The next Legend of Zelda is Nintendo’s most anticipated title for the Wii U. Though Nintendo has been focusing on Twilight Princess HD lately, Zelda for Wii U is officially confirmed for 2016. Zelda fans everywhere are waiting with bated breath for what looks to be a beautiful game. In the small amount of footage released so far, Link appears highly unusual, in his blue tunic more akin to his outfit in The Wind Waker , and a black hood.
The unusual, possibly feminine look of Link combined with the addition of the female “Linkle” for Hyrule Warriors Legends have given fans the idea that perhaps Nintendo should be considering the choice of gender in the Zelda Wii U game. I believe it is about time Nintendo included this in the Zelda series. Link, as Zelda series producer Eiji Aonuma told MMGN , “represents the player in the game” and Aonuma does not “want to define [Link] so much that it becomes limiting to the players.” If the latter is to hold true, then it should follow that the least the player can do is choose their gender. As such, Zelda Wii U should give players the choice of Link’s gender because I, and likely other gamers, would better relate to Link and the struggles he endures throughout the game.
Gender is a very difficult word to define. There are many definitions and not all of them may fit one’s personal context and views. Gender is not just about one’s physical sex, but an expression of social and cultural values. We take all the messages we’ve learned about gender and turn them inward, where they help shape who we are. Normal life experiences become influenced by one’s gender and all the ways it has shaped personality, preferences, and expectations. Just as gender influences life experiences, it also influences one’s experience within a video game.
As a woman in her mid-twenties in Western society, it can be very difficult to relate to Link and his struggles throughout the Zelda games. For example, it is implied in Ocarina of Time that Link struggles with the fact that he doesn’t have a fairy at first. Mido suggests that this makes him less manly. As the player, I found this situation to be rather overrated because I didn’t care whether or not Mido thought I was man enough to be Kokiri. If the game hadn’t required me to find Navi, I likely would not have finished it in anticipation of more gendered insults from bullies such as Mido.
In addition, the scene in Twilight Princess in which Link was instructed to learn sumo wrestling in order to later defeat the Gorons is particularly gendered. Even in the imaginary Goron society, sumo wrestling is an entirely male activity. I felt immediately distanced from Link and was frankly disgusted with the implied ritual into manhood before Link left for Death Mountain. Not unlike when Link was required to possess a fairy before leaving to Hyrule Field in Ocarina of Time , it felt like a clear message that in order to be the Hero of Time, one must also become a man.
The ability to choose Link’s gender in the new Zelda for Wii U would hopefully give Nintendo pause before including such explicitly gendered scenes in their game. Again, the player should not be forced to go through a ritual of manhood to become a hero. Heroes can be be found in every person, given the opportunity. The virtual reality of games has the freedom to give this chance, so why not make it more accessible to all genders, not just one?