Is Zelda Evil in Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom? Explained

Unsurprisingly, Princess Zelda plays another major role in Tears of the Kingdom, although the eponymous character is more difficult to work out in the 2023 title. Some have even questioned if she is a villain. Here’s the answer to whether Zelda is evil in The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom.

**The below article, explaining whether Zelda is evil in Tears of the Kingdom, will contain some spoilers, so only read on if you’re happy to have some story details and plot points revealed.**

Is Zelda Evil in Tears of the Kingdom?

No, Zelda is not evil in Tears of the Kingdom. She’s still the same kind-hearted and fundamentally good character we’ve come to know and love from previous Zelda iterations. She’s helping Link as much as she can but, because of various story beats and character motivations, she does appear evil in some of TOTK’s story.

Throughout the main narrative, Zelda is seen close to sinister and unpleasant incidents. Various NPCs will also claim to have seen her acting sadistically and selfishly, painting the picture of a dislikable character who is different from the one we’ve seen in past titles like Breath of the Wild.

The natural conclusion for many players is that she’s under the control of Ganondorf, TOTK’s main villain. It’s more complicated than that though, with the shady appearances of Zelda actually Ganondorf imitating the iconic Princess.

Completing the ‘Tears of the Dragon’ side quests reveals Zelda’s real memories. Number 7, called ‘Sonia is Caught by Treachery’, reveals that versions of Zelda players and NPCs have been seeing are actually “a creature under Ganondorf’s command”. In short, it is not Zelda herself but an emissary of Ganondorf posing as Zelda.

Working through more of the narrative also reveals that Zelda is awaiting Link’s need for the Master Sword, confirming again that her eerie appearances have been Ganondorf’s doing throughout. That’s led to some players questioning whether she becomes a dragon in TOTK, which is another story altogether.

That’s all there is to know about whether Zelda is evil in Tears of the Kingdom. For all the latest on Nintendo’s 2023 title, including how much damage the Master Sword does and where the Divine Beasts have gone, stick with us on Twinfinite.