The Legend of Zelda and Characters of Color

When you think of The Legend of Zelda, you probably think about Link and Zelda, who are white. In fact, most of Nintendo’s human characters are white. However, The Legend of Zelda does have a few characters of color who are strong and memorable, although their numbers are small. Since it’s Black History Month, let’s take a look at some of the characters of color in The Legend of Zelda.

Impa

Impa is perhaps the most iconic character of color in The Legend of Zelda, although a large number of her incarnations have been white. However, The Legend of Zelda involves the characters getting reincarnated over and over, so it makes sense that characters’ appearances could change as they get reborn. As such, they can change races depending on where in time they are.

Impa’s most prominent role in a mainline Zelda game is also a role where she is a person of color. In The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword, Impa appears as both a young Sheikah warrior and a wisened old sage, thanks to the magic of time travel. She must guard the evil entity Demise, and she assists Link and Zelda in their quest to stop Demise and save the world. She dedicates her life to her mission to protect the world from evil. Impa is a strong warrior who demonstrates bravery, kindness, and dedication, and she is a positive dark-skinned role model. Here’s hoping that she gets more dark-skinned incarnations in the future.

The Gerudo Warriors

The dark-skinned Gerudo made their first appearance in The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. They are a desert-dwelling tribe of female warriors who often play major roles in Zelda games. While they are reclusive and distrustful of men, they have often assisted Link and Zelda in their various quests over the centuries. They are skilled with weapons, and they can surf behind sand seals to get around the desert. It’s hard not to feel pumped up at their skills.

However, some people might consider the Gerudo problematic, particularly since Ganondorf, the series’ main villain, was originally born from the Gerudo. The Gerudo’s sexist attitudes towards men might also be considered problematic. Still, the Gerudo Desert remains an iconic location in Zelda games, and the Gerudo remain iconic residents of that desert.

The Lurelins

In Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom, the Lurelin Village is a fishing village where most of the residents have darker skin. It’s a relaxing little village where Link can relax between adventures. While the residents don’t play large roles in the story, the Lurian Village is a peaceful spot where the residents seem to be living in harmony, providing a positive image of a community. Perhaps the village will play a more prominent role in a future Zelda game.

Should Link and Zelda be Black?

As I said earlier, The Legend of Zelda’s timeline spans over centuries as the characters are reincarnated over and over again. If Impa can have different skin tones as she gets reincarnated, why couldn’t Link and Zelda have black reincarnations? Of course, if that did happen, we would have bigoted gamers screaming “WOKE!” but sometimes representation is worth risking people’s complaints.

Link and Zelda have gone through appearance changes before. For example, they have both changed from having brown hair to having blonde hair. It would be wonderful if they did have black reincarnations while still keeping the essence of who Link and Zelda are. Since Nintendo franchises are largely dominated by white characters, Link and Zelda being black would show children of color that they too can be heroes and save Hyrule.