#and the other outfit the one she has at the beginning of totk i. do not like drawing it.

[funsizedcrow]

ok my goal is to finish these zelda designs before my birthday in march. ive got 9/16 done this is doable

[cooking-with-hailstones]

One day they will make a 3D Zelda with hair that doesn't mildly bug me.

I love Zelda, I love so many aspects of her character designs. She's such a cool character. But her hair consistently breaks my immersion in a way that many other characters just don't, so I am compiling a silly little list.

My credentials for this are the fact that I am a person with long hair who dabbles in hairstyling and I like doing my hair with braids and ribbons. I am also in theater, and purveyor of historical hairstyles.

This is a very unserious and rambling rant, so please bear with me! No shade and no harm meant. This is me having fun.

Alright, down to business.

CATEGORY 1: NO BUT SERIOUSLY, HOW THICK IS YOUR HAIR? OFFENDERS: BOTW/TOTK Zelda

That is a thicccc braid she's got there, but she simultaneously has long flowing hair (botw) that would need to be incorporated into the braid, OR her hair is shoulder length (totk) and you cannot physically make a braid that looks like that with hair that short. ALSO, the braid is very thick, starting from the crown of the head, while not incorporating any hair around it?

It looks like a fake braid headband (which is, I believe, what most cosplayers end up using). If you reeeally wanted to give her a headband, you could use a circlet or a ribbon.

Which brings me to...

CATEGORY 2: PHYSICS DEFYING RIBBONS OFFENDERS: SS Zelda and TP Zelda

I really do not understand this design choice at all. Ribbons are used to style hair in the real world all the time, but the only way I can conceivably see these ribbons staying in her hair is if they're made of velcro, or they're sticky. Either way, sounds painful. (Cosplayers how do you pull this off? I'm assuming glue?) Now, hair wrapping using string, ribbon or fabric is a common practice in many parts of the world, but you need strong tension, a full wrap around the hair, and these wraps usually begin at the scalp. An artist friend said that this was likely a way of getting around having to render braids. Which, fine, I am not an artist, but then why not just have those two locks of hair falling forward like normal? All you need to do is delete the ribbons. And if you insist on having that splash of colour, maybe you could give her some earrings or something?

CATEGORY 3: THE DE-BUTCHIFICATION OFFENDERS: OOT Zelda, Tetra

So I have no issues with the respective hair of any of these characters. My qualm is the immediacy of the transition, and the resulting sudden new length. Because I guess Zelda has to be super femme and that means she has to have long flowing locks when she transforms out of her pirate outfit/masculine sheikah disguise, so no more short hair for you! (Also, you can't be cute and femme and have melanin, apparently?? But that's a whole other issue...)

(And despite my beef with the overly chonky braids, I must give kudos to totk Zelda for righting this injustice. #shorthairzeldarights)

HONOURABLE MENTION: I REFUSE TO BELIEVE YOU CAN FIGHT IN THESE CONDITIONS OFFENDER: AOC Impa

I just had to include this, because I otherwise love the design for Impa in AOC, but the way I feel about this hair is similar to how most of tumblr feels about boob plate armor. You mean to tell me that this highly trained, stealth and combat expert fighter would wear her hair this long and this loose, when she is often in melee situations where someone grabbing and pulling your hair could absolutely be deadly?? Nah. (She also suffers from the same "how is your hair so thicccc??" issue as AoC/BotW Zelda)

Anyways that concludes my very silly rant. I will again add the disclaimer that I know dick all about character design, I just know how to style my thigh length hair with ribbons and braids. If you disagree, or you have any that I missed, I welcome your thoughts!

[echoequinox]

More Zelda Theories, about the Depths and the Statues!

BIG SPOILERS. DO NOT READ AHEAD UNLESS YOU HAVE GOTTEN THE MISSION "DEFEAT GANONDORF". FOR REAL, YOU'VE BEEN WARNED.

That said, this is a lot of theories about the Depths and more specifically the Bargainers, who seem to be a very prominent and important figure in this game, almost like the Zonai were in Breath of the Wild!

We'll start with anatomy, because there's a lot of interesting things to go off of there. As far as we can tell, the statues in the Depths of Zora, Rito, etc. are mostly unexaggerated and straightforward representations of the races they portray. But the Bargainer statues are...

Let's just say they're big.

They are confirmed specifically to be Bargainers by the map marker, namely the one of this picture: the Bargainer Cliff Statue. This implies that it is, in fact, a representation of the group.

Some other interesting things about the anatomy you can somewhat see here: no discernible feet (potentially wearing shoes or armor) and hands that each end in three blunt fingers.

The other interesting part that we can see is their face.

(Also this is a partial view of their upper half as well, which seems to be particularly hard to photograph)

Their head appears to be conical in shape with four eyes that feature prominently, especially due to the first real mission where you speak to the Bargainers and must throw their eyes into the chasms. (Also notable are their streak-like markings beneath the eyes, almost like Tears)

My two primary theories on the face is that it is either 1. A mask of some kind, with the eyes as a recurring motif and possibly some sort of symbolism, or 2. The Bargainers are constructs HEAR ME OUT

Evidence of it being a mask comes from the Hood of the Depths from the outfit you get from the Bargainers. It is shaped very similar to the head of the Bargainer statues, but the face is instead shrouded, the hood obscuring only one eye, and the rest of the face covered in the same wraps that cover Link's arms and legs.

It is POSSIBLE that the Bargainers themselves have four eyes, and using this hood structure only reveal one at a time, perhaps to keep other races from becoming unsettled, or maybe some sort of ceremonial reason. It is also possible that this is a lesser Bargainer outfit, and the ones the statues are built from have the four-eyed masks, and the statues are proof of reverence of those greater Bargainers.

Either suggests that the Bargainers are humanlike in nature, potentially a culture of their own similar to how the Sheikah are technically of the Hylian race (as seen in parentheses in the Character Dossier in ToTK).

It's also possible that they were a subculture of the Zonai, and Link's difference in outfit is due to it being an acolyte outfit rather than the outfit of a true Bargainer. It isn't, after all, called the Bargainer set, but the Depths set. It's possible that Hylians who worshipped the Zonai - and specifically the Bargainers - as gods wore these as some form of worship or ceremony.

My other theory, I personally think, holds less water, but it is interesting to pursue. Below is a spoiler for the Spirit Temple and the lead-up to it.

This is Mineru's construct body after she's resurrected by Link. There are a couple notable things here that do, in fact, relate to the Bargainers.

First, the fact that the Construct Factory is in the Depths at all, which is an area seemingly mostly kept up by Bargainers in general. Second, the anatomy does admittedly seem to line up. Longer arms that reach the knees, the shape of the legs, the codpiece and the strange segmentation of the arms, which do end in three nubby fingers. Additionally, the "head" of Mineru's construct is an owl-styled mask similar to the one we see Rauru wearing around his neck, or on his face in the trailer.

The more I look at Mineru's construct, the more I begin to think that the statues are built after them, but story-wise, it has a lot of holes. It would imply that the Bargainers are, perhaps, sentient constructs. Would they be allowed free reign of the Depths? Allowed to create statues of themselves, in some form of robotic reverence?

The alternative is that they are, in fact, possessed constructs, similar to Mineru's. Interestingly, it does start to line up when you put it in that light. While the Bargainers have you collect Poes in the underground, they don't look like Poes from any of the previous Zelda games. Instead they look like Spirits, specifically those from Twilight Princess. They're said to be the souls of those who haven't yet moved on to the afterlife, and the Bargainers are able to shuffle them on their way.

Mineru, the Sage of Spirit, would be uniquely qualified to have followers who relate to spirits and souls. Putting their bodies into constructs as well wouldn't have been a huge challenge and - in fact - if the process was willing and not one of necessity, it would make sense that they would build statues of their new, superior forms.

Moving on from anatomy, we can briefly cover the abilities the Bargainer Statues seem to have.

The Bargainers are able to speak to Link in the same way many other creatures are: the Koroks, the Goddess Statues, the Horned Statue, etc. They are also able to not only take the souls that Link collects and move them to the afterlife, but compensate him for doing so. They can produce things like Dark Clumps or outfits designed to plumb the Depths. They're also able to reach out and find their "brethren" for Link to seek out and speak to. The more of them Link finds, the more they're able to work together and create better armor and gear for him.

The one on the Great Plateau says he "inhabits" the Goddess Statue to speak to Link. It feels almost as if the Bargainers are spirits themselves, able to possess objects, which is in line with the possessed construct theory.

There are two other interesting notes to leave this on, as I don't really have a conclusion for my theory at the moment. The first is about resources. Zonaite is found most prominently in the Depths, although some is found on sky islands as well. It's possible (or even probable) that the sky islands were ripped from the surface of Hyrule, or even below it, and that's why it's available on them. But Zonaite being found deep underground, and yet powering all of Zonai tech such as the Zonai Charges.

The other is about the name itself: Bargainers. Searching through the Zelda wiki for other instances of the word "bargain", only one primary entry comes up: The Statue's Bargain. This is the quest in Breath of the Wild in which you find and bargain with the Horned Statue. A dealer of life and wealth. A Bargainer, if you will.

It's possible that their powers originated not from a secret stone, like Mineru and her Spirit Sage powers, but instead from a god. Whereas Hyrulians worship Hylia and her encompassing light, it's possible that these Bargainers - maybe even the larger Zonai culture - instead worshipped Her opposite. Deep beneath the ground, away from sunlight and prying eyes, perhaps they did dealings with this strange, bargainer god. Wealth for life. Perhaps trading away your last heart for money, allowing the god to take all of your soul, would trap it permanently, forever adrift beneath Hyrule, as a Poe.

Maybe the Bargainers themselves are trying to atone for what they did, the lengths they went for riches and power, and what it took to become the monolithic figures they revered in statue form. Hylia, as we know, saw the dark god and trapped him forever within a statue. Perhaps his followers were not so different...

Edit: I absolutely forgot the fact that the Construct Factory steward mentions getting receipts and orders from Dragonhead Island, implying more than one construct needs to be built (which, I mean, they're factories and depots so of course). We see Mineru's earlier design in the Spirit Temple, and one hijacked by Kohga at the end of his storyline, so we know that there were at least several in circulation, but it makes sense that if the Bargainers were a race that inhabited construct bodies similar to Mineru, that it would be mass-produced like that.

[aarons-main-blog]

Since ToTK is out now and the idea I had for finding the masks is now irrelevant, I decided to share the basic idea of what kind of backstory I had come up with for how Wild got the FD Mask, cause I really liked what I had come up with but couldn't figure out the best way to implement it or the precise order of things happening.

In chronological order of appearance:

Link wakes up, gets told, "Hey, Link, you are this very specific character and your sole purpose is to go save Zelda"

Link doesn't really like this, but hey, what can you do?

Does the basic line of plateau to Dueling Peaks Stable to Impa to Purah to Impa, gets told to go follow the memories, finds the one with the DP in the background and the rock and is really disappointed in how it seems the princess, supposedly the most kind soul in Hyrule, basically directly insults Link's worth.

Thinks "Wow, that's what she thought of me? I must have been an asshole. Damn." and decides that if that's who he used to be, he didn't want to remember his past and risk becoming that again.

Awkward blank period I hadn't figured out leading into the Gerudo quest, where Link gets the Vai outfit and realizes, "Hey, everyone treats me like a different person now! This is pretty nice!" and begins questioning Gender among other things (now referred to as they).

Link goes into Gerudo town, does stuff, and eventually visits the old woman next to the goddess statue who points out the fact that Link is a voe. From Link's negative reaction, she feels slightly bad and decides to chat with them for a bit. This leads to her telling them about a stash of ancient masks that her family had been in charge of guarding for a while, but that her grand-(aunt? something) had lost the map with just a riddle left. Her reasoning for wanting it was that one of the masks would make the wearer seem like a Gerudo, and that espionage would be easy with it. She asks like to find the cache or the rotted/destroyed remains of the cache, and return the Gerudo mask to her.

The riddle was smart sounding and I liked it, but also could have been better as it just meant "shoot an ice arrow through that big skeleton's eye and the cache will show up," so Link thanks the woman and marks it down on the slate as a quest.

After some amount of time, Link goes to the skeleton and does the action, revealing a large crate with a fancy seal for a lock on it, used to hold the magic that made it rise, removes said seal, and opens the crate. Inside is a whole bunch of masks which bear resemblance to the masks from OoT and MM. I didn't get around to fully planing out this part, but this was the sort of vibe I was going for.

Link casually loots it all and puts the masks in the Sheikah Slate, for delivery to the old woman.

They return to Gerudo town and hand over the Gerudo mask to the old woman, who thanks them, and denies the returning of the rest of the masks as they would probably get more use of them than she would. She casually drops the existence of stage plays, which is the first Link has heard of them, and then explains they're where actors pretend to be different people to perform. This catches links attention.

Link eventually starts experimenting with this idea, wearing different masks or outfits and acting like completely different people, and because he is partially rejecting the idea of their only goal being to stop the BBEG and save Hyrule, they are usually more vocal, with exceptions (this doesn't mean they totally ignore their duty, and eventually leads to them beating Clammy Gan).

Eventually, Link visits the Deku tree and hears his (t)request. However, he notices something when Link later climbs up and talks to him from the StumpStool. This basically conveys the idea that the longer magic tools rest in place, the stronger they become.

This is how much I had thought out, and while I might finish this idea, due to the fact that there is now a Misiko quest that has you finding the pieces around Hyrule, I think I will have to revamp the story in order to fit ToTK better and to boost my interest again.

I dont know how much of the original plan will still be implemented, but I think there is enough stuff that I can carry over the ideas from into the new version. And so I will do this!

Eventually. . .

[bigsoftmarshmallow]

I have something new that I've been working on if you want it?

Another Preggo ELady: Nanema has settled quite well into her temporary role of strategic adviser & at-home co-ruler. She no longer does much herself on her own besides cooking & practicing sewing as she wishes not to worry her husband. And she has begun to rely on others to carry most things for her. (I like to think Ganondorf would notice & be appreciative of the courtesy.)

Which, she feels she has to have something to keep her hands occupied. Otherwise, she might go insane. (She's always been a very kinetic learner & thinker, so she gets antsy if she doesn't have something to occupy either her mind or her body with.)

She’d known some basic things involving sewing, but it was mostly for the purposes of suturing, mending clothes, the sewing of leathers for weapon handles & armor as well as padding for armor. Now that the baby was on the way, she thinks it’ll be pragmatic to learn to actually make clothes. She’s begun using her mother’s old clothing pattern scrolls in an attempt to learn how to make Sheikah clothing & it’s going well so far. (There have been definite stumbling points, especially in the beginning when she accidentally made a kimono with 3 sleeves. XD But she’s taken the failures in good humor & uses them as learning opportunities. She is very quickly improving. Though, I’d like to know the Dorfs’ reactions to the 3 sleeved kimono, especially considering she simply showed it to him & told him about her harrowing experience in performing the small blunder of her own accord with a small, humble smile. I like to think he’d get a bit of a chuckle & might wanna keep it to show their child, who might also get a laugh out of it someday, though, that’s just my perspective. What do you & the Dorfbots think? Anyway, I don’t think she’d mind the possible gentle teasing in the slightest, though.)

However, in the cases of OoT & TotK, she’s asked her husband if it would be alright to have a Gerudo seamstress come teach her some traditional baby clothes. An infant thobe seems to be the most practical start & would be a comfortable first night outfit. For TotK, she may also request some more clothing pattern scrolls from Kakariko if it isn’t too terribly inconvenient. (Their responses, if you please? And, in the case of a denial, she nods & does not press.)

Nemma's also begun to take up different hobbies such as art (mostly coal sketching & painting, but the painting one is still a fairly new one as she has much more experience with simple drawing from understanding basic cartography), practicing her calligraphy (both Sheikah & Gerudo), fashion sketches, low-effort gardening, & reading teaching books (her children WILL be educated). Mostly to keep her occupied when she's able to delegate. (His opinions on these new hobbies of hers? To be clear, she realizes that her painting skills still have a long way to go, though she's planning to take her time with improving at her own pace as this is something that she's doing primarily for leisure & relaxation. However, if he tries to make it sound like a piece is wonderful, be warned, she will give him the look. Not a stink eye, just this unimpressed if indulgent look of, “really?” With a sassy brow raise.)

In the case of HW, specifically, she's taken on the task of making sure the supplies for the effort are maintained.

Other than that, she’s taken on the task of governing the household/castle in the cases of OoT, TP, WW, & TotK. In the case of HW, she's taken on the role of head strategist & military logistics management supervisor. (Meaning that she is “responsible for developing, evaluating, monitoring, & supervising logistics & plans. She ensures that Ganondorf's soldiers & their equipment are in the right place at the right time, & that every mission is safe, effective, & successful. She does this by integrating planning & implementation, & by considering all possible aspects, phases, & contingencies.”)

So, she no longer fights & just after learning of being expecting, she took on an apprentice in the art of smithing in an effort to help maintain their weapon quality later when she is unable to do it herself. After all, smithing is very backbreaking work, so she wished to teach him the techniques as quickly as possible so that she could later take a bigger step back to preserve her & the baby’s health. It's been going well so far. The boy, Zenny, has definitely made his share of mistakes, but has also been dedicated & eager to learn, if a bit shy. However, he has a very strong interest in weapons & a deep appreciation for their history. He also already had a strong woodworking & general blacksmithing foundation, but had decided that his passion was in weapon & armor making.

It’d almost been providence that brought him to them near the very beginning of her pregnancy, it seemed. (Ganondorf’s opinion on the boy?)

But, that’s besides the point, Nemma's also taken up canteen operation & either training, leading, or working with the very few cooks they have on hand. And though she isn’t a medic, she knows basic first aid & is rapidly learning more from the singular medic on staff. (Gan’s opinion?)

Bottom line: when Ganondorf is on site, he’s the one in charge; when he isn’t, she is.

Though, all this does tend to make her seem like quite the busy little bee, but she’s actually quite the accomplished leader, multitasker, & deligator.

Now, could I possibly get their thoughts, feelings, opinions, & reactions to all this? If not, that’s fine, I’m just enjoying myself & I wanted to help keep your mind occupied if I can.

IT TOOK ME A HOT MINUTE BUT WOO!

I love pregnant Nemma. Ganondorf does too. He lets his wife do anything she wants. Who is gunna tell her no? Her? The Demon King's wife? The Gerudo King's wife? No one. Nope.

*********************************************************************

Ganondorf's and Demise's reactions to Nanema's 3-Sleeved Kimono and other activities:

Wind Waker Ganondorf:

When Nanema shows Ganondorf the three-sleeved kimono with her small, humble smile, he can’t help but chuckle softly. He finds the mistake endearing and appreciates her humor in handling it. Ganondorf would likely want to keep the kimono as a memento, envisioning the day when they can show it to their child and share a laugh together. He deeply values her ability to find humor in her mistakes, seeing it as a sign of her resilience and good nature.

As for her new hobbies, Wind Waker Ganondorf would be quietly supportive. He understands that she needs to keep her hands and mind busy, especially now, and he finds her efforts admirable. He might admire her artwork and calligraphy, but if he tries to overly praise a piece, that “really?” look from her would make him smirk, knowing she won’t accept empty flattery. He respects her enough not to indulge in insincere compliments.

Ocarina of Time Ganondorf:

Ocarina of Time Ganondorf would find the three-sleeved kimono amusing, letting out a rare, genuine laugh. He might tease her lightly about it, but it’s clear he’s proud of her for trying something new. The idea of showing it to their child later would definitely appeal to him—perhaps as a lesson in humility or just as a funny story from their past.

When Nanema asks about having a Gerudo seamstress teach her traditional baby clothes, he would likely agree. The practicality of ensuring their child has proper attire from both Sheikah and Gerudo cultures aligns with his own values of strength and tradition. However, he might gently warn her not to overexert herself. He’s deeply aware of her kinetic nature and would subtly encourage her to pace herself.

Twilight Princess Ganondorf:

Twilight Princess Ganondorf would be intrigued by the three-sleeved kimono, and while he might not laugh as openly as the others, a smirk would tug at his lips. He appreciates her willingness to laugh at herself and would quietly keep the kimono as a reminder of her determination and growth. His reaction to her hobbies would be one of quiet observation; he’d watch her progress and offer support when needed, but he respects her independence and doesn’t interfere too much.

When it comes to asking for a Gerudo seamstress, he would grant her request, understanding the importance of blending their cultures. He would likely even offer to retrieve additional clothing pattern scrolls from Kakariko, if it’s something she truly desires. He’s protective but trusts her judgment.

Hyrule Warriors Ganondorf:

Hyrule Warriors Ganondorf would probably find the three-sleeved kimono both amusing and a bit impressive in its own way, seeing it as a sign of her creativity, even if it was unintended. He’d keep it as a trophy of sorts, something to show their child later as a story of persistence. His reaction to her new hobbies would be one of encouragement, especially considering her role as a strategic adviser. He sees the value in her developing skills that can be applied to their military efforts or household governance.

As for her role in managing military logistics and strategy, he couldn’t be prouder. He values her competence and trusts her completely in ensuring their forces are well-prepared and that their household runs smoothly in his absence. Regarding her apprentice Zenny, Ganondorf would be cautiously optimistic. He appreciates the boy’s dedication and is pleased that Nanema has someone to pass on her skills to. He’d watch Zenny’s progress carefully, knowing that the young man’s success reflects on both Nanema’s teaching and the future of their armory.

Tears of the Kingdom Ganondorf:

Tears of the Kingdom Ganondorf would find the three-sleeved kimono amusing and would chuckle at the sight of it, appreciating her sense of humor in sharing the blunder. He’s a bit more reflective and might even see it as a lesson in the unpredictability of life. He’d definitely want to keep it to show their child one day, as a reminder that even mistakes can be valuable.

When Nanema asks for a Gerudo seamstress or additional scrolls from Kakariko, he would likely grant her requests without hesitation, understanding the importance of preserving and blending their cultural heritage. He’s more attuned to the deeper significance of these requests and supports her fully, knowing that her actions are always well-considered.

As for her new hobbies, he’d be quietly approving, especially her dedication to teaching herself and expanding her skills. He knows she’s doing it for their child’s future, and that fills him with a quiet pride. However, if he tries to overly praise her painting skills and gets that unimpressed look from her, he’d smirk and simply acknowledge that she’s still improving. He appreciates her honesty and drive.

Demise:

Demise would likely be the most entertained by the three-sleeved kimono, letting out a deep, rumbling laugh. He’d definitely keep it as a trophy of sorts, seeing it as a sign of her persistence and willingness to learn. His reaction to her hobbies would be more of indulgence; he respects her need to keep busy and would likely enjoy seeing her explore different creative outlets. He wouldn’t interfere but would be watchful, ensuring she doesn’t push herself too hard.

Regarding her role in logistics, strategy, and governance, Demise would be both proud and possessive. He sees her as an extension of his power and influence, and her competence only reinforces his own. He’d be very protective of her during her pregnancy, ensuring she has everything she needs, including capable hands like Zenny’s to assist in areas where she can no longer exert herself fully.

Each version of Ganondorf, along with Demise, would have their unique reactions, but they all share a deep respect and affection for Nanema, valuing her determination, resilience, and the care she puts into her work and their shared future.

[knowledge-based-wumpus-agent]

I decided to beat TotK last night and here are my thoughts about it

turbo spoilers for the final sequence of Tears of the Kingdom ahead

God bless the Cece Hat. The devs really went off with all the insane outfits in this game.

I feel like the open world structure of the game kind of robs the final Ganondorf fight of it's intensity honestly. Like he's just sort of waiting down in the underdark for you to come and try to kill him while you're catching butterflies or whatever. He's all like pff what a pathetic opponent but it's like bro what are YOU doing down here you should've hunted me down when I had three hearts

I LOVED the whole thing with Zelda turning herself into a dragon it's so fucked up. But her just getting cured by Rauru and Sonia really misses an opportunity for a Came Back Wrong moment. Like a) I think you should have to do a final, incredibly arduous task to turn Zelda back. Like I'm talking Soulslike maybe ARG tier of difficulty where nobody in-game thinks curing her is possible but Link has faith and he looks like an insane person for being so persistent about it. And then irl people are in forums online trying to crack the code. And b) when you finally turn her back she ought to be like kind of fucked up, like maybe she still has horns or the weird eyelashes. It's just kind of dumb to me that Zelda's main contribution to this whole quest is her colossal endurance, just sort of staying alive for EONS waiting for Link but in the end she can't remember it! That's dumb as hell she should be like permanently psychologically fucked up by it that's traumatic as hell. But of course all of the other characters would be very understanding and supportive about it.

Likewise, I thought it was cool that Link straight up loses his arm at the beginning of the game, like Rauru literally says he couldn't save it and had to amputate it. I think it's dumb that after Rauru and Sonia channel through Link to turn Zelda back, Link's arm just, comes back?? No explanation. Why! I think it would be very cool if Link just like didn't have that arm anymore and is like getting used to using his non-dominant arm for stuff in the final cutscenes. The game is over what does he need it for?? If they ever make a third game Purah can just give him a cyborg arm or something idk. Like why can't we have consequences here. TL;DR the events of TotK seem like they ought to have a HUGE impact on the characters, but in the end everyone just sort of returns to the status quo as if all that crazy ass stuff didn't happen to them. I would have loved to see a more bittersweet ending where the characters have to grapple with being irrevocably changed by the adventure. I wanted the game to end on a shot of Link and Zelda sharing a moment as they watch the people of Hyrule rebuild society and Link only has one arm and Zelda has horns and it symbolizes how everything has changed but their like love is still there you know?

[aikoiya]

LoZ: Wild - Why There's No Vai Set in TotK

I'm suddenly reminded of Twilight Princess where Link couldn't transform back & forth between wolf & Hylian in front of people because it, logically, would've freaked them out.

As such, I kinda wish that there was a thing like that in BotW where the game would literally stop Link from changing clothes within Gerudo eyesight because, if he did, logically they would realize that he was a voe, have him blacklisted, & bar him from entry even if he wore the Gerudo Vai Set again later. And this should've been specified. Like, a speech bar comes up telling you that you'll be seen & could end up being blacklisted from town.

It could also result in stricter entry regulations & investigations. Otherwise, why even have this law if they aren't going to enforce it?

Though, I do think that as a result of last game, those stricter entry regulations would still be introduced, which, in itself, could be precisely why the crossdressing Vai Set seller is no longer there in TotK & you can't get the Gerudo Vai Set in this game to begin with.

Like, for instance, upon meeting Riju in BotW, she should've turned to Buliara upon her vocalizing that Link was a voe & asked her to make a note to enforce stricter entry regulations to keep this from happening again. The consequences of which eventually making itself known in TotK where one of the gateguards mentions how the entry regulations have become more strict & how they've managed to stop several voe from sneaking in. Even mentioning how they even blacklisted a nefarious voe from the entire region to keep him from selling vai outfits to other voe in Kara Kara Bazaar. Maybe she even comments on how at least Link doesn't hide the fact that he's a voe. (Then the camera pans to Link's face, who has a somewhat awkward expression.)

It should've also stopped you from changing out of them around that one dude you get the sand & snow boots from in BotW until after you've completed his quest chain. At which point, if you change in front of him, he reacts & is visibly crushed by the realization that Link was a dude. It would've been mean, but also funny.

LoZ Wild Masterlist