What’s in a Cover? 

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild

In the new edition of the saga classic Zelda, we can see a clear contrast between the European and North American covers (see Figure 1). This adaptation is notable because it occurs in a game released in 2017, which goes against the trend toward greater uniformity that has been seen in recent years.

In the edition for North America, the hero is the central element in the scene. The character facing the horizon is prominent, exuding an image of power, brandishing the sword in a pose that, though relaxed, is imposed on a natural setting including chiaroscuro and fire. It’s difficult to find these archetypes — images of warriors from behind with a weapon in hand — in European art. Generally, in European art, there is an effort to introduce certain subtlety and complexity to the personality of heroic characters. The North American cover, showing the weapon-wielding character from behind, gives a fairly flat and one-dimensional message: potential conflict, violence, and a powerful hero who must use his sword to overcome the conflict that awaits him.

This message is in stark contrast to that of the European cover in which the hero rests on his weapon, posing in a contemplative attitude, which we find, for example, in Donatello’s David: the young, innocent hero who must face the world, casually resting on his weapon. It’s impossible to ignore the similarities between the epic tale of the young hero who saves the world and Link’s character: an innocent and somewhat naive posture, which contrasts with his true power and the importance of his mission.

Other elements on the European cover highlight the central role of nature and the impressionist style that dominates, especially in the green of the grass, with much lighter colors, minimizing the volcano and the fire in the distance. The contemplative, confident but fresh and innocent gaze of the protagonist contrasts with a somewhat stiff and unmistakable heroic pose on the North American cover. On the European cover, the sword is just a tool, whereas on the North American cover, it is a brandished weapon.

The birds on the North American cover serve to reinforce the intense yellow of the volcano through contrast. On the European cover, the birds are out of focus (in fact, they can hardly be distinguished as such) and provide a framework for the composition, evoking the idea of ​​a proscenium that frames the story — a technique in European painting since the Renaissance.

The leaves in the European edition also reinforce the depth and dimension of the composition at different levels from the closest to farthest, which include the grass, the character, the mountain, and the volcano. In contrast, the North American cover’s composition is flatter and only two levels stand out (the character and the volcano in the background).

In summary, in the effort to localize the covers, the developers of Zelda understood that the North American audience will be more attracted by the notions of conflict, heroism, and violence of the game, while the European players will be attracted by the adventurous aspect of the game.