Top 5 Relationships In The Legend of Zelda

Well my fellow Nintendo fans, it’s Valentine’s Day again and you know what that means? Cheap candy, cheesy cards and for some, just another day. While I haven’t found that other special someone to finish my heart container, I decided to reflect on the strong emotion known as “wuv” and its presence in the games we enjoy today. No matter what, I couldn’t help think of The Legend of Zelda and the presence of love throughout the franchise and no, I don’t mean the hearts you collect for health. Then again I guess you could say that counts, considering love makes you stronger. Any who, I teamed up with my good buddy Alex as we discussed our most memorable relationships in the Zelda franchise.

Just as a forewarning, this article will be full of spoilers. You have been warned.

 

Anju & Kafei (Majora’s Mask)

If you’re familiar with Majora’s Mask, then chances are you saw this coming. The love story between these two is nothing short of powerful. It’s a fantastic representation of love, the effect it has on us and the trials that some endure in order to obtain it. What also stands out about these two is the side quest to earn the mask simply put as “The Couple’s Mask”. Most of the masks in the game require a simple fetch quest or a few bars of the Song of Healing. However, for these two it’s not as simple. I’m not going to go into detail in regards to how this mask is obtained, as it’s a very long process, but I will highlight some of the moments that take place.

First off, getting the Couple’s mask will take all three of the days and you have to be on time for every event. If not, then it’s back to dawn of the first day with you. To start off their tale, Kafei was transformed from the form of a man to that of a child by the skull kid seeing as though he loves tormenting the poor citizens of Termina. Unable to face his family and the love of his life, this causes Kafei to run into hiding never to see those he loved again. Throughout your involvement, you begin to see Anju battle self doubt on whether Kafei is still out there and will return. Literally staring death in the eye, Anju decides to stay in Clocktown while everyone else flees for safety, convinced that her love will return. With time running short, the world shaking apart, Anju sits quietly in her room awaiting the inevitable. If you followed the quest properly, you will see these two reunited for one of the most touching scenes in the franchise. The two exchange their masks and hold each other in a sweet embrace well-knowing the oncoming danger (which at this point is less than a minute away). I always try to make this the last mask I obtain simply because I want these two to see the dawn of a new day. To make sure that everything that they went through in the past three days won’t be erased from time only to be repeated again.

 

Link and Midna (Twilight Princess)

Let me go ahead and let the record state that Midna is by far my favorite sidekick/partner in the Zelda franchise. Her relationship with Link began as a means to get what she wanted, and through time, quickly turned into a reliable companion who would ask Link to follow her into the unknown.

When they first met, Link was imprisoned as a wolf and was only co-operating to save those he cared about, plus she kind of bailed him out of prison so he owed her one. Over time you began to learn more about Midna’s past – who she was, why she’s here and her connection to the new evil that has threatened Hyrule. Just when you think your journey is going well, both Link and Midna are attacked, pushing Midna to near death. After saving her life, it’s as though she suddenly has a new found respect for Link even after the way she’s treated him in the past.

What sticks out amongst the other past companions is the character growth between the two. What started off as “I’ll scratch your back if you scratch mine” slowly evolves into an unforgettable pairing as you progress throughout the game. The two stood by each other’s side and through the power of Courage, saved the land of the Twilight and Hyrule. While this article is full of spoilers, I won’t spoil the ending scene of Link and Midna as it is something that every gamer should experience. Just be prepared for some tragic romance.

 

Link and Marin (The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening) – By: Alex Schramke 

Ah, Valentine’s Day. It’s the one day of the year where millions of people drop all subtlety and spend oodles of cash in order to prove their love to someone. Regardless of how you feel about it, the idea behind the romance the holiday inspires is something everyone can relate to. It’s in our movies, our books, and even in our video games. One of my favorite game series of all time, The Legend of Zelda, just so happens to contain one of my favorite romances. So in the spirit of Valentine’s Day, I’ll pay tribute to my favorite Zelda pairing in the series: Link and Marin from Link’s Awakening.

Right off the bat, the game establishes that Link would be lost without the help of the Koholint native, Marin. After being shipwrecked due to a massive storm at sea, Link is found washed up and unconscious on the mysterious island’s shores. It is the young Marin who finds and nurses our hero back to health. In just the opening cut scene, the players can already sense a bond between the two characters.

What really drives the romance home though, is the scene that takes place on the beach when Link needs to ask Marin for help so that he can enter the desert. It’s here that Marin confesses to Link her dreams of leaving the island one day, and how Link’s appearance has given her hope of achieving her dream. It’s subtle, but this scene really shows how Link and Marin need each other. Lost in a strange world, Marin is Link’s only guide, and to Marin, Link is her only connection to the idea of an outside world. It’s a touching romance made tragic by the fact that the player knows when they succeed in beating the game, Marin will be lost along with all the inhabitants of the dream island.

The story doesn’t have to end on a sad note, however, as the player can achieve a good ending by beating the game without dying. This shows a short cut scene at the end where we see Marin has become a seagull in order to follow her dream of exploring the world. Link and Marin will always be my favorite pairing in the Legend of Zelda series because through clever writing the game subtly shows how both Link and Marin need each other. It’s a kind of romance that isn’t lustful, but rather, it is a deep and caring love they share. They look out for each other; they share their dreams, and act as guides to each other when they feel lost. It’s a type of romance that I feel few games have been able to duplicate, and it’s why it’s my favorite pairing to this day.

 

Yeto and Yeta (Twilight Princess)

Going back to the Twilight Princess universe, we have Yeto and Yeta. Link first encounters the Yeti couple at the Snow Cap Ruins while in search of the next Mirror of Twilight fragment. Yeto informs Link that his beloved wife Yeta has fallen ill lately and he only wants to nurse her back to health with his special soup. If that isn’t sweet I don’t know what is.

As you progress throughout the dungeon/mansion, you soon find out that poor Yeta’s illness is due to the mirror fragment which corrupts her, transforming into the dungeon’s boss. Guess vanity has a way of changing people after all. Soon after the battle, Yeto rushes to his poor wife’s side, holds her in her arms and says “Look in reflection of Yeto’s eyes. There true beauty.” They even go as far as covering up the room with replenishing hearts symbolizing their love. Who would think that beneath that giant furry exterior would beat the heart of a true romantic.

 

Link and Zelda (Skyward Sword)

What? You thought I would leave out Zelda in this one? The representation of Zelda in Skyward Sword is by far my favorite in the entire franchise. She’s funny, cute and probably the most lovable Zelda to date. Especially considering the last version of Zelda at the time was cold as ice and not that crucial to the stories well being *cough cough* Twilight Princess cough*. But the most important part is her relationship to Link. The two grew up together in the floating city of Skyloft and have been the best of friends since childhood. This makes saving her all the more crucial when the two are separated early on in the game. Even before you were separated, there was something crucial that she wanted to talk to you about, which chances are, were her feelings toward Link – man, talk about bad timing.

To make matters even more tragic during Link’s search for Zelda, it seems as though when he is finished with one dungeon, he was one step behind and barely missed her. Man, and here I thought Mario had it bad with the whole “your princess is in another castle” problem.

If I could sum up the relationship between Zelda and Link, I would compare it to that really close friend of yours that you can just be yourself around, laugh about anything, talk about anything and perhaps the idea of becoming more than friends isn’t as impossible as it seems.

 

And there you have it! Our top 5 relationships in the Legend of Zelda! Did we miss one that’s one of your personal favorites? Let us know in the comments section below!