Daily Debate: What Is Your Favorite Dragon In The Legend of Zelda Series?
Posted on September 09 2018 by Sean Gadus
Which dragon is closest to your heart?
Dragons are an immense part of world mythology, and there are iconic dragons from a variety of cultures across the world. The traditional western dragon often exists as a tremendous emotional and physical ordeal for a hero to overcome, often symbolizing the evils of humanity. In Japan and China, dragons have a more complex and often less evil identity. In these cultures, dragons often represent qualities like supernatural power, wisdom, and hidden knowledge.
The wonderful blending of mythologies and cultures in the Legend of Zelda series allows the player to see examples of different types of dragons from both western and eastern cultures. In The Wind Waker, the dragon guardian Valoo protects Dragon Roost Island, even coming to Link’s rescue in a critical story moment. In Skyward Sword, the three elemental dragons act as powerful guardians for their respective homelands. Most recently, in Breath of the Wild, one of the most stunning moments occurs when the player first encounters one of the three primordial dragons. Their size and grandeur remind the player how small they are in the grand scope of the universe.
On the other side of things, dragons also have appeared as notable enemies and bosses throughout the years. In the early 2D games, Aquamentus, Gleeok, and Barba are ferocious road blocks to the character’s progress. In Ocarina of Time, the evil Volvagia, the boss of Fire Temple, is a creature that combines the design of an eastern dragon and the temperament of the western dragon. Late in Twilight Princess, Nintendo introduces Argorok, which seems to be the quintessential Zelda representation of the western dragon. Argorok is a ferocious fire breathing monster that Link must battle in a stunning aerial battle, using the double Clawshots to take down the beast.
As a child growing up reading about western dragons like Smaug and Fafnir, Argorok is my favorite (so far) in the Zelda series. Link’s epic battle with Argorok is a moment that has stayed in my head long after I finished Twlight Princess.
What is your favorite dragon featured in the Legend of Zelda series. Let us know in the comments below!
Sean Gadus is a Senior Editor at Zelda Dungeon. His first Zelda game was Ocarina of Time, and he loves all of the 3D Zelda games from 1998-2011. The final battle of Tears of the Kingdom is one of his favorite final battles in the entire series. He wants to help build a kinder, more compassionate world. You can check out his other written work at The-Artifice.com.
