Rewatching all of botw's cutscenes just to remind myself of the story and like. Wow. The story isn't super intricate, but with all the years between first playing botw and our current understanding of the world (plus totk) they managed to fit a crazy amount of detail into so few cutscenes!
Warning: long post!
Of the dlc memories, I believe that it was said somewhere official that revali was the first champion approached, and I do get that except for the fact that he knew without asking that zelda was there to ask him about championship, so I think it might make more sense for him to be at least second. The compilation video also had mipha second to last, but zelda references all three other champions, so I'd argue she's last.
That said, my personal belief on the order of events is urbosa first (being so close to zelda (and a good ruler) meant zelda knew she would almost certainly agree, bolstering her for the rest (girl was 16! I just know rhoam sent her instead of going himself because it was 'champion duties'). Getting the easiest one out of the way first. Plus, urbosa is the only one who doesn't mention link!
The second, revali, who already knew what was happening - but it's almost painful, to me, in hindsight... Revali is the only champion who doesn't talk about his death in the battle. All the others are equivalent royalty, grown and playing active roles in leading their people. They're much more plugged into the politics and history of the situation. Urbosa and Daruk talk directly about dying in battle, while mipha more vaguely talks about one day having to leave sidon to face her fate with ruta. I don't imagine revali cares much for politics or long dead heroes. Not to mention he's young - still got those fledgling cheek spots! I don't... think he really grasped the gravity of calamity ganon. I think he let his arrogance get the best of him. Young and invincible. He also refers to link simply as 'that little knight with the sword', and zelda doesn't have a reaction to that.
Third, Daruk, and this time zelda does have something to say about link: she's getting a knight assigned to her, and she hears that 'the top contender is the most accomplished swordsman in all of hyrule'. She's already feeling the sting of comparison, but I don't believe she's actually met link yet. Daruk has, though! I think eating an entire rock roast as a hylian tends to make one memorable XD.
Lastly, mipha, as zelda lists the other champions when asked. I imagine she's generally heard of them, but it's good and polite to hear it first hand. And zelda definitely has a reaction to link now, and he's been relegated to the 'hylian' now, part of the champions that she doesn't see herself as part of. Link is the representative of the hylians, not her. On the other hand, maybe it's possible that she was the first, and zelda was listing the rest that were going to be asked, with no doubt as to their agreement. But her easy reference to ruta makes me doubt it. But with her, zelda has completed a perfect loop of hyrule.
Final thoughts:
Wow revali is arrogant. But looking back, he's got all the hallmarks of someone who's trying to be So Cool. His big fancy words, his love of perching on fences to look taller instead of the perfectly good floor right next to it, the long pause when the princess says she was directed here to find him as he processes that, the playground bragging about link 'losing his courage when he sees my skills, don't come crying to me'. He's the only one who ties champion cloth onto his weapon as well as himself, his little performance in front of zelda. He's so carefully cultivating himself, he's not comfortable in his confidence the way the others are. It really gives him a depth of character I didn't appreciate the first few times.
Do you think some of zeldas handmaidens in gerudo town were sheikah - in disguise or daily uniform? I know gerudo town is walled, exclusive and guarded vigilantly by top warriors + urbosa who loves her, but it'd be foolish to let her anywhere without at least one personally assigned guard, especially not so near yiga territory, as politically crass as sending the princess on a diplomatic trip with a retinue made entirely of openly armed and uniformed assassin spies.
Zeldas va is iconic now, but I do feel she dropped the ball a bit in comparison to the others. The breathiness takes a lot out of any force she tries to inject into her tone in moments that zelda puts her foot down. I know it's an attempt to sound well spoken, but I think bayonetta's first va did a far better job at that (getting fired besides). Still, it sets her apart and it is iconic now.
I think mipha knew or suspected more than she let on about her fate. How old even is she, anyway? I used to think she was at least a hundred, but hearing her say 'when we were younger' or 'you grew up so much faster than I did' and compared to the size of typical royal zora (oot, lbw, tp, ooa, I'm looking at you all for examples of both genders) and that one side quest with a young zora meeting her penpal, I'm much less certain. Her voice, too, is quite young, and she's not even the adult height of the common zora. Indeed, she may well be a lot closer in developmental age to revali than the others, for all she's probably the same age as urbosa (thirties? Early 40s? She's besties with zeldas mother and rhoam is already grey, not to mention her voice!). And making a proposal outfit for someone she never even asked out (to our knowledge, but certainly never gave it to him) is lowkey young maiden behaviour lol. She was an adult, certainly, but I'd say sidon still remembers her as much older and looks up to her without quite realising he was, by the time we meet him, already so much older than his sister ever got ToT.
I'm pretty sure shiekah are matriarchal, probably in accordance with the hylian Royal family being matriarchal. Impa gave off 18yo vibes during aoc, but I'm convinced shiekah age weird so who knows.
Looking at the calamity tapestry I'm noticing a certain thing. The shiekah present in it bear the spikey ponytail and white full face shiekah symbol mask of the modern yiga. I know this has to have been noticed before, but it really is a surprisingly lore filled detail - the tapestry depicts (and was possibly woven during) the time before the shiekah/yiga split, and I wouldn't be surprised if the majority of those disillusioned with the royal family and talked into mass defection were equivalent foot soldiers. The ancient monks wear those same cloth masks, though the modern yiga mask that's likely wood or ceramic is more suited to open combat. Certainly provides more protection and coverage lol. And they got to keep their techniques whilst the ones who stayed loyal got defanged until they were needed as researchers - they kept the knowledge and archives. Having not yet played the new hw aoi I can't say anything more on the situation pre calamity.
Daruk ily but once again how on earth are there dogs just running around on death mountain. That place is 70% lava. I mean in totk we see the state it must have been in before but that's still non zero lava. Why are there apparently roving packs of dogs harassing tiny baby gorons - did they want to play fetch when he was rolling around in a ball?? It speaks to a daruk who was possibly a lot more yunobo in his youth than we realised, and - especially if it's related to the development of his incredibly defensive shield - that's low key adorable.
The music in these cutscenes is incredible omg??? There's SO many remixes/covers of relevant songs, HOW did I not notice before?? Can't wait to watch more, I know I'm going to tear up when we hear fi again.
Also - link microexpressions?! I didn't know he had them! It's so clear now how shut down he is during his knighthood, my poor feral munchkin.
