The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess, Vol. 2

The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess #2

by Akira Himekawa

Link must defeat evil at every turn in his perilous quest to help Princess Zelda!

Once upon a time, wizards tried to conquer the Sacred Realm of Hyrule. The Spirits of Light sealed the wizards’ power within the Shadow Crystal and banished them to the Twilight Realm beyond the Mirror of Twilight. Now, an evil menace is trying to find Midna, Princess of the Twilight Realm, and the fragments of the Shadow Crystal to gain the power to rule over both the Twilight Realm and the World of Light.

Link awakens in the Twilight Realm, in the form of a wolf! Here he meets Midna, and she escorts Link to Hyrule Castle where none other than Princess Zelda bestows a question upon him—if the world is to be saved from the encroaching darkness, Link must recover the shards of the Shadow Crystal. The task will be long and difficult, and Link will need to use new powers he doesn't know he has!

Genres: Manga, Fantasy, Graphic Novels, Adventure, Young Adult, Video Games, Comics

192 pages, Paperback

First published December 28, 2016

About the author

Akira Himekawa is the collaboration of two women, A. Honda and S. Nagano. Together they have created nine manga adventures featuring Link and the popular video game world of The Legend of Zelda, including Ocarina of Time, Oracle of Seasons and Four Swords. Their most recent work, Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass, was serialized in Shogaku Rokunensei.

Reviews

[Khurram · Rating 5 out of 5]

Action packed sequel, all the action that was missing from the first book is in this one. Love the story and the art work. With the expansion of the Twilight realm Link has a new form in a new world with new beings. Now Link must to use his new form and abilities if he has a chance of survival.

The thing I loved of the comic bring the game to life is true in the volume as well. As link upgrades his powers and abilities. Links is also "forced" into a reluctant role of champion/hero. I really hope this themes is explored further in the next volume as well as maybe more shifting between forms as well. Great comic with a guest appearance from the title character. I am hocked in for the next volume.

[Kadi P · Rating 4 out of 5]

Almost as hard-hitting as The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess, Vol. 1, this vol was a solid addition to the ongoing story. Providing answers as well as posing new questions, enough headway was made to keep the reader engaged. The exposition had a distinct game-like feel to it at times, one of the ever-present reminders of this manga's game counterpart. However, the manga broke free of the game's constraints by exploring different perspectives.

The art was just as great as the first volume, yet I did notice that the action scenes became a little incomprehensible because of the busy black and white art style.

[Lauryn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm so excited to read the next volume in this series😁😁

[Selene · Rating 4 out of 5]

Link, please text me back I am in love with you 😮‍💨😮‍💨

[H.S.J. Williams · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not my favorite installment since a large part of it involves incredibly ugly monkeys...and it also doesn’t help that I’m...*looks around anxiously and whispers*...not a huge fan of Midna. She is introduced to us as pretty selfish and cruel, making her relationship with Link start off abusive and one-sided. I knooow she has a redemption arc, so we shall see how that goes, but I’m
not an instant fan.

However! Zelda appears in this book! This Zelda is such an elegant, compassionate, and impressive young ruler. I remember seeing her on advertisements as a little girl and thinking she was the most beautiful princess I had ever seen, which was very special for me since there weren’t too many brown-haired princesses.

Also, Link continues to struggle with anger and self-loathing issues, which is an interesting contrast for our noble hero.

[Francis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow, this volume was definitely action-packed! Link's story picks up right where The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess left off. Just as it was with Volume 1, Volume 2 is very dark as well. It's amazing how a story can be told using limited words but fantastic pictures. Some of the full-page pictures throughout the book are stunning. However, I didn't realize that the story wasn't over at the end of Volume 2. Now I have to wait for the third volume to come out! Hopefully I can find some time to play this game before-hand to know how the story should go.

[Ryan Ridgely · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent second installment! Filled with a lot of action from start to finish. This series is very fast-paced, while also giving us a very rich storyline.

Same comments from the first volume, gorgeous artwork and compelling story, as well as the introduction of Midna and Zelda into plot. Midna especially is a fun character that I’ve always really loved.

[Avi · Rating 4 out of 5]

The gore is back, but for a moment here, which I think is a nice breather to focus more on the story and Link. So far it has stuck to familiar story beats without much branching out. The most defining difference is in characterizations.

I really like how Link was interpreted as a reluctant hero and actively refusing to see what makes him heroic to the Goddesses. The previous volume really helped set the foundation and it has followed through well in this volume. I also like how their portrayal of Midna leans more into the cruel and and selfish nature of hers, but I wish there was more of the mischievousness that I remember from the game. It makes me wonder how good of a leader she actually is for the Twili though and how her people could like her. Like is she only acting out of prejudice and desperation or does she treat everyone like that? I'm interested to see how Himekawa develops them in following volumes.

4/5 stars

[Alysa Craigie · Rating 5 out of 5]

"I'm just swinging my sword in desperation... What about any of that makes me a hero?"

[Zoe Anastasia · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐️ Link and Midna were BOTH out of character in my opinion. I didn’t enjoy it as much as the first book... I may or may not read the next one. I think the ending was done well, though.

[Cherif · Rating 4 out of 5]

4th quarter 1st choice book:
When I first started reading The Legend of Zelda I for got that the series was a manga. I read it like a regular comic book and so I ended up reading it backwards. After I finished reading it the wrong way I thought that's weird I feel like the end is the beginning. So I asked my cousin why it was weird and she told me I was reading it the wrong way. Anyway my favorite part was probably when Link was a wolf and was in the twilight realm and defeated all of the shadow monsters. That part was somewhere in the middle of the book. Turns out, manga books don't always have page numbers. Anyway really good manga book the drawings were done very nicely so good job to who ever drew them. Ya, great book.

[Baylie G · Rating 4 out of 5]

My favourite video game has always been Zelda. While Ocarina of Time is the best video game, I’ve always loved the story of Twilight Princess, so I was really excited to find this manga. Volume 1 was a bit slow but the story definitely picked up in this one. I must find the other two volumes! I love how Zelda actually surrendered to Zant in order to save her people; the act of surrendering hardly ever happens in stories, but I always think that’s the most realistic outcome. I do wish the manga was longer and wasn’t broken up into four volumes: $13.99 for a book that takes maybe 40 minutes (and that’s pushing it...) to read makes me want to cry!

[Jessica (aus.fangirl.reads) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Twilight Princess is one of my favourite Legend of Zelda games, so to be able to sit down and read more about the backstory (even if it isn't cannon) is just the greatest thing ever.
The characters are great and the whole story is full of such adventure and excitement that I can't wait to read the next volume and get more of everything.

I now have the strongest urge to play Twilight Princess just so I can play as wolf link again. I LOVE IT SO MUCH!!

[Link · Rating 5 out of 5]

IT WAS AMAZING. Link behaved accurately to how I think someone would behave with the circumstances and midna and zelda were brilliant :D

[Xiomy's Book Tales · Rating 5 out of 5]

Twilight Princess was very entertaining and an interesting read we have more information and Link embarking on a journey. Which is what I like seeing and also his transformation was just too amazing. The only negative thing I can say is that I thought volume 2 was the finale nope it was not. Overall, this is a very enjoyable read and the art work as always is breathtaking.

[Jedi Wolf · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a good series! I'll be giving a more detailed review once I finish it, but here's what I have for now. I love the themes. How people can be inconsiderate and forgetful of their past. How decisions that lead to disaster are made to prevent something worse. And what makes a person worthy of being a hero?

[Camila · Rating 4 out of 5]

Honestly, such a comfy read. Love Link sm!

[Sophia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Also I little slow but really I really like the book

[vex · Rating 5 out of 5]

i’m loving this series so far! it’s such a fun twist on the game that happened to be my first zelda game 😭🫶 it’s a bit uncanny that link can talk in this, but i understand why it would be hard to have a protagonist that doesn’t talk or think at all LOL

[Yvonne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yvonne Barros
January book plug
January 28, 2019

the book called the legend of Zelda: twilight princess, Vol.2 is a Fantasy book by Akira Himekawa, part two of the series. Vol.2 is about our main character Link who turns into a wolf but doesn't know why, but when he woke up a girl named Midna finds him and brings him to her place thinking that he is just a random wolf to be her companion/transportation until he said something which when she parshaly freaked out she also laughed because he was very confused so he had to look in a puddle so he can see his reflection and saw he was a wolf. But together they went on an adventure to find out what happened to him and why also to find out more about Midna along with finding Princess Zelda. I would rate this book a 10/10 for the adventure pack, and suspicion of The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess series. I also liked the format of the manga how it is formatted in the Japanese style along with the beautiful art. Plus it kinda teaches other countries how they read their books. I would recommend this book to people who love The Legend of Zelda games along with people who like manga or just any adventure.

[Fernando Reyes · Rating 4 out of 5]

That story shows Link and Midna take on the first dungeon and receiving the Gale Boomerang. That dungeon was not the easiest one to complete on my first try.

[kuristina- tabreez · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow, well, my memory is a little fuzzy from the events of volume 1, but this volume was still very enjoyable. Twilight Princess is the first Zelda manga I've read through, but even so I can tell that it's likely one of the most mature ones. This is definitely not for kids. There's way too much killing and violence to be okay for kids, it even bothers me. But it helps set the tone, so it's acceptable. I'm really glad Roo is okay. They had me afraid for a moment there.
Midna is such a cute, cheeky little imp, tiny Zelda is a cutie, Link is having some interesting development and he's SO regal when he finally regains his human form...in the last chapter of this volume. There's just so many things I want to touch on in this volume, but I can't seem to organize any of it in my head!
First off, so who is the Twilight Princess? Midna or Zelda? Zelda was called the twilight princess by Midna, but Midna was possibly just being a little shit again. (Also, I see why my boyfriend from back then had Midna as his favorite, always. I always thought it was how she looked. Nooopee. She has a shit eating personality. Exactly the kind of thing he likes.)
I'm finding out things about this game that I didn't really know before. Some plot points, really, like the four gods that Link has to basically go reactivate.
There's so many things I have to wonder about. Oh, also, I forgot my friend mentioned that Midna will often reside in Link's shadow. So cute. Though it's only so that she doesn't burn alive after he is granted human form again AKA his light form. He's so baffled by the attire they gave him, but come on, Link! It's classic!!
I really like how Link is somewhat embracing his destiny yet also rejecting it. He's not reluctant like Noctis Lucis Caelum, but rather he's just unsure of how exactly he could possibly fit the ideals of the gods. He's trying to do the right thing, but his main motivation is just to regain his human form. On top of that, he feels like he's constantly just scrambling around and swinging blindly, lost wherever he goes. He questions how the gods can choose someone like that as their savior. I like that he actually questions these things, and has an inner battle with himself over his destiny and himself as a person and the choices of those around him. I like for Link to have that kind of depth, any sort of developmental depth.
But what Link doesn't see is his heart of gold. Yes, his main motive is to regain human form. But for what? And if he sees someone in need, he puts their situation above his own and jumps right in to help save them, doing his very best to do so, rushing only so that there's less likelihood of them getting hurt worse or dying. Link says he's lost and blind? But he's the one who's been leading the way, even though he's been telling Midna to do so. He's the one who has won all their battles, even when she spat doubt at his capability. You don't have to know what you're doing or where you're going to be reliable and amazing. Not 100% of your motives, not even your driving motive has to be noble and pure for you to have a noble warrior's heart fit for the gods to rely on.
Someday, Link will learn all this, I'm sure.

P.S. Yeah, Midna is a cute little shit. So cocky. So arrogant. Always pouncing on Wolf Link's back.

[Chris Lemmerman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Disclaimer: I've done it again, and blitzed 3 volumes of manga in one day, so I'm reviewing all three in one review here.

Full disclosure, I wasn't really looking forward to reading this. It's been a long time since I a) played Twilight Princess and b) read Zelda manga, so I wasn't expecting much, but this stuff? This stuff is good.

The other volumes of Zelda manga are all heavily truncated, having to squeeze most of the games into one tankobon (bar Ocarina of Time, my second favourite adaptation so far, and Four Swords, that I don't really care for), but Twilight Princess isn't restricted like that, and is so much better as a result.

There's a lot of both world building and character building going on here. Link feels like a fully formed character with a backstory separate to the game, as do the kids of Ordon Village, and even Midna who comes across as a bit one-note to begin with is much deeper than you'd expect. There's a lot of work put in to show how Zant affects Hyrule, and the Bokoblins get their own side plot too. Even the dungeons are adapted in such a way that they flow with the story rather than just being a method to get Link the items he needs. Speaking of item side quests, who'd have thought that the Golden Wolf guy would get a whole storyline, and yet here we are.

The pacing is really well done too; as I said, this story gets time to spread out, so three volumes in and we're barely scratching the surface of the game, but it feels natural, like a long-form story should. Most Zelda games have a lot going on, and this extended run really allows for the story to be done justice.

The artwork is absolutely phenomenal as well. The action scenes are insane, and both Link and Wolf Link look perfect in every panel; Wolf Link especially looks very lifelike, and affects the mannerisms you'd expect from a dog even in inconsequential panels. There's a bit of him lying completely spread eagled that looks exactly like my own dog.

So yeah, I wasn't looking forward to reading this. Past me was a fool.

[Everett · Rating 4 out of 5]

I made the "smart" decision to read this book, as well as the previous book, aloud. With the first book I had a great time and I thought it was a really interesting way to enjoy the book. I was able to give each character whatever voice I wanted, and it made the characters seem more alive. But when I finished the book 30 minutes ago my throat was so hoarse and it hasn't gotten any better. So it is safe to say that I will not be doing that seven more times.

I thought that this was a really great sequel, and it did a good job introducing us to the real threat of Zant and his powers. In the first book it was shown that he was evil and all, but all he did was make threats and sort of ominously was present in Hyrule, but that was about it. In this book we got to really see the Twilight Realm taking over the World of Light, and we got to see how it was affecting Hyrule and its inhabitants. Stakes are definitely getting higher, life isn't peaceful anymore, and things are only going to get worse.

I thought the action scenes were better this time around, and I thought they were easier to follow along and didn't feel as static as with the last book. In general I liked that their was more action in this book and we got to see different types of action than we usually did, because he was in wolf form for a long time. It gave us a different perspective, and I thought wolf Link was pretty cool. I also liked the fight with Link and the plant-creature. There was something so epic about Link cutting off that eyeball while trapped in the mouth and then cutting himself out. In general this book was just much more exciting and thrilling, which I absolutely loved. It had that edge of adventure that the first book didn't have, which was expected because it was the first installment, but it was great to see the real adventure kick off.

I also found myself feeling super emotional during this book for no reason. I'm a LOZ fan, but even with the books that I really love I always don't feel like my emotions have been swayed so much, but for this one it was just one hit after another. When we first saw Zelda I thought I was going to cry because I felt so bad for her, seeing the villagers of Ordon village not be able to recognize link my heart break, and there was something about that group of villagers (including an incredibly detailed Bobcat) that made me want to sob. I know this is fiction, and I know all will be well for those animals, but they had such sad little faces and droopy eyes- MY HEART. I also wanted to cry just seeing Sera crying for Roo, thinking that he was in danger. Thankfully Roo was never in danger, but as a cat person just thinking about one of my cats lost outside when I know there's danger out there.

Last book I had talked about how I didn't understand what the wolf was supposed to visualize, and I think I might know what it means, but I'm still not sure. I'm sure I'm the only person who has this issue because I think most people who are reading this are more familiar with the game. I got a bit confused about the spirit telling link to rescue the three other spirits, because it told him that if he rescued them all he could be returned to his human form, but then he was turned back after defeating Ook, which was before he saved any of them. I think I'm missing something, or I just read the scene with the first spirit wrong, because it just doesn't make sense for me.

I'm really excited to read the rest of the series, and I'm probably going to read two or three of them tomorrow. That means I need to be on top of my reviews, or else I'm going to get real confused about what happened in which book, and I simply do not have the energy to go back and look through each book to make sure I didn't talk about something in the wrong book. Hopefully I can keep up on it and have the time and energy to write my regular-length reviews for each of them, because writing reviews back to back can be draining, especially if they're from the same series because you just talk about the same things over and over again with minor changes that set them apart. Crossing my fingers.

Also, WHY was the monkey's ass so detailed? Himekawa, I need answers.

[Andre · Rating 2 out of 5]

1) Deutsche Rezension
2) English Review

1) Deutsche Rezension
Im Vergleich zur ersten Ausgabe war das definitiv eine Verbesserung. Es war eine gute Erzählung, ein sehr gutes Kunstwerk, ein schöner Fluss der Erzählung, nichts Besonderes, aber es funktioniert gut, wie Link sich an seinen Wolfskörper und seine neuen Feinde und Verbündeten anpasst. Vielleicht hätten sie mit Zelda ein bisschen gewartet, da sie hier wirklich nicht viel gespielt hatte, sie konnte leicht herausgenommen werden und nichts würde sich ändern. Und warum ist Link, wenn zurück aus der Wolfsform am Ende so unsicher darüber dass er keine Menschen gerettet hat? Er hatte es gerade erst getan. Warum wurde diese Charakterentwicklung widerrufen?

2) English Review
In comparison to the first issue, this was definitely an improvement. It had good narration, very good artwork, nice flow of the story, nothing too special but it works fine with how Link adjusts to his wolf body and his new enemies and allies. Maybe they could have waited with Zelda a bit as she really did not have much of a presence here, she could easily be cut out and nothing would change. Also, why is Link when back from wolf form at the end so insecure about not saving people? He just did. Why revoke that character development?

[Taylor Morris · Rating 5 out of 5]

There are so many things I like about the adaptation of this story. I like that Link has some baggage that he carries with him. We get to see Zelda actually be vulnerable, whereas the common joke in the Zelda community is how cold and monotone this incarnation of Zelda is in the game (as one of the reasons there were so many Midna x Link shippers for this game). Midna is a bit blunter when it comes to how she feels about her initial feelings toward people from the World of Light, but since this story is a bit more streamlined than the game it probably can't afford to be too subtle about it to show the contrast of how she changes as this story continues.

If I were to nitpick, it is how we see Ganondorf's punishment. In the game, the sages only sent Ganondorf to the Twilight Realm as a last resort, when they realized too late that because of the Triforce of Power he has been blessed by the goddesses and protected by them so he can't be killed and is a potential danger to the World of Light.

In the manga, that was their plan from the beginning. Not even thinking of what an already powerful sorcerer could learn or do while surrounded by a group of people with a magic that is a direct threat to their world... yeah that won't backfire at all.

[Bradley · Rating 3 out of 5]

Without any context I realize that this series is going to be one big generic good vs evil story, but it's still fun. I also have the benefit of having played Twilight Princess. While we all need to play the game (or replay it) this is still a good manga that follows the story in a rough outline of how it's told. There'd be no point if they copied and paste the story of the game without any deviations.

Again, fun times to be had here, a decent load of action and the style is staying pretty strong. Props to whoever draws all these characters in their different shapes and forms. Drawing a wolf is hard enough, but Monkeys in humans in the same vein as the game? Props.

My only complaint is Link's monologue at the end. Who knows it might serve a purpose...

[Arnela · Rating 5 out of 5]

The art is very nicely done, the story paces fairly well [in that there aren't any jarring jumps between scenes without proper transitions], it's quite interesting. I'm just not too sure about the length of the story. Link learned about the shadow demons being able to possess animals, he learned how to see shadow creatures, and he's managed to get his hands on the boomerang.

We're getting a lot of information concerning the monsters coming out of the Twilight realm and what Link has to do to fix it, but it feels like very little is actually happening. It seems like it will be a very slow burn type of story all the way to the end.

I am excited to see how all of this works in graphic novel form.

[Shannon Rohrer · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love getting to see this world, this story in a way that allows me into Link's head. While a lot could be inferred from playing Twilight Princess and watching the cutscenes, being able to see his dialogue and thoughts really adds another layer of depth. The same can be said of Midna's character; her motivations seemed pretty clear throughout the game, along with her change of heart--but it's so good to see it here, to get a sharper glimpse of the dynamic between her and Link.

And of course, the same can be said of Zelda, though her part is often smaller in most of the LoZ storylines--I really get to appreciate her bravery and sacrifice, knowing she made the best of a bad situation.

I'll definitely be reading the rest of the manga in this series.

[L J · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought the book was good. Good story so far. I really like Link's character and i see it's following the game story (or at least what i've played so far.) The art style is pretty great as well, Akira Himekawa does a good job on this. Now i am waiting to find the 3rd book in my school's library, i think my library made the right choice. Side note-- I am also trying to learn Japanese so it is good practice to start reading Manga since they are the Japanese Graphic novels. 100% would recommend this book to people who like video games, books set in the medieval - ish type of time area, and Nintendo fans - specifically Zelda ones too. 10/10, good read.