Update – May 22: Zelda VA Patricia Summersett took to Twitter to “set the record straight” on interpretations of her recent comments regarding the relationship between Zelda and Link, clarifying that “it is not up to me to determine” what kind of relationship they’re in, even if some fans desperately want to believe it’s a romantic one.
In a reply, she added that: “I love that we all get to choose for ourselves what this means – a special relationship however you define it.”
You can read her full statement below.
Hey friends, I appreciate the passionate discourse on the subject, but must clarify: pic.twitter.com/02dLg34z2tMay 22, 2023
Original story follows.
The Legend of Zelda fans have long wondered just what the deal is between Link and Zelda. Some think the pair could be related, others have concluded that they’re merely friends, and many, including the actress who voices Zelda in Tears of the Kingdom, believe the pair are an item.
Speaking to The Gamer, Patricia Summersett says she likes that Nintendo has never clarified the relationship between the two and has left it up to players to decide. “As a voice actor, looking at the overall relationship between Link and Zelda over the ages, I personally love the ambiguity and that if there is something there it’s left to us.”
Tears of the Kingdom appears to be set a few years after Breath of the Wild, with the pair investigating some strange goings-on beneath Hyrule Castle. Things take a turn for the worst, and the two are separated again before we can understand what’s happened between them since the credits rolled on the previous game.
It essentially “dodges the ending”, Summersett says, so “you’re always wondering what may occur which keeps the relationship active. There’s a tension in that, and this defiance of a definition is something really nice.”
She adds, “I know that [Link and Zelda] are in a relationship with each other, it’s active, there’s a lot of care and a lot of listening, and I just love that about it.”
As well as Summersett’s comments, as previously pointed out by The Gamer, Link’s house in Tears of the Kingdom seemingly contains several hints that he and Zelda are a couple. There are various items that belong to the princess lying around, yet only one bed.
Elsewhere, Nintendo has just released the first big Tears of the Kingdom patch, which fixes a main quest some players couldn’t clear. It also addresses several other issues to “improve the gameplay experience” but doesn’t tackle the duplication glitch that’s got the game’s economy in absolute shambles.
Congratulations are in order for Nintendo as Tears of the Kingdom is the fastest-selling Zelda game in history.