Twilight Princess and Ilia, Can We Talk About This?

I'm new to this forum, so sorry if this has been gone over before. I played Twilight Princess back when it first came out on the Gamecube. I loved the game, and I felt a real motivation to go out and take down the bad guys since they had taken the kids from my village.

I have no idea why I care about any of this, but today I was having a huge blast of nostalgia for the game. I looked at Skyward Sword and how they tease you so blatantly with Zelda's love in the beginning so that you want to fight for her. However, at the end of Skyward Sword you get a real clear answer to this. Zelda and Link choose to be together on the ground and found Hyrule. In Twilight Princess, this is less clear to me. I think it's pretty apparent Ilia is the love interest (I've heard arguments for Zelda or Midna but they mostly seem silly), but I'm never really sure how this turns out.

I remembered all the earlier scenes with Ilia in the game, but I think the last time we interact with her in-game is when we return her memories. However, there's the scene during the ending credits where she is standing on the road watching Link ride Epona. I've only watched it once when I originally played the game, and I always though Link was riding home. However, after watching again and googling a bit, it is apparent he is riding AWAY.

The ending was sad enough already with Midna leaving, but this is worse. So, WHY? Why is he leaving Ilia and his home that he worked so hard to protect? Does this mean a sequel? Am I completely insane for caring about this a few years later? Someone speak some sense to me


EDIT: Here are some theories that I've thought up or others have brought up:

1) Link is leaving to go find a way to reopen the link to the Twilight Realm, either because Zelda wants him to or because he was really interested in Midna.

2) He's leaving because his adventures made him unsatisfied with a simple life. Maybe he will explore new lands or simply live somewhere else in Hyrule.

3) He's doing a simple task that will allow him to return soon, such as returning the Master Sword or going to the castle for something.

Also, if these kind of questions don't prompt a sequel, I'm not sure what will. Mysterious endings for heroes are common, but its rare to see one where there are so many possibilities.

I'm pretty sure Link was riding away from Ordon. You see Ilia pretty upset about it as she stands there and watches him go, so I don't think he's returning home.

I doubt a sequel will ever happen though. The story has been told.




Also, thread moved to the Gamecube/Wii Zelda forum.

Originally Posted by Eternal Legend

I'm pretty sure Link was riding away from Ordon. You see Ilia pretty upset about it as she stands there and watches him go, so I don't think he's returning home.

I doubt a sequel will ever happen though. The story has been told.




Also, thread moved to the Gamecube/Wii Zelda forum.

Sorry for wrong forum. It's pretty obvious looking closey that he's leaving. I'm only trying to figure out why. The ending is so ridiculously depressing despite defeating Ganon, so maybe there could be room for a sequel to make it happier? I'm not sure.

IMO this is how it goes:

At the beginning of the quest, Link had some sort of interests on Ilia, he may didn't know it, but he had a crush or something of that kind, but not strong enough to be his "true love".
Link felt in love with Midna about when he saved her after the water temple, from now on, he stopped ìthinking abou Ilia in that way.

After Midna left Hyrule; Link thought about how he should have lived: he sure would have enjoyed his life with Ilia, but he would have felt regret in his whole life.

Link choose to depart to find himself in some adventures, maybe he returned home and set up a family with Ilia, maybe he spent his whole life to search a way to go in the Twilight Realm.

I think Ilia personifies the calm nature of Link and Midna the wild one and adventurous one, Link understood he doesn't want to live a calm but also boring life in Ordon in his quest, so Ilia wasn't the girl for him anymore.

Originally Posted by TDA

IMO this is how it goes:

At the beginning of the quest, Link had some sort of interests on Ilia, he may didn't know it, but he had a crush or something of that kind, but not strong enough to be his "true love".
Link felt in love with Midna about when he saved her after the water temple, from now on, he stopped ìthinking abou Ilia in that way.

After Midna left Hyrule; Link thought about how he should have lived: he sure would have enjoyed his life with Ilia, but he would have felt regret in his whole life.

Link choose to depart to find himself in some adventures, maybe he returned home and set up a family with Ilia, maybe he spent his whole life to search a way to go in the Twilight Realm.

I think Ilia personifies the calm nature of Link and Midna the wild one and adventurous one, Link understood he doesn't want to live a calm but also boring life in Ordon in his quest, so Ilia wasn't the girl for him anymore.

What you're saying makes sense. However, I find it a little hard to believe Link fell in love with what was essentially a little imp until the end of the game. Is there a specific reason you think he fell for her after the water temple? I can definitely see that Link very much cared for her, and when she revealed her true form she definitely was more beautiful than Zelda or Ilia. You could be completely right, but something tells me we may find there is some other answer. If Link basically chose to leave Ilia for somebody else, would we see her watching him leave after what I'm guessing was a normal goodbye? I'm not sure, I want to hear more theories.

Hmmm I always assumed he was riding home. I'm guessing that he was just putting the master sword back, although maybe it will prompt a TP sequel.

Originally Posted by The King of Red Lions

Hmmm I always assumed he was riding home. I'm guessing that he was just putting the master sword back, although maybe it will prompt a TP sequel.

It shows him riding away from the camera. I don't remember the exact layout of the land around Twilight Princess but I'm sure somebody does and can analyze the land he is riding over. If we do see a sequel, I want to see the same Link and same Zelda in the same land without Twilight involved. Zelda was very shallow and unexplored in Twilight Princess, I feel there's a ton that could be done there.

I feel about Midna much as I feel about the Joker from the Dark Knight. Obviously Heath Ledger died tragically which is terrible because he was a great actor, but I feel as if these two characters where better in one off performances. Anything else about them would cheapen their stories in the original. Midna is amazing, and Link finding a way to get to the Twilight Realm to see her would render the sacrifice at the end of Twilight Princess pointless.

Originally Posted by Mamba

What you're saying makes sense. However, I find it a little hard to believe Link fell in love with what was essentially a little imp until the end of the game. Is there a specific reason you think he fell for her after the water temple? I can definitely see that Link very much cared for her, and when she revealed her true form she definitely was more beautiful than Zelda or Ilia. You could be completely right, but something tells me we may find there is some other answer. If Link basically chose to leave Ilia for somebody else, would we see her watching him leave after what I'm guessing was a normal goodbye? I'm not sure, I want to hear more theories.

Well, I always assumed that because Link and Midna begin to be kind toward each other after that episode, Link got into troubles to save Ilia in the first part of the game, in the second half he did all specifically for Midna.
And Link knew Midna was a human-like creature, only because her aspect is not human, this doesn't mean he cannot be attracted by her intellectually and spiritually.

I'm with Mamba here. The whole ending of TP was so moving because Link and Midna had to say farewell. Sometimes a happy ending isn't the best one. Think of Donnie Darko, The Butterfly Effect, Titanic...

As for Link and Ilia... I have no idea. I'm sure Link will meet other girls that are better suited. She's cute and she's familiar, but sometimes that's not what a guy needs.

By the way, why are we having this discussion about TP (with just 3 girls) and not OoT? OoT Link has Saria, Zelda, Malon, Ruto, Nabooru... OoT's ending doesn't give any clue about Link's choice there.

Originally Posted by Canyarion

I'm with Mamba here. The whole ending of TP was so moving because Link and Midna had to say farewell. Sometimes a happy ending isn't the best one. Think of Donnie Darko, The Butterfly Effect, Titanic...

As for Link and Ilia... I have no idea. I'm sure Link will meet other girls that are better suited. She's cute and she's familiar, but sometimes that's not what a guy needs.

By the way, why are we having this discussion about TP (with just 3 girls) and not OoT? OoT Link has Saria, Zelda, Malon, Ruto, Nabooru... OoT's ending doesn't give any clue about Link's choice there.

Because the HoT is a lonely wolf, Nabooru is old, Saria is an eternal kid, zoras and hylians have different methods of reproductions and Zelda is a princess and TP Link can't be her descendant, the only plausible one is Malon, but again, the HoT seems to be a lone wolf.

Yet one would assume that Link answered "Yes!" to Talon's question if Link would marry Malon early in the game, opening up a possibility for a later marriage.

Also, Link has the adult Epona during Twilight Princess. Do not forget that she originally belonged to Talon.

You think Epona was a marriage gift from Talon?

Mhm. And one of the Gossip Stones has recorded the fact that Malon, "wishes a knight in shining armour would sweep her off her feet."

Originally Posted by Anima†eur

Yet one would assume that Link answered "Yes!" to Talon's question if Link would marry Malon early in the game, opening up a possibility for a later marriage.

Also, Link has the adult Epona during Twilight Princess. Do not forget that she originally belonged to Talon.

That Epona could be a decendant of OoT's Epona, but no way it is the same: I have to remember you that enough time has passed so the girl of the fishing pond does neither know if the original owner was one of her relatives, he has to be her father, or her grandpa if Epona is still alive....

Well, the fishing girl wasn't all too smart, was she? :p

But seriously, it can't be Epona. She's also a lot (!) bigger in TP than in OoT.

Originally Posted by Canyarion

Well, the fishing girl wasn't all too smart, was she? :p

But seriously, it can't be Epona. She's also a lot (!) bigger in TP than in OoT.

Smart enough to make a minigame you will stay hours trying to win with, and make a lot of rupees.
And she's also cute, but that's not the topic to talk about this.

Ordon Ranch is also, when compared to the location of the Sacred Grove, is near where Lon-Lon Ranch would be located before Hyrule Castle town was abandoned.

Originally Posted by Canyarion

I'm with Mamba here. The whole ending of TP was so moving because Link and Midna had to say farewell. Sometimes a happy ending isn't the best one. Think of Donnie Darko, The Butterfly Effect, Titanic...

As for Link and Ilia... I have no idea. I'm sure Link will meet other girls that are better suited. She's cute and she's familiar, but sometimes that's not what a guy needs.

By the way, why are we having this discussion about TP (with just 3 girls) and not OoT? OoT Link has Saria, Zelda, Malon, Ruto, Nabooru... OoT's ending doesn't give any clue about Link's choice there.

Like I said, I always assumed after Link said goodbye to Midna he went back home to the simple life he had always had. This was more of a bittersweet ending, because at least he had Ilia. Now that I know he is riding away, it becomes definitely more of a tragic ending. He couldn't have Midna, and now for some reason he can't have/doesn't want Ilia. It's not so much that I care that he chooses Ilia above any other girl, its just so incredibly cruel for him to spend all the first half of the game trying to save her and then to just leave her.

For me, I was motivated in the second part of the game not so much to help Midna, but to get revenge on Zant for tearing my life apart like that. To each his own, I guess.

---------- Post added at 01:09 PM ---------- Previous post was at 01:05 PM ----------

I think it's because OoT has so many girls that its more open to interpretation. Whereas TP has more clearly defined interactions. We know that Link was friendly with all three of them, but which one did that friendliness become something more?

Its good to talk about Midna vs Ilia but I do want to remind everyone that we're trying to figure out more why Link would leave home at the end of TP.

hes riding home, its confirmed with HH

Originally Posted by OcarinaofKeith

hes riding home, its confirmed with HH

Yes it does say that but thats after he puts the Master Sword back in the pedestal of time. Link then heads back to Ordon and then leaves shortly after just watch this. Watch from 13:28 to the end to see what I mean.