The Zelda Series Needs More Sharks

For over 30 years, Discovery Channel’s Shark Week has been a highlight of the summer months. Celebrating both the majesty and the terror of the ocean’s apex predators, this wildly popular programming block has offered viewers a unique window into the primal world of sharks.

Shark Week has been around almost as long as the Zelda series. So, in honor of this week’s sharp-toothed festivities, I set out to explore the many sharks that have existed in Hyrule and beyond. I intended to shine a spotlight on all the finned ruffians that may have tried to chomp on our hero Link, and I even considered ranking them based on their ferocity. But after only a few hours of research, I encountered a serious problem…

There are too few sharks in The Legend of Zelda!

Despite the fact that sharks are the proven kings of the underwater food chain, despite their notoriety among generations of mariners as villainous sea dogs that roam the oceans deep, despite their role as the go-to water hazard in all of mainstream video games, the Zelda franchise has largely neglected sharks for over three decades!

Such negligence should not go on unaddressed. So, like a dark-eyed great white that’s just caught a whiff of blood in the water, I am now singularly focused on proving that The Legend of Zelda desperately needs more shark representation if it’s to ever be taken seriously again.

So what are we waiting for? Let’s start swimming!

 

A Tragically Brief History of Sharks in Zelda

Is this really The Legend of Zelda‘s first shark?

In an act of sheer lunacy, The Legend of Zelda featured no sharks for the first twelve years of its existence. Despite a handful of suitable aquatic areas in the earliest Zelda games that could have benefitted from a mako or a hammerhead, it seems Ganon — perhaps out of simple bigotry — opted to fill his ranks with squids, eels, and jellyfish instead. The only rational explanation I can muster for this indignity is that the developers did not want their noble hero slaying such majestic beasts over the course of his adventure; but of course they’ve shown no cause for such benefit of doubt.

And then there’s Link’s Awakening to consider, a game that, imagined or not, takes place on a literal tropical island. Koholint is presented as an idealized version of island living, complete with clear waters, white sands, and lush palm trees. But absent from this oceanic utopia is a single member of the shark family; sharks aren’t even allowed to live in Animal Village alongside the walrus and the crocodile. The Wind Fish really is having a nightmare. I bet he’s scared a Wind Shark will gobble him up for being so thoughtless.

But yes, the Zelda series existed without the blessing of sharks until the Nintendo 64 era. And proving just how low such noble beasts have been on the Zelda team’s list of priorities, the first shark to appear in a Zelda game was nothing more than an easter egg in Ocarina of Time.

Hidden away at the bottom of the tank in the Lakeside Laboratory, this poor soul sits motionless in a cold, dark cell until seemingly the end of time. Internet theorists have spent endless man-hours attempting to investigate this creature’s origin as well as determine its biological classification, but there’s one thing we can all say for certain: this shark was plucked unceremoniously from its home and placed in an environment unaccommodating to its unique evolutionary needs. And this shark doesn’t even do anything gameplay-wise! At the very least, players could have received rupees for feeding it and making its existence that much less miserable.

The Zelda series finally introduced sharks into its rogues’ gallery with 2002’s The Wind Waker. A species of aquatic predators known as Gyorgs patrol the far reaches of the Great Sea in packs, attacking passing vessels with unbridled speed and ferocity. Known for their large fins and hard-as-stone snouts, Gyorgs are regarded as “ocean killing machines” and feared by all denizens of the Great Sea.

Link’s going to need a bigger boat.

To fend off a Gyorg attack, Link must make use of his bombs, bow, boomerang, or cannon, lest he find himself on that day’s menu. But, you know, maybe people wouldn’t need to resort to violence if they only wouldn’t impede on the Gyorg’s natural habitat.

Gyorgs returned in Phantom Hourglass with similar behavior, and an evolved descendent known as the Malgyorg appeared in Spirit Tracks. Like in the 2011 direct-to-video film Sand Sharks or the 90’s cult TV show Street Sharks, Malgyorgs can swim through the ground like it was water. Talk about apex predators; nearby settlements should be more concerned.

That unfortunately ends the short list of shark enemies in The Legend of Zelda. (While the boss Gyorg from Majora’s Mask does share a name with the enemies discussed above, that game goes out its way to call him a “Gargantuan Masked Fish“. All true sharks would be proud to identify as such, so we’re leaving him off this timeline.) Moving on, the next two sharks to appear in the series actually relate to questionable culinary habits.

The cult classic Freshly-Picked Tingle’s Rosy Rupeeland, much like Breath of the Wild, features a recipe system in which the player can craft foods and potions with various ingredients. If someone, say, wanted to cook a Tasty Stew or concoct some Steamy Oil, they need not look further than a Baby Shark (doo doo, doo doo doo doo). That’s right, Tingle is free to, assuming it’s not a shark sanctuary, invade the ecosystem of the Steamy Marsh and plunder it for infant sharks. And then he cooks them… What a monster.

And Link is no better. As part of the new Ocean Fishing Hole in Majora’s Mask 3D, our hero can also poach the ocean floor for shark-based bounty. If he specifically equips a Sinking Lure, Link can potentially reel in a Savage Shark, a so-called “Boss Fish”. The sassy fairy Tatl will even remark that the “marine meanie” “eats other fish”, as if participating in the natural order of the food chain was some kind of bad thing. In fact, hooking an innocent creature and forcibly removing him from his home just for sport makes Link look the real “marine meanie” around here. At least he doesn’t cook the Savage Sharks like Tingle would do.

We now move on to the final appearance of a shark in The Legend of Zelda, which is actually the series’ most positive portrayal of the species up to this point.

Prince Sidon needs no introduction. The selfless, dashing, and handsome Zora from Breath of the Wild joins Link in his journey to thwart Calamity Ganon’s plans. A valuable ally, this royal vanguard assists our hero in the assault on Vah Ruta and continues to be a voice of support long after the adventure is concluded. And he has a shark head! His hat is literally a shark’s fin! Is there a single character design in Breath of the Wild that match’s Sidon’s cool factor?

Sidon, who some lovingly refer to as “shark boyfriend”, remains a popular character in the Zelda fanbase. He was certainly a high point in Breath of the Wild, and we certainly hope to see his return in the game’s sequel.

But that is, unfortunately, the last major shark appearance in The Legend of Zelda. As you can now see, sharks are an underrepresented minority in the Zelda universe, having only appeared in a handful of games and often times in tertiary roles. We could be witnessing the trend shifting after the introduction of Sidon, but there still exists a lot of room for improvement.

 

Sharks Are Perfect for Aquatic Combat

Mike Tyson isn’t the only one who can fight a shark.

Of the several ways the Zelda developers could implement sharks in an effective and worthwhile manner, introducing more shark enemies is certainly the easiest. Sharks as the wardens and gatekeepers of the oceans deep are a common trope in video games, with many popular gaming heroes — from Mario to Chris Redfield to Lara Croft — having faced off with the heavy jaws of an enemy shark in their lifetimes.

Fans may not like them all that much, but water levels are quite common in the Zelda series. Why not just throw in some sharks now and again? For example, in future traditional, top-down Zelda games, sharks could inhabit pools and flooded areas within dungeons and caves. Link could perhaps see a shadow underneath the surface or a fin jutting up from depths, forcing him to sidestep the obstacle lest he be bitten by the beast below. And with the return of the Flippers, we could see Link braving shark-infested waters to explore further into a dungeon or to retrieve a wayward Piece of Heart.

Sharks could be even more threatening if utilized in a future 3D Zelda title. I can picture a scenario in which Link, making use of returning Iron Boots, battles it out with a Great White at the bottom of a sunken chamber. The sharp-toothed combatant would obviously be more mobile than our hero, given both the notorious hindrances of the Iron Boots and the clear evolutionary advantages of a shark, creating a tense game of cat-and-mouse as Link finds openings in the shark’s movements in order to land a strike.

And, because smiting a shark would obviously be a nigh-impossible feat, perhaps a future Zelda could implement sharks as invincible enemies that patrol certain areas of water. As Link explores a particular water-based dungeon, he could come to find that the primary chamber — like the large central room of Ocarina of Time‘s Water Temple — is home to a massive, invincible shark. In order to navigate the area, Link must find ways to evade the marine menace, such as luring it away with sounds or food, stunning it with Deku Nuts or arrows, or just making a mad dash to the next room. That’s a water dungeon gimmick we haven’t seen before!

A sharknado would be cool too.

And then there’s a shark’s boss potential to consider. Over the years, Link has fought against creatures like an angler fish, a jellyfish, and a giant eel upon reaching the end of a dungeon; but there still exists a massive void in the list of great Zelda bosses that would best be filled by a giant shark. I would love to experience a grand-scale, cinematic boss fight against a Megalodon, something as epic as Volvagia from Ocarina of Time or Argorok from Twilight Princess. I want something that would make Jason Statham jealous!

For all of the fantastical creatures and monsters in the Zelda series, it’s baffling that there have been so few shark enemies. But such an underuse of sharks just means that the Zelda team now has the chance to fill the next generation of games with a varied assortment of such cunning, strong, and resilient adversaries.

 

FFS, I Want to Ride a Shark

You know, other than this one.

Breath of the Wild introduced the ability to tame and ride wild animals throughout Hyrule. Though primarily used for horses, this mechanic also allowed us to take creatures like dears, elks, and even bears out for a test drive. Now, with that game’s sequel on the horizon, it shouldn’t be too far-fetched for me to express my desire for the developers to extend animal taming to underwater creatures.

Imagine sneaking up on an unsuspecting seal or manta ray — this process would necessitate a water-based stealth system as well — and mounting it like one would the animals in Breath of the Wild. After a brief struggle, one could sooth the wild beast into complacency and then ride it around on the surface of the water. I’m sure that would catch a few Zoras by surprise. Certain creatures could be better suited for swimming upstream or swimming up waterfalls; and others could, if Link makes use of a Zora Tunic or a water-breathing potion, help our hero navigate the depths and find sunken vessels, buried treasure, and the like.

And, of course, the end-all-be-all underwater mount would be a fearsome shark. Harnessing the power and viciousness of a full-grown Hyrulian shark, our hero could terrorize the many lakes and deep, blue seas of Breath of the Wild 2‘s map, gobbling up fish and chomping on Octoroks. And heck, why not let these sharks swim on land like the fearsome Malgyorg? We’d obliterate a Bokoblin camp in a matter of seconds with that much strength at our disposal. That would the only true way to vanquish evil and assert our dominance over the realm.

In short, I want to feel like gosh-darn Aquaman!

 

Thank You For Coming To My Ted Talk

The captains steering the Zelda ship have ignored the jaws of justice for too long. It’s time to change course.

With the upcoming release of Breath of the Wild‘s sequel and the continued promise of new ideas and experimentation for the Zelda series, the increased inclusion of sharks has never held so many different possibilities. Obviously, sharks could be used for enemy encounters, big and small, in future games; but with the gameplay reinventions of recent titles, the Zelda team could use the unique behavior and characteristics of sharks to craft some really interesting encounters.

And with the worlds of The Legend of Zelda becoming more dense and more diverse with each new game, it’s only a matter of time until the developers turn their attention to the real estate beneath the waves. Sharks would be the perfect ambassadors for that initiative, as they are uniquely equipped to sell the potential gameplay experiences one would find under the sea. They not only demonstrate the dangers of the deep, but they offer hope that one could someday overcome those dangers.

The Legend of Zelda needs more sharks.


Rod Lloyd is the managing editor at Zelda Dungeon, primarily overseeing the news and feature content of the site. The Zelda Dungeon Caption Contest and Zelda Dungeon themed weeks are both Rod’s babies. You can find Rod on Twitter right here.

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