Did you know what happened to the young Link you played in The Legend of Zelda “Ocarina of Time” and “Majora’s Mask”? The answer is quite dark.
Many of you probably had your first encounter with the hero “Link” from the “The Legend of Zelda” universe during the golden age of the Nintendo 64 console. This is where the two titles “Ocarina of Time” and “Majora’s Mask” were released, which still rank among the most beloved Zelda games of all time.
You play the hero’s journey of Link, the boy from the Kokiri village, who becomes the “Hero of Time.” He defeats Ganondorf, rescues the princess, and later even prevents the moon from crashing into the world of Termina.
But what most probably didn’t know: Link, the Hero of Time, came out of these experiences anything but positively. They traumatized him and led to him finding no peace even in death.
The latest Zelda was recently revealed:
The Hero of Time – A Legend That No One Knows
If you don’t remember the events of “Ocarina of Time,” here’s a brief summary:
Ocarina of Time is a time travel story where Link, as a child, comes into contact with the “Master Sword,” through which he essentially freezes for 7 years. Once he awakens as an adult, the world is under Ganondorf’s control.
In the game, you repeatedly switch between these two timelines (by putting the Master Sword back into its pedestal). After defeating Ganondorf, Princess Zelda uses her power to send Link back to the past so he can live his life again and have a fulfilling childhood this time. The sword is also sealed again, preventing further time travel.
Even though Zelda’s idea was for Link’s benefit, the decision had consequences: Because Zelda thus created two different timelines. The “Adult” timeline, where all the events of Ocarina of Time took place, and the “Child” timeline, where Link lives his new youth.
For Link, however, this was extremely burdensome. Because he still had his memories of all the years he fought in Hyrule and the friendships he had formed. But in this “new” timeline, these things never occurred. He had been locked out of “his world,” where he was the Hero of Time.
However, since Link still has a heroic and good character, he warns Zelda in this timeline about Ganondorf, allowing Zelda and the king to act against Ganondorf before he puts his schemes into action. In this “Child” timeline, Ganondorf is therefore rather unceremoniously thwarted early in his plans.
A Second World in Majora’s Mask
However, Link doesn’t stay with Zelda for long; instead, he wants to search for Navi – his fairy friend who left him without a word. In doing so, he ultimately wanders through the forests of Hyrule and is found by the “Horror Kid.” Link is transported to another dimension: The realm of Termina, which is threatened by the moon that will crash into the world in three days. This is the game “The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask.”
Again, time plays a significant role. Link is able to “reset” the destruction of the world repeatedly and travel back three days before the moon strikes. All beings he has met – except for the new fairy accompanying him – lose their memory of him.
After countless time jumps, he finally succeeds in preventing the moon’s impact and freeing the “Horror Kid” from the mask and defeating the dark being Majora.
However, the destruction of Majora “saves” the world from the moon’s crash – but at the same time, the entire universe of Termina is wiped out, as it was merely an invention of the powers of the mask and the Horror Kid. All the experiences, all the friendships and heroic deeds that Link experienced there were simply not “real” – and there is no one who can remember them. Except for Link himself.
After that, Link finds himself back in the “real” world and continues to search for the fairy Navi.
What happens to him after that is not entirely clear. But one thing is certain: Link dies eventually.
Twilight Princess and the Dead Hero
In “Twilight Princess,” you encounter the “Spirit of a Hero” multiple times throughout your journey. This is an undead skeleton with a suspicious sword and shield that teaches the hero of the game new sword techniques. This skeleton is the Hero of Time – that is, Link from Ocarina of Time and Majora’s Mask.
The fact that the Hero of Time is depicted as a skeleton knight is no coincidence. It is a being known in Ocarina of Time as “Stalfos.” People who get lost in the forest and do not belong to the Kokiri become Stalfos there. Since the Hero of Time is not a Kokiri but was taken in as an orphan by the Deku Tree, this fits.
Or to put it very clearly: Link, the Hero of Time, never found his friend Navi while wandering through the forests, ultimately got lost himself, and could find no peace in death due to all the experiences and doubts, losing two “realities”.
Who would have thought that such a dark story lies behind Zelda?
Where do the info come from? The information comes from the book “Hyrule Historia,” which was published several years ago. With the book, Nintendo has brought the Zelda games into a chronological order and explained the connections between the various games. Because even though you often play a “new” Link, many games in the Zelda universe are clearly connected to each other.
Did you know what happened to your shining childhood hero? Or would you have been happier if you had never had this new information, since you can no longer look at the “Hero of Time” with the same innocent eyes? In any case: You’re welcome. Link was never entirely harmless anyway – he could also kill a villager.
