Zelda (Skyward Sword) Zelda no Densetsu: Skyward Sword Images

Unlike in earlier installments, Zelda does not bear the title of princess. She resides in Skyloft, where she attends the same boarding school as Link and rides a blue Loftwing. A childhood friend of Link and the object of affection of Link's rival Groose, Zelda has been confirmed to be Link's love interest throughout the game, as she shows to be very cheerful around him and rather nervous when alone with him, such as she bashfully asked him to fly around in the skies together, like a date. Link also reciprocates these feelings. Toward the beginning of the game, she is swept off of her Loftwing by a tornado caused by Ghirahim. Before she is captured, however, she is snatched up by Impa and undergoes a journey to be purified in the springs of the Skyview Temple and the Earth Temple. Zelda is eventually brought to the Temple of Time where she manages to give the Goddess's Harp to Link before she and Impa enter a Gate of Time to evade Ghirahim.

It is only after Link finds a second Gate of Time that it is revealed that Zelda is an incarnation of Hylia. She also confesses to manipulating Link's feelings for her so that he could fulfill his destiny, a deed for which she is very remorseful. In order to maintain the seal on the Demise, Zelda imprisons herself in a crystal and falls into a state of hibernation, asking Link to wake her up when his mission is complete before she does so.

After Link wishes for the destruction of Demise with the Triforce, Zelda awakens from her hibernation, though her reunion with Link, Groose, and the Old Woman is cut short as Ghirahim abducts her. He takes Zelda through the remaining Gate of Time to resurrect Demise in the past, which he means to accomplish by performing a ritual on Zelda that will allow the Imprisoned to swallow her life force. Though Zelda's life force is taken by Demise, Link manages to defeat the demon to return Zelda's soul to her body. Soon after, Zelda is saddened to learn that Impa intends to remain in the past to safeguard the Master Sword, learning that Impa aged into the Sealed Grounds' overseer in their timeline as the old lady welcomed them back before vanishing. Soon after, Zelda decided to live on the Surface while asking Link what he will do. Based on his reaction with a smile, and how both their Loftwings fly off in the distance, it is implied that Link has decided to live on the Surface with Zelda.