How Breath of the Wild Failed Us When It Comes To Trans Identity
When The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild leaked two weeks before its official launch, most fans and writers stayed far away, eager to preserve their own surprise for as long as they could. This cold streak was broken by a series of screenshots with Impa’s daughter: face buried in her hands, doing her best to talk with an attractive Link without embarrassing herself. Egged on by journal entries dripping with innuendo, folks floated the idea that Nintendo is now “thirsty,” a term used to describe wholehearted expressions of sexual desire. It seemed like a stretch for a company dedicated to its family-friendly image, but stranger things have happened in 2017.
If pun-laden diaries and a girl’s awkward crush were enough to prompt theories about Nintendo’s sudden onset of thirstiness, the gif that emerged several days later cinched the deal. Spurred on by an unseen companion, Link bashfully dons a headdress, revealing the top and rounded shorts worn by the all-female Gerudo. I watched the gif several times, consulting my friends “are you sure that’s Link?” before erupting with joy. Link once tried on Zelda’s dress for Tri-Force Heroes, but this was different. That Nintendo made the outfit part of of the main quest felt like validation from a source I never expected. Trans women, denied any significant representation in blockbuster games, repurpose existing heroes for ourselves: even if Link was simply crossdressing for one short scene, his shy acceptance recalls the moment when I first strode out into the world empowered by an outfit that once felt forbidden. Inspired by this brief scene in Breath of the Wild, I was determined to find the outfit and dominate Hyrule as the first feminized Hero of Time.
The first 15 hours in Breath of the Wild exceeded nearly every expectation. The same open world scale that felt impenetrable in The Witcher 3 presented itself here with a calm, unassuming grin: Calamity Ganon may be an imminent threat, but sprinting to the finish line will only result in a Link-shaped pile of ash. For once, the nagging voice compelling me to finish as quickly as possible faded into the background. As I strode off the beaten path and wandered from shrine to shrine, my strength grew, and the first real boss I encountered fell within minutes. My trepidation for the game was soon replaced with admiration, and I sprinted toward the sand, eager to have Link wear something that spoke to me more than any suit of armor.
The euphoria, however, was short lived. The first warning sign was a merchant hiding near Gerudo Town’s gates, determined to find “the man” who managed to sneak in undetected. Sure enough, “the man” was a svelte Gerudo woman perched on the roof of a nearby hotel who spoke with an exaggerated, husky tone. Link confirms Vilia’s identity by scrutinizing her body, and is then prompted to either exclaim she’s a man or compliment her beauty. The latter convinces Vilia to sell you a convincing outfit before the wind hits her veil, revealing her beard to a shocked Link.
