UPDATE: 01/25/2022 This article has been updated to accurately credit the cosplayer, The Legend of Emily, and their photographer Gerry Francisco.
A fantastic The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess cosplay brings the fantasy series' titular ruler of Hyrule to life. Nintendo's long-running adventure series stars Link as the playable protagonist, but Zelda often serves as a powerful force of good that lends the player aid. Incredible cosplay of Link and Zelda has brought the franchise's protagonists to life in the past, allowing fans to pay tribute to the beloved world of Hyrule.
While the Legend of Zelda series timeline can be a bit convoluted, certain elements do consistently reappear in most or all installments in the Nintendo series. Link, a green-clad warrior and wielder of the Triforce of Courage, is always present as the series' playable protagonist. Ganon, a piglike monster who wields the Triforce of Power and plots to take over Hyrule, is typically featured as a main antagonist or overarching threat. The titular Zelda, meanwhile, wields the Triforce of Wisdom and often acts as a greater good to guide the player. Fan-made cosplay of Princess Zelda and Sheik, a disguised form of the regal mage, often pay tribute to the character's history in the fantasy franchise.
A fantastic recreation of Zelda, created by cosplayer The Legend of Emily, brings the iconic and powerful ruler to life. The cosplay is specifically based on the princess' appearance in The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess, a 2006 entry which saw Hyrule being consumed by the shadowy Twilight Realm. The Legend of Emily's amazing cosplay, which was captured by photographer Gerry Francisco, includes every detail of Zelda's design, including the character's pointed ears and crown. Zelda's dress is embroidered to match the in-game design, and armored shoulder pads give the ruler an element of fighting spirit. The cosplay also includes a mask, since it was worn to the Magfest 2022 gaming festival, with many commenters joking that it made The Legend of Emily look like Sheik.
Click here to see the full Reddit post and image gallery.
Many Legend of Zelda cosplayers seek to perfectly recreate characters from the franchise, but some others prefer to meld different series together. For example, one hilarious Horizon Zero Dawn Bokoblin Aloy cosplay manages to combine Guerrilla Games' open-world adventure with The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. Both titles give gamers the freedom to explore as they please, and both take place in a post-apocalyptic world populated by machinery. The cosplay faithfully recreates Aloy but uses a large Bokoblin head as a helmet, creating a strange and fantastic crossover.
The Legend of Zelda series has a long and varied history, giving cosplayers plenty of material to work with as they design real-world outfits. The Twilight Princess cosplay built by The Legend of Emily goes all-in on Zelda, recreating her pointed ears and the fine details on her dress. The mask even fits the royal color scheme, making it look like Zelda is in the middle of donning her Sheik disguise.
Source: The Legend of Emily/Reddit, The Legend of Emily/Instagram, Gerry Francisco/Twitter