Fatphobia in The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds



Trigger warning: fatphobia. Spoilers below.



Arriving in the Zora’s Domain, players of the new Legend of Zelda are greeted with a fatphobic sidequest. Robbed of the Smooth Gem, the Zora Queen is unable to “contain her power”; she becomes gluttonous and angry, growing too large to leave her pool. When the player returns the Gem, the Queen reverts to a much smaller size and apologizes for her behavior, stating that it was “all rather undignified.”

Being fat is not a curse. It’s not a sign of lacking self-control. It’s not “undignified.” Jokes like this are disgustingly lowbrow, and contribute to stereotypes that cause real-world harm. Stop making fat jokes, Nintendo. They’re not funny.