Sheik: Male or Female?

[Collin152]

My brother and I are having a dispute.
Is Sheik from Legend of Zelda Ocarina of Time (and the Super SMash brothers games if that's all you know) physically a male or a female?
My brother believes that, despite it being a magic disguise, it's still a female body, and I say if she can change herself completley, she could become a man too.
What say you all? He demands we get external votes.

[Raistlin1040]

Sheik is a female, as far as I know.

[Gaelbert]

I think this should go in Gaming.
But I also think Sheik is a female. But I think V is a female too, so it could just be the way my brain is wired.

[Catch]

Sheik is Zelda in disguise, not under a spell. Even with the costume, you can still see the feminine physique, kinda. Wait, no. A quick Google image search shows Shiek with quite the manly chest.

I guess my vote goes towards magic, then, especially since she used the Triforce of Wisdom to make the change. Not sure if that's "under the hood" as well, but it isn't something I want to ponder for very long.

[Rawhide]

This looks like a thread for Gaming (Other Games)!

"Is it a bird? Is it a plane? No, it's a moving thread!"

---


I personally say its merely a costume, but you should check this Wikipedia article (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Princess_Zelda#Sheik).

[Collin152]

Should it be elsewhere? I wasn't sure, so I put it in the most generic forum I could find.

[Mee]

Sheik is female, always is, always will be.
By the way, V is female too, but this isn't the thread for it. So, I'll stop there.

[skywalker]

I've always thought he was female, just like coolgaelbert(EDIT: and Mee), I think Vaarsuvius is female as well. However, now that I think about that, it is a magic disguise. Some of the sounds Sheik makes in Smash Bros(I've never played LoZ) sound feminine, but others sound masculine. Rationally, taking a close look at the character model, I think Sheik is male. The physique does not look particularly feminine to me. Sheik looks pretty man-shaped(broad shoulders, triangle torso, etc.) altho he also looks a bit small, suggesting a limit on the transformative powers.

To me, empirically, Sheik is just a girl wearing a boy disguise. Upon closer inspection and use of logic, I'd say Sheik is a boy, however, the transformational magic probably had some limits, leaving vestiges of Zelda's body and voice.

[Ryuuk]

I think this comic pretty much sums it up:

http://img155.imageshack.us/img155/1962/mainphpg2viewcoreub5.png

[Mee]

Rationally, taking a close look at the character model, I think Sheik is male. The physique does not look particularly feminine to me. Sheik looks pretty man-shaped(broad shoulders, triangle torso, etc.) altho he also looks a bit small, suggesting a limit on the transformative powers.

To me, empirically, Sheik is just a girl wearing a boy disguise. Upon closer inspection and use of logic, I'd say Sheik is a boy, however, the transformational magic probably had some limits, leaving vestiges of Zelda's body and voice.
I think it's padding, she's trying to hide who she is, so what better way then to pretend that she's a he?
EDIT: Great comic, thank you for posting it, it made me laugh so hard.

[Kneenibble]

Thank you for posting that comic Ryuuk!

I like to agree with its conclusion.
...if only to fuel my sweaty fantasies about Sheik and Link though.

I'm a practically-minded person that way.

[The Extinguisher]

Sheik is female. I think. Or male. Perhaps both, or alternating based on the need.

And to the above poster, I agree.
Sheik/Link forever. No matter the gender.

[Icewalker]

I think there is almost no magic involved, other than quick-change disguise, although I have never played any Zelda game which has Sheik in it, just Smash Bros. I'd say female but well-disguised.

[Pocketa]

Female, you can tell by the body structure. Shoulder aren't broad enough, you can tell where the padding is, she has a feminine lower section (get that out of your mind, I mean her legs), and a waist.

Female.

Tries to pass as male.

Drag king, plain and simple.

[Xefas]

I say that Zelda has always been a crossdressing man! He just puts on male clothing when he turns into Sheik.

Maybe Sheik is his real form and he just uses the Triforce of Wisdom to queen himself up (or princess, in this case).

You can tell because Zelda's feet are too big!

EDIT: His real name is probably...Zeldo!

[Geno9999]

My brother and I are having a dispute.
Is Sheik from Legend of Zelda Ocarina of Time (and the Super SMash brothers games if that's all you know) physically a male or a female?
My brother believes that, despite it being a magic disguise, it's still a female body, and I say if she can change herself completley, she could become a man too.
What say you all? He demands we get external votes.

I'm know Sheik's a female, but she seems... flat chested for one. It is possible for Sheik's clothing to flatten her um, chest to make her look male. Now if she can really change herself to a male...:smalleek: that's a little creepy to think about.
All said, I think Sheik's a female.

[DraPrime]

Here's my question. Why on earth would Nintendo even think of making Sheik a man? The thought hadn't even crossed my mind until this thread popped up.

[Dihan]

Zelda = Sheik

So therefore, Sheik is female. Here's a screenshot from SSBB of what looks like quite a busty chest.

http://www.smashbros.com/en_uk/characters/images/sheik/sheik_080116b-l.jpg

Also, the SSBB design for Sheik was taken from concept designs of a Twilight Princess version of Sheik.

Edit: Considering Sheik is a "Sheikah" just look at the other epitome of feminine-ness... Impa... Yeah, I think the whole race just looks manly.

[Rutee]

Sheik's breasts are still there when Zelda morphs in SSBB. I liked the athletic build a bit better, but this does she's clearly still a woman. I liked the ITS A TRAP version from before better though ::smalltongue:

[Kneenibble]

I say that Zelda has always been a crossdressing man! He just puts on male clothing when he turns into Sheik.

Maybe Sheik is his real form and he just uses the Triforce of Wisdom to queen himself up (or princess, in this case).

You can tell because Zelda's feet are too big!

EDIT: His real name is probably...Zeldo!

Zeldo.
Thank you for saying this.
I like the way you think.
Never let the truth get in the way of a good story.

[Glyde]

I've always thought that Zelda used her magic to turn into Sheik, who happens to be male.

Doesn't a male voice actor also take over in Brawl?

Also, I surely don't see any breasts on Sheik, especially not in the above picture :\

[Doglord]

Isnt sheik Zelda in disguise? Cos if she is, itd be a girl.

[MorkaisChosen]

Those're some fairly feminine hips on the pic of the new Sheikh.

[Pocketa]

I've always thought that Zelda used her magic to turn into Sheik, who happens to be male.

Doesn't a male voice actor also take over in Brawl?

Also, I surely don't see any breasts on Sheik, especially not in the above picture :\

They're there...

The bouncy bits, upper torso.

[Rutee]

Isnt sheik Zelda in disguise? Cos if she is, itd be a girl.

She also used to turn flat and have a more androgynous build. It's genuinely debatable.

[obvious pun]

This (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/Bifauxnen) is what Sheik is.

If Zelda had the power to change her reproductive organs with no negative side effects, then couldn't she just change a few of Gannondorf's internal organs and be done with it?

Hell, couldn't she do SOMETHING in the final fight vs. Ganon in The Ocarina of Time?

Link: Hey Zelda, can you refill my magic so I can use the light arrows again? The longshot doesn't stun him long enough for me to get behind him and hit his tail, and I'm low on health, too.
Zelda: Nope, I'll just sit here doing nothing.
Link: Can you throw the Master Sword back into the ring of fire then? Or do something about the ring of fire?
Zelda: Just get him down to half health and the fire will go down, then you can come over here and get the sword yourself.
Link: But I don't have any magic left for light arrows, I can't stun him long enough to hurt him!
Zelda: And who's fault is that?
Link:...
*Shoots Zelda*
*Gains Triforce of Wisdom, for being wise enough to shoot her*
*Notices how the first spell on his new spell list he got after killing Zelda is "Don't help Link/2 MP"*

[Nerd-o-rama]

While genderbending oneself is conceivably within the realm of Zelda's spellcasting (auto-shapeshifting is usually pretty easy in fictional magic, though the degree to which it can be done varies), I really see no practical reason for it. And Zelda in her Sheik persona remains feminine enough that I think it's still a woman under the costume. She could probably get the whole effect by just manifesting the costume and some sports tape to keep...things...in place. Although that would hurt like a bitch if she couldn't remove it magically...

Hm...wow, Sheik's a lot more well-endowed in Brawl. I guess since everyone knew her secret anyway, Zelda decided to forgo the tape and invest in a nice sports bra.


Anyway, put me in for "female", despite it being a magical disguise.

[Seraph]

http://www.zelda-secrets.net/sheik.jpg


sheik is a male form.

[Rutee]

It's an athletic, androgynous disguise, I'm pretty sure. Seriously :P

[Raroy]

Sheik is a girl. Link's a girl too! Everyone in the zelda universe was born female! It's obvious! How can you all not see it!

[Dihan]

A few more points:

The voice of Sheik in Ocarina of Time, SSBM and SSBB is that of a female voice actress.
Also, the Sheik trophy in SSBM states that Zelda uses magic to change her skin tone, hair length, eye colour and clothes.

[Bleen]

The Sheik disguise is male. When a character in a video game is female, you tend to know right off the bat. Sheik her/himself is not actually male, but that's the intent of the disguise. From my viewpoint, anyway.

[Nerd-o-rama]

Sheik is a girl. Link's a girl too! Everyone in the zelda universe was born female! It's obvious! How can you all not see it!Legend of Zelda = Simoun?


The Sheik disguise is male. When a character in a video game is female, you tend to know right off the bat. Sheik her/himself is not actually male, but that's the intent of the disguise.I'm confused what you mean by this, since you seem to contradict yourself. Or are you saying she becomes biologically male, but not psychologically (important distinction, trust me.) Or the other way around, possibly?

[Corolinth]

Nintendo made Sheik look like a guy because it was supposed to be a surprise when Zelda revealed herself at the end of the game, and they figured it would be harder to put two and two together if Sheik looked male, and was referred to as a male. Link refers to Sheik as a male because Zelda has fooled him.

Not realizing the confusion it would cause, Nintendo continued to portray Sheik as male in Smash Brothers Melee so that they wouldn't spoil the surprise just in case there was some schlump who, for whatever reason, hadn't played Ocarina of Time yet.

Some of the theories got a little too wacky for Nintendo's tastes. They never intended anything weirder than dressing up as a man to hide from Ganondorf, and so in Smash Brothers Brawl Sheik is drawn with breasts and feminine hips, and is referred to strictly as "she."

That's the most rational explanation.

But hey, Zelda's all groovy and fancy with the magic. I'm sure rearranging some pipes underneath the hood is well within the purview of her mystical expertise. Debate away.

[Cyclone231]

They also referred to Samus as male in her original game, but no one seems to argue that Samus is actually a dude.

[Glyde]

They also referred to Samus as male in her original game, but no one seems to argue that Samus is actually a dude.
If you mean "They" being Nintendo, then no, they didn't. She was revealed to be a girl at the end of the game. Never once did they say it was a man >_>

[The Linker]

If you mean "They" being Nintendo, then no, they didn't. She was revealed to be a girl at the end of the game. Never once did they say it was a man >_>

I believe it did say that in the manual; you know, to keep the suspense until the very end of the game.

I am totally on the "Sheik = girl" side. I mean, if the Melee trophy mentioned how Zelda's magic is able to change her skin tone, eye color, and hair length, you'd THINK they would know to mention that her GENDER has changed. :smallwink:


Not realizing the confusion it would cause, Nintendo continued to portray Sheik as male in Smash Brothers Melee so that they wouldn't spoil the surprise just in case there was some schlump who, for whatever reason, hadn't played Ocarina of Time yet.

That... what? How could they keep it a surprise? It's not like the publicity for Melee said "Zelda will be in! Also, for unrelated reasons, so will Sheik! As a completely different character!" Everyone kinda knew from the beginning that Zelda and Sheik had the ability to transform into each other. It could be said that the existance of Sheik was hidden, since she doesn't appear on the character screen; however, making her male-looking will not help the secret after a Zelda player presses down-b. :smallconfused:

"OMG Zelda is Sheik!? Oh, wait, Sheik's male. I guess she must have switched places with someone. Man, I can't wait to finish Ocarina of Time and find out who Sheik is." Riiiiiiiiight... :smalltongue:

[Rutee]

I believe it did say that in the manual; you know, to keep the suspense until the very end of the game.

I am totally on the "Sheik = girl" side. I mean, if the Melee trophy mentioned how Zelda's magic is able to change her skin tone, eye color, and hair length, you'd THINK they would know to mention that her GENDER has changed. :smallwink:


Yeah, that changed my mind on the matter. I will contend that her build, prior to her cup size ballooning out (compared to the previous Sheik disguise) was athletic and androgynous, but there was definitely no gender changing.


The Sheik disguise is male. When a character in a video game is female, you tend to know right off the bat. Sheik her/himself is not actually male, but that's the intent of the disguise. From my viewpoint, anyway.

Also agreeing with this.

[Bleen]

To be clearer on my previous post:
It's a chick in a mansuit. OoT Zelda is incredibly Genre-Savvy(I am too lazy for link-fu), so she knows that by magically dressing herself up in a magical mansuit that can fool even the plot and act as a mysterious helper to Link, she'll never be captured by Ganondorf. The second any hint of Zelda being Zelda occurs, she'll immediately be captured and have to get rescued.

Basically, the magical identity is male, but that's actually a chick under there, yo. Though, it's inconclusive on just how *ahem* detailed her "male" alter ego is. I like to think that our somewhat-family-friendly Zelda games don't go into that very creepy area of magical application.

[Tengu]

The Sheik disguise is male. When a character in a video game is female, you tend to know right off the bat. Sheik her/himself is not actually male, but that's the intent of the disguise. From my viewpoint, anyway.

I present a counter-argument other than Samus Aran - FF5, Faris. She's been a leader of a pirate band for years and they thought she's a guy all the time, and unlike Samus she doesn't wear any special full-body suits, just loose clothing. I think Faris counts as the Original Video Game Bifauxnen.

As for Sheik, I've never played any Zelda games apart from Link to the Past, but I think it's just a clever disguise that contains some magical elements, but doesn't actually change Zelda's sex. That'd be too weird for a family-friendly game.

[Leliel]

I think this comic pretty much sums it up:

http://img155.imageshack.us/img155/1962/mainphpg2viewcoreub5.png

LOL.

Give me the address to the webcomic.

[Collin152]

After evaluatign Sheik's model in Brawl, I've decided Sheik is female.
Unfortunatley. Now it just isn't as appealing to look at. And that's at least a third of gameplay.

[Geno9999]

Hey, I heard a rumor from somewhere that a gossip stone says that Zelda of OoT is a bit of a tomboy. I myself have not found the stone that says that, but I do have the game on VC and my sister had found the Mask of Truth. (Not Lens of Truth that is different.)
Maybe Sheik is Zelda's Boy alterego.:smallconfused: Note I'm still on Sheik=Female side.

[Nerd-o-rama]

After evaluatign Sheik's model in Brawl, I've decided Sheik is female.
Unfortunatley. Now it just isn't as appealing to look at. And that's at least a third of gameplay.
It's all down to taste, man. All down to taste.

Also, that comic is awesome. And if there's anyone who can tell who's a woman in a male disguise, it's Solid Snake. Normally, though, he just does it by checking out everyone's ass.

[Sirus Diarota]

My brother and I are having a dispute.
Is Sheik from Legend of Zelda Ocarina of Time (and the Super SMash brothers games if that's all you know) physically a male or a female?

Female. She is after all Zelda in disguise.

Although when I first saw "her" in OoT I was confused as well...

[Cubey]

Female. She is after all Zelda in disguise.


We know that. The question is: because the disguise is obviously magical, does it *change* Zelda into a guy as well?

I'd say no. The newest Sheik picture is very feminine in form, and others were ambiguous enough to go both ways.

[Carpetkiller]

I think Sheik is a guy disguised as a girl. I think Nintendo made Sheik look like a girl but be a guy so that people, like everyone who posted on this thread, would argue if Sheik was a guy or girl and forget how bad of a character Sheik is and also so that the developers, who know Sheik's a guy, can laugh at anyone who argues about this stuff and falls into their trap. :smallbiggrin:

[The Extinguisher]

Sheik is a guy in OoT, and possibly Melee, while being female in Brawl.

Why? Because everyone already knows it's her, and that body suit doesn't look very comfortable.

[Kojiro Kakita]

According to the Legend of Zelda Ocarina of time Manga, Shiek is a male. Whether the manga is canon or not is debatable.