Tears of the Kingdom voice actress backtracks after stating Link and Zelda "in a relationship"

The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom voice actress Patricia Summersett has issued a statement meant to "clarify" her previous comments on Link and Zelda being "in a relationship".

Summersett previously discussed the dynamic between Link and Zelda in an interview with The Gamer, in which she stated: "I know that they are in a relationship with each other, it's active, there's a lot of care and a lot of listening, and I just love that about it."

The quote was notable for going further than Nintendo itself has officially gone in defining the bond between The Legend of Zelda's two main characters, and while it was simply Summersett's own opinion, as voice actress for the series' namesake, it was pounced upon by fans.

However, Summersett last night poured cold water over many fans' hopes and dreams by suggesting media reports had "positioned" what she'd said "as clickbait".

"I want to set the record straight," Summersett wrote, before highlighting another part of the quote she'd previously given.

"The quote I gave, 'As a voice actor, looking at the overall relationship between Link and Zelda over the ages, I personally love the ambiguity and that if there is something there, it's left to us' does not imply that Link and Zelda are a romantic couple," Summersett has now said.

"The quote means that we are all in different types of relationships - with friends, family, loves, colleagues, pets, trees, dubious food... It is not up to me to determine. Hopefully these relationships are wonderful and inspiring. The End."

Perhaps Summersett simply meant Link and Zelda's relationship was indeed akin to that of a pet or a tree.

Nintendo, meanwhile, typically does not define the relationship between its two main characters - with various games in the series that end in Link and Zelda being reunited taking a more subtle approach.

"I appreciate the passionate discourse on the subject," Summersett said, in a post containing her statement.

Eurogamer has asked Nintendo for comment.

While not mentioned by Summersett herself, the nature of Link and Zelda's relationship in Tears of the Kingdom has been a hot topic for some fans, after one element in the game itself appeared to suggest the two were now a more traditional couple.

Spoiler warning: Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom discussion follows.

As Eurogamer mentioned previously, Link's house in Hateno Village now clearly plays home to Zelda, with the house itself still featuring just one single bed.

Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom launched earlier this month and is already a huge success for Nintendo, with 10m copies sold in three days. The first Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom patch is already available - and there's good news for players keen to use the game's various item duplication glitches.