#especially ss zelda

[veggiecorner]

go go fight it out

[laniardraws]

This is what his first boss fight looked like to me

Based on that one jojo meme (under the cut) except Link doesn’t have the swag

[carrotsnake]

my tinfoil hat totk theory is that this scene

garnered so much rage from gamer boys that nintendo added it onto their list of things to improve on from skyward, and this is why every npc sucks on link’s knob like it’s corn on the cob

[scootatwoni]

The strongest warriors are those that love botw but don't ship zelink (me its me I'm the strongest warrior)

[phoenixcatch7]

Loz headcanon I will defend to my dying breath:

Links soul gets reincarnated, right? He's the only soul that does that, weird doppelganger shopkeepers notwithstanding because they never remember anything. Not even zelda reincarnates, her legacy is her bloodline and it's magic. Ganon turned up after hylians has come to the surface.

His soul bonds carry over, as we see with the master sword. She can identify him no matter how many eons pass. The triforce is never with anyone but link.

Now loftwings were said to be soul bound to their rider, right? They come during a ceremony at the foot of the goddess statue and live with their rider for the rest of their lives, able to come when called over vast distances.

Now links loftwing that goes unnamed in canon (linked universe chose the name Crimson) is a very unusual bird. Zelda goes out of her way to talk about the exceptionally rare red colouring and how loyal and feisty it is.

Gee, I say, a uniquely red with white mount that is incredibly feisty and loyal to link known to ride like the wind, able to come to him across any distance, that seems to almost reincarnate alongside him whenever possible.

Link's loftwing was called epona and she's followed him through life and death to stay by his side.

[geekeryisafoot]

I don't know what it is that the BotW and TotK soundtracks lack, but they lack something. Baring a few songs, nothing really hits the way older Zelda tracks do. I remember humming along subconsciously when sailing the ocean in Wind Waker and my mom laughing at me, I would linger in Zora's domain in Twilight Princess just to hear the music, the godess realm tracks in Skyward Sword were beautifully eerie and nerve-wracking and a major part of what made them so terrifying, I listen to the Twilight Princess and Skyward Sword soundtracks while working and pause every once in awhile just to soak it in. Hell even Spirit Tracks had me humming along with the overworld theme

I've been listening to the Breath of the Wild soundtracks while working and it was just... background noise. Almost nothing had me humming along, nothing was making me stop work for a moment to seep myself in the music or memories. While the Twilght Princess soundtrack is making me do that nearly every song. I'm sure nostalgia is a major part of this, but it just makes me sad to have lost whatever it was that made the music so so iconic

[elibean]

Iiii still don’t like this zelda. She’s fine, it’s just, I like SS Zelda so much more, she had so much more life to her

[rawliverandgoronspice]

I think what chronically upsets me about TotK is that. So much of it could have been so good with so little change.

I am into Zelda as a sacrificial, wondrous and silenced creature who must literally carry the blade of the hero as a wound inside her forehead and silently wait to be humanized again --and the injustice of a kingdom built on such a premice doomed to repeat itself, especially if the kingdom was founded on such dubious grounds to begin with. I am into Ganondorf forcing the present to reckon with the past through the most violent clash, forsaking everything that made him a person while sinking down into petty vindictiveness until no connection and no humanity remains, even though independance was what he was trying to protect in the first place. I am into Link as somebody trying to hold onto his most important connection to the world he once knew being used to force him into a conflict that has ultimately nothing to do with him (sure that's SS again but, it could have been explored even further). I am into Rauru as this self-important, self-made king who used his own association to godhood to live out a power fantasy that refuses to ever be acknowledge as such, maybe compounded by the fact he is one of the last of his species and feel, himself, the crushing weight of their fading heritage?

I don't know, the Tears of the Kingdom or something????

But, it all tragically depends on one crucial thing, which is to allow hylians to be wrong sometimes.

And it's wild to me how all of this incredible potential to comment on the series' history and the characters' role in it is just. Flattened into nothing, because Good must be Good and Evil must be Evil, and Hyrule must be righteous at literally every cost --even if it means nervously rewriting their own history through convoluted logic that rejects conflict and depth and vulnerability at every turn.

[spnfanficpond]

New Member Spotlight January 2025

The Pond is always growing and we want to make our new members feel welcome! Here’s a list of recent additions to our fishy family and a little info about them!

Guppies, Jellies, and Mutuals, oh, my!

doe - she/they, @nyc-pizza-rat, Purple_Starflower (AO3), sleepydoe (Discord)

OTP? - Destiel

Other fandoms? - A few — ofmd, good omens, do bollywood movies count?

Looking for in the Pond? - Community and support! Also accountability

Pairings you read? - Destiel, mostly

Genres you read? - Fluffy & Angst, low smut, soulmate AUs, Accidental marriage

What do you like to write? - One shots

Something you haven't written but would like to try? Why not? How can we help? -Long fic

Mari D - she/her, EST, @rosemariad, kunoichidelahoja (AO3), R0s3mar1_D (Discord), mari_m_d on Instagram, mdgurl on Twitter (I'm always gonna call it Twitter, idc lol) & bluesky

OTP? - Destiel, SamJess

Other fandoms? - Naruto

Looking for in the Pond? - Support, engagement, social activity

Something to signal boost? - I'm working on an SPN fanfic series - I've published 5 fics contributing to that series spanning from the end of s4 to s8, s9 is currently in progress and will be done by next week, here's the link to the series on Ao3:

Pairings you read? - ships, occasional love triangles

Genres you read? - angst, PWP, smut, slow burn, Canon divergent, Canon compliant, the occasional bit of crack for levity lol.

Favorite writer(s)? - favorite fanfic writer not necessarily but favorite fics absolutely: our old heroes by adelaclancy, a room of ones own by northernsparrow, four letter word for intercourse by @bendingsignpost

What do you like to write? - I love putting my own spin of Canon events and then spiraling from there, so it tends to be in-universe but Canon divergent or Canon compliant and writing from a character's perspective never seen before.

Masterlist!

Most underappreciated fic? - SPN Inferno

Something you haven't written but would like to try? Why not? How can we help? - I would've previously said publishing this spn fanfic series I'm working on but just gauging people's thoughts on it would be super helpful, what works, what doesn't work? what would people want more of or less? I want these fanfics to be the best it can be because of how long the SPN Fandom has endured, now reaching 20 years since the show began.

Liane - she/her or they/them, Germany, @chevroletdean, Reika (AO3), reikanra (Discord)

OTP? - Destiel (I also love Samwena)

Other fandoms? - Anime (some of my favorites are Jojo's Bizarre Adventure, Attack on Titan, Sailor Moon, Durarara!!, Death Note), Gaming (some favorites are Persona, Animal Crossing, the Legend of Zelda, Ace Attorney), Dungeons & Dragons, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, anything vampire related honestly

Looking for in the Pond? - I hope to connect with other writers/readers, to participate in writing events, and to learn a thing or two (especially about formatting stuff). I'm also looking forward to fic recs.

Something to signal boost? - Back in November 2024 I have created a Tumblr Community for Supernatural Writers. It is a groupchat-esque space for all kinds of writers to connect, collaborate, and help each other out. In December we've hosted a Prompt-Mas event as well as a Secret Santa. Tumblr was rolling out this new feature and I wanted to use it for that purpose. Secondly, I have recently joined a mutual's Discord Server for SPN Fanfic Writers and am currently a mod there.

Pairings you read? - Destiel, Samwena, Reader inserts (all of them! Dean x Reader, Sam x Reader, etc.)

Genres you read? - Angst, fluff, smut. My favorite is ANGST all the way, the heavier the better. Some of my favorite tropes are hurt/comfort, Royal!AU (knight x prince(ss) has my HEART), sunshine x grumpy, friends to lovers, Character A fell first and Character B fell harder

Favorite writer(s)? - There are too many to just pick one, but I'll try to list the first 5 that come to my mind! Alex ( @zepskies on Tumblr and Zeppelin_Skies on AO3), Blondie ( @ohsc on Tumblr and AO3), Dahlia ( @lovedahlia on Tumblr), Fig ( @figthoughts on Tumblr), and Kelsey ( @inknopewetrust on Tumblr and happyhogan on AO3)

What do you like to write? - As of right now I mainly write Dean x Reader and Dean x OC stories. I write for other SPN characters too, though, as well as characters played by Jensen Ackles. They all range from fluff to angst to smut, or revolve around platonic relationships. I generally prefer one-shots, but also write headcanons and multichapter fics. My current main project is Tainted, a very angsty Dean x Fem!Reader mutlichapter fic revolving around the Mark of Cain and Demon!Dean arc in seasons 9-10.

Masterlist!

Most underappreciated fic? - NSFW warning, I wrote this for Kinktober 2024: Lingerie

Something you haven't written but would like to try? Why not? How can we help? - As someone who's queer myself, I'd love to write more sapphic x reader fics. I already have (cf. the underappreciated Rowena x Fem!Reader oneshot above), but it fell a bit flat, so I haven't done it again. I love the boys dearly, but sometimes I wanna put more spotlight on the female characters of Supernatural. Especially in x (fem!)reader scenarios, but also just generally. Maybe events where the ladies get to be the main characters would motivate me more, if a couple of people participate.

Mal - she/her, EST, @winchester11213, Winchester11213 (AO3),

OTP? - Sam/Eileen

Other fandoms? - Marvel

Looking for in the Pond? - Recommendations and possibly when I get the gumption, to have others see my writing.

Pairings you read? - Reader inserts

Genres you read? - All genres. Favorite tropes: enemies/friends to lovers; fake relationships

Favorite writer(s)? - @kittenofdoomage is my favorite.

What do you like to write? - Smut, fluff, working my way into some more genres at a snail’s pace

Masterlist!

Something you haven't written but would like to try? Why not? How can we help? - Not yet. I still have 96 (exaggerating a bit) WIP & a 3yo so I’m very slow at putting out work between time restriction and my general lack of confidence

Beth - she/her, Australia, @bettystonewell, betty_stonewell (AO3),

Looking for in the Pond? - Making fandom friends

Pairings you read? - Reader inserts

Genres you read? - Romance with a bit of everything. I prefer humour to angst. Slow burns, friends to lovers, omegaverse

Favorite writer(s)? - @littlegreenplasticsoldier, @kittenofdoomage, and alexjanna91 (on AO3)

What do you like to write? - Dean x reader. Writing from Dean’s perspective

Masterlist!

Abbie - Great Britain, @supernotnatural2005, Supernotnatural_2005 (AO3), Abbalinawrites (Discord)

OTP? - Dean x reader

Other fandoms? - Big sky, SPN RPF, wanting write for more

Looking for in the Pond? - I’d like to be able to communicate with more people, and find new blogs with work to read. I’d love to be able to bounce ideas around and get more advice, or opinions on my work. Be part of a community with lovely people I can share my work and theirs with.

Pairings you read? - Any of Jensen’s characters x reader

Genres you read? - Angst, fluff, smut, alternate universe, A/B/O

Favorite writer(s)? - Currently, my two favourite atm are @zepskies and waynesmultiverse because I have recently read their works, and love everything they put out. Also, Alex has been lovely in responding to some of my work.

What do you like to write? - Angst to fluff, smut, AU, A/B/O

Masterlist!

Most underappreciated fic? - A Christmas Miracle

Something you haven't written but would like to try? Why not? How can we help? - I would like to write my own Alpha!dean x Omega!reader story. I have attempted but struggled to put the ideas to the page. And maybe idea bouncing? I show/tell you my idea and get feedback or advice?

EnTeSelene - she/her, Spain, @enteselene, enteselene (AO3), EnTeSelene (Discord), enteselene.bsky.soc

OTP? - Wincest

Looking for in the Pond? - I'm looking for fellow fans who love to read and write

Something to signal boost? - I'm the @spneldritchbang mod. On AO3

Pairings you read? - gen, wincest. I don't mind the pairing if the story is good

Genres you read? - lol, horror, case fics, character study... But again I don't mind the trope if the plot is good

Favorite writer(s)? - fleshflutter is to blame that I fell down the rabbit hole

What do you like to write? - horror and dark fics

Masterlist!

Most underappreciated fic? - Porcelain Soul

Something you haven't written but would like to try? Why not? How can we help? - uh, thriller? sci-fi? I guess that the plot bunny missed my address

Tiffany (or Tiff) - PA, USA, (no Tumblr or AO3), Maxx15849 (Discord)

Looking for in the Pond? - To meet other writers and support others

Something to signal boost? - I'm working on my own application for writers

Pairings you read? - Oc/Dean Winchester ships

Genres you read? - Romance, friendship

What do you like to write? - Romance, friendship

Something you haven't written but would like to try? Why not? How can we help? - Not really. Still working on the ones I am working on now

That’s all for this month, folks! (If we’re missing anyone, let us know and we’ll add them to next month’s list!) Make sure to say hi to the newbies and make them feel welcome! Thanks to all from @mrswhozeewhatsis, @mariekoukie6661, @thoughtslikeaminefield, @heavenssexiestangel, @spn-fanfic-reblog-writes, and @manawhaat!

[the-moon-files]

Who do you think you could beat in a fight? like no weapons, not power gloves/bracelets, just bare hands and a dream.

BARE HANDS AND A DREAMMMM

who let u be this funny kota lmao

Tbh, me v. anything stronger than a chicken or a chuchu, they winning.

Ive only Just started going to the gym, i have very little muscle that isnt from carrying groceries, so hands down, not many things i would realistically fight in botw/loz games in general

If ur talking abt the Links tho?? Uh, none. 💀

Im not that delusional (yet), i mean i guess if u wanna get creative with it, I think, personally,

I could beat some of them in a drinking game lol

Like maybe Sky, Hyrule, Four, Wild, and (to his lightweight dismay) Legend, just bc im not a lightweight so thatd be funny

But general strength? Nah probably none of them

But u wanna hear my delusional takes on this, like if i would just swing regardless of actual strength discrepancy,

Weirdly enough, Hylia? LMAO

*

(Warning, Hylia bashing, if u like her a lot for whatever reason and are going to feel the need to comment in her defense, pls find another post to do that on, this rlly isnt that serious)

*

Alright, let me explain, let me explainnn

So i saw LU blogs defend this better than me, but basically Hylia (not Zeldas) is like lowkey another root cause for problems in Hyrule, she kind of encourages this endless cycle of abuse of "heroes" or mortals, to enlist in this eternal battle against Demise/Ganon, when he's technically immortal, and she should be fighting him herself.

Or at least not making mortals (who can Die) fight for her, especially with the setup being a SINGULAR MORTAL. like not even an army of mortals

(Like i get it, its for stupid-plot-not-rlly-thought-out-reasons so the games get to exist, but suspend ur disbelief pls, assuming this is now a real universe that ive got dropped into)

There are other reasons, like how she possesses every Zelda lowkey against her will, or without her permission to be in her body at least, and that she sort of? I thought, like? Wants to to be with Link every time? Feels kinda creepy?

Idk that one may not be true, but there are way cooler blogs out there that have a nicer receipt list of beef with Hylia, pls find them

But most importantly, if u take nothing else away from this, its that, someone out there, in the depths of LU tumblr, gave reasonable, logical, justifications about how Legend could take down Hylia on his own.

She's basically all magic, so if she suddenly had no more magic in this scenario, im betting that i could at least tackle her and turn it into a bar fight lol

Revenge for all the Links u could say,

I actually thought abt making a fic that had smth like this premise, but eh, ive got so much to write abt rn i havent taken it on

Plus, hey, who doesn't wanna fight God a little?

Hope that answered ur question! Or at least was entertaining!

Sorry if u rlly like Hylia for whatever reason and i just shat on her for like a small paragraph, idk, just unread it or smth

(Im still watching a playthru of SS, but i think i also could specifically take Ghirahim in a arm wrestling contest, ok thank you, good night)

Peace out,

🌙

[l1ve-l4ugh-lov3craft]

Skyward Sword Link: Would you fall in love with me again If you knew all I've done? The things I cannot change Would you love me all the same? I know that you've been waiting, waiting for love

Zelda: What kinds of things did you do?

Link: Left a trail of red on every island As I traded friends like objects I could use Hurt more lives than I can count on my hands But all of that was to bring me back to you

LITERALLY THEM

THEMMMMM

ESPECIALLY SS ZELINK AND TOTK ZELINK AFTER ZELDA UNGRAGONIFIES

[jayietheriverwarrior]

I've been picking at this one for a while between working on other things, and I'm honestly really happy with how it turned out. :D It's so different from my usual style, I never draw people or horses, and the sort of animated style of it and more stylized shading is so removed from what I usually do, but I think it turned out really good. :D

I bought the new Zelda game Echoes of Wisdom the day it came out, and while I hadn't been wild about the chibi style and top-down camera view going in, I was still excited about getting to play as Zelda, and I ended up enjoying the game despite those initial hesitations far more than I expected. :D The story was engaging, the flexibility of echoes and various ways to use them was a ton of fun, and even with the chibi style the game had some truly gorgeous moments.

But even though I didn't end up minding the chibi style while playing the game nearly as much as I thought I would, I still just wanted to see what Zelda's design, outfit, and horse would look like in the more anime-ish style of BOTW/TP/SS/TOTK, so I decided to try my hand at drawing it, despite the fact that I haven't drawn humans or horses in literal years. XD I think it turned out pretty good in view of that. I liked aspects of Zelda's main adventuring outfit in the game, especially the ponytail, but something about the cut of the skirt (or were those pants?) was bothering me, so I spent most of the game in the blue dress you can get from a Zelda amiibo, and that's the dress I most wanted to see in this style, so that's what I drew her in despite it being a super side option in the game itself. :P Ah well. It's pretty, and I regret nothing.

I used that promo shot of BOTW Zelda standing all dramatic as a reference. I used her chibi design from EOW as a base, then for the details the chibi didn't show (like eye color/detailed face shape/etc.) I kind of mixed and matched from various games. She's got a narrower face and eyes than her BOTW design, but not as narrow as her TP design, it's kind of a mix of those two looks, with some SS Zelda thrown in for flavor. She's got the bright yellow golden hair from the EOW chibi, with the blue eyes of most of the Zelda designs (minus BOTW which is more teal-ish?). I think it works well for a Zelda design overall without looking like a carbon copy of any one Zelda design, if that makes sense.

Overall, I'm really proud of how this turned out. :D

[elstreem]

Enjoying smoothies under the sunshine, with friends.

I finished Echoes of Wisdom recently and it was very fun! As someone whose very first Zelda games were the Oracles duology, it made me so happy seeing some nods to it (froggy ring!) and just overall it was fun with a bite of challenge.

So I wanted to draw these three just enjoying their smoothies and talking as friends. I did want to push my skills further and decided to paint this rather than use line art - which, hm...well, it's better than what I've done, before, but it's still not what I want my art to look like. I especially feel unsure about the balance of colors...still need to study on that.

some details that might be spoiler-y, so I'll put them below the cut:

I don't think it completely comes across, but I intended Link to have this rather shy feel to him, I have this idea he's not used to using his voice to talk again and gets a little self-conscious about it, but Zelda puts him at ease. Also, headcanon that Link loves Floral Nectar in his smoothies since Suthorn Village sells it, so I assume it's made there and the taste reminds Link of home. I gave Zel a grape smoothie because it's readily available so I like to think she also has fondness for grapes for helping her in a pinch.

And yeah, if this happens after the game Tri can't be there, so feel free to interpret whether Tri is really there or just in spirit.

I also gave both of them scratches here and there because they had to be roughed up after everything they'd been through.

One last thing I want to talk about in EoW - I loved that it has the three goddesses come back, since Skyward Sword, BotW and TotK focused heavily on Hylia, so it was nice seeing the other goddesses come back. Not that I minded Hylia, I know some people have strong feelings about the establishing myth Zelda has set up with SS, but I did miss the other goddesses. Again, my first games were the Oracles duology, so I'm very fond of Din, Nayru and Farore (I know, I know, again, debatable if the Oracles are the same as the Goddesses or just women that were named after them, but I always chose to see it as the Oracles being aspects of them made manifest).

Other stuff I choose to see as throwbacks to Oracles were the River and Sea Zora both appearing, and of course the Smog boss fight. Annoying as ever, that cloud, but it feel sweet scoring victory with my Octoroks ahaha.

[all-hail-trudos]

The way Zelda redditors behave like BotW is going to be the template for future titles is absolutely hilarious. They are convinced that Nintendo is done with classic Zelda elements forever. TotK proves it! Never mind that they can barely agree on whether this even deserves to be called a new game or overpriced DLC. Or that Nintendo themselves have said that this was a very big experiment, where they let a team comprised of mostly younger devs run the show, and the director of BotW has actually left the company to go work on Infinity Nikki of all things. I don't know what the future of Zelda is going to look like. I can't see Nintendo just walking back everything they did in BotW. (And they better not. Skyward Sword is the worst mainline Zelda title, and BotW was the exact opposite of the hand holding the series had gotten really bad for). However, we can guarantee one thing for sure. The open-air game concept that specifically defined Breath of the Wild and its direct sequel Tears of the Kingdom is not simply going to be the new template for the series.

I could leave it there with a "because Nintendo said so" but it's midnight and I'm already making bad decisions, so I'm going to go one further and back this up with a second supporting argument. That's not how Nintendo as a company works. That's not how they've ever worked. They stopped doing rational, clear iterative upgrades when they followed up the Gamecube with the Wii. The Zelda series itself has constantly been one of self reinvention. Ocarina of Time is incredibly special in that Breath of the Wild is the first time they've so clearly broken away from the model it set. But when you look at the rest of the series, it's obvious BotW was the biggest experiment, but not even remotely the first. Majora's Mask turned the main gameplay concept on its head by putting everything on a Very. Tight. Timer. When you hit midnight of the third day, that was it. Rewind or die. All your progress was reset except for your sword (iirc), your masks, and your rupees if you put them in the bank (because the banker was a time traveler?). Wind Waker flooded the whole continent and had you sailing around on a boat, using a proto-physics system to fill your sails. The wide open world of OoT was gone altogether, and Princess Zelda didn't show up until halfway through the game (we won't talk about what they did to Tetra). Twilight Princess made the game super linear and made Zelda herself almost secondary to the plot. Actually, TP almost feels like the most direct callback to OoT with the doubling down on horse mounted combat, an art style that looked more like it next to whatever WW was doing (but which would ultimately age a lot worse), dungeons that also felt more directly inspired, and a combat system that was a little less fluid and reactive. But it also had Link temporarily become a werewolf, and gave us an egregiously underappreciated Spaghetti Western shootout that came out of nowhere and was all together too brief. Then Skyward Sword came along, which was the least reinventive of the bunch mechanically, but which did at least try to turn the classic narrative on its head. Also Zelda went from being barely there to being a driving character in the narrative. And she walked so BotW Princess Zelda could run. That said, imho, you can see why they leaned so much harder into experimentation with their next game that nearly skipped a whole console generation, because by SS the series tropes were getting a little too strong. The series was actually drifting into iterative territory, and that's not the typical Nintendo way. Especially not with one of their two core in-house franchises.

(Please don't bring up Pokemon here. I know it's Nintendo's third core franchise. But please remember, Zelda and Mario are solely owned by Nintendo, while Pokemon is at this point is at the center of an entire corporate conglomerate, which Nintendo is only part of).

I get that some people didn't enjoy BotW. I can sympathize with the people who did not want more like it and who were consequently less than thrilled by TotK's arrival. But bemoaning the fall of the franchise and saying Nintendo is going to be like Ubisoft, EA, and all the other trend chasing studios out there is really going too far. Nintendo has spent too many years baffling investors to start doing that now. Yes, Tears of the Kingdom exists. No, it's not proof of the trend. It was a planned sequel (itself an enormously rare concept in Zelda history). You can't make a planned story and gameplay sequel to a game and just throw away the concept you're following up on. That would be an enormously bad idea. (Worse, even, than trying to make your sequel game stand on its own for new players and erasing nearly all memory of Link from the same people he helped save. I love TotK so much, but I am not blind to its flaws, what few there are).

ALSO yes Echoes of Wisdom has Zelda stacking beds into a diy staircase. NO that doesn't mean we're seeing a return of this apparently beloathed systems-based physics gameplay in 2D fashion. If there were physics, the beds would have fallen over. That's like calling Minecraft or Dragon Quest Builders a physics based exploration game just because they have objects you can stack. That is the dumbest take I've seen come out of a community that is profoundly skilled at coming out with dumb takes.

[fieldsofbran87]

Okay post number 2 I’ll actually explain myself.

Every time I think about Impa I go bonkers but ESPECIALLY when I think about Impa and Ganondorf/Demise. These two are having a full on SAGA off screen and Nintendo is just too afraid of the raw energy their dynamic would bring. They would steal the show if let loose. Zelda and Link’s soulmate bond would pale in comparison to their absolutely fucked up 8D chess eternal rivalry. They’ve been playing the “too different to ever be friends, too similar to hate each other” game for centuries and it’s high time we addressed it lmao

Despite having about one scene of on-screen interaction and no dialogue together, Impa and Ganondorf are pretty clearly set up to be narrative foils. Impa is the servant of the goddess, the protector of Zelda, and guide to Link. Ganondorf is the rebel, the Demon King, and the opponent of the Princess and the Hero. Impa is defined by her selflessness, time and again devoting her life to serving Hylia and the Royal Family, even at a price for herself. Ganondorf, in contrast, is characteristically selfish; seeking to fulfill his own goals at the expense of others.

The Sheikah and the Gerudo are foils too. Both suffer the subjugation of the Royal Family, and both are the only other two human races besides Hylians. However, the Sheikah for the most part conform to their roles, serving the Royal Family, (therefore labeled as “good” by the Hylian narrative), while the Gerudo actively resist that regime (and are hence labeled as “bad”).

(The Yiga Clan is also a very curious facet of this issue, but that’s a whole other can of worms I don’t really feel equipped to discuss right now.)

Impa and Ganondorf are also tied together through their game appearances. Impa does not appear in a game without Ganon, and while Ganondorf sometimes appears without Impa, two of those occasions are Wind Waker and Twilight Princess. The same man as OOT, who has already met her. (FSA idk what’s going on there lmao. She wanted a break and that’s valid.) Timeline wise, they also return together after SS, both appearing in OOT after not being present during Minish Cap or FS. Intentionally or not, if one of them is there, the other will be too.

Impa and Ganondorf are undoubtedly paired together in the cycle, although less explicitly than Zelda and Link. They balance out the four, with Link and Zelda being destined always to find each other and work together, whereas Ganondorf and Impa are destined always to work against each other. Ganon attacks the kingdom, and Impa facilitates the resistance.

For all their differences, Impa and Ganondorf often operate in very similar ways. Throughout many of the games, they’re both working behind the scenes; nudging the heroes or their minions in the direction they want like chess pieces on a board. Ganondorf is more explicit in this (ex: Zant, Vaati, etc) but it’s important to remember that Impa is more than a passive side character. In Skyward Sword, she is directing Zelda down the path that leads to pretty much every major event in the game, and in Ocarina of Time, she raised Sheik and almost certainly sent him out to find Link. (Honestly, as much as Zelda is Hylia-incarnate, Impa is really the one pushing the Goddess’s agenda.) From these roles as orchestrators, they share a level a power over the narrative that the other characters don’t possess. Power that exists to contradict the other.

There’s also the scene in OOT where Impa escapes with young Zelda, pursued by Ganondorf, and it’s entirely possible they duked it out before the drawbridge bit. If so, then Impa’s escape implies a level of combat/magical power that is reasonably comparable to Ganondorf’s. I think it’s reasonable to say that Ganondorf likely outweighs Impa in raw strength, but she holds her ground surprisingly well. Ex: surviving the Calamity, escaping the castle in the OG game, also probably surviving the initial fight with Demise as Hylia’s guardian.

The icing on the cake to all of this is that when developing the lore, Impa was originally supposed to be a bearer of the Triforce with Link and Zelda. I checked the Hyrule Historia after seeing a post about Impa initially wielding Power and it’s true. She was originally supposed to be a guardian alongside Link and Zelda, not Ganon. And I just… oh my gosh the implications of that.

Looking at Impa through the lens of not necessarily someone who was destined to wield Power in canon, but someone who conceivably could is so fascinating. It makes her connection to Ganondorf all the more potent, not just as foils, but as two people who could just as easily be each other as oppose each other. In Ocarina of Time, for example, it’s not hard to picture an Impa who took a similar path as Ganondorf. Her people have been brought to the brink of near extinction, mostly thanks to the Royal Family. It’s entirely conceivable that she might find herself drawn to the Triforce just as much as Ganon was, seeking not coveted wind, but the undoing of so many lost lives.

All of this just sets the ground work for an absolutely fascinating relationship, and it drives me nuts that the games never explore it. Impa and Ganondorf both share a great deal of ambiguity regarding their intentions, motives, and overall feelings, and focusing on the two of them would open the doors to aspects of their character we haven’t seen. Being non-Hylian, older, and typically more world weary than Link and Zelda, they have a perspective on the cycle that is intriguing, and almost certainly not as positive. I think that would be neat to see.

Demise and Impa also have some interesting potential, especially considering how much time they spent in proximity. Like she spent centuries guarding the Imprisoned, as well as the sword he was sealed in. Did they ever speak? Did she know him from before he was sealed? Did he respect her skill and power the way he respected Link’s? There’s so many brain worms there.

Anyway, I have so many more thoughts on these two but honestly they’re better expressed via creative writing lmao. I can’t even begin to describe the absolutely insanity that their interactions would be. They’re like mortal enemies and begrudging friends and bitter exes and strangers in the same sad situation and hot messes all at once.

[jullbnt]

Hello again :D I could be wrong, but I think Skyward Sword has the Zelink romance you're looking for! Or at least it's heavily implied!

Hello!! Oh yes Skyward Sword clearly has it and that’s what I love most about it!

The thing is, SS is one of my least favorites in the series :/

I found the game a bit tedious and the motion controls really made SS Link look like an idiot haha (especially after TP’s amazing combat). Also the time travels make no sense it drives me crazy!! I can elaborate on this point if anyone is interested but I will spare you this rant for now ^^

(I’ve been thinking about this lately because of a project I’m working on, and may have a few ideas to fix it. I’ll tell you more about it someday if I ever manage to make things coherent)

So to sum up yes I love SS Link and Zelda!! But I’m not nearly as obsessed with their game as I am with others ^^

Now if the question is "will I draw these two someday", the answer is definitely yes :))

(Also I think Zelink is implied in BotW/TotK as well, but they’re not my favorites either)