Almost every entry in the Legend of Zelda franchise reinvents itself by remixing familiar elements. Most have their own take on Hyrule with versions of Link, Zelda and Ganondorf representing the Triforce of Courage, Wisdom and Power. There are also a handful of side characters that appear across the branch Zelda timeline, from Beedle the shopkeeper to Tingle in his iconic green jumpsuit. Impa is one of the main tertiary characters in the series, but The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom has to give the sheikah matriarch a new role.
The original Legend of Zelda characteristics Impa, although not by name; she’s called “Old Woman” on the NES, but players who read the game’s manual from 1986 discover that she’s a nanny for Princess Zelda who is looking for a hero to defeat Ganon. Impa’s role as guardian and mentor continues with her performances in Ocarina of Timethe Oracle duology, and Skyward Sword, among other things. Her role in Breath of the Wild is more passive, but the younger version introduced in Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity could lead to more if Nintendo gives Impa a place in the story.
Impa’s role in the Breath of the Wild Saga so far
Age of Calamitya hack-and-slash spin-off of Omega Force, set 100 years before the events of Breath of the Wild. Its canonicity is questionable, as it changes history through time travel, but it presents Impa in its prime. She is a royal advisor to Zelda’s family, known for her knowledge of ancient relics, and the first ally to join Link’s quest. Her fighting style leans on the ninja motif that Sheikah has embodied ever since Ocarina of Timeable to create clones of themselves that all attack with kunai and bomb barrels.
In Breath of the WildIn the timeline of the timeline, the four champions of Hyrule are killed while controlling the Divine Beasts, technological marvels built by the ancient Sheikah, and Zelda leaves a dying Link in the care of Impa before going into battle with Calamity Ganon with her newly awakened forces. Link rests in the Shrine of Resurrection for 100 years to recover, and upon awakening, the ghost of King Rhoam instructs Link to search for Impa – now the main elder of Kakariko Village.
Her role in Breath of the Wild is explanatory and fills Link in on the events that took place 100 years ago before markers were placed on each Divine Beast. Breath of the WildThe open structure allows players to do whatever they want after completing the Great Plateau tutorial, but Impa is the closest thing to a main mission. Freeing the Divine Beasts leads to closure for the Zora, Goron, Rito, and Gerudo, while Link’s final battle against Calamity Ganon becomes easier. Impa also helps Link regain his memories by searching for key areas of his past.
Tears of the Kingdom has a blank slate for Impa
Because Impa waits a century for Link to defeat Calamity Ganon and save Zelda, her place in Tears of the Kingdom is unclear. Chances are, Impa is too old to help fight the new force that is besieging Hyrule, sending swathes of land up into the sky, so what could be Impa’s role could be passed on to her granddaughter Paya. Despite Paya’s uncanny resemblance to Age of Calamityera Impa, the Sheikah girl looks nothing like her grandmother; too shy to even admit she has feelings for Link. It’s hard to say how this dynamic would turn out.
Alternatively, there is room for Impa herself to come out of her retirement in Tears of the Kingdom. The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword plays with the idea of time travel by allowing players to encounter older and younger versions of Impa, one guarding The Imprisoned while the other escorting Zelda, and something similar could be happening here. One of Link’s new powers is the ability to reverse the movement of objects in time, send spike balls back up and drop rocks into the air. Age of CalamityTerrako’s story is also based on Terrako sending the four champions’ offspring back in time, suggesting that a younger Impa might just as easily move forward.
Nintendo doesn’t have to rely on time travel to give Impa a bigger role in the story. Many media play with the idea that the elderly can unleash unexpected power, from Master Roshi in Dragon Ball to Lady Butterfly in Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice. Impa could have at least one scene defending Kakariko Village to the surprise of characters like Paya, using techniques that know about her Age of Calamity attack list. If she has to leave Kakariko instead due to an overwhelming threat, this could open up a new story where she reconnects with her sister Purah in the Hateno Ancient Tech Lab.
Tears of the Kingdom has many recurring characters to work with, all of whom will face a transformed Hyrule. Hopefully Nintendo doesn’t drop the ball when it comes to Impa, one of The Legend of Zelda franchise’s most recognizable characters following a blank slate Breath of the Wild‘s conclusion.
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is scheduled to release for Nintendo Switch on May 12, 2023.
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