Daily Debate: What is Your Favorite Master Sword Pull Moment from the Zelda Series?

One of the most thrilling parts of my favorite Zelda games is the iconic moment where Link retrieves what is known as the “Blade of Evil’s Bane,” or sometimes the “Sword that Seals the Darkness,” or its most common name, the Master Sword.

Link has a whole bunch of different weapons in his arsenal in every entry in the series. Sometimes those weapons are even other magical swords, but there is something about a Zelda game that includes the Master Sword that just makes it feel more complete and more connected to the rest of the series. Not only is this sword beyond amazing because of all of its magical capabilities, but the way it links (see what I did there?) our different incarnations of the hero to one another just makes it even more special.

With that being said, it can be difficult to pinpoint which Master Sword pull in the series takes the cake for the most epic, the most heartfelt, and ultimately the most known. The first one that comes to mind for me is the Hero of Time’s pull of the purple-handled sword that seals him in the sacred realm for seven years. This moment in Ocarina of Time changes the mood and raises the stakes for the rest of the game.

Then there is the Hero of Winds’ heroic sword pull moment in the depths of an abandoned Hyrule Castle on the chilling floor of the Great Sea. When he pulls out the sword from its pedestal, he unseals Ganondorf’s magic, putting himself and Princess Zelda in even deeper peril for the remainder of The Wind Waker. (Side note: I seriously adore the way he immediately tests out this new weapon and makes a “wow, this thing is freaking awesome” face right after he pulls it out! Iconic.)

Another moment is Twilight Princess’, which is preceded by a super frustrating puzzle. As soon as you solve it and walk through the ruins of what was once the sword chamber in the Temple of Time, you immediately feel the weight of how important this weapon is going to be for the rest of your adventure. And when the fog disperses and an orchestral version of the Master Sword theme hits, you can’t help but get goosebumps! Then there is Skyward Sword, which gives us the privilege of actually creating this weapon, but the ultimate scene is when Links is reunited with Zelda and she gives the finishing, glowing touch to our favorite sword, launching us into the finale of the adventure. The emotional weight of this whole adventure also heightens this specific Master Sword scene. There’s also great little scenes in A Link to the Past and A Link Between Worlds where Link gets the Master Sword too. We can’t forget about those. They are simple, but they still include the classic Master Sword jingle and epic feelings!

However, there is something about the Master Sword pulls in both Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom that just hit home to me. Perhaps its because they are the newest entries in the series. But I loved how these two stories reinforced the absolute importance of this sword that has been passed down from hero to hero. Seeing Link reunite with it and get flashes of his past in Breath of the Wild the moment he touches it really spoke to my soul the first time I saw that scene — and don’t get me started on the moment when we all realized that the Master Sword was atop the Light Dragon’s head in Tears of the Kingdom! The cutscene that followed that moment was incredibly powerful.

All in all, I don’t know if I can pick any of the Master Sword pull scenes as my all-time favorite. I love them all for different reasons, but more importantly, I just love how they all connect the Spirit of the Hero with each incarnation and also remind us of our friend Fi, who has been with him from the beginning. There is something so beautiful about that element of storytelling in this series.

What is your favorite Master Sword pull from the Zelda series? Let me know in the comments!

Chakell Herbert

Chakell (pronounced shuh-kell) is an associate editor for Zelda Dungeon! She has loved The Legend of Zelda series since she was a little girl because of its equal mix of princesses, besting bad guys, and heartfelt stories. Chakell lives in the overall tame state of Utah, but holds onto her childhood hopes to find an adventure in her backyard one day. She has a degree in English and is a full-time editor for a magazine. You can usually find her gaming (obviously), laughing with her husband, taking a long time to tell stories because she keeps getting distracted; getting sucked into books and podcasts; or snuggling her cute Cavalier King Charles Spaniel.