The Hidden Song that NO-ONE Noticed in Breath of the Wild

Breath of the Wild has a load of hidden references to older Zelda games. But there's one reference that no-one has ever found before. Let me show it to you.
PATREON - / thomasgamedocs
MERCH - teespring.com/...
TWITTER - / thomasgdocs
SOURCES
nintendoeveryt...
CREDITS
Some footage from Nintendo's "Making of BotW" Series
MUSIC
"Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy" - Tchaikovsky (incompetech.com)
"A Cachaca Romance" - Redeemin' (Epidemic Sound)
Ocarina of Time OST / Breath of the Wild OST

[@celadon2567]

The fact that things are still being discovered in this game is amazing

[@SloanerDoodle]

I agree

[@neldino1251]

so tru

[@krillbilly1435]

Bruh it's only been 3 years

[@peo9741]

@@krillbilly1435 that's like almost 1000 days bro

[@aIkaIi]

@@krillbilly1435 *_You don't seem to know how long 3 years just is_*

[@vuppet5684]

It’s been over three years, and there’s still super cool secrets like this. I already really liked kakariko’s theme, but damn, this is awesome!

[@RGC_animation]

Exactly!

[@sonni.walkman]

vsauce puppet likes zelda, nice

[@Potato436_]

ゥZ well she does have a big..... personality

[@spaguetti290]

I'm a pianist so I knew what to look for, but without having the isolated notes and comparing them to the past Kakariko theme I can totally understand that some people still don't hear it.

[@fairybunz8583]

Also helps to know what a glockenspiel is so that way you know what sound to listen for

[@schoolofwonders]

@@fairybunz8583 Thats the truth

[@OhNoTheFace]

Welcome to this soundtrack :P

[@leviwarren6222]

And then I was like, "Is Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy in BotW?!"

[@gbyoshi14]

@Levi Warren I was so confused why he played that song at the beginning, I thought that too 😂

[@leviwarren6222]

@@gbyoshi14 Honestly! And then half way through, he played it again and I was like, "I knew it!" And then I didn't knew it...

[@leviwarren6222]

@Petraplexity honestly didn't even cross my mind. Also Fairy because I don't keep track of Christmas classics.

[@char5285]

Dance of the great fairy!

[@auriels1451]

OMG SAME!!!

[@DenkyManner]

I still can't hear it. Would have been nice to play those notes isolated and compared to the old kakariko theme

[@4daptability991]

Try listening at 3:24. I believe it's in the first, third, and fifth notes, meaning that it's interrupted by the new additions to the song.

[@maggier4806]

It’s the percussion part

[@michaelthem3]

I can (now), but I agree with you, he should have isolated the notes.

[@YannisBang]

Its the bells Glockenspiel = bell play / bell music

[@cocojonny7226]

@@4daptability991 I think it was actually, notes 2-5.

[@dylansummers2543]

For those who can't hear it, the instrument is a glockenspiel and makes a sort of clicking sound along with the flute. The flute does seem to over power it just slightly.

[@keepplayingwaldo2212]

Exactly. That's why is so difficult to hear

[@Klnkykoala]

"slightly" you say haha

[@Humanbe1ng]

For a second I thought that the snow hut song was the song that you were talking about and I got very disappointed for a second.

[@silikei1810]

Well too be fair some people (like me) never figured that one out either lool

[@thestikbotkid9575]

I know right?

[@jackmaalouf2690]

I kept forgetting how the Kakariko song goes even though you reminded us in the video lol maybe do a side by side comparison?

[@michaelthem3]

Or isolate the notes hahaha I expected that. Some people is still struggling to get it.

[@h8GW]

I think it's because the intro notes of the Kakariko motif aren't as memorable as the body of it. -or maybe because the first note wasn't played on the glock and that ruins the melody-

[@DirectorToby]

‘Did you hear it?’ No 😅

[@lillithemew3587]

I did actually

[@jjthejjetplane]

Listen for the instrument that sounds like a bell. You'll hear it then!

[@chuckieariola7406]

@@jjthejjetplane yeah i hear a bell

[@SenshiSunPower]

No wonder nobody noticed! I can only hear the second note when the audio isn't boosted. The other instruments cover it up. It seems other people are having the same problem.

[@megastarwarsrocks99]

Did you know that spongebob is gay

[@Rhobeni]

@megastarwarsrocks99 wait waht

[@OmoiSenpai]

Maybe it's because I am a music person and listen to music quite a lot, but I heard the Kakariko motif when I first played it and was like.... Noice ^_^

[@TheMadisonHang]

its definately more japanese than western

[@lady_deaths_head]

@@TheMadisonHang and so is the village

[@user-oh4eb6kd8n]

I’ve never played botw (I watched my brother play it) but now hearing the song, I can kinda make it out fairly easily, just have to listen closely

[@randomjohn6831]

Same I thought it was an obvious reference 😳

[@hugoclarke3284]

I don't believe you. The pitch of the glockenspiel is barely distinguishable when it gets lost in the general texture. Doesn't sound like a melody at all, just garnish.

[@shaunm6383]

I'm trying to hear it, but I'm having a difficult time.

[@maggier4806]

Shaun M Glockenspiel is percussion, Thomas didn’t explain that well

[@DarthTella]

@@maggier4806 So is it supposed to be the backing guitar bit in the OoT version? I'm trying to listen to them back to back, but I'm still having some trouble hearing it.

[@kdavous]

It’s not the same rhythm, just the same melody. That’s probably why you don’t hear it at first; I didn’t fully realize what I was listening for initially

[@Klffsj]

It's fairly high-pitched, similar to bells. And yeah, the melody doesn't match exactly so it can fit into the style and rhythm of the song better.

[@aIkaIi]

It's the "music box" playing in the background.

[@Mommavery]

BOTW: hey brother can I copy your homework OOT: yeah okay just don’t make it obvious The homework: Edit: I wasn’t paying attention to this comment and now it is my most liked comment... HHMMMM

[@birdsamora9925]

Succeeded

[@Grace-jn7fv]

8

[@judewashere610]

God dammit I got rickrolled in 2020

[@osirisbretoi7841]

A Random Pokemon Fan bout to click on it but looked at the other replies. You ain’t fooling me

[@pyrielt]

The teacher: that's weird, you didn't seemingly copy this time...

[@storewideboss6910]

I'm going to hear that every time I play Breath of the Wild now. It sticks out from the rest of the song now that I know it exists. Cool reference though!

[@22gunslinger21]

This is crazier than Mipha’s theme starting with Mi and Far and Sidon’s theme starting with So and Do on the pentatonic scales.

[@hdjir]

Ugh the details in this game. Three years in and people are still playing and talking about it. I’m so hyped for the sequel 🥵

[@savelamp7501]

Yeah Botw is so awesome

[@wolfeevi]

spring 2023! i’m ready!

[@btggamer7623]

it's gonna be insane but they delayed it to spring of 2023 :(

[@theweirdestfish9962]

@@btggamer7623 I bet they're just taking an extra year to add even more Easter eggs :)

[@royolaniye6643]

@@theweirdestfish9962 Well, Aounuma in the video said that the game goes beyond the skies, and they're working on new enemy encounters and features, so I'm pretty excited to see what they have in store

[@gianlucarisa7726]

the most surprising piece of music of this game, aside from the Rito Village, is the Malanya's theme. They managed to blend Epona's Theme with the Great Fairy fountain theme, and they fit perfectly. This is a nice touch too

[@sortatinyturtle4266]

I always love these videos lol

[@agustinperez-velasquez9613]

I think we all do :]

[@krzlcve]

Fr they give me alot of joy!!! :D

[@gunnana9732]

Same

[@unifiedmemory7872]

This is why he deserves patreon supporters

[@TheSmart-CasualGamer]

Please explain why that statement made you laugh out loud.

[@tulpenbambus]

3:07 I'm very surprised that Glockenspiel is also a word in English.

[@BonaparteBardithion]

It's a proper noun. Guess they couldn't find a better word for that particular type of xylophone. Plus, it's super fun to say.

[@saracathcart9955]

haha ya it sounds German

[@scribblecloud]

Sara Cathcart it is german, theres actually a couple german songs in the english language that surprised me when learning english aha, like "Gesundheit"

[@jarskil8862]

Only now realized where Finnish word "Kellopeli" comes from... it means Glockenspiel

[@oji3533]

Ja woll so muss das

[@Chubby_Bub]

I too read that interview, and wondered what the secret was. Someone actually did find it in a hidden Reddit thread a long time ago. It’s just another reason why I love BotW's soundtrack so much...

[@The8asement]

0:26 Hey! One of our videos showed up in your search! :)

[@The8asement]

@Meganuttypankake will do, thank you! :D

[@MrMaleG]

I love how this video is just 4 min, straight to the point and well made. Enjoying ur vids dud

[@pkrowlet4340]

3:13 for anyone who just wants to hear the reference without listening to the explanation

[@theecodyak]

Yay! My favorite British detective is back!

[@ThomasGameDocs]

i'm like a shitty sherlock

[@Oli-ey7rt]

Thomas Game Docs But you aren’t Belgian :00

[@theecodyak]

boonanaman Yeah! Look at my other comment!

[@kordru]

@@theecodyak fffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffff

[@eliaskessler430]

I can't hear it but I'm trying really hard, i hoped that the notes would've been isolated so I knew which part of the kakariko theme to listen for.

[@MrJmZack]

Kakariko Village theme sounds a lot like "The Dragons" theme from Skyward Sword. I had just been fiddling around with overlaying them today!

[@Ross8k60]

I have never seen anyone mention that the sunrise-inspiring piano beginning of the Ocarina of Time title screen song as well as the Kakariko/fishing pond theme are mixed into the Rito Village theme 😄

[@Hanneh04]

Kuronosu Kami In Rito village you can also hear the song from dragon roost island but then very slow

[@aIkaIi]

Wow, that little jingle was so small and blended in so well. I'm not surprised no one found it.

[@kaptainkozmos]

The fact that the music supervisor had to explain this hidden theme himself ... shows that this was really well hidden

[@fronkus123]

Why is the rhythm on screen different from what’s being played?

[@yoso378]

From what I can tell the rhythm on screen is the one in the original song, not the one actually being played in BOTW. I'm guessing he showed it that way to make it easier to pick out which note of the old song was being played.

[@pierrezapata90]

Yeah. They sound more like 6 straight quarter notes

[@theecodyak]

Mom can we get Thomas Game Docs? We have Thomas Game Docs at home! Shows Holmes and Watson

[@why8308]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/p6SYn2eFdppjm8k Unused Mario Oddyessy music!

[@theecodyak]

Liam Que what?

[@paolohudson]

What's even crazier (and I only noticed it now) is that the original Kakariko village opening theme is almost identical to Mozart's theme from the second movement of his C major piano concerto No. 21 (commonly known as the "Elvira Madigan"). Kondo simply transposed it down a 5th (from the original F major to B flat major) and added one additional note right at the beginning, so cool!

[@TenaciousJ728]

No one noticed the Kakariko Village one because it's too subtle. The unusual time signature tears the melody in two, creating an unusually long rest and rendering the memorable melody unrecognizable.

[@Tom2404]

Why does everyone keep reminding me that I quit playing Zeld BOTW?

[@techyaki9971]

Why do you quit german boy?

[@raidev_]

quiting botw is illegal

[@ryanLikesRainyDays]

Zeld

[@scribblecloud]

how DARE

[@creid946]

I'm still playing discovering things

[@Jake_Josh]

Wait that’s illegal you did! Thomas, what are you hiding? You british man, what must we do to crack your ways?

[@lil0of]

Having a solid pair of earbuds/ headphones/speakers really makes the listening experience and ability to notice small details easier. I have a cheap pair of speakers that i use on my switch (yes, you can use the headphones jack while it's docked) and never heard the glockenspiel, but when I put in my earbuds to watch this video, I instantly noticed the glockenspiel.

[@TeamJameWare]

Please do more Development History episodes. I really enjoy them, and I suggest the development of any Smash Bros, Mario Odyssey, or any others. Thanks.

[@kdickerson2771]

I think another important detail to keep in mind is that the main melody of the flute part also follows the glockenspiel in the original theme, albeit in a different key and with some flowery instrumentation. I really enjoy how well incorporated everything is!

[@kobizarre2003]

Ah yes the house theme, I actually did know it was in the game

[@ABCEasyas--]

Kobe Cressey at first I was expecting to hear that song by Massive Attack used in The show House, MD.

[@why8308]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/p6SYn2eFdppjm8k Unused Mario Oddyessy music!

[@kobizarre2003]

@@why8308 Bois, we have have been... Rick rolled😂

[@MatchaFoxx]

A Random Pokemon Fan dang it, you got me 😂

[@krismorph8095]

Yes!! Finally someone noticed it! I thought I was crazy that I keep hearing those notes similar to the original theme. I've been playing and listening to Zelda music for years and now every single note of every music is stuck into my head so I can easily recognize when snippets of other songs are hidden into a new piece. Finding about them it's my favorite thing to do

[@itonokogiri]

1:29 nah that's just the xbox 360 avatar editor music

[@StingRayZzy]

PFFTT YOUR RIGHTTT

[@Zack-bl2gg]

That kakariko village theme though... So amazing. I would listen to it for hours just on its own

[@nunguninja]

0:38 I honestly thought he was going to rick roll me.

[@cyb3rl0v333]

“They like to hide references of other previous games in the songs” *Of which I know none of, since botw is my first Zelda game-*

[@jasminelee3935]

same, except I recognized Dragon Roost Island in the riot theme because of many hours spent playing smash Bros brawl 😂

[@krzlcve]

This is absolutely incredible!!! I'm in love with this tidbit now :0

[@judo6506]

Wow. I actually never noticed that before! I've actually listened to the song carefully before trying to find some sort of reference to the original, but never found it. I just thought, no, I always believed that there would be some sort of reference to the original. Glad I found this video!

[@leogio8093]

I want to see k village but mushed with the roost theme from ac, I think the two songs would fit together somehow

[@Caisadilla]

I'm pretty sure we'll be finding things about this game for years to come. We're still finding new things about N64 and Gamecube games so I don't expect such a big game like this to be any different

[@Ryan-rz3nb]

This shows how amazing this game is, we’re discovering stuff 3 YEARS from release. There could be another 100 things we don’t know about in this game.

[@MBgov1133]

There's actually a list in the booklet for the limited edition of the BotW OST which mentions Kakariko had reused the old Kakariko theme. I've been looking for it for over 2 years now and couldn't find it. Praise this video for existing, you deserve a medal.

[@YannisBang]

Me: * Speaks german * Thomas: Glockenspiel! Me: Wheeeeez

[@captainkiwi5827]

Ich musste kichern

[@HaikusNigerson]

I'm not keen on german, but it sounds like an activity Playing on a Glock

[@zeonmoo192]

Did he pronounce it wrong or something? I'm pretty sure he said it correctly...

[@YannisBang]

@@HaikusNigerson its when you play on a bell

[@YannisBang]

@@zeonmoo192 well he sais it with a strange accent because "ie" is just a long "I" but he tried to say i and e seppetate

[@blazeuchiha2169]

I have never heard anyone ever mention the title screen of OoT's theme. It actually sounds like the jingle the recorder plays in the original LOZ (and SMB3) only being played on the Ocarina instead :D

[@MirandaShadowind]

That's been mentioned elsewhere before. And yeah, it's meant to be an Ocarina version of the oldschool recorder tune.

[@Dfvesf]

Well, Well, well, stop controlling me!!! Thomas!!!

[@ScrimmyBunglets]

There's also a very small bit from the wind waker main theme in one of the overworld songs. Noticed it the first day playing the game and thought it was so cool

[@roseheart270]

Is this an out of season April Fools joke? Didn't hear it at all.

[@DJALo_music]

I heard it

[@keepplayingwaldo2212]

It's there, trust me😉 It's difficult to hear it because the rhythm is slightly different, but the notes are there

[@stevengarvey6572]

Headphones

[@seriyooow310]

It's not there. The notes shown is B-F-D-B-F, but the notes we can hear is G-G#-B-G#-B, just a common backing percussion. People think they "heard" it just says so to make them feel better and think they have good ear.

[@kabochaVA]

@@seriyooow310 So, like "The Emperor's New Clothes", but with music? xD

[@myleswelnetz6700]

The songs I know so far: Stable = Lon Lon Ranch from Ocarina of Time Part of Dark Beast Ganon phase 1, blood moon = Dark Priest from A Link to the Past Zelda’s theme = Zelda’s Lullaby from A Link to the Past Rito Village = Dragon Roost Island from The Wind Waker Stone Talus = GameCube Intro

[@honk9643]

No views, 3 comments. Nice job youtube!

[@StevenJacks]

Haha nice. I love when people / artists / whatever quote themselves. Ties it all together more than otherwise, and makes it sound like it's all related. Beautifully done. Good find, Thomas~!

[@KadeSound]

When the video says “1 view”, Me: 😲

[@kordru]

cereal when no milk

[@tifawockhardt]

cereal when haves milk

[@why8308]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/p6SYn2eFdppjm8k Unused Mario Oddyessy music!

[@bluequartzdragon]

I actually figured this out on my own, but two times after you pull out the Master Sword, Fi's theme plays....

[@echangwang1821]

I really hope that Breath of the Wild 2 has more music. The lack of good tunes just made it feel a lot more boring.

[@mannylight4280]

I'm in band at my college. I know what a glockenspiel is and what it sounds like. Until you boosted it, I could barely tell it was there, let alone what it was playing. Even when boosted, it was hard to hear. Well hidden.

[@anonymousfellow8879]

Called it!!!!! I’ve been saying this ages ago! It’s also in BotW’s “Title Theme” which totally makes sense because this game is about the Sheikah’s Technology-and THIS version of Kakariko felt the most Sheikah vs “Hylians Took It Over”

[@happy_party_train]

I knew it sounded vaguely familiar but I never would have thought it was the original all this time!

[@neomp5]

it's not just that bit. it plays the whole theme, just on a very different time signature than OOT

[@pancakesposts4812]

The ones I’ve noticed are, A bit of the area where the Ritos are, a bit of dragon roost island could be heard. A piece of Marin’s song can be heard in Hyrule castle. I can’t prove it within a comment, so I can just say, listen to the four songs back to back.

[@NicholasBurgher]

I just realized this evening, not only is this part of the melody played in the bells, but the entirety of the Kakariko Village melody from Ocarina and Link to the Past is here. It follows all the way through the B section of the song. I haven’t worked it all out yet, but it’s very clear the whole song is there in the key of G.

[@cheeesybread5594]

i was listening to the botw soundtrack earlier today and i was thinking to myself how COOL it was how the references were so subtle, it felt more exciting when they appeared because they were more special. like an echo of the past rather than just doing the same thing again.

[@Zestrayswede]

Headphones are advised. The tempo is closer to the intro to Twilight Princess' Kakariko Village Theme (or Windfall Island's flute bit if that's your fancy) than Ocarina of Time's Kakariko Village Theme

[@Remour]

I knew what it was when I saw the thumbnail, glad I know a bit about sheet music

[@bryson673]

The way it dips back down after the tune gives me more of a Windfall Island vibe.

[@saraross8396]

I actually noticed a long time ago that there's a little six note riff not too long after the section you highlighted that is almost like an inverted version of the six note introduction that we hear in the classic version.

[@pva.w.l]

Idk if this was mentioned in the video (still haven't finished), but I spotted a hidden song long time ago. Well it's not really that hidden, but it takes time to notice ahah, you can find it in the Rito village anyway, it'd be the rito's theme (and also the little part in revali's theme) which hides dragon roost from wind waker

[@pecosR0B]

Recently picked it back up on the Switch, man I forgot how good the music is!

[@beans7395]

I used to watch you when you were a much smaller channel, it’s great to see that you’ve grown and are still making awesome videos!

[@woumay1768]

There is also a creepy version of Zelda’s lullaby inside hyrule castle

[@ktm5130]

I loved how the Hyrule castle music had Zelda's lullaby snuck in there.

[@joshalbanese1334]

It's amazing how much little details like that can enhance the experience overall. Great vid!

[@TurquoiseIcy]

I think it's kinda obvious, the soundtrack for Breath of the Wild is an evolution of everything that came before, experimenting with ideas and motifs that already existed, like the treasure chest sound being used when you unlock a towet being a sort of distilled version of that motif.

[@Nixnotmation]

i've heard this part proabably because i spent to much time in kakriko not knowing what to do

[@lexcol]

okay these videos are addicting and so interesting

[@pastelbird]

Huh, I believe I did see this one mentioned *once* before actually. I have trouble remembering the which one it was right now, but that video made me realise that the OG theme was in hidden in there. It's so neat though, and ever since I found out, it always makes me smile when I listen to the theme :D

[@King_Luigi]

_"he decided to use only things that fit with the mood and had relevance"_ (puts the Ballad of the Windfish into the Hyrule Castle song) ...HMMMMMMMMM? 🤔

[@plvmbvm513]

Well the Ballad of the wind fish is the tune that starts the last level

[@Vendavalez]

Finally! I thought I was going crazy! It's weird though. Some times I am playing the game and I can hear it so clearly. But I keep listening and it is gone. And I was not versed enough in musical vocabulary to be able to describe it. I should add that there is more of the melody that I thought I was able to hear though. Then again, I might be going crazy about that.

[@Plasmariel]

I like these kinds of references being a musician, pianist and composer myself ! I wish I could recommend more ideas of videos around this subject !

[@tallestflash]

I assumed it'd be in the bass, but... glockenspiel? That's a new one lmao, great video as always!

[@MothcatAsh]

It's just a few notes Though, to be fair, people have heard the few notes that play when velaning the statue in the middle of zoras domain in totk resemble the approaching bah rudania theme, which is wild and makes me wanna play botw again

[@kyrursa]

Walked into kakariko village and thought "wait did i hear kakarikos tune... no wait yes" I stood there till I heard that tune again and was happy I noticed it

[@Isntthisalreadytaken]

I'm 99% sure the sound is actually a singing bowl or something

[@SuperWiiBros08]

nice finding

[@desmondschneider5397]

My Nintendo Switch doesn’t play the House theme anymore. It just plays Hateno Village music

[@LinkaleeLewis]

It clicked for me when I compared the visual of the notes on the screen to the audio from the Kakariko theme intro from Twilight Princess. The audio from the BotW version just doesn't sound like the theme at all, especially since it doesn't start in the same place.

[@JadeJuno]

There's another apparent easter egg with the song of Hyrule Castle Town Ruins (though it might be just a coincidence). If you speed it up to 200%, you might hear the leitmotif of every cursed zone in Termina (like Great Bay, Ikana Canyon etc)

[@BITBITBIT-fd3gu]

That thumbnail is legendary.

[@pixelfencer]

I have no idea how some are refreshing older songs but I kinda hear the resemblance

[@keepplayingwaldo2212]

This time is changing the rhythm of Kakariko melody against a new melody. Instrumentation also helps a lot.

[@StanfordClanton]

Have anyone notice that he's putting on a Christmas song it's not even Christmas bro

[@littlemrtort4790]

I love how this video was kept short and sweet like it was just a little fun fact unlike your usual 10 to 30 minute discussions!

[@AFStudiosMedia]

As a composer and fan of musical Easter eggs I actually did notice

[@TwilightDreams_]

0:27 i knew i saw the font mety333 used so i went back to check and i was right. I know he isnt the only one that uses it

[@Sauraen]

That's definitely not a glockenspiel, that's something more like a gamelan. And, the bell-like timbre makes it difficult to determine the fundamental note, which in turn makes it difficult to recognize the theme. As someone who has been transcribing game music for 14 years, I still can't tell what pitches are supposed to be played there. Also, the house theme isn't played in just any house, it's only played in one house, Selkie's Spot in Hebra.