Nintendo might be gearing up to release a new installment of The Legend of Zelda featuring Princess Zelda. This speculation comes from the renowned insider PapaGenos, who initially disclosed the Mario vs. Donkey Kong remake and accurately predicted the launch date of the Metroid Prime remaster for the Switch.
“In The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, the princess had a great design, and I think we’ve been in need of a game starring Zelda for a long time. It seems to me that fans are just waiting for such an adventure in Hyrule. Now is the time,” he wrote.
In the original post, PapaGenos concealed the phrase “THIS IS A HINT.” The post also featured artwork of Zelda from the artbook for The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom.
Previously, Nintendo acknowledged the possibility of featuring Princess Zelda as a playable character in a future installment of the main series of The Legend of Zelda.
In 2023, producer Eiji Aonuma discussed Link and Zelda’s relationship within the broader history of The Legend of Zelda series, responding to inquiries from IGN.
“It’s interesting when you think about the title The Legend of Zelda and then you remember that Link has always been the main character in this series. You can’t do without Zelda herself, the characters always have some kind of relationship, the rules of their interaction. On the other hand, there is no denying the existence of thoughts [about the playable Zelda] and her role within the franchise. It is possible that in the future such ideas will be able to be implemented in some way,” said Eiji Aonuma.
However, such a release is not expected in the near future. It is probable that PapaGenos is alluding to the development of a Zelda-centric spin-off.
To date, the princess has been officially playable only in spin-off titles like Hyrule Warriors and Cadence of Hyrule.
Additionally, players are given control of a ghostly version of the princess in the handheld adventure game, The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks.
She also appears as a fully-fledged fighter in the Super Smash Bros. fighting games. In the main series, however, the playable protagonist is always Link.
