Daily Debate: Which Zelda Character Did You Look Up To As A Kid?
Posted on October 12 2023 by Alexandria Weber
As the Zelda series gets closer to the big 40, it goes without saying that it encompasses a wide berth of time. Whether you grew up in the 80s with the NES or your first Zelda game was Breath of the Wild, the Zelda series has reached in some way into each of our childhoods. And if you didn’t approach the series until adulthood, it at least ignited a childhood within you that sparked joy and an adventurous spirit.
As a kid, I sought out role models that were graceful in beauty, yet did not let that deter them from being an active force in their lives and in the world around them. I really latched on to Princess Leia, who refused the role of being the damsel in distress, and Padme Amidala, whose intelligence, tact, and bravery in the Senate gave me an impression of the power a woman could have, and simultaneously, the power I could have when I grew up.
As far as the Zelda series, I dabbled briefly as a kid in The Wind Waker and Ocarina of Time between long bouts of Pikmin 2 and Mario Kart Wii. However, it wasn’t until Skyward Sword came out that I really started to love the series, and catch up on what came before. Although all the females in the series have great bit of agency, I really admired Sheik in Ocarina of Time. When I found out Princess Zelda had gone into hiding and learned a bunch of cool ninja things, it made me really look up to her as a capable and fierce person who looked adversity in the eye and spat in the face of it.
Who did you look up to and why? Does who you admired as a child differ from who you admire as an adult? Are there children in your life who look up to Zelda characters? Let me know in the comments below!
Alexandria Weber is a Senior Editor and an aspiring creative writer. Her favorite food is apple pie and she loves her cat Galadriel. Ask her for pictures!
