Censored Religious Symbolism in the Zelda Series

[@ZeldaMaster]

This video isn't a normal topic I would normally cover, but thought it would be fun to document. Hope you enjoy it and except more lighthearted video topics real soon!

[@davidmartin5483]

I am sorry to say this but your voice just doasn't convey to me that this is meant as a lighthearted video but rather taken to be serious. I don't know exactly what it is that makes me feel this way...maby it's just that theme of it all. Not talking about the contaversiality but just going straight to the religions part or maby it is that the pauses between the gags need to be a bit bigger to truly set in like when you mentioned that that is not a depiction of the previous Link on the cross or maby whisper it a bit more as to convey confidentiality that goes along with your own picture on the bottom left screen. Sorry I don't want to tell you how to do your job.....even dough it seems like that is literally what I am doing right now....I just wanted to let you know that for me it seemed a bit heavy in the presentation as to put it as lighthearted. Again I am sorry.

[@MrClaysta]

I havnt watched it yet but this is right up my alley. I have noticed a lot of symbolism in the series. Most notably the triforce, which is part of a 2D cross-section of a merkaba. Please do more thanks.

[@davidmartin5483]

@@ProdigyGamingCentral oh...yeah I think I get it now. Yeah it just made a diffrend (phonetic) sound in my head as I was reading it and it turned more as in quantety to more as in qualety.... Doas this even make a sence if I'm explaining it that way? I think you know what I am trying to tell dough.

[@Climhazzard_]

@@davidmartin5483 you can edit your reply you don’t have to make another one

[@davidmartin5483]

@@Climhazzard_ that was not a reply on the comment it was a reply on what Absolute_Feared sayed to me. Like this one that I am giving to you now.

[@waelyl2936]

when I heard how you pronounced "Bismillah AL Rahman al Raheem." and "Muslim" and "Islam" I thought, this guy is either well cultured or grew up Muslim lol

[@marknakhella]

Yea I think he said before that he’s Egyptian

[@kaydenchan7093]

And he said he was Muslim

[@SullyPwnz]

Enlightening us with that Zelda wisdom.

[@pierceflynn10]

“Maybe I should have been Zelda Master!!!”

[@octoink145]

Fancy meeting u here

[@AsherSN19]

@@pierceflynn10 I see that you remember that quote

[@pierceflynn10]

@@AsherSN19 And I see that by you recognizing me remembering the quote, you remember the quote yourself.

[@AsherSN19]

@@pierceflynn10 indeed

[@HyruleGamer]

Honestly, i hope that one day im the future of this series that we see new religion's and beliefs created for the series. We have a few such as Hylia for example, but I'd like to see more in the future. Maybe in other lands!

[@RikkiJVelez]

I’m kinda surprised the other races, which are completely other species, don’t have their own religions seperate from the Hylian religion. The closest we get is probably the Goddess of the Sands from OoT who probably is just a Gerudo reimagining of Hylia.

[@monke1919]

Im?

[@givehimthechair]

Termina!

[@RikkiJVelez]

@@givehimthechair I forgot about that but still kinda odd that you literally have to go to a parallel world to find a different religion in modern Zelda games.

[@DonadieualDon]

The Beginning: The Triforce 1) Before the beginning of time, before life and spirit existed, 'three goddesses of gold and light descended on the chaotic cluster that was to become Hyrule. The Goddess of Strength, that of Courage, and that of Wisdom 'What the Bible says: Genesis In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Now the earth was chaotic and empty. Darkness covered the abyss, and the Spirit of God hovered over the waters. And God then said: Let there be light! And there was light. ('The Trinity of the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit') The mark of the Triforce 2) When possessing a triangle, it incorporates the body and soul of the wearer, and a sign representing the 'Triforce appears on the back of the hand', with the possessed triangle highlighted. What the Bible says: Job 37. 7 He places a seal on the hand of all men, so that all may recognize themselves as his creatures. -------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------------------- Link: 1) Link , descendant of 'the reincarnations of the first character presented', who do not live at the same times or in the same places as the latter What the Bible says: Acts of the Apostles 4.12 “It is he alone who can save us. Indeed, all over the world, God has given no one else to men to save us. »Equipment 2) Each Link wears a green tunic and a long pointed green cap. In all the games of the series, Link carries a shield and a sword which is his main weapon '' '' 'What the Bible says: Ephesians 6 Take above all this the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the fiery features of the evil one; 17Take also the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. -------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------------------- The Kokiris 1) If the origin of 'their birth is completely unknown, we know that the Mojo Tree, spiritual leader and guardian of the forest, gives everyone a fairy at their birth What the Bible says: Romans 8:14 I will be for you a father, and you will be sons and daughters to me, says the Lord Almighty. For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. Orphans 2) Wearing the same green clothes as Link as a child, 'they don't grow taller' once they reach the pre-teen age. What the Bible says: Matthew 19:14 Leave little children, and do not prevent them from coming to me; for the kingdom of heaven is for such like. -------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------- Ganondorf He is a powerful wizard attracted by the Triforce which he seeks and covets the power. He has no affection for anyone and especially not his own people Gerudo whom he despises What the Bible says: Isa 14 You said in your heart: I will ascend to heaven, I will raise my throne above the stars of God; I will sit on the mountain of the assembly, at the end of the north; 14I will ascend on the summit of the clouds, I will be like God ------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------ Zelda 1 ) Zelda is an attentive, kind, sweet and mysterious young girl. It embodies concern for good government, wisdom and prudence; lucidity. Zelda remains an important character, often tormented, even 'sometimes kidnapped because holder of great secrets and great powers; but always, a hero, Link, stands up against all obstacles to save her and aid her in her quest for pacification. '' '' What the Bible says: (Ephesians 5:23) Christ is the head of the Church , which is his body and of which he is the Savior. Christ loved the Church and gave himself up for her Let us rejoice, rejoice, and give her our homage. Soon here is the marriage feast of the Lamb. His fiancée is getting ready. Her Role She seeks at all costs to 'protect peaceful peoples from demonic threats, and in particular from those of Ganondorf who is the main enemy' of the series. What the Bible says: (Ephesians 6: 10-13) Put on all the armor of God, so that you can stand up against the devil's wiles. For we do not have to struggle against flesh and blood, but against dominions, against authorities, against the princes of this dark world, against evil spirits in the heavenly places. Therefore, take all the weapons of God, so that you can resist in the bad day, and stand firm after you have overcome everything. -------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------- The Lord discovers the b

[@oliverlam3379]

You didn't mention the Ancient Cistern from Skyward Sword. That dungeon has lots of religious themes in it

[@Carlos-np7du]

In the ancient cistern, there was Buddhist themes right?

[@oliverlam3379]

@@Carlos-np7du Yeah there was!!!

[@Carlos-np7du]

@@oliverlam3379 I honestly thought that the Buddhist themes were pretty cool. Was pretty fitting

[@oliverlam3379]

@@Carlos-np7du I thought that made the Ancient Cistern better to know what it was based off of

[@Carlos-np7du]

@@oliverlam3379 same👍

[@palsyr4307]

As a Palestinian Syrian Christian, I too got all different kinds of awesome feels and deep subconscious appreciation for the early LoZ lore and symbolism. Link is basically the Logos, Jesus, Luke Skywalker, Kurt Cobain lol

[@scoffeex1740]

OMG finally another Syrian who likes Zelda Why is this so rare?

[@slimjimpui]

Let's hope they never do to Link what they did to Luke in Last Jedi

[@_joveh6556]

Finally I have syrian playing the legend of zelda

[@ahmedwazir-k4t]

@@_joveh6556 i am play it too and i am from syria but i play v(1.2)

[@_joveh6556]

@@ahmedwazir-k4t same me

[@san1736]

The game is inspiring Celtic and Nordic culture which in my opinion explains the presence of the sign of the Christian cross, because both cultures have been assimilated to Christianity

[@nickk3077]

I prefer the older version of OoT on N64. I can’t really say why, however. Perhaps I find Ganondorf coughing red blood to be more emotionally impactful or something.

[@DanielJamesShirley]

I get what you mean, I think 3ds update is a bit too bright and makes the game less haunting. Also, whilst the character model looked good in 3ds version I feel they made some unnecessary changes to adult Link’s movement.

[@LilDemona]

Plus the Gerudo symbol looks way better than the re-release version

[@toxic_revenant3]

+Daniel Shirley OoT 3D is WAY over saturated, and lost the gritty feeling the original OoT had as a result. Also, removing the bloodstains from the Bottom of the Well and Shadow Temple and replacing the green fog with a purple fog was a step in the wrong direction imo.

[@toxic_revenant3]

+LilDemona I think Nintendo went with the Islamic-style moon and star symbol since the Gerudo are based on the Moors (Spanish Muslims). They changed it because it was too blatant and now it’s the current symbol (back of the head of a cobra). I do think I prefer the original symbol even if it’s less creative, it just plain looked cooler.

[@vidial7]

I remember Ganondorf coughing red blood only if you used red tunic in the fight

[@supernovasun4249]

Well I think Zelda series shares a lot of similarities with hinduism too as 1. The supreme three deities nayru, farore and din are similar to Brahma, vishnu and Shiva symbolizing creation(wisdom) , preservation(courage) and destruction(power) 2. Time being an endless eternal wheel which repeats itself as what hinduism says and it is also depicted in Zelda series 3. Reincarnation of vishnu in every era as a mortal to destroy the evil is almost same as reincarnation of hylia as Zelda 4.Termina's Moon is similar as rahu and ketu (north and south pole of the moon respectively) as they are feared to destroy the clock town and earth respectively

[@haileeraestout5567]

But Without Link And Ganondorf Trying To ROAST Eachother But Yeah #SupernovaSun I'm Sure Zelda Would Share Peace With Ganondorf AND Maybe Get Sealed In The Process

[@supernovasun4249]

@@haileeraestout5567 Lmao exactly

[@themortician3186]

Interesting points but I don't agree with the first one. Din was Goddess of Creation, Farore was Goddess of Nature and Life, and Nayru was Goddess of Law and Order. It doesn't really fit as much but I see what you're going for.

[@supernovasun4249]

@@themortician3186 I agree with you well I used the triangles of triforce as a reference too...

[@Agaettis]

Not to mention the one map in the original Zelda which is a manji symbol or swastika

[@WarmLillie]

A godly game series, has few godly inspiration

[@revine9243]

thats because its sold all across the world and one of the main reasons why its so popular is because its "relatable", its an underdog standing up to a greater evil, who doesnt speak so that the player can impose their own voice onto him, and it cant be that "relatable" if its sold to for example germans and has jewish themes

[@flamelurk]

@@revine9243 I get what you're saying, but Germany actually has a large Jewish population. I can't really understand that example.

[@revine9243]

@@flamelurk it was just an example, i just started a ww2 unit in my history class so ig my brain took it and went with it

[@flamelurk]

@@revine9243 Ah, I thought you were talking about Germany today.

[@hylianchampion8867]

I wonder if the book of magic from Zelda 1 is actually supposed to be the Bible, because a woman from Oracle of Ages calls Link a good Samaritan after he helps her. For those who don't know, in the Bible there is a story about a Samaritan who helps someone who was beat up and left on the side of the road. So how would that woman know who the good Samaritan was if they didn't have the Bible? Makes you wonder. I am a Christian, so all the references in the earlier games such as the cross shield were always interesting to me. But I definitely agree that it was a good thing that Nintendo came up with a fictional religion for Hyrule, that way no one would feel left out.

[@Wolffman109]

I mostly just heard of the "Good Samaritan Act" here in the U.S.A.

[@hylianchampion8867]

@@Wolffman109 the story of the good Samaritan is where they got the name for that law.

[@Wolffman109]

@@hylianchampion8867 Sorry, I'm not well-versed in religion. Or law.

[@hylianchampion8867]

@@Wolffman109 No reason to apologize, I understand. I was just explaining where they got the name.

[@DonadieualDon]

The Beginning: The Triforce 1) Before the beginning of time, before life and spirit existed, 'three goddesses of gold and light descended on the chaotic cluster that was to become Hyrule. The Goddess of Strength, that of Courage, and that of Wisdom 'What the Bible says: Genesis In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Now the earth was chaotic and empty. Darkness covered the abyss, and the Spirit of God hovered over the waters. And God then said: Let there be light! And there was light. ('The Trinity of the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit') The mark of the Triforce 2) When possessing a triangle, it incorporates the body and soul of the wearer, and a sign representing the 'Triforce appears on the back of the hand', with the possessed triangle highlighted. What the Bible says: Job 37. 7 He places a seal on the hand of all men, so that all may recognize themselves as his creatures. -------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------------------- Link: 1) Link , descendant of 'the reincarnations of the first character presented', who do not live at the same times or in the same places as the latter What the Bible says: Acts of the Apostles 4.12 “It is he alone who can save us. Indeed, all over the world, God has given no one else to men to save us. »Equipment 2) Each Link wears a green tunic and a long pointed green cap. In all the games of the series, Link carries a shield and a sword which is his main weapon '' '' 'What the Bible says: Ephesians 6 Take above all this the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the fiery features of the evil one; 17Take also the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. -------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------------------- The Kokiris 1) If the origin of 'their birth is completely unknown, we know that the Mojo Tree, spiritual leader and guardian of the forest, gives everyone a fairy at their birth What the Bible says: Romans 8:14 I will be for you a father, and you will be sons and daughters to me, says the Lord Almighty. For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. Orphans 2) Wearing the same green clothes as Link as a child, 'they don't grow taller' once they reach the pre-teen age. What the Bible says: Matthew 19:14 Leave little children, and do not prevent them from coming to me; for the kingdom of heaven is for such like. -------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------- Ganondorf He is a powerful wizard attracted by the Triforce which he seeks and covets the power. He has no affection for anyone and especially not his own people Gerudo whom he despises What the Bible says: Isa 14 You said in your heart: I will ascend to heaven, I will raise my throne above the stars of God; I will sit on the mountain of the assembly, at the end of the north; 14I will ascend on the summit of the clouds, I will be like God ------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------ Zelda 1 ) Zelda is an attentive, kind, sweet and mysterious young girl. It embodies concern for good government, wisdom and prudence; lucidity. Zelda remains an important character, often tormented, even 'sometimes kidnapped because holder of great secrets and great powers; but always, a hero, Link, stands up against all obstacles to save her and aid her in her quest for pacification. '' '' What the Bible says: (Ephesians 5:23) Christ is the head of the Church , which is his body and of which he is the Savior. Christ loved the Church and gave himself up for her Let us rejoice, rejoice, and give her our homage. Soon here is the marriage feast of the Lamb. His fiancée is getting ready. Her Role She seeks at all costs to 'protect peaceful peoples from demonic threats, and in particular from those of Ganondorf who is the main enemy' of the series. What the Bible says: (Ephesians 6: 10-13) Put on all the armor of God, so that you can stand up against the devil's wiles. For we do not have to struggle against flesh and blood, but against dominions, against authorities, against the princes of this dark world, against evil spirits in the heavenly places. Therefore, take all the weapons of God, so that you can resist in the bad day, and stand firm after you have overcome everything. -------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------- The Lord discovers the b

[@uglygurt5491]

I’m dying at the “wizrobes” in Zelda II bro that’s a klansman💀💀😭😭 1:45

[@Mathew7245]

💀💀

[@Sanderbraat]

Wow I gotta say these comments are really respectful. Usually religious subjects can be quite dangerous to cover. But I've seen no one attack each other here! For me as a convert to Islam I love to see this. Keep the videos up!

[@AR-mg1qi]

Brother I am very happy to see a convert to islam, Mashallah allahu akbar, keep up with islam and you'll be rewarded greatly

[@thej-man4730]

I can't believe there is artwork where link is literally praying next to Jesus

[@james441]

I love it

[@douglasmelendez1796]

It’s great to see Link is actually Christian. And praying to the one and only true God/Jesus. 👍🏽

[@themortician3186]

@@douglasmelendez1796 He's not Christian, pretty much everyone in the zelda universe either prays to Hylia, The Golden Goddesses or no one.

[@douglasmelendez1796]

@@themortician3186 he’s praying to Jesus he’s definitely a Christian according to that picture.

[@themortician3186]

@@douglasmelendez1796 In that very outdated picture he is, canonically he is not and anyone who claims he is doesn't know much about The Legend of Zelda.

[@Justin-Hill-1987]

The third level in Zelda 1's first quest resembles a Manji, a symbol used to represent good fortune in Hinduism and Buddhism.

[@MicahBuzanANIMATION]

I feel like most religious fans of Zelda would feel honored to have their religion referenced in the series.

[@KingExalted]

I honestly think the Islamic Chant version sounds better than the censored version. Mostly cause I think the Fire Temple was meant to be a shrine to Volvagia.

[@jessedeleon4123]

I liked it, personally I always thought it was the gorons saying a prayer to their gods.

[@themortician3186]

@@jessedeleon4123 It's a nice thought but the Gorons don't really have a god.

[@jessedeleon4123]

@Ben Boon how do you know?

[@jessedeleon4123]

@@themortician3186 I mean how do we know they don’t? What if they’re praying to the goddess?

[@themortician3186]

@@jessedeleon4123 They may be praying to the Golden Goddesses, or Hylia, but they themselves don't have a god. The closest thing they had was Volvagia.

[@tammzy65]

This was so fascinating! I remember that there were some Islamic influences/symbolism in OoT but never actually had a chance to see it. Thank you! also appreciate you taking the time to translating and pronouncing the chants perfectly :)

[@jonniefast]

breath of the wild literally has "pray" as an option lol how'd you miss that as a christian i think it's cool that they referenced various holy books & drew inspiration from the source material- the gorons, zora, etc all had different customs & cultures but unity is what saves them all time after time

[@ChupeTTe]

But nowadays Link is a pagan who prays to Hylia, realworld religions seemed too much for Nintendo.

[@jonniefast]

since the OoT time era (the censored the hymn in the fire temple and changed the crescent moon) / its simply not a good business practice to endorse any single one religion the good vs evil theme is universal though (cs lewis, tolkien, etc)

[@sebastiancherubagent7986]

Thanks for uploading! I was not surprised to find religious references in the games since they were a huge part during the medival times. I loved your videos since long ago.

[@HanayoSora]

This was an interesting video to watch! Very well done!

[@chutneybe]

Whenever he posts, it's the highlight of my week, can't wait for more let's plays, Luke! Are they comming soon? 😁

[@DoubleEz]

I’m a Muslim and I’m 12. My dad has an n64 and it still works. I love to use it and play Zelda ocarina of time and it’s really fun. I have completed the game countless amount of times and I did notice the gerudo symbol and the mirror shield. One thing I never noticed is the Allahuakabr and bismillah. I guess it’s bc I never really paid attention but I definitely will later. By the way I never knew you were a Muslim. Good to know.

[@FAXD09]

Is any Zelda games halal to play for Muslim. I'm so curious about 😢.

[@shin_a]

@@FAXD09 yeah its fine to play zelda as a muslim haha

[@InTheHouseOfWolves]

I didn’t even know they changed the symbols for the Gerudo! I haven’t gotten that far on the expansion pass yet but the last version I played is the N64 cartridge that still has the moon symbol. How interesting!

[@crankylink13]

When I saw it first in the game a link to the last I was like ”did my man just do the father the son and the holy spirit!?!”

[@gamestar6479]

I really wish they kept the old fire temple music and I kinda wish the old gerudo symbol was kept in some way, shape or form

[@Carlos-np7du]

Same, it was pretty cool honestly

[@gamestar6479]

@@Carlos-np7du I personally think the chanting kinda completed the fire temple's theme

[@Carlos-np7du]

@@gamestar6479 it did. It was perfectly fitting

[@rememberthepassworddoofus5757]

I agree about the fire temple, but I think the new Gerudo symbol looks a lot better, even if the old one made more sense

[@attomicchicken]

As someone of the faith; it sounds really off. It's akin to going into a church setting in game and hearing "Bless the Lord. The Lord is all knoweth" over and over again with a shitty echo.

[@Rabbit23GSO]

I love religion, idk why people have such a problem, the all are very interesting and deep naturally due to its substance, I believe in what i believe in and respect and enjoy to imagine how the other religions in the world can be from a similar origin but anyways thanks for tackling this subject

[@themortician3186]

I think it the problem comes when certain members of religions try to impose their religion on others.

[@ted9030]

It's because the medias love to spread hate towards religions, each time a religious person commits a crime, the religion takes the blame

[@chompythebeast]

The reason people take issue with religion is because religious beliefs freeze people intellectually: They think they've already got all the most important answers to everything, so they don't think they need to rely on things like data and the scientific method. This of course is not true of _all_ believers, but it defines religious fundamentalism. It's worst when prejudice, hatred, and other forms of ignorance become enshrined in religious belief, making them much more difficult to purge, both from the individual and from society at large

[@lylserb7818]

@@chompythebeast how ironic that you have exhumed everything you don't like about religious people, your close mindedness just shows how little you know of religion as a whole, many great scholars of the west, east, north and south have been inspired by their religious virtues and beliefs whatever they might be to search on the secrets of the cosmos and have offered mankind heavy and precious knowledge that we now depend on for our technological, social and intellectual evolution.

[@chompythebeast]

@@lylserb7818 I think what I said is an undeniable phenomenon, and I did say not every believer falls victim to it. I stand fully by what I said―unless you're a fundamentalist who uses religion to justify prejudice or other unscientific nonsense, I wasn't describing you

[@TeamBlueToad]

I remember being so confused when i saw the new Gerudo simble in the new Zelda games. If i recall correctly i actually thought Nintendo had forgotten what the og one looked like and decided to make a brand new one.

[@paytonbauman1149]

Thanks for making this. I was just talking about this the other day to my husband! I love learning as much as I can. I have the original Oot game on 64 and was explaining the blocks and chanting. So cool, I appreciate all the info!

[@konodioda713]

Zelda master I always love the art you make on your thumbnails

[@Beb3emCovers90]

DUUUUUUDE! You lived in Egypt for five years? I’m from Egypt and learning this about you makes me ecstatic haha! Epic video as always, keep up the amazing work ✌🏻

[@ZeldamonCWB]

this was unexpected but a really great video, totally overlooked the religious parts of this game but its funny that nintendo deleted most of them!

[@raygipson8896]

I loved the Christian/Trinitarian theme in Zelda, helped draw me into playing and becoming a fan.

[@chrisk9613]

Dragon Quest uses a lot of Christian references and imagery, but it kind of makes sense since it’s largely medieval Europe inspired. I think the localizations don’t censor the references anymore.

[@davidwave4]

Honestly, I wish the Zelda series tackled the idea of religion and politics more directly. The idea of these religious battles between gods and demigods playing out in plain view of the population has to affect religious practices in Hyrule, and they could definitely use that to comment on how political/social events influence religion/religious belief. Also: kudos for doing the Qu'ranic text justice. Always lovely to see folks take time and care with pronunciation of prayers in other languages.

[@JariDawnchild]

Most of my personal Zelda theories take those undepicted ramifications into account, though I do wish they'd show more of it than they do.

[@art_of_Miko101]

Holy moly I didnt know about this until now, and I would loved to see this kind of documentary of Zelda's game behind the scenes of referencing to the real world! Great video

[@cosmicgem7775]

Wow! This video blew my mind! I knew Link originally had a Cross on his shield and I knew about the original Islam religious songs and symbols in Ocarina but I did not know Link prayed in A Link To The Past! That is so awesome! Zelda is my favorite series of all time and this made me like it even more! I didn’t think that was possible so thank you so much for making this amazing video!

[@efrainamezcua7594]

I'm not Muslim but link with an Islamic shield looks badass asf.

[@user-dz8ul6co8k]

im muslim and i agree

[@kevinfromsales9445]

I prefer the Islamic symbols and red blood in Ocarina which is why I'll always emulate version 1.0

[@thelunarlunatic9681]

I have the golden cartridge. Mine is that version.

[@jecarlin]

Maybe the later versions should have let the player decide what symbol they wanted on their shield.

[@xxAnaCutieBanana24xx]

​@@kevinfromsales9445Islam doesn't have a symbol actually

[@Andrew-zv4fm]

A cool and informative video. As someone who is Catholic, I do not find it offensive that the cross was used in the game or the word "Bible" or anything relating to Christianity. But I do understand if people are offended by it and it is understandable. In games like the original LOZ or "The Adventure of Link" it is easy to miss as you are going through the game and because they are 8 bit. In "Ocarina of Time" I didn't realize it was a Muslim chant and I doubt many kids let alone people in general would notice. But if I were Muslim I would think it is cool that it is incorporated into the game. To make a long story short, Nintendo of America has always tried to avoid anything offensive in their games and sometimes do miss it but always make an attempt to catch it.

[@james441]

As a Catholic I wish the Cross was still used on Links Shield.

[@mikaladadams]

@@james441 same, it looks so cool : O

[@astal3204]

@@mikaladadams I'm a Catholic, but I disagree. The Crusades don't exist in Zelda Lore.

[@diobrando1736]

@@astal3204 Crosses on shields weren't just a Crusader thing. Not every Crusader had a cross on a shield, just as every Viking didn't have a rune or some other Pagan symbol on it. I'm also a Catholic, but just because there's a cross on a shield doesn't mean it's a "Crusader shield" as those don't exist.

[@astal3204]

@@diobrando1736 Okay I know but you get what I mean.

[@nyb-487]

I never noticed/paid too much attention to the real life religious aspects of the game except the pretty much straightforward element of worshipping the triforce. Thank you for your playthroughs of Skyward Sword though, you've helped me more than once get through the recent hd version

[@nabilnaceur4266]

I am a Muslim and I love you so much 💕

[@sarkastikcommander4555]

the crescent moon and the star is actually the Turkish. the crescent symbolizes the turks while the star was added after Constantinople was conquered. when the ottoman empire fell many countries just their symbol and used that for the islamic symbol but it never was.

[@JariDawnchild]

I was wondering where else I had come across that symbol.

[@runu4573]

The updated Gerudo symbol is actually inspired from the gerudo dragonfly found in lanaryu desert in skyward sword since not only the tribe is named after it but also the updated gerudo symbol resembles a face of a dragonfly

[@runu4573]

@Daren Fliflet well of course yeah, but I'm talking about in a more chronological sense, skyward sword gave out multiple origin stories such as the master sword where it got it's design and why it is called master sword which technically happened after and likely got traced back to create the origin stories, but chronologically the other way around is how the event actually happened

[@PenneySounds]

My original cartridge of OOT doesn't have the call to prayer sample in the fire temple, has the green blood from ganondorf, but still has the crescent gerudo symbol

[@Fancy_Lebowski]

I love the original Fire Temple music, have that cartridge since childhood. I remember later on playing OoT on the GC 4-game disc as a kid and hearing the new Fire Temple music for the first time freaked me out thinking, "Why is there Shadow Temple music in the Fire Temple?!"

[@AsherSN19]

I don’t have a switch or cannot play any Nintendo games but it can’t stop me from learning about everything

[@josiegraham4131]

That’s really sad you don’t have a switch.

[@MrClaysta]

Its very easy to emulate LttP and Minish Cap on your phone. I have oot 3ds version on this phone too, and its playable, but it isnt perfectly stable

[@themortician3186]

@@MrClaysta Minish Cap is my favourite.

[@MrClaysta]

@@themortician3186 i loved it. Hyrule castle town was so comfy and full of little suprises.

[@Alec11_43]

For the second dungeon(in the desert) of a link to the past, Link prays in a way that is similar to making a cross with a special translation book to enter.

[@cartergamegeek]

The chanting was taken from an open sound library as opposed to composed in-house by Nintendo. You can still find the Pop Fiction video about the chant. They cover a few other games it was used in.

[@cooldoodbhatia7601]

I really wish you had 1 mil you deserve it man ,you are so underarated.

[@bubbul_gum]

I love your art for your thumbnails!

[@Zeldalord-hn5go]

Wow this was interesting I never knew about the fire temple music, I mean I knew it was changed but not for that reason. Great video :)

[@CY3ERUS]

I kind of miss the badass looking Crescent moon mirror shield they could have at least kept the moon and just remove the star instead of making look like a symbol for the robots from skyward sword than a Gerudo one

[@sveisleif]

This is a great video! Didn't at all know about the islamic symbolism i OoT. It's sad they sensored it. The original music for the Fire temple sounds awsome, and there is so much beauty and atmosphere in the mysticism of world religions that it is worth drawing inspiration from.

[@MrSonicHedgehog]

Here's a theory on this subject: what if the Triforce is secretly a representation of the Holy Trinity?

[@Darkwolf_1017]

The what

[@Peace.and.knowledge1]

Interesting !. ^_^

[@Peace.and.knowledge1]

F S HG. But Ganon *? He holds the triforce of power , how would the apply ? Just wondering

[@johnnypowers2489]

damn you might be right on that one...

[@shibbyguy101]

@@Darkwolf_1017 The Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost

[@zachtwilightwindwaker596]

Triforce of the Gods is a much better name than A Link to the Past. 3:38 I didn't realize the writing was this complex.

[@persephonehades7547]

There are other censorships on the basis of religion, but the changes are only made for the English copies (possibly just in North America but I'm not 100% sure). Basically any mentions of demons or a demon tribe that Ganon/Ganondorf/Demise controls are either edited or straight up removed in the translations. QuestWithAaron did a video detailing this called "How Demise's Secret Origin Connects Skyward Sword & Breath of the Wild," and it's pretty interesting as far as the censorship conversation is concerned.

[@MollyOKami]

Even though I'm Christian, I'm neither offended nor excited to have real-world religious symbols in the LoZ series. The Japanese are practically the embodiment of the phrase, "Imitation is the sincerest for of flattery," and it's clear that the developers never meant any insult including these symbols. Most Japanese practice a mix of either Buddhist pr Shinto and they frequently include similar imagery in their media, so it only makes sense that they'd do it with other religions. That all being said, I'm glad that they mostly stick to the series' own religion as it makes the games more accessible around the world with less risk of being censored by those not as understanding.

[@mcain2911]

I never really pick up on things like this in games. I’m too immersed in the story to notice every little detail. These kind of videos are cool.

[@mistertree00]

very informative video and very cool, shows some things i didn’t even know, thanks for the video as always

[@ananthakrishnanvr5148]

0:55 whats this backround song name

[@Novorious]

I'm a Christian, and I'm not even religious. But this video is interesing, not only Link is actually a Valiant Hero, but he is also a Christian who serves and praises God and Jesus! Despite me being a Christian, this inspires me to play more Zelda games.

[@ianboast9928]

This video was extremely interesting ZeldaMaster. Your knowledge of Arab culture gave this theory a unique perspective.

[@wa7dany577]

I’ve been a subscriber to you for like 5 years and i didn’t knew that you were Egyptian until i heard your accent and i asked myself: is he an Egyptian? 😅 Great video by the way

[@holt1]

Hello ZeldaMaster, how is your day?

[@lewistoyemcginley7398]

The temple of time in both ocarina and botw is obviously a gothic Christian church

[@joel7041]

Great video. It's great to see you making content even if it's sparce.

[@kaydenchan7093]

I never knew the Luke (Zeldamaster) was/is a Muslim, I wonder is he still it or did he leave it.

[@lordlegend2341]

Would be cool if he is

[@hyikoufang3726]

my friend had the original version complete with red blood but the copy i got had the blood edited while still retaining the Fire Temple chants and original Gerudo symbol. i know there were effectively 3 versions, i'm just glad i had one that still had the chanting. the temple is rather empty without it in my opinion people getting offended over it is just silly

[@cooldoodbhatia7601]

Hey zeldamaster I'm a muslim living in England for me this is one of the best videos from your channel that I have ever seen.In the forest temple in OoT the massive red block you push has the same gerudo symbol on it.asalmualaykum brother.

[@douglasmelendez1796]

The Islamic chanting goes well with fire temple. Since the fire temple represents hell. And since Islam is the most evil and satanic religion on the planet the both go well together.

[@cooldoodbhatia7601]

@@douglasmelendez1796 brother Douglas don't say that about a religion that has over a billion followers. And a religion that prays together at the same time.assalmualayku

[@douglasmelendez1796]

@@cooldoodbhatia7601 just because it has a billion followers doesn’t mean anything. Just means a billion Muslims are going to hell. If you want to know the true and only God. Follow Jesus Christ and get out of that false and satanic religion which is Islam.

[@AR-mg1qi]

@@douglasmelendez1796 the true and only god? Christianity has three gods

[@douglasmelendez1796]

@@AR-mg1qi really you think Christianity has three Gods? Only has one. There in one. Similar to water/H2O having there elements.

[@user-ie1to3jn6p]

Thank you so much for making this, I was always curious about the subject.

[@Legoluigi26]

That art of Link kneeling at the cross reminds me of that Christian Sonic fanart, and I don't know how to feel about that.

[@RowanDinegar]

6:04 I happen to have both uncensored and censored versions

[@PhoenixRising_.]

Love you @ZeldaMaster :) you inspired my KZbin name lol

[@Yabuturtle]

I never understood why or how people can be offended if their religion was in a game. If anything, I'd be honored that my religion shows up there. It's not like they are making fun of the religions or anything.

[@Wolffman109]

I gotta say, that Muslim chant for the Fire Temple sounded really cool. I understand why Nintendo removed it, and I love the new theme, but I still like how it sounds.

[@emmamiller.]

It freaks me out! But it adds to the atmosphere so it freaks me out in a good way I guess?

[@Wolffman109]

@@emmamiller. Maybe that's why I like it so much. 😂

[@emmamiller.]

@@Wolffman109 haha 😂

[@ShelbyAQD]

It's kind of a shame that Nintendo would absolutely remove the crosses if they ever remade the NES games. Obviously, they'd swap in Triforce imagery, and likely change the Cross item into the Lens of Truth. But it would be so fascinating if instead they left them in and built up a new implied religion in the setting. I'm not saying they should randomly include Christianity as it wouldn't fit Hyrule's history. Just, if they alluded to some new deity tied to the cross symbolism. I'm kinda addicted to world-building, and really would like to see some NPCs who've turned away from Hyrule's traditional religion for one reason or another. It just leads to interesting ideas.

[@AliAdel1]

I remember when i first entered the fire temple i was confused i thought i was tripping but it was very clear

[@offworlder4694]

Plus, when Link uses the Book of Mudora to open the Desert Temple in ALTTP, he performs the Sign of the Cross.

[@caucasoidape8838]

The 30th anniversary 8 bit link amiibo, has an updated master sword design on his back, but the shield with the cross remains the same. I always thought that was odd.

[@cherokeeuhuh9695]

While I no they had all these changed in the 3ds version I wonder if it’s the same in ocarina of time for Wii U and Wii virtual console it’s been a while so it would be interesting to look and see if they were changed

[@pinkyarnmallets]

This was something I had thought about before, but I had no idea it went that deep, especially with the older games! I do think they had a lot of Christianity themes - especially in the beginning - because of King Arthur, he and his sword being a strong influence on the making of Link and his character. It's so interesting to see how deep that relationship really goes, and I belief it is still a powerful driving force in the modern Zelda games as well, though with Hylia being their worshipped goddess instead of God. Zelda's belief/trust in Hylia, and her giving herself fully over to that trust, was a main turning point in the botw story (that driving force coming from her love for Link, but that's just my personal opinion😉). Anyway, this was a great video!! Thank you for posting it!! :)

[@keithcastillo5434]

There is incredible value in ancient stories that are still popular. . I read the Bible, Quran, Bhagavad Gita, and Dhammapada, not only are their stories timeless their lessons still important for us today. Therefore when someone today writes a book or makes a video game using those as sources of inspiration there is a very good chance the book or game will have success. Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, Chronicles of Narnia, and Sword of Truth series have heavy Christian inspiration and look how popular they are! Harry Potter like Jesus dies for others and their sacrifice made it so others can live. I do not know whether The Legend of Zelda Ocarina of Time will still be popular 2000 years from now, but those religious books I mention have a decent shot of still being popular 2000 years in our future.

[@olic1008]

I really liked this ! Love learning more about zelda franchise thank u c:

[@captainrobots1]

I'm actually looking for the other 2 versions of ocarina of time on N64. I have the last n64 release just want the others so I can see if any other differences people haven't notice if any.

[@khaleddwl5192]

3:30 I think it wouldn’t be controversial if it was intentional to represent islam , but even if it was I think it’s really scary … I hear this sound 5 times a day but this edited version scares the shit out of me, can’t imagine it from a non-muslim perspective.

[@LoinkLoink]

I actually had my own theory that incorporated Christianity into the zelda universe. So basically, what if the figure that ALttP Link is praying to is meant to be the Hero of Time who gave his life to 'defeat' the evil Ganon, who is the Hyrulean equivalent of Satan(similar to how Christians believe that Jesus saved them from sin). It may not be a perfect likeness of the Hero of TIme, but keep in mind OoT takes place potentially hundreds of years before ALttP, so details could have been changed. And honestly, the cross could even be explained if the Hero of Time was crucified in order for Ganon to extract the Triforce of Courage from his body. There's also the fact that the people of ALttP refer to the people of previous games by a different name, referring to them as the Hylia, which implies that they don't share the same beliefs of those who believe in the Goddess and instead believe in the Hero of Time who was sent from the gods of old to save them from the devil. Now, sadly this all gets debunked if we take A Link Between Worlds into consideration, solely because Nintendo took that as an opportunity to remove most real-world religions from the Downfall timeline. But if we ignore that game for the moment and keep in mind what's left, we're left with a people who had suffered a tragic loss to the demon king and was nearly destroyed by him, but was saved by the Hero of Time and the sages(though the Hero of Time was seen as the equivalent of Jesus for giving his life to have the demon king sealed away to what could be seen as the Hyrulean equivalent of Hell). In response, they rejected the legend of Hylia and praised the Hero of Time as their savior and Christianity became largely the popular religion by the time of ALttP, and was the dominant one by the time of Zelda 1.

[@halley8105]

I really like this theory. Its really interesting

[@themortician3186]

You'd You'd surprised how little the time gap between some of the games are.

[@themortician3186]

It's a nice idea but really Demise is Satan.

[@LoinkLoink]

@@themortician3186 Considering that the defeat of Demise canonically takes place thousands of years before the next game in the timeline, I wouldn't be surprised if people forgot about him, or rather tied him in with the religion of Hylia while Ganon was seen as the Satan in the religion of Christianity

[@themortician3186]

@@LoinkLoink Yeah, but in zelda Demise is Satan whereas Ganon/Ganondorf is a reincarnation of Demise in a lesser state I.E, Demise is a god and Ganondorf is a person.

[@SailorGreenTea]

2:04, many people were and are crucified.

[@fro2t]

Finally you are back

[@jonathanmikarui8931]

Idt any of these things are a stretch, especially with your explanations. Such an interesting vid, this has always been a deeply spiritual series to me

[@davidmartin5483]

To be honest I didn't hear a thing when it came to the chanting part but that's probably because I didn't grew up with it so I am not used to it's sound

[@JariDawnchild]

I heard it when I played as a child, but life went on and when I was able to get my hands on another copy, the changes had been made and it threw me for a loop. I didn't learn why the changes were made until a while after that. I understand why those changes were made, and maybe this is my nostalgia talking, but something during the changed portions of the game seem to be missing, not possessing the same sort of depth they had. A shade less enchanting.

[@charlesstrong2272]

Hey Luke call me Charlie what would you say to doing a maj mask randomizer I think you'd like it.

[@tattertot8259]

So if I make saving Marin from being trapped as a seagull forever my new religion Nintendo will have to let us save Marin from being trapped as a seagull forever .

[@Oagotatheeegoron]

Dude how did I not know, and or realized any of these..

[@cjdunford3270]

This is an really interesting breakdown, and I think the creator would be remiss to ignore the much heavier underlying influences of dharmic religions to the Zelda series. The cycle of birth-and-death is core to Buddhism and so many other dharmic religions which generally originated from the region we call India today. While there may be many obvious nods to other religions such as Islam and Christianity, those are entirely superficial when compared to the underlying worldview of the games that is based on religions that represent the complex system of what we may call contemporary Japanese culture. From my perspective, as a Buddhist priest, Zelda's mythology and worldview are far more dharmic than anything else.

[@maytheprincessofhoenn619]

Kinda strange how Nintendo did this religious stuff back then, but informative nonetheless. The strangest part out of this video is regarding that chant theory in the Fire Temple (N64). Kinda gives it an eerie vibe because you don't know who's watching you during the chant.

[@sarahireland2619]

I forget what religion mentions this but I remember the name of like an ancient tribe or something called the zoramites and I remember when I studied it there were some other symbolism used from that same religion throughout the game

[@jay_diamond]

Freeing Divine Beasts is a very godly feat in BOTW. There are several details that resemble what it's like when you invite Jesus Christ into your life

[@freezeblast4563]

What was the song at 0:16 I forgot which Zelda game it’s from

[@VeiledSeer]

I did not know that you grew up muslim! Thats awesome

[@PixelaGames2000]

This is a very interesting topic I’ve always found it fascinating how Nintendo implemented religious themes in the Zelda series Heck I even plan on making my own video covering all the religious themes in the series Heck you even missed one Buddhism tho I guess you didn’t count that one sense it wasn’t removed but eh I just thought I’d mention it sense it is referenced in some of the games mostly in skyward sword with the ancient cistern but eh Anyway great video as always ZM