History ComicBook / TheLegendOfZelda

Back in the heyday of the UsefulNotes/NintendoEntertainmentSystem, Creator/ValiantComics was authorized by Creator/{{Nintendo}} to produce the ''ComicBook/NintendoComicsSystem'' -- comic book series based on some of their most popular game titles, including ''Franchise/SuperMarioBros'' and ''Franchise/{{Metroid}}''. Naturally, given the popularity of ''Franchise/TheLegendOfZelda'', this too was added to the comics lineup.

* HeroesWantRedheads: Zelda is portrayed as a redhead in the comics, as she was in the sprite and manual art of the games.

* WhamLine: "You've become Ganon!" in "The Price."
* WhatHaveIBecome: Link in the storyline "The Price," when he becomes corrupted by the Triforce of Power.

** Zelda does this throughout "The Price," up to and including pointing out that being corrupted by the Triforce of Power has caused the Triforce of Courage to pull a ScrewThisImOuttaHere on Link.

Compare other ''Zelda'' comics: ''Magazine/NintendoPower'''s adaptation of ''[[ComicBook/TheLegendOfZeldaALinkToThePast A Link to the Past]]'' and the [[Manga/TheLegendOfZelda Zelda manga]].

* FaceHeelTurn: Link makes one under the influence of the Triforce of Power.

* [[IllGirl Ill Boy]]: In "The Day of the Triforce," Zelda must choose between saving a poisoned child or defeating Ganon once and for all.

Back in the heyday of the UsefulNotes/NintendoEntertainmentSystem, Creator/ValiantComics was authorized by Creator/{{Nintendo}} to produce the ''ComicBook/NintendoComicsSystem'' -- comic book series based on some of their most popular game titles, including ''Franchise/SuperMarioBros'' and ''VideoGame/{{Metroid}}''. Naturally, given the popularity of ''Franchise/TheLegendOfZelda'', this too was added to the comics lineup.

Unlike the [[Manga/TheLegendOfZelda manga adaptations]] which would be produced for the later games, the Valiant comics did not retell the stories of the NES games. The storylines were set in the Hyrule of the [[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaI original game]] and ''VideoGame/ZeldaIITheAdventureOfLink'', but took place after the conclusion of the second game. These chronicled the further adventures of Link and Princess Zelda. The comics shared many similarities with the [[WesternAnimation/TheLegendOfZelda cartoon series]] based on the games which was popular around the same time; Zelda's costume is very similar to that worn by her animated counterpart, and certain other details were used in both media -- for instance, Link owned a horse named Catherine in both the cartoon and the comics, rather than the Epona of the later games. Unlike the cartoon, however, the comic books included the existence of the Triforce of Courage.

* FairyCompanion: Miff plays this role to Zelda, and occasionally also teams up with Link -- though she does ''not'' get along with him. In "It's Good to be the King", Spryte from the cartoon also appears alongside Miff.

* BigNo: Link in "The Price", [[spoiler:when he looks at himself in the mirror and sees that the Triforce of Poweris warping his appearance into becoming Ganon-like.]]

* FairyCompanion: Miff plays this role to Zelda, and occasionally also teams up with Link -- though she does ''not'' get along with him.

* FairyCompanion: Miff plays this role to Zelda, and occasionally also teams up with Link -- though she does ''not'' get along with him. In one storyline, Spryte from the cartoon also appears alongside Miff.

* EarlyAdaptation: The stories contain some of this, such as both of Link's parents being explicitly alive.

!!The Zelda comic books include examples of:

* AdaptationDyeJob: Unlike the games, which gave Link brown or reddish-brown hair in his sprite and manual art, the comics present him as a full-on redhead.
** Zelda has reddish hair, while in the original game she had either blond or red hair depending on what artwork you were looking at (most artwork has her as blond, but that was Japanese artwork).
* AdaptationExpansion: The [[AllThereInTheManual storyline]] of the [[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaI original game]] briefly states that Link visited Hyrule from an unspecified country. This is elaborated in these comics, where Link is explained to have originated from a neighboring kingdom west of Death Mountain called Calatia, where his family still lives. This piece of his personal history is not found in any other part of the ''Zelda'' franchise, and later Links would almost always be a native citizen of Hyrule.

* ParentalAbandonment: ''Averted'' for the only time in the entire ''Zelda'' franchise. Link's parents are not only alive and well, he goes to visit them in the storyline "Coming Home."

* BigNo: Link in "The Price,"

* IWantMyBelovedToBeHappy: Link's reason for helping Zelda leave Hyrule in "Missing In Action," despite his own pain.

* MissingMom: A very interesting subversion in Zelda's case. While it is never explicitly stated, there are several blatant implications in "Queen of Hearts" (such as flirting with Harkinian and a curiously parental love for Zelda) that Zelda's mother [[spoiler: is actually Queen Seline, the ruler of Link's homeland of Calatia. It's unclear whether this means that Zelda was conceived out of wedlock or if her parents have a [[LongDistanceRelationship long-distance marriage]]]].

* PlayingHardToGet: Zelda

* JerkWithAHeartOfGold: Miff, DependingOnTheWriter. In some stories she's a total {{Jerkass}} with no apparent heart of gold, in others she's a little more willing to give others a break. Her main redeeming quality is her fierce loyalty to Zelda, which will even have her try to charge ''Ganon'' on order to protect her Princess.

* AdaptationDistillation: In the storyline of the [[VideoGame/ZeldaIITheAdventureOfLink second game]], the sleeping Princess Zelda is meant to be the "first generation" of Zelda (at the time), as it was decreed every female born into the royal family was to be named after her. Likely due to the confusion that the previously-rescued younger Zelda [[ChuckCunninghamSyndrome inexplicably disappeared]] in that title, the writers simplified this detail and seem to have [[CompositeCharacter merged both characters]].

* BigNo: Link in "The Price"
* CanonDiscontinuity: Surprising few fans as the comic was alternate continuity to begin with, ''Hyrule Historia'', which contains the series' official timeline theory, doesn't explicitly count any non-videogame media and leaves ''The Adventure of Link'' as the last known event of that chronology.

* EvilMakesYouUgly: One of the first series to imply Ganon was once a human, in this case transformed by his misuse of the Triforce of Power. [[spoiler: Similar happens to Link when he starts to misuse it.]]

* FairyCompanion: Miff plays this role to Zelda, though occasionally teams up with Link -- though she does ''not'' get along with him. In one storyline, Spryte from the cartoon also appears alongside Miff.

* GiveGeeksAChance: Link and Zelda aren't officially dating in the comics, but the general implication is that there's a strong attraction between the two. While Link isn't precisely ''ugly,'' he's kind of goofy-looking with a long nose just like in ''Zelda II'', and appears even moreso next to the beautiful princess.

* HeroicSacrifice: In "The Price", Link decides tossing away the Triforce of Power and dying is better than living the rest of his life like Ganon. Thankfully, the Triforce of Courage restores him to life.

* MissingMom: A very interesting subversion in Zelda's case. While it is never explicitly revealed, there are several blatant implications (such as flirting with Harkinian and a curiously parental love for Zelda) that Zelda was born out of wedlock, and her mother [[spoiler: is actually Seline, the neighboring kingdom's queen.]]

* ParentalAbandonment: ''Averted'' for the only time in the entire ''Zelda'' franchise. Link's family is not only alive and well, he goes to visit them in the storyline "Coming Home."

* SmoochOfVictory: As in the cartoon, Link is forever angling for one of these, but never gets it. It's much easier to sympathize with him in the comics, however, since he doesn't ask for a kiss in the middle of a dangerous situation.
* SourSupporter: Miff, whenever having to work with Link. She was more genuinely supportive of Zelda but still wasn't above giving her a few WhatTheHellHero and {{The Reason You Suck Speech}}es.

** Zelda does this throughout "The Price" up to and including pointing out that being corrupted by the Triforce of Power has caused the Triforce of Courage to pull a ScrewThisImOuttaHere on Link.

* FairyCompanion: Miff; also, in one storyline, an {{Expy}} of Spryte from the cartoon.

* WhatTheHellHero: Zelda does this throughout "The Price" up to and including pointing out that being corrupted by the Triforce of Power has caused the Triforce of Courage to pull a ScrewThisImOuttaHere on Link.

Back in the heyday of the NintendoEntertainmentSystem, Creator/ValiantComics was authorized by Creator/{{Nintendo}} to produce the ''ComicBook/NintendoComicsSystem'' -- comic book series based on some of their most popular game titles, including ''Franchise/SuperMarioBros'' and ''VideoGame/{{Metroid}}''. Naturally, given the popularity of ''Franchise/TheLegendOfZelda'', this too was added to the comics lineup.

Back in the heyday of the NintendoEntertainmentSystem, ValiantComics was authorized by Creator/{{Nintendo}} to produce the ''ComicBook/NintendoComicsSystem'' -- comic book series based on some of their most popular game titles, including ''Franchise/SuperMarioBros'' and ''VideoGame/{{Metroid}}''. Naturally, given the popularity of ''Franchise/TheLegendOfZelda'', this too was added to the comics lineup.

* CanonDiscontinuity: Surprising few fans, ''Hyrule Historia'', which contains the series' official timeline theory, doesn't explicitly count any non-videogame media and leaves ''The Adventure of Link'' as the last known event of that chronology.

* UglyGuyHotWife: Link and Zelda aren't married in the comics, of course (they appear to be in their late teens), but the general implication is that they will be someday. While Link isn't precisely ''ugly,'' he's kind of goofy-looking, and appears even moreso next to the beautiful princess.

* RedHeadedHero: Link

* TheObiWan: Impa, Zelda's elderly nursemaid.

* AdaptationExpansion: The [[AllInTheManual storyline]] of the [[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaI original game]] briefly states that Link visited Hyrule from an unspecified country. This is elaborated in these comics, where Link is explained to have originated from a neighboring kingdom west of Death Mountain called Calatia, where his family still lives. This piece of his personal history is not found in any other part of the ''Zelda'' franchise, and later Links would almost always be a native citizen of Hyrule.

* AdaptationDistillation: In the storyline of the [[VideoGame/ZeldaIITheAdventureOfLink second game]], the sleeping Princess Zelda is meant to be the "first generation" of Zelda (at the time), as it was decreed every female born into the royal family was to be named after her. Likely due to the confusion that the previously-rescued younger Zelda [[ChuckCunninghamSyndrome inexplicably disappeared]] in that title, the writers simplified this detail and seem to have merged both characters.

* AdaptationExpansion: The [[AllInTheManual storyline]] of the [[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaI original game]] briefly states that Link visited Hyrule from an unspecified country. This is elaborated in these comics, where Link is explained to have originated from a neighboring kingdom called Calatia, where his family still lives. This piece of his personal history is not found in any other part of the ''Zelda'' franchise, and later Links would almost always be a native citizen of Hyrule.
** In addition, the game-accurate map of Hyrule included with the first issue mentions Spryte from the cartoon series as the lone fairy residing at the eastern spring, with her comic counterpart Miff as the other fairy at the western spring.

* FakeKing: Dark Link in Calatia, in "Coming Home."

* MirrorMatch: Dark Link returns to fight Link once more in "Coming Home."