As an author I love finding the hidden meanings and themes in other works of art; paintings, stories, movies, videogames, etc. If you asked me to tell you the theme of my own stuff I’d give you a deadpan look and tell you to find it yourself. But, for other works that I love, I’ll ponder hidden meanings. The Legend of Zelda just happens to be something I love.
The Legend of Zelda always has this amazing ability to focus on a small character that changes the world. It shows us that we all have the ability to do whatever grand thing we want if we have the courage to pursue it. Just like Link. You don’t have to be a part of a grand prophecy to be a hero. Link is a normal person who just happens to have the triforce of courage.
Now, you could argue ‘yeah, and Percy Jackson was a normal person who just happened to be a part of a prophecy’, or ‘Frodo just happened to be a normal hobbit who got the one ring’, and ‘Fireheart just happened to be a part of every single StarClan prophecy’.
You’d have a viable argument, but it’s not a point you can actually make.
Link, in every game, is a normal- sometimes under-
appreciated- child. Something happens and he goes out on his own to save those he loves. The triforce of courage doesn’t grant him anything special except a sort of key when he finds the path to save everyone else.
In Ocarina of Time, Link was a little boy in the middle of the woods, unknown to the outside world, and he wasn’t fully accepted by the others because he very different due to the fact he didn’t have a fairy like the rest of them. When the Great Deku tree tells him to do something hard, he does for the sake of his friend.
Ocarina of Time taught us that hard things won’t kill us, and some people won’t like us (Mido). But, that’s okay. We can get over the Midos in life and our missing fairies and find our swords and shields. Loyalty to friends is one of the most important things in life, and sometimes that loyalty will pay off in the end.
In Twilight Princess, Link was a ranch-hand in a small, ‘bumpkin’ country town. He had a couple friends and didn’t know much of the outside world. He constantly does favors for others even when he doesn’t get much in return. When his friends- almost family- is attacked, he sets out to rescue them no matter the cost.
Twilight Princess teaches us that showing kindness to all people is the way to go, and sometimes it’ll pay off. Other times it might just lead you into more trouble. But, it’s all worth it because family and friends are all you’ll have in the end.
In The Wind Waker, Link is a young boy on a tiny island living with only his sister and grandma. A group of pirates show up and he saves a girl grabbed by a giant bird even though he doesn’t even know her. When the same bird kidnaps his sister, he teams up with the group of pirates to save her.
The Wind Waker taught us that our morals and what we do for others might come back and help us. Family is the most important part of life. Family is everything, and it’s worth the risk.
The Legend of Zelda series shows us that by doing what’s right and going after our dreams, going after and caring for our family and friends, and by blessing others we can become heroes ourselves. We don’t have to be special or part of a prophecy. We just have to have the courage to show love and do what’s right, and we’ll all be heroes to those around us, and maybe one day change the world, if that’s where our path takes us.
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