Characters in the Legend of Zelda fanfic series Their Bond. Beware of unmarked spoilers!
Zelda Nohansen
- Age-Gap Romance: There's an over twenty year age gap between Impa and Zelda. This doesn't go unmentioned and makes Impa doubt their relationship.
- Age Lift: From 20 to 18.
- Broken Bird: Zelda is deeply traumatized both by her past abuse and her time as a soldier.
- Child Soldiers: Zeld was forced to become a soldier at age 12. She spent most of her teens as a soldier.
- Driven to Suicide: It's mentioned that Zelda has has several Interrupted Suicides in the past. Partway through the fic, she attempts suicide but is saved by Impa.
- Dumb Struck: She goes temporarily mute after killing Ganondorf. The trauma and shock left her unable to speak, aside from certain specific situations.
- Named by the Adaptation: Zelda is named after the Wind Waker king Daphnes Nohansen Hyrule. His middle name - Nohansen - is her surname.
- I Am Not Pretty: Her past abuse has left her unable to see her own attractiveness.
- Not Blood Siblings: She has a quasi-sexual relationship with her adopted brother Link that's never progressed beyond kissing.
- Paralyzing Fear of Sexuality: Due to past sexual abuse, Zelda is completely horrified and turned off by the thought of sex. This puts a strain on her relationship with Impa.
- Parental Abandonment: Zelda's mother died in childbirth. Her father dies early in the story.
- Powerful People Are Subs: Used darkly with Zelda. She's the princess and later queen of Hyrule, but she's also very submissive when it comes to anything sexual. She uses being submissive as a way to deal with her sexual abuse.
- Rape as Backstory: Zelda was sexually abused by Ganondorf and his cohorts starting at age twelve.
- Self-Harm: Zelda has a history of cutting herself. She began hurting herself at age fourteen, but uses potions to hide the scars.
- Tough Leader Façade: Deconstructed. Zelda's so stoic and aloof because she doesn't trust others and doesn't understand healthy displays of love anymore after her childhood abuse.* Wise Beyond Their Years: Due to being the bearer of the Triforce of Wisdom, Zelda has always been wise for her age, such as when it comes to manners related to ruling Hyrule. She's still naive in many sorts, though.
Impa Se'al
- Age-Gap Romance: There's an over twenty year age gap between Impa and Zelda. This doesn't go unmentioned and makes Impa doubt their relationship.
- Named by the Adaptation: Impa's surname is given as "Se'al".
- Parental Abandonment: Her parents died when she was young.
- Parental Substitute: Impa is the closest thing to a mother that Zelda had as a child. Impa has raised Zelda since she was a baby.
- Raised by Grandparents: Her grandmother Impaz raised her after her parents deaths.
- Wife Husbandry: Subverted. She was the mother figure of her lover Zelda as a child, but their relationship didn't become romantic until adulthood. Impa questions the morality of the relationship and is told that it's not grooming
Link
- Adopted into Royalty: King Daphnes took in Link at ten when Zelda found him sick by the castle's lake. Link and Zelda are as close as siblings, though Link refuses the title of "prince".
- The Alcoholic: He met Shad while recovering from alcohol and drug addiction, though he ends Off the Wagon by the start of the story.
- Child Soldiers: He joined a war at twelve. It's illegal for minors to be soldiers, but Link is a special exception because he's a Triforce holder.
- Domestic Abuse:
- His relationship with his sister-figure Zelda has toxic elements. Link frequently emotionally, and sometimes physically, abuses her.
- He has a borderline abusive relationship with his brother Shad. They're usually on pleasant terms but sometimes Link's addiction makes him aggressive.
- The Fashionista: He prefers wearing practical clothes but knows a lot about fashion nevertheless.
- Gayngst: He initially felt ashamed and uncomfortable with his feelings towards his future boyfriend Shad.
- Happily Adopted: He views his Childhood Friend Saria as his mother figure and Zelda's advisor Mikal as his Parental Substitute.
- Not Blood Siblings: Link does sexual things with his sister figure Zelda, though it's never gone past kissing and both intensely dislike it (which is the point for Zelda).
- Parental Abandonment: Link is an orphan. His parents are hinted at but he has a Mysterious Past.
- Straight Gay: He shows no stereotypical signs of being gay aside from his knowledge of fashion.
- Wise Beyond Their Years: Even at age ten, Link behaved more precociously than others. His wisdom was a reason why he was allowed to become a soldier at only twelve. Lin also held a lot of trauma for a boy his age, which added to his precociousness.
Shad
- Recovered Addict: Shad is a recovered alcoholic who met his boyfriend Link while recovering at a rehab.
- Straight Gay: He's Link's boyfriend and doesn't show any stereotypically effeminate behavior.
Goro
- All Animals Are Domesticated: He's a wild-born wolfos hybrid who is largely treated as a normal puppy. It's mentioned that many pure wolfos already act like dogs, so hybrids tend to be tame enough to keep as pets.
- Dog Stereotype: Goro fits the stereotype of the noble, but wrongly feared, wolf-dog. He's protective of his owner Zelda but is feared by many Hylians for being half-wolfos.
- Half-Breed Discrimination: Many are scared of him for being half-wolfos. It's worried that he's more aggressive and unpredictable than a dog.
- Hates Baths: He hates that humans make him take baths. Part of this is because he was raised in the wild for much of his puphood.
- Jealous Pet: Goro is especially protective of Zelda around her girlfriend Impa. He won't let the two even hold hands.
- Loyal Animal Companion: Goro is very loyal and protective towards "his beta", Zelda.
- Parental Abandonment: His mother was killed and his father's whereabouts are unknown.
- Precious Puppy: People who aren't scared of him, or annoyed by him, tend to go gaga over his puppy cuteness.
Ganondorf Dragmire
- Adaptational Villainy: Ganondorf is not only a violent war-lord who tried to take over Hyrule, but he sexually abused, physically abused, and Mind Raped Zelda starting at age 12.
- Evil Is Deathly Cold: Zelda associates Ganondorf with cold multiple times. Ironic as he comes from a dessert.
- Would Hurt a Child: He has no issue doing a variety of awful things to a twelve year old Zelda, ranging from mental abuse to physical abuse.
Midna
- Interspecies Romance: She's a Twili who married a fairy.
Navi
- Interspecies Romance: Navi is a fairy and her lover is a Twili.
