Zelda: BOTW & TOTK’s Silent Princess Flower Has A Heartwarming Meaning

The Legend of Zelda’s Silent Princess flower has a subtle, heartwarming meaning behind its appearances in Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom.

The Silent Princess flower featured in The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom and its prequel Breath of the Wild actually holds a heartwarming meaning. The striking blue and white bloom can be seen throughout both games in various important locations and, in terms of game mechanics, is most notably used as a material in certain armor upgrades. However, perhaps the most important detail about the Silent Princess is the subtle message it relates to the player.

The open world of Breath of the Wild necessitated an incredible level of world-building. The huge map of Zelda BOTW was far from empty, being populated by a staggering array of new materials, plants, and animals in addition to the more familiar monsters. As a result, hundreds of new items were introduced to the series. These allow Link to cook up meals and elixirs with various effects, lay inventive traps for enemies, and, as of TOTK, Fuse objects together into potent combinations. The Silent Princess flower, with poor durability and a stealth-granting property, is not particularly unusual here, but its true significance is found elsewhere.

Silent Princesses are noted to be extremely rare in BOTW, to the point of being on the brink of extinction. This is due in large part to their seemingly fragile nature; for whatever reason, the flowers cannot survive outside of nature, with any deliberate cultivation attempts doomed to fail. They are also, notably, the favorite flower of Princess Zelda. Naturally, the name "Silent Princess" immediately evokes a connection to Zelda. Indeed, it seems that the Silent Princess is symbolic not only of Zelda’s struggles in Breath of the Wild, but also of her personal growth and achieving happiness by the time of Tears of the Kingdom.

Related: Zelda: TOTK’s Depths Are Hiding A Tragic But Heartwarming Story

Zelda states in BOTW’s Silent Princess memory that “The princess can only thrive out here in the wild.” Her statement is as true of herself as it is about the flower; it is clear that exploring Hyrule and investigating the Ancient Sheikah technology being unearthed across it is truly what makes her happy. In stark contrast to this, Zelda is equally clearly unhappy in her home at Hyrule Castle; the pressure being placed on her by her father to unlock her sacred power is stifling, and the trappings of her own civilization seem to weigh her down at every turn.

It is clear that King Rhoam’s solution to Zelda’s problems, praying in the three sacred springs, is useless. Zelda receives no divine inspiration or influx of power from doing so. Instead, what ultimately awakens Zelda’s divine magic powers is a genuine need to protect others, namely Link, when he falls on Blatchery Plain. The attempts by Rhoam to force her to grow have only burdened Zelda, much like the Silent Princesses cannot tolerate being grown in captivity. Even the flower’s name can be seen as referring to Zelda's inability to stand up for herself; her own opinion has no value, so she may as well be silent.

It is also worth noting that Silent Princesses are used by Zelda’s various Great Fairies to upgrade the Champion’s Tunic in BOTW, and subsequently the Champion’s Leathers in TOTK. As these are personally made by Zelda, it makes perfect sense for them to require the flower symbolizing her in order to be upgraded. Similarly, the Sheik’s Mask headgear also requires Silent Princesses to upgrade, referencing Sheik’s true identity as another version of Princess Zelda. The connections between Zelda and this flower are varied and numerous, making it clear just how strong the Silent Princess is as a representation of the actual person.

Much like how the Silent Princess has all but vanished from Hyrule, Zelda herself is noted more for her absence for much of BOTW. Trapped in Hyrule Castle, keeping Calamity Ganon at bay, she has already more or less faded from public memory. Over the course of a century, her life story has become a literal "Legend of Zelda." Only traces of Zelda remain; a few scattered stories and memories. This is clearly reflected in the near-extinction of her namesake flower, which is found only sparsely in the vast wilds despite the fact that it should thrive in such an environment.

With that being said, however, both Zelda and the flower manage to survive the events of Breath of the Wild. What’s more, the Silent Princess’ item description in TOTK reveals that it has been found growing in increasing numbers; the flower has successfully made a dramatic recovery following the defeat of Calamity Ganon. TOTK continues to strongly associate the Silent Princess with Zelda. Silent Princesses are found left on her monuments to the Victims of the Calamity, and a great mass of them bloom around the final Dragon’s Tear as Link experiences the related memory of Zelda’s fate in the distant past.

The Silent Princess’ growing numbers underline the new stories of Zelda that can be found across Hyrule, the effect that she has had on the world on full display. Since BOTW’s conclusion, Zelda has made great strides in restoring Hyrule and pursuing her passions. For example, she has rediscovered the Dondon species, founded the Zonai Research Team, and even set up a new school in Hateno Village. Although the Upheaval has now complicated matters once again, it is clear that Tears of the Kingdom’s Princess Zelda has grown into her own.

Ultimately, the Silent Princess represents the real Princess Zelda’s happiness, particularly in TOTK. Here, Zelda’s influence is seen improving the country even if she herself is lost, and the Silent Princess emphasizes this with its own renewed numbers; the flower’s spread indicates that Zelda has thrived. Before this, it also symbolizes hope for the future and Zelda’s determination, stubbornly resisting extinction on its own, just as Zelda resists Calamity Ganon in BOTW. Moreover, the fact that not even the Upheaval has reversed the flower’s fortunes also rightly implies that Zelda herself is far from beaten in The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom.

Source: Nintendo of America/YouTube