The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess (2022)
[ゼルダの伝説：トワイライトプリンセス]
Volume 11
Author/Artist: Akira Himekawa
Publisher: Tentomushi Comics
Synopsis:
The final battle between Link and Ganondorf rages on and Link risks losing himself to the blood-madness.
Story/Characters:
We wind down the second stage of the final battle with Link on the verge of losing control before Midna can bring him back from the brink. The defeat of Ganondorf's beast form weakens his influence, so Zelda's soul returns to her body. Things aren't over yet and Midna wields the power of the completed Fused Shadow to finish off Ganondorf, transporting Link and Zelda to safety outside the castle. However, Ganondorf appears not long thereafter on Hyrule Field holding up the Fused Shadow. Link and Zelda assume the worst, and while Link charges at Ganondorf, Zelda channels the four Spirits of Light to manifest Light Arrows to use against Ganondorf. In an earlier scene, Ilia had set Epona loose to go to Link's aid, so she's there for Link and Zelda to ride out against Ganondorf. Zelda only has four Light Arrows and though her aim is true, Gandondorf is batting them out of the air, but the last one manages to connect. Ganondorf is down but not out, so he and Link square off for a sword duel that lasts two of the six chapters in this volume. One of the main thrusts (no pun intended) is Ganondorf boasting of his immortality, but while Link as an individual may die, a Hero bearing the Triforce of Courage will always rise up to stand against him. In this round at least, there's no breaking the cycle, but there is a moment of balance that annoys Ganondorf to the point of somehow willing himself to death (though he already had the Master Sword sticking out of his chest at the time).
With Ganondorf taken care of, the Spirits of Light assemble and Link sees what looks like Midna in the distance. What he finds isn't the Midna he knows but her true form. This is where I wish we hadn't seen her true form earlier in this adaptation, but I suppose Himekawa figured the vast majority of the readers would have played the game, so there wasn't much point in saving Midna's true form for the end as a surprise. Now, the bittersweet ending that follows has less justification here than in the game as this story has the childhood friendship between Midna and Zelda and Link's village having found refuge in the Twilight Realm to bolster the idea that bridges can be built between the two worlds. Nevertheless, Midna chooses to sever the connection after crossing over in light of the long history of hatred. I suppose there's some merit of taking the slow and steady route to reconciliation, but how do you expect to meaningfully bring two peoples together when they have no way to interact? Well, so it goes. I suppose Himekawa couldn't change Midna breaking the mirror, even if it undermines the message a bit.
We close with an epilogue where Telma coaxes Shad to rekindle his inspiration (as he's in a rut mooning over Ilia who's in turn still hung up on Link), Ashe visits Link's friends while they're recuperating, the villagers are waiting for Link's return, and Link himself returns the Master Sword to its resting place until the time comes for a new Hero to arise. Medetashi, medetashi.
Art:
It's almost nonstop fighting for the majority of this volume and Himekawa goes all-out with the spectacle, to include some two-page spreads for emphasis. There are some nice quieter moments as well. Link+Midna shippers get some good material, so that's something.
Conclusion:
Compared to the earlier Himekawa adaptations, the story here was given plenty of time to breathe and so we get a proper sense of the scope, arguably even more so than the original game. You find that the drag-out final battle drags out a little too long, but if you're looking for a grand finale, this is certainly it. For the most part, it hits the rights notes and makes for a satisfying conclusion. If you've collecting the series this far, you'll be more than happy to add this volume to the shelf.
Rating:
Own It