Archetypes:
> The Hero archetype, usually the protagonist of the game that drives the action, must undertake the Hero's Journey to solve a problem or conflict, facing challenges along the way to emerge transformed. Link and the Prince are obviously the heroes of their respective games, each taking on the responsibility of their quests to rid the world of evil and to restore peace and freedom. The hero often appears as the player's avatar, and should therefore be easy to identify with, likable, but perhaps with a flaw to reflect vulnerability. The Sands of Time Prince as well as Link in any of his adventures reflect a youthful innocence, and later, admirable dedication and courage to complete their quest. The young heroes' naivety could be considered their flaw to begin with, as it lands Link in trouble and leads the Prince to unwittingly unleash the devastating Sands, although the more mature Prince's reckless haste to rid himself of his curse also leads him to make the same mistake in Warrior Within.
A memorable appearance and special abilities are also instrumental in constructing an effective protagonist, which both games achieve- Though the Prince's appearance and personality change throughout the three games as his character evolves, they do so appropriately; he retains the muscled physique of an acrobatic warrior and a distinctive outfit (complete with flowing sash), though he sports a darker, rougher look in Warrior Within, complete with scars and tattoos, as well as the dualistic appearances of his two sides, a light and dark prince in The Two Thrones.
Twilight Princess Link is easily recognizable in the Hero of Time's characteristic green tunic and stocking cap (not to mention the Peter Pan tights) seen throughout the Zelda series, though his other accessories vary from game to game. When in the Shadow Realm, Link transforms into a wolf, though he still bears the same, bright blue eyes and earrings, and even performs similar fighting moves as his human counterpart. Each hero evolves abilitywise, adding more complex fighting moves to his repertoire and picking up new weapons and skills along the way.
> The Shadow archetype usually acts as the villain, playing opposite the hero to hinder him or her, often causing the problem they strive to solve or even representing their darker side. The Vizier makes an appearance as the Shadow in PoPs 1 and 3, responsible for having tricked the Prince into unlocking the Sands to aid his own quest for eternal life and domination in the first game, and for killing Kaileena and releasing the curse of the Sands once again in The Two Thrones. The Dahaka appears to in Warrior Within, representative in a way of the Prince's past mistake of interfering with the timeline; other minor NPCs like the sand creatures and minions that attack the Prince could be considered to be Shadows, collectively under the control of the Empress of Time. The Empress herself is a mistaken antagonist, a character that initially appears to be a villain but turns out otherwise- The Prince discovers Kaileena is the Empress herself, and had merely been posing as the Empress's servant to send the Prince on dangerous quests in the hope he wouldn't survive to slay her as she has forseen (thereby unleashing the sands contained within her he seeks to destroy), but she eventually helps him defeat the Dahaka in the end.
Various incarnations of the Ganondorf character appear as the Shadow in most of the Zelda games, where he tries posess all three pieces of the Triforce (Courage, Wisdom, and Power) to achieve invincibility and world dominion. He appears sometimes in his human form, a beast form called Ganon, and is also indirectly present in the Twilight Princess storyline, in which he has apparently given the evil Zant the power to take over Hyrule, covering its lands in twilight. The twilight creatures under Zant's control also hinder Link's quest to defeat Zant and restore the light.
> The Mentor archetype provides the Hero with wisdom or information, guiding them to action. The Mentor figure appears throughout both games, often functioning as an ally or secondary character as well, although the old man in Warrior Within makes a single appearance to start the Prince on his quest. Farah and Kaileena could be considered co-protagonists since they help the Prince fight off enemies in PoPs 1 and 2, though they also provide him with guidance and essential information.
The impish Midna similarly accompanies Link while in his wolf form in Twilight Princess, offering help and reminding him of what he needs to do to overthrow Zant. The Light Spirits Link meets along the way also act as mentors, in particular the wolf spirit ("Hero's Shade") that pops up from time to time to teach Link new hidden sword skills. The princess Zelda herself is also a mentor in her own right, telling him of the Hyrulian mythology, the Triforce, and how Zant came to power. Bo, the mayor of Link's village, becomes a mentor to him when he teaches him the art of sumo wrestling.
> The Herald is a character that facilitates change and gives the hero direction; the Prince of Persia's father appears breifly in Sands of Time, bringing the Prince with him to siege the fortress that contains the Sands he later releases. Other Heralds in the trilogy are Kaileena's henchwoman, Shadee, who attacks the Prince and lures him to Kaileena in Warrior Within, and Kaileena herself in The Two Thrones when the Vizier kills her and releases the Sands once more.
Link first discovers the Twilight Realm when he goes to rescue his friend Ilia, Colin, and some other children from his village, after they run off and are kidnapped by Zant's forces. Midna and Zelda could also be thought of as Heralds, introducing him to their cause and starting him on his quest.
> The Trickster is a character free from any set alignment who can be a mischief maker, a hero's sidekick, or even provide comic relief. The Dark Prince created when the Prince is infected by the Sands in The Two Thrones could be considered a Trickster, or perhaps even a Shadow archetype, overtaking the Prince for brief periods of time to wreak havoc or talking within the Prince's mind to steer him away from helping his people until the Prince is finally able to get rid of him at the end of the game, not unlike a transformational anti-hero that is punished at the close of the story.
> Allies are found throughout the Hero's Journey as well as enemies, aiding the hero with difficult tasks along the way. While the PoP trilogy doesn't contain any real allies besides Farah and Kaileena, Twilight Princess is chock full of helpful NPCs and secondary characters you can talk to, garner information from, buy useful items from, or recieve necessary gifts, skills, and weapons from. Notable allies include the chieftain of Kakariko village, Renado, that heals the sick Zora prince and protects the children Link brings to him for safekeeping, the Ooccoo that allows Link to warp in and out of dungeons, and Telma, a barkeep that harbors a secret society of people working to restore peace to Hyrule.
Character Triangles:
One way to create depth and add an element of interest to a game is to create a Character Triangle, forming a three-way relationship between contrasting characters. A traingle between the Prince, his companion, and a villain is a recurring pattern through all three games, in the cases of The Prince/Farah/The Vizier, The Prince/Kaileena/The Dahaka, and the Prince/Farah/The Vizier again in The Two Thrones. The addition of the Sand Wraith, the alternate identity the Prince takes on to travel back in time and stop the past version of himself from killing Kaileena when he discovers her death actually brings about the creation of the Sands, complicates the situation; something of a separate triangle forms between the Wraith, Kaileena, and the normal Prince, before the Wraith Prince defeats and replaces his former self in the Timeline in order to change his mistake. Again, another triangle can be drawn between the Prince in Two Thrones, the Dark Prince, and Farah.
In Twilight Princess,the triangle between the bearers of the three Triforce pieces practically names itself- the relationship between Zelda, Link, and Zant creates tension and thickens the plot. Another triangle exists between Link, Midna, and Zant, because although Midna is a creature of the darkness like Zant, she helps Link accomplish his goals as she works to overthrow her evil oppressor.
Character Arcs:
The way a character grows and progresses throughout the story is a character arc, organized through a hierarchy of needs and the shifts in their value systems.
Level 1: Protagonists may begin at the lowest Intrapersonal level, in which they are concerned only with their own needs. The Prince begins here, seeking personal honor glory in battle in SoT and respite from the fearsome Dahaka hunting him in WW.
Level 2: Both heroes then reach the Interpersonal level, bonding with other characters that they grow to love or care about. Link seems to have begun here in Twilight Princess, helping out his fellow villagers with baby rescuing, child-rescuing, and goat herding (GOAT IN!) right from the start. The Prince begins TT in this state, immediately acting to try and save his lover Kaileena when she is captured, and just as quickly striving to restore peace to his kingdom and avenge her death after she is killed to release the Sands.
Level 3: The heroes learn to work as part of a team, bonding with a group they belong in to help accomplish a goal. Link allies with Midna, Zelda, Telma, and other citizens of Hyrule to combat evil, while the Prince aids his fellow Babylonians in striking back at the Vizier and the sand creatures he commands to take back their city in TT.
Levels 4 & 5: The heroes eventually identify with the community, working in a larger network to defeat their foes and attain their goals to reach a self-actualizing sense of comfort, love, and acceptance among humanity.
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