- Joined
- May 17, 2018
So the other day I was listening to a Zelda lore podcast called The Book of Mudora in which they were discussing certain aspects of LA. In it they brought up a point that I thought was interesting: Are the Nightmares really the villains of the game? All the things they do, they do only to ensure their own survival. According to the manual (or in-game text, I can't remember), monsters weren't exist on the island until Link came, which implies that before, the Nightmares were content to just rule the island in secret and leave it's "people" in peace. With Link's arrival it is only then that they decide to fight back to ensure that this boy doesn't wipe them out. You could say their only real crime would be keeping the Wind Fish in a dream state against it's will, but when it was the Wind Fish's subconscious who created them unwillingly and once they became aware of what they were, then they did what any other thing in this world tries to do; survive. They don't want to die anymore than anyone else does.
So if not them who could be considered the villain? The Wind Fish? I mean he did force Link against his will to help him. He purposely caused a storm that wrecked his ship that for all intent and purpose could have killed him. Then literally keeps him a prisoner on the island and will only release him when he fulfills what the Wind Fish wants him to do. Giving Link no other choice but to undergo a quest whose outcome will essentially kill all of the island's inhabitants. And then at the end, he just leaves Link stranded in the middle of the ocean. That's kind of a dick move. He could've at least given his savior a ride back to land. On the other hand, despite it's faults, all the Wind Fish wants to so is to wake up and continue on with it's life. Is that so bad? Is it a crime to want to stop sleeping?
What about Link? Sure he goes along at first, but once he learns the truth of the island, does he even care? Does he just see his actions as a means to an end? Throughout the game you never really see Link convey remorse for what he has to do. I realize this could be chalked up to the limitations of the hardware the game was on, but they could have conveyed through text from NPCs about how he is acting strange or seems sadden about something. And as far as I can remember nothing like that occurs.
I realize I maybe reading to much into things here, but after listening to that podcast it made me look more closely into the game than I ever really bothered to do. It certainly has given me more respect for the game and the messages it may be trying to say might be more deep than I ever realized. What do you all think?
So if not them who could be considered the villain? The Wind Fish? I mean he did force Link against his will to help him. He purposely caused a storm that wrecked his ship that for all intent and purpose could have killed him. Then literally keeps him a prisoner on the island and will only release him when he fulfills what the Wind Fish wants him to do. Giving Link no other choice but to undergo a quest whose outcome will essentially kill all of the island's inhabitants. And then at the end, he just leaves Link stranded in the middle of the ocean. That's kind of a dick move. He could've at least given his savior a ride back to land. On the other hand, despite it's faults, all the Wind Fish wants to so is to wake up and continue on with it's life. Is that so bad? Is it a crime to want to stop sleeping?
What about Link? Sure he goes along at first, but once he learns the truth of the island, does he even care? Does he just see his actions as a means to an end? Throughout the game you never really see Link convey remorse for what he has to do. I realize this could be chalked up to the limitations of the hardware the game was on, but they could have conveyed through text from NPCs about how he is acting strange or seems sadden about something. And as far as I can remember nothing like that occurs.
I realize I maybe reading to much into things here, but after listening to that podcast it made me look more closely into the game than I ever really bothered to do. It certainly has given me more respect for the game and the messages it may be trying to say might be more deep than I ever realized. What do you all think?