Storytelling Through Sound: The Nature of Breath of the Wild’s Main Theme

Welcome back to another edition of “Storytelling Through Sound,” a series of editorials dedicated to the analysis of the major musical themes from every Zelda game. In this month’s edition, we’ll be discussing the nature-esque sound of Breath of the Wild‘s main theme.

For me, Breath of the Wild is a timeless game. There’s a certain kind of nostalgia experienced whenever I boot up that game and see the art that accompanies the title screen. I feel the exact same way about the music. There is a certain emotion conjured by the sounds of this game that you can’t really get anywhere else — that feeling of isolated heroism, the fact that you are alone in a world that doesn’t remember you, but you have to save it. The soundtrack builds on this isolation, and the main theme does a great job of setting the stage for that feeling.

Structure

To begin, let’s take a dive into the structure and elements of this piece. It begins with an open piano line that crescendos to play an introduction. After this introduction, we get a lovely quote of the main melody in the flute. As the buildup continues, we get the same statement made first by the clarinet, then by the string section, and then by the high and low brass.

After the sounding of a bell, we get a restatement of the original piano introduction, but with an accordion instead of a piano. For all you musically inclined readers out there, this melody is restated in a different key, which shows a lot of contrast. We also have the sound of a percussionist hitting what sounds like the side of a drum, which isn’t a typical sound for percussion. After this section, we get a beautiful swell with one of the most interesting melodic lines I’ve ever heard, followed by two very loud buildup chords.

Interestingly, right before the main “Breath of the Wild” melody appears, there is a pause in sound. As far as I can tell, this appears in every recording of the piece. Some have speculated that this pause symbolizes Link’s first breath after waking up, and I agree. This moment feels like the kind of gasp that would occur after being awoken with a start.

After this pause, we get one of the most epic symphonic beat drops in video game history, with one of the most beautiful sweeping melodies ever written. This melody is played by the pan flute and an erhu, which is mentioned in the very first edition of “Storytelling Through Sound,” which you can read here. This beautiful sweeping melody is played in two sections, with the rest of the orchestra going absolutely nuts underneath it. At the end of the second section, there is a buildup (with a main Zelda theme quote) seemingly to a final chord, but the ending is played anticlimactically by the lonely piano.

Instrumentation

Next, we’ll talk about the instrumentation and how the different instruments symbolize different storytelling elements. In the beginning, we hear a lone piano playing, which is similar to the gameplay experience as a whole. As mentioned in my Tears of the Kingdom article (shameless plug!), I mentioned that the piano symbolizes the vast kingdom of Hyrule, full of adventure and mystery. The use of it throughout the main theme as well as throughout the game really supports the open air of this adventure.

In the second section, we hear the introductory melody played by pan flute and piano. The airy quality of the pan flute playing this melody, as well as the solemn tones of the piano underneath, gives us this feeling of isolation. The two instruments are alone, with the flute being the main focus, just like Link in the majority of his journey. As mentioned before, the introductory melody is followed by a buildup with several instrumental sections. To me, this symbolizes the fact that, when it comes down to it, Link isn’t alone in his journey. The Champions are with him in spirit, and their descendants are there to help as well.

When the second section begins, we have the melody being played by an accordion. The obvious reference in this section is to Kass, the bard who tells the stories of the past through his many songs and serenades. Kass’ part in the storytelling of this game speaks volumes. He is a student of the bard that accompanied Princess Zelda before the Calamity. The stories he tells are integral to putting the pieces of Link’s past together.

Underneath the accordion, we hear the odd percussive sound. This to me points to the natural resources that a player has to use when moving throughout their adventure. In tandem with the pan flute, which is often made of wood, these sounds are a reminder that the player spends most of their time in nature.

Lastly, we have the first use of an erhu in the final section. This lovely instrument was also used extensively in Tears of the Kingdom‘s soundtrack, and it was used in that game to symbolize dragons. To me, its use in Breath of the Wild is to create a connection to the ancient world. The erhu is an incredibly old instrument, and its sound here takes the listener back to before the Calamity and brings with it a sense of longing for the peace of the past.

Conclusion

This theme contains within itself so many emotions. There is so much more than meets the eye here, and it’s beautiful. Video game music is meant to add to the experience of playing the game, and it often doesn’t stand very well on its own. In the case of this game, as well as the majority of Zelda‘s music, the soundtrack is beautiful enough to be listened to out of context, and I think it deserves to be. Just as we can see the beauty of nature in Breath of the Wild, we can also hear it in the soundtrack.

What do you think? Does the main theme for Breath of the Wild really tell you a story? Let us know in the comments below!

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