I mean, I guess if you haven't played a Zelda game since the 80s. But for the last 30 years, Zelda has been a fucking badass that don't need no man to save her. She's usually part of a secret ninja-like warrior group. Or captaining a pirate ship with a whole crew of people twice her size that look up to and respect her leadership. Or holding off Ganon for 100 years (and apparently not aging one day!) while Link sleeps in a cave, then later cooks meals in his underwear.
Zelda is a fucking badass. She just has a different role to play than the courageous hero. Neither of them could save Hyrule without each other.
And the most recent one, Tears of the Kingdom. I won't drop spoilers, but the role she played was far more legendary (and self-sacrificing) than Link's, I'd say.
That was wild! And even beyond that, everyone you met would mention how she went around after beating the Calamity and helped people. Truly the people’s princess (queen?)
I have a theory for this: Canon facts are, that she was "devoured" by Ganon (which is why she pops out of the giant malice boar at the end) and Ganon in turn was hiding in that cocoon in the Sanctum.
Since the cocoon thing has some interesting design parallels to the Shrine of Resurrection, I'm fairly sure that it is his homemade DIY version of a resurrection chamber with which he tried to build himself a new body. Link didn't age in the "original" SoR, so it would make sense that Zelda (inside of Ganon inside the knockoff SoR) didn't age either.
My headcanon says that Miyamoto was fixated on the name Zelda long before realizing it was a woman's name. Then he said "fuck it" and threw a princess in there.
I know that he actually took the name from Zelda Fitzgerald, but this is funnier.
Yeah my name is Link man,
I'm more well known than Lil' Wayne
What's that? You thought my name was Zelda?
That's a fucking girl's name!
I've saved the world like fifteen times,
And saved the princess from demise
And I do it all alone with no help and no advice!
(Hey, look, listen!
Hey, look, listen, you _ annoying fairy!
I'd rather be forced to listen to constant Katy Perry.)
I'm called the Bushwhacker
And my bank account's maxed.
Got 999 rupees,
But I'm forced to pay out the ass for these bombs in Castle Town.
So I can kick that dumbass Ganon
All the way to Argentina!
L to the I to the N to the K, and he ain't gonna stop 'till the world is free of evil.
Legend of Zelda? Fuck that! Legend of Link!
Credit (and blame) to Smosh. By the way, while we're at it, can someone lend me their tomahawk, or maybe some meat in my mouth? Also, who's Evil Kneivel?