Daily Debate: Are Robots a Bad Addition to the Zelda Series?
Posted on August 21 2022 by Alexis S. Anderson
Before Breath of the Wild, robots in Zelda were far and few between. We basically just had the Ancient Robots from Skyward Sword— including Scrapper, Skipper, and pirate minibosses LD-002G Scervo and LD-003D Dreadfuse. Now we have a whole slew of additional robots with the Guardians– and seemingly more on the way given the most recent Breath of the Wild 2 trailer. But are they a bad addition to the series? Have robots in Zelda games ever been anything other than annoying?
I hated Scrapper, but he was meant to be hated. Beyond his personality, the portion of the game he is integral to is one of the slowest (second to that unnecessary Tadtone collecting quest). Other than Scrapper, I can’t say I disliked the robots in Skyward Sword. Granted, I didn’t care for the timeshift-stone boat trip with Skipper, but I honestly loved the battles with Scervo and Dreadfuse. That may be an unpopular opinion, so I am curious how others felt about those minibosses.
As for the Guardians, they are an interesting element of Breath of the Wild. I can’t imagine the game without them, but at the same time I only ever panicked or rolled my eyes when they were around. I almost never fought them, so it was basically see-one-and-run which doesn’t make for a satisfying encounter. I did love the Guardian Scouts, even when they were “A Major Test of Strength” because they were either beatable (thus not breaking up the pace of my play) or the whole object of completing a shrine (the exact thing I set out to do when I entered it).
I don’t think robots are inherently bad for the series, but the few instances in which they have been included are not necessarily homeruns for me. I wonder if part of that is they seem out of place in a fantasy setting? But the Guardians blow that theory out of the water really, because they seem a very natural fit in Breath of the Wild’s terrain. Perhaps I have a hard time tolerating them when they make my life difficult because I don’t find robot actions as compelling as more mystical substitutes, since I am used to robots being powerful in other media and the “techy” restriction on their depiction prevents as much originality? I can’t pinpoint the problem, because maybe there isn’t one. I think the series has gotten robots right in the past and can do so again, but they’re not all winners.
Moving forward, I would like some lovable robot pals. Given robots a better name in the context of Zelda, Nintendo! As for robot enemies, I will much prefer them when they’re more interesting combatants– akin to the Guardian Scouts. Just give me more ways to kill them than “shoot its eye and run like the wind if you miss.”
How do you feel about robots in the Zelda series? Do you think they are out of place, or would you like to see Nintendo incorporate them even more in future titles? Let us know in the comments below!
Alexis S. Anderson is a Senior Editor at Zelda Dungeon who joined the writing team in November, 2014. She has a JD from the UCLA School of Law and is pursuing a career in Entertainment and Intellectual Property Law. She grew up in the New Jersey suburbs with her parents, twin brother, and family shih-tzu.
