An immense range of monsters makes up the majority of The Legend of Zelda’s enemies, but there is a terrible truth about these beings that can often go unacknowledged. The monsters of Hyrule can be as iconic as Link himself, although their designs can also vary much more than the Hero’s own. However, with that being said, some aspects of the franchise’s monsters have remained consistent for many years. Moreover, the implications of these details can carry some very dark undertones upon closer examination.
Many parts of the Zelda franchise can prove horrifying the more one thinks about them. For the most part, this horror is derived from the implications of the lore or a situation that is glossed over for the sake of the wider narrative. Even the recent Echoes of Wisdom hides a tragedy in its closing moments, indicating that this trend will continue to persevere. Of course, many of The Legend of Zelda’s enemies are nightmare-inducing due to their designs and behaviors, but there are broader, and arguably darker, elements to their role in the franchise as well.
Some Of Zelda’s Monsters Are Intelligent Beings
They Demonstrate The Ability To Think And Speak
Although it is easy to dismiss many of the franchise’s enemies as mindless beasts, the truth is that some of Zelda’s monsters are intelligent beings. There are many examples of this throughout the franchise, with one of the earliest being the River Zora. Although they are now more recognizable for their friendlier portrayals, the Zora were initially just another type of enemy for Link to face in the original The Legend of Zelda. However, A Link To The Past later revealed that they had their own civilization and culture, complete with a king.
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There have also been several depictions of intelligent Moblins and Bokoblins over the years, who clearly have their own primitive form of society as well. In Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom, they build camps and live together in small groups, and even cook food as a group. Although their tools are generally crude in these titles, the fact that they nevertheless use them similarly indicates a certain level of intelligence. Furthermore, Moblins have been known to speak in the past, and even BOTW and TOTK’s depictions show them making clearly meaningful (if unintelligible) sounds.
Of course, not every Zelda monster can be interpreted as being sapient. Keese, for example, are essentially just fantastical bats, although their marked aggression nevertheless belies an evil nature, and there are many other similarly animalistic creatures that are happy to attack Link on sight. Even Bosses can display little in the way of actual intellect, although their evident malevolence can blur the line. The best of Zelda’s bosses are often those with a compelling personality and motives, such as Ganondorf, but these tend to be the exception as main antagonists rather than the rule for a game’s boss roster.
Link Regularly Kills Actual People On His Quests
Intelligent Monsters Are Arguably Legitimate Races Like Hylians
If at least some varieties of monsters are intelligent beings, as they have demonstrated themselves to be, then this poses a moral dilemma for Link. It means that in his many quests to save Hyrule, the Hero has actually slaughtered countless people belonging to monster races. Zelda games have terrifying lore on occasion, but even by the franchise’s standards this is an incredibly dark implication. And yet, there is no other way to interpret the facts when viewing them as a whole.
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Of course, regardless of their apparent intelligence, the monsters encountered and fought throughout the Zelda franchise are aggressive and malevolent beings. There is no question that their actions endanger Hyrule and its people. From that perspective, it is understandable for Link to still fight and kill them, especially given that it is clear they will happily do the same in turn. But nevertheless, seeing even just some types of Zelda monsters as fully-fledged people puts a dramatically different perspective on the events of any game.
On the other hand, it is also worth noting that monsters can be revived and resurrected through the use of dark magic, something that The Legend of Zelda’s more recognizable races do not benefit from. As such, at least until Ganondorf or another overarching threat is dealt with, death is arguably more of an inconvenience for monsters. This is especially clear with the mechanics of the Blood Moon in BOTW and TOTK, which effectively grants most monsters (with the exception of BOTW’s bosses) with a limited form of immortality.
Not All Of Zelda’s Monsters Are Truly Evil
Some Monsters Want To Live Happily Alongside Hylians
The implications of Link killing countless intelligent beings is only worsened by the fact that, despite initial appearances, there have been many examples of peaceful monsters throughout The Legend of Zelda. Once again, A Link to the Past’s Zora are an excellent example of this, but even the franchise’s namesake first game features several friendly Moblins who offer Link Rupees. Although Moblins are one of the most common Zelda monsters, they are perhaps also one of the most underestimated in this regard.
Note: One unseen Moblin in The Wind Waker, named Moe, actually writes an apparent love letter to a Hylian girl named Maggie. The girl herself is even happy to receive it, despite the fact Moe defines this affection in terms of wanting to eat her.
It is clear that evil is far from absolute in The Legend of Zelda, no matter one’s species. It is even possible for originally violent monsters to be redeemed, as is the case with King Bulblin in Twilight Princess. The leader of the Bulblins fights Link on several occasions under Ganondorf’s command, before vocally siding with the evidently stronger Hero as per his personal ideals. The game even implies all Bulblins will be peaceful going forward. Similarly, although arguably not a monster as such, the Demon Batreaux in Skyward Sword willingly changes his race to fit in with Skyloft’s populace.
More than one Zelda race faces a dark future at various points in the franchise, but the pervasive slaughter of demonstrably intelligent monsters by Link and other heroic characters gives a heavy weight to their actions. Monsters being people in their own right is rarely acknowledged directly, but the implications can be horrific nonetheless. It is not even always clear if Link is aware of his enemies’ capacity for thought and change in The Legend of Zelda. Ultimately, this could perhaps make him an unknowing figure of death and destruction for these people, as threatening as Ganon is to Hyrule.
The Legend of Zelda
- Created by
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Shigeru Miyamoto, Takashi Tezuka
- First Episode Air Date
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September 8, 1989
- Cast
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Jonathan Potts, Cyndy Preston
- Character(s)
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Link, Princess Zelda, Ganon
- Video Game(s)
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The Legend of Zelda, Zelda II: The Adventure of Link, The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past, The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening, The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask, The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Seasons, The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past and Four Swords, The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker, The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Adventures, The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap, The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess , The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass, The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks, The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword, The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds, The Legend of Zelda: Tri Force Heroes, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom, Hyrule Warriors, Hyrule Warriors Legends (3DS), Cadence of Hyrule, Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity
Summary
The Legend of Zelda franchise follows the adventures of Link, an elf-like Hylian, and Princess Zelda as they protect the land of Hyrule from the evil warlord-turned-demon king Ganon. The series is known for its mix of action, adventure, and puzzle-solving elements, often revolving around the collection of the Triforce, a powerful relic left by the goddesses who created Hyrule. Each game features different incarnations of Link and Zelda, maintaining core elements while introducing new characters and settings.
This story originally appeared on Screenrant
