Daily Debate: What Kind of Relationship Should Link and Princess Zelda Have in the Live-Action Movie?
Posted on November 28 2023 by Kristen G. Rosario
One of the reasons we love a specific TV show is probably because you have a good feeling that two characters are going to get together, eventually. More often than not (and after watching for quite a number of seasons) they actually wind up falling in love with each other, and they all live happily ever after. However, there are those rare occasions where either they don’t make it work, or it was never meant to be. I would say that’s the best way to describe the relationship Link has with Princess Zelda in the Legend of Zelda series.
There have been a few times in the franchise where the bond between these two characters unequivocally falls into the romance column, while other times it’s obvious that the two are only bonded by their ancestral destinies. The best we could get on an official word on this subject was from Tears of the Kingdom Director Hidemaro Fujibayashi, who basically says to use your imagination. Even Princess Zelda’s current English voice actress Patricia Summersett shared similar sentiments when asked about this topic.
With there being no concrete answer to the subject of Link and Zelda’s relationship, and given the many different circumstances throughout the different games, and a “leaving it up to the player” response from Fujibayashi, where does that leave us with the upcoming live-action film?
Let’s look at what we do know about the movie. For one thing, it is being directed by Wes Ball, the same guy responsible for The Maze Runner film trilogy, which in turn was an adaptation of a young adult book series. More often than not, most young adult genre properties have that “will they?/won’t they?” between a couple of the main characters. That could mean the people working on the Zelda film could take the Skyward Sword route with Link and Princess Zelda eventually figuring out that unique bond by film’s end. However, that is just one direction in which they could take their relationship.
What if they go with the platonic friends route instead of the stereotypical romantic path instead? While it would be a change in direction for your everyday kind of young adult film, having the two leads focus on just trying to save Hyrule would be a nice change of pace. Twilight Princess does this pretty well, and thanks to Midna’s involvement with the game, they primarily focus on Link’s journey. The two still eventually stop Ganondorf together and it ultimately works out in the end.
What do you think? What kind of relationship should Link and Princess Zelda have in the live-action movie? Let us know in the comments below!
Kristen G. Rosario is an Editor who joined Zelda Dungeon back in September of 2015. His current goal is to become a full-time video game journalist, hoping to eventually gain a Bachelor’s Degree in Journalism. While he pursues that dream, he not only takes care of his adorable dachshund Angel, but also helps run a YouTube channel with his brother. The Zelda series is a quest he hasn’t fully completed yet, but hopes to get there one day.
