The Legend of Zelda series is all about the struggle of good versus evil and the nature of being a true hero, but every so often, it also contains elements of romance. Each game in the series includes a few examples of happy relationships, one-sided crushes, and desperate efforts to catch one another's eye. Series protagonist Link is often the most eligible bachelor in Hyrule, as one might expect of the legendary hero.
There's a significant difference, however, between a passing crush and a real, lasting romance, and these aren't quite so common. Not many characters in the series are explicitly shown to form relationships, especially not Link. Once in a while, though, it happens, and when it does, it leaves a lasting impression. These are the most memorable romances in the Legend of Zelda series.
This list contains spoilers for several games in the Legend of Zelda series.
10 Honey and Darling (Majora's Mask)
In the Castle Town plaza in Ocarina of Time, a man and a woman stand, holding each other, endlessly spinning in place. They don't pay much attention to Link, and don't have much of a purpose at all.
However, their alternate-world selves in Majora's Mask have started a successful business themed around their public display of affection. They run a mini-game in which Link has to shoot targets from atop a rotating platform, while the enamored couple continues to spin in the center. Now that's making a career out of what you love.
9 Moe and Maggie (The Wind Waker)
Maggie is one of the girls kidnapped in Wind Waker, and held prisoner in the Forsaken Fortress by monsters. After her rescue, however, she is still suffering: she longs to see Moe, one of her Moblin captors, and sends several letters back to the Fortress.
This case is significant since it's rare for the Zelda series to ascribe personality to its monstrous enemies, let alone notions of romance. Maybe it's just Stockholm syndrome on Maggie's part, but at a glance it's a sweet interaction — depending on the meaning of Moe's letter in reply: "I like you Maggie so much that I want to eat you for dinner."
8 Perda and Wabbin (Breath Of The Wild)
These two are known as the subjects of the quest "A Gift of Nightshade." Perda, a Gerudo, is waiting by Lover's Pond for her true love to appear, and Wabbin, a Hylian, is trying to work up the courage to approach her. The quest is to bring Wabbin a Blue Nightshade, which he has sworn to give to his true love, to boost his courage.
What follows upon his presenting her with the flower is an awkward exchange, which ends in the promise of a date. In a series about noble courage and destined love, the awkwardness is a nice, realistic touch.
7 Anton and Linda (The Wind Waker)
Anton and Linda are a pair of seemingly unrelated characters on Windfall Island. Anton strolls around town, and Linda stands by the game parlor. On his way past, however, Anton stops in front of Linda, and the two of them look at each other for a couple of seconds before Anton moves on.
Most players wouldn't notice it, but during a quest for Lenzo the photographer, Link is instructed to take a picture of this moment, the evidence of a secret longing. The two have a happy ending as a result: a further photography quest lets Link bring the two of them together officially.
6 Link and Zelda (Skyward Sword)
Despite being the main characters, tied together through destiny, Link and Zelda are rarely depicted in a romantic relationship. In Skyward Sword, considered the first game in the series chronologically, their relationship is especially important.
In many ways, it establishes a basis for the entire series' lore. Zelda does spend much of the game as a damsel in distress, but in this game, Link knows her personally, and his rescue is a personal wish as opposed to a grand destiny (as far as he knows).
5 Yeto and Yeta (Twilight Princess)
This married couple live in one of the game's dungeons, Snowpeak Ruins. Yeto's wife Yeta is sick owing to the influence of a Twilight Mirror shard, and Yeto is working hard to make his wife's favorite soup. The whole dungeon is spent collecting ingredients for Yeto.
This simple act of marital love stands out against a backdrop of monsters, especially considering Yeto and Yeta are monsters themselves. When they reunite at the end of the dungeon (after Yeta transforms into the boss and has a huge fight with Link), their love is so strong that it manifests as a Heart Container, and raises the player's maximum health.
4 Link and Midna (Twilight Princess)
Link doesn't often have a canonical love interest in the games, likely to allow the player to draw their own conclusions. No non-Zelda has come quite as close, however, as Midna from Twilight Princess. She takes the sidekick role in her title, but is much bolder than the usual helper fairy: She bosses Link around and coerces him into doing her bidding. On its own, this makes her one of the most fun Zelda series companions. A little ways into the game, though, when Link saves her life, her demeanor changes somewhat, and the two become much closer.
Even after all this, it would be a stretch to call theirs a canon romantic relationship. However, the recent conclusion of the official Twilight Princess manga, in which Midna goes for a kiss as her last act in Link's world, seems to tell a different story.
3 Mikau and Lulu (Majora's Mask)
Sometimes, devotion is marked by sacrifice. When Lulu's eggs are stolen by Great Bay pirates, Mikau rushes to get them back, and dies as a result. Even then, his spirit refuses to rest, taking on the form of a mask to grant Link the power to fulfill his final request.
This relationship is an odd inclusion, since Mikau and Lulu are never stated to be in a relationship in-game. However, the circumstances tell a clear story. Who is the father of Lulu's eggs? Why would Mikau risk his life, and transcend death, to get them back? The last image of Mikau, as his soul heals, is of himself walking onstage at Lulu's side. Nothing is stated explicitly, but it doesn't have to be.
2 Link and Zelda (Spirit Tracks)
This is another rare Link/Zelda pairing, and a unique case. Spirit Tracks marks the only time Zelda accompanies Link for his entire adventure. Although she often takes the form of a hulking suit of armor, that doesn't stop her from speaking up and being an active participant in the story.
She actually shares her thoughts and feelings with Link, such as her (sometimes disruptive) fear of rats. At the very end, the two hold hands and gaze into the sunset, which would be hugely romantic even without the kingdom-spanning adventure that precedes it.
1 Kafei and Anju (Majora's Mask)
Majora's Mask is considered one of the best-written Zelda games, and this pair is one of the reasons why. Early on in the game, Madame Aroma asks Link to search for her missing son, Kafei. This simple request leads into one of the most intricate sidequests in the Zelda series. Link learns that Kafei is in hiding, not because he was cursed into a child's body, but because the mask he promised his fiancé was stolen, and he's been stalking the thief ever since.
Across the game's three-day cycle, Link helps him track down the thief. At the final obstacle, Kafei joins Link in puzzle-solving, despite being in a cursed body. If everything goes well, the couple reunites shortly before the moon falls, and resolves to face the morning together. It's a grim end to a desperate struggle, but that's Majora's Mask — and their Couple's Mask ends up being a lasting symbol of their love (which Link can later use to get a health upgrade).
