Forgive me if I get a bit autistic with this post, but the fact that whoever was there at Capcom used BOTW's incarnation of Zelda as an example of a "poor" female character irritates me to no end. Say whatever you want about the story being somewhat lacking in that game, but Zelda in it I feel safe in saying is one of the best incarnations of her character in the entire series.
She has a very well developed arc, starting as someone struggling to live up to what is expected of her, to the point of lashing out at Link and her allies due to the amount of stress that she, being simply a young woman well out of depth, is currently dealing with. That is to be expected, given her role as the leader of the Champions, and being the princess of the Royal Family of Hyrule. Without her mother to guide her, she has little choice but to try and figure out how to use her sacred powers herself. Not to mention that she even views Link as a reminder of her own failures, with his silent nature leading her to assume that he hates her for failing to get a handle on her sealing powers.
That said, there are moments during that when her more dorky side shows up, like when she tried to get Link to eat a frog and the like. It is also when he saves her from a Yiga Clan attack that she sees his undying devotion to her, leading to the two quickly becoming much closer. Despite all this though, she still has trouble getting a handle on things. Heck, she tried to go to one of the Shrines on her 17th birthday to figure it all out, only for the Calamity to soon after. Needless to say, it doesn't go well, and she completely breaks down in Link's arms over her failure to properly use her powers, feeling it was all her fault.
It is only when Link is nearly killed that she is able to awaken her powers, as it is implied that her love for him is what finally gives her the ability to tap into her true nature. And let's not forget that, as a result, she is able to hold Ganon back for a fricken century, which is no small feat. Heck, in the final battle of the game proper, it is only through Zelda's assistance that Link is actually able to deal the crucial finishing blows to finally take down Ganon once and for all. That is far from what I would call a weak and vulnerable heroine.
More to the point, her character actually as a personality beyond just being helpless. In addition to what I mentioned above, she displays elements of dorkiness what with her insane amounts of time researching the Guardians and the like, struggles with trying to live up to everyone's expectations, which can cause her to lash out at Link for what she perceives as disrespect, has a true sense of duty and sacrifice, and all her moments of weakness and even rudeness all have a reason behind them. By the end, she manages to overcome her flaws and mature into being someone who is truly worthy of her title.
That is what I would call a truly good female character.
But screw all that! She still tries to help a man and shows actual visible weaknesses, alongside going through trauma and crying over it. Plus, she still needed to be rescued and all that, which negates her rescuing Link just as much, if not more. Not at all like, say, Last of Us 2's Abby amirite? She should've instead knocked Link out and defeated Ganon all by herself immediately. THAT'S what true strong whamen in games are supposed to do!
