The Legend of Zelda’s long list of races hides a depressing truth

Many different breeds have been introduced throughout history The Legend of Zeldabut the immense diversity shown by the franchise also seems to obscure a much darker truth. The world of Hyrule has a remarkable level of nuance when it comes to worldbuilding, both in terms of explicit details and those that are implicitly inferred. Such an implication is arguably one of the most depressing facts about the franchise’s treatment of its various races, a looming shadow that many people in Hyrule seem inescapable of facing.

The NPCs met Zelda Games can often be undeniably strange people, with both individuals and entire species characterized primarily by their quirks. Although many Legend of Zelda Although races are easily recognized by their roles in several titles, not every fictional species introduced into the franchise enjoys the same level of attention. Lots of them, actually Zelda Race hasn’t been a part of a game’s cast in many years, which has arguably contributed to the franchise having a depressing hidden truth behind it.

The races of The Legend of Zelda are constantly dying out

There is no other way to explain the disappearance of all races

There are many breeds that only come in one or two Zelda games, with the Hylians themselves arguably being the only true constant throughout the franchise. Although in some cases later absences can be explained by depicting the races in question as living away from Hyrule (such as the Tokayans and Subrosians who met in the 1970s). oracle (Labrynna and Holodrum of the Games), not all species enjoy this glimmer of hope. Instead, it seems that way The only logical conclusion is that many of these less productive breeds are extinctat least within the borders of the kingdom.

Although some Zelda Races have become recurring parts of Hyrule, such as the Gorons and Zora, with many others only appearing in a single game. Perhaps most prominently, Sky Sword is the only title that includes races like Kikwi, Parella and Mogma. Ultimately, the true fate of these races is uncertain, but it is clear that they no longer exist in any other part of Hyrule The Legend of ZeldaTimeline. Similar, The ancient robots of the Lanayru Desert are shown to be virtually dead yourself no access to timeshift stones.

Above all, Tears of the Kingdom directly shows the final stage of the Zonai’s undeniable extinction. Long after their ancestors arrived in Hyrule, King Rauru and his sister Mineru (the last two known Zonai) died in the past visited by Zelda. Although both characters initially remain as ghosts, by the end of the game they clearly depart for the afterlife. Since the extinction of the Zonai itself is a prominent example in the series, it becomes much easier to consider how the same fate might have befallen other Hyrule residents.

No explanation is given for Hyrule’s lack of races

The mystery makes it easy to infer the worst-case scenario

When a race disappears The Legend of Zeldait is hardly ever mentioned and the reasons, if any, for its absence remain a mystery. Even the exact reason for the Zonai’s decline remains unclear, as their numbers were clearly declining long before Ganondorf put his ambitions into action. Instead, people who observe the way Hyrule changes between titles can only theorize about the effects of environmental changes, as well as the potentially catastrophic effects of Ganon or other major villains on the population.

There is also the possibility that many missing races simply left Hyruleperhaps to avoid the recurring threat of Ganon. Several are known Zelda Places outside of Hyrule itself that could easily prove desirable targets for such an exodus. This could also explain why some races can survive to reappear after long periods of absence, such as the Deku Scrubs Echoes of wisdom. However, the fact is that TOTK suggests that more than one Hyrule exists in the franchise’s history, and lends just as much credence to the idea that Hyrule’s long list of disasters has proven fatal to many races.

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Although it is always possible that something is given Zelda Although the race could make a comeback in future titles, that doesn’t explain where they may have evolved in the meantime. Instead, the more species known to have inhabited Hyrule at some point, the less likely there are purely peaceful explanations for them all disappearing from the kingdom. Instead, IIt seems much more plausible that these races met a much darker fate in the invisible periods of history between the individual titles.

Hyrule is so old that it forgets its own extinction

The kingdom’s countless tragedies are quickly forgotten

Perhaps the most tragic part of this likely list of extinctions is the fact that the people of Hyrule usually never point out the absence of these races. This implies that such events happened so long ago Those who remain in the kingdom have forgotten that these other races ever existed, unless they leave physical traces like the Zonai or Leviathans BOTH. Of course, the franchise’s split timeline complicates things in this regard, but at least the many races introduced do Sky Sword Despite their obvious importance, they receive no later mentions.

This is worth mentioning The wind alarm clock provides examples of races evolving rather than dying out. Specifically, the Zora became the Rito, while the Kokiri became the Koroks. Elsewhere, however, evolution is not used as an explanation for other missing races. Beyond that, however Echoes of wisdomThe placement in the defeated hero’s timeline may make the Rito’s exclusion less notable given their origins in the adult timeline. Deku Scrubs are also used. What’s notable is that the plant-like creatures are not part of it Breath of the Wildwhich presumably takes place later in the timeline, again implying extinction.

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On the surface, it can simply be disappointing for a favorite race The Legend of Zelda not making it into a new game, but this restriction on game development has dark implications for the series’ canon. It’s hard to imagine that so many different races have left their homes over the years, which explains why they didn’t survive the years between one title and the next. As a result, Hyrule’s history seems to be littered with extinctions that occur over such a vast period of time that surviving races like the Hylians inevitably forget their former neighbors.

The Legend of Zelda

Created by

Shigeru Miyamoto, Takashi Tezuka

First episode air date

September 8, 1989

Pour

Jonathan Potts, Cyndy Preston

Character(s)

Link, Princess Zelda, Ganon

video game(s)

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 series follows the adventures of Link, an elf-like Hylian, and Princess Zelda as they protect the land of Hyrule from the evil warlord and demon king Ganon. The series is known for its mix of action, adventure and mystery elements and often revolves around the collection of the Triforce, a powerful relic left behind by the goddesses who created Hyrule. Each game features different incarnations of Link and Zelda, maintaining the core elements while introducing new characters and locations.

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