Ocarina Maker STL Ocarina Gives a Fresh Breath to the Four Champions’ Themes

When Breath of the Wild first launched, I was not expecting the series’ normally poignant soundtracks to take a back seat in favor of ambience and environmental storytelling. Defined themes had always marked memorable locations in my mind such as Outset Island or the Realm of Twilight. Instead, Nintendo’s largest Zelda to date decided that music would be used sparingly, and that it would highlight events of importance.

I wasn’t a huge fan of that decision at the time, and I have begrudgingly accepted it over the past four years. But there were a few songs in the Breath of the Wild soundtrack that could stand alongside the best tunes in the Zelda series. For me these tracks include “Hyrule Castle Exterior,” “Birdman Research Study,” “Attack on Vah Ruta,” and the theme songs for the Four Champions Revali, Mipha, Daruk, and Urbosa. Each Champion gets a song that is both elegant and fitting with their personality. Unfortunately, the Champions’ personal soundtracks only feature during optional cutscenes in Breath of the Wild, making it possible to miss them all together on a given playthrough.

Today, STL’s house musician Juliet Cruz gives us an ocarina rendition of the Four Champions’ themes. This tribute to the heroes of Breath of the Wild‘s backstory came about as a promotion for STL Ocarina’s new line of Zelda-themed ocarinas. The graceful and flowing music is worth the watch. As someone who works in video production, I think the cinematography was well done. Juliet’s costume is spot-on for Princess Zelda, including a Shiekah Slate. Each theme features her playing in a different environment related to the song’s respective Champion. Revali gets a lush forest, while Daruk’s theme is played against a lava flow. As the most sorrowful of the four songs, Mipha gets a serine riverside bridge. Finally, Urbosa’s track is played at an oasis that looks like it was taken directly out of the game. Clever use of layering and composing makes it hard to tell that green screens were used in these scenes. It’s not easy getting all these details just right.

Did you like the video? Do you think an ocarina fits with these songs? Do you have a favorite theme for the Champions, or perhaps another character from Breath of the Wild? Let us know in the comments.

Source: STL Ocarina