The Problem With Tears of the Kingdom's Story

Princess Zelda is a better character than Link.

[@AeroZephron]

In addition to most of these understandable critiques, I feel like the term "Imprisoning War" implies an epic and protracted national conflict. In the game, it's just a small-scale battle and only portrayed as such. I also think Zelda's story was lost on the fact that Sonia was supposed to be a surrogate mother - confronting the loss of her was a missed opportunity.

[@Isuream6331]

It’s implied by the memories that there was actual battles in between Ganondorf’s transformation and his sealing, but they seemed to be horrifically one-sided

[@AeroZephron]

@@Isuream6331 which only serves to strengthen the sacrifice of Rauru. If we had more moments to witness the loss of life, as well as spending time on the fallout of Sonia's death, it would have only given more urgency to Rauru's decision. A king, doing what we see as utterly a last ditch effort.

[@mjc0961]

@@Isuream6331 It really feels like they just barely hinted at those battles so they have another excuse to make a Hyrule Warriors game.

[@Planag7]

Yeah they tend to do that in terms of media. Like Infinity war on the movies versus what the comics were...

[@jasonnewbery]

We barely see any “war” too. Hell you see how messed up all the sages were? Idk bout everyone else but i would have KILLED to see THAT fight. But we catch the end where the only action we get is them throwing their weapons at him in desperation. Pretty disappointed with that

[@FIamestalker]

I think the missing piece was Rauru. He should've been a full companion character throughout the game, commenting on the storybeats, offering suggestions, etc. He wouldn't be an intrusive or omnipotent companion either, he knows nothing of what happened after he created the seal, he doesn't know where Zelda is or what her and the sages could've planned, he's almost as much in the dark as Link is, only able to speculate, and he knows nothing about current Hyrule so Link has to take the lead. He was already the character the plot revolved around, his Hyrule, his secret stones, the sages,his pride and feud with Ganondorf, his failure to control him and ultimately seal him, it all traces back to Rauru and Ganondorf. Link and Zelda merely interact with the fallout of their conflict, they are not the ones to trigger it, only the ones that ultimately solve it. Its not really them that have a completely personal stake in all this, its Rauru. He could have been the character that was forced to change, had he been used more than only showing up in the beginning and the end.

[@dirtywhitellama]

I agree, would have loved to have seen more of Rauru.

[@pedroparamodelvalle6751]

Ever since Fi nintendo seems utterly unwilling of adding a companion. Guess they finally heard we all hated navi, (not me) and in my opinion over corrected

[@nathandam6415]

So... like Silverhand in Cyberpunk 2077? I would love something like that lol.

[@Keblash]

Would have been much better. I wonder how much resistance Miyamito put up against what they were able to put in story wise. Love the man for what he's done, but his complete opposition to story in game is bizarre and detrimental to a lot of otherwise wonderful games.

[@luigibrostudios3390]

Is there even a reason for why rauru disappeared canonically? He was kinda like "link you are very good at fighting things" and master oogwayed. He also appears in the ending cutscene, so clearly he wasn't completely gone!

[@PeterParker-jz8eo]

I agree with the whole video except the last point. Link character being an unchanging beacon through the darkest time has been done really well in Twilight princess. Its a trope similar to Superman where he inspire hope in people.

[@matthewjacques5776]

I agree! I think that from a game perspective, the developers wanted to show Link as a blank slate to kind of impose yours or whatever personality onto him. It’s something many game developers do. However, I think it still works from a character perspective as well. Link is a symbol of courage. He’s stable and dependable and the pillar of hope you’re talking about. Is he relatable through his flaws? Absolutely. His games always depict his power crawl and character building (think of the spirit trials from Skyward Sword) Link’s character is blank enough for the audience to connect with him on the surface level, while his growth through overcoming trials helps us to connect even deeper with him. He may seem “boring”, but really we through his character are growing because of the trials we both face.

[@samf.s.7731]

Yeah but TP Link is arguably best Link though (In terms of characterization and character interactions). TBH TP had the best story too, slightly overtaking Skyward Sword's. Link could be considerably more interesting, and he's an iconic character. Imagine having Leon Kennedy as your protagonist and doing nothing with him, wouldn't that be a waste? Edit: he's still heavily eclipsed in his own game by Midna, he should have been 5he twilight princess!

[@kylepessell1350]

I would recommend reading the Legend of Zelda manga adaptations which often give Link more of a character of his own. You don't have to change his status as a reliable hero with a courageous heart to give him depth which enhances the story. I don't recommend Nintendo to break from Link completely... but giving him a bit more nuance could go a very long way towards spicing up one of the most glaring weaknesses of LoZ in the modern era.

[@cloudshines812]

At this point, I wish people can stop trying to predict what Link should be like as a character. Nintendo does this also with Mario but we don’t care, because he is supposed to be an unchanged hero. A basic reflection of ourselves and how we can step up for new change and facing our darkest enemies.

[@gio9255]

Comparing Link to Superman is quite the stretch. Superman is far from a static beacon of hope that acts as a avatar for the player or reader. In the comics, Superman's one of the most well written, dynamic, and fleshed out Superheros of all time.

[@wplays4271]

I think a good arc for Zelda would have been a fear of sacrifice. She held Calmity Ganon back for *a hundred years*, lost her father, her closest friends and her kingdom. What if from the start, they knew that the only way back would be draconification. But the idea of sacrificing everything bought back trauma’s from the events of BotW. Which she overcame after seeing Rauru sacrifice himself without fear. It’s still simple. But it would be a great arc that ties back to BotW

[@GeneralOlde]

I think the reason Zelda comes off as static to some people is because by the time TOTK takes place, she's been living with Link for about five years. During that time, she's been helping the people of Hyrule rebuild, she started a research team with Purah, and she even established a school in Hateno where she was a teacher (and became a sort of surrogate mother to one of the girls in attendance). She was living her life and cultivating a love for Hyrule, it's culture, history, people, and wildlife, in a way she hadn't been able to before. And in TOTK, she winds up back 10k years in Hyrule's past, where she meets people who essentially become a replacement family for her, treat her with love and patience, and never force her into anything like her father did. The stone tablets quest reveals that she rode Mineru's constructs, so it's likely she used her spare time to learn more about ancient Hyrule and probably even spent time doing science stuff with Mineru (please Nintendo, make a DLC cutscene of this or even a family photo cutscene of Zelda and her surrogate parents like you did with BOTW's Champions DLC). You'll notice that in both eras she managed to win the support and adoration of the people she met. In one of the BOTW memories, Rhoam warned Zelda that she was in danger of inheriting a kingdom of nothing, but by the events of TOTK, Zelda has (by assuming a diplomatic/political role as opposed to a spiritual one that she had been previously pressured into) effectively attained the life she always wanted and found inner piece. So for her to wind up in an awful situation in the past where the threat of Ganondorf's revival looms over the next thousands of years, she takes it upon herself to ensure the future of the kingdom (and everyone who lives it: Link, the sages, the children she taught at Hateno) even if it means she'll never be there to see it. More than that, she takes additional steps to help Link in the future: she tells the sages to raise the sky islands and leave messages for their descendants to aid Link. I think this is where she really embodies the Triforce of Wisdom; she makes a lot of long term decisions to set Ganondorf up for a fall. She essentially authors the prophecy of Link being the Chosen One and becomes a part of Hyrule's history; not bad for someone who's a total nerd for history. For her to give all that up for the sake of Hyrule shows how far she's come.

[@Darthmobian]

nah the story was ass and zelda got shafted

[@krashdevaughn5360]

how much of this is shown through the people around hyrule, cutscenes, or even straight up stated? Not disagreeing at all but i’m not gon acknowledge these things as a plus considering the story was still butt

[@redbaronflyer8392]

It's a shame some of the most interesting stuff about Zelda being in the past is on those sky island pedal monument things you have to do a sidequest for translate (or read it if you can understand middle english). One or two cutscenes with Zelda doing stuff that's described on those monuments would have helped a lot IMO. BOTW also had some cutscenes where the focus wasn't on preparing for the calamity and had Zelda and Link just doing stuff (like riding on horses, the silentprincess/frog scene) and it added a lot to characterization. I guess that's part of the issue with TOTK focusing way more on a linear plot whereas BOTW tells you the primary story beats right after the Great Plateu and the memories serve as additional characterization to the cast, meanwhile TOTK has to tell a linear story and it just doesn't work.

[@Awesomeflame16]

​@redbaronflyer8392 Yeah, BOTW is also strengthened by its environmental storytelling, which TOTK doesn't have as much of.

[@Hyziant]

What bugs me is that there was a very compelling SNIPPET of characterization they gave Link this time around. In BOTW, Zelda says in her diary that Link told her that he stays silent because he feels immense pressure shouldering the burden of being the chosen hero and just how much is at stake. I think Nintendo almost accidentally struck gold here because this may be the only time we’ve could’ve had an anxious Link. It’s a common story, but at least it would have been something if they had Link go through the whole game confronting his anxiety of being he hero and gradually becoming more brave and, you know, courageous? This could be especially compounded by the fact that he has *already failed once*. At the end of the game, he could be the courageous hero we all know and it would be a pretty neat character moment.

[@axormin596]

I just honestly think about the undercurrent of alot of Link's character are in the quest log description and text logs. But in english almost every single bit of what showed Link's feelings and connections was removed as the English team has belief that English players want to be link instead of just enjoying the guy as a goofy character

[@Ian-fi7co]

Honestly. One of my biggest gripes with Nintendo of America is how they change the source material because they think they know better than the people that ACTUALLY MADE THE GAME. Recent examples being the censorship in Fire Emblem Engage, and what you just mentioned about the journal in TOTK, as well as removing Ganondorf's motivations.

[@lapniappe]

yeah. I was completely surprised to realize that in Japan, the quests were "I did, I found out." where in English it's "you." and truthfully I don't even know if I can BLAME the English team because I remember SM and EA continually say that Link is "the link between us and the game." so for all we know they are just following orders.

[@LegendofJess1]

​@@Ian-fi7coWait removing Ganondorf's motivations??

[@Isuream6331]

@@LegendofJess1 In the Japanese version(I.E the canon version), Ganondorf despises the zonai because, in his eyes, by using their magic and technology, they softened the world. He believes this deprived the world of courage and so his ideal world is one where might makes right, resulting in people becoming stronger overall. So he’s a facist, basically

[@Ian-fi7co]

@@LegendofJess1 yep, in the Japanese version, it's revealed that Ganondorf believed that Hyrule was growing weak because of all the blessings, Zonai technology, and general easiness of life. He saw the desire for peace as an excuse for weakness, so he wants to overthrow hyrule and force its inhabitants to be strong, or else they will die. I might be a little off, but that's the general idea.

[@wordsandyou]

I’ll agree with you on the sage cutscenes, 100%. They could have revealed slightly different information while still getting the main point across. But the type of growth you’re describing is not the only way to tell a story though. Static characters show strength of character through various circumstances. The story puts them through trials and we the audience get to admire their strength of will and the the things that stay consistent about them. Stories can be about showcasing who someone is on a fundamental level. That’s what TOTK is trying to do and by my count it succeeds in all the important ways.

[@Isuream6331]

I think each sage should have shown us what life was like for their race back then, and then how it changed when Ganondorf attacked

[@jjtheenton]

I get why each one tells the story of the Imprisoning War, as any of them could be your first one, and they're telling it to the new Sage rather than Link. There still should have been variety to them with different perspectives and perhaps backstories as to how they became Sages.

[@goroakechi6126]

Static main protagonists or side characters are propped up by the characters around them who are affected by their staticism. If all characters are static, there is no growth or things to note.

[@owenbyrne9850]

I wanted the sage cutscenes to ACTUALLY SHOW their battle against ganondorf, not them all ready to fight, then all they are all beaten down with decayed weapons.

[@Byssbod]

Idk I didn't go into this asking for a story on the level of TP or SS..more like something simple like Stardew Valley or something

[@asc3nded397]

I love Ganondorf in this game but honestly my personal biggest problem with the story is just how little we get of him. He shows up briefly in a couple memories and see him at Hyrule Castle and then we fight him at the end of the game and that’s it. No backstory, no motivation (other than Demises Curse just making him evil) no active interaction with Link aside from the scene in Hyrule castle and the end of the game. A couple more memories about Ganondorfs past and a couple more active moves and encounters in the present would have gone a long way.

[@clonetrooper2003]

* Zelda and Link’s relationship gets almost no screen time throughout the story because the minute Zelda is time warped to the past, their progression is put on hold in favor of brainless gameplay * The game has enormous plot holes and conveniences such as but not limited to: - [ ] Rauru’s hand falling off of Ganondorf’s chest at the exact same time Link and Zelda arrive along with it having the ability to randomly teleport just once so Link can survive and awaken on the Great Sky Island - [ ] The master sword randomly going back in time for no reason just so Zelda can take a hold of it. (Way to save such an important plot point for the DLC) - [ ] The destruction of so much sheikah technology in an unrealistic and unwise time period of 4 years. For example, while it makes sense of Hyrule to destroy the guardians (albeit it wouldnt have been possible in 4 measly years) why did they get rid of the ancient arrows and shields and stuff? That shit would have been REALLY useful during the upheavel, you donuts! - [ ] Yona being Sidon’s childhood friend before the great calamity, implying Hyrule had contact with other kingdoms but for some reason didn’t ask for troops from those countries in advance to use against the calamity - [ ] Nobody figuring out zelda is an imposter even after link watches all the memories before the fight with phantom ganon - [ ] The new Shrines are a MASSIVE contradiction. If we are to assume the Zonai built them before Zelda’s arrival in the past, why? The calamity had not happened yet and so there was no reason for a hero to be trained???? If they were built after the memories by mineru, that makes even less sense. Not only was she damaged by Ganondorf’s gloom but she wouldnt have enough time to build 152 of the. * The present day storyline about us gathering the new sages of hyrule is not actually that bad except for one major problem: The end of each dungeon suffers from the same BS copy-paste cutscene of the Imprisnoning War before transitioning to Zelda telling the ancient sages some trash about Link coming with the same dialogue 4 times. Yes, I am aware that these are canonically meant for the new sages to hear but its still not a good cutscene cuz each one is the exact same with nothing for the PLAYER WHO IS WATCHING THEM, which is what cutscenes are MEANT to be for * The new characters are REALLY BAD. - [ ] First, the side characters: The stable trotters are annoying as shit. Whenever you try to get their AWFUL cart to a fairy fountain, they reset it if you put them in danger, not to mention they are your only hope of opening the fountains! Speaking of horse stables, Penn is an incompetent Cookiehead. It is astonishing how he fails to figure out after the first couple times that the yiga are behind the fake zelda sightings. INSTEAD, this Pelican faced piece of trash forces you to go to EVERY SINGLE STABLE to get some anti wet armor. The Lucky Clover Gazette has the WORST employee roster I have EVER seen. Also, his catchphrase is PATHETIC and ANNOYING. Lastly, Cece, while infinitely better than the idiots I am about to mention (cuz she has actual development) is annoying. - [ ] The bigger and more important characters…….ARE EVEN WORSE THAN THE SIDE NPCS! Sonia and Rauru, despite having great chemistry with Zelda, are forgettable as shit especially compared to the 4 champions from BOTW. They have virtually no personality and their actual characters are reserved for ancient hylian tablets, which is a side quest that is HARD to complete. As for Mineru, she is bland and unlikable. She is just another one of the dungeon sages whosecutscene you are bound to skip past. Speaking of which, dont even get me STARTED on the sages!!! Faceless and lame! This was not a problem at all in BOTW because in each of the first champion’s memories, we saw their actual personalities and relationships with Link. * The game, unless you want to use borderline mental gymnastics, ignores all previous lore which would be fine except its ancient past cutscenes are a boring retelling of previous zelda lore we have seen before. * Half of the ancient past cutscenes, like the Pre-Calamity ones from BOTW, happen with no context and feel like disconnected filler from the story they are trying to tell. For example, the one where Zelda sees Sonia die like a little bitch has almost no buildup or prior establishment and the cutscene before it was a dumbass filler tea party one. BOTW had this problem especially with the Yiga cutscene but atleast we had Creating a Champion and the diaries to fill the gaps not to mention every cutscene was actually important to the story or characters in some minor way that mattered. * The ending is a disaster of a joke. Get this: After we beat Dragondorf, we awaken in some magical realm where we meet Sonia and Rauru’s ghosts (wait, I thought Rauru’s spirit passed on at the beginning of the game?) and they somehow manage to Link his rigt hand back, despite the fact that Rauru told Link his hand was beyond saving. Rauru and Sonia then shoot some contrived magic blast at the Light Dragon, despite the fact that Draconification was irrreversible, turning it back into Zelda and ruining any emotional weight the game had. After the pair fall into a conveniently placed pool of water, the game repeat BOTW’s ending by having zelda say hello to link after so long except this time is boring as shit instead of absolutely beautiful

[@_elynas]

@@clonetrooper2003summed it up perfectly, this games story is absolute ass lmfao

[@clonetrooper2003]

@@_elynas well, i have revised some of my crticisms to be more accurate but thank you

[@clonetrooper2003]

I just find it shocking that there are people who think BOTW’s story is bad but this isn’t @@_elynas

[@jman2001jt]

Honestly I think Ganondorf being incredibly underwritten weakened the entire story. He has so little presence and personality that the characters don’t really have anything to challenge themselves against outside of his brute strength. He’s just evil incarnate, which worked for Calamity Ganon, but doing it again with a character that is supposed to be a more human counterpart just comes off as generic and boring. If he had a more interesting dynamic with Link and Zelda than I think the story would’ve been more compelling.

[@inva88]

I read that in the japanese version its explained that he though the hylians and zonais were too weak and had an esaier life compare to the gerudo So he decides to rule hyrule for the worth ones

[@aedaniammx7559]

In BotW, they focused on Zelda proving her worth in her destiny-obligated light god powers, but in this game, I think they should’ve focused on Zelda’s personal interests. She’s enamored by ancient history and technology, and she literally gets sent to the past, have us see her use the vast wealth of knowledge she’s accumulated from that personal desire to learn about the past and use it in a way that proves that she has more worth than the sacred power she was forced to carry by destiny, the entire thing she struggled with in BotW. Maybe they could’ve played into it with how we find the story too, like instead of ancient memories we find spots we can reminisce a few years back, or find special journals with her research notes in them, seeing Zelda discuss seemingly benign and unrelated things, like the origins of the dragons and the Master Sword’s ability to heal in sacred power, and as we get glimpses into the core story from the ancient past via the MAIN story (as opposed to five cutscenes of Ganondorf wiping the floor with the sages), they’re revealed to all come together as the main story progresses and concludes

[@klaragranger4962]

Fully agree. Botw Zelda would be so excited to see history, she would ask questions and try to find out as much as possible about how zonai tech works so she could apply it once she is back. Would have been a great way to show the players details about hyrule back then as well

[@Socioromanticism]

If I'm reading you correctly, Zelda wouldn't have been able to use her historical knowledge of the past, because the Zonai would know more about it than her in almost every way. She could use her knowledge of the future to help, and even though she ultimately did, it wasn't very interesting or related to her personality.

[@aedaniammx7559]

@@Socioromanticism True, but she’s further back in time than most history records, so she should be giving information and acting with the knowledge of how things turn out in the less-ancient-past, or using stuff from the future like the Purah Pad to assist for more than one scene. In the actual game, she doesn’t even know who Ganondorf IS, when she ‘senses his evil’ Rauru already knows, and when she warns them about what happens down where they fight they all but ignore her warnings. It feels like without her, the story would’ve been the exact same except for the Master Sword not getting fixed, she’s just so... weirdly idle for everything else

[@lillith7257]

@@aedaniammx7559 that's because no one could know, the calamity she dealt with in her time is ALL she would know, a puppet. and i completely disagree, she is the exact guiding force for the game and is there to help in a lot of ways.

[@lillith7257]

they did that in botw as well, they didn't need to focus on it here because there was far more pressing matters at hand AND she is a grown character. no need for growth. she is a well respected person and has earned it. we come to know of the countless people she interacted with and changed throughout totk. we come to know how much she cares for animals, how much she invested in the lives of everyone. she is a fully realized character by now. that is not a bad thing, that is the ultimate end you would try to achieve and see realized in a story. (also her knowledge on zonai is non existent, she may be curious but there is nothing she could offer, in fact others in the present learn more about it and offer their help to link. which is good actually it gives them and the world more depth.)

[@silvershine2261]

Zeldas Arc in Botw is even more complex than you painted. Because her interests and lack of access to the goddess power she is gaslight by the king (her own father) and the royal court into believing that this is her fault, its her not trying enough, its her not caring about her duty. Even though she really does try her hardest. This relentless abuse slowly crushes her self esteem and every time she fails to connect to the goddess power within her, the belief that she is the issue grows. The seed sown by those around her quickly grows and finds furtile soil in the huge expectations that burden her. It goes so far that she even projects her own self esteem issues and fears of not being enough onto Link, making her think he despises her for being weak. Though over time Link (and in part also the champions, her only real friends) prove time and time again that they love and care Zelda regardless of her progress with the power, but for who she truly is. And all of this culminates in her lowest point after calamity broke out. Collapsing in the forest, seeing all of her deepest fears and insecurities validated, having lost complete control and failed miserably. But contrary to what her fears would tell her Link holds her tight regardless of failure, never abandons her as he truly cares for Zelda. Not the princess of hyrule, but the Person Zelda. He would never judge her, only ever support her. Its one of my favorite scenes in video games ever, as its incredibly emotional and a perfect setup for Zeldas hard earned redemption, when her hero is faultering and needs her. Zeldas arc is about psychological abuse, how it breaks a person and that you need genuine emotion and affection from others in order to heal from it. And that this healing takes time. And that you are always worthy of love, no matter how hard times are. Its something we all should learn about This is why its so infuriating to me, that our girl just stagnated in totk. Zelda deserved better than a few awkward interactions with Sonya, screaming some names while helplessly standing by and then just making another sacrifice

[@devchekhov7512]

Hard agree with a lot of the stuff you said, but I wouldn't say that her father "gaslit" her. He put an enormous pressure on her, but gaslighting is trying to convince someone that they are crazy. The king was wrong in his course of actions, but wasn't malicious. He was terrified about the prophecy and needed his daughter to unlock her sealing powers. This isn't some "tiger parent" stressing out their kids for familial/tribal glory--this is a troubled monarch doing everything he can to ensure the survival of his kingdom and can't fathom why his daughter's powers aren't working. He's a hammer, and to hammers, all problems look like nails.

[@silvershine2261]

@@devchekhov7512 I agree that it isnt his malicious intent from Rhoam and therefore not "technically" gaslighting. But it has a very similar effect. The King and the entire court make her believe its her fault and her fault only. She is somehow not giving it her all, she has to try harder/pray more/be better. And that gradually warps her view of herself, starting to believe that she really is the problem. And she believes that everybody looks down on her that way, shown by her projecting her insecurities onto Link and despising him because of it

[@DaLink25]

I was honestly hoping for Link and Zelda to be adventuring together in this game. I was so sad and miffed when it didn't happen. You're also right about Link needing to be fleshed out more. I like playing as him, but he really needs his own personality and character strengths and weaknesses.

[@raskolnikov6443]

I hope we continue to exclusively play as link in these big Games. The lonely journey is such a big part of the Zelda games.

[@gio9255]

I really wish we could have experienced Zelda’s side of the story much like Ciri’s in Witcher 3. The story of the past was the most undercooked part of the narrative. I wanted more from the past and it’s characters. The story of the modern age and the Phenomenon was fantastic so having such boring, static memories was a jarring letdown. I hope future games are done with the memory system.

[@420CAK]

Wind Waker Link has the most character out of all the Link’s. By far his storyline is the most in-depth backstory of any of the Link’s with him having a living family you have to rescue and assist throughout the game.

[@dragonstormx]

WW Link is the gold standard by which silent protagonists should be measured given how much personality he displays despite having no dialogue.

[@Plumpus3545]

Even in TP he expresses naturally.

[@APsGTG]

Mm link has the most in depth backstory since we playthrough OoT tbh. But no variation of link has ever been as bland as this totk one. Even BotW link, the same link, has more depth to him. We see cutscenes of him with Zelda trying to protect her, playing with Daruk, battling with revali etc. Totk is literally just an avatar bro, a mii. Ss link even had a great backstory with him, Zelda, and groose. He was a lazy guy who was studying to become the best glider of the stork things. Why does it feel like totk completely lost that magic touch with the story? It’s never ever been this tropey, bad anime-y, and bland.

[@jerryborjon]

I agree with you on most of the video. I just don’t think Link being a static character is necessarily a handicap. Not every character needs growth. They can be just as interesting as mentors, or characters that help other characters develop. It’s the same reason why Captain America is such an interesting character in the comics even though he’s basically already perfect. Having Link just be naturally wise or simple because of his status as the hero’s chosen gives him the potential to inspire other characters to do more. He does this in the game through side-quest, but I wish the main story itself focused more on this aspect. I also don’t think that Zelda needs to be playable to be the main character. I’d LOVE a playable Zelda, but the story can still focus on her while having Link be the playable character. We can have our cake and eat it too, in this situation.

[@Isuream6331]

Or we could play as BOTH. I think having a duo adventure between the two would be cool. We basically got a 2d version of this In spirit tracks, so why not a 3d one?

[@monhi64]

I think maybe it gets a lot tiring because Nintendo does that super frequently. The main character is seemingly always pretty bland, someone brought up it’s probably so you can pretend it’s you which is probably part of it plus Nintendo takes safe routes with some things

[@KingofAwesomness14]

@@Isuream6331 and that is why i love spirit tracks. It actually makes Zelda a character instead of this, go help/save personality. That and its final boss theme is flipping amazing.

[@jerryborjon]

@@monhi64 - That’s probably why Nintendo does it, but I don’t see it as a problem. It’s all a matter of perspective. If you only judge characters by how much they develop, then characters that aren’t meant to develop will always look bad no matter how much the writers accomplished with them. Have you ever wondered why characters in biographical movies aren’t judged by how much they developed? It’s because movie audiences understand that the purpose of that character is to represent a real person and what they did. If that person didn’t grow like a character in a movie irl, then you can’t really have that growth in a biography. Audiences just naturally understand this different purpose for that type of character, but for some reason when a character is fictional suddenly the only metric of quality is growth or development. Helping other characters develop is suddenly not important. I’m not saying this as an excuse to say that “no character can be bad.” Characters can still certainly be terrible. Rex from XC2 is a good example because he didn’t grow as a character and ended the game basically the same way as how he started both morally and ideologically, barely helped anyone else change in a way unique to him (he helped Pyra and Mythra overcome their awful depr*ssion arc, but only because he’s the hero and did hero stuff that any other protagonist would do), and he just isn’t very interesting or unique as a character. However, a lot of “bad” characters like Link are being judged incorrectly imo. They’re essentially fish being judged by their ability to climb a tree. That’s not their purpose.

[@cactuscarlo825]

For me, totk has an issue with its execution, I like the story, but it's poorly executed at times (and really well at certain points, but this just shows an even bigger lack of balance imo) there's also this thing they do where Zelda's the narrative protagonist while being completely excluded from gameplay, meanwhile Link's the gameplay protagonist and he's barely present in the narrative, I think this game's story would've been heavily improved by not limiting these two characters like this Zelda herself has a pretty strong base in botw, and here she's facing the source of all the trauma in her life, the source of everything that ruined her kingdom and what killed her friends, yet it's never brought up (Nintendo loves to appeal newcomers and this did really affect this sequel's writing) the most we get from Zelda's growth since botw it's her improving the education in the kingdom since she had a really hard time being able to pursue her own studies, but we don't even get that confirmation directly, not even in a journal, she's the most interesting character in this game, and they know it, but they still didn't go for it (I'm aware the devs said her arc in this game comes from learning to be a better ruler with Rauru and Sonia... however, Zelda doesn't seem like a bad ruler to begin with -Unlike Rauru who makes a bunch of poor decisions- she doesn't even seem like a regular royal, she's helping people herself rather than making others do the work, and she did this before going to the past) Link on the other hand, barely gets anything said about him, we know he's kind, strong... and that's it, in botw we had a good explanation for his character through Zelda's words, and we could understand he was dealing with amnesia in the present, it made sense, but here we don't know how he views anything, i'm not asking for him to talk (I really don't want that unless they do it in a special and non conventional way like sign language tbh) but they've become so afraid of him showing any kind of personality they don't even make him NOD when Zelda asks him if he's okay. I understand he's there to represent the player, but Link's expressions didn't bother me at all in WW, TP or SKSW, they actually make me feel seen, here I feel disconnected from him, which seems to be the opposite of what they want lol

[@Nova-gh5yr]

You get it with Link. I don't feel connected to this Link at all. I don't even care much about the potential romantic relationship between Link and Zelda not because of Zelda but the refusal to let Link express anything for her. He's not sad when he learns the truth, he's not happy when she returns, there's nothing. Which sucks because Skyward Sword is the complete opposite and I care more about them there because in similar story beats you see Link's emotions. I'm so tired of this Link not expressing anything in big moments. He looked so off in that final cutscene with Mineru standing there like 🧍 It takes me out of it tbh

[@notanarmadillo]

I totally agree with this, and I just want to say I’m really glad you mentioned not wanting him to talk. I see people bring that up a lot when they talk about Link’s personality and it just feels- weird? I suppose? (although, I believe according to some of Zelda’s diaries that he _has_ talked before, and quite honestly I choose to ignore it.) I’ve just never viewed his not talking as a flaw and find it odd when people do.

[@cactuscarlo825]

@@Nova-gh5yr You get me! I don’t need him to be incredibly expressive, but he doesn’t even smile when Mineru tells Zelda what he did for her, it wouldn’t bother me as much if the camera simply decided to ignore him, but nope, they show you his lack of reaction (funnily enough, in botw Link’s expressions do slightly evolve in the memories, from zero emotion to him looking actually worried about Zelda, however in the present? again no feelings at all)

[@cactuscarlo825]

@@notanarmadilloI agree! For me, I know Link isn’t mute canonically, but I don’t see him being silent as a flaw, you can have a silent protagonist and portray him in an interesting, charming way, sadly they’ve decided it’s better for him to not express anything lol however if they do decide to make him communicate I do hope they get creative with it, idk if it’s unpopular but Link using sign language feels like the natural evolution if they decide to take that route

[@amaraphoenix3542]

I wholly agree with your point about Link. In making him so blank, to me he doesn't feel like someone I can place myself in, which is what they want you to do. I can connect far easier to SS, TP, and WW Link for that reason. I like this Link, but the lack of emotion and expression does continuously bother me. And it doesn't help that the English version erases pretty much all the personality in the adventure log.

[@UncleMoke476]

Alternatively, I would have liked it if they made the sages the “main characters” and gave them compelling arcs. They should have made Zelda the OP character that we didn’t know anything about until the very end when she shows up and saves Link. Just build her up through NPC dialogue and such. Also, I would have preferred the ancient sages to be the original pilots of the Divine Beasts from 10,000 years ago and Mineru’s character should have been an ancient Sheikah piloting a mini Guardian or the Ancient Hero. The Zonai should have remained a mysterious unknown group. The reveal of their origins is just boring compared to all the theories out there. Even the theory that they were the ancestors to the people of Lurelin Village is more interesting than what we actually got.

[@amberstargames]

I’m still slightly unsure on the origins of the zonai, could you explain?

[@rynemcgriffin1752]

@@amberstargamesTo keep a long story short, they are a race of sky goats who descended down from the sky to bestow their advanced technology on the peoples of Hyrule but for whatever reason are all but gone by the time Raaru and Mineru enter the picture. This doesn’t line up with the depiction of the Zonai as they appeared in BOTW where they were viewed as a Warrior Race of sorts with ruins scattered all over the place. The theories ranged from the aforementioned connection to Lurelin Village to The Zonai somehow being connected to Ganondorf, potentially working for him in some way.

[@owenbyrne9850]

I also am not fully satisfied with the zonai. the game is telling us that the zoani who built all the ruins are just hylians who took the name for themselves.

[@MikePhantom]

@@rynemcgriffin1752 so in short we still know nothing about them. also the warrior race was NOT confirmed at all merely zelda theorist putting two separate things together.

[@MikePhantom]

@@owenbyrne9850 no only typhlo ruins were build by them -.- pay attention

[@siubidubi5897]

I think that some changes could make Zelda, Ganondorf and Rauru more compelling characters. Here are some of my ideas (sorry for English and eventually misspelling names): First, I would add one more thyme to the game: ambition. Especially, ambition of a ruler. I think it would fit great with all three characters. 1. Rauru is NOT a 'perfect' king. He isn't bad, but he has flaws, for example, he has pride, he is ambitious, he deeply cares about people who are agreeing to him as a king, who are civilians of his kingdom. But if someone isn't respecting his rules, he doesn't respect him back. Let's say that when Zelda transport to the past, Rauru is having a conflict with Garudo, maybe not a war yet, but he doesn't see Ganondorf as an equal king, just some rebel to his kingdom, so for example, he steps into Garudo's territory, which increasing the conflict. 2. Ganondorf has some backstory. As in example above, he can be simply annoyed that he is mistreated and not respected, that some other king even CAN exist and calls himself king, especially the one, who 'brings peace' and want Garudo to leave its fighting traditions in the name of his kingdom and 'coward's peace'. This Ganondorf has more motivations to start a war against Hyrule, to not respect the other kingdom, but still can be an ambitious ruler who in depth of his heart want to be a supreme king and lord of the whole world and, when the occasion exists, forgets about his people. 3. Zelda has more complex to her character with thyme of ambition and apprehension. She wants the best for Hyrule and she is doing all this work for it mostly by herself. She tries to give Hyrule great future and she starts to believe that she can do it, that her plans, projects and power will guarantee that, that she is a great leader. This motivation would have its core in Zelda strong fear to never fail Hyrule again, the wish for it to forever be at peace. I don't mean that she becomes 'cocky' but she has some flaws which originate with her anxiety of kingdom's safety and her role in that. It isn't perfect of course, but if it was more developed, I believe that it could a well-written arcs for the three characters. 1. Rauru learns that his pride blinded him and makes a sacrifice for the others. (he learns what makes a great ruler - he learns from mistakes and fixes them) 2. Ganondorf's ambition makes him abandon his original fair goals and deprives him into Demon King. (his ambition blinds he's care for Garudo, he focuses only on his personal gains) 3. Zelda learns that she can't control Hyrule's destiny and always provide it peace and prosperity, that not through being the 'perfect ruler', but through her sacrifice, careness and love she can ensure Hyrule's future safety. (she sees what desire of full control over kingdom made with Ganondorf and she let herself learning through mistakes and leaving all her desires for others) Here are some smaller changes: 1. Ganondorf, after his attack, invites Rauru to his castle, on Garudo territory => more details about Ganondorf as a Garudo ruler => different type of betrayal that oath of allegiance 2. After his transformation into Demon King, Garudo also are terrified and, Ganondorf abandons them for his new monster army => more Garudo's perspective => more Ganondorf's character and detail 3. Ganondorf has more time with Link, for example he summons his phantoms, gives Link visions and nightmares, mocks him - maybe also confuse him about Rauru and Zelda, why they shouldn't be rulers and make use of Puppet Zelda => more Ganondorf's interactions with Link and world => more Ganondorf's motives 4. Rauru is our companion and mentor in game. => more details on Zonai => two perspectives: ancient and present Hyrule After all, I think the story is good, sufficient, but there is some wasted potential. I would have loved to actually play as Zelda in ancient times, to make our own research, have more time with Rauru, learning our powers and also discovering her story by also making some tests if she can become in some future game the main character. Thank you for reading :)

[@danieladmiraal9371]

For all its flaws this is something that Spirit tracks did really well, Zelda starts off like a princess wanting to help people, but actually learns what that means throughout the game

[@bluebelllove123]

I was really hoping we would’ve gotten to play as Zelda in the past and learn to control her powers. After the tea cup cut scene I was excited to see the next memory, hoping we would get to explore the Zonai past. I don’t think Zelda needs to become the main character, but they need to add more depth to their storyline overall. There are many places where that would be an easy addition, even in a dlc.

[@czteddy1507]

I see all of your points and I agree with the majority of them, but I did want to add a couple of things From my personal perspective of the story, it felt like the characters were meant to build upon what their arcs were in Breath of the Wild rather than having new flaws introduced in Tears of the Kingdom to create whole new sources of conflict. For example, Yunobo in BotW was a scared, incompetent, annoying little idiot for a lot of people. He was a huge let-down compared to Daruk and his only utility to his people was literally being lobbed around as a weapon. In TotK, he starts his story basically being possessed by an evil, Ganon-powered artifact. I always read this to be a manifestation of his weak will; maybe if he wasn't so cowardly and naive, he wouldn't have been so easy to manipulate. After you free him from that and he joins you as a companion, you see him start to gain confidence and take more responsibility for his actions. One of his lines when he's about to roll out with his sage ability is a triumphant "I can do this!" and that same sentiment is mirrored in his post-Fire Temple speech when giving Link his vow. Even when you are standing on the edge of Death Mountain, he ends up being the one to jump in head-first before you, where he hesitated in BotW. I feel like the same kinda thing happened with Riju. She was a child in BotW desperately trying to be the best leader she could for her people. The role she was filling, as represented by the Thunder Helm, was literally too big for her. But in this game, she has grown and become an incredible leader. She's becoming much more confident in her abilities and fights on the front lines alongside her people in massive attacks. She's even developed her own unique fighting style (double swords instead of Urbosa's sword and shield). I agree that Sidon and Tulin's arcs went by pretty quickly and I honestly felt like they were way too on-the-nose. I was being told what their growth was supposed to be in this neat little package rather than just being shown and having the room to interpret things for myself. Sidon's arc (and frankly the whole Zora quest) was by far the worst imo. As for Zelda, I do agree with you that she doesn't have much of a flaw or mirror the villain in any particular way, but I guess that doesn't super bother me for whatever reason. To me, her story was about taking on her role as the only remaining leader of Hyrule. In BotW, she had one major heroic act that capped her arc right at the end, but this game shows her moving forward after that. She went down below the castle with Link at the beginning of the game, she was partially responsible for Ganon's awakening, and (in becoming a dragon) she was taking the ultimate responsibility for her actions. In Rauru's time, she was able to connect with parental figures that she lost in her original era, got to see the beginnings of the kingdom that now rests on her shoulders, and was inspired to do this horrible and selfless thing because she witnessed Rauru do the same thing, and witnessed so many others risk their lives. We also witness her gaining control over her time abilities and even using them in combat, which was a huge step up from the grasp she had on her light powers previously. As you said, she awakened her powers in BotW through an act of personal love and devotion rather than one of duty. In TotK, she does an even more powerful act at her own detriment, motivated by both her personal feelings AND her duty to the kingdom. I think the "character arcs" in this game are meant to be carried on directly from BotW rather than creating entirely new conflicts. Could it have been handled better and given more depth? Absolutely. But I don't think the story is bad by any means. I genuinely prefer it to BotW's story by a pretty decent margin. In a game like BotW/TotK that is so much about environmental storytelling and piecing details together yourself through observation/interpretation, I don't mind not having a detailed and grandiose narrative on the level of Skyward Sword or Twilight Princess

[@Ren-gk2tg]

Fantastic comment! The way you described how Yunobo and Riju's characters have grown in TotK cements to me that Tears is a game that requires knowledge on BotW to be fully enjoyed. Starting with Tears first is a major detriment on the player's connection with the characters.

[@jjtheenton]

There's also the narrative parallel between Zelda and Ganondorf's transformations, which Brett has already gone over in a previous video.

[@anthares96]

now i wanna replay the main story so i can truly appreciate their character arcs. admittedly, they should have been fleshed out more, but their arcs are definitely there

[@kevincordoba2466]

Underrated comment

[@jjtheenton]

Babe, wake up, Brett dropped a new TotK video.

[@jjtheenton]

As a serious comment, something I think would have gone a long way is brief playable sections as Zelda during the memories. Let us _experience_ what happened instead of just witnessing it.

[@MJ-sy2en]

​@@jjtheenton Agreed.

[@daniel8181]

@@jjtheenton I can't think of anything that sounds more boring, why don't you just skip the tears if you don't want to watch cutscenes? The amount of bitching over optional content is insane.

[@jjtheenton]

​​​@@daniel8181When did I say there shouldn't still be cutscenes? Main story content also isn't just optional content like a side quest 😭

[@daniel8181]

@@Words-. No, I paid for a zelda game and I got one, you paid for an expectation NO ONE SET UP FOR YOU. Go play xenoblade or something.

[@riccardoflorio2800]

About the fight i think there is a tiny bit of development in Rauru, first prideful that thinks that he can control Ganondorf, the killing of Sonia, then his sacrifice to seal Ganondorf, but is MINISCULE. I would have liked to see Rauru get mad, or show more pride at the start of the memories, since that is the flaw that ganondorf says rauru has. Rauru is the foil to Ganondorf also with colour (green of the arm and spiral vs red of ganondorf), but they are both undeveloped

[@lapniappe]

it really is a blink and you miss it for sure. like even when Sonia is dead even MINERU has to remind her brother that he can't do it by himself. in that one line - it hints SOO much at Rauru's character but it's barely touched upon.

[@riccardoflorio2800]

@@lapniappe is such a blink that i forgot the Mineru part in the comment

[@rynemcgriffin1752]

@@lapniappeWhy do I get the feeling this is all going to be touched on in some future DLC? Like yeah it’s gonna be a good thing to see Raaru get some more character development but I really don’t want to pay for that shit.

[@riccardoflorio2800]

@@rynemcgriffin1752 well, if a DLC comes, i think i will buy it anyway, because i cannot get enough of this game. Seeing the champions ballad DLC didn't give much more depth to the champions, in my opinion, i think is not much likely that Rauru and Ganondorf are expanded more, anyway.

[@roguecraft8456]

I like how Nintendo uses Link as a blank slate character onto which the player can imprint themselves. It really helps me feel like I am a part of the world that I am experiencing in these games. That being said, I think that they could definitely give Link character without removing this element. Instead of delving deep into the intricacies of his character, they should give him an arc that everyone can relate to, a universal story that captures fundamental human experiences. Whilst Ocarina of Time didn't explicitly flesh out Link's character, I really enjoyed it's story because it was one about growing up. It was something that I and everyone else can relate to. That should be the purpose of Link's character. To explore what it means to be human in universal ways that everyone can understand. That way, players can still imprint themselves onto Link, because they can still relate to him. In my opinion this would drastically improve the story of future Zelda games.

[@mjc0961]

I don't like how Nintendo uses Link as a blank slate character. In the Japanese versions of BotW and TotK, the quest log is Link's journal. He writes not only about what he needs to do but how he feels about it. And then Nintendo of America rips it all out of the game so they can keep pulling that blank slate thing. I'm not here for that. If the actual developers in Japan wrote Link as an actual character than I want to get to experience that too. Let me read that Link doubts if he's really a hero, that he wants to see Zelda smile again, and everything else that was originally in the game that got removed. I hope fan translation patches for these games eventually release so we can get back what NoA took away from us. And of course people who like the blank slate thing still have the game as Nintendo of America sold it to enjoy.

[@rynemcgriffin1752]

@@mjc0961I’ve noticed the English Translation of the game does that a lot. There’s the obvious Ganondorf having completely different motivations from literally every other iteration of the game but then there’s small things like Gloom being called Miasma in Germany. It feels like the English translation really dropped the ball on this one.

[@israelwilson4022]

Yeah I agree

[@Plumpus3545]

I think making Link a blank slate defeats a lot of the dramatic weight in TOTK. BOTW luckily doesn’t have this problem to much.

[@axx012]

​​@@mjc0961Agree. Link doesn't feel like a character. I'd be annoyed by his silence if I were anyone in that game

[@Rei96]

A static character isn’t necessarily negative. I think Zelda’s journey throughout the game was fine, personally, BUT I do think the way they chose to execute the story was fundamentally flawed. It all comes down to the lack of detail mentioned - if they had just given us longer cutscenes, consecutive scenes of Zelda seeing her environment and interacting with other sages I think the story could have been improved dramatically. Zelda as a static character is fine, but we saw the barest bones of her relationship with Rauru, Sonia, and Mineru - people she was supposed to have gotten extremely close to and learned from. I realy feel like the devs put themselves into a corner by thinking they had to use the same “system” regarding story cutscenes in totk that they did in botw.

[@spencerthompson9091]

And that is the problem with non linear stories. I'm glad that we were able to get as good a story as we got with this format but non linearity will always be a hurdle for good story telling

[@anthares96]

agreed. a few more cutscenes fleshing out what's already established in the dragon tears memories would have fixed a lot of things. there's a great story here, we just don't see enough of it

[@spencerthompson9091]

@@anthares96 or rather we have to piece it together. The star islands with the ancient hyrule text fill in a good number of gaps that the cut scenes don't show. Buuut showing the story rather than telling is more compelling

[@Kitsunary]

The story problem with TotK is most of the characters the story focuses on are static. There are side characters with personal growth, but the main story we follow has very little difference between the start of the journey and the end of the journey. It's not even in a "character actions restart a cycle" way. Just a "none of it had any lasting impact" way.

[@a.jthomas6132]

Another problem we have in Tears of the Kingdom story it show much of how Link x Zelda’s relationship grow and flourish after the events of Breath of the Wild. I personally wanted Nintendo to allow it to grow more romantic since Zelda’s powers require a strong motive activate it. Her love for Link what activated her sealing powers. In Tears of the Kingdom however, we rarely seen much which kinda upsets me a bit.

[@ZeroJump]

She Sacraficed her life for Link thats actually bigger than in BOTW

[@jjtheenton]

Well, it's heavily implied they live together, Zelda was able to retain some level of herself as a dragon because of how strongly she feels about him, and she describes Link catching her as a "warm, loving embrace." Idk man, it's laid out pretty strong.

[@catdragon2584]

I’ve also seen this theory making the rounds that the reason draconification was forbidden is because it was itreversible, and it was irreversible because the only people who would have the power to do it wouldn’t have a strong enough will. But they were able to turn Zelda back because Sonia and Rauru channeled their powers through Link, and all three of them loved her so deeply that of course their willpower would be enough to change her back. But it’s just a theory, so feel free to take it with a grain of salt.

[@joshjonson2368]

how bout we just keep this simple, link just needs to push her down a flowery hill and proceed to tap that ass

[@raskolnikov6443]

@@jjtheentonPeople need everything spelled out these days it seems

[@chuckmann7127]

The one game where I feel like Link actually has some character development is Skyward Sword. While it is pretty basic and conveyed almost entirely through exposition, there is this sense of Link learning to become responsible and mature. He starts off as a lazy teenager not taking anything seriously but becomes a hero who pushes himself to save his love and defeat the source of evil.

[@AngelYt-xs6yy]

Zelda is a princess link is a well trained knight

[@supermaro2349]

9:10 I believe this issue comes from a corner that Nintendo kinda backed themselves into. With how open TOTK and BOTW are, Nintendo probably realized how not every player was going to do every Sage/Divine Beast, they didn’t want one to have more importance over the other, so they are all made to basically all be the same. Totk makes it worse in that aspect since every Sage ending ends with repeating information since Nintendo had no real idea on how to approach the issue. Since making it in a linear order would be counterintuitive to the game

[@TheCayDawg]

I'd really like to see THIS Link go on a personal journey. Let him become his own guy. I think that's definitely possible even if he doesn't talk.

[@lastoutcast1541]

I’ve been reading the Legend of Zelda manga, and the amount of character they give Link and various other characters in the games that aren’t in the games adds so much of what feels missing in Zelda games in terms of story.

[@TheBMB7]

I think it's mostly fine for Zelda to have a flat character arc in totk since she had a lot of growth in botw. That said I think Rauru could've been a great fit for a character arc. He was a bit of a blank slate but in the brief amount of interacting you have with him at the beginning of the game I get the sense that there is some deep regret present in him. He has a few very interesting interactions with Ganondorf that make me thing there's a buried nugget of gold in the story here. I could see Rauru being a somewhat egotistical character at the start of his character arc. Someone who is fundamentally good but too assured of their goodness. He is a "god from the heavens bringing gifts to the hylians" after all and this fundamentally pretentious perspective could have inflated his self worth, in a similar way to Revali from BotW. This exact blindspot is what Ganondorf could've exploited. In one of the memories, Ganondorf subtly mocks Rauru for associating with they Hylians as though it is beneath him. Ganondorf believes in power and the hierarchies it creates. Ganondorf could've been a dark reflection of Rauru's ego and exposed to Rauru how wrong it was for him to believe himself better than the hylians or any of the other races . Rauru would have of course come to grips with this lesson too late to save Sonia and his sacrifice to seal Ganondorf his final reckoning. Ultimately Rauru could have dealt with Ganondorf earlier had he not believed the people of the world to be beneath him and that could have been the source of his regret. Through watching Link's adventures, Rauru would see the true value of humility and working together with others and through that, Rauru's faith in Link would be truly well placed.

[@liamdalemon1525]

What growth did she have in Breath of the Wild? She went from zero to a hundred in 2 seconds, that's not growth, that's just skipping to the end. The most growth she had was not resenting Link.

[@spencerthompson9091]

Zelda was already a fully realized character by the time this game's story started. The only way we could have had "Meaningful Growth" in this game with Link and Zelda is if they had character regression and displayed that early on in the game. A made example here would be we watched a show about an alcoholic overcoming his addiction but then the next story he is in the guy is an alcoholic again, while this does happen in reality it's bad writing Given the context that this game is a sequel AND at least 5 years post BOTW these fully realized characters taking on a major threat and helping these other unrealized characters (Yunobo, Sidon, Tulin and Riju) become realized before the big climax is good story telling. Back to the alcoholic example. If the guys next story was him helping others overcome alcoholism that would be thematically satisfying and be good story telling. IF this game was NOT a sequel then yeah it would be pretty bad in terms of story telling all around.

[@emiliomartinez7573]

They should have started the backstory in the past with Ganondorf being a good guy or hero then as it goes on he starts getting corrupted and greedy with power and become the demon king and then he fights the sages and the king to then get sealed up.

[@PirateCommando]

It’s so weird that they retconned BotW. It makes zero sense to go back on the Sheikah tech and it was just demolished so easily? Without a trace? And they were okay with it? Because the Zonai exist? Hmmm?!?!

[@vianabdullah2837]

To be fair, Link doesn't really need to be a character that has a big arc of growth in the game. He just needs to be more expressive instead of a blank expression everytime some big thing happens.

[@silvershine2261]

Something I would have liked to see about the sages cutscenes is that Link doesnt actually get to see them. He just sees the new sage blank out, regain consciousness and then have them exitedly tell what happened. And because all the sages have different personalities, they can all focus on different details of what they have seen. So Link can puzzle together what happened, until Mineru finally connects all the dots and shows him what happened in the past for the first time

[@Zombiezay]

Unfortunately it’s so true I actually took around a month long break after getting the master sword (after finding all the tears) because I was so bummed with how the story was playing out, this was also after two temples so I could tell their would be repetition temple to temple, the game is a masterpiece the story should’ve been too ! Let link SPEAK! *END GAME SPOILER*that scene of him diving for Zelda was SO moving and could’ve been even more so had he actually been a character God Nintendo can be so weird sometimes 🤦‍♂️ Anyway great vid

[@mitwhitgaming7722]

Zelda needs her own game. She hasn't been playable since the old CDI games, if you can even count those.

[@dsguy2none851]

Spirit tracks has playable zelda.

[@mitwhitgaming7722]

@@dsguy2none851 If you count Zelda's ghost in an animated suit of armor, yes.

[@XanderVJ]

@@mitwhitgaming7722 Why wouldn't that count? It's still her, you know that, right? Or you don't count Link as a character in "Majora's Mask" either because he impersonates the dead bodies of other (dead) people when he puts a transformation mask?

[@barnes9211]

I always found TOTK's storytelling to be a bit odd, it's strange 🤔

[@1ns0mn14k]

Actually the real problem isn't that Zelda is "perfect" or "static" in TotK, it's the fact that she ALREADY had her development and growth from the previous game and the writers didn't know where to go from there beyond defining her by her relationship with Link.

[@emiliomartinez7573]

I think tears of the kingdom should have never had a time travel story plot and be more longer and they should have made all the cutscenes longer instead of cutting to having us read the rest of it when those parts should have been voice acted.

[@SonicTheCutehog]

The problem is that giving the player the option to do whatever they want when they want comes at the cost of story. You cannot expect players to do certain things in a certain order when you give them the option to do what they want.

[@Ghost-gh7bm]

As a hardcore BOTW Fan, I can totally understand and quite honestly agree with what ur saying. I went back to BOTW cause I just,,, couldn’t finish TOTK, I didn’t care. While I’ve got many issues with the smaller stories (Sidon’s my favorite character so,, yeah), I think what the issue is for me a little is the lack of individuality in some aspects? Like with the champions, their cutscenes were all similar in essence of “let’s defeat ganon” but they were DRIPPING with personality. For me, the TOTK storyline felt like a much weaker attempt to recreate BOTW. I will add that this is all super subjective, it’s just my opinion, and if you disagree that’s totally fine! I hope you enjoyed the game!

[@raskolnikov6443]

Damn that’s crazy. TOTK story is so much more epic. And the ending! Amazing!

[@Ghost-gh7bm]

@@raskolnikov6443 glad you enjoyed it! I did see clips of the ending and do agree with you on that

[@gudegudemeh5195]

Agree. Totk’s story, as poorly executed as it was, did have some charm to it, but I just can’t bring myself to care because it feels like the devs also did not care. Fortunately I enjoy the gameplay enough that I’m having the best time with it anyway. If you come back to totk in the future I hope you’ll be able to have fun with it :)

[@MilestheDirtyMindedGoblin2099]

10:03 this is why I’ve been saying that Link needs to start having some sort of character with either a voice or innner thoughts or something that you can read that explains him more. I get that they want Link to be immersive, but I can’t be immersed in a 3rd person game where I’m playing as a set character with his own identity.

[@bio-weaponn5576]

Ok don't replace Link as the main protagonist, just amp up his facial expressions so that he feels more alive. And give Zelda some story expansion DLC that makes her the player character who has to learn some new lesson entirely.

[@lapniappe]

I do have to slightly disagree with you - I feel that in Skyward Sword Link had a TONNE of personality for someone who didn't speak. A lot of smiles, side eyes the EMOTION when he realizes what Zelda is going to do i think that that was Link at his best. (with an honourable mention to TP's Link). I feeel that Nintendo feels they gave themselves an out because they stated in BOTW that "Link chose to be a quiet stoic peron because of all the pressure put upon him" which. COOL. i can get that in the first game. But i do feel that they could have expanded on him now. and how they told the story he could have been able to show more reactions, and what not. they just chose not to. this story should have been linear, I truly believe that we could have had a linear story/dungeons and still have the sandbox aspect that everyone wants. [and i will fully say as MUCH as i loved the Wild series, Tears really reinforced the fact that I DO miss the linearity of the series. and ii feeel if they can come up with freaking Ultrahand, they can figure out how to do a Linear Story in a Sandbox world

[@user-dh1zg5dq7d]

These criticisms are all complete valid. I hope Nintendo is listening and cares about these criticisms. This isn’t the Zelda I remember.

[@NahjeMasukat]

Narratively, I get it. The end of Zelda's story is the start of Link's, and that could easily transition into what we got (thus the double ouroboros on the logo). Everything that happens in her story comes up in Link's. Also, Link is both a character and avatar. He is a base for us to make our hero but at the same time there's little details and shows of emotions that are already there. He doesn't say much because he doesn't have to -- we know who he is and what he feels without saying a word. But at the same time... We all remember what happened the last time it focused entirely on Zelda, right? Besides, if Zelda was a playable main character, then it would be walking missions in a LoZ game. We have enough of that in other games.

[@Velarieth]

Two points. First. Link isn't an actual avatar for the player. Nintendo does, frankly, an absolute shit job of making Link into a character we can actually insert ourselves into. You are kinda right, they are trying to do both. Both make Link a blank slate and give him a personality behind it all. And they fail at both, utterly. Second. Zelda doesn't need to be the only playable character. TOTK has already set up a system to make her a more prominent character in the story. Link has companions that travel around with him all the time. They should have done away with the memories and past nonsense and made Zelda Link's companion through the entire game. It would be a totally different story. But she could be way more present, have way more interactions with people, and be way more developed if that were the case..

[@ayoutubecommenter5068]

@@Velarieth I disagree with the first point. Some of Link's personality have been lost in translation. It's more of a translation issue than it is Nintendo doing a poor job at it.

[@Velarieth]

@@ayoutubecommenter5068 It's way beyond a translation issue. I agree with you that some of his personality is lost in translation. But they still do a really poor job of making Link emote. And they still cling to this notion that he has to be silent... but only to the player. He talks to other people all the time. It definitely hampers the story way more than just English translators not keeping the first person perspective.

[@NahjeMasukat]

@@Velarieth Fair and called for. I’m no critic who delves into every little detail of everything ever. If a game is entertaining, reasonably challenging, captivating in story, or just a LoZ game (all of the above), I’ll be happy with it. Now that TotK has been out for a while, there are little flaws here and there that have been pointed out. Still, I don’t really think that takes away from what the game is at heart and is trying to do. The game we got isn’t perfect, but it was worth the wait.

[@ayoutubecommenter5068]

​@@Velarieth I still don't see any concrete reason, other than preference, that he should be able to talk. I am going to assume that when you critique his silence, it's on the fact that he has no voice lines. Fallout New Vegas is regarded as one of the best RPGs of all time and that had a main character with no voice line. If your critique were centered on the fact that his text dialogues are too simplistic, then I would agree that the text options don't highlight his personality well. Other than that, I can't see any objective reason that his silence is necessarily a problem,.

[@Infernalisk]

I think we get the point,you're a TP and SS fan

[@4wheal]

The funny thing is that Link did have a character flaw in the background story of BotW and its what actually fuelled the anger that both Zelda and Revali dislike of him. That flaw was bottling up his emotions and refusing to talk to people because he felt the weight if everyone expectations just like Zelda. It was hil coming clean about this that helped there friendship develop and grow. Unfortunate this was all tied to in universe dirays so we never get to experience this our selves

[@viroszelmire1391]

I’ve actually said to my friends that if Nintendo do make dlc for tears of the kingdom it should be a separate story campaign where we play as Zelda exploring ancient hyrule

[@HYPER_BRUH_]

The moment Link gets to SPEAK (not make hiya noises but actually talking) with a voice the fandom will break into civil war. Just imagine how much of a impact a simple whispered response to (for example) Ganondorf like "no" or "enough" would have. He doesn't need to say anything else after that, just one word. And that single word would go down in gaming history!

[@jimboanimations4041]

I think the reason the game has so little growth and change with its characters is probably for a couple reasons: 1, Because the game is meant to be a sequel to BOTW, any returning characters from the previous game who had already went through their growth don't really have anything else to do character wise. They *could* definitely have tried giving them some new flaw or internal conflict to figure out, but they'd need to make sure it didn't conflict with what came before it. 2, Due to the game being very open-world and letting you take on most aspects of it whenever you like, it is harder to craft a chain of events and conflicts that lead to an interesting narrative. It is definitely still possible to do, but a lot would've needed to be changed in terms of its story to make it work out. 3, The few times Link has gotten his own voice and personality officially in past LoZ media, it did not end very well. I would not doubt that Nintendo is still scared of making the same mistakes again.

[@daniel8181]

You're accurate in that it would be a step back to do what these goofballs are suggesting, but the real thing missing is that its LINK'S story ffs, he's the one growing and each of his allies reflects that.

[@samf.s.7731]

I'm sorry, those all feel like empty excuses and unfounded arguments. They can just accept that they have to hire writers for their games and actually invest time and effort into crafting that. 6 years in development. That's 5 years too many for what we got.

[@jimboanimations4041]

@@samf.s.7731 Writing and game-development are both very difficult tasks, especially when there are so many additional complications with this game. I definitely feel like they could've made things better (mainly the repetitive cutscenes), but acting like they just didn't put in any effort is pretty arrogant.

[@eliasassargustafsson9188]

I have a question regarding the fps when recording gaem footage. I want to record footage of my gameplay on both botw and totk and theirs an option to record in 60fps instead of default 30fps which makes the recorded file heavier. Is it necessary for quality issues or can i just ignore it and save more room on my external hard drive?

[@danielsanchez-sv4js]

The whole point of Link (hence the name) is linking the player to that world. The legend of Zelda comes of as a fairy tale that relates the tale of Zelda but at Link's point of view. Although Peach has two games where she is the MC, there could be a game where she could be a MC, but the whole princess much change. For example by being Zelda but with the abilities of Sheik or Tetra, because normally a Princess should'nt be able to fight.

[@mr.barcode3186]

The biggest problem I have is the... implications of Rauru's monarchy. The fact that he a) has a monopoly on the world's nuclear stockpile (the Secret Stones), b) is clearly the de facto ruler of the entire land, and c) apparently repeatedly asked Ganondorf to "join" him... it all kinda paints him as an imperialist. I'm not saying Ganondorf is a good guy. Far from it. He is clearly the greater evil. But those implications are still there.

[@ZeldasMask]

Just because Zelda is the name of the game doesn’t mean she needs to be the main character. It would make Link pointless if he wasn’t the main. In botw they could of had Zelda together with Link save Hyrule but that whole storyline of sending her back in time was so stupid

[@binkus5298]

I agree with a lot of what you are saying, the story really let me down, especially the four temple quests, however I actually think Zelda’s memories are the highlight of the story.

[@DesignDoc]

Tears and BoTW's main stories are some of their weakest components. I don't think they're the worst Zelda stories but they are left wanting in a lot of ways. The world itself is the most fully realized Hyrule has ever been when you go through its side quests and side characters but when it comes to the central plotline, the stuff about Ganondorf and even the Zonai themselves they just refuse to go into greater detail as if the devs themselves are uninterested in it and only include pieces to fulfill an obligation. Why did the "imprisoning war" cutscene have to be told 5 times. Why couldn't we have used those scenes to see the details of Ganondorf's ruthlessness. Go into what he did to all the different races of Hyrule. Go further into how the man works beyond what past games have established. I like the few scenes we do have of Ganondorf but he needed way more.

[@Ren-gk2tg]

While I agree that dynamic characters are always great for a story, Zelda being a static character this time around didn't bother me BECAUSE of the arc she went through in the previous game. It was satisfying to see her in Totk as this caring, iron-willed person as opposed to the more reserved, sometimes immature version she was in the BotW flashbacks. It makes that character development hit harder when Totk shows us how she has really come into her own as a protector and leader of the Kingdom of Hyrule.

[@Ren-gk2tg]

To expand on my comment, when I say the game shows us how she has become a great leader, I mean in ways outside of the main plot as well. Looking at the side quests, the NPCs' admiration for Zelda show us that she has made a genuine effort in connecting with her people and helping them in their ways of life post BotW. From the rebuilding efforts she has had a part in, to the gorgeous Flower Garden Island she made with the flower girl from the first game, much of the content outside of the main story paints how much of a source of strength and inspiration Zelda is now.

[@joshjonson2368]

When can they finally just make a high definition hentai game where you play as a depraved link who will finally unleash his baser desires upon zelda ?

[@jman2001jt]

I’ll agree with a lot of people here in saying that not every character or even every protagonist needs to be a dynamic character, but if your story ONLY has static characters, then you have a problem.

[@Ironcabbit]

Nintendo did the ending backwards: Link should have been the one to turn into the dragon, after a steadying goodbye to Zelda (and us), leaving her to deal the final blows to Ganondorf.

[@chadhoward5349]

Good points but I think we are missing the whole point. Legend of Zelda games can’t have good stories and character development in an open world game where the development could be completely missed by players. At least that’s the developer’s mindset with it

[@vancejohnson-beal8142]

What this needed in my opinion is without a doubt parts where you play as Zelda. Not necessarily fights but, just a chance to explore ancient Hyrule. But, of course Nintendo won't let us have that beyond the one time of phantom tracks.

[@F0XCL0UD]

You started off so in love with TOTK with saying it improves in every way from BOTW but now at least acknowledging that Zelda in BOTW grew. Your videos evolve with your perspective and I like seeing that! Exactly what you’re talking about in video.

[@mufarokylemudiwa6000]

What is your outro music called?

[@cloudshines812]

The problem with Tears of the Kingdom that stems from its story was the overall structure. I find that by making a more deeper and more mature story to tell as opposed to the previous title of regaining memories… TOTK should’ve abandoned the many roots that the first title took. Aside from dragon tear collecting, the overall adventure felt too safe and much like the first entry with the whole reawakening in a tutorial island, obtain a device that pinpoints all the locations you have to go to, you revisit the same locations as before, and finally have background or new characters who hardly contribute anything new to the plot. The only time I felt TOTK actually felt unique and different was after the Crisis at Hyrule Castle leading to the Construct Factory to find the final sage. Because that was a new, originally crafted, and thoughtful part of the game that the whole journey should’ve been centered around

[@DanielisAwesome52]

They dropped the ball with the Tablets in the Sky, and some other side quest content in service of the story. The Tablets don't say anything the Memories don't already say (and in broken english) there's zero valuable information in them when they could have described the actual kingdom. The Sky islands just being copy pasted from the same couple devices is disappointing when they could have had ruins of Zonai settlements, or temples, environmental storytelling/archeology preserved by being suspended in the sky only weathered by wind with no water or sand to destroy structures. They gave all these hints to Zonai culture in the first game, so much so that it became a meme to NOT talk about it in the community, yet we learn almost nothing new in Tears of the Kingdom besides the Devices and Rauru/Mineru. The time Travel also gave them a huge swath to tell Zelda's Story, she could have been transported to well before the Ganondorf events, lived a whole life in service to the first Hyrule, but instead she's there to deus ex machina an event that could've happened without her. Even Ganondorf, the upheaval could have unearthed so many ancient writings about his deeds, how the Gerudo handled things in the aftermath, but all it seemed to do was rearrange ruins and information that was already available in Breath of the Wild. It feels weird to complain about what boils down to "amount of content" when they spent 7 years on this game and its definitely apparent they did. Its a great game and the gameplay stuff is denser than almost anything that's come before. Its just there are some clear missed opportunities in the world building and lore departments

[@spandytube]

I think the problem is that these stories have become so complicated and the relationships so involved that Link remaining a silent protagonist starts to really hurt the narrative. We really should be hearing his opinion, especially in this second game. How much better would it be if he could actually express the feelings of loss and sadness when Zelda disappears, or express to her in words how he feels when they reunite? That and the obvious logistical convenience of talking to Purah and the rest of the NPCs about what exactly is going on in the plot. I have no idea why the rest of the world isn't updated as Link learns more about the story from dragon tear memories.

[@andrescarnederes2295]

Here's hoping that the next game is another sequel (making botw a trilogy) and that this iteration of zelda be the main focus, in fact she should be playable. This is arguably the best version of the princess that we've ever had and she still has more story to tell imho.

[@rainbowkenz]

I guess I disagree with you about Zelda not having an arc because Zelda has always struck me as the best kind of busybody, a person with a deep belief in the importance of her exercising her own agency, and a justified faith in her efficacy as a person. This was demonstrated in the cruel conflict with her father over how she should be spending her time, in which she was asserting, in part, her ability to bring value in some other way while struggling in the area he valued. To give up her agency, her ability to freely act and choose and strive and directly impact the world around her, well, that’s a change, definitely. Yes, she was always willing to work hard, sacrifice her time and resources and relationships and yes, even her life. But those are all agentic. To give up her will and mind and agency and simply trust that someone else will figure it out is a different kind of sacrifice. Love your videos, very thought provoking!

[@lukejones7164]

You have a very modern misunderstanding of what character development and the point of storytelling actually is. The vast majority of stories and mythology isnt about its protagonists "changing" from one thing to another, nor are they usually about overcoming flaws (which were in the past understood as permanent and natural). Character Development is about a character becoming more fleshed out and 3 Dimensional overtime as more traits are revealed about them, its not about them "changing" from you thing to another. For example, virtually none of the protagonists in much of world mythology actually change over the course of their journeys, none of the characters in Shakespeare's plays ever actually change, etc. Hell, even in the best of Modern drama (Breaking Bad, Sopranos, etc), none of the characters there ever actually change either.

[@drenin777]

Its funny that DW game based on BoW had a decent growth of Zelda compared to ToK. The main issue comes with once again having Zelda locked away in the past, again. We had hoped that we had Zelda as a companion and then would learn things as we completed each area, When you have a Sudo blank slate that is Link, you really have to have the other main characters help back him up, but unlike BoW your not one man flung into the future, you're now part of the present and having each area, an contained story, with Link by his lonesome apart from speechless puppets or one of the cast for a very brief time doesn't make much sense. What we needed was some sidekick or friendly character that would pop up at each main area and grow as a character as you cleared out the main area, which before launch was our hope for Zelda. There is was a reason that some fans believe that ToK is pretty much BoW 1.5 and as of the story, I at this point feel the same and that the lightning didn't strike twice.

[@igothackedsoicreatedthisne500]

Here me out, I completely loved this game, and I know this gives the whole game a whole 540º turn, but hearing this video made me realize that, maybe, it would have been better to switch Link's and Zelda's places in the story, Link gets teleported to the past, and we get to explore the earliest version of the kingdom, and through the dragon tears we were able to see what Zelda has been up to in the future/ present.

[@ieda18]

Link has personality, in the Japanese version, in the mission descriptions...

[@Dantemo.-pl8mc]

I'm not sure weather or not your already going to. but I've... stuff, about Jill Warrick in ff16. do you think you could do a video on her? (unless you're already thinking it and I'm just slow)

[@Matt620]

Link has always felt like an avatar character: The thing that separates video game from novel or other non-interactive medium. Where he goes, we go. And we experience the other people through him. The fact that he has no character arc is part of this. In games, it can work. For me, though, I've always found Breath of the Wild's writing to be a bit inconsistent in application. Zelda had bonds with all of the champions, particularly Urbosa, but nothing stirred or even hinted that such devotion was the core part of harnessing Hylia's power. It just felt like a switch: Plot powers turned from OFF to ON because plot point needed to happen I do think King Rhoam's daughter Zelda (as opposed to other Zeldas in the series) would make a good protagonist character if she had to confront the harm caused by her powers being unable to be awakened. If Zelda had to answer for the fact that tons of Hylians died before her powers unlocked, that would've been a strong character beat like the way FatBrett describes it.

[@SonicFrake]

Give Link more character and a speaking role...am I the only one who just had a nightmare about a game called The Legend of Zelda: Other L?

[@Isuream6331]

That sounds worse than a war crime

[@SonicFrake]

@@Isuream6331 It was terrible I tell you. I couldn't use the Master Sword or any of Link's gear because Zelda hadn't authorized it. I had to run through the entirety of Death Mountain while on fire because I couldn't equip my flamebreaker amour until I got to the boss. There was this cringe backstory that turned lore accurate Link from a badass to a whiny bitch. And the voice acting...it made me want to give the voice actors from the CDi games Oscars. It's okay, I just need to calm down. Other L Link isn't real, he can't hurt me.

[@chickengod5233]

I hope the dlc can do better where the main story couldn’t, overall the story was pretty good in my opinion and the final boss was pretty epic.

[@BlazingGlaceon]

God, when I heard rumors of Zelda being playable in TotK long before it came out, I said there was no way they'd do that but man did I want them to lol. Like, sure, the Warriors games might not be the best reference point to go on for that kind of thing, but Zelda's performance in (at least the first) Zelda Musou was fantastic, and I'd love to see her take on the role of main protagonist like that. It'd be a good way to bring back the magic system, too, since Zelda's always been known for her cool magic. In terms of pure story, I dunno, I'm the wrong person to ask lol. Zelda games to me have always just been the Dragon QUest syndrome of "Dark Lord bad, Hero good" with the smaller stories along the way being the actual interesting parts. Like, the whole Resistance force in TP didn't get much development or screentime, but they were still my favorite part of that game (Ashei, my beloved), alongside Midna. But yeah, I would love for an incarnation of Zelda to have her own game.

[@anactualwhale6074]

I agree with what you said about Zelda being willing to sacrifice herself from the start of the game, I even believe there is a line of dialogue when she’s talking to Minaru where she says something like “I knew from the moment I arrived in this era that it was my duty to sacrifice myself”. There was potential for an interesting character arc of her realizing that she’s not as powerful as she thinks she is. I could see this Zelda, being as intelligent as she is and with all her power of holding back the calamity for 100 years having a lot of self importance and having a “main character complex”, thinking she could stop the demon king before he rises. But then she grows and changes by realizing that she doesn’t have to stop him. Like some of the other characters she realizes she can rely on others and that’s when she realizes she needs to sacrifice herself to help Link and restore the Master Sword. I always thought she was a little too passive while in the past. As someone who knows what is going to happen I kind of expected a bit more trying to influence the future and stop Gannondorf from becoming the demon king other then one line of telling Rauru the shifty and obviously malicious man is going to betray you.

[@bluzerotwo3379]

Link is blank because he is meant to be a self insert for whoever is playing

[@MissKiamari]

I honestly think you're missing the point of the characters' journies in the game. Ganondorf isn't meant to be a representation of a flaw that the characters have, he's representative of a different *ideology*. Rauru, Sonia, Zelda, and Link represent the ideal that the strong protect and sacrifice for the weak, while Ganondorf represents the ideal that the strong subjugate the weak for the sake of their own power. Zelda's journey is discovering what kind of leader she wants to be; she establishes a school, a research team, engages a construction company to begin rebuilding the Kingdom's STRUCTURES, but she doesn't know what HER role is in the new world beyond "helping". Her contributions by the time TotK begins are relatively small. By spending time in the past with Rauru and Sonia, she experiences a cautionary tale about being in power, and how short-sightedness and complacency can be dangerous. She is still the same person at the end, but she discovers that she wants to be a protector, to be someone that her people can look to in times of crisis. Link emulates Rauru in uniting Hyrule against the threat by discovering the sages; he is directly responsible (in both games) for uniting the disparate peoples of Hyrule. In BotW, it's in Tarrey Town, where he brings together people of different races and cultures into a great melting pot. In TotK, it's in Lookout Landing; in the beginning of the game, it's just hylians and sheikah. The presence of Rito, Gorons, Zora, and Gerudo in Lookout Landing is a direct result of Link's deeds in the service of Zelda and the people of Hyrule. The four tribal banners in Lookout Landing are the first known time that all four have been in the same place since before the Great Calamity, which is hugely significant, culturally. Together, Link and Zelda prove that they are greater than their forebears (Rauru and Sonia), who allowed their own complacency and arrogance to nearly destroy their kingdom, and ultimately cost them their lives. They vow to protect their peace, and not make the same mistakes that their predecessors did. I think it's wrong to say that Link doesn't have character, at least in BotW/TotK. We get characterisation of him from others (their diaries), the relationships that have been built between BotW and TotK (Tulin didn't know him in BotW. By TotK, Link is someone that he knows well and admires greatly), and in his own dialogue. It's not spoken, but the responses you can choose when interacting with NPCs are Link's reactions to them. He's bashful, kind, reckless, and helpful. He's a glutton. In pre-calamity Hyrule, he was highly anxious and clammed up completely due to the pressures of his role. In TotK, he takes his fame in stride, and is a role model for the people of Hyrule, particularly the ones who have decided to take up arms to defend it. He's humble; despite being a storied hero, he still takes the time and energy to help ordinary people with ordinary problems. The difference is that you have to go *looking* for his characterisation, which I guess can read as NO characterisation if you miss it. Doesn't mean it's not there. Zelda will NEVER be the protagonist of the series. Her role in the trio is to be the support for the hero. Should she be *a* main character? Yes, absolutely. Too often she has felt like a trophy or underdeveloped (looking at TP especially. Sorry, I don't think the story in that game is that great), so to see her actually have character in SS, St, and BotW/TotK has been a breath of fresh air.

[@Kazuma11290]

The reason it's called The Legend of Zelda, is not because the story is ABOUT her. She's too humble for that. It's because she's the one TELLING the story to her subjects.

[@Planag7]

Yes. But legends can change and evolve.

[@Kazuma11290]

@@Planag7 Narcissism is not evolution.

[@InfiniteGreninja]

I think the biggest problem is that this story feels very much like a rethread of the previous one. And yes, that is the case for many Zelda games, but for this one it's different, because it's the exact same world, with the same characters. The progression in this game is almost exactly the same as the last one. You wake up on a giant island above the ground, meet the spirit of an old king, get directed to a Sheikah who tells you that the Zora, Gorons, Rito and Garudo are facing different crises. You go to help them and meet Sidon, Yunobo, Teba/his son and Riju. After helping them all you're told to enter Hyrule Castle and face Ganon. The only real difference is that TOTK has a fifth dungeon. The rest of the story is also told via memories in the same way it was in BOTW. It doesn't feel like you're playing a new game, it feels like BOTW+.

[@chibmib821]

Again, you brought forward a great analysis! I agree with everything in this video except the last point. First of all, Link does to a certain degree have a personality. For example, you can see that his main motivation in Twilight Princess is to save the village children, that slowly develops into a quest of (actually and willingly) helping Midna. In Skyward Sword, You can also see in Sky Link that he was motivated to help Zelda. But the biggest contribution of giving Link a personality is the options you get of what his dialogue would be. Not only gives it Link "a voice", it also gives the players room of their interpretation of what Link's personality is. Which is a great way of "developing" Link as a character, but keeping in mind what Link's personality might be for the player. Second of all, even though Link might not be the most developed character in gaming history, I think that him not having a voice is not the problem. Instead, it should be focusing more on his relationships he has in Hyrule/is forming throughout the adventure and how he interacts with them. I think Botw/Totk Link's biggest flaw is his lack of expression (during the Story). I know that it was intended for him to be very stoic because he does not want to burden anybody/he feels that being stoic is the only right emotion to show for the Chosen Hero. But it saddens me that the developers don't even attempt to show his feelings and emotions: the camera is usually placed as if we are seeing what Link is seeing at that moment. Botw/Totk Link could have been the most interesting Link, but the developers' choice of framing Link as character really sabotaged it.

[@graenovember]

oh lol i remember watching this already before. Don't know if i commented this already, but not every good story needs a circular character. Your argument is that you NEED a circular character to tell a good story. Your character /needs/ to have a flaw and become better at the end; they need to be a changing character. That's just an opinion though, a *preference* to the kinds of stories you like most. You're limiting story-telling with that argument, in a way. So many good stories exist without needing circular characters. I don't agree with your point because I think it's really down to preference, but I just wanted to point that out. Static characters aren't the bane of stories. TOTK's story is more of a revealing and telling of mysterious historical events and Link's personal connection to the subject of these events (Zelda). *That's* where you find the emotional impact and connection as the viewer.

[@zane1790]

There's a million critiques you could throw at this game's story. From the little to no character growth, to the bland cookie cutter motivations for everyone, to the way it was told through memories, to the zonai lore making little to no sense, to the TIMELINE FUCKERY, the fact this was originally dlc REALLY shows with the story. I have no doubts they wanted to do a million ideas and then hastily slapped a story on top of it, it's just so bad... Despite all that I still love it and I think that speaks to how strong it's strengths are, but WOW

[@hambikv8005]

Love your videos. When Baldur?

[@nahte123456]

Hard disagree on tge Link thing. But besides that I think a good twist would have been Purah of all characters getting tge big arc. Zelda had her arc last game and honestly I don't think tge potentially out of order snippets is a good medium for a large scale arc. And Link is The Hero, as in the archetype, he's largely symbolic, changing him messes with that. No Purah is the one in charge, keeping tge people united. And she went through the calamity, she knows the consequences of failing here, but last time she was just a scientist, this time she's a leader. And seeing her take on that weight would be a natural arc for her.

[@SilverCity-lr5ru]

We all want Zelda as the main character

[@glasspencil]

I don’t see an issue with Zelda being a static character as her arc was already completed in BotW. There would be no need to revert her back to being incompetent. What I *did* take issue with was that neither she nor any other character in the past brought a unique perspective on the situation or theme of the story. Everyone acts the same way. “I will serve my kingdom,” and they all say this with the same calm, wise demeanor. They don’t bring anything unique with them in terms of motivation or beliefs. Static characters aren’t a problem. A cast of characters that are all static is. One of the things I loved so much about botw’s champions is they each (mostly) had a unique perspective on the calamity and the personal situations it put them in. Their perspectives were also shaped by their lives, beliefs, and motivations. Revali was motivated by hubris and felt underestimated due to his hard work and talent. It created conflict with Link who was put above him by default. Mipha had plans for a lovely future that were turned upside down by her duty, but she desperately held on to hope that this calamity was only a bump in the road. The fact that her hope was in vain only makes her predicament more interesting and tragic. Urbosa was a stand in for Zelda’s mother and went beyond her duties as a champion because of that connection. She inadvertently helped Zelda to unlock her powers by being the one to spark the bond between Link and Zelda. Daruk gets the short end of the stick, unfortunately, as he’s just a “Yeah, let’s do it!” guy that doesn’t offer much. He’s all personality and no purpose. Fun to watch though. My point is that most of them had something unique to offer. TotK on the other hand… Sonia was…nice. And…willing to teach Zelda… She was also…nice to Rauru…? Rauru was…cool? He…got angry when Sonia died. That was neat. He was…arrogant…for making a miscalculation, I guess. Arrogance is an interesting trait. Any insight as to why he’s arrogant…? Because king…? Ok… Zelda is left in a world where her newly developed character didn’t get to mesh or clash with anyone else. We don’t get to see *how* she’s changed other than that she’s no longer struggling with constant failure. Everyone’s perspective is basically the same as hers. “Get Zelda home. Serve kingdom.” I think what they could have done was contrast how Zelda rules her kingdom vs how Rauru did in the ancient past. They could have highlighted Rauru’s supposed “arrogance” by having him slack somewhat on his duties because of Hyrule’s peace. In one of the Zonai texts on the stone slabs, it is said that Rauru would often spend time hunting and that Sonia would have to reel him in because he would get so wrapped in it. Have that aspect clash with Zelda and have her see a version of her younger self in Rauru, but with enough understanding and experience to not berate him like her father did. In response, Rauru can ignore, retort, learn, or misunderstand Zelda’s take. You can also add in the fact that Zelda is quite young. Rauru could assume that she isn’t fit to rule due to her age (presumed inexperience), so what good is her counsel? My point: highlight his arrogance. This potential conflict could lead into Rauru’s misjudgment of Ganondorf and climax in Rauru’s sacrifice where his arrogance is actually resolved. Of course, the core issue with this is Zelda is no longer the main focus, and you still need a way to get her back to the present. If Draconification is the way to go, the events leading up to it need to thematically make sense, and the sacrifice needs to mean something. The story I’ve offered is kinda missing that. Or, you can ignore *all of that* and do what I saw someone else comment on. Get rid of the distant past cutscenes and keep Zelda in the present as a travel companion with Link. I, personally, am a fan of this idea since I would like to see a lot more interactions between the two and watch them continue to grow along side each other. As for any story arcs, well, ya got me there, but surely something can come out of that, right?

[@SuperFlik]

While I do agree with regards to the Tears/Memories, the game does give you a specific order in which to uncover the memories.

[@lukejones7164]

Link is given actual character in all of the Manga by Akira HimeKawa (which are all approved by Nintendo), its a shame they dont do this in the actual games though.

[@mnopinion]

I LOL’ed at the sages saying the same line every time you unlock them! Its soo true.

[@BigBossBernie]

Regarding the lack of character growth, I agree - Zion had his growth in BotW, reeling from the loss of his sister and the anxiousness of wanting to live up to his father - now he's an accomplished warrior, one of the five heroes who fought the calamity. What else is there for him to do? Yes, there is a new threat (as with the Gerudo) but honestly nobody you talk to in the village even knows what's up as they are dealing with mud, not an attacking foe. Regarding Zelda - while I liked TotK gameplay-wise, I honestly didn't see the point. She was supposed to be able to seal the calamity as her ancestor did; which one specifically? How many princesses or queens of Hyrule sealed away the calamity that in hindsight was just an aftereffect of Raru's seal on Ganon weakening? So how is it, that whtihin the royal lineage Raru's sealing power was passed on and effectively executed by Zelda herself in BotW's past but now she's somehow also the sage of time? And if she had learned that Calamity Ganon turned her research (the guardians) against Hyrule, how can she make such a blatant mistake again in TotK? Why did she not confere with the other researchers instead of walking down into the castle's ruins on her own? If she travels into the past, how does she tell the sages about the seal on Ganon breaking, but not about the actual threat of Calamity Ganon that left Hyrule in shambles? Happy to have found your channel :)

[@MilestheDirtyMindedGoblin2099]

4:18 I agree, I am also very interested in stories and how they make us feel.