Princess Zelda

Princess Zelda, often shortened to Zelda, is one of the main characters of The Legend of Zelda series. It is also the name traditionally provided to princesses born into the Royal Family of Hyrule. As such, there are several incarnations of Princess Zelda throughout the series. She was created by Shigeru Miyamoto and first appeared in the debut title, The Legend of Zelda. The various Princess Zeldas are usually in possession of the Triforce of Wisdom, which grants them the ability to control certain psionic powers.

Although she is the series' titular character, Link is the actual main protagonist, and like Zelda, he appears in various incarnations throughout the series. There are even a few titles that Zelda does not appear in.

Shigeru Miyamoto named Princess Zelda after a real world person,. This was because he liked the sound to "Zelda" and also described Fitzgerald as "a famous and beautiful woman from all accounts".

The Legend of Zelda
In the backstory for The Legend of Zelda, Ganon captures Zelda in hopes that she will reveal where she hid the Triforce of Wisdom. Zelda sends Impa to seek out a hero to put an end to Ganon's ambitions.

Zelda II: The Adventure of Link
A different Princess Zelda guarded the secret location of the Triforce of Courage, and because she would not reveal the location was cast into an eternal sleep by magic. Afterwards, all princesses were to be named "Zelda" in her honor.

The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past
Captured by Aganihm, Ganon's alter ego, Zelda reaches out telepathically to Link, who carries the spirit of a hero. Along with the maidens who carry the blood of the seven sages, she guides Link to the Triforce.

The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
Zelda learns in a dream that the Gerudo King of Thieves, Ganondorf, is targeting the Triforce and that a boy from the forest will become the hero who saves the world. However, unable to convince her father, the king, she takes matters into her own hands, granting Link the Ocarina of Time, which allows him to manipulate time. Zelda's nurse Impa arranges to disguise her as a Sheikah named Sheik and saves her from Ganondorf's clutches when he storms Hyrule Castle. Seven years later, Ganon is sealed and Zelda sends Link back to the world of seven years ago.

The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Seasons/Ages
Princess Zelda is the symbol of hope for the people of the Kingdom of Hyrule. When Zelda is threatened, the Flame of Despair is lit.

The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker
Tetra, a pirate captain sailing the Great Sea, is revealed to have been Princess Zelda the entire time, having had her memories taken to help the authenticity of her new form.

The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords
Princess Zelda is tasked with protecting the Four Sword in the Sanctuary. The blade has the Wind Sorceror Vaati sealed within. When Vaati breaks the seal and returns to Hyrule, the demon attempts to make the princess his bride, stealing her away to the Palace of Winds. Link uses the Four Sword to save her.

The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Adventures
The Wind Sorceror Vaati escapes his seal. Link, wielding the Four Sword, defeats Vaati and a form of Ganon with the aid of Zelda's magic.

The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap
Princess Zelda is turned to stone by the Wind Sorceror Vaati, who was attempting to steal the light force from within her. Link reverses the spell and defeats Vaati. Zelda uses the Mage's Cap and the light force to undo the damage that Vaati had done.

The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess
When Hyrule is invaded by the army of the Twilight Realm, Zelda is asked to choose between surrender and the destruction of her people. The princess chooses to surrender in order to save her people. Accepting subjugation, she wears a black robe. She comes to meet the princess of the Twilight Realm, Midna. Together, they overcome the ancient grudges between the light world and the Twilight Realm to help Link stop Ganondorf, with Zelda and Midna both nearly sacrificing themselves in the process.

The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks
When Zelda's body is stolen as a vessel for the revival of the Demon King Malladus, Zelda manages to keep her soul. Able to possess the armor of Phantoms and fight, she journeys alongside Link to stop Malladus from bringing terror to Hyrule.

The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword
Before the kingdom of Hyrule and the royal family exist, the goddess Hylia is reborn as a mortal to the headmaster of the Knight Academy. She regains the power of the ancient goddess, awakens the hero, Link, and bears the fate of protecting the world from demons. Afterwards, she decides to settle on the surface world, and it is implied that Link stays with her. According to Hyrule Historia, her descendants found the kingdom, build Hyrule Castle in the center of Hyrule near the Temple of Time, and become the Royal Family of Hyrule.

The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds
Taken away to the parallel world of Lorule, the princess is turned into a painting in a plot to possess the power she holds. Zelda is freed, and together with Link, she saves both Hyrule and Lorule from a dark path.

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Throughout the game, the princess is trapped in Hyrule Castle, keeping Calamity Ganon at bay. She is seen throughout numerous memories Link recalls in the game, taking place before the Great Calamity. They show her attempting to unlock her sealing power from the goddess springs, while keeping an interest in scholarly pursuits such as the Guardian excavations. Her father, King Rhoam, encourages her somewhat aggressively to continue trying to find the sealing power, knowing that Calamity Ganon is soon to return. After her visit to the final spring, the Spring of Wisdom, Calamity Ganon awakes and triggers the Great Calamity, and Zelda manages to unlock the sealing power while trying to protect a dying Link from the renegade Guardians, before he is taken to the Shrine of Resurrection and she returns to Hyrule Castle to use the power on Calamity Ganon.

At various portions of the game, Zelda telepathically speaks to Link. Among various other things, she warns him every time a blood moon reaches its apex. Notably, this is the first main-series game to have her voice acted. In the English version, she is given a heavy British accent. In the King's Study in Hyrule Castle, it is revealed that her mother died when Zelda was six years old, and that her constant studying may have been to try and make up for that.

Once Link reaches the sanctum of Hyrule Castle, Zelda loses her hold on Calamity Ganon and the fight commences. After Calamity Ganon is defeated, it becomes Dark Beast Ganon, and Zelda grants Link the Bow of Light to defeat it, while causing weak spots of light to appear on its body. Once Ganon is defeated with the Bow of Light, Zelda is ejected from its mouth, and she uses her sealing power to shrink the remaining malice into nothingness. At the end of the game, Link and Zelda are shown in front of the ruined Hyrule Castle, while the spirits of King Rhoam and the four Champions look at them one last time before disappearing.

Cadence of Hyrule: Crypt of the NecroDancer featuring The Legend of Zelda
In Cadence of Hyrule: Crypt of the NecroDancer featuring The Legend of Zelda, Zelda is one of three main playable characters. Near the beginning of the game, Cadence has the choice to awaken Link or Zelda. If Zelda is awakened from Octavo's spell, she will become the next playable character; if Link is awakened, she can be found asleep in Kakariko Village later in the game. Zelda plays a bit differently from Cadence and Link, utilizing Din's Fire and Nayru's Love as the default shoulder button moves. Regardless of the player's action, she appears during the final confrontation with Ganon, and thanks Cadence for her assistance when Ganon is defeated.