Legend of Zelda Controversy Meme

And rounding out this little diversion from the norm is the Legend of Zelda series.

Favorite Character
When I think of a character in a Zelda game who has had real, definitive fleshing out and development, Midna is one of the few who come to mind. She's also the least annoying assistant character in the series, so there's that. Midna's growth from an aloof, uncaring snarker into a loyal friend who's willing to put her life on the line for a world that's not even her own is one of the most heartwarming things I've seen in a Zelda game. As much as I'd like her to re-appear in future titles, her story was very specific and well concluded enough that I can understand if she doesn't show up again.

Despised Character
Big surprise. I actually didn't mind Tingle in Majora's Mask, where all he did was sell you helpful maps and sound like Scooby Doo. His face was also devoid of detail enough that I didn't immediately cringe on sight. Wind Waker changed all of that though. His face, his voice, his mannerisms, all became a thousand times more obnoxious and then he charged you insane amounts of money just to decipher the highly necessary Triforce Charts. If that's not reason enough to hate his guts, he appears in Four Swords Adventures just to ruin your day, trying to steal Force Gems every time a large amount of them scatter about. I really don't get how he's popular enough in Japan to get two spin-off games and be the most reoccurring character behind Link, Zelda and Ganondorf.

Favorite Game
As the game that pretty much got me into the series, I felt I had to include it. Wind Waker was a close second, but I think I have the most fond memories playing this one with three friends back in the day. As the second person to get the game I was always the Red Link (hence the username). The Anniversary Edition released on the 3DS is nice, but it's not quite the same without people around to play it with.

Despised Game
Out of all Zelda games, I think this is the only one I could honestly say I hate. Not even Skyward Sword, which is mostly just boring. This one on the other hand is legitimately infuriating. The slow, tedious train travel devoid of any exploration, the repeated use of touch screen-only controls from Phantom Hourglass, the wonky pan flute, the missions involving passengers on your train, the completely pointless warp gate mechanic, the tedium and aggravation of how Phantom Zelda is controlled, the utter lack of a story for 80% of the game, so much just makes me unable to stand playing this one. I've only ever beaten it once and I can't say I have any interest in re-playing it.

Overrated Character
The trope "Hijacked By Ganon" is a thing for a reason. While some entries, like Wind Waker, do flesh out Ganondorf's character a bit more, there just isn't that much to begin with. He's power-hungry, evil and self-serving, to the point of killing his own loyal followers just because he wanted the Triforce all to himself. That's pretty much it. He's become a staple of the series to the point where most villains aside from him don't get as much love, nor do they seem like they have much going for them. Throwing Ganondorf into any Zelda game is easy because there's already an existing template of traits to work with. His inclusion in Twilight Princess is especially noteworthy because he not only takes all the thunder from the game's supposed villain, Zant, but also because he just kinda pops up out of nowhere. It's like only handheld and spinoff games can afford to NOT include him.

Underrated Character
Not just a character, but also a fun game mechanic. She only appeared in the Oracle series (aside from a cameo in LTTP for the GBA). She's got a cute design and a role in the manga based on Seasons. She's also the only way to get potions in that game without spending an absurd amount of money, so there's that.

Favorite Villain
Kinda hard to say favorite when a certain SOMEONE doesn't allow any other villains to shine. Vaati didn't have a whole lot going for him in Four Swords, where he doesn't even appear again until the final battle. In Adventures, his role as main threat gets... again... stolen by Ganon, and finally in Minish Cap he gets to actually be the main antagonist, complete with a backstory and everything. Design-wise, from the waist up he actually looks cool. He definitely has that sorcerer kind of thing going on, with the titular Minish Cap being very reminiscent of Link's iconic headgear. And the final battle against him "Vaati's Wrath" is one of the most impressive battles outside the 3D games, with awesome music to boot.

Despised Villain
Evil Tingle, pretty much. This guy is just such an irritating little gremlin that even if he had the best characterization out of all villains I'd probably still hate his guts. Just his expressions and mannerisms make him so detestable, and it ends up being kind of unsatisfying that you don't get the privileged of slicing him up yourself.

Favorite Couple
If there's one good thing I can say about Spirit Tracks, it's that it has my favorite incarnation of the titular princess so far. She has an active enough role as the helper character and along the way, she becomes much more endearing than Zelda incarnations of the past. It's also the first game that really gives you the idea that these two might actually like each other with some heartwarming moments near the end. It feels like there's genuine build-up to these two growing closer, instead of just saying "because destiny" and expecting you to care about these two.

Despised Couple
I once said Skyward Sword had my least favorite incarnation of Zelda. Oh what a naive fool I was. And that's not even getting into Link. How he went from such a goofy, expressive character to an expressionless plank of wood is inexcusable at this point. BOTW's story was underwhelming to the point of being a joke, and no amount of the game telling me Zelda is the most wonderful person ever could make that any better.

Original Meme: ©
Legend of Zelda © Nintendo