Bring on a Zelda Trilogy!

One may wonder: why are trilogies so popular? What is it about the number three that filmmakers and game creators like so much? Well, simply put, any and every story worth telling focuses on a character. And the most interesting aspects of that character’s life can be summarized in three categories: their rise, how their life changes as a result, and their redemption/ending. Even individual works utilize a three-part structure, whether it has sequels or not. Act 1: We are introduced to the world of the story, and the protagonist, who is usually insignificant, until something big happens that requires them to go on a journey, whether it be literal or metaphorical. Act 2: The meat of the story. The consequences of the catalyst in Act 1 come to light, and the protagonist begins changing and adapting. Act 3: It’s time for our hero to put the lessons he’s learned into practice, confronting one last, big obstacle, and overcoming it to achieve personal growth, which ultimately makes having followed this person a worthwhile effort. Whether the stakes are as big as the fate of the world or as little as one character’s salvation, every story worth telling revolves around one or more characters to whom we can relate. If we cannot relate to the protagonist, we have no story, regardless of the size of the world, the problem, or the resolve. Zelda is perfect for this: Link is just like us in the beginning of any Zelda game (save sequels); a seemingly average, insignificant person among others. Instantly, we connect with him. And I feel that adding one more title to two particular games would create one of the greatest game trilogies of all time. Hit the jump to read more!

Ocarina of Time is arguably the best Zelda game in existence. So is Majora’s Mask. Two games that are not only exceptional even by Zelda standards, but also directly tied to each other. One is a direct sequel to the other. And the three-part formula fits well here: Ocarina of Time sets up a young boy’s rise, and Majora’s Mask delves further into his character and the world around him by forcing him to utilize his garnered skills and making the journey darker and more personal. A perfect beginning, and a perfect middle. Now let’s see a perfect ending for this particular Link: The Hero of Time.

Naturally, this game would need to fall between Majora’s Mask and Twilight Princess in the Child Timeline. I’ve heard fans claim that Twilight Princess is a sequel to Majora’s Mask. I could get into why I don’t agree with this claim, but I’d rather focus on the positive. Twilight Princess is a stellar game, and though I wouldn’t consider it a sequel to Majora’s Mask, I would still argue that it’s important to a final “Hero of Time” game. The Hero’s Shade in Twilight Princess has been confirmed to be the the spirit of the Hero of Time, and suggests that he laments not passing down what he had learned through his experiences. Already, we have a sense of what Link’s characterization would look like in this third chapter, preceding Twilight Princess. I can already see the potential of such a game, and how closely it resembles two of the greatest final chapters in trilogy history: Return of the Jedi and The Dark Knight Rises.

Like Luke Skywalker, Link could be (and commonly is) the only one who can perform specific abilities, and as such is the only one who can defeat the villain(s). After fulfilling his destiny, he remembers that he was told to pass on what he has learned. However, like Batman, Link could be, at this point in his life, going through the motions and just be awaiting death. He has accepted the loss of Navi/Tatl (Rachel). But the world needs his help, and he must become what he once was. I can see Link as a recluse, living in solidarity, only surfacing when needed, but ultimately just being an empty shell of a person; a being who has learned to stop getting his hopes up because he has been disappointed so often that he has just accepted that he will never be happy. Maybe we’re getting into dark territory here, but this is simply subjective wishful thinking. However, I would love to see Link get a happy ending too. He deserves it, after all. Maybe he could finally, just once in Zelda history, actually become romantically involved with Zelda. Though this idea has been implied time and time again in past games, let’s actually see it happen. I understand that Zelda is a PG, family-friendly series, but would seeing him finally get something as simple as a kiss be too much? I don’t think so.

Here’s how I imagine the story going: Link (the same age as his adult stage in Ocarina of Time) is living reclusively, maybe somewhere completely new, focusing on honing his skills. He helps people here and there, being as stealthy and unseeable as possible (much like Leonardo in TMNT). Perhaps his abilities could even reflect that stealth. I’m not saying Link should be a ninja necessarily, but let’s look back at Majora’s Mask for a second. Remember how Link could now flip and perform mid-air cartwheels when jumping from platform to platform? I’ve always loved that subtle gesture, suggesting that he developed his skills since Ocarina of Time. And this game should do that same thing. Give Link some abilities we’ve never seen from him before.

Early on in the story, something big should happen that requires Link to go back to Hyrule: the land he has avoided returning to because of painful memories and the desire to not be recognized. A new threat should emerge. The story of Twilight Princess may make it difficult to have Ganondorf be this threat (placing a new story between two preexisting ones would be very tricky). I’m not incredibly fond of the idea of someone new stealing Ganon’s thunder as the best antagonist of the Zelda series, but a one-time appearance by a new ambitious character would probably change nothing in Zelda lore as a whole. If Ganon could return in a way that made sense and didn’t conflict with the story of Twilight Princess, I wouldn’t mind this scenario at all.

Link hesitantly returns to Hyrule and shares an unfortunately unpleasant reunion (due to the circumstances) with Zelda. There is a strong undertone that she missed him and wished he would’ve returned without the obligation of fighting evil. Soon after, Link discovers that he cannot wield the Master Sword anymore, because his abandonment of the kingdom has branded him unworthy. He must prove his heroism (insert first wave of dungeons) to win back his title and the legendary blade. Now that he has accepted his fate, he must travel through time to complete the tasks ahead. Time travel should indeed be a necessary mechanic for this game, for two reasons: 1) This particular Link is known as “The Hero of Time,” and 2) It is a gameplay mechanic that this hopeful game’s predecessors utilized too. Link should travel to both ends of spectrum: the primitive past, perhaps meeting the Goddesses themselves, learning the details of the creation of the Hyrule and the bond he shares with Zelda and Ganon, and the distant future, where he sees the consequences of what Hyrule will become if he fails, or perhaps the inevitable destruction of the kingdom, regardless of his actions. This would support the notion I’ve mentioned in past articles that despite the results, Link will always do good because it’s the right thing to do. Each dungeon in the second part of the game should only be accessible during different time periods.

After learning much about the history and inevitable fate of future Hyrule, Link wages war against the villain. With the help of Hyrule’s soldiers and other characters you’ve met along the way, you face the villain and his army of monsters. Partnering up with Hyrule’s soldiers and citizens would be imperative to this kind of game, where Link learns that although he is the chosen one, Hyrule has no shortage of heroes. Regardless of Hyrule’s ultimate fate, which Link may know is inevitably destruction, it is important to show the bad guys that Hyrule will not go down without a fight. After a fierce and crowded battle, Link goes one-on-one against the main antagonist, perhaps with the rest of Hyrule cheering him on.

After defeating the final boss and saving Hyrule, Link should be rewarded. The Triforce or Goddesses themselves tell Link that this was indeed his final battle, and he can make one of two choices: Leave and never return to the land to which he has unwillingly been tied his whole life, or stay to be with Zelda. If he chooses the latter, his and everyone else’s minds will be erased of the events of this game, as he knows too much about the future of Hyrule. By this time, Link has learned to value his life and no longer wants to be a loner. He ultimately decides that his tie to Hyrule is not a burden, and that meeting Zelda and Hyrule’s heroic citizens was a gift. Furthermore, Link is confident that whatever threats face Hyrule again, a hero will always rise to compound the evil and give people hope. The Goddesses turn back the clock and Link finds himself at the point before he decided to return to Hyrule. Although not remembering the events that have transpired, he is given a push by the Goddesses to go back. He meets Princess Zelda again, who has missed him dearly and hoped he would return for personal reasons rather than destiny. This ending would not only mirror the ending of Ocarina of Time, but also their earlier reunion in which she wished he would’ve returned because he wanted to be with her. This time, he does. Not remembering that Hyrule was destined to fall into chaos again after his lifetime, Link never passes on what he learned and regrets it, leading to his presence in Twilight Princess.

While I don’t feel the need to say it again, allow me to clarify that this was all subjective wishful thinking. I’m certain Nintendo has no such game planned, but this is a story I’ve been hoping for for a long time, and I wanted to share my thoughts with my fellow Zelda fans. With the several time periods of Hyrule that need to be explored, and advanced abilities of our hero, the Wii U seems like a capable system to bring this story to life. It’s never going to happen, but a Zelda fan can dream!

What are your thoughts about this story? Do you agree or disagree that this would make a compelling final chapter to Ocarina of Time and Majora’s Mask? What details would you tweak to this story to make it better? Are there any other Zelda games you want to see given a sequel (or two) to make a trilogy? Comment below, and let’s talk out it!