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[palsch]

Massively overthinking this at 1:30AM;

I have two quibbles with the whole project. Firstly (and partly as an excuse to link another badass webcomic artist), I agree with Cube that Zelda ended up almost as a genderswap of Link. I'd probably go further from the tunic and Master Sword look. Leave it as equipment that is situational, but don't have it front and centre.

I'd also emphasise the wisdom aspect more. Have a massive focus on the fact that, in this particular situation, it's wisdom that overcomes Ganon's power rather than courage.

[Neonivek]

The issue though is that Wisdom is sort of the sacrificial trait in Zelda universe.

It is about knowing what to do, even if it means doing something you would rather not. While Courage was about never giving in.

It is why I really like Zelda as a character, in Twilight Princess, for example, she gives herself up to save her kingdom (which actually works in the long run). That is something Link wouldn't do.

It would certainly be harder to do a Wisdom hero but would be one I'd definitely be interested in seeing. Mind you they just want to do "Link if he was Zelda".

[MetalSlimeHunt]

Honestly I would like to see a game where someone else steps forward as one of the destined holders of the Triforce of power and not be a villain.

You could potentially do that, but only to an extent. The Triforce pieces are inherently tied to Link, Zelda, and Ganon. It always snaps-back to them eventually.

I agree with Cube that Zelda ended up almost as a genderswap of Link. I'd probably go further from the tunic and Master Sword look. Leave it as equipment that is situational, but don't have it front and centre.

I'd also emphasise the wisdom aspect more. Have a massive focus on the fact that, in this particular situation, it's wisdom that overcomes Ganon's power rather than courage.

Agreed, except for the Master Sword. Showing that any of the Triforce bearers can get it is an interesting point that doesn't conflict with existing lore, as well as opening up the possibility of Ganon getting it (which would make him an even more intensely powerful antagonist).

[Neonivek]

You could potentially do that, but only to an extent. The Triforce pieces are inherently tied to Link, Zelda, and Ganon. It always snaps-back to them eventually

Well someone had to have it before Ganondorf.

I'd imagine that this non-villain would probably be killed or manipulated by Ganon though.

[penguinofhonor]

The main series is defined as having the Triforce conflict. This effectively requires the Triforce bearers to be present. This is not to say that main series games cannot have other antagonists as well (Zant is probably the best example of this), but they have to have Ganon because he holds the Triforce of Power. And having Ganon without him taking the reigns of being the main antagonist at some point would be very out-of-character.

Skyward Sword begins the Triforce conflict.

[Leafsnail]

Looks like some people have never heard of Zelda's Adventure!!

[Vattic]

I get the impression Zelda ended up being a gender swapped Link because the gameplay is almost, if not equally, as important in defining a Zelda game. Then again plenty of the ideas linked diverge from the traditional Zelda games.

[Max White]

Aaron Diaz imagines a Zelda game where Zelda is actually the protagonist.

Feminists would hate it for the way it objectifies women. Why does Zelda not even get a single line where as Link spends the entire game telling her what to do, and then when he gets kidnapped she has to rescue him like she only exists to fill his needs? The entire thing is so damn sexist!

Actually that reminds me a little of how everybody was pissed off at Other M for the fact that Adam was telling Samus what to do.

[Pnx]

I think it had more to do with some crazy abusive undertones and such... I've never actually played the game but I seem to recall someone saying that at one point Adam shoots Samus in the back because her judgement was impaired by her maternal instincts.

[GlyphGryph]

Actually that reminds me a little of how everybody was pissed off at Other M for the fact that Adam was telling Samus what to do.

This is... let's just say this is inaccurate, at best, as a description of why people disliked Other M.

[Putnam]

Actually that reminds me a little of how everybody was pissed off at Other M for the fact that Adam was telling Samus what to do.

people were pissed off for more reasons than that, but that's the simplest way to put it. Let's put some of the stupider things into perspective:

*You have to do a hell run as part of the story. That is, go through a hot area without the Varia suit. Because Samus doesn't want to "disrespect" Adam by having some initiative and activating her life-saving no-danger no-downside half-damage environment-protection module.

*The big one: Adam shoots her in the back in one part of the story. She thanks him for this, as she is clearly too brash and emotional to be trusted with agency.

Samus Aran. Too brash and emotional to be independent in a place with metroids.

[MetalSlimeHunt]

Beyond any of the specific examples, it's just that the story takes Samus from being a proven badass to being not a badass at all, and mostly helpless. This article covers pretty much everything that is wrong with Other M.

And I still am pissed off that they made her short.

[Max White]

Ok, well I will take that one on the chin, having never played Other M for myself.
Although nobody is rushing to Zeldas defense, to try and point out how 'The legend of Link' wouldn't be offed as offensive.

[penguinofhonor]

Has there ever been a major game with a silent female protagonist that was criticized by feminists for her silence?

In this thread I've only seen praise for that sort of thing, whether it be a silent yet strong character like non-Other-M Samus or a character whose gender doesn't matter such as Chell or female Pokemon trainers. In my experience, this has been pretty consistent over other feminist discussion of video games.

Basically, I think your prediction is pretty baseless.

[Max White]

Wait, has there ever been a silent female protagonist that hasn't just been the []Female button on the character creation screen?