The Master Sword Explored
Posted on May 02 2009 by Nathanial Rumphol-Janc
The following article is a summary article. However, it may contain
theoretical elements which only reflects the opinions of the writer and
not ZeldaInformer as a whole. That said, enjoy the article!
“The
Master Sword is a sacred blade which evil ones may never touch…. Only
one worthy of the title of “Hero of Time” can pull it from the Pedestal
of Time….”
When
speaking of Zelda, the Master Sword, the blade of evil’s bane, often
comes to mind. It is the iconic weapon of our hero, Link, and it has
made many appearances throughout the series. Link has sealed the fate
of Ganon and his minions many times with the blade, making use of its
amazing evil-repelling abilities. The blade is often well hidden within
the world of Hyrule, and after enduring many harsh tasks and winning
many fatiguing battles Link is able to wield the mythical blade with
pride. But do we fully understand its capabilities?
The
Master Sword hidden deep within the Lost Woods in A Link to the Past.
Its design has changed over the years, but it continues to posses its
powerful evil-repelling abilities.
A Link to the Past was the first Zelda
tale to feature the legendary Master Sword. Its history is indeed
clouded, and very few know of its existence. However, an Old Woman in
Kakariko Village enlightens us about its past.
Her story details
many facts about the Master Sword. It was an ancient Hylian artifact
that is now hidden within the Lost Woods. We also discover that the
blade can harm and even destroy evil beings. It is Link’s job to
acquire this sword, and use it to slay the evil that is plaguing
Hyrule. The sword can also deflect evil magic, as its power suggests.
Link uses this technique against Agahnim, managing to defeat the evil
wizard.
In addition to this tale, the Japanese version of the A Link to the Past’s manual gives an insight to its origins.
“Accordingly,
to repel an evil “kidnapping” of the Triforce, Hyrule’s people were
informed by a divine oracle to make an “expel-evil” sword. That sword
was called the Master Sword, and it was said that it could be used by
(a person) with the faithful hero’s values.”
This
divine oracle warned the people of Hyrule that evil-minded people may
try to claim the Triforce, and so the oracle instructed them to forge a
blade as a defensive measure. This blade was the Master Sword, and it
now lies in the Lost Woods awaiting one worthy to wield it. Link
ventured into the Lost Woods and in the depths of the wondrous forest
he found the sacred Master Sword. The blade rested in a pedestal
inscribed with words from the ancient Hylian language.
“The
Heroes triumph on Cataclysm’s eve wins three symbols of virtue. The
Master Sword he shall then receive, keeping the Knights line true.”
This
ancient text defines the Master Sword as a blade that can only be
wielded by one who is chosen by the sword itself, a true hero. This
hero is related to Hylian Knights that were told to have been wiped out
by Ganon.
The three symbols of virtue relate to the three pendants
that Link had collected so far, with Cataclysm’s eve referring to the
evil that is currently controlling Hyrule. After acquiring the three
symbols of virtue, the Hero receives the Master Sword, and the
generation of the Hylian knights, which Link is a part of, continues.
The sword can also be empowered, increasing its effectiveness in battle. In A Link to the Past,
Link is able to have the Master Sword forged into the Tempered Sword,
sharpening its edges. Later, it is then blessed by a Great fairy,
transforming the blade into the Golden Sword. Throughout all these
changes, the sword retains its evil-repelling powers.
Link,
wielding the Master Sword in combination with the Silver Arrows,
manages to finally destroy Ganon. After Ganon is defeated, we are told
that the Master Sword shall rest forever. This implies that A Link to the Past is the final tale in the series involving the sword.
The Master Sword sits proudly in the Pedestal of Time before Link draws it in Ocarina of Time.
Ocarina of Time
was certainly the defining game of the Zelda series. It had everything
the fans wanted, and was an extremely important game to the events of
the series. The Imprisoning War spoken of in Link to the Past is
theorised to have taken place on the Adult side of Ocarina of Time, as the adult portion of the game shows Ganondorf coming to power and then being sealed in the Sacred Realm. Ocarina of Time
is also the earliest known game to feature the Triforce outside of the
Sacred Realm. But most importantly, this game deals with the seven
Sages who sealed Ganon. The sealing of Ganon is an indication that Ocarina of Time could be the Seal War spoken of in A Link to the Past.
“This
time, the story really wasn’t an original. We were dealing with the
“The Imprisoning War of the Seven Sages” from the SNES edition Zelda.”
This confirms that Ocarina of Time was the Seal War at one point, but that has been thrown into question since the releases of The Wind Waker, Four Swords Adventures and Twilight Princess. Still, these events seem to match those of the back story of A Link to the Past quite well. As well as being the possible back story to A Link to the Past, Ocarina of Time tells of the origins of the Master Sword and the Hero of Time.
“The
Master Sword is a sacred blade which evil ones may never touch…. Only
one worthy of the title of “Hero of Time” can pull it from the Pedestal
of Time…. However, you were too young to be the Hero of Time….
Therefore, your spirit was sealed here for seven years. And now that
you are old enough, the time has come for you to awaken as the Hero of
Time!”
Link
was too young to assume the role of The “Hero of Time”, and so the
Sages sealed him within the Sacred Realm until he was old enough to
fulfil his destiny. The Temple of Time is the entrance to the Sacred
Realm, acting as the final defence for the Triforce. With the Master
Sword being the final key to the Sacred Realm, it is also defending the
Triforce. This ties in well with the Japanese quote from A Link to the Past, stating that the Master Sword was created to protect the Triforce.
We
are now assured that Link was destined to be the legendary hero. He
needed to acquire the three spiritual stones and then play the Song of
Time to gain the Master Sword and assume his destiny. This is very
similar to the text on the Pedestal in A Link to the Past. Link
claimed the three spiritual stones, representing the symbols of virtue
and then claimed the Master Sword. However, it has more mysterious
properties that are not encountered until later in the game.
“If
you want to return to your original time, return the Master Sword to
the Pedestal of Time. By doing this, you will travel back in time seven
years….”
Link
pulling the Master Sword from its pedestal. This causes Link to travel
seven years into the future, where he is old enough to wield the sacred
blade.
This solidifies
the connections between the sword and time itself. When Link first
pulled the sword as a child, he was too young to be the Hero of Time,
and so the Master Sword took Link to the Sacred Realm, where he lay in
rest for seven years. Upon awakening, Link was older and stronger, and
he was then able to fulfil his destiny. As an adult, Link could then
place the Master Sword back in its pedestal, and return to his own time.
Of
course, the Master Sword’s main purpose is to vanquish the evil that
threatens Hyrule. During his fight with Ganondorf, Link is able to
reflect the Evil King’s magical attacks by hitting them with the Master
Sword, very much like he did against Agahnim. This property is indeed
linked to the swords anti-evil magic as Ganondorf would be using dark
energies to attack Link.
Link strikes Ganon in the forehead, causing
him to be extremely vulnerable, not destroyed. The seven Sages then
strike, sealing Ganon within the Evil Realm he himself created,
bringing peace to Hyrule, for a time.
Ocarina of Time
then draws to a close. Zelda sends Link back to his original time, so
he can return the Master Sword to its resting place, the Temple of
Time. She mentions that the road between times will close, implying
that Link will not be able to draw the sword to travel forward in time
again. As Link is sent back, it is assumed that the Master Sword was
duplicated just like everything else as the split timeline occurs.
The
Master Sword made a brief appearance in each of these games, but was
only accessible by playing the linked games. There are eight different
circumstances in which the sword was attainable where the games can be
played in either order. Many people disregard the sword as canon in
this game as it can only be obtained by passwords, but this does not
automatically make the sword redundant. The password system was
designed to add more depth to the story of the games, and in no way
does it suggest the sword is not legit. The fact that the sword must be
earned should give it enough credibility.
The Master Sword is
described as the “Blade of Legends”, and was the only sword in the
Oracles games that could harm Ganon without a spin attack. This shows
that is indeed the very same Master Sword we have seen before, as it
possesses its trademark evil-repelling powers. All that remains to be
questioned is whether the methods of obtaining it within the games can
be considered canon.
The Master Sword as featured in The Wind Waker, being restored by the Earth Sage, Medli.
A confirmed carry-on from the adult ending of Ocarina of Time,
the Wind Waker takes place hundreds of years after the sealing of
Ganon. It is told that Ganon escaped the seal, and that there was no
hero to stop him again, as the Hero of Time had become “lost in time”.
The Goddesses then flooded Hyrule, washing away the kingdom. However,
as the tale of the Hero of Winds unfolds, Hyrule is revisited, and the
Master Sword is rediscovered. Similarly to Ocarina of Time and A Link to the Past, Link had to collect three objects, the pearls of the gods, in-order to obtain the Master Sword.
Link
finds the legendary Master Sword in its pedestal hidden in a basement
inside Hyrule castle, which is concealed by a statue of the original
Hero of Time. Link draws the blade, and holds it proudly. This is
strange, as the original Hero of Time, who was a similar age to this
Link, was sealed within the Sacred Realm for seven years before he
could wield the sword, yet this Link simply claimed the legendary
blade. This is likely due to the fact the the Master Sword was not in
its usual resting place; the Temple of Time. This could also be due to
the fact that it had lost its all of its power, as Link finds out when
he encounters Ganondorf atop the Forsaken Fortress after saving his
little sister.
“By the way, kid, when you
pulled that sword from its pedestal, the unmoving monsters all began to
move at once, didn’t they? Do you understand what that means? That
sword is the Anti-Demon Sword that repels demons. However, it is also
the annoying seal that was sealing my Mazoku. You broke that seal.
It’s useless! You still haven’t realised it! You cannot defeat me with a sword that lacks the radiance to repel demons!!”
This
is the literal translation of Ganondorf’s quote when you encounter him
after acquiring the Master Sword from the Japanese version of The Wind Waker.
He states that the Master Sword was sealing his “Mazoku”, not his
magic, which is what the English version suggests. “Mazoku” translates
to “Demon Tribe”, which means the followers of a Demon. We can see this
is true, as when Link pulls the Master Sword from its pedestal in the
castle basement, all the monsters within the castle that were stone
re-animate.
The Master Sword was sealing Ganondorf’s minions all
this time, and by claiming the sword, Link awakened these monstrous
creatures. Because the blade lacked its legendary power, Link could not
stop Ganondorf then and there.
The Sages who once prayed to the Gods
to grant the Master Sword its evil repelling power have been killed by
Ganondorf. It is Link’s job to recover the descendants of these Sages,
and take them to their respective temples, so they can pray to the Gods
once more, allowing the Master Sword to glow brightly with the power of
light and repel evil once again.
Medli, the young Rito girl,
assumes her role as the Earth Sage, and blesses the blade with her
prayers. The same goes for Makar, the young Korok, who is the Wind
Sage.
And so, with the Master Sword returned to full power, Link travelled back to Hyrule, and engaged Ganondorf.
With help from Zelda, Link manages to strike Ganondorf in the forehead with the Master Sword, killing him.
Twilight
Princess was indeed an epic adventure, and of course, it featured our
favourite sword as well. The game was confirmed by Eiji Aonuma to take
place a hundred or so years after the child ending of Ocarina of Time.
This shows that the split timeline must have duplicated the sword
(along with many other objects in the world of Hyrule), as it appears
in Twilight Princess and The Wind Waker. Interestingly
enough, Link also had to collect three items (the Fused Shadow pieces)
before he was able to access the Master Sword.
“Head
for the sacred grove that lies deep within the lands guarded by the
spirit Faron. There you will find the blade of evil’s bane that was
crafted by the wisdom of the ancient sages… the Master Sword.”
The
Master Sword resting the in the Sacred grove in Twilight Princess. The
sun reflects off the mystical blade, representing its holy power.
Similarly to A Link to the Past,
the Master Sword is kept in the Woods, more specifically, in the Sacred
Grove. However, the scenario is different here as the ruins of the
Temple of Time are also in the Sacred Grove. Most importantly this
tells us that the Master Sword was forged by the Sages, who could
possibly have been the “Divine Oracle” mentioned in A Link to the Past.
The blade indeed has some interesting properties in Twilight Princess.
When Link enters the Temple of Time inside the grove, he places the
sword in its original pedestal, the same one that was used in Ocarina of Time. The sword is a key that opens the dungeon half of the temple. Although this Temple of Time resembles the Temple we saw in Ocarina of Time,
the Master Sword does not cause Link to travel forward in time. This is
because he is already the correct age to wield the sword and assume the
title of “The Hero of Time”, unlike his counter-part in Ocarina. The Master Sword also broke the curse Zant placed on Link, showing that its evil-repelling powers are intact.
The Twilight Realm was a hotspot in Twilight Princess,
being the second last dungeon and the home of Zant and Midna. When Link
collects the Sols, the essence of light in the Twilight Realm, they
fuse with the Master Sword, imbuing it with light.
The Master Sword glowing brightly with the power of the Sols from the Twilight Realm.
This
allows Link to destroy most twilight monsters in one attack, and cut
through the twilight fog. This shows that as well as losing power, the
Master Sword can gain power, much like how it was empowered in A Link to the Past.
Link
does battle with Ganondorf, and he manages to deal a fatal blow to the
Evil King. However, Ganondorf survived the attack, despite having the
Master Sword piercing his noticeable weak point. He began to speak,
insisting that he will merge shadow and light, but his Triforce of
Power suddenly fades, causing him to lose his source of power. The Evil
King then died standing.
Following the battle, Link returns the sword to its resting place in the Sacred Grove.
To
conclude, the Master Sword’s history and various abilities are
explained with great detail throughout the series. From the games,
various traits can be drawn together to summarise the powers of the
sacred blade.
The Master Sword was created to protect the Triforce
from those with dark ambitions, and it is kept safe within the Temple
of Time, acting as the final key to the Sacred Realm. It has also been
found resting in The Lost Woods, an alternative location if the Temple
of Time is not present. It is blessed with the power to repel evil,
allowing it to deflect dark magic and seal the monstrous powers of
Ganon and his minions. This power is granted by the Sages’ prayers to
the Gods. The blade chooses its master, one who is destined to be the
true Hero of Hyrule. Link is a Hylian Knight, and is destined to wield
the sword when danger approaches Hyrule and its people. In Ocarina of Time, it even allowed Link to travel through time in order to stop the evil threatening Hyrule.
It
has been Link’s companion throughout the series, and has backed him up
in the toughest of battles. It shall continue to aid the chosen Hero in
future games, possibly with a new array of mystic powers.
Useful links