Welcome back to a very special edition of “Storytelling Through Sound,” a series of editorials dedicated to the analysis of the major musical themes from the Zelda franchise. In this month’s edition, we’re not talking about just one piece of music. We’re not even keeping ourselves limited to just one game! For this month’s installment, we’ll be taking a look at three different pieces of music that have stayed tried and true throughout the franchise: “Princess Zelda’s Rescue” from A Link to the Past, “Priest of the Dark Order” from the same game, and “Overworld” from The Legend of Zelda.

If you know these themes by their names alone, you might understand why they’re so special. These themes have created for themselves a legacy of reuse in almost every Zelda game, and there’s a reason for that. Today, we’ll dive into that reason, as well as some examples of what makes them so special. But to start, we’re going to need to learn some new vocabulary.

 

What in Hylia’s Name Is a Leitmotif?

Okay, okay. I know what you’re thinking: “This is an article about Zelda. What on earth is this Star Wars video doing here?” Just bear with me; there’s an explanation for all of this.

In music, especially in music for video games and films, composers like to use a kind of technique called a “leitmotif.” This term, first used as a way to describe a collection of melodies written by composer Richard Wagner (1813-1883) in the Romantic Era of music (1830-1900), is applied to melodies that are connected to a certain idea or character. One of the most recognizable leitmotifs in modern pop culture is, of course, John Williams’ “Imperial March,” first introduced in 1980’s The Empire Strikes Back. When this theme is played at any point throughout the Star Wars franchise, the audience is usually driven to think of trademark villain Darth Vader. This theme is used throughout Star Wars to allude to the force-wielding bad guy; it’s even used to reference Vader in The Force Awakens, a film where the character is only mentioned, not ever shown.

Other popular examples of leitmotif include the bouncing iconic melody from Super Mario Bros., which conjures images of the mustachioed plumber himself, as well as the famous choral main theme from Halo, which conjures images of the gargantuan Halo Rings in the iconic first-person shooter franchise.

So what does this have to do with The Legend of Zelda? Well, buckle your seatbelts, friends, because I’m about to introduce you to the three most important leitmotifs in the entire Zelda franchise. These three themes have stayed pertinent and have had variations in almost every single Zelda game since the franchise’s 1986 debut. Let’s dive into the first one!

 

“Princess Zelda’s Rescue”

In just seeing the name of this particular theme, it may not be completely apparent which tune we’re talking about. But as soon as the introduction plays through, the first notes of the primary melody should create a huge sense of nostalgia for any veteran Zelda player. That’s right; this is the very first edition of “Zelda’s Lullaby,” which has been used in excess since A Link to the Past. This theme has been used in a heavy variety of ways, even being used in Ocarina of Time as a song that is required to progress through the game.

The beauty of this leitmotif comes from the melody. The simple, sing-able, three-note melody is adaptable, but effective. The emotion portrayed by this particular arrangement is one of nostalgia, with a soothing element to it. It is a lullaby after all. However, the use of the melody outside of A Link to the Past is what makes this theme iconic. After being re-used in Ocarina of Time, this melody forever became the theme song of Hyrule’s favorite princess, with a softer variation of the theme being used in nearly every game. However, the composers have  become more crafty with hiding the theme in later installments. With Skyward Sword, the Zelda franchise’s ultimate prequel, it makes sense that “Zelda’s Lullaby” wouldn’t feature heavily. Zelda is not quite the monarch we think of yet. However, the melody of “Zelda’s Lullaby” is still present, in an interesting way, from the beginning. The melody of Skyward Sword‘s main theme, “Ballad of the Goddess,” is just “Zelda’s Lullaby” in reverse! Sneaky Nintendo, hiding things in plain sight.

Speaking of hiding things in plain sight, if you’ve played through and completed Tears of the Kingdom, you’ve probably heard my favorite iteration of “Zelda’s Lullaby.” (If you haven’t played through Tears of the Kingdom, please scroll through to the next section, as there are MAJOR spoilers ahead for the end sequence of that game. You’ve been warned!)

Even if you play through the entirety of Tears of the Kingdom without revealing the identity of the Light Dragon, Nintendo decides to tell you with auditory cues. When you defeat Ganondorf and transition to the final fight of the game with the Demon Dragon, the Light Dragon starts the fight by picking you up to assist you. When the encounter starts, the music in the background is none other than “Zelda’s Lullaby,” played loud and proud by the French horns in the orchestra. It’s a beautiful reference, and if you’ve got a keen ear, you probably heard it. You can also check out my analysis of that entire ending sequence here, if you feel so inclined.

 

“Priest of the Dark Order”

This next theme has a name that’s incredibly deceiving. In A Link to the Past, this theme first appears when you meet Agahnim, the evil wizard and alter ego of the main evil, Ganon. This theme plays first as Link approaches Agahnim for their first fight. If you recognize it on first listen, that’s probably because you’ve heard it outside of this context. The menacing sound of this piece, as well as the context it serves in A Link to the Past, helped solidify it in future installments.

Creatively enough, the next time that this theme was used after A Link to the Past was in the very next Zelda title, Ocarina of Time. After finally destroying all six barriers in Ganon’s Castle, you step into the main tower and are greeted with an insanely menacing rendition of this theme being played on a pipe organ. In a creative and honestly super-cool twist, Ganondorf ends up playing his own theme music on his own organ! What a cool villain! This theme makes its return several times throughout the series to signify the big bad, even hiding in the Dark Beast Ganon theme from Breath of the Wild.

From A Link to the Past onward, this leitmotif symbolizes the great evil that has plagued Hyrule generation after generation. One of my favorite versions of this theme comes from Twilight Princess, which actually combines two iconic themes from the franchise. When you first enter Hyrule Castle before the final showdown, you are greeted with a stripped-down edition of the Hyrule Castle theme that first graced our ears in A Link to the Past. As you scale the towers of Hyrule Castle however, the theme slowly transitions into the Ganon’s Tower theme, showing us that this is no longer the castle of the majestic kingdom of Hyrule. This is the castle of the Demon King himself. The music also foreshadows the coming duel. It’s incredibly spooky, and it helps build tension before the final showdown phenomenally.

 

“Overworld”

If you’re a fan of the Legend of Zelda franchise in any way at all, it’s not a matter of if you’ve heard this tune; it’s a matter of how many times. This iconic song has become the main theme of the entire franchise, and it’s not hard to understand why. It’s an incredibly catchy tune with infinite variability. As far as the three songs mentioned in this article are concerned, it’s the only leitmotif to have appeared in some form in every game since the series’ inception. But, how is this one a leitmotif? It’s used as the overworld theme in so many games, and it’s always been synonymous with the whole experience of playing the game, not just any particular character… How is that a leitmotif?

Well, let me answer a question with a few questions. In every Zelda game, who gets the most screen time? When this theme plays, who is undoubtedly on screen? When you hear this theme, is there a certain green-capped hero who comes to mind? That’s right. This isn’t The Legend of Zelda‘s main theme. This is Link’s theme.

If one needs any proof for this assertion, I turn to the seventh Memory cutscene from Breath of the Wild, titled “Blades of the Yiga.” We open with a shot of the princess sprinting away from a couple of Yiga foot soldiers who seem to have forgotten who follows the princess around. Right when the princess trips and all hope seems lost… Who appears to fight them off but Link! And of course, as soon as we get the heroic shot of the chosen knight, the Zelda main theme is played softly on a piano.

In addition to this example, there’s more proof of this tune being Link’s theme in The Wind Waker. As soon as you start a new save file, you are greeted with the story of old Hyrule, outlining the legend of the Triforce, as well as the great evil that tried to take it. Right when all hope seems lost, a hero clad in green appears from the forest; and what melody does the small ensemble play upon his arrival? That’s right. The main Legend of Zelda theme. This theme has been a leitmotif since Day One, and Nintendo’s been hiding it completely in plain sight! What musical geniuses.

 

Conclusion — The Musical Triforce

As the pieces of the Triforce come together, so too do the pieces of this article. It’s no wonder these three musical themes have such pertinence in the franchise! The trifecta that has outlined the story of Hyrule for decades has such musical presence, and it’s hard to ignore. The composers for this franchise have made it impossible to dissociate these themes from these characters, and with these characters holding so much important weight to the story of each game, it’s important that we have these associations.

Of course, like the Triforce itself, the pieces of the puzzle work best when they are together. Nowhere in the franchise is this culmination and unity greater exemplified than in Breath of the Wild‘s Hyrule Castle theme. Aside from being one of the greatest musical themes in the series, this title managed to squeeze all three of the iconic themes discussed in this article into one track. And the composers stuck it in the one place where all three of these characters have met up since time immemorial: Hyrule Castle.

After the statement of the powerful original main melody, we get an amazing statement of Ganon’s theme played by the low strings if you’re outside, and a pipe organ if you’re inside, symbolizing the dormant Demon King, held back for the last 100 years by only Zelda’s immense power. Immediately after this, if you’re standing outside of the castle walls, you’ll hear an incredibly resilient version of Link’s theme played by a full orchestra, symbolizing Link’s climb to the Sanctum. However, if you’re inside at this time in the music, you’ll hear an intense version of “Zelda’s Lullaby” played by the pipe organ, symbolizing Zelda’s 100-year struggle from within the castle. It’s such a beautiful use of the three themes, and it remains one of my favorite tracks in the Zelda series to date.

To conclude, I hope that in reading this, you’ve either gained new knowledge about the way video game music is composed, or knowledge on the use of these tracks in the franchise. If you’ve learned nothing new, I hope that you’ve gained a higher appreciation for these themes, and I hope that you’ll smile a bit next time you hear them in a future installment in the Zelda series.

What’s your favorite use of any of these three themes? Let us know in the comments!