Why Wind Waker is the Darkest Zelda Game

[@gio9255]

Wind Waker Link was a true hero. He finished his main goal (save his sister) halfway through the game and had no reason to keep helping the King of Red Lions or Tetra. Even after being exploited by many entities (including Tetra and the King of Red Lions himself), he chose to rebuild the Master Sword due to the fact he knew his island will never be safe as long as Ganondorf remained alive. Link persevered in a world that did not celebrate his deeds, a truly selfless hero.

[@shinigamimiroku3723]

Agreed. This was one of the reasons why I have always felt like WW was massively underrated back in its first years. The push by the industry as a whole for not only stories but entire worlds that were dark and edgy (see: GTA, Shadow the Hedgehog, Dark Souls, Devil May Cry, and etc.) that players forgot that serious stories can be hold - and often hold more impact - when juxtaposed with a bright, colorful presentation.

[@unknownuser494]

Don't forget he also save tetra again by that demonic parasite and save ocean king and Linebeck and after that he also build new Hyrule.

[@BreadBup]

Don't forget that WW Link is the only Hero (I think) who wasn't born with the Tri Force of courage.

[@NovaAzurite]

The ending part where Toon Link literally STABS GANON in the head at the end is basically the darkest thing I ever seen, and the first zelda game i ever played

[@angeldude101]

The Hero of Time also stabs Ganon in the head. The differences: The Hero of Winds _leaves_ the sword in his head, and he stabs _Ganondorf,_ not _Ganon._ This one doesn't take the form of a monster.

[@lordnul1708]

@@angeldude101 that, and the N64 version of OoT has Link shove the sword down Ganon's gullet instead of into his forehead, so in terms of release order, WW Link is the first to do the "stab the forehead" maneuver, and on top of having done it on Ganondorf instead of the Ganon form.

[@OrdonWolf]

One of the more cynical storylines in wind waker is that of the poor family and the rich family trading places. The rich father spends his entire fortune to find his daughter. When she gets back to him he's just glad to have been reunited, but they now live as beggars and her daughter turns to thievery. The poor man's daughter, on the other hand, brings back precious jewels. Now they live in the rich man's house and have become arrogant and greedy. The story has some strong fairy-tale vibes to it, but unlike most fairy tales it doesn't portray a moralising world where good deeds are always rewarded and vices always punished, but a world where circumstances can screw anyone over.

[@shinigamimiroku3723]

So they're basically like the old-school fairy-tales like those of Anderson and Aesop, rather than the sanitized Disney versions.

[@orangeslash1667]

@@shinigamimiroku3723 Disney originally planned Elsa to be the villain and Let it go has going to be a villain Song, but because the writers loved the song they changed Elsa into a tragic hero and the story was rewritten allover again, but that caused new problems. The reason why Elsa's ice powers are not explained is because the writers thought it be too overcomplicated for the kids to understand. If that's the case then how is changing Elsa from a villain to a hero a good idea again, because so far the story is a mess????

[@UrbanSLUG]

I would love to see a ''why there's super mario enemies in Zelda links awakening''

[@WalkerVin]

You can find it in how links awakening was made they explain it started as a fan game in Nintendo soo they decided to add a chain chomp because it would be fun

[@olavored1733]

@@WalkerVin What about the goombas in the dungeons?

[@WalkerVin]

@@olavored1733 like I said they made it for fun and added all that in for fun here is the link to the video

[@rockyboi120]

Because it’s a dream, or something like that

[@lordnul1708]

@@rockyboi120 yeah, that's the in universe reason as far as I'm concerned.

[@truemanlyusopp1099]

I understand your take on it, but I feel like Wind Waker is more of a boy becoming a hero through circumstance/or destiny (depending on your take) rather than a nobody being a nobody. Not to mention the fact people may not see him as important could be because many people have forgotten the legends and myths of Hyrule. To them there isn't such a thing as a "hero" It's even said in-game that on a small island (Outset Island) a tradition takes place representing the role of the Hero. Not many people know this, it's a dying tradition so it makes sense people wouldn't know who Link is, they must just see him as a weird boy in funny clothes. You're also forgetting that the reason the gods flooded Hyrule is because they were trying to entrap Ganon to keep him from destroying/ruling the world. Not because they were uncaring, because if they were then why would they bother to try and suppress Ganon? It was a last ditch effort to control the evil that was out of control. Remember the gods in Zelda universe aren't all powerful, they each have a distinct niche they fill. It's also never gone much into how much power they actually have, they seem to be much more like gods in pantheistic beliefs, Shintoism, Greek gods etc. They interfere with the world and try to protect (or meddle in) it but because they aren't all powerful they grant power to heroes, chosen ones, lesser gods (like Hylia) to help them keep peace. Wind Waker I think is more of a game about change (literally the winds of change lol) and hope in the future. I even pity Ganon in this game... it's almost like he seems exhausted despite still trying to take over.

[@jayfolk]

majora a bit darker to me what with inevitable death to a whole town full of tragic stories from dead parents, lovers, and childern.

[@cassiedevereaux-smith3890]

Not just a 'bit' darker. Yeah, ancient Hyrule was drowned and that would be dark if, like.... we had to experience it rather than just have it be ancient history. I don't lose a lot of sleep over Rome razing Carthage these days.

[@unknownuser494]

In pH the main antagonist just want to devour everything and also use their life force to make demonic monster which can't be killed by normal weapons.

[@lordnul1708]

@@cassiedevereaux-smith3890 or what Vesuvius did to Pompeii. Although granted, seeing the amount of detail all that ash preserved and eventually transferred into the wax casts would probably do a better job than reading about it in a textbook.

[@6SamChat9]

I just want to point out that Wind Waker Link still has the spirit of the hero, so he's not just some regular Joe. Interestingly, many NPCs (as well as some Koroks) note that Koroks can't be seen by everyone. It isn't explicitly stated why Link can see them, but this may be due to his history with the Kokiri.

[@uniquesidecharacter3764]

So basically, real life but as a Legend of Zelda game. Got it.

[@vaelegoro7782]

Link after reliseing the world is against him totally legit speedrun mode activate

[@blueblurz9498]

Wind Waker after seeing the games that came before it: “Alright, I’m gonna secretly screw the player and their progress as much as possible without being noticed.”

[@SuperCJK333]

Toon Link truly is the working class hero to the people.

[@EvyDevy]

Yeah this game is dark! Never realized how the wind ties into everything! The need for money never bothered me since doing dungeons gave me money, so it felt rewarding.

[@lordnul1708]

Yup, it's even Ganondorf's last words, after he did a speech about how the wind only ever brought death to the people he ruled over as the Gerudo King. "the wind... Is blowing..." This is also the Ganondorf that took the most time reflecting on the why instead of plotting the how.

[@junojun722]

8:29 Tingle's Rosy Rupeeland.

[@deepmind5318]

I started windwaker with an indifferent attitude. I thought the game would be obnoxiously childish. By the time i reached the middle part of the game i was surprised at just how dark and creepy the game was becoming, and by the end i was simply shocked at how mature the story had gotten. Link killing ganondorf by stabbing him in the face was incredible. Ganondorf slapping Zelda and making her unconscious was just mind-blowing. Windwaker became one of my favorite Zelda games ever. It pretends to be childish, only to turn around and show you that windwaker is one of the most creative and darkest games in the series. it's a shame the remastered version is trapped on the dead Wii U, because the remastered version vastly changes and improves the graphics and gameplay. Nintendo should have released the Wii U version on the switch by now. I wonder why Nintendo is holding the remastered version back. Maybe it's a strategy in order to release new games nearly every month in 2022.

[@idanshoval6939]

0:47 I think you guys might have done an editing mistake here...

[@zer0w0lf94]

8:12 That repeat happened again.

[@adnnebs]

They don’t watch their own videos before releasing them

[@6SamChat9]

She's just making sure that she was clear

[@Mr.Carrot]

"anyway, back to the blood" That was a horrid sentence said in a very casual way

[@Cerebrum123]

"Flood" not "blood".

[@zacharycardon2353]

Wind Waker's metaphor, as you put it, sounds a lot like the Game Cube's life story. Also, those double lines are like toilet paper stuck to your ankle. Everyone notices it, and it gets annoying.

[@toast1ngton]

oh my god wind my worst enemy

[@NostalJackMusic]

This is a really cool video! I haven’t played WW since I was a kid, so it was awesome hearing the story’s inspirations more in depth!

[@anonymoususind]

2:18 Tetra got her skin color wrong

[@ShadowWizard224]

Wind Waker soundtrack is the only one ever to come remotely close to Ocarina of Time. Even though it’s known for its cheerful bright vibes it’s actually one of the deepest and darkest stories of the whole franchise. The story, lore, music, characters, companion, etc… It’s absolutely amazing and I find it to be one of the most memorable Zelda experiences of all time. I was 6 years old when it first came out.

[@bloodystatic4156]

Majora’s Mask: I’M THE DARKEST ZELDA GAME!!! Spirit Tracks: NO, I’M THE DARKEST ZELDA GAME!!! ???: Amateurs... Spirit Tracks: WHAT WAS THAT PUNK?!? Wind Waker: AMATEURS. Link To The Past: HI.

[@johnlucas1543]

+bloodystatic I love this comment. So real & so true.

[@samuelhacker7463]

0:49 outtake

[@zer0w0lf94]

8:12 Another one

[@ryanbeckett2313]

Another great Zelda video! Thanks.

[@jeromeheramis2932]

00:50 is that repeat on purpose?

[@zer0w0lf94]

It happened again at 8:12.

[@6SamChat9]

She's just making sure that she was clear

[@locodesert2]

I remember I couldn’t beat the game because of the little quest I had to go travel all around finding the triforce shards and I gave up on it.

[@dereklucht4811]

I don’t see how anyone could do that part without a guide, would have probably taken me 100 hours for that part alone

[@MarzipanCat.]

Wind Waker Link isn't just a nobody. It can't be a coincidence that specifically on his island, there is the tradition of preparing young boys to fight against evil. In addition, the ornaments on the doors on Outset depict the triforce and Link has long, pointy ears - something he only shares with Zelda and Ganondorf. It was in Link's blood, it was his fate to become the Hero of the Wind but it happened in a world where people didn't believe in heroes anymore, so no one recognizes him. Wind Waker is more a story of how people only see what they expect to see and lose sight of what's right in front of their eyes in the process. They seek fairytale wonders while the actual wonder is right in front of their eyes. People didn't believe Link was a true hero because they were all waiting for the Hero of Time to come back - the King of Red Lions gives this as reason to both the Deku Tree and Jaboo why Link is not the Hero they were waiting for, because he has nothing to do with the prophecy of the Hero of Time. All the while, the actual hero of their time was going unnoticed

[@megabyte01]

An excellent video for an excellent game!

[@6SamChat9]

In the end he becomes a hero and unfold the events of spirit track.

[@WarmLillie]

The cuter they are, the darker it is

[@powerfullpummel6417]

The entire mantra of kirby

[@Fragmentsinfractals488]

@@powerfullpummel6417 Kirby, the cute eldritch abomination.

[@6SamChat9]

That's Kirby in a nutshell

[@francoperalta5986]

You could Make the same case for any Zelda game about all the challenges and stipulations that make Link and the players time hard. The world or quest doesn't care about any Link that sets off on his journey in any game. Regarding the flood, all that's backstory, We don't live through or see it in action. I guess the backstory of the wind waker might be the darkest plot in the series. But the game's plot itself, darker then Majora's Mask or Twilight Princess and Ocarina of Time? Thats quite a statement to buy.

[@fredleber2432]

How is the wind always blowing the wrong way? You can literally control the wind

[@truemanlyusopp1099]

Yeah and depending on where one is going, it's sometimes blowing the right way!

[@6SamChat9]

You can move with the Wind but you might go the wrong way.

[@BreadBup]

0:55 Olinkmar 😳😳

[@6SamChat9]

The only way to win in life is to get a good reputation. And I reckon Wind Waker Link did just that.

[@speinz9430]

“It’s just like Final Fantasy IX”

[@eslm-studios2996]

I'm sorry, but I fail to see how those points make Wind Waker the darkest Zelda game compared to the likes of Majora's Mask, or even Link's Awakening where you're essentially the one to bring the apocalypse on innocent lives you've connected with throughout the game.

[@caetanoc.m.169]

0:50 she has repeated the same thing twice.

[@charbound]

some people in the comments here are kinda bein assholes, just wanted to say that this is a good video. you can tell that some people saw the title, didnt watch the video, and said "no it isnt!! grrr!!! >:( " and left a comment lol

[@fhjunior6183]

Thanks for the vid

[@alvarochaves1999]

Kirby 64 is also really dark.

[@6SamChat9]

You should try Kirby and the forgotten land

[@alvarochaves1999]

@@6SamChat9 I only played the demo.

[@caetanoc.m.169]

8:13 she has repeated the same thing twice AGAIN!

[@6SamChat9]

She's just making sure that she was clear

[@joshuaball5916]

Oh, come on! Majora's Mask is the darkest game!

[@cassiedevereaux-smith3890]

Without question.

[@baconcartoonist]

WOWOWOWOWOWOW

[@they2kguy822]

And I though majora’s mask is the darkest

[@joshsanchez9793]

i love this

[@stephenford5661]

If only star wars took a lesson from this game

[@cassiedevereaux-smith3890]

OR it's saying you don't have to be a 'great person' to do great things. I think you're reaching.

[@Cliffordlonghead]

Ok

[@BraidzMC]

"Why this video is wrong"