Princess Zelda

, traditionally , is the eponymous deuteragonist of . With the exception of , , and , an incarnation of Zelda or one of her alter egos (such as Tetra) has always been one of the central characters in the series. Usually but not always, Princess Zelda is the one who sends Link on his mission to save Hyrule and assists him in defeating Ganon. She is also often the possessor of the Triforce of Wisdom.
Much like Link, various Princess Zeldas have appeared across the history of Hyrule. While each Zelda is a distinct individual, the "fundamental soul" of Zelda has endured from one incarnation to the next.
== Characteristics ==
=== Physical appearance ===
Princess Zelda is slender and light-skinned, but her age varies between versions and she is always either a child, teen, or young adult. Her hair color is depicted as blonde in most games of the series, as well as dark blonde in and red in and . Her eyes are portrayed in different shades of blue throughout all the games, with the exception of her green eyes in and . Her ears are always pointed, as is characteristic of all Hylians, although in some games her ears are shorter than in others. Princess Zelda is often shown as a beautiful and elegant princess, with the exception of , where she is portrayed as an ordinary girl before the kingdom of Hyrule had been established. The dresses that she wears are long with determinate colors, such as different tones of pink, white, and blue. Most of her dresses are shown with the Hylian Crest, and in almost every game, she is seen wearing a tiara with either a red, pink, or blue jewel in it. Her dress would sometimes be accompanied by a cape or hooded cloak. In some games, she also wears long gloves. Princess Zelda is seen wearing makeup in most games, such as in , , and , and her hairstyle is characterized either with her hair down or with braids. She wears high heels, although in , , and she wears boots. She also occasionally wears sandals, such as in and . Much like Link, each incarnation of Zelda has been shown at various ages depending on which title she appears in. She has appeared as a child, a teenager and as a young adult; for example, the Princess Zelda in is around 20 years of age, and the one in is depicted as 16 and 17 years old during flashbacks, and 117 at the events of the game.
=== Personality ===
Zelda is depicted as a kind and benevolent ruler with wisdom beyond her years and a deep love towards the people she watches over. She is a caring, gracious, and self-sacrificing person. Zelda's most prominent display of compassion and selflessness was when she saved the life of Midna, the Princess of the Twilight Realm, who had been nearly killed by the false King of the Twilight, Zant. Zelda's wisdom is her most valuable attribute. As a matriarch, it is imperative that she makes the wisest decision concerning the fate of Hyrule; in when Zant threatened her life and the lives of all of her subjects, she wisely surrendered to him. She upholds her responsibilities no matter the cost and is always willing to help her friends, such as in , where Zelda faces her duties as the goddess reborn and willingly remains in a deep sleep to keep Demise imprisoned within his seal. Above all, Zelda is known to be a forgiving person even towards those who have harmed her before, as seen in , where she asks Anjean to take care of Byrne even though he was the one who stole her body.According to a Gossip Stone in Ocarina of Time, Zelda is also a tomboy.
Princess Zelda is one of the three most important characters of series, alongside Ganon and Link, which is also why her name appears in the title of every game. Princess Zelda first appeared in the original , and has since been featured in all subsequent titles, with the exception of and Tri Force Heroes. She is chosen by destiny to be the keeper of the Triforce of Wisdom, which is the main reason she plays such an integral role in the legends of Hyrule across every era through her incarnations, much like Link does with the Triforce of Courage.
=== Abilities ===
Throughout the longtime series, Princess Zelda portrays various types of both magical and physical abilities, ranging from capably wielding a bow to telepathy, as seen in 's introduction when she pleads for Link's help. 
Early on in the timeline of the series, the original Zelda, while born as a Hylian, is the mortal incarnation of the Goddess Hylia. Carrying on this divine blood, her female descendants are always the of Hyrule throughout its history. Several princesses within the bloodline are also the possessor of the Triforce of Wisdom, imbued with the essence of the Goddess Nayru. The essence of Nayru affords each Zelda divine wisdom, allowing her to discern the wisest decisions, especially in situations concerning the welfare of Hyrule. It grants her myriad mystical abilities, including the ability to heal others, though there is a possibility that this could also be an effect of her bloodline passing down Hylia's own powers and, later, the Light Force. Each incarnation of Zelda uses her powers to keep evil in check. Aside from these abilities, Zelda is shown to be a skilled scholar and researcher, as seen in .
Many of her abilities as both a Sage and the wielder of the Triforce of Wisdom are widely illustrated in , one of them being that she has prophetic visions in her dreams. She also helps Link in their escape from Ganon's Castle by using her powers to magically remove the barriers blocking the exits. During the final battle between Link and Ganon, Princess Zelda uses her powers to restrain the King of Evil as the Hero of Time delivers the final blow. Being the seventh Sage, she is the ruler of the rest of the six Sages, and it is with her guidance that the Sages ultimately seal Ganon in the void of the Evil Realm following his defeat by Link's hand. Finally, with her powers as a Sage, she is capable of returning Link to his original time by simply using the Ocarina of Time.
Some of Princess Zelda's physical abilities are demonstrated in games such as , and . In , Princess Zelda aids Link in battling Ganondorf by borrowing the young hero's Bow and using it to fire Light Arrows at the King of the Gerudo. This skill is again portrayed in the final battle of , where the princess yet again uses a bow and Light Arrows to strike Ganondorf while accompanying Link on his horse, and once more in the final battle against Malladus in . In , Princess Zelda is seen wielding a rapier, although it is unknown if she possesses any true sword skills like Link since she uses it in battle only after being possessed by Ganondorf.
As shown in , Princess Zelda is capable of communicating with the Light Spirits. Just as the princess and Link are about to be trampled by Ganondorf's ghostly army, Zelda calls upon the Light Spirits to aid her in her time of need, and the spirits grant her the Light Arrow to banish evil.
In , Princess Zelda can possess a 's body after Link strikes it with a powered-up sword or the Lokomo Sword. While in this state, the princess can help Link solve various puzzles as well as cross certain obstacles that the young hero cannot traverse by himself. Moreover, due to the Phantom's armor, she can also protect Link from attacks or use her strength to fight alongside Link and help him defeat enemies, as seen when fighting Geozards or Byrne.
==Naming Tradition and Law==
===Origin===
It was revealed in and confirmed by that when the kingdom of Hyrule was established during the Era of Prosperity, the daughters of the Royal Family were often named Zelda after their ancestor, the mortal incarnation of the Goddess Hylia, from the events of .
===The Tragedy of "Princess Zelda I"===
While she was not actually the first Princess Zelda in the history of Hyrule, she was the first in a long line of princesses to be named Zelda by law and not tradition after she was put into a deep sleep for many generations. Her brother, the Prince of Hyrule at the end of its Golden Era, who was partly to blame for her comatose state, decided that, in honor of his sister, every princess born into the Royal Family of Hyrule should be named Zelda.
==Unified Timeline==
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The Princess Zelda in is the eleventh Zelda appearing in series, and is currently the earliest incarnation of Zelda chronologically to appear in-game according to Hyrule Historia.
In , Zelda, daughter of Gaepora, lives in Skyloft with her childhood friend Link, where they are both students at the Knight Academy. After playing the role of the goddess at the Wing Ceremony, Link and Zelda go for a flight together, when suddenly a twister pulls Zelda and her Loftwing below the clouds. This phenomenon is later revealed to have been caused by Ghirahim, who needs Zelda's soul to resurrect Demise, his master. Upon Zelda's arrival on the Surface, however, she is rescued by Impa before the Demon Lord can capture her. Link then begins to look for Zelda and eventually finds her in the Earth Spring, but Impa impedes him from reaching the young girl, and instead urges Zelda to continue praying at each goddess statue to finish purifying her body.
Eventually, Link catches up with Zelda and Impa at the Temple of Time, but their reunion is cut short when Ghirahim attacks the duo. In the midst of the frenetic action, Zelda gives Link the Goddess's Harp before she and Impa escape through the Gate of Time, with Impa destroying the gate to escape Ghirahim's grasp. Link manages to activate a second Gate of Time and meets with Zelda, who explains her true nature as the mortal reincarnation of the Goddess Hylia before telling Link that she, as Hylia reborn, must remain in a deep sleep to keep Demise imprisoned within his seal. Before doing so, Zelda explains that the goddess needed someone with an "unbreakable spirit" to defeat Demise. However, Hylia, knowing that the young hero would "throw [himself] headfirst into any danger, without even a moment's doubt" if it meant saving Zelda, used Link to try and bring about the destruction of Demise. She proceeds to seal herself into a crystal and sleep for thousands of years to ensure Demise's seal holds, and tells the Hero of the Sky that he must find and use the Triforce to destroy Demise so that she will be able to wake up in their own time.
Although Link uses the Triforce to wish for Demise's destruction, Ghirahim kidnaps Zelda upon her awakening and takes her through the Gate of Time, where Demise is still sealed. Zelda's soul is absorbed and Demise is revived in his true form, but Link manages to defeat the Demon King and seal his remains in the Master Sword. After her soul is restored, Zelda and the young hero return to their own time, where she mentions to Link that she wants to remain in the surface and watch over the Triforce. Zelda asks what Link's intentions are for the future, and Link smiles at her, with the camera panning to show both his and Zelda's Loftwings flying back into the sky, implying that Link chose to stay with Zelda.
This incarnation of Zelda is unique in that she is not a princess during the course of the game's events.
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Princess Zelda in is the eighth Princess Zelda appearing in the , and the second Princess Zelda chronologically.
Princess Zelda is known to sneak out of Hyrule Castle to visit Link, who is a childhood friend. At the beginning of the game, Link and Princess Zelda attend the Picori Festival in Hyrule Town. When Princess Zelda wins the grand prize in Pina's drawing, she chooses a Small Shield as her prize and gives it to Link. In North Hyrule Field, Link and Princess Zelda are accosted by a Business Scrub, who shoots Deku Nuts at them until Link deflects one with his new Shield.
At the award ceremony for the Sword-Fighting Tournament, Vaati appears and breaks the Picori Blade, opening the Bound Chest and releasing monsters into Hyrule. Though he does not realize it, Princess Zelda shows herself to possess the Light Force he is searching for; declaring that she will only cause trouble if left alone, he places a Sorcerer's Curse on her and turns her to stone. To restore her, King Daltus asks Link to seek out the Minish and have them reforge the sacred Picori Blade, allowing them to break Vaati's Curse.
During his travels, Link learns that in order to reforge the Broken Picori Blade, it will need to be infused with the Four Elements scattered across Hyrule. He is able to traverse Hyrule along with his companion Ezlo, finding each Element and infusing them into the reforged Blade, turning it into the Four Sword.
Vaati follows them into the Elemental Sanctuary and learns from the Stained Glass within that Princess Zelda herself holds the Light Force. He knocks out Link and leaves to drain Princess Zelda at the roof of the newly-transformed Dark Hyrule Castle. Link is able to interrupt this process, eventually defeating Vaati and using the power of the Four Sword to restore Princess Zelda, who reveals that she saw visions of him while turned to stone.
The Castle begins to collapse, and Vaati makes one last attempt to eliminate Link in the Palace Courtyard, but is defeated once and for all. With Vaati defeated, the Mage's Cap appears, and Ezlo and Princess Zelda work together to use its power to restore Hyrule.
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The Zelda in is the fifth Zelda appearing in the series, and the third Zelda chronologically.
Zelda and Link appear as childhood friends in . Princess Zelda is assigned the duty of protecting the Four Sword Sanctuary and the Four Sword. One day, she sensed something unusual at the Four Sword Shrine and took Link to accompany her to investigate. The seal on Vaati at the shrine had weakened, allowing Vaati to escape. Vaati kidnapped Princess Zelda to make her his bride and Link drew the Four Sword to save her.
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The Zelda in and is the fourth Zelda appearing in the series, and the fourth Zelda chronologically.
Growing up in the halls of Hyrule Castle, young Princess Zelda, referred to by the Great Deku Tree as the Princess of Destiny, was growing concerned with one of her father's associates, the wicked Gerudo king Ganondorf, and a vision of his treachery did not help matters. Expressing her concerns with her guardian and nursemaid Impa, she continued to watch the Gerudo despite her inability to do anything about him. This changed when a young Kokiri-like Hylian boy named Link snuck into her garden courtyard within Hyrule Castle.
Convinced that Ganondorf was after the Triforce, Zelda asked the young hero to find the three Spiritual Stones that would open the Temple of Time in order to prevent Ganondorf from opening the Door of Time and claiming the Triforce for himself. Unfortunately, Ganondorf made his move before Link could return, leading an insurrection in the castle. He chased after Zelda, who had the Ocarina of Time in her possession, when Impa escaped with her from the castle. Dashing out of the castle town with Ganondorf in hot pursuit, Zelda caught sight of Link diving out of their way. She turned and threw the Ocarina of Time to him in the nick of time, trusting that he would keep it safe while Ganondorf chased after them.
For the next seven years, Zelda remained in hiding from the Evil King's clutches, training in the ways of the Sheikah by Impa until Link, who had become trapped within the Sacred Realm, was freed. Appearing before him under the name of Sheik, she assisted Link in awakening the remaining five Sages, all the while keeping her real identity secret.
When Zelda finally reveals herself to the Hero of Time, who's now the keeper of the Triforce of Courage, she does so not only as a now-grown Princess Zelda but as the seventh sage, the leader of the other Sages, and wielder of the Triforce of Wisdom; however, having watched them from afar, Ganondorf captures Zelda to drive Link into a fight to the death inside his castle.
In the game's conclusion, Zelda sends Link, the Hero of Time, back to his childhood to regain his lost seven years as compensation for his heroic role in the war against Ganon. This would leave only the Hero of Time's legend behind him as he returned to the past and returned to Hyrule Castle to warn the young Princess Zelda of events to come had Ganondorf was not immediately stopped.
The actions made by this incarnation of Princess Zelda were crucial to the development of the Zelda Timeline, since it was through Zelda's choices that three timelines were eventually created, making her instrumental in the history of Hyrule. Her plot with Link to retrieve the Triforce first resulted in Ganondorf beating them to it and obtaining the Triforce of Power, eventually leading to Ganon tragically killing the Hero of Time in the final battle, and thus forming the Fallen Hero Timeline. Should Link succeed in defeating the villain as seen in the game's ending, sending Link back to his own time afterwards created two timelines: the Child Timeline and the Adult Timeline. The latter of the two shatters the Triforce of Courage and vanquishes the hero entirely in the Adult Timeline, resulting in Hyrule eventually being flooded.
==Fallen Hero Timeline==
The Fallen Hero Timeline is the timeline in which Link, the Hero of Time, despite his best efforts, was defeated by Ganon in the final battle. This turn of events created the timeline containing , , , , , , , and .
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The Zelda in , and is the third Zelda appearing in the series, and the first Zelda chronologically in the Fallen Hero Timeline.
In , Princess Zelda is one of the seven Maiden descendants of the Seven Wise Men who had imprisoned Ganon in the Dark World. Seeking freedom, Ganon uses the wizard to kidnap the descendants in order to sacrifice them and free him from his prison.
As the last free descendant, Zelda uses telepathy to contact the descendant of the Knights of Hyrule, Link, to save her. Despite his efforts in evacuating her from , the evil wizard manages to capture Zelda and sacrifice her to the Dark World, breaking the seal between Hyrule and the Dark World. While in the Dark World, Princess Zelda is held inside a crystal prison within . When Link eventually frees her, she, along with the other maidens, breaks the seal surrounding Ganon's lair.
When the Hero of Legend makes a wish with the power of the now-freed Triforce, Princess Zelda returns with the other maidens to Hyrule Castle to rule in peace.
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Zelda is only mentioned at the beginning of , when Link mistakes Marin for the Hyrulean princess due to their resemblance to one another. She has no involvement in the plot.
According to s timeline placement of , this Zelda would be the same one from , and .
=== and ===
In and , Zelda is revealed to be the hope of the people. She is the one who sends Impa to Labrynna and Holodrum to find Nayru, the Oracle of Ages, and Din, the Oracle of Seasons, and bring them to Hyrule for safety. Zelda herself appears if the two games are linked. When players have defeated both General Onox and Veran in the linked game, Twinrova will kidnap Zelda in order to sacrifice her to resurrect Ganon. Link dashes to her rescue and Twinrova fails to sacrifice Zelda, making them to sacrifice themselves in order to resurrect Ganon. Due to the fact that they could not sacrifice Zelda as planned, the Ganon they resurrect is mindless and raging and is defeated by Link. In these games, Zelda has a sprite similar to that of Marin, the girl Link mistakes for Zelda when he wakes up at the beginning of .
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Six years after the events of , Hyrule is enjoying a time of peace and tranquility, but Princess Zelda suffers from a dark, recurring dream showing a shadow over a temple; a premonition of evil to come. One day, she witnesses a mysterious and brilliant light in the sky to the east. Aginah, the younger brother of the wise man Sahasrahla and now living in his old hideout near the Eastern Palace also witnesses such a light, and travels to investigate. There he finds a strange youth lying on the ground. Zelda, also following the light, meets up with Aginah, and they both carry the child to rest in Sahasrahla's hideout. Confused by the youth's unusual clothes, they believe the child not to hail from Kakariko Village. Speaking to Aginah while the youngster sleeps, Zelda learns that his brother Sahasrahla had also sensed danger surrounding Hyrule and had left the land to find the hero, Link. While Link has not yet returned, Zelda senses that if this new youth was endowed with courage, he or she may be the Hero of Light. Zelda then sets of for Hyrule Castle before sending Aginah to find the Book of Mudora while she speaks to the Fortune Teller. Aginah and the hero travel to the Sanctuary at the foot of the mountain, but Zelda follows, claiming she had another prophetic dream, this time of her holding the Book of Mudora on top of Death Mountain. Zelda insists on traveling with the hero to the summit of the mountain, as she is the only one who can read the Book of Mudora. During their quest to obtain the final two tablets and reach the summit, the Fortune Teller sees the King of Evil in a vision. Ganon's malice had kept his spirit alive despite the destruction of his body. It was this lingering evil power that had drawn the Hero of Light into the land of Hyrule, and upon the summit the hero travels once more into another world to engage in a desperate final battle with the Demon King in a new version of Ganon's Tower. Ganon desires the power of the Hero of Light to be fully reborn, but is finally destroyed using the Silver Arrows once more.
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The Zelda in is the twelfth Zelda in the series, and the second Zelda chronologically in the Fallen Hero Timeline.
Zelda appears again in . At her young age, she rules the entire kingdom of Hyrule alone. When Link first meets her, he warns her that Seres was attacked and turned into a Painting by Yuga. She tells the young hero to warn Sahasrahla in Kakariko Village and gives Link a charm that she has owned since childhood. When Hyrule Castle is under Yuga's attack, Link learns that the charm she gave is the Pendant of Courage, which she gave to him in anticipation of the oncoming misfortune.
When Link goes Inside Hyrule Castle, he encounters a confrontation between Zelda and Yuga. Zelda tells Yuga that his actions must cease and asks him how many more people he intends to kidnap, to which Yuga says he has been searching for all seven Sages of Hyrule. Zelda then accuses him of attempting to use the Seven Sages to revive Ganon, but Yuga ignores her and turns her into a Painting for her beauty. He then takes her Painting to the highest point of Hyrule Castle and escapes to Lorule. In Lorule, he uses the power of the Seven Sages and Princess Zelda to revive Ganon and merges with Ganon before all the Paintings, save Zelda's, are scattered across Lorule. After Link frees the sages and assembles the Triforce, he and Zelda use it to restore the Lorulean Triforce.
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The Zelda in the original is the first Zelda appearing in the series, and the fourth Zelda chronologically in the Fallen Hero Timeline.
An army of evil, led by , seeks to possess the to plunge the land of Hyrule into darkness. Stealing the Triforce of Power, Ganon sought to find the last known piece, the Triforce of Wisdom.
Princess Zelda, as a member of the bloodline that carries and protects the Triforce of Wisdom, broke the Triforce piece into eight fragments and hid them throughout the realm in an effort to avoid its possession under Ganon's hand. At the same time, she sent out her handmaiden, , to look for a hero to save the land. Ganon learned of what Zelda had done and imprisoned her within his lair under , surrounded by a wall of flame.
Link eventually finds the eight fragments of the Triforce of Wisdom scattered throughout Hyrule and travels to Death Mountain where, upon defeating Ganon, he frees Zelda from her prison, returning peace to the land.
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Along with Link, Demon General Gaia is cursed, and on Day they she torn apart in the form of being trapped in Crystal Moon.
During Night, she becomes a Playable Character (Protagonist).
===The Legend of the Hero of Hyrule===
The protagonist of The Adventure of Link: The Legend of the Hero of Hyrule. The player and the antagonists are tricked into thinking she is Link, but learn at the end that she is Zelda. Not only does she have the Triforce of Wisdom, but she also receives the Triforce of Courage in the end of the game.
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The Zelda in is the second Zelda appearing in the series.
The introduction of speaks of the legend of Zelda, a legend that has been passed down in Hyrule. According to that legend, well before the events of , Hyrule was a prosperous land ruled by a king who had two children, an unnamed prince and Princess Zelda. The King maintained peace in Hyrule using the Triforce; however, he passed away, and although the prince should have received the Triforce in full, he only received a part of it. The prince frantically searched in vain everywhere for the remaining piece, but then a wizard came to the Prince and tells him that his younger sister, Zelda, knows the location of the mystical object. The prince demands that Zelda turn the information over to him, but Zelda refuses and, in a rage, the wizard puts Zelda into an eternal sleep, with him dying in the process. Overcome with grief, the prince seals his sleeping sister in the North Palace and orders that all female descendants of the Hylian monarchy are to be named Zelda.
To break the curse, a hero must possess the complete Triforce, but obtaining the Triforce of Courage would prove difficult as the king of ages ago had hidden it within the Great Palace. Only one who proved themselves worthy would obtain it.
In the end, Link obtains the Triforce of Courage from the Great Palace and awakes the sleeping princess from her slumber.
Although both games feature the same Link, this Zelda is different from the one in the original .
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Princess Zelda was kidnapped by the Eight Dragons in order to cause chaos in Hyrule. She is imprisoned in a magical cage that can only be opened with the pieces of the Triforce of Wisdom. Link journeys through the dungeon, defeats the dragons and saves Zelda.
==Child Timeline==
The Child Timeline is the timeline that follows Link after being sent back to his original time to warn Princess Zelda, following the defeat of Ganondorf by the Hero of Time in the final battle. This turn of events created the timeline containing , , and .
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Prior the events of but directly after the end of , Princess Zelda spends a relatively short period of time with Link, before he leaves Hyrule for his quest in search of his companion Navi. Zelda, as a child, makes a single appearance in Majora's Mask when the young Hero of Time has a flashback after retrieving the Ocarina of Time from the Skull Kid in Termina. The events of the flashback display Link's last meeting with Zelda, where she states her belief that they would meet again. However, before the Hero of Time departs the land of Hyrule, Princess Zelda gives him the Ocarina of Time to prevent Ganondorf from entering the Sacred Realm for good and as a memento of the time they spent together. She also teaches Link the "Song of Time", a melody that holds a special meaning to her, before handing over the magical ocarina, mentioning that he should play that melody if something were to happen to him so the Goddess of Time will come to his aid.
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:See also: Puppet Zelda
The Zelda in is the ninth Zelda appearing in the series, and the second Zelda chronologically in the Child Timeline branch. 
In , Zelda was the young matriarch of Hyrule until its invasion by Zant, the Twilight King, to whom she reluctantly surrendered in order to prevent the deaths of herself and her people. Afterward, she is imprisoned inside a tower in Hyrule Castle. It is revealed that Zelda is unaffected by the veil of Twilight Zant casts upon Hyrule and does not become a spirit like all the other inhabitants of the kingdom. As the bearer of the Triforce of Wisdom, Zelda may have been protected by its power.
Zelda, dressed in a dark robe, meets Link during his earliest transformation into a wolf (due to the interaction between the Twilight and his Triforce piece). Later, she transfers her soul and her powers to aid the dying Midna, losing her physical being in the process.
Towards the end of the game, Ganondorf possesses the lifeless Zelda, who was being imprisoned in the throne room of Hyrule Castle, transforming her into an enemy known as Puppet Zelda. Link defeats Ganondorf's puppet, and Midna, with the help of the Fused Shadows, returns Princess Zelda to normal.
Ganondorf makes another attempt on Zelda's life soon after, but she is protected by the Light Spirits of Hyrule who grant her the Light Arrows to assist Link in the horseback part of his final battle. The last time she is seen in the game is when she and the Hero of Twilight say good-bye to Midna at the Mirror of Twilight.
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The Zelda in is the seventh Zelda appearing in the series, and the third Zelda chronologically in the Child Timeline branch.
In , Zelda used her telepathy to call Link to Hyrule Castle so she and him can join the Shrine Maidens to investigate the seal on Vaati at the Four Sword Sanctuary, due to ominous clouds of darkness covering Hyrule. However, while using their magic to check the seal, Shadow Link appeared and kidnapped Zelda and the six Maidens and sent Link to the Four Sword Sanctuary. This was all a trap by Shadow Link to cause the Hero of Light to draw the Four Sword, releasing the seal on the Wind Mage Vaati, allowing him to escape.
Once rescued from Vaati, Link and Zelda flee down the Tower of Winds, similar to the escape from Ganon's Tower in . Zelda must be protected from damage during this escape. When nearing the exit however, the four Links and Zelda are sent tumbling deep beneath the tower by Ganon. While the four Link's are out cold, Zelda attempts to seal away Ganon with her magic, but is instead stopped and sealed away by Ganon himself. The four Links fight Ganon together, and eventually weaken him enough to break the seal on Zelda. Zelda then fights Ganon alongside the Links much like in . While she does not wield the Light Arrows by name, she does wield a ball of light energy which, coupled with Link's arrows, serves the same function of the Light Arrows, stunning Ganon long enough for him to be drawn into the Four Sword. She must be protected from Ganon's attacks so the ball of light energy can become big enough to contain Ganon's evil might.
==Adult Timeline==
The Adult Timeline is the timeline that follows the events after Link is being sent back to his original time, following the Hero of Time's defeat of Ganondorf in the final battle. Ganondorf is sealed within the Sacred Realm by the Seven Sages but, with Link sent back in time, the world is left without a Hero. This turn of events created the timeline containing , , and .
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The Zelda in and is the sixth Zelda appearing in the series, and the first Zelda chronologically in the Adult Timeline branch.
 presents Zelda in a secret identity as Tetra, a female pirate who leads a small group of thieves after the death of her mother. Tetra, however, is even unaware herself of being part of the royal bloodline, and this is a first occurrence for series. Despite this, the female pirate is aware of the existence of Hyrule, the Master Sword, and the legend of the Hero of Time. Tetra's identity as a descendant of Princess Zelda is revealed when she travels with Link to Hyrule Castle, beneath the Great Sea.
Her true identity was first hinted when the Hero of Winds travels to the Forsaken Fortress for a second time and encounters Ganondorf, who, as he grasps Tetra in his hand, realizes that his Triforce of Power is resonating, which could only indicate that Tetra is indeed the Princess Zelda he was looking for.
Zelda, as Tetra, displayed a tomboyish demeanor, taking challenges head on and even seeming bossy at times. At the beginning of the game, she does not think much of Link due to his habit of taking actions without thinking things through, and also due to the fact that he gets melancholic as they are setting sail to the Forsaken Fortress to rescue his younger sister. Once Tetra discovers her true identity, her demeanor changed and she gains more respect towards the young hero, and apologizes for all that has happened to him and Aryll. While Link and the King of Red Lions set out to look for the pieces of the Triforce of Courage, Zelda stays hidden away in a basement located inside Hyrule Castle in order to prevent getting caught by Ganondorf. However, she is eventually found and is taken to Ganon's Tower, where the Hero of Winds must rescue her after assembling the Triforce of Courage formerly owned by the Hero of Time.
Zelda from is the first Zelda in the series that fights along Link's side in his final battle against Ganondorf. Incombat, she wields the Bow and Light Arrows, similar to her counterpart. Once Link and Zelda succeed in delivering the final blow, they witness the second and ultimate flood of Hyrule and promise the King of Hyrule to search for the new land that will be home to the next kingdom of Hyrule. Zelda is last seen as Tetra when she and Link set sail from Outset Island in search for new lands.
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Princess Zelda appears in this game solely as Tetra, her alter-ego in . She does not regain her royal persona, although quite often when she appears, “Zelda's Lullaby” plays in the background, and she is called "Zelda" by some of the pirates during the game's intro, much to Tetra's chagrin. Her role is somewhat limited in the game as she is kidnapped early on in the story, and when Link finds her at last she has been turned to stone. 
After Link defeats Bellum, he and Tetra awaken on the Ghost Ship, only ten minutes after the prologue according to the pirates. Tetra's crew tries to convince her that it was just a dream, but Link finds the in his pocket, and the SS Linebeck is seen sailing in the distance.
(This Zelda is the same one from )
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:See also: Phantom Zelda, Possessed Zelda
The Zelda in is the tenth Zelda appearing in the series, and the second Zelda chronologically in the Adult Timeline branch.
Princess Zelda plays a much larger role in than in previous installments, as she herself also aids Link in the salvation of Hyrule. Near the beginning of the game, Link travels to Hyrule Castle to see Zelda and become an official train conductor. Because he is an engineer and the apprentice of Alfonzo, who was once the head of the castle guard, Zelda asks Link to secretly meet her in her quarters later to discuss something with him. Zelda explains to Link that she needs to get to the Tower of Spirits to personally investigate the disappearance of the , which she attributes to something that Chancellor Cole is hiding.
For the first time (not counting the non-canonical Phillips CD-i games), it is possible to play as Zelda herself as Link aids the princess to escape the castle. Afterward, Link, Zelda, and Alfonzo attempt to escape via train, but the train crashes due to the tracks disappearing beneath them. Chancellor Cole then appears to attack Zelda and take her body, which he hopes to use to revive the Demon King Malladus; however, Zelda's spirit escapes and returns to Hyrule Castle. There, she meets with Link, now the only one who can see her, to continue their way to the Tower of Spirits, where Zelda learns she can inhabit Phantoms to aid Link. After this, she and Link begin their journey to restore the Spirit Tracks leading to the Tower of Spirits to fortify the Malladus's prison and thus prevent the resurrection of the Demon King.
Zelda's body is eventually possessed by the resurrected Malladus, although Link frees it by firing a Light Arrow. Despite this, Zelda is unable to reenter her body, and just as Malladus is about to possess it again, Byrne uses his power to repel the Demon King, giving Zelda the strength to pray to her grandmother Tetra to reclaim her body. In the final battle, Zelda, finally back in her own body, charges up her power to weaken the Demon King, which reveals a weak spot on the demon's back. Like in previous games, Princess Zelda's role consists of shooting Light Arrows at Malladus's back from the Bow of Light. Just as Link realizes that he cannot make the final blow to Malladus using the Lokomo Sword on his own, Princess Zelda rushes over to help the young hero, defeating the demon once and for all. Anjean and the rest of the Lokomos depart to the heavens, entrusting Link and Zelda to watch over the land for them. Link and Zelda are then seen holding hands as they witness the departure of the Lokomos.
After the ending credits, Princess Zelda can be seen at her office signing papers and, depending on whether Link chose to be an engineer or a warrior, she will go look out the window and wave at Link upon hearing either a train whistle or swords clanking. If Link selects "Dunno", then Zelda will be signing papers and simply remember the adventure she had with Link.
This Princess Zelda is confirmed to be a direct descendant of Tetra, the pirate captain who was also the incarnation of Princess Zelda in her day, and makes an appearance in a large stained glass window in Hyrule Castle's Throne Room. Princess Zelda states that the Spirit Flute was played for her in her youth by her grandmother, and Anjean states that she gave the Spirit Flute to Tetra long ago, pointing out the similarities between the reigning Princess Zelda and her ancestor, the feisty pirate captain that arrived on the land's shores long ago.
==Great Calamity==
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In , Zelda is not only the princess of Hyrule, she is also an aspiring scholar who is very curious. She is also the leader of the Champions of Hyrule. Zelda is the mysterious voice that guides Link throughout his journey while she contains Calamity Ganon inside of Hyrule Castle.
Zelda has been training to unlock her sealing powers passed down the royal family since she was 7 years old, one year after her mother unexpectedly passed away. With her mother gone there was nobody else around with the sacred power who could teach her how to use it, leaving Zelda to figure it out on her own. 100 years prior to the events of , Zelda met with the Champions. After meeting with them, she left the Castle to research ancient technology, but she did not come across anything of note. During this time, she felt the presence of Ganon and devoted herself to learning all she could about ancient relics in order to stop him. She then met with a fortune teller who told her a prophecy, to which Zelda felt that there was not much time left. The following day, Link was appointed as Zelda's knight, to Zelda's chagrin. During the ceremony, Urbosa explains that Link is a living reminder of Zelda's own failures. Link and Zelda then set out to Goron City to make adjustments to the to make it easier for Daruk to control. During their journey to Eldin, Zelda comes to a stop and asks him how proficient he is wielding his Sword and asks him if he can hear the voice within the blade.
During her time with Link, Zelda wonders why he never speaks. Link's initial silence causes Zelda to believe that Link despised her due to her inability to use sealing power despite being a daughter of Hyrule's royal family. Later on, Zelda discovers an Ancient Shrine and fails to open it. Link arrives at the scene, which angers Zelda and causes her to lash out. She tells Link to return to the castle and testily demands he stop following her, regardless of the King's orders. Later on, Zelda travels to the Gerudo Desert and is ambushed by the Yiga Clan. Link rescues her right before a Yiga assassin is about to kill her, striking him down and causing the other two Yiga to flee. This causes Zelda to change her attitude towards Link, valuing his devotion to protect her. Over the course of their journey, both start to open up to each other and realize how similar they are in their hardships of fulfilling their respective tasks. Her growing care and relationship towards the Hero of the Wild plays a crucial role in awakening her legendary abilities, as Link sacrifices himself to save Zelda's life during the second Great Calamity and Zelda's powers awaken when she tries to rescue the wounded Link from a Guardian. Zelda hears a voice inside the Master Sword saying that Link can be saved and orders the Sheikah to transport Link to the Shrine of Resurrection. Then, she goes to the Korok Forest and places the Master Sword in its pedestal to recover. Zelda then spends the next 100 years inside Hyrule Castle with Calamity Ganon, keeping the demon in place within the Castle to prevent the destruction of the entirety of Hyrule. After Link awakens, she then telepathically guides him throughout his journey. Unfortunately, she was not able to hold off Calamity Ganon for much longer before he developed a rudimentary body. After Link managed to disable Calamity Ganon's most powerful form, Dark Beast Ganon, she was freed, and proceeded to destroy Calamity Ganon's essence. She then reconvened with Link for the first time in a hundred years, and asked him if he still remembered her (as Link was initially left with amnesia thanks to his near-death experience). Some time later, she alongside Link left for Lake Hylia in order to investigate what caused the Divine Beast Vah Ruta to stop working, and that they ultimately need to restore Hyrule back to its former glory.
It is implied in one of the songs written by Kass’ teacher that Princess Zelda held romantic feelings for Link. This song can be found after completing the end of the game, and speaking to Kass on the platform by the Ahk Va’quot Shrine in Rito Village.
Her favorite food is Fruitcake, as revealed by a recipe in a book in the Library in Hyrule Castle.
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 appears in , picking up where the true ending of left off. On their quest to restore the land of Hyrule after the Calamity's damage, Zelda and the Hero of the Wild leave the Master Sword in the Great Deku Tree's care. Some time later, they return to retrieve it, where the Great Deku Tree elaborates on Master Sword's self-regenerative properties and its growth from exposure to sacred energy.
At some point in the following years, Zelda and Link discover a strange, dubious substance seeping out from underneath Hyrule Castle, and begin to traverse the castle's underground chambers to investigate. They eventually discover a large mural detailing the Imprisoning War, though the latter portions of the mural are covered by rubble. Proceeding deeper into the chamber, the pair come across a mysterious scene - a gaunt husk of a Gerudo man, seeping with some sort of Malice and sealed away by an ethereal hand pinned to its chest. Unbeknownst to the pair, the sealed corpse is Ganondorf, the Demon King of eons past, having been thwarted by Rauru, a Zonai and the founding King of Hyrule, whose arm is all that remains. Rauru's arm eventually falls off of Ganondorf's body, the secret stone embedded within tumbling out of the socket, where it is picked up by Zelda. Unfortunately, with the seal broken, Ganondorf returns to life and immediately attacks the pair with a frenzied burst of Malice, potent enough to decay Link's arm and cause the Master Sword to shatter upon impact, sending a shard flying into Ganondorf's cheek, slightly wounding him. Ganondorf is amused that the pair could not accomplish anything despite Rauru's faith in them both, and uses his dark magic to send a blast of Malice upward, raising Hyrule Castle from the ground as he falls into the Depths below. Zelda also stumbles, and despite Link attempting to catch her, appears to fall into the Depths while Link is saved by Rauru's arm, which attaches to his right shoulder in place of his corrupted arm. However, Rauru's secret stone amplifies Zelda's dormant power over time, transporting her back in time, directly to Rauru's era.
King Rauru and Queen Sonia eventually stumble across the unconscious Zelda in a field. Upon her awakening and an exchange of introductions with the two, a surprised Zelda quickly realizes how far she had been flung into the past. Rauru also believes her, noticing the similarities between her and Sonia (that being her time-based power and her secret stone), and Sonia elaborates further that she had already sensed Zelda was a descendant of the pair, as well as detecting Rauru's power of light within Zelda as well. Though Zelda is anxious to return to her original era, Sonia comforts her, telling her to come to the castle, as it may take time for an answer to come to her. Additionally, Rauru suggest that his older sister Mineru may be able to help Zelda further.
Traveling with the royal pair, Zelda receives new Zonai clothing and eventually meets Mineru, giving her the Purah Pad to examine. Mineru quickly determines the device is not of the current era, but believes she can get the travel functionality to work again. Zelda allows her to borrow it, and is pleased to hear that Mineru believes her story. Mineru then explains the nature of the secret stones - powerful artifacts that, while unable to help a holder refine their power, greatly amplify it instead. For Zelda, she reveals, the secret stone directly amplifies her power over time rather than light, which would explain how she was suddenly transported to the past. Since Zelda isn't sure how to use her power to return home, the secret stone is of little use to her. However, Mineru also explains a forbidden act known as "draconification" in which an individual ingests a secret stone to transform themselves, shedding their former self to become an "immortal dragon, one blessed with eternal life". Mineru is personally against the idea, since Zelda would be compromising her person completely, and apologizes for being unable to help further. While Zelda is dejected, Rauru still suggests there is reason for her to have hope, as if she can study and learn to control her time power with Sonia's help, she might be able to return home on her own.
The kingdom is eventually alerted to an approaching swarm of Molduga, commanded by Ganondorf. To defeat them, Rauru channels energy with the help of his secret stone, and Sonia uses hers to help increase Rauru's power, enveloped in a golden aura. Prompted by Sonia, Zelda attempts to do the same, and to the surprise of both herself and Sonia, generates an even larger aura than Sonia's. With their powers combined, Rauru's subsequent blast of light easily disposes of the Molduga swarm. Following these events, Ganondorf arrives in the kingdom, swearing fealty to King Rauru before leaving. Zelda speaks her misgivings about the Gerudo leader's intentions to Rauru, especially concerned regarding his name's similarity to that of Calamity Ganon's. Rauru reveals he is aware of Ganondorf's evil nature, but is confident in keeping him close by to observe him more easily. Zelda relents, but her face remains worried.
Some time later, Zelda meets with Sonia and Rauru for tea, but accidentally knocks over one of the cups. Sonia returns it to the table with Recall and notes Zelda's anxiety, revealing she understands how the princess is torn between helping them and returning to her own era. However, she encourages Zelda to focus on her return through time, especially in order to put Link's mind at ease. At the mentioning of Link, Rauru interjects, not knowing the name, so Zelda explains her history with Link, revealing his heroic actions and determined personality to the two.
One night, Sonia and Zelda are alerted to the presence of a fake Zelda, created by Ganondorf, and prepare a trap for the imposter. When the fake Zelda attempts to dispatch Sonia with a blade, Sonia reveals her awareness of the imposter's true nature, and Zelda - having further trained her time powers - catches the blade with Recall before it can reach the Hylian queen. Despite the exposed scheme, the false Zelda laughs before dissolving into darkness, and Sonia is subsequently executed with a surprise strike to the back by Ganondorf, who had infiltrated the castle. Distraught, Zelda rushes to the unconscious queen's side, but to no avail, as Ganondorf had already snatched Sonia's secret stone for himself. Laughing, he begins to emanate malice and gloom as he places the secret stone on his forehead, transforming into the Demon King in a crimson cyclone. Zelda can only watch as the transformation completes and the moon turns a blood-red color. With an outstretched hand, Demon King Ganondorf summons a massive army of monsters to terrorize Hyrule. Rauru enters the room, infuriated by Ganondorf's actions, but Zelda convinces him to try and protect Sonia instead. As Ganondorf blasts Malice at the trio, Rauru defends the women with a shield of light, but is clearly outmatched. Just before the Malice consumes them all, Zelda pulls out the Purah Pad and uses the Mineru-repaired travel function to transport the three out of the room.
Ganondorf's new power allows him to quickly begin devastating the land of Hyrule. Within the confines of a location presently known as the Forgotten Temple, Zelda meets with Rauru, Mineru, and their masked aides - a Goron, a Gerudo, a Zora, and a Rito. After declaring their union, Rauru reveals the presence of four more secret stones to the group, granting them to the aides. Later, Zelda meets Rauru by the grave of the now-deceased Sonia, who did not survive her injury. Zelda reveals the rest of her circumstances to Rauru, recalling how she and Link discovered a mummified corpse underground she can now clearly identify as Ganondorf, and is terrified at the prospect of being unable to defeat the Demon King in the current past. Seeing Rauru's right arm worries her even more, as she realizes what the king's fate will be. Rauru, however, is accepting of his path, prepared to make up for his hubris and live up to his duty as ruler. Zelda is then surprised to hear Rauru say that Link, with the Master Sword in tow, will be Hyrule's last line of defense. Additionally, Rauru reminds Zelda that the future she lives in is one where she never appeared in the past, and her presence in the past era must have some significance - that is, she was sent to the past for a reason. Rauru then departs, leaving Zelda wondering what her purpose in the past truly is.
The ancient war between good and evil reaches its climax during the king and his Sages' confrontation with Ganondorf. With the Demon King's power proving too much for even their combined powers, Rauru prepares to make the ultimate sacrifice to seal Ganondorf away. As Mineru collapses, the remaining four Sages use the last of their strength to launch their weapons at Ganondorf, who evades them easily. Zelda attempts to use Recall to send the weapons back at the Demon King, but Ganondorf anticipates the technique and smacks them aside. However, this provides Rauru with the perfect opportunity to surprise-attack Ganondorf with a punch to his abdomen, binding his heart and stealing his magic to hold him in place for as long as he possibly can. With the Demon King sealed, the "Imprisoning War" is brought to an end, but the victory is at best bittersweet - and dangerously temporary.
Later, in the Temple of Time, Zelda reflects on the botched success of the group's efforts to defeat Ganondorf, recalling how easily the Master Sword shattered against a weakened Ganondorf's powers despite a flying shard cutting the Gerudo's cheek, and remains unsure if Link can live up to Rauru's expectations. Just then, her secret stone begins to glow. She walks outside to the temple's altar, where a golden light seems to resonate with her secret stone. Approaching the light, Zelda watches with amazement as the damaged Master Sword appears from it, landing in her hands. Zelda is astonished at the Master Sword's presence, but then the sword (presumably the spirit of Fi) speaks to her with a bluish glow, informing her that Link is safe and that it had traveled back to the past on purpose to recover and build up enough strength to destroy Ganondorf. Finally, Zelda realizes her purpose in the past - to safeguard the Master Sword as it rejuvenates, and return it to Link when the time comes.
Thinking back on Mineru's explanation of draconification, Zelda becomes determined to undergo the process in order to fulfill her purpose, as her sacred powers of light would greatly energize the Master Sword over time. Though Mineru initially remains against the idea, she eventually relents after Zelda reaffirms her decision, agreeing to help both Zelda and Link in spirit even if her body perishes. Afterwards, the two devise their strategy: Mineru would use her powers as the Sage of Spirit to transfer her soul to the Purah Pad before the gloom took its full toll on her physical body, while Zelda would go through with draconification to protect the Master Sword, which Link would hopefully retrieve in the present day.
After giving a Zonai attendant the Purah Pad, with Mineru inhabiting it, Zelda steels herself, then swallows Rauru's secret stone. As the sky darkens, Zelda becomes bathed in a brilliant light, but is overcome with pain. Staggering towards the Master Sword, she is eventually able to grasp it, holding it to her chest as the light intensifies and the ground begins to shake. Crying out for Link to protect Hyrule one last time, her eyes suddenly turn draconic as the light explodes into a colossal dome of energy, engulfing her as she transforms into the Light Dragon and soars into the air with a roar. The four remaining Sages look on as the dragon's tears, containing Zelda's last remaining memories, leave her, scattering across the land. With the Master Sword embedded in the Light Dragon's head, it begins the long, arduous process of healing and strengthening, constantly protected by Zelda's heartbreaking sacrifice.
In the present day, Link - with Impa's assistance - discovers that the tears have created large, glowing markings on the earth known as geoglyphs. Upon reaching pools of mystical water in each geoglyph, one of the Light Dragon's tears appears before him, allowing him to experience Zelda's memories in the past and gradually piece them together. The final tear, shed by the Light Dragon in the present, details the memory of Zelda's draconification and vow to the hero. Seeking out the Great Deku Tree for knowledge, Link and the elder tree find out that the presence of the Master Sword is constantly shifting. Taking to the skies, Link eventually lands atop the Light Dragon and - discovering the Master Sword in the dragon's head - attempts to unsheathe it. The Light Dragon does not take kindly to this, and begins writhing and roaring as if trying to throw Link off. However, with at least twice his base stamina, Link is able to hang on for dear life. The Light Dragon then realizes it is Link who attempts to reclaim the sacred blade and stops trying to thwart him, instead flying into the skies above, revealing an endless, golden realm of light.
The hairs of the Light Dragon untwist from the Master Sword, allowing Link to finally pull it out of the dragon's head and raise it skyward. Link then experiences a vision of Zelda before she draconified, where the princess reminds him of the Master Sword's first loss to the Demon King, but promises that with her sacred strength reinforcing them both, they can turn the tides. Calling Link her final hope, she prays that the sword would reach him in the future. Upon exiting the sacred sky, the Light Dragon drops Link off at the Temple of Time before flying off into the distance.
The Light Dragon later returns to confront Ganondorf, having also undergone draconification to become the Demon Dragon, in the game's final battle. Upon seeing the Light Dragon, the Demon Dragon roars in anger, releasing Link from its jaws. Before the exhausted Link can plummet to his doom, the Light Dragon catches him in mid-air, and the two fly back up to confront the Demon Dragon in an skyward showdown.
Link finally slays the Demon Dragon with the revitalized sword of legend, and both he and the Light Dragon watch as the embodiment of evil detonates in a crimson geyser of light. Suddenly, both Link and the Light Dragon enter a mysterious realm containing nothing but a swirl of green clouds. Rauru's arm begins to glow and extend towards the Light Dragon, releasing tiny particles of energy towards it. Rauru and Sonia's spirits appear on either side of Link, covering his hand with their own to add more even more energy. The light eventually envelops the dragon whole, and after a bright flash, Zelda returns to her natural form. As Rauru and Sonia's spirits depart for the afterlife, Link and the unconscious Zelda are transported back to Hyrule, falling from the sky. With all the remaining strength he can muster, Link dives after Zelda, catching her just before they land in a lake.
Zelda awakens, and is surprised to see Link with her, but notices he wears the restored Master Sword in its sheath, and realizes that the Demon King has been vanquished, wondering if she is dreaming. Overjoyed at Link's victory, she suddenly stops, questioning how she made it to the present day, but then understands that she had been "sleeping" throughout the passage of time, but when she felt something akin to a "warm, loving embrace", she woke up. Looking at the raised Hyrule Castle, she then turns to Link, excited to tell him all about ancient Hyrule and the people she met, before happily declaring that she's back home.
Some time later, Zelda, Link, Mineru (who had inhabited a Zonai construct), Purah, the new Sages (Tulin, Riju, Sidon and Yunobo) all arrive atop the Temple of Time to take in the view, per Mineru's request. After revealing how Rauru and Sonia must have channeled their powers into Link to change Zelda back, Mineru's spirit then departs to join her brother and her sister-in-law for the afterlife, but not before the new Sages make a declaration to support Zelda and protect Hyrule, much like Mineru and the ancient Sages did long ago. With a final reflection on the life of the ancient Sages and royal family, Zelda asks her present-day allies to stand with her, overlooking the land of Hyrule.
==Spinoff appearances==
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===Philips CD-i games===
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In , Zelda is the daughter of King Harkinian, whom she lives with in Hyrule Castle. She plays a small role in ; when Link prepares to leave for Koridai after being informed that the island was captured by Ganon, he asks Zelda for a kiss of luck, but she rejects him. Later during his quest, Link and Gwonam learn that Zelda had been captured by Ganon during Link's absence and was put under a sleeping spell. While exploring Fortress Centrum, Link finds her asleep in its tower, but she turns out to actually be Goronu in disguise who ambushes him. After defeating Ganon, Link finds the real Zelda asleep in her cell in Ganon's Lair. Her curse is broken and she awakes when Link rings a nearby gong. He exclaims that he just saved her, though she teasingly does not believe him. Gwonam then arrives to take the pair back to Hyrule, and Zelda again rejects Link when he asks for a kiss.
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Zelda plays a much larger role as the playable character in . She is informed by her father, King Harkinian, that the island of Gamelon was seized by Ganon, and its ruler Duke Onkled is in urgent need of assistance. Zelda pleads with her father not to go when he volunteers to leave for the island, but is instead ordered to send Link should he fail to return. Impa reassures Zelda that the King will safely return, according to the Triforce of Wisdom. Despite the Triforce's prophecy, both King Harkinian and Link go missing, prompting Zelda and Impa to go to Gamelon to find them. There Zelda ventures to defeat Ganon's minions, who have seized control of the island. She eventually learns of her father's capture and Duke Onkled's betrayal, and works with Lord Kiro in finding Duke Onkled and coercing him into revealing Ganon's location. At the end of her quest, Zelda confronts Ganon at Reesong Palace and defeats him with the Wand of Gamelon, an item she found during her quest. Although King Harkinian is saved, Link remains missing, which Zelda quickly notices. Lady Alma, a woman who Zelda met on her quest, disregards him and Zelda retaliates by breaking her mirror. This causes Link to inexplicably reappear, implying that he was trapped inside it. When asked what had happened, Zelda laughs and tells Link they are about to have a feast.
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In , Zelda is once again the playable character. Unlike her appearance from the previous CD-i games, she appears to be more humble and does not speak at all, akin to Link in canon games. She wields the Wand as opposed to a sword, which she uses as her main weapon and to cast offensive spells. She is summoned to Tolemac by the astronomer Gaspra as his chosen warrior to combat Ganon, who had stolen the land's Celestial Signs and had captured Link. Zelda thus embarks on her mission to recover the seven Signs and rescue Link, guided by Gaspra and Shurmak along the way. She battles the keepers of Tolemac's Shrines where the Signs are kept, and meets many other helpful and tricky characters. Eventually she finds the final Celestial Sign, but is stopped by Ganon and thrown into a series of fights in the Vision Henge, eventually leading to the final showdown with Ganon. Zelda defeats him, thus freeing Link and returning peace and light to Hyrule and Tolemac.
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While Princess Zelda does not appear in person, she is depicted on Madame Scratchcard's scratchcards.
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In , Princess Zelda is the leader of the Hyrulean Army and the princess of Hyrule. As an incarnation of Zelda, she is the embodiment of Hylia and holds the Triforce of Wisdom. She is a playable character who has a Rapier as her basic weapon and also utilizes her Bow and Light Arrows. She uses a rapid combination of the Spells from (Nayru's Love, Farore's Wind, and Din's Fire) as her Special Technique while she has her Focus Spirit enabled. She also has a unique mechanic where she can summon orbs of light to enhance her attacks.
An alternate weapon she acquires is the Baton, with her default being the Wind Waker. She uses it to conjure magical music made from wind and lightning in order to attack. While not as speedy as her default, she is given attacks with a lot more range and crowd control. Some of the songs she can use are "Saria's Song", the "Song of Storms", the "Earth God's Lyric", and the "Wind God's Aria".
In the DLC Pack, her third weapon is the Dominion Rod. The rod can be used to summon and control one of two different statues at a time. They act as a second weapon in that they attack alongside the Rod's standard light-energy attacks. They also greatly increase the range and power of Zelda's regular attacks and combos. It is of the Dark Element.
Zelda appears to be based upon her appearance, but slightly more stylized. Her default battle outfit is modeled on her usual pink dress but includes greaves, a fauld, gauntlets, pauldrons, and a breastplate. Her , , and incarnations are included with the Wisdom costumes set.
In , her outfit is included when completing the first Scenario along with Link's Champion Tunic. 
==Other appearances==
Princess is also featured in other media, including comics based on the games, animated shows, and the Super Smash Bros. (series). In some of her appearances, she is depicted as a brave, proud, and self-reliant fighter who is proficient in archery and horseback riding, such as in the and . As with the games, she is the protector of the Triforce of Wisdom.
==Alter-egos==
===Sheik===
In , Link, in his adult years, met up with a mysterious member of the Sheikah Tribe, fittingly called Sheik. This person taught Link a multitude of different songs and gave him tips on how to proceed in his quest to rescue the five Sages. At the end of the game, Sheik revealed himself to be none other than Princess Zelda in a disguise. During the seven years Link had been asleep while maturing to become ready to fight Ganondorf as the Hero of Time, Zelda had gone underground and taken the disguise as Sheik so that the Evil King would not find her in his search for the two remaining pieces of the Triforce, one of which was held by Princess Zelda herself.
In the series, Sheik is available as a playable character starting from . In and , Zelda can transform into and out of Sheik by using her down special Transform, granting herself an entirely different moveset and playstyle. Starting from , Zelda and Sheik were made into separate characters, granting Sheik Bouncing Fish as a new down special in place of her old one.
===Tetra===
Born into a society of pirates on the Great Sea, Tetra, captain of a crew of pirates, was completely unaware that she was a member of the Royal Family of Hyrule's bloodline. When this was revealed to her by Daphnes Nohansen Hyrule, she was just as surprised as Link to find out that she was indeed a descendant of Princess Zelda of Hyrule and also the one destined to be the keeper of the Triforce of Wisdom.
===Leader of the Sages===
In , Zelda is revealed to be the seventh Sage and the leader of them all.
===Goddess Hylia===
Before the events of , a goddess named Hylia defeated Demise. In order to protect the Triforce, in a two-part plan, Hylia renounced her divine body to reborn in an human being. This human was born eons after under the name of Zelda.
===Light Dragon===
After realizing that the Master Sword traveled through time in order to find her and recover her strength, Zelda realizes her purpose in the ancient Hyrule, repair the Master Sword to its former glory and deliver it to Link. To do so, Zelda urdergoes the process of draconification and transforms into the Light Dragon, thus managing to pour her sacred power into the sword for thousands of years.
==Other Princesses of Hyrule==
Besides the Princess Zeldas that appear in the games, the back story to some of the games feature additional unnamed Princesses of Hyrule who have a very similar appearance to Princess Zelda herself.
===Princess from the ===
:See also: Minish Legend
The back story of tells of the . In the , a hero clad in green clothes, the Hero of Men arose to fight the demons attacking the world. This story of the is depicted in a series of stained glass windows beneath the Elemental Sanctuary. One of the stained glass windows depicts a Princess of Hyrule wielding the Light Force. Using the stained glass window, Vaati is able to deduce that the Light Force is currently held by the current Princess Zelda.
===Antediluvian Princess===
:See also: Tetra's Pirate Crew
In , when Link travels to Hyrule Castle beneath the Great Sea, there is a portrait of the Princess of Hyrule (around the age of Tetra) from before the Great Flood hanging on the wall of the castle. In the portrait, the princess is surrounded by several characters, all of which have a counterpart to a member of Tetra's Pirate Crew. It is known that during the Great Flood, she took a piece of the Triforce of Wisdom which had been broken in two by her father and fled to the mountaintops with several of her servants.
===Ten Thousand Years prior to ===
Learned by Impa and Kass, the Zelda that lived ten thousand years prior to the events of assisted Link and the four Champions in defending Hyrule from Calamity Ganon. Successfully defeating the Calamity, Zelda sealed Ganon away for ten thousand years, leading to his release one hundred years before the events of .
==Zelda's Weapons==
===Bow and Arrows of Light===
In several games, starting with , Zelda either wields the Light Arrows or bestows them on Link, allowing him to defeat Ganon (or Ganondorf). In some cases, she is also able to summon a magical bow made from pure light in order to fire the arrows.
In , the magical bow and light arrows can be summoned as part of Zelda's combos and special attacks while wielding her rapiers.
===Rapier===
In , Zelda carries an ornate rapier, seemingly as a . When possessed by Ganondorf, she also uses it as a weapon against Link.
In , this rapier is named the "Polished Rapier", and is one of several rapiers the princess can use, alongside the more ornate Glittering Rapier, the extravagant Gleaming Rapier, which also bears the royal crest, and the humorous 8-Bit White Sword, a joke weapon.
===Baton===
While Zelda does not wield the Wind Waker in its titular introduction, , it is claimed to be an instrument of the royal family used by the monarch in conducting the Sages.
In , Zelda is able to use the Wind Waker to conduct magical songs that summon wind and lightning. She can also use the Sacred Baton, which resembles a crystallized gust of wind, and the Glorious Baton, which resembles a Great Fairy's locks of hair.
==Quotes==
==Trivia==
* and are the only games in where 's presence is completely absent. However, Link mentions her at the beginning of . 's clothing, the , also appears in , which is based on its design from .
*In the original The Legend of Zelda, due to graphical limitations of the NES, Zelda's dress shares the same palette as Link's tunic and some certain items such as the Arrow. Therefore, when the hero obtains the Blue or Red Ring, she will appear whitish blue or red, respectively. Ironically, the former makes the princess resemble how she would appear in the series since A Link to the Past. Official artwork of the game, however, shows her dress being pink, similar to Princess Peach of the Super Mario franchise.
* is the first main series game to supply with English voice acting. In it, she speaks with an English accent. It is technically also the second main series game to supply full voice acting overall, with the Navi Trackers mode for the Japanese version of being the first with Zelda's alter-ego Tetra.
*Ocarina of Time is the first core series game where Princess Zelda is seen with a detailed model of her character, particularly her dress designs, which have been the same since.
* What Zelda says to Link regarding his memories and courage immediately prior to the final battle with Ganon in varied slightly between languages. In the Japanese version, Zelda states that she believes in Link and his courage regardless of whether he regained his memories, while in the English localization, she instead states that courage doesn't need to be remembered due to one never forgetting the concept in the first place. Though, the overall meaning of the message is consistent.
*During the final battle with in and its remake , whenever ends up hit by one of Ganon's attacks, can be heard screaming in horror.
*In both the Japanese and international versions of , entering Zelda's name for a save file will trigger the Second Quest immediately. Some of its dungeons have been reshaped so that they spell out each of the letters in "Zelda".
*In some games and media (comics, manga, cartoons, etc.) within the franchise starting in The Adventure of Link, it is implied Princess Zelda has a crush on Link, making herself a possible love interest.
**In the linked Oracle ending as well as the Ocarina of Time manga by Akira Himekawa, she can be seen giving the hero a kiss on his cheek.
*According to , her favorite food is Fruitcake and her favorite flower is the Silent Princess.
*In , Zelda had not long turned 17 years old when the second Great Calamity began.
*Echoes of Wisdom marks the first time since the debut of The Legend of Zelda series in 1986 - nearly four decades later, where Princess Zelda is the main protagonist of a mainline game rather than Link.
*In , Princess Zelda has sported four different outfits depending on where she is and what she is doing; she wears a deep blue elegant and formal dress when she is at home in Hyrule Castle, a blue casual shirt and dark capri pants when she's doing fieldwork or traveling about, a white ceremonial robe when she is doing spiritual training, and a thick white winter outfit with boots when she is in a freezing environment.
*Biologically, the oldest version of Zelda is in where she is 20, though Zelda is chronologically 117 in and over 10,117 years old by the end of .
* is the first game where Zelda has short hair, rather than long hair.
*Princess Zelda's name was at one point misspelled on Zelda.com.
==Nomenclature==
Shigeru Miyamoto stated that the Princess Zelda's name originated from Zelda Fitzgerald, the wife of the acclaimed author, F. Scott Fitzgerald. The name "Zelda" ultimately derives from "Griselda," which may come from the Germanic elements gris ("gray") and hild ("battle"). Griselda itself means "happy", "lucky", or "blessed", while Grizelda means "endless patience". 
==Gallery==
==See Also==
*Toon Zelda
de:Prinzessin Zelda
es:Princesa Zelda
fr:Princesse Zelda
it:Zelda
ja:ゼルダ (キャラクター)
pt-br:Princesa Zelda
zh-tw:薩爾達公主
Category:Female characters
Category:Characters in Echoes of Wisdom