He’s just a chill guy

Top 1 pick to jump off a cliff with

It’s just… asinine

There’s a reason when told of in her stone monument, it was mainly about her connection with her lightscale trident. If I asked most people of the power rankings of the champions, they’d usually say Urbosa > Revali (or Revali > Urbosa) > Daruk > Mipha. It is for unfair reasons. The reason is usually “she’s a healer, she was not meant to fight”. I’d like to point out however, that as much as she was an exceptional healer, she was an exceptional spear-woman and likely the greatest spear-fighter of all of Hyrule - even Link - at the time.

See, the Zora’s depend on their ability of water of pretty much everything; swimming, fighting and healing what I can think of right now. This is mentioned in the TotK stone monument, “The fluid spear and solid water”. Mipha has shown to have the highest capabilities in water-bending by an exceptional margin. First of all, let’s mention Mipha’s grace. Water in the LoZ universe is shown to have healing properties directly accessible by all the zora*.* Maybe seeing this, the ancient Sheikah tried to replicate this capability, and created the shrine of resurrection. Mipha is capable of doing what the sheikah did approximately 3.15 BILLION times faster, if we assume Mipha’s grace activates on frame 1 of Link’s death, and a frame is a second. To the Zora, not only do the Zora need waterpools as shown by Yona’s healing in TotK, it also takes a while. Mipha DOESN’T. She can heal anywhere. She is considered an exceptional healer by her people, not random hylians, as Laflat explicitly describes her as such. For defense, Mipha has a very powerful healing for such cases, and would make her THE most powerful asset an army can have for war.

Secondly, her offensive water powers. As shown in AOC; even if it’s gameplay, she can create powerful waves and rushes of water, with incredible shown amounts of force. It’s pretty simple, really, powerful rushes of water are really dangerous.

Thirdly, her physical form. Many people would call it nearly nothing, but her form is of agility and speed, as well as strength. She is many times considered a first-rate swimmer in AOC, has the highest waterfall climbing speed of all the domain (and possibly all time), and is very quick with her spear as shown in her AOC attack speed. Such speed puts her ways above anybody in agility.

She is shown to have tactical brilliance, shown in her many tactical announcements in many fights in AOC.

She has also some notable achievements, like being the quickest pilot to master her divine beast due to having possibly the strongest spiritual connection in all of Hyrule, having an accurate version of her putting link in a stunlock in the champions 1v4, and being the one Link goes to learn from about the spear in a aoc dlc quest, specifically to perfect his ability in the spear, showing how she’s better than even Link in the spear.

As such, having amazing and the best water capabilities to support her spear-play and general waterbending power, having a quick and powerful form, and having potentially the best technique of all time in Hyrule in spearplay and waterbending, makes her possibly the best spear fighter of all time in Hyrule and more than deserving of her position as champion.

Now, how this compares to the other champions:

Urbosa is potentially very strong, but she cannot defend well if you attack her aggressively and quickly enough, as shown by thunderblight. As such, Mipha can potentially even take down Urbosa due to her tactical brilliance and quick mobility, as long as she doesn’t get hit in the process. Saying so, Mipha vs Urbosa is more of a tie than you think and Mipha can potentially be better than Urbosa in general.

Revali may have dangerous arrows (and is capable of taking down Windblight, you didn’t change my mind but that’s a discussion already past), but his arrogance has shown to stop him from going to his full potential multiple times, and since water can slow down arrows and has range, and that Revali usually doesn’t have electric arrows in hand, Mipha vs Revali is also a closer fight than you think, and Mipha can also be stronger than Revali in general, making her the strongest champion of all Hyrule.

Daruk (the actual weakest champion) doesn’t have tactical brilliance and can easily be outsmarted and outplayed. As so, even though Daruk can pack a dangerous knock-out in one hit, he wouldn’t survive any of the champions.

So my actual ranking is: Mipha > Revali > Urbosa > Daruk

(Edit: Even if Mipha loses in a match-up between the champions, she still has many effective points for technique and abilties, and still would be the most useful in an actual war + would be possibly the most dangerous opponent out of the 4 to go against)

(Well I’ve been getting myself into a lot of controversial posts recently, but oh well)

The most common reasons people say that the fight was unfair was

1: bad night vision

2: rain

However, Windblight glows in the dark as well as divine beast vah medoh itself, and rain should be a factor he should be ready for as he can’t control it, and even without bomb arrows he should be able to beat Windblight Ganon.

When revising the AOC cutscene, I see that Revali’s strategy wasn’t the best. For a slow, precise shooter that is Windblight he should have been flying circles and shooting barrages of arrows at him, similar to his champions balled cutscene. However, he was flying in a straight line trying to dodge it and when his arrow got knocked out of his hand he thought he had actually had TIME to look at it! Simply, it just looks like he was “winging it”, and for that he died.

Edit: You do know how Revali’s sos signal in his divine beast is later and more panicked than of the other champions? That’s further proof his arrogance made him fall - once he realized he was losing (which is because of his arrogance) he started panicking.

Red-associated princess from a kingdom prime long past, have a diagonal pogo, skirt design (👀), are capable of healing, have a long-ranged weapon, and are able of manipulating a liquidish-material. They are also pretty similar in fighting style.

Bonus one: The kingdom they live in/ go to’s currency starts with the letter r 😭.

Along my playthroughs, I’ve realized different shapes of Zora Waterbending implemented throughout the games. This will be a post mentioning all the ways of Zora waterbending seen in all three wild era games (didn’t play AoI). There will be many points that I’ll cover here for each game. Now, let’s begin.

BotW

This game doesn’t have many mentions of Zora waterbending, especially compared to the other 2 wild era games. If game was on its own, I wouldn’t think the zora are capable of manipulating water at all. But there is one instance seen in-game of Waterbending - Mipha’s grace. Water particles are shown when given the ability from Mipha herself, and when used water surrounds Link to heal him back to health and more. In fact, we see at the beginning of the game at the shrine of resurrection how the Sheikah used water to be able to heal Link back to full health - with many large consequences that Mipha’s grace doesn’t have. As such, I believe that water has healing properties in at least the wild era games, and that the Zora are capable of waterbending significantly stronger than what science could do.

AoC

In this game, both Zoras are capable of bending water for not only for defense, but offense as well. While Mipha can teleport from water spouts (probably only for gameplay), she can also use the water to heal herself and allies, further proving that water has healing properties. Furthermore, both Sidon and Mipha can use the force of water to damage and stun enemies. The water forced from them are greatly powerful, showing that the Zora can use water for offense strongly. Lastly, in an interview it was stated that when developing Mipha giving her water powers seemed natural and that it fit, although I don’t have that evidence.

TotK

This is the game where waterbending between the Zoras is most explained. First of all, upon entering the domain, we can see Yona healing 2 injured Zora using her water powers. However, the healing was only done in a pool of water, something shown that Mipha can do outside, so it may be that Mipha’s waterbending is vastly more powerful than any of the Zora. In fact, stated in botw, her healing is deemed as “exceptional”. Healing wherever you want can be considered exceptional, as in nobody else can do that. Furthermore, at Mipha court you can see Sidon practicing his Waterbending to separate the clean and mucked water. This is another Waterbending practice the Zora are capable of. Finally, Sidon’s waterbending manifests as Sidon’s vow, a power where Sidon can use water for defense and aggression, depending on what Link needs. As seen, it is vastly different from Mipha’s grace, and Yona was the one who had to heal the injured Zora, which leads me to believe that it can possibly be that the male Zora are not capable of healing, but they make it up with stronger force in their water. Finally, there’s the stone tablets, where Sidon mentions how that ALL Zora can manipulate water to some degree, and can use for many purposes. A notable use is for swimming - they manipulate water to swim faster, and can be what made Sidon causing a whirlpool possible. He also mentions how his first discovery of strong Waterbending is when trying to catch a slipped spear, where “the water was solid and spear fluid”. This was apparently told to him by Mipha as well, showing that: 1) Spear play among the Zora might heavily depend on water manipulation for their advantages and 2) Warriors with refined technique may have a sense the average Zora can‘t experience.

Conclusion

Waterbending is one of the Zora’s main powers, effectively used for everything in their daily life. From swimming to fighting to healing, the Zora’s use water in a way no other race can even replicate. Overall, the Zora are a strong water tribe that have fully learned how to use water to their advantage, an advantage no race can keep up with as expected.

When I first got to Zora’s domain in botw, I was really excited for my first divine beast. Botw by then had established itself as a good game, and I wanted to see what the champions would be like and how the divine beasts are, especially since it was my first Zelda game and I didn’t remember the races at that point of time. And after I played through that storyline, I’ve come to love this part more than any other part in the game and is one of the main reasons for my deep connection with botw. And I’d like to share my experience of it specifically with you :)

Before even arriving to zora’s domain, I was just exploring around the lanayru wetlands looking for the lanayru tower, when one of those fish creatures just came out and called out for me. From Impa, I had known by then they were called Zora, but I didn’t even know which corner of the map which race resides, so meeting a zora was my first non-hylian race and they looked pretty cool and exotic. She told me that “Prince Sidon” needed my help as a hylian with a divine beast, because of too much rain, and she told me he was behind the lanayru tower! Cool, I’ll just go get the lanayru tower and go to Sidon then, not gonna leave ‘em hanging. So after getting the lanayru tower, I headed towards Sidon (with many interruptions from the other Zora. Like seriously I know), and he had an AWESOME introduction! Those backflips were cool. He informed me that I was what they needed - a strong hylian - and that I needed to go visit the king to inform him of the progress we made, in a very enthusiastic way! I couldn’t let my homie go after that, so that’s when I fully committed. He said however that the path was dangerous with electric enemies, so he gave me a elixer. I obviously didn’t use it.

At the arrival of zora’s domain, it undoubtedly looked exotic. It was a pretty blue dome, and it had a statue in the middle, along with a monochromatic glowy structures and a good landscape to surround. And there was a pretty cool statue in the middle. Talking to the npc’s informed me that they KNEW about me! It was cool to know I had some relation to the NPCs here, and the Npcs live for a really long time. I went to the statue and the NPC next to it - Laflat - told me this was the statue of Lady Mipha, that she was considered “kind as she was beautiful“ (true ngl), and that all the elders here loved her for her exceptional healing ability. The last interaction I had before the throne room was with Seggin. He told me he was preparing for the divine beast… before shouting at me for being Link and the guy who apparently “killed lady Mipha”, and that now he’d avenge her by ending me. I didn’t know him yet, and it was obvious there was a misunderstanding - the great Link wouldn’t do such a thing - and yet, there must have been a reason that he put the blame on me. It was obvious that the domain all loved her for reasons, but I didn’t know such reasons yet, and that I did something to lead to her death that I know happened due to Impa. As such, I entered the thrown room feeling of minor gloom.

The throne room was when I realized how long their grief extends. The king was massive, and I finally saw Sidon again, was looking for him. Talking to the king, I realize he’s a kind guy and that he’s proud of Sidon achieving some progress. But then, like in Kakariko, he realizes… that I am Link. He then goes on to say that it doesn’t look like Link remembered him. To that I explain that “I’ve been sleeping, as in I did forget. But then he goes on to say if he remembers “his sweet daughter Mipha”. After replying on how I don’t remember her either, and trying to remind me only to fail, he says on how “we were close”. That made me suspicious of feelings immediately, but in the possibility of that the relationship was platonic I didn’t fully believe it yet. That is, until after the king explains the plan of how we’ll free Ruta, as he gives me the Zora armor. Reading the description made me realize that I am right - she wanted ME to become her future husband! I recognize by now that we had a close relationship - really close. But… the green Zora - Muzu - doesn’t approve of this, saying of how I am a hylian and we’re giving one of the princess’s most prized possessions to a lousy hylian. Really, by now I didn’t blame him really. My theory by now (which is correct) is that her loving me caused her to go out on war to try to protect me, dying in the process. The zoras now blame it on me, due to having no-one else to blame... and due to how big their loss is. And I don’t know how big that loss really is. But in that rush of madness, Muzu disrespects me enough to be called out by the royal family, and even storms of outside keeping the secret of how to get the arrows to himself. Sidon goes after him to try to console and persuade him into helping, and I’m told to go too.

After meeting with them again, I hear Muzu ranting about how he’ll not be convinced and that he’s a proud Zora, but Sidon hits back with how I was “always in her heart” Muzu doesn’t immediately believe so, and says on how he doesn’t look like he even cares about her as he doesn’t remember anything about her, but in the convo, Link goes into a trance, focusing on the statue, trying so HARD to remember… of long days past.

Usually, when somebody just keeps complimenting a relative, friend, or those of high status strongly I tend to believe it’s exaggerated and biased. As for Mipha, however, all the compliments given couldn’t have been more true. The memory showed me how kind she was, and even though she sounded like scribbles on a chalkboard, there was no denying that she was incredibly sweet and pure. Beautiful in both body and soul she was… and all that to die in a war she had no idea how dangerous it actually was. It all clicks here. How big the loss for the Zora was wasn’t exaggerated. If I lost a person like that, I might actively blame it on someone, but I would be truly sad. And yet, there’s kind of a sweetness to it, of remembering someone of such purity, like if you had just met them for the first time. It would have been a pleasure if she had lived, and her death is a great sadness. There is no denying this memory is a beautiful one, at least from me.

Going back to the present, Muzu comments on how “we’re shaking like a hatchling”, and if we are alright. Really, I don’t know if I was shivering with link or not. As such, I go on to wear the armor, and, as expected by now, it fits perfectly as it was designed for me. Muzu FINALLY understands, and reluctantly puts his bitterment aside for the betterment of the Zora and it’s people, knowing where I should get my arrows. I go get the arrows (not without a fight ofc), and go back to face vah ruta.

Sidon‘s enthusiasm is really apparent in his personality, and he doesn’t fail at being a motivator for doing it all. And riding him to appease ruta was epic, it was surely a ride and it’s arguably the most thrilling of the 4 divine beast appeases. I was sure I’d end Vah Ruta from it’s possible torment after Sidon told me to go save the domain from flooding, and to avenge Mipha too.

Now, in the divine beast, more of my memories how I felt come from when I replayed the game, because on my first playthrough I thought Zelda was speaking. It’s a shame. The divine beast, however, felt heavy with gloom and malice, and taking it all on took a long time for me for no real reason. The last thing Mipha says before waterblight is to be careful, but I don’t know why I wasn’t expecting a boss even with that, and I was cautious. It horribly slipped my mind lol. Waterblight in itself was the first big challenge of the play-through, and was a bigger obstacle than thunderblight for me. After some attempts, however, I did get the best of him and did end him off. The heart that fell feels like the reap of the happiness I felt for beating him at the time.

The utter shock of seeing Mipha’s ghost after all of that was at an all time high, higher than the great plateau twist. Even in death, she had been waiting only to pass on her final possession, Mipha’s grace itself. The assurance that implied she wanted to protect me even in death caused such tears to threaten to escape, and yet I was happy at the same time for avenging such a pure soul. Such as, Mipha is the embodiment of bittersweetness, a recurring theme in the game. I was sure “we’d annihilate Ganon together”. But even though I would have probably liked a minute more of cutscene, I had to leave, she had to prepare the big glowy laser. The cutscene after, showing how she always wanted the better of Hyrule, and how she was sorry for allowing her death to cause such sadness for others and herself, only strengthened that feeling of bittersweetness in my heart. It’s fair to say I didn’t move for a while after going back to Zora’s domain.

The celebration ceremony had me smiling at such welcome news to the domain, and such clear skies weren’t seen in days! It was so beautiful to see such happiness in the domain, and I remember how the celebration phrase from the Zora is “ZO-ZO-RA-RA-RA”! It’s safe to say I appreciated botw much more after this, and there was definitely heavy sentimentality that was stored in the lightscale trident.

And as such I kept going back and helping the Zora’s, knowing how Kodah also had a crush on me as well (must be a handsome fella), how Trello dropped the ceremonial trident for a ceremony of such importance, of Mipha telling the zora to move on, of Muzu’s acceptance of me. Zora’s domain ended up being incredibly well built in world building. Not to mention how the stone tablets help this even more, with interesting details and stories about the domain and it’s royal family. Then the dlc gave me even more story content, there were many interesting stories of how Mipha sacrificed her safety for the domain and all of Hyrule in what she says (secret lines), the diary and how she fought a lynel with Link after Link tried to kill the lynel to keep the domain safe, on how she cared for Link’s mental safety more than anyone, Sidon and how Link made her so happy in his presence that Sidon felt that he was “stealing her away from him”, the king who even wanted her memory to live on in Link’s head, asking if he’d forget her again, for Link’s only 2 lines to be that either they are united together or he’ll never forget her, the domain who loved Mipha so much for that even Muzu himself learned to not hate Link after he calmed almost only for Mipha’s memory and reputation, among all the elders accepting him again, and even Link himself who’ll stop an NPC from not forgetting Mipha’s name even if he’d do it multiple times.

And after in TotK, Sidon’s presence being of appreciation of his sister, building a monument in her name where the domains pure water come from, living his life in fear of his fiancée getting hurt, of he doesn’t want to lose such an important figure in his life again, being the same enthusiastic and happy guy after he realizes and helps in the final war, and reading the monuments shows how he grew up and learned to appreciate everything a person does to him, including Yona and Link. Working his hardest to assure the safety of his people all while being in distress himself. And Mipha herself showed multiple times that she tried to speak to the Zora to move on and be happy and succeeded, as if she was spirit bending.

Overall, whenever somebody says that botw has a bad story I remember of this experience the domain as a whole gave me and how wrong I feel that take is, because such an experience is so beautiful I can’t understand how you can say botw’s story is bad.

Yes I know it’s a hot take, but I got tired from whenever we mention Mipha there will always be somebody in the back talking about how Sidon is great. I love him too, but can we please focus on the original topic?

also deleted twice now because image no upload :(