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heroeslostintranslation · 2 years ago

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~ Da Boiyos! ~

Nicknames, personalities, and which game(s) they’re from. Everything is very subject to change. All but one of these Links are dads who have at least one kid in the 8-12 range. Also worth noting that I’m not a fan of any of the mangas (aside from the one in Hyrule Historia), so these are all based on my impressions of the different Links from their games. I may or may not decide to include other Links later; these are just the ones I’m currently most familiar with. Enjoy, let me know what you think, send me asks, etc.

~~~

Wild (BotW): Dork. Wide-eyed and adventurous. Wicked smart (understands all the Sheikah tech even though it’s not his thing), absolute nerd, obsessively documents everything (both For Science and because memory issues). Has ADHD. Insatiably curious. Is actually genius. Loves puns. Loves kids. Loves horses. Is just as susceptible to homesickness as he is to going stir crazy. Fiercely protective, especially of his family. Interpersonal conflict averse (will shut down rather than argue if someone is really upset). VERY blunt. The Fun / Embarrassing Dad to his & Zelda’s eight kids. Makes a point to spend time one-on-one with each of them. They go on family outings (“adventures”) a ton.

Sky (SS): Cream puff. Stronk af but zero staying power. Slepby. Tends to sleep at dawn and dusk, often up in the middle of the night. Always tired. Also a playful menace and prankster. Can be a bit catty, but only when he’s really upset. Self esteem issues. Very lovey-dovey with Zelda & their many kids, will give you diabetes. Loves Being A Dad. Very sweet and soft. But also a cold murderous rage machine against anyone / anything that harms or threatens his family. Possible BPD (or tendencies), definitely ADHD.

Minish (MC/4S): Bean. Blacksmith. Very childlike. Adventuring days are behind him and he is Very Content With That. Loving and playful with Zelda & their three kids, two girls and a boy. Thoughtful, pensive, but makes decisions quickly, processes options lightning fast (had to when divided). Loves teaching his kids about blacksmithing and the Minish, loves watching them learn anything, really. Very Supportive “Be Yourself” Dad.

Time (OoT/MM): Lost boy. Very quiet. Never really grows up. Tries. Just Wants To Be Good. Malon understands and helps a ton. Wants to be a good dad but doesn’t know how. Doesn’t know how to Hylian. Keeps busy with farm work because he feels like he has to be useful or he’s failed. Teenage years were hard. Lots of flashbacks. Major PTSD, but more insidious because he was so young. Dead hand, redead, and moon nightmares. High-functioning autistic?

Twilight (TP): Responsible, reliable (see: “Surface Pressure” from Encanto). Loves kids to death. Adores animals. Got over Midna quickly (it was intense though) and turned his heart to Ilia. Spirit longs to wander but duty keeps him home. Doesn’t tell his kids about his wolf form, Ilia may or may not know. Hard worker. Loves playing and working with his kids. Extremely hands-on dad. Tends to bury how he feels; just wants to focus on the present & what needs to be done. Extremely practical.

Sailor (WW/PH): Marshmallow. Not A Pirate & proud of that (though he gets along great with Tetra’s crew). Prefers to be on the “moral high ground” with things. Big Brother instincts to the max, not always a good thing, and not just with Aryll. Wants & strives to live up to his idea of what a Hero is: a paragon of goodness, virtue, and strength. Very emotive. Feels things very strongly, but is motivated rather than paralyzed by his emotions. A bit of a helicopter dad to his & Tetra’s daughter; a bit too protective & super doting. Wrapped around his daughter’s little finger, knows it, and doesn’t mind one bit.

Roolie (Z1/AoL): Button. Very Polite. Can’t say “no” to a request for help. Very Soft Dad, will discipline but rarely raises his voice. Strict about certain things. Wants to make sure his kids are Decent People despite being royalty (wants to prevent a repeat of Zelda’s brother). Takes them out with him to serve the community to teach them the idea of “serving the people”. Steve Irwin dress code policy (wears comfy adventuring gear to formal castle shindigs ‘cause why not?). Very humble. Still a bit shy around his wife, adores her though.

Captain (HW): Distrusts women, with few exceptions. Married to his Zelda but they keep it out of the public eye. Boy-next-door personality. Has Cia trauma (was her prisoner of war; HW showed the PG version of what happened in the Temple of Souls). Usually takes his son with him (might also have a daughter? maybe several?), tours the country often. Teaches his son chivalry and swordplay, can be fun but rarely has the time to just relax. Gives his kids all the attention he can spare, which is less than he’d like. Naturally charismatic but not so much a “charmer”, more honest and noble. Very Religious, nearly to the point of superstition (but not quite).

Age (HW: AoC): Naturally stoic with a daredevil streak. Doesn’t Know How To Dad. More apt to duck his head and do as he’s told rather than speak his mind. Doesn’t like rocking the boat. Harbors guilt and uncertainty about his title of Hero; wonders if he even deserves it when time-travel shenanigans had to happen to take down the Calamity. Bottles everything up. Zelda is the one spark of light in his life, and he clings to that tenaciously. Combat & tactical genius, but Does Not Do Puzzles. Doesn’t like ‘em, can’t do ‘em. Soft Inside but doesn’t know how to be soft.

Feral (HLT AU): Soft boi very hurt. Like a combination of Age & Wild. Extremely serious, doesn’t know how to “lighten up” or joke around, as much as he would like to. Can appreciate humor, camaraderie, and playful banter when he sees it, but he has no idea how to participate. Does Not Like Fighting. He can and he will, but only when he must. Much prefers ranged and stealth over melee, or whatever will end combat the quickest. Has frequent flashbacks. Extremely curious, but nearly silent about it. Trust issues so entrenched that there’s no longer any emotion attached to them; it’s just a fact of life to him. Very careful with his words, tends to (quietly) correct others when they misspeak. Secretly a bean who never wants to hurt anyone (except those who are absolutely evil, but even then he struggles).

#loz #tloz #loz au #tloz au #botw link #ss link #mc link #oot link #tp link #ww link #loz link #alttp link #hw link #aoc link #hlt #heroes lost in translation #heroeslostintranslation #worldbuilding

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46ammy · 5 years ago

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Primal Zodiac of the LU Links

So I was browsing through Tumblr when I found a link to Primal Astrology, in which it gives you a primal zodiac by combining your Chinese Zodiac (birth year) and your Zodiac constellation (birth month) signs, and I was fairly amused by how some parts were pretty accurate describing my personality.

Me being rather obsessed with LU, I decided to look up the Primal Zodiac signs for each Link in the LU verse, based on their release date of their “timeline-wise” first adventure (eg: Four= Minish cap)

Some of the descriptions I found pretty close to what the fandom depicts each Link’s personality, and some I kinda disagree/ not certain about.

Ones I agree for the most part:

Hyrule February 21, 1986 -> Pisces + Tiger = Stingray “those born under the sign ... are adventurous, humanitarian, generous, sincere, rebellious, and emotionally fragile all at the same time. .... but stingrays are also deep thinkers, dreamers, and idealists. ..... While they may spend a great deal of time lingering in the background, they are not afraid to stand up for themselves, and can be a very formidable opponent.... love intense conversations and ideas that they can share with others... tend to play whatever role suits them best in different social situations... attracted to mysterious people, places, and things... relish the unusual and unexplained...” (That’s how I see Hyrule for the most part)

Legend November 21, 1991 -> Scorpio + Sheep = Panda “...tend to be popular but loners, want to go with the flow but have to feel in charge of their own destiny, long to relax but are always working on projects.... Those born under this sign are quiet, collected, and focused, but can become obsessive, overly critical, and anxious if left alone for too long. ... aren’t very social by nature, but still enjoy having like-minded friends around. ... may not seem their nature, they are deep down romantics...” (while some may debate on the quiet part, I see that as him being quiet about himself, not sharing too much with others.)

Time November 21, 1998 -> Scorpio + Tiger = Honey badger “Powerful, passionate, and resilient ... fierce competitors who are not afraid to go after what they want. .... fearless in their conquests and will not back down to anyone. ... Deep down Honey badgers want something to live fore beyond mere day to day survival. Survival is easy for them, finding their place in the world is not. On the outside they come across as tough, mysterious, and unable to be broken, but inside they are actually quite fragile and complex. .... members of this sign are old souls who carry with them a deep wisdom that allows them to understand human nature. They inherently know what people want, which is why they are often so successful. ....spend a great deal of their time and energy pursuing their goals, and are almost always alone or leading a group. Those who do get to know them well discover that they are extremely loyal to their friends and actually have a surprisingly great (and shocking) sense of humor. When they relax they can be the surprise hit of the party.” (The Old man in a nutshell, for the most part)

Warriors August 14, 2014 -> Leo + Horse = Hyena “members of this sign strongly prefer to spend time in large groups of friends and families. ... very strong-willed sign with the ability to follow through on their promises and take what is theirs when necessary. .... have an easy charm about them that draws other people in. ... great at taking charge of situations, and are by far most comfortable when they are in charge. .... main weakness of Hyenas is their tendency to be self-centered. .... are highly likable, and tend to only conflict with others who challenge their social leadership. Even in social groups where everyone is equal, Hyenas tend to become the de facto leaders of the group simply because of their ease and charm.” (The Captain in a nutshell. ‘nough said.)

Wild March 3, 2017 -> Pisces + Rooster = Ocelot “keep others at a distance. ... don’t really want confrontation.... (but) enjoy the company of others quite a bit. They sometimes isolate themselves because it is the easiest, and sometimes the only, way to fully harness their immense creative power. .... can get things done, but in their own unique, visionary style. They truly don’t need others to succeed, but can benefit quite a bit from connecting to people in the real world. ... like to be inspired by new surroundings and new adventures.”

(I don’t completely agree with the keep others at a distance and they make a big front to do so, but one thing is that Wild’s personality can differ depending on the player’s play style, so I guess this may fit in some interpretations.)

Wind December 13, 2002 -> Sagittarius + Horse = Dove “Independent, energetic, and adventurous, .... love life and long for new experiences. ... always looking forward; they rarely dwell on the past. ... often restless, which can lead them to take risks in life. .... seem lucky because they are so optimistic. Even when they are feeling down, those born under this sign always manage to get back on track. They believe that they can have whatever they want if they work hard for it, and they are almost always right. .... They have tons of energy and never want to stop moving, which ironically causes them to miss out on many of life’s more subtle experiences. .... they are spirited, independent and have a tendency to speak bluntly, but they also have big hearts, great senses of humor, and a unique philosophy about life.” (he is a sailor and an explorer for new land, I do see Wind never wanting to stop moving)

Ones I’m not sure:

Sky

November 18, 2011 -> Scorpio + Rabbit = Koala “Emotional, powerful, and intense, .... It’s not that they are putting up a false front, it’s that they are trying to keep their tornado of emotions safely inside themselves. .... can seem harmless from a distance, but can be quite defensive if provoked or approached without caution. .... A tendency of this sign is to use passive aggression and subtle manipulation to get what they want. While they try their hardest to be convincing, they can’t help but wear their emotions on their sleeves. .... Koalas are deeply emotional, and on top of that they have a way of burying their feelings to keep them secret, even to themselves. .... When in their element, these individuals are surprisingly sweet, loving, caring, and even funny.” (I see Sky being sweet as his default emotion, that isn’t a surprising element of his personality. This description had a more negative connotation with the word “emotional” than positive for me. But if you look at it in a different angle, he may harbor some passive aggression.)

Four

November 4, 2004 -> Scorpio + Monkey = Raven

“ Strong, curious, and energetic, ... deepest desire is to overcome the odds, to triumph, and to prove themselves to the world. .... difficult to pin down. .... the Raven Spirit was considered a trickster - a sly and cunning individual who would often get what they wanted, or otherwise entertain themselves, through the intellectual manipulation of others. Powerful and unpredictable .... highly developed senses of humor... Loyal, gregarious, and funny, Ravens can be the life of the party or they can be self-absorbed, competitive, and negative. ... prefer to be big fish in a small pond, getting their fix of attention from those who know and understand them best.”

(Hmmm, Four is a difficult person to pin down his personality, he does have four separate ones if he wishes to use the ability of the Four Sword. Cunning, yes he is, but intellectual manipulation of others for his amusement? that sounds more like Shadow. Then again, Shadow did kinda come from Four...)

Twilight

November 19, 2006 -> Scorpio + Dog = Octopus

“Loyal, ambitious, and intense, ... prefer to deal in facts rather than emotions. ... can be fairly anti-social. To be more specific, they tend to be uncomfortable in most social situations. ... prefer time alone or with a couple of their closest friends with whom they share a great deal of the same ideals. .... The mind ... is both complex and contradictory. They are part rebel but part people-pleaser. They have deep reserves of inner strength but become nervous and uncertain at the slightest glitch in the plan.They are passive while temperamental, honest while secretive, .... internalize their negative feelings rather than expel them into the world, .... value loyalty, honor, and work ethic above all else. They often have difficulty creating their own happiness, mostly because they prioritize things like pride and power over peace and serenity. Always hardest on themselves... Socializing is not their strong suit,...”

(Socializing not being his strong suit? Anti-social? I don’t see it. Twilight is very good with children. You need to be able to do socializing to have smaller children adore you, like how the Ordon children adores Twilight in the game. Not emotional? Twilight is pretty emotional, I mean look at his expressions in TP!)

Those are my opinions. What do you guys think? (you can click the underlined hyperlinks to see the full profile for each sign)

#Primal Zodiac Signs #lu #linked universe #linkeduniverse #loz #which zodiac signs are each Links?#some fit some don't imo #click on the hyperlinks to see full profile of each sign

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dipshitcoyote · 6 years ago

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Breath of the Wild Daemon!AU

Ok so! I’m working on an actual fic using these concepts and this version of the BotW world, but I thought that maybe some of you might be interested in my ideas so here! I’m putting pretty much everything under a readmore, because this is copypasted from my planning document, which got very long and doesn’t even have anything to do with the plot of what I’m writing ^^’

Enjoy!

Link’s daemon is a Hyrule Field Mouse (lol get it) named Firielore (fih-REE-ehl-ohr), Firi for short. From Fi, Ciela, and Farore. They settled early, when Link first drew the Master Sword. Historically, the Hero most often settles as a wolf, but other forms are not unheard of and he isn’t the first Hero to settle as something more unassuming.

Pre-Calamity, most people, even other knights, thought that Link and Firi’s behavior was odd. Neither of them ever spoke (Link is mute, but Firi can speak and just doesn’t), and Firi was just as stoic and inexpressive as her human. As a mouse daemon, she was always on his person, usually on his left shoulder as was uniform for smaller daemons of knights and soldiers, but was rarely seen out of that position except for when she would turn to increase their field of view or leave him briefly to scout stealthily around corners/over boulders and the like.

Relating to the issues that make him canonically selectively mute, Link’s lack of self preservation re: his Duty translated to Firi as well. Things like stretching their bond too far for too long for the sake of getting the scope of a situation or enemy, but not letting the pain show externally where someone else might be brought to their knees with it. Other things like Firi using herself as a distraction, running from Link’s arm to the Moblin’s to divide its attention and leaving them both exposed to give Link a chance to strike. The monsters don’t know the difference between hitting a daemon vs. its Hylian, and that makes the contact less bad, but not insignificant. There were rumors throughout the castle that Link and Firi had been separated traumatically or that the Master Sword allowed them the distance, but both are untrue- their bond was no different than any other Hylian, they just pushed it further in the name of duty.

Link and Firi’s character development (in the memories) is subtle just like in canon. Through the Yiga attack she is always on Link’s left shoulder, even when they and Zelda are just traveling. On the hill with the Silent Princess is the first time she’s not there- she hops off his shoulder when he crawls forward to look at the flower and she moves closer to it. After Zelda’s failure at the Spring of Power, Firi touches Zelda’s daemon to comfort him, just for a moment.

Firi had and has (Impa gave it to them with the Champion’s Tunic) a small set of custom armor for protection, but rarely wore/wears it; she’s fast enough that any attack that would possibly hit her in battle would probably kill Link as well. On the battlefield she would either deftly scurry around Link and warn him silently about attacks from behind, or slip into a small armored pouch that existed to protect her in one-on-one combat unless an opportunity to assist presented itself. In the present, she doesn’t participate in battle the same way she would 100 years ago (with the aggressive distraction and the like), moreso providing Link extra ears and eyes in a fight.

Post-Calamity, she is considerably more physically active, but she still doesn’t speak out loud- except very occasionally to Link himself. I.e when they first wake up in the Shrine of Resurrection, Link hears Zelda’s voice first and opens his eyes to Firi sitting on his chest, also saying his name. However, she’s still a very quiet daemon, especially considering that Link communicates via signing and it would be considered acceptable for her to talk for him. In Post-Calamity Hyrule she’s more outgoing towards other daemons and will greet them physically if appropriate.

Zelda’s daemon, Hylayrune (hih-LAE-roon), Layrune or Rune for short, is unsettled until the moment she awakens her power, when he settles as a Snowcoat Fox (Real life equivalent: Arctic Fox). His name comes from Hylia (all Zeldas daemons’ names start with ‘Hy’), (La)Nayru, Hyrule, and rune/ruin. Before he settled, he took atypical forms for the sacred princess’ daemon that were more representative of Zelda’s scientific pursuits, such as bugs (usually a bee), frogs, and lizards. Almost always, the Princess settles as a bird of prey (often owl, occasionally eagle or loftwing), or in some cases a small dragon (as the three dragons Dinraal, Farosh, and Naydra are said to be the daemons of the three Goddesses, with Hylia’s being most often depicted as a golden dragon or occasionally a huge, golden Loftwing).

Rune’s late settling, and his preferred forms before settling, were a huge cause of anxiety for him, Zelda, and their father. This is all tied into their self-doubt about awakening their sealing power and being able to fulfill her duty as the sacred princess, but it’s also personal for the King. His daemon is a Mountain Crow, which though known to be clever and resourceful are seen as a bad omen, even a curse, within Hyrule. It puts stress on his regime, and the idea that his daughter prefers frogs and lizards over forms that have become symbolic of the royal family and the sealing power is deeply troubling. Rune takes “appropriate” forms only at official appearances and ceremonies, and even then, usually a more wild hawk over an owl, eagle, or dragon.

Other characters:

The Old Man/King: Mountain Crow (real life equivalent: Raven)

Urbosa: Islander Hawk (with kind of a more desert coloration. real life equivalent: Harris Hawk)

Riju: Unsettled, usually a Sand Seal bc they love them

Impa: Blue-Winged Heron (real life equivalent: Great/Little Blue Heron).

Beedle: Hylian Retriever (A golden one, fight me)

Other random stuff/past Links:

- The Princess traditionally settles when she first unlocks/uses her powers, and the Hero traditionally settles when he draws the Master Sword. There are some exceptions, like the Hero of Twilight being old enough to have already been settled, and the Links in games without the Master Sword settling in other ways.

-Hero of Time and Twilight both had Wolf daemons. Their wolf forms are kind of a combination of them and their daemons’ appearances. Time had a lighter colored wolf and Twilight had a darker colored wolf.

- BUT Hero of Time��s daemon is usually a mouse as a child, when he’s unsettled, alluding to past and future heroes.

- The mouse thing (here and for the Hero of the Wild) comes less from personality and more from the feeling of facing an enormous dungeon boss as Link, like a mouse about to fight a lion.

-Both the Hero of Wind and Four Swords/Minish Cap Link also had mouse daemons.

- For Wind this is because of the mobility he needed re: moving on a ship (also kind of like a ship rat? Disclaimer: I’ve never played WW)

- For Four Swords/Minish this is because he shrinks down and is pretty much the same size as his daemon (she’d have to shrink a little bit too but not as much) and I just think that’d be really cute

-I’m not sure what Skyward Sword!Link’s daemon would be. Not a loftwing because it isn’t possible for anyone but a Goddess or a sacred princess (with Goddess blood) to settle as one, but I’ve never played SS so I can’t really say. It would have to be small enough to ride on a loftwing with him, or a bird of some sort- probably all of the people in Skyloft settled like that, now that I think about it. Maybe a beetle?

-Link from the original games probably has a wolf daemon, as well as LttP/LBW Link.

- Spirit Tracks!Link has a white dove daemon and she rides on his head like the birds in the game and its adorable

-Ganondorf always has a boar daemon in any iteration. When he transforms into Ganon they merge, similar to Wolf Link, but grotesquely instead of dissolving together in Twilight.

-Only the Hylians, Sheikah, and Gerudo have daemons

-The Sheikah have mostly same-sex daemons, with opposite-sex daemons being about as rare as same-sex daemons among the Hylians and Gerudo. No one’s quite sure why.

-The Zora have sort of a connection to their jewelry and weapons, but not necessarily a physical one. More of a literal “put your soul into your craft” type thing, which is why Zora armor is the way it is and most of the Zora have specialized livelihoods like sculpting and smithing.

-The Gorons don’t have a physical Thing, they have a special brotherhood with other Gorons. It’s why you rarely see Gorons traveling too far from Goron City, and almost never alone. They can be alone, like a Zora can be without their craft and affects, but it negatively effects them after a while.

-The Rito have their songs; though not all of them are musically inclined, its a cultural thing and not a physical requirement. Kass would be considered very spiritually aware and expressive, whereas Revali would not, but a non-musician Rito doesn’t suffer for it. There would only be an issue if there were no bards among the entire Rito race, and the songs faded from memory.

#daemon au #daemonverse #botw #breath of the wild #loz #legend of zelda #my post #id like to make one of those daemon au photoset things but #link is the only one with an animal not from the game and it would look wrong without him there :(

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sharktoraptor · 6 years ago

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Linkeduniverse Daemon AU

So uhh I posted it on the Discord and thought I may as well share here too. I put a lot of work into this one, beware that there’s a LOT of text beneath the cut!

If you’re unfamiliar with daemon AUs (referring to daemons from the His Dark Materials series), the basic concept is that your soul lives outside your body in the form of an animal that represents your personality. There’s a whole lot of character exploration involved in making a daemon AU!

If you’re unfamiliar with Linkeduniverse, it’s a Legend of Zelda AU where all the different incarnations of the hero meet and are on a quest. This daemon AU should be understandable with just a basic working knowledge of what the Legend of Zelda franchise is, this is all character/daemon stuff and no plot!

Again, a whole lot of text incoming. You might want to get comfortable. Enjoy!

Time: Wolf (white/gold)- Faekuri [fay-KYU-ree] (Kuri)

From Farore, fairy, Deku, and Kokiri.

Hyrule: Wolf (brown)- Fernwai [FURHN-why] (Fern, or just Fernwai)

From ‘fernweh’ (German for wanderlust) and fairy.

Twilight: Wolf (dark grey)- Aiyvona [eye-VOE-nuh] (Vona)

From ‘ayna’ (Turkish for mirror), Navi, Fai (Fi), and Ordona.

Warriors: Wolf (light grey)- Audelfi [awe-DEHL-fee]

From ‘audax’ (Latin for bold/reckless), ‘bellum’ (Latin for war), and Fi.

Wild: Field Mouse- Firielore [FEE-ree-uh-lore] (Firi)

From Farore, Fi, and Ciela.

Four: Field Mouse- Emper [EHM-purr] (no nickname, sometimes Em)

From temper, as in to temper a sword.

Sky: Blessed Butterfly- Lydivia [lih-DIH-vee-uh] (Lydi)

From Hylia and ‘divum’ (Latin for heaven/sky/open air).

Legend: Hare- Faistina [FY-stih-nuh] (Fais, rhyms with ‘vice’)

From Farore, ‘aisling’ (Irish for dream), and ‘obstino’ (Latin for persist).

Wind: Seagull- Marumi [mah-ROO-mee] (no nickname, sometimes Umi or Rumi)

From ‘mar/mare’ (Latin for sea), Ruto, and ‘umi’ (Japanese for sea).

The heroes traditionally settle when they first are draw/touch the Master Sword. This is true for Time, Legend, Wild, Warriors, Wind, and Sky (when the sword was completed). It doesn’t matter how old they are when they get the sword- Wild and Wind were both quite young, and Time technically settled when he was 9 years old, just before going into his seven year sleep. The exceptions are:

Twilight- Was already settled when his adventure began, he and his daemon merged upon entering the Twilight realm to create their wolf form.

Hyrule- Settled upon receiving the Triforce of Courage. Of the Links, Hyrule settled the latest in his journey.

Four- Officially settled upon restoring the Four Sword; however his daemon was already close to settling and was a mouse for the vast majority of his first adventure.

~Form Explanations~

A lot of the forms here aren’t necessarily exemplative of the Link’s personalities like a real daemon is, rather more of a symbolic representation of the character.

...Or something I thought would be cute because my city now.

The Wolf Pack (Time, Twilight, Hyrule, and Warriors)

All of these together, because the forms are the same. Because “Link” is the spirit/soul of the hero reborn again and again, it makes sense that there would be some overlap with forms. Each Link is their own person, but having legends of the hero with the wolf daemon as one of the most common depictions of the hero sounds cool and makes sense lore-wise. Right off the bat we have Time as the Heros Shade as the Golden Wolf, and Twilight following him with Wolf Link, the divine beast of the Twili.

Analysis/personality-wise, the form doesn’t fit all four of them as well as I’d like it to, but aspects of it do and like I said, we’re going more Pullman form/lore/symbolic here (not Pullman’s ‘wolves = evil’ though, that sucks). Wolves are hierarchical (Warriors), cooperative (all), social (Twilight, Warriors, the others to lesser extents), hard working and loyal (all), etc. All traits that would fit most of the Links well enough, but I like it for these four especially.

Important note, though: though all of their daemons share the same form, they’re still incredibly different. The differences in color is the first thing they all noticed, but their personalities are their own- not just the “soul of the hero.” That goes for all of them, of course, but it’s especially important for these four.

Mouse Friends (Four and Wild)

My reasons for picking mice for Wild and Four are so, so superficial. The analytic form actually fits both of them somewhat (again in different ways)- some of the core traits are things like independent, adaptable, observant/aware, defensive (physically and emotionally), but here are the real reasons.

Picture this okay. Four shrinks down to the size of a Minish, but his daemon doesn’t (or maybe she does but just a little bit). Now they’re like the same size. He can ride on his daemon and it’s adorable what’s not to like?

I made a big post about my botw daemon AU already here (disregard stuff about the other Links, I made this post before I’d really gotten into LU or any of the other games). Part of it that I don’t think I mentioned is logistics of the way Wild gets around, climbing and paragliding and swimming and stuff. He needs a daemon that is small enough to cling to him and stay safe when he’s doing stunts and shit.

Pink Bunny (Legend)

The Dark World in ALttP picked Legend’s daemon for me… I can’t give him a literal pink bunny though, so I took liberties. He’s much more of a hare personality than a rabbit, with hares being bigger and wilder, more independent, and having coats that change in the winter (get it? Oracle of Seasons, get it?). Not much else to say here, again more so picking a form to match the existing lore rather than doing an in-depth character study for it.

Butterfly in the Sky (Sky)

Alrighty, Sky was kind of hard because of his setting. What I chose eventually for him is the (fictional) Blessed Butterfly from SS, for a few reasons. It makes sense to me that daemons of people in Skyloft have to fit a couple of criteria: 1) small or fast enough at flying to ride a loftwing and 2) only take forms native to the sky, because it’s all they know about. Blessed Butterflies are one of the only animals in the game (according to the wiki- I’ve never played it myself) that are found on the ground and in the sky, so it works symbolically for his character.

I used the Monarch butterfly analysis as reference to make sure it wasn't totally off base, and it works for Sky surprisingly well from what I know about him. They're adaptable and adventurous (as a migrating species), and value group cohesion and teamwork (again because of the migration swarms). Lots of liberties being taken here, but the Blessed Butterflies in game apparently appear mostly in groups, so I'm willing to roll with it.

*Inhale* (Wind)

Wind has a seagull daemon because look. Have you seen Wind. Have you seen a seagull. Yes.

In all seriousness, there are some obvious reasons. Most of Wind’s adventure(s) take place on the ocean, so he needs a form that’s either adapted for that or small enough to fit on a boat, or both. You can literally take control of a seagull in WW. Plus she can nest on his head like the doves do in Spirit Tracks!

Personality-wise, I’m going to just copy from the ring-billed gull analysis because this one probably fits the best of all the Link’s, analytically. The form is listed as chaotic neutral (I’d say Wind is probably chaotic good but it’s the chaotic here that counts). Seagull souls value social interaction, cooperation, courage, confidence, and duty, and are stressed by lack of control, boredom, lack of purpose, and dishonesty.

~Individual Links and their Daes~

Time and Faekuri

Faekuri settled when Time drew the master sword as a child. He settled the youngest of all the heroes at 9 years old, and she was still settled even when they traveled back in time. Time is bitter about that; another aspect of the childhood he never had, stolen from him.

Before settling, Kuri mostly took forms traditional of the Kokiri ( small woodland creatures and fairies, though fairies are still separate entities). When they set out on their first adventure her repertoire expanded and she took bigger forms, but never left her forest shapes for long. Settling as a wolf was unexpected and jarring for both of them, especially the experience of waking up in an unfamiliar, war torn world in shapes that neither of them knew how to deal with. Going back in time to be a child again didn’t help- Kuri never changed again, and Time had to live with that.

Kuri isn’t quiet, exactly, but she’s not generally conversational. She’s fairly blunt with scolding or encouragement if it’s needed, but if something is important enough for her to talk about, the others listen. However, she’s the most physically affectionate of all the wolf daemons, often nosing at, walking alongside, or even playing/rubbing up against the other wolves. She and Time are usually touching during downtime, but not as openly cuddly with one another as some of the others. With age comes a deep understanding of one another, and that’s enough for them.

Hyrule and Fernwai

Hyrule, by contrast, has one of the oldest settling ages of the Links at around 16. Fernwai’s settled form (which she took when they received the Triforce of Courage) was somewhat of a surprise to them both, but not as shockingly out of left field as it was for Time. It was a form they had taken before, just infrequently. They settled towards the end of their adventures as the Hero, and because they didn’t have to navigate their journey in unfamiliar skin, it feels wholly right and natural to them now. Before she settled, Fernwai preferred bird forms over landbound ones. They knew that the Hero of Time had a wolf form, so they’d tried it before, just in case, but the Hero of Legend didn’t, so maybe it was a one time thing…

Fernwai is a little more pragmatic and cautious than Hyrule, but aside from that, they’re basically the same. She doesn’t often initiate conversation with the others, but is very chatty to Hyrule. She’s less touchy with the other wolf daemons, though she’s become the most popular perch for the smaller ones while traveling, but she and Hyrule are the most openly affectionate with one another. It’s common to see them sleeping on top of each other, not just next to or touching like most of the others do. Their tight bond comes in part from the lucky timing of their settling; they had time to work through it without much distraction after, while most of the others weren’t so lucky.

Twilight and Aiyvona

Twilight was the only Hero to be settled at the start of his adventure, which he’s sometimes hyperaware of. Aiyvona settled when he turned 15, about a year and a half before meeting Midna. People in Ordon village joked about his being the ‘lone wolf’ of the village, but he was a member of a pack then (the village and the children), and he’s a member of a pack now. It’s always suited them, and it had the bonus of being a good, mobile form for herding.

The Twili don’t have daemons, and the spirit people in the twilight realm don’t either, which is horrifying from Twilight’s perspective. But that’s why when they were taken into the twilight realm, Twilight and Vona’s forms merged into Wolf Link, a combination of both of them. Both of their minds are in Wolf Link and they can both control the form, but they’ve only ever fought for control once, when Vona tried to stop Zelda from sacrificing herself for Midna and Twilight won out, holding her back.

Despite the obvious similarities between Vona and “Wolfie,” the Links that don’t know about their secret haven’t figure it out. It’s a pretty big leap of logic- besides, Wolfie has all those strange markings, and a shackle around their paw. Wolfie doesn’t mind if the others touch them, even if Vona is in there too- it’s a magical form unique to them both, and it’s neither of theirs completely. Vona is as mature as Kuri is, but more talkative with the others, less touchy, and far more willing to tease and rile the younger daemons up. She doesn’t actually talk to Kuri much- the two wolves recognized each other as soon as they met, and they have an unspoken understanding. She talks to Twilight the regular amount, but they don’t need physical contact as much as the others do- they can share a body whenever they want, and nothing feels as close anymore.

Warriors and Audelfi

Audelfi settled when Warriors drew the Master Sword, but she’d been taking a wolf form on and off for some time before that. It was a noble form to take and common among the unsettled soldiers; the legendary form of the Hero. They were both quite happy with the form, though settling in the middle of a conflict is never easy.

Despite her name, Delfi is absolutely Warriors’ voice of reason and caution. It’s not a mostly even split like it is with Hyrule and Fernwai, she got just about all of it and he got almost none. She’s the one to talk him down from his most reckless decisions, or to sit by exasperatedly when she can’t. It’s sometimes caused noticeable friction between them; every rare once in a while it gets so bad that they flat out won’t speak to one another, and Delfi has actually pulled at their bond to try and drag him away from a dangerous situation before. They (obviously) always apologize and make up, but it’s a cycle that keeps repeating.

Delfi sees herself partly as her Hylian’s protector (she’s not entirely wrong), so it took her a while to relax around the other daemons and interact with them instead of Warriors, who was the exact opposite and warmed up to the other Links very quickly. She’s the only daemon that will talk to the other Hylians uninvited, which they don’t mind, exactly, but find a little bit… forward. Her ego is definitely smaller than Warriors, but Delfi was the Greek center of the world, after all.

Wild and Firielore

Wild settled young, drawing the Master Sword when he was 13. Firi settled as a field mouse, which was a cause for concern at first. Scholars quickly reassured the King that everything was fine; the Hero’s daemon was most often a wolf, yes, but there was at least one other in the ancient texts that took the shape of a mouse.

Wild and Firi have the longest bond distance of all of the Links, because of the painful pulling that they frequently put themselves through as a knight and as Zelda’s guard. Every once in a while she’ll climb a rock or something and Wild will go carefully still, automatically pretending not to be fazed- old habits die hard. Everyone has noticed, but no one brings it up. It’s none of their business, even when any one of them would be doubled over with the pain of the distance while Wild stands outwardly unaffected. Twilight tried talking to him about it once, and Wild didn’t respond but ignored him for the rest of the day, Firi like a statue of a mouse on his shoulder.

Firi is and always has been a quiet daemon, but she got even quieter as the weight of her and Wild’s responsibilities settled over them Pre-Calamity. She never speaks except to Wild, and even then, only softly and occasionally. She’s opened up considerably since their awakening in the Shrine of Resurrection in that she’ll leave Wild’s shoulder and interact with the other daemons for longer and longer periods of time, often riding with Emper on Fernwai’s back during long days of uneventful travel. The others have only heard her voice once or twice, and she always pretends that they haven’t in case they make it a big deal.

(More on Firi pre-LU here)

Four and Emper

Emper settled when Four drew the completed Four Sword during his first journey, but she was taking the mouse form long before that. It was just always who she had been, and it was really a relief to settle, because they’d been wondering why they hadn’t already. Four loves her form for a multitude of reasons- he’s small, and she’s small. She can’t really help in the forge, but she can fit into lots of places that he can’t (when he’s big). She can ride on his shoulder, and when he’s the size of a Minish, he can ride on her back. They’re perfect for one another!

Emper doesn’t shrink when Four does, but she does change when he splits. It’s kind of complicated. There’s not four Empers the same way there’s four Fours, but they each have an aspect of her the same way they do of him. What form that takes I’m unsure of- there aren’t four mouse daemons, though.

Emper is one of the calmer social daemons, just like her Hylian. She's very friendly with all the other daemons, and she was a big part of helping Firi to feel at home in the group (meeting Four and having their form validated was actually very important for her and Wild). It's hard to be super cuddly with a mouse, but she and Four manage. They prefer to communicate silently rather than openly, but they have a healthy combination of both.

Sky and Lydivia

Sky and Lydivia settled later in their journey as well, when Hylia’s blessing completed the transformation of the Master Sword. The people of Skyloft didn’t have as much form variance as they would as the people of Hyrule, because of how deeply ingrained the loftwings were to their culture. Daemons only took shapes that were small enough to ride on a loftwing, be carried, or fly quickly enough to keep up with one; though only the the Goddesses themselves (and by extension all Zeldas) could settle as one of the sacred birds. Lydi always favored the butterfly form, and it was fitting that she settled as something found both in the Sky and on the land beneath the clouds.

Lydi is quiet, because even though her wingspan makes her larger than Firi and Emper, it’s hard for a butterfly to be loud. She does speak sometimes, just very softly, and mostly lets Sky voice her thoughts if she needs him to. It’s not uncommon to see her settled on one of the other’s daemons, either listening to them talk or just being near them for comfort or camaraderie. She’s content to just be, listening to the other Hylians and daemons (who learn what the different movements of her wings mean and include her in conversations when they can) and talking silently to Sky.

Legend and Faistina

Faistina settled when Legend drew the Master Sword, like most of the others, but they already sort of knew. The Dark World reveals your true self, and they had been a rabbit- he feels unspeakably lucky they didn’t settle that way, though he’d never admit it out loud. A hare is a better form, faster, bigger, and more capable. He is not a defenseless rabbit.

When they’re forced into the rabbit form in the Dark World, it’s sort of the same experience that Twilight and Vona have when becoming Wolf Link, except that it’s a weakening and incomplete merging and not an advantage. It’s more like Fais- all of Fais, not just the parts that they always share- is forced into Legend’s mind all at once, and he takes on her base physical traits, but softened; the ears, the fur, the face… it sucks for both of them. He’s so glad they didn’t settle as a rabbit.

Like Hyrule and Fernwai, Legend and Fais have similar base personalities- they just don’t get along as well as they maybe should. It’s not like Warriors, where he and his daemon have spats and then reconcile, more like they have some unresolved things they probably should have talked about long ago but most likely never will. Her form still makes him uncomfortable and self doubtful, and she knows it, though she’s long accepted it herself. Fais interacts with the other daemons in the same way that Legend interacts with the other Links; a little bit needling at times, kind of aloof, but able to see when she’s needed to be serious or kind. Despite their differences she and Legend do love each other, of course they do, but they don’t show their affection as outwardly, instead verbally sparring with one another or sharing exasperated looks at someone else’s expense.

Wind and Marumi

Wind settled when he drew the Master Sword at age 12, young even for a Hero. He’s never had any issue with Marumi’s form; seagull daemons are pretty common on the Great Sea, and he’s happy to represent that. It’s a good form for a sailor and a pirate, as long as she’s perched when the King of Red Lions goes fast, and she can even glide from traincar to traincar to check on passengers and cargo if they’re careful about it. They aren’t upset at how early they were forced to settle, either, except maybe for the fact that Marumi didn’t get to play with forms as much as most kids. Time is bitter about it on Wind’s behalf.

Wind and Marumi are young and have an innocent, open daemon-Hylian bond despite their mature experiences. They’re used to silent communication, because she’s in the air whenever possible and it’s hard for her voice to carry over the roar of the sea and the wind. Marumi helps to serve as the group’s navigator if they’re lost and she and Wind can get up high enough to not stretch their bond too badly (they have a larger than average bond distance, which is helpful for avian forms, but it’s natural and not forced like Wild’s is). She has a good sense of direction and the flight power that Lydi lacks to get a good view of their surroundings.

Marumi loves to talk to the other daemons, and she and Wind have reacclimated fairly well to talking to each other verbally. Sometimes Wind will still yell out non sequiturs to her, though, because they’re used to the one way communicating. She’s not flying that high, and he does not need to yell so loud and startle all eight of his fully armed travel companions, thank you very much. Marumi stays in the air most of the time during the day, but nests in Wind’s lap or hair at night.

~Other Stuff~

- All of the daemons call their Link ‘Link,’ and all the other Links by their title. It’s not as confusing as one would think. Everyone learns the other daemons’ voices very quickly, so that if one shouts out in the heat of battle they can identify who needs help.

- Listening to the daemons talk about their Hylians can be confusing. Not for the daemons themselves, though.

- Most of them know on some level that Legend is unhappy with Fais’ form, they just don’t know why. Sky, Wind, Four, and Wild have tried pep talking him about not having a wolf form, thinking maybe that’s the problem. It’s not.

- They all worry about the extremes to which Wild and Firi push their bond, and how often they do it.

- If they need to split up, the wolf daemons communicate long distance with an agreed upon system of howls. Most of the group is impressed with how quickly Wolfie picks it up too.

#linkeduniverse #legend of zelda #the legend of zelda #daemonism #daemon au #daemons #(this is dipshitcoyote btw)#(if the readmore is broken for anyone im so so sorry)#validate me #my post

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chandelierslayer · 5 years ago

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Y’know, there are a lot of narrative choices and tropes that I outright hate with a fiery passion. Veritable plateaus of text have been dedicated to pointing out why and how stories that use them can be made better. And “super bloodlines” or whatever you want to call it, is one of the biggest offenders. It irritates me to no end when writers can’t let their person be special on their own merit. Everyone has to be connected to some kind of magical bloodline. This hero was able to vanquish the hero because they’re from a long line of special people. This woman can talk to the planet and she’s the ONLY ONE who can because it’s a thing only her race can do, and the rest of her race is dead. This villain was inevitably going to become the sixth ranger because they belong to bloodline that is always Good™ or is SURPRISE! the sibling of one of the heroes. This horse is more BEAUTIFUL and SPECIAL than all the other horses because it’s the descendant of the horse ridden by a PRINCESS (really???). Yeah. You get my drift.

But when bloodlines are (actually or just hinted at being) in the backdrop of a story, with no special privileges bestowed because of it, I don’t mind. So when I was examining the maps of A Link to the Past and The Minish Cap together (which I originally only did to look for similarities between those two and the LoZ map, hi, welcome to how we do things around here, my trails of thought are split ends and those split ends have split ends and you get it) and trying to find more than a few similarities to back up two of my previous theories (I need help, somebody throw down a rope), and I found something that made me throw them off of the stove completely, I wasn’t at all bothered by the idea of the two little dudes who make the Master Sword red being descended from Minish Cap Link. Instead, I just used that thought to further fuel my digging into the theory I’ll lay out before you.

Now, with that absurdly long and unnecessary intro out of the way, I hope you enjoy. XD

Picture, if you will, a cozy little house surrounded by trees. It’s also a smithy, where the sound of metalworking can be heard from closeby. To the west of this house is a body of water stretching from North to South. If you walk North of the house, you’ll eventually come across a road that runs from East to West. Not far Northwest from that point, you’ll find a place called the Lost Woods.

Now, what did I just describe? The home of Smith and his grandson? Or the home of two tiny blacksmiths who helped the Hero of Legend stop the Cataclysm by strengthening the blade of evil’s bane?

And no, no, no, don’t worry, I’m not asking you to believe that the Lost Woods in ALttP is the same as the “Lost Woods” South of the Royal Valley in TMC. That would be silly, right? Hahaaa. No. I’m asking you to believe that it’s part of it. The Northwestern part, that is. Sort of. Around that area. Look, if some of these map theorists out here can swivel maps diagonally and flip them completely around to make them fit together, I can be vague about some thick woods, okay? (No hate, I love you guys, keep doing what you’re doing) *ahem* So yeah.

Let’s zoom out from that tiny scenario I was describing earlier. The idea is that the first Hyrule Castle¹ is around the area where the “Bumpkin Family” house and the Eastern part of the Lost Woods is. North Hyrule Field would be South of that, and Hyrule Town, whether you want it to be the same as or separate from OoT’s Castle Town, would be just South of that (the road running East to West, under the fortune teller’s place, would be the same road as the one just South of the town gate in TMC)

Yes, this means that ALttP’s Kakariko is where the Trilby Highlands/Western Wood used to be (and a little bit where TMC’s Hyrule Town is), which ALSO means that Wind Ruins, Castor Wilds, and Mt. Crenel are just West of all that, putting it just outside the ALttP map² (conveniently out of the way - sorry I love all three of you, you’re wonderful, mwah). This also means that Veil Falls would’ve been just about at the Westernmost parts of that gigantic mountain range thing in ALttP they call Death Mountain, which I’m okay with. Also means the Minish Woods was around where the Sanctuary and Hyrule Castle are in ALttP. Ouch. But I mean, it’s not the most devastating thing the Hylians have done, so moving on. Also, the first Lon Lon Ranch would be in the Death Mountain foothills, to the West.

So, why do I like this idea so much? First, it aligns pretty neatly with the idea that the Master Sword grove in ALttP is where the Temple of Time used to be - at least, to me. But I’m also of the opinion that the Temple of Time/Sacred Grove/Lost Woods grove area are all the same - meaning that’s also where the Sealed Grounds was - and it never changed. Um... No matter what other theories I come up with/entertain, that’s always gonna be the case, I can pretty much guarantee. I just don’t like the theory that the Temple of Time was moved. Granted, I’m more okay with that idea in this timeline than in the Child Timeline, because in the Child Timeline the Hero of Time prophecy still has never come to pass, it’s still a sort of messianic legend the people believe strongly in, and even though the royal family has been told of the whole time-travel shenanigans thing, ha ha haaaaaaaaa... I don’t think they’d be able to convince an entire society that there was no longer need for that five-piece seal. The descendants of the ones entrusted with the keys are probably still clutching them tightly to this very day... Actually what am I talking about? All that stuff is forgotten about, shrouded in the mists of time and whatnot. Whoops, guess this green and shining stone can fetch me a pretty penny at the pawn shop... ANYWAY. We’re here for the Fallen Timeline right now, so let’s FOCUS.

Another part of all this is my old theory... hypothesis?... idea? that the Sealed Temple/Temple of the Goddess, and later the Temple of Time that was build where that used to stand, were somewhere behind/within the castle in TMC (not in the game, obviously, but you know how this works). The reason I believe this, is because TMC happens at a time when Hyrule is a young kingdom. It has literally one town and everything else around it is all wild lands, as far as they’re concerned. It’s obvious that they’ve only just settled there in the past few centuries, and I doubt they would stray far from the place where they first touched down.

So. If the Temple of Time is where the Master Sword grove is later, that would put OoT’s Hyrule Castle North of the ALttP map, Market where the Lost Woods eventually grows, Hyrule Field/the second Lon Lon Ranch in the Southern Lost Woods plus where ALttP’s Kakariko is built and the surrounding area (which also means Ordon Village is around the second Kakariko area in the Child Timeline. Amazing. No matter what happens, that land WILL be repurposed into village land. Except in the Adult Timeline, it’s been destroyed, bye-bye), and mayyyybe the Desert of Mystery where OoT’s Lake Hylia was??? Although this also means I could’ve been wrong all these years about the Minish Woods: Maybe they ARE where the OoT Lost Woods are after all. Hmmm. Honestly I still personally prefer the idea of OoT’s Lost Woods being where the Eastern Palace area is in ALttP. Lots of deforestation no matter where my theories go... That’s depressing. Hylians, stop being jerks. At least they’re less jerks than humans have historically been to each other. So far. I can only prove their oppression of AT MOST three and a half races so far, so honestly, we’re looking at an improved world here.

Ummmm I think that was about it. Did I have anything else before I zoom into the notes? No? Alrighty let’s wrap this up!

¹ When I first played TMC, I had no problem thinking that Hyrule Castle and the one in OoT were the same, Hyrule Town became Castle Town, and the Minish Woods are located in some indeterminate woodland somewhere between Castle Town and Kakariko. But like I said, I’ve become partial to the idea that the Temple of Time is behind/around the castle in TMC, not shown, out of sight, protected, so I theorized them building a new castle elsewhere. Then again, that idea comes from the idea of the Temple of Time being built over the Sealed Grounds, and that hasn’t been shown or said in-game yet, so both options are valid to me I guess. I love Historia, and I take its word with more salt than Encyclopedia, but still not enough to season my stuffed pumpkins on a Monday night. ...I still believe wholeheartedly that Hyrule Castle in TP is a completely different castle up North from where the original one - and the town, and the Temple of Time - were in OoT, and TP’s Lake Hylia is not the same Lake Hylia, and Arbiter’s Grounds/the more “Western” style Gerudo desert is North of the OoT desert, etc., and you’ll never be able to pry that belief out of my cold, dead, fingers, so don’t even try. Er... I mean... ... Golly, you guys, aren’t hypotheses fun? ^__^

² Which I’m thinking would mean Mt. Crenel is just North of Gerudo Valley, maybe even a mountain or cliff you can see in-game, and Castor Wilds would maybe eventually be the land the river runs through in the canyon below. Or... part of said land. Who knows. Ah man now I wanna make my Link (from Peace of Heart) jump down from the Gerudo Valley bridge with her Roc’s Cape and glide down to the Wind Ruins all cool and stuff! <<33 Just kidding, Gerudo Valley is no longer exactly there in that fic, in fact Gerudo haven’t been in that area in ages. It’s... a long story. In more than one meaning of the phrase. ANYWAY.

Alternatives: Smith’s House TMC is Link’s House ALttP - this is not a new idea, I don’t think. I’ve seen other people propose it, it’s a great idea, my idea is just this but like, scooched over a little. I’m sorry, I never claimed to be original. XDD The great thing about both of these theories is that they put Syrup’s hut pretty much around the point where it is in both ALttP and TMC, if you think about it.

Hyrule Town TMC is Hyrule Castle ALttP - this also works? Kind of? Except it doesn’t give a lot of room North of the castle for the stuff that should be there (although that’s explain-away-able if you take the “the mountain formed over the ages” route, which I personally like, because I like the idea that OoT Kakariko was around where the Sanctuary/Graveyard is in ALttP and then a series of volcanic eruptions happened, resulting in the formation of the Westernmost mountain and also the destruction of the original Kakariko and the village moving Southwest. ...I’m sorry).

That’s all I have for you today (I’m pretty sure I didn’t miss anything) and to my followers, I am really sorry I’m never around anymore. I have no excuse. Please forgive me. I’ll try to make some posts about my recent LoZ misadventures, but... No promises, okay? Let’s take it one day at a time. However, you CAN follow me here to actually watch some of those misadventures, so there’s that! ^__^

Until next time, have fun, stay safe, and drink water! PACE~

#The Legend of Zelda #map theories #A Link to the Past #The Minish Cap #Smith's House #also we talk about deforestation and why you should JUST SAY NO #spoilers #not a lot but yeah

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lightmaiiden · 6 years ago

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If ya don't mind I'm gonna ask half of those. Could and probably should leave some for others but I just really enjoy this. ✍Favorite thing about writing the muse? 😈Worst thing you’ve ever done to your muse? 💡What inspires you to write the muse? 📑Favorite part of your muse’s backstory? 📝Favorite headcanon for your muse? 💭Favorite memory of the muse? 😩Hardest thing about writing the muse? ⌨What’s a situation you’ve always wanted to RP with the muse?

WOAH THAT’S A LOT BUT I DON’T MIND AT ALL, thank you so much hweohasd let’s get started

✍Favorite thing about writing the muse?

EVERYTHING!! It’s hard to just pinpoint one thing I love about a/lttp Zel when there’s everything I love about her, aside from sky Zel she’s legit my fav Zel (And by extension a/lbw she’s a cutie poot and has more of a personality in there!!) I do find her intelligence to be quite refreshing compared to most characters I play who either dense or just average, while I’m not at all confident in writing smart characters I can only hope that my characterization of her showcases her more wise side and it’s always so much fun to write her playfully bully other characters should she feel comfortable enough around them, she’s often very polite so I always look forward to Zel forming new friendships to show this side of her. Then there’s her determination to do whatever she can to protect the people and her kingdom, she sincerely loves her people and Hy/rule, wanting what’s best for them and whatnot.

Though I know that this Zel is mostly headcanon base with both manga influence and minor, minor game as well ;v; I feel a bit arrogant saying that I like Zel this way actually haha...

😈Worst thing you’ve ever done to your muse?

UHM in one of my threads, she’s actually stabbed a possessed Link by accident when trying to wrestle him with a sword since at the time he was trying to kill her during her pilgrimage in praying to the spirits of light no less. She’s devasted that she caused harm to the person that she cares a lot about. Spoiler alert, she’s going to be so freaking sad throughout the whole thread until... things happen. Legend and I sorta planned out the direction of where we want to go next!

💡What inspires you to write the muse?

Uhm, good question. Inspiration is sorta tricky with me, it just strikes whenever it wants. During Depression Months™ aka winter where I have a lot of depressive episodes than manic, it’s so hard to write and zero inspiration comes to me hence my radio silence during the winter months.

📑Favorite part of your muse’s backstory?

Sadly, Z/elda has a basic backstory, it’s nothing exciting so I can’t really say sorry. Unless you count the events of A/lttp then, in that case, it’s my favorite part of her backstory!

📝Favorite headcanon for your muse?

NGL I’M PRETTY PROUD OF HOW HER MAGIC WORKS, since it explains both why she doesn’t show too much of the Light Force during Alttp despite (according to canon) that power being with the royal family since forever as well as how potent it is despite not being able to use all of it which also explains why she was used for sacrifice twice now. So ye ye!! Pretty happy with that, although SSBU decided to come out of nowhere and say “actually she’s been able to do this sort of magic”.

💭Favorite memory of the muse?

Again, she doesn’t really have a lot going on in her backstory so it’s hard to pinpoint this. Although, I will forever love the idea of tiny Zel being slightly tomboyish and a bit of a troublemaker: having no problem with hunting minish or sneaking out to either read some more or stealing a quick sweet treat and I will forever die on this hill.

😩Hardest thing about writing the muse?

Showing how smart she is. I am not smart, how do smart people think? I do not know but I do worry about not being able to show that properly.

⌨What’s a situation you’ve always wanted to RP with the muse?

EXPLORING DUNGEONS LET’S GO!!! Once I finally get around to beating SSBU, I’d love to do the World of Light thread where she’s a puppet. Writing evil Zelda would be so much fun I feel despite the fact that I’m not very good with writing villains, which sucks because sometimes I tend to like them.

#ganondorfthedarklord #answered ;

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minishgunslinger · 6 years ago

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Lets get personal

1: 6 of the songs you listen to most?

Come a little bit closer, Man Up, Fly me to the moon, Dustland Fairytale, Goodnight travel well, My way.

2: If you could meet anyone on this earth, who would it be?

My Soul mate.

3: Grab the book nearest to you, turn to page 23, give me line 17.

Han had suggested more than once, that anyone who talked to her stomach was more than nuts.

4: What do you think about most?

What the hell am I doing with my life?

5: What does your latest text message from someone else say?

I’ll get online and play Splatoon with you.

6: Do you sleep with or without clothes on?

Without

7: What’s your strangest talent?

I can play the Trombone

8: Girls… (finish the sentence); Boys… (finish the sentence)

Girls are pretty cool.

9: Ever had a poem or song written about you?

No...

10: When is the last time you played the air guitar?

3 years and 16 days ago...

11: Do you have any strange phobias?

I don’t like my hands to be sticky....

12: Ever stuck a foreign object up your nose?

Yeah when I was a kid I put legos up there.

13: What’s your religion?

I don’t believe in any kind of religion.

14: If you are outside, what are you most likely doing?

Walking Roland on a nice spring day

15: Do you prefer to be behind the camera or in front of it?

In front of it.

16: Simple but extremely complex. Favorite band?

The Killers

17: What was the last lie you told?

I’m good.

18: Do you believe in karma?

I don’t know, I think things just happen....

19: What does your URL mean?

I’m weird?

20: What is your greatest weakness; your greatest strength?

Greatest weakness? I wear my heart on my sleeve. My greatest strength? I care a lot about other people.

21: Who is your celebrity crush?

The girl who voices Mabel from Gravity Falls. <3

22: Have you ever gone skinny dipping?

No. I’m not a good swimmer.

23: How do you vent your anger?

Go home and workout.

24: Do you have a collection of anything?

Doggy toys for Roland.

25: Do you prefer talking on the phone or video chatting online?

Video Chat. That way you can see all the little quirks of the person you’re chatting with.

26: Are you happy with the person you’ve become?

No. I feel like I’ve dropped the ball and dropped it hard. Not exactly the person I dreamed of becoming.

27: What’s a sound you hate; sound you love?

I hate alarm clocks :/ but I love the sound of fans spinning.

28: What’s your biggest “what if”?

What if I hadn’t ruined everything I’ve been serious with.

29: Do you believe in ghosts? How about aliens?

Yes to both.

30: Stick your right arm out; what do you touch first? Do the same with your left arm.

Roland, and Roland.

31: Smell the air. What do you smell?

Me?

32: What’s the worst place you have ever been to?

The Camelot Inn in Jasper Indiana. Lived there for 6 months.

33: Choose: East Coast or West Coast?

West Coast.

34: Most attractive singer of your opposite gender?

Lana Del Rey

35: To you, what is the meaning of life?

The achieve a state of happiness for more than one day.

36: Define Art.

Anything that you can get lost in for a while.

37: Do you believe in luck?

Yeah, and I have admittedly bad luck.

38: What’s the weather like right now?

rainy and murky

39: What time is it?

3:17 am

40: Do you drive? If so, have you ever crashed?

No.

41: What was the last book you read?

The Shape of Water.

42: Do you like the smell of gasoline?

Yep, reminds me of walking to the gas station with my best friend when I was younger.

43: Do you have any nicknames?

Minish, Dr. Ragsdale, Curly haired guy who works at Walmart.

44: What was the last film you saw?

Solo

45: What’s the worst injury you’ve ever had?

I broke my ankle when I was in 8th grade. It kinda hasn’t been the same since.

46: Have you ever caught a butterfly?

No, I’d be too worried that I would kill it :(

47: Do you have any obsessions right now?

Marvel Comics :O

48: What’s your sexual orientation?

I’m attracted to girls, but don’t have a problem admitting when a guy looks good.

49: Ever had a rumour spread about you?

Yeah, plenty :(

50: Do you believe in magic?

Yeah, even though I have never had any of it successfully work.

51: Do you tend to hold grudges against people who have done you wrong?

Unfortunately yes. Even if what they did isn’t necessarily wrong....I’m learning to just forget and forgive....

52: What is your astrological sign?

Taurus.

53: Do you save money or spend it?

Here lately I’ve been saving it...

54: What’s the last thing you purchased?

Solo movie ticket

55: Love or lust?

Love...but all I can do is lust.

56: In a relationship?

Single

57: How many relationships have you had?

2 serious ones and a few non serious ones.

58: Can you touch your nose with your tongue?

No.

59: Where were you yesterday?

Walmart Vision Center.

60: Is there anything pink within 10 feet of you?

No.

61: Are you wearing socks right now?

Actually I am not.

62: What’s your favourite animal?

Ocelot.

63: What is your secret weapon to get someone to like you?

I don’t know, I wish I did though :O

64: Where is your best friend?

Arkansas....

65: Give me your top 5 favourite blogs on Tumblr.

Ashleytheliferuiner

Theslayingslitherinqueen

Pennydread(I think That’s Ariel’s)

Catnoodles

Mintoath

66: What is your heritage?

I don’t know...but I know we aren’t very successful.

67: What were you doing last night at 12AM?

Being stupid :/

68: What do you think is Satan’s last name?

Ragsdale?

69: Be honest. Ever gotten yourself off?

Well yeah....but who hasn’t?

70: Are you the kind of friend you would want to have as a friend?

Honestly no. I have a bad habit of putting my problems onto others and I’m kinda needy.

71: You are walking down the street on your way to work. There is a dog drowning in the canal on the side of the street. Your boss has told you if you are late one more time you get fired. What do you do?

Get fired. Duh. Who is gonna let a doggo die?

72: You are at the doctor’s office and she has just informed you that you have approximately one month to live. a) Do you tell anyone/everyone you are going to die? b) What do you do with your remaining days? c) Would you be afraid?

I would only tell a few folks...basically if I’m currently talking to you now I would let you know. I wouldn’t be afraid, just worried about who would look after Roland. Spend my last days with Roland making sure he is the happiest pupp alive.

73: You can only have one of these things; trust or love.

Love :/ I’m such a hopeless romantic.

74: What’s a song that always makes you happy when you hear it?

Tribute.

75: What are the last four digits in your cell phone number?

1659

76: In your opinion, what makes a great relationship?

Friendship makes a great relationship. It’s the foundation of any loving relationship. If you can’t be friends, then I don’t know how you can be lovers.

77: How can I win your heart?

Honestly at this point...just be a shoulder I can lean on.

78: Can insanity bring on more creativity?

Yeah...I guess...

79: What is the single best decision you have made in your life so far?

Getting a job in Optical. I absolutely love fitting glasses.

80: What size shoes do you wear?

11 and a half

81: What would you want to be written on your tombstone?

He really liked Orange Juice.

82: What is your favourite word?

Rambunctious

83: Give me the first thing that comes to mind when you hear the word; heart.

fragile

84: What is a saying you say a lot?

What can ya do?

85: What’s the last song you listened to?

Wham bam Sham a long

86: Basic question; what’s your favourite colour/colours?

GREEN :D

87: What is your current desktop picture?

A village in Japan.

88: If you could press a button and make anyone in the world instantaneously explode, who would it be?

Myself.

89: What would be a question you’d be afraid to tell the truth on?

Who are you in love with?

90: One night you wake up because you heard a noise. You turn on the light to find that you are surrounded by MUMMIES. The mummies aren’t really doing anything, they’re just standing around your bed. What do you do?

Go back to sleep. I do enjoy company from time to time...

91: You accidentally eat some radioactive vegetables. They were good, and what’s even cooler is that they endow you with the super-power of your choice! What is that power?

To not be super tired anymore :D

92: You can re-live any point of time in your life. The time-span can only be a half-hour, though. What half-hour of your past would you like to experience again?

My 21st Birthday, My dad took me to Applebees and bought me some awesome ribs and a shot of whiskey.

93: You can erase any horrible experience from your past. What will it be?

These past 6 months.

94: You have the opportunity to sleep with the music-celebrity of your choice. Who would it be?

Lana Del Rey.

95: You just got a free plane ticket to anywhere. You have to depart right now. Where are you gonna go?

Washington State!

96: Do you have any relatives in jail?

Maybe? I don’t hear from my family often....

97: Have you ever thrown up in the car?

Yeah :/ It when I had asthma working around chemicals. The Doctor told me not to eat....and I ate....and it came back out.

98: Ever been on a plane?

Yeah, it’s rad.

99: If the whole world were listening to you right now, what would you say?

Love eachother, be kind and tell that guy or gal that you love em. It’ll make your day, make their day. Too many loves are lost and never told.

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hyruviandoctor · 7 years ago

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Zelda Asks

I was asked by @neko-otaku13 to do those Zelda asks that are going around, except she said to do all of them. So here you go, you monster.

Legend of Zelda - Favorite console game? I know it’s kind of the popular thing to say right now, but I think I have to go with Breath of the Wild. It used to be Ocarina of Time just because I’ve spent so much time playing around in that world, but Breath of the Wild just has so much to do and see. The dungeons aren’t very impressive, the final boss was too easy, and I wish there was just a bit more story (a few more memories would be nice), but the game itself is just so much fun.

Adventure of Link - Favorite character (in any game)? Always Zelda. But if I have to pick someone else I think I’d say that Groose might be my favorite. He’s so absurd, but he ends up being such a good guy. Also that whole scene where he follows Link to the surface just kills me.

A Link to the Past - Favorite place (in any game)? I really like Romani Ranch from Majora’s mask because it feels like what they might have originally wanted Lon Lon Ranch to be like. I also really like the Akkala Region in Breath of the Wild, but that’s mostly because I really like the colors and the ruins found around there (including the Earth Spring from Skyward Sword).

Link’s Awakening - Favorite Link? I really like the Link in Breath of the Wild, but I also really like Link in Ocarina/Majora and in Twilight Princess. Basically I like when Link is clearly a dork but is also fairly grown-up, because it gives him a lot of character and makes him more relatable.

Ocarina of Time - Favorite Zelda song? If I had to choose just one, I’d have to say the Ballad of the Goddess from Skyward Sword. It’s an amazing song on its own, and the fact that it has Zelda’s lullaby backwards inside of it is just incredible. Close seconds are Chancellor Cole’s Theme from Spirit Tracks, the main theme/trailer theme from Breath of the Wild, Zelda’s Lullaby, and Molgera’s Battle Theme from Wind Waker.

Majora’s Mask - Favorite mask? Oh geeze, probably the Goron Mask. I like rollin around at the speed of sound, killing dudes with spikes. Also I just think the design looks really cool. I’ve always liked the Gorons (even though BotW really disappointed me there for the most part), so I really enjoyed getting to play as one. Although I just remembered the Fierce Deity mask and I absolutely love his design and am deeply intrigued by the lore behind him (and the fact that we know almost nothing about him).

Wind Waker - Favorite boss? I really like the final Ganondorf fight in Twilight Princess. All the stages were really intense and exciting, and it really felt like you were fighting to save the world from destruction. If we’re talking about regular bosses I might have to say Molgera from Wind Waker, but that might be mainly because the music during that fight is freaking amazing.

Four Swords - Favorite handheld game? SPIRIT TRACKS. SPIRIT TRACKS IS THE BEST HANDHELD ZELDA AND I WILL FIGHT ANYONE WHO DISAGREES (although I also deeply adore Minish Cap). I actually was really upset when I first saw the announcement trailer because “Trains don’t belong in Zelda!” but boy was I wrong about that. I love pretty much everything about Spirit Tracks, especially the story and how involved and developed Zelda is (one of the best Zeldas in the series for sure). I love the music too and I think it’s the only handheld Zelda that I listen to the soundtrack of. It’s been a while since I’ve played it, so I’m sure I’m only remembering the good, but I still love it and I love that it sort of completes the Wind Waker saga. I definitely recommend you play it if you haven’t already!

Twilight Princess - Favorite companion? I like Fi and Navi, but I might have to say Midna because she’s the most developed companion character and she’s amazing. But if I can pick Spirit Tracks Zelda, I pick her because she’s fantastic.

Phantom Hourglass - Least favorite game? You know, this one almost seems like destiny. It’s been a long time so I may be just remembering the bad parts, and I remember having a lot of fun and spending a lot of time with it, but Phantom Hourglass is currently my least favorite Zelda. My issues with it are basically the ones everyone has with it: The Temple of the Ocean King is tedious, nothing about it really stands out as stellar, and I’m not a huge fan of the whole “it was all a dream” kind of deal. I need to play it again so I can give it another shot, but for now it’s my least favorite. It’s a decent game, but it’s not a good Zelda game.

Spirit Tracks - Favorite Zelda? Either Spirit Tracks Zelda or Breath of the Wild Zelda. Spirit Tracks really gave Zelda a lot of character and did a lot to make her interesting AND useful, and you really get a sense of her struggle for the first time in a Zelda game. Breath of the Wild made Zelda super interesting and made her a really well developed character. Breath of the Wild also gave us a Zelda that was very relatable and very easy to empathize with. I think Breath of the Wild’s Zelda is the video game character I’ve most personally identified with, so I might have to go with her.

Skyward Sword - Favorite Zelda item? Oh geeze, maybe the Spirit Flute from Spirit Tracks? I thought that was a cool way to do an instrument and I like how it sounds. I really like the clawshots from Twilight Princess, too. This one’s hard because there have been so many good items.

Link Between Worlds - First game I played? I’m pretty sure it was Ocarina of Time. It was definitely the Zelda Collection that came with my gamecube, but since it had four games on it I can’t remember which was the first I played. Ocarina was definitely the first one I played all the way through though, and I absolutely love that game.

Tri Force Heroes - Least favorite dungeon? Probably the Divine Beasts; they were neat, but too short and too samey. I understand why, but it was still a little disappointing. Outside of Breath of the Wild, I’d have to say my least favorite dungeon is probably the Great Bay Temple in Majora’s Mask. It’s interesting, but I don’t remember enjoying it much at all.

Breath of the Wild - Favorite champion/new champion? Urbosa, hands-down. She seems like the one you’d actually want to hang out with because she’s super chill, but she’s also the mom friend who will make sure you don’t die or do anything too overly stupid. Out of the new champions I guess I’d have to say Riju. She got the most character development and seems like she’d be a good friend to have. I guess I just like the Gerudo in general, but they also seem to have gotten the most attention when it comes to characterization.

#Legend of Zelda #Zelda #Zelda Asks #thanks Penny #this was a lot of fun to do #even though it took a while #it was cool to think about all of these #asks #Tyler Talks

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rin-the-shadow · 5 years ago

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Twilight Princess Manga!

My copy of volume 5 of the Twilight Princess manga adaptation got here today. I’m about halfway through it now, but after a pretty faithful adaptation of Zant’s introductory scene from the game, they added some stuff, and I need to ramble.

I really like the new additions! Zelda didn’t get a lot of screentime in the game, so it’s nice to see Akira Himekawa really making her moments count here, and taking advantage of manga’s lack of interactive elements to expand on things and add backstory and narrative elements they couldn’t put in the game. Because if the scenes I just finished had been in the game? I think I would’ve gotten annoyed at having such long cut scenes, and “giving away” plot/character elements too early (though the game probably would’ve gotten around it by having just a few lines of narration, to avoid showing the spoilery bits).

I was really hesitant about reading the Twilight Princess manga adaptation. While I’ve enjoyed some of Akira Himekawa’s works--I liked their Phantom Hourglass one okay, and Minish Cap was a lot of fun--some of the decisions they made regarding others, namely Sheik in Ocarina of Time and especially how they handled the Happy Mask Salesman’s character in the Majora’s Mask manga adaptation, have made me a little wary of reading more. So when Twilight Princess finally got a manga adaptation ten years after the game was released, there were a lot of mixed emotions for me. On one hand, it meant more exposure for my favorite versions of Link and Zelda (and hopefully more Twilight Princess-based merch? probably not now that BoTW is popular, but a girl can dream). On the other, it meant someone’s character could get butchered, or the storyline could get radically altered in ways that were “a bit not good.”

So of course, I ended up checking TV Tropes to see if anyone got “Adaptational Villainy” or any other variant of Adaptation Personality Change, as well as trying to get into various forums to see how things were being handled. At the time, I couldn’t find a lot, and even then, how would I know if it was reliable, or if someone else was reading it differently than me?

I found some scans of the first few chapters and read them. I don’t know if I’ll ever get used to Link talking in adaptations. I know he probably does talk in the games, and we just don’t hear it so that we can project our own intonations and whatnot, but my siblings and I have always liked to headcanon him as nonverbal or close to it. Still, I got used to his voice and some of the minor adjustments in his personality. Again, the games like to leave a lot of room for interpretation with Link, so who was to say that wasn’t just how they read him?

And then the Twilight fell, and while I wasn’t completely happy with everything, there were enough moments I did like, and enough of the changes caught my interest, and I decided to get the first volume at my local bookstore. I continued to “preview” using scans for the next two volumes or so, but then school life caught up, and so I wasn’t able to read any scans before the print version came out for volume 4.

And the “jump scare” from the first half of the game? Every bit as effective in the manga version. (Especially since they frickin’ made me wait half a year to get the next part.) I do think it was for the best that that scene was adapted pretty closely, since it’s so iconic to the game. But I also think it’s better that not every scene is adapted quite so closely. Otherwise, why would I bother reading the manga when I could just play the game again?

But also! There are so many little character moments, and for seemingly minor characters at that! Ook’s struggle with getting older and weaker was not something I expected to see, but I really liked it! Additionally, some of the changes they made with Ilia’s allow for potential routes to be explored that didn’t get to be in the game. While I liked her and Link’s story in the game, that will still be there when the manga finishes, and it’s nice to get to see other versions of it.

I’m admittedly still on the fence about how they’re doing King Bulblin. On one hand, making him more actively sinister and malicious (which feels wrong to say, because he did kidnap a child, tie him to his flag, and implicitly taunt Link over it in the game. But some of the threats against Ilia in the manga version...). But making him more actively sinister and malicious opens up the possibility for either Bulblin not being redeemed, or for a bigger change leading up to it, as well as showing more of his thought process as he puzzles out his ideals on strength and weakness. While it will take some of the oomph out of his “I fight for the strongest side. That is all I have ever known” from the game, having been one of his only two lines of dialogue, it is still interesting to explore more of his thought process. (and it’ll definitely be interesting to see how they do “I fight for the strongest side” since it no longer has its unique position as one of only two instances where he speaks, but it’s so iconically Bulblin that I can’t see them getting rid of it)

The manga seems to assume that most of its readers have played or watched playthroughs of the game, so it allows itself to compress some elements while expanding on others, and doesn’t worry itself too much about keeping some of the spoilery bits secret. There are still elements it hasn’t touched on yet with some of the characters and plot points, but I like how Midna’s true form not being a secret opens up for more backstory and exploration of her and Zelda’s characters in ways that might have slowed the pace of the game.

I think the manga also benefits from getting more volumes compared to the other adaptations. Some of them worked pretty well with shorter stories, like Phantom Hourglass, which was one of the shorter games and probably wouldn’t have done as well with a longer series, since it would have run out of plot. But for Twilight Princess, there’s a lot of stuff and a lot of characters, so I don’t know if a compressed adaptation could have done it justice, since it would have had to massively cut down some arcs, and maybe even remove some of the major supporting cast members.

Overall, I really feel like the manga adaptation of Twilight Princess plays to some of the strengths of the medium, and I’m really excited both to finish volume 5, and to see what comes out next!

#twilight princess #twilight princess manga adaptation #link #zelda #midna #ook #fricking ook! got a great character thing!#i am a happy rin!#akira himekawa #some ambiguous spoilers for the manga #and also the game #but it's been like 13 years now so...#rin rambles #significantly more than she meant to

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bmaxwell · 8 years ago

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Top 50 Video Games: Stats, Regrets, and Honorable Mentions

Statistics:

My top 50 can be classified by platform (the platform I primarily played them on anyhow):

PC: 13 Nintendo: 9 Playstation 2: 8 Super Nintendo: 5 Arcade: 4 Xbox 360: 4 Sega Genesis: 2 Nintendo Gamecube: 2 Nintendo 64: 1 Playstation 1: 1 Playstation 3: 1

At a glance I’m a little surprised at the relatively high number of Xbox 360 games and the low number of Playstation 1 games.

The list can also be sorted by genre, though that’s a little messy because of the difficulty in classifying some titles. Sure, Super Mario 3 is a platformer, but what is Twisted Metal? I ended up drafting a list that had too many categories. So spoilers: I really like platformers and RPG’s.

Regrets:

These games should have made the list. I am bad and I feel bad.

Bionic Commando

Capcom did something impressive with Bionic Commando: they made a platformer where you couldn’t jump. Bionic Joe (yep) instead could latch onto things with his bionic arm and swing or pull himself up. Add in an overhead map, some weapon and armor upgrades, and 8-bit Hitler swearing at me before I explode his head like a pumpkin with a hand grenade inside and you’ve got a classic.

I finished the game for the first time in front of a group at a friend’s birthday party. In many ways I peaked at age 10.

Super Mario RPG

I loved Mario. I loved turn-based RPG’s. Still, putting goofy, colorful platforming old plumber-ass Mario into an RPG seemed like a bad idea. I was very wrong, and I’m pleased to report that they’ve been making great Mario RPG’s ever since.

Don’t Starve Together

Making a list like this means that there is an itch in my brain somewhere that doesn’t go away. I must be forgetting something! There’s some game that I love and I’m forgetting it! This is the game. I enjoyed Don’t Starve, but it never entirely hooked me until it got a multiplayer release. This is the perfect game to play with friends. You explore, stake out a base, divvy up the necessary tasks, and die horribly. All with some of my favorite music and art in video games.

Honorable Mentions:

Initially I thought I might have trouble coming up with 50 games for this list. As time went on I realized that I probably could have made this list 75 or 100 games long and been okay with that. Maybe in another 10 years...

These are games I couldn’t fit in the list, but still love and want to mention.

Honorably.

Stardew Valley

This game missed the list due to the timing of its release. Stardew Valley would certainly be on the list today, probably in the top 30. I’ve logged over 100 hours in it and I’d happily go play it right now. It’s an everything-but-the-kitchen-sink take on Harvest Moon that manages to give the player a billion things to do without making you feel rushed. This game is deep, peaceful, relaxing, and wonderful at coaxing one more day out of you when you know you should be going to bed.

Toejam & Earl

Every now and again a game comes along that is just its own weird thing. Such is Toejam & Earl, a screwball free-roaming but level-based game about 2 funky, rapping aliens who crash on Earth and have to avoid all the insane humans while trying to recover the pieces of their ship.

The music was catchy and the cooperative play was a blast. It was goofy - even at the time - but goofy in a way that made me smile. I never played the poorly-received Panic on Funkatron sequel, but the upcoming Back in the Groove game looks like a promising return to the series’ roots. Fingers crossed.

Paper Mario

The spiritual successor to Super Mario RPG was an excellent game in its own right. It managed to invoke the first game while still standing on its own. It also made good use of the “everything is flat like paper” thing, and the pun game was strong as always.

Viva Pinata

It looks like a game for babies, but there’s actually quite a bit of challenge in Viva Pinata if you decide you want to catch them all. Every animal has certain requirements that must be met before it will appear, and trying to meet those requirements while dealing with predators and keeping the animals you like from running away or being eaten...well...making a game simultaneously relaxing and stressful is quite a feat.

Katamari Damacy

So your father - the King of All Cosmos - got drunk one night and lost all of the stars. Now, as his son the Prince, you must make new ones by rolling up anything and everything into balls. First it’s thumbtacks and paperclips, then cats and pineapples, then cars and blimps and trees and continents and PLANETS OH GOD WHAT IS HAPPENING. Japan is weird.

Bully

On paper, Bully doesn’t work for me. It’s a Rockstar game set in a prep school, so it’s super juvenile. It’s an open world, mission-based game. I wouldn’t give the game a second thought if it were released today, and I’m not sure why I tried it then. But I’m glad I did. I think it was post GTA 3/Vice City before I had burned out on that kind of game.

Bully has underwear and wedgies and jocks and nerds and greasers and drunk teachers and panty raids and, well, everything you’d expect. The music is great and the game is charming. I’m glad I played it.

Super Dodgeball

An NES dodgeball game where the different players have different super throws. the game looks like regular-ass dodgeball, but if you run at the enemy and throw the ball just right it gets all flat like a football and shoots real fast and BOOM knocks them down. So yeah, it’s pretty fun. Also, you travel around the world and face different nations. Seems to be a tournament of some sort but holy shit SPOILERS at the end it gets all weird and you face a shadow copy of your own team WHAAAAAT?

Firewatch

This one was an unexpected gem. It’s a story about people running from their problems in the Wyoming wilderness. It’s a story about solitude, introspection, coping, and sprinkle of mystery. Some people were disappointed by the ending. I was not one of them. 6 months after finishing it, Firewatch still lingers in my memory. If that’s the case a few years down the road, it’ll elbow its way into the top 50.

River City Ransom

This NES game was ahead of its time. It was an open world(ish) game where you run around and beat up thugs. The thugs drop money which can be used at shops in the game to purchase books which unlock new attacks. You can also buy food, and the whole thing has an RPG feel to it. It’s a tongue-in-cheek game about high schoolers rescuing someone’s girlfriend from a rival gang.

Salt & Sanctuary

I spent some time with Dark Souls, but ultimately fell off it. Salt and Sanctuary really is 2D Dark Souls. So it’s derivative. It’s also really goddamned good. It worked for me where DS did not, maybe because I am more comfortable with platformers than with 3rd person action games? No idea, but the minimalist music, grimy colors and high difficulty made it a satisfying hill to climb. No idea if I’ll hold it in high regard in a few years time, but 6 months after finishing the game, it has stuck with me.

Dragon Quest: Rocket Slime

This is another game that felt like it punched above its weight. A weird spinoff of a franchise I love, Rocket Slime puts you in the role of a lowly slime trying to save its town. Or maybe rebuild it. I don’t know. It isn’t Torment. You bounce around the game world and fight enemies by flinging yourself like a rubber band. It’s a novel and quirky little game full of puns. The weird part is that there are several tank fights in the game. You are in your big tank thing fighting an enemy tank. You are loading stuff into the cannons and firing upon them, and you can bounce over to their tank and fight the ones loading the cannons. It’s weird and charming and wonderful.

Journey

It feels a little light to be on a list like this. Then again I’m the guy who included Plants vs Zombies on my list, so what do I know? In Journey, you are given no instructions. You start in a desert facing a distant mountain with a pillar of light at the top. You head toward it, solving some simple puzzles and getting bits of story in the form of hieroglyphics. You can encounter other players, but cannot interact with them outside of a little sound that accompanies your scarf briefly lighting up. I encountered one other player about halfway through this ~3 hour game. We stuck together and waited for each other, helping each other however we could until the very end. It was a really neat thing, to form a sort of bond with a stranger like that. My 10-year old daughter played it and had the same experience. It’s an unusual, beautiful, special thing.

Mike Tyson’s Punch-Out!

This game is a pillar of the old, memorable NES era. The controls are tight, the music is catchy, and the characters are memorable. And defeating Tyson for the first time is one of my favorite gaming memories.

The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap

The last Zelda game that felt like Zelda to me.

Night in the Woods

Just finished this a couple of months ago, so I need more distance from it. It isn’t perfect. But boy does it get a lot of things right, things that aren’t common in video games. It’s about a college dropout returning home to her failing rust belt hometown and loving - but disappointed - family. And the main character isn’t always likable. She’s often a dick. And sometimes there are no good dialogue options for her. I think “Fuck, I wouldn’t say either of those things!” but I’m not Mae; she does not have the tools to deal with some of the situations she is in. I don’t think it quite sticks the landing, but I didn’t care. Night in the Woods genuinely made me feel things.

It’s too early to say, but if I make this list again in 5 years I feel like Persona 5, Horizon Zero Dawn, NieR Automata, and Breath of the Wild could all be on it.

We’ll see.

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