Legendary Pictures: A Look At Zelda’s Arthurian Roots in Excalibur
Posted on February 21 2020 by Charles Xavier
It’s beyond doubt that the myths of King Arthur and the mystical sword Excalibur influenced many aspects of the Zelda series, particularly in Ocarina of Time. As a result, Excalibur, based on Le Morte d’Arthur by Thomas Malory, is possibly the most Zelda-like movie that can be found. The film’s setting, characters, and depiction of the Hero’s Journey have a clear connection to the core elements of the Zelda series, and it thus succeeds in bringing the the core elements of the Zelda series to the big screen in a satisfying way.
Comparing Excalibur to the Zelda series
There are numerous similarities to Zelda in this film. Hyrule is usually in a Medieval-like era in most games, and this is the time frame in which Excalibur is set as well. Thus, Hyrule itself could be likened to Camelot. As we see in the movie, Britain is fragmented with no common government until Arthur sets out to unify the land. As Merlin says, “One land, one King,” and this proclamation is fulfilled when Arthur builds the kingdom. In Ocarina of Time, we hear a similar tale of a “Unification War” leading to peace between the races of Hyrule, and recognition of the Hyrule Royal Family as the land’s head monarchy.
The Lady of the Lake is integral to Excalibur as she provides aid to Merlin and Arthur. She gives Merlin the sword Excalibur so he can choose a King. About midway through the movie, Arthur calls upon the sword’s magic to win a fight he should have lost, resulting in the blade breaking by his vanity. Recognizing his fault, he throws the sword into a pond; shortly thereafter the Lady of the Lake appears to repair it. Both the lady and her actions remind us of The Great Fairies in Ocarina of Time, with her majestic way of rising from the water to offer a helping hand – literally!
The Master Sword is oftentimes referred to as a legendary blade, and Excalibur is likewise called a legendary blade and mystical sword in the movie. Additionally, the Zelda series’ iconic weapon is usually driven into its pedestal and can only be pulled out by someone in the future who is worthy. So, its comparison to Excalibur is remarkable. In Excalibur, before dying, Arthur’s father drives the enchanted sword into a stone, and Merlin proclaims that whoever draws the sword will be King. Naturally, only Arthur manages to draw it from the stone by his birthright, giving him an even stronger resemblance to Link.
Arthur and Link also share a common misfortune: they never met their parents. Arthur’s father, Uther Pendragon, bargained with Merlin so he could fulfill his lustful desire of the Duke of Cornwall’s wife Igrayne. What Merlin wanted was the child they bore together so the future King would not grow up pampered. In Ocarina of Time, Link’s mother takes him into the Kokiri Forest to escape the war being waged in Hyrule, and she dies of her wounds after entrusting him to The Great Deku Tree. Though Link’s separation from his parents happens under different circumstances than that of Arthur, their shared status as orphaned heroes demonstrates the similarities in their characters and in their respective journeys.
Once Camelot is built, Arthur sets up the Round Table. The Knights of the highest stature get a seat at the table, where matters that affect the kingdom are discussed in a private forum setting. This is a lot like the Chamber of Sages in Ocarina of Time, which offers Link and the Sages a private area to speak, as it is one of the only places untouched by Ganondorf’s influence.
Finally, the Holy Grail, a relic sought after in Excalibur, reminds us of the Triforce. The Holy Grail is an elusive relic that the Knight Perceval obtains by reaching some sort of higher dimension. When he brings it back to Arthur, it restores the King’s spirit, and Camelot flourishes back to life. The Triforce is the most coveted relic in the Zelda series, often hidden in The Sacred Realm, a higher dimension connected to Hyrule that is difficult to reach. In Ocarina of Time, the legend of the Triforce which The Great Deku Tree recites mentions that the relic is the basis of the land’s prosperity, much like finding The Holy Grail leads to a revival in Camelot.
Excalibur and Zelda Both Incorporate “The Hero’s Journey”
Now, aside from these similarities, the core presentation of both the film and some Zelda games are nearly identical by virtue of loosely following the template of the Monomyth.
The Monomyth, or Hero’s Journey, is a cycle commonly used in mythic narratives. In summary, the cycle is comprised of three major parts: Departure, Initiation, and Return. A hero lives an ordinary life until they are called upon to depart on an adventure. Once they answer the call, they must venture out into the unknown and complete a series of trials. They then face their greatest ordeal, and after emerging victorious, they gain some type of reward; either a physical reward, or some personal knowledge or growth for the Hero.
In Excalibur, Arthur lives as a squire in a village of commoners. He accidentally pulls Excalibur from its stone, and Merlin sets him on a path to become King to unify the land. Arthur ventures out beyond the village he grew up in and faces many trials, such as battles alongside his knights in the quest to build Camelot. When the kingdom is established, Arthur becomes exalted in an almost divine manner, i.e. Apotheosis. Then, Arthur faces his Ordeal: his wife and his greatest Knight, Lancelot, commit adultery together. Additionally, his half-sister Morgana uses her magic to take the form of Arthur’s wife to become pregnant with a child to succeed the King. She bears a son named Mordred, and due to his incestuous origin, Camelot falls under a curse.
Arthur’s spirit is broken due to all the tragedy; only the Holy Grail can mend him. Perceval takes on the burden of the Ordeal, and obtains the Holy Grail, restoring Arthur’s health so he can rally his Knights one last time to kill Mordred. Before the battle, he finds his wife Guinvere leading a life of a Nun. They end up reconciling, and she gives Arthur Excalibur. Moreover, during the battle with Mordred, Lancelot joins in to turn the tide in favor of Arthur’s army, but collapses due to old wounds. The King resolves his bitterness towards Lancelot, and the great Knight dies with honor. Arthur kills Mordred, but is fatally wounded after the victory. In the end, Arthur is changed by being able to forgive, and owning up to his own shortcomings, his reward is gaining access to Avalon.
As for Zelda, many of the games follow the Monomyth also, but in this case Ocarina of Time is the best example. Link grows up in the Kokiri forest and is called upon by The Great Deku Tree to go on a quest to save Hyrule from the evil Ganondorf’s plotting. He leaves the boundaries of the forest for the first time in his life, and faces many trials such as dungeons and boss battles. This leads to the Hero of Time’s Ordeal, which is facing Ganondorf. With the help of Princess Zelda and the Sages, Link weakens Ganondorf so the Evil King can be sealed into the gap between dimensions.
With Hyrule saved, Princess Zelda uses the Ocarina of Time to send Link back in time to live out his childhood. According to Hyrule Historia, he uses his knowledge of the future to prevent Ganondorf’s rise to power – the Hero still has the Triforce of Courage as well to collaborate his story to the King of Hyrule. His tale of time travel becomes legendary, especially between Ocarina of Time and The Wind Waker, where we see statues and paintings dedicated to The Hero of Time. According to legend, the people prayed for his return when Ganondorf broke his seal, so he did gain Apotheosis after his adventures.
Conclusion
To conclude, Excalibur is a good movie in its own right. I’ve seen quite a few movies based on Arthurian Legend, and out of them all, this version is the one I enjoyed the most. The use of Carl Orff’s “O Fortuna” is so epic! There are some memorable scenes too, like Merlin using The Charm of Making to transform Uther into a doppelganger of the Duke of Cornwall, Arthur’s fight with Lancelot that breaks Excalibur, and Arthur’s encounter with Modred. This movie also features Patrick Stewart and Liam Neeson in some of their first minor roles in film, which I thought was pretty cool!
Charles is a Senior Editor at Zelda Dungeon. He is a Visual Development artist focused on enviroments and pitch paintings. Check out his Instagram and Twitter to see his latest artworks, a lot of which is Zelda fan art! His favorite candy is Skittles – he feels the world should know this.
