Ilia, Her connection to Link *spoilers*

Mmm, yeah. I also think that's because Link just isn't the same individual anymore. Going back to Ordon at the end of the game doesn't seem plausible and Link didn't stay in the end. Perhaps some time down the road, given a few years or so, Link would return to stay...or he may not. Ilia is a part of Link's old life and it's really up to the player/the fans to interpret how much Link had changed/didn't change during the course of the adventure to ponder when or if Link would ever go back to Ordon.

Mandy might know where this came from.

But I just wanted to quote somebody on Ilia that I think sums her up nicely. At least who she is to Link up until the events of TP

I agree with Saami's quote.
I also don't hate Ilia.
Oh my GOD I'm weird. I don't hate Navi either. (that's another story)

I guess I'm the only one, but:
I -am- effing annoyed by the ''sissy'' remarks, though. It's actually one of the few times in my life that I feel offended as a girl. Link was childish, reacting as if Ilia was his mom, Link needed to grow up, mature, stand up for himself. But who can stand up to ''mom'' figures? Link needs to learn how to argue.
But GIRLY?
Yes, I'm a girl, and I'm effing deeply offended.

I had to get that out of my system, sorry.
*Checks posts* I guess that counts as necro-bashing.

I was never much a fan of Ilia. To be honest, I actually somewhat hate her. :sweat: But all prejudice aside, I'm going to respond to a bit of this here.

Now, I'm not sure what point is trying to be made with the established history. Her being a friend of Link's from a young age isn't any different than Link and Saria being friends in OoT since Link came to the forest as a baby. The only history we get out of it is that Ilia has a thing for Epona- who isn't even her horse to begin with, since Ilia herself says that Epona still 'prefers her master' to Ilia. I felt Colin and his family gave Link much more of an established history than Ilia does, not to mention the other children in the town. Or is it simply because she's a girl his age that people are trying to use this?

I'm also not sure what is meant about her emphasising Link's personality. How exactly? Also, was that unique to Ilia alone? I don't think so. If anything, I felt Midna gave more emphasis to Link's personality than Ilia ever did. Midna brought out all kinds of emotion in Link from annoyance, frustration, happiness, and sorrow, some right after the other.

Ilia wasn't the only motive Link had for going on his journey. Colin and the other village children were just as much a part of that as she was. It seems to me that most Ilia fans like to overlook this aspect of things, and try to make it seem as if Ilia were the only person that Link set out to rescue originally, when that simply isn't true.

And I disagree, if anything, Ilia was more one dimensional than some of the other characters. In the begining she shows quite a strong and assertive personality, but then she fades into this waifish character with none of that fire from the begining. She had suffered memory loss, so it's understandable she might be uncertain, but her assertive personality was completely lost and she was stuck in the roll of being a helpless character who needed everyone else to solve her problems. Her whole role in the game was a tie to Epona- the main point in restoring her memory was recieving the horse call, which by that point is pretty much useless.

But anyway. I don't care if others like Ilia- she's very much the Malon character of this game in that it's easy for people to see themselves in her and imagine themselves in her place with their personality. But I personally didn't care for her, and I don't like some of these misconceptions people seem to have developed regarding her character.

I'm no fan of her either. I'll never forget the first time I saw her, "Oh brother. I didn't ask for this." was my reaction. I know certain fans want the ordinary girl, but unlike Saria ( who I liked ) Ilia just fell flat, IMO.
What I disliked more was how the game kept trying to tell us how special she was...when you have to try to convince the player how good a love interest is, I think that's a sign you've failed.

By established history, I would think it's the idea that he's very ordinary at the outset. He's an ordinary teenage boy, growing up in a remote village, and he's got a local village girl who's seeing hearts in his direction. It's realistic, but mind you I never got the impression that he felt as strongly her way as she did towards him. I think he did like her, but it was also in addition to her being his dear friend.

Yeah..what Alantie and Gilderpilot said.

I sort of settled into indifference where she is concerned. I thought I would immediately be enamored to her because she's (supposedly) in the same vein as Malon. But to be quite honest, she didn't measure up. Not even close. And at the end of the game, I was just "eh" where she was concerned. If Link loved/liked/tolerated her, then so be it. If she was what he wanted to go back to, then so be it. But by golly, I would hope he wouldn't settle for her. But like I said, I don't particularly care for her either way. Especially compared to the other girls I ship TP Link with, namely Zelda and Hena.

I do think Ilia was a combination of Saria and Malon, but a very distinctly different person was the result.
I'd consider her quick temper, the somewhat cowed father and her affinity for horses as coming from Malon. The initial caring best friend/girlfriend and the earnest manner that she relates to Link in I'd attribute to Saria.

Strangely enough I'd consider Hena closer in personality to Malon: spunky and somewhat coy and flirtacious, and very into what she does. ( Fishing in her case. )

Anyways, back to Ilia. I have to agree with the "I hope he doesn't settle for her."
I think she's a decent person, but he could do so much better.

Everything Ilia has, Zelda is and more. Compassionate, caring and empathetic Link's way. She also is much more mature than Ilia, and has a life view closer to how Link now thinks. If he had the chance to know her, I think he'd fall for her. If he's truly in love with Ilia, good for him, but I already saw some attraction Zelda's way. The question is whether it would come to anything or not.

The only thing Illia fans can really stress on is closer childhood friendship/relationship and better romantic compatibility in their similar innocence personality wise. But like I said before a closer friendship doesn't guarantee anything romance wise IMO. Personally if Link is unable to win over Zelda I prefer Hena, Ashi, Telma or even a random Hyrule town girl before he decides to go back to Ordon but thats just me. To me Illia just represents the sure thing romantic relationship but it doesn't mean Link is going to settle for that.

Come to think of it, Link x Hena is really cute. o.0
And somehow wrong. Eating fish every day..

I just thought about this.. Link's reaction when he sees Ilia doesn't remember him makes me wonder: if OoT had tried to further develop its main character, wouldn't OoT Link's reaction be similar when he came back to the Kokiri Forest as an adult? (I imagine it was harder on OoT Link, though, since we can assume that behind his pixelated coldness lies the will to make us interpret his human insides and then argue about it) Since TP has a lot of retro ''winks''... references(?), couldn't they have tried to give us a hint on what the older games could've looked like? I mean, like the scene with the Master Sword, which had a (sweet) smell of ALttP all over!?

And I haven't finished Link's Awakening yet. Can Ilia be compared to Marin instead of Malon? (Ok, I've heard Malon could be compared to Marin, but they're not exactly the same, I believe...!?)

*nods* Instead of letting Ilia speak for herself through her actions and words, it felt that they were continually trying to justify her importance and specialness. And you're right, when they have to do that, it's a clear sign that they didn't accomplish what they had hoped for in her.

I felt very much the same. While Link has a history of being close to Ilia and growing up with her, that actually feels more destructive to a romance, if that makes any sense. Anyway, I agree that Link's emotions words her never seemed as strong as her own for him. If anything, he seemed to simply think of her own the same level as the other children from Ordon. There wasn't anything that really ever seperated her from the group.

Rofl. Gosh, I know what you mean. Being with Ilia would feel like he was settling, lol. She was a decent good person, but as a partner for Link. . .eh, I dunno.

And Kokirian, no, Ilia is nothing like Marin. If anything, Marin is more like Zelda.

But part of the problem, is while Ilia still relatively keeps her innocence, Link did not. He grew up much more than she did on his journey, saw so many more things and came to learn so much more than she could ever dream or understand. He's killed people, he knows of corruption and greed and all sorts of horrid things. Ilia never experianced those sort of things, and I honestly doubt she ever will.

I wasn't too crazy about how TP tried to forcefeed you that Illia means soooo much to Link either. At least in OOT, the alternative love interests are left more to the imagination IMO. And I agree with you 100% that Illia generally remained innocent when compared to Link who had endured a life changing adventure. I have argued this point with diehard Illia fans before but somehow it gets conscrewed that its more of a reason that Link should be with her instead of Zelda. And I'm sure you have heard the infamous Illia wants Link more than Zelda does arguement. Its enough to make you want to bash your head into the wall but everybody is entitled to their own opinions I guess.

Ok, thanks! I'll keep that in mind. I'll concentrate on finishing the Zelda games I have during the Holidays.

I really hate Ilia. I don't think the relationship went beyond a brother/sister thing. It was one sided. Ilia maybe liked Link, but he didn't like her that way at all. It was obvious with Midna and Zelda though, (with all Midna's teasing and talking about Zelda) I hated the fact that near the beginning it was all Ilia and how important she was-even though she is/was not. As the game progresses, Link's feelings for her (if there were any, which I doubt) begin to fade, as he has met Midna and Zelda already. Ilia was useless, as she was not needed to be in the game at all. I found her quite pointless, as you had to run around to get her memory back all for the crummy horse whistle, while Midna helps you on the entire quest, and Zelda helps you fight Ganondorf. Ilia didn;t do anything. And at the end, Midna leaves, and Link leaves Ordon ditching Ilia and obvioulsy going back to Zelda.

I found the memory reviving quest to be quite annoying, as well as Illia generally being annoying and useless as you said. I always liked the idea that Link at the end is going to try to pursue Zelda but I never got the feeling that Zelda was interested in Link romantically at all. TP Zelda has that too wise and all knowing persona who would put duty before romantic pleasure with a shy teenage boy fresh from the farm. But I think Link over time in serving under Zelda will eventually have his chance to woo her provided that he gets over the love he shared with Midna first. But yeah...I couldn't stand the uselessness of Illia always standing in the same place in the sanctuary. I always wished there was someway you can use the ball & chain to crack open that ugly misshapen head of hers and see her die a horrible death.