TotalBiscuit asks why call for gender swapping Link as opposed to making Zelda the protagonist. Let me count the ways:
- There is nothing in the identity of Link or the Hero of Courage that requires them to be male. As TB points out, Zelda has more characterization than Link does; other than diving into danger with reckless abandon, Link is mostly a blank slate. The Hero of Courage requires the same qualities that any player character in a Zelda game would: relentless drive and a willingness to face any threat.
- Wisdom needs to be a relatively passive role. One of the major theme points is that it takes both Wisdom and Courage to be able to defeat Power. A more proactive Wisdom would make Courage unnecessary.
- If you swap Link and Zelda’s roles, you’ve just did a genderswap anyway. Making Zelda more proactive would mean giving her the Triforce of Courage. Prince Link with Wisdom and Hero Zelda with Courage would be the same as Prince Zelda with Wisdom and female Hero Link with Courage.
This isn’t to say that you couldn’t do interesting things by mixing up the formula:
- How about Zelda has to pick up the slack for an injured/uncaring Link? I’m not sure how to handle the final confrontation with Ganon, though. Link would need to be involved somehow without devaluing everything Zelda did to lead up to that point. Personally, I like the idea of having to convince Link to get involved.
- For that matter, why not make Ganon the protagonist? The Gerudo are typically aloof; it wouldn’t be hard to come up with a scenario where they are straight up oppressed by an Evil Queen Zelda and her knight Link. Ganon has to gather the Triforce of Power in order to be able to stand up to them and free his people.
- You can also have adventures with Zelda that don’t involve the Triforce. This would be great for worldbuilding; for a world full of dangers, not much seems to happen when Ganon isn’t around. However, it’s a hard sell to make what is essentially a side game or spinoff.
- Or you can make a game where you control either/both Zelda and Link. Imagine gathering pieces of both Wisdom and Courage after they’ve been broken apart by Ganon and he’s successfully taken over.
(As a side note: I think the predestined/reincarnation thing has hurt the series. At the very least, it makes you question whether Din was evil since Ganon is essentially her champion)
