Over the course of its history, The Legend of Zelda has had a fair few spin-off games. Recently, Nintendo has been experimenting extensively with Hyrule Warriors, putting a Dynasty Warriors twist on The Legend of Zelda that gives tons of franchise stars the power to hack and slash their way through Ganon's armies. Farther back than that, Nintendo has released games like Link's Crossbow Training, a companion for the Wii's Zapper accessory, and even the Tingle-centric spin-off Freshly-Picked Tingle's Rosy Rupeeland, among other games focused on Tingle. Zelda isn't Nintendo's most prolific franchise in terms of spin-offs, but nevertheless, there's enough of a pattern that it seems like Nintendo ought to consider making more side games for the series.
If Nintendo considers giving The Legend of Zelda more spin-offs, then it should make at least one focusing on Impa. Throughout the Zelda franchise, from the very first game to Ocarina of Time to Breath of the Wild, different incarnations of Impa have appeared, whether she's the wizened servant of Hyrule's royal family or Princess Zelda's battle-ready bodyguard. Impa has really grown as a character in recent years, and Hyrule Warriors has proven her potential as a player character. As such, maybe it's time to examine Impa's roots as a Sheikah more closely.
Why Impa Deserves a Zelda Spin-off
Although Impa started out as nothing more than The Legend of Zelda's questgiver, she has evolved into a far more compelling character in recent years. For instance, The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword features a wonderful depiction of Impa; thanks to Skyward Sword's time travel elements, while her young self guards Zelda and looks down Link, Impa's elderly self serves as an ally to Link throughout the game. Ocarina of Time and Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity have also both offered alternative versions of Impa, rather than always relegating her to the role of the elderly wizened woman. The many versions of Impa create the valuable possibility of a Zelda crossover game that unites many Impas from across time.
Impa's role as a Sheikah also makes her a great character to focus on in a future Zelda spin-off. While Breath of the Wild's Sheikah are far more approachable than usual, as a general rule, the Sheikah are a mysterious group who help guide Hyrule's future from the shadows. Impa would serve as a great lens with which to examine past incarnations of the Sheikah and everything they've done to affect the events of The Legend of Zelda. Breath of the Wild's exploration of the Zelda timeline's far end is great, but digging into Zelda's past would be fun too.
A New Style of Zelda Game
A Zelda spin-off about Impa - or various versions of Impa - would offer Nintendo a great opportunity to dabble in a new genre: stealth. Since the Sheikah are skilled at operating unseen, Nintendo could create a game where Impa is tasked with some mission that leads her to infiltrate various dungeons and villainous lairs in order to protect Hyrule. Stealth-focused combat focused on precision weapons and skillful use of Sheikah magic could be very refreshing for Zelda fans. Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity already offers a great template for Impa's potential Sheikah skills; Nintendo just has to expand on it.
If Tingle can get a handful of games, then surely Impa is worthy of a spin-off by now too. She may not always be in the middle of the action in Zelda games, but she's a true Zelda mainstay whose various roles in the franchise offer tons of source material to inspire a spin-off game. Nintendo certainly ought to consider it. Right now, the Zelda franchise is naturally focused on Breath of the Wild 2, but afterwards, maybe Nintendo will experiment with the franchise a little more by putting the spotlight on somebody like Impa.