Link Almost Killed Princess Zelda in Nintendo Character Guide

Scans from an old 1993/1994 Nintendo Character Reference guide reveal a fairly different story in classic Legend of Zelda.

Development drawings and reference illustrations were key to keeping consistency in the classic 2D adventures. The document relates to the characters in The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past, describing the trio of Link, Princess Zelda and Ganon, noting how Link almost killed the poor princess.

At just "sixteen years of age, Zelda the First defied Agahnim when he usurped power from the King", reads the character biography for Princess Zelda. It also notes how "legend has it that she survived a cruel imprisonment and was rescued by Link.

The truth, however, is that she had been on the verge of escaping on her own when Link burst into the chamber and nearly slew her on the spot on account of the poor lighting and an enormous spider that had sat down beside her."

Despite this, the guide was primarily intended for merchandising, mainly as a reference for those using Nintendo characters in their products and marketing.

How do you think the story would have panned out if Link actually did the deed on Princess Zelda?