#cmon. please. make hyrule just a BIT more interesting- WHERES THE INTERPERSONAL CONFLICT??? WHERES THE DRAMA???

[thebleedingeffect]

Okay I'm coming back to this idea because the more I think about the yiga clan the madder I get. So for me, I think the main issue with botw/totk is that they really can't decide on the type of vibe they want for the yiga clan. Are they actually dangerous? Are these people a collection of dangerous ninjas who are explicitly well trained in the art of fighting and undercover work? Are the yiga clan supposed to be actual enemies with the gerudo, who have a long history of being well-trained, experienced warriors? We know that they are supposed to be that as we're told that's exactly what they are! But none of the events of either game at all support that idea.

In botw the yiga clan are sort of built up to be this sort of ominous enemy, in the shadows and capable of completely masking themselves into something innocent. It's so interesting as it sets the stage that Link cannot even trust the seemingly innocent people of hyrule, what are those implications? How far do the yiga go and does this mistrust manifest at all in hyrule and perhaps even Link? In Kakariko village they speak about the yiga as a group that's meant to be feared and split off from the sheikah 10,000 years ago. I mean, we even get a side mission where the yiga have canonly murdered a guy's wife, threatened his kids, and just straight up said they would burn his village to the ground if they didn't work with them.

Now, this depiction of the yiga shows that they're VERY capable of murder and abhorrent deeds, they're willing to do whatever's necessary to push forward the clan. Before this? The yiga clan have been closer to thieves, skilled yes, but not on the level of straight up murder. All of this paints a picture of a clan that really does sound like it worships the image of Ganon! Or calamity Ganon more specifically, either way, before ever meeting the yiga you're told of this clan that's a serious threat, perhaps something to threaten the kingdom itself.

Which is why the yiga clan that we got is so disappointing to me, because there's so much potential and intrigue there that making them purely comedic relief feels like such a waste of a fantastic concept. What we know about the yiga clan is that they left the sheikah 10,000 years ago as the current king of hyrule looked down on their research, and eventually all of hyrule did the same. The sheikah that left and continued their research are traitors yes- but they have very understandable and interesting reasons to why they left at all and why they resent the royal family.

One concept that makes me so mad is that why aren't the yiga as technologically advanced as the sheikah in botw and totk? Why are they not on the same level? If anything, if technology and advancement is so important to them- shouldn't they have even better tech? Or at least understand the sheikah tech on every single level that there is? This is the thing that gets me about the yiga clan! Every detail given to us, every scrap of backstory paints the yiga as something that's capable, that's dangerous even.

But the yiga we're shown are complete jokes, the moment you actually meet Kohga and begin learning of the people behind the yiga clan- there's no more fear, no more intimidation. It just sucks because I feel like there needs to be something that helps balance out the antagonistic side of totk and botw because it sucks that Ganondorf is basically the only antagonist!

Okay how about this concept, what if the yiga before the calamity had reached out to Ganondorf and he responded? This would give them a much stronger connection to Ganondorf and he would have a connection on Hyrule despite still being sealed. The yiga dissect the guardians, figure out everything that makes it tick, and shares everything they know with Ganondorf. This helps Ganondorf out in possessing the guardians as he knows exactly how they operate! And it establishes that the yiga are both capable, intelligent, dangerous, and actually have a connection to Ganondorf! Because in the games we have no reason at all to believe that Ganondorf even knows of them or even respects them on so low a level as being his subordinates.

Also the idea of even more people joining the yiga post calamity as some people just have to be bitter and resentful that the royal family did nothing to protect them. Lowkey I also like the idea of people sympathizing with why the yiga left all those years ago because it raises the question, what if they had continued that research? What if the calamity had never happened because they were always ready for such a devastating attack? What if some people were so consumed with grief and hatred that they turned to the very thing that ruined everything, because at least calamity Ganon promised them power and protection.

There's so much potential for the yiga that I'm gonna go genuinely insane can anyone hear me can anyone hear ME!!!!

I keep thinking about the yiga clan and there are two sides of me when it comes to them. One part says that the yiga clan being kinda incompetent and a joke offer a nice, humorous side to the main quest that stands out against all the seriousness of the main plot. Another part says that making the yiga clan a complete joke missed out on such an opportunity of depicting a divided hyrule, an angry hyrule. Perhaps people are resentful of the fact that the royal family utterly failed them all and a portion of hylians became so wrapped up in their feelings of grief that they turned to the very thing they hate. It would work extremely well in showing how the calamity still affects the world even 100 years later and would give an additional conflict besides just Ganondorf handling the entire antagonist role on his shoulders