Princess Zelda is the titular character in Nintendo's The Legend of Zelda video game series. She was created by Shigeru Miyamoto and introduced in the original 1986 game The Legend of Zelda. She appears in several incarnations throughout the series, generally as a member of Hyrule's royal family, an associate of the protagonist Link and bearer of the Triforce of Wisdom. Though she is the eponymous character, Zelda's story role is often that of a damsel in distress or donor who assists Link. In many games, Zelda is captured by the antagonist Ganon, necessitating Link to come to her rescue. In several games she is one of the Sages or Champions whose heroism is essential to defeating Ganon; in others, like Ocarina of Time and The Wind Waker, she adopts alternative personas to take a more active role in the story. In Skyward Sword, she is established as the reincarnation of the goddess Hylia, reborn throughout history alongside her protector, Link.