#loz theories

[bokettochild]

How do you think each of the Links die?

Hmmm....

Good question!

Let me start at the top and work my way down, yes?

Sky

Two ideas here for this one

Sky dies peacefully at home. Zelda outlives him by a few years so she's there at his side when he passes. It's been a long life and one full of adventures they've shared. He's old, his grandchildren and great-grandchildren are helping build up Hyrule. He's at peace, ready to go on to whatever Hylian's believe comes after death.

Sky doesn't die. The settling of the surface is a torrid affair and Demise's forces still haunt the land of Hyrule. One monster in particular threatens the villages and settlements and Sky undergoes a second quest to gain the power to defeat it. He accomplishes this, but in order to defeat the monster he must achieve a power beyond Hylians, and loses himself somewhat to it. he becomes the Fierce Deity and is sealed away by the Sheikah.

Four

This is sort of canon.

Four doesn't die. After the events of LU, Four returns to their Hyrule and lives a peaceful life with minimal excitement and chaos (just enough to keep things interesting but not enough to make history). They get bored of the peace and start trying to keep themselves busy with things outside of adventuring and smithy work, leading to them doing more and more research about the Shadow World. An experiment gone wrong (either to resurrect Shadow or just to try something new) results in their corruption and Dot is forced to seal them into the Palace of the Four Sword, where they remain. In the Adult Timeline they drown when the world is flooded. In the Child Timeline they go on forgotten and undying. In the Downfall Timeline they are found by a child with pink hair and a too big sword.

I like to say Legend will one day rescue them and they will live out the rest of their days in peace, but that's just me :)

Time

We all know Ganon killed him in the Downfall Timeline, so that counts for something

In the Child Timeline, Time will return from LU and he and Malon will live in peace for some time, having children and tending their farm. Eventually however, Hyrule will go to war again, and Lullaby will call upon the Hero to save Hyrule in it's time of need. Time will protect the land, but becomes gravely injured. He never makes it back home, but instead succumbs to his injuries in the Lost Woods. He swears the last thing he sees is Saria, and his heart is full of regret that he didn't make it back home in time to see some important event in one of his childrens' lives (say, his eldest daughter's wedding when he promised to walk her down the isle).

Twilight

He lives out his years looking out for the common people of Hyrule and it's provinces. He's a beloved hero to all and at peace with life. When he dies, it's as an old wolf wandering the country alone. An unfortunate young archer looses a wild arrow into the woods and the Hero is gone in an instant.

The people of Hyrule never know what happened to their hero and they all assume he just disappeared one day.

Legend

Despite everything, Legend lives to old age and is able to help Hyrule recover and enter it's Golden Era. According to canon it is likely that he settles down with some person or another, since Hyrule is his descendant, but I won't say who it is. I'd like to say Legend passes peacefully but I doubt it. It's likely that in his age he succumbs to an illness and is still fighting in his last days. He dies in a peaceful Hyrule built up but with the knowledge that it will crumble after his death to become the world he'd seen while traveling. I'd like to say he makes preparations for when Ganon returns, looking out for the heroes to follow, and along that road is when he falls ill. He returns to his home to recover, intending to place the Master Sword where Hyrule can find it, but dies before he can. The sword is buried with him, never to be found by the hero to follow.

To make up for not being able to finish his final task, Legend's spirit remains in Hyrule until he meets the next hero. He can't give the boy the Master Sword, because it's been buried, but he does make sure to arm the young hero before he passes, thus fulfilling his final quest.

Hyrule

Two theories for this one as well

Hyrule suceeds the throne of Hyrule (it's said that the one who wields the full Triforce will be the next king) and rules the land faithfully with the help of his Zeldas. He does what he can to restore the kingdom like his ancestor before him and rebuilds the world into something closer to what we're all used to seeing of Hyrule. Unfortunately, I get the feeling that Hyrule dies before he reaches old age, likely in a fight with monsters seeking his blood to resurrect Ganon. The monsters use his blood to bring back not just Ganon, but the Calamity himself, and the night of the Blood Moon stands as a reminder of the hero's death, named for the blood spilled to bring back the demon.

Alternatively, maybe Hyrule dies from an illness or injury back at the castle and safe from Ganon's followers. I doubt it unfortunately.

Wind

Two takes on this again

He's a bit young so it's weird to think about how he dies, but I think it's likely that Hyrule doesn't know itself. After founding the kingdom again on new land, he and Tetra build it up as best they can. When they get on in age though, Tetra releases the kingdom to the hands of her daughter and she and Wind go out sailing again. No one knows what becomes of them, but their are legends around the islands of their deeds that assure those left in Hyrule that however they died, they did it while chasing adventure on the sea they love so dear.

Alternatively, Wind lives on long enough to see the adventures of Spirit Tracks (because Niko, his friend from a child is an old man in that game so I refuse to believe Wind is ST Link). He stays out of it, mostly because he trusts this new hero to complete his task, child or no, and maybe he seeks out ST Link later once it's all over and they can bond. In this scenario, he probably dies of old age, living in peace and offering advice and stories to the people of Hyrule. ST Link is with him in his final moments and he's laid to rest by the sea.

Warriors

Two theories

Warriors is, in my hc, the Hylian God of War, so by definition, he would be unkillable and kind of unable to die. What happens to him? I don't know, but I do know that I have a certain headcanon involving dragons where he might become one of those after long enough

He's the Hero of the first Calamity. When Ganon was resurrected in Hyrule's world, the remerging of the timelines by Cia brought the Calamity to Hyrule and Warriors was the one to face it. Unfortunately, the only way to truly defeat the Calamity was to seal away Ganon beneath the castle of Hyrule, and someone had to be there to make sure he stayed while the seal was cast. As suggested by one of my lovely Anons, Warriors was the hero to stay behind and seal Ganon, and his is the hand we see keeping the Gerudo King down in the BotW 2 trailer.

Wild

Heck if I know honestly, can this kid even die still?

[moiety-of-the-throne]

Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom - new trailer thoughts and theories

We open on what are presumably long-forgotten Zonai ruins beneath the land of Hyrule, maybe even beneath the castle itself. I’m guessing Link (and maybe Zelda) will find these in the ruins they are searching underground. The remnants of an ancient story, what I think will be another layer of the story of the first Calamity 10,000 years ago.

We see ancient moblins and bokoblins (notice the horns seen in previous totk trailers) fighting Hylians. They’re surrounded by Malice. This is also more to the story of the first Calamity.

This being is in the sky and surrounded by 7 tears (maybe a reference to the 7 sages of Ocarina of time). In this installment, they probably represent 7 spirits or sages that Link will need to find to collect spirit energy, or wake them from their 10,000 year slumber to best Ganondorf once more.

I’m guessing this creature or spirit we see here is the being whose hand had sealed Ganondorf underneath Hyrule Castle after the first Calamity.

As seen in the other trailer, Link and Zelda disrupt that seal when they find corpse Ganondorf and the ground opens up, threatening to swallow them both. We see Link’s arm being overwhelmed by the spirit energy, perhaps from the hand itself.

Then, we see Link reaching for Zelda to keep her from falling into the chasm. They almost both fall and the spirit hand presumably lets go Ganondorf to catch Link. Ganondorf is released, and his Malice spreads, corrupting the Master Sword.

I think this will be the beginning of the game, separating Zelda from Link and giving him the reason for a new quest.

Then, we see the carved figure of Ganondorf, in the same position as his corpse version from the first trailer. There are hints of Malice below him, and what might be a figure or a piece of architecture next to him.

Now present day Link, hand still “corrupted,” but it looks like just his fingertips are bad now, maybe it fluctuates?

Also note the expandable vials on Link’s hip. These must be containers for spirit energy. This might serve the same purpose as the spirit orbs in botw - heart and stamina upgrades - or perhaps the spirit energy is used for some of the new mechanics we’ve seen - the ancient Link jumping up through the floor of one of the floating lands or the puddle of tear-like spirit energy, both of which are the same color as these vials.

In the next scene, we see the same mechanic we saw in trailer 2, the time or energy reversal mechanic. I believe we see Link here, using it to reverse the energy of a fallen block of sky land, thus using it to ascend to the sky.

Notice the storm surrounding the piece of land behind him, meaning there must be mechanics so not everything is easily accessible right away.

And look at the bird/bat thing!! - at the very end of this clip we see a creature we have never seen before! Some kind of flying enemy probably. Bat-like wings, extended tail with little tail fins too. The time-reversal mechanic makes the world less saturated, so I can’t wait to see what color this weird little thing is.

In the final gameplay clip there is so much to see. Death Mountain is also erupting Malice now. There are new types of floating structures that we haven’t seen before. Some new holes and bumps and things on the landscape of Hyrule itself.

There are two of the glowing Zonai glyphs on the face of Hyrule, which must signify something important. The locations of one of the 7 spirits whose tears we must collect? The location of an underground entrance, revealing new Zonai lore and secrets? Full-on classic Zelda dungeons? I am so excited to find out!

One note about the glider: it seems to be part of the intact ancient tech, much like the strange pine-cone shoulder guy we saw in trailer two. It has very similar design motifs and colors.

We saw the partial version of this carving earlier in the trailer, now mostly obscured by the title. Two figures with joined hands. The figure on the right is probably Zelda, or the ancient version of the mortal incarnation of the goddess. The other figure is the long-eared spirit. They are ceremonially together with two (spirit?) tears above them, perhaps a pact between sages, or goddess and sage?

However, this is my favorite theory: The large-eared spirit is ancient Link once he is fully consumed by the spirit energy. Thus, the carving at the end is ancient Link and ancient Zelda combining their tears into a heart shape and using their love to seal Ganondorf and save Hyrule. So cute, this has to be it right?!

And then we get our title. I am so excited for this installment of the franchise! I can’t wait to find what secrets have yet to be revealed and explore this new map.

Here are some other theories, because why not make this post longer? lol

The Spirit

If the spirit is the ancient hero when he's full of spirit energy, then the hand holding Ganondorf’s is therefore ancient Link’s which is how present-day Link gains access to the story of old. Maybe it’s not strictly time travel, but a dive into the consciousness of the ancient hero. Thus, our present day Link can repair the mistakes of old.

Another theory: The ears are so dramatically elvish, maybe this is the first of the Hylians or a new version of Hylia herself? The shoes are also very reminiscent of Zant and the design of the Twilight Realm from Twilight Princess. It’s ears also remind me of Kaepora Gaebora.

Other Thoughts:

We’ve never seen Ancient Link’s face in any of the trailers, what if he looks totally different!

The large-eared spirit saw the Calamity happening 10,000 years ago and thrust Hyrule up into the sky to save it. The seven spirits joined to lift Hyrule, while the large-eared spirit sealed Calamity Ganon away with the help of the hero. The goddess created a sky barrier to keep the sky hidden. Then, two Hyrules diverged, and this is why almost all trace of the Zonai history has disappeared. They were actually the ancient Hylians moved to the sky.

The ouroboros of the Zonai dragons at the end is going to be the Gate of Time, allowing Link to travel back to inhabit the ancient hero to find out the truth of the first Calamity.

We still have not seen any direct reference to the triforce. I wonder if it will come into play at all in this installment.

The new script text we’ve seen has a continual motif of reflection. This makes me think of the Twilight Realm, of the mirror land of Link to the Past, of the sky lands mirroring the lands below. I think we’re going to see a lot of classic Zelda time travel mechanics come back in a new way - Skyward Sword but elevated.

[angellover857]

Tears of the Kingdom: People in Trouble

Hi! This is my first Zelda theory and my first post ever! Really I just need an outlet to put all my thoughts because none of my friends play video games. I apologize if this post is all over the place.

Ok to get into it, first I wanna state that I am elaborating on Monster Maze’s Secrets of the Surface video he posted recently. I highly recommend watching the video along with Monster Maze’s other content!

With the new trailer drop and release of the official artwork for Tears of the Kingdom, many theorists have noticed two main things: Death Mountain being blocked by Malice and a wind tunnel somewhere in the Tabanatha/Hebra region.

In Monster Maze’s video, he theorized what exactly is going on with Hyrule’s surface. He states that perhaps Ganon is attacking the races of Hyrule with natural disasters along with their Divine Beasts. I think that Ganon is not only doing this, but purposely trying to put the Divine Beasts out of commission so they can’t be used against him once again. In a game perspective, having all the Sheikah technology accessible to us in ToTK would be dull and we’ve already seen a lack of Sheikah Towers and Shrines in the teasers we’ve received. Explaining the absence of Sheikah towers and Sheikah shrines are easy- they aren’t needed and have sunken into the ground for the next Hero. The Divine Beasts although we’re dug up, so they have no mechanism that would explain why they disappeared into the ground. Therefore it’s a possibility that the game developers solution to this is to make the Divine Beasts unusable.

First up, the Gorons and Vah Rudania.

It’s obvious to see from the trailer and artwork that Death Mountain is blocked by malice, much like how malice is rising from under Hyrule Castle.

“If” (quotations because it’s basically confirmed) Ganondorf is underground somewhere then the malice rising from the earths crust make a lot of sense. The malice is releasing out onto the surface, and hopefully we see more evidence of this predicament in other places such as the Yiga hole or the other caves surrounding Hyrule.

So how does this affect the Gorons and Vah Rudania?

Well first off, no lava means no rock roasts. In BOTW, gorons eat “rock roasts” which look like rib of magma rock. In the side quests “A Brother’s Roast”, Blado asks Link to find a rock roast for his Gonguron who collapse in Gorko Tunnel. After eating the roast, Gonguron has enough strength to pound a wall of rocks away to reveal a shrine. Rock Roasts give the Gorons a burst of energy that practically revitalizes them.

Because Death Mountain is blocked by malice and therefore the lava flow is stopped, we can assume the gorons are in a food drought. I don’t think Nintendo would portray the extremities of such a situation, but we can expect tired sluggish Gorons. This in turn effects the mines, that would most likely not be in use due to low energy and lack of food. If that’s the case, the economy of Gordon City would also be poor as BOTW explained that the Gorons sell the minerals from their ore deposits as they are inedible to them.

Assuming the Divine Beasts can be seen (not used) in this game, Vah Rudania would be largely effected. Vah Rudania is always found high atop Death Mountain, circling its crater. What if Vah Rudania is in the volcano, blocked by the malice? We know that Vah Rudania can fit easily inside from BoTW. The malice may be erupting from Death Mountain, imprisoning Vah Rudania and afflicting the Gorons in triple whammy disaster.

Next, the Rito and and Vah Medoh.

It’s hard to tell where this wind tunnel, tornado like column is based of the artwork alone, but in Monster Maze’s video he placed it in the Tabanatha and Hebra region due to the angle and BOTW map. Either way, the actual appearance of the tunnel is strange, as it clearly isn’t forming from the sky like a tornado does. Instead, their seems to be a center that is gathering hot and cold air on the ground surface creating the phenomenon.

No matter where the tunnel is, it would hugely effect the Rito’s and their flight habits. Every Rito would be unable to navigate the strong winds in fear of getting sucked into the vortex, therefore their whole way of life is disrupted. They could be trapped in Rito village in a forced shelter in place. Those were at the flight range and Warbler’s nest may never be able to fly back home, instead being forced to walk to reach the village. If things are really extreme such as a tornado is, the vortex could be sucking away parts of the village, including the bridges leading to it.

Depending on where the tunnel is, the Ritos may be able to evacuate to another part of Hyrule like lower Tabantha or Northern Hebra near the labyrinth. This would be a cool way to change up the location of the Ritos and serve as a way to change up Hyrule’s landscape that we explored in BOTW.

As Monster Maze theorized, it’s makes the most sense for the wind tunnel to be surrounding Hebra mountain as the area in BOTW served little purpose besides shrines, a leviathan, and shield surfing. If the eye of the storm is Rito Village, that will also pose as a great danger for the Rito.

No matter where, Vah Medoh would be grounded, unable to navigate through the strong winds that could suck the divine beast into the vortex of the tunnel. Like the Rito, it would lose its main function and therefore unusable for anyone to use against Ganon.

Additionally, it would make sense if the Rito couldn’t fly, as we know ToTK features sky islands. No Rito to help Link up to the islands!

Though we don’t see any proof of these disasters inflicting the Zora and the Gerudos, I’ve theorized a couple of ways Ganon can disrupt their life.

The Zora and Vah Ruta are easier to theorize about as water can be involved in so many natural disasters. In BOTW, the Zora featured an endless amount of rain so it’s unlikely Nintendo would pull that again. That leaves a drought, a flood, or Zora’s domain freezing over. It would be a nice throwback to OOT and TP to see the domain frozen again, causing the Zora Springs to stop flowing. A flood is entirely possible, as said in BOTW that the East Reservoir could flood with Ruta’s rain.

Another possibility is that the domain is filled with the pools of malice seen in Hyrule Castle Town, the Akkala Citadel, etc. in BOTW. This would be an interesting way to plague the Zora’s who can’t swim in the malice waters.

I’d like to think of we’d get a combination resulting in both the pools of malice and the Zora Springs being dried up. That way the whole landscape of Hyrule is change as the rivers and lakes would also dry as a result, while the pools of malice would be a new affliction never seen in a LOZ game.

Either way, the Zora and Vah Ruta wouldn’t function.

Lastly, the Gerudos and Vah Naboris.

This is tough because BOTW already saw sand storms plaguing Gerudo desert and there isn’t much else to cause such a disruption.

The most logical thing I could come up with is a monsoon. Heavy rainfalls that disrupt the sand dunes, causing them to shift and unearth structures (like the Arbiter’s ground perhaps). A monsoon would cause landslides that could devastate Gerudo Town, burying it in sand and causing food and goods to be damaged.

Vah Naboris too could be buried within the sand dunes, the grains cogging up the machine so it’s unable to move at all.

All of this could accumulate into one of the things Zelda fans were missing in BOTW: dungeons.

Dungeons centered around freeing the races and their divine beasts from the disasters, allowing for a traditional Zelda experience.

Overall, I would like to see a change in Hyrule’s geography and I think it would be interesting if these natural disasters did so! I have more to say on the Hyrulian and Sheikah but I don’t want to make this post longer than it already is. More to follow!

[cocogum]

rants : koroks are annoying as shit (no pun intended) , i HATE Linkle and here’s why

theories : the infamous oot sibling theory (and how it started getting traction)

[shellshooked]

oblivion of the self

[marenwithanm]

You know Zelda, most Links actually were children during their adventures. Breath of the Wild Link Georg who was over 100 years old was an outlier and should not have been counted

As you can see, I'm still not over the idea of a younger Link and older Zelda in alttp. She feels so bad about dragging a little kid into this whole mess 😭

[paulthebukkit]

I wonder...

[prisiidon]

NO NO NONO NO NOT SILENT REALMS- not spirit vessel tears again I’m not strong enough. it’s probs somthn else like fuel but i have lasting fear dfhjfdhjf

[zelda-photography]

I’ve connected the dots

[bahbahhh]

As Above, So Below

[Line art here]

Notes under cut

big shout out to @newtsnaturethings who does amazing nature studies and inadvertently helped me make stone look kinda like stone.

@manxden posted a nice summary of the battery theory. It is one of my favorite theories out there. The idea Ganondorf is the source of the power that saves Link, the hero meant to destroy him. Poetic cinema. I made a rambly post back in September that inspired this piece. You can read the full chaos here but in summary:

LONG AGO ganondorf is sealed and everyone thinks problem-solved but THEN they realize how much spirit/life energy he emits and the Royal Family orders the Sheikah to expand tech around it. What they don't anticipate is battery acid - malice. Monsters start appearing but they have the tech and just wipe them out without looking for the source. The more they use the spirit energy, the more malice is created in the sealing chamber. THIS is where get the events of 10,000 years ago. First Calamity Ganon appears...they go back to the old equation (goddess blood princess plus hero) WITH tech/Divine Beasts and beat back the Calamity. Again, this doesn't fix the problem. The Royal Family decides to banish "Sheikah" tech and like a nuclear plant meltdown, they just bury everything and hope that fixes it.

Because spirit energy is not being used during this time, Malice builds much slower. Takes 10,000 years for another Calamity to form but he's smarter this time because at his core he is a PERSON in stasis who remembers everything that was done to him.

BOTW happens.

The history of the royal family of Hyrule is also the history of Calamity Ganon

I love this line and hope it’s expanded upon in TotK.

[nightmaremonarch]

“the hero of time is so tragic, everyone forgot him and blah blah blah” totally agree! and let me go a level deeper. imagine how absolutely fucking terrifying it must’ve been to be him. sure, he’s got the triforce of courage, but imagine suddenly being thrust into the same situation he was.

you’re nine, ten years old and suddenly everything happens at once. your father dies, and you have to save a kingdom you didn’t even know EXISTED, and the fate of the world rests on your small shoulders. initially, it doesn’t really hit that everything is relying on you, because you’re a child. you have a few fun adventures, saving people and feeling like a hero. and yes, it’s dangerous, but you’re the hero! you can do it!

and you blink, and suddenly, everything’s larger. you stand on unsteady feet, not used to your sudden height, and the stalchildren are now stalfos, and the towns you once new are in ruins — everything is in ruins because you weren’t enough when you first pulled the master sword. and while your body may be larger, you’re still ten years old.

(and it only gets worse)

[powdermelonkeg]

TotK theory, do NOT read until you’ve beaten the Dragon Tears quest:

We never actually see the Golden Goddesses in past games. We see effigies of them, like the three Oscars flying into the sky in Ocarina of Time, or the three identical Hylian statues surrounding the Triforce in Twilight Princess, or the three pearl-holding statues in Wind Waker.

We meet their oracles in Ages and Secrets, and help those oracles get houses in Minish Cap. We meet their agents, the Twilight Princess Light Spirits, or the Skyward Sword dragons, or the three protectors of the Goddess Pearls in WW.

Even in Skyward Sword, we only see their symbols, despite being in the time arguably closest to them.

And now, in present day, when only Hylia is still worshiped, we have Dinraal, Naydra, and Farosh. And thanks to Zeldra, we know how they came to be, to an extent.

We know they used to be mortal.

We know they had incredible power.

We know they sacrificed it for something.

A big question that’s always burned me since Skyward Sword is why did the goddesses leave?

Hylia didn’t. She stayed to help, stayed to fight until her last breath, then was reborn to try it again.

It always used to strike me as particularly cold of them that they’d ignore their youngest sister, even with all the power they clearly had at their disposal.

But what if they literally couldn’t help?

To become an immortal dragon is to lose oneself. They wouldn’t have even been aware.

Of course, why would an immortal goddess need to become an immortal dragon in the first place? Don’t they have everything?

Here’s my theory.

In TotK, we’re repeatedly told that the Zonai, when they descended, were praised as gods for their powers. And we know the Secret Stones amplify that power.

Coupled with the fact that we never see any consistent portrayal of the High Trio—

I think Din, Nayru, and Farore were Zonai.

I think they’re revered as gods because they descended from the heavens, as the Zonai were said to have been.

I think that their powers involved the terraforming they did to the world to make it habitable.

I think that Demise lived on the surface first, with the malice, with the gloom, and that the golden trio stopped his conquest of the surface peoples by force.

I think they swallowed their secret stones to keep them from being taken by Demise, since we now know what someone with even a fraction of his power is capable of doing.

I think when they became dragons, the power they shed in their wake coalesced into the Triforce.

I think Demise, when he waged war on the surface peoples afterwards, emerged from the Depths.

I think that Skyloft was Hylia knowing that the sky has always been safe, always been out of reach, and repurposing the lowest of the Zonai isles to protect them. Even though we know the Goddess Statue was on the surface originally, we don’t know where the rest of the isles came from—the Hylians rose with the statue, but spread to the other islands.

And I think that Demise telling Link that Zelda’s form pales in comparison to the magnificence of her former self is referring to the youngest Zonai sister’s former appearance. Because what a downgrade it must have seemed to him to watch one of the most powerful beings in the world, the one that sealed him away, turn herself into one of his prey.

[gay-for-the-moon]

I’VE FIGURED IT OUT

IT’S THE SAME HAND

This is the single illustration of the ancient Interlopers that we have pretty much at all. It’s from the Twilight Princess manga. The Interlopers, or the Dark Interlopers as they’re sometimes called, were powerful magic users who tried to take control of the Sacred Realm and were subsequently banished. Banished to the Twilight Realm.

The Interlopers became the Twili. And I think the Zonai were the Interlopers.

We don’t know much about the Zonai, but we do know two things: They were “strong magic wielders” (from the Zelda fandom wiki), and they disappeared. The stories match.

And honestly, what better way to subvert the theme of an endless cycle of light versus dark than to explore the people who discovered the in-between?

[angellover857]

Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom: Threes the Charm!

Hi! In this post I will be going over every pattern of three found in Breath of The Wild and it’s sequel Tears of the Kingdom, and what it could mean for the upcoming game!

Disclaimer: Many theorists have covered this subject and I won’t be linking every single one. This is my own take and thoughts in the end.

The Triforce:

It’s common knowledge that the super sacred triangles are the key to the LOZ series. Possess one and you’re cool; possess all three and you can make a cute little wish!

But seriously, we all know that the triforce is the ultimate pattern of three in the Zelda series. The three pieces represent power, wisdom, and courage after the Golden Goddesses Din, Nayru, and Farore. Before the goddesses left the world of Hyrule, they created this power and placed it into the hands of the goddess Hylia to watch over the lands.

Although it isn’t seen in BOTW, we know it’s legend still carries into the game and will hopefully appear as an important artifact in the sequel. That being said, their are several patterns of three that relate back to the triforce and their characteristics seen in BOTW and the trailers of ToTK.

The Dragons and the springs:

The most obvious triforce connection is to the three dragons and springs found in BOTW. We have Dinraal and the Spring of Power, Farosh and the Spring of Courage, and Naydra and the Spring of Wisdom.

The dragons didn’t have much involvement in the game besides the side quest Spring of the Wisdom where Link must free the dragon of malice before accessing the spring. Besides that, their parts were primarily used to unlock each shrine at their respective spring and upgrading armor.

The springs, found in Akkala, Faron, and Lanayru, also didn’t have much involvement besides the aforementioned dragon part to unlock their shrines.

Despite this underuse, we do see Zelda journeying to the springs in the story plot to try and unlock her sealing powers. All three represent their respective goddesses and their traits.

Though there’s another important reason to bring up the dragons: look at their coloring. Dinraal is red, Farosh is green, and Naydra is blue. This all connects back to the Golden Goddesses who are portrayed across many Zelda games. Naydra is represented by blue, Farore by green, and Din by a combination of reds and oranges.

Restating, Naydra = blue, Farore = green, Din = red/orange. Got it?

Malice, Sheikah Technology, and the Wild:

Again, this isn’t a real “secret” if you’re looking closely at the game and it’s imagery.

In BOTW, we have three main components that make the main plot and over world unique- Ganon’s malice, Sheikah Technology, and the free exploration of Hyrule.

Ganon’s malice, obviously, ties back to Calamity Ganon as it is the physical form of his hatred and evil in this magenta, tar-like substance. In BOTW, Calamity Ganon takes over the guardians and the Divine Beasts by projecting malice, like a disease. The blights, Calamity Ganon, and Dark Beast Ganon are all forms of malice with the two former being mixed with Sheikah Technology. Malice pools covered places like Hyrule Castle Town, the Akkala Citadel, and the coliseum. In the teaser trailers of ToTK, we see malice make a return. Pools of it are pouring out of Ganondorf’s body and Death Mountain is spewing with the evil substance. We even see Link attacked by it, encasing his sword and arm. We can expect malice to be another player in the upcoming game.

The Sheikah technology seen in BOTW was the main game mechanic. Items like the Sheikah slate that has unique abilities to use in the Sheikah Shrines and to activate the Sheikah Towers spread across Hyrule. The Divine Beasts and guardians are offense creations to be used against Calamity Ganon. We do see a lack of all of these in ToTK trailers, and I personally don’t think they’ll be making a return. That would be too repetitive in a game that is already taking place in the same Hyrule.

Speaking of Hyrule, let’s talk about the wild! The third and final piece to this pattern is the over world itself. BOTW open world concept allows the player to traverse over the landscape, visiting regions from Hebra to Akkala, Gerudo to Faron, and everything in between.

Power is represented through malice- the evil and hatred of Ganon in a physical substance that has the power to decimate Hyrule’s landscape. Wisdom in the form of the Sheikah Technology- 10,000 year old machines that hold key information and highly advanced function. Courage represented through the landscape of Hyrule- exploring the land that Link must traverse to be rightly called the Hero of the Wild.

Now remember what I said about colors in the last section? Yeah, let’s bring that back.

Sheikah technology shines blue once activated, malice is magenta/red, and the wild is (although many colors) primarily green. Each representing a key component of BOTW and the bigger LOZ universe with the triforce and the golden goddesses.

Sky Islands, the Surface, and Underground:

In BOTW, we were able to explore the lands of Hyrule. In ToTK, we see the use of vertical exploration with sky islands and the hopefully traversal underground.

The underground, where many have theorized Ganondorf’s body is said to rest. Trapped by an unknown spirit for ages, Zelda and Link find this body and cause the Hyrule as we know it to change. In the trailers, we see Link and Zelda in one of these underground caves filled with luminous stones and decorating wall depictions of mysterious events. Additionally, the malice coming out of Hyrule castle and emerging from Death Mountain.

The sky islands are as equally mysterious and seem to be an important game play mechanic. Besides the obvious connection to Skyward Sword, the use of Link’s new hand time-reversal mechanic may bring us beyond the clouds and into the sky.

Finally, the land of Hyrule itself. Ruled by Princess Zelda’s family for generations and inhabited by different races. The history of Hyrule is extensive and Zelda herself is a scholar who yearns to uncover all its many unsolved mysteries and secrets.

Once again, we are given another power of three that will assumably be overseen by our main characters. The underground, domain of Ganondorf as he bides his time scheming for his return. The sky islands to be explored by Link with the help of his newly powered hand. Hyrule Kingdom and it’s most curious explorer and only member left of its royal family, Princess Zelda.

To be clear, Hyrule tying into Zelda and the Triforce of Wisdom is separate from my last pattern where Link’s exploration represents the Triforce of Courage. It’s Link’s adventures that make the wild and the sky islands his, not the land itself.

Our Main Three:

AKA Link, Zelda, and Ganon. The original three that represents the triforce, each individual carrying out the traits of the golden goddesses.

Link, the hero. The one who wields the blade of evil’s bane. The one forever doomed to be mistaken as Zelda (poor guy).

Link’s iconic green tunic across several game connects to Farosh and the exploration of the wild. He is the embodiment of courage. Facing difficult challenges despite the extreme circumstances all while possessing honor and loyalty that makes him the hero of the series. In BOTW, he faces Calamity Ganon after a century of sleep and no memories. As Zelda put it, “Courage need not be remembered, for it is never forgotten”.

Ganon is the reincarnation of Demise the Demon King. He’s displayed his physical strength, large following, and cunning tactics over the series. The power he possesses is backed by true fear of others as well as manipulation and trickery. Taking over the Divine Beasts and Sheikah technology proves just how powerful someone can be when they use evil tactics. The sheer scale of his final form Dark Beast Ganon representing the physical supremacy he has, rightfully representing the Triforce of Power.

And Zelda, the princess who wants to be a scholar. Who’d rather spend her time reading books and discovering Sheikah Technology. She finds knowledge in the past that helps her future. She is also the reincarnation of the Goddess Hylia, possessing powers of light that are the key to defeating Calamity Ganon. Across many titles, this divinity has helped her attained wisdom that would be otherwise unknown if not for her.

Tying everything together:

If you’ve been following along, you know how I’ve pointed the connections through these patterns all the way back to the Triforce. Link and the Triforce of Courage, representing Farosh and it’s spring while wearing a green tunic as he explores the wild and, soon, the sky islands. Zelda and the Triforce of Wisdom, the princess of Hyrule backed by Hylia and the Sheikah technology in blue colors that coincide with Naydra and it’s spring. Ganon and the Triforce of Power, using magenta malice to spread his hatred all from his place underground while Din and it’s spring are the only things that remain above the surface.

All this symbolism makes for great story telling. BOTW uses these to portray an excellent story, further conveying its plot through visuals.

For example, Zelda being trapped in Hyrule Castle while Naydra is only dragon affected by malice. The guardians and the Divine Beasts taking over by Ganon all while the world of Hyrule remains largely untouched. Finally, Zelda falling in one of the ToTK trailers, now underground in Ganon’s domain.

I have another pattern of three concerning the Sheikah, Yiga, and the Zonai but I don’t want to make this post longer than it already is. Thank you all so much for reading and there is definitely more to come!

[daeyumi]

Hero 💠💎🗡️

[Linktober 2022 Day 17: Link]

[m5or]

I have a small theory as to why the bulblins kidnaped the kids in Ordon while Link got left behind. Time states that Ganondorf has become afraid of children in Heroes legacy. Ganon became paranoid after his encounter with the Hero of Time.

SO back to the era of Twilight Princess. The Hero of Time has a descendant. The Hero of Time has a bloodline and Ganondorf is a ruthless man. In this vision/flashback, we see Ganon doing his evil deeds before he is banished to the Twilight realm. I think this is showcasing us that Gannon caused the ruins in tp looking for baby Twilight.

I think that this war was the start of the resistance group. The members of the resistance look for and take care of any survivors. This is where Rusl finds little link. Rusl takes the child to Ordon and raises the boy with his wife Uli. Ordon is an isolated village. The Twilight realm is a perpetual twilight, Ganondorf would be unable to tell how much time has passed, or at least have a difficult time doing so. Until he is in the realm of light again. I think at the beginning of his return is unaware that baby Link is now a young adult. So he sends his henchmen to find and capture children expecting to find a young link eventually. (wind waker style-ish) thus the children in Ordon are kidnapped. oh dear remember when I said this was a small theory.

NOW I am aware that I said that Ganondorf was unaware for a little bit that little link grew up. I have a reason, it's Collin. don't tell me he wouldn't get mistaken for a young link. The blond hair color, the way his hair is parted down the middle? blue eyes? why such a display unless you're going to parade the poor kid all the way to Ganondorf. As a way to say i found the kid you were lookin for. we the players know that Colin has round ears but it's also interesting that out of all the village kids, Colin's ears are obscured by his hair on both sides. (clarifying that the design choice that we easily see the round ear tops of the other village kids intrigues me)