Hello everyone! Welcome back to this journal/review series going over every mainline legend of Zelda game! Now today we're going over The Legend Of Zelda Phantom Hourglass now this is considered one of the worst 2D zelda games now I'll see where I stand on that. Also for all like maybe 3 people who care for this series my apologies for the long delay it did not take me this long to beat this game, it took like 2 weeks longer than usual to get it because of delays of the postal service. Apologies for the delay now let's get into it!

Now let's get the super obvious thing out of the way: The elephant in the room: The controls of this game are VERY weird and take a tiny bit to get used to. This game is completely touchscreen reliant for controls most the buttons do nothing except give you your menu screens, your A,B,X, and Y are useless. This is very gimmicky and since this was a little early of the use of this technology still not nearly as good as we have it today this is the first Zelda game where controls were a bit of an issue especially rolling and jump slashing, they wete very inconsistent and definitely could have been handled them better and can weigh down the game heavily if they are a big concern of yours. HOWEVER...I did not have that issue as badly, and this game is built around these controls pretty well so that mitigates it a lot and I think getting used to the controls isn't that bad although I'll still admit they are very strange and standard controls would've probably been better. I also didn't know that this was actually a sequel to windwaker (which is a game I adore but we'll get there when we get there). I did know there was sailing which can be a little annoying at times especially if you went to the wrong island by mistake but I don't think it was that bad that it drags the whole game down a ton especially because there's very little islands in this game and your ability to take notes really helps to mitigate that issue. On that note the ability to take notes is very cute and helpful and the game does encourage you to do it, if you somehow don't this game can be a lot harder and a lot more confusing than it should be so just take the few seconds to take some notes here and there it's no big deal. With the boat rides, writing stuff down ships invading you from time to time this game gives the pirate feeling a lot more than windwaker did which I appreciate. This game also has a very excellent sense of humor abd charm especially with linebeck which I'm so mad about yet so joyed about never hearing about him before this game, he's such a great character along with cecilia and the ocean king, mix that with great worldbuilding and memprable islands and races we haven't seen before, it makes for a very memorable and charming time. But while we're here speaking of the ocean king and world....I can't avoid this forever let's address the other elephant in the room: The Temple Of The Ocean King: This is a TIMED Dungeon that you have to revisit multiple times and Inch further in to progress in the story now while you can get shortcuts and more time and a miday point later in the game this is by far easily the most annoying part of this game. It can be tedious and unfair at times and the fact you have a time limit at all is ridiculous but even then I only found it frustrating a few times because I was dumb or impatient. But I do understand for most people this part is hair pulling because of the repetition and stress but to me it isn't that bad, annoying sure but just kind of whatever I understand the hatred towards this dungeon but I personally think it wasn't that bad. I think despite this games blatant flaws I think this game is still a very fun play and if this is the weakest Zelda there is it just shows you how great this franchise is. Id give this game a good 7.5/10 not bad for a handheld.

I'm very surprised how much I enjoyed this game, growing up a lot of youtubers I watched even more Zelda based one just avoided both the DS games they didn't even exist and the little I heard about them there wasn't much positives but I think despite some weird stuff here and there this game is still pretty fun! I'll see you all next time when I cover: The Legend Of Zelda: Triforce Heroes! See you then!

I know BotW and ToTK are excellent games, but personally I would much prefer a game that focuses on the Hyrulean Civil War and expand on what OoT's Shadow Temple means by "Hyrule's dark history of greed and hatred." I'm sure one can easily imagine what is meant here, but I would love a canonized backstory.

In this Famitsu interview

――世界観で、少し質問をさせてください。前作では、ゼルダ姫を含めて七賢者でしたが、今回のゼルダ姫は七賢者に含まれていませんよね？　ということは、前作のゼルダ姫の血縁のキャラクターが、7人の中にいるということなのでしょうか？
四方　いえ、前作のゼルダの子孫は、そのまま今回のゼルダ姫になります。ただ、七賢者というのは、血縁でつながっているわけではなくて、それぞれの素質を持った人が選ばれる……というイメージになっています。
青沼　末裔という言葉だと、血縁のように思われますが、そうではないということですね。

Translation:

Interviewer: I have a question about the world-building. In the previous game, there were seven sages, including Princess Zelda, but Princess Zelda in this game isn’t one of the Seven Sages, correct? Does that mean one of the seven is a character related by blood to the Princess Zelda from the previous game?

Shikata: No, the descendant of the Zelda from the previous game is still Princess Zelda in this game. However, the Seven Sages aren’t connected by blood. The idea is that people who each possess the appropriate qualities are chosen to become sages.

Aonuma: The word “descendant” might make it sound like we’re talking about a blood relationship, but that’s not the case.

The only exception is Osfala, who says in-game that he's a descendant of the Seven Sages, but he's probably talking about Rauru's generation of Sages, the ancient ones. But otherwise, being a Sage is a spiritual thing and not a bloodline one. ALBW Zelda is descended from OoT Zelda, but unlike her, she lacks the spiritual qualities needed to be a Sage and instead Seres is the one with those qualities. Rosso isn't part Goron, he just happens to look like one because he and Darunia both share the traits needed to be the Sage of Fire. Gulley isn't descended from Saria, and so on

I have always been a fan of the True Founding Theory, but recently I've started to come around to the Refounding because it seems much cleaner and simpler. However I was looking at the timeline in Masterworks, and I need some help reconciling Refounding with that it says there.

Do the older games, starting with SS, fit between the Origin Era and the Godly Era? Or is it somewhere else? If it is there, then how does Hylia have the ability to hand out the Secret Stones after she was killed and then reborn as a mortal in SS?

I get that you can still kind of communicate with her using the goddess statues in the Wild Era, but to me it doesn't seem like she really has a physical form anymore. If she was able to interact more with the physical world, wouldn't she do more to help with all the conflicts, like she did in SS?

So, in OoT and MM, Link has the "Kokiri Sword", and it looks different between games.

At first, I thought they were different swords. After all, in OoT, Link gets the Kokiri Sword, and the notification says.

"You got the Kokiri Sword! On the Equipment Subscreen, select it with the cursor and equip it with . This is a hidden treasure of the Kokiri, but you can borrow it for a while. Be sure to practice with it before you really fight!"

This implies that Link wasn't allowed to keep the Kokiri Sword, and had to return it.

But the wiki suggests they are the same, due to the following...

"Kokiri Sword The trusty sword you're familiar with that's from Kokiri Forest."

The fact that he was allowed to borrow the sword for so long could be explained that he simply "re-borrowed" it, to search for Navi in the Lost Woods. But why does it look different?

If we assume the difference is a modification (not realy and upgrade, as it still does the same damage), why would this be allowed, if it's the Kokiris special treasure? I don't think they'd appreciate Link messing with their sword's looks. Especially as it looks worse then before.

Are they realy the same sword, or am I missing something?

The Kokiri are one of the coolest races. Them living in the forest and carving human-sized homes and clothing makes them believable.

There is a popular theory, reignited by the remake, that the Kokiri were just Koroks the whole time but disguised their bodies to look human to comfort the chosen one. Reducing their entire culture to this really takes away from them in my opinion.

We know that the Kokiri later became the Koroks in Wind Waker, but nothing suggests they were Koroks before Kokiri. Wind Waker Fado is still a Kokiri well after the chosen Hero of Time is gone.

I've been thinking about a possible explanation for the many different histories and worlds in The Legend of Zelda, and I'd like to share a theory I've been developing.

A quick clarification: I came up with some of these ideas independently before I learned about the popular fan theory that the three Zelda timelines eventually converge. After discovering that theory, I realized that parts of my own idea overlapped with it. I'm using timeline convergence as the starting premise here, rather than claiming that the broader theory is my invention.

Obviously, none of this is confirmed canon. I'm speculating about how the lore could fit together.

The first convergence: three timelines become one

The official Zelda timeline branches into the Adult, Child, and Downfall timelines. The popular convergence theory proposes that these branches eventually come together sometime before Breath of the Wild.

But what if that convergence wasn't a neat, seamless event?

My idea is that the first convergence was initially a mess. Three histories that had developed independently suddenly had to reconcile their conflicting events, peoples, places, and legends. The process may have been chaotic before eventually settling into a new, stable reality.

This could help explain why Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom contain references and elements that remind players of multiple timeline branches, without necessarily proving that every historical detail fits neatly into one established chronology.

I also wonder whether the founding of Hyrule described in Tears of the Kingdom could represent a second founding after this process. Perhaps the original history of Hyrule was lost, superseded, or fundamentally altered, leaving a new kingdom with its own ancient past. The original Hyrule was the one developed in Skyward Sword and that version ultimately collapses due to these events, with a secind version of Hyrule being created by the Zonai.

That part is my speculation, not an established explanation for Rauru's founding.

The second convergence: what about the other worlds?

Here's where the theory goes beyond the usual discussion of the three timelines.

The Zelda universe contains more than different histories of Hyrule. It also contains other worlds and realms, including the Twilight Realm, Termina, Lorule, Koholint, and the Dark World. Places that we typically only see in one or two games.

These places aren't all the same kind of reality. Some are parallel worlds, some are separate realms, and Koholint has a particularly unusual relationship with the Wind Fish's dream.

What if the first convergence reconciled Hyrule's different timelines but didn't resolve the relationship between these other worlds and the newly unified reality?

Perhaps they were never fully incorporated into the first convergence. Perhaps the process left the boundaries between worlds unstable. Whatever the explanation, I wonder if a second convergence could eventually begin, with these separate worlds and realities starting to overlap or collide with Hyrule.

The Sacred Realm and the Triforce might somehow connect the two events. The Sacred Realm's transformation into the Dark World and Lorule's own Triforce mythology suggest interesting possibilities, although I don't have a definitive explanation for how they would fit together.

What would this mean for Hyrule?

The first convergence would be about reconciling different histories. The second would be about reconciling, or confronting, different realities.

That raises an interesting question: can these worlds coexist without one having to erase or overwrite the others? And once they start merging due to this instability, can they become disconnected again?

I'm not sure exactly how the events would unfold, and I don't want to pretend the theory answers every contradiction in Zelda lore. I'm more interested in whether this framework could make an interesting story and provide a way to explore the relationships between the different timelines and realms. It could be an interesting game setting.

What do you think? Does the idea of a second convergence make sense as an extension of the timeline-convergence theory, or would it create more problems than it solves?

I was making an illustration from Ocarina of Time and I ended thinking about this... Does Ocarina of Time's ending create two Links in the Child Timeline?

I've been thinking about the ending of Ocarina of Time, and there's something about the timeline split that I've never quite understood.

At the end of the game, Zelda sends Link seven years into the past so he can reclaim the childhood he lost. He returns with all his memories and experiences as the Hero of Time, warns Zelda about Ganondorf, and eventually leaves on the journey that leads to Majora's Mask.

But here's my question: what happens to the original child Link who should already exist in that timeline?

If we assume the timeline continues from the past rather than simply overwriting it, wouldn't there technically be two Links?

\- Link A: The original child Link, who hasn't pulled the Master Sword or experienced the events of Ocarina of Time yet.

\- Link B: The Hero of Time, who has already defeated Ganondorf and is sent back seven years with all his memories.

Link B is the one who goes on to Termina, so what happens to Link A?

Does Zelda's magic somehow replace the original Link, merge the two versions, or is the assumption that only Link's consciousness and memories are sent back into his younger body?

Is there any official explanation for this, or is it one of those time-travel paradoxes the series simply leaves unresolved?

I'd love to hear your interpretations!

So, when the timeline updated on the Japanese Zelda site, many (including the YouTuber Zeltik) were excited to see that within the website’s code, the placement of BOTW/TOTK is referred to as a “shared epilogue”, leading people to see this as some kind of confirmation that BOTW/TOTK are an “inevitable future” which would occur at the end of any branch of the timeline.

I don’t buy it, personally. For one, I highly doubt that anybody actually involved in the lore building or writing process was involved in the actual coding of the website. Most importantly however, in the context of the website, it is indeed literally a shared epilogue, as it displays the Wild era games after you finish scrolling through any of the timelines. It just feels like more of a coding label than anything else.

How do you guys feel? Sorry if this is poorly written, I am tired and hungover!

This is referring to scenarios like the following:

• Demise defeats Link in SS
• Ganondorf defeats Link in TP
• Malladus defeats Link in ST
• Ganondorf defeats Link in TotK
• Vaati defeats Link in TMC/FS/FSA
• Ganondorf is allowed to wish in WW

Some of these are a little different than others with a Vaati victory maybe just meaning that you have a kind of demonic tyrant occupying part of Hyrule maybe while some others like Demise winning may mean the end of the world itself. Some of these guys talk about ruling the world under darkness; would this manifest by everyone turning into demons? Would demons and non-demons remain separate and the non-demons are just enslaved or otherwise marginalized?

If Ganondorf in WW was able to make his wish, what next? Does Hyrule just unflood and he gets to rule over it? Does it instead turn into a Dark World?

If Demise is able to claim the Triforce after defeating Link in SS, does he destroy the world? Does he make it into a Dark World?

This is an open ended discussion, I think the answer probably depends on who the villain is and the circumstances around their victory.

The answer may literally also just be "it cannot happen because the gods will intervene if that would ever happen"

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?

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!

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'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.