
Nintendo has officialy released the first piece of concept art for the new Legend of Zelda title. Hit the jump for the full image!
UPDATE: This is not a fake. This was officially released by Nintendo via their PR kit. Real concept art from Miyamoto’s dev team.

The new character sure doesn’t look like Midna, Zora, or Zelda. What do you think?
Update: After thinking about it…could the new character be Link’s sword? Maybe this ‘creature’ acts much like the Minish Cap in which it plays a duel role. I think I nailed it!




Props for doing that sketch from memory. Good representation.
Spot on. Good job
Ditto, that sketch was spot on after looking at this. GJ!
Yeah, it looks sort of “swordish” to me.
If this character is a sword, maybe this game tells the story of the origin of the Master Sword. Do any of the other games really get into it?
Her body, cloak, and head shape resemble the Master Sword to a T. Maybe some chick who made the sword and trapped herself inside or something corny like that?
@ El Hajjish
Not sure, but the GBA Minish Cap does give us the origin of Link’s hat. It’s not hard to believe they’ll make a game telling us how the Master Sword came to be also. If that is what the picture suggest, then this might be yet ANOTHER prequel to the series.
^ The three goddesses created the master sword as a key to the bridge time. This could be a forth goddess forged into the sword, or something completely different.
Gah, I can’t wait now. I hope we can’t even guess what they’re thinking and wait for them to just blow us away with a story and/or twist a la M Night. (BUT ACTUALLY GOOD AND SENSIBLE). 2011 though? Ugh, I’m going to be out of college by then =D.
2011 is horrifying. 5 years between console Zeldas? Oh nooooooes….
You know, that character looks kind of like the queen of the fairies from Wind Waker, the one who gave you fire and ice arrows ( or at least the faces look alike, don’t believe me? go check.) I wonder if that will be connected somehow…nah probably just a new navigating character.
It does look pretty similar to the master sword now that I look at it.
Hmm…
Check out this image of the Master Sword and compare…
http://www.thetanooki.com/wp-content/gallery/master-sword/real-mastersword.jpg
Looks like a match to me.
Hey guys, thanks for all the kind words about the sketch. I tried my best, I should of focused more on the character details. I’ll try harder next time!
Another image to compare, taken from TP artwork:
http://img255.imageshack.us/img255/2792/gcnzeldatwilightchar01on0.jpg
Look at the details, there’s no doubt!
What if the master sword is evil?
If she is a living incarnation of the Master Sword maybe she will change the way you access and use weapons in Zelda? Perhaps she can morph from sword to girl, to hammer, to whatever you may need. She could learn forms like spells and it might mean that you will have more weapon types in this game than previous iterations.
Oh poo. He’s right handed again.
At least my “Zelda in Space” theory was disproven.
OR WAS IT?? Maybe that silver lady is an alien and it turns out the Master Sword is just an alien trapped in a sword.
@David: Man, I really hope they don’t go the Indiana Jones route. I mean, it would still be better than the schlock Lucas produced, but Link in space?? No!
@Jack: No way! Just imagine a Zelda/Metroid cross-over!
What if they’re going the Twilight Princess route, and Link is the girl? Maybe he becomes possessed by the spirit of a strange girl, so he transforms into her at night. He has to help solve the mystery of her death in order to break the curse and put the girl’s spirit at rest.
I’m really just joking, but stranger things have happened. Link turned into a Deku Scrub, Zora, and Goron in Majora’s Mask, and he turned into a wolf in Twilight Princess. If Spirit Tracks is following in Wind Waker’s footsteps by having Link travel by train instead of sailboat, maybe this new game is following Twilight Princess by having Link go where no man has gone before. Girl on girl action with Princess Zelda? Yes, please.
Again, I am just kidding.
I actually think Zelda in space is a great idea.
But I’m afraid I’m the only one…
Man, I was kind of hoping for a return to young and/or toon link. But if doing this in the Twilight Princess engine gets it to faster (must like Majora’s Mask did), then I’m all for it. Maybe it’ll even be a sidestory like MM was.
oh, and also note that they kept Link right-handed. Which makes sense for the Wii. Maybe they’ll give you the option to switch this time.
holy crap theres an enemy let me get my sword ,ah crap it transformed again i have no weapon this is really inconvenient they said they make the game harder but they didnt say nothing about that the sword wouldn’t allow me to use it , and why does it act like navy crap i wish they didn’t give me a 100 hearts off the bat then i would die faster (navi)(hey listen)(link)wheres a gun when i need ) navi if you had one i would just transform it into something else)
Welcome to legend of zelda eternally stuck in hell with no way out
didn’t they say TP would be the last “realistic-looking” Zelda? I was hoping for something a bit more inventive but I guess I can’t judge off one piece of art.
Wait, she’s not the Master Sword. The hilt is a match, but the blade (her legs) resemble the Fierce Diety Sword.
it so is.
look at her legs and then the grip of the sword.
so obvious.
Oh yeah, she is wearing leggings that look the the handle of the sword.
And wouldn’t link have his sword if she wasn’t it? It would at least be on his back, which it isn’t.
also the word Zelda is silver.
like a sword.
ummm i really dont think they would change the whole game plot.. if you think about it he takes the sword out of the stone thingy… atleast the games i play. i think he may have got the sword takin away or got it stolen. and she is trying to help(like milda or navi) but i hope that this one is not as annoying (Hey Listen!) hey i am probaly wrong about it though nintendo tends to through werid things in
I love the legend of zelda it is sooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo awesome but the only one i have is the twilight princess…But I think you have the right Idea about the sword, But its kinda funny that it look sort of like a girl……….