12 Ridiculous Early Concept Designs Of Iconic Characters

It's hard to imagine one of Nintendo's most celebrated princesses looking like anything but her royal self. She's gone through several significant design changes in the series, looking kawaii as can be in the cel-shaded games, sullen in Twilight Princess, and breaking tradition by going with a short haircut in the next Breath of the Wild game, but has always been unmistakable as the titular princess.

Early on in the series though, Nintendo was ready to set Zelda on a radically different aesthetic path. Gamers were speechless seeing early concept art of Her Highness in a scanty outfit, with suggestive thigh highs, armbands, triforce earrings, and even an exposed midriff. The sci-fi inspired look came from the game originally having a more futuristic setting, with Link being a time-traveler trying to retrieve computer chips rather than shards of the triforce.

Since drawing that bit of concept art Nintendo decided to keep the series firmly planted in a fantasy setting, with Zelda almost always wearing an elegant dress. That said, the series seems to be embracing a more high-tech look, with Sheikah-Slates operating like a smartphones, mechanical enemies that shoot lasers, and Zelda dressing more like a modern woman with a modest long-sleeve shirt and black pants. The series may embrace those sci-fi elements, but Zelda's proposed outfit can be left the drawing board.