“Yeah, a playable Princess Zelda would be great! We need more games where she’s strong and important, like Sheik and Tetra, she’s been a helpless princess for too long -“
I smile and start to make you some tea, leaning over to say masculinity does not equal character strength and femininity does not equal character weakness
by saying that Sheik and Tetra are the “best” incarnations of Zelda, I continue, pointing you to a fluffy armchair, you are implying that other versions of her are of less value or worth as characters because they’re portrayed as more typically feminine and less masculine - therefore, whether intentionally or not, you’re saying that masculine traits are better to have than feminine traits
the tea is left to steep and I cut you a piece of chocolate cake, adding A female character’s strength, or lack thereof, doesn’t necessarily come from how physically capable she is in battle or how tough she is. Strong female characters are characters that are strongly written; female characters who have stories and arcs unconnected to male love interests, who grow and change as people, and who have agency over their own lives and decisions. We want strong female characters because we’re tired of seeing so many female characters that reflect patriarchal ideals of women who are submissive and demure, and who exist for the sexual and romantic pleasures of men first and foremost before they can focus on anything for themselves.
And in fact, while Sheik and Tetra are good female characters, I mention as I grab a fork for your cake, if we go by the proper definition of a strong female character, they are by no means the only Zeldas who fit those qualifications. For example - Spirit Tracks Zelda, who begins the game as a well-meaning girl with a selfish streak that doubts her own abilities, and ends it as a wiser and more confident young woman unafraid to face responsibility. Despite the fact that she’s portrayed with several stereotypically feminine traits that cause many to argue she’s a bad female character, like a fear of rats, her clear growth of character over the course of the game and the way she takes an active and vital role in teaming up with the player to save New Hyrule and get her body back make her a great example of a female video game character - she has a great deal of agency over her own fate, she develops into a better person because of what happens in her story, and she never loses her femininity in exchange.
Of course, there’s nothing wrong with female characters that have masculine traits, I say as I check to see if the tea is ready. It’s important that we have female characters of all kinds, since there are little girls of all kinds who need fictional characters like them to look up to. But by claiming that Sheik and Tetra are the best examples of well-written Zeldas, you claim that being masculine makes you better than being feminine, which upholds the patriarchal myth that men and manly traits are of more worth than anything associated with women. And it’s worth pointing out that Sheik and Tetra are both actually alter egos of a more typical Princess Zelda, used to hide and protect her from forces of evil that want to prevent her from using her divine magical abilities against them - and that both of them fight as Zelda and not Sheik or Tetra when siding with Link in the final battle of their games.
Finally, I gather up the tea and cake and bring it over to you. The fact of the matter is, Princess Zelda has been a pretty great example of how the video game industry has improved with regards to female characters over the past thirty years. In the original games, she was of little consequence - Zelda from the first game was even replaced by a nearly-identical Zelda in the second, even though they took place in the same era with the same Link, and nobody’s sure what happened to the first. She was narratively expendable; a plot device, a goal to reach for. But since then, her role has greatly expanded - we’ve watched her gain incredible magical power, flourish as the rightful ruler of a kingdom, and even become a goddess. Zelda is powerful and wise, graceful and kind, clever and honorable. To say that she is poorly written simply by virtue of not being masculine is to say something incredibly foolish.
Is the Legend of Zelda occasionally problematic with regards to how Zelda is treated? Undoubtedly: the series does have very deep roots in standard damsel-in-distress princess-in-the tower lore. But she really has grown a great deal in character strength and agency since she was created, and as utterly ecstatic as I would be to play as any version of Princess Zelda for once, I would hope that she could become the protagonist and heroine without losing the character traits and feminine qualities that make her who she is.
The cake is actually a meatloaf disguised with frosting and the tea was made with salt instead of sugar.
Fuck your patriarchal judgements of female characters.
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