Menace of the Masked - Lorule's Darkest Secret (Zelda Theory)

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Today we delve into the mystery of the mask cult in A Link Between Worlds and how it relates to the history of Lorule.
Special thanks to LoruleanHistorian / TGLMudora for the translations
Thumbnail art made by Nebulace
/ thenebulace
Footage taken from:
myself :)
Outro Made by Espen - www.efolsen.com
Twitter - / nintendoblackc
discord server: / discord
Special thanks to my Patreon supporters!
Patreon - / nintendoblack. .
#LegendofZelda #ZeldaTheory #ALBW

[@cramerfloro5936]

The Cult denouncing thievery in particular almost makes me think that Hilda and Yuga’s plan was in some part known to the people, at least that it involved stealing from another kingdom. I’m not so sure about it, but it’s interesting to picture this sect forming out of dissatisfaction with the government

[@HonterDax]

I think it comes from knowing why the world is in a chaotic state. An elder is someone old so he probably saw when the Triforce was destroyed and knows why the Triforce was destroyed and by who. So yes, he probably was very dissatisfied with the government.

[@marche800]

Yeah it makes sense. Hilda and Yuga are thieves also so if the people saw that and lost faith in the government that would only give rise to this cult's idealogy

[@NintendoBlackCrisis]

Love that idea!

[@oittisallen4057]

Yes I know a place just like that. They were the light World, but Dark World now.

[@homerman76]

For me it made me think that maybe the cult was intentionally created in order to reduce the number of citizens who turn to thievery, which would add to the chaos, by convincing people to "follow the way of the monster." By convincing people it's their choice to don the monster masks you avoid stuff like what happened in real life during the greater part of the pandemic with people refusing to do things meant to be for their protection because it "took away their freedom." 🤔

[@xxcorrinxx6299]

I've been thinking on this for over a year and never found a good time to comment but: - a group of people who want to become monsters/ see some beauty or righteousness in monsters - craft and don masks to make themselves appear as monsters - and are purple-ish in color - plus they may be monstrous in appearance… I believe that BOTW's Kilton is meant to be Lorulean. He fits this description perfectly, and he is the only character in BOTW I can think of who is described as having suddenly appeared out of nowhere. There is no one else like him in the whole of Hyrule, and the guard at the Akkala stable plus the NPC who gives out monster extract heavily imply that he is somehow a “New” phenomenon throughout the land. Furthermore, he first appears at skull lake, one of two locations in BOTW that have strange, purplish flowers with yellow centers… much like the flowers that cover Lorule.

[@zeldaenby224]

Now that's a cool headcanon, I'm stealing it

[@yeontanseyebrows5588]

That is actually such a good theory! :0 I feel like it’s genuinely been a while since I’ve heard a new Zelda theory that actually made so much sense and seemed so plausible

[@alexbelcher5023]

I love this theory

[@lukedavies3654]

This makes so much more sense than it should. Is this truly a coincidence?

[@Zerolink30]

You might be on to something, but doesn't Lorule's Triforce return at the end of the game with a wish made to Hyrule's Triforce? (I haven't played LBW but I've heard the story plot) if people changed in 3 years after the banishment of their Triforce, wouldn't everything and everyone change back after the same or in BotW's case 20k years. Unless Kilton's Lorulean ancestors hid in caves away from the light of the Triforce only coming out at night.

[@GeneralCorruptchu]

Munjara and Monjara sound a lot like Majora, another reason to believe that the cult was made mostly to hint at Majora’s Mask 3D.

[@ausgamecollector]

The cult was also included on the ALBW cover in Lake Hylia’s reflection, which is odd given a static MM appears in Link’s house and the masked cult appear once only in the game.

[@GeneralCorruptchu]

@@ausgamecollector Very strange, it’s possible that they were planned to have a bigger role in the game but that idea was scrapped.

[@HighPriestFuneral]

I think that there may be more of a connection here to Termina then meets the eye. Lockstin and Gnoggin made an incredible video about that theory some years ago.

[@MyFistPlusYourAss]

Munjara monjara is a really common things kids say as a placeholder when they don’t understand something. I’m an English teacher in Japan and my students say it constantly. For example: when we have fill-in-the-blanks they will say it when they encounter the blank. It’s basically like saying “blah blah blah” I genuinely don’t believe it has any connection to majora.

[@jacintacapelety9600]

@@MyFistPlusYourAss Was hoping I'd find someone who'd comment what that means.

[@Manacra13]

If Lorule had its own triforce and own wars over said triforce, it’s likely they had similar legends of the hero. So yes while link was never part of Hilda’s plan, it’s very believable she tried to spur some kind of evil to force the legends to play out. Actually since we know Ravio is is the Lorulean form of link, it’s quite possible Hilda tried to pressure him into it forcing him through the dungeons where he got all his items. Finally he’d had enough and when he found a portal to Hyrule, he took his out. Gave his bracelet to the first schmuck he could to ensure Hilda couldn’t drag him back and set up shop to try and live in peace. Hilda probably was concerned until she found a boy wielding the master sword able to cross the realms.

[@Doodle1678]

I do believe that’s why Ravio has all the items he sells in his shop If Ravio was Lorule link then it’s possible he collected all the items from the dungeons

[@IamMeHere2See]

...and because Ravio is a coward, he wouldn't challenge the dungeon bosses. My only issue with this is one of timing. Ravio would have cleared the dungeons before the Sages were ever stored in them, so why would she think this would help him attain the Triforce of Courage?

[@Manacra13]

@@IamMeHere2See I think it’s because the sages aren’t the key or at least Hilda wouldn’t have known that. If you take the plot of any Zelda game and examine it as history or a legend hundreds of years in the future. The connecting thread would always be the hero showing his courage wisdom and power by overcoming the challenges of the dungeons. Regardless of what was at the end of them. Perhaps Hilda thought that all it would take was Ravio making it through all the dungeons to get the triforce of courage being unaware of the demon tribes curse and tiny stipulation of the master sword.

[@AngryAragami]

12:45 An interesting thing here is that the boss is Blind, or rather his Stal form. Blind was a legendary thief who apparently lived in the town on Hyrule. So the leader of the thieves is not just a monster, but a man who changed into one.

[@Decapitationtrain]

Hey, kinda makes you think of another legendary thief that turned into a monster...

[@RGMtz99]

With the whole church being empty for three years, it’s also possible that the people prayed to their version of the goddesses up until three years ago. And due to lack of prayers in the last three years Lorule started breaking apart and the residents and animals started becoming monsters. Thus making it even harder for the church to be attended.

[@geekley]

"Their version of the goddesses"... I saw someone in Reddit theorize these would be "Uryan", "Nid" and "Eroraf" lol. Which sound more like male names to me. I think having such male gods make Lorule as the counterparts of Hyrule's goddesses would make a lot of sense. And in fact, the philosopher refers to "gods" not "goddesses". So this is my fan-canon now lol. As for the Triforce's virtues, while Hyrule has Wisdom, Power and Courage, my guess for the counterparts in Lorulean Triforce is: Astuteness, Pride and Initiative. Those could be positive virtues, but the chaos in Lorule may have twisted them in negative ways: - Hilda has astuteness, but she uses it to trick the wrong person. - Yuga has a lot of pride in his art and he's obsessed with beauty, but he's also obsessed with himself. - Ravio has initiative, but he uses it to get rich instead of being the hero his world needs. So basically, Astuteness becomes manipulation, Pride becomes vanity and Initiative becomes greed.

[@MiraBoo]

@@geekley I genuinely like your idea; however, I had imagined the Inverted Triforce to be equal but opposite of the Triforce. Wisdom -> Compassion Courage -> Caution Power -> Cunning In other words, Lorule would value empathy (the counterpart of logic), wariness (the counterpart of bravery) and resourcefulness (the counterpart to strength). However, the balance of these traits has been lost due to desperation. Hilda’s compassion has become emotional distress, Ravio’s cautiousness has becomes cowardice, and Yuga’s artful ingenuity has been allowed to become increasingly more duplicitous. The desperation of not having a Triforce, I imagine, would take a similar toll on Hyrule’s people. Zelda may become cold and calculated, Link may become reckless, and Ganon may become increasingly more brutish. But that’s, of course, just me theorizing.

[@soapy247]

I was very excited to watch this one since A Link Between Worlds is also one of my favorite Zelda’s and hasn’t been talked about very much. Love the theory!

[@SuperRitz44]

I will always love the ending of this game where they wish upon the Hyrule Triforce to give the Loruleans theirs back. It is so beautiful!

[@chaos4654]

While Majora's Mask references are clear, the "wear masks to become monsters" concept might tie into Kilton in Breath of the Wild. Or yet put... makes his monster masks far more dangerous than expected, especially with Monster Extract's possible qualities and the corruptive properties of Malice. Then we have Batreaux who is Demon turned Human. Also. I think it's possible the Masked Elder in ALBW might have already become a monster. It's even possible he occupies a position similar to Astor from Age of Calamity, but moreso generally malevolent or touting his brand of villainy as superior to the thieves. That doesn't necessarily mean things will be morally good. It could mean thievery is below the Masked Elder's standards or the Thieves' organization was competition.

[@DragmireXI]

It may make sense that the Lorulean Triforce itself was the catalyst for the Cult of the Mask. We know the Triforce has a sentient spirit and given that the big stone slab appeared in Lorule after the Triforce was wished away that served as a link to another world's Sacred Realm, I think it makes sense that Lorule's Triforce became that stone slab. If the Triforce is sentient, maybe it deliberately chose 3 years prior to ALBW to set things in motion to lead to its own restoration. It's a bit of a brutal act from the perspective of most people, but for a godlike being it may not be.

[@jacintacapelety9600]

Wait, how do we know the triforce is sentient? I don't remember that being established anywhere in the lore. It's capable of granting wishes, and marks the point where the 3 golden goddesses left the world (at least for the Hyrule version, and I have to assume a similar story applies to the Lorule version), but I don't remember them establishing the triforce had it's own sentience (the master sword does, in the form of Fi, but we've never seen a similar spirit for the triforce).

[@ausgamecollector]

@@jacintacapelety9600 The essence of the combined Triforce announces itself and speaks to Link at the end of ALTTP as well as informing him of why the Sacred Realm became the Dark World. That and it transporting Link to both Holodrum & Labrynna in OOX, saying “Accept our quest, Hero.” Therefore, the games themselves imply the Triforce to have sentience.

[@jacintacapelety9600]

@@ausgamecollector Never played ALTTP or the Oracle games.

[@DragmireXI]

@@jacintacapelety9600 yep what the other guy said, the Triforce speaks to you in those games

[@ausgamecollector]

@@jacintacapelety9600 Yes mate but they’re canon entries either way.

[@majoraura1590]

So glad you're doing theories on this game. I love it so much

[@jonesthemoblin1400]

I think you're right about Hilda needing to cause a hero to rise in Hyrule and find the Triforce of Courage, but I think it was just so she could take it along with the rest of Hyrule's Triforce. I don't think she had any intent of the Hero to try to take on Yuga, she had been tricked by him - manipulated by her desperation to save Lorule. As for how Lorule fell, I think Lorule slowly dclined without its triforce until it hit a tipping point maybe 3 years ago) where it started to decline more rapidly and dramatically. This would explain how Hilda and Yuga were able to formulate their plans to cause the rise of a hero in Hyrule and steal their triforce. Hilda knew the tipping point was approaching and Yuga used that to push her into following his plan - probably over years of manipulation.

[@wakkaseta8351]

Wan't it stated somewhere that Yuga's betrayal was due to Ganon corrupting him?

[@ausgamecollector]

@@wakkaseta8351 That’s only implied in the last battle though, which meant YuGanon was still working with Hilda up to the point of handing over the Triforce of Power.

[@stoptheohiomemes]

Finally! A 2nd ALBW theory! It was the first Zelda game I ever played and I LOVED it.

[@violetlight1548]

I'd love to hear more about A Link Between Worlds. It's one of my favourite Zelda games as well, and it's a shame it's overlooked so often.

[@vectra4074]

Thank you so much for this. I never really fault any of the content makers for the Zelda Theory dryspell, it can't be easy to pull quality content out considering what is already floating, but I started watching theorists like you back when I was looking for random Zelda easter eggs. I got tired of seeing the same, "20 things you NEVER noticed in your favorite Zorldo games," that always had the same things in them over and over again. I found your chanel, Zeltik, Masked Nintendo Bandit, Monster Maze, and a few others that I thought were just mind blowing. I appreciate the thought, perspective, and effort you put into you work, and when I see a really well put together Zelda theory crop up it always makes me really excited to dive in and see what you've come up with

[@user-if4nx2jn8r]

Maybe they think of monsters as free from corruption because they live simpler lives. Animals take things from each other, but they do it for survival rather than greed. Whatever the case may be, it does seem likely Lorule's decline was a gradual one, otherwise there wouldn't have been enough time for generations to pass and Hilda to even be born. Maybe, as you say, some of these things transpired only recently, because it's getting close to total entropy.

[@milestinker2178]

Going into this video, rather than just a general overview of the mask cult from ALBW, I thought it was going to be a theory about how the mask cult could be related to (or perhaps even somehow might BE) the ancient tribe that created Majora's Mask, as if to say that world of Lorule and the world of Termina were the same world, with Lorule and Termina just being distant countries from each other (setting aside the whole "Is Termina real?" debate that I do not wish to get into here since it's beside the point). The Masked Elder speaking about thievery and the idea of wearing masks to become monsters even calls to mind how the Skull Kid stole Majora's Mask (making him a thief) and how the mask itself slowly corrupted the Skull Kid into a monstrous person, which culminated in the mask itself becoming a monster. The idea of masks turning people into monsters is also eerily similar to Link using the transformation masks to become inhuman creatures like a Deku Scrub, a Goron, a Zora, and an Oni. Pamela's father becoming a half-Gibdo monster with the Gibdo's Mask also comes to mind.

[@Corinth__]

i remember getting A Link between Worlds as a little kid, i loved it so much, thats crazy that its so old now

[@user-jl7cz2pe6d]

This is probably unrelated to the theory, idk, I didn't watch it yet, but I've always found it interesting how Ravio wore a bunny mask to mirror Link's Dark World form. Oh. And also how he has a fairy-like companion too

[@AngelofGrace96]

A link between worlds is definitely one of my favourite zelda games, and it's such a shame how underrated it is. So glad it's getting more love!

[@clampfan101]

"Munjara~, Monjara~ Munjara~, Monjara~" I can’t get over how similar this sounds like "Majora", let alone coming from a mask cult obsessed with monsters…

[@keithellison716]

For some reason the whole time I was watching this all I could think was that I really wish they would remake all the top down zelda titles in the style of the links awakening remake, especially the very first one. I think its cuz the style of this game reminds me of it and l really like it. Also great video, always love you content, I am one of the peolple that will put you playlist on in the background while im doin other stuff, usually playing my switch

[@wesleyjones1170]

I wish more people talked about A Link Between Worlds. It's my favorite Zelda game. I got it for my 13th birthday and literally played it for 5 hours straight the first day.

[@cody2819]

My theory. The original plan was to use the demon king Ganon to restore Lorule. Although Hilda really quickly plays the "I need your help" card as soon as Link showed up to stop them. Yuga even said Link was going to spoil everything, confirming he wasn't part of their plan. Now it's possible Yuga planned his betrayal probably from the start. I've always saw Yuga as Ganondorf's counterpart, hence why he so easily possessed him. I always liked the theory of Lorule being the Dark World because it just fits. By the way, Yuga, Yiga clan, any relation?

[@ausgamecollector]

Yuga apparently translates to ‘painting’ in Japanese. This makes sense given his ability.

[@noahfarthing4212]

This was my first ever Zelda game and I’m so happy you made this video without link between worlds I wouldn’t be a Zelda fan today

[@KaneCold]

I also guess the mask cult is a nod to link to the past and everyone turning into monsters. Especially because Ravio wearing the rabbit mask. Anyway, it's an interesting topic when you mix it with a bit of world building from Majoras Mask, OoT, breath of the wild and skyward swords. So OoT and MM open up the topic that masks have some sort of power or in case of the sheikah mask are means to communicate with certain entities. MM also added the possibility to incorporate a soul or at least parts of it into a mask. Breath of the Wild opens up the topic with Kilton of people having interest in monster to maybe able to turn into them, and Skyward sword has the demon Batreaux who wants to turn into a human. From this I would say there is no natural aversion of monsters and humans, maybe even so drive to unify (again?). Skywards Sword also brings the topic of Demise and Hylia and their War for the world between monsters and people. If we stick with the three goddess from OoT creating the world, then Demise nor Hylia should be able to create something completely new, so they just worked with things at hand and remodeled them. Demise creating the monsters and Hylia creating artificial entities like robots and Fi. So this begs the question, how did the world and especially it's inhabitants looked right after the Three Goddess created the world but before the war between Demis and Hylia? It's quite possible that there was less difference between humans and monsters, or monsters weren't a part, yet it's told that Demis brought them all along. As it's possible to take parts of the soul and repurpose it, Demis could have collected the majority of negative aspects of the people and remade this as malice into monsters or infusing people with it and turning them into his minions. So after the war Demis is sealed and his control over Monsters diminish, still enough of his minions are left for Hylia rising the rest of the humans into the sky for them to be safe. The next question would be, how the world looked like after Skyward Sword. It's to assume that there was a difference between monster and people but similar to the Zora who were monster at first slowly turned into another allied race. So how many more monsters turned into friendly inhabitants of the world? How many people from the sky sought companionship with the monsters? Or maybe even saw something familiar in them? Breath of the Wild shows with the barbarian armor that the world once was slightly less developed and more tribe oriented than most games show us. Even simple monster like mask allow the player to trick the monster in leaving you alone. So there is a possibility that earlier cultures had some rituals or practices to close the distance with monsters via masks, maybe to incorporate or learn from the or simply to commune. So if mask are a way to commune with other entities, this also begs the question, What entities can you commune with? Spirits? Souls? Dead? Gods? Link between Worlds and Breath of the Wild show that in a world crumbling and the royal influence declining, the people tent to turn back to different practices to give themselves peace. And maybe one of the oldest is to put on a mask and come closer to the monsters, that aren't so different from on self.

[@jessicafluffykins3733]

I too adore this game. It deserves more recognition. The game play and story are great, and Lorule Castle theme is for me the best music in Zelda. Thanks for this video!

[@Finiarel]

"In fact, I'm willing to bet that some of you guys play my videos as background noise when you do other tasks" NBC saying this while I do this exact thing. Currently wrapping presents lol

[@ChaoticHoly]

One thing I loved about A Link Between Worlds was that it answered the oft-repeated fan question of, "Why not just destroy the Triforce so Ganon can't use it to conquer/destroy the world?" And who the f is stupid enough to think the Lorule is the Dark World in ALttP?! Both are _separate_ reflections of Hyrule, the ending makes that crystal clear! Both had similar monsters as that's what happens when these worlds are corrupted by unbound chaos. Duhh!!

[@MrChristopherharmon]

You caught me! You are in the background as I task. Keep this up. I love these info dumps!!!

[@satlypepsi]

"I'm willing to bed some of you play my videos in the background while you do other tasks" Me walking through the airport to go across the country listening to this video: uhhhh yeah sometimes

[@gamezx]

So i'm putting the final touches to a new timeline of mine and this video plays so well into new theories i've settled on. Here's a big idea for something to ponder over, what if termina is actually a neighboring country to lorule! We know that originally termina was described as a "parallel world to hyrule", a world notably without a triforce! Heck the whole idea of lorule even having a triforce to begin with implies that logically all parallel worlds should have their own triforce, but termina didnt just like lorule. And now you're here describing how theres a cult in lorule all about masks supposedly transforming you into other creatures. Just starts adding up too well Heck this is exactly how link ended up with majoras mask in albw. After MM, the mask was left with no power so it was likely just passed down as an ordinary mask for years. Likely dropped by either yuga or ravio when they came to hyrule and taken home by link

[@folksyoxytocin]

Great vid! Rough outro music lol. These are great for putting on when I go to bed but the ending is so jarring

[@jbark678]

Kakariko is associated with the Sheikah who, in turn, are associated with experimentation with shadow magic and torture on behalf of the royal family. Paints an interesting picture.

[@rainyrayrae]

I've always thought that Hilda wanted Ravio to rise and save Lorule and part of the reason she started that plot with Yuga was to give him that push, since he was more interested in being a merchant than a hero... but Ravio knew that wasn't where his skills laid so he sought out a hero in Hyrule and found Link, his counterpart.

[@ausgamecollector]

While it makes sense in theory, there’s no Triforce in Lorule, so the hero would’ve always come from Hyrule, given Hilda’s goal was to collect the Hylian Triforce.

[@sh4d0wfl4re]

I had forgotten how present those masks were in Lorule… I wonder if Lorule had been affected by the Dark World due to that rift between the two Sacred Realms?

[@lasercraft32]

I really hope they do more with Lorule in future Zelda games... there's so much potential for interesting lore!

[@Kiyosonryo]

Yessssss, seems like an ALBW theory Always nice seeing some love for my favourite game of all time

[@j.p.animates7]

"In fact, I'm willing to bet that some of you guys play my videos as background noise when you do other tasks" Me, *listening to this while folding my laundry*: I feel personnaly attacked right now 👀

[@katie-kb6qd]

“i’m sure you guys use my videos as background noise” i hear this as i’m playing video games, i froze LMAO

[@minecraftchickenmen]

mans said in his ad read "I bet some of you play my videos in the background as you're doing other tasks" as I'm actively doing just that.

[@slopernafti902]

10:47 Really, it just means that duration of 3 years simply felt like an eternity. People often say that something lasted an eternity without actually meaning a literal eternity. It didn't make me question it. The mask man's text and the text at 10:22 both practically say the same thing between Japanese and English. Seems pointless yet again to use it when it's the same.

[@NobleKos]

i think that the sentiment that "stealing is corrupt, so be a monster" falls along the same lines like a wild animal that kills is not considered murder because it is an animal and therefor has no concept of it being bad because it is in its nature to do so. Monsters stealing isn't corrupt because monsters have no morals, therefor it isn't wrong; that is what i took from the Masked Elder's speech.

[@fate_ending]

"I'm sure you listen to my videos in the background while you're doing other things" ..... sir, I do not appreciate the call out of my habits xD

[@HypercomboProduction]

I like the fact that there is more than one Dark World throughout the series. Some examples include, Lorule, the Corrupted Sacred Realm, Mirror World and the Twilight Realm.

[@Chaos89P]

And this whole time I thought ALBW was rather straightforward and upfront in regards to its lore.

[@Buphido]

"I bet some of you are watching my videos as background noise while doing other tasks" Hey, down‘t cawl me ouwt liwke thwat! *said with my mouth full*

[@-inFinity05-]

Theory! Demise is Lorule’s Hylia (Lolia…). He assisted in the destruction of the Lorule Triforce. That released monsters and the evil within himself. He realized the Triforce was needed to keep the world in working order, so he headed up to Hyrule to grab theirs. On his sword (a Lorule Master Sword I believe), is the Lorule Triforce, like on Link’s Master Sword. Plus, what is Ganon? A reincarnation of Demise’s hatred. What monsters does he corrupt the Hyrule Sacred Realm with? Monsters from homeland of Lorule. A remnant of Demise spirit, like Hylia’s in Zelda, still remains in Ganon.

[@tumultuousv]

Huh

[@tumultuousv]

Why would demise have the hyrules master sword but be lorules hylia?

[@-inFinity05-]

Either: A. Demise becoming evil caused him to want the Lorule master sword, or B. Link wasn’t worthy because in Lorule, he is a coward. Or both.

[@ausgamecollector]

@@tumultuousv Hylia initially forged the Goddess Sword and the name implies that she used it in some capacity, prior to incarnating as Zelda. She can be seen holding a sword in the SS Prologue, therefore, making the least assumptions would indicate she used it in the battle to initially seal Demise and fight off The Demon Tribe.

[@ausgamecollector]

The fissures forming in Hyrule’s surface, when Demise and The Demon Tribe first entered Hyrule, the blank, inverted Triforce, the backstory of the Triforce being destroyed in Lorule(potentially by the Royal family or Hilda’s Hylia-counterpart) makes sense when one considers it was to prevent Demise from ever acquiring it. It also neatly and tidily explains the absence of a Goddess/ Master Sword in Lorule, by ALBW.

[@SongoftheLute]

I love this game and I'd like to see more about what happens if you destroy the triforce. No other game contains this plot idea.

[@primaryhoodies6386]

I really love this game. This is the first zelda game I finished start to end. I have very found memories.

[@Reacted1991]

all i could think watching this is lorule sounds like it might be termina

[@HonterDax]

Been saying that for years!

[@HighPriestFuneral]

@@HonterDax Always glad to see this theory get further exposure.

[@The_Panda_Alpha]

just started watching and already feel called out as I load up Minecraft while listening to this in the background.

[@kamikazilucas]

god i love link between worlds so much, the story is one of my favs, the idea that you can destroy the triforce and that acts as an insult to the gods which curses the entire world

[@midnights2631]

I love Link Between Worlds, it's pretty fun going onto a wall and going through cracks. Going to a world so similar but different from Hyrule is so interesting.

[@chasej3636]

"You probably put my videos on as background noise" he says as I am shiny Hunting

[@nickynegron3515]

Wait, LBW came out ten damn years ago already?! I could have sworn it was less than five because I distinctly remember it being released after my 5yo daughter was born lmao.

[@bakingguy4200]

Link between worlds is an S tier game please do more videos!!!

[@thegreenthunder5416]

You're probably familiar with the theory that Lorule is just Termina. But I wanted to expand on it. Looking at both their maps, there are some immediate similarities: mountains in the north, civilization in the middle, dungeons in the same places. The exact terrain doesn't match, but I have theories why. Also, unlike the Dark World in Link to the Past, Lorule is a separate entity, not a corrupt Sacred Realm. We know this because unlike the Dark World, Lorule has counterparts to Hyrule's citizens, just like Termina. The cult dawns masks as a form of worship and good luck, and Termina was a culture steeped in mask making. The Carnival of Time was supposed to be a celebration where you wear a mask and pray to the gods to grant you luck and fortune. In addition, we can see the Triforce on pillars in Termina Field in MM, indicating either A) it was a design choice, or B) intentional and the Terminians know of the Triforce. My theory? Termina is pre-Lorule. With no royal family to protect it, the giants protected the Triforce and fought evil of the land. They wore masks for good luck, and assuming that Majora never crashed the moon, the masks did grant luck. Clock Town moves from a democracy to a monarchy, and the royal family now protects the Triforce. With the Triforce in the hands of men, the giants leave and enter a long slumber until needed/awakened. Eventually, when they did destroy the Triforce, the land was corrupted. The Great Bay dried up due to fissures, forcing them to migrate. This prolonged exposure to air plus river water made them more hostile and aggressive. The remains of the Great Bay become Thieves' Town, and the Gerudo Pirate Fortress is restructured into the Hideout. The Stone Tower is restructured into the Dark Palace, Snowhead becomes Tal Tal Heights, Southern Swamp becomes the Swamp Palace, the little water and sand remaining from Great Bay is now Misery Mire, seabed vegetation becomes the trees of Skull Woods, and Turtle Rock was likely a place where the turtle enemies from MM came from. They once wore masks for fortune and luck from the gods, but now see there is no hope from the gods. They believe thieves are all you will become if you do not become a monster. So, they worship the monsters, praying good luck upon themselves and you to become a monster.

[@angelohowardii8907]

9/10 times I'm listening your vids at work

[@Kazeneko]

I appreciate this video. This game was great and nearly no one talks about it.

[@unusualwilly]

I love seeing William as the in-game name! I myself and a William and it's rare to see such a nice name in gameplay.

[@BioAlpha5]

i need to play this. My first Zelda was OOT on N64, second one was Oracle of Ages on GBC

[@Doodle1678]

Finally! A Link Between Worlds is my favorite Zelda game ever! I’m so happy to see another theory from this game I think it’s story and the world of Lorule are very intriguing and it answers the question of why Hyrule never destroyed it’s triforce in an attempt to stop the repeating cycle of Demises hatred without the Triforce the world would turn to ruin. It’s such a great Zelda game!

[@lucasryder3930]

Ever notice how the Elder of the monster cult wears a mask that looks like stalblind I don't really know how that ties into anything but it could be important

[@Eva_Weesing]

You made Really nice thumbnail for this video 😮

[@aratherbritishdinosaur]

Awesome to see people talk about my favourite 2D Zelda. I love that game.

[@LordMalice6d9]

A Link to The Past is my favorite 2D Zelda. Which A Link Between World's obviously took a lot of its template for. Like the Light and Dark world.gimmick.

[@aratherbritishdinosaur]

@@LordMalice6d9 That's true. I've never played A Link to the Past, and A Link Between Worlds was my first Zelda game, so maybe I'm biased.

[@ausgamecollector]

@@aratherbritishdinosaur Maybe, but I played ALTTP and ALBW upon release and I prefer ALBW.

[@aratherbritishdinosaur]

@@ausgamecollector From what I've seen of ALTTP and knowing my taste in games, I reckon I'd probably still prefer ALBW.

[@ADHD_and_Crayons]

I never got to finish this game! I wish that the Nintend-Gods would add a Switch port for all LoZ games remaining. Definitely enjoyed this vid!

[@KurffyOriginal]

0:27 I feel called out

[@solifuctioncorruption4343]

Great thumbnail I started watching got distracted and went to click on a new video and I just clicked on this again.

[@AshleyBlue2002]

I literally DO use your videos as background noise I feel so called out lmao

[@bobbymiczobby]

Honestly I love how much y'all can find in these games

[@-inFinity05-]

Mumbo Jumbo? That absolutely pants! At first I was chuffed to bits with this theory, but it’s actually quite simple.

[@kyrab7914]

The masked elder kinda just feels like standard culty stuff to me. "You're damned but dw, just worship the right ppl and follow what I say And you'll be fine!" I do wanna point out the skulls in lorule do look like Kilton, so evidence maybe? What I don't understand is why destroying the triforce was bad. Like do the deities SEE this constant cycle of violence and the anxiety of hoping for some kid to save you?

[@SingingSealRiana]

feel called out while cleaning my kitchen, only listening to this

[@pixywings]

I Love A link between worlds! It's my favorite of the top down style Zelda games.

[@Synonym_Rolls]

Finally, respect for one of my favorite Zelda games ever. Awesome theory too!

[@wolfsid00196]

Please talk more about this game whenever you have the chance!

[@tdl487]

I know they might have put Majora's Mask as an Easter egg for they're upcoming project but they might have built off the story of the ancient Terminan mask cult and the festival of Time from Majora's Mask for this game since you mostly get information from it from Granny's stories. I know this theory isn't solid but with Majora's Mask not having the Triforce in it(except for a few spots), a large amount of monsters littering the Terminan fields, their own culture with mask cult lore and traditions, a mirrored amount of citizens that are dead ringers for Hyrule's own inhabitants, and Kafei and his father the mayor having features that resemble Hilda's it almost seems that Termina is in Lorule. Or they really pulled a lot of elements from that game to make this one.

[@SquattingMomo]

Lorulean citizens had different or opposite roles to hyruleans. Just like how termina citizens had different roles from oot hyruleans. They asked you to don the mask and become monsters. In majoras mask putting on a mask embued link with their power and sometimes changed his form. There is a story that you can read listen to at the stockpot inn. Its about the festival and about masks. Everything is related.

[@jstar3382]

The masks in MM that changed link were powerful because they had a dead person's soul in them

[@ausgamecollector]

@@jstar3382 Which eerily also implies that Mario is dead.

[@ericsmith1517]

my comfort Zelda is minish cap. it's just so relaxing to play.

[@SabbyCat52]

How do I not remember almost any of this?? I know I played the game, but all but the main points feel foreign. I think I need to play it again!!

[@starlaw3320]

My favorite Zelda game. 😊

[@austinlee4156]

This was awesome can't see to what else you come out with. Amazing job

[@pluspiping]

I've never played (and rarely seen) this game so I'll be interested to learn about other people's favorite parts of it secondhand!

[@BottomBunkArt]

You need more theory videos on the Oracle games. Oracle of Seasons and Oracle of Ages are still my favorite Zelda games and they don’t get the coverage they deserve

[@homerman76]

Going through the dialogue and seeing the cult leader talk about forgoing the path of thievery made me think that maybe the cult was intentionally created by Hilda, or some other Lorule leader, in order to reduce the number of citizens who turn to thievery, which would add to the chaos, by convincing people to "follow the way of the monster." By convincing people it's their choice to don the monster masks you avoid stuff like what happened in real life during the greater part of the pandemic with people refusing to do things meant to be for their protection because it "took away their freedom." 🤔

[@TheNachmar]

Not entirely related, but I have a completely out there crackpot theory about Lorule. They "find a crack" that connects to Hyrule, huh, that's convenient, now ain't it? Wait, I seem to recall a "crack" opening up at some point in a Zelda game, when was it... Oh, right! Demise's invasion of Hyrule in the pre-Skyward sword era. This would make Hilda's ancestors reaaaaaaaaally far back in the past, and Lorule's decay be something that spanned not decades or centuries, but millenia, eons. * And I've got more to go on than just the crack uniting both worlds, my last piece of "evidence" is Demise's sword, it has a spirit inhabiting it, like Fi in the master sword, and it has the triforce, except it's upside down, just like Lorule's So Demise's demon invasion could Lorule attempting to either take Hyrule's triforce again, or just attempting to take Hyrule over. * but what if, just like the triforce being inverted for Lorule, so was the timeline? Meaning Demise's invasion at the beggining of Hyrule's history was the inevitable end of Lorule, and their final attemp? Does this make any sense? I'd say no, but it does sound fun, and it would make the Hyrule/Lorule timeline a cycle, which Zelda tends to like

[@ausgamecollector]

This theory(aside from the reverse flow of time in Lorule) was actually quite common around a decade ago. It was my original theory on Demise & The Demon Tribe’s origin.

[@TheNachmar]

@@ausgamecollector The reverse time flow I literally came up with on the spot because I myself realized the timeline would probably make no sense otherwise, but the longer I mull it over, the more sense it makes to me. Either that or sleep deprivation, one or the other

[@OGAngie]

I'm a research scientist and play your videos on the background while doing my lab work haha 😅

[@XX-sp3tt]

Talk about lost in translation! Mujara, Mujara, Mujara. The cult would've eventually given birth to a new Majora's Mask.

[@verdantmistral442]

With the Demise came from Lorule theory as a base, I thought it might be possible that Demise originally went to Hyrule to obtain the Triforce as well because of the destruction of their Triforce. It would technically mean that the destruction of Lorule's Triforce triggered the entire series which means that the restoration of Lorule's Triforce acts as a sort of bookend to one of the paths of the timeline. Heck, maybe prior to the destruction of Lorule's Triforce monsters weren't even a thing or weren't evil. Maybe only sentient creatures were capable of trying to steal the Triforce and thus capable of being thieves.

[@johnnyscifi]

Mask shrine music!!! Fitting

[@johnnyscifi]

Edit: Face Shrine...

[@RobbWes]

Don't forget that blind in A link to the past was originally a human.

[@Moonlight-ux5ln]

I fully watch zelda lore videos while I play the games (so far I've gotten to the first flame quests in skyward)

[@MrMyers758]

I'm pretty sure someone else would have said it, but munjara is an anagram of Majora with a random n.

[@GODOFAWSOMENESS1]

Never heard of treacherous tower.

[@Cammino3]

So glad to see this game get more love

[@batjuan6670]

Unique how lorule castle is held up by a Fischer underneath it barely. Very similar to Hyrule castle in totk just without the bridge connecting it to the rest of the kingdom obviously. I wonder if will ever see a remake for this game on the switch or lorule return in some future zelda game.

[@Drewsipher42]

How did you know I listen to your videos while playing Zelda 🤣

[@lukedavies3654]

Havent seen this yet but albw is one of my favourite Zelda’s or even favourite games of all time so this is a welcome surprise

[@gamerundertherainbow]

This game is so underrated !! i adore it to bits!!