The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess (2020)

[ゼルダの伝説：トワイライトプリンセス]

Volume 9

Author/Artist: Akira Himekawa
Publisher: Tentomushi Comics

Synopsis:
Having assembled the fragments of the Mirror of Twilight, Link and Midna travel to the Twilight Realm to confront Zant.

Story/Characters:
So we've finally made it to the Twilight Realm. When it comes to Zant, I can remember there was a lot of disappointment when this imposing villain turned out to be an unhinged clown. This adaptation tones down Zant's lunacy and gives a little more context via flashbacks. He was unstable from the start but generally able to keep it under control (and we can infer that Ganondorf's influence pushed him further off the edge). His inferiority complex and obsession with power is interwoven with Link's own arc to good effect. After Zant's defeat, we get some closure on the subplot with Link's hometown. It further highlights how Link has grown over the course of the story.

Art:
Since this volume features the big showdown with Zant, we get plenty of flashy action. There are some great shots to be had. I like how much emotion Himekawa can squeeze out of Zant's face despite its limited range of motion. Good stuff from the art as always.

Conclusion:
On a thematic level, this volume nicely ties everything together, to the point where the final battle with Ganondorf almost feels like it will be anticlimactic. Zant's character is handled rather well, which may please some fans who weren't so jazzed about how he was treated in the original game. Also for being manga-original content, the stuff with Link's hometown has been integrated into the narrative fairly well and plays in well to some of the larger themes of the story. If you've been collecting the series this far, you'll want to keep doing so.

Rating:
Own It