What I Learned Photographing NPCs in Tears of the Kingdom

Hylians, Rito, Zora, Gorons, Gerudo & Koroks: The NPCs of Gaming series returns with a look through the camera lens at the NPCs of Hyrule! Settle in, because this is a long one.
* Opening Titles: 0:00 - 0:40
* NPCs of Hyrule Part I -- Hylians: 0:41 - 22:51
* NPCs of Hyrule Part II -- Worldbuilding and Design: 22:52 - 31:00
* NPCs of Hyrule Part III -- The Other Hyruleans: 31:01 - 53:05
* The Camera Rune: 53:06 - 59:24
* The Story Significance of Link's Photography (Minor Spoilers): 59:25 - 1:03:21
* Outro: 1:03:22 - 1:04:54
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Recommended Videos:
-- What I Learned Photographing NPCs for a Year (Volume 1): • What I Learned Photogr...
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-- NPCs of Gaming: / npcsofgaming
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-- Website: aarafafzal.com/npcs
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Selected References:
-- "16 More Things You Didn't Know About Breath of the Wild" by Max Blumenthal (Gamespot): • 16 MORE Things You STI...
-- "Breath of the Wild's NPCs are actually Miis, modder confirms" by Owen S. Good: www.polygon.com/2021/1/5/2221...
-- "Breath of the Wild Dialogue Tumblr" by botwdialogue: / botwdialogue
-- Zelda Dungeon: www.zeldadungeon.net/wiki/Mai...
-- "The Reason Why Gorons are Allowed in Gerudo Town" by kaialone: www.tumblr.com/kaialone/63603...
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BEHIND THE SCENES:
-- There's a shot of "Zelda" through the camera lens in this -- but for the spoiler-weary, fret not. It's not actually Zelda!
-- This ended up being the longest NPC standalone to date, but I still cut quite a few things from it! These were either:
(1) Because they were well-known or widely discussed already, especially with regard to spoilers
[Example: Kass, my favorite NPC, is one of the few not to return -- but he is at least mentioned in an off-handed comment by his daughter.]
(2) Amusing, but probably not intended on the part of the developers
[Example A: There's a Goron chef named Cooke, a Rito journalist named Penn, and a Gerudo jeweler named Jewel -- though, she doesn't want you to know it! In BotW, it's revealed that Isha's real name is "Jewel," but she thought it was too embarrassing of a coincidence for a jeweler and so she changed her name.]
[Example B: In BotW, Konora says she was out of town for so long that she forgot her own address. In TotK, she's straight-up left town.]
(3) More a cool fact about BotW than about TotK
[Example: When the Goron contractors strike rock with their pickaxes, sparks fly out on impact. When Hudson strikes rock with his pickaxe, it SHAKES THE CAMERA SCREEN.]
(4) Deserving of a full essay on their own (with full discussion of spoilers), by someone more well-suited than me
[Example: There's one sidequest I mention about gender dynamics that is incredibly interesting in light of the Gerudo Town arc in this game. There is an intentional parallel to the critical path drawn in it, but one that runs counter to what is depicted with some of the NPCs.]
-- Although I plan to re-use the intro/outro shots from this episode in future NPC videos, we filmed it with Legend of Zelda in mind. I hope someone picks up on why (beyond just the t-shirt).

[@literallygrass1328]

my favourite NPC interaction is loone, who goes from obsessing over guardians to obsessing over the 3 great skeletons. She has some hilarious dialouge too

[@SolidArf]

Loone rocks. Was so glad to see she's still doing archaeology things! (And with just as much, uh, passion.)

[@void_bucket]

_Shiiiny rock! Smooth rock!_

[@Seabasstard22]

Love line and the lady who got stuck in the desert and only motivated to go anywhere for a cool drink

[@TTHBLOX_]

Thats her!?

[@literallygrass1328]

@@TTHBLOX_ yeah loone is the guardian maniac on the beach on BOTW, i only figured that out on my replay.

[@larhyperhair]

I noticed that more NPCs recognize you if you wear the Champions leathers and hairband, I think a lot of people don't recognize link in this game because it's been 7 years and he got a new outfit and longer hair, but you jog their memories by looking like your old self

[@tatarashi]

may i ask as to who are the npcs that recognize us?

[@markvo3137]

i wanna know too

[@samboi123]

Surprised it’s the leathers rather than the tunic of memories, but in any case I’m also curious

[@ketchup016]

I was also offended that Beedle didn't recognize Link, but at the same time it sort of fits. He probably encounters a dozen different people each day, travelling around and selling things, so I guess even Link wouldn't stand out in that situation. I think my favourite was Penn viewing Link as some rando who gets a little too full of himself at times. True the koroks don't change much between games, but I thought it was funny how many puzzles were just undoing whatever action you took in BOTW, like moving boulders back, etc. It adds to the silliness of their puzzles not actually having a purpose, they're just playing games. Lovely video, thank you!

[@schutze1399]

I don't even know if beedle should be considered canon as a whole, since he appears in several games: Skyward sword, minish cap, Phantom hourglass, spirit tracks, wind waker.....and he's always the same character. The same happens with Tingle for example. It was always a doubt that I had, considering the timeline in this case, it's interesting.

[@The_Dragon_Tiamat]

@@schutze1399 Actually no he isn't the same person, while they may look very similar each Beedle has a different personality implying that this is just a very long family line of shop sellers. To give an example: Skyward sword Beedle seems very friendly and helpful, and while he can be it's mostly an act. If you don't buy anything and try to leave he complains about how heavy you are and how much harder he has to pedal in order to keep his shop afloat and then trigger the trapdoor he installed for this very reason. He's a somewhat spiteful person. Yes if you sleep in his bed then he lets you stay on but that can be seen as a moment of kindness like I was saying above. Wind Waker Beedle is low-key a scammer. He sells good items and has a membership program but lets be honest how many people got that thing upgraded to the fullest? The first reward is Beedle saying thanks for buying his stuff. He also runs another shop that's "always going out of business" and pretends that he's someone else. I have no clue who or what Phantom Hourglass Beedle is. Finally BOTW/TOTK Beedle is a more honest shop owner. He travels across the land to provide supplies to travelers first in the midst of the greatest calamity Hyrule has ever seen, then continues his duties during TOTK. He's the kindest Beedle there is in all of the zelda games. In BOTW he gives you an ancient arrow for simply being a good customer for FREE. He also shares his love for beetles with Skyward Sword Beedle, however this time he will give you potions of food with decent buffs for them. While yes for the most part each beedle looks the same they each, uhh ignore PH Beedle he scares me, have their own personality and can be separated as individuals. Also it would be a little weird to have characters that are either vital to story progression or are very helpful to the player not be cannon. You need to go to tingle for maps in both MM and WW. Beedle in each game provides helpful resources to the player. You take them out of the cannon how did Link get those maps? Who did link talk to to get heart piece number 14 and a ludicrously overpriced empty bottle? Unless a character is a direct Easter egg and provides no other value to the game other than "OUGHHH LOOK!!!!" then they should be considered as cannon.

[@ScaredyC]

@@The_Dragon_Tiamat Do you mind if I ask why you are fearful of the Phantom Hourglass version of Beedle? I haven't played the game in a while, but I just remember him the same way you described WindWaker version lol

[@The_Dragon_Tiamat]

@@ScaredyC It's a goof cuz I've honestly forgot how he is but tbh would not be surprised if he was the exact same as WW beetel.

[@ryanprower4246]

@@The_Dragon_Tiamat He is, indeed, the exact same person. Helmet and all. Somehow.

[@soapboxdigitamamon805]

my favorite npc is Moza. in botw, she could be found making terrible meals on a plateau full of rotting food and bones. in totk, she is found in a well, and has "mastered" her craft of cooking, changing your failed cooking into meals that actually heal you, once you finish her side quest. She was hands down my favorite npc in botw, and even more so in totk. i immediately went to that plateau, and got worried when i didnt see her. Eventually, while exploring, i stumbled into and well and accidentally found her and freaked out.

[@SolidArf]

Totally missed this about Moza; this is *so* cool. Thank you for sharing!

[@Mari_Izu]

One thing that I like is that if you go to where Moza was in BtoW, you'll find another NPC cleaning her mess, and you can help her with a tumbleweed problem.

[@soapboxdigitamamon805]

@@Mari_Izuyeah! When I got there I was so confused

[@aaaaaaaaaa190]

I love how they made the Zora people in Breath and Tears so unique. Each one of them having their own design and often representing different aquatic species. I also love that some of them remember Link in a difrerent way because they knew him by the time of the Great Calamity. And there's also the new ones such as Yona, that use gold jewlery instead of silver, making the difference between domains clear.

[@SolidArf]

I love this! I knew Yona's wards looked different, but totally missed the gold jewelry connection.

[@rat_mikey]

Zelda's impact on the characters and the echoes of her kindness is what made me want to bring her back most.

[@209musiclover]

In the lead-up to TotK's release, I spent a lot of time playing through BotW, making notes of my favorite NPCs to check up on once the new game was released. I genuinely shrieked with joy when I greeted Oliff at the castle gate and he, now a member of the Monster Control Crew, was relieved that Link was okay. It's amazing how much random, "unimportant" characters can really pull you into a game world and make you feel like you belong there.

[@SolidArf]

Yes! Thank you for sharing this!

[@skins4thewin]

I dunno how you're happy about this.... Nintendo purposely made it so most all the NPC's who knew Link from BOTW don't even recognize you in TOTK. This design choice absolutely baffles me & really took me out of the experience. Half of the fun I have with sequels is seeing how it's world connects to the previous game. They made a HUGE mistake with that decision.

[@lynndoesntexist]

I kinda had that too but just had in my head my favorites. I was DEVASTATED for Ralera (chief’s daughter she lives in Hateno) when i found out Lurelin village had been taken over, i took care of that as soon as i felt strong enough

[@quinntessentialskill7414]

@@skins4thewin This video brings that up, and mentions that it makes sense. Most of the time, Link wasn't a big impact on their lives, so it's reasonable that they wouldn't recognize or remember him. Plus, several characters DO remember Link. It's unfortunate that it made you dislike it so much, but it makes reasonable sense that not every person would remember meeting Link.

[@skins4thewin]

@@quinntessentialskill7414 Many of the NPC's had significant interactions and adventures with Link in the first game. Of course they would remember him. Nintendo made a conscious decision to separate the game from the first. They commented on this very thing saying they did so as not to alienate new players. It was very odd seeing this while playing, considering this took place directly after the first game with minimal time between the two. Certain NPC's that don't recognize Link after the first game is very odd while playing.

[@TheGrossDemon]

One of my favorite moments in TOTK was when I was messing around in Gerudo and jokingly decided to take a picture of Madison to see if her parents would have a reaction. I aimed the camera at her and her name popped up like she was a monster confusing me, but when I went to go show her parents they actually had a reaction to seeing she was doing well. What a sweet moment that the game gives you no idea you could do. Maybe theres the hint that you show Hudson pictures of monsters so maybe you make the connection between the monsters and his daughter they have a whole side mission for, but the game is really ok with people not seeing the icing on that already sweet cake.

[@falconhead67]

Wow I played TOTK for 250 hours and never knew about this. Incredible

[@blobtheblob7975]

I remember doing that, I was actually thinking "hey maybe Hudson would want to see his daughter making friends" and I was so happy that it actually worked. Hands down best minor npc family in a game ever.

[@misaamane8091]

I actually talked to Hudson before having taken that picture - iirc he says something along the lines of whether Madison is doing well and wishing there was a way to see her! Super sweet, definitely a great moment.

[@Omegamorphosis]

You know, I’ve never really been one for virtual photography, but this series has given me a new perspective on the ‘smaller things’, as it were.

[@TheWizdWiz]

Yeah, I think I might try this, seems pretty cool!

[@DisKorruptd]

True... Virtual worlds are made for their spectacle and their iconic looks... it's the small parts that are more worth looking at for potential virtual photography.

[@blobtheblob7975]

for some reason this makes me really happy. I've always been one for looking at the small things in videogames and i'm glad others can enjoy that with me.

[@brianward5928]

You are the exact person that game designers love. Appreciating details that might be missed is just so gorgeous. Somehow you make seeing a form of art.

[@voidnoodle8911]

Although I didn't remember most NPCs from BOTW, seeing them still moving around was incredible. Obviously my favorite was Tulin- because he was *such* a minor character in BOTW I didn't really pay attention to him. But as I realized the kids had grown up, I had slowly begun to ask the question of "Wait, Teba HAD a kid in BOTW. Who was-" and then when his introduction occurred, I couldn't help but grin. "LIIIIINK!" 'TULIIIIIIN!' The only NPC I was not happy to see again was... *Shudders* ...Flowerblight Ganon...

[@10Bendog]

An NPC interaction I like, that wasn't mentioned in this video was Chessica - the woman running the Lurelin inn. I found her in Kara Kara Bazaar at the start of the game where she was taking shelter, and after I finished the Gerudo quest line and the Lurelin side plot, whenever I'd go to the salt spa to replenish my hearts, Chessica would always greet me with a Gerudo phrase that she had picked up during her stay in the desert.

[@farhaanj4330]

This was a phenomenal video, start to finish. One little note, the man who marries Prima, (15:15), is in Breath of the Wild too! He was on the patio of the Ton Pu Inn, so it makes sense how they ended up together. Another nice little touch by Nintendo :)

[@Spalfos]

Ever since I found out the NPCs’ faces were built in a modified version of the Mii Maker, I’ve never been able to stop noticing their Mii facial features. It’s like a fun development easter egg

[@Nizati]

I just finished the Rito Village arc, and yeah, I actually stopped when I saw the kids and shouted at the screen "Look how much you've grown!!!" and gushed a bit over them. Also, it's noticeable that ritos lives are the shortest. Their resident senior, for example, has already passed. And though i'm still 'just starting' the world feels more alive, lived in. The people are starting to thrive and spread again and it shows.

[@benjaminbuchanan7151]

He’s still alive actually. He’s at the flight range.What for I don’t really know…

[@Hanakothemizumiko]

​@@benjaminbuchanan7151 He says he's the new instructor in the flight range

[@Nizati]

@@benjaminbuchanan7151 Thank you! Been all over Hebra and never went to the flight range. Woops!

[@lorulewarrior7239]

I had thought he had passed at first as well, until I talked to Saki (post-phenomena completion) who tells you that Kaneli runs the flight range now. Good way to get rupees once you get the hang of his course, too…

[@DaNintendude]

I also thought he passed and could've sworn that someone _said_ that he did. In reality it was probably just a comment that I misinterpreted. It was pretty funny when I talked to Saki and she said he was at the flight range

[@esanimations6293]

The moment when you mentioned how some NPCs remember and some don't, specially the gerudo that remembers a kind stranger helping, reminded me of the episode from Futurama where bender meet's god, "When you do things right, people won't be sure you've done anything at all"

[@SatansBestBuddy1]

57:37 - worth pointing out, the pose the monster is in when taking a photo of them is the pose they'll have when sculpted I ended up dying quite a bit trying to capture monsters in cool poses, which are usually attacks that will hit you if you're trying to bait them out to get a cool picture

[@tinybutdeafeningbird1225]

I feel this so hard. When I had to get the photo of the KG (abbreviated so it's not as much of a spoiler in case people don't want to know, please stop reading now if that's the case) and all the ones you come across are flying, I spent far too long and too many arrows trying to down it once so that it would stand for a photo 😭

[@B-ot2xx]

Tears of the Kingdom is so impressively alive with its world that I wouldn’t be surprised if the developers didn’t know that you can do hour and a half long nature watches/walks, and still find new things to look at. This game is truly alive.

[@himignicest1571]

no but seriously, you've captured moments and details that many big youtuber's have done in "tHings yOu Never nOtiCeD in tOtK" like srsly THIS WAS SO CHARMING, ur attention to detail and dedication of time to the studying of npcs is insane, woof, when i thought totk couldnt get any better.

[@calebh3803]

Excellent video! The NPCs of BotW/TotK deserve a lot of attention. Seeing both the sequelization of most NPCs from BotW and the many hidden unmarked "sidequests" many NPCs have were some of my favorite parts to discover. The earliest non-functional picture I took was of Letty and Totsuna, the pair of Hylian women in Kakariko wanting to join the Zonai research team. They're clearly very close, such as Letty assuming Totsuna is right at her side at all times and both having affectionate nicknames for the other (in the English I think only Letty's nickname for Totsuna ever gets mentioned but in the Japanese it goes both ways). When I went and checked BotW, I found that Letty is a solo traveler on the road near Lover's Pond and has lines saying she might head there and try to find herself a "partner", while Totsuna is a solo traveler in the neighboring region. Regardless of whether or not this implies they are actually together in the romantic sense, they are a very fun pair to watch interact.

[@SolidArf]

Thanks for the kind words! This is lovely. I'd see Totsuna & Letty in Kakariko all the time in TotK, but hadn't made this connection yet (nor did I know they had petnames). Thank you for sharing!

[@TheActualMrLink]

Less beans? Lisbons? Lays bens?

[@periodicgaming5159]

One of my favorite parts of TotK was meeting an NPC, not recognizing them, then they do a unique animation or unique dialogue and I would think/say “OH! You’re [NPC] from BotW!”

[@meatkirbo]

Both of these games truly felt like I was just another character in a much larger story, and I loved it. Every small Npc detail and unique dialogue made me feel like I wasn’t the only one having an adventure

[@Micdades]

It's incredible how in the past, Majora's Mask whole design was based on the cycles of everyone's lives over three days. Now it's just a background thing on a giant scale that no one pays much attention to.

[@Sojichan]

Your video got me emotional, really, I dont know, all those NPC who are evolving between games. I noticed many of them but not all , and i'm excited to go back in games to see more. Most people around me do not pay that much attention to the NPC and I'm so happy to see someone else is paying attention, the details are sooo amazing

[@SolidArf]

I'm so glad to hear this resonated. Thank you for the kind words!

[@linkmariofan8921]

Thank you so much, I've feel like yours is one of the few videos I've seen which captures the actual appeal behind TOTK, that is the possibility to explore a world that simply *exists,* not necessarily catered around the player's expectations. You've talked about this when mentioning the fact that not all NPCs remember Link from BOTW, but I find it's also built in the gameplay: there's a lot you can do which has minimal rewards, if any, but also what you *does* work is not always gonna be the best for you from a fun persepctive. I've seen people complain that since they travelled throughout the whole sky before reaching the surface they trivialised their exploration. But imo this is NOT the Sky Islands' fault, because most of them have no real gameplay purpose: they are just *there,* not for you, nor anyone else. And I find that profoundly beautiful. So again, thank you. It's nice to finally see some positivity about this masterpiece of a game.

[@daniilpashuk6017]

Man this love letter to botw and totk makes me fall in love with those games all over again

[@NathanielKolk]

A fun fact: the teacher in the hateno village school is the research helper of Purah in BOTW

[@angelo8606]

I absolutely love the design of the NPCs in these games. Especially the Hylians. The Mii-like features are charming and all their clothes look so good.

[@creeperx3sssboom347]

That's actually because they basically use the same code for Miis for their faces

[@yvans.73]

25:07 Painter also has a feather brush that is commonly used by artists in Japan (and other regions I'm sure) to brush away dust and eraser shavings. He probably sketches before doing paintings!

[@bandicootsauce4569]

Videos like this should be shown in game design classes to get across to the students that detail MATTERS.

[@ShockMicro]

Great video! Genuinely got me emotional towards the end. I took a lot of pictures in Tears of the Kingdom, but they were less of people, and more of fleeting moments in time, views of twilit landscapes, or the strange particles of the low-gravity sky islands interacting with the gloom of the blood moon. I've always held an appreciation for the NPCs, but this video elevated it for me, especially with all the well-crafted photos you showed yourself taking. One specific thought that came to mind: I suppose the Gerudo not letting in Gorons anymore is a slight step back, but in a way, I'd say they're now respecting the identities of the Gorons and how they see themselves. From what I've seen, they all see themselves as brothers, as masculine, and even the ones that got into the town are confused as to how. I'd be interested to see how they would handle trans characters between games with that in mind. As a trans girl myself, I've been practicing my Gerudo greetings :P

[@booxmowo2684]

Back when Breath of the Wild first came out I spent a lot of time simply hanging out in Kakariko Village watching the Sheikah villagers go about their daily routine. I loved all the little details that reflected the characters' relationships to each other. You can't buy pumpkins at the general store because the shopkeep's husband has an ongoing feud with the pumpkin farmer. Lasli, the greeter at the clothing store, is one of the few characters to immediately notice the Sheikah Slate, because her grandmother Nanna was a former apprentice of Purah. Cado is one of the few guards who carries a bow and it's referenced in a few places that, although they're distant now, his archery skills are what originally won over Rola's heart. Tears of the Kingdom is in a very unique situation, the way it follows up on a hundred different micro stories.

[@_quinteros]

How the hell you haven't blow up, I've just watched 10 min of this video and the work you've put in this is really something to admire. Please keep doing more videos!

[@user-if4nx2jn8r]

I strongly agree with your general sentiments in this video as well as many of the specific ones. One particular thing I wanted to note is that it does make a lot of sense that not every NPC remembers Link. To us he's us and the Hero of Hyrule, but to many of the NPCs in Breath of the Wild he just would have been one of many travelers who spent time in their village, and for the most part it makes sense when one of them does remember Link.

[@solarwreathe3789]

Great video, it touches on many things I've discussed with my friends about TOTK's writing. I'm mostly with the critics on the story, but every time I have to clarify I only mean the main quest / memory cutscenes. The overworld writing is filled with so many details and thoughtful continuity from botw that a different team must have worked on it. Such a large scale game with so many different contributers can't be strictly categorised as good or bad. Here's some of my own favourite NPCs: Mina and Mils were treasure hunting siblings in BOTW found just outside the Great Plateau. If you talked to Mils he would usually complain about the tough work he's been shouldered with and wishes he could just go home, followed by Mina telling him to stop slacking off. In TOTK Mina walks from lakeside stable to Lurelin, saying she's taking a vacation. Mils meanwhile, found near Pagos woods, has joined the Zonai research team and once again complains about the tough work involved he wasn't prepared for (saying he only joined in the hopes of finding treasure. tough luck.) Despite their different paths, the fact they're both in Faron implies they're still close.

[@anne57256]

what a lovely, thoughtful video. thank you for the hard work you put into this. i love this game, and learning these details makes me love it even more.

[@Miruk4]

Symin keeping the picture with himself in it in his office is so adorable. Never noticed that before, what a great little detail.

[@bryanquick3349]

the varied character interactions you might have depending on what order you do certain things in the game is really impressive, it's not something you'd notice unless you played through the game multiple times, which really underlines how much the game's designers valued each player's individual experiences. I'm going to have to give the game another play through to enjoy all these differences! thanks for the exhaustive video essay!

[@narceliankrisa3769]

I loved the way you described all those details and cute storylines, it was very sweet. People can overlook those for many reasons, its nice to see people appreciating them and making an effort to experience them ! Breath of the wild & tears of the kingdom really have a lively, lovely world and population

[@cassisntcool2253]

what i love about botw and totk is the amount of love and care poured into each and every detail. they flesh out every single character even if they're not important

[@gamentor2116]

Awesome video! Like your previous ones, it showcases ways to engage with games that I hadn't concidered before. it makes me excited to try and return to older games with a different outlook. I especially apreciated you taking the time to showcase characters' hair and ornaments reacting to the wind multiple times throughout the video. It's a small detail, but I've always had a soft spot for it in games.

[@mettatonex7221]

It is funny getting various NPC reactions to wearing the Yiga disguise, but Paya's reaction read like she was holding back tears and I felt really bad for it.

[@themoabrigade]

in the case of the "npc remembers you or not" I like it when games with sequels do that... but Im a massive fan of how Mass Effect, and Pillars of Eternity did it, where you import your save file and while you dont run into everyone and not everyone remembers you but its still a case of "you did this... so this is where they are now"

[@themanhimself1949]

I remember crying after i spent a few days only following around the two sisters and their father (forgot the names ack) who lost their mother/wife i remember telling a friend, who doesnt play any zelda games, in depth how heartbreaking it was the npcs make hyrule feel so alive, while the hidden treasures and beautiful scenery make the open world a joy to explore i love botw so much, man

[@doofus_hq]

been replaying BOTW a bunch recently so this video showed up at a perfect time! you’ve made a really wonderful video, super relaxing and intriguing. the wide variety of npcs in both games was always my favorite aspect so i love seeing others care about them too. definitely got a new subscriber!

[@irachnida]

This must have taken so much work, truly impressive! A very sweet video

[@PlushiePoogle]

The Korok chanting "Underpants! Underpants!" killed me 🤣🤣

[@mattwo7]

34:38 That's clever but stone also wears with time, just slower. They'd still have to be repeatedly re-transcribing over a certain period of time. Perhaps they can go digital with Sheikah tech, which seems to be waterproof? At the least, if the casing wears or the tech starts showing its age, it'd be a simpler task to transfer to a new model as long as they have the bizarre drip-based data transfer setup that will probably be improved on and made simpler with time. I'm sure they'll invent SD cards eventually, those will last a long time too. I mean they were invented in the 1990 and unlike CDs, we're still using them three decades later lol. Also for all we know, they might invent literal cloud storage.

[@SolidArf]

This is a great point! Though, it also makes me think about Nintendo saying the Sheikah Tech just mysteriously *vanished.* Inadvertently brings to mind how far we have to go even with digital preservation.

[@yusufied.]

The attention to detail in this game is insane. I learn more and more about this game everyday it seems.

[@arandomidiot1593]

Before TotK came out, there were a few headcanons-slash-theories I had about the Zora and it turns out they're likely canon. I found it interesting that the king and his advisor looked so different from all the other Zoras, and my theory was that there were other Zora cities in different regions, and each group of Zora looked slightly different because they were adapted to their environment. And it turns out that's pretty much confirmed with the introduction of Yona. She and the royal advisor share several notable differences to the other Zora: large triangular head-fins, a wider head, a narrower head-tail without a fluke, long narrow arm-fins, and larger waist-fins of a more rectangular shape. So they're almost certainly from the same city. As for the king, he's still one of a kind so I don't know for sure, but that may be the case for him as well. I'd imagine he's from a city in a colder region, due to his whale-like appearance.

[@King_Gum]

I've been playing TOTK again recently, catching up on side quests and the like. I ended up noticing a lot of this world building like the Goron Shogi and Zelda's influence on Hateno. It made me really appreciate the depth of the world building even more. Thank you for making a video to appreciate these lovely details, and I'm happy there's someone making the dev's hard work be noticed.

[@SolidArf]

Thank you!

[@Karalora]

One of my favorite NPC success stories is Regan from Lurelin. In BotW, he's a layabout treasure hunter and chronic victim of monster attack--I swear I never passed by Outskirt Stable without having to rescue him from a Bokoblin and shouting "Dammit, Regan!" By Tears, he has sorted himself out and joined the Zonai Survey Team at Foothill Stable.

[@bishop659]

I can’t unsee that basically all the hylian npc faces used mii maker

[@KieraWaffles]

this is a really lovely video! i love the attention to details that many people may not notice in these games, and it really goes to show the passion that went into making them.

[@hannahsparks4052]

Finally someone who loves people watching in games as much as me! (I loved how u shoved beetle because he didn't remember you XD)

[@SifanaSohail]

I love the work you put into this series! Another amazing installment!

[@caustickrana_5629]

What a great video! The npc details are one of my favorite aspects of these games too so it's cool to compare with your findings and see which ones I've encountered myself and which ones I missed. In Totk's case I found the mural of everyperson stories more intriguing than the mainline narrative

[@npcrah]

36:36 'cooling off in a steaming hot spring' Incidentally, this was so cool to watch. I had noticed a few of these meself, but to see them all categorized and codified here gives me even more respect to the respective creators of this masterpiece of a world!

[@mythyrox]

I don't often comment on videos but this one really deserves it. this is one of if not the best tears of the kingdom video I've ever seen, and your eye for detail helped me appreciate little things in a game I honestly dismissed as a mediocre sequel for a while. keep up the good work man 👍

[@peredhillover1]

You did an amazing job with your description here, thank you!

[@pedro752]

thats one of the best videos about these games that ive ever seen man

[@manateegirl2]

This is a great showcase of all the detail in totk

[@mooglemoment]

Oh my goodness! I rarely comment on videos but as a fellow virtual photography enthusiast and npc enjoyer I adore this video!! Props to you for taking the time to share these little details! Tysm for sharing!! ❤

[@_lizziee]

Awesome video! Happy to see another photo npc vid from you!

[@xTheRainFallsx]

beautiful video as per usual. thank you for your hard work 💗

[@Dsheppp]

Wow! What an incredible video!

[@peach560]

So lovely, I love seeing how your camera travels to focus on the subject. I hope you do more, you have quite a knack for this.

[@alec5779]

This made me want to replay Totk like you would NEVER believe. Thank you

[@fraserlangan8871]

Phenomenal video, had me tearing up a little bit at the end there with the final speech about how it all connects to Zelda

[@peeblestem]

i've been waiting for this kind of video my entire life. thank you, its so wonderful

[@Noa-g1ex]

Beautifully made and narrated video, thank you for this, and I wish your day is well.

[@meganhipsher9036]

thank you so much for having captions I LOVE YOU

[@Imladris-lm3bo]

Beautiful idea for a video, thank you so much! ❤

[@nan5420]

Beautiful ahh video bro, loved the vid.

[@LarryDeskPlant]

Such a great, well put together video. You deserve more recognition.

[@garupacu]

I've been waiting for a video going this deep into how detailed the NPCs are, thank you!!

[@samz4316]

This was great!

[@ginpachi1]

I really enjoyed this, for some reason, thank you. 😊

[@jorgen_ak]

What a wonderful video! Its so interesting to focus on the little details and see what you can find. I found that I used the camera alot more this time around, but mostly to take pictures of sunsets

[@mikeoochie7699]

I was looking for a video like this! I love the npc and they make the game so much more alive

[@emiyuu5112]

that was truly a fantastic video! i found myself staring at the screen in anticipation and awe, happy to learn so much new things about the zelda npcs. i have only played botw so far and i am quite a bit away from completing it but i really enjoyed seeing where all of those characters' arcs go in totk. it got me even more hyped for playing the sequel! interacting with npcs and watching where they live and how they act is one of my favourite things about videogames, and i've been doing it more frequently in botw, partially because of how lonely the game feels at times, with link being the only one who can save hyrule. poking around the houses in different towns, reading every book i find and talking with random npcs (even if they are 100% yiga clan members) made me feel i was learning a lot more about hyrule and inspired me a lot. some of my most memorable npcs interactions in botw include one of the rito sisters that teach you the ancient rito song, Laissa saying that if she were a properly trained warrior she'd bring down divine beast vah medoh herself, if you talk to her upon arriving in the village. Npc at one of the Akkala stables, Jana, who asks you to collect tree types of dragonflies for her sister, despite disliking those bugs a lot. The old woman that sits by the cooking pots in Hateno Village, who if you talk to her about the calamity will tell you she was born after everything was over, during the "age of burning fields". Kids at Hateno Village who stare at the road up to the Ancient Tech Lab, looking for a Sheikah girl that supposedly lives there. That one rito in the Kara Kara Bazar who never leaves despite having the means to, constantly saying he will leave at the next opportune moment. Two elderly Gorons who run the inn in Goron City and will yell to each other when you sleep there for the night. That one guy at the stable near the entrance to the desert that run away from monsters and left his friends behind, so you end up saving them, and when you come back it turns out they decided to split. Hyrule is just full of lively npcs with different personalities and stories, each of them can expand your knowledge on the setting or just let you know their thoughts. I find it all so amazing, it makes me love this game even more. I really enjoy when games use npcs for storytelling in that way, so it drives me a little nuts when the creators i watch refuse to interact with them haha. anyways, sorry for the long comment! i just wanted to let you know that i loved this video and it will probably be one of my favourite zelda videos to rewatch. plus you managed to get me more interested in picking up totk after all! (i had planned to do it regardless but i am very much not over the champions) so thank you for creating this video and your interest in video game photography! you definitely inspired me to pay even more close attention to npc encounters. and the finishing segment about zelda's enjoyment of photography and how link and the player can se the world through her eyes was very moving. huge thanks to your partner for helping you with this video! i hope you're having a great day

[@LavenderRex7705]

This was just incredible. I think a lot of the little details add up and that's why these two games are favorites of mine. I also loved how you highlighted that Tears of The Kingdom showed a world changing and adjusting with many cultures becoming connected. That's something I feel isn't talked about enough in when this game is brought up.

[@Isszzb]

LOVEEEEE THIS VIDEO thank u for this amount of dedication its fascinating

[@monarchsub8884]

Beautiful vid very thorough and love that was all done while in the cam mode to get as much detail as possible

[@indestrial6189]

This video brought me close to tears. I loved it, thank you. Love the zelda games so much and getting to see a bunch of NPC stories through your lens was beautiful, I even got to learn many details I'd missed! Thank you again, wonderful video :)

[@bluepigeon2657]

Love all the work and effort that went into this. Legitimately interesting look into many overlooked features of both BotW and TotK that I was ignorant of.

[@TifffanyTaylor]

This content is awesome & uniquely in depth. Gg my dude. Great video

[@CaptBurgerson]

This was a wonderful video. Thank you

[@qtfoxe]

This video was FANTASTIC. Clearly a project of passion and it showed. My absolute favourite kind of content - the kind that makes me really think, and feel things, and grows my appreciation for a piece of media. Excellent work.

[@evernaught]

This is such an interesting video! I hope you make more content like this; your attention to detail has me mesmerized. Thank you for all the time and thought you put into this!

[@solo5005]

You just gave me a new hobby. Thank you

[@animegod1281]

Thank you so much for adding subtitles - truly a blessing for people like me

[@blaaaaaaah2]

this is a really, really well-done video. i can't imagine how long it took to capture all this footage and write up the script. thank you for sharing and for helping me appreciate all of the little details in both games :)

[@sentientrock7]

I've been watching KZbin for actual years now, but this is one of the most interesting videos I've ever seen. Thank you so much for this!!

[@tinycatfriend]

i have a hard time focusing on long videos in one sitting, but you had me captivated! i love seeing all these details and your appreciation for them! i'd love to see more (from other games, too)!!!

[@lixyjoy]

Thank you for the good captions!!!

[@AmyoftheAuraforce]

What a beautiful analysis of the role of photography in the ending. These videos are delightful, thank you for making them.

[@mariamaravilla9005]

Congratulations on the wonderful video. I found myself thinking about the game today and watching videos about it, I'm glad I stumbled upon this one

[@trendisty6160]

Beautiful video, hugely underrated

[@CarbonMoth]

great video. 10 / 10 would watch again