Warriors, paranoia, and traitors… a beloved trope in this community, and something I also enjoy. I know a lot of people explore these themes with premises like, “warriors suspects the Chain,” “warriors has trust issues,” but! I think it could be interesting if people actually took it in the opposite direction.
Consider: yes, warriors is experienced with traitors. He’s also someone who’s often written with royal politics experience. Always charming, a figurehead in his Hyrule, a war captain. He’s gone through brainwashed knights, dark versions of himself, dark versions of his allies, betrayals even on the enemy’s side. Consider fanon, where he’s experienced years of people trying to poison him, assassinate him, and blame him for the war. He's been through a lot..!
But rather than become distrustful of everyone around him, I think warriors is someone who’s extremely analytical and proficient in reading people. I think warriors would become someone who can sniff out a traitor right away, and that he’d have confidence in this.
hi here’s my unnecessarily long thinkpost on wars and his relationship with trust, traitors, and surveillance.
On trusting the chain more, I’m also just fond of the idea that sharing the hero’s spirit gives them all a sort of… unbreakable bond of faith and love. And I don’t mean this in the sense that they’re a perfectly healthy and functional group—learning to fight alongside each other is a canon struggle. But I simply don’t think warriors would doubt the chain to such an extreme extent that he'd hurt or put them in danger. His own journey was full of allies from other worlds that saved him at his lowest time, after all, with him only regaining the master sword’s “true power” when he “[understood] the bonds of friendship” (a real quote from the game narration lol).
And so consider the alternative… where he’s watches and catalogues everything about the Chain, not because he’s suspicious, but because he cares about them. Hyper-vigilance? Contingency planning? All this means that he can instantly tell when someone is acting off or hiding an injury. He’s seen the kind of things people say to try to get his guard down, or when they’re not themselves, and its very difficult to fool him; he’s not paranoid about his allies, he’s prepared. Just look at the way he gives advice Wild. He’s someone who is always actively reading those around him (both emotionally and physically) and trying to help.
As a war captain, he should also know that paranoia can lead to even more infighting: witch hunts, false accusations, I mean, a big part of the game also includes keeping up your army’s morale. If there’s any doubt to be had, he should be quick and efficient in addressing it and solving the problem.
Also… I think warriors + paranoia in relation to cia rather than traitors is an underutilized concept. Because stalking? A stalker that can observe you across all of time and space?? Even if his journey ended with cia defeated and no longer evil,… it’s not like cia/lana’s feelings for link disappeared. They accepted their fate as an unrequited lover and resumed their activities as the overseer of the triforce. Warriors can’t even complain because it’s their duty to be watching over heroes like him. Now that many of them are all gathered together… who knows when she’s watching. What she thinks. Feels. Does he trust that darkness will not enter her heart again? Being under constant surveillance, even when its out of love and duty can be extremely heavy.
A bit of a tangent, but I also like to think that in contrast to being an extremely skilled people-reader, he’d be absolutely awful when it comes to himself. “Wow my hearts beating really fast whenever I see rose gardens whats up with that” “Wow I guess that statue of Wild made it a little hard to breathe but That’s just how it is.” Wars is lecturing everyone on making sure to ask for help when needed and then going “what? Trauma? Emotional suppression? …Do you mean you need help with that?” and he means that genuinely. He’s gotten so good at putting on a façade, of always needing a façade, that it makes you wonder if he even remembers he’s wearing one in the first place.
Now tie in his identity as a very public hero and figurehead for those in his era. Consider that he’s a Link often discussed in relation to his looks. This is a person who is constantly being watched. Observed. Digested. He’s good at reading people, and he’s aware he’s always being read by others too. So what's the plan, captain, where to next, captain. C'mon, we're alone, no need to be so tense, captain! Captain, is someone there?
When you close your eyes, who do you see looking back at you in the dark?
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a concept id like to propose to the public: wars with a ponytail. have we thought about this? i think we should all consider wars with a small ponytail. bonus if theres a nice little ribbon. please consider. pl
something i think that's super neat about warriors is that hes like. the perfect link for linked universe.
portals to other worlds? interacting with monsters across eras? lu is like. just another tuesday for him. a logical sequel for his adventure. he's /the/ crossover guy.
and i know this is because hyrule warriors is, well, hyrule warriors. but i think an underrated aspect of warriors is that he's... essentially an an amalgamation of the other links. I mean, literal gameplay wise, beyond the obvious enemies/characters, we have things from sfx/bgms to side-game mechanics to the skill tree items being pulled from other games. for his design, they took the best aesthetic aspects his various iterations to create what is the most poster boy link. ...no wonder cia, who fell in love with the hero's spirit across time, set her sights on him specifically.
then you have warriors starting his journey by being explicitly told about his role as a reincarnated hero. impa and zelda are actively looking for the hero of legend, and tell warriors to become worthy of living up to that green tunic. sure, the other links may have stories of the heroes that come before them,,, but none quite experience it like warriors. he's traveled almost all of their lands, fought their bosses, used their items. he's walked past statues of them. the crux of his main conflict involves being chased as this Hero of Legend, of learning to become that Hero.
I don't necessarily think this means he's insecure about his own image as a hero. if anything he's perfected playing the role by this point, and while his ego is no longer at its height, i still see him as a man of pride and natural heroism. In some ways, being the hero probably comes naturally
...but there's probably something about Knowing about all these other heroes across time, being stitched together by their image, learning the world through their lands, and specifically molding yourself after them that like. Does something to you. Mentally. But who’s to say!
When discussing LU + mystical creature crossovers, there are ones that are common in the fandom. Some are obvious: Legend and mermaids, Hyrule and fae... another popular one I've noted is Warriors and vampires.
It makes sense: here's a being that is known for being eternally youthful and beautiful, something with a bit of allure. What creature is better than the vampire to represent our captain, the one who Cia fell for, the one whose beauty is both a blessing and a curse?
But beyond that, I've always thought that making wars a vampire is not only very suitable... but also one of the most cruel things you could do to him. Because vampires are known to live very, very long lives. And there's nothing worse you can do than bless someone as self-sacrificial as he is with near immortality.
Yes here is my very unnecessarily long think piece on why i think wars + vampirism is neat and messed up and how overall, it would be interesting to see wars in a situation where he is cursed to live rather than to die for a cause :]
Firstly, i think warriors is one of the most self-sacrificial links
its clear he thinks of sacrifice as a worthy thing... and sacrifice means you have to consider what that person might be giving up in exchange for their death, and whether that transaction is ultimately worth it.
I've seen lots of fics and headcanons work with this idea and also imply that warriors is someone who is very isolated in his era, someone who is a symbol more than a person. The people either view him as the penultimate hero, or see him as the reason for the War of Eras, cursing him out for what he represents.
If he could ensure his loved ones stay safe , even if it resulted in his own death, would he not take it? How he exists right now isn't that different from that narrative anyways lol. While it's a tragedy when a person dies, it's noble when a symbol does. Consider his morals. Consider his isolation as a Link. His fear of commitment. It's easy to see Wars as someone lonely, because the friends from his adventure are ones who he's hijacked from the others. I don't think its unrealistic to say he's the kind of person who'd think a sacrifice involving himself is always worth it.
But while I enjoy exploring the idea of Warriors struggling in his era... I find myself sort of? leaning away from the idea that Wars has no clear purpose in his life, or no purpose outside the battlefield. Maybe a bit counterintuitive, as his namesake is literally Warriors and his whole thing is about big battles over and over and over again.
How he talks to Wild about the five year plan personally shows me he's someone who thinks a lot about the future and has clear goals he wants to work towards. In an interview Jojo also mentioned that Wars wishes to work with Artemis to rebuild and strengthen their Hyrule. I think of him as a bit paradoxical, in the sense that he's the type to be realistic and methodical in his approach to life, and yet his biggest ideal is the lofty idea of peace.
All this to say, I think Wars and a self-sacrificial death would be something far more complicated than just a result of his loneliness, or his identity as a symbol. I think he'd still feel like he's giving up a future. A chance to protect more people, to see the results of his hard work... he cares so, so deeply for Zelda. There's signs that he still wants to live.
It's just that for him, maybe things are never really about what he wants.... so if it really came down to it, he'd still do it if the situation called for it. And what end is better fit for a Hero as iconic and monumental as him?
But. But then! What if he can't die? If he couldn't die for peace. Whether in canon or in an AU or whatever it is, lets make Wars live. What if he outlives the land? What if he is stuck as he is, youthful, beautiful, preserved forever like a painting. Like the paintings that haunt Cia's place.
I think you can always draw various metaphors of Link to an extension of the master sword; they are a weapon for the kingdom, for the people.
But something underutilized in this metaphor of hero and sword is the identity of the Master Sword as a sealing power. After all, true peace means means that the sword is not drawn. Stuck in the ground. To need to unearth it is a tragedy. Warriors knows this first hand, for drawing the master sword himself only brought more death and destruction to those around him.
So keep that sword on display. Let him become a decorative blade meant to symbolize the sealing of darkness. Let him become a lasting symbol. Let him watch over this peace he'd sacrifice himself for.
(also a bonus thought: considering vampires + being shunned from the light, along with Warriors' canon access to the other timelines... Post LU Alternatives: he knows so many links personally now, but I'd imagine most time rules wouldn't allow him to act so freely lest something gets broken. And vampire can no longer roam the land of the light, of heroes, anyways. Like this, he's just a frozen snapshot of a hero, unable to move out of his frame, his (unending) time.
Living forever as a vampire? Watching over his world, or the other Links? It'll be just like the fate he cursed Lana and Cia to! The eternal observer and symbol, only able to love from a distance.
It sounds like something he deserves, right? )
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i wish more ppl gave more weight to warriors and artemis' relationship bc wars has an extremly high romance/affection rating towards his zelda canonically. (four out of five hearts, second only to sky!!!) and even if you're not into romantic zelink for hw, theyre still extremely important to each other as characters. they are literally bound together by fate and this is a central theme in the hw story--there is a whole villain that is jealous of their close relationship. there's a lot of their character writing that depend on each other, and i think its something you can't overlook when it comes to discussing either of them
and i mentioned wars' affection rating for artemis and we can go into that for sure: with how he runs out into the battlefield without a second thought to join her, or how he accepts the hero's tunic once the princess disappears because he wants to help find her, even if he feels unworthy of it, but i think more ppl should also discuss how much zelda cares for link in hw!!
like. she is lowkey head over heels for him, and a major reason for link's ego. she finds interest in him even before he reveals himself as the hero. when Impa expresses concern over if Link can hold the master sword, it's Zelda who wholeheartedly says she believes in Link and his courage. She says over and over again, she believes in him. I think how Zelda's faith in Link affects his ego can be its whole own discussion that probably deserves its own post but like. This person who is terrifying on the battlefield and able to kick ass not only as herself but also as Sheik and is active on the frontlines, becomes so soft and kind whenever she's speaking to or about Link.
also is there anything more chivalrous and romantic than a story about a princess and her knight tied together by fate like. if you like sksw zelink of botw zelink i think there is sauce to be found in hw zelink. but i digress.
warriors' ego is such a contradiction man. like when he first starts his journey, he doesn't feel worthy of the hero's tunic and only accepts it because he wants to help find zelda. its not himself, but zelda and then proxi who hype him up with the master sword. he needs the encouragement of those around him to trust that he will be able to wield it, and its their faith that propels him. until the moment he runs in on his own , it's really those around him who raise his ego. and then after he gets trapped in the temple of souls with cia, proxi actually apologies for giving link a big head
when cia confronts link about it, she says: "a sword is just a tool for the weak to swing around. only fools and men put confidence in them. The darkness nurtured within you shall be your own undoing"
which implies a source of link's pride is directly linked to the sword... to being the hero... the power it gives him. warriors himself doesn't have an ego, but at the same time, he does if its with his identity as the hero. it's something that was nurtured along with his identity as Link, Hero of Warriors.
in general, i dont think it's right to completely place the blame on outside factors... while fueled by others, it's still something that is within himself, and something he had to grapple with. cia still says there is darkness that was nurtured with him. but its interesting to see how his humility and his pride exist together
i like the idea of there being debate on what started the war of eras. It was because of Warriors himself. No, It was the fact that he had the hero's spirit. No, it was just Ganondorf twisting Lana/Cia's heart. It's not his fault. It is.
The people can debate all they want, but the end, it doesn't matter what the trigger is. He's like Helen of Troy. His crime lies in his existence.
