The moment you learn that the "shadow beasts" are just physically corrupted Twili citizens and perhaps some are even Hylians (based on in-game dialogue). So all the shadow beasts you slay in the story are Midna's people.
I mean… to me i see it as some Hylian settlements becoming even more barren bc ppl had to be slayed (they werent turned into wolves like Link). Also its messed up how possessed Zelda isnt even called Zelda anymore at that point
@@AngelStickman first of all why would a mirror get created when only the ruler/twilight princess can break it? Why not the Gods. Im not counting the manga if its explained there
@@RealPersistences I agree that there are probably other beings who could break the mirror. Especially if someone got a hold of the triforce itself. Wasn’t it created to store the triforce in the twilight realm? It’s been a while since I’ve played Twilight.
TP will always be my favorite entry to the series. I still remember my Mom taking me to Toys R Us and picking it up with on a buy 1 get 1 free deal. I got Twlight Princess and Rule of Rose. As soon as I got home, I popped the TP disc into my Gamecube, and found myself lost once again in Hyrule. But this time it was different. The Hero's journey that i was to embark on would not be the same hero's journey I had experienced before. The game gave off an air of uneasiness and the world itself felt much more desolate and oppressive.
I think we also got ours at Toys R Us. That was a painful dose of nostalgia to swallow. I went with both my parents, and I remember distinctly my father and I letting our stupidity show by questioning if the wolf on the cover was the "new villain" to replace Ganondorf. To be fair, it's hard to think critically about that when you're 5 years old!
I remember skipping the first part of my chemistry class to buy this game day one. Once high-school finished. I spent the whole weekend playing this game and finishing it without a guide. And then I ran a 100% completion save. I also remember the following week getting to copy some homework by giving tips to the game at some classmates. Easier times.
@@queenofraging9274 I still have both Rule of Rose is still in like new condition, I played it for like 5 minutes and lost interest so it just sat on my self.
In regards to the children being kidnapped, I think there are two possible reasons. 1. TP takes place after MM in the child timeline so Ganondorf suspected the next hero might also be a child. OoT Link also grew up in the forest and Ordon Village is close to the Forest Temple so that's another connection. Perhaps the Moblin's working for Ganondorf are searching for children who bare a Triforce mark on the back of their hand. 2. If none of the children have the mark they can still use them as bait to draw out the actual hero.
It can't be for either "possible" reason as the Ganondorf from the Child Timeline had _no clue_ about the prophecy of the Hero destined to vanquish him as he never got the chance to even meet said Hero before he was imprisoned within the Twilight Realm. This is confirmed when he meets the Hero of Twilight face to face only to dismiss him outright as Midna's "friend" without any care or thought he might be a messianic entity born with the power to stop him. I personally have come to agree with saria's theory in this video in that the kidnapping of the children was most likely made for the purpose or spreading fear and sorrow among the denizens of the Ordon Province so that the Twilight would spread into the region and continue to corrupt the souls of all the people living in the Light Realm.
tbh when i first played TP i theorized the abduction was an attempt to find the hero of courage and an accurate if superstitious belief he would come from the forest region. ganon haunted by fear of the boy in ocarina of time who almost killed him. this videos theory however that the twili and ganon are destabilizing regions to crush their moral and numbers is fascinating and probably the one that rings the most true to me. with the best way to hurt ordona being to stop the small rural population from reproducing and crush moral of small close knit family communities. it's really dark and sad but it completely checks out. even ignoring link but abducting iilia speaks to targeting not just children but young women who could be pregnant or become pregnant any time soon. the plan to kidnap all the kids won't work if a new baby is born next year so even older teen girls links age were targeted along with the little kids as essential to the next generation of ordon while a young man like link was ignored as inconsequential without any peers to start a family with. :( genuinely upsetting, even uncomfortably reminiscent to gendered violence. but it's compelling and impressive storytelling! the "damsel in distress" is just an empty trope until you consider that it comes from real life events when women are often targeted for violence and control, originating in the assumption they are weaker, or simply assuming young women can give birth and are especially valuable to the community. notions like chivalry and heroism towards women originate in how unfair it is for one half of the population to be targeted like that. and the other half owing it to their sisters to stand up and interfere when or if it does happen! i think anchoring a "damsel" storyline in the reality of gendered violence can be refreshing compared to the cartoonish depiction of "lol girls dumb and weak and need help all the time" and makes it more clear with "nah people are just really disproportionately evil towards girls and we shouldn't stand for that, especially if you're a guy and see a fellow guy being abusive like that". characters like link originate in being a role model for those fortunate enough to be on the outside of a conflict and witnessing misogyny or other discrimination to stand up for the ones being targeted.
@@KitKat_293 I like your in depth interpretation for King Bulblin's decision to specifically kidnap Illia while only knocking out Link to leave him to his fate yet i feel you may have gone just a little TOO especulative as to his motivations to do so. In my opinion the reason why Link was spared from kidnapping while Illia wasn't stemmed from his personal connection to the gods of the Zelda pantheon as courtesy of his _pointed ears_ making him less prone to fall into despair and sorrow compared to the _round_ eared Illia who's lack of a connection to the gods made her more susceptible to emotion and helplessness. Do note that Link is the ONLY inhabitant of the Ordonian Province with pointed ears while every other inhabitant sports regular round ears due to them lacking the aforementioned connection to divinity explaining the collective fear and terror the Ordonians endure after Bulblin took away their children. While there's certainly the most obvious reason of the "damsel trope" been applied to give Link an archetypical Hero's Journey involving the rescue of a damsel Nintendo also added a deeper meaning behind Link's predicament at the start of his quest by introducing him as the sole member within his homestown with the spiritual connection and _endurance_ to withstand the demonic influence the Twilight was causing.
One interesting thing in Tears of the Kingdom is at one point, a Zonai construct under the Shrine of Resurrection referred to the Yiga as "Interlopers". what if Interlopers were former Sheikah tribe members who hated the Hyrulean Royal family and worked against them?
It's actually confirmed in the lore (BotW specifically), that the Yiga are a subgroup of the Sheikah that turned against the king after the Calamity. Since Sheikah technology was considered dangerous they got exiled, and the Yiga are the group that refused to return to normal life and swore allegiance to Ganon.
I think the more likely connection, considering the similarities in design language (which people were already picking up on with what we got of it in Breath of the Wild), is that the Twili are descendants of the Zonai that lived on the surface in Hyrule, which is why they all just disappeared. The Oocca may have even been retconned as Zonai descendants too, considering they live on floating islands, and Rauru and Mineru are implied to have come from some Zonai civilization in the sky that outlasted the surface-level Hyrulian Zonai (the depths Zonai are implied to have lasted until the first calamity).
@@BoxoSpoons Or seeing its implied that the past of TotK takes olace well after the events in past games its possible the Oocca evolved into the Zonia
This video more than anything demonstrates a deep understanding of Twilight Princess' inexplicably heart wrenching tonal artistry. It's dark, but it's also so much more than that. It's half-smiles, the colour of the sunset, and wishing that things were better. It's working hard, succumbing, spiralling, but still always dreaming of the sunrise. It is unapologetically sombre as a game, but every story section feels like it ends on a note that is a half pitch up from where it started. Due to the nature of the world, things are never truly resolved, never fully healed, but everyone gains a greater sense of responsibility and hope as time continues, which will hopefully eventually come to create a world with as much light in it as possible. I adore the open free camera shots you used which permeate this video and illustrate the evocative feelings that Twilight Princess elicits with all of their wordless nuance in the most effective way. I'm only 4 minutes in, but I've found the whole experience very moving so far. Thank you for taking the time, but from how you talk about it, I can tell it wasn't really work at all. Cheers.
I always looked at Twilight Princess as how things really looked rather than the stories told in OOT and Skyward Sword. The Kokiri forest is abandoned, with only the ghosts of what was still haunting them. The Temple of Time tells stories of the Hero of Time on its walls, as does the Desert Prison. The Hero of Time is now a benevolent spectre, guiding the current Hero into being a better swordsman. The whole thing leans into horror, but it also has a lot of depth that many other Zeldas lack.
“the links in this timeline have been through a lot” yes!!! i would LOVE a similar video on the isolating terror of Ocarina considered from links perspective; being mentally ten years old in the body of a young man and having to speedrun maturing those 7 years because you’re instantly forced into cavernous dungeons ALONE with only Navi to guide you and Sheik popping up once in a while with a vague poem and some moral support. What it must have been like to soldier alone through a temple actively trying to burn you alive, or lure you into a dead hand’s lair
3:19 They left Link alone because they didn't see him. The cutscene specifically showed the POV of the monster on hog-back looking around for anyone else, and Link was on the ground out of the monster's line of sight. That's the only reason, pure luck. Link is clearly implied to be the same age as Ilia, who is confirmed a "child" (likely a teen) within the game. Which heavily implies Link is also a "child".
I've gaslit myself for 18 years that a Zelda game that I like will come out again lol. Honestly, I think it's gone forever. I felt a bit sad and empty when I realised that, but I guess we just have to look elsewhere in the gaming world to fill the space that the beautiful darker Zelda's left behind. I'll love OOT, MM and TP forever.
Maybe they'll do a 4k remake for the switch 2(the environments in this game could use an update imo) and then roll out a sequel. I'd really like another dark and mature Zelda that touches on horror aspects... One can dream.
King Bulblin was under the influence of Ganondorf. As he explained in the end: “I follow the strong. That is all I’ve ever known.” Ganondorf ordered the kidnapping of the Ordanians to stifle Links ascension to hero. In my theory, Link was kept secret in Ordan because the Royal family already had knowledge of his destiny, since he was born with the mark of the triforce. So naturally, Ganon’s knowledge of Link makes sense to me. But that’s just me though.
Also. I assume Link was kept secret. Because he’s the only one with pointy Hylian ears while everyone else had human ears. I also like to imagine that Zelda and Link are twins. Since their eye and hair Color are the same and the theory of hiding Link.
This whole video was excellent but shout-out to your timing during those first few seconds of the intro, genuinely gave me the creeps while simultaneously amping up the anticipation for what follows. Really great work!
The Twili have a connection to the Sheikah. The Sheikah are the SHADOW of the Royal Family of Hyrule of the Light World. The Royal Family of Hyrule are linked to the Goddess Hylia, the Goddess of Light & Time. The Goddess Hylia anointed a selection of Humans with her Sight & Light. These Humans blessed by the Sight of Goddess Hylia became the Sheikah. That's why the Fused Shadow has the Sheikah Eye on the back of it. In fact, the Sheikah are behind A LOT of the chaos that exists in Hyrule's history. There's a reason why they are decimated after the Hyrulean Civil War by Ocarina of Time's era. The big mystic seal on the Shadow Temple near Sheikah-founded Kakariko Village. The seal that looks like the Sheikah Eye covering up a Torture Chamber called a Shadow Temple. The Shadow Temple that tells of Hyrule's history of greed & hatred. These dirty secrets that only the Right Hands of the Royal Family would know, those Shadow Folk-the Sheikah. The CIA of Hyrule with all the negatives that entails. That's why the King of Hyrule 10,000 years before Breath of the Wild era told the Sheikah to destroy those Divine Beasts & Guardians. He feared that these machines that subdued Ganon would one day be turned on the Royal Family of Hyrule. And some of these Sheikah turned on the Royal Family when he told them to tamper down. These Sheikah became the Yiga & turned on the Royal Family just like the King thought. My theory is that the Sheikah are behind the Gerudo turning on the Hylians. All 3 groups come from the same source. They are all Humans not Humanoid Rocks or Humanoid Fishes. The Sheikah were enhanced by Hylia for a special mission as she descended into mortality as Zelda. But Skyward Sword shows us that both the Hylians AND the Gerudo came from the Skyloftian Humans left over. Groose is the ancestor of the Gerudo with his darker skin, yellow eyes, red hair, tall strong build, & vain haughty attitude. And Groose was one of the heroes in the battle against the Demon King Demise. He went WEST from the Temple of Hylia after the battle in the direction of the Lanayru Desert. That's where he founded his Grooseland. That's where the Gerudo Dragonfly flourished. That Lanayru Desert eventually became the Gerudo Desert, the Desert that's ALWAYS on the West Side. I believe the Timeshift Stones & Ruins of Industry in the region made this the ideal place for Groose's civilization. Timeshift Stones can revert the desert back to its healthy fresh & green state. But what happens if the Timeshift Stones stopped working? It then only remains a deathly desert. The Sheikah remember the now-emerging Gerudo as Groose's tribe & remember Groose affinity with Granny Impa. Granny Impa is a Sheikah so out of loyalty to one of the heroes of the Demise battle, the Sheikah wanted to help the Gerudo with their crisis by using the Triforce to make things better. But the Royal Family of Hyrule said no. And THIS is what led to the Interloper War & all of the chaos referenced in that creepy Interloper cutscene. The Gerudo held a grudge ever since & some Sheikah wanted to help them against the Kingdom & its allies. This is how the Gerudo learned the secrets of the highly-protected Sacred Realm & how to breach it. Twinrova, a fused pair of Gerudo Witches, had this knowledge & passed it on to the rare Gerudo male, Ganondorf. Through Ganondorf who unwittingly houses the spirit of Demise, the Gerudo & Sheikah Rebellion waged war on Hyrule. This is the beginning of the Hyrulean Civil War that ended in the false truce that gets exposed in Ocarina of Time. The Shiekah Rebels who were found out were hunted by the Sheikah Loyalists & hence the Shadow Temple's Torture. Bad things happen when the Sheikah split & Nintendo has quietly seeded that message over & over again. Basically when Hylia blessed these Sheikah with her godly Sight, it made them too powerful & power corrupts. They were designed to serve Hylia & her mortal incarnations but they were smart, TOO smart, & tried to outsmart Hyrule. Since these Sheikah rebel against Hylia, they instead serve Demise & try to bring demise to Hylia's Kingdom, Hyrule. The Sheikah turned against the Gods & decide to help their enemies the Devils or Demons. There's a REASON why the Fused Shadow reminds you so much of Majora's Mask. SAME link, SAME people. The Sheikah Interlopers who became the Twili have a hand in BOTH artifacts, I bet money.
@@WorldTree33 You are welcome! Skyward Sword was SO important to the lore. Probably THE most important story IN the lore actually. Through Skyward Sword, I can finally make sense of Link beating Full Triforced Ganon with the Master Sword in A Link to the Past. How DO you beat a man who has the Full Triforce REALLY? Well when you got a sword imbued with the essences of not just Three but FOUR Goddesses ALONG WITH the remains of the Demon King Demise while enhancing it further through Blacksmiths, there's no way Ganon can beat a Holy Weapon such as that. The Master Sword is the failsafe in case Triforce is in the wrong hands. Through Skyward Sword, I can finally conclude that Hylia herself is one of the Golden Goddesses! Each Silent Realm (Sacred Realm) were based on each Golden Goddess with that Goddess' Tears. Farore in Faron Woods. Nayru in Lanayru Desert. Din in Eldin Volcano. Makes sense, right? But then there's a FOURTH & FINAL Silent Realm that we're introduced to & it's on Skyloft! Why there? It's simply called The Goddess' Silent Realm & the tears are simply called Sacred Tears. But the game's storytelling already distinguishes Din, Nayru, Farore from Hylia by calling Hylia "The Goddess" so we know which Goddess this Silent Realm & its Sacred Tears belongs to. And Skyloft contains the Isle of the Goddess with Hylia's Giant Statue as well as the Triforce in its keep. This Isle later sinks back to the Earth fitting right into the Sealed Temple...the Temple of Hylia! Each Silent Realm acts exactly the same so that must mean that Hylia is same as Din, Nayru, Farore. I conclude that the Downward Triangle that forms in the center when the complete Triforce is assembled represents Hylia. That gap between the 3 pieces of the Triforce. And THAT is shown all the way in the first game of the series! The original Legend of Zelda on NES! On the Title Screen you see "The Legend of Zelda" with a Downward-pointing Golden Triangle behind. This is a quietly consistent motif Nintendo uses if you pay close attention. Eiji Aonuma once did some video wearing a T-Shirt saying The Hyrule Fantasy with Triforce on it. Each Triangle of the Triforce had an 8-bit sprite representing each Triforce principle. Triforce of Power had a Sword for Offense. STRONG. Triforce of Wisdom had a Shield for Defense. WISE. Triforce of Courage had a Heart for...Heart/Guts/Vigor/Life. BRAVE. The Downward Triangle in the Middle had the 8-bit sprite of Princess Zelda. CENTERPIECE/GUIDING LIGHT. Zelda is Hylia & the land is not called Dinrule or Nayrule or Farule. It's called HYRULE. HYLIA-RULE. Eldin, Lanayru, Faron are always SUB-REGIONS within Hyrule but Hyrule is the whole of it all. There is no 4th piece of the Triforce because Hylia stayed on the Earth & didn't return to the Heavens. The Force is still within her. 3 Triangles UP = Din, Nayru, Farore UP to the Heavens. 1 Triangle DOWN = Hylia DOWN on the Earth. The Earth built for her by the other Three. Hylia is just like her "sisters" Din, Nayru, & Farore except that she didn't build the world, she rules over it. There's so much I can go over when it comes to what I have learned of Zelda Lore from Skyward Sword. Reply back if you want me to break some more stuff down. I would love to show you what I found.
Out of sheer wariness this reply might unleash a long and extended ramble of pure baseless dribble i'll just say there's a LOT of evidence-lacking especulation in this comment to be taken with any level of scrutiny. PS: Demise is permanently *dead* according to the _japanese_ version of Skyward Sword and Ganondorf IS NOT POSSESSED BY DEMISE'S SPIRIT. In Japan the "Tyrannical Being" as he's called by Fi is a mere _Bunshin_ (look it up) created by the *Demon Tribe* who are collectively the true villains of The Legend of Zelda responsible for birthing all the demonic fiends and Demon Kings/Ganondorfs who keep appearing across the timeline to forever antagonize the mortal descendants of the _God Tribe_ mentioned in the japanese version of Skyward Sword as part of an eternal dichotomous battle between Order (God Tribe) and Chaos (Demon Tribe). I got the shield ready to deflect the blow of the ramble vomit you might tragically gonna throw me.
@@javiervasquez625 Oh I remember you. You're the one who argued me down saying Hylia was not the Goddess of Time & Light before Tears of the Kingdom came out & proved me right. I forget which Zelda-tuber video we spoke in but I remember your name. The English translation & Japanese original do not contradict as much as you think they do. Demon Tribe & God Tribe in Japanese is the same as saying Demons & Gods in English. Japanese arrange their words differently & you have to read between the lines not just use direct translation. You saw with your very own eyes the remains of Demise go into the Master Sword after his defeat. With good reasoning you can deduce that this is why the Master Sword has to be maintained over time. Demise's BODY is Dead but his Spirit remains & that's why the Master Sword is never again the True Master Sword it was in Skyward Sword. This is why Sages must pray over it to uphold its power. Demise is the Demon King. HE is the source of all monsters which is why Ghirahim serves HIM. This is why Ghirahim calls him MASTER & why Demise carries his own MASTER SWORD. He's not some bunshin sidekick, he is the SOURCE, he is the CHIEF. Hylia is a God or Goddess. Demise is a Demon or Devil. And they are EQUAL in power. His Imprisonment was ultimately a Stalemate which is why Hylia went mortal as Zelda & hatched her master plan to keep the fight 2 vs. 1 as opposed to 1 vs. 1. She used a mortal like Link as her Paragon to aid Zelda. Demise is said to have conquered Time itself which means he conquered Hylia herself. So Hylia the Goddess of Time has to look beyond timelines to stop Demise's belief that he conquered. Each fight in the series is ultimately Hylia's long-term vision to stop the supposed Time Conqueror. She Imprisoned him & deformed him but he damaged her & left wounds. And he would come back in time. The fight between Deities like these were carried onto the Mortal Plane. Demise sees Hylia's plan to incarnate as the Mortal Zelda & says 'that's a good idea I'll do the same'. And this is what leads to the Ganon in Ganondorf of the Gerudo. Zelda becomes Hylia's mortal Avatar & Ganondorf becomes Demise's mortal Avatar. Link only defeated THE BODY of Demise but the Black Smoke that got absorbed into the sword was his SPIRIT. Do you REALLY think a Mortal can defeat a Deity just like that? Ganondorf himself is not a Demon. A Demon was put inside of him & he's trapped by it. The man Ganondorf wanted better things for his people & became an angry extremist. That extremism & anger was just the vortex necessary to allow the Demon to take over. All the monsters you see in Ocarina of Time after the Time Skip is from the Demon taking over Ganondorf. There were no Moblins in the 1st Half of the game. They show up after the Demon awakened in him after touching the Triforce of Power. That's why the former Hyrule Castle is raised above a hellish pool. Ganondorf's original desires are supplanted by Demise's desires since Ganondorf became Demise's Avatar. Demise's hatred of the Gods in mortal form or immortal form NEVER perishes. That's why Ganon's deaths are only temporary. But the 2 on 1 setup Hylia devised keeps Ganon from winning for long. Also temporary. All you have to do is look at the succession of games & you can clearly see that Nintendo is telling this story. The Japanese original text is important but the localizations are not really that far off. The non-Japanese branches of Nintendo have to check with the Japanese core of Nintendo & get the translations approved. The English localizers have to arrange the content in a way that resonates with English speakers while also keeping community standards in mind (no religious offenses). So some aspects are said but downplayed & other aspects are elaborated on to flesh things out. 'Endless Plunge' stands in for 'Infinite Naraku' but the meaning blends together in both. Falling Down Endlessly Into Eternal Hell. One is more benign while one is more explicit but it's all the same. You might as well concede that I'm right because I proved my case with the Hylia vs. Nayru thing before.
Twilight princess has been my favorite game since it came out. I was 12 and I remember I used to fantasize about post-game where Link could show Ilia all around Hyrule. The city in the sky was one of my favorite places and I would think about how they would both fit in the sky cannon lol. Idr how long I thought of this, but I think it was just relieving to see during the credits things returning as normal as they could be. It’s sad how lonely and isolated Link is in the game, and the one friend that was with him through everything he could never see again. I think child me just really wanted to think about him being happy after all that work lol
Ganondorf kidnapping kids is pretty common play in the series, but due to the E for (Eternal nightmares) rating, its full implications probably can't be fixated on too much. As such, I don't think just how evil of an act targeting children specifically in an attack gets conveyed. It's pretty much one of the most vile, cruel and evil methods one could utilize in their tactics. Especially knowing Ganondorf usually sends monsters to do this, and they can be both unruly and get hungry while hauling their captives around. Plus, be pretty rough with their captives in general. Even Wind Waker Ganodorf (who gets the most sympathy from people) is still perfectly fine with sending a monster bird to attack and haul off kids. Can only imagine how terrifying of an ordeal that is. Probably to an almost certain degree quite traumatizing, too. It's one of those Zelda tropes that gets more disturbing the more you actually sit down and begin thinking about it as an adult.
One thing I loved about this (and Wind Waker, in Opposite-But-Similar veins) is that it had a bittersweet ending. Along that whole "You have to accept what happens" theme, it's very clear that over the course of the game Midna and Link become extremely close. Almost agonizingly so, with barely a sheet of paper between them by the end. By that time, you know neither wants to go, and Link isn't thinking of what needs to be done. But whether by dutiful obligation on Midna's part or Destiny itself, they vanish from each others lives, with not a single moment to spare to even begin to take in this truth or lessen the impact it will have. It just _happens._ Like death. And just like a death, they can no longer see or hear from each other ever again, with nothing but the memory of all that has happened and the empty space they once occupied that will be there forever more, that every event and happening will shape itself around in their lives going into the future. This is especially poignant considering that, in all the timelines and moments throughout them, Zelda and Link are fated to be "Together", whatever that may entail, which can vary heavily from one point in destiny to another. More often than not, they are usually "together" in a good sense, as friends, lovers, joyous neighbors, etc. In this one, it is clear that Zelda is a cold, aloof individual that we dont really ever get to know as a person; she's not friends with Link, they barely even know each other, with her shown through the vast majority of the game as merely this figurehead that is royalty and possesses the Triforce of Wisdom, and that Link and her are only "Together" in the sense that they were both required to stop Ganondorf. By the end it is inferred that Link is going out into the world by himself, and they dont really intend to go farther than that together, likely to drift apart slowly over time from the little kinship they formed. This is a very "isolated" kind of feeling. Sure, yea he's a Hero, most people know him, he has friends all over, and with Ilia a "Beyond The Sea" kind of thing going on, but there is a lot more happening behind the scenes; he had quite literally fulfilled his Destiny; nothing else for him, basically, other than to live his life. The other two Triforce holders he is linked to by that same Destiny are either dead or on their own path, and the Fire-Forged Friendship (trope) he developed with Midna (arguably a bond and relationship that developed deeper than any other he has had, or may even *_ever_* have, _because_ of what they had gone through together) was simply gone . . . He has no one else to relate to. No one else who can truly understand him, what he's done, what he's been through, or what has happened. You are right about this being a game rooted in the concept of Terror, and perhaps the most visceral terror of all is the fear of being alone. This isn't just some "third-party-looking-in" thing we deduced and projected as an audience onto the situation, I am fairly certain he actually does feel alone. Because as the credits role he's riding off into the unknown world. By himself. A man doesn't just up and leave everything he's ever known, a home, people he cares about, a woman he might love or who loves him, unless he feels he needs something in his life, or he's looking for . . . something. In Wind Waker, it was bittersweet because the world we knew was being washed away, never to be seen again in it's glory. But what was lost was simply a legend to most people and they never knew it personally; most of it was because we as the audience knew what the implications of the entire thing were. Otherwise, everyone realizes that the end of an Era brings about new beginnings and fresh starts, a great wide world with friends and loved ones, who knew what you have been through and fought with you side-by-side, looking for new adventures. In Twilight Princess' case, it's different; he's going out into the world all by himself, with a void in his heart, no one to relate to, and what he's looking for is something he may never find. Link is truly alone here. As a Hero. As a man. As a person. It's heartbreaking and sad, and that part has stuck with and grown on me far more than anything else about this game has ever since I played it so many years ago.
With how Midna had been the only reason to keep going at times, and was a beacon of light to brighten TP's darker moments, losing her at the end felt like a step too far for me. Maybe that's how it was intended to feel, but even after reading your explanation, her leaving permanently still feels like something that didn't need to happen. Maybe there's some Japanese cultural lesson that got lost in translation, but losing a companion that gave the story so much meaning made me wonder what the point of the story was in the first place? What were we supposed to learn? That loss sucks...?
@@theguybehindyou4762I think the Japanese are big into "Temporary Art" kind of concepts; something beautiful that is not only not going to last but is actually _intended_ to be fleetingly temporary, something about it only existing for a brief moment of time making it all the more meaningful. Honestly it's not my forte, but I suppose that if everything were to have a perfect happy ending then it would mean less, since we know whats going to happen and we can count on everything being perfectly fine at the end. Besides, having a depressing journey makes the good moments all the better, and ripping away everything at the very end when it finally starts to feel so good and perfect leaves a much larger impression on someone than if everything was all sunshine and rainbows. I suppose there is also an argument to be made about how having a happy ending would have clashed too much with the overall atmosphere and feel of TP, since the game at it's core is meant to be extremely moody and dark, but there is a lot of nuance there that could go a lot of different ways. If I'm being fair here, while all of TP was a phenomenal experience, the game has stayed with me almost two entire decades later largely based on the ending and how it made me feel. To me, it's less about a "Satisfactory" ending and more about one that makes an impact and makes me think about everything leading up to it, and it's implications afterwards. Thats probably why I like certain Series Finale's that weren't well received by others, because I saw how they felt more " real" and impactful, even if they weren't exactly what even I personally would have liked.
It still could have been impactful if they’d parted ways with the mirror intact. Leaving it more open-ended like that would have made the ending feel hopeful, which the perfect way to conclude a dark tale in my opinion.
This is the greatest analysis of Twilight Princess' subtext I've ever watched. Almost 20 years later and I'm still learning new things about this game. I've never thought of the children being kidnapped as not making any sense but you're right. It makes no sense, absolutely brilliant 💛🔥 Really good job pn this one
I caved and did a RUclips survey while I was scrolling. Your video came up as suggested and I clicked it. I’m so grateful to have stumbled upon someone so passionate and knowledgeable!! Thank you so much for this 🙌🏼
Great take! When I played it for the first time I noticed that the Faron Woods music gave a more eerie melancholic vibe right from the get-go instead of the typical happy-go-lucky adventure music, signaling that this game is of a different kind and that by doing this was to foreshadow the darker themes in this game.
Just a video that passed on my youtube playlist and i wasn't watching my screen. I was like "Damn I know this voice" and here she is, Saria ! Pleasure to hear this video from you
I love and adore Twilight Princess for this very thing. Every time you think that you've got it all figured out there's always something else hidden within the game and its story. From the characters to the bits of lore and unsettling vibe it's absolutely fascinating how it all works and comes together.
What I noticed is the whole game feels like a strange nightmare and ironically enough I found the courtyard part of hyrule castle to be like waking up from it
I had not played this game in about 12 years but when i saw that flyover of Odon Village i almost cried, my god a thousand memories just flooded my mind. Twilight Princess was a masterpiece.
I remember the debates that were had back in the day, which was darker? Majora's Mask with it's existential crisis or Twilight Princess with it's literal story of light and dark? Thank you for tackling some of the darker sides of Twilight Princess!
Twilight Princess is truly my favorite one, it is one of the few I played multiple times. Going through the shadowy reflection of Hyrule and its characters that doesn't give up in face of adversity was endearing. Thanks for the video on a nostalgic game. ^^
its been so long since I played this game I had totally forgotten how interesting the world is. And my god that Twilight theme is just the perfect piece of music
Reasons like this are why it is truly the BEST Zelda game! Masterfully crafted is a perfect description. Great video, very good watch for this TP mega fan :D
A very interesting video! I personally read TP's narrative as a story of Link and Midna achieving a happy ending for everyone but themselves. They managed to save the Twili and the Hyruleans from Zant and Ganondorf, but they couldn't unify the two peoples, or at least didn't want to risk it. I also read the game as a star-crossed love story between Midna and Link (the manga made them canon but their dynamic was soooo badly written). After everything, the connection they shared, the people and worlds they saved, they arguably deserve their happy endings the most, but they don't get them because there are things greater than themselves preventing that. Their love is doomed by the narrative. Neither of them are selfish enough to abandon their families or responsibilities to pursue it. I think this also shows a tragic side to being a chosen hero: suddenly you're responsible for ending the suffering of EVERYONE, and yeah, you might have allies who are willing to help, but it is still YOU who has to defeat the root of the suffering with your own hands. People may bemoan the logistics of chosen heroes and how they make no sense, but they could very well be the divine's way of minimising suffering. If it's all up to this One Very Special Person, then they can be a one-person-shield between the evil and everyone else. If saving everyone else is at odds with your desires, then you don't get to see those desires fulfilled. That's just how it is, and it leaves Link so changed by his journey that he can never go back to the quiet life in Ordon and connect with his community the same way. That's why we see him leave Ordon at the end of the game, in parallel with when his predecessor left in search of Navi.
Outstanding video for 3 reasons: the use of down-tuned ost makes the perfect atmosphere, your narrative about a narrative of TP and the fact you sometimes make me think TP is better written than Majora's Mask or at least has a more complex universe!!!
I remember that certain scene really scared me. I was also about 8 or 9 years old when I was gifted this game. Luckily for me back then my dad was playing the game for the first time so that took some of the scare away. When I replayed the game a few years ago I can really appreciate it's atmosphere and edginess and it remains my favorite traditional Zelda game to this day. Also, I think this is the first time I am watching one of your videos and I'm already a fan of your style.👍
I love this video. Your use of music & love of the dark/terrifying aspects of this game has *shone* through. You've created a beautiful & appropriate atmosphere. It's enjoyable, thought-provoking & Zelda-filled!
I've had this odd notion for a long time that.... I mean.... Well, look at the world. The whole world of Twilight Princess. It's being shrouded in Twilight, and Link is slowly freeing it from this dark grasp. But after the Twilight is dispelled, who are the only people left? Outside of Castle Town and the central dwellings of the other races anyway? It seems that the only human-type people to survive anywhere.... are those with round ears. The Ordonian children, Lantern Guy and his sisters, the Kakarikans.... I've always wondered if perhaps Ganondorf was in fact trying to preserve and reclaim any Gerudo blood left in the land. Maybe he wanted the children to rear as his own first fledgling subjects in his new dark age.
It's been heavily implied across the series that the reason why some human characters possess pointy ears while others don't has to do with the _purity_ of a person's *soul* and wether they worship the gods of the Zelda pantheon. The evidence comes from several sources ranging from both the instruction manual from A Link to the Past and Shad the scholar from Twilight Princess which state pointed ears allow one to "hear the messages from the gods" implying a connection to divinity and the fact that when the evil Ganondorf from Ocarina of Time claimed the Triforce of Power (the essence of the goddess Din) his *round* ears changed into pointed ones as a direct result of him possessing the Triforce piece. There's nothing "genetic" about the nature of pointed ears but rather a spiritual and religious explanation tied to the gods who bless those virtuous enough to have their ears pointed in order to hear their words.
@@javiervasquez625wait wait wait I never noticed that before so I double checked and I think you're mistaken. Ganondorf's ears aren't pointy like Link's and Zelda's, they're round, just, polygonically round, and therefore oddly triangular. Like, they don't come to a point they way the do on the heroes' models, they're clipped, because they're still round. The game's just old lol Like his ears are pretty pointy even when you meet him as a kid. They don't change, he's just got longer hair when you meet him as an adult lol Just to be sure I even looked up his ingame models. It's the same in TP as well, his sharp ears don't change before or after the execution when the Triforce appears on his hand. Not rounded, but not long like Link or Zelda's. However they are pointy, which is unlike the other humans on TP's Hyrule. Definitely could argue he's closer to divinity than them, but not as close as the heroes? It's a fun theory in any case! 'Twas a shame to disprove.
@@Kagomai15 _"Ganondorf's ears aren't pointy like Link's and Zelda's, they're round, just, polygonically round, and therefore oddly triangular"_ Yes that's exactly what i said as Ganondorf was neither virtuous enough (he's the embodiment of Evil) or religiously inclined to be worthy of hearing the messages of the gods. Only after he claimed the Triforce of Power created by the goddess Din did his ears change from round to pointed as shown when Link meets him face to face at the top of his castle. _"It's the same in TP as well, his sharp ears don't change before or after the execution when the Triforce appears on his hand"_ Yes you're right and you know why that is...? Because he *already* had the Triforce of Power in his possession by the time he was captured and chained by the 6 Sages. As the Ganondorf from the Adult Timeline had already split the Triforce into it's 3 pieces the act of splitting it caused a _chain reaction_ which affected the Child Timeline allowing Twilight Princess Ganondorf to also possess the Triforce of Power and by extension earn pointed ears. That "divine prank" Rauru the Light Sage from Twilight Princess mentioned was in fact a reference to that very chain reaction caused by Ocarina of Time Ganondorf which allowed Twilight Princess Ganondorf to also obtain the Triforce of Power without him ever having to enter the Sacred Realm in order to claim it. _"It's a fun theory in any case! 'Twas a shame to disprove"_ Ain't a theory bud, you just didn't do your homework right. :P
@@javiervasquez625 Well I mean, I said Ganondorf's character model when you meet him as a child before he has the Triforce in OoT are just as pointy as when you meet him as an adult. His ears don't change, they're the same shape at the top of his castle as they were when you met him as a kid. Sorry it got lost in the bit about TP, which you're right about anyway. I knew that idk why I forgot he already had it.
@@Kagomai15 _"His ears don't change, they're the same shape at the top of his castle as they were when you met him as a kid"_ Are you short sighted? It's explicitly clear that his ears do grow pointy when we see him again at the top of Ganon's Castle with him sporting visibly distinctive pointed ears as a result of his possession of the Triforce of Power. I advice you double check that scene right now here in RUclips to notice the visible change to his ears from the last time we see him inside the Sacred Realm to the moment we see him again in Ganon's Tower. _"Sorry i got lost in the bit about TP, which you're right about anyway. I knew that idk why I forgot he already had it"_ It's alright it happens after not playing the one game every once in a while so don't worry about it. ;)
When I was younger, I wanna say 8 or 9 I watched my older brother play this game. I could remember some of the bosses giving me terrible nightmares as a kid because they were genuinely sometimes scary. When I got older and I rebought the game it was almost satisfying to play through the game myself and beat those bosses that used to scare me so much as a kid. Now as an adult I can’t help but admire their design and gameplay but also the lasting impact they left on my childhood self.
I always thought the kidnapping of the children was similar to the kidnappings that set Wind Waker's events in motion. Twilight Princess was supposed to be a sequel to Wind Waker, which at the time wasn't doing very well and getting poor reception from it's art style, and starts with young girls with long ears being kidnapped. The plot eventually reveals that Ganon is searching for Zelda with plans to snuff out her light. In Twilight Princess, we see the Bulblins, servants of Ganon, observing the children that they've come across in Ordon, going as far as to look at their wrists but ignoring the adult Link who they presume to be dead. I've always interpreted it that they were doing something similar, looking for those marked by the goddesses and taking them back to their home base, which was Kakariko at the time. Obviously, later in the game you learn that they're very much aware of Zelda, but you learn that they are actively looking for the escaped Minda, who you also learn can transform into others (ironically, she only does it once and it's right after you learn they're searching for her). You also learn that the Twili have a legend, that in times of strife a 'Blue Eyed Beast' that would save them and immediately after entering Twilight, Link's mark of the goddesses shines through and transforms him, where he is instantly arrested. So the way I've always thought of it was just that; scanning the entirety of Hyrule for those who could oppose Ganon and his takeover of the land of light, and destroying any opposition they find along the way. This includes killing off most of the other towns and villages, with a threat that screams "This isn't even the worst I can do to you or your people. Similar to the threats that we have seen before in Ocarina of Time, where Ganon directly threatened the way of life for many of Hyrule's inhabitants, now in Twilight Princess he is acting on them.
This is an interesting theory yet it's worth noting that the Ganondorf we see in Twilight Princess had no clue about the existence of a legendary Hero with the power to oppose him as he never had the chance to _learn_ about the prophecy of the Hero of Legend due to his imprisonment within the Twilight Realm forcing him into a long slumber. When he meets TP Link face to face he dismisses him outright as a mere "friend" of Midna taking no heed on the possibility he may carry divine power of his own able to counter and overwhelm Ganondorf's confirming the notion he's completley unaware of the other Triforce wearers courtesy of him never experiencing the events of Ocarina of Time. TP Ganondorf had no idea TP Link was the Hero born with the power to stop him.
@@javiervasquez625 Knowing Ganon, there's a good chance he's very well aware of the Prophecy of the Hero, even if it's never explicity stated. It's almost impossible to live in Hyrule and not be aware of it, or some version of it. Now, whether or not you believe in it is another story of course. It's just like any real world religion. Which leads back into "If I kill everyone, then no one can oppose me. I'm stronger than those cast away into the Shadow, and by extention I'm stronger than even those chosen by the Gods." He says something to the effect of "The fury of the Twili awoke a power within me, I bathed in it and became stronger." Not to mention the deal struck with Zant who I can guarantee reported back to him once or twice. Probably went something like this though: "Hey boss, I saw Midna today. She had a pet dog and our people have this legend about a blu-" "Did you kill her?" "I exposed her to the Light Spirit since she was so insistent on living in the light that banes us." "But did she die?" "M-maybe...? I got the Fused Shadow ba-" "Kill her if you see her again." WITH ALL THAT BEING SAID I believe the theory that they're looking for Midna more than I believe the theory of just blindly killing everyone. At the time, she had left with the one piece of the Fused Shadow that the Twili still had and we're shown that even a single piece has immense power. Even when we meet Zant for the first time in Lanayru Spring, he's more interested in bringing her back and convincing her that she's on the wrong side of the conflict; That the Twili deserve this fate as it brings them out on top and, more importantly, it causes the Light Dwellers to suffer just as they had. He even leaves her with the single piece of Fused Shadow, almost to entice her to come back (if she survived), knowing that she would either come back and he'd get the rest of it, (maybe even trade it for her co-operation) or die somewhere and it would be found. This, of course, turns into "Kill Zant and get the rest back because even without the full thing, we're still stronger than him."
@@milesholiman5597 I seriously doubt Zant left Midna with the pieces for the Fused Shadow so that "she would bring them to him" considering he outright _dismissed_ them entirely in favor of the true *Power* his "god" granted him which is why he left Midna to her fate alongside the pieces of the Fused Shadow out of his sheer aknowledgement they posed no threat to him and the magic from the Triforce of Power which Ganondorf was lending him. It's explicitly clear during the "Lanayru scene" that Zant had completley given up on convincing Midna to join his side after she vehemently rejected his offer leading to him using the Triforce of Power to _force_ Lanayru into exposing Midna to his Light in order to leave her in a fatal state and practically give up on turning her to his way of thinking. As for what you said about Ganondorf knowing about the legend of the Hero i must restate: at no point in the story does he ever deliver any piece of dialogue which suggests he knew about the Hero. Had he known one would expect him to aknowledge said legend to Link and Midna both as an attempt to gloat at his would be enemy showing how overconfident he is (fitting of Ganondorf's overconfident personality) and also to show how imposing he truly is by showing Link how much prepared he is to fight him. Nothing TP Ganondorf says or does makes him look like the kind of villain who tries his best to outsmart the good guys through careful planning and orchestrating giving the very apparent impression he has no idea of who and what the Hero of Twilight truly is.
Remember, GANON the Demon is using Zant as a Vessel. Which means GANON is physically existing in Zant until his influence can create a separate physical Body. This means that Zant's desires is what is causing the children to be taken. Zant wants the Light to suffer. So, GANON grants that unto him.
Loved hearing your thoughts on this and also giving the respect that Twilight Princesses deserves because I feel it gets a bad rep which hurts me because it was my first Zelda game and what got me into the whole series. I loved hearing you talk about how this game didn't have a primarily happy ending (especially because we know the twilight realm was left in relative chaos after zant's usurpation and we don't know if/how midna quelled it with her return) even though the main antagonists were taken out (zant and ganondorf). Her whole return to the Twilight realm (combined with her complete destruction of the mirror of twilight -- also solidifying her position and the true ruler of the twilight) left us as players somewhat hanging and only further solidifying your conclusion that Twilight Doesn't have a 100% happy ending and it's one of the things I absolutely love about it. I'm starting to ramble, so I'll sum up everything quickly that, thank you for this video. I'm subbed to see more and excited to see what other Zelda videos you make!!
Love it, love it, love it. I love seeing more detailed videos surrounding Twilight Princess. My favorite game ever since I was 10! Such an underrated game.
Entire game is disturbing and that’s why I love it so much it was my first Zelda game and what a way to be introduced to the franchise Nintendo needs to take the risk of making more Zelda’s rated T
Ocarina and this had a very unsettling feel to them. Almost like there was something very dark watching from just beyond the veil. 'Eyes of Ganon are everywhere.', as the villager from Zelda II said.
Im pretty sure the abduction of the kids was to lure out the hero but first of all, they tried to find the hero within the kids of ordon to begin with. That's why you see the Monsters grabbing the kids by their wrists amd inspecting the back of their hand, where the triforce would be located. They probably left link alone since they expected a child hero once again.
My personal Oocca headcanon is that they're all just the heads. Ooccoo Jr is a little flying head but all the adults have chicken bodies. What if they're not born with the bodies and they actually attach themselves to chickens? Idk why chickens but there's an unsettling line of demarcation between skin and feathers
This was my first Zelda game. I love it so much. It is an amazingly dark and distinct game that has a lot going for it in terms of themes, story, design, etc. I personally always just thought the children were barely saved when they found themselves in kakariko, but your theory is really cool too! I love to see people talking about this game :)
Twilight and Majora's are my two favorite games in the series because the world around the player feels so connected to the plot. More so in Majora's case, but Twilight has its moments where we see how everyday people are impacted by the events of the story. The children of Ordon, mainly Colin and Ilia, are affected by the tragedy happening around them, and you witness it firsthand, and it's so satisfying to make things right for them. Seeing Colin learn to brave the dangers of life and restoring Ilia's memory are some of my absolute favorite moments in the game, and the series as a whole.
Hey! I like this channel! I had no idea you had so few subscribers. I assumed you’d at least be in the 600k and up with how quality your content is. Definitely subbing! Keep it up! :)
I only just discovered your channel a few days ago. I'm always a fan of Zelda theory videos, but you in particular have a very soothing voice that puts me at ease. You've just earned a brand new subscriber, and I hope you continue making Zelda-related content. :)
Events like the abuction of the ordon children is an important step in the TP story because twistedness and light trauma is what makes the player want to resolve the story to restore the original state of goodness from the beggining.
Link and the player can't fix everything... Yeah, true. I think the game where Link comes closest to fixing EVERYTHING is Majora's Mask, despite how horrifying that game is. There is a small cutscene at the end that lets the player know there's one thing they weren't able to fix; the Deku butler's son, from whom Link gets his Deku form. But Link fixes pretty much everything else in Majora's Mask. As far the game where Link makes the least difference in the end... I'd say it's either Twilight Princess or A Link to the Past. In both Twilight Princess and A Link to the Past, we see a version of Hyrule with hardly any people left in it, largely overrun by monsters. There's not much left to save.
My theory of the Twili is what Midna says in game, they are descendants of thieves, criminals. The Twili were originally a bunch of different races and throughout the "generations" inside the shadows, they evolved into the Twili. The Interlopers seem like a cult that wanted about the same idea of Zant later on, the combining of the Light and Shadow while Ganon didn't care about the Twili, he just wanted his power back and revenge on the sages that forced him in this prison which also changed his physical form being in this realm but his laughter being heard in the vision when the Interlopers had the power, make it seem that maybe he was originally the cause of the Hyrulian Civil War, which this was a huge cause of the Goddess' interjection of dealing with these Interlopers.
Wow wait a moment-Ganondorf's _laughter_ is heard during the Interloper cutscene...? 😮 I thought that was a different voice actor (possibly Link's) doing the laugh. If it is indeed Ganondorf's voice actor i do have to wonder if the use of his specific voice was simply a mere recycled asset to avoid spending time recording a laugh by a different voice actor. Wathever the case may be nice catch for noticing.
@@javiervasquez625 I'm currently unsure if it's the same voice actor that does the laughter in the cutscene but the laughter does match up to Ganon's laugh later on in the game so, it could be entirely coincidental but I know on the wiki and lore videos I watched before they mention it being Ganon's laughter 🤷 it would make sense for him to want Hyrule fall into a civil war tho
@@azorith6779 I've just come from listening to the cutscene and to be honest... it sounds like Link's voice actor doing the laugh. ¿Maybe you got confused? It would have been a pretty cool find had it been Ganondorf's voice actor voicing "Dark Link" but alas it's clear to me it's Link's voice doing the laugh. As for the possibility of Ganondorf been responsible for the Hyrulean Civil War do take note that Ganondorf was a _young man_ around the events of Ocarina of Time somewhere around 30 years of age when he claims the Triforce of Power and conquers Hyrule. Seeing as the HCW took place 10 years before courtesy of Link's mother taking him to the Kokiri Forest as a baby Ganondorf would have been *20* years old while carrying plans to kickstart the war across the kingdom. ¿Would he have been able to at such a young age...? Personally i doubt it.
Great video, always enjoy it when people give twilight princess some love. While I do like the newer Zelda games I sure do miss the mystery and darker tone of older Zelda games especially twilight princess (my favorite) and majoras mask. The new games just lack that mystery to them that’s hard put my finger on but I think it’s that the world building and details are just less frequent the larger the maps got. Oh also boy do I miss the old dungeons they were just so much more atmospheric and had much more complex puzzles.
Twilight Princess has always been important to me and without it, I might not have my best friend as we bonded over our mutual love of Twilight Princess
This game is so strinkingly different than Wind Waker, another GameCube release. It's crazy to me that both of these games, being mainline Zelda titles, are so different, and yet, the same.
People might say Majora's Mask is one of, if not the darkest Zelda game, but Twilight Princess definitely makes the darker aspects more subtle. I guess this is why it's my favorite Zelda game of the franchise. Number 1 reason is definitely Midna tho, best helper in the franchise, fight me.
I also played this game incredibly young, when i was about 7. And did find the imagery quite disturbing in scenes like the light spirit explaining how power can absolutely corrupt even the purest of people (as you showed with both Ilia and Link becoming the power consumed monsters reflective of the tribe of darkness banished away because of their power lust and misdeeds) when promises of power are involved. But i do think that having exposure to those dark concepts rooted around the game were the things that had me so absolutely intrigued and perpetually thoughtful about it as a kid through to adulthood today. It was such a uniquley depressing narrative compared to almost all the other zelda games (and for me the most as i didnt grow up on OoT or MM)- but even compared with MM; TP is still revolved around an inevitable catastrophe that will engulf the world if no one takes any actions against it. But its also a story of a conceptual struggle that's tackled in such an openly opressive way that no other zelda has really shown . From the light Spirit of lake Hylia showing link the infamous Ilia and Link scene; to Midna's initial abusive treatment of Link for her own form Vengance- to King bulbins kidnapping of children, the Arbiter sage spirits attempted execution of Ganon, and the Water spirits demise as a consequence of their arrogance and self assurances it would work; as well Zant's attempt on Midnas life and her subsequent revenge later on woth the fused shadows (and his neck crack). It all reveolves around Power being abused for ones own gain. Whether it being Ganons conquest of Hyrule, to his evetual crown endorsed execution attempt as an act of justice in return. To the tribe of darkness's banishment (and ganons own after his failed demise)- directly leading to yet more vengance from Ganondorf- directly through Zant's own desires for kingship over his own people; thereby cursing Midna into an impish form. The abuse of power is rampant and every time its abused for one reason or another ideaologically- whether for altruistic reasons or selfish ones- it rebounds and causes more abuses, to more people down the line. From Ganons own selfishness, to hyrules 'justice' afterwards, to Zants Selfishness-enabled and empowered by Ganons own strength and deciet- to Midnas cursing and selfishness; all the way to Link and all the consequences once again falling on Hyrule all over again.
I really like that some things in twilight princess aren’t answered, it really gives the world more wonder and mystery that makes it infinitely more fun to keep exploring, always wondering if you’ll find that one little detail to flesh the world out more.
As far as the Oocca go, there are examples of races changing over time such as Kokiri and Zora, and the Twili's were said to originally be able to remain physical even in daylight until their fall when they were restricted to twilight. It wouldn't be that shocking to know that some people in Skyward Sword remained in the sky to become the wind tribe, and quickly becoming the Oocca. That said, I wondered how/if the peoples, their descendants who may or may not have evolved into the Zonai, of the sky one day noticed the fall of civilization split between leaving and staying.
ToTK was great, but BoTW was easily my least favorite Zelda game, tied with Phantom Hourglass. I still enjoyed it, it’s Legend of Zelda after all, but I’d put almost any other game in series above it.
Twilight Princess and Skyward Sword are my absolute favorites! Snowpeak Ruins, Sandship, Lakebed Temple, Ancient Cistern, and City in the Sky are the ideal forms of true Zelda dungeons.
Great to watch another of your videos, I like how our personality comes through in your storytelling. I never played any of the Zelda games, I saw my friends play some of the earlier games. I do watch retrospectives on games that I haven't played. The distinctive art style belays the depth that these games can have. They had always had the impression of having great storytelling and great worlds to explore. The landscapes seem to be characters in themselves.
One detail that not many talk about is that in many games when they discuss the battle for claiming the sacred realm, only the interlopers were banished. Which means that whatever they did if far worse than what normal people did. I personally believe that they are actually the tribe that made Majoras mask.
I hold a similar theory albeit in my interpretation the Interlopers are the Hyrulean _counterparts_ of the Dark Tribe who's creation of Majora's Mask is a parallel of the Interlopers's creation of the Fused Shadow. My evidence for this conclusion stems from some of the peculiar architecture found within the Stone Tower Temple in Termina, namely the stone structure at the entrance room of the temple which shares an uncany ressemblance to Majora's Mask. This leads me to believe that the Dark Tribe were the ones who built the Stone Tower for the purpose of either housing if not _worshipping_ Majora's Mask.
Maybe the Oocca are descendants of the Zonai. Advanced civilization, close to Hylia, living in the sky. The appearance is drasticly different but they still retain features like feathers and claws. Maybe once they cut themselves off from the surface there physical attributes regressed since they no longer needed it with there technological advancements.
What I don't like about the newer Zelda Games BOTW and TOTK is that Link doesn't have a character compared to Twilight Princess and Skyward Sword I hope the next Zelda Game gives Link more of a character then those Games did.
Your articulation and choice in diction are very pleasant and enhance the narrative you present in a game I already adore and an aspect of it I already adore. Instant subscribe.
This was my first and only Zelda game before the age of 11, when Skyward Sword was released and I think this played a big part in how I received it as a little kid. True mastery over tone and atmosphere. Even watching these cutscenes as an adult, I still feel that same gut wrenching unease that I got as a kid. These cutscenes make no sense to a first time player, and they sure as hell confused and scared the crap out of me as a kid, idk if all that was super necessary XD
I will never forget how ganon died standing up and how midna's true form was so beautiful. Also given these polls, I find myself to be living in the land of twilight
Good video. Appreciate it. Never saw your content before! It appeared it my recommended and since you his is my favorite Zelda game i wanted to watch it. Glad i did!
And this is the game I have the most nostalgia for, watching my dad and brother play it when I was 5- 8years old. I would have more nostalgia for ocarina of time if I wasn’t too young to remember most of it. I’ve of course played it since, but it doesn’t garner the same nostalgia for me.
Never really gave any of this stuff much thought. I just simply rolled with it. But yeah, I guess that's one reason this LoZ is my favorite because of the terror factor. That, and the fishing pond. 🎣
The moment you learn that the "shadow beasts" are just physically corrupted Twili citizens and perhaps some are even Hylians (based on in-game dialogue). So all the shadow beasts you slay in the story are Midna's people.
I mean… to me i see it as some Hylian settlements becoming even more barren bc ppl had to be slayed (they werent turned into wolves like Link). Also its messed up how possessed Zelda isnt even called Zelda anymore at that point
@@RealPersistences link was protected by the power of the triforce - he assumed a spirit-beast form. no one else would have turned into a wolf.
Yeah, that hit hard. Then Midna left forever. 😢
@@AngelStickman first of all why would a mirror get created when only the ruler/twilight princess can break it? Why not the Gods. Im not counting the manga if its explained there
@@RealPersistences I agree that there are probably other beings who could break the mirror. Especially if someone got a hold of the triforce itself. Wasn’t it created to store the triforce in the twilight realm? It’s been a while since I’ve played Twilight.
TP will always be my favorite entry to the series. I still remember my Mom taking me to Toys R Us and picking it up with on a buy 1 get 1 free deal. I got Twlight Princess and Rule of Rose.
As soon as I got home, I popped the TP disc into my Gamecube, and found myself lost once again in Hyrule. But this time it was different. The Hero's journey that i was to embark on would not be the same hero's journey I had experienced before. The game gave off an air of uneasiness and the world itself felt much more desolate and oppressive.
Those two are an insane pick. I hope you toom care of both of those games. Both are masterpieces.
I think we also got ours at Toys R Us. That was a painful dose of nostalgia to swallow. I went with both my parents, and I remember distinctly my father and I letting our stupidity show by questioning if the wolf on the cover was the "new villain" to replace Ganondorf. To be fair, it's hard to think critically about that when you're 5 years old!
I remember skipping the first part of my chemistry class to buy this game day one. Once high-school finished. I spent the whole weekend playing this game and finishing it without a guide. And then I ran a 100% completion save. I also remember the following week getting to copy some homework by giving tips to the game at some classmates. Easier times.
@@queenofraging9274 I still have both Rule of Rose is still in like new condition, I played it for like 5 minutes and lost interest so it just sat on my self.
@@MacRoss1792I took some shrooms and did the same thing lol.
In regards to the children being kidnapped, I think there are two possible reasons.
1. TP takes place after MM in the child timeline so Ganondorf suspected the next hero might also be a child. OoT Link also grew up in the forest and Ordon Village is close to the Forest Temple so that's another connection. Perhaps the Moblin's working for Ganondorf are searching for children who bare a Triforce mark on the back of their hand.
2. If none of the children have the mark they can still use them as bait to draw out the actual hero.
A theory I read long ago, the children were going to be used for experiments or to transform them into shadow beasts.
It can't be for either "possible" reason as the Ganondorf from the Child Timeline had _no clue_ about the prophecy of the Hero destined to vanquish him as he never got the chance to even meet said Hero before he was imprisoned within the Twilight Realm. This is confirmed when he meets the Hero of Twilight face to face only to dismiss him outright as Midna's "friend" without any care or thought he might be a messianic entity born with the power to stop him.
I personally have come to agree with saria's theory in this video in that the kidnapping of the children was most likely made for the purpose or spreading fear and sorrow among the denizens of the Ordon Province so that the Twilight would spread into the region and continue to corrupt the souls of all the people living in the Light Realm.
tbh when i first played TP i theorized the abduction was an attempt to find the hero of courage and an accurate if superstitious belief he would come from the forest region. ganon haunted by fear of the boy in ocarina of time who almost killed him.
this videos theory however that the twili and ganon are destabilizing regions to crush their moral and numbers is fascinating and probably the one that rings the most true to me. with the best way to hurt ordona being to stop the small rural population from reproducing and crush moral of small close knit family communities. it's really dark and sad but it completely checks out. even ignoring link but abducting iilia speaks to targeting not just children but young women who could be pregnant or become pregnant any time soon. the plan to kidnap all the kids won't work if a new baby is born next year so even older teen girls links age were targeted along with the little kids as essential to the next generation of ordon while a young man like link was ignored as inconsequential without any peers to start a family with. :(
genuinely upsetting, even uncomfortably reminiscent to gendered violence. but it's compelling and impressive storytelling! the "damsel in distress" is just an empty trope until you consider that it comes from real life events when women are often targeted for violence and control, originating in the assumption they are weaker, or simply assuming young women can give birth and are especially valuable to the community. notions like chivalry and heroism towards women originate in how unfair it is for one half of the population to be targeted like that. and the other half owing it to their sisters to stand up and interfere when or if it does happen!
i think anchoring a "damsel" storyline in the reality of gendered violence can be refreshing compared to the cartoonish depiction of "lol girls dumb and weak and need help all the time" and makes it more clear with "nah people are just really disproportionately evil towards girls and we shouldn't stand for that, especially if you're a guy and see a fellow guy being abusive like that". characters like link originate in being a role model for those fortunate enough to be on the outside of a conflict and witnessing misogyny or other discrimination to stand up for the ones being targeted.
@@KitKat_293 I like your in depth interpretation for King Bulblin's decision to specifically kidnap Illia while only knocking out Link to leave him to his fate yet i feel you may have gone just a little TOO especulative as to his motivations to do so. In my opinion the reason why Link was spared from kidnapping while Illia wasn't stemmed from his personal connection to the gods of the Zelda pantheon as courtesy of his _pointed ears_ making him less prone to fall into despair and sorrow compared to the _round_ eared Illia who's lack of a connection to the gods made her more susceptible to emotion and helplessness. Do note that Link is the ONLY inhabitant of the Ordonian Province with pointed ears while every other inhabitant sports regular round ears due to them lacking the aforementioned connection to divinity explaining the collective fear and terror the Ordonians endure after Bulblin took away their children.
While there's certainly the most obvious reason of the "damsel trope" been applied to give Link an archetypical Hero's Journey involving the rescue of a damsel Nintendo also added a deeper meaning behind Link's predicament at the start of his quest by introducing him as the sole member within his homestown with the spiritual connection and _endurance_ to withstand the demonic influence the Twilight was causing.
Oh, like a biblical thing like WW, where he kidnappings all the blonde girls with pointed ears.
One interesting thing in Tears of the Kingdom is at one point, a Zonai construct under the Shrine of Resurrection referred to the Yiga as "Interlopers". what if Interlopers were former Sheikah tribe members who hated the Hyrulean Royal family and worked against them?
Like an offshoot of the twili who escape banishment or maybe returned, yeah that's a cool idea!
It's actually confirmed in the lore (BotW specifically), that the Yiga are a subgroup of the Sheikah that turned against the king after the Calamity. Since Sheikah technology was considered dangerous they got exiled, and the Yiga are the group that refused to return to normal life and swore allegiance to Ganon.
I think the more likely connection, considering the similarities in design language (which people were already picking up on with what we got of it in Breath of the Wild), is that the Twili are descendants of the Zonai that lived on the surface in Hyrule, which is why they all just disappeared. The Oocca may have even been retconned as Zonai descendants too, considering they live on floating islands, and Rauru and Mineru are implied to have come from some Zonai civilization in the sky that outlasted the surface-level Hyrulian Zonai (the depths Zonai are implied to have lasted until the first calamity).
Interloper is just a word referring to someone who enters a home or country uninvited with malicious intent.
@@BoxoSpoons Or seeing its implied that the past of TotK takes olace well after the events in past games its possible the Oocca evolved into the Zonia
This video more than anything demonstrates a deep understanding of Twilight Princess' inexplicably heart wrenching tonal artistry. It's dark, but it's also so much more than that. It's half-smiles, the colour of the sunset, and wishing that things were better. It's working hard, succumbing, spiralling, but still always dreaming of the sunrise. It is unapologetically sombre as a game, but every story section feels like it ends on a note that is a half pitch up from where it started. Due to the nature of the world, things are never truly resolved, never fully healed, but everyone gains a greater sense of responsibility and hope as time continues, which will hopefully eventually come to create a world with as much light in it as possible. I adore the open free camera shots you used which permeate this video and illustrate the evocative feelings that Twilight Princess elicits with all of their wordless nuance in the most effective way. I'm only 4 minutes in, but I've found the whole experience very moving so far. Thank you for taking the time, but from how you talk about it, I can tell it wasn't really work at all. Cheers.
So the whole theme is twilight. You put this in a great, poetic way!
Hmm
this was beautifully said. the artistry of this game alone moves me emotionally in a way i can’t describe. it will always be my favorite zelda ever.
I always looked at Twilight Princess as how things really looked rather than the stories told in OOT and Skyward Sword.
The Kokiri forest is abandoned, with only the ghosts of what was still haunting them.
The Temple of Time tells stories of the Hero of Time on its walls, as does the Desert Prison.
The Hero of Time is now a benevolent spectre, guiding the current Hero into being a better swordsman.
The whole thing leans into horror, but it also has a lot of depth that many other Zeldas lack.
I didn't know the temple of time had pictures on its walls, is there a video about them?
The ending of that game made me literally yell out loud for Link to stop Midna.
“the links in this timeline have been through a lot” yes!!! i would LOVE a similar video on the isolating terror of Ocarina considered from links perspective; being mentally ten years old in the body of a young man and having to speedrun maturing those 7 years because you’re instantly forced into cavernous dungeons ALONE with only Navi to guide you and Sheik popping up once in a while with a vague poem and some moral support. What it must have been like to soldier alone through a temple actively trying to burn you alive, or lure you into a dead hand’s lair
3:19 They left Link alone because they didn't see him. The cutscene specifically showed the POV of the monster on hog-back looking around for anyone else, and Link was on the ground out of the monster's line of sight. That's the only reason, pure luck. Link is clearly implied to be the same age as Ilia, who is confirmed a "child" (likely a teen) within the game. Which heavily implies Link is also a "child".
I really... Really wished we got close to this in TotK. Here's hoping the next Zelda game catches this sense again
totk was so underwhelming
Echoes of Wisdom looks fun!
@@PolishBigfootCircle11 you've just earned yourself a week in a dungeon. No compass or map.
I've gaslit myself for 18 years that a Zelda game that I like will come out again lol. Honestly, I think it's gone forever. I felt a bit sad and empty when I realised that, but I guess we just have to look elsewhere in the gaming world to fill the space that the beautiful darker Zelda's left behind. I'll love OOT, MM and TP forever.
Sigh. I miss this game. I will never understand why Nintendo won't bring it and Wind Waker to Switch.
Same here
i hear dolphins are pretty neat
I'm sure they will eventually.
I know. I still have never got to play wind waker 😢
Maybe they'll do a 4k remake for the switch 2(the environments in this game could use an update imo) and then roll out a sequel. I'd really like another dark and mature Zelda that touches on horror aspects... One can dream.
King Bulblin was under the influence of Ganondorf. As he explained in the end: “I follow the strong. That is all I’ve ever known.” Ganondorf ordered the kidnapping of the Ordanians to stifle Links ascension to hero.
In my theory, Link was kept secret in Ordan because the Royal family already had knowledge of his destiny, since he was born with the mark of the triforce. So naturally, Ganon’s knowledge of Link makes sense to me. But that’s just me though.
Also. I assume Link was kept secret. Because he’s the only one with pointy Hylian ears while everyone else had human ears.
I also like to imagine that Zelda and Link are twins. Since their eye and hair Color are the same and the theory of hiding Link.
O
@@MrWeedCat7070 Zelda is a few years older than Link in TP, being around 20 when link is 16-17
I along with Midna were surprised King Bulbin can talk. Twilight Princess is the best
This whole video was excellent but shout-out to your timing during those first few seconds of the intro, genuinely gave me the creeps while simultaneously amping up the anticipation for what follows. Really great work!
The Twili have a connection to the Sheikah.
The Sheikah are the SHADOW of the Royal Family of Hyrule of the Light World.
The Royal Family of Hyrule are linked to the Goddess Hylia, the Goddess of Light & Time.
The Goddess Hylia anointed a selection of Humans with her Sight & Light.
These Humans blessed by the Sight of Goddess Hylia became the Sheikah.
That's why the Fused Shadow has the Sheikah Eye on the back of it.
In fact, the Sheikah are behind A LOT of the chaos that exists in Hyrule's history.
There's a reason why they are decimated after the Hyrulean Civil War by Ocarina of Time's era.
The big mystic seal on the Shadow Temple near Sheikah-founded Kakariko Village.
The seal that looks like the Sheikah Eye covering up a Torture Chamber called a Shadow Temple.
The Shadow Temple that tells of Hyrule's history of greed & hatred.
These dirty secrets that only the Right Hands of the Royal Family would know, those Shadow Folk-the Sheikah.
The CIA of Hyrule with all the negatives that entails.
That's why the King of Hyrule 10,000 years before Breath of the Wild era told the Sheikah to destroy those Divine Beasts & Guardians. He feared that these machines that subdued Ganon would one day be turned on the Royal Family of Hyrule.
And some of these Sheikah turned on the Royal Family when he told them to tamper down.
These Sheikah became the Yiga & turned on the Royal Family just like the King thought.
My theory is that the Sheikah are behind the Gerudo turning on the Hylians.
All 3 groups come from the same source. They are all Humans not Humanoid Rocks or Humanoid Fishes.
The Sheikah were enhanced by Hylia for a special mission as she descended into mortality as Zelda.
But Skyward Sword shows us that both the Hylians AND the Gerudo came from the Skyloftian Humans left over.
Groose is the ancestor of the Gerudo with his darker skin, yellow eyes, red hair, tall strong build, & vain haughty attitude.
And Groose was one of the heroes in the battle against the Demon King Demise.
He went WEST from the Temple of Hylia after the battle in the direction of the Lanayru Desert.
That's where he founded his Grooseland. That's where the Gerudo Dragonfly flourished.
That Lanayru Desert eventually became the Gerudo Desert, the Desert that's ALWAYS on the West Side.
I believe the Timeshift Stones & Ruins of Industry in the region made this the ideal place for Groose's civilization.
Timeshift Stones can revert the desert back to its healthy fresh & green state.
But what happens if the Timeshift Stones stopped working? It then only remains a deathly desert.
The Sheikah remember the now-emerging Gerudo as Groose's tribe & remember Groose affinity with Granny Impa.
Granny Impa is a Sheikah so out of loyalty to one of the heroes of the Demise battle, the Sheikah wanted to help the Gerudo with their crisis by using the Triforce to make things better. But the Royal Family of Hyrule said no.
And THIS is what led to the Interloper War & all of the chaos referenced in that creepy Interloper cutscene.
The Gerudo held a grudge ever since & some Sheikah wanted to help them against the Kingdom & its allies.
This is how the Gerudo learned the secrets of the highly-protected Sacred Realm & how to breach it.
Twinrova, a fused pair of Gerudo Witches, had this knowledge & passed it on to the rare Gerudo male, Ganondorf.
Through Ganondorf who unwittingly houses the spirit of Demise, the Gerudo & Sheikah Rebellion waged war on Hyrule.
This is the beginning of the Hyrulean Civil War that ended in the false truce that gets exposed in Ocarina of Time.
The Shiekah Rebels who were found out were hunted by the Sheikah Loyalists & hence the Shadow Temple's Torture.
Bad things happen when the Sheikah split & Nintendo has quietly seeded that message over & over again.
Basically when Hylia blessed these Sheikah with her godly Sight, it made them too powerful & power corrupts.
They were designed to serve Hylia & her mortal incarnations but they were smart, TOO smart, & tried to outsmart Hyrule.
Since these Sheikah rebel against Hylia, they instead serve Demise & try to bring demise to Hylia's Kingdom, Hyrule.
The Sheikah turned against the Gods & decide to help their enemies the Devils or Demons.
There's a REASON why the Fused Shadow reminds you so much of Majora's Mask. SAME link, SAME people.
The Sheikah Interlopers who became the Twili have a hand in BOTH artifacts, I bet money.
Thank you for putting into words what I’ve been thinking & building in my brain since Skyward Sword!😊
@@WorldTree33 You are welcome!
Skyward Sword was SO important to the lore. Probably THE most important story IN the lore actually.
Through Skyward Sword, I can finally make sense of Link beating Full Triforced Ganon with the Master Sword in A Link to the Past. How DO you beat a man who has the Full Triforce REALLY?
Well when you got a sword imbued with the essences of not just Three but FOUR Goddesses ALONG WITH the remains of the Demon King Demise while enhancing it further through Blacksmiths, there's no way Ganon can beat a Holy Weapon such as that. The Master Sword is the failsafe in case Triforce is in the wrong hands.
Through Skyward Sword, I can finally conclude that Hylia herself is one of the Golden Goddesses!
Each Silent Realm (Sacred Realm) were based on each Golden Goddess with that Goddess' Tears.
Farore in Faron Woods. Nayru in Lanayru Desert. Din in Eldin Volcano. Makes sense, right?
But then there's a FOURTH & FINAL Silent Realm that we're introduced to & it's on Skyloft! Why there?
It's simply called The Goddess' Silent Realm & the tears are simply called Sacred Tears.
But the game's storytelling already distinguishes Din, Nayru, Farore from Hylia by calling Hylia "The Goddess" so we know which Goddess this Silent Realm & its Sacred Tears belongs to.
And Skyloft contains the Isle of the Goddess with Hylia's Giant Statue as well as the Triforce in its keep.
This Isle later sinks back to the Earth fitting right into the Sealed Temple...the Temple of Hylia!
Each Silent Realm acts exactly the same so that must mean that Hylia is same as Din, Nayru, Farore.
I conclude that the Downward Triangle that forms in the center when the complete Triforce is assembled represents Hylia. That gap between the 3 pieces of the Triforce.
And THAT is shown all the way in the first game of the series! The original Legend of Zelda on NES!
On the Title Screen you see "The Legend of Zelda" with a Downward-pointing Golden Triangle behind.
This is a quietly consistent motif Nintendo uses if you pay close attention.
Eiji Aonuma once did some video wearing a T-Shirt saying The Hyrule Fantasy with Triforce on it.
Each Triangle of the Triforce had an 8-bit sprite representing each Triforce principle.
Triforce of Power had a Sword for Offense. STRONG.
Triforce of Wisdom had a Shield for Defense. WISE.
Triforce of Courage had a Heart for...Heart/Guts/Vigor/Life. BRAVE.
The Downward Triangle in the Middle had the 8-bit sprite of Princess Zelda. CENTERPIECE/GUIDING LIGHT.
Zelda is Hylia & the land is not called Dinrule or Nayrule or Farule. It's called HYRULE. HYLIA-RULE.
Eldin, Lanayru, Faron are always SUB-REGIONS within Hyrule but Hyrule is the whole of it all.
There is no 4th piece of the Triforce because Hylia stayed on the Earth & didn't return to the Heavens.
The Force is still within her. 3 Triangles UP = Din, Nayru, Farore UP to the Heavens.
1 Triangle DOWN = Hylia DOWN on the Earth. The Earth built for her by the other Three.
Hylia is just like her "sisters" Din, Nayru, & Farore except that she didn't build the world, she rules over it.
There's so much I can go over when it comes to what I have learned of Zelda Lore from Skyward Sword.
Reply back if you want me to break some more stuff down. I would love to show you what I found.
Out of sheer wariness this reply might unleash a long and extended ramble of pure baseless dribble i'll just say there's a LOT of evidence-lacking especulation in this comment to be taken with any level of scrutiny.
PS: Demise is permanently *dead* according to the _japanese_ version of Skyward Sword and Ganondorf IS NOT POSSESSED BY DEMISE'S SPIRIT. In Japan the "Tyrannical Being" as he's called by Fi is a mere _Bunshin_ (look it up) created by the *Demon Tribe* who are collectively the true villains of The Legend of Zelda responsible for birthing all the demonic fiends and Demon Kings/Ganondorfs who keep appearing across the timeline to forever antagonize the mortal descendants of the _God Tribe_ mentioned in the japanese version of Skyward Sword as part of an eternal dichotomous battle between Order (God Tribe) and Chaos (Demon Tribe).
I got the shield ready to deflect the blow of the ramble vomit you might tragically gonna throw me.
@@javiervasquez625 Oh I remember you. You're the one who argued me down saying Hylia was not the Goddess of Time & Light before Tears of the Kingdom came out & proved me right.
I forget which Zelda-tuber video we spoke in but I remember your name.
The English translation & Japanese original do not contradict as much as you think they do.
Demon Tribe & God Tribe in Japanese is the same as saying Demons & Gods in English.
Japanese arrange their words differently & you have to read between the lines not just use direct translation.
You saw with your very own eyes the remains of Demise go into the Master Sword after his defeat.
With good reasoning you can deduce that this is why the Master Sword has to be maintained over time.
Demise's BODY is Dead but his Spirit remains & that's why the Master Sword is never again the True Master Sword it was in Skyward Sword. This is why Sages must pray over it to uphold its power.
Demise is the Demon King. HE is the source of all monsters which is why Ghirahim serves HIM.
This is why Ghirahim calls him MASTER & why Demise carries his own MASTER SWORD.
He's not some bunshin sidekick, he is the SOURCE, he is the CHIEF.
Hylia is a God or Goddess. Demise is a Demon or Devil. And they are EQUAL in power.
His Imprisonment was ultimately a Stalemate which is why Hylia went mortal as Zelda & hatched her master plan to keep the fight 2 vs. 1 as opposed to 1 vs. 1. She used a mortal like Link as her Paragon to aid Zelda.
Demise is said to have conquered Time itself which means he conquered Hylia herself.
So Hylia the Goddess of Time has to look beyond timelines to stop Demise's belief that he conquered.
Each fight in the series is ultimately Hylia's long-term vision to stop the supposed Time Conqueror.
She Imprisoned him & deformed him but he damaged her & left wounds. And he would come back in time.
The fight between Deities like these were carried onto the Mortal Plane.
Demise sees Hylia's plan to incarnate as the Mortal Zelda & says 'that's a good idea I'll do the same'.
And this is what leads to the Ganon in Ganondorf of the Gerudo.
Zelda becomes Hylia's mortal Avatar & Ganondorf becomes Demise's mortal Avatar.
Link only defeated THE BODY of Demise but the Black Smoke that got absorbed into the sword was his SPIRIT. Do you REALLY think a Mortal can defeat a Deity just like that?
Ganondorf himself is not a Demon. A Demon was put inside of him & he's trapped by it.
The man Ganondorf wanted better things for his people & became an angry extremist.
That extremism & anger was just the vortex necessary to allow the Demon to take over.
All the monsters you see in Ocarina of Time after the Time Skip is from the Demon taking over Ganondorf.
There were no Moblins in the 1st Half of the game. They show up after the Demon awakened in him after touching the Triforce of Power. That's why the former Hyrule Castle is raised above a hellish pool.
Ganondorf's original desires are supplanted by Demise's desires since Ganondorf became Demise's Avatar.
Demise's hatred of the Gods in mortal form or immortal form NEVER perishes.
That's why Ganon's deaths are only temporary.
But the 2 on 1 setup Hylia devised keeps Ganon from winning for long. Also temporary.
All you have to do is look at the succession of games & you can clearly see that Nintendo is telling this story.
The Japanese original text is important but the localizations are not really that far off.
The non-Japanese branches of Nintendo have to check with the Japanese core of Nintendo & get the translations approved. The English localizers have to arrange the content in a way that resonates with English speakers while also keeping community standards in mind (no religious offenses).
So some aspects are said but downplayed & other aspects are elaborated on to flesh things out.
'Endless Plunge' stands in for 'Infinite Naraku' but the meaning blends together in both.
Falling Down Endlessly Into Eternal Hell. One is more benign while one is more explicit but it's all the same.
You might as well concede that I'm right because I proved my case with the Hylia vs. Nayru thing before.
@@johnlucas1543 Pure dribble ladies and gentlemen. I rest my case.
Also nice job liking your own comments in desperate search for self-validation. 👌😏
As a kid, *that* cutscene scared me so much that i would always skip it when i played through the game.
Twilight princess has been my favorite game since it came out. I was 12 and I remember I used to fantasize about post-game where Link could show Ilia all around Hyrule. The city in the sky was one of my favorite places and I would think about how they would both fit in the sky cannon lol. Idr how long I thought of this, but I think it was just relieving to see during the credits things returning as normal as they could be. It’s sad how lonely and isolated Link is in the game, and the one friend that was with him through everything he could never see again. I think child me just really wanted to think about him being happy after all that work lol
Ganondorf kidnapping kids is pretty common play in the series, but due to the E for (Eternal nightmares) rating, its full implications probably can't be fixated on too much. As such, I don't think just how evil of an act targeting children specifically in an attack gets conveyed. It's pretty much one of the most vile, cruel and evil methods one could utilize in their tactics. Especially knowing Ganondorf usually sends monsters to do this, and they can be both unruly and get hungry while hauling their captives around. Plus, be pretty rough with their captives in general. Even Wind Waker Ganodorf (who gets the most sympathy from people) is still perfectly fine with sending a monster bird to attack and haul off kids. Can only imagine how terrifying of an ordeal that is. Probably to an almost certain degree quite traumatizing, too.
It's one of those Zelda tropes that gets more disturbing the more you actually sit down and begin thinking about it as an adult.
One thing I loved about this (and Wind Waker, in Opposite-But-Similar veins) is that it had a bittersweet ending.
Along that whole "You have to accept what happens" theme, it's very clear that over the course of the game Midna and Link become extremely close. Almost agonizingly so, with barely a sheet of paper between them by the end. By that time, you know neither wants to go, and Link isn't thinking of what needs to be done. But whether by dutiful obligation on Midna's part or Destiny itself, they vanish from each others lives, with not a single moment to spare to even begin to take in this truth or lessen the impact it will have.
It just _happens._ Like death. And just like a death, they can no longer see or hear from each other ever again, with nothing but the memory of all that has happened and the empty space they once occupied that will be there forever more, that every event and happening will shape itself around in their lives going into the future.
This is especially poignant considering that, in all the timelines and moments throughout them, Zelda and Link are fated to be "Together", whatever that may entail, which can vary heavily from one point in destiny to another. More often than not, they are usually "together" in a good sense, as friends, lovers, joyous neighbors, etc.
In this one, it is clear that Zelda is a cold, aloof individual that we dont really ever get to know as a person; she's not friends with Link, they barely even know each other, with her shown through the vast majority of the game as merely this figurehead that is royalty and possesses the Triforce of Wisdom, and that Link and her are only "Together" in the sense that they were both required to stop Ganondorf. By the end it is inferred that Link is going out into the world by himself, and they dont really intend to go farther than that together, likely to drift apart slowly over time from the little kinship they formed.
This is a very "isolated" kind of feeling. Sure, yea he's a Hero, most people know him, he has friends all over, and with Ilia a "Beyond The Sea" kind of thing going on, but there is a lot more happening behind the scenes; he had quite literally fulfilled his Destiny; nothing else for him, basically, other than to live his life. The other two Triforce holders he is linked to by that same Destiny are either dead or on their own path, and the Fire-Forged Friendship (trope) he developed with Midna (arguably a bond and relationship that developed deeper than any other he has had, or may even *_ever_* have, _because_ of what they had gone through together) was simply gone . . . He has no one else to relate to. No one else who can truly understand him, what he's done, what he's been through, or what has happened.
You are right about this being a game rooted in the concept of Terror, and perhaps the most visceral terror of all is the fear of being alone.
This isn't just some "third-party-looking-in" thing we deduced and projected as an audience onto the situation, I am fairly certain he actually does feel alone. Because as the credits role he's riding off into the unknown world. By himself. A man doesn't just up and leave everything he's ever known, a home, people he cares about, a woman he might love or who loves him, unless he feels he needs something in his life, or he's looking for . . . something.
In Wind Waker, it was bittersweet because the world we knew was being washed away, never to be seen again in it's glory. But what was lost was simply a legend to most people and they never knew it personally; most of it was because we as the audience knew what the implications of the entire thing were. Otherwise, everyone realizes that the end of an Era brings about new beginnings and fresh starts, a great wide world with friends and loved ones, who knew what you have been through and fought with you side-by-side, looking for new adventures.
In Twilight Princess' case, it's different; he's going out into the world all by himself, with a void in his heart, no one to relate to, and what he's looking for is something he may never find.
Link is truly alone here. As a Hero. As a man. As a person.
It's heartbreaking and sad, and that part has stuck with and grown on me far more than anything else about this game has ever since I played it so many years ago.
Very well put. Never looked at the story like that.
With how Midna had been the only reason to keep going at times, and was a beacon of light to brighten TP's darker moments, losing her at the end felt like a step too far for me.
Maybe that's how it was intended to feel, but even after reading your explanation, her leaving permanently still feels like something that didn't need to happen. Maybe there's some Japanese cultural lesson that got lost in translation, but losing a companion that gave the story so much meaning made me wonder what the point of the story was in the first place? What were we supposed to learn? That loss sucks...?
@@theguybehindyou4762I think the Japanese are big into "Temporary Art" kind of concepts; something beautiful that is not only not going to last but is actually _intended_ to be fleetingly temporary, something about it only existing for a brief moment of time making it all the more meaningful.
Honestly it's not my forte, but I suppose that if everything were to have a perfect happy ending then it would mean less, since we know whats going to happen and we can count on everything being perfectly fine at the end. Besides, having a depressing journey makes the good moments all the better, and ripping away everything at the very end when it finally starts to feel so good and perfect leaves a much larger impression on someone than if everything was all sunshine and rainbows.
I suppose there is also an argument to be made about how having a happy ending would have clashed too much with the overall atmosphere and feel of TP, since the game at it's core is meant to be extremely moody and dark, but there is a lot of nuance there that could go a lot of different ways.
If I'm being fair here, while all of TP was a phenomenal experience, the game has stayed with me almost two entire decades later largely based on the ending and how it made me feel. To me, it's less about a "Satisfactory" ending and more about one that makes an impact and makes me think about everything leading up to it, and it's implications afterwards. Thats probably why I like certain Series Finale's that weren't well received by others, because I saw how they felt more " real" and impactful, even if they weren't exactly what even I personally would have liked.
It still could have been impactful if they’d parted ways with the mirror intact. Leaving it more open-ended like that would have made the ending feel hopeful, which the perfect way to conclude a dark tale in my opinion.
I dont know if a sequel would work, but if there ever is one, it’d have to be heavily influenced by the pair’s romantic connection.
I never considered how terror links all the characters together. But now it makes total sense and I appreciate the world more. Thanks saria!
This is the greatest analysis of Twilight Princess' subtext I've ever watched. Almost 20 years later and I'm still learning new things about this game. I've never thought of the children being kidnapped as not making any sense but you're right. It makes no sense, absolutely brilliant 💛🔥 Really good job pn this one
I can't believe it came out 20 years ago holy fuck 😭😭😭😭💀💀💀 I suddenly feel ancient
Technically it came out 18 years ago but yeah, there are still so many great things about this game.
I caved and did a RUclips survey while I was scrolling. Your video came up as suggested and I clicked it. I’m so grateful to have stumbled upon someone so passionate and knowledgeable!! Thank you so much for this 🙌🏼
Great take! When I played it for the first time I noticed that the Faron Woods music gave a more eerie melancholic vibe right from the get-go instead of the typical happy-go-lucky adventure music, signaling that this game is of a different kind and that by doing this was to foreshadow the darker themes in this game.
Just a video that passed on my youtube playlist and i wasn't watching my screen. I was like "Damn I know this voice" and here she is, Saria ! Pleasure to hear this video from you
I love and adore Twilight Princess for this very thing. Every time you think that you've got it all figured out there's always something else hidden within the game and its story. From the characters to the bits of lore and unsettling vibe it's absolutely fascinating how it all works and comes together.
What I noticed is the whole game feels like a strange nightmare and ironically enough I found the courtyard part of hyrule castle to be like waking up from it
I had not played this game in about 12 years but when i saw that flyover of Odon Village i almost cried, my god a thousand memories just flooded my mind. Twilight Princess was a masterpiece.
I remember the debates that were had back in the day, which was darker? Majora's Mask with it's existential crisis or Twilight Princess with it's literal story of light and dark? Thank you for tackling some of the darker sides of Twilight Princess!
I was 26 when this game came out and it gave ME the heebee jeebees! I loved it.
As a Twilight Princess fan, your thumbnail captures "creepy" perfectly, and the video was very thought provoking. Well done!!! 👏
Twilight Princess is truly my favorite one, it is one of the few I played multiple times.
Going through the shadowy reflection of Hyrule and its characters that doesn't give up in face of adversity was endearing.
Thanks for the video on a nostalgic game. ^^
its been so long since I played this game I had totally forgotten how interesting the world is. And my god that Twilight theme is just the perfect piece of music
Reasons like this are why it is truly the BEST Zelda game! Masterfully crafted is a perfect description.
Great video, very good watch for this TP mega fan :D
A very interesting video! I personally read TP's narrative as a story of Link and Midna achieving a happy ending for everyone but themselves. They managed to save the Twili and the Hyruleans from Zant and Ganondorf, but they couldn't unify the two peoples, or at least didn't want to risk it.
I also read the game as a star-crossed love story between Midna and Link (the manga made them canon but their dynamic was soooo badly written). After everything, the connection they shared, the people and worlds they saved, they arguably deserve their happy endings the most, but they don't get them because there are things greater than themselves preventing that. Their love is doomed by the narrative. Neither of them are selfish enough to abandon their families or responsibilities to pursue it.
I think this also shows a tragic side to being a chosen hero: suddenly you're responsible for ending the suffering of EVERYONE, and yeah, you might have allies who are willing to help, but it is still YOU who has to defeat the root of the suffering with your own hands. People may bemoan the logistics of chosen heroes and how they make no sense, but they could very well be the divine's way of minimising suffering. If it's all up to this One Very Special Person, then they can be a one-person-shield between the evil and everyone else. If saving everyone else is at odds with your desires, then you don't get to see those desires fulfilled. That's just how it is, and it leaves Link so changed by his journey that he can never go back to the quiet life in Ordon and connect with his community the same way. That's why we see him leave Ordon at the end of the game, in parallel with when his predecessor left in search of Navi.
Outstanding video for 3 reasons: the use of down-tuned ost makes the perfect atmosphere, your narrative about a narrative of TP and the fact you sometimes make me think TP is better written than Majora's Mask or at least has a more complex universe!!!
I remember that certain scene really scared me. I was also about 8 or 9 years old when I was gifted this game. Luckily for me back then my dad was playing the game for the first time so that took some of the scare away. When I replayed the game a few years ago I can really appreciate it's atmosphere and edginess and it remains my favorite traditional Zelda game to this day. Also, I think this is the first time I am watching one of your videos and I'm already a fan of your style.👍
I love this video. Your use of music & love of the dark/terrifying aspects of this game has *shone* through. You've created a beautiful & appropriate atmosphere.
It's enjoyable, thought-provoking & Zelda-filled!
Glad you enjoy it!
I've had this odd notion for a long time that.... I mean.... Well, look at the world. The whole world of Twilight Princess. It's being shrouded in Twilight, and Link is slowly freeing it from this dark grasp.
But after the Twilight is dispelled, who are the only people left? Outside of Castle Town and the central dwellings of the other races anyway?
It seems that the only human-type people to survive anywhere.... are those with round ears. The Ordonian children, Lantern Guy and his sisters, the Kakarikans....
I've always wondered if perhaps Ganondorf was in fact trying to preserve and reclaim any Gerudo blood left in the land. Maybe he wanted the children to rear as his own first fledgling subjects in his new dark age.
It's been heavily implied across the series that the reason why some human characters possess pointy ears while others don't has to do with the _purity_ of a person's *soul* and wether they worship the gods of the Zelda pantheon. The evidence comes from several sources ranging from both the instruction manual from A Link to the Past and Shad the scholar from Twilight Princess which state pointed ears allow one to "hear the messages from the gods" implying a connection to divinity and the fact that when the evil Ganondorf from Ocarina of Time claimed the Triforce of Power (the essence of the goddess Din) his *round* ears changed into pointed ones as a direct result of him possessing the Triforce piece.
There's nothing "genetic" about the nature of pointed ears but rather a spiritual and religious explanation tied to the gods who bless those virtuous enough to have their ears pointed in order to hear their words.
@@javiervasquez625wait wait wait I never noticed that before so I double checked and I think you're mistaken.
Ganondorf's ears aren't pointy like Link's and Zelda's, they're round, just, polygonically round, and therefore oddly triangular. Like, they don't come to a point they way the do on the heroes' models, they're clipped, because they're still round. The game's just old lol
Like his ears are pretty pointy even when you meet him as a kid. They don't change, he's just got longer hair when you meet him as an adult lol
Just to be sure I even looked up his ingame models. It's the same in TP as well, his sharp ears don't change before or after the execution when the Triforce appears on his hand. Not rounded, but not long like Link or Zelda's. However they are pointy, which is unlike the other humans on TP's Hyrule. Definitely could argue he's closer to divinity than them, but not as close as the heroes?
It's a fun theory in any case! 'Twas a shame to disprove.
@@Kagomai15 _"Ganondorf's ears aren't pointy like Link's and Zelda's, they're round, just, polygonically round, and therefore oddly triangular"_
Yes that's exactly what i said as Ganondorf was neither virtuous enough (he's the embodiment of Evil) or religiously inclined to be worthy of hearing the messages of the gods. Only after he claimed the Triforce of Power created by the goddess Din did his ears change from round to pointed as shown when Link meets him face to face at the top of his castle.
_"It's the same in TP as well, his sharp ears don't change before or after the execution when the Triforce appears on his hand"_
Yes you're right and you know why that is...? Because he *already* had the Triforce of Power in his possession by the time he was captured and chained by the 6 Sages. As the Ganondorf from the Adult Timeline had already split the Triforce into it's 3 pieces the act of splitting it caused a _chain reaction_ which affected the Child Timeline allowing Twilight Princess Ganondorf to also possess the Triforce of Power and by extension earn pointed ears. That "divine prank" Rauru the Light Sage from Twilight Princess mentioned was in fact a reference to that very chain reaction caused by Ocarina of Time Ganondorf which allowed Twilight Princess Ganondorf to also obtain the Triforce of Power without him ever having to enter the Sacred Realm in order to claim it.
_"It's a fun theory in any case! 'Twas a shame to disprove"_
Ain't a theory bud, you just didn't do your homework right. :P
@@javiervasquez625 Well I mean, I said Ganondorf's character model when you meet him as a child before he has the Triforce in OoT are just as pointy as when you meet him as an adult. His ears don't change, they're the same shape at the top of his castle as they were when you met him as a kid.
Sorry it got lost in the bit about TP, which you're right about anyway. I knew that idk why I forgot he already had it.
@@Kagomai15 _"His ears don't change, they're the same shape at the top of his castle as they were when you met him as a kid"_
Are you short sighted? It's explicitly clear that his ears do grow pointy when we see him again at the top of Ganon's Castle with him sporting visibly distinctive pointed ears as a result of his possession of the Triforce of Power. I advice you double check that scene right now here in RUclips to notice the visible change to his ears from the last time we see him inside the Sacred Realm to the moment we see him again in Ganon's Tower.
_"Sorry i got lost in the bit about TP, which you're right about anyway. I knew that idk why I forgot he already had it"_
It's alright it happens after not playing the one game every once in a while so don't worry about it. ;)
When I was younger, I wanna say 8 or 9 I watched my older brother play this game. I could remember some of the bosses giving me terrible nightmares as a kid because they were genuinely sometimes scary. When I got older and I rebought the game it was almost satisfying to play through the game myself and beat those bosses that used to scare me so much as a kid. Now as an adult I can’t help but admire their design and gameplay but also the lasting impact they left on my childhood self.
I always thought the kidnapping of the children was similar to the kidnappings that set Wind Waker's events in motion.
Twilight Princess was supposed to be a sequel to Wind Waker, which at the time wasn't doing very well and getting poor reception from it's art style, and starts with young girls with long ears being kidnapped. The plot eventually reveals that Ganon is searching for Zelda with plans to snuff out her light.
In Twilight Princess, we see the Bulblins, servants of Ganon, observing the children that they've come across in Ordon, going as far as to look at their wrists but ignoring the adult Link who they presume to be dead.
I've always interpreted it that they were doing something similar, looking for those marked by the goddesses and taking them back to their home base, which was Kakariko at the time. Obviously, later in the game you learn that they're very much aware of Zelda, but you learn that they are actively looking for the escaped Minda, who you also learn can transform into others (ironically, she only does it once and it's right after you learn they're searching for her).
You also learn that the Twili have a legend, that in times of strife a 'Blue Eyed Beast' that would save them and immediately after entering Twilight, Link's mark of the goddesses shines through and transforms him, where he is instantly arrested.
So the way I've always thought of it was just that; scanning the entirety of Hyrule for those who could oppose Ganon and his takeover of the land of light, and destroying any opposition they find along the way. This includes killing off most of the other towns and villages, with a threat that screams "This isn't even the worst I can do to you or your people. Similar to the threats that we have seen before in Ocarina of Time, where Ganon directly threatened the way of life for many of Hyrule's inhabitants, now in Twilight Princess he is acting on them.
This is an interesting theory yet it's worth noting that the Ganondorf we see in Twilight Princess had no clue about the existence of a legendary Hero with the power to oppose him as he never had the chance to _learn_ about the prophecy of the Hero of Legend due to his imprisonment within the Twilight Realm forcing him into a long slumber. When he meets TP Link face to face he dismisses him outright as a mere "friend" of Midna taking no heed on the possibility he may carry divine power of his own able to counter and overwhelm Ganondorf's confirming the notion he's completley unaware of the other Triforce wearers courtesy of him never experiencing the events of Ocarina of Time.
TP Ganondorf had no idea TP Link was the Hero born with the power to stop him.
@@javiervasquez625 Knowing Ganon, there's a good chance he's very well aware of the Prophecy of the Hero, even if it's never explicity stated. It's almost impossible to live in Hyrule and not be aware of it, or some version of it. Now, whether or not you believe in it is another story of course. It's just like any real world religion.
Which leads back into "If I kill everyone, then no one can oppose me. I'm stronger than those cast away into the Shadow, and by extention I'm stronger than even those chosen by the Gods."
He says something to the effect of "The fury of the Twili awoke a power within me, I bathed in it and became stronger."
Not to mention the deal struck with Zant who I can guarantee reported back to him once or twice. Probably went something like this though:
"Hey boss, I saw Midna today. She had a pet dog and our people have this legend about a blu-"
"Did you kill her?"
"I exposed her to the Light Spirit since she was so insistent on living in the light that banes us."
"But did she die?"
"M-maybe...? I got the Fused Shadow ba-"
"Kill her if you see her again."
WITH ALL THAT BEING SAID
I believe the theory that they're looking for Midna more than I believe the theory of just blindly killing everyone. At the time, she had left with the one piece of the Fused Shadow that the Twili still had and we're shown that even a single piece has immense power. Even when we meet Zant for the first time in Lanayru Spring, he's more interested in bringing her back and convincing her that she's on the wrong side of the conflict; That the Twili deserve this fate as it brings them out on top and, more importantly, it causes the Light Dwellers to suffer just as they had. He even leaves her with the single piece of Fused Shadow, almost to entice her to come back (if she survived), knowing that she would either come back and he'd get the rest of it, (maybe even trade it for her co-operation) or die somewhere and it would be found. This, of course, turns into "Kill Zant and get the rest back because even without the full thing, we're still stronger than him."
@@milesholiman5597 I seriously doubt Zant left Midna with the pieces for the Fused Shadow so that "she would bring them to him" considering he outright _dismissed_ them entirely in favor of the true *Power* his "god" granted him which is why he left Midna to her fate alongside the pieces of the Fused Shadow out of his sheer aknowledgement they posed no threat to him and the magic from the Triforce of Power which Ganondorf was lending him.
It's explicitly clear during the "Lanayru scene" that Zant had completley given up on convincing Midna to join his side after she vehemently rejected his offer leading to him using the Triforce of Power to _force_ Lanayru into exposing Midna to his Light in order to leave her in a fatal state and practically give up on turning her to his way of thinking.
As for what you said about Ganondorf knowing about the legend of the Hero i must restate: at no point in the story does he ever deliver any piece of dialogue which suggests he knew about the Hero. Had he known one would expect him to aknowledge said legend to Link and Midna both as an attempt to gloat at his would be enemy showing how overconfident he is (fitting of Ganondorf's overconfident personality) and also to show how imposing he truly is by showing Link how much prepared he is to fight him. Nothing TP Ganondorf says or does makes him look like the kind of villain who tries his best to outsmart the good guys through careful planning and orchestrating giving the very apparent impression he has no idea of who and what the Hero of Twilight truly is.
Remember, GANON the Demon is using Zant as a Vessel. Which means GANON is physically existing in Zant until his influence can create a separate physical Body. This means that Zant's desires is what is causing the children to be taken. Zant wants the Light to suffer. So, GANON grants that unto him.
Hmmm
Loved hearing your thoughts on this and also giving the respect that Twilight Princesses deserves because I feel it gets a bad rep which hurts me because it was my first Zelda game and what got me into the whole series. I loved hearing you talk about how this game didn't have a primarily happy ending (especially because we know the twilight realm was left in relative chaos after zant's usurpation and we don't know if/how midna quelled it with her return) even though the main antagonists were taken out (zant and ganondorf). Her whole return to the Twilight realm (combined with her complete destruction of the mirror of twilight -- also solidifying her position and the true ruler of the twilight) left us as players somewhat hanging and only further solidifying your conclusion that Twilight Doesn't have a 100% happy ending and it's one of the things I absolutely love about it. I'm starting to ramble, so I'll sum up everything quickly that, thank you for this video. I'm subbed to see more and excited to see what other Zelda videos you make!!
Love it, love it, love it. I love seeing more detailed videos surrounding Twilight Princess. My favorite game ever since I was 10! Such an underrated game.
Entire game is disturbing and that’s why I love it so much it was my first Zelda game and what a way to be introduced to the franchise Nintendo needs to take the risk of making more Zelda’s rated T
I would pay an obscene, disgusting amount of money for this game to be on the switch. I loved it so so so much.
it's so crazy that i played this game when i was a child and still play is sometimes.
She drops a masterpiece out of nowhere.
Keep up the good work, Saria!
Ocarina and this had a very unsettling feel to them. Almost like there was something very dark watching from just beyond the veil. 'Eyes of Ganon are everywhere.', as the villager from Zelda II said.
Im pretty sure the abduction of the kids was to lure out the hero but first of all, they tried to find the hero within the kids of ordon to begin with. That's why you see the Monsters grabbing the kids by their wrists amd inspecting the back of their hand, where the triforce would be located.
They probably left link alone since they expected a child hero once again.
My personal Oocca headcanon is that they're all just the heads. Ooccoo Jr is a little flying head but all the adults have chicken bodies. What if they're not born with the bodies and they actually attach themselves to chickens? Idk why chickens but there's an unsettling line of demarcation between skin and feathers
This was my first Zelda game. I love it so much. It is an amazingly dark and distinct game that has a lot going for it in terms of themes, story, design, etc. I personally always just thought the children were barely saved when they found themselves in kakariko, but your theory is really cool too! I love to see people talking about this game :)
Twilight and Majora's are my two favorite games in the series because the world around the player feels so connected to the plot. More so in Majora's case, but Twilight has its moments where we see how everyday people are impacted by the events of the story. The children of Ordon, mainly Colin and Ilia, are affected by the tragedy happening around them, and you witness it firsthand, and it's so satisfying to make things right for them. Seeing Colin learn to brave the dangers of life and restoring Ilia's memory are some of my absolute favorite moments in the game, and the series as a whole.
nice video, really good editing, script and pacing :)
Nintendo is so G rated now this game would never have been made in 2024
I would love another zelda installment like twilight princess, so strange and unsettling and brilliantly done
Hey! I like this channel! I had no idea you had so few subscribers. I assumed you’d at least be in the 600k and up with how quality your content is. Definitely subbing! Keep it up! :)
though i never got to play twilight princess it was my introduction to the series, i watched my dad play it on our wii
4:59 “Compelling writing”
* close up on Zelda’s chest * 😭
I only just discovered your channel a few days ago. I'm always a fan of Zelda theory videos, but you in particular have a very soothing voice that puts me at ease. You've just earned a brand new subscriber, and I hope you continue making Zelda-related content. :)
"Nintendo attempts to traumatize the player within this game."
Certainly worked on me, mostly because of Morpheel in the Lakebed Temple.
I fucking love Twilight Princess.
One question about the Oocca, what is to say that their bird forms aren't more divine than the shambling mammalian forms of the Hylians?
This was so well done. I appreciate the insight and thoughtfulness put into this.
Events like the abuction of the ordon children is an important step in the TP story because twistedness and light trauma is what makes the player want to resolve the story to restore the original state of goodness from the beggining.
Link and the player can't fix everything... Yeah, true. I think the game where Link comes closest to fixing EVERYTHING is Majora's Mask, despite how horrifying that game is. There is a small cutscene at the end that lets the player know there's one thing they weren't able to fix; the Deku butler's son, from whom Link gets his Deku form. But Link fixes pretty much everything else in Majora's Mask. As far the game where Link makes the least difference in the end... I'd say it's either Twilight Princess or A Link to the Past. In both Twilight Princess and A Link to the Past, we see a version of Hyrule with hardly any people left in it, largely overrun by monsters. There's not much left to save.
but that doesn't mean Link can avenge them.
My theory of the Twili is what Midna says in game, they are descendants of thieves, criminals. The Twili were originally a bunch of different races and throughout the "generations" inside the shadows, they evolved into the Twili. The Interlopers seem like a cult that wanted about the same idea of Zant later on, the combining of the Light and Shadow while Ganon didn't care about the Twili, he just wanted his power back and revenge on the sages that forced him in this prison which also changed his physical form being in this realm but his laughter being heard in the vision when the Interlopers had the power, make it seem that maybe he was originally the cause of the Hyrulian Civil War, which this was a huge cause of the Goddess' interjection of dealing with these Interlopers.
Wow wait a moment-Ganondorf's _laughter_ is heard during the Interloper cutscene...? 😮 I thought that was a different voice actor (possibly Link's) doing the laugh. If it is indeed Ganondorf's voice actor i do have to wonder if the use of his specific voice was simply a mere recycled asset to avoid spending time recording a laugh by a different voice actor. Wathever the case may be nice catch for noticing.
@@javiervasquez625 I'm currently unsure if it's the same voice actor that does the laughter in the cutscene but the laughter does match up to Ganon's laugh later on in the game so, it could be entirely coincidental but I know on the wiki and lore videos I watched before they mention it being Ganon's laughter 🤷 it would make sense for him to want Hyrule fall into a civil war tho
@@azorith6779 I've just come from listening to the cutscene and to be honest... it sounds like Link's voice actor doing the laugh. ¿Maybe you got confused? It would have been a pretty cool find had it been Ganondorf's voice actor voicing "Dark Link" but alas it's clear to me it's Link's voice doing the laugh.
As for the possibility of Ganondorf been responsible for the Hyrulean Civil War do take note that Ganondorf was a _young man_ around the events of Ocarina of Time somewhere around 30 years of age when he claims the Triforce of Power and conquers Hyrule. Seeing as the HCW took place 10 years before courtesy of Link's mother taking him to the Kokiri Forest as a baby Ganondorf would have been *20* years old while carrying plans to kickstart the war across the kingdom. ¿Would he have been able to at such a young age...? Personally i doubt it.
Great video, always enjoy it when people give twilight princess some love. While I do like the newer Zelda games I sure do miss the mystery and darker tone of older Zelda games especially twilight princess (my favorite) and majoras mask. The new games just lack that mystery to them that’s hard put my finger on but I think it’s that the world building and details are just less frequent the larger the maps got.
Oh also boy do I miss the old dungeons they were just so much more atmospheric and had much more complex puzzles.
Twilight Princess has always been important to me and without it, I might not have my best friend as we bonded over our mutual love of Twilight Princess
Man, Midna's farewell in the epilogue makes me cry every time I reply the game. She is one of my most favorite characters in all of fiction.
It's my favorite video game of all time. Excellent video.
The History of Light and Shadow will be written in Blood.
This game is so strinkingly different than Wind Waker, another GameCube release. It's crazy to me that both of these games, being mainline Zelda titles, are so different, and yet, the same.
People might say Majora's Mask is one of, if not the darkest Zelda game, but Twilight Princess definitely makes the darker aspects more subtle.
I guess this is why it's my favorite Zelda game of the franchise. Number 1 reason is definitely Midna tho, best helper in the franchise, fight me.
Thanks for the video!
Amazing essay on one of my favorite games ever!
Loved the serious tone this game had.
First off. GREAT THUMBNAIL. Twilight princess is my favorite and you hit the nail on the head
I also played this game incredibly young, when i was about 7. And did find the imagery quite disturbing in scenes like the light spirit explaining how power can absolutely corrupt even the purest of people (as you showed with both Ilia and Link becoming the power consumed monsters reflective of the tribe of darkness banished away because of their power lust and misdeeds) when promises of power are involved. But i do think that having exposure to those dark concepts rooted around the game were the things that had me so absolutely intrigued and perpetually thoughtful about it as a kid through to adulthood today. It was such a uniquley depressing narrative compared to almost all the other zelda games (and for me the most as i didnt grow up on OoT or MM)- but even compared with MM; TP is still revolved around an inevitable catastrophe that will engulf the world if no one takes any actions against it. But its also a story of a conceptual struggle that's tackled in such an openly opressive way that no other zelda has really shown . From the light Spirit of lake Hylia showing link the infamous Ilia and Link scene; to Midna's initial abusive treatment of Link for her own form Vengance- to King bulbins kidnapping of children, the Arbiter sage spirits attempted execution of Ganon, and the Water spirits demise as a consequence of their arrogance and self assurances it would work; as well Zant's attempt on Midnas life and her subsequent revenge later on woth the fused shadows (and his neck crack).
It all reveolves around Power being abused for ones own gain. Whether it being Ganons conquest of Hyrule, to his evetual crown endorsed execution attempt as an act of justice in return. To the tribe of darkness's banishment (and ganons own after his failed demise)- directly leading to yet more vengance from Ganondorf- directly through Zant's own desires for kingship over his own people; thereby cursing Midna into an impish form.
The abuse of power is rampant and every time its abused for one reason or another ideaologically- whether for altruistic reasons or selfish ones- it rebounds and causes more abuses, to more people down the line. From Ganons own selfishness, to hyrules 'justice' afterwards, to Zants Selfishness-enabled and empowered by Ganons own strength and deciet- to Midnas cursing and selfishness; all the way to Link and all the consequences once again falling on Hyrule all over again.
I really like that some things in twilight princess aren’t answered, it really gives the world more wonder and mystery that makes it infinitely more fun to keep exploring, always wondering if you’ll find that one little detail to flesh the world out more.
As far as the Oocca go, there are examples of races changing over time such as Kokiri and Zora, and the Twili's were said to originally be able to remain physical even in daylight until their fall when they were restricted to twilight. It wouldn't be that shocking to know that some people in Skyward Sword remained in the sky to become the wind tribe, and quickly becoming the Oocca. That said, I wondered how/if the peoples, their descendants who may or may not have evolved into the Zonai, of the sky one day noticed the fall of civilization split between leaving and staying.
New Zeldas don't stand a chance against the story, the characterization, the atmosphere, the depth, the beauty of older games.
False! BotW and TotK significantly surpassed Twilight.
ToTK was great, but BoTW was easily my least favorite Zelda game, tied with Phantom Hourglass. I still enjoyed it, it’s Legend of Zelda after all, but I’d put almost any other game in series above it.
i loved this! thanks i love deep dives into the zelda series and im looking forward to all your videos!
The oocca give me “man of the year million” vibes.
Twilight Princess and Skyward Sword are my absolute favorites! Snowpeak Ruins, Sandship, Lakebed Temple, Ancient Cistern, and City in the Sky are the ideal forms of true Zelda dungeons.
How deliciously spoopy for the holidays
Great to watch another of your videos, I like how our personality comes through in your storytelling. I never played any of the Zelda games, I saw my friends play some of the earlier games. I do watch retrospectives on games that I haven't played. The distinctive art style belays the depth that these games can have. They had always had the impression of having great storytelling and great worlds to explore. The landscapes seem to be characters in themselves.
One detail that not many talk about is that in many games when they discuss the battle for claiming the sacred realm, only the interlopers were banished. Which means that whatever they did if far worse than what normal people did. I personally believe that they are actually the tribe that made Majoras mask.
I hold a similar theory albeit in my interpretation the Interlopers are the Hyrulean _counterparts_ of the Dark Tribe who's creation of Majora's Mask is a parallel of the Interlopers's creation of the Fused Shadow. My evidence for this conclusion stems from some of the peculiar architecture found within the Stone Tower Temple in Termina, namely the stone structure at the entrance room of the temple which shares an uncany ressemblance to Majora's Mask. This leads me to believe that the Dark Tribe were the ones who built the Stone Tower for the purpose of either housing if not _worshipping_ Majora's Mask.
I always love theories on my favorite game of all time!
Maybe the Oocca are descendants of the Zonai. Advanced civilization, close to Hylia, living in the sky. The appearance is drasticly different but they still retain features like feathers and claws. Maybe once they cut themselves off from the surface there physical attributes regressed since they no longer needed it with there technological advancements.
Great video! You can tell a lot of love when into this.
What I don't like about the newer Zelda Games BOTW and TOTK is that Link doesn't have a character compared to Twilight Princess and Skyward Sword I hope the next Zelda Game gives Link more of a character then those Games did.
Your articulation and choice in diction are very pleasant and enhance the narrative you present in a game I already adore and an aspect of it I already adore. Instant subscribe.
This was my first and only Zelda game before the age of 11, when Skyward Sword was released and I think this played a big part in how I received it as a little kid. True mastery over tone and atmosphere. Even watching these cutscenes as an adult, I still feel that same gut wrenching unease that I got as a kid. These cutscenes make no sense to a first time player, and they sure as hell confused and scared the crap out of me as a kid, idk if all that was super necessary XD
I will never forget how ganon died standing up and how midna's true form was so beautiful. Also given these polls, I find myself to be living in the land of twilight
Your Zelda content is PEAK. 😩👏🏾👌🏾
Good video. Appreciate it. Never saw your content before! It appeared it my recommended and since you his is my favorite Zelda game i wanted to watch it. Glad i did!
And this is the game I have the most nostalgia for, watching my dad and brother play it when I was 5- 8years old. I would have more nostalgia for ocarina of time if I wasn’t too young to remember most of it. I’ve of course played it since, but it doesn’t garner the same nostalgia for me.
That jumpscare f*ckin' got me damn it
BRAVO! i throughoutly enjoyed
When I was a kid the big beasts you have to kill in a certain order would scare me so much I’d have to ask my parents to be in the room
Great video, never thought about tp with this perspective
Never really gave any of this stuff much thought. I just simply rolled with it. But yeah, I guess that's one reason this LoZ is my favorite because of the terror factor.
That, and the fishing pond. 🎣
That fishing pond is the best fishing pond of all zelda games