#Roy-DCM2

[roy-dcm2]

All of the Ganons in the Canon

I am once again warning people that if you haven't played Tears of the Kingdom, I'm going to be Spoiling a few key details. Please turn back now.

The biggest revelation, in my opinion, has to be the fact that there are actual multiple versions of Ganon / Ganondorf in the Time Line of Legend of Zelda. We were approaching the Zelda Universe under the assumption that Ganon was always the same person, but "Demon King Ganon" that attacked the first King of Hyrule in TotK is clearly a different person from "Great King of Evil" Ganondorf from OoT.

I think we need to reconsider all the Ganons as completely different people.

"GANNON" the Prince of Darkness (Zelda 1)

Very little is known about this version of Ganon. He leads an army of monsters, he stole the Triforce of Power, tried to take over the world, and captured Princess Zelda. He was DESTROYED at the end of Zelda 1, and there is a threat of his resurrection in Zelda 2.

[Special note - the original LoZ novel says Ganon was a demon king revived from a thousand years ago. Ganon's cycle of rebirth was there from the beginning.]

"Mandrag Ganon" (A Link to the Past)

The second version of Ganon was called "Mandrag Ganon" by the U.S. instruction booklet. This version started out as a human leader of a band of thieves. It is hard to tell what exactly happened to him... did he automatically become a pig-demon when he entered the Golden Land, or did he transform into that after finding the Triforce. In the end he was obliterated by Link and the Silver Arrows.

Ganondorf, the Great King of Evil (Ocarina of Time)

The most famous version of Ganon. As the only male Gerudo born to the predominantly female tribe, he was made a leader. He performed several acts of terrorism, usurped power, and was defeated by Link and the Seven Sages. He had two endings, one where he was sealed inside the Sacred Realm, and another timeline where he either was executed, banished, or he got away.

"Mindless Beast" Ganon (The Oracle Series)

Ganon makes a brief appearance at the end of the Oracle games. He was resurrected incorrectly by Twinrova, so he came back with only the urge to destroy. He was once again killed by Link.

Ganondorf, the Master of the Forsaken Fortress (The Wind Waker)

While Ganon from OoT might be the same person as WW Ganon, they could be different people considering how different their faces are. WW Ganon has a flat nose, while OoT Ganon has a pointed nose like many Gerudo. WW Ganon is likely a Gerudo since he mentions living in the desert with a group of his own people. This might be the most sympathetic version of Ganondorf in all of the games. Unfortunately for him, he dies at the end of Wind Waker.

Ganon, King of Darkness (The Four Swords Adventure)

One often neglected version of Ganon is his appearance in TFSA. This version also began as a male Gerudo that was transformed by the Trident of Power, and the local monsters worship him. He was sealed inside the Four Sword at the end of the game.

"Dark Lord" Ganondorf (Twilight Princess)

The next most prominent appearance of Ganon was his role in Twilight Princess. He started off as a desert thief, and powerful sorcerer. He tried to invade Hyrule, but was caught and banished to the Twilight Realm. He returned many years later, leading an invasion from the Twilight Realm, but was killed by Link at the end of the game.

"Demon King" Ganon (A Link Between Worlds)

The Ganon that appears in ALBW is suspiciously similar to the one that appears in ALttP, but the previous version was destroyed by Link. This version says he had been sealed away, so it couldn't be the same one. In the end, the new Link destroyed his new Ganon again.

"Demon King" Ganon (Tears of the Kingdom)

The newest incarnation of the curse of Demise and probably the earliest in the timeline. He is also a Gerudo chief that rebelled against the first King of Hyrule. He killed Queen Sonia, was sealed for 10,000 years, and he was ultimately killed by Link and Zelda at the end of the newest game.

[vifetoile]

Tagging @mudora because I really liked their Ocarina of Time analysis of the Zonai and the Golden Goddesses and @roy-dcm2 because i liked their analysis of Majora's origins

I was seeing some meta about the goddess Hylia and her "chosen" and it seemed to boil down to the idea that in the legend of zelda, destiny is all-powerful and imbues all story beats, major and minor. And something about that just rubbed me the wrong way and it's not because i just find hylia and demise very boring

There may always be lads in green, and there always be a princess or two, but I think free will is still very much a force in the world of Hyrule and its neighbors.

Destiny is a powerful force, that cannot be denied. Revali, for instance, never could have been the Hero himself; that role always belongs to a Hylian youth named Link. A Sheikah named Impa will invariably be tied to the Princess. And yet I can't shake the feeling that free will is present in the lives of everyday people, and even those destined to live the cycle over and again, they can chose how they will express their destiny.

Free will is what builds Tarrey Town and what enables Impa to open Kakariko Village (OoT) to the common folk. Free will is what Midna exercises to break the mirror of twilight. Groose's character development is free will. FURTHERMORE in Termina, Link comes as a reminder of people's agency. He helps the people who have lost all hope. What do people do when they've lost hope? They forget they have free will.

Free will prompts Zelda in OoT to bisect the timeline and break her own heart in the name of childhood & love. Bisecting the timeline doesn't serve any purpose of destiny, in fact it throws destiny into a big ol tizzy. It's not a divine act, it's a human one from a human perspective.

Hell, if there is no free will, then the gods laugh whenever Zelda and Link fall in love.

Video games are an interesting medium in which to discuss free will versus destiny--- I mean, you're controlling a little dude but you yourself are following breadcrumbs laid down by a creator who definitely exists. But I think that Hyrule is meant to be a setting where free will matters, even if only to contrast when the overwhelming symphony of Destiny does come to town. Hyrule is a land to explore and find joy in discovery, for the player and for Link, and I can't square that with the idea that Destiny is everywhere and no one has any choice at all.

[roy-dcm2]

FF8 Theory - The True Origin of Sorceresses

In the background of Final Fantasy 8, they tell the origin of the Sorceresses and it's rooted in the story of a being known as the Great Hyne. Here's what we first hear in Balamb:

That's the basic story in the beginning. We more details later in the game in the White SeeD ship. Let me summarize:

Th Legend of Vascaroon says Hyne was the ruler of the world that created Humans. Like before, Hyne surrendered half his body, then there was a war for control of that half. Vascaroon was the one that pointed out - what was left behind was Hyne's skin. (Maybe not his entire half-body.)

The ultimania books have one final version of the story called -

Aru Hi no Garden no Jugyō Fūkei

The story says Hyne created the world, created Humans to work for him because he were tired. While Hyne was asleep, Humans ran the world on their own. When he awoke, Hyne was startled by their numbers, so he tried exterminating their young, and the humans started to turn against him.

Hyne bargains for the end of the war by willingly giving up half his body, and telling the early humans they would have half his powers. There was another war, and then Vascaroon, who was a sage, says the "half" of Hyne's body is just his cast off skin. This is how the persecution of Magic Users / Sorceresses began.

When you read all three stories, it becomes clear that these are ancient tales that have become distorted over time. The real details have been lost. Maybe it was all bullshit made up to persecute women.

However, I ask you now to look at Ultimecia's Final Form:

That looks like half a magical parasite growing out of Ultimecia's normal body. And it looks like it's missing part of it's skin, don't you think?

So, Hyne was probably real. And, that begs the question, who or what is Hyne, really?

Final Fantasy takes place in a Multiverse, and across the various games, we have seen strange entities similar to how Hyne was described.

The fact that it was so old and wants to kill humans for overpopulating and altering the world, did make me think that Hyne could be a Weapon. But, Weapons seldom show true sentience and the ability to scheme, so it is highly unlikely Hyne was a Weapon.

In between the alternate dimensions of the Final Fantasy Multiverse there is The Void where strange and powerful entities live. And they love to consume everything and leave everything in darkness. But, they're not known to scheme or bargain like Hyne did. So, it's a possibility, but a tad unlikely.

Not unless the whole beginning part of the myth is false. Like Hyne wasn't the creator of humans. Maybe it was an entity like Cloud of Darkness, it awoke, humans fought and won, then fought over its body, thinking it would give them powers.

But, then, why would Hyne exist as a parasite in sorceresses? Like we see in Ultimecia?

Let's talk about Jenova. "The Crisis from the Sky" is an alien lifeform that arrived in the ancient times of FF7. It is fairly powerful, but not all powerful. It was known to shapeshift, but Jenova also has the ability to survive being cut to pieces. Exposure to Jenova's cell's (or a virus) causes people to transform into monsters.

And we see a few other sorceresses in FF8, that are steadily becoming more monstrous:

Yes. I'd have to speculate that Jenova is the closest thing to Hyne. The might have been the same species, or something similar. Hyne probably arrived from outer space in the ancient times. It might have been injured or just asleep when it first arrived.

When it awoke, it started killing people. This drove the humans to corner it and kill it. Then they fought over the remains of the body, thinking it would give them magical powers. the carcass had no powers, but later women started to manifest magic and turning into monsters and that's what started the persecution of the Sorceresses.

Sorceresses in FF8 have to pass on their powers to another sorceress before they pass on. This is what passes the Hyne parasite on to the next person, and is somewhat similar to Jenova's Reunion ability.

What we see manifesting in Ultimecia is Hyne's true final form. It's been gestating inside of Ultimecia for a long time, finally growing powerful enough to absorb all of existence, and yet it still bears the scars from the original war.

At least that's my interpretation.

Feel free to like, share, or comment

[roy-dcm2]

Ruminations on the Sheikah

I think the Sheikah are really cool and I love that they've been expanding on the concept since Ocarina of Time.

So, at first we had Impa, and we get the impression that she's just Princess Zelda's nanny, but they tell us that she's part of the shadowy group that protects the Royal Family. In OoT, it feels like a tacked on background.

"Sure! You're a badass ninja, or whatever! You totally torture people and this isn't just Nintendo making a spooky dungeon full of zombies. It TOTALLY fits, blah blah blah."

Obviously, I'm being disingenuous. But Nintendo DID build it up.

In Twilight Princess, we see that they DO have a Hidden Village (a la Naruto) for themselves. And basically, the whole village of ninja disappear when their location has been exposed.

Next we have Impa in Skyward Sword. The Goddess Hylia rose up most of the people into the Sky to protect them. It's possible that the Sheikah also had a village in the sky, but we know that this Impa was tasked with protecting Zelda because she is the reincarnation of Goddess Hylia.

(I know that's technically just a theory... but it would make the most sense.)

So, this clearly establishes the origin of the relationship between the Sheikah and the Hyrule Royal Family. The Sheikah see themselves as the servants of Hylia, so serving the Royal Family is a central point of their culture. In the darkest times, like in the time of Demise, Hylia tasked them to be protectors, and they've been carrying that task forward.

Finally, in Breath of the Wild, we get to see a whole village of Sheikah. And we get to see their normal cultural style leans very Japanese. That's how much dedication they have for their roles as hidden protectors. They only wear Kimonos amongst themselves. They adopt "Western style" clothing to blend in with the other Hylians.

(Btw, did you ever notice Impaz from TP also wears a Kimono? Some should draw Impa from Oracle of Ages and Ocarina of Time wearing the white Kimonos like Breath of the Wild.)

Finally, I should mention the Yiga.

I think it's fascinating to think that Sheikah had a schism. As part of their devotion to Goddess Hylia and the Royal Family, they were asked to abandon the Advanced Technology that the Sheikah used. (Remember that there were Robots as far back as Skyward Sword). And some of them thought this was asking too much, so they abandoned their faith, and started acting like swords for hire.

[roy-dcm2]

Ruminations on the Demon King

Let me talk little about Demon King Ganon and some of the implications that Tears of the Kingdom has had on the lore of the Legend of Zelda franchise.  So, turn back if you’re trying to avoid spoilers.

Firstly, it’s very likely that there are now multiple Ganondorfs thought out the timeline of Hyrule, and it is likely that this version of Ganon (let’s call him Demon King Ganon) is historically the first, supplanting Ganondorf from Ocarina of Time, who was widely considered the one and only Ganon of the original timeline. However, keeping in mind Demise’s curse, it makes sense that the villain of the story is constantly reborn just like Hero and the Princess.

Because Demon King Ganon ended up betraying his vow to the first King of Hyrule, it makes sense that Ganondorf in Ocarina of Time made a big deal of vowing his allegiance to the King at that time.

It’s likely that the biggest supporters / allies of the Demon King are the Yiga and Twinrova. When he’s alive, Ganon seems to command armies of monsters, but I imagine that in between his reincarnation, it is the Yiga and Twinrova that pave the way for his return. Someone has to build the fortresses, steal objects, and find information about magical objects to aid in his return.

I imagine Twinrova is not literally Ganon’s mother, they (Koume and Kotake) are likely acting as his surrogate mothers. I imagine these very old Gerudo witches spend most of their time prophesying the return of the Demon King, and when a male Gerudo is born, they determine if the baby is the Demon King reborn. I also assume there were some male Gerudo that were not evil. (otherwise, everyone could just assume all male Gerudo are evil by default.)

The Yiga were said to have split off from the Sheikah over the banning of their Ancient Technology. Their strong devotion to the Demon King implies to me that it was more than just a schism over technology. They lust for power. The ancient Sheikah tech gave them an advantage over other people, and they lost that when the technology was banned. Now, they’re aligned with the Demon King because he promises them power, and coincidentally, in TotK, they also started adopting the Zonai technology they discovered.

Finally, maybe Ganon is reborn in different forms. Sometimes he's a Gerudo, but maybe in the time of the original Zelda 1/2, he was reborn as an actual Moblin. It opens up the possibility there could be a Wolfos or Lizalfos Ganon. That might also explain the loyalty of the monsters, at some point, a version of Ganon was part of their species. (But that's pure speculation on my part.)

[roy-dcm2]

Headcanon - Majora's Origin

I love Majora's Mask. It is nice to the game get the recognition after spending so much time in the shadow of Ocarina of Time.

However, since the beginning, fans have had an obsession about the origin of Majora's Mask. The oldest / most popular theory that often get repeated is - Majora is a DARK GOD rejecting the Goddesses and planning the destruction of everything!

It's a fine enough theory, but I never hear people really expand on the normal origin explain in the game. They never seem to grasp what "Majora's Mask" is - the Mask is very simply a Demon.

A unique demon, but a demon none the less.

First of all, let's take the time to acknowledge that the world of Legend of Zelda is full of demons. Nearly every side game features some kind of powerful demon terrorizing the local population.

[Nightmare art by JMatchhead on DeviantArt]

Anyway, Majora is a Tsukumogami, a type of "spirit" born from an item. (Never forget the Zelda franchise's Japanese influences.) In Shinto, it is believed that items can come alive after a long period of time (usually more than 100 years.) Items that are regularly used and maintained, birth helpful spirits. Items that have been neglected, birth angry spirits.

When you think of it that way, the origin told in the game makes a lot more sense. Majora's Mask is a mask used by an ancient tribe to cast curses. The Mask might have absorbed some of the dark magic that they used, so it was already brimming with dark energy when it was sealed away. Then it remained sealed away for a long time, growing resentful of those that had sealed it away.

(I mean, it might be a hexing mask, but items are happy to fulfill their purpose. If it's been neglected, it's because either no longer good enough to do it's job, or they are ashamed of the job it did before.)

By the time the Happy Mask Salesman found it, it was probably already alive waiting for someone to pick it up.

[Sidebar - the HMS is not a God either. He's just a Mask collector. In a land of powerful masks, that means something, but it's not necessarily sinister. He probably buys and sells regular masks, but keeps rare masks for his personal collection. And his drive for collecting masks did push him to raid an ancient temple for Majora's Mask. But, he was also smart enough on how to transport it. He knew it would be trouble for anyone else. He might have planned a ritual to banish the spirit inside the Mask, if he could get the mask back. However, Link destroyed the demon the old fashioned way.]

When the Skull Kid put it on, it secretly wielded him like a puppet. Fascinatingly, being a hexing mask, the Skull Kid took great delight in cursing people, but hardly ever actually killed anyone. (I struggle to think of anyone the Skull Kid killed directly.) It enjoyed bringing misery to all, likely drawing power from people's despair.

It turned the swamp waters into poison. A terrible blizzard hit Snowpeak. Storms were making Great Bay unpleasant for the Zora, and all Ikana Canyon was cursed to relive a war that no one remembers what they were fighting for. On top of more personal curses like turning Kafei into a kid. And causing great despair from pulling the moon out of the sky.

Finally, it was this increased energy of despair that allowed "the spirit of the mask" to manifest a true form for itself, that you fight as "Majora's Wrath."

And in the end, Link is able to destroy this demon, the Mask becomes an ordinary item once again, and the people of Termina are freed from depair as they greet a new dawn, after that third day.

(btw, some people think "Majora's Mask" created all of Termina, and that this is some kind of pocket dimension. If so, why doesn't it disappear when the evil spirit dies? Because Termina is a real place. It's just another country. There are other countries in LoZ. Just that NIntendo doesn't want to explain things.)

And that's it. I feel it's more concise. Instead of speculating on a cosmic pantheon we will never know, the story is much simpler. The land of Termina was cursed, suffering in despair, so the Gods (Or Goddess) sent the Hero to save them.

[roy-dcm2]

DBZ Theory - Vegeta's Height

I've had my turn making fun of Toei for blatantly changing Vegeta's height. He used to be shorter than Bulma in DBZ, now in DBS, he's taller than Bulma. Obviously, they did it because it looks weird that Vegeta is shorter than a woman, plus they want him closer to Goku's height. (Never bothered Hiei, thou... just saiyan)

Well, I have a theory more about Saiyan growth in general, all me to explain.

Sometimes when crafting a theory you need to remember to throw away your preconceived notions. We assume it's weird that Vegeta suddenly got taller, because adult men eventually stop growing. But, remember Vegeta is not an ordinary human man, he is a Saiyan, and we've met a few Saiyans that are noticeably taller then where Vegeta and Goku stand now.

It could be that Saiyans don't stop growing ever. So, it could be perfectly normal that Vegeta suddenly is taller. (Him being shorter in the last episode of DBZ we can call an Animation error.)

I'd like to take it a step further and say this also explains the weird inconsistencies of Saiyan heights.

This is the two versions of Trunks at 14 years old. He is noticeably taller in the "Bad Timeline" than he is in the normal timeline.

Compare that to how Gohan looked at ten years old. (Adult Gohan and Goku are basically the same height) Or how about the fact that apparently Goku was 15 when he met Bulma.

(Obviously, the real world explanation is that Trunks and Goten haven't been relevant to the plot in Dragonball Super, so Toei felt no need to update their character models... at least until the DBS Movie.)

It is my theory that Saiyans don't grow until they NEED to.

Saiyan biology has evolved them into perfect fighting machines, so they actually avoid having an awkward, lanky teen phase (for the most part) and just transition very quickly from their child body type, to an adult body type.

And honestly, Toriyama essentially confirmed this a few years ago in the Jaco manga:

But, I say Jaco's view is biased and limited. It's not just ordinary growth, I'm saying Saiyans actually get taller based on their need to survive and get stronger.

Gohan's childhood was a very uneasy time that lead him to train constantly for basically five years, that it caused him to grow taller in response.

Meanwhile, Trunks lived through essentially 14 years of peace. (In the Buu Saga he was only HALF of a warrior.)

Goku didn't go through a major growth spurt until after clashing with King Piccolo.

This would also explain why Vegeta's brother Tarble is ridiculously small. He's been running away his entire life. He hasn't needed to get taller. (Originally, I thought it was a spacial time dilation thing.)

And, in training to keep up with Goku, Vegeta's body responded by getting taller... a perfectly normal thing for his Saiyan biology to do.

So, there you go... Saiyan growth never stops. Maybe someday, Goku will be as tall as Raditz was.

[roy-dcm2]

Pokemon Headcanon - Ritchie's Mom

If you remember, we met Ash's doppelganger Ritchie during the Indigo League... and we don't know anything else about him. For an extra bit of fun, I like to imagine Luana from the Orangle Islands is actually his Mom.

[They have the same eye color, similar hair color, and similar hair styles.]

Evidence: We have one BIG piece of evidence, she think Ash looks like her son, and her son uses a Pikachu, too!

Now, i know what you're thinking - We see her son. Her son is named Travis, and it's NOT Ritchie.

Counter-point: She has TWO sons, guys! Her eldest son is Ritchie, and he started his journey a year ago. And her younger son is Travis, who just left to start his journey.

Or, if you really want to stretch things. Maybe Gym Leader Luana is not Ritchie's Mom. Maybe Luana is like Nurse Joy, and there are MULTIPLE Luana's around the world, and ONE of them is Ritchie's mom.

Bonus "Evidence" - The Gym Badge for Luana's Gym is called the Jade STAR Badge. What does Ritchie put on his Pokeballs? Stars.

[roy-dcm2]

DBZ Theory: The Secret of Chiaotzu

[Art by @HAL7040 on Twitter]

Tien and Chiaotzu are inseparable. Whenever one is on screen, you know the other one is not far away. They go together like crab potstickers and rice. Tien is Chiaotzu's best friend. There cannot be any doubt that they treat each other with affection.

Tien is always trying to push past his limits, and Chiaotzu is always there dutifully at his side - to assist with his training, to cheer him on, join in a fight, and even prepare meals for him. Without any ambitions for himself to distract him.

I mean, that fits into Tien's lifestyle a little too perfectly?

Think about it... does he even talk to anybody else? Try to recall a moment that Chiaotzu talked to anyone that wasn't part a filler moment? You'd have to go back to the original Dragonball, even then Tien was watching near by.

Also, he was introduced as small rival for Krillin, but that highlights another question. What's up with his body?

I mean, he met Goku 3 years before he married Chichi. Now Goku's a Grandfather and Chiaotzu looks exactly the same as when he was introduced.

A few of you might be thinking - he's might be a psychic projection sustained by Tien himself. A lot of you are probably chiming up to say - Chioatzu is a Chinese Vampire.

That's not what I'm saying.

My theory has always been that Chiaotzu is a homunculus.

If you don't know, Tien started as a villain. He would go to extremes to prove he was the strongest. He entered the Tenkaichi Tournament and had no qualms about crippling his opponents. If the rules allowed, there's no doubt, he would have killed them. You see the Crane school had one other outstanding member, "Mercenary Tao" a world famous assassin. Tien was training to be the greatest Assassin in the world.

Now, think about Chiaotzu's skills. He can communicate telepathically with Tien. He can use his Psychic powers to block bullets, hurl objects, or hold a person in place. His signature attack is the Dodon Ray, it's like an assassin's bullet. Plus, he's got an suicide attack as a last resort. Plus, he's tiny, and he can fly. And he looks like a small, unassuming Child.

The perfect tool for an Assassin.

Add to that, that now we know, the Crane school had no qualms about dealing with the dark arts, as exemplified by Yurin's talisman magic.

My theory is that to increase his chances of success, a young Tienshinan used the Dark Arts of the Crane School to craft a perfect Assassin's tool. Going to extremes and not being hampered by breaking a few laws, he might have started with the dead body of a young boy (maybe he killed him himself) and resurrected him as a living weapon who's mind is totally devoted to him.

Of course, Tien had a dramatic change in his course in life. He left behind the Assasin's road to travel an honorable path. And Chiaotzu and him are enjoying life.

But what I can't help but wonder is what will happen to Chiaotzu after Tien finally passes? Will he find another fighter to glom on to? Will he finally find a life for himself? Or will he stand by Tien's grave still devoted to his master?

Chances are - we'll never know. But we can theorize about it.

[roy-dcm2]

Zelda Theory - Saria is Missing

I'm pretty sure I'm not the only one who believes this, but I'm still going to put it out there. It's my headcanon really, I believe that in Majora's Mask, Link is actually looking for Saria, not Navi.

Of course, Nintendo's official stance is that he was looking for Navi, but keep in mind that Nintendo used to say there was only one Link in all the games. What I'm saying is that they can change their mind whenever they want.

Really, there's only two data points to back up my theory.

First, let's consider how vague the instruction booklet is about why Link is looking for someone:

"Done with the battles he once waged across time, he embarked on a journey. A secret and personal journey... A journey in search of a beloved and invaluable friend... A friend with whom he parted ways when he finally fulfilled his heroic destiny and took his place among legends..."

A beloved, invaluable friend that he hasn't seen since the end of Ocarina of Time. That could refer to Saria or Navi.

But, I find it hard to believe Navi could be called Beloved. How long did he know Navi? A month? Three months? And he very clearly sees Navi leave at the end of Ocarina. Are we supposed to believe that she left without saying a word? I mean, if they were close enough that Link thinks of her as Beloved, she would have told him something.

Meanwhile, imagine that Link goes back to the Sacred Forest Meadow and Saria is gone without a trace. She's not in her house, and not even in the Forest Temple.

Remember, Saria says that it is destiny that they cannon live in the same world. Sages become Spirits when they're awakened. (The Japanese call this Kamikakushi - spiriting away.)

Now, the second data point is at the end of Majora's Mask. At the end of the game, the Skull Kid says Link -

What a weird way to cap off the game, don't you think? I mean, according to NIntendo, Link was looking for Navi this entire time and we end with "You smell like a sidequest."

We're supposed to assume that this is the same Skull Kid that appears in the Lost Woods that you can "teach" Saria's Song to.

But, here's the thing, that doesn't happen unless you do that Sidequest. You could completely miss it if you don't go exploring.

So, my stance is that it was Saria herself that taught the Skull Kid the song, since she spent so much time in the Lost Woods. It would make more sense, narrative wise, that Link was looking for Saria, and the game ends with "You smell like Saria. I was friends with Saria. We should be friends!" (Obviously, I'm reading between the lines)

Majora's Mask is a game about the little things. It's about how people affect each other's lives, and no matter how isolated we may seem, we're all connected. Just like Link left an indelible mark on Termina, Saria affected those around her, too. Even in their absence, the people we care about still affect us today.

[roy-dcm2]

The Squad of Evil

Here's a lighter one - Link is always backed up by Zelda and the rest of the sages, it be cool to see Ganon lead a squad of nameable underlings.

So, I'm going to list them off real quick. It's a gaggle of mooks that give a real Saturday Morning Villains Group vibe when you think of them all together.

The big boss man can't be the only sorcerer, he's too busy to handle taking to the hero face to face, week to week, so Agahnim is a fine substitute. He's usually running on borrowed power, being just an extension of Ganon himself.

Next people hanging around Ganon's evil squad are his surrogate mothers Koume and Kotake. They specialize in Fire and Ice Magic, but also feature Mind Control abilities. It was likely they who got most of the Gerudo to join Ganon's side. Their specialty is more RITUALISTIC magic.

Onox and Veran are two other underlings for the Demon King. Onox is notable for his impressive armor and defense, and the ability to transform into a dragon. While sexy sorceress Veran is known for impersonating people, and can transform into a monstrous insect queen.

Then there's Ganon's pet beasty, The Helmaroc King. It is the largest of Ganon's underlings (Not counting Dragon Onox) and is very intelligent for a bird - known to kidnap important people.

Zant, the Usurper, was just a puppet. Being cast out of the Twilight Realm really warped his mind, making him unstable and prone to fits of violence. Speaking of violence, while Onox is famed for his defense, King Bulblin loves BATTLE, and rides into battle on his armored boar (Bulbo).

Finally, there's the berserk robot pirate Servo. Can't have a gaggle of villains without a pirate. He's technically not on Ganon's side, but he'd be the only member of the squad with a sword. (Other than Ganon.)

It is not very single demon or villain from the Legend of Zelda. (I don't want to be here all day.) Many people will tell me that it's already been done in Hyrule Warriors. I just wanted a good mix of Magic users and Warriors.

I wish there were a Lynel that had a name. I like a few of the bosses from Zelda 2.

oh, also Master Kohga.

[roy-dcm2]

DBS Super Hero Reaction

I finally watched Dragon Ball Super Hero. Here’s my thoughts.

I think it’s weird that in a movie with the term “Super Hero” in the title, that LOVES to make overt references to the past, we don’t get any mention of Great Saiyaman 1 / 2. Of course, it’s all an allusion to Gamma 1 / 2 as Tokosatsu-style heroes.

Honestly, it’s really fun to see Magenta POV from the outside looking in and telling us what some people THINK is going on with Capsule Corp. I imagine he put this together from the scraps of information that he could glean from Dr. Gero’s observations. It does track.

People know about Nappa and Vegeta arriving. The Saiyan’s pod ended up at CC. And it would be easy for people to spot the Namekians living in Capsule Corp. So, you could conclude that Bulma is getting access to Alien Tech. But, Magenta also assumes that the Capsule technology is rooted in alien tech. As far as we know, it isn’t. And then Magenta jumps to the conclusion that CC is paving the way for an alien invasion… without evidence.

Obviously, Magenta is biased. Being a military organization, everything looks like a battle. He can’t contemplate that the Saiyans and Namekians are essentially refugees, and CC is just being philanthropic.

Overall, the movie is just fun! It has those original Dragonaball references for old fans like me, and the Tokusatsu stuff for the younger audience (in Japan). They are being cheeky with the Goku and Vegeta stuff. Whis forces them to fight without transforming because they had no idea what was happening in the manga. (They made this movie in the middle of the Granola arc, even though it takes place AFTER it). So, they couldn’t show off Ultra Instinct / Ego.

As I like to say, the movies are just more, and this movie gave us a bunch of really great Piccolo scenes. Him chastising Gohan, pretending to be a Red Ribbon solider, all the stuff with him and Pan. The main event fight doesn’t start until about an hour in… so, we get more time of them NOT fighting than fighting. I love it.

This is Piccolo's movie... and I don't want to hear any BS about "Piccolo is Gohan's real dad." As much as I like Piccolo. Piccolo spends half the movie telling the audience that Gohan isn't good enough. Then at the climax, Piccolo just expects Gohan to find it in himself to defeat Cell Max. Which is the the EXACT same thing Goku did during the Cell Games! Except Goku ALWAYS believed in his son!

With that all being said… I kinda wish this wasn’t canon.

Mainly, because as good as the set up is, the conclusion feels unearned. It might be a consequence of being a movie, but (in my opinion) when you have two big character developments, at least one of them should feel triumphant.

First, it irks me that Piccolo wishes to unlock his hidden power and Shenron “throws in something else.” Why can’t it just be his hidden power? Now I’m wondering what the fuck that symbol is. And this is the second time someone has WISHED for a power-up. It feels really lame and unearned. It kinda sucked when they did it for Super Saiyan God, then it sucked again when SS Blue just happened. Now, we have Orange Piccolo on that list.

Maybe they’ll explain it better in the manga, but what made SSj1 (and SSJ2 to a different extent) was how well they seeded them before they appeared. (SSJ3 sucks because they didn’t build up to it correctly.)

My theory is that it's a mix of Ultra Instinct / Ego, but it still doesn't explain how he managed to tap into either of them. You could say because Gohan talks about practicing the "demon drill" in secret, he's also been training with UI-UE in secret too.

Then there’s Beast Gohan. 25 min into the battle, Piccolo gets bodied, and Gohan rages out. I’d like to know why this isn’t just the SSJ2 transformation? What is this transformation? Where did it come from? I have my theories… but from a narrative perspective, it’s just a dues ex machina. SSJ1 was not a dues ex machine – it had real ramifications after it happened. Beast Gohan appeared to resolve the plot and then disappeared.

They need to do what they did with Slug and say - that wasn’t a real transformation. Then actually explain what "Beast Mode" is supposed to be.

7/10 – The spectacle is great, but the best part is the first half. Feel free to leave your comments (and theories about Beast Gohan) in the comments below!

[roy-dcm2]

FF8 Theory - Ultimecia is...

Here is a crack theory that has no real evidence, just wild speculation on my part. Stop me if you've heard this one, Ultimecia is Rinoa.... 's mom.

Ultimecia is Julia Heartly.

Here's my angle. Julia Heartly was a Sorceress all along, and she tried to keep it hidden, but the Galbadian government found out and tried to kill her. So, she faked her down death and went into hiding to keep her family safe. Caraway would tell everyone she died in a Car accident.

Using her powers, she accidentally teleport herself across time into the far flung future, where hardship and loneliness drives her mad. She masters her sorceress powers, growing ever stronger, until she decides to remake the universe as she sees fit, and begins her plan to cause Time Compression.

It kinda fits... I mean Edea was like "mom" to 5 of the main cast, the one that wasn't, her mom is the main antagonist.

And there you go. Spread it around, if you like it.

[roy-dcm2]

FF Theory - What is Griever?

Ruminations on Griever. What is Griever?

For starters, let's consider its name. While in English, its name means someone who is grieving, someone who is sad, usually sad about the loss. Seems fitting for someone like Squall to attach himself to something like that. But, (if you want to believe the FF Wiki) in Russian the name Griva means mane, like the mane of a lion, which would be more organic to the world.

Let's talk about it origin in the world of Final Fantasy 8. While in the English version, Griever is only called the Strongest Guardian Force that Ultimecia summons from the aether (or maybe from the Void between dimensions). In the Japanese version (If you trust what the FF Wiki says), instead Ultimecia seems to be summoning Griever from the mind of Squall.

(It's like Ghostbusters, where Zool asks "choose the form of your destroyer.)

Now, we already know that Griever is the monster that is on Squall's ring, it's also on his necklace, and on his gunblade. But, did Squall make him up?

(Squall's origical character, do not steal, lol. Squall's fursona lol)

No, he did not.

It can be very easy to miss, but if you watch FF8's very long ending sequence, the game ends looking up at the moon, and you can see Griever's silhouette on the moon.

We can extrapolate from this detail, what is Griever actually in the world of FF8.

Remember that in FF8, the monsters come from the Moon. So, it's easy to assume that people looking up at the moon, saw the figure of a lion and started to build a legend around it. That this giant lion on the moon was the Guardian Force that was fighting those most dangerous monsters on the moon, protecting the world.

It's easy to imagine a young Squall hearing these stories when he was at the Orphanage, or at the start of his SeeD training, and he latched on to this legendary Guardian Force as a personal symbol.

I guess I could call it my own headcanon.

[roy-dcm2]

Pokemon Theory - Why Pikachu lost to Snivy

I'm late to the party, what with Ash's journey ending, but here's a short theory about why Pikachu lost to Snivy at the beginning of Pokemon Black and White.

It's not about levels its about wattage.

It's firmly established that Pikachu store their electricity in mainly their cheeks, that's why you get zapped in you touch them in the Pokemon games.

My theory is that Pikachu works like a battery. Over the course of a journey, he builds up electricity in his body, which he dispenses using his electrical attacks. He doesn't go up in levels, what's actually happening is that PIkachu is steadily increasing the wattage of each Thunderbolt attack.

With ordinary pokemon, he doesn't use that much power, but when they get to the Pokemon League battles, Pikachu really starts to crack up the wattage of each Thunderbolt attack.

Being like a battery, that battery eventually drains.

And that's what happened.

The reason Pikachu lost to Snivy was because he had used up most of his built up energy fighting Latias weeks earlier.

That's it. It's up to you if you believe it or not.

[roy-dcm2]

Circe should be Diana's Arch

Like every comic book fan, I have my own ideas on how to change a character, and, for me, one of the biggest oversights is that The Cheetah is often depicted as Wonder Woman's archvillain.

I am convinced that the only reason Cheetah gets the spotlight is because she was on the Superfiends cartoon half a century ago. But it doesn't make any sense. An archvillain should be the hero's opposite, look at the other members of the DC Trinity -

Batman / Joker = Order vs Chaos

Superman / Luthor = Brawn vs Brains (or Altruism vs Selfishness)

Wonder Woman / Cheetah = Truth vs FURRY?

(Or you could make the stretch and say Peace vs Violence, or Humility vs ... doing things the easy way, which is what WW1984 went with.)

It feels so forced.

If I was in charge of DC Comics, I would put more emphasis on Circe, the Sorceress, as Wonder Woman's true archvillain. Think about it... what is Circe most famous for? She's a mythological character that transformed Odysseus' men into pigs during the Odyssey.

These transformations are lies. They're not a person's true self.

And Diana is the Spirit of Truth. She was even the Goddess of Truth, for a bit.

See how it makes for a better dynamic?

Not only that, but being an all powerful sorceress, Circe has access to more resources than the Cheetah. If Circe can't conjure something with her Magic, she can enchant people to do her steal it for her. She can turn men into beast warriors to serve as an army, or impart powers on women. (Like, I would change Silver Swan to be one of her minions.)

Finally, and the most controversial change, I would make Circe every bad idea about Wonder Woman.

Ignorant people have a skewed perception of what Wonder Woman is - a man-hating, lesbian that thinks women should be in charge, preaching peace through violence. (That's fascism.)

(You could also maker her a TERF)

Expanding on that, Circe thinks men are worthless, but regular women are still beneath her, and she can be vain and shallow. She mainly appreciates beautiful women, as long as they don't displease her. She likes to turn men into animals, but women she'll turn to stone, so she can still appreciate their beauty without having to put up with their personalities.

They say the opposite of love isn't hate, it's control. Circe wants to control everyone, make them bend to her will.

Diana's philosophy is "loving submission." Both partners need to out their trust in each other to look out for one another.

It would be a controversial change, since Diana's arch would come off like an obsessed, jilted lover, but here's always been homoerotic tones underneath Joker and Luthor's obsessions with their archrivals. In this modern era, we can get away being more upfront about it. You just got to tread lightly.

DC has played with it a little bit, using Circe as Diana's rival in the DC Trinity comic, but her appearances are still few and far between. Plus, we had Cheetah in the WW1984 movie, giving the audiences more exposure to that dead end.

Oh well, now that I said it, it'll never happen, but I like Tumblr as a place to post my fanfiction ideas.

What do you think? Who should be Diana's archrival? Are you a fan of the Cheetah. Feel free to leave a comment.