In The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, Link’s true feelings for Mipha are revealed when the Adventure Log is translated from English to Japanese. Mipha, one of the four Champions in the game, is noted to have a close relationship with Link. They often spend long periods at the domain together, and their relationship is a traditional love triangle.
Mipha is older than Link by quite a bit, as Zora lives hundreds of years. She was already an adult when she first met Link as a child. Link and Mipha grew very close, and Link often spent long periods at the domain to be with her. The Japanese translation of the Adventure Log reveals that Mipha and Link both share a love and care for one another.
The age difference between Mipha and Link may seem odd, but since Zora mature slower and live longer in the series, Nintendo has shown some Hylian and Zora pairings like this before. Mipha is roughly the same age as Link and Zelda, albeit in Zora years, making her about 55 years old. Her appearance is more of a adolescent, with a shorter body, smaller head, and softer face compared to Mei’s more angular face and longer body.
Mipha was the Princess of the Zora, a friend of Link, and one of the Champions. She was the only daughter of King Dorephan and the elder sister of Prince Sidon. Mipha was also Link’s allies and childhood friend 100 years before the events of Breath of the Wild.
📹 Link’s True Thoughts on Mipha REVEALED｜Zelda BoTW
It’s time to look at exactly what Link thinks of Mipha in Zelda Breath of the Wild. We very quickly learn that Mipha loves Link and …
Were Link and Mipha a thing?
In an entry after Link gets Miphas Grace, he goes to speak to King Dorephan. The BOTWs English translation of the Log changes Link again. In English, the entry says the player has earned a Champion’s charm. In Japanese, Link says he can now put Miphas’s wish into action. Miphas Grace or Miphas Wish is to protect those she loves. Link says he can finally fulfill Miphas wish. The Japanese translation of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wilds Adventure Log shows that Mipha and Link care for each other and that they might have been romantic partners if they had been in different situations. Next: How the Rito have changed in every Zelda game.
Who is Sidon’s girlfriend?
This post contains spoilers for Prince Sidon’s quest in The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom.
Note: Prince Sidon is the Zora prince and the defender of Hyrule. He is betrothed to a Zora named Yona. The Zora prince with a heart of gold and great abs is no longer single. As of May 12, he is engaged.
Let’s take a moment to think of you and me. The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is the new sequel to Breath of the Wild. It brings back many characters from Breath of the Wild and introduces new ones. Prince Sidon returns, but it seems he’s been busy. In Breath of the Wild, Sidon and Link tamed the Divine Beast Vah Ruta and used it to defeat Calamity Ganon and save Zelda.
What is Link’s Canon age?
Link is usually young, under 18. In The Legend of Zelda, Link is 10 years old. In The Adventure of Link, Link is 16. Eiji Aonuma said Link in Twilight Princess is 17. The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time development team said Link in Ocarina is 9-16. How old is Link in Breath of the Wild? The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild gives us a solid age for Link. A cutscene shows Zelda turning 17, so Link probably turned 17 too. We also learn his age. In the same scene, Zelda says you have to be at least 17 to climb Mt. Lanayru and visit the Spring of Wisdom. In Breath of the Wild, Link climbs Mt. Lanayru and visits the spring, suggesting he’s at least 17. Link wakes up from a 100-year slumber at the beginning of the game. He would be 117 years old.
Why does Revali hate Link?
Personality. Revali is arrogant and sardonic, especially around Link. He is often boastful and unwilling to admit defeat. He claims he wasn’t trying his best when he was defeated by Windblight Ganon. He resents Link because he’s in a higher position and doesn’t express himself well. In the Champion Revalis Song cutscene, it is revealed that Revalis’s abrasive and reserved persona is used to cope with his insecurities. He is disappointed after trying to master his signature move and is angry with Zelda for seeing him in a bad light. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. A hundred years before Breath of the Wild, Revali was the Rito tribe’s champion. He was the best archer in the Rito tribe and could shoot arrows as fast as a gale. Revali could fly with an updraft he created, which was later named Revalis Gale. His weapon was the Great Eagle Bow, a heavy bow that most Rito can’t use. Revali is an exception because he’s strong and fast. He grew up in Rito Village and kept a journal to document his thoughts and progress. He has been training to be the best archer and has won many competitions. His winning streak is the talk of the Rito. He broke all the previous records and set the highest score.Revali was praised and affirmed everywhere he went. He appreciated the attention, but it caused him stress. When the elder asked if he wanted a prize, Revali requested an archery training ground on Dronocs Pass. The updraft blows there are just right for aerial archery. He recently had an idea for a new move.
Is Link canonically mute?
No game in The Legend of Zelda series has had much dialogue for Link, so he is mostly silent. He makes other sounds, but not words. In The Wind Waker, he says, “Come on!” Link interacts with other characters through visual responses. Series producer Eiji Aonuma said that players should relate to Link and play as themselves, but also put themselves in his shoes. Link is silent so players can decide how he sounds, make decisions for the character, and become the hero. Link’s character design has stayed the same, but it has changed over time. Tezuka designed Link’s sprite. In an interview with Gamekult, Miyamoto said Tezuka used the Disney character Peter Pan as inspiration for Link. Due to limited technology, the team used three colors and chose green as Link’s signature color. The sword, shield, hat, and ears were all designed to make Link easily distinguishable. For Ocarina of Time, Miyamoto said that the team started by designing an adult model and a child model, but realized that both could be used in the game. Link’s teenage appearance in Ocarina of Time was designed to make him more handsome.8. Nintendo illustrator Yusuke Nakano said that Link’s design in Ocarina of Time was inspired by an American actor. 9. Before The Wind Waker, a cartoon version of Link was created by graphic designer Yoshiki Haruhana to evolve the series. Designer Satoru Takizawa said that the big eyes and anime-inspired design offered more expression and better ways to represent puzzles and mechanisms than a more realistic design. After many experiments, the development team decided that cel-shading was the best way to express a young, energetic boy. Although the team loved the idea of a cartoon Link, Aonuma didn’t present it to Miyamoto until later in the game’s development. Miyamoto was unhappy with the game, but the team said they didn’t have time to make it realistic. Toon Link eventually became a main character in the series. Aonuma said that gamers accepted Toon Link, so he was used in two more games.
Did Link have feelings for Mipha?
Fanon. The shipping between these two is common in the Zelda community. It’s considered a rival to Zelink. People debate who Link loved more. However, it’s generally expected that Link loved both Mipha and Zelda. There was a love triangle between the three of them. Before the Breath of the Wild DLC, Mipha’s memory showed baby Sidon. Fans have included Mipha’s brother in their Miphlink fan art. They have Mipha introduce Link to her brother or have the two spend time together while they watch the young Zora prince.
Miphlink has been compared to the other two Royal Zora ships, Sidlink and Rulink. Some think Mipha’s feelings for Link are like Ruto’s for Link in Ocarina of Time. Both Mipha and Ruto are Zora princesses who fell in love with the young hero.
How much older is Mipha than Link?
Fans were sad that she never told Link she loved him. She’s technically engaged to him. Zora armor was made by her, and in Zora culture, making armor is like making an engagement ring. We’ll see if this happens. Lady Dimitrescu isn’t the only tall woman in gaming to admire Urbosa, who is 67. This seems to be the standard for Gerudo adults, but she seems even taller because she’s so confident. Gerudo age at the same rate as Hylians, so she’s likely in her forties, around 47.
Riju, the Gerudo Chief, is a descendant of Urbosa. It can be assumed that she found a partner and had a child with them. Her partner wasn’t important enough to be mentioned, so either she was private about her love life or this man was just the father of her child.
Who is Link in love with?
- Throughout the Legend of Zelda franchise, Zelda and Links relationship has been a rollercoaster ride, going from platonic allies to love interests.
- In some games, like The Adventure of Link and Oracle of Ages, Zelda and Link are undeniably in love, with moments like sharing a kiss or going on dates.
- The future of Zelda and Links relationship is uncertain, but they are bound to each other, whether as friends or something more.
Zelda and Links relationship has been rockier than the Eldin Region of Hyrule. For a pair that is literally bound by fate, the couple have sure had a lot of ups and downs throughout the Legend of Zelda franchise.
Dubbed by the fandom as Zelink, Zelda and Links relationship can be difficult to define. Thats because, throughout the history of their interactions between games, they have gone through pretty much every stage of companionship from purely platonic allies (as in Twilight Princess) to obvious love interests (as in Minish Cap). It probably doesnt help the situation that the past two games in the series, Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom, have seen the pair go through both their most tumultuous, and heartwarming moments.
Who is Sidon’s fiance?
In Tears of the Kingdom, players who enter Zoras Domain and interact with characters learn that Sidon is engaged to Yona, a fellow Zora. Sidon’s fans are jealous of Yona. One user’s sister cried over Sidon’s commitment. Other users sent their condolences to Sidon’s fans. Some fans think Nintendo gave Sidon a fiancée to break up shipping of Sidon with Link. Link and Sidon’s friendship is shown in a statue in Zoras Domain. This leads to discussions of Yona’s chemistry with Sidon.
Did Link married Zelda?
Zelda is never mentioned as Link’s mother or anything. If they got married, Link would become a prince, and his future descendants would be royalty. The royal line never has any male children. All the children are named Zelda. This would mess up the reincarnation cycle. Children of Link and Zelda could inherit the hero’s spirit and the goddess’s power.
Is riju Urbosa’s daughter?
Who is Riju? Though she has grown, Lady Riju inherited the throne at a young age due to her mother’s death. She is the descendant of the Gerudo Champion Urbosa, who fought with Link 100 years ago. Riju was young when she became queen. She was unsure of her ability to lead, especially after the theft of the Thunder Helm and the rampage of the Divine Beast. With Link’s help, she regained her courage and used the Thunder Helm to help him defeat the Thunderblight Ganon. After fighting with Link again, she got a secret stone and became the Sage of Lightning. With her help, Gerudo Town was freed from the Gibdos and the sand shroud. The Gerudo have returned to the surface, but men are still barred from the town. Link is the only exception. You’ll meet Riju in the main story questline, Regional Phenomena, when you go to Gerudo Town to investigate the desert. Buliara will tell you where to find Riju, which starts another main quest.
📹 Were Link and Mipha ENGAGED?
#botw #zelda #breathofthewild #ageofcalamity #miphlink #mipha #link #ship.
Something else to note, this memory is set apart from all the others and is particularly special, because in every memory he recovered except this one, he had to physically go to the same location the memory took place. For this one, all he needed was a statue built in her likeness. I think this suggests that his memory of her has a higher sentimental value hence why it took less effort to remember
2:44 Something I love about Breath of the Wild is how free it is in even the little things. I had the Zora armor on throughout the entire main conversation so when Muzu demanded proof that Link meant something to Mipha, I didn’t have to do anything and Sidon just seamlessly responded with “Well, look at how well it fits him now!” That might be a little thing to some, but I really liked that, especially because I didn’t initially realize I completed a requirement, the game just played on.
In English the closest word to that we have IS Grace. Grace can also mean a prayer and sometimes instead of “saying a prayer” we “say grace”. Grace is also something that is given in kindness or goodwill. So I think other good translations besides “Mipha’s Grace” would be “Mipha’s Kindness”, “Mipha’s Goodwill”, or “Mipha’s Prayer” (which I think was mentioned).
I’ve been writing a lot with Mipha lately and I feel SO VALIDATED learning that she actually was more bold about actively wanting to protect him, and Link reciprocating feelings the way that he does, even if it’s understated, it matches the personality vibes I was getting. My god she got watered down in translation though! Thank you for putting in the work, this game’s emotional writing deserved so much better and you’re helping do it a bit more justice
To this day, I do not understand why they took Link’s diary away from the English version, or why some of the translations are so skewed. I so love that Mipha says she and Ruta will offer protection rather than support. It’s a nuanced difference, but I feel it fits much better. I do like the name of her power in English, though. I am happy to know the added meaning of the Japanese translation, but “Mipha’s Grace” captures so much to me. It is as though her whole being is poured into her power. It is her grace, her blessing, her loving care, her heart’s wish, her prayer for Link—grace gives life, and so too does Mipha. It was always apparent to me, even in the English version, that Link gains those extra hearts through the strength of her love.
The Age of calamity lore shows that this different-from-botw timeline was saved, and no-one (important) died. Mipha already prepared the Zora Armor before the calamity, so I’d guess in the Age of calamity timeline Mipha would propose to link shortly after the events. Which is a really cute idea by the way.
Honestly, Mipha has always been my least favourite champion because I just never found her very interesting. She just seemed like the “love interest” and nothing else. Her entire personality was that she was “nice” and she seemed very two-dimensional. Now I see that she actually had passion for protecting other people, and she wasn’t just some nice girl with healing powers. Really makes me wish that they kept the first-person entries in the english version of the game.
I also feel like when Mipha said “That person… The princess… Save her.” She might have been referring back to what she said in memory #15 when trying to give advice to Zelda: “I was thinking about what I do when I’m healing, you know, what usually goes through my mind… it helps when I think, when I think about-” we can assume that she was going to say “the person that I love/care for” and she told link to protect that “person”. I dunno if this will make much since but just wanted to share for all who gets it 🙂
I’m honestly sad at how the English version was held back in passion when it came to dialogue and quest entries to me I never really minded it cause the story was great on its own but knowing the bits and pieces they decided to leave makes me sad 😔 the experience and journey of BOTW was something ill never forget and it’s crazy even now it’s been years since BOTW came out I’m still learning more about the game which is a huge reason for why it was one of my all time favorites 😄 I truly thank you for this article and the for the spark you ignited on me once again to hop back on BOTW you sir have a wonderful rest of your day 👍
Yeeees. I love Mipha so this can only be great to know One of my existential questions since the beginning of the game (I ended up in Zora’s domain first) was whether Link loved her back or not (What a sense of priorities when a entire kingdom is on the brink of disaster) and it’s still reassuring to know that she had her chances (Though horribly sad) The fact that Mipha was cut off in her sentence by Ganon makes me hate him more than anything. Because in the end… It’s thanks to the same reasoning as Mipha’s that Zelda unlocks the seal. AT THE MOMENT WHEN EVERYONE IS DEAD. While she always did everything to unlock it and suffered a million criticisms for it, it had to be unlocked a second too late because Ganon prevented Mipha from speaking. grblblblblblb. Thanks for the infos and glad I inspired this!
I personally think Link and Mipha would’ve been a great couple, they were friends since childhood, and had a good relationship together. People say Link and Zelda belong together, but they forget that HES ONLY HER APPOINTED KNIGHT. Also Mipha made Link the ZORA’S armor, meaning that they may have had a thing, cuz I don’t think Mipha would’ve made that unless she knew how Link felt
Translating Mipha’s words from “I want/wish” to “I must” actually emphasizes her strong desires and willpower. If the English translation had left it as “wish,” she would have actually sounded less determined and more uncertain. In this instance, translating her words to “I must” is actually more true to the Japanese version because it reaffirms her conviction and compassion without sounding wistful. (edited to correct typos)
While the German translation did a lot of things better than the English one (which is really horrible. I mean, seriously.), sadly the entry’s in the questlog are still in second person. I really don’t understand why. It would‘ve given Link so much character. That’s one of the things people mostly complain about this game. Links character. And yet, we had it, only in the wrong languages. Here’s me, hoping that they will fix that issue in the sequel and we actually get a well written diary.
I feel like the reason Mipha didn’t give Link the armor when she made it is because despite having a plan their future was still uncertain. My guess is she was holding it until after the Calamity was taken down if they had both survived (which unfortunately didn’t happen) rather than give it sooner Thank you so much for your hard work in giving us direct translations! I wish they had kept them in bc they really flesh out her character, what a shame they decided not to 😭
While the English localization of the game does a lot of the dialogues bad something that I realized is at least better in the localization in my opinion when Mipha heals you after activating her ability. In most languages including Japanese, I’m pretty sure she says something along the lines of “I will always protect you” while in the English localization it is “It is my pleasure”. While at first, it seems the other languages do it better showing how Mipha wanted to protect him forever I find the localization better because it shows that Mipha truly enjoyed healing and found it enjoyable to help others and that she loved healing especially Link which fits in with what the Japanese version says for her other statements.
I think he loved her in his own way, but likely not in the way she would have hoped. He likely saw her as a best friend, but accepted her feelings once he found out. Personally I believe he has feelings for Zelda later as they explore Hyrule together. I really liked Mipha though. Makes me really sad to see how she never got what she wanted.
I feel like “grace” is a pretty fitting word for Mipha’s power, it’s just that people are possibly interpreting it as grace in the sense of elegance when it should be grace as in the sense of a gift (think the phrases “god’s grace” or “but for the grace of god”). It really emphasizes her generosity and good heart. I’m one of those people who thought she was suuuuper boring but the fact that it was really a “lost in translation” situation makes me consider her a bit more. Good article!
Quick thing I noticed when they all took the picture together, I SWEAR Revali looks at Mipha when what’s her name tells Mipha to loosen up. Revali is looking at Mipha, watches her take a deep breath, looks and Link and grins a bit. It’s very short and I watched it a few times to make sure I wasn’t imagining things but it’s there. Rito probably do fall in love with Hylians like the Zora do so for Revali this probably wasn’t a big surprise. And being the kind of person Revali is, I’m sure he found it very amusing but didn’t care enough to bring it up.
This was every bit as excellent as you promised, my guy, thanks. I’ve been certain for years that the localization made Mipha way more formal and demure than she was written to be, based on the passionate tone of her original voice and what words I could pick out, but I think the dub really improved with her in AoC. Did you check out the quest in AoC where she DOES give Link the armor? I’m dying to know what “It’s probably okay to be wearing this. Probably.” read as in the original context Awesome to see you’re integrating the AoC text, too, as soon as we got the demo for that game I began reading all the second-person text as if it was Link’s diary too, and it really makes the bits that feel depersonalized stand out suspiciously. I genuinely really like how AoC is localized for the MOST part, but I’m sure there’s a “given up on reincarnation” level screwup lurking SOMEWHERE important in there and I bet there’s all kinds of juicy stuff in its final chapters… I’ve got some theories on its ending reveals and I’d love to see if there’s any textual support. On that note, too, as you go through this it might be worth keeping note of consistent mistakes that might be connected to certain phrases – I have a hunch that both Demise’s “an incarnation of my hatred shall follow you” from SS and Zelda’s “he’s given up on reincarnation and assumed his pure, enraged form” from BOTW might be tied to the same specific word. If the Treehouse keeps making the same wack interpretations or changes across games, a reference to consult would help a lot and build a better picture of what parts of the story we’ve been missing.
Plot twist: Terrako was a Mipha x Link shipper. When he awoke in BotW and saw The Great Calamity killing all the Champions(primarily Mipha), he was like, “Oh hell nah,” and he went back in time to warn the crew about the future. He even went so far as to pull Sidon from the distant future to help Mipha fend off against Waterblight Ganon long enough for Link to rescue them. Thus ensuring she lives.
You’ve got some great content. You’re delivery is so calm but I feel like yelling curses to the English translation for you! 😂 honestly I don’t blame the English translation for any discrepancies except for maybe the 1st vs 2nd person journals. The nuance is tough and we can’t be sure it will have any bearings on the future until hindsight knocks. That said its incredibly valuable for the theory community. The lore is immense. Thank you for your work, you have my subscription for sure!
If we read Mipha’s diary further, you see that she notes her feelings about the fact that Link is spending more and more time with Zelda as her Knight but she also worries about it. So, even with that nugget, I think we can surmise that Link didn’t have romantic feelings for Mipha OR, even if he did, he never let her know since Mipha had no assurance of his feelings while he was spending time with Zelda nor was she sure he would say yes to her proposal; she merely hoped he would, even citing Princess Ruta. There are a lot of direct opinions and thoughts about Zelda (wanting to see her smile, wanting her to approve of him) by Link in his diary that would lend to show his inclination towards her, but since Link is made to be such an avatar, the player can interpret that as they wish. Kass confirms that Zelda fell in love with Link so we know he’s got that cinched if he wanted to pursue lol. Either way, it seems it’s purposefully left as Link not knowing either Mipha or Zelda’s feelings for him. Maybe it’ll become clearer in Tears of the Kingdom. (Edit: I just realized you go over some of Link’s feelings/thoughts about Zelda in another article but this one is the first I watched since it showed up in my recommendations)
Amazing article! funny enough, many of the japanese texts remain similar in spanish, like most of her dialogues. But overall you made me change a bit what I thought about her. Her story is a bit tragic, yes, but at the same time I don’t think that anymore. Yes, she died (as half of Hyrule did), but even after death she is still an accomplished healer and she’s playing a huge role in defeating Ganon. Like you said, we don’t know and we will never know how Link truly felt about her (and I want that to stay like that, I would always prefer the mystery), but Link is not all what’s important about her character. Keep up the good work! you won a suscriber today
I always feel that there is a difference between link recovering his old memories of the champions versus the memories that Zelda left behind. Because the ones that Zelda left behind her own memories so what she’s feeling is not really something that’s going to be translated to him he’s just gonna have to interpret and since it’s not his own memory he doesn’t know what he in that moment was feeling either. However when it comes to him recovering his own memories he’s going to remember what he was feeling in those moments so that’s probably why he felt way more shaken when he was recovering a memory of Mipha
I think Mipha’s sweet, and she does have a strong will and compassionate nature, but I actually am glad she never got to propose to Link. I liked her best during the cutscene after you’ve freed her soul, when she’s resolved to support Link whether or not she gets her happy ending with him. She even stands at a distance, and gently pushes him towards a future with Zelda and a peaceful Hyrule because she doesn’t want him to dwell on his loss forever. Her graceful sacrifice reveals a deeper love than a simple childhood infatuation. Through her restraint, the creators made her such a wonderful archetype of a tragic princess, I personally wouldn’t want to change a thing about her story. I didn’t adore BOTW’s Zelda as much as everyone else seem to, despite her being on of the most well-written iterations in the series so far. However, I do think she challenges Link in a way that’s healthier for him. Once they are able look past their given roles, they clearly begin confiding in each other, connecting and sharing secrets they cannot reveal to anyone else. Although Link certainly carries affection for Mipha, I always got the sense that Zelda is the one he holds in his heart after perusal all the memories. With Mipha, he remembers as a perfect hero, a childhood sweetheart, and an ideal friend. Her image is untarnished… Partly because she swallows her feelings time and again, never quite brave enough to take the leap of faith and be truly vulnerable with him. (This might’ve changed if she lived longer, but judging by her characterization, I doubt it.
The line where Mipha urges Link to save Zelda is even more poignant when you consider there were probably some feelings of rivalry toward the Hylian princess due to her being another potential love interest for Link, as well as someone he was bound to protect. That line becomes her letting go of her jealousy that now Link will probably be with Zelda instead of her to urge Link to do whatever he had to to save Hyrule. It’s possible that each of the champions had some darkness within them that allowed Ganon to infiltrate the Devine Beasts, Rivali’s jealousy of Link and Mipha’s jealousy of Zelda would mirror each other.
If there’s one thing that amused yet saddened me about Link and Mipha is the fact that Link seemed to unable to marry his Zora fiancee, regardless of which reincarnation Link was in. Of course, for this comment, I am referring to Ocarina of Time’s Link. Even the circumstances were similar. In OoT, it was Zora Princess Ruto that proposed to Link. Yet when they both grown up, Ruto was chosen as a Sage and thus, both of them couldn’t get married. In BOTW, again, it’s the Zora Princess Mipha that basically proposed to Link. Yet, once again, Fate decided otherwise. Mipha perished during the attack and lingers as a spirit. So again, different worlds for them both and they cannot be married. This is an awesome article (^^) Keep up the good work~
So basically in the age of calamity timeline since the calamity has been stopped all the characters survive so Mipha had the chance to give Link the armour…at least in some way theres an ending for them that we may not see unless they acknowledge this new timeline. However after seeing this videi my major gripe with the english version is the diary entries because they think we’re under the impression that we will project ourselves into the game which we can’t cause Link is called Link and his expressions are as exhilarating as Tofu. I hope BOTW2 changes some stuff about link if they continue to use his name. The japanese dialogue felt so natural like Link was experiencing this along with the player another thing i hope comes with the sequel now.
Mipha was always my favorite champion of the four. First I love the Zora race (I have ever since ocarina of time). I even dye the Zora armor to match Mipha’s coloration. Then I played Age of Calamity and she quickly became my most used champion. In the fire and water mission I played as Link and tore though the battlefield as fast as I could. Not this time I thought. When I reached Waterblight Ganon, I tore into him giving no quarter and after I arrived it never touched mipha again. Ling live the true Zora princess
Ive been recently doing my second playthrough in Japanese, so I can practice my reading a bit more in a fun way. But I havent gotten to this part yet. Cool stuff! It threw me off for a moment too, because normally I see them use the more common kanji for ‘thinking’, which is 思 rather than 想. So if you think of it literally… the first character is ‘to think’ then you have the final character 人 (person). So the LITERAL translation is ‘person I think of’. which has the connotation of ‘person I’m fondly/always thining of’.
It is clear that Mipha was really important to Link. They grew up together and had a very special bond. But you can see that everything changed once he became the princess’ apointed knight. Mipha states more than once that she could see a special bond growing btw Link and Zelda, something that she wanted for herself. I think that Mipha’s character was supposed to be tragic. First, an one sided love, which is something cruel as it is. Then, she falls for the calamity, unable to fulfill her duty. I really like her character, I felt for her death. But I can’t see Link loving her back, romantically. If it wasn’t for the calamity, maybe they would end up together. But since he became a knight, his heart was clearly somewhere else.
So, if Link and Mipha had actually been in a relationship where they felt the same and knew that they felt the same, I feel like Link likely would have used 恋人, meaning lover, rather than 想い人, which, quite literally is “a person that one has feelings for” or “a person that one thinks of”, as 想い can mean both “emotion” and “thought”. 恋人 is more specific. It implies that, at the very least, the pair in question have both expressed their feelings, even if they are not yet in a serious “official” relationship. 恋 is often translated as “puppy love”, meaning that first stage of liking someone, before deeper feelings of true love have really developed. That stage where you have a tendency to completely overlook flaws in favor of a person’s positive traits. Another word, which has an even deeper meaning is 愛しき人, which is more poetic and means “beloved person”. It carries the connotation that the relationship has (or did) go beyond “puppy love” to something that was real and unending. 愛しき人 can be used when referring to a lover who has passed away. The kanji for love in this term, again, indicates deep love. Love that is unconditional. So which term Link uses actually says quite a lot. It’s also interesting that he refers to himself as Mipha’s “beloved one” 「想い人」, rather than using 「好きな人」or 「大好きな人」, which would imply that Mipha’s feelings were entirely one-sided. On a completely unrelated note… I want to know how the heck a marriage between those two would have worked? What in the world would their kids look like?
The way I see it, Mipha was Link’s first love. If she hadn’t died, he would’ve accepted the Zora armor and married her. But, sadly she passed. Then all he had was Zelda, who understood everything he’d been through and I think that connection is what brought them together romantically. In the Calamity timeline, which I think is a different timeline where the champions survive, I like to think Link married Mipha. And maybe Zelda married a rehabilitated Ganandorf…
I’m hoping that you’ll continue with some translations and comparisons in tears of the kingdom. I’m rewatching this now while thinking what kind of thoughts an older Link might have. Personally, based on how they wrote her, it seems like Mipha’s love is more one sided. She hadn’t confessed her feelings yet and shows awkwardness since they’re only friends. She also shows awareness that Zelda has developed feelings for Link that she may not be aware of herself. Even knowing Link’s dialogue choices in Japanese, it’s hard to say what type of love he had for Mipha, but based on Mipha’s actions alone, it really feels like she’s aware that it’s a one sided love which is why I could never ship them. Regardless, Mipha only has eyes for Link so even if he cannot reciprocate her feelings, she had no intention of giving the Zora armor to anyone else and would still like for him to have it, even if only to accept her feelings. It’s very bittersweet.
I hate when Nintendo plays with my emotions to be honest. I used to see Mipha as Link’s Supportive healer and supportive friend and I just get upset that Link isn’t telling what he thinks. But now I see her more than that. And now I saw the other side of Link, it actually makes sense to me why I feel like these two characters have so much Trust for each other. Now after figuring out, that the Japanese version was hiding things from English speakers, I’m mad but also happy that my question has been answered. I never knew I would be glued to this shipment of Mipha and Link after learning about their friendship and how much Trust they have for each other and to me, Trust is very important in every relationship and it makes this relationship feel more real because of that.
To me it feels interesting that I ran into this tidbit in hindsight. The thing that clued me into Mipha being more than a one-way crush was not any of the cutscenes with her in it, but the reactions of the characters other than Link after the fact. It was implied by Sidon and Muzu that Link’s reaction to his flashback was rather visceral, leaving him shaking. Whereas for all the other champions, the folks around him acted like he’d simply spaced out for a bit. Although we never saw Link’s reaction on-screen, the Zoras’ reaction to the flashback was my “Holy crap this guy lost a girlfriend in the war!” moment in BoTW the very first time I played. It was also pretty telling at how well the other Zora knew him, and how Dorephan and Sidon treated Link like a beloved In-Law. I think it makes your heart go out to Link, because this was the first time in the game that you really get a empathetic sense of loss for him. That said, I see Mipha as being the Gwen Stacy to Zelda’s Mary Jane Watson. Mipha basically existed in the story to give some flavor to Link’s past, give us the sense that this rather blank-slate of an amnesiac had a life at one point. Few if any people marry their first love, even if they never forget them. Zelda, on the other hand, is presented as a possible hopeful future, a relationship that Link can grow into, as well as something good from his past that he can still protect and preserve. (This is also why TotK’s symbolism with the hand is rather heart-wrenching. It’s the first time we really see this Link fail to protect Zelda.
This was beautifully said. Even tho the same japanese translation can be done for zelda (which shows link cares a lot abt her too), i still admit that platonic or not, link did truly love mipha at some point. Imo i dont think it would have worked out tho due to his role and the bigger hints about him loving zelda, since he developed a professional relationship into a more personal one with her. He even had the chance to open up to mipha but chose to do so with zelda. I could go on lol 🤣🤣 but u get the point Overall i just love all of the botw characters..theyre all so well written!
Why does the english version erase all this??? I’m a firm believer that Link and Mipha were in love. What sold me was the Zora armour fitting him like a glove. You can’t know someone’s measurements without getting in their space – I know, I’m a costume designer. Its a really intimate thing to be all up in someone’s space and measuring their body, and you need a certain amount of trust because a lot of people are really insecure about their bodies or simply dislike the closeness. And the Zora Armour was a proposal piece too. And for the amount of time Link spent in the domain, he 100% would know the traditions of their people and be onto Mipha’s intentions, so if he felt uncomfortable with Mipha declaring her love like that, not to mention spending considerate amounts of time and labour to MAKE the armor, then he would have put a stop to it. Then there’s the fact that Dorephan and Sidon also have/had expectations about Link joining their family and it just cements it for me. They’re both very explicit about it, and also, Dorephan and Sidon aren’t crazy or delusional, it’s not in their characters to be, so I don’t think they would have had those expectations if Mipha had an unrequited crush. I truly think Link was about to join the Zora royal family before the calamity nixed him and Mipha both. Also, my Link hangs a picture of Mipha’s statue in his house in TOTK so there lmao.
Perhaps the use of ‘grace’ is correct. The problem is that none of us use it that way now, so no one thought of it that way. There is phrase that is used when you are going to pray. It is ‘say grace’ which implies that the person is going ask or wish for something to be blessed. If we take see from that perspective, Mipha is asking foe Link to be blessed.
BOTW presents legend of zeldas most prominent theme, loss, in probably one of its most unique ways. In every other zelda game, we start links journey with him, as a farmer or an orphan in a forest village or even right infront of a cave where you get your sword. BOTW link is different, he had a life before we meet him. He had a dad, a sister, a home, a job, he was about to get married even. Then, its all gone, lost by a harsh wind. I like to think that the emotions were reciprocal (I mean, who wouldn’t want to marry their fishy older sister trope) but the tragedy, and beauty, of it is that we, as well as link, will never know.
Hey I read both the English and Japanese descriptions for the Zora armor and it’s basically link questioning if it’s ok for him to wear it or not and it’s pretty vague on his exact feelings, but I’ve read comments (on other articles) that the French version is Link asking if he is worthy to wear the armor since he’s just a knight and Mipha’s a princess possibly implying that he does want to accept it but doesn’t think he’s good enough for her but does anyone know the exact words? Cause the internet never gives me a straight answer.
You know, this honestly makes me kinda dislike the english translated version.. I had no idea that the log was like Link’s personal diary, that just makes everything so much better and it gives Link a personality, to see his thoughts written down gives the story more depth because even for a moment we get a sense of what he wants to do, about what he worries about and his objective.. Unfortunately I can’t read Japanese so I can’t make that switch, I have the game set on Japanese for the cutscenes though but it’s pretty much the same thing there really, the english translations in the cutscenes are bad. It is somewhat correctly translated, but it is just worded so badly..
Nintendo pleaseeee… bring her back bring her back bring her back bring her back bring her back bring her back bring her back bring her back bring her back bring her back bring her back bring her back bring her back bring her back bring her back bring her back bring her back bring her back bring her back.
Around 7:00, you said that Sidon should be able to use Mipha’s power because Yunobo can use Daruk’s power. However, at least in the BOTW, Yunobo and Zelda are the only ones that can use their “ancestor’s” powers. For example, Riju can’t control lighting and no one in the Rito tribe can use Revali’s gale.
As a gay guy who’s grown up having heterosexuality jammed down my throat my whole life, I’ve always appreciated how ambiguous the Zelda games have made Link’s feelings toward the women in his life. It makes him so much more relatable and it’s so refreshing to have a hero’s storyline that’s not intertwined with heteronormative romance like so many games, books and movies are. It’s a relief for me that they still haven’t confirmed anything and I really hope they never force him to have a hetero love storyline.
We use “loved one” for family members too, so this entry in Link’s journal doesn’t say much. And “We will always be together” can just be interpreted as “I have her power with me, so she’s always there, somehow”. I also think one of my friends is beautiful but that doesn’t mean I’m in love with her. And no matter what, Mipha’s not here anymore so the shippers really need to move on.
For the life of me I do not understand why they changed it so much from Japanese to English. Especially Link’s thoughts and feelings in his journal, that’s such a nice touch but they had to go and get rid of it. They should absolutely fire the person who made that decision during the localization. 😋
I don’t think Link saw her in a romantic way but still valued their friendship since he’s known her his entire childhood and adolescence, if anything she was probably seen as a parental figure or family cause them being in a romantic relationship would be lowkey weird. I think the ship is kinda creepy cause didn’t Mipha meet Link when he was like FOUR YEARS OLD? zora age and live a lot longer than hylians in botw, which makes it kinda weird how she developed feelings for him as he quit literally grew up and he was STILL A MINOR since before calamity he was seventeen and she was canonically around 55 which means she met him when she was around 38 :/ her being watered down to a hopeless love interest just rubs me the wrong way especially after perusal the article she was stripped of so much character
I feel like link shares the same feelings about her but he’s afraid he can’t express those emotions because of his important role as the chosen hero. As said in Zelda’s diary, the reason link doesn’t talk is because he carries his burdens in silence. I think one of those many burdens may be that he never got to express his feelings to Mipha and that it’s too late, but that’s just my theory
Welcome back to my own Link’s diary parts 1-4. This is part 2. Now, enjoy. After all 5 champions had been picked, we all set out to the spring of wisdom. But since it was Zelda’s 17th birthday, the calamity struck. We made a plan and the other 4 champions went to the divine beasts. But monster like beings called Blight Ganons had already taken over the divine beasts. All the other champions died to the Blights. Even Mipha… I want back to the domain. Since I knew that Urbosa, Revali, Daruk, and Mipha were dead, I felt worse than ever. And for the first time in my life ever since I was 6, I cried tears of pure sadness. I pulled out the picture of me and Mipha together. I and Mipha would spend days playing together and now she was… gone. The one friend who I loved, and knew more than anyone. With Mipha gone now, I was torn apart. But I still loved that photo more than anything. Just me and Mipha. We loved our time together. But now… she was gone. Then I went back to Hyrule Castle. And that will wrap it up for this one. And until part 3. I’V been your host, Shandra Bryant. THE END.
SO SO SO SO Sorry that it has been a long 3 weeks. But your host is back! Let us get into Link’s Diary part 3. As I went back to the castle, I remembered the time we spent together. Those days were good. But as soon as I got to the castle, something happened. Zelda came running up to me crying more than ever. She was panting and yapping so much as she jumped into my arms saying, ”MY FATHER IS IN DANGER! HE’S BEING ATTACKED BY 9 GUARDIANS! LINK, YOU NEED TO HELP ME SAVE HIM BEFORE HE IS DEAD!” (Zelda cry’s) But when we got there, it was to late. Why you ask, because the guardians were leaving and King Roam’s body was lying on the ground broken, and dead. Me and Zelda started making our way to see Impa. But the guardians spotted us and called 200 more to start coming our way. I defeated them one by one. But after 100 or so, I started getting tired and my sword started chipping away. But I was Link! I would protect Zelda even if it would cost me my life. But Zelda and I were getting tired. So we started making our way to Fort Hateno to get some rest. But the guardians somehow broke the gates of the fort and we had no time to rest. Our cloths were dirty and torn, my sword broken and covered with malice. I fought on to protect the princess with my life. But I failed and fell, I simply couldn’t fight. But a guardian spotted us and started aiming it’s laser at me. But no… it wasn’t over, Zelda’s power awakened. It sent chunks of rock flying across the air. But one of them hit me in the leg.
I am pretty sure that in the AOC universe, MiLink is really posible, she is her childhood friend, and they look like they really care about each other, also, in the quest where you get the zora armor has the word love. But in the BOTW universe, Mipha died, making their relatonship stop, and so, link would probably stay with zelda
Something people seem to forget is that, since the armor fits him like a second skin, they were definitely comfortable enough with each other to get such intimate measurements. Granted, she probably told him that she wanted to make him an armor, but I still think it says a lot about how close they were, mutual feelings or no. Either way, doesn’t matter because she’s dead and I highly doubt they’d revive her. So getting more invested is just depressing.
I feel like Mipha, though sweet and absolutely adorable, is forever stuck in the friendzone. Not because she winds up dead, but because Link doesn’t seem to have much interest in her even though he supposedly grew up with her at the Zora domain. That cutscene when he overheard her and Daruk is really fun and quirky, but that’s the only occasion we see 🤷🏻♀️
I guess whatever Link feels for Mipha, be it simply platonic love or possible romantic affection, is still up in the air. However, considering Mipha is no longer among the living, Zelda is really the only love interest left for him in the sequel. (Of course there’s Paya, but since she supports Link being with Zelda, it’s unlikely that she will try to pursue a relationship with him.) SPOILERS However, it may still be possible for Link and Mipha to be together in Age of Calamity since thanks to Terrako, everyone lives and defeats Ganon, but there’s also hints of Zelda and Link being attracted to each other…
There are 2 quests in aoc where Link try to learn how to cook a fruit cake,take flowers and give it to terrako who goes on a walk with zelda . Like Link is her knight means that they are constantly together, both of them go on the walk with zelda. Both summaries discribe that the walk as being more romantic (whitch is weird cause terrako is her own creation) . The quests are vallée Make with love and to brighten her day, or somthing like that 🤷🏽♀️. That’s really cute because he use terrako to show affection for zelda.❤❤ So I think that in the end of aoc Link and Zelda date together. Pls answer me.😔
I’d say the English translations are accurate. While there are some liberties taken with the change in perspective in the Adventure Log, the changes in dialog for Mipha don’t translate directly as in Japanese, imperatives are generally frowned upon, so you won’t really see it that often. This seems more like an attempt to express a strong desire. I don’t see this “hidden meaning” that can only be unlocked through the original Japanese dialog.
wow only if the english version had this, it makes it seam more immersive that you are link and are see and feeling every thing through his eye . now pointed out the english one make it feel like one of those open emos that you make your own character for,which are in 2nd/3rd perspective because its meant for the player as the character they created unlike link who is an established character in the legend of zelda . that honestly i would like to see more of his character as a person, cause usually he is just treat as the silent avatar we the players pilot to see the lands of hyrule
Mipha thinking about Link allows her to heal. When she was telling Zelda about that, it was actually a plot point interrupted. If Zelda could have known to think about Link her power would have been unlocked. It wasn’t until Link was in dire need and her thoughts of saving him that she unlocked her power. She could have held back the calamity and they may have won the battle instead of losing all the champions.
I hope I’m the new BOTW 2 we will be able to bring back the Champions and to help us in fights because like the blood moon were is able to revive every monster you kill (which is very annoying) and maybe they can created some sort of tech or magic can revive each Champion ( why did I think about this)
This is all really intriguing AND heartwarming.. but doesn’t Link catch cook and eat fish? Well the zora sell them also so I guess they see themselves as superior to their wild non-humanoid counterparts. Oh shit I almost forgot it was just a game. That’s how you know it’s a good game/story. They all have holes if you look hard enough but we gotta remember to enjoy it. These rabbit holes are fun but don’t drive yourself mad over Link and Lady Mipha, enjoy the imagination and open ended story.
This just makes me feel the need to get HW: AoC… Not usually down for the warriors style games, but this one seems to actually have relevant story instead of just mish-mashing Zelda games together like the first one did? Also, please continue this with TotK if possible. I only just found your website, but I’m always down n for LoZ lore.
Ive always loved ruto and mipha. My opinion will never change. I will love them forever no matter how fictional. I grew up with legend of zelda and the only two characters that have ever drawn my love were mipha and ruto. I always felt like link loved them too. And now its been confirmed in a way. My heart was true. But fate said no. Because the game is legend of zelda and not legend of link with mipha or ruto living a cozy life.
I’m sure he cared a lot about Mipha but there isn’t much evidence of him reciprocating her love at least as far as I could find. Just because a character loves another character doesn’t mean the love is mutual. That said, Mipha seemed really sweet from what was shown of her and I wouldn’t have minded if Link had ended up with her. But it’s pretty clear that Link and Zelda were meant to be the main pair of the game. The promotional art and general story just screams Link x Zelda.
Breath of the Wild will never be my favorite Zelda game, but if they had better kept these personal moments in the translation, I would definitely have appreciated it more. The displaced setting and minimalist aesthetics already make the game into a fairly impersonal affair; they really shouldn’t have tossed out what sparks of life it originally had.
I think had she not fallen to the Waterblight, Mipha would have been Link’s love interest in BotW. She would have been able to present the armor and Link would have understood everything at the time. However, with her loss and Link and Zelda having the final calamitous moments before Link falls, I think Zelda became Link’s love interest. This means BotW Link ships with Zelda. Age of Calamity Link ships with Mipha, and both remain friends with Zelda.
Mipha feel in love with Link, Link feel in love with Mipha but being the champion made it hard to separate work and romance so they couldn’t get together. So before they had to leave for war Mipha made him that armor to propose to Link so they could never be truly a part but you know what happened to that story. So now Link bares the weight as a grieving Fiancé to Mipha or a widower. Now will he find love again idk fate has turned out yet. And in the Hyrule Warriors Age of Calamity timeline where the future Sidon, Yunobo, Teba, and Riju come to save the ones of the past, maybe Mipha did propose to Link.
This is why I wish Breath of the Wild and Age of Calamity explored Link’s character as well as Zelda’s. I think Zelda is a good character, but it somewhat ticked me off that story mainly focused on her entirely in both games. It’s not that want the focus off Zelda entirely, but there should’ve been a balance.
This article is enough proof to tell people why original versions are always Better than others. It happens a lot that people change the meaning of something when they translate it! You can play any version you want, watch stuff in any language you want, but please people: stop trying to convince me I’m wrong when I Say that ov is Better than any others!!! (I play botw in French tough, cause I feel like they did a good job about capturing emotions unlike the english version, and I can’t read japanese anyway)
the weird translations annoy me so much! i know traditionally youre supposed to be Link but those incarnations were a little more animated, but since this guy is canonically like … stoic to a fault, the diary seems really important to me!! i wanna know what he thought about his friends!! i like this version of Mipha so much more as well, i’ll admit shes not my favourite champion but she’s so much stronger as a character in japanese ;3; id love to know what he thinks about Zelda as well to be honest – and her real dialogue too – BotW/TotK’s Zelda is my favourite incarnation of the character and they have a very interesting dynamic
mmmm I feel like the “I must” vs “I want” that a lot of people have reported being important to change their perspective of Mipha didnt really affect me… Because I always felt this was the translation’s intention. Maybe its because of own my own language translates to english, but it feels as though she’s saying this “must” out of a fervent desire to help. It feels… almost stronger, somehow. Sure, if you take it out of context it feels like an obligation, but if you add everything that Mipha is saying, she’s claiming that she has to protect everyone/Link/Hyrule. Its so important to her that it isnt really even a choice, she HAS to because she cares so deeply that not doing it would be unthinkable. Interesting how most of the (original game, AoC is a whole other can of worms, imo, even if I like it) comments about Mipha still leave Link’s feelings for her annoyingly obscure lol. I kinda like it tho, how the one time you have the option to express how you feel, you have the option to say something more intimate such as “we’ll always be togethed/we are united” or something still caring but less indicative of something more. Tbh, I dont buy that Link doesnt have a personality, not even in the English version, its just way more subtle than the JP one, but it legit feels like with Mipha its up to the player. I kinda like it. Either way, its clear he cares about her deeply, and I like how the JP text shows that more.
I just feel her love for Link and desire to save hyrule are more expressed in the Japnese version and nothing else about her, she just sounds just as uninteresting, and the closest thing to depth we have is her teaching her brother. Link seems unsure if he deserves the Zora Armour because he’s aware of her feelings in the Japanese version to me. I would point out that making note of whatever whether someone is goid looking or not is a sign of interest but in my case I notice some people look prettier in the light too and not crush on them, so maybe Link is just being observant? Mipha is his beloved friend so he would probably note those things down like other friends do about their mates (friends).
I personally don’t like Mipha and Link being a couple with their backstory. I’m personally weirded out by Mipha liking Link when she’s known him since he was a child. Zora in this game age differently from Hylians, so she’s an adult when she meets Link when he’s a child. She may have developed feelings for him once he was an adult, but it’s still weird to me. I would’ve been comfortable with it had they met when they were both adults.
I Personally Believe that the Japanese Version should have been Kept in the Storyline and not changed to suit the Game’s Designer. Clearly they didn’t like the fact that Mipha and Link had an intimate Connection and felt that was too ”Kinky” for Viewers. when in retrospect they changed the whole Storyline to suit their own needs when in reality it didn’t fit. I feel the Japanese Storyline made MORE sense then the English Version.
It is now time!! It is time for Link’s diary part 4/4! Before we start, 1, my name is no really Shandra, I’m Landon, her son. I’m just using her profile. 2, yes I know the profile looks off, but this is my dad’s profile logo. 3, I will be continuing from breath of the wild’s ending. Not where I left of. Now with that out of the way, let’s get into it!! Me and Zelda were down in a cave. Zelda had said that Ganondorf lived down here. We got to a room filled with malice, there was the great king of evil, Ganondorf. But then, the floor began to shake. Ganondorf opened his eyes and we had a battle with him. Zelda got thrown back to the edge of a cliff I grabbed her hand just in time. But I couldn’t hold on forever. She began to slip, and then… she fell. Ganondorf charged at me and boom! He sliced of almost half of the Master sword’s blade. And then, malice rose into my right arm, no! no!! no!!! AGGGGGGHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!. And that is that, I hope you enjoyed my Link’s diary sires, and I hope you have a good rest of the year. I’V been your host, Landon Bryant. THE END.
This makes it seem like the English localization team is attached to the idea of an overly-stoic Link. I’ll never understand why “blank slate” characters are still a thing. I can’t think of a single case where I’ve related well to a blank slate character. It’s so much easier to connect to a character with some personality, even if their personality/gender/etc. is notably different than my own.
This is why I’ll die on the hill where I’ll always defend the original version no matter what. Since replaying BotW in October 2022 I’ve played NieR Replicant and Sonic Frontiers and it triggers me so hard when I hear Japanese that doesn’t match the subtitles at all. The way Weiss calls Kainé, the scene where Sonic and Knuckles talk about the Master Emerald (being everything to the Echidna) and many other things altered is so disrespectful to the characters.
For those shipping Zelda and Link. Canonically theur relationship was always Royalty and Servant. The only two times it can be considered Cannon was in Skyward Sword and Wind Waker and thats because Hyrule Didn’t Exsist yet or was long gone. Even now in Breath of The Wild/Tears of the Kingdom their relationship is still Royalty and Servant. Especially in TOTK because the point has been driven home that Link is the only hope. All the other times there were different and albeit better love interests for link.
from the EXTREMELY limited amount of knowledge i have about japanese, her dialogue seems a lot less…formal? stuffy? in the original version. i always found the way she was written in english to be really awkward and boring, so it’s really nice to get a deeper insight into her character. i think they really should’ve given her a stronger personality, at least little. she comes off as very much “the support” in every way, hardly standing on her own as a character, when in reality she has her own desires and is extremely skilled in more than just being The Healer. we see some of this in age of calamity, but i still wish we got more. mipha deserved better. honestly botw deserved a better translation in general
Everything makes a lot of sense especially when you consider what Zelda says in age of calamity before terrako goes to the past. But the question is… Who translated this and why is it so off from the original? This is almost like a completely different game! And why is the adventure log in the second person? That has nothing to do with translation. Can we even trust the English then?
They’re forever shafting us in the English version and taking out so much of the meaning from things. Like, LET LINK HAVE HIS LIL PERSONALITY! People are gonna ship whoever tf they want in the end anyway, ya might as well leave it as it was. There was no need for them to make the sheika slate entries so bland and basic. We could have had them as his personal diary entries and it makes me so mad that they did us like that.
You’re spot on on many things, and it is certainly true that the official English translation has taken quite a few liberties.\r \r That being said, parts of your analysis simply aren’t accurate.\r \r For instance, I’m sorry to say that the quest log in Japanese is not written in 1st person. In fact, it isn’t written from any specific person’s perspective at all (a feat that the Japanese language can do far easier and more naturally than in English). Now, we can certainly choose to render the quest log as if it were written in the 1st person, but I must point out that many elements you’d expect to find in a Japanese text written in 1st person (like, say, the diaries you find in the game) are completely absent, and it would and make it look as if Link has the blandest of personalities.\r \r Also, a part of your analysis is based on faulty translations. For instance, let’s take the sentence 手元にはミファーが作ってくれたゾーラの鎧が… (that you’ve translated as “The Zora Armour I have on hand is what Mipha made for me, it’s”). You’ve argued that Link stopped mid-sentence and was about to add something more. But in reality, the が simply links that sentence to the following one by adding a slight contrast that is usually translated as “but” or “however”. There are many instances where it cannot really be translated because it expresses a very weak “but”. Here, it expresses the slight nuance that the Zora Armour may or may not be the proof Muzu requires. The sentence actually means: “What I/you/he have/has on hand is the Zora Armor that Mipha made for me/you/him.
There are a few points I want to mention. 1. In AoC, there’s a quest called the “Heart’s Escort” where Mipha gives Link the Zora Armor, and in the original (Japanese) version of the game, Link asks himself if he’s worthy of such a thing. There’s also a side quest called “Lauding a Champion” where Link says “Glowing in the light of the stones, Mipha’s figure looked even more beautiful than usual.” So I think at least in terms of AoC, Lipha is probably canon. 2. The armor fits Link perfectly. Mipha isn’t a god or some sort of genius, so I doubt she just eyeballed the measurements. Implying that Link allowed Mipha to measure him at some point. And given the amount of time Link spent in Zora’s Domain, I’m pretty sure he would be aware of their customs and traditions. SO even if Link wasn’t given the Zora Armor he at least knew what she was trying to do. 3. For Link to remember Mipha, he needs to be wearing the Zora Armor and gazing at Mipha’s statue. Every other champion memory needs a specific item to be unlocked. With Revali, you need to be standing on Revali’s Landing, with Urbosa you need to see Riju wearing the Thunderhelm and with Daruk you need to stare at his statue. All these things correlate with their specific memory, so if Link needs the Zora Armor to unlock his memeory of Mipha, he at least knew about the armor. 4. Link can swim up waterfalls. Now I know the Zora Armor description says that the armor gives the user the ability to swim up waterfalls, but just because you CAN do something, does not mean you know how, Zelda is a prime example.
First, I didn’t expect that Ross clip in there, but it’s much appreciated. It made me lol. 😂 Second, I’m not going to throw my hat in the shipping ring–I’m on Team Link Fulfills His Dreams And Starts A Restaurant (headcanon, ofc)–but I’ve also never been comfortable with the whole ‘character looks young but is much older than their love interest’ trope that’s all over the place. It’s icky in Twilight, overused in anime, and super weird with Mipha since she met child Link as an adult and later grew romantic feelings for him. I’m not judging Nintendo or shippers or anything (let’s be honest, time is a mess with this timeline of the franchise lol), I just find the addition of Mipha’s crush so awkward personally.