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The Legend of Zelda fans who have long pondered when Link would finally share a kiss with Zelda have discovered that the hero of Hyrule already smooched someone in an official manga. What’s more, it wasn’t with Zelda, but with his faithful Twilight Princess companion, Midna.
The kiss in question comes from Viz Media’s The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess series. The 11-volume manga was written and drawn by a duo of female Japanese mangaka A. Honda and S. Nagano under the pseudonym Akira Himekawa. The pair is most famously known for their manga adaptations of The Legend of Zelda franchise, which go beyond simply retelling the events of games like Ocarina of Time and Majora’s Mask by providing backstory to its MacGuffins and remixing storylines.
We should note that Himekawa's Twilight Princess Manga isn't new; in fact, its first volume was published in English in 2017 and will receive a complete series box set in September. However, a lot of diehard Zelda fans are just now discovering its existence and they're beside themselves over a manga panel from its final volume — which many took for a well-drawn Link x Midna fan art circulating on X/Twitter — where the two engage in a passionate kiss.
Whereas 2006’s Twilight Princess heavily implied that Midna harbored romantic feelings for Link, Himekawa’s manga took things a step further by having her kiss the Hyrulean warrior before returning to the Twilight Realm. To make matters all the more awkward, the heartfelt kiss happened in front of Zelda.
BRO HOLD ON THIS ISNT FAN ART??? pic.twitter.com/DicOhXPQU9
— 💫AstralWingz💫 (@Zhane_Star) May 2, 2024this is the first time I’ve seen this omg my twilight princess otp lol 😭 https://t.co/Wm5bbLiGl3
— ☆オードリーAudrey☆ (@aitaikimochi) May 2, 2024Neither is this one. pic.twitter.com/VzWUwP5fUO
— Chris500 (@Chris50016) May 2, 2024Much like Himekawa’s Twilight Princess series, manga adaptations of well-known video game series like Mario and Kirby often expand on the relationships of its titular heroes in hilarious in-character (or out-of-character) scenarios. As one X/Twitter user points out, Himekawa in particular have gotten away with quite a bit. This revelation hasn't stopped Zelda players, more specifically fans of Midna, to take a victory lap over the canonical kiss.
While Midna shippers on Twitter are discovering the kiss for the first time, folks on Resetera are a year in on fondly reminiscing over the manga’s emotionally climactic kiss as a prime “Do you remember” topic of discussion. Much of Reserta’s chitchat over the surprise kiss lament over Zelda being forever in the friend zone (despite Link sleeping in her house), while others champion the moment as ample reason for Midna in a future Zelda game.
Others, meanwhile, are just enjoying watching fans discover the moment for the first time.
love it anytime someone new discovers the tp manga ending, it’s like an angel getting their wings https://t.co/dABFiXxYG8
— 🌱 kaye ✵ (@sleepyHyliian) May 2, 2024Thumbnail credit: Viz Media
Isaiah Colbert is a freelance writer for IGN. You can follow them on Twitter @ShinEyeZehUhh.
