The Legend of Zelda has reliably starred Link in every game, but the series has introduced a lot of characters that could carry their own spinoffs. The Zelda games have surprising depth in their casts beyond the series mainstays of Link and Zelda. A new game that puts the spotlight on one of these side characters could bring some new potential to the series.
Despite being one of Nintendo's longest-running franchises, The Legend of Zelda has not seen many spinoff titles. The most prominent example of such would be Hyrule Warriors and its sequel, Age of Calamity. As a result, almost every game in the series has had its focus fixed squarely on Link and Zelda, leaving little time for other characters to shine. Nintendo could be missing a lot of opportunities with many of these characters. Tears of the Kingdom could revisit classic realms, but going back to them in a spinoff could be more rewarding.
Age Of Calamity's Robbie & Purah Could Have A Fun Scientific Zelda Adventure
The alternate timeline created by Age of Calamity introduced players to a pair of the series' most fun characters in Robbie and Purah. A duo of eccentric scientists, their inventions prove to be crucial in helping Link and his allies save Hyrule from the machinations of Calamity Ganon. With their introductions as playable fighters in the game's DLC, it's shown that they're fairly capable in the field as well. Thanks to this, a game starring Robbie and Purah on their own could be surprisingly plausible.
One thing that would immediately set Robbie and Purah apart from Link is their arsenal and skillset. Neither of them knows how to wield a sword, but they have a lot of impressive technology at their command, as shown to great effect in Age of Calamity's second expansion. In fact, they could offer their own twist on one of Zelda's most common mechanics. While Link always finds items in dungeons to gain new abilities, Robbie and Purah could use scrap and treasures that they find to invent new machines for the same purpose. That way, it could add a new character-appropriate flavor to a longstanding series tradition.
With Age of Calamity opening up a new timeline, a game starring Purah and Robbie would be a perfect way to build on that development. Whether they're further researching Hyrule's hidden evils or going on a grand expedition, their quirky personalities would be certain to entertain. Puran and Robbie are two of The Legend of Zelda's newest characters, and even if they aren't among the characters to return in Tears of the Kingdom, they could carry their own story admirably.
Tetra & The Pirates From Wind Waker Could Provide An Exciting Zelda Seafaring Adventure
Tetra the pirate captain from Wind Waker holds a unique place in The Legend of Zelda's chronology. Her role as the reincarnation of Princess Zelda was a surprise to many players, and her snarky personality made her a fun inclusion to the series. Although Link only spent a short amount of time with her and her crew in Wind Waker, they are worth revisiting in another Zelda game. If one were to conceptualize another game set in the Wind Waker universe, then there are no better characters to grant a starring role to.
A game starring the pirate crew would naturally have to give the player the role of Tetra. As the captain as well as Princess Zelda's incarnation, she is the most obvious choice. After all, she wielded a weapon stronger than the Master Sword in Wind Waker. In addition to adventuring on islands and commanding the ship, it would also offer the opportunity for players to engage in more pirate-themed antics. For example, they could hunt for buried treasure to find rupees or valuable artifacts. Such a game could even offer the player to do battle against villainous pirate crews. In addition, if this game were to take place after the events of Wind Waker, Tetra could put the magical powers of Princess Zelda to use as well.
With Wind Waker being so focused on sailing, it was something of a disappointment that Tetra's pirates only played a minimal role. Despite the game featuring a full crew, none of them got any real characterization or focus with the exception of Niko and Tetra herself. A sequel to Wind Waker expand on the world of the Great Sea following Ganondorf's defeat, and Tetra would be the ideal protagonist for such a story.
Impa Is The Longest-Running Zelda Character That Deserves A Spinoff
Impa is one of the most prominent supporting characters in The Legend of Zelda, appearing in several games over the course of the series. She has taken on several varied forms, from a matronly caretaker, to a wise old woman, to Zelda's powerful bodyguard. Since Impa has seen almost as many reinventions as Link himself, she would make an excellent character to head her own spinoff, either as one of her previous incarnations or an all-new version.
What Impa's playable appearances in Hyrule Warriors have shown of her skillset could give her a far different method of adventuring than Link. Whether she's wielding a giant blade as tall as her or using ninja techniques to clone herself, her abilities lie in techniques rather than tools. Rather than obtaining items, she could continuously sharpen her skills in order to unlock new abilities. Just as well, a game featuring her would likely be better off focusing on stealth and combat, emphasizing her strengths as Zelda's loyal bodyguard.
Impa has been a part of The Legend of Zelda for long enough, and she deserves a chance to take center stage. Her duty as Zelda's bodyguard on its own should make a solid foundation for a game, all it needs is a story built around it. Impa has had many incarnations throughout Zelda's history, and it's difficult to imagine a side character more worthy of a starring role than her.
The Hyrule Warriors games already proved that The Legend of Zelda games can succeed beyond the main series. The Zelda games have a lot of material that would make excellent sources for spinoff titles, and a selection of characters that could be great protagonists. If The Legend of Zelda experiments with spinoffs again, it has plenty of valid characters to focus on.