Hero's Shade - Zelda's Most Tragic Link

[@Zeltik]

Who do you think the Hero's Shade is? Why do you think his spirit lingers on?

[@RinkusZelda]

I think the heroes shade is actually ganon who used to be a famous baker who loved making bread

[@lowesgameing2003]

I thought it was confirmed he was ocarina of time Link

[@T3lッ]

What if he’s the one from the forgotten timeline?

[@LadyCucco]

The Hero's Shade is the Hero of Time and his spirit was lingering on because he had unfinished business with Ganondorf. Not convinced? Maybe my short will help! kzbin.info9vBDsyzlgGg

[@VoyagerDM671]

I honestly don't know😂 I'm over here listening and thinking this is the MCU at this point😂😂😂

[@GentlemanJacque]

"Go and do not falter, my child" is also what the Great Deku Tree tells the Hero of Time as he sends him on his quest towards Hyrule castle. Making it more fitting to me that he is using the same words he was told so long ago to the new Hero.

[@sabretoo]

This is a great observation, and possibly evidence that they aren't actually biologically related.

[@Ladegun]

@@sabretoobut it’s also mentioned that these techniques wouldn’t leave their bloodline which would still imply they’re related

[@chrispork1443]

@@GentlemanJacque I’ve never heard the Deku Tree say that to Link in Ocarina of Time

[@sabretoo]

​@Ladegun that's true. I guess I could argue it's a spiritual bloodline or something, but that's a stretch. I admit I just don't like the bloodline idea but, that is the canon lol!

[@Vaquix000]

Ocarina of Time and Twilight Princess aren't connected. Obviously. If it were, Hyrule field wouldn't be completely freaking different. People need to let go of the "timeline" nonsense. There was also a nod to wind waker being connected to ocarina of time. It was a playful nod, it obviously isn't part of the same universe, and anyone who thinks it is part of it thinks it's perfectly believable that the world becomes a cartoon world after the events of ocarina of time... I don't need to explain why that's dumb as hell. There are sequels, yes, but they're not all connected. The connected are: Zelda 1 and 2. Link to the past and Link's awakening Ocarina of Time and Majora's Mask Oracle of seasons and ages Wind waker, Phantom Hourglass and Spirit Tracks Breath of the wild and Tears of the Kingdom There you go. If there was an actual timeline where all the zeldas were connected they wouldn't have hour long videos on youtube trying to make sense of the timeline. Nintendo doesn't care. Only the obsessive fans do, and you'll disappoint yourself if you think nintendo really wanted to connect them.

[@CZsWorld]

The red eye can be explained by the Lens of Truth, which corrupts the eye of the person who used it. We see this in Bongo Bongo, the Sheikah who owned the lens, became obsessed with it and turned into a horrific creature with one red eye. The "curse of the swordsman" is an obsession with the lens.

[@DarkAuraLord]

"became obsessed with it and turned into a horrific creature with on red eye." Oh my fucking god. The Poe Collector in OoT....

[@aaroniscool7521]

This is the second time this year I've seen you comment on videos I get auto recommend Cz's world but just gotta say your work and videos you post are great. I've been a fan for a long time.

[@hylianro]

I had no idea CZsWorld was a Zelda fan 😂

[@hylianro]

Also I can't say I agree here, bongo bongo's red eye appears more like the area where his head would be meaning he was decapitated. Would also explain the severed hands

[@EldritchRegis]

Fancy seeing cz here xD

[@loftyjoy]

the hero’s shade is genuinely one of my favorite parts of zelda lore

[@JonathanCarlos93]

He scared me as a kid, but as I got older and realized it was Link from Ocarina, I felt sad for him.

[@user-ww9rh1qc3h]

twilight princess i my favorite game, story, gameplay, lore all of it

[@LITTLE1994]

I personally find it very sad

[@JonathanCarlos93]

@@LITTLE1994 wish we would get a game with Link’s adventures after Majora’s Mask!

[@loftyjoy]

@@LITTLE1994 it is very tragic

[@corsola9907]

I think Link marrying Malon makes sense not only because of TP Link's start on a ranch, but also due to her presence in the game: Malon's voice can be heard singing in Hyrule Fields at night. The reason we can still hear Malon could be that she is waiting for Link to complete his unfinished business (training his decsendant) so that they can pass on together.

[@magniteproductions3767]

Her singing at night always creeped me out. But I love this, never thought of it before.

[@arthurian__lgnd]

This is so wholesome and sad at the same time 😢 wifey just wants hubby to come home with her.

[@woobgamer5210]

plus it could be that Malon is around blessing the livestock of the ranch, the goats, like how she was a blessing for the cows and horses in the Adult timeline (being the only good person remaining on Romani Ranch due to Talon being cast off by Ingo)

[@joshuaadkins9820]

@@arthurian__lgnd I had to chuckle to myself cause that last part made me think of sauske and sakura from naruto. completely unrelated but funny non the less

[@GoldenRuffian]

Wow! I like that theory - romantic!

[@pkjoan]

Actually, I think the reason why OoT/MM Link sings the Song of Healing first is because he thinks TP Link has been affected by a curse that turned him into a Wolf and is trying to return him to normal.

[@mywifesboyfriend5558]

That's actually a very good point.

[@LITTLE1994]

That's pretty accurate.

[@the.highest.definition]

Damn i never even thought about that! Wow

[@aaronolson6736]

Hoping the Curtain of Twilight's magic can be fought by the Song of Healing, granting his descendant a tool like what he once used. Not sure how he learned this is what was next, but he did and prepared accordingly.

[@rockk9753]

He well kind of was if he wasn't the song of healing wouldn't work, it's my favorite Zelda music track as well lol, then the Boy without a fairy

[@RifterDask]

Looking at his armor, I always assumed Link joined the royal guard and enjoyed a distinguished but otherwise mundane career. Forget peaking in highschool, the peak of his life effectively didn't happen. That would screw with anyone.

[@beardalaxy]

If he was already connected to the royal family, I'd say there's a pretty high chance of him becoming a guard. Perhaps even for zelda herself, like in botw.

[@eldritchrenagon5993]

I always had the headcanon that he died in the war Ganondorf started after his initial plan was foiled. Possibly against the big man himself and is why he was captured for execution to begin with. Ganondorf might've killed Link in the fight but it left the evil king weakened enough to be captured and executed. Which would also explain why the Hero's Shade was 'cursed' since we know Ganon's a warlock with a nasty magical arsenal to pull from.

[@ThePencilOfChewed]

It looks more like a set of more ceremonial armor. possibly the one he was buried in rather than being used for combat.

[@clownworld4655]

Brainrot comment

[@TheMelnTeam]

@@eldritchrenagon5993 I think this only works if you believe Termina is a land of the dead. More likely, Ganondorf's attack was simply put down via pre-knowledge. I'm not sure Link was involved at all, but maybe. Post Majora's Mask Link is a monster though. Even without his transformation masks, his equipment and experience by that point would be insane.

[@matthewmuir8884]

As far as what happened to the Hero of Time after Majora's Mask, I generally infer that Link returned to Hyrule after that game. The big lesson the Skull Kid had to learn was that the Four Giants were still his friend even after they had left, and I think the ending implies that Link took this lesson to heart and ended his search for Navi, choosing instead to return to Hyrule, content that Navi is still his friend.

[@sammyfox9109]

yo you're totally right. man i love narrative parallelism

[@keybae23]

and decided to become a knight of hyrule til his death

[@Gdsryrox]

@@keybae23 But ultimately since his future ventures were not remembered he was simply a knight and regretted that the things he did were not passed onwards hence becoming a shade

[@zambekiller]

@@Gdsryrox and the scabbard can easily be explained as all the knights having one as they are designed off of the master sword's own scabbard

[@cuginkcain5430]

Now I can sleep peacefully, thanks.

[@orderlysummit]

Not being able to pass on his knowledge is definitely a more noble regret than not being remembered as a hero. It also could imply he died in battle (cause armour post-mortem is a common trope for undead characters), possibly right around his child being born and therefore being unable to raise them/teach them what he learned.

[@eldritchrenagon5993]

I always had the headcanon that he died in the war Ganondorf started after his initial plan was foiled. Possibly against the big man himself and is why he was captured for execution to begin with. Which would also explain why he was 'cursed' since we know Ganon's a warlock with a nasty magical arsenal to pull from.

[@kylepessell1350]

@@eldritchrenagon5993 Ganondorf is definitely the sort of guy who would try to bring his enemy down with him as we've seen plenty of times. Especially if he knew that The Hero of Time had a hand in foiling his plot decades before.

[@Carlhero-ce2xq]

My theory is that he ended up living a normal life, getting married and starting a family but avoided teaching his kid anything heroic because he was uncomfortable reliving those experiences. And he didn't change his mind until his kid either moved far away or his health declined to where he physically couldn't teach them.

[@SylvanFonte]

it also would explain how he became wider known in Hyrule, with the strength of a hero, he would've been able to preform incredible feats in battle, thus how he became better known.

[@Riggnarok086]

​@@eldritchrenagon5993Lmao, if it didn't have its own canon, my headcanon would want the Hyrule Warriors to be the gap. As you say, Ganon is spiteful, and would most def try to amass an army back in his home if he failed taking over with trickery. And in that time, Link grows, trains, and fights back when the time comes. And when the battle was won, maybe wounded from a duel with Ganon, the Child from the Forest would be guided back home by their Missing Fairy, for both now to rest before the Great Tree.

[@IvanPonce-zx4jk]

And while the mangas are not considered "Canon" by nature. The TP manga adaptation not only outright confirms that Shade is OoT Link, but also makes TP Zelda Remember her past life as OoT Zelda and embrace his memory and existence, welcome him back. Its beautiful.

[@TheSilverCrow64]

The mangas are so great. I remember reading the Ocarina of Time one as a kid

[@Atrain204]

Just finished this series. Such a good read

[@Səv]

Yeah that could be considered a different canon than the main game canon.

[@Art_Matters]

@@Səv The TP manga is verrrryyyy closely tied to the game. The other manga's were made before the game releases for the most part. I'd argue the TP manga is closer to lore accurate than the "official timeline".

[@Jinrokuetc]

@@Art_Mattersnot a single manga was released before any Zelda game

[@darthrevan2993]

I choose to think that Marlon is who the Hero of Time ended up with since the Hero of Twilight is a farmhand and Marlon’s voice is present in the Hyrule Field Theme, perhaps eluding to the fact that he still hears her voice. He also knows Epona’s song, a staple of Malon’s character.

[@songoku9348]

This is why I want a 3rd final Hero of Time game where we play as a true naturally aged adult Link who’s an actual adult. 17 is not an adult, it’s a teenager.

[@Levacque]

I was just thinking it would be a cool game plot, especially if they feature a scene where he loses his eye.

[@hardcorevictor2552]

I recommend you to go watch "Hero's Purpose" by @MajorLink

[@runswithphantoms]

_Old Man Link!_

[@GamingKingdom91]

Well... If you live here in america..yes,17 isnt adult age...but...zelda games are made in japan,so maybe 17 years is a adult age in japan since the age of concent is 16 in that country You never know

[@MattyD209]

I agree. Preferably have it darker themed, maybe a higher age rating and in the end play as Link as he dies in battle kind of like a Halo Reach ending. That would be so good.

[@anthonyouki]

Hero's shade: The most Tragic Link. The Link no one in Hyrule remembers in the child timeline. Arguably the most powerful Link. If all sources are taken into account. The Link responsible for the timeline split. Because he dies in one of them. The Link that had no childhood, as it was stolen from him. The Link that permanently lost his closest companion, and never found them. That companion being Navi. Died with so many regrets that he couldn't pass on into the afterlife, and remained as a wandering wraith until he met TP Link. All the friends he made in OoT became sages and left him behind. Had to constantly wonder Hyrule with no companions other than Navi. Who again leaves him. Majora's mask. Not much else needs to be said here. Saying this Link's life sucks, is a huge understatement.

[@enforcerridley158]

Arguably, _The Hero of Time_ was not the most powerful Link (though he was one of the most powerful). That title goes to the Link from _A Link to the Past_ who had to defeat a Ganon armed with the whole Triforce, and not just the Triforce of Power. Link from _A Link to the Past_ is a total overpowered monster in the end game on the level of many overpowered Isekai protagonists. Of note: Link from _Twilight Princess_ was the Link who was physically the strongest without items, able to wrestle charging goats to the ground without items at the START of the game, sumo wrestled with Gorons only with the aid of Iron Boots to make him heavier, and able to overpower even Ganondorf armed with the Triforce of Power in a pure contest of strength with arguable ease WITHOUT ITEMS. The man was a beast!

[@hintonempire1178]

​@@enforcerridley158That's wrong. Ganon in LttP wasnt using the full Triforce against Link in their battle. It was literally in a different room, not even within his body.

[@FlamingZelda3]

@@enforcerridley158 so zeltik made a video on this years ago. Twillight princess link is the most naturally gifted of them all. Majora's Mask (Hero of time) sweeps the floor with all the rest of them though because of the fierce diety, goron, and zoro masks as well as other OP powerups he gets across OoT and MM.

[@LITTLE1994]

​@@enforcerridley158Giant misconception here. Ganon never possessed the full Triforce in the final battle.

[@userJohnSmith]

Would love to see a "Search for Navi" game. Just such potential from a setup.

[@Cassimfan]

The fact that the Hero's Shade says his regret is not being remembered. It makes sense. The child timeline Link left no memory in that timeline of his feats as the Hero of Time. Though he never forgot, the world he lived in never knew those feats. All his skills and experience would've had to be downplayed throughout his life as, whatever life he lived, likely could not have given him the level of experience and skill he gained fighting alone against Ganondorf's reign. Which meant, he could not pass on those skills and knowledge until TP Link.

[@NaRandall]

This is how I feel! It seems to me he went on to be remembered as a hero for the actions in this timeline, not the ones from before the timeline split. That checks out with how he’s not remembered specifically as the hero of time in tp. Also he can have more than one regret, no? I’ve seen plenty of theories supposing that he died before being able to teach his own children and that could explain why teaching link eases that regret. It doesn’t necessarily make sense for him to bring up regretting that no one remembers him for what he did as the hero of time when he is clearly remembered for the deeds he did after that. If anything I think that would just confuse tp link more than anything. I doubt the hero’s shade would want to burden his descendant with a regret that has no real fix.

[@captin3149]

How'd he get the scabbard of the Master Sword? Theoretically he would have never opened the door to the Temple, meaning he never would have drawn the sword in the Child timeline...Additionally if he ever drew the Master Sword, it seems clear that merely doing so would have him remembered as a hero, both from the need of having him drawing it, as well as the fact of drawing it at all.

[@WeeG-bwc77]

He's got it doubly bad, because Termina is a land essentially cut off from Hyrule, one that he saved but there being no proof of it, much like in child Ocarina. Link saves 2 worlds and doesn't have much to show for it besides his own memories and a couple of items.

[@sboinkthelegday3892]

​@@captin3149 Same way every time. The scabbard is not there on the sword, the sword is in the stone. It's jsut a scabbard. TP is heavily inspired by The Flght of Dragons, and Shade is like Peter Dickinson if Melisande and Peter were never reunited, the looming bad possibility. Incidentally Shad is a dead ringer for Peter Dickinson. This is my theory that's already a complete rationale how split timeline works, but Shade is not from the child timeline. The game does not "take place" in "that timeline", the Zelda timeline IS the Zelda timeline. Shade wants to be discovered by a scholar like Shad, and that's why he reaches out from inside the sacred realm outside of the timeline split, to influence the world. He's based on Aragh. These two characters even in the animated film are proxies of the two authors, Aragh = Shade = Gordon Dickson Peter = Shad = Peter Dickinson For Nintendo, they represent the PLAYER writing their story onto the canvas of the game. The fandom of previous games teaching the new generation how to enjoy the game.

[@Stormrunner1981]

I agree. He was never "the Hero" again. The royal family, after he died could have started hyping him up as the ancient hero (or it's actually talk about Skyward Link at that point - which I doubt). We don't know how he lived after Majora's Mask - for all we know he told the Princess, that because he couldn't weld the Master sword anymore to leave his legend lie while he lived. The whole time he was dead, there is no way he'd know others saw him as a hero. And as someone said, him telling TP Link he was a Hero in another time wouldn't do much. Passing on his abilities would. And for all we know he could have commissioned a scabbard like the Master Sword's. OR it is possible he was part of the Hyrulian front guard (make sense for him to be so far from castle) or just Captains in general (by his helmet); and those used the same scabbard design as the Master Sword. We already know they replicate looks of the MS by the Royal Guard and Royal Gear Weapons in BotW/TotK. (One which was replicated with low durability by the Sheikah tech and the other which was probably done by a blacksmith).

[@MarsHock]

I am really surprised you didn't mention the Shade's diddly feet being another connection to past Links - he diddles his feet in the same way the Hero of Time would diddle while Z-targeting. How could you neglect the diddly feet, Zeltik?!

[@Z-Man7]

The Hero of Time knows how to hit the griddy even as an undead skeleton.

[@agakath]

this is awesome!

[@LR-yu9cx]

Song of healing... seems he's signing to himself. My poor boy, you were never forgotten as a hero. You still are the MVP.

[@Tbone680]

“In the end, the Boy from the Forest returned home”. Amazing way to end the video!

[@aaronwilliams9032]

So touching for an old hero of mine and many others :)

[@RobwithoneB]

I got chills from that. It makes me wanna replay Twilight Princess so unbelievably bad.

[@mrm64]

Same, Link deserves all the peace 🥹

[@anitamihholap5926]

Makes me picturee elderly Link going back to the Kokiri village to spend his last days there. I'm sure his old friends would be happy to give him this comfort. Even Mido would know better than to act like a jerk by then. And in the end, they all would send him off on his final adventure. Can you imagine a group of immortal, child-like people holding a funeral for one of their own? 😢 What it would mean to them?

[@Jundas]

Sooo Saria is his woman.

[@RwanLink]

I loved this video! It’s really well made. If you pay attention to how the Hero's Shade moves his feet while teaching TP Link, it’s reminiscent of how OoT Link behaves when you use Z-targeting. He performs the same movements. Additionally, when you hit the Hero's Shade during his lesson, he falls in the same manner as OoT Link does when he’s struck.

[@joekelly9332]

Whoa good eye. I never would've noticed. Makes sense that you would, though!

[@ShaoShaoMienshao]

Here's some other clues I noticed. in the lesson for the Shield Attack, the Hero's Shade uses what he calls a "magical attack", which is a ball of energy that he projects from his sword by swinging his blade forwards. Not only was the Hero of Time able to wield magic, but this also parallels the famous Sword Beam used by other Links. Technically speaking, the Hero of Time did wield a Sword Beam attack while fighting as the Fierce Deity. During the Back Slice lesson, the battle grunts that the Hero's Shade makes when he side-hops and performs the attack reminds me of the Hero of Time's grunts as well. Not to mention... OoT is famous for its rolling spam, haha. Although this move comes from Wind Waker Link and his teacher, its still taught by the Hero's Shade. At the end of the Jump Strike lesson, the Hero's Shade says "Believe in your strength." Given that the Song of Healing is the first howling song, I don't think its a coincidence that this is also a nearly exact quote from the Happy Mask Salesman in Majora's Mask. "Believe in your strengths..." Another interesting clue in the lessons comes from the final skill, the Great Spin attack. The Hero's Shade says that this skill can be earned only by the one true hero, and explains that because Link now houses the spirit of the true hero, he can now magnify the power of the spin attack. The attack is reminiscent of a fully charged magical spin attack from Ocarina of Time, though instead of Magic Power it requires Link to be at full health, similar to a Sword Beam would. If what the Hero's Shade says is true, he would only know this technique himself from having possessed the spirit of the hero. Interestingly, this is one of only two attacks that the Hero's Shade does not demonstrate to Link, along with the Ending Blow. Does this clue in that the spirit of the true hero no longer resides in the Hero's Shade and has passed on to TP Link? Or perhaps he cannot perform it because he's not at full health, being a ghost. And you're totally right! During the lessons for at least four of the skills, when the Hero's Shade gets hit, he flies backwards onto his back, very similar to the Hero of Time getting knocked down! The orientation of the arms and legs are practically identical, and its worth noting that TP Link does NOT fall in this way. The manner in which the Hero's Shade falls is such a small detail yet feels completely intentional, given they could have used other assets if they wanted to.

[@Lampent12]

I always thought the Shade's goofy little shuffle looked familiar 😅

[@vava7858]

Yeah his battle form is clearly the hero of time the dance is seriously uncanny and the way he moves

[@ayylmao2040]

I think it's poetically tragic that HoT spends Majora's Mask soothing the troubles of others, living and dead alike, only for he himself to become a haunted soul in need of healing. It's a real balm that the Hero of Twilight, after centuries, gets to be for the Hero of Time what he himself was for so many others. I really hope that, one day, unseen by players, he did find Navi at least. Boy deserves that much. Also with the mention of the first song you howl together with him being the Song of Healing, I really have always liked the theory that this is an attempt by the Hero of Time to cure Twilight's wolf transformation.

[@dogsbecute]

i dont think he ever sees navi again, shes a fairy, and she was summoned forth by the great deku tree to assist link in his quest. when he returns, his quest is done

[@MrDoreius]

​@@dogsbecutemaybe but if he visits the deku tree and talks about navi? I mean there is someone who should not know the stuff he talks about.

[@matthewmuir8884]

I don't think he ever saw Navi again, and here's the reason: the big lesson that the Skull Kid in Majora's Mask needed to learn was that the Four Giants were still his friend even though they had left, and I think the ending is meant to imply that Link took that lesson to heart, recognizing that Navi is still his friend.

[@Lucasaurus78]

Erm akshually... according to hyrule lore, once fairies finish their mission, they die/dissapear, this is why when u use a fairy in th eolder games, they cease to exist. So when Navi completed her mission she dissapeared, so she left so that link wouldnt see her die.

[@kylegonewild]

​@@Lucasaurus78Die and disappear are wildly different concepts. It makes the most sense she just went back to Kokiri Forest but since Link was *not* Kokiri he won't be able to find her again now that their mission is complete. I don't think the implication for Navi was ever death, just returning to where she came from and where Link can never truly go back.

[@Jess-s-hideout]

Twilight princess was my first Zelda and when a friend that knew about the story told me about this character it's when I fell in love with the game and it's story, it instantly clicked. To this day I still think of him as one of my favorite characters in the videogame series. It's such a gift that you made a video about him, thank you.

[@MajorLink]

Amazing video! I've been dying for a Hero's shade deep dive from you!

[@Foyay_Red]

“It’s very possible that in the end, the boy from the forest Returned home” man that Line hit me deep

[@leigh8031]

It did me, too. I felt my eyes welling up.

[@matipersson]

I absolutely love when different Links interact with eachother! to my knowledge it's only happened in Twilight Princess and A Link Between Worlds Edit: I didn't count parallel/counterpart Links such as Ravio, only playable Links like the Hero of Time in OoT and MM = Hero's shade in TP and the Hero of Legend in ALttP, LA and the Oracle games = Gramps in ALBW (I think that theory's solid enough)

[@Hwarming]

Possibly Majora's Mask if you believe the Termina being a parallel world theory, Kafei is supposedly Link's counterpart

[@matipersson]

@@Hwarming ooo I haven't heard that theory before, in what way is he Link's counterpart? Is he the only one that would fit as Link if Termina parallelled Hyrule?

[@mythosinfinite6736]

​@@Hwarming If I'm not mistaken, Creating a Champion confirmed that Termina is a strange outer-kingdom somehow connected to the Lost Forest. It's not like the Dark World, it's still part of the surface world as a separate kingdom, but it still has odd properties.

[@mythosinfinite6736]

I suppose Breath of the Wild might count? With Wolf Link.

[@manuelgarciajr5308]

​​@@mythosinfinite6736I don't recall that at all. I do remember Nintendo changing Termina from a parallel world to a world that only exists in Skull Kid's mind. So instead of a world that exists in a different dimension, it is now a dream world that ceases to exist when Skull Kid chooses to leave it.

[@justinrodriguez5957]

That last bit about "not being remembered as a hero" makes sense when you consider the fact that the Hero of Time ultimately becomes a man who lives outside of time. And while he did help put Ganondorf to the sword with his info there is no one he can really talk to about his adventures. And the only one he could do so with left. There is no one that remembers the horrors he witnessed nor could they reaffirm that it wouldn't happen again. He is stuck with those nightmares. So tortured and convinced he was that the fight wasn't over that he passed on with lingering regret that he couldn't pass his power to the one who would need it. And so cursed himself to wander in death till he could.

[@francoperalta5986]

Except in TP they do talk about an ancient hero. And while I thought he was Skyward Sword Link, that game was conceptualized after TP was made, and Hyrule wasn't established in Skyward Sword.

[@Freedmoon44]

​@@francoperalta5986he was talking about the adult timeline for OoT, Link effectively saved hyrule then and it was most likely his most traumatising experience, but no one besides Zelda and mayhaps the sages could even believe it, and none could remember it. He became a hero by saving Hyrule, more than once even, but none can actually even fathom the extant of his original adventure. However the theory takes kts limit when you realise he never really talks about his own fights, he focuses on teaching you the hidden techniques

[@AlyxDps]

The most tragic link: Saves the world, revered as a hero, settles down and has kids, retires in the quiet village he grew up, everything he ever touched is considered sacred Can my life please be handed such tragedy?

[@shiro2400]

… what? Did u not play Ocarina of time? Hero of time’s timeline, adult Link, basically didn’t happen because he stopped it from happening when he goes back in time at the end of Ocarina of time. He didn’t retire, after returning to Child Link. He went off to search Navi, in Majora’s Mask.

[@hiimchrisj]

Who says he had the chance to settle down? His form shows someone that died a bit worse for wear on account of the missing eye, and he explicitly is shown in game to have regretted not having the chance to pass his knowledge down to his descendants, ergo his own children never got the chance to learn from him. What that tells me is that; while he at least had the chance to grow up, get married, and have at least one kid; he died in battle before he had the chance to watch his kid grow up.

[@GermanPeter]

I like to imagine that TP's Link is the descendant of OoT's Link who, after Majora's Mask, settled down with Malon. It'd explain why Link is a farmhand in TP (as it runs in the family), why he wields the Triforce like you said, and why he has a horse name Epona (a very unique name that was surely passed down the generations, same as her breed). He even knows Epona's song, something Malon teaches you in OoT. You could even theorize that Ordon village used to be the Kokiri village after it was abandoned, and Link lives in OoT Link's old house. Unfortunately, I think OoT's Link ended up dying in battle and was forgotten in the woods, hence why his armor is overgrown and he's missing an eye. So his lament of not being able to teach others what he learned comes from the fact he died before he was able to. Unfortunately, a very fitting end for the Hero of Time :/

[@wifi961]

Ocarina of Time Link seems to have lived the saddest life out of all of them.

[@TheBreadPirate]

Stop throwing shade at my bro, Link.

[@Sam-ky4xi]

😂i feel ashamed for laughing at this

[@NIN948]

That's not funny but it is 😂

[@xerox6452]

@@Sam-ky4xihonestly 😭🤣

[@Catlover35.0]

Lol

[@Catlover35.0]

Yo how does this only have 13 likes

[@dem_apples]

Being the restless soul of the Hero of Time, but being forgotten, but having the chance to train the next Hero of Hyrule is so crazy and sad. Saving Hyrule, only to be forgotten

[@TheCraftySam]

"In the end, Link is changed forever. A hero, banished from his childhood, destined to roam alone in a world that doesn't remember him." - Good Blood, Ocarina of Time: A Masterclass in subtext

[@shadowdragun]

...bit he wasnt forgotten. Didnt you watch the video?

[@dem_apples]

@shadowdragun the idea of the old Hero wasn't forgotten, but he was exactly, his name, how he looked exactly was forgotten

[@magicaltour1]

Zelda meant well, but her sending Link back to the past did more damage than she could possibly know.

[@GameFreakSucks]

@@magicaltour1so much for the one with the triforce of wisdom

[@RobwithoneB]

I feel so obligated to learn all the hidden skills every time I play, and it's not just because it's cool and adds tons of more ways to play the game, but because I feel obligated, as the Hero of Twilight, to carry on my ancestors knowledge to help keep Hyrule safe. The game does an incredible job of making you feel like a true Hero to Hyrule and like you have to carry on the teachings of the previous Hylian Hero. It really makes you feel like both versions of Link have a real connection to each other. This is an incredibly well done video. Probably one of my all time favorites when it comes to the Zelda series as a whole.

[@darrenpicklesimer]

To me, you are THE Zelda KZbinr. I feel like every time I read text in a Zelda game I hear your voice. Thank you for expanding my knowledge of this awesome game series in forever creative ways!

[@noradosmith]

He's the only youtuber who can make the word "wild" in breath of the Wild sound like it has two syllables.

[@DJWoozie]

2:59 kinda crazy that Link`s psyche became corrupted after living his life out in the timeline but it high key is super realistic. Dude probably went insane a little after losing his house, home, best friends... having to come back to a place that has no place for him. CRAZY

[@DJWoozie]

15:37 I agree here, him feeling not remembered was out of character

[@SuperGamefreak18]

@@DJWooziehonestly I felt like it was a disconnect that slowly happened the older he got, like it’s something he tried to let go but it was little things that lead to him feeling that regret. Honestly could be an end result of how much mental trauma he has, and likely atleast some dismissal at the fact that he’s seen as a legendary knight while being a youngster. Cause the time he came back to likely only knows him as the skilled knight not the hero of time.

[@FlamingZelda3]

@@SuperGamefreak18 I feel there would definitely be a component to him that never felt truly at rest after returning to hyrule. He had seen horrors which would scar most people for several lifetimes. I wonder if he ever did go back and marry malon. I always thought that'd be a sweet ending for him.

[@SuperGamefreak18]

@@FlamingZelda3 that’s something I hoped as well like he basically dead of older age with that as his biggest private regret

[@SoloEpi]

Another small overlooked detail is Ordon village and the Faron woods. They are both in a similar place to Kokiri forest and lost woods. Link’s house resembles Link’s in OOT. Even the large cliff posts in the water resemble the jumping platforms in near the shop in Kokiri forest. I’ve always had a head cannon that Malon and Link rebuilt the forest as Ordon village before his death, which would explain the farming as well.

[@AarturoSc]

Things to note: Link in Twilight Princess is a rancher, has a horse named Epona that you called using Malon’s song in OoT. The Ranch is south of Hyrule Castle, with the sacred forest next to it. In regards to the Hero Shade’s equipment, him having the Master Sword’s scabbard could simply be because his appearance is an astral projection. His gear its an ethereal manifestation of what he was, without needing to be exactly what he was wearing in his final day. Having that scabbard is a reflection to his close relationship to the Master Sword and he doesn’t even need to have wield it again as an adult in order for it to make sense.

[@nonoctoro4933]

Link isn't the owner of Ordon's ranch, not even native to the place. He is the sole pointy eared Hylian in the region.

[@AarturoSc]

@@nonoctoro4933 As I said in a previous comment, it doesn’t matter. This is a new ranch, not Lon Lon Ranch. What matters is the storytelling intent of echoing previous concepts like the ranch and Link’s association with it. It leaves wiggle room for Link to start as a common man and still have a background that relates his potential origin. The actual clear relation that matters most is him having Epona and knowing Epona’s song. That song was Malon’s mother song and has direct importance to her, so him knowing that song and calling his own horse with it is quite interesting.

[@gaemkareen6315]

​@@AarturoScTP Link knows Epona's song bc OOT Link learned that song. That doesn't mean OOT Link married her or something like that

[@RulerOfLizards]

One person also mentioned that TP Link's hair dirty blond hair is commonly from red (Malon) and bright blonde (Link) mixing.

[@LavenderCucco]

​@@gaemkareen6315Anti-shipper detected 😮

[@Szmajdzik]

In the end my jaw literally dropped. One of the best videos I have seen on youtube. Ever. And I remember beginnings of youtube.

[@ootdega]

Considering where TP Link starts the game - as a rancher in ownership of Epona - Malon is definitely who the HoT ended up with. There are far too many coincidences for any other possibility. That last sentence really hit hard. Well done.

[@micahbarrus8406]

There's an excellent fan animation called "a hero's purpose" by Majorlink that is EXCELLENTLY made. If you haven't seen it, and you like oot, mm, and tp, you will like it. It's unfinished for now, but it's building something incredible.

[@Dewdrop0-6]

Totally agree, it's amazing!

[@jchandler]

So so true!!

[@hearts0feden]

CANNOT WAIT FOR PART 6 aaAAAA

[@Clownacy]

The excellent fan animation is excellently made? Unbelievable.

[@ive3336]

I love how the Heros Shade still finds his purpose. If he didnt have his regret he wouldnt have been able to help the Link in Twilight Princess succeed

[@dqixsoss7436]

And it’s necessary for TP link to beat Ganondorf! He had to use the ending blow

[@dylanrutherford4425]

I always take time out of my day to listen and absorb Zeltik's content when he drops a new video. I binge watch his videos, for me, it helps me after a rough day at work or just in life

[@samcoote9653]

Same here! Zeltik just makes some of the most soothing, well edited videos, and a lot of them bring back so much nostalgia of playing zelda games on n64 and wii when I was a kid.

[@Ave_Satana666]

If you look at his armor it's just as destroyed as the mansion you find in the snow mansion part

[@Ave_Satana666]

He looks like he was shot in the stomach by a beam type attack notice the hole an shape something tells me he didn't have a belly shirt on. Further more if you look at the sword he has its segmented an obviously has been reforged over an over showing that he tried for years to get his glory back. The sword itself looks exactly like the master sword but the hilt looks reforged into a shabby replacement.

[@Ave_Satana666]

Look at his boots he's definitely the hero of time no one else wears them big ol boots fr.

[@Ave_Satana666]

My guess is that link went back to his home an lived with those who raised him when one day a evil force came an turned his people into monkeys hence the fortification of the once peaceful village link probably fought to protect his village an the powerful force cared very little an killed him blasting a hole into his stomach an then shooting his legs an arms aswell before leaving him to die.

[@MalachiSouth]

Great Video! I actually think the theory that the Hero’s Shade rests in Faron Woods, which were likely once the lost woods, is super cool. I wonder though if the Savred Tree label is for another reason as well. The tree that the Forest Temple resides in is quite large and looks very, very similar to the Great Deku Tree from OoT. Coincidentally, the Great Deku Tree is never mentioned in TP. And the Inside the Deku Tree is the first dungeon from OoT. What if the Forest Temple from TP is also inside the Deku Tree!

[@Ryoland]

The running theory on the eye is the war that happened after the warning. He lost it in the battle. He isn't remembered as a great hero, but likely a royal guard (hence the golden armor). The Royal family keeping him well looked after, his story lost to time.

[@MiniWhiteDragon]

Such a cool character. We never get to see an aged more grizzled Link, so when I pieced together who this was I was totally stoked. Love this game!

[@JonathanCarlos93]

Me too! I wish it would get a Nintendo Switch version release.

[@dogsbecute]

theres concept art of twilight princess link. one of them is a grizzled older link with long hair, tall af, looking like a viking. And hes also missing an arm. Aonuma said he was too bad ass, but they really wanted to go with him. The concept was a dystopian future link.

[@MiniWhiteDragon]

@@dogsbecute Yo sick

[@Staniel08]

Zeltik doing classic style lore/theory videos about older games again gives me the happy chemicals.

[@cvernon5256]

This is making me want a game that explores the Hero's Shade more, or how he came to be. If he truly is the mentioned "cursed swordsman" and there's the regrets of being unable to pass on his knowledge, I'm curious what circumstances sent him back to Kokiri Forest. While it may have been peaceful, I can't shake the feeling that he failed in some way. It may not have been a personal failing but rather that there was no one to continue his legacy, acting as guardian of Hyrule. Plus, getting to see an adult Link with a family would be cool. Heck, they can even have him be a widower to leave who mothered his children somewhat unclear. (Part Zora would be pretty obvious, though.)

[@ItsjustBlackJackhere]

I find it so…fascinating how most peoples true link is the hero of time. Id say he’s the most unique of them all and should come back in some way shape or form like he did here

[@KingConnor523]

The hero of time will always be who I think of when I think of Link despite my first Zelda being Wind Waker. First time seeing the character was in Smash bros and concept art scattered around when I was little, a few years later I’d finally play Ocarina of Time and live the legacy. You have no idea how much id like a third game taking place after Majoras mask, see whether he finally found Navi and returned to Hyrule before the forests curse could take him

[@beardalaxy]

Might not be EXACTLY what you're looking for, but there is a fan made Zelda hack in the works called Indigo that takes place after MM with the Hero of Time :)

[@EtheRenard]

I think we must consider that OoT Link was not forgotten, but he felt forgotten. He may also have been dead before seeing his child growing up

[@S.I.L.]

I wonder if he kept in touch with Skull Kid, a friend that's implied to still be around. I like to headcanon that Skull Kid's trial before the Master Sword was a mission given by the Hero of Time himself.

[@PenneySounds]

There's a theory that the lamp the Skull Kid carries belongs to the Shade, because Zelda ghosts often carry a lamp.

[@dogsbecute]

i dont understand why everyone thinks its a different skull kid, was i really the only one at the time with his mind blown, thinking , "holy crap, this game even has the skull kid in it? And sarias song!?"? TP was a love letter to OoT/MM fans....

[@FlamingZelda3]

@@dogsbecute people don't connect that TP is a direct sequel to Majora's mask and Ocarina when they play it. Like that realization doesn't fully hit them during the game I don't think.

[@dogsbecute]

@@FlamingZelda3 ....i guess for people that skip through all the dialogue and cutscenes. Its kinda hard to miss even if you turn your brain off. W...why would you not think its related to OoT/MM? I think youre being contrarian.

[@dogsbecute]

@@FlamingZelda3 like im genuinely curious as to why you would even suggest such a thing unless you yourself couldnt connect the dots. TP's biggest criticism is how close to the chest it kept OoT and MM (not my own, but critics. I loved that aspect of it.)

[@FaroshsFang11]

I am so happy that you did a video on Hero's Shade he's one of my favorite parts of Twilight Princess, and Zelda lore as a whole QoQ !!!! I especially LOVE that last part of the vid, connecting the grave in the castle and the place you first find HoT Shade: the sacred tree forest temple of the Faron Woods OOO !!! It's so good 10/10 my man

[@noradosmith]

This is excellent. It's nice to see zeltik discussing the older games with the same passion as he did seven years go. I think totk left everyone a little jaded but eow already feels like it's revived whatever it was that got us all so obsessed in the first place

[@Perigrene101]

Link's Descendants Headcannon: Lon Lon Ranch was destroyed during the Hyrulian Civil War. Link and Malon get together and start a new ranch on the outskirts or in the edge of Kokiri Forest, someplace safe and defensive with a bridge and a gorge being the only known entry point. Someplace only Link would know about being a former denizen of the forest.

[@dogsbecute]

the civil war happened 10 years before OoT starts though, was there a second one?

[@DeusGamez]

@@dogsbecute i think he meant to say Ganon's rebellion instead of civil war

[@blakerenimu9033]

16:46 Well, since Twilight is a farm boy and someone had to introduce the profession into the bloodline....

[@cratorcic9362]

If any link had polyamory as an easy option, it would be OoT/MM Link.

[@Cretaceous158]

@@cratorcic9362 Both non-hylian love interests get hylian descendants in LttP, and Saria also is the ancestor of Gulley in LBW.

[@cratorcic9362]

@@Cretaceous158 Oh, I know.

[@Harryboy2.0]

@@Pwnopolis damn bruh you gotta the whole "try harder", it ain't that deep

[@Berkinbag-p7n]

I would watch a video of this man talking about dry wall his voice is just so calming

[@DD-mp1kl]

I think the TP link growing up in Ordon Village and working at the ranch could be a big clue as to who OOT link married and where he settled down.

[@libbythehuman]

every time i think about the hero of time’s story my heart breaks more and more for him. as soon as you showed him in front of the tree (the forest temple) where we first see him, i knew where you were going with it. this video had me sobbing 😭💙 brilliant work!

[@FinalFirebrand]

This also shows that Link DOES speak canonically in the lore and world, just not in the games.

[@LITTLE1994]

You mean when he's not the player character

[@noradosmith]

It's possible he's transmitting his words just with his mind. A spirit speaking isn't really the same as a human speaking

[@badatdrawing5083]

WELL , EXCUUUUUUUUUUUUUSE ME , PRINCESS !

[@DemonicAdj]

He talks offscreen at least once in Skyward Sword, and he was said to "have a way with words". Headcanon is that since he started gesturing before the screen fades, Link speaks like an Italian.

[@ZagzigingZigzagoon]

7:17 Some thing I noticed that even though his sword's hilt is different the blade part is almost identical to master sword's blade

[@MetalRanger5456]

10:49 it did have a name, it was grooseland

[@spoinkable2217]

Long live Grooseland!

[@mattmcd2803]

“In the end, the boy from the forest returned home.” Gave me chills dude!

[@mywifesboyfriend5558]

If you want to know what the HOT did after Majora's Mask, look around in the restored Temple of Time. The reliefs on the wall show young Link around the Bird people, and others. In the Arbiter's Temple, you will see carvings in walls and pillars of the Hero and Ganon. The grave near the tree in Hyrule Castle is the Hero of Time's. That spot is very similar to the courtyard where Link first met Zelda. It's made pretty obvious that Link married Malon after the adventure. TP Link lives on a farm in the woods, Malon's theme plays in the fields, you can hear her voice. The Hero lived well. Don't weep for him, he was remembered after all.

[@brian_realgames7314]

"In twilight princess......" Zeltik, 2024

[@realreversefs]

Twilight princess possesses so much lore it's comforting

[@noradosmith]

It's the ultimate zelda game

[@blarghinatelazer9394]

If only Nintendo would port it to the Switch already 😭

[@Furretarepikmin]

​@@blarghinatelazer9394It and WW definitely needs to be ported on switch.

[@axelrosete3744]

If you enjoy the lore of the Hero’s Shade, you owe it to yourself to watch Major Link’s fan made interpretation of his story. You can find them on KZbin as “Hero’s Purpose”. Really awesome storytelling with a banging soundtrack based on OoT’s music. You’ll not regret it!

[@Aude_from_Hyrule]

The Hero's shade always made me emotional. And at the end of TP, I was sure it was OOT's Link. All the details and lore you're adding is amazing. Thank you for this beautiful video. ♥

[@erikmueller3404]

Your voice was made to narrate Zelda Lore!! Love the content!!

[@thelittlebosniaexperience8181]

Oot link getting with malon is the only one that makes sense given that Epona’s Song is passed on through Ordon Village where TP link is also from, and its a town all about ranching animals

[@andytorres6052]

Don’t forget it was confirmed in the Hyrule historia that TP is the descendant of the hero of time.

[@OhNoTheFace]

17:33 GIve us that one nintendo. OOT2 D:

[@YasugoLiehu]

5:05 I love you Zeltik, but just for future reference, Japanese never has silent vowels (even with exceptions like the 'u' in 助 [suke], it's still being pronounced, just very slightly). The name is exactly as it's written: 伊・達 (da・te).

[@nomMascot]

I came here to say this. It's "Dah-Teh". The A and E sounds are the same in first and last names. It feels odd to hear those vowels pronounced incorrectly at first and then totally correctly shortly afterward. Anyway, live and learn. Thanks for the video.

[@diaro]

I love these videos! Zeltik and Monster Maze are my favorite Zelda guys, thank you for continuing to give love to this franchise that is so close to my heart.

[@erickvalencia2016]

I love your videos, as many have said before me, you have a particular way of telling stories and narrates them with a thoughtful and soothing tone, you have done your homework too, not an easy feat since Zelda timeline does not really exist (devs have made efforts to piece something together but lets face it, none of the top dogs at Zelda's dev team care that much for lore) all in all, good job!!

[@SonicTheBlueBlur15]

I really want a ocarina of time remake with a heros shade quest for after the game where we can see more if what happens

[@Skelterbane69]

There have been a lot of romhacks lately, maybe there will be one with this plotline, eventually

[@Sam-ky4xi]

we can only hope 🙏

[@lewizardmecha7803]

What you really want is a Majora's Mask sequel.

[@jeffdcgamer1077]

Fun fact there’s heavy rumors that we getting ocarina of time remake for the switch 2

[@Simonpumpernickel]

That will never happen, now return to your cubicle and put your simulation helm back on. And keep it on!

[@argentumoculisgrimm9619]

I mean the fact that Twilight link grows up as a farmer tells us who OOT link would've married and had a child with.

[@BorbMcGorb]

You can also hear Malon singing during the Hyrule Field (Night) BGM track in Twilight Princess. It’s a nice little detail.

[@GleppaPigg]

Yo momma balls

[@woobgamer5210]

@@Pwnopolis except in OoT the only farmers we know are Lon Lon Ranch's Malon, Talon and Ingo, and Anju with her chickens. There is only one child farmer for the Hero of Time to marry and grow up with to then sire children with, and that's Malon

[@MysteriousTomJenkins]

@@woobgamer5210 Also Twilight having an Epona and knowing Epona's song. There are way more connections to Malon for it to not be the case.

[@timidshadow]

21:36 It would have been a nice touch to leave Saria’s Song at the very end of the video when it changes to black as an homage to the hero.

[@CaffeinatedNPC]

I've been a fan of the Zelda series for about as long as I can remember. One of my earliest happy gaming memories was my cousin giving me his old, gray brick-like Gameboy and teaching me how to play it right before I moved away from home for the first time. For the longest time I've also had a lot of theories surrounding what happened in this gap. This video and take on the series put to rest a lot of long-lasting "what if"s in my mind with some, in my eyes, solid logic. Thank you. If it were possible I'd give your video two likes, but until then, please accept these three hearts :) ♥♥♥

[@TheGLukester]

Lore videos about the Hero of Time / Hero's Shade are always so interesting to watch. Absolutely loved this video! Would love to see you make more videos about OoT Link!

[@user-i9h]

You know its a good day when Zeltik uploads

[@GabePuratekuta]

Esp;ecially when said upload isn't spoilers for games you haven't played.

[@Bradknotbotandy]

I hope we get to play as an older Link someday. Like a "Dark Knight Returns" Link.

[@plagueseer]

A Souls Link if you will 🥴

[@GabePuratekuta]

@@plagueseer That isn't a hack like Ultimate Trial?

[@plagueseer]

@@GabePuratekuta sure but I think it would be cool to have an official game

[@noradosmith]

Logan Link

[@davisbowe8668]

Honestly, it's not too out of the realm of possibility that after retirement, the Hero of Time moved his family to be closer to his childhood home, the Kokiri Forest. This is why the Hero of Twilight lives so close to the Forest Temple, which is heavily implied to be the remains of the Great Deku Tree (which was never revived since in the Child Timeline, Link never awakened the Deku Tree Sprout).

[@MRF1983]

That's an excellent point about never having awoken the deku sprout!

[@cosmicsilhouette3858]

@@MRF1983 Pretty sure the sprout grew itself, since its a magical tree.

[@Serralas]

Fascinating video. You've gained a fan! 😊 TP is my absolute favorite Zelda game of all time and even as a kid I thought the Hero's shade had to be a past Link. We really do need a third game for the Hero of Time.

[@kyleclair41]

I love your deep dives into the lore of Zelda games. Don't ever stop!

[@francoperalta5986]

THe part about him not being remembered was manufactured by Hyrule Historia. He laments in the game that he never taught his offspring the ways of the blade. You've brought up all the evidence I have against the hero shade being a stalfos. Also love the attention to detail about how Time Link and Twilight Link are related which is another nail in the "Link is Dead" coffin. Regarding who Time LInk started a bloodline with to get to Twilight Link. Malon would make the most sense given that Link in Twilight grows up among farmers in Hyrule, he has Epona and knows her song which was a tune between mother and daughter. Also when Link rides around the fields at night, Malons voice will be heard singing the Twilight Princess theme. We know its her because she was the only one we knew that sung and its her voice.

[@dogsbecute]

why this comment gave me goosebumps, i like those dots you connected. what else you got

[@francoperalta5986]

​@@dogsbecute Because every KZbinr thats made a video covering the hero shade made a close enough biography. HMK, Commonwealth, Zeldamaster, Maskedbandit, Zeldom. Pretty much the same ground.

[@dogsbecute]

@@francoperalta5986 thanks for the recommendations. been on a TP binge lately.

[@aa7x3]

Maybe the shade died before he could train his child/children. Passing on the knowledge to his descendant giving him peace would make sense.

[@Wendy_O._Koopa]

I like how he says that Link has lots of options and shows Ruto, and yeah, I would certainly _prefer_ Ruto myself, but then their kids wouldn't be human. If they could even _have_ kids. Seeing as how TP Link is a human (elf?), that limits his grandmothers to Zelda, Malon, and Nabooru, and he's not a prince or a Gerudo. I mean, it could also be Impa, but I'm pretty sure she's post-menopause; plus he's a farmer... it almost _has_ to be Malon. The only other option is some previously unknown character, and that seems kinda cheap.

[@dlh5323]

"Believe in your strengths." -The hero's shade -The happy mask salesman

[@GT3NB]

Zelda’s just so cool man. I hope the movie results in more of these lore exploration videos of its own and doesn’t just copy anything one to one. I would get chills if the movie hero encountered a previous hero in a similar way to the Shade though.

[@mywifesboyfriend5558]

The movie will be awful. You can't fit a whole Zelda adventure into an hour or two.

[@BradleyGodlyGovt]

Great timing for the video, just finished Majora's Mask for the first time and will be starting Twilight Princess for the first time soon. Nice refresher of lore!

[@LovePeaceSpirit]

Your videos are literally top tier!! That ending, hit me right in the feels. Great work as always 😊

[@kyherman1902]

I never liked the Stalfos theory that many believe, where he gets lost in the lost woods, he always looked more like a spirit to me. I like to think his appearance is a shade of his corpse, having the same look of what his body looks like in the grave. I think he did make it back to hyrule, start a family, go on more adventures, where he learns the sword techinques he would later pass on, and would die either in battle or of old age.

[@theking8347]

Or since he's a ghost, the "Stalfos" is just a form he chooses to take so the new Link won't hesitate to attack a fellow human.

[@DeusGamez]

he did return to hyrule yes and though he's not regarded as the hero who saved time he still helped the people of hyrule combat Ganondorf which is what lead to his capture cause the link who went back in time warned zelda, the zora, and the goron that he was after their sacred stones/gems to take control of the sacred realm the zora king even is said to have spoken with him and link returned the zora tunic told him to give it to the one who would become hyurle's next champion/hero. and its likely the armor he wears is that of hyrule's elite knights meaning he enlisted in the kingdom's army and there is even a grave you can find in the castle which alludes to a celebrated knight which was probably him.

[@Cretaceous158]

He might have rotted in the middle of nowhere, with the body never being found. There do appear to be leaves on his armor, and his armor was sliced in the abdomen.

[@kyherman1902]

⁠​⁠@@Cretaceous158 Well we don’t know how he died exactly, he could have died in battle or just simply passed away from age, or any other option one could think of. The ghostly part of his abdomen could just be where he didn’t have bulky gold armor like the one we see, as it could have been something like chain mail, perhaps similar to what was on his arms and legs. It’s all up to interpretation at the end of the day.

[@hunterXhamster]

Give us that Majora's Mask sequel that ends with Link going out like Noble Six

[@135forte]

Considering what happens as a result of Link returning, he could have felt he wasn't a true hero.

[@ZdinoYT2]

Bruh zeltik your videos make my day

[@AncestorZzZ]

The Hero's Shade chest plate also kinda looks like Skull Kid's head. The beak and the way it looks with the eyes, and how the shoulder pads kinda look like his hat/hair. Maybe that's some sort ironic twist depicting his fate after the fall of Clock Town? (Also you rang? 2:19)

[@kiran0019]

I really like the idea that the hero's shade is OoT Link, I think it's really interesting.

[@chasesheffar1380]

Honestly the hero's shade knowing the songs only the hero of time knows should be proof enough Those songs don't just pop out of nowhere he learned them and no other hero knows all of those songs

[@eveillanderson]

few things worth noting: his helmet damage mirrors the busted majora statue on midna's head/in ikana valley - and majora's mask in its entirety is about link coming to grips with dying in the lost woods, the entire point of the game which you never achieve is to find 'Navi' a name that means mouth - by themselves the faerie names are difficult to pronounce, but put them together. . . #Tattletale #SkullKid #LinkDead

[@woobgamer5210]

except Link can't die in the lost woods in Majora's Mask if he... had children. Unless you're saying he stopped Ganondorf as soon as he met Zelda *again* , went to Lon Lon, porked Malon and had kids at age 10/11. unless he maybe died as an adult soldier in lost woods... somehow.

[@eveillanderson]

@@woobgamer5210the game isn't an explanation of how link's progeny continually regenerate, if the sword appeared in the desert with a red hilt link would be a gerudo but apparently wisdom is just never out of balance and zelda needs her own game - the fact is what majora is posing is the question what if moses, what if jesus, what if king arthur never had that caliber x, what if the one day hero of the world busted his head on a rock

[@DavidCiolfi]

Amazing lore video, one of the best I've seen in ages, keep up the good work bro.

[@zederpwolf671]

This video was incredible, very well thought out. OoT and twilight princess are my favorite Zelda games so them being connected really excited me

[@rodrigolopez5381]

There’s something you mentioned I wanna touch upon with my idea/theory, that maybe TP could be referencing two legendary heroes at once and not just OoT’s Link as you said. I have a small warning, the next text will be super long, sorry for that! You mentioned how Hyrule Historia’s motives behind the Hero’s Shade lament (HS to shorten it) differs a bit from what the game mentions, since in the book he’s saddened for others not remembering him as a hero while in the game, it’s because he didn’t get to pass down his knowledge; perhaps these two things don’t need to be mutually exclusive, but rather Hyrule Historia adding into what the game already stated. Perhaps it is that, because he wasn’t acknowledged as a hero in the same degree as his Adult counterpart throughout the adult timeline, that through his life that he didn’t get to pass such a wisdom to his descendants. Yes, Child Link is certainly a Hero for stopping Ganondorf before everything happened, but it could be true that to spectators, it doesn’t hold the same value or weight than it does for those who actually lived through Ganon’s hell. After all, those in the adult timeline not only witnessed the fall of Hyrule, but also a Hero appearing out of nowhere to fight against the evil that had destroyed their land, correcting everything and leading their timeline to peaceful times; meanwhile, while equally important because Child Link did prevent everything from happening, maybe it wasn’t as impactful for the people since nothing had actually happened, it was the prevention for a disaster but in the end, no one really suffered it nor had to go through what their adult counterparts did, and peace never really stopped being their thing, rendering the acts of Child Link… well, more forgettable in the long run. Like you mentioned, Link would’ve had to eventually grown up and had a family, but as it seems that no one remembers him, maybe he actually didn’t go into any other adventure and like another comment mentioned, the fact that the HS has the scabbard is mostly an astral projection out of how important it was to Link, rather than him getting to wield the MS again. We do know that the HS IS OOT’s Link, but being forgotten by the people and the title “Hero of Time” never being mentioned, maybe what the residents of TP’s world think of “The Hero” isn’t OOT’s, and as you mentioned the only other possible (and mostly probable) Hero left could be Skyward’s Link, what made me think about it were TP’s Link items and his tunic. Yes, SS’s items differ greatly from TP’s Items when compared to TP and OoT. We can discard the Slingshot since it’s something that all three Links share, but the Bow and the Clawshots are something that, in theory, only TP’s and SS’s Links could have and the reason behind that falls in OoT Link “never getting” the Bow and the Hookshot, which in itself is different from the Clawshot, and that’s a perfect match between TP and SS. We could argue that after returning back in time to his own era, Link didn’t get to keep anything from his adult time, and not having gone through the temple of forest as an adult means Link never gets the bow, and not having visited Dampe’s grave he never gets the hookshot. One could make an argument for the Bow Link gets in Termina if he does keep whatever he found from there, but that would mean the existence of three bows in Hyrule after Link returning, if not two in case the one at the Forst Temple is the same as SS’s Link, but they don’t have any resemblance physically speaking; however, in SS you get the Bow from Lanayru’s Sand Sea, the only place where we see Gorons in SS albeit just two of them iirc, which could relate as to why the Gorons in TP have “the legendary bow” that once belonged to the “Hero”, not OoT but SS’s Link. In the same sense, not only is TP the only other game where Link has Clawshots as in SS, but the first half is found in the Lakebed temple (Lake Hylia, home to Lanayru’s spirit), and in SS you get them by clearing Nyru’s Silent Realm, again Nyru being the relationship between these two. I know it’s a stretch, but the idea of there being another “Legendary Hero” instead of OOT’s Link does help in favor of HS’s motive of wanting to pass down his wisdom, lingering after death for so long, wanting to feel appreciated and wanting to serve a purpose for the kingdom and home he loved throughout his life! I really loved the video, Ocarina’s Link truly has an interesting story besides what OOT/MM portray because of how he goes down in legend!

[@nworder4life]

This is exactly what I wanted to say. The Heroes shade is not the ancient hero that is referenced, and look at the connections between Skyward Sword and Twilight Princess. The tunic, the Bow, pumpkins, tear vessels, silent realm/wolf mindspace/ Triforce being left out in the open like the backstory of TP's interlopers. Someday somebody needs to make a video showing these connections.

[@LITTLE1994]

Despite his very sad story, this just shows proof that why the Hero of Time is simply the best Link in the entire franchise.

[@paxman20]

The chest plate is a owl possibly resembling the owl or sage of time in o.o.t idk just fun idea

[@JosephJoeyBiancaniello2909]

I don't know how you do it, but I always love your content. It feels like watching a quality series. Great work! 😁💪🏼

[@TomMooreT2S]

I’m 90% with this theory. However, the part where you mentioned that Link wielded the Master Sword once again remains a mystery. There’s been little evidence about the Hero of Time obtaining the Master Sword again. While it’s possible he’s still remembered, his memory was remained in pure obscurity. HMK made an interesting video on this subject a few years. So for this hero to be remembered by a select few, his legend must’ve been kept in utter secrecy. And if you take into account the tunic the Hero of Twilight wears, it’s more reminiscent of the Tunic of the Sky worn by Hylia’s chosen knight ages ago. So for such a tunic to be held dearly by the light spirits, the Hero of Time in this era had only done so much in order for the Hero of Twilight to finish what he had started. So while it’s possible for the Hero of Time to be remembered dearly, another hero was remembered. The one who vanquished Demise and brought the past and his present era at peace. And the Master Sword slept since the ancient past, not to be pulled until the Hero of Twilight came to wield it. (Bear in mind, when the Hero of Time returned to his childhood, the Master Sword wasn’t pulled at that point.) “The sword will continue to gain strength if bathed in sacred power. The stronger that power, the more powerful the sword becomes." - Great Deku Tree

[@manuelgarciajr5308]

I mean, pretty sure TP coined OoT Link as the Forgotten Hero in the Royal Family Graveyard. Kid Link came back with a piece of the Triforce so his story telling of how he drew the MS and killed Ganon would have to be taken as fact. My point being, the Royal Family would know, believe, and honor his legacy so they would give him the highest respect for his burial. That included the decorated armor set and such. Forgotten Hero is also fitting. Known only to the Royal Family but not by Hyrule as a whole. Tragic.

[@BeercanJeremy]

honestly i think he did weild it again to battle the geurdo away from hyrule before they laid the sword to rest in the sacred grove which is also part of the forest

[@dogsbecute]

@@BeercanJeremy no, it wouldnt make sense for him to wield it in the child timeline for any reason whatsoever. The entire purpose of him drawing the master sword was to stop ganondorf. The sages handled that by sealing him away in the child timeline, before he can do anything. Ganondorf was able to take over Hyrule because Link and Zelda schemed to draw the master sword from its pedestal. It was way too early, and it lead ganondorf right into the sacred realm. This never happens after link gets sent back in the end. And we know the adult timeline continues, because we see them all dancing and celebrating the defeat of ganon.

[@woobgamer5210]

​@@dogsbecute but then child Link lets the royal family know of Ganondorf's evil schemes. he's stopped premanturely and...? it's entirely possible Link then takes a few years to settle, grow up, marry and have kids with Malon, and then join Hyrule's soldiers with the master sword in hand (and maybe then to merc Ganondorf before he even tries to get his hand on the Triforce)

[@dogsbecute]

​@@woobgamer5210 except in twilight princess the master sword is said "to have been wielded by a legendary hero", which the Link in the child timeline is not. In twilight princess, the only legendary hero is the Link from ALttP, not to mention the time traveling with the master sword to the temple of time and its ruins, Link had no reason to pull the master sword from its resting place, and every single Link places it back in the pedestal after ganons death, even the Hero of Twilight placed it back, we see that in the credits for Twilight Princess. That blade serves one purpose, and until its needed, its sealed away.