Profile: Zelda Part 1

he official Legend of Zelda timeline and game booklets for those that have them. I will also be referencing Hyrule Historia, Zelda Encyclopedia, Creating a Champion, BotW Official Guide, TotK Official guide. I understand that these books are not officially canon, but if I feel the information is relevant and any information corroborated by canon sources I will include in my analysis.One final thought before we begin; I'm a big terms guy and I want to write clearly and be understood. When I use the term "canon," I want to make sure people know what I mean by "canon" and when I use the term "Death of the Author." Yes you might already know what those terms mean, but for people who are curious you can read my thoughts on the term "canon" here, and  "Death of the Author" here.

There are a few different ways Zelda is portrayed throughout the franchise history, so my analysis will attempt to group those ways together, and examine them all at the same time. For example, Legend of Zelda, Zelda II, and Zelda: A Link to the Past, all portray Zelda in a similar manner, likewise Wind Waker, Phantom Hourglass, and Spirit Tracks do the same. In addition to grouping the games up for analysis, I will also attempt to tackle them by order of release date.

Each Article will start by identifying how Zelda is portrayed by examining her role in the narrative itself, as well as her words, thoughts, and actions. We will also take the time to examine tropes and themes related to her character. Zelda I, II, and A Link to the Past rely heavily on the "Damsel in Distress" trope that has become quite divisive in our modern culture. While there are valid negative aspects to this trope (which we will discuss), I believe it is both misunderstood/not as bad as people think, and integral to the meta character profile we will build for her. So with all this in mind, we shall begin.