MERGING QUEER READINGS AND GAMES: AN ANALYSIS OF CO-CREATED QUEER NARRATIVES OF SIDON AND LINK THROUGH PLAY IN TEARS OF THE KINGDOM

Resumen

The release of the video game $2 in 2017 ushered in one of the most popular ships that the Legend of Zelda series has seen, that of Sidon and Link. In Breath of the Wild Link travels to the kingdom of the Zora, a race of humanoid fish creatures, and meets their prince, Sidon. Sidon’s charm and enthusiasm for Link resulted in many fans claiming that Sidon was Link’s boyfriend. In the sequel, $2 , fans were faced with a new character, Yona, who was introduced as Sidon’s fiancée, thus contradicting their previous queer readings. However, there were also many subtextually queer moments that provided support for the queer readings of Sidon and Link. What is at stake here is understanding where these queer readings fit in relation to the heteronormative reading that the inclusion of Yona supports. To come closer to this understanding I analyzed examples of queer streamers on Twitch playing through the quest line with Sidon and the queer readings that the streamer and viewers in chat created. I argue that the co-creation of these queer readings is a form of play, allowing fans to change the game so it is satisfying and fulfilling, and thus cannot be separated from the game. Through play, these communities were able to create narratives maintaining Sidon and Link’s romantic relationship that drew on in-game elements to have a satisfying experience with the quest line thus making it a part of the game.