The Legend of Zelda, reimagined as an ancient South Asian epic

I participated in the Zelda Creators Secret Santa event and got to do this masterpiece for Mischievousminis on Instagram. Combining her favorite friends with the classic whimsical pirate dog painting was a huge joy and made me giggle so much!

I hope everyone has a wonderful holiday

Oh, how I want a Phantom Hourglass and Spirit Tracks remake in the Wind Waker style so bad, but I know it's never going to happen

this is both the best and the worst news i could have gotten today

hug your fellow zelda fans close today folks were in for a rough one

Knight, by Malin

A Master Study featuring Zelda II: The Adventure of Link. In which Link hangs out with the two Zeldas post-game (Who do you think became the Queen of Hyrule?)

This was a difficult piece, but I'm happy with it!

Based on 'The Chess Players' by Jacques-Clément Wagrez (1902)

Information on inspiration and process under the cut!

Original piece: "The Chess Players" by Jacques-Clément Wagrez (1846-1908).

The moment I saw this artwork I immediately thought of Zelda II. One of the women is wearing a medieval-esque red velvet dress, and she looks a lot like the design I made for the cursed princess Zelda!

I thought it would be very fitting to reimagine this artwork in a Zelda II context, so I went ahead with it! doubles as a master study and LoZ fanart.

I learnt a LOT from making this piece! Since I worked on it digitally, I got and made brushes that acted as close to traditional brushes, and I also worked on the entire piece in one layer. So whenever I made a mistake, I'd have to paint over. No return. But it was a big learning experience! Learnt more about rendering silk and velvet by observing how they are painted and blended in the original.

Here are some WIP shots! It took a long time to get to where it is now xD It was difficult to finally pen down the right proportions and placement. I probably should've done a grid copy, but I opted to just eyeing it out all the way through. It was... hard. (lesson learnt?)

I read that in a lot of older pieces, they are made in greyscale, then flat colours are overlaid on top. makes rendering much easier. and it truly has! I probably should’ve rendered the greyscale version even more. Since there were still a lot of mistakes that I had to rework and adjust while colouring.

Very fruitful experience overall, and I’m just happy to make a grand-scale Zelda II artwork xD I’ve never seen one so I made it!!!

I graduated college! In celebration, here's a Sheik and Ganon drawing I may or may not get around to finishing.

This was actually for a pulp art assignment in one of my classes. The idea here was, since Zelda is sort of a quintessential damsel, to picture what it might look like on her end of things apart from just sitting around waiting to be rescued. In particular, this drawing is a reimagining of this 1992 illustration from the Futabasha Fantasy Novel Series: The Legend of Zelda (via History of Hyrule) with a Sheik/Zelda inspired by the Ocarina of Time manga. In general I have really deeply mixed feelings about the manga adaptations (tp especially (¬_¬)) but I'm OBSESSED with the idea of Sheik as a double agent under Ganon - seriously, what were they doing for seven years? Writing spoken word poetry about the flow of time? Transing their gender? anyways.

[Image Description: 5 colored drawings of Legend of Zelda Fairies reimagined in a humanoid form for the Linked Spirit AU. 1st: Hope and Spryte fly next to each other, holding hands losely while Spryte gestures as if to explain something. Hope grins excitedly. Hope's tunic is red and pink. He has light blue and purple insect wings with feathered antenna. Spryte has blond hair, a simple pink tunic, and light blue wings. She has dark blue antenna with a blub end. 2nd: Navi hovers, one hand to her chest. She has short blue hair, and her body is light blue with a fur-like texture. She wears white armor and a blue skirt. Her wings are a light blue 3rd: Proxi raises a hand up, looking excited. Proxi has dark blue furred body, with white hair in a braid which ends with three blue beads. Her antenna are curled into spirals. She has white puffs of fur around her neck and ankles. She wears a light blue shirt with a flower-like shape at the bottom, and white shorts. Her wings are a sky blue. 4th: Tatl and Tael look at each other, Tatl's hands on her hips, Tael with a hand on his chest. Both of them have a base yellow body color, with patterns on their feet and hands. Tatl's patterns are a deeper yellow, while Tael's are violet. Tatl has blond hair in a ponytail, and wears a yellow dress with a tear pattern at the end. The top of the dress mimics the silhouette of Navi's armor. Tael wears a dark blue jumpsuit, with tattered ends of the shorts and short sleeves. Both of them wear a hoop belt similar to the band of Skull Kid's hat. 5th: Neri, Celia, and Leaf are in a small circle together, Celia's hands on the other's shoulders, and Neri & Leaf holding hands in front of Celia, they have dark skin similar to the Great Fairies in Wind Waker. Neri has a simple blue dress with teal bubbles on the bottom of the dress. Her hair is in a bun with a ponytail beyond it. Her wings are blue with teal tips with a shield like shape in the upper wings. Celia has yellowish green short hair. She wears a light yellow dress with a green line on the bottom of the skirt. Her wings are yellow with a simple line pattern. Leaf wears a red dress with sharp v cuts in the edges. He wears a deep red vest with long tails. His wings are red, with a diamond pattern in his upper wings. End ID]

Fairy friends!!! These designs are kinda my compromise between wanting consistency and wanting to keep them close to their in-game designs. Thus why the Glowing Ball Fairies have colored 'fur' (idk what it's called on insects but it's That, not fur-fur).

In universe, the difference is kinda like how the Wind Waker Healing Fairies are humanoid while the Phantom Hourglass Companion Fairies are glowing balls. The glowing fairies have higher levels of magic, and the hairs, kinda like bees, store it and make them glow.

Sacred Light Arrow 💫

MINOR TOTK SPOILERS FOR THE BEGINNING + ZORA MSQ

in a rare turn of events i actually drew fanart for something- anyway this is my reimagining of Sidon and Link's reunion in the game (I see them as queerplatonic partners but romantic/platonic is good too! i just like them). My thought process is that Link is not only so done with world ending shit happening again and again, but BOTW told us he keeps silent to not be a burden to others/be strong for them. And now, with the world needing him all over again, trying to find Zelda to no avail, losing his arm, his sword, he finally breaks. Being the hero is too much.

And then this works well with Sidon's lil character arc of being afraid of losing people close to him again like with Mipha and even though the game didn't really say it, Im POSITIVE that Sidon finding out Link was missing/possibly dead made it worse. (side note, no Yona hate here!! she's cool!! I think she, link, and sidon would make a cute polycule and i have no issue with her she's sweet as hell BUT ANYWAY enjoy the comfort angst)

im still in the middle of the zora quest and have like 3 dragon tears so no spoilers beyond those please!! i know nothing and its gonna stay that way!! LSKDJFKJKJDF

also if you follow me for more sidlink content im so sorry but i rarely draw fanart for anything HOWEVER the main thing I do draw is my two aroace queerplatonic husbands being soft and goofy and they got a comic and everything so I mean. if you like this cuddly mlm shit you still might like my other stuff LMAO

Why Capcom should sell the MegaMan rights Nintendo

Why Capcom should sell the MegaMan rights to Nintendo

There are several reasons why Capcom should consider selling the MegaMan rights to Nintendo. The company has a proven track records in successfully rebooting and reimagining classic franchises, and they could bring fresh ideas and resources to revitalize the MegaMan series.

Nintendo's Dedication to Quality and Innovation: Nintendo is renowned for its commitment to quality and innovation in game development. They have successfully reimagined and reinvented their own franchises, such as The Legend of Zelda and Super Mario, multiple times over the years. Nintendo's expertise in creating engaging gameplay experiences and their understanding of what makes a franchise resonate with fans could result in a fresh and exciting take on MegaMan.

Financial and Marketing Support: Nintendo has the financial resources and marketing capabilities to give MegaMan a significant boost. Nintendo's strong distribution network and marketing campaigns could ensure a wide reach for MegaMan games, while Nintendo's global presence and dedicated fanbase would provide a solid foundation for the franchise's success. These companies could invest in high-quality development, marketing, and promotion to maximize MegaMan's potential.

If Nintendo were to reboot and reimagine MegaMan, they could take several approaches:

1. Modernized Gameplay Mechanics: They could introduce new gameplay mechanics that enhance the classic MegaMan formula. This could include new abilities, power-ups, or even a shift to a 3D platforming experience while still maintaining the core elements that fans love.

2. Stunning Visuals: Nintendo has a reputation for delivering visually impressive games. They could leverage their expertise to create stunning, high-definition visuals for MegaMan, breathing new life into the iconic characters and environments.


3. Expanded Universe and Storytelling: They could explore new storylines and expand the MegaMan universe. This could involve introducing new characters, deeper lore, and engaging narratives that provide a fresh take on the series while staying true to its roots.

4. Multiplayer and Online Features: Nintendo could incorporate multiplayer and online features to enhance the MegaMan experience. This could include cooperative gameplay, competitive modes, or even user-generated content, allowing players to create and share their own MegaMan levels.

In conclusion, selling the MegaMan rights to Nintendo could provide the franchise with the resources, creativity, and expertise needed to reboot and reimagine the series. Both companies have a proven track record in successfully revitalizing classic franchises, and they could bring fresh ideas and innovation to the beloved MegaMan franchise.

My reimagining of Princess Zelda ✨️

With both BOTW and totk out of mind, would you say that the Zelda series isn’t heavy on connecting the timeline together anyway? If that makes any sense. I’m just curious.

It makes sense bc that's exactly how I feel! I think the games were NEVER intended to perfectly fit into any sort of a timeline, be it a triple one or a linear one. I think each game reinvents the lore and uses iconography of previous games only to reimagine instead of follow the conventions set by its predecessors. I don't care what Nintendo says, the official timeline makes no sense and I don't mind at all actually. On a creative level, it's fun to reinvent a world over and over again across decades, and on a capitalist level it's easier to sell games featured under one series brand than it is to sell each and every one as its own thing. IRL legends also rarely follow exact history, so if you don't wanna suspend your disbelief you can just tell yourself it's a series of legends that got transformed throughout times and there is no way to know if they are true.

BotW did great to establish this exact philosophy - it namedropped all three timelines, it features architectural and cultural references to everything, effectively rendering the official timeline useless. It doesn't matter which legends are true, the only thing that really matters is that Zelda is Hylia's descendant, Link is the reincarnation of the Hero, and Ganondorf was sealed away at one point and turned into Ganon. BUT THEN TotK said "Nuh-uh" and presented an alternative history that had nothing to do with ANYTHING. AT ALL. LIKE. NOTHING. NOT EVEN BOTW. If BotW was a love letter to all the games that came before it, TotK was a fire setting ablaze all the gentle nostalgia until only the barest bones of "Zelda is a princess of Hyrule" remained.

Thinking about how one of the reasons I was so disappointed by TotK was because I’ve been spoiled by more narrative-driven indie games lately. Even if TotK Ganondorf was only played like a villain resembling the scariest versions of The Princess when he was threatening to break his seal, we still would’ve gotten a character with way more depth and opportunities for emotional attachment/sympathy.

Like…I don’t want Ganon to be a cute, cuddly, super-palatable and marketable same-aged bestie to the teenaged protagonists. I want to have that same pathos and emotional connection that I felt with his Wind Waker incarnation. That guy may have still been a child-punching jerk who was desperately trying to justify himself, but he was also lonely, maladaptive, and struggling with having lost everything partly by his own hands. Out of all the incarnations of this guy, he felt the most human, even if it was the more self-serving, self-pitying, self-destructive parts of humanity. If we must fight him, I want to feel that same uneasy emptiness where I’m left wondering if things could’ve been different and he didn’t have to die instead of a simpler, “Yay!!! U Beat Da Gaem!!!1!!” sendoff.

And if there’s anything Slay The Princess taught me, it’s that you don’t necessarily need a super complex motivation to tell a compelling story, or to start spinning more complex conflicts and narratives outward from that origin point. Sometimes “Let me outta this basement!” is enough. Especially when the character in question is so driven that they don’t care what they have to do or who they have to steamroll to finally reach freedom. Even if all the prisoner does is vindictively torture the player instead of auditioning for their sympathy in their attempts to escape, you can’t help but develop a strange sort of admiration for their tenacity and resourcefulness. Not to mention that, even in a purely antagonistic relationship, such a motive is an easy “in” for emotional connection to a character. Nobody likes being trapped against their will. Everyone forced into imprisonment would want to be free. Also, solitary confinement in particular sucks, and eons of that would be enough to make anyone ornery and desperate.

They didn’t even need to do much to reimagine Ganondorf for a new audience. Just give him a more realistic response to the archetypal Zelda Series situation that he was forced into like BotW’s Link and Zelda. The Holy Maiden is made to suffer, the Hero is made to grow up too fast and put through grueling challenges, and the Monster is made to be imprisoned and be cut down after he escapes because his mere existence threatens the Holy Maiden. (And even if he suffers just as much as the Maiden, it’s all his own fault because he’s Evil, so don’t you dare feel sorry for him!)

Calamity Ganon wanted out of that basement, just like Zelda wanted out of her role and the pressures that came with it. You’re really telling me Nintendo couldn’t have done something more compelling with that? It’s absolutely possible for a character whose history has expanded him to a near-eldritch multiplicity and timespan to still feel human and relatable. You just have to be willing to look at that character with genuine affection as a writer, even at his absolute worst.

Some deep thoughts about Zelda before I go to sleep tonight:

I grew up with oot being my introduction to the series, and over the years, it consumed my life. Botw was exactly what I wanted from a fully open world zelda game, and totk has only built up from that. This is the franchise that taught me how to world build, write characters, and explore my identity. Looking back at my adolescence, I can safely say that Link and Zelda (as she slowly became an actually compelling character) were the opposite ends of my gender envy spectrum. I loved the effeminate twink that I could easily identify with (people who say he never had a personality before TP are wrong, my boy has always been a sassy bitch with a big heart) and the regal lady who was not opposed to getting her hands dirty to do the work she needed to do. Sheik being Zelda is still one of my favorite plot twists in the franchise, my girl rlly said "Fuck it, I'm gonna pose as a man my whole adolescence." Iconic.

I love how they imply in totk that the games in the timeline pre-botw are the legends passed down over hundreds of generations, explaining the thin and inexplicable timeline away as just cultural histories becoming warped and lost with each retelling. I bet they argue about the order of events in-universe, and you can not convince me otherwise. It makes me laugh looking back at oot seeing rauru portrayed as a pudgy old man hylian, knowing now that he's just straight up a god-like being that married a hylian woman.

This brings me to the future of the series, and a proposal: remake the old stories, but with the new lore, as they Actually Happened. Make the players figure out what parts were true and what parts were warped by time. Hell, make them with the effects of the new timeline Created by Zelda in totk. How does her presence alter history? How can we reimagine the events of pivotal games in the timeline with our new information? How can we keep improving our open world gameplay while revisiting the history that became fables?

I fell off of Zelda in my depression. But totk has renewed my love for what the franchise is and can become. They've really created so many opportunities to expand on what we know, as well as avenues to tell more new stories, possibly both in the same game if they play their cards right.

Thank you, Zelda Team and Miyamoto-san. You built a core aspect of my identity and continue to strive to improve and explore a world that means a lot to many. You honestly are a golden example of what making a compelling universe looks like.