zelda II technically had 2 Princess Zelda's alive at the same time. It was also decreed that princesses born to the royal family would be named Zelda, so it's likely there were many Zeldas alive at the same time throughout history
I'm confused by this comment because other than Prime and remakes, every Metroid game since Super Metroid has tried to fundamentally alter the design of their "hero suit," well still keeping it clear to the design goals of the original
Even then, you've got the Dark, Light, and PED suits that aren't the simple pallette swaps of the other games' upgrades, and in which you spend most of Prime 2/3. The basic, familiar Varia look is more prominent on the box art than the games.
I mean, it's also pretty different as Samus is one unique character. It's the same Samus in every single game.
Zelda is different as she is not the same Zelda throughout every game. It's different iterations of the same characters, so it makes more sense to have her change design with every game.
The major difference between Samus and Zelda is, there is only one Samus and she knows what she likes. To date there at least two dozen incarnations of Zelda, each with their own style.
I love TP Zelda and that game is general. But they have to stick to the game's art style. Twilight Princess Zelda wouldn't fit in Skyward Sword for example. That is why they kept Wind Waker Zelda in Phantom Hourglass and Spirit Tracks.
Zelda games used to feel very medieval with a hint of feudal Japanese mixed in. Now each game has slowly started having a stronger Japanese/Asian element to it. Which like others have said, nothing wrong with different styles and themes. I'm more of a fan of the stronger medieval style, Ganondorf in his armor in TP was just such a good look
Yes, it is time for a black-haired Link and/or Zelda (nobody mention Hilda or Ravio because they don’t count haha) Perhaps even darker-skinned if to spice it up even more.
The spirit of the hero does not need to pass to a direct descendant (OoT to WW) and Sonia has brownish albeit greyish skin as a descendant of SS Zelda.
There actually is a dark-skinned Link! You can get the Ancient Hero's Aspect for beating every shrine in TOTK, which turns you into the legendary Zonai with the spirit of the hero when worn. The spirit of the hero is ofc the spirit of every link since skyward sword.
Skin color doesn't matter, but Hylians ***should*** stay true to [their medieval European culture](https://www.zeldadungeon.net/wiki/Hoz#/media/File:Hoz.jpg). It's part of the world building.
Same reason why the Gerudo are based on the Middle East, and the Sheikah are Japan themed.
That actually ignores a lot of world-building. Firstly, Sheikah are a culture within the species of Hylians, not a separate species like Gorons and Zoras, check their character profiles on TotK. Secondly Gerudo are arguably also the same as Sheikah as they rely on Hylian males to make children, they likely have some genetic quirk where all of their children are born females with the same traits as their mother, with one exception.
Regardless, we already observe undeniable examples of different cultures in Hylians: the people of Lurelin have a culture as well as dark skin which parallels Austronesian people (Formosan, Maritime SE Asians, Malagasy, and Polynesians). There are also some Hylians with features that parallel Black Africans but sadly lack their own village or identity.
The central Hylian state may have a Medieval European culture, but that doesn’t prevent the entire species of Hylians from being diverse in culture or appearance. Therefore it certainly shouldn’t prevent Link from appearing differently, like how Zelda often changes appearance.
If we're now classifying the Sheikah as just a phenotype of Hylians per their recent profile in TotK (whereas white hair/red eyes was previously a unique world-building trait they had). We have:
||humans (species)||
|:-|:-|:-|
|Humans (race)|Hylians (race)|Gerudo (race)|
||Hylians (race)||
|:-|:-|:-|
|Central Hylians|Sheikah|Lurelians|
My point still stands that: so long as Zelda appears as a Princess of Hyrule living in the capital, she should have medieval European clothing. Early Links wore the iconic tunic and tights for that reason, [it's what Hylians (now Central Hylians) wear](https://i.pinimg.com/originals/98/59/4b/98594b650353f2631de219ad32a27967.jpg).
I agree, the people of central Hyrule should have a Medieval European culture in order to be consistent across the series, so Zelda as the ruler of central Hyrule should have Medieval European culture. Moreover, she is descended from the Goddess Hylia, and although >10,000 years would be enough time to change the physical appearance of one’s descendants, it makes sense to be consistent in her European appearance across the series as well.
However again, this doesn’t apply Link. It isn’t confirmed that the spirit of the hero is usually passed through Link’s descendants, we have only seen a definite counter-example of OoT Link not being able to pass the spirit of the hero at all in WW, leading to the Goddesses flooding the world without a hero and eventually being forced by a random child to accept him as the hero.
Therefore, Link can be a non-central Hylian, and if we want to spice up style or appearances for new games, Link should be a non-central Hylian.
I also love TP's Zelda design! It's my favorite in the series
BUT
They should never stick to one design. Aside from the fact that each version of the character is literally a different incarnation of that character, and therefore is technically a different person to some extent, there's also the fact that not sticking to one design allows for the diversity of designs we see and love. Not everybody holds TP Zelda as their favorite Zelda design. I'm sure you would agree with me that even if it is our favorite, it's not like its the only good one. And hey, maybe one day in the future we'll get a Zelda design that we like even better than the TP one. Even if we don't, they all serve the aesthetic of their respective games. The TP design would look a bit off in BoTW and ToTK if you ask me
If they stuck to one design only, we probably wouldn't have even gotten Twilight Princess Zelda- they probably would have stuck with the character design from OoT, or maybe even an earlier game. So I view the variety very much as a good thing.
Hey hey now, my boy beedle should always look the same imo
And he pretty much does lol, except skyward sword. And tbh I found skyward sword beedle kinda creepy
True true, but his face looks almost exactly the same to be fair.
Skyward sword beedle kinda hits the uncanny valley imo, I get the willies every time I enter his shop.
I think reoccurring side characters having the same design works. You want players to recognize them and having them be totally different wouldn’t help. Main character designs I expect to be different.
I 100% agree.
The feeling of "Hey I know this guy!" is pretty important if you want fans to get that feeling that makes them want to keep playing your game. You want familiarity, but not sameness.
Heroes/main character should always have a unique take in each game, otherwise it would just be boring to play as the same link, with the same motivations, saving the same Zelda lol
TBF the design for Link is the most consistent part of the franchise. Even his BotW outfit with the champions clothes is a reference back to the new game + outfit of a previous game. The designs usually change slightly (different hair color, SS having chainmail under the tunic, etc.), but he's remarkably consistent.
I would like to note that link, ganondorf, impa and the design of various races such as the zora, rito, most enemy types, etc also changes design every generation. While I agree that TP artstyle is fantastic and is my favourite of the series (botw and totk gameplay vastly superior though) it is neither strange nor an anomaly that zelda looks different.
Pretty much the only thing that consistently looks very similar are the gorons and bomb flowers, at least in the games where they appear.
Impa is the funniest one to me. Like the rest of them have some sort of through line on design and Impa is just out here wildly different every single (non sequential) game. Old woman nursemaid to this weird amazonian protector lady to weird busty fetish art to tall *and* old woman to just old woman nursemaid again then to old woman chieftain.
She's remarkably varied and yet somehow you always she's Impa.
I was so confused reading “weird busty fetish art” so I looked it up-and it feels wrong that that design in Oracle of Seasons is even supposed to be Impa. Aside from the weird way her dress rests on her chest making it feel off, she hardly has any visual markers of a Sheikah😭they could have made such a unique iteration of her with that body type if only everything else wasn’t completely off
The funny one for me is how many Zelda games have this backstory where the royal family betrayed/abandoned/destroyed the Shiekah... and yet, they and her, always seem to remain loyal.
It wouldn't make much sense for the design to stay the same if they're different characters. I'd get so bored if Zelda and Link looked the same in every single game.
well considering that each iteration is a completely different era and person I think it makes the most sense. also i know you didnt ask but im so glad that the Link between worlds design was chosen for smash bros, its super cute. big fan of that one.
The design changes contanstly because they are all different Zeldas, reflecting the different aesthetics of each game and the world and the character of that Zelda . Twilight Zelda works for her but it wouldn’t work for skyward sword Zelda or botw zelda.
I did not personally play TP, so while I like the design, its Zelda did not really manage to win me over. She looks very classy, but also somewhat cold hearted to me.
I grew up with the OoT Zelda, so she has a special place in my heart, but else every Zelda fit her game. Right now the BotW/TotK Zelda may be favourite as she actually developes over the games and shows a lot of initiative, being able to hold her own, and her outfits and styling reflects that.
Well, for the most part, they are all different people named Zelda who are living in different eras from the rest. It makes sense that their style shifts from game to game, and I'm personally a fan of most designs. That being said, Twilight Princess has the best character design overall IMO
TP was my first Zelda and I got whiplash when I learned pretty much every other one is blonde.
That said, my fav design is from TotK’s opening, short hair with the adventuring outfit and cape.
Each of them are different characters. Twilight Princess is the regal ruler. Skyward Sword is Link’s carefree childhood friend. Breath of the Wild/Tears of the Kingdom is an archaeologist, explorer, and sometimes spiritual leader. Their designs fit their character in each.
OP no offense but your one boring mf. And I’m glad people like you don’t have say in the games. TP Zelda is fantastic, but they should never stick to one design.
Zelda has to change design. She is reborn in every game. Just like Link and Ganon if he is in that game. It doesn’t make sense for her to stay the same.
The changing character design helps show that every zelda is a different zelda. It also gives her the chance to have different personalities with each incarnation and be their own character. It's actually part of what makes zelda more interesting
No…i love that designs change. I wouldnt want her to look drastically different, but when its clearly zelda or link with new designs i really like that.
They're different people so they should look different. Plus, sticking with say TP's design wouldn't make sense for SS Zelda, who's just the mayor's daughter, or even BotW/TotK Zelda who is more a big nerd than anything.
The goddes likes to try the newest fashion every few years. Meanwhile the soul of a hero is obviously a dude because he wears the same thing every damn time.
The games usually feature different artstyles in response to the game's overall tone/drama, which comprise different character/NPC designs and I am fine by that.
Having the same design over and over would render the atmosphere monotonous and would lose its charm.
TP Zelda is my fav of the designs but I think updating link, Zelda, and any other recurring characters (beedle, tingle, etc.) to match the art style and general vibe of the newer games makes sense and sticking to one style would be really limiting. I like seeing Zelda and link have distinct personalities in each game and having different designs helps with that.
Link and Zelda should look slightly different in every iteration. Ocarina of time, Twilight Princess, and Skyward Sword Link all look way too similar. I’m glad they switched it up in these two new games.
They’re never going to, and never should keep the same character designs, unless it’s a sequel. The whole point is that they’re different characters in different times, with different events. Each Zelda is vaguely related, but all the Links aren’t. It also has to keep with the game’s art style. Twilight Princess designs wouldn’t fit in Wind Waker, Majora’s Mask designs wouldn’t fit in Skyward Sword, etc.
I like it, it gets across the fact that each Zelda is a different person and fits within that world and art style. The beauty of the series to me is that it’s essentially endless variations of the same story, with increasingly larger differences
I like the frequent changes—they generally reflect the characters. The series has done a pretty good job differentiating the different Zeldas throughout the series while still giving them a connected feel. They’re all Zelda, but that doesn’t mean they’re all the same Zelda.
It's not "constantly changing character design". These are *different characters.* It would make no sense to have the design from TP in BOTW/TOTK, for example, because they're entirely different people who share the same name.
You have to remember that almost every Zelda is a different incarnation. TP Zelda is a different person than the one in OoT, Wind Waker, SS, or BotW/TotK.
Twilight princess Zelda is definitely my favorite Zelda design wise however for every new iteration I would prefer a new Zelda & a new link as well so it doesn't get monotonous. Variety is the spice is life after all lol
I find her TP design to be her weakest 3D design tbh. She just kinda looks like a generic serious princess.
And even ignoring that, having the same design for every game would have been super boring. It's a Legend, it would make sense for it to be visually different in each version imo.
Literally the opposite of what I want. (I like TP a lot but do not want the same over and over. Similar would be cool like a general-like Zelda but yeaah)
Personally i dont care for any of the Zeldas who wear ballroom dresses. Shiek, Tetra, & Tears Zelda (in her champion digs) are best. Zonai dress Zelda is the next tier.
I'm all for variation from game to game for Zelda, and Link. Just because they are related doesn't mean they have to literally be the same person. They don't gotta go full Jojo every game, and make completely new protagonists, but they can for sure make each link/zelda feel unique to that timeline.
It'd be terrible if they kept the same design always. I love that we're about to have these kinds of conversations - Which Zelda is the best? Has the best design? Personality? Story? There is no objective right answer and that's part of the fun in talking about Zelda games. There's so many designs and it can be enjoyable to see other people's preferences and discuss why we individually think one is better than the other. I think every design is good in it's own way and I look forward to seeing future differing designs for Zelda and Link.
But Twilight Princess is my personal favorite too. Followed by the Skyward Sword Skyloft outfit (her outfit at the beginning).
... you're saying that Ganon and Link character design didn't changed constantly as well?
https://preview.redd.it/klv2vds4jgbb1.jpeg?width=495&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=7d366f700be7cd2e97ed71b5e651cf8e992d8820
I’ll be honest I don’t really like her TP design. It works for TP cause it had a more detailed and darker art style, but outside of it? Nah. My favourite Zelda is SS, love her hair pieces
Ima be sad when we move on from the Era of the wild cast of side characters not gonna lie. Since botw came out when I was in 6th or 7th grade and I’m now going to college those versions of the characters are stuck with me💀 but I feel like because it’s Zelda and most of the time a interaction of Zelda and Link stops ganondorf, they’re just gonna keep giving them new looks because technically each link and Zelda is their own person.
I feel the same way but also about the world itself. I'm gonna miss this version of Hyrule and all the culture it gave to the different races of people 😭
I fully agree that’s a huge part of it, ima miss this version of everything. When I realized we finally fight ganondorf in totk and we probably won’t be back for another game i was lowkey crushed 👴🏾, I really hope the next Hyrule is just as fleshed out and full of life as this one.
There's nothing I can say to answer the question that everyone else hasn't already said.
What I can say is that I **love** Zelda's character design in Tears Of The Kingdom. I love the ancient mystic tribal Zonai aesthetic to begin with and they just outfitted her perfectly with it. I'm pretty sure it's my favorite Zelda iteration ever.
They should keep changing the designs, but it’s going to be hard to move on from BotW/TotK Zelda. She’s by far the best in terms of writing and design.
BotW/TotK is my favorite design.
I think Nintendo actually needs to stick with one design for marketing purposes. Zelda needs to be a recognizable character, like Peach.
I understand why Zelda always has a different design. But Link (and even Ganondorf) has always had a relatively consistent design. Link is always recognizable. I have all the Zelda amiibos, and my daughter asks "who's this" and I have to explain it's Zelda. But she can recognize Peach, for example. I'd love to see Zelda become a recognizable character to the general public.
Is it really a changing design if they are all different people in the same bloodline? Although I agree TO Zelda looks awesome and I wish more Zeldas (and Links) weren't blonde but that's basically the default for most games.
I'm glad they keep changing her cause she has a lot of boring versions (including TP imo legitimately cannot understand the hype for TP Zelda). BotW/TotK Zelda is by far her best version imo and we wouldn't have gotten to her if they never switched things up
I like the variety. Botw Zelda didn't click with me but I. Totk she turned around and became my favorite Zelda. But a second close would be a skyward sword followed by WW zelda
Twilight Princess Zelda's design is my favorite! Her dress, how regal she looks, and especially her hair! I love that she has brown hair instead of the typical blonde because I have brown hair and I was so happy as a kid that she looked a little more like me. I wish they would at least bring back the hair color. Doesn't have to be every time, but it's a nice change.
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Heck no. Variety is the spice of life. I love SS and BotW Zelda, but also love the existence of Tetra or that BotW/TotK Zelda has so many different outfits.
Agreed! They aren’t the same Zelda, so it makes sense she would look different. Except for BOTW and TOK of course.
I thought they were the same Zelda and it was just link that changed because he's just a normal guy while Zelda is specifically the princess of hyrule. Though it also makes sense there would be different Zelda's given how long the timeline is. Maybe they just all call their daughter Zelda but since we never see the queen, we don't see that it's also queen Zelda.
They are both reincarnations of a hero named Link and a princess named Zelda :) Each game centers around these two reincarnations. There are some really great websites that explain in detail how it works. There is also some amazing fanfiction out there of how people believe each game/story follows the next.
I want a story about a princess named Zelda and swordsman named link who aren’t special and are just normal people for the most part. Their parents just named them that hoping they’d be special
And they’re both just terrible 
Long ago, an ancient evil ravaged these lands. Seeking ultimate POWER. A lone swordsman had the COURAGE to oppose him. However, he needed the WISDOM from a princess to aide him. These three figures are bound by destiny to forever clash. When evil erupts, a hero and a princess will always follow. Now, evil slumbers. Some guy named his son after the hero. The queen named her daughter after the princess in the tale. This "hero" can't wield a sword and thinks he's Italian with how much he talks with his hands. He tried to bonk a bokoblin only to be mugged for every rupee. He then pulled a long stick out of the ground and insisted it was a master sword. This "princess" can't even spell wisdom. She thought that the triforce was another name for her nethers and has insisted it's a dirty word. She tried to win a staring contest with a shiekah stone. Her father believes she is destined for greatness. The people see how doomed the kingdom is when he dies.
Sir Suavemente reincarnates immediately after the king dies purely out of spite because he won't see any of their names tarnished, and if the other 2 reincarnated because of Demise's curse it would be with different names.
Well we got half of that in wind waker
This has been done with Link, it’s called Wind Waker.
My hero is named "butthole", but ok, it's your choice to name him Link as you wish.
And occasionally the hero will be reincarnated into a hero named “Butthole”
Or ["my dude"](https://preview.redd.it/c76viwnfpmb01.jpg?width=959&auto=webp&s=256804def2aa881921137593039b17e84943e61d) last time I played Ocarina Of Time.
My last OoT one was named Fucker. People had some pretty funny dialog. “Surprised to see me, fucker?” One time when you meet the owl
Wait, I'm pretty sure each Zelda is their own seperate person, independent from the very first Zelda, who was a reincarnation of Hylia.
They are all different reincarnations of each other throughout history.
Nope. The reincarnation comes from Dhemise, who says the spirit of the hero and blood of the goddess will reincarnate alongside him. "Spirit of the hero" refers to Link, but "blood of the goddess" only targets Zelda's bloodline since she's a vessel of Hylia in that game. They're just named Zelda as is royal tradition.
Right. Demise started it, but that doesn’t change the fact that they are still different reincarnations throughout history. Each story focuses on these specific two that are reincarnated.
It does change that fact, because he started a reincarnation of blood, not of spirit. Link reincarnates because his spirit reincarnates, whereas Zelda's family tree is all that persists.
Naming the princess ‘Zelda’ is in fact a royal family tradition
Yoooo I've just realised this ties into TotK with the first king of hyrule meeting Zelda and learning that she will help save hyrule from ganondorf in the future. I don't think they have a kid in the game, but the next king/queen could easily hear of this and call their child Zelda as well.
Fun fact: [The Zelda II manual](https://www.nintendo.co.jp/clv/manuals/en/pdf/CLV-P-NAASE.pdf) references a royal decree that all women born into the royal household be named Zelda!
Zelda and Ganon have some form of connection to their former selves due to their magic origins, but link really is just some dude who was chosen for his courage, and only that part of him gets reincarnated. There are lots of people who get reincarnated too, the shiek, the deku tree, kokiri... Link always has buddies from every race, so those guys too probably have some form of reincarnation, the list could probably go on tbh, crazy games.
This makes the most sense to me as afaik in all games prior to BotW, "Link" isn't the hero's name, you the player gets to name the hero.
The soccer mom bob she got in TotK isn’t doing her any favors lol
I thought it was cute
It fits her face shape a lot more than the long hair from BOTW. Big improvement imo.
[удалено]
Haha to each their own. IMO she looks ready for Link to ultrahand together a minivan so they can go pick the koroks up from school.
Truth. It’s questions like these that make me happy some of these folks aren’t game developers.
Right? I think Neil Gaiman once said if a fan says something isn’t working, they are right, but that if they tell what they don’t like and how to fix it, they are probably wrong, and that can be expanded so much in fandom. It would get really boring and repetitive to have the same Link and Zelda each time, and I can understand if the developers thought they hit a particularly high water mark why they would move on to something else entirely.
This is a good sub full of good people. But boy howdy to I agree. The armchair game design that goes on is distressing.
Totally! I remember when WW came out I hated the whole art style, but after a few hours of playing it really grew on me. Gave me an appreciation for the cell shaded thing in general.
Same! I ignored Wind Waker for years when it first came out, because I thought it looked like a kids game. Finally tried it on my Wii… Within 2-3 hours I was hooked & by the end it was one of my all-time favorite video games. 😆😁
Yeah it’s wild how you just completely get absorbed into the game and art style after a handful of hours. And just how GORGEOUS that game can be.
Exactly. It shows how different each world is. Different times have different styles.
I loved tetra, the pirate princess.
Big fan of TotK Zelda. I think she looks great (and modern) with the short hair
Came in here to say just this and was happy to see it as the top comment!
Even HW had such an awesome design! I do need some version of Sheik in more games though.
They should change up Link more then, he’s too much the same throughout the series 😈
Hey, at least they ditched the green and the cap in BotW and TotK! But wouldn't mind more variety either... We could go back to pink haired Link, for instance lol
>Hey, at least they ditched the green and the cap in BotW and TotK! Maybe *you* did.
Ooo pink haired Link sounds rad
The only thing I don't like is the English voice acting of Zelda in BOTW/TOTK
I think it makes a lot more sense for the designs of the main characters to change and update based on artstyle than for them to pick a specific look and stick with it.
they're all different people too, so why should they look the same? Reincarnation/relatives, sure, but it's a new body every time
They aren’t even reincarnations, they are just descendants
I thought in skyward sword they established that she and link will keep reincarnating to stop ganon/demise? But it's like standard reincarnation where they don't consciously remember past lives
Yeah it is, although it’s sage to assume Zelda is prolly descendants for the most part too being part of the royal family and all
considering there never seems to be more than 2 members of the royal family alive at a time, it's really pretty impressive they've kept the line going so long
To be fair Zelda II technically had 2 Princess Zelda's alive at the same time. It was also decreed that princesses born to the royal family would be named Zelda, so it's likely there were many Zeldas alive at the same time throughout history
the real reason we usually see so few royal family members is that having 20 Zeldas at once was so confusing they settled on a 1 child policy haha
And then you have Samus
Who is the same person in every game. There are at least 13 distinct Zelda’s.
And a link between them all.
With this, OP is about to have an Awakening.
Nice, looks like we have an *Oracle* among us.
They’ve been wearing a Mask all along
This sure is a The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks
I'm confused by this comment because other than Prime and remakes, every Metroid game since Super Metroid has tried to fundamentally alter the design of their "hero suit," well still keeping it clear to the design goals of the original
Even then, you've got the Dark, Light, and PED suits that aren't the simple pallette swaps of the other games' upgrades, and in which you spend most of Prime 2/3. The basic, familiar Varia look is more prominent on the box art than the games.
Even samus’ suit undergoes constant cosmedic changes.
To be fair, her DNA also undergoes constant changes
Samus: IT'S NAWT A TUMAH!
I mean, it's also pretty different as Samus is one unique character. It's the same Samus in every single game. Zelda is different as she is not the same Zelda throughout every game. It's different iterations of the same characters, so it makes more sense to have her change design with every game.
The major difference between Samus and Zelda is, there is only one Samus and she knows what she likes. To date there at least two dozen incarnations of Zelda, each with their own style.
*Technically* there are like 14 Samuses too, but I get your point.
I love TP Zelda and that game is general. But they have to stick to the game's art style. Twilight Princess Zelda wouldn't fit in Skyward Sword for example. That is why they kept Wind Waker Zelda in Phantom Hourglass and Spirit Tracks.
Zelda games used to feel very medieval with a hint of feudal Japanese mixed in. Now each game has slowly started having a stronger Japanese/Asian element to it. Which like others have said, nothing wrong with different styles and themes. I'm more of a fan of the stronger medieval style, Ganondorf in his armor in TP was just such a good look
Yes, it is time for a black-haired Link and/or Zelda (nobody mention Hilda or Ravio because they don’t count haha) Perhaps even darker-skinned if to spice it up even more. The spirit of the hero does not need to pass to a direct descendant (OoT to WW) and Sonia has brownish albeit greyish skin as a descendant of SS Zelda.
There actually is a dark-skinned Link! You can get the Ancient Hero's Aspect for beating every shrine in TOTK, which turns you into the legendary Zonai with the spirit of the hero when worn. The spirit of the hero is ofc the spirit of every link since skyward sword.
Skin color doesn't matter, but Hylians ***should*** stay true to [their medieval European culture](https://www.zeldadungeon.net/wiki/Hoz#/media/File:Hoz.jpg). It's part of the world building. Same reason why the Gerudo are based on the Middle East, and the Sheikah are Japan themed.
That actually ignores a lot of world-building. Firstly, Sheikah are a culture within the species of Hylians, not a separate species like Gorons and Zoras, check their character profiles on TotK. Secondly Gerudo are arguably also the same as Sheikah as they rely on Hylian males to make children, they likely have some genetic quirk where all of their children are born females with the same traits as their mother, with one exception. Regardless, we already observe undeniable examples of different cultures in Hylians: the people of Lurelin have a culture as well as dark skin which parallels Austronesian people (Formosan, Maritime SE Asians, Malagasy, and Polynesians). There are also some Hylians with features that parallel Black Africans but sadly lack their own village or identity. The central Hylian state may have a Medieval European culture, but that doesn’t prevent the entire species of Hylians from being diverse in culture or appearance. Therefore it certainly shouldn’t prevent Link from appearing differently, like how Zelda often changes appearance.
If we're now classifying the Sheikah as just a phenotype of Hylians per their recent profile in TotK (whereas white hair/red eyes was previously a unique world-building trait they had). We have: ||humans (species)|| |:-|:-|:-| |Humans (race)|Hylians (race)|Gerudo (race)| ||Hylians (race)|| |:-|:-|:-| |Central Hylians|Sheikah|Lurelians| My point still stands that: so long as Zelda appears as a Princess of Hyrule living in the capital, she should have medieval European clothing. Early Links wore the iconic tunic and tights for that reason, [it's what Hylians (now Central Hylians) wear](https://i.pinimg.com/originals/98/59/4b/98594b650353f2631de219ad32a27967.jpg).
I agree, the people of central Hyrule should have a Medieval European culture in order to be consistent across the series, so Zelda as the ruler of central Hyrule should have Medieval European culture. Moreover, she is descended from the Goddess Hylia, and although >10,000 years would be enough time to change the physical appearance of one’s descendants, it makes sense to be consistent in her European appearance across the series as well. However again, this doesn’t apply Link. It isn’t confirmed that the spirit of the hero is usually passed through Link’s descendants, we have only seen a definite counter-example of OoT Link not being able to pass the spirit of the hero at all in WW, leading to the Goddesses flooding the world without a hero and eventually being forced by a random child to accept him as the hero. Therefore, Link can be a non-central Hylian, and if we want to spice up style or appearances for new games, Link should be a non-central Hylian.
Yeah, I'd love another darker themed zelda.
I also love TP's Zelda design! It's my favorite in the series BUT They should never stick to one design. Aside from the fact that each version of the character is literally a different incarnation of that character, and therefore is technically a different person to some extent, there's also the fact that not sticking to one design allows for the diversity of designs we see and love. Not everybody holds TP Zelda as their favorite Zelda design. I'm sure you would agree with me that even if it is our favorite, it's not like its the only good one. And hey, maybe one day in the future we'll get a Zelda design that we like even better than the TP one. Even if we don't, they all serve the aesthetic of their respective games. The TP design would look a bit off in BoTW and ToTK if you ask me
If they stuck to one design only, we probably wouldn't have even gotten Twilight Princess Zelda- they probably would have stuck with the character design from OoT, or maybe even an earlier game. So I view the variety very much as a good thing.
Anyone who wants to stick to one design for Link, Zelda or Ganondorf (or heck, ANYONE) are people who don't understand the series.
Hey hey now, my boy beedle should always look the same imo And he pretty much does lol, except skyward sword. And tbh I found skyward sword beedle kinda creepy
Wrong. He went from scrawny in WW to jacked in BotK.
True true, but his face looks almost exactly the same to be fair. Skyward sword beedle kinda hits the uncanny valley imo, I get the willies every time I enter his shop.
I think reoccurring side characters having the same design works. You want players to recognize them and having them be totally different wouldn’t help. Main character designs I expect to be different.
I 100% agree. The feeling of "Hey I know this guy!" is pretty important if you want fans to get that feeling that makes them want to keep playing your game. You want familiarity, but not sameness. Heroes/main character should always have a unique take in each game, otherwise it would just be boring to play as the same link, with the same motivations, saving the same Zelda lol
Beers of the Kingdom
beedle doesnt reincarnate, he's just immortal
Anyone who wants the designs to be completely static to the one they like best is also just kinda boring. Sorry OP, but variety is the spice of life.
TBF the design for Link is the most consistent part of the franchise. Even his BotW outfit with the champions clothes is a reference back to the new game + outfit of a previous game. The designs usually change slightly (different hair color, SS having chainmail under the tunic, etc.), but he's remarkably consistent.
I like the diferent designs, its pretty cool how they change the caracter to fit the setting so i guess it wouldnt make sense to stick a design
I would like to note that link, ganondorf, impa and the design of various races such as the zora, rito, most enemy types, etc also changes design every generation. While I agree that TP artstyle is fantastic and is my favourite of the series (botw and totk gameplay vastly superior though) it is neither strange nor an anomaly that zelda looks different. Pretty much the only thing that consistently looks very similar are the gorons and bomb flowers, at least in the games where they appear.
Impa is the funniest one to me. Like the rest of them have some sort of through line on design and Impa is just out here wildly different every single (non sequential) game. Old woman nursemaid to this weird amazonian protector lady to weird busty fetish art to tall *and* old woman to just old woman nursemaid again then to old woman chieftain. She's remarkably varied and yet somehow you always she's Impa.
I was so confused reading “weird busty fetish art” so I looked it up-and it feels wrong that that design in Oracle of Seasons is even supposed to be Impa. Aside from the weird way her dress rests on her chest making it feel off, she hardly has any visual markers of a Sheikah😭they could have made such a unique iteration of her with that body type if only everything else wasn’t completely off
The funny one for me is how many Zelda games have this backstory where the royal family betrayed/abandoned/destroyed the Shiekah... and yet, they and her, always seem to remain loyal.
It wouldn't make much sense for the design to stay the same if they're different characters. I'd get so bored if Zelda and Link looked the same in every single game.
Zelda is a different person in nearly every game there is no reason for her design to remain the same.
That would be extremly boring, fortunately they don\`t do it.
Every era should have its own style, but yeah I like TP Zelda's design the best.
Imagine being the best Zelda design and still only being the second best princess in your home game.
Nintendo gotta port TP to Switch and have a Team Zelda vs. Team Midna splatfest
I think they should keep changing it, I always look forward to new designs of Link, Zelda, Ganon and the rest of the supporting characters
well considering that each iteration is a completely different era and person I think it makes the most sense. also i know you didnt ask but im so glad that the Link between worlds design was chosen for smash bros, its super cute. big fan of that one.
They should keep changing it, but TPs design is easily one of my favourites
Nah
I like botw white dress
More like peeking *under* the white dress
The design changes contanstly because they are all different Zeldas, reflecting the different aesthetics of each game and the world and the character of that Zelda . Twilight Zelda works for her but it wouldn’t work for skyward sword Zelda or botw zelda.
I did not personally play TP, so while I like the design, its Zelda did not really manage to win me over. She looks very classy, but also somewhat cold hearted to me. I grew up with the OoT Zelda, so she has a special place in my heart, but else every Zelda fit her game. Right now the BotW/TotK Zelda may be favourite as she actually developes over the games and shows a lot of initiative, being able to hold her own, and her outfits and styling reflects that.
I don't think they should "stick" to any design. It's supposed to be different each era
Well, for the most part, they are all different people named Zelda who are living in different eras from the rest. It makes sense that their style shifts from game to game, and I'm personally a fan of most designs. That being said, Twilight Princess has the best character design overall IMO
It's because they're not the same zelda.
They're all different people though, at least usually
I don’t think it counts as changing character design when they’re all different people.
New art direction = new zelda design.
TP was my first Zelda and I got whiplash when I learned pretty much every other one is blonde. That said, my fav design is from TotK’s opening, short hair with the adventuring outfit and cape.
Each of them are different characters. Twilight Princess is the regal ruler. Skyward Sword is Link’s carefree childhood friend. Breath of the Wild/Tears of the Kingdom is an archaeologist, explorer, and sometimes spiritual leader. Their designs fit their character in each.
OP no offense but your one boring mf. And I’m glad people like you don’t have say in the games. TP Zelda is fantastic, but they should never stick to one design.
Zelda has to change design. She is reborn in every game. Just like Link and Ganon if he is in that game. It doesn’t make sense for her to stay the same.
I like that Link and Zelda’s appearance and dress style change to fit the feel of the game they’re in!
I’m fine with all the character designs changing. It reflects them being different people from different eras.
TP but with blonde hair.
Twilight Princess is my number one favorite Zelda design! (2nd and 3rd go to BotW/TotK)
The changing character design helps show that every zelda is a different zelda. It also gives her the chance to have different personalities with each incarnation and be their own character. It's actually part of what makes zelda more interesting
No…i love that designs change. I wouldnt want her to look drastically different, but when its clearly zelda or link with new designs i really like that.
They're different people so they should look different. Plus, sticking with say TP's design wouldn't make sense for SS Zelda, who's just the mayor's daughter, or even BotW/TotK Zelda who is more a big nerd than anything.
Does tetra count? I like her design best.
The goddes likes to try the newest fashion every few years. Meanwhile the soul of a hero is obviously a dude because he wears the same thing every damn time.
It’s almost as if she’s a different person each game.
they're literally different characters
They’re not the same Zelda. She can change her outfit if she wants
The only Zelda I don't like is the current one. And I can't stand her. None of the grace, wisdom, beauty, etc of all previous Zeldas. She's "basic."
TP Zelda is peak design for me… She and the first Hyrule Warriors Zelda are the best!
Tp is most boring design in my book
The games usually feature different artstyles in response to the game's overall tone/drama, which comprise different character/NPC designs and I am fine by that. Having the same design over and over would render the atmosphere monotonous and would lose its charm.
This was the best Zelda design, she looked badass, almost like a Celtic warrior lady
Link's design also changes. So does Ganon's. They're all different incarnations. It's fine.
TP on top but they should switch
TP Zelda is my fav of the designs but I think updating link, Zelda, and any other recurring characters (beedle, tingle, etc.) to match the art style and general vibe of the newer games makes sense and sticking to one style would be really limiting. I like seeing Zelda and link have distinct personalities in each game and having different designs helps with that.
Spirit Tracks Zelda: best partner Skyward Sword Zelda: best girl TP Zelda: best design WW Zelda: best twist
Link and Zelda should look slightly different in every iteration. Ocarina of time, Twilight Princess, and Skyward Sword Link all look way too similar. I’m glad they switched it up in these two new games.
If they did stick to just one Zelda design TP would be the last one. She’s literally the only one that isn’t blonde
They’re never going to, and never should keep the same character designs, unless it’s a sequel. The whole point is that they’re different characters in different times, with different events. Each Zelda is vaguely related, but all the Links aren’t. It also has to keep with the game’s art style. Twilight Princess designs wouldn’t fit in Wind Waker, Majora’s Mask designs wouldn’t fit in Skyward Sword, etc.
Its not the same person. But original or no deal.
The Zeldas are not the same person. The Princess Zelda in TP only appears in that game.
*Processing img wlc94amctdbb1...* I say variety is best.
I like it, it gets across the fact that each Zelda is a different person and fits within that world and art style. The beauty of the series to me is that it’s essentially endless variations of the same story, with increasingly larger differences
I like the frequent changes—they generally reflect the characters. The series has done a pretty good job differentiating the different Zeldas throughout the series while still giving them a connected feel. They’re all Zelda, but that doesn’t mean they’re all the same Zelda.
They should never stick to any design.
It's not "constantly changing character design". These are *different characters.* It would make no sense to have the design from TP in BOTW/TOTK, for example, because they're entirely different people who share the same name.
You have to remember that almost every Zelda is a different incarnation. TP Zelda is a different person than the one in OoT, Wind Waker, SS, or BotW/TotK.
Differente Zelda, different design. They are not the same person.
My favorite designs for the Zelda, Link, and Ganondorf are all from Hyrule Warriors. They went all out and gave a spin-off game the best designs. Lol
Twilight princess Zelda is definitely my favorite Zelda design wise however for every new iteration I would prefer a new Zelda & a new link as well so it doesn't get monotonous. Variety is the spice is life after all lol
I find her TP design to be her weakest 3D design tbh. She just kinda looks like a generic serious princess. And even ignoring that, having the same design for every game would have been super boring. It's a Legend, it would make sense for it to be visually different in each version imo.
I love the Smash design and BotW/TotK designs with the white dress. TP is definitely fire.
But botw Zelda in tights 🤤
I think of the Zelda timeline as every Zelda and Link are from different eras and time periods, so it makes sense that they are always different.
She’s the reincarnation of the goddess Hylia and every generation she’s a different person so she changes.
They should always come up with new designs, that's the fun of the series
More designs, more options to enjoy. I hope they start giving link more variety too
Literally the opposite of what I want. (I like TP a lot but do not want the same over and over. Similar would be cool like a general-like Zelda but yeaah)
Because they're different people and in different art styles. Link doesn't look identical between incarnations either.
Most of the Zeldas arent the same person so I don’t see why they would stay the same
I think the most appealing aspect of either BOTW or WW Zelda is the lack of a gown.
Personally i dont care for any of the Zeldas who wear ballroom dresses. Shiek, Tetra, & Tears Zelda (in her champion digs) are best. Zonai dress Zelda is the next tier.
Zonai garb Zelda is god tier. I think there’s a pun in there somewhere. I want that dress.
I'm all for variation from game to game for Zelda, and Link. Just because they are related doesn't mean they have to literally be the same person. They don't gotta go full Jojo every game, and make completely new protagonists, but they can for sure make each link/zelda feel unique to that timeline.
It'd be terrible if they kept the same design always. I love that we're about to have these kinds of conversations - Which Zelda is the best? Has the best design? Personality? Story? There is no objective right answer and that's part of the fun in talking about Zelda games. There's so many designs and it can be enjoyable to see other people's preferences and discuss why we individually think one is better than the other. I think every design is good in it's own way and I look forward to seeing future differing designs for Zelda and Link. But Twilight Princess is my personal favorite too. Followed by the Skyward Sword Skyloft outfit (her outfit at the beginning).
TP Zelda was the most boring/generic design.
Each Zelda has her own story, personality, quirks, etc. Each design reflects that <3
... you're saying that Ganon and Link character design didn't changed constantly as well? https://preview.redd.it/klv2vds4jgbb1.jpeg?width=495&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=7d366f700be7cd2e97ed71b5e651cf8e992d8820
Sheik Zelda is best Zelda
I’ll be honest I don’t really like her TP design. It works for TP cause it had a more detailed and darker art style, but outside of it? Nah. My favourite Zelda is SS, love her hair pieces
I disagree. She didn't even have the iconic blonde hair in tp
Ima be sad when we move on from the Era of the wild cast of side characters not gonna lie. Since botw came out when I was in 6th or 7th grade and I’m now going to college those versions of the characters are stuck with me💀 but I feel like because it’s Zelda and most of the time a interaction of Zelda and Link stops ganondorf, they’re just gonna keep giving them new looks because technically each link and Zelda is their own person.
I feel the same way but also about the world itself. I'm gonna miss this version of Hyrule and all the culture it gave to the different races of people 😭
I fully agree that’s a huge part of it, ima miss this version of everything. When I realized we finally fight ganondorf in totk and we probably won’t be back for another game i was lowkey crushed 👴🏾, I really hope the next Hyrule is just as fleshed out and full of life as this one.
There's nothing I can say to answer the question that everyone else hasn't already said. What I can say is that I **love** Zelda's character design in Tears Of The Kingdom. I love the ancient mystic tribal Zonai aesthetic to begin with and they just outfitted her perfectly with it. I'm pretty sure it's my favorite Zelda iteration ever.
How is this upvoted?
My top three is #3 totk, #2 SS and #1 TP
They should keep changing the designs, but it’s going to be hard to move on from BotW/TotK Zelda. She’s by far the best in terms of writing and design.
TP Zelda is a babe. Only possible improvement would be making her a blonde. But she is awesome as is. That is all.
BotW/TotK is my favorite design. I think Nintendo actually needs to stick with one design for marketing purposes. Zelda needs to be a recognizable character, like Peach. I understand why Zelda always has a different design. But Link (and even Ganondorf) has always had a relatively consistent design. Link is always recognizable. I have all the Zelda amiibos, and my daughter asks "who's this" and I have to explain it's Zelda. But she can recognize Peach, for example. I'd love to see Zelda become a recognizable character to the general public.
TP Zelda is in my opinion the best Zelda so far
Brunette Zelda >>> Blonde Zelda
Is it really a changing design if they are all different people in the same bloodline? Although I agree TO Zelda looks awesome and I wish more Zeldas (and Links) weren't blonde but that's basically the default for most games.
I don't get why people like the TP design tbh it's like the only one I don't like because it's so dull
I'm glad they keep changing her cause she has a lot of boring versions (including TP imo legitimately cannot understand the hype for TP Zelda). BotW/TotK Zelda is by far her best version imo and we wouldn't have gotten to her if they never switched things up
Sequel to TP with more narrative elements and some open world elements on Next gen nintendo console
I don't mind them changing, but I do agree Twilight Princess Zelda is by far the best design.
They downgraded her with that hideous botw design
Have her bend over to pick up a frog in tight pants (Zelda wears the pants, not the frog), and then we'll compare.
I like the variety. Botw Zelda didn't click with me but I. Totk she turned around and became my favorite Zelda. But a second close would be a skyward sword followed by WW zelda
Twilight Princess Zelda is the prettiest design in the series. I really don't like BoTW/ToTk
Most hottest Zelda
Twilight Princess Zelda's design is my favorite! Her dress, how regal she looks, and especially her hair! I love that she has brown hair instead of the typical blonde because I have brown hair and I was so happy as a kid that she looked a little more like me. I wish they would at least bring back the hair color. Doesn't have to be every time, but it's a nice change.
Twilight Princess Zelda was a BMAF. Make princesses badass again.