Nintendo’s The Legend of Zelda live-action movie finally has its official casting for both Link and Zelda. This is the first bit of major news about the film in some time. We now know the two actors playing the leads as well as some of the crew, including director Wes Ball. Otherwise, there is precious little known about the highly anticipated movie. Aside from Link and Zelda, who were given, no one even knows what characters will be included in the game. There’s been nothing revealed as far as plot or characters, so it’s all speculative beyond the princess and the hero.
The movie has 29 Zelda games to choose from in terms of supporting side characters. Most of them have unique characters, too, so there are hundreds of possible options for Nintendo and Sony to choose from. A few of them absolutely have to make it in, though.
10. Ganondorf
This one is painfully obvious, and there’s almost no way the Evil King is excluded. The only possible way he gets left out is if the movie is a direct adaptation of Skyward Sword (or The Minish Cap), but even then, Demise would be present, and Demise is the first incarnation of Ganondorf, technically.
Regardless, there really is no way to make a Legend of Zelda movie without including one of the three pieces of the Tri-Force. Link and Zelda are the other two pieces, so excluding their primary antagonist would be foolish and add an unnecessary level of difficulty to making this movie and getting fans to like it.
9. Midna
It wouldn’t be right to make a Zelda movie without providing Link with at least one helper. He pretty much never goes it alone, as he always has someone either guiding the way or providing support with powers he doesn’t have. Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom gave him four helpers in each game, but that might be overkill.
Only one is needed, and Midna probably makes the most sense. She’s more popular than Fi, who came off a little grating in Skyward Sword and will be harder to translate into live-action since she sort of lives in the Master Sword. Midna, then, is a much better choice.
It’s unclear if the movie is going to draw from one specific game or make its own story within the universe (a la the Fallout TV show or The Super Mario Bros. Movie). Including Midna would push them into a bit of a box, given that her story is directly linked to the Twilight from Twilight Princess, thereby making it hard to create a plot that includes her without being a direct adaptation.
This might also mean that Wolf Link makes an appearance in live action, which might not be the best idea for the first movie in what’s sure to become a series. Nevertheless, she’s a great character and a very important one to Link. The writers just might have to get creative on how best to involve her.
8. Sidon
Sidon was a crucial character in both Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom, but he is otherwise absent from the franchise. That fact might be why he’s an easy adaptation. He has a storyline, but he can also simply exist as part of the Zora and be a side character without a specific arc.
He and Link have a really strong relationship, and that’s about the only major detail that would have to be included. That makes him a very easy character to include. Animating him for live action will admittedly be very tough, since there are no real Zoras out there.
Nevertheless, if there’s going to be any sort of exploration of the peoples and tribes of Hyrule, then Sidon should absolutely be the representative for the Zora. He could also be joined by Mipha or Ruto, depending on which way the adaptation goes.
7. Sheik
With no plot details to go on, it’s hard to say what’s even feasible for the Zelda movie. They may plan on one day giving Zelda her own movie, and if they do, an Ocarina of Time-set story would be brilliant, since she was essentially on her own for seven years as Sheik.
But if they don’t do that or if they want to backdoor pilot that idea, then including Sheik in the first movie is a must. Sheik is a huge part of the character of Princess Zelda, and it shouldn’t go ignored. Whether or not the spy version of Zelda is a big part of the storyline will depend on what the crew wants to adapt specifically, but Sheik can be included even as a small cameo to set up a future project.
6. Beedle
Beedle is one of the rare side characters from the Breath of the Wild era that isn’t exclusive to those games. He’s also in The Minish Cap, Skyward Sword, and The Wind Waker. That makes him more than enough of a recurring character to join the live-action franchise.
As a mostly human-looking character, he would also be pretty easy to put in live action, too. There’s also an extremely easy way to include him, and it’s by literally just adding him in the same role he serves in the games: as a merchant.
Link will undoubtedly need items at some point during his journey. Is it realistic to portray him stocking up at stores and from merchants every time? Not at all, but one or two times running into Beedle along the way to get key items is not a big ask.
5. Malon and Epona
Malon and Epona go hand-in-hand, partly because they’re linked in the games, but also because the adaptation makes the most sense with both of them. Link absolutely needs to ride Epona at some point, but where is he going to get a horse? Why not Lon Lon Ranch, where he can meet Malon as well?
Malon serves a pretty big role in Ocarina of Time, and she hasn’t been seen since. She is a fan favorite character, though, and one that absolutely deserves to be included even in this small, seemingly insignificant role.
4. Dark Link
Dark Link remains one of the most fun, interesting foes that Link has ever faced in The Legend of Zelda. Gamers struggled with his mirror abilities in Ocarina of Time, and he’s become an infamous piece of the lore ever since. Whichever way the plot goes, Dark Link must be included.
He’s literally the perfect foil for Link, and he’s a really big challenge. Assuming Link’s story on the big screen follows the typical hero’s journey, there will be need of a moment where it looks like Link has no way out and no way of survival. A battle with himself, but darker, would be absolutely perfect and a bit of a surprise for viewers who’ve never played a game in the series.
3. Great Deku Tree
Is a giant, ancient, wise, talking tree a bit silly for a live-action movie? Absolutely. Is the Great Deku Tree an almost totally necessary part of the story? Absolutely. He’s important enough to include in five different mainline games (and as the only existing official Zelda LEGO set), so he should be included in the movie.
The easiest way to do this is by having him dispel either the mission or the danger to Link. This is primarily the role he serves in the games, and it might not be necessary for Link to heal the tree like in Ocarina of Time. Just have the Great Deku Tree provide some exposition for viewers and be done with it. It’s that simple.
2. King of Hyrule
Since Zelda is clearly going to be a child and the princess in the upcoming film, someone needs to be the actual, current leader of Hyrule, and that should be the King. The King has appeared in many different games and fulfilled different roles, but there can’t be a live-action Hyrule without its leader.
This does not mean the King needs to play a big role. In fact, it’s quite the opposite. He probably won’t appear very often, since he’s only a sparingly seen character in most of his video games. But at some point, imminent danger should involve the highest-ranking member in the land, even if it’s just to alert him of the situation.
1. Darunia
Much like Sidon, the Goron need a representative, and it should be Darunia. He’s the chief elder of the tribe in Ocarina of Time, which to many is still the best game in the series. As the oldest member, he fits right in as the perfect character to add to the game.
They could also add Darmani, Yunobo, or Daruk, but they could all just be members of the tribe and small Easter eggs for longtime fans of the franchise. Since we can expect to see multiple different tribes on the big screen, we should see some Goron, and there’s no better or more iconic option than Darunia.
