The Mystery of the Forest Temple (Ocarina of Time) - Zelda Theory

What is Ocarina of Time's Forest Temple?
►Follow me on Twitter! / zeltik
or Instagram: @zeltikinsta
► Music in this video:
Nintendo
ZREO
Clangon, OoT Title Theme: • Zelda Ocarina of time ...
► Discord Link: / discord
► Patreon: / zeltik
► Intro music by: bit.ly/RuvenWegner
OoT Temples theory: zeldauniverse....
Huge thanks to the Noclip Tool, used in all OoT Freecam footage: noclip.website/
Thank you to my amazing Patreon supporters:
Andrew Lindberg, Scott Crim, Nick Goodman, Charley Sjerps, Torrey Easter, Malina Workman, Cameron Bryant, Kristian Skjellet, Liam Timoney, Tito Saenz, Joshua Bock, Lux Pro, desmond paul james o'neill, Tram Tran, Rusty Caufield, Frankie Nolan, Andrew D Wood, Alex Polanoc, Lina Derevyanko, Daniel Newton, Luke Voges, Triggerpigking, Bretton Weber
#Zelda #Nintendo #LegendofZelda

[@oOBlindyOo]

I've played OOT a lot (like many others I'd imagine) but I never realized just how cool the layout and architecture of the forest temple was until those panoramic shots from this video. Nice work Zeltik!

[@jordanjoestar9096]

Its really lovely the music is what makes it so damn uncomforting though

[@henrikfoersom9649]

Jordan Joestar my first time through i thought the Music sounded funny rather than unsettleing

[@Eevee141]

I must be the only one that loves the music lol. I always felt the forest temple was so underrated. Phantom Ganon is the best boss imo as well. Well tied with Koume and Kotake in the spirit temple...

[@ObamaSexGaming2007]

@@jordanjoestar9096 The music is a beautiful masterpiece to me. I don't know what you're talking about.

[@jpbrother]

Guess you played so many times that you get in "auto mode".

[@bubblemage]

Theory: deep af Nintendo: it's just a temple with rooms full of traps

[@davidquezada50]

Oof

[@JJMomoida]

lol I'd like to think that they put a lot more thought into these things but the opposite is just as likely.

[@ProfessorBelz]

Carlos Hernandez Nintendo doesn’t realize the story potential of their games it seems

[@gothiccowboy95]

4 reals lol like i get so into these videos as if it’s like part of history or some shit then i realize it’s a video game (an amazing one) but yeah they probs just thought it looked cool when they made it lol

[@PepeMetallero]

Miyamoto was against having complex story elements on his games

[@Tempest515]

This actually makes a lot of sense when you consider the fact than ganondorf left his phantom to guard it. Not some monster he unearthed, or dragon he revived, but a copy of himself. Obviously he felt it was important enough to require his presence, or at least a close enough facsimile of it.

[@JackSmith-ns1uq]

It also makes sense he’d leave a phantom in the haunted ghost temple.

[@MRKSCH101]

Agreed good point. Call me crazy, after defeating Phantom Gannon he banishes his ghost between realms that opened in the center of the room just like the immediate blue transporter takes you the sacred realm. This only confirms this theory in believing this was always it’s purpose

[@fleo5]

Zeltik

[@darklordxaodu4151]

I always felt like the forest temple was far more unsettling than the shadow temple, especially with the music. But then I felt like Snowhead's desolate isolation was way creepier than Ikana canyon too.

[@zachgibson8876]

This temple traumatized me as a child. As an adult I still get creeped out every time I play it. For some reason I always feel like I’m being watched, especially in the area with the large blocks and ladders, before the first twisted hallway.

[@Teominious]

Good to see I'm not the only one that always found this place "mysteriously creepy", rather than just "mysterious". While I admit that my concrete memories of this place from ages 8 - 10 (2004 - 2006) don't come with any hypotheses as to its nature, the fact Roanoke was brought up in one of the priour school grades, and summarily made me incredibly curious, while also freaking me right out, has me guessing it was the "This looks like a house, but where are the people?" mystery that really got to me. Seeing as how the only occupants of the place that I can remember are undead, I may have picked up on the context of "you're fighting all of them/they died in some horrible fashion". The mentioned distortions in some areas also make it seem like whatever force that may have whisked away and /or corrupted the occupants was something that seemingly defies reality, only adding to the discomfort felt while going through. Let's not forget, as well, that, if memory serves, this is the only other temple outside of the Shadow Temple where Wallmasters appear, and that they only pop up after a twisted hallway. Finally, (and again, I've not seen mention of this elsewhere) the music serves to compliment this feeling of unease, because, in my opinion, of the upbeat, almost jolly sounding counter-melodies atop the wash of mysterious-scaled synth tones. This always seemed like a bit of a paradox to me in more than one way. First, and most obviously, is that it runs completely counter to the mood portrayed by the bulk of the track playing throughout the walls of the temple. Secondly, and less-obviously, I feel it seems like it's right there, as though it could be coming from the room you're in, while also simultaneously seeming almost intangibly distant, as though it's the last moments of a fading, phantom remnant of the jollity brought forth by the various gatherings the previous owners had, audible to the player and Link, but completely innocuous to both, its true nature only known to those now departed, much like it now is.

[@tccutthroat5961]

Exactly

[@Anytyme06]

Yeah I think the 4 poe's and the hands on the ceilings are watching you.

[@gengar6666]

Nope.. Water temple. I have the guide and it's still annoying 😆

[@krauser_bowser5873]

the master hands don't help with that feeling at all

[@MrSmashySmash]

It's Ganondorf's college art/architecture project. He thought adding all these wacky passages would make for a modern art piece.

[@juancarlossanchez8897]

When I saw art school I immediately thought of Hitler. Idk why.

[@ungenbunyon5548]

Haha, your comment made me think of other games where a building is unnecisarily convoluted, like Castlevania I'm not surprised Dracula wants to kill humans he's probably pissed off the builders made his castle so difficult to navigate xD

[@Krakenburgvortex79]

Phantom Ganon was an art piece too.

[@MrSmashySmash]

@@Krakenburgvortex79 That was the centerpiece of his grand architecture. It unfortunately turned out to be ineffective.

[@Superkid33]

I bet Ganon wanted to keep the building a secret because the world wasn’t ready for such a building with weird whacky passages. Especially how in the medieval timeline they literally wanted to burn anyone at the stack for inventing something new. I guess only the monsters in the temple really truly appreciate the modern art. :P Not sure about the poor fellow who is trying to navigate the place.

[@n64glennplant]

Always found this the most haunting dungeon in the game, such an eerie and spooky area for sure

[@r6scrubs126]

yeah when I was a little kid I was genuinely put off carrying on playing through this temple cos I was scared of it haha

[@NeedyForMusic]

The floormaster after the twisted hallway would scare tf out of me when I was a kid.

[@blinkin304]

the shadow temple was up front about what it was. making it plainly obvious there were threats to your life around every corner. the forest temple was unsettling in the calm natural aesthetic that covered up some truly insidious traps and monsters.

[@frederickglass1583]

@@blinkin304 it was mystically intruiging as a child, but still carries that uneasy spookiness about it

[@idkchocolate]

So true only dungeon that really scared me as a kid and in majoras mask only the alien mission scared me

[@wokeupinapanic]

I always felt that during the events of Ocarina of Time when Link was trapped in the sacred realm (or whatever actually happened to him for 7 years) after pulling the Master Sword, that the Forest Temple was used as a hideout for Zelda and Impa for a few years, until Phantom Ganon took it over. Hyrule is rather small, and there’s only so many places they could hide. The Gerudo are at least connected to Ganondorf, if not allied with him, so they’re out. The Castle and Castle Town are in ruin. The Kokiri Forest and Lost Woods are protected by ancient magic that wouldn’t let them hide for long. Lake Hylia is drained, and Zora’s Domain is frozen over. Kakariko is too close to Ganondorf, and too small a hamlet to effectively hide for long. The Gorons have been torn from their home and imprisoned, while Death Mountain spews fire, hinting at imminent destruction. There are small areas where Impa and Zelda can shelter and hide in, but none for any length of time. And Zelda would have needed dedicated training in order to become Sheik. The Triforce room at the bottom of the Forest Temple is idyllic. It’s a hidden sanctuary, it’s easily guarded and fortified, and would make an excellent place to escape to when Ganondorf usurped the throne. Not only that, but Impa rides off directly towards the forest region of the map when fleeing Ganondorf. I do not disagree that this temple was built as a divine place to reach the sacred realm, but it’s original use is long forgotten. During the events of OoT, it was the primary safe house for the royal family, IMHO.

[@jesseforce9933]

VERY WELL SAID AND WRITTEN! 👍 👍

[@EmethMatthew]

Ganondorf could have drained the lake and froze Zora's domain and imprisoned the Gorons as part of his search for Zelda. I always thought Zelda and Impa likely had to keep moving during the seven years.perhaps even visiting most or all of the temples before Link, Skyward Sword style, but for a different reason than that game, as also seeking out the other Sages as allies might have seemed useful for a time to Impa and Zelda. But yes, the Forest Temple would have made for one good safe house... with one major unforeseen flaw. If Ganondorf had access to the Sacred Realm now after Link had pulled the Master Sword and the inner chamber of the Forest Temple connected to the Sacred Realm then it's conceivable that it went both ways and now Ganondorf had access directly to the heart of the Forest Temple. I imagine Phantom Ganondorf might have conquered the Forest Temple from within by way of the Sacred Realm. Though of course there was one other good hiding location for Zelda and Impa: the Shadow Temple of the Sheikah... But that would be a much more... uncomfortable location and one I think Impa might've held as a final resort to take her child charge to once the Forest Temple fell. At which point they also decided that Zelda needed to assume a whole new identity. Thus with her newfound knowledge of Sheikah (and her royal family's) secrets from the Shadow Temple and having visited the other Temples (though perhaps not always fully exploring them as Link had to) during her time hiding, Zelda as Sheik would have had quite the wealth of knowledge with which to interact with Link as she did, guiding him to each Temple and giving hints she had managed to glean over the course of her seven year continuous flight from Ganondorf.

[@TheInfiniteAmo]

It does make sense that the structure would be used as a kind of keep or fortress for the Hylian Royal Family - it's in a naturally defensive location, and one not claimed by the other denizens of Hyrule. Later games suggest that the southern forest area is commonly populated by Hylians separate from Hyrule Castle Town, so the Forest Temple may have originated as a smaller religious structure before being added onto. Also note some simularities to the Ice Dungeon in TP which also seems to be an abandoned royal family keep. The use of potentially Shiekah technology like the traps and Elevator into the basement also backs this up. The paintings in the basement are probably remnants of the beta design of OoT which would have used paintings in Ganondorf's castle to access different areas similar to SM64 - the devs probably came up with the idea for this bossfight and just retrofit it into the final temple design. Also, can we talk about the fact that Phantom Ganon is wearing a Zonai Tribe mask?

[@MrZangetsu468]

I’m pretty sure I’m in the wrong KZbin video, but that was beautiful man.... 👏🏻 It also makes perfect sense that by the time Link is an adult, Ganondorf had infiltrated the Temple and left Phantom Ganon there (as well as stationing moblins there to not let anybody in or out), knocking out the last place Impa and Zelda could use as a hideout or fortress - outside of the Temple of Time(an easy target) - after Hyrule Castle was destroyed or converted into Ganondorf’s Tower.

[@ShadowSkyX]

@@TheInfiniteAmo fun fact: the "forest" symbol was originally for wind. That's why it looks the way it does in oot. The room in Ganon's castle representing "forest" is _wind_ based instead of looking more forest like. And you know where you get the bow and arrows? The forest, as well as the fairy ocarina, first sword and shield, the deku sticks - which now that I think about it were much longer, more akin to the length of a spear. The spiral shape on the back of Kokiri shield and the gold rim of the spiritual stone of forest, which the spiral on the shield is based; spirals are used to signify wind movement, of change, of a journey and a plethra of other meanings depending on the religion and system of beliefs, like cosmic energy and spirit, etc, etc. It seems strange to me that the wind tribe (just role with that name for a second) seemed like they were trying create their own secret way to the sacred realm. They recreated a room eerily similar to the temple of time's where the master sword lays to rest, but the fairy Ocarina they made was inferior to the shiekah's Ocarina of time. Makes you wonder if they were at odds with the Shiekah aka royal family for monopolizing such divine power and technology all for themselves...and attempting to make their own was likely deemed treason. Perhaps they were the ones that started the civil war prior to the game. Hyrule does seem to have a habit of turning on its own if they start getting too strong of an influence. The royal family has done some terrible things in its day and twisting some facts in history would not be surprising at all.

[@JinnKid]

What if each boss room was its respective Sage’s entrance to the Chamber of Sages? For example, Link’s entrance to the Sage Realm is with the Master Sword in the Temple of Time chamber, but the other sages wouldn’t be able to access that Sage realm without the sword, so instead they access the Chamber of Sages realm from their own Temple boss chambers. Just a thought.

[@David-pz4gy]

makes sense because why else would Ganondorf put his "strongest" minions and creations there...

[@Hawner]

If that were so, that all temple entrances lead to the Chamber of Sages, then there would be no point in protecting the entrance of the Temple of Time so strongly if you are going to leave other 5 entrances less guarded. Ganon was not stupid. Obtaining the 3 Spiritual Stones was not an easy task, which is why he never got to obtain them. But entering the temple of his own people or a forest undetected would be far more easily and would lead him to the same treasure he is after, the Triforce. I think it is more plausible that the entrances the temples guard are not an entrance per se like the one at the Temple of Time, but a sort of communion place, through which you can connect to the Sacred Realm and the Sages within it, maybe to ask for help or just advice on important matters. As far as I remember from the games, each time Link enters the Sacred Realm through any of the "entrances" dispersed around Hyrule it was in the form of a spirit of sorts, not with his actual body. The only instance that is not so is in OoT when he enters physically through the Temple of Time, but that is because Rauru (I am not sure I wrote the name right) wanted to protect him while his body grew enough to fight Ganon, which would take seven years, and leaving Link's body behind for such a long period would not be safe. This would support why only the Temple of Time had such strong security measures whereas the other temples were abandoned. They were left by the Hylians, probably the guardians of the temples at the very beginning, so other races would take the task of protecting such places on their own terms and by their own power (Gorons, Kokiri, Zora, Gerudo, and the Sheika).

[@PukeTops]

or maybe they do a video call

[@calvinlofaro2319]

@@PukeTops HAHAHAHA LOL LMFAO

[@calvinlofaro2319]

this makes sense also because all the boss rooms are hexagonal/curler

[@RicoHillshire]

I know the entire video was to deal with the in game lore and purpose of the Forest Temple, but may I offer something more of a meta hypothesis that just might help the pieces fall into place? It’s common knowledge now a days that OOT was originally going to mirror Super Mario 64 in the fact that you’d have a central hub where you would traverse to the different places via the use of portals like how Mario did with the paintings. The reason for that would to save on RAM space and make the game look more pretty. Miyamoto didn’t like that idea and scrapped it sometime early in development for the more open world that we ultimately got. The team did pay homage to the early build by including Phantom Ganon popping in and out of those portraits. So, what if the Forest Temple was originally the HUB Hyrule Castle and the room where you fight Phantom Ganon was supposed to be where you got the Master Sword? That would make sense, right? You can even use that to help with in game lore. There are several iterations where the hero gets the Master Sword in the Lost Woods, the place where the Forest Temple is located deep within. So what if the prized possession that they were trying to hide/protect was the Master Sword? Think about it. Yes, the temple itself was located high above, but the room was located in the basement, which would put it roughly even with the forest floor. What if they built the temple above the chamber and had the puzzles, traps, et cetera be the trials that the hero had to finish in order to get the four flames, expose the elevator, solve one final puzzle, and then claim the sword. But then, despite all the traps and efforts, due to the curse of Demise, some force of darkness infiltrated the temple, destroying the steps, reeking havoc inside, and managed to get to the final chamber, only to be stopped by Rauru himself whom then proceeded to build the Temple of Time, moved the Sword (he is the Sage of Light after all) sealed the door, and gave the gems/keys to two of the other sages and the Great Deku Tree, knowing that he couldn’t give all three to three different sages lest the forces of darkness do exactly what Ganondorf did. But hey, that’s just my take on the possibility.

[@n6ght641]

Ok

[@tenum-lun9344]

This is an underappreciated comment.

[@n6ght641]

@@tenum-lun9344 wot?

[@notsarah1231]

Interesting theory.

[@n6ght641]

@@notsarah1231 yeah I agree even though I didn't even read it

[@TenguDaiCardinal]

My theory: The Forest Temple was an entrance to the Sacred Realm but sealed shut to minimize the Intruders. Afterward it became a Safe House to hide the Royal Family, if all obstacles were overcome then they escaped to the Sacred Realm to safe but only as a last resort by the look of the defensive steps taken. It was a safe haven to escape to during wartime. Which explains Links Arrival in the Kokiri Forest. Wow you some amazing insight.

[@therednecksamurai8084]

Tengu Dai Cardinal9294 I was thinking the same thing after Gabon took over they hid out in there

[@therednecksamurai8084]

Like a second castle

[@theinfamousbigslurp618]

Isn’t that zoras domains idea as well?

[@TenguDaiCardinal]

The Infamous Big Slurp, I have to agree with Zeltik. The Water Temple was used as a place of Worship to the Spirits and honor aquatic life.

[@wizzkid314]

Tengu Dai Cardinal9294 They said Zora’s Domain, not the Water Temple. Zora’s Domain is hidden behind a waterfall for protection and if worst comes to worst then the Zora could escape in Jabu’s belly

[@RobbWes]

The boss room probably had paintings of the sages that predated the OoT sages.

[@Cloudaddy220]

Wesley Robb Like Wind Wakers Hyrule Castle’s underground safe room with the glass paintings of the sages, that’s a good thought

[@Larolex3]

Some Prsn indeed.

[@carolinebergin4633]

That’s possible

[@KertaDrake]

Ganon would have wanted to corrupt or replace those for good reason if they were too... Last thing you need is to give the hero hints on where the descendants of the group most likely to mess up your plans might be by letting him see pictures that might give some idea of where to seek them out!

[@RobbWes]

@@KertaDrake a sage doesn't necessarily have to be decended from a past sage more like chosen by the gods.

[@Colonel_Overkill]

Personally I always suspected/assumed the temple was an ancient villa or vacation retreat for the Hyrule royal family that had been abandoned then claimed by the deku tree, lost woods or kokiri to become the temple for the sage of the forest.

[@Larweigan]

Yeah, that's my impression as well. When the mansion fell out of use I suppose the furniture was removed. Some of the weirder rooms like the one with the spinning platforms can be attributed to ganondorfs magics or perhaps traps left behind to ensure the fortress/villa did not fall into enemy hands. The boss room in my opinion looks sort of like a war room so the mansion might've doubled as a place to retreat to in times of danger or just a part of the defence procedures for a vacationing royal family.

[@RabidNemo]

Or perhaps even another cursed familyarrogant family rich and powerful enough to go build on sacred land and its punishment their home was overtaken by the forest

[@alexkuhn5188]

Colonel Overkill I actually had the same idea with a slight difference, I believe that the Forest Temple might have been where the Royal Family would live when they had business with the Great Deku Tree with the boss room being an entrance to the Sacred Realm that had a connection to the Chamber Of Sages. Also the Chamber Of Sages appears to have an entrance at each of the temples so might it have at one point have been used by the Royal Family as a meeting place between various groups? The boss room of the Water Temple had a link to the Chamber Of Sages so it may have been a place of worship for the Zora Tribe and it had a warp point to the Chamber Of Sages for the meetings I mentioned. The boss room of the Shadow Temple must have looked very different before Bongo Bongo arrived so it may have been where the people who worked in the Shadow Temple would go to warp to the Chamber Of Sages to report to the Royal Family. The Fire Temple was obviously a sacred location for the Goron Tribe as it was built where Volvagia was slain by the Goron Hero, the boss room may have looked very different before Ganondorf took over and resurrected Volvagia with Volvagia creating those spots it would pop out of. The Spirit Temple is the only one I don’t have any idea on.

[@Frogboyaidan]

@@alexkuhn5188 spirt is guerdos as thats why it has one of there gods .

[@luthiamoonlightfrqc2905]

I was expecting a colaboration with Vortex since she already made a video about this same topic long ago ... Btw is she dead or something ? She innactive for so long now kzbin.info/www/bejne/jIetgIl_f6uAgc0

[@matthewnodar7298]

The fact that the Poe sisters are named after the little women just shattered all of my preconceived notions of reality.

[@Prisoner_849]

The Forest Temple music is my favorite.

[@agniradhikamalviya3631]

Mine is the Gerudo Valley music...

[@britishballmappingsaveukra4344]

Same for both

[@TruStoogeDrew.]

Yep, soon as I heard this the game got real

[@TheBLOODEDGEFILMS]

Wather temple too

[@jonathanbowling2904]

Beautifully Haunting is how I classify it

[@angielic]

My favorite temple in OOT, due to the eerie yet calming atmosphere and incredible music! I feel like nothing compares to it

[@-goldenflowertea-]

It was one of the first ones I ever saw as a kid and remains to this day the only one that I ever had a dream about out of all the OOT dungeons. I agree too the atmosphere is haunting yet so calm I could like sit in that court yard area for a bit and just sit by that river.

[@jiminism1617]

angielic agreeeeed

[@brendanwilson8977]

👍👍👍

[@LucasBarbosa-qh5ke]

As crazy as this sounds, I think the Water Temple might be my favorite. Almost every other temple/dungeon in OoT - while still being fun - seems like they hold your hand a little, but not with the Water Temple. The Water Temple was probably the first 3D Zelda dungeon that requires some actual thought, as to what switch to push, how raising/lowering water levels opens up or locks away certain paths. You needed to use a basic understanding of space, and 3-dimensional pathfinding. The only annoying part was having to pause the game every 30 seconds to equip/unequip the boots (at least in the original N64 version), but this was a menu issue - not a gameplay issue.

[@jaredmartin7040]

Stone Tower Temple is up there as well

[@lanreakerele4375]

I really love Zetik, like who wouldn't for being a best storyteller about anything relates to The Legend of Zelda? What a good KZbin channel.

[@Rhiannonganon]

Yep and a very soothing and calm voice too 🙂

[@lanreakerele4375]

@@Rhiannonganon , I would really want Zeltik to tell any more stories of characters, settings, weapons, items in the Legend of Zelda from him

[@RwanLink]

I remember that Zelda Oot was supposed to be like Mario64 with the worlds inside the paintings. And the boss room in the forest temple is a reference to that. But what if these paintings were entrance to other worlds or dimension but in Zelda Oot ? It would explain why it seems to be a secret protected far in the deep forest.

[@jordanjoestar9096]

Might explain the mario portraits found in the hyrule castle in Oot as young link. I recall joking that princess peach is actually a zelda princess from the royal bloodline. (The joke started when i made the observation of how the boss in the pyrimid of dry dry desserts in mario 64 was exactly the same thing as the shrine of the gods boss from windwaker)

[@joinmeforasmile4464]

wow. I’m blown

[@anakincrywalker8904]

Could be an interesting theory for Termina, especially since Navi met Link in the forest. It makes sense that he would be looking for her there.🤯

[@TriforceLiz]

Maybe this is the idea they were sort of re-exploring in a Link Between Worlds? You travel between dimensions and worlds through paintings in that game, or by turning yourself into a painting.

[@aliastheabnormal]

Maybe the Forest temple is what remains of the original Hyrule castle/Mario 64 concept. Instead of throwing away all the work they repurposed it as a dungeon like the Earth and Wind temples.

[@HybridGib]

What's interesting is that the Great Deku Tree track is calming which makes the dungeon feel more 'homely' and 'natural', as it is inside a real, living tree, and in located in Link's home in the forest, while the Forest Temple track is made to sound unsettling and makes it feel more 'unnatural' and out of place seeing as how it's a manmade building in the middle of the forest; not only that, but the fact that the Great Deku Tree goes underground, which creates the feeling of being connected to the Earth and reassured/safe, while the Forest Temple is higher up off the ground, which makes you feel disconnected from the Earth and 'scared/unsafe' as well as inducing a general fear of heights/falling. I always found the Forest Temple to be generally creepy, but then I *really* thought about how unsettling it is in comparison to the Great Deku Tree.

[@mywifesboyfriend5741]

After all these years, this is still my favorite temple. The atmosphere, the music, everything just comes together perfectly here.

[@alantezoni9813]

Profile picture matches with the name

[@Hero_Of_Time94]

Agreed, the music has stuck with me all these years and the courtyard room, just staring at the open sky in a extremely isolated manor deep inside a forest. Nothing compares, I have literally had dreams of being in the forest temple.

[@howlerr08]

It reminds me of some ruins of a hotel I found when I was little, completely covered in vines and stuff. This temple just reminds me of that. When I explored the temple I felt just like I felt when I was exploring that ruined hotel

[@RabidNemo]

9:26 perhaps it's something like Windsor Castle?technically a fortress but more meant as a home for the royal family and used as a retreat for hyrulian citizens in a pinch

[@keruthol8089]

RabidNemo Maybe this was where Link’s mother was fleeing to. It would make more sense than just running directly to the forest during the war. She might have been trying to escape to the temple but got lost in the woods.

[@RabidNemo]

@@keruthol8089 or perhaps she found her way into the woods and one of the sages or perhaps of familiar owl ;) guided her to the kokiri village

[@beeeeeeees]

yeah i was thinking the same thing but more of like the forest temple being similar to a bunker for the royal family

[@markhlibovytskyy2204]

hylians can't enter lost woods, remember?

[@RabidNemo]

@@markhlibovytskyy2204 we don't know that that's the case for all time it may have become that way for a reason but somebody had to have built the Forest Temple

[@mukakruda8474]

Tbh I always felt the Forest Temple was the OG location of the master sword, after all we see in two Zelda games that take pace in the future that the Master Sword is being held in the lost woods with some form of sacred realm tied to it (Twilight Princess and the strange huge temple of time. BotW and the Deku tree watching over the Master Sword and the trial sacred realm behind it) I wouldn't doubt that in ages past the Forest Temple was the original location for the Master Sword and sacred realm, I mean what better place? There's always some kind of trial or test to reach the MS, what better than a labyrinth forest, leading to a maze, which then leads you to a strange "mansion" full of traps and illusions and you have to pass all these tests to be deemed worthy?

[@TheDailyPocket]

Might have been there in an early version of the game. And the paintings were easy teleports to the other dungeons. Or something...

[@96Darkan]

There is like 4 games where is stored in the forest areas, if my memory serves me right

[@drudle]

I suspect this more than anything, honestly. This could have been the original location of the Master Sword prior to Hyrule Castle being built. Once it was, the Master Sword's location was moved to be closer to the royal line who could keep an eye on it.

[@sigurdtheblue]

This gives me a new theory.... Maybe the Deku Tree and Lost Woods naturally form around where the master sword is being held as long as nature is not impeded. It would also make sense because although people usually know about the master sword, it often seems like it could have been considered a questionable or unnecessary artifact until the forces of evil fully showed their presence. There is always a structure area around the master sword as well. Every master sword location that is in the deep woods was likely protected by humans at one time but then they generally moved and lost faith in the past legends for some reason or another. The master sword still remaining would make sense with the Deku or Lost Woods protecting it as well as the fact that it cannot be touched by evil. However, it seems like in Wind Waker, it required a lot more to actually contain its anti-evil properties because it had been so detached from a place where plant life could grow.

[@Toddawaddles]

Oh hey, didn't see you all the way down here. Even if this isn't the case, I'm 100% certain the developers knew people would speculate before the master sword's true location is revealed.

[@KitKat_293]

I also like to think the art direction or theming of the temple was inspired by Edgar Allen Poe and the Fall of the House of Usher. (but I definitely think you're right about the temple's meaning within the lore and timeline). Mainly the crumbling mansion from that gothic revival architectural era, the name poe, the ghosts being sisters, and the theme that the family may have caused their own downfall.

[@paulagodebrito]

"It's far too beautiful" 😞 soldiers deserve art too hehe going on a huge marathon of zeltik videos because besides interesting, they are soothing. ill be forever grateful for these.

[@drizzt7dourden7]

not only that but the comanding officers would generally have fancyer acomodations... so just cause one area is richly decorated does not rule out military base ^^

[@KertaDrake]

Perhaps it was meant as a final holdout for the royal family? A place to store the important relics behind numerous defenses awaiting an evacuation that never came?

[@maccarth4910]

Me: "well, it's time to go to bed" 5 Minutes Later "...the undead enemies inside may be the deceased, reanimated soldiers from this encampment..."

[@BigKaTrob]

lmao that's me tonight

[@elijahmedina288]

Lmao read this as soon as he said it.

[@middleofnowhere677]

XD: when you realize that quote is 9 minutes into the video..

[@lucassrj1]

duuudeeee lmao! Exactly the same here!!

[@battyflaps5410]

yea i found this video at 2:30am lol

[@jmartinez8464]

It makes perfect sense that this fortified mansion would protect one of two known warp tiles at that time. Before the events of OOT and a Link to the Past, battles were fought to protect places like this; thus the need for this kind of fortification.

[@GL_099]

Me: "Oh, nice, a new Zeltik video" Zeltik: "The _Thicc_ -" Me: "This is gonna be a good one, I can tell"

[@meda1410]

Bro 😂😂😂

[@unolay1680]

😂😂🤣😂

[@nagatobrazil2236]

Y e s

[@culturedvulture2015]

0:07 in all di erections...

[@mattponce3837]

Dead 💀

[@andrewfix2488]

I’ve been a Zelda fan boy since I was old enough to play and OOT was my first and since then have played them all, but man it’s crazy to look and see how beautiful a N64 game is. The details, graphics, dialogue, story, Easter eggs, and side quests are absolutely amazing. This will forever be my #1 game of nostalgia. 💯

[@haldiroflorien6041]

Growing up, the fire temple was always my favorite temple. But now I'm utterly in love with the forest temple. It's mysterious atmosphere, the music, its layout. I love playing through the forest temple

[@nocturnality1307]

As a kid playing Ocarina I always got the feeling it was very similiar to hyrule castle in architecture, specially the garden layouts and use of labyrinths (like the one Link as a kid has to pass in order to get to zelda early on in the game). To me it felt like this was an ancient home of the royal family where the basement was either the burial grounds of the former king or the kings secret chamber and the open hall was the former throne room. After the war or maybe even before, it got lost in memory. Like everything else in the lost woods, over time it got twisted and haunted. Dangerous shadows, Stalfos possibly risen former royal guards and the very rooms turning up and down as if the spirits were controlling the walls itself. The last guardians of the tomb/throne being the poes (Joelle, Beth, Amy and Meg) who seems to have been sisters in real life, perhaps even princess of the castle? They seem to hold great love for each other as we can see Meg (the Purple poe) sit crying in the center of the room once you have slayed all her sisters leaving her forever alone in this castle lost in time and history. The very music of the forest temple seems to sing you the song that something bad happened here and it will forever be a mystery.

[@UniverseofDominion]

Well done m8

[@thepovdweller]

I like it

[@Lovuschka]

There is only one question: Who is rich enough to build that mansion, a hideaway for something so important it needs an entire fortress with illusions, paintings of Hyrule Castle, the Triforce... Who would want to hide there in a war? Who is part of the Triforce? The Triforce, of which Princess Zelda is a part of? There you have it: It's the Royal Family's hideaway during war.

[@Trotoloko]

Have you ever heard the concept of... Nobility? Or the concept of... Castles?

[@ddvalentine1048]

Yes. I think it was a bunker for like a last resort.

[@melo8130]

I really like this theory

[@linkheroofhyrule9364]

Only problem with this theory is that the Forest Temple was already built long before the Royal Family united the land of Hyrule. So that is ruled out. It is, however, possible, though very unlikely, that the Royal Family found the Forest Temple and maybe even considered it as a hideaway. For one, the Temple is in complete disrepair(referring to the staircase leading to the entrance), and two, the Lost Woods are part of the Kokiri children's region and would be impossible to station a garrison of troops there without getting lost or the Kokiri children denying entry like they would do with Link, who was considered one of their own.

[@Lovuschka]

@@linkheroofhyrule9364 Oh, I wasn't aware of that. Many thanks!

[@URBEXHILL]

I always loved the music of this temple. It makes you feel like there's a huge secret within the temple

[@adriannaranjo4397]

Remake developer: "Hey this dark, spooky temple in the middle of the forest filled with ghosts has a lot of fog, do we need that?" Other developer: "Nah it was probably just there to hide poor textures, let's remove the fog and brighten up everything"

[@autobotstarscream765]

So basically what happened to Silent Hill?

[@ALivingFlame]

I know right???

[@ALivingFlame]

@@autobotstarscream765 Yup... the infamous HD collection... (shudders)

[@LonelySpaceDetective]

tbf when you turn the 3D on, the 3DS's screen has an issue with ghosting and images appearing doubled in dark environments; especially against solid dark colors like fog. As much as I dislike some of the remaster's visual design changes (oh god they ruined the presentation of Ganon), I can see the reasoning for it. If the system had no 3D display functionality, I wonder if they may have stayed a bit closer.

[@bowenorcutt78]

Before the part of Twilight Princess where you go back to the past, I'd actually thought the ruins where you find the Master Sword were Ocarina of Time's Forest Temple. Then when I got inside the dungeon part I got even more confused, because it too reminded me a lot of the Forest Temple. Well, what if it used to be an early Temple of Time? The pedestal out front in Ocarina bears a resemblance to the one you get the sword from in that game, and the overall environment resembles the place you get the sword from in A Link to the Past. It being an alternate location for the entrance to the sacred realm would also be explained by it being a/the Temple of Time. Maybe when the early wars over the triforce were over they decided to build a new temple in the Castle Town and move the Master Sword there. Then after the business with the interlopers in Twilight Princess, they decided that maybe keeping the portal to the realm of the gods in a place where any two-bit warlord can find it might not be the best idea, and moved everything back to the original location. Or what was left of it, anyway.

[@hunbi1875]

good theory, i like it

[@AnonymousFREEZEpOp1]

I always loved the Forest Temple music, makes you really feel the isolation and creepy nature of this all but abandoned place of worship that has been reclaimed by nature and the spirits of the forest.

[@princestingy7631]

Forest temple always gives me such good memories of nostalgia

[@Aristocratic13]

Young Prince Always gives me good nostalgia of your mom... When she used to baby sit me and my brother when were 5 and 2

[@princestingy7631]

@@Aristocratic13 ...wtf

[@codyrisling1718]

Black Moon Knight this is funny because you think it’s going to be offensive when you read your mom.....then continue reading and then your like oh. It’s just a comment lol..

[@Aristocratic13]

Cody Risling Exactly. I don’t like to offend people with “your mom” because you never know if they passed away or are sick or something

[@princestingy7631]

@@Aristocratic13 i know it wasn't an offensive comment but i was a bit confused by the whole babysitter part 😁

[@SuperMonkey94]

I've been wanting a solid theory about the Forest Temple for years now, this satisfies that itch. Thanks so much for this and keep up the awesome theories and videos!

[@TheTruthHurts.247]

SuperMonkey94 Read my comment If you interested in another fairly solid theory on the forest temple

[@caraf8727]

SuperMonkey94 this is pretty damn good I thought it was going to be more simple this was delightful

[@danielholmqvist2713]

I'm playing through OoT right now. When I'm done, I'm going through all the tricks and labyrinths to just stand in this basement room one last time. This video made me realise it was such a special place

[@bestbrother97]

When I was a kid, I interpreted the Forest Temple as a old haunted mansion. The four poe sisters were the previous residents, and twisted their home to trap those who wander in. The music sounds like they are taunting. They steal the flames because they wanted some one to "play" with. That's why some of the rooms make literally no sense, they made it that way.

[@thatoneguyhonk2599]

I swear I feel like I'm learning things from a teacher. Your so detailed with your words!

[@gaspardsavoureux8680]

If they taught Zelda History in school, Zeltik would be the best teacher

[@thatoneguyhonk2599]

So true

[@Nephilim272]

Professor Zeltik. Hyrule historian

[@-goldenflowertea-]

I would go to that class even on weekends I love Zelda and I would have a lot of fun learning more on it and actually starting more theories

[@thatoneguyhonk2599]

Yeah. Me too!

[@brionmyers9640]

I always thought it was a museum twisted by Ganondorf's magic. All of the rooms give of display vibes, especially the boss room with the velvet ropes lining the central area.

[@DreamBelief]

Exactly. People don't put those in private galleries.

[@chalice4ever]

I feel like you’ve nailed it. I’ve had my suspicions for years now, it’s wonderful to see someone share my own theory. The last room at face value really does look like a possible chamber where the chosen - either go to worship, or transport to the sacred realm. But then again....unless an official back story is released giving us clarity...it’s just a speculation with no real validity

[@Dmaukingbird]

1000%. And in Twilight Princess the temple of time is im the Sacred Meadow. Almost suggesting that this was a version of the sacred fortification to protect the triforce and then it was moved closer to the castle when castle town was able to be better fortified.

[@joelbarr1163]

Watching this, there's definitely a lot of plant iconography in the stonework. Maybe all of the temples are genuine temples, places of worship, in addition to their other uses. Maybe They all began as temples, but were used for other purposes later on.

[@Breadbandit720]

I think it was a bunker for the royal family. If the castle was overtaken by some force the royal family will go there. It would explain the battlements and the decorations or it could be a place where more powerful people such as the six sages and the royal family to fall back to in times of distress if needed.

[@FierceDeityRick]

The 3DS version takes a bit away from how dark and creepy it really is, it really let you know you are not a little kid anymore..

[@Taz.B]

Forest Temple Theme has always been one of my favourite music around. Although my brother and I , back in the day of its first launch, use to hop around like lil chimps and emulated its sound. Your channel has been one of my favourites since I started to look in on Botw info. Once again you do a solid job in your research.

[@taywimzzz]

Please make this a series where you dive into the mysteries of each temple!

[@Rarebros]

When I was a kid I had the same feeling about this temple. I always used to go to the courtyard and look up at the sky in game and listen to the music.

[@CJ-jh9ri]

Same here

[@nathanbui7265]

I always thought the courtyard was really pretty. It’s the only temple I visit again in the game just to walk around and look at things.

[@BroArmyCommander]

This is so wholesome it makes me feel warm

[@Meg_88]

Rauru seems to have been waiting a long, long time for the Hero of Time. It is not too farfetched to think that all the temples were built in preparation of the coming of the Hero, in order to train him. Kind of like the Shrines left for Link in BotW, or if not to train him, to at least have a safe area for him to talk to the sages. But because Ganondorf cursed the land, the temples became full of monsters and traps. Inadvertently, Gandondorf, in order to keep mere mortals out, created the best training grounds for Link, lol.

[@familiaandradeherederodelr2320]

link cant talk

[@Ohflipsnap]

@@familiaandradeherederodelr2320 WELL EXCUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUSE ME PRINCESS!

[@rivenblake8220]

@@familiaandradeherederodelr2320 Link talks but like stated in Zeldas Dairy in Breath of the Wild. He likes to remain silent because of all the weight he has to carry on his shoulders being the chosen hero.

[@JoeVolution]

This evoked my nostalgia more than anything has in a really long time. And made me see Hyrule in a completely different light, which I always appreciate.

[@diego43014]

I've been always intrigued by this temple's vibes, since I first played oot The forest temple track is just hypnotic too Never thought about the similarity with the chamber o the sages Very nice panoramics, great video uwu

[@milanbeerepoot4260]

I believe forest temple was a sort of safe haven for people during the war Or at least was repurpoused as one during the civil war And that the opposing forces got to it, resulting in the “forest spirits” and lack of furniture And since we cant go inside as young link, it could be that there actually was still people and furniture inside the temple and that ganon got to them within the seven years link was sealed.

[@coledavis5212]

Milan Beerepoot Furniture doesn’t really mean much in a fortress. Also, Zeltik stated that it has been rotting ever since the civil war, so any last remaining people would’ve became Stalfos a while ago (13-20 years ago). Also, the opposing forces were people, not monsters. So that has nothing to do with the poes in the temple.

[@BelieveIt1051]

Impossible. The Lost Woods' magic would have killed anyone trying to get there.

[@84warhead]

Only issue with that is that the war that's often talked about in OoT came to a close right before, if not a couple years before, the start of the game. It was this very war that caused Link's mother to flee to the forest to hide him there. That leaves a time span of the war ending between 10ish to less than 1 year before the start of the game. Some of the overgrowth and some of the more weathered parts of the dungeon suggests a period of abandonment that was much longer than that. Couple this with the fact that turning into a Stalfos in the lost woods was basically common knowledge and I'm willing to wager that the entrance into the Sacred Realm theory proposed in this vid is spot on, and was basically shut down during the tensions leading up to the wars for the Triforce.

[@cizar2000]

Forest temple was the first temple built by the Skyloft people of Skyward ,thats why was not created by Hylians. The series makes it clear that Hyrule started after a people who came from the heavens to the ground. That's what Myamoto will say, rhetoric is easy to create when games embark on a wave of Scientology

[@milanbeerepoot4260]

Ave Cesar so you’re saying that if it has to be a location seen in previous games, it’s the palace or fortress of winds?

[@corpselight7989]

When I was a kiddo, I always thought maybe this temple was like a place to converse with spirits and the dead to be honest. Everything felt like an oracle sanctuary and the enemies seemed dead besides the plants. I still kind of appreciate little-me's theory, because the paintings all allowed Phantom Ganon to travel between the physical and some painting realm, which is odd and seems (to me) only spirits can access, as your arrows cant hit him until he's portalled out. Just my take on it with the ceremonious torches of four sisters, meditation worthy rooms, and strange paintings that ghosts can pass through!

[@Eirexeyes]

I absolutely loved the Sand Temple. The music, the atmospherewas so perfect. I played OoT sooo many time, even the special edition that came with the remastered edition for the gamecube... I loved every minuted of my 100th time playing OoT. The greatest gme ever made ..

[@catalyst539]

*Spirit Temple

[@nerderonofficial]

I don't know about y'all, but I love it when gamers and theorists like Zeltik come up with potential lore behind items, temples, and even monsters that even the Developers may not have thought of at the time. It really shows the brilliance and dedication from the fans and developers themselves, showing just how much each party can love a series or product to the point where they can even accidentally add things that tie perfectly into one another :) Thank you, Zeltik, for the amazing content, thank you, Koji Kondo, for some of the best videogame music of all time, and thank you, Nintendo, for what is perhaps the single greatest videogame series in history :)

[@saocunguoc9600]

I’m new to Zelda and recently just played OOT 3D and my goodness, I love this dungeon so fricking much, it’s so atmospheric and cool, it is so well-designed and it was good to be away from the bland and not-so-different dungeons of BoTW. I LOVE THIS DUNGEON!!!

[@SKyrim190]

It's incredible to hear that after so many years this game can still emotionally move players! It sure was amazing to play this as a kid! I agree with you that BoTW dungeons are all very similar. The overworld is cool and all, but I miss what we lost when compared to the older games. I recommend Twilight Princess as your next Zelda game. Very atmospheric dungeons as well

[@saocunguoc9600]

@@SKyrim190 i would love to try it out but I don't have a Wii nor a Wii U :(

[@DanielaAvilesF]

Man, I love it when you narrate the intros of cool locations like these. You make them sound so majestic

[@TheRyroll]

i always thought of the forest temple as some sort of monastery, used to protect something but was long lost and abandoned and claimed by the forest

[@haruhisuzumiya6650]

A sanctuary Ala LTTP

[@halfalligator6518]

something about zelda games is so timeless. Like the graphics tech may be old, but the design decisions and colours still make everything look beautiful. Everything is so perfectly balanced and functional. It's the only gaming series i've made an effort to actually go back and play all the old games - and they totally stand up. Also after playing the really old 2d games I can now see how blatantly these 3d versions are lifted out of those older versions. It's amazing how well it all translated and feels new while also being so similar.

[@moviecrush8624]

To me it feels like a rich family with a fascination for the occult built this mansion but the building was slowly corrupted by the rituals the family performed in the basement and the Forest itself

[@anakincrywalker8904]

I love Oot 3D, but interesting difference someone pointed out between that and the original is the fog in the forest temple. It seems abundant in the original, but in the 3D version it looks a little too clean and bright and it throws off the atmosphere a little. Still fantastic music tho.👌🏻

[@sephirothchild]

I don't know. Fog was used in early 3D game design to mask short draw distances.

[@ultraspinalki11]

Oot 3D ruined the atmosphere in other aspects as well. The most criminal being the battle against Ganon, where it feels like you're fighting him in broad daylight due to how bright it became in Oot 3D.

[@have_a_good_day420]

Danae Smith The original looks better in every way than the 3D version. The 3D version has a few better things, like being able to swap out Iron boots with the press of a button as opposed to pausing the game. The color and fog/darkness was more eerie in the original. The 3D version looks way too cartoony, and not Wind Waker type cartoony (which I like), just too bright. This game isn’t supposed to be brightly colored and lit in dark areas meant to be creepy.

[@Knightmessenger]

The sky in the courtyards was improved but I hate how the inside rooms have been given a blue tint in the 3d version.

[@autobotstarscream765]

It got the Silent Hill treatment.

[@jeffcronch5234]

My guess, it’s a former emergency stronghold for the royal family similar to Helm’s Deep in Lord of the Rings. It is immensely fortified and even has a panic room and traps for invading forces. This room could also be a place of prayer, not necessarily a portal and if it indeed had a portal, then Rauru constructing one entrance to the Sacred realm in the Temple of Time could also mean he sealed other entrances which could explain the disuse of the Forest Temple. The wood being infested and essentially cursed could also explain its disuse as that happened before the game began. How long was the forest cursed before Link entered the Great Deku Tree? Is this curse why everyone turns to Stalfos? It could be a result of Ganon attempting to prevent any retreat or sanctuary for the royal family of Hyrule. Sheika may have kept him from finding their own sanctuaries near Kakariko which is why Zelda was able to escape the coup of Ganon.

[@linkheroofhyrule9364]

Someone else mentioned this same theory so I'll just copy and paste my response as to why i dont think its true. Only problem with this theory is that the Forest Temple was already built long before the Royal Family united the land of Hyrule. So that is ruled out. It is, however, possible, though very unlikely, that the Royal Family found the Forest Temple and maybe even considered it as a hideaway. For one, the Temple is in complete disrepair(referring to the staircase leading to the entrance), and two, the Lost Woods are part of the Kokiri children's region and would be impossible to station a garrison of troops there without getting lost or the Kokiri children denying entry like they would do with Link, who was considered one of their own.

[@jeffcronch5234]

Link Hero of Hyrule the timeline does not give exact dates for certain events. When did the stairs fall? When did the temple fall into disrepair? When did the royal family arrive, not unite, in the area? When did the forest start turning beings into stalfos/become cursed? No exact dates are given therefore none of that is knowable beyond the world’s creator. Even if it was built before, the easily could have and likely did visit it or covert it to their own purposes. The forest wasn’t cursed the entire time. The war in Hyrule, according to the Hyrule Historia, waged for countless eras meaning that Hylians were present there for countless eras, yes? In the current childhood timeline just before the attempted coup of Ganondorf, the kingdoms united again and swore fealty. This means that at some point in those past eras, they had previously been united under whatever king of Hyrule was present before those wars. The kingdoms presence dates back an incredibly long time and there are clearly safe pathways through the woods as several characters have been to the temple. Due to the curses and worsening of times, these pathways became lost, closed, or blocked. There are not enough details in or out of the game to affirm or deny either possibility and when you consider the Sages and their appointed duties, others must have frequented the Temple.

[@linkheroofhyrule9364]

@@jeffcronch5234 It is explained in the game. First, the Great Deku Tree tells Link after the Forest Temple is conpleted, that he is a Hylian and not Kokiri. That his mother sought refuge during the civil war in the forest and entrusted Link to the Great Deku Tree. So now we know that the kingdom was united within 10 years as Link's approximate age in OoT is 10 years old. That establishes that. Second, the staircase can already be seen broken by the time the player visits Saria to learn Saria's song, so we know the temple was already in disrepair before Link traveled through time. This means that, according to your logic, during the civil war, which ended in ten years from the time OoT starts, the king created the Forest Temple as a hideout, abandoned it, and it became so decrepit that it looks like it hasnt been inhabited for more than 50 years. The timing does not add up. Based on older Zelda entries which are canon, the Master Sword's previous resting place was the Lost Woods. It would seem to me that the Goddess Hylia entrusted the chosen hero to keep the Master Sword secure which was hundreds of years ago. Between the maze layout of the Lost Woods, the guards at the front maze, and the underground elevator and rotational room (and the Triforce symbols on the floor), it would make better sense that the Forest Temple was created by the chosen one as the original resting place for the Master Sword. Perhaps during the civil war, the Hylians, who had records of the temple, used it as a fort due to its close proximity to Death Mountain and Zora's Domain. It is not known. As far as the Stalfos and evil spirits, we only see these in the Forest Temple, not in the Lost Woods. The woods have always been mystical as Navi states in-game that skull kids are children who wander the woods and become lost. This sounds eerily similar to what Fado states during the Biggoron Sword side quest when attempting to deliver the Odd Poultice to the Master Craftsman's son, she states that non Kokiri who become lost in the woods become Stalfos. So the woods themselves have been magical for some time. Maybe because of the Great Deku Tree. i mean he did resurrect all of the Kokiri children who were Hylian children who died during the war so its possible that the same magic that turns children into Skull Kids is the same that turns adults into Stalfos.

[@jeffcronch5234]

Link Hero of Hyrule look, the war specifically ending within 10 years of the game starting, yes, but that does not logically infer the rest. Hylians have been present in Hyrule even before Skyward Sword, the genesis of the game. They had previously been united prior to the civil wars in Hyrule and the wars with the demon clan. The game mentions being uninhabited for 50 years, but doesn’t state who exactly had been using it, when within those 50 years the stairs collapsed, or really any specifics. Hyrule and notably the royal family, always has/had close ties to the sages due to Hylia resurrecting herself through Zelda. The royal family would then be toed to each temple at some point. The game also states that the temples were corrupted by Ganon and the demon clans to prevent anyone from standing up to or gaining power to challenge him. It does not state specifically when those events occur or who drove out the residents of the temple (though presumably the demon clan would be responsible). The recent curse on the deku tree was Ganon, a character whose age is not specified though can presumably be quite unusually old as he is not a tradition human and his “mother’s” are Twinrova, witches from the Gerudo tribe that are centuries old. He could very well have been alive for 100 years and could be the reason the temple curse exists. The deku tree is a guardian protector of the kokiri and is too kind to place magic on the woods that would turn humans into monsters, especially since the result would be said monsters attacking the very woods the kokiri live. In other games, the lost woods turn people out. They wander in and find themselves leaving and having made no progress. It seems far more likely that the demon clan twisted this to make them turn into monsters, that they drove out the residents of the temple who most likely were tied to the royal family, and then made this place unreachable for most of them as it could create a problem for them in the future. Aside from that, the place, as this video points out, is heavily fortified. We can draw conclusions all day, but the point is we don’t know. Also, let’s forget for five seconds about the stairs. Various tools exist aside from just using your bare hands, that would allow one to climb and access the temple anyway, but to create a game mechanic, the designer used the hookshot, so let’s not pretend that is the only way in. Sheik seems capable of jumping 20 feet in the air. The stairs were mostly to justify an in game mechanic. Ganon could, in the game’s own specified time frame, be responsible for the temple’s current state.

[@dayshallcomeagain]

I always had this idea in my head that maybe the whole "turning into a stalfos thing" was more of Ganondorf's doing rather than just something that the forest always did. Perhaps it was because of Ganondorf's curse on the Great Deku Tree, being the guardian of the forest it affected the whole forest as a whole, or maybe it was done during the seven year gap when Link was asleep along with the creation of Phantom Ganon. It explains why the Deku Sprout is unable to grow and thrive, he even states it was because of the evil power within the tower, signifying that there is a connection between the Great Deku Tree and the Forest Temple. When one suffers, the other does as well.

[@emolgana]

Love this! I haven't heard that much about oot from zelda fans since botw came out but this is my fave temple and it's cool to hear someone talk about it

[@Revran]

When you were describing the strategic layout of the temple, it reminded me of a safehouse of some sort, maybe for the Royal Family.

[@N.i.E.M.O]

Best temple/dungeon in OoT. Love the atmosphere, the aesthetics, the music, and the overall mysterious vibe. Feels oddly 'liminal' at times too, which I didn't get the feeling from the other dungeons. The layout/design is also the most realistically plausible as an actual place that people would have used/lived in when compared to the more 'gamey' layouts of the other temples, whose designs make no sense as being places were people would have, or could have, used (for worship or otherwise). WW and TP's forest temple were a big dissapointment coming after OoT's. Those versions were just cliche forest themed dungeons - which makes sense, sure, but they were much less interesting and memorable compared to OoT's haunted, abandoned villa. Would be cool to some day get more canon backstory to this place, but it'll probably never happen. I'm kinda thinking the forest temple was a repurposed area from early in the game's development - maybe Hyrule Castle itself - back when the game was originally going to have a more hub-based design akin to Mario 64.

[@StarlinkNova]

I always loved the haunting atmosphere of the forest temple in Ocarina and the mysterious air about it. The music that accompanies it is great too. It's my favorite track from the game.

[@duhdogdvg]

Developers: lets build a haunted house Gamers: this building is deep in lore and must be a conspiracy. Developers: what?

[@mattwho81]

Yeah, I think we might be reading too much into this.

[@thanevakarian9762]

Lol more like Content Creators: Need to ramble on about nonexistent lore. Gimme dat add money.

[@Spartan_767]

Developers, ah shit it ships in 8 years and we need 7 and a half for polish. Ah wait that windwaker level looks good get it over to the graphic design group

[@Spartan_767]

@@thanevakarian9762 ad not add

[@thanevakarian9762]

Allistar _ short hand on a YT comment that my big ass thumbs had to type on a little phone not grammar test that I have to pass for graduation

[@1ThousandRoads]

Fantastic analysis. The Forest Temple, in all its eeriness and mystery, has fired my imagination ever since I first hook-shot into it over two decades ago. As Einstein said, "The most beautiful thing we can experience is the mysterious", and that, even more so than the visuals and haunting soundtrack, is what gives this opulent old ruin in the Lost Woods its beauty, I suppose. Love this video.

[@RumboSeno]

Makes me wish that we could have found this and Snowhead in Breath of the Wild.

[@nibirbaishnabchannel2125]

snowhead is in termina

[@zer0_sign]

No he means it would have been cool to find the ruins in botw

[@copperfish8816]

@@zer0_sign But... Snowhead is in Termina.

[@MrCharrrles]

@@copperfish8816 No he means it would have been cool to find the ruins in botw

[@copperfish8816]

@@MrCharrrles But... Snowhead is in Termina.

[@watchpatrun]

I grew up playing OOT as a kid and never thought critically about any of the temples, or lore. It's really cool to revisit the game through youtube and learn about how expansive this game really is, and also the nostalgia from the music. So great. I want to play again.

[@abhishek79]

The lost woods with its charming music was so beautiful i was happily going towards the temple thinking it would be a breeze. 1st them wolves startle me and then the eerie atmosphere follows, the poe's laugh and those scary and annoying floormasters soon prove me wrong. Gods it was so frightening as a kid and at the same time somuch fun too

[@Popitet]

I checked the script on the floor, which reads "Triforce" (transliterated from Old Hylian script corresponding to Japanese: "Toraifousu"). It occurs twelve times within this geometric shape (mirrored/rotated). So the centre is the Triforce, followed by a white circle with six tangents, ringed by six golden triangles, and at the border twelve repetitions of "Triforce". There are six repeated Triforces on the hexagonal platform edges, aligned with the white tangents. I don't think this number is a coincidence, and it further strengthens the possible (earlier) connection between the Sacred Realm/Chamber of Sages and this room. Also consider the Six Medallions; and consider Ganondorf, Zelda and Link with regards to the Triforce itself. Furthermore, the temple itself has many structural elements corresponding to the number of six.

[@starman1004]

This is my favorite dungeon in all of Zelda, and I never even realized the structural elements involving 6 entry ways (main atrium, basement room, gallery/boss room). It further validates that the boss room was an entry way to the sacred realm.

[@vincentwerts4724]

Interesting theory and very well though out. However, I have a question. If the temple has been neglected for centuries, how are the ornaments (such as the carpets) still pristine?

[@mirandagoldstine8548]

Magic? I don’t know...

[@dowaingeesey4230]

Maybe the poes keep it in shape

[@yolinhoz1724]

ganondorf changed the carpets

[@dowaingeesey4230]

@@yolinhoz1724 he has good taste

[@asgth6147]

When you rule a kingdom with an iron fist for long enough you end up needing a hobby, like replacing carpets.

[@mrdankhimself]

The Forest Temple was so ethereal. I always felt drawn to it.

[@GabePuratekuta]

So you're a sage or a ghost?

[@OurHourglass]

Me too. It was peaceful but haunting, and I clearly wasn't welcome there. Like if I hadn't come, it would just be resting in peace.

[@chivalrous_chevy1163]

I always loved beating that temple.

[@chopcooey]

spirit and forest are my 2 favorites

[@lostwoodsstudios8270]

@@GabePuratekuta I am so ARE YOU OFFENDING ME!!!

[@melissacastillo9104]

Oh I hope you have more OoT Temple Theories coming! 🥺 these episodes were so good and I’d love to hear your theories and thoughts on the others

[@thecompletedluigitwat4827]

9:42 I remember seeing somewhere that narrow passages or bridges are helpful in combat, as the enemy has no choise but to be lumped together.

[@raynmanshorts9275]

Castles were very well-decorated. It's a common misconception that the interior of castles were just cold stone walls. In fact, people today might consider the interior decorations of castles to be gaudy and garish. The forest temple having been a castle makes sense.

[@dayshallcomeagain]

Here's my theory: Long ago there existed multiple entrances to the sacred realm. One, as we know, is where the temple of time stands. Another is where the lost woods is. During the era of chaos, during the war over the triforce, greedy people found an entrance to the sacred realm. The royal family, in an attempt to protect the Triforce, built a great fortress around it to defend it from invaders. But it was not enough. The invaders were just about to reach the portal when the goddesses appeared. A great forest suddenly sprouted, which held a deadly curse. One that would turn any who dared enter into the living dead, a stalfos. The Triforce was saved. Over time, however, memory of another entrance to the sacred realm faded away. It was turned into a vacation home for the royal family, until even the building itself was forgotten and abandoned.

[@BroArmyCommander]

You lost me at "it was turned into a vacation home for the royal family." If it was a home for the royal family, it wouldn't have been forgotten.

[@dayshallcomeagain]

That is true. Sorry about that!

[@Daniel-xh6tv]

It's a very nice theory, congrats!!!

[@ShadowSkyX]

@@BroArmyCommander I disagree. If the forest sprouted to protect the mansion, eventually the forest would've become too thick and dangerous to find it again. However sheik - the sheikah - knew of it's existence and placed gossip stones and a teleportation pedistal in the effective front garden/base of the stairs, perhaps before it became lost and overgrown. After all, the ocarina of time acts like the sheikah slate and teleports you to specific locations aka pedistals around hyrule. The songs are like a sequence of buttons/password to each place.

[@wizrad2099]

Given the strong connection to ghosts, I always sort of figured that the Forest Temple was akin the Winchester Mystery House, a sort of mansion designed to confuse the spirits, or appease them. Doors to nowhere, hidden passages, shifting architecture, it's a spiritual playground. While I don't really have an answer for what the boss chamber would have been used for, I feel like the same could be said for virtually every boss chamber. That, or we have to assume that Volvagia really enjoys Wack-a-Mole, the water temple's boss room serves as a hard to reach public swimming pool, the shadow temple is home to the world's largest bongo drum (because you need bongos in a torture chamber, let's be real), and you can't worship a sand goddess without...aimless pillars... Point being, none of the final boss fights take place anywhere that make sense. If I were to remake them thematically, the forest temple boss fight would take place in a hidden graveyard or mausoleum deep within the temple; the fire boss would take place at the summit of the volcano with Link preventing Volvagia from escaping the mountain; the water temple would end before you go inside (seriously, f*** that temple) or at least take place out on Lake Hylia itself; the shadow temple would conclude in execution chamber where Bongo Bongo was ended; and the spirit temple would end in some holy chamber, with a statue of the goddess inside it at the least, maybe an organ like the one Ganondorf plays.

[@HybridGib]

Yeah, exactly 🤣 Architecturally speaking, Morpha's boss chamber is *literally* a swimming pool (except for maybe the pillars inside). And similarly to Volvagia playing whack-a-mole, Phantom Ganon (along with the real Ganondorf) loves playing tennis / ping-pong.

[@boonskank]

First time viewer here who thoroughly enjoyed this video! The in-game camera work in this video was so clean, and such a refreshing choice compared to what I normally see on YT. Not to mention all the maps and graphics. Kudos.

[@andrewhayden9896]

Im so glad the game didn’t spell out the lore behind the temples. Part of what makes the forest temple so cool is not really knowing why it exists in the first place. And i feel the architecture was a stroke of genius on the developer’s part. The forest temple looks part-mansion/temple/ fortress. I think this vague aesthetic mixture really feeds into the mysterious atmosphere of the temple. The vagueness of the structure raises more questions than it answers, and that’s a good thing.

[@olindoventotto3413]

Man.... how do you do? I love the game.. in '98 i was 12 when i finished it for the first time ... and i finished it over and over again lots of time .. but i never wonder about things like this... you're amazing man!!

[@harthosshlivanhivon4424]

Olindo ventotto Then, you’re about the same age as me. Born in the mid 80s, around the time Nintendo was first introduced to America, and right in between Links two respective ages (10 and 17) in Ocarina.

[@Snolly444]

Accidentally clicked on this after a notification but now I remembered why I love this channel

[@syemobius8788]

CallMeCucumber do you want to fight

[@annelencallaway2826]

Do you want to fight

[@blitzie66]

do you want to fight

[@nickyargento-glarner4695]

low key might design my house like the forest temple and maybe haunt it when i die😳

[@syemobius8788]

I'd create a cult and worship your ghost just for you

[@nickyargento-glarner4695]

Sye Mobius your cult is appreciated

[@yeehawpartner131]

Now that your mention it, i wanna decorate my home as Dodongos cavern😳😳

[@nickyargento-glarner4695]

Lyla Hilden id vibe there ngl

[@somebodynow_6731]

I would rather be homeless than design my home for the Water Temple...

[@vinnycochrane5139]

You write so beautifully. In my opinion, the Zelda series is magnificent because of its inscrutable mysteries. Even the soundtrack to the Forest Temple is uncomfortable and discordant, portending something nightmarish, or at least secret.

[@Yrrej8611]

@13:04 Oh! Oh! What if the boss room in the Forest Temple served as a former resting place for the Master Sword!? The Master Sword has been housed/retrieved deep within the Lost Woods multiple times! It makes so much sense! The defensive & ornate nature of the temple. The secret vault in the basement. Its location...

[@albertnortononymous9020]

I’m thinking that this was the original plan for the game until they thought up the mechanic of using the Master Sword to travel through time, so they needed to put the sword in a place that was more accessible to the rest of the game.

[@Shinn_Ryusei]

its worth noting that the writing on the floor in the forest temple boss rooom translates to " Triforce "

[@richardmcloughlin7621]

It should instead of said the words triforce of power seeing how that is the only piece of the triforce he normally acquires that would of made so much more proper sense.

[@Shinn_Ryusei]

the words on the floor predate the ganondorf incident

[@nopatiencejoe6376]

@@richardmcloughlin7621 the temple is not ganon's, he's only haunting it with a curse.

[@smugcat723]

I was hoping Breath of The Wild would have areas/dungeons like this. It would be amazing to find sprawling mansions/dungeons lost to time from the calamity. There's some buildings like the colosseum where you fight the lynels but more would have been great

[@Solrex_the_Sun_King]

Wait for BotW 2

[@ottawanuck6048]

That was honestly my biggest gripe with BotW I longed for a more fleshed out dungeon/temple format of Ocarina of Time throw in the many side quests of Majora's/BotW and that would be my dream Zelda game

[@temporaryaccount5698]

@@ottawanuck6048 Exactly! botw was empty and boring... so what if it's huge? So if gary's mod flat grass. And so is No Man's Sky. These are all the same (shitty) game imo, except gary's mod was way more fun. Botw is not a zelda game

[@TheNemisisx]

Fully agree. The main thing about zelda games that I love ate dungeons and I was disappointed at how the 4 main dungeons are the same thing.

[@AnakhaSilver]

I prefer exploration over a dumb dungeon crawl any day tbh. If you want a dungeon crawl, I hear Minecraft Dungeons exists. So does Hades. It's nothing BUT a dungeon crawl.

[@2Many2Play]

Wow this has always been my favorite temple I will never see it the same again. I appreciate your content always pushing me to dig deeper into the lore behind every thing in the Zelda universe. Amazing theory! Personally I always just figured it was on old castle for the Royal family to vacation too when I was a kid.

[@JJGray21]

This is by far my favorite OOT dungeon

[@lindseyb1445]

I’m honestly taken aback at the simple, yet complex design of not just the temple but the journey you take to get there. I never noticed how defense the entrance was, and even just catching glimpses of going up, down, sideways through the temple reminds me of the times I spent trying to figure out the temple. These dungeons really made you think, and I really hope they bring a challenge in BOTW2. Also, great theory!!

[@0ctopusComp1etely]

I'm the kind of player that stops moving and looks at skyboxes I find interesting, so anything about Zelda architecture is always a treat. I remember the first time I'd actually "thought" about and appreciated the area I was playing in was the Forest Temple itself. Waling into one of the open-air courtyards kicked my young brain into overdrive. I was in a dungeon, but suddenly I could see the sky? Why was there a perfectly normal courtyard? What was it doing here when so much of the dungeon had been designed to kill me? What else had I been missing up to this point that I just hadn't thought about? The was the moment that started my love for architecture and video-game level design in general, so the Forest Temple is something special to me. Seeing it get proper love in its own video means a lot. Thank you, Zeltik.

[@PaxIesus]

Great video! Been a while since I've been on your channel, since my Nintendo systems are limited to the N64 and Wii. I would theorise that the Forest Temple was a mansion owned by a duke or other landed lord of Hyrule. I would consider it more of a mansion than a castle, though, as the lord of the land considered the forest to be a natural barrier. It does not appear like it was built with war in mind, since the hedge maze speaks more of a decorative feature - like the palace of Versailles' labyrinth. The battlements exist as a precautionary measure, therefore, but are also almost a side thought. The temple in the basement and the hidden elevator would - in this scenario - serve a dual purpose. 1. The elevator would provide a means of escape, should the mansion be about to fall to raiders. 2. Even medieval duchies had private chapels; I would surmise that the hexagonal room is a private mini-temple to the sacred realm and the goddesses. That, at least, is my theory. An ornate mansion owned by a lord, designed more for opulence than defense, but perhaps converted to be a fort during the pre-OOT war.

[@kingdaniel3519]

I also think it more likely that it was a manor. As for the surrounding Lost Woods, I think that perhaps the building is older than originally thought, and that at the time of construction it wasn't yet surrounded by the forest.

[@PaxIesus]

@@kingdaniel3519 I thought about that, too. Or at the very least, it was a mansion that was near a forest, but decades/centuries of neglect allowed the forest to run rampant, or something.

[@catriamflockentanz]

2:21 To be fair: A third of near limitless power is still a lot. 4:44 I always wonder why the Forest Temple has such a big emphasis on Ghosts. Whilst the *Spirit* Temple hasn't. 11:42 Oh. I have never made that connection.

[@jordanjoestar9096]

A forest is built upon the ghosts of trees from the past

[@haruhisuzumiya6650]

The Forrest temple is the wind temple

[@jordanjoestar9096]

@@haruhisuzumiya6650 suddenly the earth temple using a bird and the wind temple using a plant in windwaker makes a little sense

[@haruhisuzumiya6650]

@@jordanjoestar9096 originally this game was designed with gateways to the dungeons via Ganons tower and the Forrest medallion door is full of fans and lens of truth platforms.

[@A_Lion_In_The_Sun]

Maybe it's a reference to the haunted forest just north of Mt. Fuji, Aokigahara.

[@robertlevy4613]

If only all this stuff was actually true. These videos are super top quality. This guy should be a documentary narrator or a game developer.

[@janedoe2859]

This temple was my favorite as a kid growing up. I love hiking and so did my family, so sometimes when I would go bush whacking with my father, I always imagined we'd stumble across some ancient forgotten manor like the forest temple. Replaying this section of the game always brings me back to that time, and I'm really grateful I got to experience it, I just wish I go back and experience it for the first time all over again.

[@njfox3305]

good question the forest temple has been an enigma for awhile perhaps this was were the triforce was stored and protected before the temple of time was built and the door no doors to the sacred realm were sealed. Link and zelda still had the triforce after skyward sword perhaps they lived in the forest temple to store and guard the triforce till it can be returned to the sacred realm.

[@haruhisuzumiya6650]

Twilight princess reveals its true form as a palace of wind The wind medallion

[@njfox3305]

@@haruhisuzumiya6650 what dose that make the boss chamber a wind lift?

[@haruhisuzumiya6650]

@@njfox3305 it feels like the painting idea from the Zelda 64 planing Also the Zelda dungeon informer kzbin.info/www/bejne/oZ3IqGOXiKqKjJI says that initially the Forrest temple was a wind based one, farores wind the logo for the Forrest medallion points to a temple that was scrapped Then you have the twilight princess version a full blown wind temple. This is very interesting.

[@funnyteacherman]

I always felt like the Forest Temple was a place to protect the sage and possibly to worship or protect forest spirits.

[@davidquezada50]

*forest temple

[@OurHourglass]

Me too. Like, the sage there would be a forest being, but the fortress is attended by ghosts. Maybe the royal family provided workers to build things according to the sage's specifications.

[@NoeLPZC]

The fortress theory makes no sense at all. The "battlements" only face the interior courtyards, and there are no battlements facing the outside (if it were a defensive structure the entrance with the warp point would be surrounded by battlements, but it isn't). If the battlements are supposed to be functional, then the courtyards must've been intended to hold something dangerous. This doesn't make sense - the courtyards are clearly not cells. This makes me believe the "battlements" are merely ornamental, which is ABSOLUTELY a thing in history. After castles became obsolete, wealthy people would build "chateaus" - houses that LOOK like castles but aren't functionally defensible. It was a status thing: the Lords of the past lived in castles, so I want my house to look like a castle. Given the puzzling placement of battlements in the forest temple, I believe it's a "chateau" rather than an actual castle/fortress.

[@Katares]

Is anyone else entranced by the absolutely beautiful description of the forest and the temple in the first 45 seconds? It's like reading a really good book. Or rather listening to someone reading a really good book to you.

[@simonwiggins8570]

I was 8 when I first played this game upon its release. The young link part I struggled through but eventually after months managed to get all 3 stones. The adult link play was too much for me, Forest Temple was difficult and I got stuck at the room with the claw and couldn't seem to get any further. I continued to explore the world and gather what I could. Found the Fire Temple etc but it was only years later when a little older that I went back and slowly completed the game. Because it took up much of my later childhood I feel a real connection to this game. I'm pretty sure I had tears in my eyes when I finished it. A real sense of achievement!