However, despite this success, there is one part about Twilight Princess many fans may not even realize exists. The manga adaptation.
Written and drawn by "Akira Himekawa" (a pen name used by two unnamed female artists), the manga is an in depth retelling of the original Twilight Princess story. Not only does it cover the game's original plot, but it takes into account every single detail players would've came across during their adventure, and greatly expands on the world itself. Side characters and random NPCs are turned into full blown characters with their own personality quirks and backstories to provided additional context, and even Link himself is greatly expanded upon with his own tragic past. The end result of all of this is easily one of the greatest stories ever told within The Legend of Zelda series, with countless memorable moments, and some truly shocking twists that would even catch die hard Zelda fans by surprise.
So with all of this being said, I have decided to go back through the entire manga series once again, and this time review each volume along the way. I will be covering the basic plot points of each, and give my usual thoughts at the end. Of course I already recommend the series as a whole, but not all volumes are the same, and I for sure have my favorites. Also as each volume is pretty long, simply explaining a handful of key events will not ruin experiencing the manga for yourself. This manga is packed full of detail, with very nice looking art (despite what my poor quality scans may appear to be), and is well worth reading.
Anyway, how about we get started on this adventure? This is my review of Volume 1.
Midna and the Twilight Realm
The manga begins quite a bit differently from the game. While the original dropped players right into the shoes of Link as he lives out his life in Ordon Village, the manga instead takes the time to develop the world, and setup some background. Of course these facts are revealed in the game itself later on, but the manga "spoils" the reveal from the get go.
The opening chapter of volume 1 introduces the readers to the concept of the world of light, and the world of darkness; the Twilight Realm. Long ago beings holding powerful magic appeared amidst a war, and attempted to conquer the land. However, the Goddesses who created the world decided to step in, and sealed away the magic. The magic users were imprisoned within the Twilight Realm, and their magic itself was locked away inside of a crystal known as the "Shadow Crystal."
Many years later the Twilight Realm is flourishing on its own, and the people live in peace under princess Midna. After her father passed away, Midna inherited the throne, and was someone that everyone could look up to. However, one day her jealous uncle Zant stepped up and did the unthinkable. He attacks Midna to gain control of the Shadow Crystal, and begins turning the people of the Twilight Realm into monsters. He plans to revive the ancient magic, and return to the realm of light. Midna is powerless to stop him, and soon finds herself in a transformed state... As an imp like creature.
Again, while all of this is eventually explained in the game itself, it was originally a mystery for a large chunk of the game. The manga provides additional detail about what happened however, and this intro scene really helps set the tone of the rest of the series. This is NOT some happy go lucky adventure across Hyrule; it is a story of death, destruction, and of two people who's destinies eventually intertwine. It is an adventure out of necessity, and not friendship.
Introducing the Village and Link’s Daily Life
Following Midna's story, the next chapter finally introduces us to the hero we all know and love; Link. Link is a young man living in Ordon Village, and works at the local farm. He was originally an outsider who strolled into the village only a couple of years ago, but during that short time he's already made quite an impression on the villagers. The kids love him and look up to him, the man who took him under his wing sees him as a brother, and the girl who first found him has also fallen for him. He has everything going for him, and he lives out his days in peace, away from the monsters and violence of the outside world.
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Over the next handful of chapters, we get to see exactly what Link's life is like. This includes activities that were originally tutorials in the game, but the manga brings up a handful of points the game overlooks. For example, when Link has to get the Ordon Goats under control, he remarks that they are typically non-aggressive, and questions if it is their mating season. This actually foreshadows events that are to come, but at the time Link himself is unaware of the danger awaiting him on the horizon.
Another addition that is also as seen in the game, but not expanded upon, is Link's bookshelf. While players may never question exactly why Link has so many books in his house, the manga reveals that he's been researching magic, and trying to discover a way to turn darkness into light. This relates back to his own past, which is also never explored in the game, and plays a major role in the overall story. Who Link is and what he has done becomes a driving force for many of his actions, and this past is something that haunts him to this day... But he can't let the village know that.
One day, after taking care of his usual chores, Link is approached by the mayor of the town who asks him to take care of a job for him. A sword has been forged, and it is to be a gift presented to none other than the King of Hyrule. Originally the village's swordsman Rusl, Link's "brother," was to deliver the weapon, but with his wife being pregnant it was decided to send someone else instead. Rusl recommended Link for the job, but Link refuses and finally tells him why.
Link’s Dark Past
When Link finally tells his story, we learn of an event that occurred just a few years ago. Link was a swordsman in training, not a farmer, and one of the few people who decided to see if he could pull a legendary sword from a stone. Others had tried before him and failed, but, unknown to him, Link just so happened to be special.
Link managed to pull the sword without problem, but in the process he released a great darkness. The next thing he knew the world around him was being swallowed up, and everyone he once knew was gone. Because of his actions, they all died, and now only Link remained.
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After this incident Link gave up the sword, and left to explore the world. He eventually ended up at the gates of Ordon Village, and met the young girl named Ilia; an event that would change his life forever.
Due to this past trauma, Link has no intentions of ever touching a sword again, nor does he want to leave the village. He doesn't want to get recognized by anyone who may have heard his story, and would rather continue to hold onto his new peaceful life. Of course Rusl understands, but he's also not too surprised either. From the get go he could tell Link was skilled with a sword, and had actually hoped he could one day be his successor in protecting the town.
Little did he know, this was about to become a reality, as Link would be forced to pick up his sword once again.
Village Under Attack
While going about his everyday life, Link and the other villagers were unaware of the threat that was on its way. Zant's army had escaped the Twilight Realm, and were now on their way to the village. They attack in full force, killing and corrupting the humans they came in contact with, and Link finds himself in the middle of it all. He takes up the sword once again, and sets off to help as many people as possible. However, things do not go quite as planned.
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Ilia is captured King Bulblin, and, despite his best efforts, Link is unable to save her. This leads to one of the most shocking moments in this entire volume.
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Link reverts to his warrior ways, and vows to cut off King Bulblin's arm if he doesn't unhand Ilia. When the threat isn't enough, Link strikes the King, but quickly discovers his flesh is much thicker than that of a human. The sword stops part way through, and the King returns the favor.
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Link has no choice but to watch as everything he cares about is taken away from him, all while he himself bleeds to death. He failed, and is now being pulled into the Twilight.
To Be Continued
The manga ends with Link waking up in the Twilight Realm, and being transformed into the form of a wolf. He discovers his arm has been restored, but that doesn't make the previous scene any less shocking. In fact, it was this event that will fuel his rivalry with King Bulbin going forward, resulting in some brutally graphic fights along the way.
But that is a story for another time.
The Artwork
One of the things that really stands out with the Twilight Princess manga is how great the artwork is. This was a slow full volume release, and the artists really poured their heart and soul into every single panel. There are scenes that are bright and cheery, with an cartoony like style being used, but there are also highly detailed pages that reflect just how dark and grim this story can be. The Twilight Realm itself is drawn with a lot of black and shades of gray, with the monsters retaining this level of detail every single time they appear. It is a lot to look at, and rather than simply reading the text and glancing at a page before moving on, it takes a lot of focus to really take in everything you are seeing.
Link himself and all the other characters have also received updated designs compared to their video game counterparts, and the backgrounds and locations are very detailed hand drawn versions of the video game world. Even after re-reading the volume, I found myself just flipping through random pages and admiring the art itself. It really is that good, and it proves just how talented this duo is.
Final Thoughts
Personally, I love the first volume of the series. It takes the intro the game used to teach the players how to play, and turns it into a full on introduction to this world and its characters. Not only does this allow newcomers who know absolutely nothing about Zelda to enjoy it, but it also gives long time fans a completely new point of view.
Link now has a backstory, characters side characters are more developed, and we get to see what it is actually like to live in Ordon Village (and it is more than just a tutorial)! It really is a perfect starting point for the series, and does more than enough to capture the reader's interest. The cliffhanger encourages people to read the next part, but the first volume itself is such a great read, that a cliffhanger isn't even fully necessary. It was fun from start to finish, and it leaves you wanting more.
Again, this manga isn't just for Zelda fans, or fans of Twilight Princess. It is for everyone who loves adventure and the fight of light versus darkness.
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