Summary
While Link tends not to speak very much in theLegend of Zeldagames, that doesn’t mean that all the characters remain mute for the entire experience. In fact, there are plenty ofZeldacharacters who love speaking their mind, and some of them have even had the opportunity to set the stage for their respective game by having the chance to say the opening line.
Considering how wildly different theZeldagames can be in terms of tone and aesthetic, this first quote is incredibly important in giving players a glimpse into what they can expect when diving into the newest adventure. However, while not every opening line in this series has gone on to become all that memorable, there are definitely a few that longtime fans of this series will always be able to recognize.
It actually takes a little while before a line is said by any character inEchoes of Wisdomsince players first need to play through a brief gameplay section with Link. However, once they end up reaching Zelda, who has been trapped in a crystal, they will once again comeface to face with Ganon, who seems less than happy that Link is deciding to challenge him.
Without even looking at Link, Ganon instantly knows that Link is the one standing behind him, which is a clever bit of visual storytelling that emphasizes just how tirelessly Link will always chase after Zelda whenever she’s captured, and how Ganon always knows that he will show up.
While some of theLegend of Zeldagames will open up with some kind of narration to establish the characters and locale,Twilight Princessinstead asks a pretty thought-provoking question in its first few moments. The quote, which is said directly to Link by a villager, is a clever way to feed into thedarker tonethatTwilight Princesswas going for, while also subtly referencing the existence of the Twilight Realm.
As a result, rather than trying to hype players up for the adventure that awaits them,Twilight Princesskicks off its story on a very somber note which subtly highlights some of the game’s major concepts and themes in the process.
By the end ofBreath of the Wild, it seemed as thoughHyrule, for the most part, had returned back to normal after Link managed to restore the Champions and save Zelda. As a result, this introductory line forTears of the Kingdomcame as a bit of a surprise, since it indicated that something had clearly gone very wrong considering how rampant this “strange gloom” had become.
It’s also paired with a rather eerie visual of Link and Zelda wandering through the underground caverns with nothing but a torch to light their way. As expected, chaos ensues not long after this line is said, providing a subtle hint that Ganon isn’t quite done with his malicious antics just yet.
Upon first glance, this may seem like a line ripped straight out of a fairy tale, but there are a few words here and there that make it much more intriguing and quite unordinary. The most notable example of this is how the speaker references “you humans”, immediately catching players off guard as it implies that they are being spoken to directly and that the person opening the game isn’t even a human at all.
There is also the mention of this being a tale that has been “passed down”, indicating the adventure players are about to embark on is one being recited, rather than happening in that very moment. This is a line that hooks players into the experience right from the get-go without giving away anything about the story and characters.
Ocarina of Timeopens up with this mysterious quote from none other thanthe Deku Tree, who essentially sets the stage by explaining who Link is, and how his journey is soon to begin. Before that though, he drops a few small hints as to his true identity, explaining himself to be a “guardian spirit” who dwells within the “deep forest of Hyrule”.
Considering how important the Deku Tree would become within the story ofOcarina of Time, it makes sense that he would be granted the opportunity to utter the first line, but it certainly had a lot of players wondering who this being was, and why he believed so much in Link from the very beginning of the story.
The sequel toOcarina of Timestarts off by briefly chronicling the events of the previous game, and hyping Link up as a figure who is spoken of as some kind of hero within royal legends. While this quote provides a nice refresher of the story up to this point, it also establishes just how meaningful Link’s efforts were in saving Hyrule, and the amount of respect he earned because of it.
ManyZeldagames will kick things off by establishing a blank slate, butMajora’s Maskdecided to instead provide players with a sense of familiarity which makes them feel rewarded for playing the previous entry. Speaking of Link as a ‘legend’ also highlights the idea of him being distant and away from Hyrule for some time, referencinghis search for Navi.
The Legend of Zeldaseries doesn’t have one single timeline that creates an underlying thread through each of the games. Instead, there arethree separate timelinesthat the games take place in, but whenWind Wakerwas first released, this fact wasn’t as well known as it is today. As a result, this opening line provided some subtle foreshadowing to this concept which took many players aback upon seeing it for the first time.
Was this going to be just one of several versions of theWind Wakerstory? Or is this a non-canon entry in the series? These were just a few of the questions that were posed by this memorable quote which opens up Link’s deep-sea adventure.
Pardon the pun, but in many ways,Breath of the Wildwas a breath of fresh air for theLegend of Zeldaseries. In the leadup to the game’s release, Nintendo focused heavily on the open-world aspect, which had never been seen on such a vast scale before in the series. When paired with the vibrant and stylistic art style, it resulted in an utterly unique adventure for players to enjoy, but before they could take to the fields of Hyrule, they would first be met with this mysterious opening line by Zelda.
On the one hand, this is said to Link as a way to wake him up from his slumber so that he can restore Hyrule to its former glory and savePrincess Zelda. However, it is simultaneously targeted towards the player, who has the opportunity to “open their eyes” to a brand-new era ofZelda.
