Author: Connor Butler

The Demon King of the Gerudo is nothing if not iconic. His signature design has changed quite a bit over the years, but his latest design in Tears of the Kingdom is completely intimidating. After watching the already terrifying Mummy-dorf rehydrate into Swolen-dorf, I remember having to pause the game for a moment, just to take it all in. If you’re anything like me, you’ve wanted an action figure of this sculpted warrior since you saw him. Well, with the talents…

The music of the Zelda franchise is truly iconic. The majesty captured and atmosphere created in the notes of every piece are second to none. The music this franchise has to offer can often stand on its own, without the need of a game. That being said, though, there is no other place that perfectly encompasses the beauty of Zelda‘s music than the fan community. Dedicated fans have been creating mixes of the music since the franchise’s inception, and the quality seems…

Welcome back to another edition of “Storytelling Through Sound,” a series of editorials dedicated to the analysis of the main themes from every Zelda game. In honor of Four Swords Week, we’ll be taking a look at this game’s version of the Lake Hylia theme and the way that it plays into nostalgia to hit you right in the feels. One of my favorite parts of playing a Zelda game is being unexpectedly hit with something familiar from the past, whether it be a…

From the early days of using the magic Flute to reveal secrets in The Legend of Zelda, to swinging your Wii Remote around to play the Harp in Skyward Sword, it’s pretty evident that music has played a pivotal role in the Zelda franchise since the beginning. With such a key part of this franchise being its instruments, it’s safe to say that it was a huge surprise to have them removed with the release of Breath of the Wild. While the…

Welcome back to a very special edition of “Storytelling Through Sound,” a series of editorials dedicated to the analysis of the major musical themes from the Zelda franchise. In this month’s edition, we’re not talking about just one piece of music. We’re not even keeping ourselves limited to just one game! For this month’s installment, we’ll be taking a look at three different pieces of music that have stayed tried and true throughout the franchise: “Princess Zelda’s Rescue” from A…

Beedle, Tingle, Dampe, Ganondorf, Zelda, Link… All of these names are ones that we’ve heard time and time again for years. Different characters who have solidified their legacy in the Zelda franchise for generations to come. While it is kind of odd that characters make returns in a franchise with entries that span thousands of years, it is fun to see a familiar face from the distant past make a return. I was absolutely ecstatic to find that Beedle was the…

It’s no secret that the Legend of Zelda franchise has fantastic music. From the moment you start any of the entries in the series, you can hear exactly what the hype is about. This is even true for the very first entry in the series. The iconic and heroic main theme plays over the title sequence in a slow and stately march, giving the player every sense of the adventure they’re about to embark on. When it comes to covers of this…

When it comes to Zelda fan projects, one of the most popular types of content comes in the form of arrangements of songs from the franchise. With a series as musically rich as Zelda, there are plenty of pieces to choose from, and plenty of ways to re-arrange them. Thanks to groups like ZREO: Second Quest, we know that the classic music of Zelda can be greater than just the midi arrangements we’re used to. On January 23rd, 2024, ZREO: Second…

When Ocarina of Time released in 1998, players were greeted by a revolutionary new way to play Zelda. The jump from two dimensions to three required some getting used to. Combat went from “Press B to Win” to a more strategic swordplay system featuring the iconic Z-target, and the more open-world concept required players to receive hints to know where exactly they were going. To combine these two aspects of gameplay, and to create a character that could help build up the…

Welcome back to the latest edition of “Storytelling Through Sound,” a series of editorials dedicated to the analysis of the major musical themes from every Zelda game. After a short, monthlong hiatus, we’re back to tackle my personal favorite musical moments in Zelda history: the Demon Dragon theme, as well as the so-called “Final Fall” theme from Tears of the Kingdom. (The Tears of the Kingdom soundtrack has not received an official release, so an official track list is not yet available.) Tears of…