Leitmotifs of The Legend of Zelda

The musical scores of the Legend of Zelda games make frequent use of common themes both within and between games. These themes, called leitmotifs, are used to represent specific characters, places, or other elements.

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Concepts

Overworld, Overture, Main Theme

The "Overworld" theme from The Legend of Zelda has become the iconic musical accompaniment to the Zelda franchise. It represents the spirit of bold adventure, one of the series' core values. Outside the games, this song is frequently used in marketing, informative, and entertainment media to represent the Zelda franchise or the first game in the series which introduced it.

Locations

Forest Theme, Outset Theme

The "Kokiri Forest" theme is an important tune in Ocarina of Time. Players associate this theme with the lighthearted simple lives of the Kokiri forest children, and with the peaceful forest in general. This theme was used for two different reasons in The Wind Waker.

First, its association with the forest was carried over into the "Forest Haven" theme, which uses a much slower version of the song with different instrumentation to impart a more aged and magical feeling. Beyond mere stylistic interpretations, this connection is also used in some theories relating the two forests.

Careful listeners will also find snippets of the "Kokiri Forest" theme hidden in the theme for "Outset Island". In this case, the composer used the theme's association of Link's hometown: players begin Ocarina of Time within Kokiri Forest, and they begin The Wind Waker on Outset Island.

Kakariko Village

Kakariko Village first appeared in A Link to the Past and has since appeared in several games including Ocarina of Time, Four Swords Adventures, and Twilight Princess. Each appearance is accompanied with the familiar Kakariko Village theme. A dark version of the theme set in a minor key is played while in the Dark World in A Link to the Past.

Portions of the Kakariko Village theme can be heard in the Windfall Island theme in The Wind Waker. Windfall Island is a major island in the Great Sea which shares many characteristics with Kakariko Village as seen in other games.

Characters

Ganondorf

Main article: Ganondorf's Theme