"Legend of Zelda'' fans everywhere have been shipping the titular princess and her heroic hero, Link, for decades. And now you can count Zelda herself among the ranks of those hopeless Hyrule romantics!
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00:00Legend of Zelda fans everywhere have been shipping the titular princess and her heroic hero,
00:05Link, for decades, and now you can count Zelda herself among the ranks of those hopeless Hyrule
00:09romantics.
00:10Ha! Now that's what I like to hear! Pay attention, princess. You could learn something.
00:17Gamers have long suspected that there may be more to Zelda and Link's relationship than meets the
00:22eye, and The Legend of Zelda Tears of the Kingdom definitely seems to muddy those waters even
00:27At this point, the two protagonists are easily the most notable
00:30will-they-won't-they-have-they couple in the video game medium.
00:33The pair appear to be much closer companions when the latest game begins,
00:37but it never outright confirms whether or not they're together as a romantic item.
00:41Still, the game is littered with hints about this being the case.
00:44When Link finally makes it back to his home village in Tears of the Kingdom,
00:48there are clues scattered about his house that imply that Zelda has been living with him at
00:52least part of the time. Not only is her diary there, but Link can find and wear a hairband
00:56that is strongly implied to be Zelda's. The in-game description for the item states that
01:01putting it on makes Link feel sentimental about time's past. That sure sounds like the behavior
01:05of someone who's been separated from their one great love. Yeah, Link and Zelda are pretty used
01:10to that at this point, huh?
01:12So he can... he can still be saved?
01:16For Zelda voice actor Patricia Somerset, there's an excitement to these ambiguous clues. During a
01:21recent interview with The Gamer, Somerset was asked point-blank if the pair of protagonists
01:25are more than friends, as they appear to be. Although Somerset doesn't know everything that
01:29the developers had in mind when making the game, she does have a unique insight into Zelda's heart,
01:34and longtime fans of the series may be very interested in her replies.
01:38When asked if Link and Zelda are together together, Somerset said,
01:42As a voice actor, looking at the overall relationship between Link and Zelda over
01:45the ages, I personally love the ambiguity and that if there is something there, it's left to us.
01:50I guess in my own life, I can respect and celebrate relationships that aren't conventional."
01:54In other words, Somerset found a fun challenge in the fact that the games never fully answer
01:58the question. When SVG interviewed Patricia Somerset on the day of the new game's release,
02:03she explained that she particularly enjoyed delving into the smaller details of this world
02:07and these characters' relationships. Somerset told us that,
02:10When it comes to this sequel, there's even more room for nuance and more room for play,
02:15and it's very subtle, but that's where an actor's brain loves it the most.
02:18You can really hone in on details. Those subtle details,
02:21and the ambiguity of Link and Zelda's relationship, allow her to find different
02:25levels to play with when voicing the character. It also allows the story to be about much more
02:29than a damsel in distress and a hero who's looking for a smooch after a long day of rescuing.
02:34How about a kiss? For luck.
02:36You've got to be kidding.
02:38More than any other entry that preceded it, Tears of the Kingdom fleshes out Link and Zelda on an
02:42emotional level and really shows us how they feel during this time of conflict, romantic or
02:47otherwise. However, Somerset did ultimately give the gamer her read of the situation,
02:52which feels a little more straightforward than what the game presents us. The Zelda actress
02:56explained that she loves the undefined time passage between the two games, which allowed
03:00her to fill in the blanks somewhat. It's left open to interpretation how Link and Zelda spent
03:04that time together and whether they've been a romantic couple that whole time, but the fact
03:08that the game never explicitly says that the two are dating is part of the magic that keeps this
03:12series so interesting. As Somerset explained, this defiance of a definition is something really
03:18nice. Those relationships are super important to portray, too, and I think they're the best
03:22relationships we have in life, whether it be friendship or something that doesn't have to
03:26fit a definition. I know that Link and Zelda are in a relationship with each other. It's active.
03:31There's a lot of care and a lot of listening, and I just love that about it.
03:34I'm surprised to admit it, but I can accept that.
03:39One of the most intriguing aspects of The Legend of Zelda franchise is that so much of the lore is
03:43open to interpretation, and despite all of the hints and furtive glances, fans can continue to
03:48view the latest game however they please. Tears of the Kingdom players who don't ship the two
03:52together can continue to see them as friends, but there's definitely enough there, both in the game
03:57itself and in Somerset's warm performance, to support all of the romantic fan fiction in the world.