Sheik: Guy or Girl?

[kori pookie]

Sheik is a girl. It's Zelda in disguise, which is exactly what she says in OoT. Also, right after you become an adult in OoT, after you talk to Sheik, before leaving The Temple of Time, if you stand next to Sheik with Link, you can see that you're much bigger than her, even though they're the same age. That should be enough proof that Sheik is a girl.  

[pigeon-wing]

Fox.of.Water

Sheik is a girl. It's Zelda in disguise, which is exactly what she says in OoT. Also, right after you become an adult in OoT, after you talk to Sheik, before leaving The Temple of Time, if you stand next to Sheik with Link, you can see that you're much bigger than her, even though they're the same age. That should be enough proof that Sheik is a girl.

I know lots of guys that are older than I am, but they're still shorter... and I'm 5' 1" o_o  

[Dragonsaint Moofar]

She's a trans like me only backwards........i don't have the stuff yet though  

[BlueBatman]

I wont' even repeat all the previous reasons that Shiek is a girl. I thnk its obvious, but that's just me. She looks better as Zelda, but i think it's cool that she was able to stay hidden and defend herself after all those years  

[Rethen Goldfeather]

Dragonsaint Moofar

She's a trans like me only backwards........i don't have the stuff yet though

Oo *is confused and a little disturbed at the same time*  

[malkeor]

WTF?! How could Shiek be a guy?! Its Zelda in disguise, what makes you think shell spontaniously grow a p***s? All a girl would need to look like Shiek is a couple ace bandages and duct tape.  

[Blademaster Banryu]

Sheik is a fake identity created by Zelda, correct? So it would be accurate to say that the character of Sheik is a guy (I think that's what Zelda was attempting, anyway...).

HOWEVER, given that the person who dresses up like Sheik is a woman, technically Sheik is female.

So I suppose it would be accurate to say that Sheik is both! Which one depends on whether you're talking about Sheik as an identity or Zelda disguised as Sheik.

There ya go... I think that does it. 3nodding  

[Shea_Kaki]

Sheik is a girl, no argument can say otherwise. Zelda is Sheik, Zelda is a girl, and thus Sheik, who is Zelda is a gril. Welcome to the world of Logic! blaugh Honestly, I know a ton of flat chested girls who could pass off as a guy look alike if they wrapped themselves yup like Zelda did. Even in Zelda, people do not just suddenly change genders. Thus Sheik shall remaine a girl.  

[Little Green Soldier]

I'm really late to the party, but I have an explanation to offer on the confusion.

Back in 1997, Ocarina of Time was the very first 3D Zelda. Up until that point it had been all 2D games, where Link was a Hylian swordsman and Zelda the distant damsel in distress. This is the important part, Zelda was ALWAYS the damsel in distress. She wasn't a character, she was a plot device. There were a lot of jokes in the intervening space between 1986 and 1997 about Princess Insurance.

When Ocarina of Time came out, the game seemed to follow the same formula. Zelda in trouble, first few dungeons, PLOT TWIST, next set of dungeons. Sheik was introduced, and the concept of a new secondary warrior who could possibly play an important role in the endgame was wicked awesome. Was Sheik truly on Link's side? Was he one of the hidden sages? Was it all a ruse, in order to betray Link to Ganondorf?

Back then, we had no idea. As far as we were concerned, Zelda was a plot device. Sheik on the other hand, he was a brand spankin new plot twist in blue spandex. He had awesome ninja powers, he was always two steps ahead, there were times that we questioned his motives, where he came from, why he seemed to have all the answers. It was GOOD.

Then we beat the final temple. We're told that all the answers are waiting at the Temple of Time. We see Sheik standing there, and this is the moment of truth... is he a good guy or a bad guy?

(At this point in the game, I clearly remember my brother sitting next to me. We were Zelda vets, and when Sheik revealed the triforce mark on his hand we were ready to declare "Sheik is a sage instead of Zelda" the best plot twist ever)

WHAT THE CRAP ZELDA!?

No. No no no. There is no way our awesome blue ninja is the freaking damsel in distress. There has to be some kind of trick here.

This was the mindset of a lot of people back then. It was out of our understanding that Zelda was even capable of the feats of daring that we had seen from Sheik. It certainly didn't help matters that after removing the disguise, Zelda went straight back to the hackneyed "Damsel in Distress" mode. The awesomeness went out the window with Sheik, and Zelda spent the entire endgame standing around shrieking. If she'd used some of those ninja powers, there probably wouldn't be this much controversy.

Of course, other players didn't have this mindset. For younger people, OoT was their first Zelda game, and they didn't have the same notions ingrained in their heads. Other people came late to the party and already knew that Sheik was Zelda in disguise. Usually these are the people you see trumpeting "Sheik is a girl" on the internet.

In more recent games, like Windwaker or Twilight Princess, Zelda is no longer just a damsel in distress. she's a capable fighter in her own right who contributes in the final battle. To people who started with Ocarina of Time, this isn't a change at all, but to the 2D veterans, it's a huge change.

So, this is why you get people who insist that Sheik is male. Ten years ago there was a whole crowd of people claiming that Zelda was never Sheik, and that Sheik would reappear in a sequel. Personally, I'm too old for these debates anymore, I have bigger things to worry about. I just hoped to bring some insight to the mind of a Zelda/Sheik separatist.  

[joe-dude667]

Well said Little Green Soldier.

Though saying that I thought it was a great twist! I agree that it was annoying she went back to damsel in distress as soon as she revealed herself though.