Daily Debate: Should Nintendo Introduce Link’s Mother in a Future Zelda Game?
Posted on January 17 2019 by Michaela El-Ters
The idea of Link having a family, in general, isn’t common in the Zelda series. Usually orphaned or living with his uncle or grandmother, Link’s parents are usually implied to have passed away by the time the game has already started. With the exception of Ocarina of Time (and manga appearances), Link’s mother in particular has never even been mentioned. In something of an exposition dump, the Deku Sprout reveals that Link’s mother brought him to the Kokiri Forest during the civil war, and as her dying wish, left him in the care of the Deku Tree and the Kokiri. It’s a cool bit of backstory, and while it raises a lot of fascinating questions about the civil war, it also makes me want to meet Link’s mother in at least one iteration of his story.
In an ideal portrayal of Link’s mother, she wouldn’t need to be nagging or overbearing, but I would like to see the protective traits she displayed in Ocarina of Time’s backstory persist in their interactions with each other. I would mostly be curious to see how she would handle his fate as the bearer of the Triforce of Courage; does she accept his destiny in stride and do everything she can to support him? How does she help shape who he is? Does she instill him with strong morals of compassion and bravery? I think parent figures in video games, when alive and done right, can be perfect anchors for the main characters and even the players too. What do you think? If Link’s mother could be alive and prominent in another Zelda game, would you want to meet her? Let us know in the comments!
Feature art by EmberRoseArt
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Michaela El-Ters is a Senior Editor for Zelda Dungeon. She is also an Senior Writer for Boss Rush Network, and writes blogs and streams games on Objection Network. Her favorite Zelda game changes with the seasons, but the series as a whole is near and dear to her heart.
