Storm_Echo
Gamer of Videos
- Joined
- Feb 21, 2020
- Location
- Ethereal Plane
I would like to explore the somewhat jarring presence of hyper-advanced technologies in a world of high-fantasy sworsdmen, farmers, and monsters.
First, the facts:
1. Highly advanced technologies exist in Zelda. Examples include forcefields, lasers, electricity, fully-autonomous robots, whatever ancient weapons are made of, "time travel" on demand using timeshift orbs / stones, the sheikah slate, etc.
2. These technologies are near-universally described as "ancient" or "lost", being extremely rare and/or irreplaceable. It's implied in Breath of the Wild, for instance, that the only reliable way to repair or build new sheikah technology (such as Purah's beloved guidance stone) is to salvage pre-existing technology and, essentially, use it for parts. The techniques for creating these items have apparently been lost to time. This is consistent with other high-tech examples in games such as Skyward Sword or Twilight Princess.
3. Despite the cycle of Malice and Calamity brought upon the land, there are periods of time (sometimes over 1000 years long) where civilization is able to build and develop. It is during this time that research on advanced technologies bears fruit. It's been specifically stated that advanced weaponry (e.g. Guardians) were developed in response to monsters and the cycle of Malice, so that can be assumed to be the impetus for the development of many of these technologies.
4. Magic exists in Zelda. This is perhaps obvious, but the influence of mystical forces such as the Triforce, the Goddesses, Fairies, the Master Sword / Fi, the Fused Shadow, even Malice / Ganondorf / Calamity Ganon, are everywhere. The strongest magical artifacts and items are often described, nay, proven to be the only effective way to purge evil from the land for long periods of time while the strongest enemies are nearly always magical in nature. Notably magic influences are rarely lost, with forgotten shrines and artifacts retaining their power even during times of malicious calamity.
Now, the conjecture:
1. Because advanced technologies exist and are created during periods of extended peace and prosperity, but they are always lost during present-day "game time", it can be assumed that the coming of great evil to the land obliterates the civilizations that created the tech.
2. Because great evil obliterates the ancient civilizations that create powerful tech, and calamitous evil appears cyclically (along with a 'Link' and a 'Zelda'), then technology reappears in cycles across timelines as long as there are long enough periods of peace and prosperity.
3. Magic is a reliable way of defeating great evils, and because it persists or is even strengthened during times of strife, we can say that magic is more powerful than technology even in the most advanced form we know of (the Sheikah tech in Breath of the Wild).
And the big unproven theory:
Because 1. Magic is more powerful, reliable, and present than technology and 2. technology is built up during times of peace earned using the power of the Triforce/Master Sword/Zelda's Magic but then 3. destroyed when the calamity arises again, I posit the following:
Calamity Ganon is a force of nature, used to maintain a "natural balance" between good and evil magic in the world when technology begins to disrupt the natural order (by using guardians as a monster elimination force or to defeat Calamity Ganon the first time around). Perhaps the gods/goddesses of the world actually have a hand in bringing him back from defeat as a sort of "purge button". This explains BOTH why ancient technology is able to be built up so impressively AND why despite that it is always defeated and Link must save the day with magic once again.
This theory has a few flaws and I haven't really closely examined my arguments, so let's see if we can discuss and refine it!
First, the facts:
1. Highly advanced technologies exist in Zelda. Examples include forcefields, lasers, electricity, fully-autonomous robots, whatever ancient weapons are made of, "time travel" on demand using timeshift orbs / stones, the sheikah slate, etc.
2. These technologies are near-universally described as "ancient" or "lost", being extremely rare and/or irreplaceable. It's implied in Breath of the Wild, for instance, that the only reliable way to repair or build new sheikah technology (such as Purah's beloved guidance stone) is to salvage pre-existing technology and, essentially, use it for parts. The techniques for creating these items have apparently been lost to time. This is consistent with other high-tech examples in games such as Skyward Sword or Twilight Princess.
3. Despite the cycle of Malice and Calamity brought upon the land, there are periods of time (sometimes over 1000 years long) where civilization is able to build and develop. It is during this time that research on advanced technologies bears fruit. It's been specifically stated that advanced weaponry (e.g. Guardians) were developed in response to monsters and the cycle of Malice, so that can be assumed to be the impetus for the development of many of these technologies.
4. Magic exists in Zelda. This is perhaps obvious, but the influence of mystical forces such as the Triforce, the Goddesses, Fairies, the Master Sword / Fi, the Fused Shadow, even Malice / Ganondorf / Calamity Ganon, are everywhere. The strongest magical artifacts and items are often described, nay, proven to be the only effective way to purge evil from the land for long periods of time while the strongest enemies are nearly always magical in nature. Notably magic influences are rarely lost, with forgotten shrines and artifacts retaining their power even during times of malicious calamity.
Now, the conjecture:
1. Because advanced technologies exist and are created during periods of extended peace and prosperity, but they are always lost during present-day "game time", it can be assumed that the coming of great evil to the land obliterates the civilizations that created the tech.
2. Because great evil obliterates the ancient civilizations that create powerful tech, and calamitous evil appears cyclically (along with a 'Link' and a 'Zelda'), then technology reappears in cycles across timelines as long as there are long enough periods of peace and prosperity.
3. Magic is a reliable way of defeating great evils, and because it persists or is even strengthened during times of strife, we can say that magic is more powerful than technology even in the most advanced form we know of (the Sheikah tech in Breath of the Wild).
And the big unproven theory:
Because 1. Magic is more powerful, reliable, and present than technology and 2. technology is built up during times of peace earned using the power of the Triforce/Master Sword/Zelda's Magic but then 3. destroyed when the calamity arises again, I posit the following:
Calamity Ganon is a force of nature, used to maintain a "natural balance" between good and evil magic in the world when technology begins to disrupt the natural order (by using guardians as a monster elimination force or to defeat Calamity Ganon the first time around). Perhaps the gods/goddesses of the world actually have a hand in bringing him back from defeat as a sort of "purge button". This explains BOTH why ancient technology is able to be built up so impressively AND why despite that it is always defeated and Link must save the day with magic once again.
This theory has a few flaws and I haven't really closely examined my arguments, so let's see if we can discuss and refine it!