#he ruined ganondorf's life

[caramel-catss]

rewatching episode five of hero's purpose... noticed this about how link looks at ganondorf as he appears before him

vs how ganondorf sees link when he realizes who he is

[waywardsalt]

i love having post ph ideas and no idea where on the timeline they go

[vampire-wizard-solidarity]

a lot of people have already pointed out how totk has a lot of themes of imperialism and generally leans conservative ideologically, but what i think is interesting is how totk subtly redefines what a “researcher” is.

zelda wants to be a researcher in botw, and what this means in the context of botw is largely someone who works with sheikah technology. she wants to figure out ancient sheikah tech, she has an interest in botany and otherwise nature and biology (the whole silent princess and the frog thing), robbie and purah, the two characters who are the closest to us seeing what a researcher in the context of botw is are basically inventors. in totk, however, the main researchers who are presented to us are all historians.

this is an interesting pivot, because in botw zelda is not really interested in history. if anything, the one who’s deeply concerned with history is rhoam, wanting to preserve historical tradition and his uncritical reliance on said tradition and historical precedent is what leads them to their doom. in botw, zelda is narratively opposed to history, if anything, all the ancient tech backfires on them and traditions fail to awaken zelda’s power. zelda’s urge to be a researcher is in wanting to understand the world around her, not just blindly follow ancient plans but rather have agency within them.

totk, however, is obsessed with ancient plans. the only real moment where zelda gets to geek out in totk is her getting all giddy about finding out more about the divine origins of hyrule. all the researchers in the game are concerned with finding out more about the zonai. since all the mentions of ancient sheikah technology are scrubbed from the game purah and robbie read more as strange outliers, the sheikah slate is no longer, now it’s the purah pad, a product of purah rather than something larger. the whole game is literally about following an ancient plan, a plan most characters don’t fully understand as they sign up for it. totk’s main story is built on confusion, on the characters not knowing what’s fully going on but having faith in ancient sages telling them what to do. in botw, following ancient plans you don’t fully understand was the thing that doomed you. in totk, following ancient plans you don’t fully understand is the gimmick.

that juxtaposition between the two games has an ideological through line: botw posits that progress is necessary. mindlessly relying on tradition doesn’t work. prophecies are omens, not instructions. history must be learnt from, not repeated. the ancient sheikah aren’t a group to be emulated, but rather to be learnt from, considering their machinery backfired and the royal family betrayed them. totk, however, is obsessed with the mythical history of hyrule, a time where everything was idyllic until one bad man showed up, a time we must emulate in order to win. i already talked about how the past in totk is zelda’s life pre calamity but better here, but that also plays into the idolisation of that era and its royalty. in botw, even the myth of the first calamity preserves the fact that the yiga clan has origins in the royal’s family persecution of the sheikah, even the time when they successfully held back the calamity is tinged with mistakes that still affect the world ten thousand years later. in totk, ganondorf’s origins are nebulous. nobody provoked him, nobody did anything wrong, he’s just evil because he is.

a lot of right wing ideologies are hinged on preservation, but more than that: the belief in the nebulous mythical past in which everything was better. “make america great again”, the fascist’s idolisation of ancient rome which is represented largely inaccurately, look at any conservative rhetoric and you’ll see people complaining about how things nowadays are ruined or are being ruined, how in the past things were this way and they’re not anymore, which is bad. the belief in the fact that in some past period we were great and are not anymore, and the strive to emulate that past is a trait highly typical of right wing ideologies. and in totk the past as a great era is an idea presented completely uncritically, the narrative is entirely controlled by the game and doesn’t dwell on any of the inconsistencies in this idea.

now, obviously, not every story in which a great ancient era exists is fascist, right wing or conservative. but to me what’s interesting specifically in totk is this shift between the two games: botw is critical of the past. it’s critical of arrogantly repeating history, it’s critical of having blind faith in great relics of the past. totk isn’t. totk idolizes the past, totk tells legends and tells you to believe them without any doubts. botw believes researchers are those who seek to understand the world, innovate it and solve problems without relying on ancient ways. totk believes researchers are those who discover ancient instructions, ancient ways and relay them to great men in the present to be followed. the four mainline regional quests in botw are about discovering four ancient relics that are terrorising the land and fixing the mistakes of the past. the four mainline regional quests in totk are about discovering four ancient legends are true, and receiving instructions from an ancient sage on what to do.

totk is not simply neutral, it is ideologically conservative in stark contrast to botw, because of the things it chooses to leave uncriticised, notably the things botw was very poignant about examining critically. the way totk redefines what is a researcher is indicative of this, indicative of the way it chooses to idolize or present as an unexamined good that which was nuanced in botw. totk isn’t just conservative in the sense that it presents uncritically a “good king” and “evil conquerer”, it goes deeper, it’s notable because botw was starkly opposed to the thematic axioms totk presents.

i just think it’s very interesting that they made a sequel to botw, and completely redefined or otherwise ignored botw’s thematic core.

[ganondoodle]

totk rewritten (for me, specifically)

since i dont have time to get to drawing it right away AND im worried people might take this the wrong way, i thought i could write out some bullet points about my rewrite of totk (meant as a fix FOR ME not saying its inherently better) to give you a better idea on what im going for:

the core structure largely remains the same, the biggest change is no time travel, thus making zelda your travel companion, and zonau tech being lagerly gone/broken with shiekah tech instead

it is not shown but said in dialog that shiekah tech, such as the ancient furnaces, shrines and towers are either turning off or have flickering power supply and purah having calculated that all their connections point towards beneath hyrule castle

game starts pretty much the same as real totk, most zonau ruins are so withered away that they are barely recognizable and the further you get down theres more and more shiekah tech pipes and occasional a miasma vein, some pipes are broken and spill miasma, others flicker

instead of the room with the wall carvings theres one with old ancient shiekah research remains, old broken tech and prototypes you dont what their purpose was, all documents are too withered to read but zelda finds one that was sealed in a container and takes it with her (she got a backpack now)

theres a structure similar to the bed thingy of the shrine of life from botw but its working in reverse; within it is sealed ganondorf (i gotta work out the details around it still)

(details still missing) it breaks and zelda takes the enigma stone but doesnt touch it directly and puts it within a sealed container (you know kinda like you should do with soemthing you have no idea of what it is and was alsO LOCATED ON A CORPSE)

ganondorf isnt the elegantly talking villain type in this version but more of a mess, talking in different languages both modern and ancient but you cant make out any clear sentences, struggeling with suddendly being awake and half alive after spending thousands of years in an agonizing limbo, having witnessed every second of the passage of time yet also it feeling like everything just happened all at the same time

the ground breaks as he recognizes zelda (bc of her fighting calamity ganon in botw) but also not really, still sees her as a threat (also bc of the enigma stone in the container she still has in her hand) attacks her, link deflects with the master sword, it breaks and damages his arm, zelda drops her torch and pulls link away towards where they came in from and both run as the caves fill up with miasma like a flood with arms starting to reach after them while they both run back through the tunnels (creepy chase sequence anyone?)

cataclysm happens (ground breaks, miasma bursts out of the ground, especially where shrines and towers where since they were still connected to the pipelines) ground shifts massively in some places giving alot of the map a whole new structure; all shiekah tech that was not independent stops working due to power loss

links arm is amputated since otherwise the miasma would spread to his whole body; purah, robbie and zelda work out a prosthetic arm prototype to give to link (protoype at first will be upgraded at halfway point of the game) that can switch between multiple modes, like a hand to hold normal items or a weapon that isnt crafted, and a fusing ability (though maybe limited in the prototype) that lets you make weapons similar to the weapon fusing in canon totk (potential upgrades including an extendable guardian arm that doesnt break, grapple hook anyone??, also the ability to build stuff out of shiekah tech parts, not glue needed you actually screw it together, maybe zelda even helps)

now you are given free roam of hyrule, the goal is to explore and find what has changed and check on people, see what the underground has, new monsters have spawned etc.

zelda is your companion the whole time, she can use the shiekah stone/purah pad to analyze enemies for you, she also carries at least a dagger for her own self defense but doesnt contribute much to the fight (subject to change maybe), you can talk to her anytime and she usually has something to comment on depending on where you are or what you just did, can give you tips and advice IF ASKED FOR IT, when you discover ancient ruins, whether zonau or shiekah, she can either decipher it for you or take photos for later to find out more about everything that has happend and what it means, she also takes part in conversations when you talk to someone, her outfit changes with yours (meaning when you wear the tingle set she wears it too, opens up alot of funny interactions njfkdk)

purah has built new towers but they function different (still working on the details) mainly that they function independent from the energy source in hyrule castle

there are floating islands but they are bigger and in more connected clusters, when reaching them its ancient withered ruins that the ancient shiekah built support around (like the platform used by monk miz kyoshia) to keep them afloat; there are building like observatories and research labs, but all very overgrown due to being up there for so long, theres a titan prototype on one of the islands, its shaped like a whale and zelda deciphers it was called vah narisha (reference to the whale deity in skyward sword) (i havent decided yet if its fully broken and just a big piece of enviroment to explore or half functioning floating around, or maybe first broken but later half repaired so it can fly around at least giving you an easier way to reach other island, you cant steer it tho) some of them are falling bc of energy loss but the bigger ones have independent energy sources (work in progress)

the underground has more diverse zones depending on which part of the map it is located on, there are old mines (for luminous stone) from the zonau but all is extremely withered, in each one its been mostly built over by the shiekah but there are construct remains that were clearly dissected and studied, half built shrines and towers, you can find collectibles and lore there (working on more details, but an idea was to include remains of ancient shiekah tha fled there when they were persecuted by that old king of hyrule, adding to the eery vibe)

some titans (maybe two, and the other are still on the sruface, like vah medoh) feel down during the cataclysm, broken apart or malfunctioning/ possibly being a boss as in they were used by a big cluster of miasma hands like a hermit crab uses its shell, the inside filled with eyes and different sized hands dragging itself towards you like a drowing man grabs after anything to save him)

dongos are your go to transportation here and a little different, when you call one they dig a path to you (not permanent, just so they can always spawn near you) they glow in the dark and can climb on walls (bc why not), and can point you towards the next objective/point of interest, likely where theres a high concentration of luminous stone since that is what they eat and its usually where old mining/construction sites are (still working on a replacement for light roots that are less invasive)

the rat from the trailer is a miniboss/boss you need to defeat in order to get the broken mastersword back into your possession

(im still working on how the sages work, but the idea is to incorporate their abilites for more efficient and reliable use into links shiekah prosthetic, so you can still use their abilities but only when you actually want)

(again still working on details) halfway point of the game is you trying to find out where ganondorf went, not intending to fight necessarily but just to find out more but it devolves into you fighting some sort of miasma monster (either him or some sort of manifestation he made) and you get a bunch of short memory flashes from him, all vague and a wild mess from both the time he was sealed and from the time afterwards, maybe even a perspective shift from when link was fighting dark beast ganon, but from ganons view, from zelda when she was keeping that manifestation in check, random views from the malice eyes from botw, from the blights, maybe even from the fight with the old and new champions, from the point when shiekah built their tech around him while he had to watch not able to do anything etc.)

links arm gets upgraded from prototype to a full prosthetic, opening up more fusing abilites and other things (like the grapple hook, again working on it, im open for ideas lol)

i will reblog this and add more over time if you want, but do let me know if you like it thus far, bc im still unsure if its worth the effort of working more on this QnQ

(also if you dont like just keep scrolling, i dont need to know that you hate it, it literally changes nothing but make me annoyed xD)

[flowering-thought]

Ganon brainrot won in my heart so here we are-

Please know that this version of Ganaon is influenced by BOTW and TOTK as I never got the chance to play the older games and I'm hopefully going to purchase TOTK soon (I'm a broke bitch so I look at spoilers in envy and awe). Also note that due to the complicated timeline of the games I'm going to say that Zelda has traveled back maybe 10,000 years because as of right now there's no telling how to fit it into the timeline for sure-

Not gonna lie I wanna do more of this, maybe a part two?? Should I do a part two?? I want to do more but I didn't want to make it too long-

Part One | Part Two | Part Three | Part Four

WARNING - MINORS DNI

AFAB reader and reader is described as feminine and chubby/plus sized.

Yandere themes, obsessive behavior, hints at stalking

Yandere Ganondorf x Archeologist Reader

Zelda and Link. Two people you had come to know well as you had helped Link grow used to life in Hyrule after waking from his 100 year nap.

You were an assistant who occasionally helped Purah but also looked for things to research on your own when you could.

And when Link had saved the kingdom from Calamity Ganons grasp? You had grown close to Princess Zelda, who shared many interests with you. You two got along quite well, having fun and sharing research with each other and having long conversations about the past and the link between technological advancements and a declining birthrate.

And with Link? You appreciated the times when you could just relax. You would both sit by the fire and relax or you would tell him stories to pass the time.

Before Link had managed to defeat Calamity Ganon you would empathize with the struggle of not remembering his past, of the emotions that came with the weight of the world on his shoulders. And you would help him find ways to find happiness in the small things, even talking with him and having conversations to make things seem less stressful than they were.

So with Link and Zelda by your side with ruins of the ancient past? What would you have to worry about? Zelda is knowledgeable about ruins and Link is strong enough to help either of you if something were to happen.

But things don't always turn out how you want them to be huh?

Walking up to what looked to be a corpse deprived of light and dehydrated to the point it was practically a standing mummy, a hand attached to its chest and a spiral of light emitting from the contact.

And as though it were fate, that hand detached, a stone falling with it. A part of you felt as though you weren't supposed to be here, you took a step back, behind Zelda and Link, your eyes fixated on the mummified corpse.

As if you had walked into some tale of horror, the cracks of bones could be heard from the body, it slowly moving in what could only be described as terrifying.

Just as it opened its eyes Link blocked the first attack, and you grabbed Zelda's wrist, ready to run with her if need be. And the shattering of the master sword echoed through the chamber.

"The sword that seals the darkness? Such a fragile sword cannot defend you from me." He stated, a raspy voice speaking out.

"Zelda.. And you who carries that sword are Link." He continued.

The conversation did not last, another attack carried and both you and Zelda are knocked into the abyss. And even if it would be your death, you did not let go of Zelda, knowing that you'd rather be together in death should you die from that fall.

But all you saw was a burst of light before you inevitably passed out, your consciousness fully collapsing as the world around you changed.

And then there you were, in a field in Hyrule, both you and Zelda lain among the grass for a certain King and Queen to find you.

Zelda was the first to awaken to their voices, explaining who she was to them before they explained their own title.

And just before Zelda could gasp, you awoke. You held yourself as you woke up before fully awakening and looking around frantically for Zelda.

You didn't mind the strangers as you crawled over quickly to check for wounds, "Are you okay? You didn't get hurt?" You asked.

And upon realizing where you were, and looked upon by strangers, both you and Zelda explained what had happened to the young King and Queen as they brought you to the peak

Of course what followed was being brought to the founding kingdom of Hyrule, Rauru and Sonia treated Zelda like their daughter, smiling and making sure she was well fed.

They had claimed that both you and Zelda were distant relatives despite you saying you were not a part of the Hylian royal family. But they stated it would be better to claim that for now.

And while they treated Zelda like their child, when it came to you they were gentle as though you were someone they loved. You did not have powers like them and so they made sure you had a guard with you at all times.

Often times you would be found by the pair with Mineru, both of you enjoying different topics and you found immense enjoyment from learning everything that the Zonai technology could offer.

Sometimes you would actually fall asleep in Minerus office, and you could have sworn one time to hear Sonia and Rauru conversing as your head was supported by a lap and your hair pet gently. It was such a warm and gentle feeling so you eventually drifted back to sleep only to wake up in your chambers the next day.

And then, the one and only Gerudo King known as Ganondorf made his appearance.

Far too many times had you seen the depictions of a monstrous beast called Ganon, and upon hearing the name in another form you could feel shivers roll down your spine.

You stood next to Zelda, deciding to take your mind off of the King and look to his group, finding the differences in the attire of the past and future was fun to you rather than thinking about the anxiety that came with meeting Ganondorf.

And while you gazed at his group, Ganondorf had been staring at the stones for a time, noticing Zelda had one so he assumed that you would as well. And as soon as he noticed you did not have one he should have brought his gaze back to Rauru but he couldn't.

The way those robes fit on your figure, your soft looking features and that gaze of intelligence and warmth in your eyes had him nearly move his head to look right at you. But of course he knew better than to make his interest clear right in the throne room.

He couldn't keep his eyes off you, even when he and his group of warriors were escorted to different chambers to rest he had your face in mind. And before he was escorted to the separate nicer chamber he would stay in for his standing in the Gerudo tribe was the highest, he pulled two warriors aside and told them to keep an eye on you in secret, to learn more about you.

"And what kind of information on her would you like us to gather?" One asked, prepared for whatever her king would ask of them.

"Everything." He stated, turning to follow the Hylian maid who stood quite a bit away.

And so for an entire week, while observing many schedules of those who had the secret stone, he would try to find the places you tended to wander in.

He learned of the foods you prefered, how you spent a lot of your time either in the garden or the library, snacks such as fruit you often snacked on. He also found out the size of the robes you wore, getting a messenger to send that information back to the tribe to prepare you clothing. And he also tried his best to search into your orgins, but even most servants of the palace did not know where you came from.

It was frustrating that oftentimes you were with a member of the royal family or in places he couldn't get to without arising suspicion when it came to trying to get close to you.

Until finally, you were in the garden, only a single guard standing a couple of feet away as you sat in the grass and with a sketchbook open drew the different kinds of plants in front of you.

He found it beautiful. How your fresh flowed around you in the grass and your hunched form taking in the details of nature.

A part of him thought it suited you. But another thought how much better you would look smiling at him and waving him over.

But alas he had to make the first move.

So that's what he did, he stepped into the garden and made a light cough, the guard startling and immediately formed a stance while you turned to face what was only a pair of legs till you craned your head up to look at him.

You stayed completely still out of shock, till Ganondorf tilted his head a bit, wondering why you merely stared.

"Am I truly that shocking to see my lady?" He asked, a small smirk adorning his face. You nearly wanted to run but at the same time a part of you didn't want to create problems for Rauru or Sonia or even possibly Zelda so you decided to be neutral and scoot over a bit.

"Not as shocked as you would think, sit down and maybe I could see your face without needing to break my neck." You said, hoping that maybe he wouldn't be too interested so you wouldn't have to be too on edge.

But much to your surprise you heard a loud chuckle and next thing you knew had the King of the Gerudo sitting next to you in a garden of flowers.

You couldn't stand the awkward silence so you decided to form a conversation with him instead. "So how is your stay? I hope you're finding things enjoyable?" You ask, fumbling with the pages of your sketchbook, the notes written between the pages among illustrations and dried flowers and plants.

Ganondorf took in everything. How lovely your face looked up close, how tiny your hands were as you held that book in hand, and how your fingernails would get under a page to flip to another as you tried to make conversation.

He wanted you. He knew for certain then and there that he wanted you. It was love at first sight yes. But it wasn't the kind that he would throw away everything for until this point.

Now he understood the tales of foolish people throwing things they had worked hard for away for love. But it's a good thing Ganondorf is a greedy man. He'll have you first even if it means abandoning his first plan. He can always create another.

So as his mind processed these thoughts he gave a hum of confirmation before gazing down at you, "Do you know anything about the desert?" He asked. You would never know this was a conversation to prepare you for the harshness of the desert when he would eventually find a way to sweet talk his way into taking you there.

But unexpectedly you nodded and smiled, "Yes! While during the day it reaches its hottest point at noon, and its coolest point at midnight. But the sunsets and sunrises in the desert are breathtaking!" You started, smiling as you opened another page to some of the flora and fauna you've observed in the future.

"See I love how things can still manage to survive, it's so interesting how they form their own ways of survival and manage to thrive. Just like people do!" You stated.

"And how clear the sky looks at night when you're in the desert, it almost looks like an endless sea of stars. It does get cold at night but I've never been one to grow cold easily." You add, a bright smile on your face only keeping the man stunned in place.

How positive you were when he had only seen the negatives of his homeland. The vast desert is dry and harsh. He hated the Hylians who had taken for granted their habitable home and yet here he was, in love with a Hylian even before you would confess of your love for the desert.

You went on about how to build the most efficient homes, how staying near an oasis is the best move, and how white paint or tiles would help reflect the sun off the roofs. How different muds and rocks and soil can affect how to build a home there. And how you enjoyed the feeling of warm sand on your feet.

It took you at least an hour of talking to realize he had listened intently for a whole hour.

It left your face feeling hot and putting your book to cover your mouth and nose, hoping to cover up whatever blush had formed on your cheeks. "Sorry, here I am drawling on and talking your ear off." You muttered, avoiding eye contact but also realizing that looking at his well-toned body was a bigger mistake as you felt your heartbeat rise and then looked to the scenery to try and calm yourself down.

Ganondorf only chuckled, smiling as he set a hand on your head and gave your hair a little ruffle. "It's okay little Vai, I quite enjoy listening to you talk." He claims, getting up before looking down once more, "We should talk again." He adds.

And with that he walked off, leaving you slightly bewildered.

Unknown to you, that guard had reported back to Rauru and Sonia at the end of the day after making sure you were safe in your chambers.

The next day Rauru and Sonia would pull aside Zelda and Mineru while you were in one of the libraries researching.

"What do we do? Why on earth would he take an interest in Y/n?" Zelda asked, her hands held together in anxiety.

"He should have been targeting one of us. Someone who holds a secret stone. Y/n doesn't even have a stone!" She adds.

Mineru and Rauru sat silently in thought while Sonia put her hand over Zeldas, "Do not worry. I don't think he has the intention to hurt her." She claims, her calm voice carrying Zelda out of all the thoughts of you becoming hurt.

"But that doesn't mean he doesn't hold other intentions with her." Rauru says, looking slightly agitated as his gaze stays focused on the table.

"She wouldn't betray us. That much is certain. So if he doesn't seek to harm her or get information out of her, what could it be?" Mineru asks out loud, her question plaguing the thoughts of all four of them.

And they all knew only time could tell.

And unfortunately for them, Ganondorf would come to find you often, growing closer to you and making you feel comfortable around him. And due to that, coming up with a new plan to propose to his tribe and the warriors who followed him was easy.

He would take you as his wife. A surefire way to ensure a "peace treaty" between the Gerudo and Hylians. And your knowledge of the landscape and ways to improve their housing would prove useful for keeping his people safe, many warriors agreed with this plan as the longevity of their tribe mattered to them more than stealing a stone.

If they managed to strengthen their tribe with knowledge you could lend then they could form a better plan to take over Hyrule.

So with the support of his warriors, he asked to meet with the Hylian court, including you.

And it was tense. When you stepped into the hall, you could have sworn Sonia was on the edge of yelling and Rauru was bewildered. Zelda took notice of you and immediately brought you close to her and went closest to the thrones to keep you within reach.

You had made it late so you didn't know that Ganondorf had just announced his wish to marry you.

"Are you insane? You propose such a thing to keep the peace between our people?" Rauru asked, his voice commanding an answer from the brazen Gerudo King.

"But it is not unreasonable. I understand that Y/n is a distant relative yes? Not only is she of noble lineage she is also intelligent and capable of helping my tribe prosper. Would it not benefit both you and me? You would have my word of peace and know that your relative would be in capable hands and protected by my people as she would become one of us by wedding me, trying our people together." He concluded, looking straight at Rauru.

You were shocked at the information, never expecting to be proposed to by such a man. Yes, he seemed to be kind to you but how would you know he would keep his promise of peace? The history you read was different from this!

You felt overwhelmed as Rauru and Sonia went on about rejecting and Ganondorf would try to talk about the benefits. It took you a minute to collect yourself so you could speak.

"That's enough!" You yelled. You hated all the attention turning to you but this was your life. You were not going to allow anyone else to choose anything for you.

"Give me a couple of days. And I will reply to your proposal Ganondorf. Please allow me that." You stated. Rauru and Sonia wanted to object, and Zelda held onto your hand desperately.

Ganondorf smiled, giving a nod before speaking, "I hope you will give me good news soon my lady.".

After the meeting Rauru, Sonia, Zelda and Mineru profusely asked you to reconsider saying anything but no. That this was insane and that you don't know any of his intentions. It took at least an hour of their constant pestering for you to hole up in a library with snacks and comfort items.

You quite literally locked them out and spent your time reading to try and find any wisdom to help you.

Eventually you came across an old scroll, your body wrapped in a blanket and a few grapes in a bowl nearby while you read what this scroll had to say.

"Time is a complex device. One that has too many layers to have one conclusion. Some say time is final, that the past cannot be changed, and nor can the future. But some say that one single element can change that. The outcome is split into multiples and time divided. Should you find yourself at a crossroads and the future you envision challenged, take the chance for there is no telling if the future is sure. And if changed with a sure future, know that while things around you may change, you will not."

And with that you had decided.

You had bathed and gotten dressed and called a meeting to answer Ganondorfs request. And Rauru, Sonia, Zelda, and Mineru looked as anxious as can be.

And with a couple of words, fate was changed.

"I accept your proposal."

[nolongerapileofashprobably]

Should the dev team have committed to Zelda's draconification being permanent and have her stay a dragon at the end, and would that have made for a more honest and poignant ending than the one we got? Some fans think that the ending we got renders her sacrifice completely meaningless and devoid of impact.

The dev team absolutely should NOT have committed to Zelda’s draconification. It would have ruined the entire story and narrative for Zelda’s character and Hyrule itself.

Some people think it made the sacrifice meaningless and devoid of impact. . . But it didn’t. Her choice was her own and it was a statement of dedication to Link and Hyrule as a whole. It was also utterly tragic that she had to do this in order to heal the Master Sword. I am still in utter distress whenever I play the game and watch the memories, despite knowing the ending. Because it’s the tragedy she endured willingly that makes the sacrifice meaningful, not the permanence of it. The sacrifice would hold no value had it been a choice Zelda made knowing she would be reverted.

She didn’t. She thought it was permanent.

And I’m honestly tired of some of these fans just not wanting a happy ending for her character. She deserves peace and a happy life. That’s what she got, which is absolutely justified. And those who think of a story so plainly and only at the big picture miss the details and narratives that point directly towards the ending we actually got.

Let’s talk about if she didn’t turn back.

Firstly, we can start with simple things that personally can be reworked in the future but would create a hurdle for the devs in the future— Zelda would never die as a dragon, she is an immortal being. The Zelda series is quite literally founded upon a reincarnation cycle between Zelda, Link, and Ganon. And only one of them is linked through blood: Zelda. That would cause a bump in the whole reincarnation foundation.

Beyond that, Zelda’s character development would suffer with this choice becoming permanent.

Any fan upset by the ending doesn’t understand the implications of Zelda being granted a second chance. She dedicated her entire life before the calamity to training and praying, only to have her magic awaken AFTER the champions, her father, and nearly Link are killed. Her efforts for the next century keep her body suspended in time and keeps Ganon at bay through her light power. When she wakes up, she is granted a ‘second chance’. In reality, it is simply the life she fought for and rightfully deserved.

So after she made Hyrule her home again, unifying the scarcely populated land and invigorating its culture, she is once again forced to sacrifice everything. This time, she does so as a leader and as one who holds such strong power. Her journey as a Queen leads her to become the very leader she WANTS to be, not the one she was constantly reprimanded to be by her father and the old kingdom. And she learns this throughout her time in the past, with Rauru as her guide.

And that leads us to this point: the belief that to rule is to give up everything.

But where others are punished for this choice (despite Zelda’s warnings, Rauru’s ignorance of Ganondorf’s power leads to Sonia and his own death), Zelda is REWARDED for her choices.

Because she did not just claim that another will defeat Ganondorf and seal him away until present day like Rauru.

Zelda did much more. She raised the sky islands, made a promise with Mineru, solidified the aid of the sages, collected the Master Sword and chose to give LINK the best chance he could have against Ganondorf. Zelda did every single thing she could to ensure Ganondorf would be defeated. She even aids in the final battle, as her will is to end that evil and grant Hyrule the peace she herself will (presumably, to her own knowledge) never experience.

So when she is rewarded for her efforts, by being bathed in sacred light and her body reversed to its previous state. . . It is entirely in line with the narrative thus far. Additionally, Rauru and Sonia present themselves as a ‘second chance parents’ for Zelda. A supportive, patient father in Rauru. A guiding teacher and mother in Sonia.

Tears of the Kingdom mirrors Breath of the Wild in terms of Zelda’s development and story. To give an ending where Zelda remains a dragon. . . It would have been tragic and dishonest to the story that we got.

If you want to read something more in depth and not written by someone with one eye open, this post grants a well rounded answer to this question.

[turbofanatic]

Nintendy plz give me your live action Zelda movie I would not make it good but I would make it insane and that's honestly better.

So, from a gameplay perspective, it makes sense why the Hero of Time is the way he is when he shows up in Twilight Princess (the game that warped my brain forever). His purpose is to teach you how to fight some of the harder enemies, mostly darknuts and Ganondorf himself. So of course he HAS to be enormous, armored, and using some of Ganondorf's trademarks (the energy ball, phantom versions of himself, etc.).

BUT. Narratively? That's fascinating. Ganondorf ruined his life and Link ends up looking and acting like him? Sure he's still helping you defeat Zant and Ganondorf but wow there's a lot of potential backstory there. Majora's Mask also gives him an association with dark magic, what happens after that?

Also, the Hero of Time being part gerudo is not entirely pulled out of my ass (only partly). In Twilight Princess he's the largest "Hylian" model. We know gerudo/hylians without full gerudo features exist because of Telma (and there's some hints with Malon). The fierce deity has symbols of the tri-force (the hylian holy symbol) and a crescent moon on his breastplate (the crescent moon being the old symbol for the gerudo before Nintendo wised up slightly). I doubt this is what Nintendo intended (nintended...) but I think it makes sense and fixes a few things I kind of don't like about the franchise (not a fan of a single race being favored by the goddesses! That's gross!).

As for why he has darker skin now? Look, he lived in a forest with no direct view of the sky for nine years and then was in a coma in the sacred realm for seven years. He comes out pasty and gets a tan later.

[golvio]

Still thinking about the stark contrast between the general grim, highly-restrained stoicism of TotK Ganondorf’s human form compared to the exaggerated, rapidly shifting moods of “Yippee! :D Whee!! :DD Wahoo!!! :DDD *does a cute little backflip*” and “YOU STOP RUINING MY FUN RIGHT NOW OR I WILL THROW A BIG DIVO TEMPER TANTRUM AND WRECK EVERYTHING!” of his Demon King form.

Guy’s pretty obviously repressed as hell, and I think that’s one of the reasons he always goes off the rails the second he gets a chance to step out of his ceremonial One Special Man role. However, the fact that what he’s repressing feels so…childish, even the violent parts…I’m wondering if the guy ever got the chance to be a child when he was actually little.

Maybe he got yelled at and punished for making simple inexperienced baby mistakes the way Zelda was because he was under similar pressure to Fix Everything and symbolically parent all his adult subjects/family members as a Symbol of Hope that could soothe their fears and anxieties on-demand. (Not to mention Buliara’s mom raised a bit of a red flag about authoritarian parenting styles being common in Gerudo military families). Only instead of just suppressing everything and standing perfectly still and quiet in public while floundering in private like Zelda did, he got extremely skilled at convincing the people around him he was the mature, unflappable, strong, comforting, and eternally available collective cultural father-figure who’d guide them out of the hard times they were trying to hammer him into.

Only…that wasn’t real personal development, only the illusion of development. He encased his true personality in the superficial shell of the sexy manly-man hero that everyone wanted him to be. The second he was able to emerge from that shell without anyone being able to punish him for it, that inner traumatized little jerk immediately started lashing out in revenge at the people who held him to such an impossible standard in an effort to finally feel in control of his own life. It’s like a former child star melting down upon entering adulthood after being denied agency and independence by the studio they’re contracted with and their financially profiting family for so long, only with magic and the forsaking of one’s own humanity involved.

That underlying theme of metamorphosis throughout the game, echoed in Kotlin’s “dream,” could’ve been capitalized on here. The people loved the shiny gold cocoon the weak, helpless larva formed, begging it to never emerge so they could enjoy its beauty forever. But he knows, he knows that if he never breaks open the shell encasing him, he’ll die before he ever gets the chance to unfurl his wings. The form they love is incomplete, shallow, temporary. He’ll die if he can’t discard it. He would rather be alive and horrible to behold than dead and perfect. The people will hate what emerges from their jewel, but in this new shape he can sting and bite back, so let them hate him.

But, also, just…could you imagine if we had a chance to meet The Cocoon and the people who worshipped it, saying how much they love their king while knowing absolutely nothing about him, only to find out he had his own “secret sanctuary” much like Zelda did? Somewhere we could glimpse the soft, hungry insect of his soul that yearned to break free? What we’d see in the pieces of his secret joys scattered around and the scratches of his notes would be something ugly, bitter, childishly self-centered, yes. But in there would also be real passion, real feeling, a real life desperate to finally live that would make the handsome shell brandishing a sword feel hollow, uncanny, and downright off-putting by comparison.

[dragonridernoobie]

Hello! I don't know if you're still staring intensely at your inbox bored... but! I can give you something to do for a little while if you'd like . It's my first asking, so I'll try to be simple.

How about a one-shot of Ganondorf x reader, where they both used to know each other well romantically before ganondorf became the god of power. (When he was still the king of gerudo), the reader could've been a simple traveler who traveled through the desert (they could be injured due to battles against monsters on the way there) and found themselves in the gerudo town or something where they met him in the market in disguise cause he try sometime to find peace away from all the responsibilities once in a while and they bond over thing they both like.

Some time passes, and their feelings to each other grow more and more until the reader has to leave because of an emergency at their hometown (idk a family member is sick and they need special treatment that is very hard to get) so they leave while promising to ganondorf to come back once the situation is over. But they never do.

Heartbroken and angry ganondorf becomes the god of power, and after some times the reader goes back only to find out by the new ruler of gerudo that he became the man that brought hyrule to ruins.

Idk maybe something with a little bit of hope at the end? The reader could meet link and help him get to the palace. Like they see the man they fall in love with still inside the corrupted being in front of them. And tries to bring him back?

It's a long ask, and it's totally fine if you don't want to write it or have the time to do it (I know it's a lot energy to write) But if it gave you ideas for a new story or inspired you little than that's all that matter 😉. Anyways! Have a wonderful day or night.

A ask is never too long, I'm sorry if this took so long. I was trying to think of a way to make this a good way of writing it. Since I write in so many ways. So, I decided to make it seem like a story. I hope you like it or love it, I'm fine with either. Thank you for being Paitent!!!! (Also, i changed the story a bit since I've never seen or played BOTW2, and I rather not spoile it for my self.)

The story of the human and the Gerudo King

Long ago, when life was still new and people were still new to the land. Lived 6 different races that rule these lands.

The first hylians came to the land from the goddess Hylia. They created the Hylians as the first race of Hyrule.

And from that race, came all 5 other races.

Rito, hyilans who became one with the sky. Zoras, hyains who became one with the water. Gorons, hyians who became one with the ground. Gerudos, hyians who have split off and became one of their own.

They are a unique species since they only live in the desert. Where they first became is unknown hut they are known for being made of woman and woman only.

But every 100 years, a male is born from a Gerudo, and it becomes the new king of the Gerudo.

The six species are unknown. No one rarely sees them, no one knows about them, but we only know one thing.

They are wise. They have ways to cure the most evil sickness. They know how to survive in places that shouldn't be possible, and they are hard to kill.

Sadly, at one point in time, a king who was ruler of Hyrule found where these humans were and declared war on them. He slaughtered all of them. Their species were lost in time, and no one them about them.

And this is where our legend begins

Before calamity himself became, to be, there used to be a simple king of his lands of the Gerudo. His name was Ganondorf.

His people lived in the desert. They struggled but were happy. Ganondorf traded with people across the land. People always wanted to trade with the Gerudos.

So this is where ganondorf met his love.

He was on his way to a city when the bridge he rode on collapsed. He fell great distance and fell in the river below.

Ganondorf disappeared for weeks and his kingdom feared the worst. Intel Ganondorf arrived and even more unexpectedly that he had a few people with him.

Word spread around in the city that the king was alive and the city was happy.

The humans showed the Gerudos their ways, showed them how to get food in unique ways, showed them how to fight aginst sickness and even showed them how to plant foods in the desert.

While the humans showed them their ways, a human named (Y/N) and ganondorf grown feelings for each other. They were happy, and for years, the humans lived with the Gerudos. Even the human males.

Sadly, (Y/N) had to leave. They had to cross the land to reach another human settlement that are in need of help. They told ganondorf they will return and set corse.

Weeks past and ganondorf waited, and waited, and waited, he waited for days, weeks, and months. After so long, ganondorf became angry and hurt. Angry since (Y/N) has left and that the hyilans have caused trouble.

Hurt because he believes (Y/N) abandoned him. So he decided to declare war on the hyilans and kick out the humans.

This is where calamity came to be. When (Y/N) found out what has happened, they were stuck with grief and hurt.

When link awakened and they met (Y/N), they both agreed to defeat calamity. When link was able to defeat calamity (The first BOTW) (Y/N), talked to him before he was slayed by the light bow.

"I promise to keep fighting for you love. Please do the same...."

Once he was slayed, they fled away. Zelda and Link never saw them again. Though, they wernt gone forever. They where just praying and helping their remaining village survive.

Though (Y/N) hopes to have her love once more.

[aegon-targaryen]

Lost and Found

Zelink Week Day 1: Under the Stars | TP Zelink | read on AO3) | @zelinkcommunity

On the other side of the suspension bridge, Link took a deep breath of chilly air and released it in a long gust. From the back of her horse, Zelda could see the tension leaving his shoulders, could see the absent smile tugging at his lips. Trees bent down over the path to greet them with the sunset colors of autumn.

She had never visited Ordona before, but she did owe its Light Spirit a debt. She sent a silent prayer towards the spring as they rode past, as thanks for rescuing her and Link from Ganondorf’s warpath over a year ago. That was the first moment of quiet the two of them ever shared—his hand outstretched across the golden water, his fierce eyes softening as Zelda slid her fingers through his—but not the last.

“We’re here,” Link said, dismounting in the next clearing. Zelda’s eyes found the massive oak and followed the ladder up to the door carved into its trunk. As usual, he’d been overly modest in his description.

They tended to the horses and carried their bags up the ladder. The curved walls of the oak were lined with bookshelves and tools from the life he’d left behind. Wind rustled the forest outside, making the treehouse creak around them, and a faint smile flickered across Link’s face at the sound. He brushed his fingers over the wooden tabletop, finding it free of dust, and said with a sigh, “I keep telling Uli she doesn’t have to come in here and clean.”

“Is the bed up there?” Zelda wondered, studying the series of lofts overhead.

“Wouldn’t you like to know?” Link countered in a deadpan voice he must have picked up from Midna.

She swatted him playfully. “And here I was about to compliment your home!”

“Thanks. I’m glad you finally gave in.”

“Well, you were…persistent.”

“The harvest festival—”

“—only comes once a year, yes.” Zelda smiled at him. “But if I return to find my kingdom overthrown, I expect you to deal with the fallout.”

“You’ll return to find everything just as you left it,” Link decided, kissing her forehead, “because your hard work has paid off, and your people love you, and you deserve a break.”

Heat rose to her cheeks, and she was still trying to formulate a response when a shout rang out from the clearing outside: “Link’s here!”

Grinning from ear-to-ear, he pulled her back out into the brisk day. A group of children was running to meet him, and as soon as he dropped down from the ladder, the three older ones pounced, tackling him to the ground in a tangled heap of cheers and laughter. One little boy with round cheeks and a stoic expression stood apart, watching Zelda’s descent.

“Queen Zelda,” he greeted. “When you have time, I have several business propositions to discuss.”

Link had warned her about this. Zelda met the boy’s eyes solemnly. “You must be Malo. I owe you my thanks for repairing Castle Town’s southern bridge and remodeling that store in the square. Both have done wonders for commerce.”

He nodded, taking compliment as his due, though the almost imperceptible twitch of his mouth gave Zelda the impression that he wasn’t used to being taken seriously. On the ground, Link was still laughing with a kind of reckless abandon he’d rarely shown when they first came to know each other in the days and weeks after Midna’s departure. The entire world seemed a ruin then, and joy long out of reach; now it was right here in this sunlit clearing, wrapped around Zelda like a warm cloak.

She’d heard enough about these children that she could guess their names even before being told. Colin resembled his father, though something of his sweet, shy demeanor also reminded her of Link. Talo seemed the complete opposite of his brother, loud and curious, and Beth kept staring longingly at Zelda’s fine silk riding skirts and dark Sheikah cloak.

The children towed Link down towards the village, where people were rolling out log tables and hanging lanterns from the trees. She knew Rusl from his time in Castle Town; some of the others dipped into awkward bows or curtsies, and the mayor started stuttering out a formal greeting before Link stopped them with a roll of his eyes.

“Call me Zelda,” she said, the words unfamiliar and a little uncertain in her mouth—but she wasn’t here as queen; she was here as someone who mattered to Link.

And what a weightless feeling that was.

“Where’s Uli?” Link asked Rusl.

“Cooking. By the way, Fado could use your help with the goats.”

“How is he not better at that by now?” Link muttered, glancing at Zelda apologetically. “Fine, but we’re going to see Uli first.”

He led her across a shallow creek and up to a cottage on the hill. The moment he opened the door, the smell of pumpkin and cloves drifted outside, making Zelda sigh with longing. There was an older blond woman at the stove—looking remarkably serene despite the toddler bumbling around her legs and the mountain of dirty dishes in the sink—and another face she knew well from the Resistance.

“You came!” Ilia sang, rushing around the table to pull her into an embrace. Zelda hugged her back, surprised but smiling. The older woman kissed Link’s cheek and put her young daughter in his arms, crossing the room to take Zelda’s hands.

“Welcome, Zelda,” she said so warmly that it ached—in a sweet way, though. “I’m Uli. I’m so glad to finally meet you.”

“Thank you, Uli. I feel the same way.”

“I should go make sure Fado hasn’t been trampled by goats,” Link said, meeting Zelda’s eyes over the toddler’s head as she tried to grab at his earring. “You want to come with, or…?”

“I’ll stay and help.”

He smiled, glancing between her and his best friend and the woman who had raised him before he set the child down, stepping outside.

Uli took Zelda’s cloak as she shrugged it off. “Perhaps some tea? Please don’t feel obligated to help.”

“Link has been teaching me to cook,” Zelda replied, sensing her uncertainty about how to host a queen. “I’m always eager to practice.”

“Oh, wonderful. Perhaps you could chop those onions.”

Zelda got to work. She could still see Link through the window—Colin and Talo were shrieking in delight as they dangled from each of his arms; Beth clung to his legs, and he was pretending they all weighed a thousand pounds as he trudged dramatically towards the ranch with Malo trailing somberly behind.

“He looks good,” Uli observed.

“He looks happy,” Ilia agreed fondly.

Hearing the relief in their voices, it struck Zelda that the Link she saw out there, so removed from fear and doubt, was who he’d been before they met. He’d made peace with what he’d done for Hyrule—as much as anyone could—but that didn’t mean he would ever be carefree again.

Her eyes stung. Because of the onions, of course, nothing else.

“I’m grateful to you,” Uli said quietly, following her gaze out the window. “He’s been through so much that Rusl and I don’t understand. But he says that you see him clearly.”

That was true. No matter how different their backgrounds, there was so much Zelda shared with Link. The memories of neverending dusk, of wolves with bloody muzzles, of Midna’s coy smirk and stubborn pride. The scar Zelda’s unwilling blade had carved beneath his eye; the lightning-marks climbing up her limbs from when he’d redirected magic at her puppeted body. They were tied together in a way that had terrified Zelda at first—but that was before she’d loved him.

She wiped her stinging eyes and said simply, “He sees me too.”

For a long while, it was just the three women in the kitchen: chopping vegetables, making easy conversation, keeping the toddler out of mischief. Link popped his head in to see if Zelda needed rescuing, but she sent him off with a smile. The shadows grew long and the dishes came together one by one: pumpkin soup, pumpkin fritters, meat-stuffed pumpkin, pumpkin pie…

“Are we making anything that doesn’t include pumpkin?” she wondered at one point.

Ilia peered at her in bafflement. “Why would we?”

That seemed a fair point. The house smelled absolutely divine by the time they were ready to carry everything outside. The villagers were lighting paper lanterns to offset the fading daylight, turning Ordon into a world of flickering fireflies.

Dinner was a noisy affair, with everyone passing food and pumpkin cider around the log tables and shouting to be heard. To her own surprise, Zelda didn’t mind the noise. She liked the simple delight on the children’s faces when she answered their questions about life in the castle, the pride she felt when Link complimented her cooking, the teasing stories everyone told about his childhood. It was like the villagers all formed a circle together, and Zelda was inside its protection without question, despite her status and her past.

When the adults had a few pints down, someone broke out a country fiddle and began playing a lively tune that made the children jump up immediately. Everyone else followed but for Uli and Rusl, who lingered for a moment, exchanging glances while their daughter wriggled impatiently on the bench in between them.

“We just want you to know how happy we are that you came,” Rusl told Zelda quietly. “I don’t know what use a little farming town could possibly be for a queen, but you’ll always be welcome in Ordon.”

“Always,” Uli added quietly, and there was something perceptive in her soft gaze that suddenly reminded Zelda of her own mother, witty and devoted and six years gone. She managed a grateful nod as the couple finally got their daughter’s cooperation and joined the dance.

Colin grabbed his little sister’s hands, bouncing her around to the beat, while Uli and Rusl flowed together like an old river following its familiar banks. Ilia was giggling at her father as he stumbled through the steps. These people had suffered greatly under the Twilight—and surely they weren’t strangers to hardship before that, all the way out here at the mercy of the seasons—but they loved each other so freely, so simply, that it made Zelda’s throat constrict.

She had so much now: Link, Auru, her other friends in the Resistance, and a whole castle of people she was finally learning how to trust. But her family was long gone. And it was at times like this that she felt them most acutely. Her father wouldn’t have associated with these people, but she could almost see her mother dancing to the fiddle with her skirts swirling around her, unrestrained by duty or propriety.

Link’s hand found hers under the table. “You okay?”

“I—yes. It’s only…”

When she trailed off, Link squeezed her hand and suggested quietly, “Let’s go look at the stars.”

Zelda breathed out a sigh of relief as he led her towards the river, allowing the laughter and lanternlight to fade behind them. The sky over Ordon was breathtakingly clear, unimpeded by the lights of Castle Town. Instead of admiring its majesty, she buried her face in Link’s shoulder for a moment, feeling the rhythm of his pulse and the warmth of his hands as he stroked her hair.

“It must be hard for you to be here,” he ventured after a while. “I’m sorry.”

“Your family is wonderful,” Zelda said honestly. “It’s simply…complicated, for me. But it’s complicated for you to be with a queen, and that hasn’t stopped you. This won’t stop me.”

“I would never try to replace what you lost. But I’m here, Zelda. I’m always here.”

“I know,” she said, finally turning her gaze skyward. She’d spent a thousand sleepless nights this way, wishing she could pluck just one of those distant lights out of the black canvas to guide her path. Maybe she’d succeeded after all—because she had Link at her side now, keeping her company when everything else seemed dark. “Thank you, Link. For being here.”

“There’s nowhere else I’d rather be,” he said, drawing her in for a long kiss. She felt a smile tugging at his lips before he pulled away. “Except maybe my treehouse. I never got the chance to show you the bed.”

She laughed. “That’s for later. Would you teach me how Ordonians dance first? I only know the waltz.”

“Oh, Zelda,” Link said with all the soft sincerity of starlight, “I’d love to.”

When they returned to the music and the gentle orange glow of the lanterns, everyone smiled at Zelda in a way that reached past some barrier deep inside her to embrace the lonely, frightened girl she’d once been, before the landslide of events that started with Midna’s sharp-toothed grin and led to this moment, to these people. Link brought her into the circle, and under the gentle glow of the stars, Zelda learned to dance.

.

.

.

[izunias-meme-hole]

Okay, I keep hearing about the stuff about “TOTK is Pro-Imperialism” and I want to share my thougths.

TOTK isn’t Pro-Imperialism, but it isn’t Anti-Imperialism either

This debate has been surrounding The Legend of Zelda: Tears of The Kingdom for quite a bit, so I’m just here to state my thoughts on it based off of stuff from previous games, and stuff from in-game to try my best to form the clearest possible explanation to all of this. I apologize if this sounds like ramblings, I’m just trying my damnedest to condesce my thoughts on this matter into one post.

Point 1: Rauru is flawed, but not a monster

A fair amount of people think Rauru was the real evil, primarily due to the imperialism, but the reality is not exactly that. Rauru genuinely is a good man, and doesn’t exactly match the image of a conqueror or malevolent being in the end, but he does fall into an archetype the series likes presenting; The Questionable Hylian King. King Rhoam and Daphnes both fall into this category by both being men who would do whatever they can to preserve the Kingdom of Hyrule, but they aren’t exactly great people. Rauru however is a unique case, because despite having a good heart, he is still questionable because of how he was planning to build his kingdom, the stash of Zonai Secret Stones that were just kept in the castle at the time, and based off of how he planned to handle Ganondorf before the bastard became the Demon King, he didn’t consider the potential problems. 

As for the Imperialism, based off the scraps of info we have on the Zonai, and the fact that Rauru even considered on having that be the base for the system that Ancient Hyrule would function on once, it leads me to believe that the Zonai Civilization was most likely an empire that lived in the skies that mostly kept to itself and was around since Skyward Sword. Still, empires are destined to fall, and as a result, only 2 young Zonai were left, Rauru and Mineru. I think that when Rauru was founding Hyrule with Sonia, he was most likely thinking about the Zonai Civilization, and what aspects of that he could carry over into this new kingdom. Still, it’s clear that when building Hyrule, the one thing he DID consider was that he wanted a kingdom and land that would bring peaceful and orderly, and he might’ve flirted with the idea of a United Hyrule after finding out about the other races and civilizations.

Rauru if anything, wanted order. He wanted Hyrule to be a land that wasn’t sullied by evil, and he had good intentions and a good heart, but his methods were flawed at best and just garbage at worst. If anything, Zelda and Link are meant to basically are meant to look at him and learn what NOT to do when rebuilding Hyrule. Order may be something that’s usually associated as something good, but it just depends on who’s trying to establish it.

Point 2: Ganondorf has a motive and it’s one that brings only chaos

I hear talks about how Ganondorf has no motive in this game, but that isn’t the case here. This is mostly denied with some lines of his english dub and his motive is explained clearly in the Japanese dub. He, much like his other incarnations, is one of those antagonists who follow “The Mandate To Heaven,” which is basically a “the strong thrive while the weak perish” mentality that was used by a lot of real life emperors and conquerors, however there’s also another element to his character that seperates him from other incarnations of the character. He’s an embodiment of chaos and is aware of it.

Look at Ganondorf’s Demon King design, and his personality in this game and tell me that he isn’t chaos incarnate. Ganon has ranged from being a classic villian, a tragic villain, and magnificent bastard as a human, to a generic doomsday villain in his beastial forms. But here? He’s aware of his capacity for causing chaos and uses it to his advantage to ruin Rauru’s attempt at establishing order. Not only that, but he believes that hard times make people strong, and that anyone who desires peace is a coward. He and the Gerudo have thrived in a chaotic environment, The Desert, however while the rest of the Gerudo wish to just be left the hell alone, Ganondorf wished to extend his reach across the land, and after becoming the Demon King, his first act was to revive dead monsters, reintroducing chaos into the world as a result. He abandoned the Gerudo for the sake of his goal to dismantle the young Kingdom of Hyrule and turn the land into a hellscape where only the strong can thrive, a hellscape ruled by him, a king who MUST crush any opposition and rule.

This is a similar, yet different take on Ganondorf that not only remains true to his kingly mentality, but carries a chaotic and destructive energy that helps cement him as a true enemy to order as a concept, and not a king who’s selfish heart caused him to go power mad (OOT, TP & WW) or a genuinely good leader who still carries a monstrous and power hungry side to him (HW). This Ganondorf is not just evil, nor is he just a conqueror. He’s the enemy to peace and order, no matter who’s trying to establish it, all because peace and order doesn’t align with his worldview.

Point 3: Zelda is not a monster, but she does carry an impact

This one should be obvious, especially since Hyrule was still realing from The Calamity, but apparently it isn’t. Zelda is the last Hylian Royal in the present, but not just that. She’s been helping people recover, alongside the Shiekah too. She’s probably kept in touch with the Gorons, Rito, Zora, and Gerudo during that time and helped them too, and considering that she was friends with their champions, it gives her even more reasons to help, despite the fact that she would’ve tried to help anyway. Zelda in all of her appearances, especially in BOTW and TOTK is a genuinely good person, but unlike Rauru, she’s only concerned with peace and is careful with her steps. Remember, she DID question Rauru’s plan to keep an eye on Ganondorf. Sure it’s her duty to ensure order, as The Princess, but she genuinely believes that peace should be the objective of any royal. Zelda is willing to do whatever she can for peace, but she knows that there are certain paths that she cannot tread, unless she desires to abuse her power, and this is why she values wisdom, and this is why people trust her as much as they do.

Ganondorf’s puppet copy of Zelda did some heinous shit with her face, but even then, it still managed to fool some people. The puppet was designed to take advantage of that trust, and put people in distraught. In other words, when the REAL Zelda came back, you bet your ass that shit was set stright.

Point 4: The imperialism is just… existing in ancient hyrule, and is never glorified or demonized

Yeah, imperialism is implied, but it’s not glorified or demonized. It was just there for Ancient Hyrule before Ganondorf threw the land into chaos. Aside from that, based off of everything we know about BOTW and TOTK, whatever imperialism was in going to be in Ancient Hyrule, it didn’t see the light of day BECAUSE of the chaos created by Demon King Ganondorf. If anything it was just known as a thing exclusive to that era, and I explained Rauru’s deal. It’s almost like the imperialism was just a thing of the past and nothing more, a failed byproduct of a founder who was flawed as a King.

Before anyone brings it up, yes, the Gerudo of the past (TOTK Memories and OOT) are different from the ones in the present, and they even fought Rauru, but juding by how their leader revived a bunch of long dead monsters and tried to turn the world into his “only the strong survive” dreamland, it makes sense why they ditched him, it’s the same reason why the Gerudo centuries after OOT are allies of Hyrule in the BOTW timeline. They may have their problems with the hylians and men, but they’d rather work with them than pave the way for Ganondorf to bring them to ruin.

Conclusion: ToTK is not propaganda, it’s just a simple game with a piece of lore that has imperialism

As I said in point 4, the game isn’t pro imperialism, but it isn’t anti imperialism either, it just brings it up for the flashbacks as the implied system of government Rauru probably wanted to set up (Which I theorize was due to the Zonai Civilization being something akin to an empire that kept to itself before inevitably falling) for the purpose of genuinely wanting peace and order, and when the war against Ganondorf begins, that idea falls apart because chaos is sweeping the land and Rauru basically sacrifices himself to stop it, and Zelda at the end of her journey learns from the founders mistakes.

Hope this helps, but it probably won’t ☠️☠️☠️☠️

[the-golden-comet]

Who is your favorite Zelda character and why?

Thank you for the ask, @wyked-ao3 !! Welcome back! 🫖✨

It’s between Link and Ganondorf. Link has been my blorbo for a long time, a beautiful short king that is reliable and dependable, if not totally worked to the bone. I kind of see him like Sisyphus—he gets so close to reaching his goal, only for the boulder to roll back to the bottom and him start over again. That power, perseverence, dedication and drive is admirable.

Ganon, on the other hand, for the “tragic villain” archetype. He’s had to fight all his life, for centuries…if not thousands of years. He is immortal, but suffering. To live and die over and over with no end in sight would drive anyone to madness (just look at Deadpool). To bring calamity to Hyrule and destroy all to ruin, means that he could finally end his own pain if nothing was left. Despite this, he tries to derive some pleasure—in his own mind, he’s owed that AT LEAST.

Thank you so much for asking about Zelda!! Let me know if you have any other questions 💫

[newtabfics]

Could we please get redeemed ganny and y/n meeting for the first time?

listen listen...these two are not allowed to be as cute as they are but MY GOD

Y/N blinked as she watched the hulking man behind the princess. The princess was telling Tauro about how he'll be staying in the village for his penance and anything needed, such as hard labor, he attested to doing.

She kept a distance at first but wasn't afraid to study him. He stood, looking off into some far-off distance with a deep frown. It was as though he saw something she couldn't imagine. After a long while, he blinked and his amber eyes locked onto her.

Y/N, being how she was, beamed and smiled, waving happily in greeting at him. Startled, the Gerudo hesitantly waved back, making Link blink beside Zelda before looking to Y/N.

He smiled and approached. "Hey. Glad you made it back safely," He greeted. "Y/N, right?"

"Ah, Link. Hiya. Yeah, nailed it." The princess approached curiously. "Good to see you back, Princess."

"Thank you. Are you going up to visit the Zonai Dispenser?"

"Yeah. Admittedly, I wanted to test the advice Link gave me," She said before pulling out a large charge. "Thank you again for letting me have it."

He nodded and hummed, studying the ladders. "Be careful. The cliffs are steep."

"I know. Besides, I'm a trained Sheikah. At least…mostly."

Ganondorf frowned at that as she made off, hurrying to the scaffolding to climb her way up. "Mostly?" He muttered.

"That's Y/N," Zelda said, nodding. "She's a researcher. She knows enough skill to flee a dangerous situation. She's not one for fighting, is what I was told."

He hummed as he followed the two through the village, wondering about his strange new life. "Princess," He said simply, looking at her. "Are you sure this is a good idea?"

"You won't have any assassins coming after you," Zelda assured him. "If anyone were to disobey this, they'd be found quickly and punished accordingly."

"That's not what I mean," He sighed. "My memories." She tensed and sighed. "You said it was a seal. A seal on me has broken once before. What's to say it won't break again?"

"That's the entire reason you're here," Link said dryly. "At the very least–" He pointed up to the mountains, making the Gerudo sigh as he looked to see Dinraal glaring at him from the Ring Ruins. "Someone's always got an eye on you."

Ganondorf grimaced then blinked as he looked over. Y/N was darting over the scaffolding. "Oh goddess, she's going to jump," Zelda muttered. "Link–"

"On it," He said, heading towards the ruins.

Ganondorf blinked and balked, watching the small woman leap to make it over the gap to the other side. Her foot barely grazed the wood as she slipped.

Zelda's gasp made Link freeze as he watched Y/N fall down before a large figure bounded over quickly. 

Y/N's body quickly maneuvered in the air, ready to land on her feet when suddenly arms snapped around her waist. She blinked as she met Ganondorf's eyes, hands slamming on his shoulders to stop her from smashing her face against his. He barely staggered when he caught her, only blinking in surprise.

"Be careful!" He finally said after a beat of silence.

"What! I totally had that under control!" She laughed, patting his head. "Nice catch though."

Link balked as he watched the Gerudo set her on her feet. She fixed her shirt and grinned up at the Gerudo. "Zelda," He said, quickly looking at her. "Y/N should be his watcher." He gestured to the Sheikah woman who just smiled as she spoke to Ganondorf, praising him for his quick reflexes.

Zelda blinked and nodded, clearing her throat. "That's not a bad idea. She's always been rather open-minded. Er–Y/N!" She scolded before hurrying up. "You need to quit that! You don't have enough strength to make those types of bounds."

"C'mon. You can just say it's cuz I'm shorter than you," She huffed. "Besides, Link can make those jumps and we're the same height."

"Barely," The hero scoffed. "I've got an entire inch on you."

"Oh-ho-ho," Y/N cooed. "So the Hero of Hyrule likes to compare inches, eh?"

Link's face went beet red as Zelda groaned, forehead falling into her palm. "How are you alive?"

"Luck, and because I'm amazing," Y/N joked. "Well, I'll–"

"Wait," Zelda stammered, making her blink. She sighed and smiled. "Would you be alright being Ganondorf's watcher? By which–"

"You can say it," Y/N said, shrugging. "Everyone else in the village would insta-kill him the moment they see the chance and you don't trust anyone to do it, but that whole thing sparked the idea because honestly? I'm not scared of the big guy. He's just tall. Like Tauro."

Zelda blinked as the three stared at her. "You're a strange vai," Ganondorf finally said.

"Thanks. Lady Paya says the same. Doctor Purah on the other hand gets it," She said, shrugging. "To answer your question though, yeah. I'm cool with it. But it'll cost ya."

Zelda balked at the statement, unsure of what to say. Link smirked, tilting his head. "What is it? What do you want me to cook?"

"Uh?" Zelda muttered, looking at Link.

"Honestly, anything. Your cooking rocks, Link! Plus, I think I might end up getting distracted and forget to cook if I get wrapped up in the study."

"I can ensure that doesn't happen," Ganondorf said to Link. The hero nodded as the Gerudo looked at her again. "What is it you study?" He figured he might as well ask, given he'd be spending more time with her since she agreed to the princess's request.

"Devices mostly. I'm basically working to be able to engineer something from these devices. Link's theft of the Yiga schematics has really helped give better ideas. However, we are lacking the material to completely build them the way he had with this strange adhesive the other arm provided. We're hoping a few remaining servant constructs could help with that information…maybe."

Ganondorf nodded as she pulled a journal from the pack strapped to her thigh, opening up the sketch made. "I need some materials that might be in this dispenser, but not all of them are."

"I can go search the other dispensers," Link offered. "Or…actually, I might have some stored in my house in Tarrey Town."

Y/N smiled. "Thank you. I'll get a more concise list after I check what I can get with the charge. Well, since I'm technically watching you, come with me, Ganny! You can help me carry the devices back."

Link snorted a laugh as Zelda bit her lip at the nickname, watching the woman go ahead to the scaffolding again with the huge Gerudo in tow. Zelda sighed in relief as she watched them.

"Did we do the right thing?" Zelda wondered worriedly.

"It's Y/N," Link assured her. "She's a good influence on people. Besides, he seems less tense around her." He patted her shoulder as Ganondorf stopped Y/N from jumping over again, making her take the ladder to the higher-up bridge. He saw her tongue dart out in response as she begrudgingly did as he said.

"You're right," She muttered, rubbing her arm. "At least they seem to get along."

After a beat of silence, she asked, "How long do you think until she starts excitedly telling him everything about the devices?"

"You seem to think she hasn't already."

[skyloftian-nutcase]

I've figured out who most of your oc Links are, but not all of them, do you have a list with all of them somewhere? They all seem really fun :)

*squealing* AH YES THANK YOU FOR ASKING :D

I actually don't have a list of them all together, the closest I had was a post I made about their Hero titles, so I'll just do it here! :D

Orik/Link, Hero of Power - Half-Sheikah, Half-Hylian. Raised in Sheikah culture as a warrior, helps protect the royal family. Becomes friends with Princess Zelda as he's often assigned to protect the castle and she's essentially imprisoned there by her father. Falls in love with the Gerudo chief's daughter, Hemisi. Starts to get involved with Hemisi's family, including her father, Ganondorf, but things fall apart when Gan decides to ruin everything and try to steal the Triforce. It splits, predictably, and Link gets the Triforce of Courage. Fights in the ensuing war that breaks out and helps defeat Ganon, using the Triforce alongside Zelda (Wisdom) and Hemisi (Power) to split his soul and seal him away. Despite being engaged to Hemisi, the damage to Hyrule from the war forces him to marry Zelda instead to help stabilize the kingdom. Soft spoken, extremely duty oriented, kindhearted and sensitive with a playful nature that usually stays hidden unless he's with friends. Super light blonde hair that he usually keeps in a top knot, tan skin, red eyes. He has two names, Orik is his Sheikah name given by his father, Link is his Hylian name from his mother. Predecessor to Hyrule Warriors Link.

Link, Hero of Shadow - Whereas the Hero of Power is from the Calamity timeline, Shadow is from the TotK timeline! (spoiler talk ahead!) Same Link, slightly different life. Still half-Sheikah half-Hylian, started his journey as a warrior/assassin of the royal family much younger and met Hemisi much younger. Was officially engaged to Hemisi before the war ever started, and essentially adopted by Ganondorf and Nabooru as a result. Died during the war protecting Rauru from a killing blow from Ganondorf. He died in Gan's arms, begging him to stop the insanity, and then stabbed Gan with a light shard in his chest, which Rauru later used in the same fight to seal him away for 10k years. Is resurrected by Ganondorf's power 10k years later and is under his control, trying to fight against him through manipulation. Much more stoic than his Calamity counterpart, but also consequently more sensitive and childlike - he's been serving as a fighter since he was 12 and is a little emotionally stunted as a result. He is majorly attention starved, and Gan knows this. They both try to manipulate each other to see who wins out. Died when he was 15.

Mystery Link/Sir Edgy, Hero of Spirits - The eldest and most introverted of all the OC Links, he's 25 and 100% Done with Destiny. He went on his first adventure when he was 17, saving the world, and then went on to save other lands and lately help local areas out. He prefers smaller missions, enjoying seeing the impact it makes, but he's honestly just tired and too afraid to lose anything or anyone else. As a result, he self isolates a lot. It's just him and his trusty chocolate Labrador, who he technically named Friend because he sucks at names but he gives her every nickname under the sun, including the Chocolate Chonkster. He originally wielded the Triforce of Courage during his first adventure, and returned it with all the Triforce pieces when he was done. He lives in the woods, avoiding interacting with people as much as possible, until Princess Zelda starts searching for him because she senses danger and accidentally splits the Triforce. She knows she has to find the Hero of Hyrule, but no one knows of Link's location or if he's even still alive after disappearing for eight years. He lives simply and is always on the road. Major attachment issues. When the Triforce splits due to Zelda's mishap, he inherits the Triforce of Wisdom, a fact he keeps hidden, though he laments it's appropriate he lost the right to Courage. Is known as the Hero of Spirits because he can interact with magical spirits, including accidentally reviving Ghirahim (he tried to get rid of the sword by throwing it into a volcano but it bounced off a Goron's head and landed in a hot spring and Ghirahim liked the place so much he stayed there for a year) and meeting the Soul of the Hero. Is very sassy, because dark humor and deadpanning are what preserve his cold, isolated soul. That and playing with Friend. Blonde hair tied back in a little ponytail, lighter skin, blue eyes, with a whisp of hair floating over his forehead and off to the side, and a thin mustache. He's a heartbreaker wherever he goes and he is not a fan of the attention, so he tries to avoid that. Has a fan club in another country when his shirt half tore off during a battle. Doesn't want to talk about it.

Gerudo Link/Fancy Hands - An honorary member of the OC Link club, this boy was named Link to save him from the fate of all other male Gerudos up to this point. Yeah. He's Ganondorf. But he's nice! And he is a massuer by trade. Lives in the same Hyrule/world as Mystery Link. Is dragged into adventure when Princess Zelda goes hunting for the Hero of Hyrule and does so by visiting every single person named Link, which is like... half the kingdom. Link knows of his people's history and tries to keep it on the down low. 100% did not want to dragged into this, but here he is. Will sass Zelda into oblivion as vengeance. He is literally the sassiest Link on this list. He and Mystery Link eventually commiserate and bond over this. Doesn't think himself worthy of the name Link, but admires the Heroes of the past and tries to keep his head down so Destiny leaves him the heck alone. Has loving parents and he writes to them often. Owns a business! The most financially successful Link ever, is decked out in jewelry and half the kingdom adores his work. Might be guilty of tax evasion. 19 years old, dark skin and flaming red hair that he keeps in a braid. Golden eyes, glams himself up with jewelry but he doesn't wear rings so his hands are free for massages. Wears typical Hylian attire.

Lurelin Link, Hero of Champions - A native to Lurelin Village, this Link was born in the aftermath of the Great Calamity. He is the new Hero chosen by the goddesses after Link, Hero of the Wild, was killed by the Calamity. The Hylian Champion stays as a spirit, befriending Lurelin Link to protect him and try to give him emotional support when the time comes. Lurelin is very sweet and somewhat naive, starts his adventuring at 15. He's good at reading people, very empathetic. Adores fishing and is an expert and will talk your ear off about it. Can be timid, doesn't like being in an argument/confrontation with someone. Will fight beasts like a pro, though - he is an adrenaline junkie, he adores adventuring with his spirit friend. Tan skin, black spiky hair that he keeps in a ponytail, optimistic and loving and kind. His biggest challenge yet has been trying to convince his predecessor's father, a bitter and broken knight named Abel, to believe he's the new Hero and tell him where the Master Sword is.

[ganondoodle]

so, doing this as an extra post bc i dont want to spam op nor invite more disaster into their post (sorry)

(i get annoyed, i get frustrated, but i rarely get pissed off, so if this sounds aggressive to you, it is; i have had enough of arguing with people -even if most of that arguing has happened on twitter-)

someone had replied (and later apparently deleted) something along the lines of "well zelda wanted to restore hyrule at the end of botw and what is so bad about ganondorf always being the bad guy in the way that he is?"

so first off, while i know hyrule and KINGDOM of hyrule is often used as an equally interchangeable word to refer to the world there, i dont think she meant the kingdom or its or its monarchy when she said that (does she? i dont have the end in my head rn and pretty sure its a lil different than english anyway) and much more the LAND of hyrule, its still in shambles even if people have found ways to live with it- that is an interpretation of me mostly, you can think what you want in that regard idc

secondly .... im not gonna get into that rant bc you cannot be seriosuly asking what is bad about how ganondorf is presented, treated in the games (espeically in totk) and his role and "writing" (oh geez i dont know maybe all the racism and stereotypes?? also, frankly boring ass writing, if your villain can be replaced by a cloud of toxic goo incapable of speech and nothing would change except saving money for voice actors that dont fit the role that is not a great look- hes never gotten much but totk is a new low)

then theres this reply

astro-shark3113 replied: "You're kidding right? If she cared about reinstating the monarchy then why is the castle still in disrepair after five years? Why does she become a teacher and live in a cottage with her boyfriend instead of taking on duties as princess? She clearly wants to help people and be a leader but she can do that without wanting to be a Queen. Please be real"

i am not kidding and i AM being real, i think you need to look at the game without your rose tinted glasses for a second; the castle is still in ruin? what the hell do you expect, theres no soldiers and very few servants left, repairing anything is quite impossible in that time and frankly not a priority (not proof of her not caring lol) also there is a plan for it at the very least given the camps with the hyrule crest all over it in the ruins of castle town- we dont SEE her as a teacher, or living a "normal" life, that happens in between the game, its flavor text, what HAPPENS in the game is her being taught a lessson on who she needs to be and what hyrule needs to be (pretty in your face too, she gets sent to paradise past of the "first" king that is some supposedly godly thing from the HEAVENS and watches him and his queen die at the hands of the eviiil guy, the last scene in the game mimics perfectly the scene where everyone that god king got under his rule swears undying loyalty to her ffs); she does live in that house, but what other option is there, set up camp in the collapsing throne room all alone?? nigh everyone from that time is long dead and the only one she actually knows is link who happens to have a house (bc impa doesnt care i guess idk), with her ""boyfriend"" is also interesting, a "boyfriend" that apparently is locked in the basement, lives in the woods or straight up dematerlializes when theres no big bad in need of stabbing bc why the hell does no one fucking know him in hateno??? not even the kids that come to the house EVERY SINGLE DAY?? and taking on duties as a princess, she very much does? just bc she doesnt get physically carried around in a castle doesnt mean she isnt doing royal stuff (also, again, that happens BETWEEN the games, not actually in totk), she still sees herself as the princess, everyone calls her that, she herself calls herself that (if the memorial stones are anything to go by) and everyone listens to the most overtly stupid and nonsensical stuff that zelda puppet says (even her friends follow that order without even asking back???) after over 100 years of there not being a kingdom as such its pretty weird how everyone immediately, even the ones not alive for the calamity event, snaps into blindly following her orders

"she can still lead without being a queen", did we play the same game?? totk? TEARS of the KINGDOM?? (its zeldas tears, she IS the kingdom) that game?? the game couldnt be more directly telling you that its whole point is that royal family holy and good and how much everyone has to sacrifice to uphold the holy kingdom bc its the only thing that keeps evil man from overtaking it!! including turnign herself into a farmable, glorified stone pedestal for the entirety of the actual game and then that sacrifice not meanign shit bc she just gets deus ex machina'd back (i didnt need her to stay a dragon, though it would have been the better choice if she still didnt get an active part in the game i would kill for her to have been a capable companion instead of the stupid ghost sages, and you dont even get to actually do anything for it, it just happens), not even the nuclear pebble is lost, how great! she and everyone else that is a leader of their people has a nuclear pebble now!! they will not let a bad evil man be a threat ever again!! like the point to bring her back in that utterly unsatisfying way is that otherwise the royal line wouldnt exist anymore, its a blessing of her ancient ancestors!! woohooo!!

and the thing is, i LIKE botw zelda, i liked her character, that she wasnt the typically maiden princessy type, her struggle (even if i find the way she unlocked her powers lame), i do NOT like totk zelda, after the intro of the game she is a princessy maiden standing prettily at the side of the god king that rules the only thing keeping evil at bay, the level of how much totk disrespects her makes me mad on her behalf but i have ranted about that alone enough as well

and with this i am DONE talking about this game, i have ranted so much about it, made my points carefully clear over and over, said that i dont have the nerves left to be nice anymore about it given how much shit alone on twitter i had to live through just bc i dared mildly critisizing the damn game, if you comment some snarky "be real" thing again im just gonna go straight to blockign people bc i am done with this

[mooshs-crack-headcanons]

My go to plan as soon as I get totk:

Get through the tutorial area (probably in the sky then need to get back on to the surface)

Go to hateno. See if the zelink living in the hateno house together fanfics were real.

Check out something specific relating to the art book leak. (Not describing or sharing the leak so don't worry about spoilers from me! :)

Find a horse that at least looks like the one I had in breath of the wild, my beloved baby boy Romeo who can do and hasn't done nothing wrong ever in the entire 6 years of his life (he kicked me off a cliff four separate times):

Go to Gerudo desert because out of all regions it's the one I'm the most interested in seeing the state of post Ganondorf resurrection(?) murderous pissy fit.

I'm going to build me a big fuck off Zonai tractor.

Zelda. I need to know if she's alright, I would like to find out this earlier on but that's probably going to be found out through story and I really do want to take my time with it.

I need to see what the hell is happening with this korok with a backpack:

Speaking of the koroks, uhm... korok forest is gone. I definitely want to check that out. (Sorry this picture so so fucking blurry with how it's zoomed in but the forests gone)

I need to find out if I can glue two Royal claymores together (or an equivalent) to make a big fuck off abomination claymore that does double claymore damage that looks like this:

Go back to eventide. I wonder if they added something there. It seems like something thats a no brainer to do.

Check out what the fuck is going on with the labyrinths I can't find the screenshots now but I remember seeing some of them floating with the sky islands at some point.

If if I can find a sky island resembling at least a little bit of skyloft. I feel it in my bones that Nintendo would pull that type of shit. Or not because this is also Nintendo.

Documenting literally every even hint of a zelink moment in the entire game so I can make several posts gushing over it in the future.

Take lots of screenshots! I actually played breath of the wild on wii u and never on switch so of course I never really had that screenshot or recording capability so I finally can really go all out in this game.

The dragon that is 10000% a fucking Gleeok on the bridge of Hylia I've already determined is going to be the first overworld boss I fight. 🙂 I can't wait to fight it with only five or so hearts 🙂

Amd finally since amiibo support is confirmed and costumes are too - the artbook actually confirmed it but I don't really think that's a spoiler because it's a very obvious mechanic to bring back than just having them be used once only for the paraglider skins you get that was officially confirmed here below so I can't wait to get my ocarina of time and twilight princess gear back that I can wear for the whole game!

Over all I just really want to have fun in this game and really it looks like it's going to deliver. I can't wait to sink hundreds if not thousands of hours into and I REALLY REALLY hope it can at least fix a lot of it's predecessors issues, especially with how it executes it's story. I keep saying it, breath of the wild *had* the potential to be one of the best zelda stories ever but it was done so extremely poorly trying to tell it, majority of it is just ruined. I sincerely hope Nintendo has learned their lesson from that and actually let the Link/you the player actually play throughand experience the games narrative instead of just... having it exposition dumped onto you over and over in flashback cutscenes as stuff that's already happened and can't be changed. I went having this game with very low confidence it was first revealed in 2019, but the more and more I keep seeing it now the higher my optimism gets and I actually genuinely hope this game is really good.

I'm actually wishing the best for it and desperately hope it doesn't disappoint. We've all waited so long, and now we have only a little bit more to go.