As the end of 2022 grows steadily closer, Nintendo is still maintaining relative silence over the Zelda games to feature the same characters as a previous title, as opposed to an incarnation. This is excellent news to many who found Zelda's character especially intriguing.
Over the years and in various Zelda games, the legendary princess has undergone several changes. Sometimes, despite being the titular character of the series, she is only featured as a damsel in distress, with no real impact on the games. Other times she is a warrior queen who would do anything to protect her people. Regardless of how her incarnation's personality is presented, Princess Zelda is always wise. However, not every version is equal in strength.
A Link Between Worlds
A Link Between Worlds was one of the Zelda titles that featured the princess pretty heavily. However, it also introduced an alternate version of her character in a mirror world, which completely overshadowed the original Zelda's strength.
There is no denying this version of Zelda's integrity since she became determined to help the kingdom of Lourle, but she never had much opportunity to show real strength.
A Link To The Past
The version of Zelda in A Link to the Past is one of the few that appear in multiple games, Oracle of Ages and Oracle of Seasons. This princess is young, but when talking to everyday citizens, it is clear that she is beloved by her people.
Overall, however, this version of Zelda isn't overly prevalent to the game. The Legend of Zelda games are perfectly summed up by the damsel-in-distress trope, and A Link to the Past is no exception. Nevertheless, Zelda's strength is demonstrated in this title in her willingness to help Link, and her magic proves beneficial for a time, making her appear slightly stronger than in some earlier titles.
Four Swords Adventures
Not to be confused with Four Swords, Zelda in Four Swords Adventure was fairly helpful. She is another "young" version of the princess, making her sweet and optimistic. However, she didn't shy away from the battle when it came down to it.
While she is still a damsel in distress for the majority of the game, she pulls it together in the end to assist Link in his battle with Ganondorf, proving somewhat useful with her magic.
The Minish Cap
The Minish Cap version of Zelda is one of the more mischievous, which fits along with the Wind Waker character design (though they are clearly not the same person). This title is categorized under those where Zelda knows Link before their adventures, even sneaking out to visit him.
While her personality exudes strength, Zelda is yet again incapacitated for most of this game. However, after she is restored from being turned to stone, she single-handedly fixes all of Hyrule's problems, proving that her magic is top-notch.
Skyward Sword
Ultimately, Skyward Sword's Nintendo Switch adaptation a great adult title.
In this game, Zelda's strength comes from her dedication. She and Link had the closest relationship of any title in Skyward Sword, but Zelda ultimately puts this aside to do her duty as the Goddess Hylia. In the end, she proves that her devotion translated to significant strength and ability.
The Wind Waker
Perhaps the most unique of Zelda's forms, Wind Waker saw one of the few versions that were not born as Princess Zelda. Instead, Terta ruled the seas as a pirate and one of the most fearsome in the watery version of Hyrule.
Tetra's strength is implied by the respect of her men, who, despite being three or four times her height, still fear her. She is also unapologetically brutal, like a good pirate should be, and demonstrated that her strength was in her tactical mind.
Spirit Tracks
For years, Zelda fans begged for the opportunity to use the princess as a playable character, and Spirit Tracks finally granted that wish. Of course, it wasn't exactly in the way they had expected since her spirit had been ripped from her body, and she could only do combat while possessing a suit of armor.
The fact that Zelda was willing to help Link save herself shows that she was stronger than some of her other "damsel in distress" versions. However, she is a considerably weaker ruler, bringing her down a few pegs.
Ocarina Of Time
The iconic , which is one of the best time travel video games, was the first game that really brought Zelda into the action from start to finish, even though players might not have realized it at first. Throughout each of the game's main temples, Zelda, as Sheik, helps Link by teaching him songs and dropping interesting hints about their identity.
While in this form, Zelda demonstrates a ninja-like ability. Sheik can appear and disappear with the mysterious ease of the Sheika people. However, it is never made clear if Zelda herself processes these abilities (perhaps taught to her by Impa) or if Sheik's entirety is just a result of good magic.
Twilight Princess
While she is still called a princess in Twilight Princess, this version of Zelda's character is far more like a queen. She is the proudest of all her incarnations and has clearly struggled under the pressure of the bad times her kingdom had been under for so long.
While she does surrender to Zant at the beginning of the game, her entire design and demeanor in this game exudes strength. Her dress is armored, and she always carries an impressive-looking rapier. She even becomes a boss near the end of the game, successfully creeping players out to the point of chills.
Breath Of The Wild
Breath of the Wild is considered one of the best Zelda games to date, thanks to its innovative mechanics that forever changed open-world gaming. While this meant significantly less focus on the game's story, it was also the first game that focused on Zelda's character above all others.
The Zelda in this title was not content letting Link do all the fighting for her and even originally resented him as a bodyguard. While he saved her life enough to earn her respect, she still never depended entirely on him. She faced Calamity Ganon with her head held high and successfully held him off for 100 years, which obviously required immense strength. In the end, Zelda's strong character is part of what has gamers eagerly awaiting the Breath of the Wild sequel.
