Daily Debate: Do Dinosaurs Have a Place in The Legend of Zelda?
Posted on June 10 2022 by Heather Beard
One of my favorite movies of all time is Jurassic Park and that movie inspired my huge love of dinosaurs. Jurassic Park had a prolific impact on pop culture, much like how The Legend of Zelda has had a major impact on pop culture and the video game industry. So, do dinosaurs have a place in The Legend of Zelda?
A dinosaur has already been present in at least one Zelda game. King Dodongo in Ocarina of Time is known as “The Infernal Dinosaur.” King Dodongo takes on features like that of a dinosaur. The frill, the long tail, and the horn on top of its head are all very reminiscent of dinosaurs in the Ceratopsian family. Even the version of King Dodongo in Hyrule Warriors still looks like a dinosaur. There’s also a species of enemies called Dinolfos, and the little Dodongo, Dimitri from Oracle of Ages and Oracle of Seasons. So at one point there must have been some sort of pre-historic creatures that roamed Hyrule. At least I would like to think so.
If you want to look at a more recent Zelda title you might consider the Leviathan bones found in Breath of the Wild. Though an argument could be made that those bones are not a dinosaur, but bones of whatever the creature Levias is in Skyward Sword. Looking at the bones found in the volcanic region of Breath of the Wild the figure has a striking resemblance to Levias’ head. We also know that Skyward Sword is what put the Zelda canon into motion, so what other prehistoric mysterious does Hyrule hold? Maybe more dinosaurs, I could see it making sense.
I would love to see more dinosaurs or dinosaur-like creatures make their way into the Zelda canon, but what do you think? Do more dinosaurs have a place in The Legend of Zelda? Let us know in the comments below!
Hi I’m Heather! I’m Senior Editor and Art Director at Zelda Dungeon and I’ve been a member of the ZD team since 2019. I am a graphic designer, artist, and nerdy mom to an awesome little boy. When my nose isn’t in a book, working on my novel or watching anime you can find me curled up with my cats Mandy-Lynn and Daisy Mae.
