[Spoilers] The Legend of ZeLink: Tears of the Shipper (2023)
Tears of the Kingdom changed me and now I'm going to scream about it
^This right here. I will never shut up about this
I’ve never been a ZeLink shipper. With the exception of Skyward Sword, most games have a very unbalanced relationship between Link and Zelda. Link is the brave warrior and Zelda the princess in distress. This was true for Breath of the Wild as well, but the benefit of Tears of the Kingdom is that this relationship has been established already, so they have an open canvas for a entirely new dynamic.
At the very start of the game when Ganondorf wakes up from his seal and the floor around Zelda and Link crumbles, Zelda falls into a chasm. Link, injured and with his weapon shattered, no thoughts - head empty, IMMEDIATELY jumps and reaches out for Zelda. This is NOT a “knight protecting the queen”, this is sooooo much more than that. Like what was he expecting after catching Zelda??? for both of them to fall and die??? Beyond all logic and reasoning he jumps to protect her without thinking of consequences! this is LOVE
So yeah, Zelda is stuck thousands of years in the past. We know this. But in the present timeline, the main objective Link has is to find Zelda. There have been multiple sightings across Hyrule and Link is tasked to investigate. Literally the goal of the game is to reunite Link with his sweetheart, and I think that is so cute.
Even more cute when you realize that the “Zelda sightings” are actually Ganon creating Zelda puppets to terrorize Hyrule and to bait Link into traps. Even the KING OF EVIL GANONDORF endorses this love, because he knows he can bamboozle Link with fake Zeldas.
One cool thing this game offers is insight on what happened in the period of peace between the two games. You learn this by reaching Hateno village, specifically Link’s old house from the first game…….. only to realize Zelda ALSO LIVES THERE???? like coME ON they LIVE together. And there IS ONLY ONE BED??? I know the game wants to communicate that Link gave his house to Zelda, but WE KNOW BETTER.
Throughout the game you learn where Zelda actually is, or rather when. Yes, all the memories you find of Zelda are from her, talking to the founders of Hyrule a thousand years in the past. But you also learn where Zelda is in present times! Zelda eats a power stone or whatever turns into an immortal dragon, but loses all consciousness and simply travels through Hyrule a shell of her former self.
All hope was lost in the past when Ganon took control. They were only saved by a temporary seal that would keep the evil king frozen in time for one thousand years. Zelda knows Link is the last line of defense, so the only way to travel forward in time is to become immortal. She sacrifices HER HUMAN FORM for Link, so he can get the now healed master sword and kill Ganon. This is INSANE and everything changes when you realize this. I literally cried when I finally realized the fate of Zelda, knowing her consciousness was lost inside her dragon self.
But she is STILL in there, and the “tears” of the kingdom are represented by the dragon crying across Hyrule. She is still alive, but her mind is lost.
The game has a strong theme of connections through hands. All the chosen warriors from the 4 temples of Hyrule offer you their power, represented by a handshake or fist-bump. You connect Hyrule and its people… the one connection missing is Zelda
And let ME TELL YOU about the game’s ending. Link defeats Ganondorf, but in a fit of anger, the king of evil eats one of the power stones or whatever and also turns into a huge mindless dragon. He sacrificed his own self in ANGER. This becomes a dragon vs dragon fight as Zelda fights alongside Link to finally end Ganon.
Once Ganondorf is defeated, and through some magic I don’t wanna get into, Zelda goes back to her human form, unconscious while flying high in the sky, and oh boyyyy….
I had been sleeping all this time. But when I felt something… like a warm, loving embrace, I woke up
- Zelda, returning to human form
^This. I will never shut up about this
The fact that the game begins AND ends with Link reaching out to Zelda beyond all logic and reasoning, only to protect her from harm, gave me brain worms. The game centers around Link reaching out to Zelda’s hand. Not literally, but in a game about connections, the final connection he needed was succeeding at saving Zelda.
After spending countless days looking for Zelda…
He was finally able to reach for her hand.
