duenna [doo-en-uh]
noun
1. (in Spain/Portugal) An older woman serving a chaperon, escort, or governess to a girl or young lady.
EX. Today, we're talking about Zelda's mysterious protector and dedicated chaperone; her
duenna, and an all around curious character...
IMPA
GUARDIAN OF THE GODDESS
Impa is a reoccurring character in the Zelda franchise; making appearances in Ocarina of Time and other titles, and is another compelling archetype that you can even see in Shakespeare. That archetype is the female mentor, like the Nurse from Romeo and Juliet, and in the Zelda series she takes this a step further by putting her life on the line for Zelda, as a member of the Sheikah tribe, guardians of the Hyrule royal family and the Triforce, and in Skyward Sword she is integral to the plot.
She first appears shortly after Zelda is separated from Link and she plays a dual role in Zelda's quest throughout the game; as her spiritual guide to discovering her destiny and as her protector, guiding her through dungeons and even harassing Link for not being tough enough. She compels you as a mystery to be solved (mind you the mystery is fairly obvious and, if you keep reading, I WILL SPOIL IT) and as a strong female character.
She even stands up against Ghirahim with some magic to try and prevent him from using the Time Gate in Lanyru Desert. At this moment, she seems to accept Link's progression, when he intervenes by attacking Ghirahim to assure Zelda and Impa's escape. You see her again when you go through the time gate and discover Zelda's fate. It is then revealed, somewhat obviously, that there is a connection between Impa and the old woman of the temple, or as Groose calls her, "Granny". A compelling character, so much so that in the credits you get to see her helping Zelda through dungeons, and kinda wishing for a spin-off where you get to play a Zelda game from the perspective of a Sheikah warrior.
.png)
.png)
