Listen To This Epic Celtic Arrangement of Breath of the Wild’s “Hyrule Castle”
Posted on May 30 2020 by Sean Gadus
Breath of the Wild‘s Hyrule Castle is my favorite location in the entire game. The castle, which culminates with the final boss battles, is a master class in open-world design. The brilliant design of the area allows the player to tackle the castle in whatever way they want to. Some players will bulldoze their way through an army of guardians, while other players will use the secret passages in and out of the castle to avoid major obstacles. Additionally, since you can go to the castle whenever you want, the area can be as hard as you want it to be. This level of player choice is perfect for an open-world experience.
This “Hyrule Castle” Celtic cover by Tim de Man is an exciting arrangement of the area’s epic theme song. Without the original version’s organ, this cover doesn’t quite have the gravitas that the original does. Instead, the Celtic arrangement has more hints of sorrow and tragedy than the ominous original. In fact, Tim de Man describes the atmosphere as “tragic and spooky”. Overall, the dramatic opening guitar and choral elements help establish the tragic, haunting environment.
One of the most impressive elements of this arrangement is its musical diversity and ambition. The arrangement includes “live accordion, whistle, bass, vocals, drums, three layers of guitar in two different tunings”. In addition to those instruments, the song includes a “software choir, zither, cello and uillean pipes”. The instruments are lavishly layered on top of each to create a rich soundscape. Additionally, the use of whistle and accordion remind me of Kass’s theme, another song from Breath of the Wild. This arrangement feels like the version of “Hyrule Castle” that the wandering Rito minstrel might come up with.
What do you think of epic Celtic arrangement of “Hyrule Castle” from Breath of the Wild? 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.
