Thoughts on BOTW's characters?
under a cut!
Urbosa, and her deep undying love for Zelda, is the best thing that ever happened to me.
Link and Zelda are better characterized than they have been in a very, very long time - Zelda’s journal talking about her observations and misconceptions and finally her understanding of Link, made me really enjoy a Link’s character for maybe the first time. I was always frustrated by Link because people seem to interpret his character so many different ways, such a blank slate.
But this game, now there’s actual characterization you can say for sure about Link, where you never really could do that before. Link (at least this incarnation) is quiet and doesn’t talk much because Link is overwhelmed and overcome by the duty of being the Hero. But Link is just like Zelda - young and inexperienced and just trying their best to do the right thing. Hoping to be strong enough by staying quiet. Even Link’s yelling and grunts in this game are much quieter than they were in other games. I don’t know, the whole thing made me emotional, and it made me love Link a lot. I love that Link went out and caught Zelda’s horse to use, there were so many little details that I loved.
It’s like the character effort that usually goes into developing the Companion Character, who is usually the most complicated and notable character in most games (Midna, Linebeck, etc), instead went to develop Link and Zelda.
Zelda herself was so well-drawn, most of the material of the game was there to characterize Zelda. I felt like I really knew her by the end. Her complicated relationship with her father, I really especially enjoyed.
The woodsman at the beginning was such a good character too, so sad - all alone in a cabin working with wood, just waiting for you to wake up so he could pass on his regrets and his hopes.
All those dead ghost characters crying from the dust, honestly. It’s such a lively game, and the races seem to be doing well and prospering, but at the same time most of the characters are regretful angry ghosts. I liked it. I liked the cheerful zora prince, and all the side characters looking and feeling so individual.
