The Legend of Zelda - Hyrule Castle | Reacting To Video Game Music!

[@WildspeakerYT]

Me: "Oh a Hyrule Castle react video! I wonder which one it is..." Jesse: ALL OF THEM

[@greatcanyonxatu253]

Well, mostly. *cough* Minish Cap *cough*

[@tri-sapphire878]

"Fanservice, for the fans feel right here" is exactly what the Breath of the Wild Hyrule Castle theme is. It blends so many of the series's songs together, so well.

[@knowwhoiamyet]

Describing Hyrule Castle as "endgame" is interesting because that booming first one is actually quite literally the first place you go to in the game. The Wind Waker one is midgame, after the first few dungeons, you visit, and Twilight Princess actually is Endgame, so no matter where it is, Hyrule Castle always has that oppressive, haunting energy. And never because of what the castle itself represents, but rather it's representative of the power that *won* against it. The reason the song never sounds like "The King is coming!" like you'd expect a castle to is because the King isn't coming. The King is dead.

[@geekley]

There is a "The King is coming" version of it in Minish Cap, interestingly. But it's very different.

[@BobzBlue]

Minigame: Find the Ganondorf motif. Part 2: Find the Zelda's Lullaby motif.

[@r.f.switch5847]

Ooo, that is a fun game to play

[@codi64]

The soldier march beat is what I love most about Breath of the Wild's iteration. That march only transitions into the exterior theme when you're near enemies, as if the ghost of Hylian soldiers who died protecting the castle are now joining Link to continue a battle that had never concluded. And the fact that Hyrule guards exist just to be beaten by a much stronger villain in all these games, to me this gives them the respect and acknowledgement they sorely lacked.

[@neogoterra]

Jesse "oh thats dark" "this sounds like a place you dont want to be" all I could do is give a knowing chuckle, this song is not known for its association with cheerful vibes.

[@wesleyjudson599]

The main reason the Hyrule theme is often so dark is because it is the focus of conflict throughout the series. The circumstances differ, but in many cases, you play as Link, who has come to save the kingdom of Hyrule. This makes Hyrule itself often the focus of the worst location; the place where the final boss is, the castle that has fallen, a city of ghosts, etc...

[@nekorion]

"Do locations keep repeating in this series?" IM GLAD YOU ASKED Yes. The legend of zelda is meant literally. These are (mostly) different link's and different hyrules. Whenever something gets codified, zelda is sure to use it again. Gorons on death mountain, zoras in zoras domain. Gerudo in the desert all came from ocarina. Koroks in the forest and rito in the sky's came from windwaker. Link to the past started you hyrule castle and kinda ended with it too, so it gets reused a lot But zelda is so into themeing that the first time they make a big deal out of the master sword, was link to the past. You pull it out, it's special, and has 3 flowers behind it, two to the left, one to the right, and it's purely aesthetic, they're not meant to mean anything. Even the flower placement in botw and totk are the same. They really love their themeing

[@HollowGolem]

I've always treated the Legend of Zelda games like mythology. It's a lot of the same elements being remixed, like how different cultures or times will have different versions of the same legends.

[@superplushroompower-up]

​@@HollowGolemThat's neat and all, and before I knew much about the series I thought that's what it was. Even when I knew there was a timeline, I was told it was made up after the fact and paid it no mind. That is until I actually started playing and getting to know the games. They are undoubtedly connected together on a timeline. The Hero's Shade in Twilight Princess is very clearly the Link from OoT and MM, even trying to use the Song of Healing on TP Link. Windwaker's opening obviously recounts the Adult timeline of OoT, and it even has the OoT sages on the stained glass. And Ocarina of Time itself was obviously trying to be a prequel to Link to the Past, setting up Ganon's backstory and the seven sages. Now, Nintendo messed up a little when they made Windwaker, putting it where A Link to the Past was supposed to be, so they had to invent a third branch on the time split where Ganon killed Link. Oops, but oh well. And there are official interviews with the devs from when the games all came out to back this all up. Sorry for the paragraph.

[@DaNintendude]

@@superplushroompower-up The real slip-up was with Ocarina of Time. It is supposed to be the story of the Imprisoning War, but it contradicts ALTTP too much to work as such. When Dark Horse was working with Nintendo to make Hyrule Historia, they came up with the Fallen Timeline to fix this. Other decisions in the timeline are similarly based on games originally intending to belong in certain areas. Four Swords was supposed to be the earliest in the timeline, which is why it was separated from Four Swords Adventures, despite being a direct sequel. The Four Swords Trilogy and Ocarina of Time's connection with the Imprisoning War are basically the only big issues with the series' lore. Everything is connected very well, and obviously so, as you have said. The Legend of Zelda is not just a myth. There is continuity everywhere.

[@kateba]

Regarding your questions for BotW's Hyrule Castle: There are two versions of this track, one for the outside and one for the inside, which were put together for this video. You were correct about the order, it is outside - inside - outside. When you enter or exit the building in the game, the track transitions seamlessly to the corresponding version. I'd say that the change is even less abrupt than in the video. Like many other BotW tracks, this track includes a few leitmotifs from the series, most noticably Zelda's theme, Ganon's theme, and the main theme/Link's theme. This is the final dungeon of the game (like almost all Hyrule Castles in the series), so it gets the motifs of the three most important characters. And no, it is very clear from the start that this is Hyrule Castle. This is the final dungeon, it sits in the center of the map and many people will tell you what that castle is and what happened there before you are strong enough to explore it for yourself.

[@ShadowSkyX]

Loeder did an 8-bit of the theme and you can hear wind waker/fish theme inside it. The regular theme has so many other instruments layered over each other, it gets buried and difficult to hear. But hearing them back to back, I do hear it in the normal version now. The beeping being the low hearts sound from ?link to the past or zelda 1? is a nice callback too. An indirect way of telling us that zelda is weakening and low on hearts. Death mountain is a slow version of level 9 from zelda 1

[@yep8058]

03:02 A Link to the Past 08:13 The Wind Waker 14:33 Twilight Princess 1 16:38 Twilight Princess 2 18:50 Twilight Princess 3 23:21 Breath of the Wild 36:17 Tears of the Kingdom A Link to the Past is my favorite one here. It's dark and imposing feel always makes you go "oh shit" when you enter the castle. I love the 16 bit punch it has right away. Having played it on release in the 90s it's still the most memorable one to me, because none after had hit me as hard on my first playthrough. Wind Waker is also very fitting given that it's "lost". It sounds like a "ghost castle" which fits perfectly given the way it looks on arrival. Twilight Princess starts with this lost and ghostly feeling from Wind Waker, but then transitions into something more imposing similar to ALttP. Arrangement 2 and 3 remind me actually a lot more of the organ bgm in Ganon's Tower (Ocarina of Time), obviously because it mixes with Ganon's theme. Breath of the Wild is a little bit too orchestral for me. The entire soundtrack is great for sure, but it's not my favorite. It has a lot of different bits representing different things such as Hyrule, Zelda & Link, the corruption and of course Ganon. For Tears of the Kingdom they did the same thing, encompassing e. g. the "corruption" into the music, which makes it way darker and some tracks are really setting the tone (especially the "final descend"). You can hear the darkness here a lot more, it's like a shadow chasing you. I much prefer this overall over the one in BotW because it does a better job of telling you're nearing the end. All in all A Link to the Past and Tears of the Kingdom have the best Hyrule Castle themes for me.

[@LowSkillPlays]

Very rarely do you go to Hyrule Castle when something good is happening haha, that's why its a darker theme. Usually Ganon has already taken over and you're trying to rescue Zelda and Hyrule from him. While there is a Zelda "timeline" each entry is a different "Link, Zelda and Ganon" and a different Hyrule, but they all take place in "Hyrule." Usually Hyrule Castle comes too, and occasionally there are repeated locations like Death Mountain or the Lost Woods. FWIW, Breath of the Wild is probably my favorite game ever at this point. I love the Hyrule Castle theme from it a ton, and there are other great songs as well. Hyrule Castle is usually the endgame of Zelda, the final dungeon. Lorule is really only a part of the story in one game which is A Link Between Worlds, it doesn't pop up in every game

[@thenonexistinghero]

Hilda's fire though. Hmm, I might replay the game in the coming year. I enjoy it more than LttP.

[@bigfelig64]

bit of a nitpick but it occurred to me, isn't it usually the same ganon? not a reincarnation he just keeps on coming back from being sealed and whatnot

[@superplushroompower-up]

Actually, most of the time, it's the same Ganon. The OoT Ganondorf went on to be the Ganondorf/Ganon of Windwaker, Twilight Princess, and A Link to the Past, in their respective timelines. I'm pretty sure the original LoZ is also the same Ganon, and there was no Ganon on the timeline earlier than OoT. Only Demise in Skyward Sword, and Vaati in Minish Cap and Four Swords. Both Vaati and Ganondorf inherited Demise's spirit, the same way the Links and Zeldas do.

[@aylinilya.]

i can’t wait to hear hyrule castle in zelda echoes of wisdom, cuz it seems ganon hasn’t seized it

[@thenonexistinghero]

@@aylinilya. Final dungeon will be Link's house and basement this time around obviously.

[@ajackson]

In the Twilight Princess Hyrule Castle theme, the second motif you hear, after the familiar one is Ganondorf's theme. Ganondorf is the main boss of the series. They often play the music as you walk up a long spiral staircase to meet the boss. It's in the Breath of the Wild one too. So when that theme kicks in you know the boss is near! The themes before Breath of the Wild are more brooding, as you delve deeper into the castle. Whereas Breath of the Wild is like storming a castle wall, unstoppable with all your equipment which is why it's a bit more triumphant!

[@Guardie]

Well unless you immediately run there after finishing the great plateau equipped with a pot lid and your trusty soup ladle

[@Verticom10]

Botw is definitely my favorite. Ties it all together nicely

[@marche800]

The Lorule Castle theme is actually the Hyrule Castle theme played backwards, which is likely why it sounds happier.

[@NekoHanyouHanaru]

When I heard Zelda’s lullaby going inside the castle in BOTW I almost cried. It was such a good reminder of what/who you’re fighting for. She’s waiting for you. She’s been waiting for you, holding back the tide of malice for 100 years. She’s *still* here and she did not give up on you, so you shouldn’t give up on her.

[@marche800]

The Breath of the Wild Hyrule Castle theme is so crazy. It's doing its own thing while also incorporating the main theme, Zelda's Lullaby and Ganon's theme in this epic symphony/battle. It epitomizes the main conflict of the franchise, and it's playing after a whole game of really subdued field themes. Hits like a truck, I tell ya.

[@santiagoglezsrez]

And I love how they play around with tracks muting and unmuting them based on what part of the castle you are on. I absolutely loved this theme.

[@seekittycat]

In A Link to the Past: It was a dark and stormy night, your injured uncle hands you a sword and beseech you to rescue the princess. In the cover of darkness you enter the castle and there is not a person in sight. Instead the castle is swarming monster guards you have to fight through. This is the VERY BEGINNING of the game and just hearing this theme you know this game gonna be soooo good. Even now hearing this theme I know stuff is going to go down. Thanks for this "clump" review episode!

[@nonsenf.]

30:16 it actually does play exactly like this in the game. BotW is extremely focused on open world and so is the castle. The theme plays in the background while you're there all the time and just switched to the out-/inside version whenever you go outside/inside.

[@wisdumcube]

No, he means that it doesn't transition between the outside and inside versions of the song exactly like it does in the video, which is true, and this means the transition ends up being less harsh than it sounds here. When you are actually experiencing it in game, it feels very reactive to the players actions, which enhances the impact of the theme. There are different musical layers that filter in and out with more and less percussion too, which is not well represented here. The theme not only transitions every time you go in and out very dynamically, but also whether or not you are in combat, solving puzzles, and fades in and out based on how close you are to the core of the castle, how close you are to Ganon, etc. The most important point is that it doesn't change at some predetermined intervals--in this case basically wherever the uploader decided to edit in the transition(s). A youtube upload of the soundtrack can only capture so much.

[@nonsenf.]

@@wisdumcube I guess I understood him differently. For me it sounded like he was asking whether the two songs transition into one another or if they are entirely desperate.

[@Rysskylt]

The Zelda timeline is something that once you start looking into you get sucked down a long rabbit hole. They're all connected but also all self contained

[@kingalbert67]

So funny story with BoTW Hyrule Castle: I used to work in a hospital kitchen a couple of years ago and The part I worked in was a 4 person area. Most of the time the others called out, so I often worked by myself and given 2 hours to work an entire menu by myself in 2 hours for lunch and start of dinner. I used to break the rules and pop my headphones in and play the castle theme on loop and I would often get a 4 man job done by myself in shorter time than when my coworkers were there. Fast forward a few years and I'm no longer there and my one coworker keeps asking me my secret on getting everything done so fast. I just told her to find this song and apparently the section became a 6 person area because they can't get it done. Thank you, Link for helping me with my job just like I helped you reach Calamity Ganon XD

[@Guardie]

Another noteworthy one would be "Lorule Castle" from "A Link Between Worlds" (incredibly underrated entry in that series btw) You've already listened to it but you might not have realized that large parts of it are the Hyrule Castle theme backwards

[@carsongarcia1049]

I have played every game and can explain the theme variations pretty well I feel but first a few details have to be based out. Only, I believe, seven, Zelda games take place outside hyrule and some of these tend to mirror hyrule in some ways anyway. The timeline also takes place over thousands of years which explains why locations can be similar and have the same names while also being distinct. Hyrule castle is not always the same castle but lore from Skyward sword explains why it and the royal family are constantly reestablished. The three major reoccurring characters in Zelda, (Ganon, Link and Zelda) are basically either immortal or reincarnations, sometimes a mix of both. Zelda in particular is the mortal reincarnation of Hylia the goddess, whose powers manifest purely in the female side of the family. The hyrule royal family literally have the backing of the gods because of this, and even if they are overthrown or the kingdom enters a dark age, destiny will in some way contrive itself so they come back and the kingdom is reborn. If the castle is destroyed it will just be rebuilt, and if not, is probably remodeled. In summary, history repeats itself in the Zelda universe more often and more directly. Now to the themes: The first hyrule castle theme is of course the original and has two separate ideas going on. The first is the majestic/royal quality, and two, the sinister/dark undertones due to the fact it has been invaded. It is also kind of dramatic because ALTTP does this thing where it makes you think that Hyrule castle is the final dungeon and then reveals more than half the game is still left. This castle is probably the one to appear most often without any major changes or having been destroyed in some way. The windwaker castle is similar to the OOT castle in appearance but is probably only a replica as it was destroyed in OOT. This theme is more mysterious than sinister because hyrule is a long dead land which was destroyed in a flood caused by the Gods to prevent Ganon’s return. The only reason the castle is not flooded is because it has a magic barrier around it. Your link, who comes from the seas above created by the flood, only knows hyrule as a distant legend. Furthermore, the castle harbors a mystery as it was clearly being invaded at the time of the flood, but for some reason (explained in game) was frozen in time, making the whole area black and white and creating this chaotic panorama. Twilight Princess’ castle sounds the ways it does because it has been taken over and is mostly abandoned, but is ruled by OOT Ganondorf whose castle/tower theme from that game is mixed in. This is the first motif you hear other than from hyrule castle. Otherwise however, the castle has mostly been preserved, like in windwaker. The theme in the BOTW games sound the way they do for multiple reasons. For one these are the only games where we see a Hyrule castle in complete ruins, not simply disrepair. It has also been corrupted by a thing called malice which is why there is creepy piano. It creates a purposeful nostalgia for a fallen kingdom, which is also why you hear motifs mixed in like Zelda’s lullaby. I also believe that the march you hear is not only supposed to hype you up for the final encounter with Ganon as you climb up the castle, but is meant to represent the echos of its past inhabitants and the power Hyrule once represented. This take on hyrule castle also explains why the main motif is more subdued in this one. The version in Tears of the Kingdom also has a mysterious/building tension vibe to it, but that is harder to explain without an explaining some specific story beats. Anyways that is everything I can think of to say about hyrule castle. You never heard Lorule Castle, that is a Link Between Worlds exclusive, a game which also has an updated version of the first Hyrule castle theme. It’s actually interesting because the lorule castle theme is a musical inversion of hyrule castle in a lot of ways.

[@Phelpssan]

"Way darker rhan expected" fits very well with what's going in the original game (ALTTP) - Hyrule Castle is a key location in that game, it sits literally in the center of the map, and has been taken over by the bad guys. It's also the location for the climax of the first half of the game.

[@mr.e3123]

Farewell, Hyrule King (Wind Waker and Wind Waker HD) is also a lovely Rendition of Hyrule Castle's Theme.

[@mr.mystere4999]

So, about the Twilight Princess video, there are actually FOUR tracks but the video only uses three of them. In Twilight Princess, Hyrule Castle is the final dungeon in the game. The outside of the castle has NO music and the only thing breaking the silence is heavy rainfall. Once you find the key that lets you enter the castle proper, the first track of the video plays here on the ground floor. Despite being full of enemies, the music here plays on uninterrupted and enemy music does not play when you're on the outside of the castle. After you fight your way outside to the second floor and make your way into the Castle Tower, the second theme starts playing. As you climb higher, the music seamlessly transitions into the third theme in that video. When you're near the top of the tower, the music has seamlessly transitioned entirely into the fourth track which is missing from that video, Ganondorf's Theme. The Wind Waker has another version of the song known as "Farewell Hyrule King". My favorite version of this song is actually from The Minish Cap and it's simply known as "Dark Hyrule Castle".

[@mojojojox5043]

The original Hyrule Castle gives me so much nostalgia because I grew up with A Link to the Past. This has a dark but regal feel with an adventurous feeling. It's dramatic and I love that about it. The vibe really fits since you hear this song really early in the game after learning the predicament that Hyrule is in. An iconic melody, I think the song is on the level as some of the most highly regarded Classical pieces.

[@neo_b]

i would like to point out that the marching in Breath of the Wild’s version plays when enemies are nearby… breath of the wild’s sound design is very dynamic, it reflects whats on screen; that’s why we end up having so many versions of each song, best example is the normal battle theme that ramps up if there’s more/stronger enemies on screen, and the fact that each time Link lands a hit an extra note plays! like a whistle or a bang or a drum also the minibosses themes change on the fly depending on the move they use/phase they’re in, and each version has its own Counterattack/Chance theme that plays if the minibosses are stunned recently GDC uploaded a Tears of the Kingdom’s presentation, and they implement the dynamic sound design into the puzzles, if you’re struggling with a shrine’s puzzle the background music will slow down and will go back up once progress was made

[@mechamaya]

The Twilight Princess version is a mixture of both Hyrule Castle and Ganondorfs motifs, especially in the final variation from that game. In most games Hyrule Castle is a peaceful royal castle but almost always gets taken over by the big bad, so whenever you go there, it's usually to destroy the evil inside it and restore it to its former glory. So they usually blend the royal castle vibes with dark sinister vibes. Also my favorite piece from Wind Waker is Farewell Hyrule King, which is a piano rendition of the second half of the Link to the Past castle theme, which has become more of a motif for the King of Hyrule more than a theme for the castle itself.

[@jollygrn04]

So for Breath of the Wild's Hyrule Castle theme, it's the location of the final boss of the game - where Link will inevitably end his quest to save Hyrule. That is why they added the main Legend of Zelda theme music into the arrangement during the outdoor half of the song. Due to Zelda being located in Hyrule Castle during the entire game, Zelda's Lullaby was added to the indoor portion on the organ. And to answer the question you posed, the music shifts seamlessly from outdoor to indoor and back again as you navigate Hyrule Castle and go in and out of the structure. Basically, if you were to start the indoor and outdoor portions of the song in tandem, they line up perfectly with each other, and the game shifts to whichever track is appropriate for where you are in the castle. The large bombastic, almost militaristic theme of the outdoors changing to the lighter melody of the interior as you duck into a passageway can sometimes be almost jarring... but it also very clearly delineates the two areas and changes the mood for the player as they explore and make their way towards their destination. One of my favorite versions of the Hyrule Castle theme

[@ccelizic]

Asking about the Legend of Zelda Canon timeline is one of those questions that can result in elaborate charts with branching paths and multiple continuities involving time travel. You have been warned ;)

[@zephytime8196]

Hyrule Castle began as hype music for the opening act of A Link to the Past, where the game hits you in the face with how much bigger and better the SNES allows it to be than NES Zelda. In that game, the King was usurped by his treacherous advisor, who has brainwashed the Hyrulean Guard and imprisoned Zelda for use in an evil ritual. So the castle theme is foreboding and swashbuckling, meant for action as you battle your way through the castle's dungeons and towers. Later, the theme comes to represent, very specifically, the Kingdom of Hyrule and the legacy of its Royal Family. You often hear it when speaking to the Kings of Hyrule in later games, who often rule the land no more. Other times you likely hear it when the castle is taken, occupied by evil forces. It is almost always used as a melancholic call to a past glory, now lost. That, I think, is the root of the darkness you keep hearing in its sound. It makes sense that in BotW and TotK the main ideas of the piece become less recognizable, because those games are canonically set in the far future, in the ruins of Hyrule, long after its legacy has faded into obscurity for those who still live. All that's left of that Hyrule is the eternal conflict between Ganon, Link, and Zelda, and so their themes are most prominent, as is the series main theme (and the Ballad of the Wind Fish, which is a whole can of worms by itself).

[@PlasmaSnow12]

The A Link to the Past Hyrule Castle has been taken over by the wizard Agahnim, with the guards turning against the royal family. The king is killed and Zelda is imprisoned. Link infiltrates the castle in the middle of a storm after hearing a telepathic message from Zelda requesting his help. The Wind Waker Hyrule Castle has been frozen in time in the middle of an attack by Ganondorf's soldiers. The Twilight Princess Hyrule Castle has been taken over by Ganondorf and sealed off from the rest of the world. It is the final dungeon. As you go deeper in the castle, Ganondorf's theme continues to grow stronger, indicating your proximity to the big bad. The Breath of the Wild Hyrule Castle holds the until-recently dormant Calamity Ganon, who has been kept at bay for 100 years through the efforts of Zelda. It is again the final dungeon, and the theme includes the "main" zelda theme as a sort of driving force for Link, Ganon(dorf)'s theme since he's taken the castle over, and Zelda's Lullaby as she is still trapped in the castle holding Calamity Ganon back. Fitting the design philosophy of BotW, the castle is also much larger and more open, and so you have many ways to progress through the dungeon. When outside the castle the 1st part of the song plays, and any time you enter inside the castle the 2nd part plays. Often you go between the interior and exterior and the themes smoothly transition. The Tears of the Kingdom Hyrule Castle is indeed the same castle as in Breath of the Wild. It is no longer the final dungeon, and is instead an optional area. It has been lifted up into the sky because of plot and it remains infested with Ganon's evil. also yes so in A Link to the Past, Ganon turns the Sacred Realm into the Dark World. This gives the game a "dual world" gameplay, where you travel between the Light and Dark worlds through the game. A Link Between Worlds is a sequel to ALttP, and to mimic this mechanic, an alternate reality version of Hyrule, Lorule, is sort of merging together because of plot. Lorule Castle's theme has elements of the Hyrule Castle theme but in reverse.

[@QualityJeverage]

Around 17:24 when you note "a new musical idea"- it's starting to incorporate another recurring theme from the series, Ganon's Theme, for the main villain. The stories often involve some version of Ganon grabbing power and ruling from a captured Hyrule Castle.

[@Allrightboa]

The incredible thing with Botw is that in the outside version, you hear the hyrule castle motif mixed with a more subtle apparition of Ganon 's theme with finally the Main/ Link's theme. It symbolises the fact that Link is coming to the now ruined Hyrule Castle because of Ganon's influence. Then you get in and you clearly hear Zelda's lullaby and Ganon's theme more than anything else. It reminds you that both Zelda and Ganon are TRAPPED in the castle since 100 years, it was Zelda's sacrifice to stop Ganon from destroying Hyrule and you are coming a century later to finally end Ganon's presence and free Zelda. What a wild theme. Great video too ! Always a good feeling to have you reacting those themes we've been loving for so long.

[@bug-deal]

Lorule is only in Link Between Worlds (a fairly late pseudo-remake/sequel to link to the past) and not generally in every game as Hyrule and its castle usually are

[@BradStarnes]

Considering that the majority of the games do take place in Hyrule, just in different periods/timelines, it makes sense for Hyrule castle's theme to have similar sounds to them. I've played the series since the original in '87 (I was four). Zelda's always had great music. The reason for the dark tone of the area is generally because it's either been taken over or is in ruins.

[@marche800]

This theme kind of evolved from the thrilling break in theme that it was in ALTTP to just being the theme of Hyrule Kingdom as a whole and specifically the King of Hyrule really starting from the Wind Waker onwards I'd say.

[@Monke80s]

32:54 You can experience the transition, yes, but at least from what I remember it has to be like inside inside, like in the dinner hall or hallways, library and things like that. Because I think, idk if that was the case, it still plays the outside theme when you're in the dungeon/basement part. But yeah, you can experience that transition, it's in the game, it was not done just for the video

[@Adrienmon]

27:08 That bip sounds accelerating atop of that Zelda Lullaby part is reminiscent of the sound effect about when you are low life in A Link to the Past, and is a hidden way to say to you "Zelda's here, one the verge of her life containing Ganon for so long, so hurry up and go liberate her from duty or she'll die"

[@EsporHB]

It is really time I apreciate the Breath of the Wild theme more. But well, I was mostly too much worried about my survival to really listen xD But there are so many themes involved in it. The main theme, gannondorfs theme, even Princess Zeldas Lullaby. Usually Hyrule castle is the most important place of the kingdom of Hyrule, and usually it is occupied by a villain by the time you visit it. The only exception I can think of right now (but I might be wrong) is in Ocarina of time, which I was kind of missing in this one. The theme there was also great.

[@Shritistrang]

At the beginning of A Link between Worlds, the castle is also peaceful.

[@SparkyLurkdragon]

The Breath of the Wild one is one of my absolute favourite tracks in the series - you're right that it has a lot of callbacks! The big one for me is how it calls on an otherwise completely unrelated song: "Ballad of the Wind Fish," from Link's Awakening. (There's an unrelated song with the same name from Majora's Mask.) Without spoiling Link's Awakening, the Ballad is a DEEPLY sad song associated with loss. The parts where it plays in LA, particularly for the final time, still makes me cry. It's perfect for the context of Hyrule Castle in Breath of the Wild, where it symbolizes the place where the kingdom fell a hundred years before the main events of the game. Where, indeed, the hero and the princess lost. Which is why it's cool that it also has Link and Zelda's themes 'fighting' with Ganon's. Whenever Ganon's theme comes in, either Link's theme (when outside; the original Zelda Overworld theme doubles as his theme these days) or Zelda's theme (indoors - you were right about which was which, too) roar back and rebuke it. "Puppet Zelda" from Twilight Princess does something similar to equally great effect, but you can hear it in its take on Hyrule Castle, too. The Hyrule Castle theme gradually gets taken over and corrupted into Ganondorf's theme as you progress through the area towards the boss fight. Which is why it gets progressively creepier as it goes on! As for the canon, heh, it's a bit like if we got scraps of stories ripped from three different timelines' history books. There's a reincarnation cycle going for Link and Zelda and sometimes Ganon - he's usually but not always the same immortal individual, while Link and Zelda are different people but incarnations of the same souls across most of the games. Occasionally Ganondorf has had to reincarnate, too. They aren't the only ones, either - various NPCs also reincarnate. Breath of the Wild and especially Tears of the Kingdom has thrown something of a monkey wrench into the series cosmology/internal mythology, but this is perhaps a bit much for a music review video! Suffice it to say I was kind of bummed out by TotK removing the Ballad of the Wind Fish aspect from its Hyrule Castle theme.

[@JessesAuditorium]

Speaking of BotW.. pair of songs coming later this week :D

[@RaK0]

Man, the first Hyrule Castle is so iconic. The intensity of the song really fits the mood because you start the game with a rescue mission, sneaking into the castle which is already taken over by mind controlled enemies, getting Zelda out of her cell and then making your way out through the dark sewers onl, equipped with your sword and a lamp. It's really great stuff for a tutorial section.

[@navii13]

There is not enough text space here for me to go on about the Zelda games. It would be a day long conversation at least! So glad to be hearing all these again. 😆 There are some locations that are in every game in some form. Aside from a very few games, its like final fantasy, they are not sequels or continuations of other games. There is an official timeline map around somewhere, but yeah, its basically Link, Zelda, and Ganon are reincarnated every X amount of years or they are descendants and the 3 of them usually represent one of the 3 pieces of the triforce. Zelda is Wisdom, Link is Courage, and Ganon is Power. It gets kinda complicated sometimes, theres also time travel involved, but each game is in its own timeline. Zelda was never really a helpless princess, like Peach used to be, in most of the games she actually helps Link. These games helped get me thru my childhood, i could seriously go on for daaaaaaayyys.

[@Mechanomics]

Each game is not in its own timeline, hence the timeline map.

[@navii13]

@@Mechanomics i said it was complicated. and im pretty sure most people understood that i meant each game is not a chronological sequel to the previous in the sense that Link, Zelda and Ganon are not the same people in every game. Since you want to get technical, yes there are currently only 3 different timelines. i try to keep my replies in Jesses comments a little vague on the off chance he might actually play the games someday. i try not to spoil things.

[@captainpep3]

I’m pretty sure Ganon is the only one not a descendant, and that it IS the same ganon/ganondorf every time (except maybe TOTK)

[@navii13]

@@captainpep3 *cough* as i said: "basically Link, Zelda, and Ganon are reincarnated every X amount of years or they are descendants" once again, i try to leave my comments vague enough so it doesnt spoil things too much for Jesse and people who have played will still understand.....

[@yasinn9492]

I love Makna Forest in the background. It's awesome to watch you reacting to the soundtracks from my favorite videogame saga and, while talking, another soundtrack from another of my favorites.

[@StormEyeB]

One interesting point of context with Breath of the Wild's Hyrule Castle, is that it's the "final" area of the map, but being in an open world, you can enter it and decide to fight the final boss at practically any point in the game. It just looks so intimidating and foreboding, that on your first playthrough, you avoid it like the plague feeling incredibly underprepared and underequipped. The majority of the soundtrack in that game is also extremely minimalist, with very long points of silence and very light and delicate instrumentation. So when you've completed the majority of the story missions or feel confident in your abilities to dare enter this place that you've been able to see from almost every point in the map, you're suddenly assaulted with this epic and heavy orchestral track that completely changes the feel of the game.

[@CSaputo]

I like how Breath of the Wild is the culmination of each theme of the representations of the triforce: Courage - Link’s Hero theme, Wisdom - Zelda’s Lullaby theme (inside castle), and Power - Ganon’s brooding theme. Awesome arrangement

[@KZorander]

OMG you finally got to my request! (Melanie / BOTW version). It's been like a year or more, I figured it slipped through the cracks! ❤❤❤❤ Edit: loved the reaction! Glad you enjoyed it. There's actually four variations of this, inside vs outside but also in combat vs out of combat. You can march straight into Hyrule Castle as soon as you get out of the tutorial, if you want. In fact, there are a lot of weapons and armor in there that are BUSTED if you can get in there early and get them. But you're going to have to fight your way through. It's the closest thing this game has to a full dungeon. Some of the scariest enemies in the game live here, and it's pretty unforgiving if you don't know what's up.

[@dannybrien4704]

26:48 the beeping going with Zelda’s lullaby is the low hp and 1 hp sound from the older games

[@that1blindkid146]

Another good castle theme is “in the hall of the usurper(pridemoor keep theme)”. It’s the stage for King Knight in Shovel knight.

[@Noumenae]

The evolution of the LoZ themes over the years has been nothing short of incredible. Breath of the Wild in particular did some REALLY cool things with the music and sound design. If you ever want to delve into it, there's a video on YT channel Scruffy called "'Invisible' Sound Design in Breath of the Wild" that makes a lot of cool points. The main tracks that appear in that video are the field theme, Kakariko Village (I think) and the combat/battle music, in case they have been requested for the channel. There's also a track in there that plays in the snowy mountaintops, but I'm not sure how to refer to it; I'm sure others might have more solid track names to refer to.

[@lavinia1082]

A Link to the Past was my first Zelda experience, you can tell that everytime a get at Hyrule Castle i am like "this shit is about to get lit" and then not rescuing zelda for 2 hours streight

[@bru4773]

Damn. My favorite Hyrule castle theme is the Dark Hyrule Castle theme from Minish Cap. Its like the LttP one but even more brooding and imposing.

[@TheWaffleFactory]

Im always associating this song with loneliness. First time in Link to the Past you are storming the castle with zelda missing and your uncle just passed away telling you to find her in the castle. All the guards are out to get you while it storms outside, really set the mood for the start of the game. In Wind Waker you go into the castle with time frozen and enemies everywhere frozen in time. Once you pull out the master sword, all the enemies start moving and time no longer stops. Twilight has one of my favorites with how quiet it sounds, mirroring the castle being completely abandoned, sometimes filled with souls of dead soldiers when you use your wolf vision. Slowly the ganondorf theme invades the theme as you progress higher in the tower. BotW had a very triumphant feeling since its something thats been in the players vision for a while but hard to access. This one also fades between ganon's theme. I love this theme no matter where it used but Im biased for the original just cause of that storm outside and the vibes i felt when i first heard it.

[@BomberJacknut]

My understanding of Lorule is that it's essentially a palette-swapped alternate-universe reversed version of Hyrule (on the other side of the looking glass type stuff), which is why everything would sound "upside-down"---it's literally a reverse-Hyrule (hence the name LOW-rule as opposed to HIGH-rule, get it?). As for why the Hyrule Castle theme always seems so dark, it often acts as the setting for the primary antagonists for the Legend of Zelda games (given that they often usurp it), or is otherwise corrupted by their power. Ergo, despite being the seat for the Hyrulian royalty (like Zelda), it's so dark and imposing.

[@Uncle_Aura]

The Hyrule Castle of BOTW and TOTK are the same because they are the same Link and Hyrule, but the circumstances of you being there are different. There are occasional true sequels in the Zelda series but never in the way those two games did it.

[@HollowGolem]

Ocarina/Majora's Mask is a true sequel situation. The Oracle games, too... kinda. And Windwaker/the DS games.

[@wesnohathas1993]

@@HollowGolem But in those cases the setting was always somewhere different from the previous game. TotK is the first direct sequel to remain in Hyrule since Zelda II.

[@HollowGolem]

@@wesnohathas1993 Zelda II doesn't really stay in the same place, either.

[@HollowGolem]

@@Kladyos Yes, the place you spend a grand total of 2-3 minutes in when you go to get the hammer.

[@CarbonMage]

Funny that you did Lorule Catsle before these, sonce its based on the Link to the Past Castle Theme, played backwards. The Legend of Zelda likes pulling that trick occasionally

[@Monke80s]

19:22 yes, indeed, that is official artwork from the Twilight Princess game for the Nintendo Gamecube and Nintendo Wii systems from Nintendo. In all seriousness, all the art made for Zelda games, whether it's from manuals to posters to boxarts are pretty darn good. This franchise often spans many art books that they have released for a while now. From concept art to complete art, it's reeally good. I still need to get Breath of The Wild's artbook.

[@swinto4795]

A link to the past castle theme is without a doubt the best one, it feels majestic yet very dark, you know something strange is going on and your senses go on high alert when you hear the theme! I just love it!

[@siverwrites]

Breath of the Wild has a much more understated soundtrack overall with more of a focus on ambience, which works very well in context! But coming to the castle is like getting slammed in the face with music and it's very cool. Someone correct me if I'm wrong (I might have missed a snippet elsewhere) but I believe that's the only time the main Zelda theme makes an appearance in the game. Hyrule Castle tends to sound dangerous a lot because it gets conquered by the baddies all the time haha. Lorule is only in one game: Link Between Worlds, so the whole lower upper thing is only really relevant there.

[@LooseAsADEUCE]

The main theme also appears in the music when you're riding a horse at night. Super random, I know, but it does lol

[@siverwrites]

@@LooseAsADEUCE Ha, thank you! I missed or forgot that, even considering how much I rode around.

[@mechamaya]

The Breath of the Wild soundtrack is one of the first mainline games that started to use different composers from Koji Kondo which is likely why it sounds like they took it in such a different direction (I believe Skyward Sword in 2011 was the first to use others). It has callbacks to many previous Koji Kondo motifs, but with a whole new style. They have motifs from the main theme which you recognized, Zelda's Lullaby from many previous games, the Hyrule Castle theme, and again the Ganon motif, since the castle has fallen into ruin and its completely consumed by evil for 100 years, but it's full of memories that Link discovers as he explores the ruins while trying to find the source of all the evil deep inside.

[@SpaceRampage]

About your castles & palaces themes video: I hope people recommended Figaro Castle (Edgar & Sabin's Theme) from Final Fantasy VI

[@codyr.48]

The dungeon music in BotW use morse code beeping for "SOS" in the background. I never noticed the beeping in the castle like that so i'm not sure if it's also trying to say something...

[@olivia7782]

I remember having like, almost the exact same reaction first listening to the ALttP castle theme-- I was pretty young and had only played like 1 or 2 LoZ games and knew basically nothing else, so I decided I should look up some music from the older ones and I was like 'uhh why is Zeldas castle so scary sounding??' (Also it's ok literally everyone just calls it "Wind Waker", the "The" is chronically forgotten)

[@germin9784]

There's a hidden easter egg in the Hyrule Castle version in BotW. On the inside, you occasionally hear Zelda's theme. During Zelda's theme, there's a small background noise, an incessant beeping, which sounds like the noise you hear when you're "low on hearts". It implies that Zelda, who's trapped in the castle, is at the end of her power and close to dying. Edit: you can hear it at 26:48

[@deadyawn72]

The Hyrule Castle themes from Twilight Princess on are heavily referencing Ganon's Castle from Ocarina of Time. It's a slowly escalating, menacing organ piece that plays as you scale the castle and when you get to the top Ganondorf is sitting there playing the organ. One of the coolest uses of diegetic music in a game.

[@guiltyflygon]

Winder Waker's take has to be my favorite just for being so different, so here's some additional context that isn't spoilers because its told to you the second you boot up the game lol. Wind Waker opens with a legend of the fall of Hyrule. Ganon rose but there was no hero to stop him, so the people turned to their gods for help. In response, the gods told the people to climb to the mountain peaks that would soon become islands as they flooded Hyrule. Completely wiping out Ganon yes, but also the ancient history of the Hylian people as well. So, at the point the player gets to Hyrule Castle, it has been abandoned for a very long time. The song captures this haunting vibe really well. I also think certain parts sound sorrowful, like being here is making you feel the loss of this once great culture. Finally is the chanting, which I feel is meant to represent the people's desperate prayers. The place is also a big throwback to Ocarina of Time as well. Over all it's definitely one of the most memorable set pieces in Wind Waker.

[@Snowmanse]

9:25 For the most part, the games take place in the same area across a really long time span. I love every time a new game comes out and you get to see what changes they've made to familiar areas across time.

[@thebravoinformant]

Thanks for doing this, so much Zelda reactions in one vid, so good

[@gamezx]

14:35 - Ohh boy, there is a WHOLE discussion to be had there. One thing the zelda series is very well known for is its timeline. The answer is yes, all the games are "canon" in the same world (though there are instances of hopping to different worlds like lorule, that is a parallel dimension), but cus quite a few games involve time travel, the timeline splits off into a number of timelines. For instance there is one game which involves you going into the future to defeat an evil, but at the end you're returned to the past and you prevent the evil before it even happens. So that results in one continuity where the evil happened and another where it never happened, both timelines continuing simultaneously with their own different futures and their own string of games

[@christopherstanley9997]

also the twilight princess is my fave version and also still my fave zelda game, the way the theme evolves and gets more sinister as you make your way further into the castle and closer and closer to the final showdown with ganon, perfection! the first theme of twilght princess is eerie, in the first few floors of the castle, all of the enemies are frozen and as you make your way up and up and then the enemies come to life and the theme takes a more dark and sinister turn its so good!

[@SophisticatedGoat222]

Wind Waker also features a much more direct interpretation of the original Hyrule Castle theme, but as a somber piano solo. It's called Farewell Hyrule King and is one of my favourite songs in the series.

[@devonm042690]

For Twilight Princess' rendition of the theme, the first version is the one without any accompanying melody, the second is the one with the alternating horn notes, and the third is the one with the organ. The different versions play at different points in your trek through the castle. The first version plays for most of it. The second version plays when you enter the base of the central tower which leads up to the throne room. The third version plays when you reach the top of the tower just outside the door leading to the fight with Ganon. A sub-boss blocks the way to said door, so you hear that third version mostly while fighting that sub-boss (the art accompanying Twilight Princess' rendition of the theme is a picture of Link clashing with said sub-boss). You go outside at the end of the section where the first version plays and go back inside to where you hear the second version, but the second version transitions seamlessly into the third. The secondary melody of the third version is the rest of Ganon's leitmotif.

[@phntmthf5505]

Lorule is only present in A Link Between Worlds, where you pass through various rifts scattered around the map to travel between Hyrule and Lorule. They’re not like surface and underground or main world and mirror world, they’re entirely parallel universes.

[@zachariah251]

The link to the past one has always been my favorite. The recent zelda concert did a rendition of it and is on youtube

[@stevenjones8575]

Not only does A Link Between Worlds have the Lorule castle theme you know, but it also has a version of the Hyrule castle theme that is very similar in tone to the original SNES version, but with more modern instrumentation. I'm sure you'd like it since it's so faithful to the OG that you liked.

[@PlayPodOG]

botw castle theme is probably my favorite. it gives an homage to a bunch of main themes from the zelda series. zeldas lulliby, ganondorfs theme, hyrule castle, the series main theme... its so good and grand. hits me in the feels

[@geekley]

The upside-down thing you heard was probably Lorule Castle from Zelda "A Link Between Worlds", which is sorta the opposite/couterpart of Hyrule Castle, and the music/motif is basically the same, but backwards.

[@nathanperquin9910]

yeah for the twilight princess version its stand out part is that the theme that references the organ played by ganondorf in ocarina of time when you approach the final boss battle that gradually gets louder. and how it gets more and more pronounced OVER the castle theme. considering hyrule castle is the final dungeon it makes sense

[@Nolan-Boi]

Twilight Princess theme is gradually progressed through 1 visit to the castle. You make your way through the castle and the theme changes depending on how close you get to the end. But you only actually GO there once. It isn’t 3 separate visits

[@TheZebbga]

Some context for you (although I will have some mild spoilers if that matters to you): Hyrule is the Kingdom that most (not all) Zelda games take place in so Hyrule Castle is a location that is seen in most of the games set in Hyrule. A Link to the Past was the first game where Hyrule Castle was a location you could visit and in that game it had been overthrown by the villain of the game. This is common for Hyrule Castle. So that is why often the themes are menacing or spooky or dark, because it is the main icon for Hyrule but under control of a villain. In Windwaker, Hyrule Castle has been abandoned and forgotten under the sea and Link is exploring basically a lost ancient castle. That is why it is echoey and distant, it hasn't been seen by anyone in hundreds of years. In Twilight Princess, the villain takes over again but in Breath of the Wild it does have the villain of the game inside, but it also is very dangerous and a place you can attempt to explore at any point in the game but is kinda scary to go into early. But based on the open world nature of Breath of the Wild, you can always seen it in the center of the Kingdom with big ominous clouds around it. Tears of the Kingdom is the sequel to Breath of the Wild and in that game, many locations have been lifted into the sky. The main villain isn't in Hyrule Castle this time, but there is a part of the story where you are constantly climbing the castle and fighting enemies and each time it gets darker and darker until you face a boss. Lorule Castle is from a Link Between Worlds. Based on the title, A Link Between Worlds is a sequel to A Link to the Past but set 100 years or more in the future. Lorule is basically a mirror version of Hyrule (a dark Hyrule) which is kinda like the Upside Down from Stranger Things. Lorule Castle is the final dungeon of the game, like how Hyrule Castle usually is and the theme is the ALTTP Castle theme but in reverse. But notes for this Castle theme are heard whenever the King of Hyrule shows up in Windwaker or Breath of the Wild, so it has evolved to be also the them of the Hylian Royal family in a way.

[@carlbowen7965]

A Link to the Past was SNES. The Windwaker was originally Camecube. Twilight Princess was either originally Gamecube or Wii. A Link Between Worlds (with Lorule the Inverted Castle) was 3DS

[@lanonyme-vod8090]

Just as a side note now that you expérienced your first Xenoblade, Monolith helped Nintendo on Breath of the Wild 😊 Most likely on its world I guess but someone surely has more info on the matter

[@cakemixrox]

also botw has a rex outfit that link can equip lol

[@cattooma]

Regarding breath of the wild: Yes , the outside theme references the MAIN zelda theme! It symbolizes Link being close to the end. The inside theme references Zelda's lullaby, the princess main theme since a link to the past! It symbolizes the princess being captive inside the castle.

[@franciscojaviermendezrinco1902]

In Breath of the Wild the castle theme is a mix of different tracks, Hyrule Castle, Zelda's Lullaby, Main theme and Ganon's theme. All since is the point where the final battle will take place.

[@linkpwnsevery1]

Yeah, that was zelda lullaby from inside the hyrule castle from botw a long with other songs from the series.

[@nelliebursham8567]

So this isn't a request, but I thought the medley could have included one more soundtrack from Wind Waker; Farewell King of Hyrule. That soundtrack would count as a Hyrule Castle theme as well, though more sorrowing. I highly recommend it! ❤ My thoughts on that track aside, this was a great reaction to this beautiful collection! ❤

[@anubion42]

the whole series has been build up to and now around a loop of the hero (the links) and the blood of the goddess Hylia (seen in the royal family/zelda(s)) reincarnating to fight Demises curse (Ganon and most big bads) So many places get reused because its literally the same story happening in diffrent envornments. Even the train one without ganon you fight "the Demon King" which is what ganondorf gets in totk so its all a cycle. Most places come back sooner or later, but rarely the same. Also majoras mask being the other "darkest song" checks out even without double checking

[@spiceman7778]

My interpretation on the themes cause its a very dark place. ALTTP: Its dark and menacing and SAD. Its supoosed to be. Not a place you wanna be. Wind Waker: A tomb. A literal tomb. Hyrule itself in this game is a MASSIVE tomb. A graveyard. Buried beneath the seas and forgotten. Twlight Princess: Zant inflitrated this place and it was claimed by Ganondorf. This place is not holy. Not a place you want to be. The king of evil lives here now. BOTW: Take Ganondorf taking over Hyrule Castle and crank it up to a million. Dude didnt just take the castle. He won. The whole jackpot. When you go to fight him, you're taking all of Hyrule with you. The soldiers who died, the people who have become soldiers, civilians, the memory of their sacrifices. TOTK: Crank that last one up to a trillion.

[@franciscojaviermendezrinco1902]

In Twilight Princess you can hear mixed with the castle theme, also Ganondorf's theme, since at that point he took over the castle and you are going to fight him.

[@Dlf212]

From interviews Koji Kondo gave, he said he will listen to his themes for hours on end and if he doesn't get tired of them, us the fans won't. So yes he wrote plenty of ear worms.

[@kabir4200]

It’s always so great watching ur reactions

[@Justagenerichuman]

The reason the BOTW song sounds the way it does, what with the marching, is to symbolize the soldiers who died at Hyrule castle 100 years ago (BOTW is basically post apocalyptic), and the main theme being there is to suggest this being the final dungeon of the game.

[@phntmthf5505]

Something of note is the contexts in which these versions all play: In A Like to the Past, Hyrule Castle is both the first and the final dungeon of the game, so it has a very intimidating theme because of that. In The Wind Waker, Hyrule Castle is an abandoned castle preserved beneath the ocean. In Twilight Princess, it is once again a dungeon, but the vibes are very different. In Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom, Hyrule Castle is an ancient ruin inhabited only by servants on Ganondorf and Calamity Gannon and serves as a late-game dungeon.

[@LordEmpyreal]

LttP Hyrule Castle being dark is because when you go there right at the start of the game, the coup d'etat has already happened, the King is already dead, and it's infested with enemy soldiers. And you go there in the middle of the night during a thunderstorm. The whole opening of the game is very dark. Windwaker is melancholic, because you're in the long-abandoned and frozen-in-time castle of a Hyrule Kingdom that fell so long ago most people in the world don't even know it existed. Twilight Princess' Hyrule Castle is where the finale begins. It's dark, lonely, and dangerous. The song's stages are relative to how close you've gotten to the throne room, and the final boss (the alternate melody being Ganon's theme). BotW's Hyrule Castle is another finale, but this time its more like your heroic return to the castle after 100 years. During the outdoor section, which you're more likely to hear first, instead of being surrounded by danger, you've spend the rest of the game power up and becoming the danger, so it's very heroic and features the main theme for Link. But while in the interior, you hear Zelda's perspective. She's been holding Ganon at bay for the 100 years you've been gone, and she's running out of time, so you hear her lullaby and the classic "low hearts" beeping sound. And in both, you hear Ganon's theme between the main verses. In TotK, Hyrule Castle more of a mid-late game location, but now its heavily distorted by corruption, which makes it one of the most dangerous places in the game. So the music has been darkened significantly from it's BotW counterpart. Honestly most of TotK is much darker, and more corrupted, and dangerous feeling than BotW.

[@DLane814]

30:24 actually it does. it's dynamic. it flips exactly like that if you walk in or out. and the way it's designed you're freerunning in and out windows and stuff like that.

[@YOM2_UB]

Most of the time you visit Hyrule Castle it's been taken over by whoever the evil force of the given game is, so that's where the menacing tone is coming from.

[@Juan-Dering]

If you are curious. The entire series is a cycle. From the very first, an evil greedy guy tries to steal power from goddesses to become a god, only gets part of it, the rest is split up among two others trying to stop him. He partially succeeds, but more or less gets them all stuck in a loop of fighting, dying, and being reborn to repeat the cycle until time itself ends. The world changes around them, but their refusal to be the one to lose causes things to repeat over and over for good or ill. The ideas you picked up on in the Breath of the Wild theme was pretty spot on really. The evil guy came the closest ever to winning that cycle, not because he got more powerful, but that the balance of power shifted because the heroes of that cycle had self doubt. The kingdom lost, collapsed, the castle is in ruins. The callbacks are there at the end. The heroes are returning to the castle that the evil has taken over. No more self doubt, they know what they need to do and they have the goal of defeating him locked in their minds. It's cool!

[@venigmaa]

So perfect... Just missed hyrule castle and dark hyrule castle From zelda minish cap. Thanks for the videoooo

[@gabrielc.9219]

You should really listen to Colgera's theme and Demon Dragon from TOTK.

[@LooseAsADEUCE]

Hearing this through someone else's ears was a lot of fun! I'm a huge Zelda fan so it was cool to hear the songs like new again. So a few answers: -Hyrule Castle is never a happy theme bc 9 times out of 10 you only enter when 💩 is going down lol -The Twilight Princess theme actually was three parts. Each part (instrumentation? I don't know music terms lol) that was added was a different part, the first one when the song began, the horns being added was part 2, and then the theme you recognized as new was part 3. -You were right on which version is inside and outside on Breath of the Wild -The main theme is in the Breath of the Wild version because there's bits of the themes for all three main characters in it. The main theme doubles as Link's (the main/playable character) theme, the second song on the inside version is Zelda's lullaby, representing the princess who the series is named after, and both versions have bits of Ganondorf's (the main villain) theme. You can also hear his theme in part 3 of the Twilight Princess version. -Depending on how you enter Hyrule Castle in Breath of the Wild, you know you are approaching it and the title just pops up as you enter. Its just as epic as you can imagine. -The Tears of the Kingdom version of Hyrule Castle is a bit...less than the previous version(s) largely bc of what it is when you go there. You kinda get a fakeout when you go to the castle in that game and I think the music reflects that. -The A Link to the Past version is really good, and I appreciate this video bc it made me realize how much that theme showed up in the future games.

[@zanderlaitinen7109]

People keep talking about hearing the original castle theme in Breath of The Wild, but it isn't actually present in the score. We hear the main theme, Zelda's Lullaby, and Ganon's theme woven into an original piece. It is instead used for King Rhoam earlier in the game, but this Hyrule Castle is no longer what it was; stolen by Ganon for over 100 years, its identity is no longer that of the Kingdom's. Tears of The Kingdom however does subtly feature the original Hyrule Castle Theme.

[@DylanYoshi]

Others have mentioned this already, but I'd like to provide some additional context. I'm going to try to be as vague as possible to avoid spoilers, but your mileage may vary here. The Zelda series takes place across hundreds if not thousands of years, depicting how its world changes over time. While games can be enjoyed as standalone, it's not really like Final Fantasy where it's a different world each time. You get to see how the events of earlier games in the timeline have influenced the games that come later. It's actually pretty cool if you're willing to pay attention for it (except for in the more recent Zelda games, which just don't seem to care at all about being consistent with the canon of the earlier games). But the other thing is that this is part of the central theme of the series: The Legend of Zelda is all about the cycle of good and evil. Whenever there is peace, an evil entity will arise to disrupt that peace, but even when things seem as bleak as possible, there will be good to fight back against that evil. This sounds simple, but where it gets interesting is in how it's thematically presented in each game. In Ocarina of Time, you have a warlord rise because his tribe had been oppressed in previous generations. Wind Waker shows that same warlord after a hundred years, trying to take the world back to the youth that he was nostalgic for. Twilight Princess is on a different timeline where said warlord was saved from execution by a miracle, and he now believes he was chosen by a god and is now manipulating a *different* group of oppressed people into waging war. In all three of these games, Hyrule Castle is a location he's closely tied to, but you see the context behind his motivation for being there change with each one, as well as how the location itself is quite different. It's a pretty unique idea that I don't think I've seen most other long-running franchises try.