Ilia, Her connection to Link *spoilers*

If that is the case, then what makes ZeLink more canon than Ilia x Link? If Link is destined to walk the path of the hero, he will continue to go on adventures, which makes him staying in the castle very unlikely. It is strongly implied that Zelda is the (only) ruler of Hyrule. She couldn't very well go on adventures with Link and abandon her throne. Not only is that asking for trouble, but I highly doubt Zelda would just give up her throne to travel around with a guy she only met three times in her life.

Don't get me wrong, I love Zelink in Twilight Princess. But Ilia is more versatile than Zelda, in that she can come and go as she pleases, where as Zelda has a duty to Hyrule. Zelda was raised a princess and "a princess knows the needs of the people outweigh her own" (totally took that from the Aladdin tv series ). And while Ilia is watching Link leave in TP, who's to say he won't come back? Ordon is his home. He most likely will go back. And if he does, who's to say Ilia won't go with him on his next adventure. It seems far-fetched, but this is Zelda. Anything is possible.

But I'm not trying to prove Ilia x Link. I don't like that pairing all that much, even though I like Ilia (her hair confounds me, but whatever). Besides, I like Link/Hena and Link/Zelda a whole lot more <3.

Hold on—you’re getting ahead of me. I didn’t directly say that “ZeLink was more cannon than Link/Ilia.” That’s not what I’m discussing. That's another subject that branches off in another direction.

If Link wants to return home, is he even able? What prompts that question is that if you look at the person that taught him all the sword techniques—I don’t think he’s in any condition to return home. He might travel to distant, distant lands, too. Also by the time the game was over I had the strong impression that Link wasn’t returning home. In the specific scene where Fado runs up to Link’s window, like he usually does, and calls out to him, but Link doesn’t answer—he’s gone. What would be the point of that particular sequence if he was returning home? After Link’s adventure, Ordon is different without him.

And I seriously can’t imagine Ilia going on adventures with Link. Does she know how to use a weapon? I mean the most she does in a dangerous situation (aka the covered wagon scene) is scream girlishly. I don’t think the creators intended to make her a sword-bearing heroine. What I’m trying to say that Ilia is not very flexible.

I don’t find Link/Ilia very plausible… I still see her as a Saria figure—only a friend.

My bad XD

We really don't know where Link was going though. And what that scene with Fado meant to me was simply that Link was gone from Ordon on his next adventure. Don't know when he will be back but Ilia will be there waiting for him. If there was a long goodbye before Link rode off into the sunset, I highly doubt he would be so cruel as to not return at least once or twice to see Ilia, be they simply friends or something more.

And who's to say Ilia can't learn how to use a weapon. Colin didn't and look at him by the end of the game (god he's so cute). Of course, I don't think Ilia would be the type to simply up and learn how to use a sword/spear/javelin/what have you, because it doesn't seem to be in her character. But that can change. I was just saying, she is more versatile than Zelda. But since we're not discussing Zelda, I guess that's irrelevant.

My bad XD

We really don't know where Link was going though. And what that scene with Fado meant to me was simply that Link was gone from Ordon on his next adventure. Don't know when he will be back but Ilia will be there waiting for him. If there was a long goodbye before Link rode off into the sunset, I highly doubt he would be so cruel as to not return at least once or twice to see Ilia, be they simply friends or something more.

And who's to say Ilia can't learn how to use a weapon. Colin didn't and look at him by the end of the game (god he's so cute). Of course, I don't think Ilia would be the type to simply up and learn how to use a sword/spear/javelin/what have you, because it doesn't seem to be in her character. But that can change. I was just saying, she is more versatile than Zelda. But since we're not discussing Zelda, I guess that's irrelevant.

I took it as Link was changed - Ordon would no longer be his home. I mean, that's the beauty of it, it was vague enough for interpretation, but I felt a strong sense of restlessness and deja-vu...as in life was back to normal for everyone BUT Link, and that's why he left. I see him visiting, but not making his life there anymore.

I can see how some may feel Ilia's lack of commitment makes her versatile as she's not tied to any life or a crown ( like Zelda and Midna ) but I think HyruleMaster nailed it..as a character, she's not dynamic, she's static. She never seemed to want to pick up a sword and fight, and I have no reason to believe that would change. Throughout the adventure, the only change she seemed to undergo was accepting that she'd have to let Link go and trust him, and a great part of that was forced upon her by circumstance. Now if Link is the type that wants a sweet little girl to wait at home for him, good for him. Ilia's his girl.

But after the adventure, I saw signs that Link had fallen for Midna..a girl who had accompanied him constantly, not content to wait, but actively fighting at his side. I think being so close to Midna then being confronted with the static Ilia may make him realize his desires have changed, though he'd always love her as a dear friend. In that Ilia is static, I don't think she'd understand either, only that he's changed. Just like Saria and Malon with OoT Link.

I can agree with you all the way up to the part about Malon. But that's a whole nother topic for a whole nother board.

But it's similar..mainly because Ilia seems to be an amalgamation of the concepts behind/people of Saria and Malon. Though I truly think the affection Link displayed for her was for the Saria part..the loving childhood friend who believed in Link and knew him better than anyone else but it was doomed to fail.
I will go to the Malon topic to continue the Malon part.

Ilia... while I don't like the character, I do like how symbolic she is. She represents friendship, budding love, and the past.

When we first see her and Link, we get the feeling that she likes him. Maybe he likes her back. It's canon that she has feelings for him, and Link even dreams about becoming the mayor one day. (as stated on zelda.com/tp) So I'm sure that Link may have had a slight crush on her, and maybe even considered marrying her in the far future if he was to be mayor one day.

But things change. Link embarks on a perilous journey, and no doubt develops feelings (or at least interests) in other characters (Midna, Zelda). He grows mentally. He becomes somebody new and different. At the end of the game, we see him leaving, and Ilia is left alone. Why? Because she's the past. She is no longer something he can be a part of. She represents all that was, and now he's changed and grown so much as a person that he can't go back to the way things were or the way he used to be.

Yeah, but we have to remember that Link (in almost all the games), he NEVER talks! He might act like a emotion-less mime. Also, sometimes people don't show their expressions by their faces, but they might be thinking stuff in their minds...

Link/Midna is pretty evident than Illia/Link, but Zelink is the best. (no offense Illia/link and Midlink fans.)

I'm actually a fan of them all, but Illia/link and Midlink have a few more downfalls compared to Zelink.




PS: Yeah, she does represent the past. But, to me, she also represents that the past must be LET GO... I, as well, don't like Illia's personality very much at all.

I hate Illia. Especially that big disgusting and misshapen canteloupe head of hers. Often I wished I can go to the sanctuary and use the Ball & Chain to bust her ugly head open with skull fragments and brain matter splattered all over the sanctuary.

YES!! I hate Illia that bad. I'm for LinkxZelda in TP but it seems that its probably not going to happen. So I'd rather see Link hook up with Ashi, Telma, Hena, Fortune telling lady and yes even Fado, before he hooks up with Illia.

I have to take issue with this opinion in general.

While I may be no fan of Ilia, I think my beef is usually with the creators of the game rather than Ilia herself. To elaborate, I feel antagonism because of the way she was shoehorned into a role that didn't suit her, or I didn't think she should have. They spent so much time telling the player how desirable she was, how brave and kind..but it doesn't matter if she's meant to be eventually left in the past. Nor can she remotely compare to either princess, and I think it's silly to try to push that.
Secondly, I disliked how they took aspects from characters of the past ( specifically Saria and Malon ) and remade them into something not so likeable. Rather than the beloved childhood friend of Saria, she was the inevitable forced romantic interest. Malon's humorous spunk became shrewish insecurity. Again, this is more the creator's fault than Ilia's.

Saying Ilia is ugly and therefore worthless always bothers me, because she wasn't meant to be as beautiful as Zelda or Midna. However she balances that out with knowledge and empathy for Link himself, more than either princess showed. ( Zelda was empathetic, but not knowledgable about him. ) Anyways, while I hope that TP Link is done with her, she wasn't without merit.

True..Believe it or not I tried to like Illia but the whole amnesia thing making her totally useless in just standing in the sanctuary for a great majority of the game did not sit well with me. I admit certain aspects of her character were good in pertaining that she genuinely cared for Ralis's well being. But was it just me or did it seem that Ralis didn't care much to thank Illia for helping him?? But yeah..I generally agree with everything you posted. Especially on Link and Illia's implied romance in the beginning seeming rather forced and contrived. But I still can't stand her misshapened and deformed looking head.

Her hair cut looks really bad at some angles, but I never had short hair except as a baby, and now I think I don't ever want to cut my hair. Not worth it...

I also don't like how at one point she's having this rather ridiculous spazz at Link, and then she's so innocent when she lost her memory. And I know that people don't remember how and who they are with amnseia, but even with her memory restored she acted all... well, I can't really explain it, but she had two personalities, both demonstrated at the wrong place and the wrong time...

Overall I found Illia to be annoying. Even when she was all sugary sweet. But the temper tantrum she had that caused Link to cower like a weenie didn't do much to make me like her in the first place. But I think I was actually more annoyed with Links girly man reaction.

I know fangirls seem to think that its cute and adorable that Link in TP, and even in OOT, is very kind and gentle natured. But as a guy I find it to be lame and a little annoying IMO. When Illia had that temper tantrum I would've respected Link more if he had just stood there with a look of indifference. The way I look at it, if Link cowers like a wimp from an ugly duckling commoner like Illia, then how do you think he would react if Zelda were to scold him?

Thats why it seems to me that LinkxZelda in TP is highly unlikely, due to my belief that the more mature and womanly TP Zelda could never fall for a boyishly unassertive and gentle natured TP Link. In other words, TP Link and Zelda seem very incompatible and as much as I hate to say it, Link is more compatible with Illia due to them both generally being naive and innocent in their personalities.

People seem to forget that Ilia scolded him for good reason >> She doesn't bark at people who don't deserve it; and what does it matter if Link reacts that way. I don't think anyone would like it if their best friend tried to chew em out. And honestly, Link's expression was rather amusing when Ilia backed him into a corner about Epona. It was like he got his hand caught in the cookie jar, lol.

Ilia has spirit and isn't above confronting someone if she thinks they did something wrong. Some people may find that annoying, others like me see it in that she knows when to take a stand on something she thinks need to be addressed. Link did something wrong and she let him know it! How that's a bad attitude I have no idea

As for having two personalities, did you mean when she lost her memory? It was probably because she was unsure, afraid and really quite ignorant. Not knowing who you are or where you are is frightening and she could be a completely different person in that sense. Is it plausible to hold it against her for being someone who isn't herself when she doesn't remember what that is? Hardly.

I generally agree with you on Illia's reason to scold Link. I was just annoyed by Link's girly man reaction thats all. I admit, Illia had some good qualities about her but generally I found her to be quite annoying personality wise. I don't know..I guess since the game went from Illia being a focal character in the beginning to her being useless throughout the rest of the game after the escort mission, didn't do much to make me believe that Link should be hooked up with her by the end of the adventure IMO.