No, this is not a post about Ocarina of Time's quality. I have my negative opinions on the game design, but i'll say the water temple is awful and the people were right about it but everything else about the game is fine and dandy. This post is about the game's story.
I've always thought Ocarina of Time had a very fascinating story. It's a tale of Link, a lone child living in the forest with the Kokiri, ridiculed by his peers for he did not have a fairy like everyone else. Everyone had always seen him as lesser, and he saw himself that way as well. Even when a fairy finally did show up and invite him to go on a quest, he didn't even care at first. But soon, he's pulled out of the forest and thrust into a huge new world. He meets the princess of Hyrule, battles massive beasts larger than he is, wanders into an old grave and sees horrors beyond his comprehension, and is forced into a marriage with a fish lady. He's surrounded by so many adult concepts he just couldn't begin to understand yet. He's just a kid, and it's all scary for him.
But things change when he leaves Zora's Domain. He encounters Ganondorf, his biggest threat that terrifies him, and seems to be at his most fearful state yet. He makes his way into the Temple of Time and pulls the master sword, knowing this is what will stop Ganondorf's plans... but... it failed. Instead it gave Ganondorf access to the Triforce and thus take over Hyrule with near godlike power. Now Link is suddenly an adult, and is forced to grow up. After meeting a mysterious friend in Sheik, he wanders the forest temple. The Forest Temple is a haunting dungeon, with dark coloring, spirits surrounding him, and chilling music. At the end of the temple, he faces off against a phantom form of his worst enemy. After he clears the dungeon and returns to the Kokiri Forest, he truly realizes that he's grown up, and who he really is. This is the turning point for Link as a person. He's not like a kokiri, who will stay children forever. He has to let go of his childhood and mature, or else he would never be able to survive Hyrule, so that's what he does.
That's what I find fascinating about Ocarina of Time's story. It's a story about throwing away childhood and moving on to be a stronger person. Sure, Link is able to return the master sword where it was and become a kid again, but that only changes his physical form. He's still an adult mentally. He's become an adult now and will never be able to return to the childhood he never got to have. Another tragic thing about this tale, is the ending. During his adventure, he meets all sorts of allies and friends. People who will remember him for being the hero in their life. However, when Link returns to his original timeline at the end, nobody will remember him. Nabooru, Malon, Ruto, they all won't remember what Link did for them. Link doesn't have anyone there for him anymore except maybe Zelda, but Zelda is royalty and would never be allowed to spend time with him. Even Navi, the fairy that pulled him into this adventure, and his one true friend through thick and thin, leaves him after his quest is done. Link is truly alone again. He's saved the world, and nobody will ever even know it. Sure he could go spend time with Saria, or Malon, or Ruto, but it won't be the same. Because they're all children, and Link is an adult despite his looks. He comes to terms with the fact that in Hyrule there's nobody left for him and leaves to search for Navi in the lost woods, getting himself lost in Termina, and that game's story is its own other thing.
Ocarina of Time is a truly sad tale when you stop to think about it. It's a tale of a hero nobody will ever know of. A hero that will have nobody there for him despite him being there for everyone. I might not think too highly of many of the things that the game does, but the story is truly something special the Zelda series has yet to properly replicate.
I've always thought Ocarina of Time had a very fascinating story. It's a tale of Link, a lone child living in the forest with the Kokiri, ridiculed by his peers for he did not have a fairy like everyone else. Everyone had always seen him as lesser, and he saw himself that way as well. Even when a fairy finally did show up and invite him to go on a quest, he didn't even care at first. But soon, he's pulled out of the forest and thrust into a huge new world. He meets the princess of Hyrule, battles massive beasts larger than he is, wanders into an old grave and sees horrors beyond his comprehension, and is forced into a marriage with a fish lady. He's surrounded by so many adult concepts he just couldn't begin to understand yet. He's just a kid, and it's all scary for him.
But things change when he leaves Zora's Domain. He encounters Ganondorf, his biggest threat that terrifies him, and seems to be at his most fearful state yet. He makes his way into the Temple of Time and pulls the master sword, knowing this is what will stop Ganondorf's plans... but... it failed. Instead it gave Ganondorf access to the Triforce and thus take over Hyrule with near godlike power. Now Link is suddenly an adult, and is forced to grow up. After meeting a mysterious friend in Sheik, he wanders the forest temple. The Forest Temple is a haunting dungeon, with dark coloring, spirits surrounding him, and chilling music. At the end of the temple, he faces off against a phantom form of his worst enemy. After he clears the dungeon and returns to the Kokiri Forest, he truly realizes that he's grown up, and who he really is. This is the turning point for Link as a person. He's not like a kokiri, who will stay children forever. He has to let go of his childhood and mature, or else he would never be able to survive Hyrule, so that's what he does.
That's what I find fascinating about Ocarina of Time's story. It's a story about throwing away childhood and moving on to be a stronger person. Sure, Link is able to return the master sword where it was and become a kid again, but that only changes his physical form. He's still an adult mentally. He's become an adult now and will never be able to return to the childhood he never got to have. Another tragic thing about this tale, is the ending. During his adventure, he meets all sorts of allies and friends. People who will remember him for being the hero in their life. However, when Link returns to his original timeline at the end, nobody will remember him. Nabooru, Malon, Ruto, they all won't remember what Link did for them. Link doesn't have anyone there for him anymore except maybe Zelda, but Zelda is royalty and would never be allowed to spend time with him. Even Navi, the fairy that pulled him into this adventure, and his one true friend through thick and thin, leaves him after his quest is done. Link is truly alone again. He's saved the world, and nobody will ever even know it. Sure he could go spend time with Saria, or Malon, or Ruto, but it won't be the same. Because they're all children, and Link is an adult despite his looks. He comes to terms with the fact that in Hyrule there's nobody left for him and leaves to search for Navi in the lost woods, getting himself lost in Termina, and that game's story is its own other thing.
Ocarina of Time is a truly sad tale when you stop to think about it. It's a tale of a hero nobody will ever know of. A hero that will have nobody there for him despite him being there for everyone. I might not think too highly of many of the things that the game does, but the story is truly something special the Zelda series has yet to properly replicate.
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