[Concept] Thoughts on a Zelda Comic pt1 (Patreon)

Just a few months ago, I created my first real comic -- Beaumount (Prototype). It definitely served as good practice for future comics I may do some day… like a Legend of Zelda comic!

Oh snap, did you SEE that segue? Man, I'm REALLY good at this words thing!

Anyway. I've previously talked about wanting to create comics set within the Legend of Zelda universe, but I have not quite committed to starting anything (because it is really hard), nor have I talked much about my ideas. In fact, I don't even know everything that I'd want to do with it. But let's talk about what I DO know then, yeah?

It's important that we give my Link an actual universe to exist in so she isn't always just a hapless pin-up model.

The Dreaded Timeline

Although my Link draws inspiration from various sources, she has generally existed in a vacuum. While this isolation is great for creative freedom, the lack of a specified canon does make it difficult to see the big picture. If I ever want to tell stories, I'll need some sort of a setting.

While I don't need an entire timeline just to tell stories, I do enjoy a sense of chronology. I like engaging with the Zelda timeline and the historical context it provides to each game in the series. It makes the Zelda franchise feel larger, like it's an actual world which exists. This depth is one of the reasons why Breath of the Wild is such an amazing addition to the franchise, as it is built on everything which came before it.

Hyrule feels real to me because of these factors, and I'd like my Link and Hyrule to feel real too. So...

"The timeline can be interpreted in a number of ways, and may change depending on new discoveries that have come to light and on the player's imaginations."

- The Legend of Zelda Encyclopedia, pg. 14

With that having been said, and with great respect to the source material, I will be creating my own timeline. Though I won't be creating the entirety of it from scratch, as I'd still like it to be grounded in some form of familiarity for the viewer. Although my Female Link exists separate from the rest of the continuity, her immediate timeline resembles an altered version of the Fallen Hero timeline -- the series of events which followed Link's defeat in Ocarina of Time. This is the most natural direction, since my Link was initially inspired by the very first game in the series.

Attentive readers may note that the order in which these stories take place do not match the official chronology. I have rearranged the games in a way that fits my intended narrative better, and there is, fortunately, very little to contradict the intermingling of these games -- I'm not breaking anything major by doing so.

One thing worth nothing is that these games were originally adventures embarked upon by different incarnations of the hero. In my timeline, however, they are all experienced by a single incarnation of Link -- which offers some opportunities when it comes to narrative structure & character development.

Also included are the events of Link & Zelda: Panoply of Calatia, a fan-made sequel to the NES games. Although fan-made, I genuinely like what it offers and is, in my opinion, a worthy successor to the original games. As far as I'm concerned, this game IS "Zelda 3".

Narrative Structure

Stories set within the Legend of Zelda universe are generally fairly predictable; a young upstart travels the world in search of a magic sword and then defeats the villain. Instead of retelling the same basic story, I think it might be more interesting to tell a story which incorporates a series of adventures. This allows us to drive some of the narrative on Link's development as a character, with the contexts of each adventure providing a different perspective into our hero. It also allows me to re-purpose pre-existing content for my own narrative, and offers Zelda fans a strong understanding of the world -- like those Marvel movies based on comics.

So, what might a brief outline of this character development look like? Let's start from the beginning. 

Legend of Zelda:

Link leaves the familiar world to begin her journey. Naïve at the start, the burdens of her adventure harden her.

???:

Link, unable to return to the life she had before her quest, leaves Hyrule.

Link's Awakening:

Link struggles with post-traumatic stress from her battle with Ganon during LOZ. There is an interesting duality between the idyllic imagery of Koholint island and the Nightmares Link must fight on this adventure.

Adventure of Link:

Link returns to Hyrule to aid with its reconstruction, but the threat of Ganon's return looms in the distance as his worshippers come out of hiding to sacrifice Link. Even in death, Ganon continues to haunt Link.

Oracle of Seasons/Ages:

Link sets forth for Holodrum & Lybranna to defeat the last of Ganon's forces, Onox & Veran, who seek to revive their dark master. Although they are successful, Link manages to vanquish Ganon once and for all.

Link & Zelda - Panoply of Calatia:

Link settles into her role as Hero of Hyrule. Hyrule finally prospers, with Ganon's forces having been defeated.

Although Link's adventure is often prompted by a desire to help others, I think the story would benefit from Link having personal stakes. After all, Link is our primary connection to this world. So, much of the emotional narrative is built on the tension between Link & Ganon, even when the latter isn't actually present -- as is the case for most of the story, in which he is seemingly dead following the events of LOZ. It's a matter of finding personal meaning in the events of these stories.

I think there's also an interesting relationship between Link and Hyrule, in which there's a mirror effect happening. For instance, in AOL, both Link and Hyrule are undergoing a similar healing process in the aftermath of Ganon's attack, but still have to deal with Ganon's lasting influence. This idea is present even in the end, where Hyrule prospers now that Link has finally defeated & moved on from Ganon.

Solitary Journey

Most games in the Fallen Hero timeline depict a solitary Link -- who generally adventures alone. While this is an element that I want to maintain, it is difficult to tell a compelling story where the hero is alone ALL the time.

Although Link is the Hero of Hyrule, she isn't the only hero IN Hyrule. There are plenty of other characters working just as hard as Link, whether inspired by Link or pre-existing figures who are simply working to support their communities; noteworthy characters of similar heroic stature -- like the Champions of Hyrule. There are a large number of supporting characters in the franchise who don't get an awful lot of screen time, but are still heroes of their own stories.

Link's journey would take her across all of Hyrule, so it makes sense that portions of her adventure should be shared with these characters. Since this story is not limited by the narrative of Breath of the Wild, we are able to depict the Champions of Hyrule, in particular, as actual protagonists before becoming champions.

I've previously mentioned the importance I want to bring to other characters in the series -- many of which are helpful characters that Link regularly receives help from during their adventures, like Irene the Witch or Ralph. Featuring these other characters more heavily will reduce the amount of time Link is completely alone without any dialogue. It might not be an enjoyable read if there wasn't character interaction at least SOME of the time, right? A good fantasy adventure needs a good RPG party.

Conclusion

While the quest to save the world is an important one, I often find myself more interested in the smaller, more personal stories. I think a real adventure for Link would probably be one in which the focus is simply to help people.

Everyone knows that Link has to defeat Ganon in the end, but what about all the side quests? The vast majority of the latest game, Breath of the Wild, is entirely optional -- but is still some of the most compelling content in the game. The point of Link's adventure isn't to save Zelda -- it's to save ALL of Hyrule. How are we supposed to care about that land unless we see what it's like to actually EXIST in this place? That's what a lot of the adventure should be in between Link's acquisition of the Triforce shards, I think.

That said…

I don't know if I'm ready for such a big project, and I might lack the skill to do something so ambitious. At the same time, however, I feel like I can't wait TOO long either. If this is a project that will take a lot of time -- years if I'm lucky haha -- then perhaps it should be started sooner than later?

The problem with that, I suppose, is that I don't actually have an entire story planned out. I have a few interesting scenes across the entire saga in mind, but no outline of the ENTIRE narrative, and that can't promise quality. Maybe the answer is to simply take this adventure one step at a time, but I am nervous about messing it up without having the entire thing expertly plotted. I think I can get away with a bit more looseness for a Beaumont comic, since there are no expectations and nothing to compare against…

Anyway, those are neat ideas. This specific post was more expository than design-oriented, but I hope you enjoyed it all the same.

Don't forget to eat & sleep.