While the titular Princess Zelda in all her incarnations has dominated the royal roles in the Zelda series, there are other princesses that also appear. Though she spends most of the game as an imp, the Twilight Princess Midna is beloved by much of fandom. Princess Hilda from the 3DS classic, A Link Between Worlds is also a favorite because of her dark look and interesting motivations. On the other side of the spectrum is the much less beloved Princess Styla from the often maligned Tri Force Heroes. While Zelda, Midna, and Hilda struggle against the conquering and/or destruction of their kingdoms, Styla weeps over being cursed to wear an admittedly very ugly outfit. While her troubles seem so small compared to the other princesses, VaatiMage’s art piece entitled “Good Friends” examines a possible friendship between the Princesses of Hytopia and Hyrule, and by contrasting their responses to a makeover, we are invited to dig deeper into the characters of both.
On the left side of the picture, Princess Styla is seen happily braiding Zelda’s hair. Styla is clearly in her element here, sporting an enormous smile. Her eyes are also open wide and practically sparkling with enjoyment. Musical notes hang over her head, allowing us to imagine any number of Hytopian pop star ballads that she may be serenading her friend with.
Styla is contrasted with Princess Zelda on the right side of the picture. Zelda is wearing her outfit from Four Swords and seems to be making the best of a situation she’s not all that comfortable with. While she is sporting a small smile as she sneaks a peek at her in-the-process hairdo, her eyebrows betray her feelings. They are downturned, showing an uneasiness.
It’s easy to look at this picture and think poorly of Styla. She doesn’t seem to notice her friend’s discomfort; instead, she just sings as her fashion crusade continues. Zelda has real problems to worry about after all. There’s an evil mage causing trouble, and we don’t mean the “make you wear an ugly outfit” kind! We mean the “stony prison, conquer your kingdom” kind!
Thinking more deeply about the difference between the two princesses reveals something beautiful about their friendship. In Princess Styla’s Kingdom of Hytopia, fashion is life. In fact, Styla’s self-imposed imprisonment while wearing her cursed outfit is so upsetting to Hytopia’s citizens that they won’t wear anything fashionable, fearing that they’ll also be cursed. The call goes out for heroes, and Link answers a very different call to adventure. It seems silly, but fashion is supremely important to Hytopians. Because of this, Styla’s braiding of Zelda’s hair is actually very beautiful. She is giving Zelda the greatest gift she can, her kingdom’s treasure: fashion. Zelda may not understand it initially, but as she learns more of Hytopia and its priorities, I’m sure that she’ll gain new wisdom about how beautiful this simple encounter with her new friend was.
