The Thematic Beauty of the Dungeons in Skyward Sword

With every new Zelda game, Nintendo showcases the new technological capabilities of the software and hardware involved, whether it’s through gameplay, visuals, or just the immensity of the adventure. Skyward Sword was no exception, with the 2011 Wii title taking dungeon environments to the next level. Although developers have brought care into detailing the environment and feel of each dungeon ever since the first Zelda game in 1986, I feel that Skyward Sword does something truly special and unique.

 

Skyview Temple

Link enters this first dungeon much like the others, determined and dead-set on conquering the challenges before him. He looks at the chasm of dark greenery down the white steps and yet only sees a surmountable obstacle on his way to see Zelda. Although the dungeon denotes mystery at first with the ambient sound of unknown critters and little light for clarity, there’s a safety to it. Link likely expects this to be the only challenge he must face in order to reunite with Zelda. He walks in slowly and cautiously, not wanting to miss a nook or cranny, eager to find his childhood friend safe and, if not, save her and return her back to Skyloft. What he knows of the destiny between them is something he does not yet take seriously, constantly dowsing for Zelda in order to just get through this dungeon.

Inside the dungeon, the architecture is regal yet ruined. Much like ruins in Breath of the Wild, it seems as if nature has overtaken it, with curling branches overgrown through the walls, vines climbing up flat surfaces, and water flooding the floors. A common motif of the dungeon’s design is swirls, with patterns on the walls and sometimes even the walls themselves refusing to conform to a typical straight-lined structure. The curved branches in particular are obviously a callback to the design of the Kokiri’s Emerald in Ocarina of Time, but perhaps the design of this temple is what originally inspired the emerald in Zelda lore, as Skyward Sword takes place at the start of the official Zelda timeline.

 

That, of course, begs the question of who originally built this temple. Zelda canon does not illuminate anything official, but my guess is a tribe that cared a great deal for protecting the Goddess Spring behind it, that were alive in the time of the Goddess before the war, and that were commonly associated with eyes. Only the Sheikah could fit that description. There are a couple rooms were Link must confuse moving eyes by moving his sword in circles. The eye designs on either side are meant to hint at the solution to this puzzle but I cannot help but wonder if those are early symbols of the Sheikah tribe. Perhaps this was once a Sheikah base.

The eye design and the moving eyes themselves also hold symbolic meaning for Link’s journey as well. At this point in the story, there are many eyes on him to succeed, such as the eyes of Headmaster Gaepora, who is depending on Link to rescue his daughter. There are also eyes on him that are shrouded in mystery, eyes he doesn’t even know exist, such as Impa and Ghirahim. Even the stiff, unmoving eyes of Fi remind him of his task and what led him here. It is the very beginning of a youth carrying the world on their shoulders, the very first Link in the timeline of Zelda games to carry this burden and have those eyes upon him, whether scrutinizing him, supporting him, or waiting for him to fail. Link no doubt feels very seen in this dungeon, with the gaze of eyes, the open air of the skylight, and the enemies, some of which he has never before encountered.

 

Another reoccurring detail in the dungeon that can be found are bird statues, much unlike the ones used for saving the game. These statues are slightly thinner and much taller, and they are looking directly up, as if expecting the hero to descend from the clouds. Along with the accruing nature and the cobwebs, these impatient bird statues add to the expectant nature of the dungeon, which is also reflected in the music, which at all times seems like the instruments are waiting, pondering, and building up to something mysterious and unknown.

 

Earth Temple

Link enters the second “temple” protecting a Goddess Spring being blasted by the heat, but is determined nonetheless. The dangers of this dungeon in comparison to the previous one, in particular the harder-to-defeat enemies and the ocean of lava, speak to the lengths Link is willing to go to see Zelda safe and sound.

As far as the architecture, Skyward Sword developers seem to have been influenced greatly by Chinese architecture, color schemes of red and gold and ornamental pillars denoting common hues of Chinese palaces built in the Qin, Han, and Qing dynasties. The common motif of dragons also makes the same connection, although the dragon at the boss door entrance of this dungeon is also more than likely a reference to Din, the dragon that Link meets later in the game in order to learn the Song of the Hero.

 

Much like the Earth Temple, most ancient Chinese residential buildings were constructed with one floor. If they were made up of more that one story, they were more than likely army strongholds referred to as tolou (earth buildings) or temples. As mentioned before, the Earth Temple is mostly red and gold, but China’s third “lucky color” also makes a prominent appearance — green. In China, red symbolizes happiness, success, and good fortune, yellow symbolizes royalty and the power of the throne, and green symbolizes money and wealth. Thus, the Earth Temple is a showcase of the architecture of a rather opulent Chinese palace or stronghold.

Another notable characteristic of Chinese architecture is symmetry, and while not the entirety of the Earth Temple bends to this, all of the main doors do. As far as the dungeon being in a large cavern, there are residences in the Loess Plateau in Northwest China that are cave dwellings and that ward away the elements of nature, whether it’s the heat or the cold. Building homes into caves in Chinese culture dates back as far as the Zhou Dynasty, which began in 1046 BC.

 

The Earth Temple also has visual similarities to Buddhist and Hindu architecture, particularly with the statues of the lions, dragons, and elephants. Lions are a common symbol of Buddhism, built to inspire courage. It is quite similar to the symbolism of lions in Hinduism, that represent the god Vishnu, as well as the qualities of consistency, strength, and wisdom. Hinduism sees dragons as symbols of evil while Buddhism sees dragons as a source of enlightenment. Elephants are seen as a sacred animal in both Hinduism and Buddhism, the latter in particular seeing the elephant as a manifestation of the deity Buddha himself, such that elephants are strong, patient, loyal, and wise creatures.

Believe it or not, all of these key details fit within Link’s journey. He doesn’t even know it, but by conquering these dungeons he is not only coming into himself as a valiant hero, but also as a potential wielder of the Triforce. In Zelda’s words, he is gaining wisdom by solving puzzles, gaining power by tempering himself and his sword, and gaining courage by defeating evil, all things symbolized by the cultures and religions expressed in the Earth Temple. Perhaps this is where the bulk of Link’s mental and physical tirade takes place, considering that combat and danger is still a bit new and considering Impa’s harsh criticism of him after he completes the dungeon.

 

Lanayru Mining Facility

Link enters this dungeon slowly, walking down the stairs likely taking to heart Impa’s assertions that, despite his endless hard work, he doesn’t seem like much of a hero to her. This dungeon is the last of Link’s journey to shift his objective, at least temporarily, from finding Zelda to becoming the hero.

As one of the two dungeons that utilizes the Timeshift Stones, Link progresses through this dungeon in a constant state of switching between a prosperous, technology-driven past and an eerily ruined future, all technology left to wither and waste. Although likely not meant to be symbolic of anything, this could allude to Link’s mental separation between what peace he used to have in Skyloft with Zelda and the war he is in now, or it could even be a foreshadowing to Breath of the Wild.

 

The mining facility in particular didn’t seem to have a power structure but was more than certainly mining for Timeshift Stones, and perhaps even Goddess Plumes. The miners very well could have been working for the Thunder Dragon we see later in the game; but the dragon has no use for those stones and serves the goddess Hylia. I therefore think that all this mining is done for the Goddess Hylia, either to guide the eventual hero no matter when he shows up, or to make the Gates of Time in the first place. And, of course, one of my favorite moments is when, in silence, you navigate the hallway right after the boss. There is a silent and yet tragic pride in the hallway that is eerily motivating as robot statues salute Link’s progress.

Breath of the Wild, the 2017 title that succeeded Skyward Sword, features prominently what is referred to as Sheikah technology. The spider-like Guardians, the multitude of Shrines, and everything else made by a then-ancient version of the Sheikah have a specific look and style to them. As creative as Nintendo is, the inspiration came not from within their own minds, but from Jomon pottery, a line of Japanese ceramics that date back to 14,500 BCE and have mysterious origins that the Zelda development team found intriguing.

 

However, from just a visual basis of judgement, it seems that Breath of the Wild wasn’t the first time the Zelda team found inspiration in this visual form. The Jomon period is most remembered for its pottery, the name Jomon meaning “cord marked” or “patterned” in obvious reference to the pottery. The robots in Lanayru also seem to have a “Jomon” look to them, not to mention the dungeon based around the everyday work of these mining robots having a Jomon look as well.

The upward protrusions, the circular lines, and the ceramic look are uncanny. Perhaps these robots were early experiments by the Sheikah, or perhaps they were later found by the Sheikah and served as the basis for the technology we see in Breath of the Wild.

 

Ancient Cistern

The Ancient Cistern is the fourth dungeon in Skyward Sword and the first that Link visits to power up the Goddess Sword. It is arguably the dungeon with the most thematic potency, as the entirety of the design is based on a short story entitled “The Spider Thread” written in 1918 by Japanese author Ryünosuke Akutagawa. The following quoted passages from this point on are excerpts of the translation of the original story by Jay Rubin. You can read the entire story for yourself right here.

“And now, children, let me tell you a story about Lord Buddha Shakyamuni. It begins one day as He was strolling alone in Paradise by the banks of Lotus Pond. The blossoms on the pond were like perfect white pearls, and from their golden centers wafted forth a never-ending fragrance wonderful beyond description. I think it must have been morning in Paradise.”

As you can likely ascertain, these first couple sentences of the short story almost perfectly detail the central room of the Ancient Cistern, with the pristinely clear water, the lily pads, and the golden statue as a representation of a Buddha-like being alone in “Paradise”. He is in the perfect position to later be a stationary observer of what takes place in the story. The idea of “Paradise” is also mimicked through the way Link enters the temple, circling around himself and in awe of what he is stepped into. It is no doubt unlike anything he has ever seen before.

“Soon Lord Shakyamuni stepped to the edge of the pond, where He glanced down through the spreading lotus leaves to the spectacle below. Directly beneath the Lotus And of Paradise lay the lower depths of Hell, and as He peered though the crystalline waters, He could see the River of Three Crossings and the Mountain of Needles as clearly as if He were viewing pictures through a peep-box.”

If you haven’t played through this dungeon, you might not know that below this floor of ornamental Paradise is actually a cesspool of cursed evil, filled with toxic purple liquid, cursed Bokoblins, and an eerie lack of music. The “River of Three Crossings” in particular is an obstacle in Skyward Sword where Link must hop across lily pads to cross the river of mysterious purple liquid.

 

The “Mountain of Needles” in Skyward Sword is actually a small hill of bones and various remains that make a squishy noise when Link steps on them. Of course I could explain this away by saying that Link was “walking on pins and needles”, but I believe this detail to be just Nintendo feeling that this fits better as far as gameplay and of course the consistent look of the area below the Ancient Cistern.

In the story, Lord Buddha Shakyamuni looked to see “a man named Kandata, who was writhing in Hell with all the other sinners”. Kandata, a robber who “had done many evil deeds” and “had even killed people” seemed to have one redeeming action in the eyes of Shakyamuni. One day during his life, while strolling through the woods, Kandata had decided against killing a harmless spider.

Shakyamuni “decided to reward him for it by delivering him from Hell if possible.” He then lowered a “beautiful silver thread” downwards “through the pearl-like blossoms to the depths far below.” Kandata, excited at the prospect of escaping Hell and entering Paradise “grasped the spider thread and started climbing with all his might, higher and higher.”

As pictured directly below,  Link must himself climb up small, silver thread in order to progress through the Ancient Cistern.

When he tries, however, cursed Bokoblins emerge from the hill of bones and guts and try to follow him, some even jumping onto him, wanting him to fall off so that they can take his place, take this opportunity of freedom for themselves.

 

You’ll find that this concept as well came from the short story, with “countless sinners” following Kandata, “clambering up the thread with all their might like a column of ants!” However, the thread soon snaps, with Kandata and the other sinners falling “down head-first into the darkest depths.”

“Behind him all that remained was the dangling short end of the spider thread from Paradise, delicately gleaming in the moonless, starless sky.

“Standing at the edge of the Lotus Pond in Paradise, Lord Shakyamuni watched everything that happened. And when, in the end, Kandata sank like a stone into the Pond of Blood, the Holy One resumed His stroll, His face now twinged with sorrow. Kandata had thought to save himself alone, and as just punishment for this lack of compassion, he had fallen back into Hell. How shameful it must have seemed in the eyes of Lord Shakyamuni!”

Link is a murderer, but unlike in the story, he never deserved to be down there in “Hell” because the only beings he murdered were the minions of Ghirahim, soulless monsters that threatened the peace of Hyrule. Link successfully escaping from the depths and back to the main room of the Ancient Cistern (the symbolic “Heaven”) proves his innocence, purity, and valor.

 

After defeating Koloktos, Link’s sword becomes imbued with the green flame and a single triangle appears on his hand, the one that is usually indicative of courage. In this temple specifically, he proved his courage by braving the depths of Hell and wrestling with his own inhibitions of worthiness. Unlike Kandata, Link isn’t just in it for himself, and he is not just like the other “sinners” who tried to follow the robber up the thread. Link struggling to stay on the rope and make it up alone was not just part of claiming his salvation like it was for Kandata, but claiming Hyrule’s salvation and Zelda’s salvation.

“The lotuses of Lotus Pond, however, were unperturbed. They swayed their perfect pearl-white blossoms near the feet of Lord Shakyamuni…”

Before fighting Koloktos, Link gets the Boss Key near the feet of the Buddha-like statue, which perfectly fits to paint a picture of a lotus when placed where it belongs. In Buddhism, the lotus symbolizes fortune, which is most definitely on Link’s side by the end of this dungeon.

“…and from their golden centers wafted forth each time a never-ending fragrance wonderful beyond description. I think it must have been close to noon in Paradise.”

 

Sandship

The mechanics and design of the Sandship are very much like those seen in Lanayru Mining Facility, which makes sense considering that both dungeons are found in Lanayru Desert.

The Sandship, however, is unique in that it isn’t just another hole in the wall, but it takes on a unique shape and must be actively sought out. Much like the Divine Beasts in Breath of the Wild, it is ever-moving, anything but stagnant. It is not a fixed part of the land, not anything destined to be explored by the hero, but a hidden roving ship that starts off invisible and ends up a crew-less ruined and tattered vessel.

Just the way the Sandship is found establishes it as a mysterious place with an inner conflict yet to be discovered, much like the Ghost Ships in The Wind Waker and Phantom Hourglass. We know that this is Skipper’s ship and that he fears it was overtaken by pirates, but the tragic disparity between the past and present condition of the ship still adds something inherently eerie, even though it is depicted through the Timeshift mechanic that has been seen many times before.

 

The mini-boss Scervo and the Bokoblins on the ship are meant to be the “pirates” of this scenario. While it comes into question who could have built Scervo and whether or not his origin is the same as the mining robots, the inclusion of pirates is no wonder at all.

Despite pop culture making pirates seem like fictional occurrences, pirates were very real and very prominent threats to trade routes in various seas around the world in the 17th century, pillaging ships for goods to steal. The “golden age” of piracy was during that time of prodigious and growing trade between countries via large ships; however, pirates and thieves have been around since ancient times, reaching as far back as 14th century BC.

 

Tentalus, the boss of the dungeon, actually subscribes to a much more mythical iconography known as the Kraken, which is an extremely large squid-monster with origins in Norwegian folklore.

Although Tentalus in execution ends up more closely resembling the combination of two characters from the Pixar film Monster’s Inc., the intent of the developers at Nintendo can be seen in the section between unlocking the boss door and facing Tentalus in full. Large, thick, purple tentacles break through the now fragile wood of the ship like it’s nothing, and Link must navigate up to the top of the sinking ship. The sequence creates the expectation of a rather cinematic and unique experience for a boss fight, one with a much larger scale, yet the sight of Tentalus made that potential stop short.

 

Perhaps the Skyward Sword development team struggled with how a realistic-looking squid would fit within the style of the 2011 title, but I honestly think they could have made it work a lot better than the final product. Especially taking into consideration the climactic lead-up to the boss, unlocking the boss room door triggering something outside that seemed to be leagues bigger than the ship, and the decimation of the ship in the end, I think they should have pursued the Kraken concept to its fullest extent and potential.

 

Fire Sanctuary

Just as the Sandship has architectural similarities to the Lanayru Mining Facility, the Fire Sanctuary has similarities to the Earth Temple. The Fire Sanctuary, the second-to-last dungeon in the game, is like the Earth Temple in that it resembles an ornate palace with real-world inspirations and prominent colors from Chinese architecture, and with connections to the religions of Hinduism and Buddhism.

The Fire Sanctuary however, in contrast to the Earth Temple, has some Indian influences as well, with bulbous spires pointing upwards like spades appearing on gates and as patterns; this shape is often seen in Indian temples. The Fire Sanctuary also has different animal statues than the Earth Temple, one of which being owls.

Owls are seen as a symbol for wisdom and fortune, virtues that are definitely reflected in the ruby gem eyes and the crown atop the owl’s head. I feel that these two statues being present when Link enters the dungeon is a callback to the blue flame he just received at the end of the last dungeon, as if to say that only wisdom will bring Link fortune in this dungeon.

 

The other prominent animal within the dungeon’s design are the thirsty frogs, the ones with tongues you need to drench with water in order to progress. This inclusion makes sense in that the main difference between frogs and toads is that toads can survive in hot climates while frogs need to be near water. There are many folktales that reflect the association between frogs and water, one example being an Islamic tale where a frog put water into his mouth in order to douse the flames of a burning man.

In the cultures and religions already mentioned, frogs are often symbolic of reincarnation and renewal, bringers of fresh water and growth. The idea of reincarnation makes sense in the context of a Zelda game, but renewal in particular calls back to the frogs needing water, being renewed and replenished by the water they are given by Link.

 

Water being in this dungeon in particular speaks to balance, how even in one of the warmest places with the hottest fires, water still has a presence and a need. Since this is the dungeon where Link eventually gains the symbol of the Triforce of Power on his hand, it is this balance that gives Link the largest lesson about power, how to not take it as an absolute and to temper it, how to take it in stride and not to be completely compelled by the thirst for more.

 

Sky Keep

The Sky Keep, the last dungeon in the game and the place where Links collects the true Triforce, bends to a tried and true Zelda tradition. The first instance of this tradition in the series was Ganon’s Tower in Ocarina of Time, where Link had to navigate different rooms representing each preceding dungeon in order to enlist each respective Sage to dispel the barrier.

The one that is most relevant here, however, is the instance in The Wind Waker, where four hallways branch off of the main room. Each hallway mimics a prior dungeon and leads to a repeat fight of that dungeon’s boss. The only difference in The Wind Waker between the first fight and the repeat is that the colors are faded and that, during the entrance, the camera goes warped, as if entering a dream. And, because, it’s a boss fight, it’s more than likely a bad dream. Of course the door to proceed further into Ganon’s stronghold requires you to defeat these bosses, but perhaps it’s more of a mental conquering than anything else, with Link confronting lingering fears indicative of the onset of post-traumatic stress disorder.

 

Skyward Sword does something similar with the Sky Keep, featuring eight different rooms that each represent a different dungeon of the game. Although the way the rooms are accessed is unique with the slide puzzle configuration, it reminds me a lot of the version in The Wind Waker. The colors don’t mute and the camera doesn’t warp, but Link is presented with not only the exact styles of dungeons he previously faced, but also a large-scale square slide puzzle that does not fit the outside appearance of the Sky Keep. In fact, the only room that has the pristine white and gold architecture is the very first room Link enters, where the dungeon map is found in a treasure chest in the center of the room. Perhaps the Sky Keep was only ever one room.

It seems less akin to a physical challenge and more a mental one, created by the Goddess Hylia to test Link’s mental strength in his quest for the Triforce, to test his patience and resolve even when he is so close to reaching a reunion with his childhood friend. He runs into the dungeon, but the mental difficulty in traversing it seems to temper his excitement, reminding him that, despite his haste to fulfill his promise and wake up the girl he loves, the Triforce is nothing to rush into nor take for granted.

 

Conclusion

Thus, the incredible detail in the dungeons of Skyward Sword makes them stand out as unique. They add to the storytelling, they have fantastic puzzles, and they show clearly what cultures, tales, and religions inspired the development team. We are all entitled to our own opinion, but I think that this makes Skyward Sword the Zelda game with the best, most consistent, and most beautiful dungeon design.

What do you think? What is your favorite dungeon in Skyward Sword? What details did you notice? Do they contradict mine? Let us know in the comments below!

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Alex Weber is a Senior Editor for Zelda Dungeon. Her favorite food is apple pie and she loves her cat Galadriel. Her alias as a fan fiction writer is fatefulfaerie and she can also be found on Twitter, Instagram, and Tumblr.