The Greatest Legend of Zelda Song of All Time

Feeling

very eager to respond, I thought very carefully about what to suggest.

There was no doubt that the Legend of Zelda series would make the list,

however which song was the big question. The original theme is

wonderful, but there is so much better music delivered from the series,

so suggesting something a bit more unique was my objective.

The

Legend of Zelda franchise has had some of the greatest music ever heard

on a video game. To say any less would be a huge understatement.

However, just choosing one song from the franchise can be quite a task.

So let’s go through the best known options to figure out which song

stands out from the rest.

In the Top 10 Video Game Theme Song

list, it might seem pretty obvious to pick the original Legend of Zelda

theme. You know-, that melody from the original Legend of Zelda title

screen. While the song is quite rememberable, it doesn’t quite fully

represent the vast music selection from the series since the initial

title. Later games, with the exception of Ocarina of Time, all reused

the original medley, but each game retools the song to fit the purpose

of that title. We always recognize the melody in each game, but each

song is actually different because each Zelda title tries to be unique

in its own way. So if we don’t use the original Legend of Zelda theme

what should we use instead?

Since older Zelda titles remained

similar to the original, let’s look at some of the more fresh titles.

An obvious option would be Ocarina of Time. This game probably has the

greatest soundtrack as a whole, turning short rememberable songs into

intricate parts of the gameplay, making them even more addictive.

However, since we are talking about themes here, let’s focus on the

title theme. Just a simple lonely sounding flute/ocarina playing a

smooth melody. Some may remember this melody from such classic games as

the original Legend of Zelda and Super Mario Bros. 3, which gives a

nice tip of the hat to the classics before taking a massive step

forward into the 3D world. This gentle melody was so relaxing just

moments before beginning one of the most rememberable adventures of our

life time.

Next on the list is the Wind Waker. Rather than a

soft and sweet theme from Ocarina of Time, the Wind Waker had a very

lively upbeat tempo. Clearly receiving a large influence from various

types of folk music, the Wind Waker had one of the most unique

soundtracks of the series.

Finally, Twilight Princess went with

the standard epic choir which works out very well. There was a certain

level of softness that built up over time into a very epic feel just

before the player jumps into another legendary adventure.

Of

these three title themes, I would have to go with the Wind Waker. The

other two titles were excellent, but the Wind Waker theme stood out the

most. It may be one of the more controversial titles, but that doesn’t

take away from the quality of the game or the music.

The

Wind Waker has some of the most rememberable music. Ocarina of Time has

lots of rememberable music as well, but most of it consisted of

flutes/ocarinas and occasionally a harp which have both been reused

throughout the series. The Wind Waker kept the flutes, but for the

first time in the series, added a symphony of string instruments like

the violin. The folk themed music was very new to the series but the

traditional flutes from Ocarina of Time are still present showing the

utmost respect for the previous title, despite The Wind Wakers drastic

changes in art style. It also had a technological advantage over

Ocarina of Time. With Ocarina of Time, most of the time it was pretty

easy to tell that the music was all synthesized. The Wind Waker was

also fully synthesized, but the violin work was so well done that it

could be hard to tell occasionally. Both games have beautiful music,

but The Wind Waker was arguably the more unique addition to the overall

series.

Twilight Princess, despite its valiant efforts, didn’t

stand out very well against the rest of the series. It tried so hard to

be Ocarina of Time that it forgot to deliver anything unique and the

same can be said for the music. While epic choirs do make great music,

the song heard in the intro just ended up sounding like everything

else. Ever since the Lord of the Rings movies, every other movie or

video game tries to mimic their music and so Twilight Princess just

sort of blends in with masses of similar music.

But is the them

of The Wind Waker really the best choice to represent the entire

franchise? Sure it makes sense for the best theme, but there are so

many great songs from the franchise. It would be a shame to reject a

song just because it didn’t play at the title screen. After all

Stuttering Craig did have this to say:

So we should be allowed

to pick any song that has ever played in the Legend of Zelda franchise.

So now that the window of opportunity is fully open, the Wind Waker

theme may no longer be the best choice. In fact, the song I have in

mind isn’t even in the Wind Waker, or Ocarina of Time, or even Twilight

Princess, at least not originally. Any guesses?

The most

influential song ever to come out of the Legend of Zelda franchise is

none other than the Song of Healing from Majora’s Mask. We had

experienced some unforgettable music from Ocarina of Time, but none of

these compare to the delicate care that went behind the Song of Healing.

Majora’s

Mask took the franchise in a very dark emotional direction. This was

the first Zelda game that was actually involved with death. Characters

that had died or were about to die were filled with regret and would do

anything for a second chance, so they plead to Link for help. There

really wasn’t much Link could do for them, so he did the only thing he

could. He comforted them in their final moments by playing the Song of

Healing. This song is softly played by a piano with just a few simple

notes and chords but creates a very emotional song that comforts these

fallen people that Link is trying to reach out to. While the song may

seem very sad, it really does have a redeeming quality to it. We are

not intended to mourn these people, but to comfort them and remind them

of how great their lives were and what they accomplished, which the

game reflects very well. The dying characters see images of their

friends and families to realize that they were loved, and just knowing

that brought peace to their souls, and suddenly it was okay for them to

let go.

This song represented all of this and more. It taught us

something about death that some people don’t realize enough. Death is a

part of life, and as long as we cherish those that love us and the

moments we’ve had with them, it is okay to let go knowing you’ve left

an unforgettable mark on their lives as well. Games before Majora’s

Mask have displayed death before, but rather than mourning a

character’s death, the Song of Healing celebrates the life that they

had which leaves a far greater impression. The Song of Healing is the

most unforgettable song and it deserves the upmost respect from anyone

who has experienced the death of a loved one first hand.

Now that the video is available for viewing,

it’s pretty obvious that they dismissed my claim, and went with a more

obvious choice, which is fine. Their decision was a bit predictable,

but we should be proud that ScrewAttack gave the franchise the praise

it deserves. Despite their decision, there are so many different songs

from the franchise, in which opinions will always vary. Fans will

always have different favorite songs or melodies just like we all have

different favorite games, dungeons or bosses.

With a franchise

so well indulged in music, it will be interesting to see what future

installments will have in store for us with music. So far, all of the

music from the franchise have been heavily synthesized. This hasn’t

hindered the music score any in the past, but after Twilight Princess,

the quality has begun to feel a bit dated. After hearing a remarkable

fully orchestrated soundtrack from Mario Galaxy, it is about time the

Legend of Zelda franchise receives the same treatment from Nintendo. We

should expect great things from the next installment of the franchise,

and music is one of the more likely improvements. Who knows, by the

time the next game comes around, we could all have a new favorite

Legend of Zelda song of all time.

Footnotes

• My initial response to ScrewAttack
• Stuttering Craig’s Forum Topic
• ScrewAttack’s Top Ten Video Game Themes Video

Related Articles

• The Music of Majora’s Mask

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