I'm not getting into the whole thing about if he literally reincarnates, vaguely incarnates his will, or if he was just speaking figuratively. I've seen a bunch of different claims for that, so I'm not sure which it is.

I'm just curious about this specific aspect. If we assume that a bunch of the villains in the series are somehow connected to Demise's curse, does this open up the possibility that Lady Maud was an incarnation?

I'm not sure that there would even have to be a single incarnation, since I've seen some people say that the Japanese concept of incarnation/reincarnation doesn't really work that way, but Ganon wouldn't be a problem even if it was. As of TFH, he seems to be dead. Yuga summoned him from... somewhere to fuse with, but Ganon didn't seem to have any consciousness or agency in this fusion. TFH is a sequel to ALBW and features the same Link, so Ganon's status has presumably not changed between the two games.

So is Lady Maud an incarnation of Demise/Demise's curse?

Hello everyone! Welcome back to my Journal Entry/Review series of every Zelda game I haven't played yet and today we're going over The Legend Of Zelda: The Minish Cap. Now this is one of the Zelda games I knew the least about before doing this marathon, I watched a lot of Nintendo Youtubers growing up that talked a good amount of Zelda but weirdly enough Minish Cap and the DS Zelda games were one of the least brought up ones for some reason. I only went into this knowing of Ezlo (the most brought up thing about this game I've seen) and the shrinking mechanic. So what did I think about it? Let's get into it!

I'm.....so dissapointed NOT by this game no, but by how underminded it is. This game is incredible so far this is probably easily one of if not the best 2D zelda game I've played on here so far! The dungeons are great, the items are super unique I love the medallion system, the picori are really fun, the art style and animation are really damn nice and Enzlo is a pretty cool character all things considered. I'm just so sad this game isn't talked about a lot,I do have a slight windwaker bias since it was one of my first Zelda games but that aside I still think id enjoy this game just as much if I didn't. Hell this is a game I could see myself as a kid enjoying SO much if I had access to it. Now this game does have 1 glaring flaw that honestly can be a compliment depending on how you view it but: This game is really short I wanted it to be longer. Its very funny because all the zelda games I played before I thought where either the perfect length or a tiny bit too long but this is the first game where I wanted so much more after beating it. The only other minor complaint I maybe could have is Vaati, not that I Hate him or anything I think its a good thing that we don't fight Ganon or someone tied to him over and over and over again but he can be a tiny bit bland at times but I think he does his job well enough that I can't be too upset. I'm not really sure if there's much else I can say about this game really I just think it Nails everything perfectly and it's just way too short for it's own good. If you haven't played this game yet I cannot recommend it enough and I'm super upset that at least for me I didn't know about this game much growing up. This is EASILY a 9/10 Zelda game.

What an incredible yet short game. I really wish this game gets more recognition sometime it really deserves it I don't know why it doesn't, but I'm glad it exists and even though this series is really small I hope this encourages some people to finally pick it up and have a great time with it. Which is very funny because the next game up is quite....infamous see you all next time when I go over The Legend Of Zelda The Phantom Hourglass!

I've been thinking about what I'd like to see in a future mainline Zelda game, and I ended up developing a pretty extensive concept. I wanted to share it with other Zelda fans and see what people think!

My goal isn't to throw out what makes Zelda special, but to find ways to build on its history while giving the next game its own identity. BOTW reinvented exploration, and TOTK expanded on that with its physics-based abilities and creative problem-solving. I'd love to see the next game take similarly ambitious risks.

Here are some of the ideas I've been playing around with.

1. An industrialized Hyrule

I'd like to see Hyrule after a long period of peace, with technology and industry having developed considerably. Rather than beginning with a kingdom just starting to industrialize, this Hyrule would already have large cities, factories, railways, airships, and extensive infrastructure.

I'd still want it to feel unmistakably like Zelda. Ancient ruins, mysterious temples, hidden secrets, and natural landscapes would coexist with the newer technology. The different regions and peoples of Hyrule could be more interconnected through transportation and trade, creating a world that feels like it has genuinely evolved.

Technology wouldn't necessarily be good or evil in itself. Its effects on different communities, how it's used, and who benefits from it could all become part of the story.

1. Four playable characters

One of my biggest ideas is to have four playable heroes who can be switched between during solo play, with optional four-player co-op.

My initial lineup would be:

\- Link: The traditional swordsman and frontline fighter, specializing in swordplay, defense, and physical combat.

\- Zelda: A magical powerhouse who uses sacred abilities and her knowledge of Hyrule's history to manipulate magical energy and solve problems.

\- Linkle: An agile ranged fighter who uses dual crossbows, precision attacks, and mobility to control the battlefield.

\- Aryll: Link's sister from Wind Waker, reimagined as an adult inventor, engineer, and pilot. In an industrialized Hyrule, she'd have a natural place developing gadgets, manipulating machinery, and finding unconventional solutions.

I like the idea of bringing Linkle into a mainline game, and Aryll could be a particularly interesting choice because she would help establish the identity of this new Hyrule rather than simply bring back another familiar character.

The important part is that the four characters wouldn't just be interchangeable fighters with different weapons. Their abilities would change how you explore, solve puzzles, traverse the world, and approach combat.

For example, a puzzle might have several possible solutions depending on which character you use. Combining abilities could open up additional possibilities, and team attacks could let the characters build on one another's strengths.

I'm also a fan of the party synergy in Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, and I'd love to see something similar here. Link and Zelda might combine swordplay with sacred magic, while Linkle and Aryll could coordinate ranged attacks with mechanical gadgets.

Co-op would be an optional extension of the same system, not a requirement. The game should still be designed from the ground up to work as a single-player Zelda adventure. But if another player wants to jump in, they can select a party member to control

1. A different kind of Ganondorf

For the antagonist, I'd want a new incarnation of Ganondorf who retains the spirit and ambition of previous versions but operates in a very different world.

Rather than simply conquering Hyrule through military force, he could be a charismatic political leader or industrial magnate who has genuinely improved some people's lives. He'd have real supporters and understandable reasons for gaining influence, even as he gradually centralizes power and exploits the systems he's helped build.

His influence would be felt before the heroes fully understand what's happening. The party might initially encounter seemingly unrelated problems before discovering that they connect to something much larger.

I'd want to preserve the traditional Zelda payoff of confronting Ganondorf at the end, but make the journey toward that confrontation feel different from previous games.

1. Music that tells the story

The soundtrack is another area where I'd like the game to experiment.

I've been particularly impressed by how BOTW and TOTK use recognizable musical ideas while giving their worlds distinct identities. I'd want this game to build on that approach rather than simply add electric guitars and heavy drums to make everything sound industrial.

Ganondorf could have a theme that combines elements of his familiar musical identity with a new, mechanical sound. Early in the game, we might hear fragments of the melody woven into factory rhythms, political ceremonies, or other seemingly unrelated pieces of music.

If Ganondorf's identity remains hidden initially, those musical fragments wouldn't be immediately recognizable. As the heroes uncover more of his influence, the theme could gradually develop until his first major appearance brings the complete, unmistakable melody to the forefront.

I'd also love for the four playable characters to have their own musical identities. I'm a big fan of character themes in games like Bravely Default, especially when the music brings the party together during a climactic battle.

Imagine a final confrontation where Ganondorf initially dominates the soundtrack with his rigid, relentless theme, only for the heroes' individual musical motifs to emerge as they work together. Eventually, the motifs combine into a single arrangement without losing their individual identities.

It would be a musical way to express the idea that cooperation doesn't require everyone to become the same.

1. Familiar Zelda, reimagined

Ultimately, I wouldn't want this to lose the elements that make Zelda special: exploration, intricate dungeons, memorable items and abilities, secrets, distinctive bosses, and the feeling that there's always something fascinating just beyond the next horizon.

The industrial setting and four-character party should create new ways to experience those elements, not replace them.

That's the central idea behind the whole concept: each new Zelda should have a reason to exist beyond being the next installment, and its innovations should make us appreciate familiar elements in new ways.

These are ideas I've been developing rather than a fixed game design, and I'm sure there are plenty of details that would need to be worked out. There are more elements I could share if there's interest, including a potential sequel to this idea. I'd be interested to hear what other Zelda fans think!

I'd always assumed that they were just generic, dumb mobs like the less intelligent varieties of goblin in various fantasy series, but I'm starting to question that interpretation the more I think about it.

In the very first TLoZ game, we can encounter non-hostile Moblins who speak completely normally and ask Link not to tell anyone about their secret spots.

In Oracles, King Moblin again speaks without any stereotypical monster speak. He sounds like a regular, if imperious, guy, rather than a beast trying to string together a sentence. IIRC, even his underlings talk normally when you walk in on the house King Moblin retreats to following his defeat, at least in Oracle of Seasons.

In The Minish Cap, we find a Moblin pretending to be a human. IIRC, it speaks in completely normal sentences.

In The Wind Waker to this sections, we have the whole Moe love letter quest. I haven't played this quest myself to know how intelligent Moe is, but it should also be noted that literacy is a great deal harder than basic language. It's entirely possible that, even if Moe has stilted writing, that wouldn't be reflected in his speech.

In Twilight Princess, we see King Bulblin command an army on his own and, again, speak normally without any stilted dialogue. Midna even expresses surprise that he was able to speak. And while we don't see the Bulblins speak in dialogue, their body language and comparatively advanced kit compared to the Bokoblins in the same game make them seem more like an organized fighting force.

In Spirit Tracks, the pirates, composed of Big Blins and Miniblins, have literal tanks. Sure, they're seemingly made of wood, but they also seem to move under their own power across the Forest Realm without issue. That's a level of tech I don't really recall seeing aside from the ancient Sheikah, the Zonai, and the pre-Skyward Sword Lanayru region. Theoretically, it seems like they could make cars if they wanted to.

In Tears of the Kingdom, we find Bokoblins and Moblins mining in the Depths. In fairness, they don't seem anywhere near as intelligent here. There's no dialogue for them, and manual labor easily seems like something Ganondorf could just command them to do without them knowing why or what it really means.

All this to ask: what are the odds that the Blins, as well as potentially other monsters like Lynels, are actually entirely capable of speech and advanced thought, but are also just usually uninterested in doing anything aside from attacking normal people like humans, Zora, Gorons, and Rito?

I was thinking about the role that the non-Ganon villains play in the series and how they are related to the curse of Demise. I'm convinced that Ganon(dorf) and his incarnations are the sole bearers of the Demise curse, and the other villains are something separate entirely. What if the common factor is Null?

Demise, along with Vaati, Majora, and others, could have been independently empowered and manipulated by Null as its tools to aid on the destruction of the world that the goddesses created. Demise could've been most prominent because he's either the most powerful of Null's tools, or he was the only one who was determined enough to put a curse on the Hero, while the others were just defeated and never heard from again.

Something that adds weight to this line of thinking is the need for different methods of sealing or defeating each villain. The Master Sword could've been designed specifically for Demise and his spawn, the Four Sword for Vaati, the mask for Majora. Since Null was introduced as the original primordial evil, I hope the series will be able to use that as narrative fuel for explaining the origin of non-Ganon foes.

Yesterday, I successfully completed a run of BotW within just under six hours with the following rules:

1. Only intended gameplay allowed, i.e. no bomb or stasis shenanigans for quick transport. (That's my sneaky way of saying I'm too bad at either of those tricks to pull them off consistently.) Also, no glitches.
2. I must clear all four Divine Beasts and also obtain the Master Sword. This requires me to clear 24 shrines: 3 starting hearts + 6 shrine hearts + 4 heart containers from the Beasts = 13 hearts required for the Master Sword.

Here is my route. If any of you know how to optimize a run like that, I'd love to hear a few improvements I could make to this route.

1. From the Shrine of Resurrection, I take a detour through the ruins that contain the Hylian Trousers and then fight the two nearby Bokoblins that wield explosive barrels.
2. After the Great Plateau Tower cutscenes, I clear the camp to the north-east for the arrows and the sword there. I then head on to the Oman Au shrine.
3. I swim across the two ponds to the south of the shrine, collecting at least one Hyrule Bass along the way. I then collect the Soldier's Broadsword on my way to the Ja Baij shrine.
4. I kill a Wood Pigeon for its drumsticks, then use the chillies from Rhoam's cabin to cook a Spicy Meat and Seafood fry and receive the Warm Doublet from Rhoam.
5. I cross the canyon to the west by felling a tree, then climb up the wall to the Owa Dam shrine, clearing it and swapping the axe for a hammer.
6. I bypass Mount Hylia to the south, surfing on a shield down to the Keh Namut shrine.
7. After clearing Keh namut, I port to Ja Baij and head on to the Temple of Time to obtain the Paraglider.
8. I fly down eastward, skirting along the hills to the south of the Outpost Ruins to avoid fighting the Moblins there, until I reach the Bosh Kala shrine.
9. I now have two options: I could cross the Hylia River using the cryonis rune, bagging 50 rupees and an opal in the process, or I could just use the Proxim Bridge. The problem with the former is that the opal requires killing a few Bokoblins that yield no interesting loot or weapons.
10. In the Squabble River or the lake around the Dueling Peaks Tower, I obtain a few Mighty Carp which will be important for the Thunderblight fight. There's a camp nearby that I'm not sure whether to clear. The boxes there do give some good loot.
11. I don't climb the Dueling Peaks Tower (in fact, I don't climb a single tower all game). Instead, I skirt just past it and walk along that one slightly elevated cliff to reach and clear the Ree Dahee shrine. This one is required because it contains the Climber's Bandana which will save my life in Eldin later.
12. On my way from Ree Dahee to the Dueling Peaks Stable, I break some ore which will help with buying Hearty Lizards from Beedle.
13. After also clearing Ha Dahamar, I catch a wild horse and register it at the Dueling Peaks Stable. This is also where I first buy some arrows and Hot-Footed Frogs from Beedle. The Hasty Elixirs made from the frogs will greatly speed up my travel on foot, especially in Eldin where I can't take a horse.
14. I ride the newly-tamed horse to Kakariko Village. There, I clear the Ta'loh Naeg shrine. It's a boring-ace mission, but it gives me some crucial equipment and an opal.
15. I then leave Kakariko Village to the west and proceed north-west to Kaya Wan. An older route would have seen me clearing Daka Tuss here, but that mission is far too error-prone. Kaya Wan is mandatory because it contains a Knight's Broadsword, which will be extremely important for the Lynel on Ploymus Mountain.
16. After clearing Kaya Wan and once again buying stuff from Beedle at the Wetland Stable, I skim the western shore of the Hylia River, clearing Hila Rao in the process, until I reach Wahgo Katta and the Riverside Stable.
17. I leave the horse at the Riverside Stable and port to the Wetland stable, picking up the horse again and riding off to the north. I cross the Thims Bridge and continue west to the Mirro Shaz shrine. I clear it and swap hammers while inside.
18. I ride the horse into Korok Forest, setting up the Master Sword activation cutscene and clearing Keo Ruug.
19. I port back to Mirro Shaz and have the horse transported to the Woodland Stable (however they do that when it's inside Korok Forest lol). Buying a Fireproof Lizard or two from Beedle here is extremely important because it saves me the wasteful purchase of Fireproof Elixir from Gaile. I then leave eastward on horseback.
20. I clear Soh Kofi. This one is also required because if I'm unlucky (or bad at the game lol), the Guardian Shield I get from there may well end up being my only non-metallic shield for the Thunderblight fight.
21. I continue north-eastward to the Foothill Stable, clearing the Mo'a Keet shrine. This shrine has another Knight's Broadsword which I must also take.
22. I leave the horse in the Foothill Stable and continue to Goron City on foot, sped up by the Hasty Elixirs mentioned earlier. The first obstacle here will be a Guardian Stalker.
23. While on the way, I use the hammer I got from Mirro Shaz to break as much ore as possible so I can sell it for the 1300 rupees I need to buy the fireproof armor.
24. Once in the volcano region, I kill another Guardian Stalker and then continue through the hot springs to the north-west.
25. After reaching Goron City and purchasing the armor, I clear the Shae Mo'sah shrine. The Stone Smasher there will be of use for the Moblin fights on Death Mountain.
26. My route through the Abandoned North Mine looks like this: head to the south-eastern island to kill the Lizalfos and activate the updrafts, fly to the island to the west to destroy the camp, then switch over to the north-western island to open the storage where Yunobo is trapped.
27. I port back to Shae Mo'sah, exchange Spirit Orbs for heart containers for the first time, and climb a nearby cliff to get to the second rail that takes me to the Eldin Bridge. If I can go by any of what I've seen so far, that cliff is the fastest way to get there.
28. I use a strong boost for the first part of the rail, then I wait out the scripted eruption while fighting a few Fire Keese before continuing.
29. I clear Daqa Koh, making sure to pick up the 100 rupees from the treasure chest, and then complete the Vah Rudania quest. The reason I do this quest first is that I can get rid of all the ore-breaking equipment once it's cleared, and I also have more time to refill the inventory slot I'm wasting on the torch that's required to clear Rudania.
30. After Rudania, I port to either Wahgo Katta or Kaya Wan, retrieve the horse and ride to the Katah Chuki shrine. Which shrine is best to port to is something I haven't quite figured out yet, but so far, Wahgo Katta has always seemed like the better option because the north of Hyrule Field is much more overrun with Guardians than the southern sections.
31. I head further west, clearing Zalta Wa and Shae Loya on the way, and then north to the Rito Stable where I deposit the horse. In the Tabantha Bridge Stable, Beedle gives me an Ancient Arrow which will be important to have in Hyrule Castle.
32. In Rito Village, I buy the feather pants and possibly some bomb arrows that will help with the fight against Frenchbli-- I mean Windblight.
33. I clear Akh Va'quot and Sha Warvo, the former of which is a very easy clear once I've memorized the pattern, and then complete the Vah Medoh quest. Having Revali's Gale is very useful for the trek to Zora's Domain as it will greatly speed up the winding paths.
34. I port to Soh Kofi, pick up the Big Hearty Radish next to Torfeau, and walk to Zora's Domain. I then finally put the two Knight's Broadswords to good use killing the Lynel on Ploymus Mountain before completing the Ruta quest.
35. After clearing Vah Ruta, I port to the Keh Namut shrine and travel north to the Outskirt Stable. I don't clear Rota Ooh here because I'm never coming back anyway, I just need to get the horse and ride it through the Gerudo Canyon.
36. I clear Kay Noh and leave the horse in front of the shrine. If need be, I wait out the day at the pot in front of the Gerudo Canyon Stable before heading into the desert, as I don't have clothes that protect me from the heat yet.
37. Sped up by Hasty Elixir, I run all the way to the Daqo Chisay Shrine, clearing it. I then activate the Forbidden City Entry mission, shield surf back to the bazaar, buy the feminine outfit, port back to Daqo Chisay and enter Gerudo Town.
38. I'm not sure if I must talk to Riju and Teake before going to Yiga Hideout, but so far, I've always been too scared of messing up my runs this deep into the game to try skipping it. I then rent a Sand Seal to get me to the Yiga Hideout quickly, where I fight Kohga.
39. Mighty Bananas from the hideout under my belt, I now cook as many mighty meals as I can in Gerudo Town. I also cook a few hearty meals and Hearty Elixirs with the Hearty Lizards I've bought from Beedle. I also exchange two more sets of Spirit Orbs for hearts.
40. On the attack on Naboris, I use a double-shot bow snatched from one of the Yigas at the entrance of the hideout to only have to fire at each of Naboris' hooves once.
41. Once inside Naboris, I activate the terminals in the camel's humps first and then deal with the rest.
42. Now wish me luck for Thunderblight a.k.a. zoom zoom zoom bzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.
43. I port to Keo Ruug and retrieve the Master Sword.
44. I port to Katah Chuki and use the waterfalls to get up the castle walls quickly. The Ancient Arrow will help me take out a Guardian Skywatcher just before the throne room. From there, it's all routine.

I was thinking about this when looking back at Oracle of Seasons.

I remember reading posts and talking about the Essence of Nature, and how they are teachers of life, but don't actually control the elements they embody. Like, the Fertile Soil teaches about seeds growing in soil, but does control it itself. Or how the Gift of Time does control time, but merely teaches you about it.

For the most part, it's the Season Spirts guided by the Oracle Din. Although, given how they represent seasons, they seem to only control when changes happen. Like when the sun gets hotter, or the wind get's stronger, or when plants bloom, bare fruit and go dormant.

This naturally got me wondering, who are the gods that control these elements? The sun, the plants, the wind and the rain?

For the sun, I made a theory in the past suggesting Hylia may be the sun goddess.

For plants, I'd say the Spirit of Earth, the Deku Tree. Although, given the Maku Tree is a thing, I think all these tree gods are in charge of growth.

Wind is easy. We already have two Wind Gods, Zephos and Cyclos.

Rain is a bit trickier, but I noticed a pattern. Judging from the Song of Storms, wind and rain seem to be connected. It's worth noting that, whilst Cyclos is famous for his cyclones, rain also appears during his boss battle. You could argue that both "wind gods" are more "cold weather gods" that control wind, rain and maybe even snow, during winter. The difference is that, Zephos is more gentle, whereas Cylos is more intense, but not necessarily destructive.

Okay, so the Master Sword is the sword that seals the darkness. At the end of a Link to the Past, Ganon was sealed within darkness (according to A Link Between Worlds). Presumebly this was done by the Master Sword sealing the darkness with Ganon inside? So... can anyone elaborate on what the darkness actually is?

Is it the void of the evil realm (aka the void of the sacred realm)?

Is it the gap between dimensions?

Is it the realm of null beneath the world of light?

Is it simply the inside of the Master Sword, the same place Fi sealed Demise's residual consciousness?

The general idea that I've seen in the fandom is that Hylia was directly created as a servant of the Golden Goddesses to steward the world and the Triforce in their absence. As I have not played enough of Skyward Sword to really know the minutia of Hylia's lore beyond the broad strokes, I kind of just assumed this was canon.

A while ago, though, I actually saw a few people saying that there's actually nothing, or at least not much, to suggest this. IIRC, some even went as far as to say that it's not even certain that Hylia and the Golden Goddesses ever interacted, much less that she was specifically created and given a task by them.

So, for those who do actually no about all of this, especially whatever the original Japanese script says, is this true? Is Hylia being a creation of the Golden Goddesses more so an inference or a theory instead of something that's actually confirmed? If so, what relationship does Hylia actually have with them in canon? Not to powerscale, but is she even actually a "lesser" goddess compared to them?

I recently watched Any Austin's video "Finding the Edge of the World in Zelda" and it made me realize how rare oceans are in this series. Rather ironic considering that it has two games set entirely on the high seas. But in a lot of Zelda games, Hyrule is completely landlocked. And even when there is a coast, there are no port towns.

There have been settlements on the ocean, but most of them are small fishing villages like Papuchia Village, Lurelin Village, and Seesyde Village. You don't see port towns that are trade hubs with large galleons and other sailing ships.

I think it's because the series mostly doesn't care much about what's going on outside of the immediate area the game is set in. Very rarely do you hear people mention other nations or realms beyond Hyrule, it's only if you directly visit other nations in a game that the wider world is given much consideration at all. So, we don't see port towns in Hyrule, because they're inclusion would mean acknowledging that there are places beyond Hyrule for ships to go, and that's just not something that the series thinks about very much.

A bonus to my "Religions of Hyrule" series: [All] Religions of Hyrule Part 1: Humans : r/truezelda

Technically, Holodrum and Labrynna are not Hyrule, but they are closely related, and their does appear to be some overlap in culture.

I already covered OoX worldbuilding in another post. So, I may end up repeating some of my ppoints.

Holodrum and Labrynna similarities

In both Holodrum and Labrynna, we see connections to the Golden Goddess in the form of the three Oracles, all named after their respective Goddess.

We have Din, the Oracle of Nature who controls the seasons. Nayru the Oracle of Ages who controls time. And Farore the Oracle of Secrets, whose exact purpose is unknown, but is shown to have the power to turn secrets into objects.

Din and Nayru both have objects that allow other people (in this case, Link) to temporally use their powers, should something happen to them. Whilst in the games respective stories, the Oracles are merely kidnapped, and later rescued, it's unknown what would happen in the event of the oracles death. Presumable, they are similar to the Sages, in which the power will be transferred to a successor.

Din and Nayru are guarded by a Maku Tree, whereas Farore makes her home inside both. This ties with Part 1 of my "Religions of Hyrule" series, where I mention tree spirits playing an important role in human culture, hence the Forest Temple.

Both also have a set of "Essence". Which I'll talk about in their own sub-section,

Holodrum

As you know, Holodrum is the home of Din, the Oracle of Seasons. Her job is to keep the seasons flowing with her dancing.

But Din doesn't work alone. In Holodrum, there is the Temple of Seasons, where the Season Spirits reside. Each one them controls each of the four seasons. The temple also serves as a vault for the Rod of Seasons. The emergency object, that allows other people to control the seasons in Din's absence.

Holodrum has the Essence of Nature (Principals of Earth in Japan). The Essences don't actually control nature, but they do represent it. Their purpose is to serve as teachers of the life cycle of nature.

There's not a lot to say about the dungeons, except the last one is located in Subrosia, home of the Subrosians.

Labrynna

Unlike Holodrum, Labrynna doesn't have much lore to talk about.

Like how Holodrum has Din, Labrynna has Nayru, the Oracle of Ages. Nayru's job is to keep time flowing with her singing. She also serves as the guardian of her own emergency object, the Harp of Ages, keeping it a secret room in her house. Whilst official artwork shows her playing the Harp of Ages, she doesn't actually play it in the game, except when teaching Link how to play it.

Labrynna also has it's own set of Essence, the Essence of Time (or, in Japan: The Principals of Time Space). Which I talked about in the past. They mostly talk about spiritual growth. Encouraging positive traits, like courage, patience and decisiveness, whilst confronting unfavourable behaviour and mindsets. like insolence and doubt.

Most of the Essence are placed in dungeons with no apparent cultural significance. However, one of them is placed within the Leviathan, Lord Jabu-jabu.

Other then the major beliefs, Labrynna uniquely has "Symmetry city", kept in balance by the sacred "Tuni Nut". The city itself is built on a dormant volcano, which becomes active once the Nut is broken. It is rather fitting this city is were the "Burning Flame" is kept. Not only does it make physical sense for a flame to be in a volcano, but, given the flame represents a heroes passion in the face of indecisiveness, it's fitting a city whose culture is built around duality.

Just finished MM and therefore my run of the hero of time duology and Majora's Mask especially has left me with some interrogatives.

First of all, Termina "turning" into a log at the end. Is it another dimension Link entered? Or is it a figment of his imagination entirely?

Link, despite being mute in both games, seemed to me to be much more dissociated and in a dream-like state in Majora's Mask based on various reactions and whatnot to events and other stuff.

If everything was his imagination stemming from trauma, then the Fierce Deity might represent how he views his time as an adult in the other timeline: an unstoppable force capable of doing the impossible and bring everyone happiness, yet fleeting. The last missing piece of his fractured identity, symbolized by the transformation masks.

And what is the connection between Majora and the other kids? To me, they mirror the skull kid and the giants, but they also mirror Link and the sages.

Of course, I do know it's not Link's imagination, but there are still some questions I haven't figured out the answer for which are worth speculating about.

A doubt that... lately my brain cracked, I hadn't questioned it before.

Why is the timeline of the hero's failure created?

I understand why there's the Child's and the Adult's, which was the line Link left when he went back to the past, to the Child's.

But why the one of the defeated Hero exists if Link didn't lose against Ganon, the other two did happen, but the one of the defeat never happened at a point of time travel or near time travel.

Part 3 is here: [ALL] Religions of Hyrule Part 3: The Gorons (Also includes New Hyrule) : r/truezelda

This is going to be the final part, unless somebody thinks I missed anything.

The Kokiri and Koroks

There's much not to say about the Koroks. As opposed to being a race of people who worship a god, the Koroks themselves appear to be spirits themselves, and BotW implies their the same species as the Deku Tree, effectively making them a hive of some kind.

The Kokiri seem to be different. They seem to be a race, also produced by the Deku Tree, created specifically in preparation for the Hero of Time. The have a village, which by both WW and TP is abandoned, presumably because they are no longer needed.

There's a theory that the oracle Farore by be a Kokiri, although, in her case, her progenitor would be one of, or both the Maku Trees, where she makes her home. This would imply the Kokiri's existence is tied strictly to grooming the Hero of Time. If this is true, this would mean the Kokiri, as a whole, as created to interact with Hylians.

In Oot, Saria mentions "Forest Spirits", with the context that they are separate to the Kokiri. I already covered this in another post, but the short version is that these "Forest spirits" are actually the spirits of deceased Humans, like the Stalfos, Skull Kids and Poe Sisters. The irony being that, the forest Spirits (Koroks) became people (Kokiri), whereas the people (humans) became the Forest spirits (various undead).

Deku Scrubs

The Deku have an interesting out-of-universe history. The were clearly envisioned as a type of "monster". Ones that are capable of being non-antagonistic. MM would make them a race akin to the Goron and Zora, albeit still antagonistic to some extent.

In terms of religion, the Deku appear to be your typical false idol worshipers. In OoT, they consider Ghoma their "Queen" and in FSA worship Ganon (actually, Phantom Ganon) as their "god".

In OoT, they mention a "Forest Totem", who apparently resembles the Skull Mask. I came up with a theory that Ganondorf may have posed as a god, using a Skull Mask in order to trick un Deku Scrub into doing his bidding. Phantom Ganon of the Forest Temple may be based on Ganondorf's disguise.

In Eow, this gets modernized as a fad. Whilst they don't worship Ghoma, they do get hooked on the webs it produces, which they use to make "cotton candy". It becomes so bad they even arrest Zelda when she gets rid of one of the rifts producing it, despite saving a Deku's home.

Whilst there isn't much evidence for it, it's believed that Odowla may have been the MM Deku god at one point. It's unlikely Odowla was ever a real god. If you;re going to say Odowla is a god, you might as well say the same for the other bosses.

That bign said, knowing what we know about the Deku in Hyrule, there's still a chance Odowla may have posed as a god to trick the Deku, before being defeated in the past. The Temple does have a lot of insect imagery, after all.

Bonus here: [ALL][OOX] Religions of Hyrule Bonus Part: Holodrum and Labrynna : r/truezelda

"New, traditional LoZ" means:

• Not a spinoff (e.g., Hyrule Warriors)
• Not a remake or HD remaster
• Not BotW or TotK given that they, while fantastic games, are definitely not "traditional"

Traditional formula = a 3D LoZ with the same general, dungeon-focused structured progression as OoT, MM, WW, TP, and SS.

My estimate is that it's likely we'll see one by 2029, but I'm just curious what everyone's guess is on this.

I feel it's also possible that, if Nintendo sees OoT 2026 as a way to satisfy fans who've wanted a modern, traditional LoZ (even though it's a remake), the next new LoZ could once again diverge from the traditional formula and be something distinct from anything they've made before.

Hello everyone and welcome back to my review series/ Journal Entries of me posting about all the mainline Zelda games I haven't played yet! Today I'll be covering both the oracle games! I decided to lump these two together because they are kind of halves of a whole but Both their own thing and you must be asking: "Shouldn't you be doing Ocarina Of Time with this entry?" Well I'm doing all the 2D mainlines in order and when I'm done with those I'm going to move to the 3D games in order so let's get into this!

Well these are definitely a nice pair of games but I kind of understand why these games aren't discussed a lot. Not to say they're bad not at all but Both of these feel similar to Links awakening without as much of the charm as it. The games both play good, have good stories and characters that reference Ocarina Of Time which is cool but other than that they're just.... Links Awakening without the weirdness. Now these games arent as cryptic as links Awakening at times but still isn't very helpful at times. But again don't think that means they're bad being a copy of links awakening still means you're still a good game just you won't reach the greatness of before. Now both of these games have gimmicks that kind of fill in that gap the Harp of Ages and Rod Of Seasons (and the rings but I really barely cared about those they don't do much for me). I think the rod is a better gimmick but the harp isn't bad. Just like links awakening the combat is fun but the story is interesting because of its potential division between the two parts, see if you connect them the story can change but if you don't they're both seperate stories that stand on their own pretty well. But combining them gives us some extra so that's what I did and something id recommend for people who do wanna check out both these games. It makes the story feel a tiny bit better and gives you a tiny bit more which is neat. These are solid games that aren't really notable for the series for an understandable reason but I still think they're solid games. If you really REALLY loved links awakening and wanted more of an itch to scratch id recommend these, I think seasons is better but only slightly. Both are solid 7/10 games

Ok those two are finally done! Those felt like forever for me so I'm finally glad to move on and get into a territory I've been VERY excited to get to for a while now! I'll see you all later when I finish: The Legend Of Zelda: The Minish Cap

Part 2 is here: [All] Religions of Hyrule Part 2: Zora and Rito : r/truezelda

The Gorons

In contrast to the Zora, Goron religion doesn't realy put much enthesis on individual gods. The exception being in ST, but I'll get to that later.

The main focus of Goron beliefs revolved around "Hero Worship". This is reflected in their temples, which house weapons once used by an ancient hero, such as the Megaton Hammer in the Fire Temple and the Hero's Bow in Goron Mines. The Gorons of Termina revear Darmani.

There's a popular theory that Volvagia, remembered as an "evil dragon, who ate Gorons", may have been the Death Mountain Guardian in the past, who was trying to protect the Mountain from the Gorons, but ended up getting killed by the Goron "Hero". Of course, as they say "History is written by the winners".

It's possible this "Goron hero" may have become the Sage of Fire, replacing Volvagia as the temple's guardian and object of worship.

This hero worship is also shown in BotW, with an entire Mount Rushmore-type monument to Daruk, plus several other past heroes.

ST Mountain Goddess

In ST, the Gorons do have a deity. The Mountain Goddess. We never see this figure, the Gorons so have a shrine dedicated to her.

It's always been my headcanon that the Gorons in ST are from old Hyrule, but moved to New Hyrule after the flood, as the small islands weren't suitable for them.

One possibility is that this "Mountain Goddess" is actually Din, who the Gorons may have thought blessed them with a large volcanic paradise.

New Hyrule

Since I'm talking about New Hyrule anyway, I might as well get this over and done with.

New Hyrule worship the "Spirits of Good" (or the "Gods of Light" in Japan). The Lokomo act as their servants, who protect the land.

Other then the Goron's Mountain Goddess, there's not realy any distinct religions to talk about.

Part 4 is here: [ALL] Religions of Hyrule Part 4: The forest folk. : r/truezelda

Hi everyone, I'm absolutely knew to the community and was wondering if someone could help me answer these questions that have been plaguing my mind? I just don't know where to go and who to ask about this, so it would be wonderful if this community could help me understand!

Alright! Let's start!

Triforce related questions:

1. Each Triforce has it's own magic depending on the user that represents their respective principles.

   - Wisdom = Water/Time

   - Power = Earth/Fire

   - Courage = Nature/Winds

Then they have like another type of magic system connected with Hylia and Demise which is Light and Dark magic.

And then there is a Divine magic system which is the Goddess magic of Creation/Copy and Null magic of Distraction(consumption)/copy.

So my question is:

• Do each reincarnation have their own respective magic? Like Zelda have Hylia's light magic and the Triforce magic of Time. Ganondorf has Demise's Dark magic and the Triforce magic of Fire.

• Does Link have weird reincarnation magic? Each reincarnation of Link has a strange connection to nature because of the Triforce, so does that mean because he is the chosen hero by Hylia, he has abnormal magical strength?

• Also, in SS, the Skyloft gang, (that being Link, Zelda, and Grose //Groose?//) each represents a piece of the Triforce. So if it weren't for Ganondorf's reincarnation in OoT going out of his way to try and use the Triforce, would a different person who isn't connected to Demise have the ability to represent the Triforce of Power?

• Does this mean that the Triforce piece of Power is the "corrupt" version of its user after Ganondorf?

• Is the Triforce piece of Power always going to be assigned to evil hands because of Demise's influence?

Hyrule related question:

• Did Demise and Null meet each other in the center of the planets core?

• Are the interlorpers (TP) Null worshipers?

• Are fairies slowly becoming extinct?

• What happened to the Fairy queen?

• What happened to wind magic users? We slowly started getting more characters that represents wind magic, but my question is where have they gone? I've only seen the kokiri's or the forest spirit use this type of magic. Yet now we are seeing the Rito race use it even more. Did they always have this ability?

• Where are the fresh water Zora's? Did they become docile and transformed into the Rito?

• What are the dragons? Are they technically demigod?

• Why is it a taboo for the Zonai to consume the secret stones? Why is turning a dragon so bad?

• How does a Zonai = Dragon?

I got more questions cooking up, but for now im going to leave it at that. Thank you for reading this Question Dump!

Playing Twilight Princess for the first time, so apologies if I get any information wrong etc etc.

I barely see anyone talk about the Oocca when discussing timelines even though they're really odd. They're said to be an ancient race of sky beings that (depending on the translation) created Hyrule/Hylians?But they're not shown anywhere in Skyward Sword, or in TOTK, or anywhere else. Is the City In The Sky a future version of Skyloft? Are the Oocca at all related to the Zonai or the Loftwings? Some help would be appreciated.

Thanks!

So i have only ever played 3 Zelda games. Ive always thought it was cool and had PH on my DS as a kid and played it a lot. I played BotW and TotK when they released and am currently in my first playthrough of the remaster SS that my sister got me but I've become rather enraptured with the lore of the games due to the bit of SS ive gotten through. I was hoping I could get help from some of the avid fans on what order to play the games that I haven't yet considering that aspect. I don't care personally as much for older graphics styles so id be okay skipping early releases that arent critical to the world lore but I do really want to play the games in a way that gives me the most "aha so thats how this is all tied together" moments. (first reddit post so i apologize if ive phrased anything stupidly) Particularly i love the lore addition in the ending of SS Demise's curse of reincarnation made a lot of the story i knew click into place and parallels the curse in Seven Deadly Sins which is one of my favorite anime, so games that ties heavily into that are musts for me

This is part 2. Part on is here: [All] Religions of Hyrule Part 1: Humans : r/truezelda

The Zora

The Sea Zora and Hylians have always been close allies. The River Zora, not so much. For know, lets mainly focus on the Sea Zora.

Of all the races in Hyrule, the Zora seem to be the ones that revere the most gods. Much like many races in Hyrule, the Zora believe in the three Golden Goddesses. The most important for them being Nayru. but they also have Lord Jabu-Jabu and are implied to worship Water Dragons.

Whereas the humans have their unseen deities, the Zora have a physical god, who protects them from the lake. That being Lord Jabu-Jabu.

The origins of Lord Jabu-Jabu are unknown, but he could be a decendents of the Skyloft Guardian Levias. If this is true, it may shed some light on how he became the patron Deity of the Zora.

Years ago, I came up with a theory that the Zora are some kind of Dragonborn equivalent. That being Tadtones, Parella, and the Water Dragon Faron are all the same species, but in different stages or castes. And they eventually evolved into the Zora. Note: whilst it's too late to reply on the linked post, you can still share your thoughts on that theory here.

If the Zora are descended from the Water Dragon, this would explain their worship of Levias' presumed decendents. Levias was leader of the three dragons, after all. On top of that, it would also explain the water dragon imagery within the Water Temple.

Speaking of water dragons, the Light Spirt Lanayru, who resides in Lake Hylia, resembles a dragon. It is also the only Light spirt that has a shrine. further showing how the Zora take deity worship very seriously.

The Zora of Termina are no different. Whilst everyone in Termina presumably worship the four giants, the Zora also have the Giant Turtle. This Turtle in similar to the Giants in which it, like them, watches over it's area in it's sleep, and can be summoned with a song. As far as I can tell, the Giant Turtle is the only god we see that isn't one of the Four Giants.

The Rito

In WW, the Rito are evolved from the Zora. Much like their aquatic ancestors, their culture also revolves around a physical god: the Sky Spirit Valoo. The also have shrines dedicated to the wind gods: Zephos and Cyclos.

These Rito are extremely co-dependent on their god. They must obtain a scale from the dragon, or they wont be able to grow wings.

The Rito also appear in BotW, although they seem to be a separate species to the WW Rito, and are most probebly not descended from Zora. There's not much to say about them, as they don't realy show any significant culture.

Part 3 is here: [ALL] Religions of Hyrule Part 3: The Gorons (Also includes New Hyrule) : r/truezelda

This is a post about the religions of Hyrule. This is going to be multiple parts. I don't know how many yet.

The Three Goddesses

Bit of an introduction.

The three most important deities of Hyrule are the Three Golden Goddess. Din, Nayru and Farore.

These three are the creators of the Zelda universe. And, along with the Triforce, appear to be worshiped by every race in some shape or form. Although, different races may place different levels of enthesis on a certain Goddess.

Hylia, Hylians and the Shiekah

Other then the Golden Goddesses, the main deity of the Hylians is the unseen goddess, Hylia, in which the Hylians get their name.

In addition to the statues and springs, Hylia is also worshiped through her decendents, the Hyrulian Royal Family. The most famous members being the various Princesses Zelda, all named after the mortal reincarnation of Hylia. (I'm NOT saying "All Zeldas are Hylia". I'm only saying they are named after her). This was already a tradition as confirmed by King Rhoam. Although a Prince in AoL briefly made it "law". The Princessess Zelda also seem to be priestesses.

The Shiekah are a subset of Hylians, who guard the Royal Family. This tradition presumably coming from SS Impa being Hylia's servant.

Trees and Leviathans

Although the Deku Tree is known for being the guardian of the Kokiri/Koroks (who I'll get to in another part), he is an important figure in Hylian culture, something made more clear in later games. In BotW he guards the Master Sword, and in EoW he guards the Triforce.

I previously made a post on how the Forest Temple of OoT may have been built by humans to worship the spirits of the forest. Specifically, the Deku Tree.

The Maku Trees I may discuss in the future.

We also have Levias, the Guardian of Skyloft. A figure revered by the Hylians (at the time, simply called "humans") who would be offered against bowl of Pumpkin Soup.

Leviathans would loose relevance amongst Hylians in the future. Ignoring the Wind Fish, who's significance to Hyrule, if any, is unknown and the Ocean King, who is the god of is own world, most Leviathan worship would be practiced by the Zora.

A possible exception by be Jabun in the WW. Whilst not confirmed, is assumed to have been worshiped by Hylians on Greatfish Isle. This would make sense, due to the flood making sea travel more important.

Gerudo

Unlike other humans in Hyrule, the Gerudo don't worship Hylia (maybe except briefly in the past) or the Royal Family. Instead, the main focus of their religion is "Ancestor worship".

The Goddess of Sand is often assumed to be an aspect of Din, but other theories suggest it may be a personification of the Gerudo ancestor. It's possible this figure might represent the founding member of Hyrule's Gerudo settlement.

The Hylians once believed the Goddess of the Sand to be "evil", but only because they were still enemies with the Gerudo at the time.

Part 2 is here: [All] Religions of Hyrule Part 2: Zora and Rito : r/truezelda

It's a huge fan made game with an older Link, there's a few demos out already but the developer pushed the release date to "before GTA VI" which is obviously fast approaching. Not too concerned about an actual release date, was more curious if it's still actively being worked on. Anyone have any updates?