In what could be an unprecedented move for Nintendo,The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdomcould become the first in the series to confront players with the death of Princess Zelda as part of the game’s darker narrative, but maybe not for the better. “Fridging” is coined from pop culture where female characters are abused, attacked, or killed in only to provide male character development. It’s a widely criticized trope asfridging reduces these female charactersto little more than plot devices, denying them agency, authentic representation, and character development, and so fans are rightly concerned Zelda could be the next to be fridged.
Though details surroundingThe Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdomremain sparse, fans have scrutinized every available trailer and possible leaks or rumors to build an idea about the game’s story. The speculation behind Zelda’s death has not emerged from a vacuum, as fans point to various details in recent trailers to predicted story beats.While it can be easy to dismiss these theories as nothing more than overeager fans, it’s difficult to shake the feeling that there’s actually a kernel of truth behind them.
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Where Zelda’s Story Left Off After Breath of the Wild
For the entirety ofBreath of the Wild,Zelda was not actually present in the game’s story and the bulk of her appearances came through flashbacks and Link’s memories. Despite this,Breath of the Wildwas arguably more about Zelda as she struggled to live up to her destiny than a story about Link himself. Unable to rely on the same trick,Tears of the Kingdomwill likely need a new approach, and so far fans are convinced this will focus more onLink as he fights a revived Ganondorfas well as his own corruption.
ByBreath of the Wild’send, Zelda has been freed from Ganon’s clutches and helped Link defeat him, leaving the pair triumphant with the implication that Hyrule can now begin to heal. As a result, Zelda’s story arc regarding her destiny has been effectively concluded, leaving her unified andconnected with her part of the Triforce. However, this also means that there is little else for her character development, meaning her role has become virtually redundant beyond providing the Triforce of Wisdom.
Why Fans Think Zelda Will Be Fridged
Realizing that Zelda’s story arc has been fulfilled inBreath of the Wild, fans are speculating on whatTears of the Kingdomwill do with the series' titular princess as Link embarks on another adventure to save Hyrule. It’s possible that Nintendo will resort to the tried-and-tested plan of turning Zelda back into a damsel in distress,which still has problematic undertones but would at least spare the princess from death. However, betweencalls for Sheik to returnor Zelda herself getting an active role inTears of the Kingdom, it’s clear fans are expecting more from this darker sequel.
With the game’s darker atmosphere reflected in the various trailers and teasers currently available, fans have pieced together the course of events that seemingly reveal Link and Zelda finding Ganondorf’s mummified remains. However, among glimpses of Ganondorf appearing to be revived and walking around or Link’s arm being corrupted, both the first-look trailer and another teaser from 2021’s E3 show Zelda falling into a black chasm after the ground beneath her gives way. Some believe that this early clip, combined with theTears of the Kingdom’ssubtitlesand Zelda’s story arc, indicates that Zelda is fated to die.
However, killing Zelda is a uniquely dramatic decision and one that could upset a lot of fans, which is why the theory has gone on to connect Zelda’s fate with Link’s story arc throughTears of the Kingdom. By fridging Zelda as part of Link’s development, fans suspect this could achieve a few different outcomes for his development and the game’s narrative. Her death would immediately increase the stakes whereby evenZelda’smost integral charactersaren’t safe, and it would also provide Link with an impetus for killing Ganondorf as revenge, establishing a moral good versus evil that ties neatly to Link’s assumed corruption.
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The Legend of Zelda Can Get Dark
As fans have already argued,Tears of the Kingdomis being likened toMajora’s Mask, not just because they’re both direct sequels to otherZeldagames, but also because the pair share a darker atmosphere than their predecessors. Zelda’s death seems completely plausible in acknowledgingTears of the Kingdom’sdarker presentation, but many still question if Nintendo could be brazen enough to actually kill one of its lead characters. Even with the series' cyclical setup that would just see Zelda reborn in a new game, it still seems improbable.
But many have pointed out in support of Zelda’s fridging theory that the series has had many dark moments before. ComparingTears of the KingdomtoMajora’s Maskis actually fitting, as its predecessorOcarina of Timeis the best example ofZelda’sdarker history. Between the body horror of the family cursed to transform into Golden Skulltulas or the introduction of ReDeads to the series,Ocarina of Timeis best known as the beginning ofZelda’svarious timelines. Though some players might scoff at the idea that Zelda could be killed canonically, this would mean conveniently overlooking the entiredownfall timeline where Link was killedby Ganon.
Beyond evenOcarina of Time, theZeldaseries has proven it’s prepared to go dark for the sake of a good story. Many characters have died in service of the games' stories, such as Ganondorf’s death at Link’s hands inTwilight Princessand Zant breaking his own neck, or even inBreath of the Wildwhere all four Divine Beast pilots were killed by Ganon’s blights. Zelda’s death is therefore not only entirely possible but increasingly more likely with each game that goes by where she remains the only character unaffected by fate, and her death could even lead to thestart of newZeldatimelinesaltogether.
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdomis set to release onMay 12, 2023, exclusively for the Nintendo Switch.
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