Random Headcanon: Link’s androgyny isn’t just an artefact of the Zelda franchise’s art direction - and neither is it particularly unusual. Sexual dimorphism among Hylians is legitimately much lower than among real-world humans; if Link and Zelda swapped clothes, you’d never be able to tell who was the girl and who was the boy.
Consequently, Hylian society depends heavily on clothing to establish gender roles, to the extent that it’s a severe faux pas to question someone’s gender presentation. If they’re dressed like a girl, then they’re a girl - even if they were dressed like a boy yesterday. That’s why nobody ever remarks upon the fact that Zelda and her heroic alter-ego Sheik are different genders; it’d be gauche at best to bring it up.
Good post op
explains why i can be banned from gerudo town, change clothes in front of the guards, and then be welcomed with open arms
shit, this absolutely provides an explanation for it that isn’t just “lazy game mechanism” and is honestly such a solid demonstration of how people should approach genderfluidity.
doesn’t matter if the first time you met the person they presented as male, if they present as female now that means they’re a woman and they’re welcome into gerudo town no questions asked
Also, Link and Zelda 100% do swap places often and you can’t tell me otherwise.
“Princess Zelda, Ganon has made his way into the kingdom! What should we do?!”
“HYAH”
Holy shit this is a good fucking post and additions thank you OP and company
This would mean that for Hylians the phrase “the clothes make the man” literal
[Description start: A young woman is playing the beginning part of the Universal Studios theme song on a xylophone, and then she throws both of the mallets at a drum placed in front of the xylophone. Another woman comes after her, playing the same tune and throws the mallets at the drum again. A man walks up after the last woman has finished and starts singing the ending of the Universal Studios theme off-key before laughing and walking away. End of description.]