#jeantext

The meaning of the scene where Link mistakes Marin for Zelda could be left up to interpretation (he was just shipwrecked, possibly woozy/injured/etc) but I think it was more than that, because in the manual, Marin is clearly said to resemble Zelda.

I mainly imagine their “uncanny resemblance” to mean they have similar facial features. There are also design choices that seem very intentional to me because of how specific they are. One bracelet on the left wrist, red jewel at the neck, short sleeved blue dress.

So I wonder why the writers and designers made these choices. Was it simply to have a reference to Princess Zelda in a game where she otherwise isn’t mentioned? Or is it to reinforce that she and Marin have similar roles in their respective stories?

You could also add in some Koholint weirdness there and say it really is beyond just what the creators intended for their roles or references, and is a piece of the story. I think it’s fun to imagine that Link’s memories and thoughts influenced the Wind Fish’s dream in some ways. Which we know is possible because of the nightmares taking the shape of enemies from ALTTP. Maybe the Wind Fish’s desire for freedom manifested as a young woman who looks like Zelda, because Link has memories of her as a young woman who needed to be freed/saved as well? But that’s all personal interpretation. The way the Wind Fish’s dream works and how Link can affect it as an outsider isn’t very clear.

OH BOY DO I HAVE THOUGHTS!!!!! i actually think her becoming queen would be part of her healing process. tysm for the fun question 🩷

copying this directly from my notes, my thoughts on what being queen would mean to her:

Since being the Princess is not just a royal title but also a position as someone with sealing powers (a sage/maiden), maybe Zelda can change her self definition by becoming Queen. Her status as a sage/maiden has always controlled her, so her changing that and taking control back by to occupying the powerful position that “Queen” is would be very freeing for her. Zelda ends up becoming Queen when her father dies/can’t rule anymore, and it’s part of her leaving behind the pain she’s endured as the princess and becoming someone who is comfortable in a leading role with more autonomy rather than always being tugged around by her status as simply the “important princess with magical powers that are needed/wanted by people”.

so i think being queen would make zelda feel more strong and more in control than she felt as the princess. both in a symbolic and a tangible way. symbolic like i mentioned up there as her leaving behind the pain of Princess Zelda, and tangible like how she would be more involved in decision making and overseeing her kingdom. the new responsibility would take time to adjust to but i think she would be able to enjoy life as royalty more once she becomes queen.

also while we’re on this topic of post-canon, here’s some more of my thoughts about zelda and link. under the cut cause it’s longer and rambling:

ALTTP zelda and link pokemon teams i put together a while ago. based on story and themes and lore, not strategy or types. didn’t know anything about pokemon before looking into it for this so let me know if i missed any other good choices :3c

zelda

suicune: represents zelda and the maidens. purifies pollution and has diamond shaped spots on it’s sides

absol: warns people of impending danger. i think zelda needs a little friend that has been forced into isolation as well (though for different reasons)

omanyte: hides away in it’s shell like zelda has to hide away. also has connections to the past, omanyte is resurrected from fossils and zelda is a descendant of one of the wise men/sages. and it kinda looks like her huh. stop staring at me with those big ol’ eyes

starmie: sends signals like zelda’s telepathy. also i just think she’d just like this weird thing lol

lampent: lamp! very important item to me. chose it for zelda bc i think it represents her hope in link’s kindness during dark times, the light in the dark that she holds onto. don’t worry about the whole “stealing spirits” thing it’s fine

frosmoth: my dark world form hc for zelda is a moth and it’s super pretty just like her teehee 😌

link

doublade: two swords (fighters sword and master sword)! telepathic communication!

lunala: moon themed & travels between worlds. like c’mon now i can’t not choose this

ceruledge: wears old set of armor (knight heritage), “blades on its arms burn with the lingering resentment of a sword wielder who fell before accomplishing their goal” (oot & alttp lore connection)

clefairy: magical and moonlight associations, major points for being pink too lol. super deep i know

applin: chompin on an apple :) shout out to all the concussions link gave himself from headbutting apple trees 💯

I imagine Zelda1 Zelda to be a very brave and strong willed person. She made the decision on her own to split the triforce and put it above her own safety. She was put in this difficult situation but she handled both this and being captured by Ganon with grace and courage rather than letting it all crush her. I think she comes out of it all thinking of it as something she has overcome rather than something she was a victim of, because she has this strong willpower that drove her decision making in the first place.

And when I think about AoL Zelda it always comes back around to how she deals with adjusting to change. I imagine she was put to sleep when she was still growing, and she wakes up in a grown body in a brand new world with a new princess and new people and everything she’s ever known is transformed including herself… feeling as out of place in her own body as she does in this future world and learning how to adjust to both.

me and the bestie who doesn’t understand me beyond our similarities while still knowing me better than anyone, despite essentially being a stranger to me due to latching onto each other’s presence out of necessity and desperation in a crisis and not getting to truly know each other for many years because our lives and responsibilities are so separate even though we’re so similar on the inside. and we’re growing into different people while we’re apart but also becoming stronger because of what we’ve learned from our friendship and struggles, we have seen the worst of each other but will keep coming back regardless because there’s so much trust and care in our friendship even though every time we meet again it feels like we’ve turned back into that pair of strangers