So...is Zelink Canon? (Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom)

🌏 Get exclusive NordVPN deal here ➵ nordvpn.com/nintendobc It’s risk free with Nord’s 30 day money-back guarantee!✌

As a cat owner, Zelda slow-blinking at Link at the end of the game is the soundest evidence possible that she loves him.

Yes. Yes it is. And you cannot convince me otherwise.

The beginning with Zelda nerding out and Link just listening is one of the most precious moments

My favorite detail about the two, whether intentional or not, is that Zelda, being commonly associated with blue, has green eyes, and Link, commonly associated with green, has blue eyes, almost as if they were made to complete each other.

I think the scene with Zelda checking on Link after him fighting the keese is far more significant than the video makes it out to be. In BotW there’s a memory where they are sitting near Death Mountain, surrounded by Lynels and Moblins killed by Link, which Zelda would have witnessed and she doesn’t seem too concerned regarding his safety, only lightly scolding his recklessness. Zelda has also obviously seen Link fight Calamity Ganon.
Yet she freaks out and rushes to Link’s side after him fighting 3 of the weakest enemies in the game? That’s definitely how worrywart partners react, she is uniquely worked up about his safety despite her knowing how very capable he is.
We also see this somewhat with Sidon and Yona as he is initially scared of helping Link and seems uniquely apprehensive compared to his typical brave self we’re familiar with, because he now has a partner.

I just think it's funny how in the memory with Zelda and Sonia talking about Link, it gets to a point where Rauru and Sonia start acting like parents when their daughter brings up a boy

Link's body language when he takes the torch from Zelda in the opening is 100% a boyfriend holding onto something while his girlfriend checks her purse.

I actually got the impression early in Tears of the Kingdom that the little cheeky comments on item and armor descriptions were because Link himself was writing them. The comment on the sandals taking forever to lace up is what started me thinking that might be the case.

All these Zelink discussions and I keep seeing the emotion conveyed in the scene you retrieve the master sword missed. He straight up dose the loving forehead rest on the sword like his last goodbye hug because he at this point doesn't think he will ever get to see her again. I nearly cried during that part. You can FEEL the love and loss. Like he is going to destroy Gannon so her sacrifice isnt in vain.

You missed the part in Zelda's diary where she talks about Link being her constant companion. He had to have been living in Hateno village while she was there building the school and if not in the same house as her then... where else could he have been? I felt that was kinda the final piece of the puzzle that solidified that their relationship is canon. At least for me.

BUT WAIT, THERE'S MORE!

Link has maximum bond with Zelda's horse by default, and the stable npc notes how trusting and close the horse is to him.

When speaking to the npc Tenne at South Akkala Stable, she implies that the dream homes are something couples buy (using the term "結婚" or marriage when talking about it in Japanese). She has a lot of dialogue, but most importantly "before I buy a dream home of my own, I need to figure out the "special someone" part of the equation" and says "let's hope we both end up in dream homes of our own with amazing partners who smell good and like dogs" and notably, Princess Zelda has been shown to like dogs. There are also Silent Princesses very close to the plot and you can purchase an unusable study unit "for time alone", why would Link need such a thing?

There is a heart-shaped bed in Korok Forest surrounded by Silent Princess flowers and *Blue Night*shade flowers close together. There are a few other locations like this, such as Rutile Lake.

Link's Royal Guard Cap is found in Zelda's old bedroom at the castle. It's curious that it's here, behind a dressing screen near her bed, no less.

Puppet Zelda states "(important place of) memories of you and me" in other languages like French and Japanese. Honestly, that whole sequence was a clear example of the "baiting you with the one you love" trope.

While the two dishes are a re-used asset, it could be argued Zelda moving in was always the plan. Additionally, for most houses in Hateno, the number of dishes matches the number of people living in the house.

After saving Lurelin Village, there is a house in Hateno Village that becomes abandoned, with a note left behind for travelers to use as they need. Curiously, however, Link will refuse to sleep here.

Zelda says "Tadaima, Link" in the ending in the Japanese version, and the tone she said it in has a feeling of closeness, and this is usually said to those you share a home with. I've seen some Japanese players say "oh they must be close" on social media in response to this line.

It still boggles my mind that people in Hateno Village recognize and speak proudly of Zelda and her time there, but nobody seems to recognize Link in the slightest, aside from the one Shiekah researcher. It's just super weird to me.

The "Find Princess Zelda" quest being the last quest ever to be completed in TOTK—even much longer than the typical defeat Ganon blabla—is a proof enough that for Link it wasn't even about saving Hyrule it was about finding his princess.

This may be a theory. But consider how Link is being more attached and immersive to the Zora's cultural ways since he was a child, Zelda might of taken the idea of building the Champion's Leather as a way of marriage proposal just as Mipha is about to give Link the Zora's Armor before the Calamity struck. It would make sense if you think about it.

Theory: when the light dragon sheded her tears down onto Hyrule, the droplets of said tears created the silent princess flowers, in fact, upon closer inspection the silent princess bares a resemblance to Zelda. Blue is her signature colour, the white tips are the same colour as the scales of her dragon form, and the yellow resembles her hair colour. I thought of this theory for quite some time now. (Also I originally thought that the green stem was meant to represent her Zonai dress because the green is a similar shade but it is unlikely).
Also the light dragon’s spikes are blue.

So, Zelda's training helped her with Power and Wisdom but not Courage. Once she overcame her fear and Displayed Courage she unlocked her power. Her Fear was overcome to protect Link because of her feelings for him. She would have unlocked her power earlier if her father hadn't been terrible at being a father...

the diary in zelda's well to me is the biggest giveaway. not only does it confirm that, in the 6 or so years between botw and totk, they were always together ("no matter where i go and offer aid, link is always by my side"), but there's also the champions' leathers!

not only did she have the champions' leathers commissioned as a gift, but she wanted it to be a surprise . she hid it in the throne room for him to find after their exploration underneath hyrule castle (tho we all know how that went), and a detail many seem to forget is that, in order to obtain it, you need to light the two torches next to the throne. meaning, zelda designed a whole ass puzzle for link to get the tunic, like she didn't just want to hand him the gift, she had an entire event planned, that was designed to build up excitement, before revealing the surprise. in addition, she was so excited that she wrote about it all in her secret diary, in her secret study. idk about you, but that's not just a regular gift you give to a friend, you don't get that excited about planning a surprise, unless it's for someone really special. not to mention just how great of a gift it is too, being both practical (as it is objectively good armor), and sentimental (being made to look like the champions' tunic). it's a really sweet quest, and combined with all the other evidence, really makes romance seem highly plausible

One other detail about the ending sticks out to me on repeated viewings: the field in which Link and Zelda find themselves is filled with forget-me-nots. This is extremely cool, because the forget-me-not represents true/eternal love, fidelity, and remembrance. Despite being separated from one another for centuries, Link and Zelda’s love for one another never faltered, and Link never gave up on getting Zelda back; it was his first priority, even more important than destroying Ganondorf. Likewise, Zelda still managed to remember Link even after she lost herself to draconification, and her memories returned to her fully when Link restored her to her original self. They are absolutely ride or die for one another, and they went to incredible lengths to help each other save Hyrule. These two are madly in love and nothing can stop them from being together forever.

Its also nive to note that when Link usually pulls the master sword, he swings the sword in his iconic fashion, in TOTK he puts it up to his forhead as if to make a vow to zeldas sacrifice. It reminded me of something my husband might do!