There are many iconic elements to the Legend of Zelda franchise. One of these is Link’s green tunic, which is worn by every version of Link in the mainline games. It’s easy to see why the tunic is a practical outfit for any good adventurer, suitable for sword fights, climbing and the odd bit of time travel.
However, while Link himself dresses practically for his role, there are characters throughout the series whose outfit choices don’t appear to be as well-thought-out. Whether they’re inappropriate for the temperature, more decorative than useful or just bizarre, these Legend of Zelda characters could probably do with rethinking their wardrobe a little.
10 Zunari
Wind Waker is set in a flooded Hyrule, one that is now mostly a vast ocean with a few populated islands dotted around. This ocean gives the feeling of a tropical land full of warm beaches, a feeling backed up by the loose, minimal outfits worn by most NPCs throughout the game that are suitable for beach living.
Zunari, however, threw out common sense and decided to wear a massive furry coat. A shopkeeper on Windfall Island, Zunari’s outfit doesn’t fit the sunny climate of that location at all. He is the source of Wind Waker’s major trading side quest, but at no point does this quest lead to him taking the coat off in the heat.
9 Lady Maud
While her name might imply some nobility similar to other antagonists from the Zelda series, Lady Maud’s title appears to be a self-imposed one. A witch of the Drablands, she acts as the main antagonist of Tri Force Heroes, who must be defeated to lift the curse she’s placed on the princess of Hytopia.
For a fashion-obsessed witch, however, her choice of outfit is a strange one. Consisting of a figure-hugging dress with a comically large collar, a sun hat and large sunglasses, it’s already an outfit made more for visual effect more than practicality. This is nothing compared to the outfit she switches to for the final phase of her boss fight, however, as that dress is exceedingly tall and can best be described as like a wedding cake in its appearance. She also can’t move around in it, as she stays fixed to that position during that phase, highlighting just how useless it is.
8 Iron Knuckle
While not an individual character, Iron Knuckle is an iconic enemy that’s featured a couple of times as a difficult foe or sub-boss. Most notably Iron Knuckles have shown up in the Spirit Temple and Ganon’s Castle in Ocarina of Time and in tombs in Ikana Graveyard in Majora’s Mask.
They’re a fearsome foe, despite their armor being wildly impractical. Heavy and cumbersome, it makes them impervious to damage but slows them down to the point where it has to be uncomfortable to lug around.
7 Midna
Introduced in Twilight Princess as Link’s sidekick and guide to the Twilight Realm, Midna quickly became a fan favorite that many fans would love to see return in another mainline game someday. She’s also cursed, which explains her impish appearance.
It may also explain her outfit choice, or rather the lack of it, as Midna appears to be entirely nude expect for a helm that looks far too big for her head. There is plot significance to the helm as it’s the final Fused Shadow used to destroy Ganondorf’s barrier, but it’s still impressive that it doesn’t weigh her head down for the whole game.
6 Mipha
Midna isn’t the only character found wearing nothing but accessories, as Mipha in Breath of the Wild is guilty of this too. One of the four Champions, Mipha wears a sash and not a lot else. This sash merely represents her role as a Champion and doesn’t serve a practical function beyond that.
It’s a trait she shares with others of her race, where the extent of their clothing is jewelry in places that mark the suggestion of clothes. While the Zora are an aquatic race who have been depicted as not needing clothes throughout the series, these small accessory additions feel unnecessary.
5 Ghirahim
As one of the main villains in the first Zelda game chronologically, Skyward Sword, Ghirahim is an incredibly important character. Constantly taunting Link throughout the game, his arrogant, vain personality adds to his menace.
His outfit, however, is a baffling choice for a master swordsman. A flashy cloak with a high collar and a lavish cape, and a tight bodysuit full of diamond-shaped holes seem designed for flamboyant showiness than for practical swordplay. The long fringe covering one eye also seems like a disadvantage for someone who needs to watch their opponent’s moves closely.
4 Zant
The primary villain for much of Twilight Princess, Zant is the illegitimate ruler of the Twilight Realm following his coup that removed Midna from her station. He’s also a disturbing character, based on his behavior during his boss fight, as he steadily appears to lose his mind as Link battles him.
His outfit is not the most practical, however. Mostly consisting of a large cloak, the sleeves of this outfit extend far beyond his hands, with tassels hanging off the end, raising questions about how he can use his hands in any meaningful way. Then again, as a tyrant king he can likely just get his subjects to do things for him, so practicality doesn’t matter at that point.
3 Agitha
Link meets Agitha in Hyrule Castle Town in Twilight Princess, where she sets up a major side quest involving collecting specific bugs for her collection. This is because she is the self-proclaimed Princess of Bugs and is throwing a party for all the Golden Bugs, who Link must find and bring to her.
It’s possible she asked Link to complete this task as her outfit is completely unsuitable for bug hunting. A poofy, gothic dress with a fixed dome shape, it’s unlikely that she would be able to go digging around in forests and plains in search of her beloved creatures in that.
2 Tingle
One of the strangest characters in Zelda history, Tingle is introduced in Majora’s Mask as a 35-year-old man who believes he’s a fairy and spends most of his time flying around on a balloon, inventing magic words for himself and selling Link maps.
His outfit contributes to this weirdness, as he wears a form-fitting bodysuit with trunks on the outside that doesn’t seem like a practical outfit in many situations. Tingle has reappeared throughout the series, still as strange as always, and is almost certainly set to reappear in future titles.
1 Zelda
As the character the entire series is named for, Princess Zelda is the most important character outside of Link. There are many incarnations of Princess Zelda across the series, but much like Link and his tunic, her outfit is fairly consistent: a long flowing purple or pink dress lavishly adorned in the symbols of Hylian royalty.
For her role as a royal, this is a perfectly reasonable outfit, but it becomes impractical as soon as we see her in games outside the main series. In the Smash Bros franchise and in the hack-and-slash spin-off Hyrule Warriors, Zelda becomes a fighter in her own right. The problem is, that huge dress doesn’t offer the best moveability in a fight, and it’s not clear why she didn’t opt for something more suitable.