Volume III:Q & A
Q:
Did the programmers just get these new races out of the blue?
A:
See my article Developing New Races for the Zelda Series but be wary
of spoilers (especially for Minish Cap)
Q:
Who is really Kaepora Gaebora?
A:
He is the reincarnation of an ancient sage. That means he either was an associate of Rauru
(perhaps the infamous Kasuto of AoL's fame) or is Rauru himself living as an owl.
If you look closely at the artwork for both characters though, some similarities in their faces
can definitely be spotted.
Q:
Is Jabu Jabu really the Wind Fish?
A:
It seems not, as the Wind Fish was, supposedly, already asleep and dreaming Koholint at the time
of Oracle of Ages (which seems to overlap OoT). It could have been the original idea when making
Jabu Jabu, though.
Q: (Spoilers for TWW)
Where did Jabu Jabu go in OoT's future time period?
A:
Perhaps in Labrynna; the Sea Zoras too return there later on in Oracle of Ages. Of course we
also have Jabun in TWW, so it seems this fish moves around a lot (even if we assume Jabun was
his descendant).
Q:
How can non-Hylian sages have descendants among the maidens of ALttP?
A: (Spoilers for OoT, FSA and TWW)
Simply put, they don't. The Sages in OoT were successors of the ancient ones, and not (except
Zelda, and Rauru who was one of them) also of the same bloodline. Because the timeline was split,
in ALttP's past these people never needed to heed the awakening call and become Sages, so the
maidens in both FSA and ALttP, are not their descendants, but those of the ancient Sages that
built the temple of time and supposedly also of the Sages of TP. On another hand in the new
timeline in which those Sages did awaken in OoT, we have (in TWW) descendants of Ruto and Saria.
Q:
Do Kokiri die upon leaving the forest?
A:
It seems evident that the aforementioned was only a rumor to keep the Kokiri in the safety of
their village since they do leave the forest in the ending and likewise their descendants in The
Wind Waker.
Q:
What was the fate of the Gerudo people? And why Gerudo people and not just Gerudo?
A:
The Gerudo are the only race that has not appeared in any game after Majora's Mask, with the
exception of FSA. Personally, I believe the Gerudo tribe no longer exists.
After Link returned to the past in OoT and left for Termina, it appears that the Gerudo were led
into war by Ganondorf but lost, and judging by FSA they apparently had to become nomads (having
left Hyrule's border in TP); somehow surviving many years without their king until a new one was
born, unless Ganondorf had conceived a heir before being banished in Twilight which is entirely
possible (not necessarily FSA's Ganondorf, he could have come later still after one or more
nondescript males). But seeing how scarcely they appear in newer games, I believe when they
ended up without a king for a second time, their cross breeding with Hylians eventually caused
both races to cease to exist and become the only slightly pointy eared people of ALttP Hyrule
(though interbreeding with other races such as common humans may also be factored in the
equation). The last direct descendants of the Gerudo could be identified in the thieves that
inhabit the woods (and once Kakariko with Blind as their leader). This seems more than likely as
those thieves were seemingly intended to be what remained of Ganondorf's when A Link to the Past
was released. Note though that also the very first Kakariko seen in TP and inhabited by Sheikah
was plagued by thieves (well before FSA, so maybe the Gerudo descendants became one with an
existing group).
It is also possible that like Blind, some of the descendants of Gerudo thieves were trapped in
the Dark World which reflected what was in their hearts making them Keatons (in MC Keatons are
fox thieves, but they could be killed unlike those in ALttP who, like OoT Gerudo and ALttP
forest thieves are invulnerable, marking them as people, not common monsters).
As for why I (and the Japanese games) refer to them as Gerudo people (or tribe), that's because
Gerudo seems to be the Hylian word for desert. Several desert monsters have the name Gerudo and
an attribute. Think of the Geld Man in ALttP and the Geld Arm in AoL (Geld is an alternative
transliteration for the word Gerudo).
Q:
Does a person become a Sheikah by training or birth? Can only Hylians become Sheikah?
A:
The Sheikah are an Hylian tribe with a natural attitude to shadow magic, thus the only way to
really be one is to be born among them. Of course, as for Zelda, it is possible to be trained
like one and magically assume their appearance (red eyes); but a genetic trait cant be taught.
Q:
Are Link and Zelda brother and sister?
A:
Not likely.
There are what you might call hints on the Link and Zelda from Ocarina of Time but nothing more.
One is Zelda finding Link's name familiar (even though this is the first time they meet and was
supposed to be the first game in the storyline too). Another is that if you talk with the ghosts
of the royal composer brothers one will yell You again! and say that Link looks a lot like
Princess Zelda. As I said, these can only be seen as hints, not proof.
However, because the Link from ALttP is a descendant of the "Knights" that fought the Imprisoning
War (which seems to coincide with the statement from the "semi-official" manga that the Link
from Ocarina of Time was son to a Hylian Knight too) and the Zelda of that time is instead a
descendant of the Wise Men, it seems an important point that their bloodlines stay divided until
at least ALttP (or TWW in the new timeline).
As for the other Link and Zelda in the series, surely not. That line in ALttP "Zelda is your..."
said by Link's uncle, was meant to be "Zelda is your destiny...". As seen in the GBA port.
Q:
Were the Pendants of Virtue carved out from the Spiritual Stones?
A:
Although there is no proof, this seems more than likely (even though the colors and attributes
of the Pendants of Virtue do not exactly match). This could even apply to the Pearls of the
Goddesses, although their name seem to imply that they are not made out of jewels.
It most likely doesn't apply to Elements/Royal Jewels seeing as they are Four, a crystallization
of natural forces (not a representation of the three Goddesses), not related to the Master Sword,
and supposedly should be around before and after the Spiritual Stones were used.
Q:
Did Ganondorf know that even with the Ocarina and three Spiritual Stones, the Master Sword
would still be in his way?
A:
There's two possibilities really. Either Ganondorf knew of the Master Sword and expected, by
causing all the troubles he did, that somebody would take it out to oppose him, or he did not
know the sword was there at all and just followed Link in, suspecting that Zelda had him recover
the Spiritual Stones. This is actually more plausible than it may at first appear.
Both because it doesn't seem a very good strategy for Ganondorf to rely on the emergence of a
predestined opponent and because even Zelda herself (owner of the Ocarina) does not mention a
sword being behind the Door of Time. Link finds out on his own when he goes in and Navi,
surprised, notices the sword and tells him about it.
Then again it is also possible that Ganondorf had not been able to find any other way and was
therefore hoping for the hero to appear and draw the sword to confront him. He IS pretty
self-confident.
Q:
What is the relation between Ganondorf and the 2 hags? They both are called surrogate mothers;
but did one of them actually give him birth or did they just raise him?
A:
Surrogate means something "in place of..." If both Koume and Kotake are surrogate they
cant have given birth to Ganondorf (and besides they are way too old).
You could say they basically "adopted" him, raising the Gerudo prince as their own
child.
Q:
In Ocarina of Time you must rescue Links friends so they can awaken as Sages ... what does
that mean exactly?
A: (Caution spoilers)
Think of this, the Great Deku Tree died, and a new tree was born, right? The Deku Tree Sprout
wasn't a revived Great Deku Tree; it was a completely new being (the old tree's body being still
there behind him). But although they were two different trees, the new one inherited all of the
wisdom and knowledge of the old tree. The Great Deku Tree was dead for a long time before the
sprout could grow and flourish, so he couldn't have taught him anything.
The sprout was just born knowing everything the old tree knew. Think of how it knew that Link
was actually a Hylian.
I believe this is what might be going on with the Seven Sages. When the Sages were awakened,
they could have inherited the knowledge and abilities of sages from the past. This conveniently
doesn't apply to Rauru and Zelda, who do not need to be awakened and are respectively an Ancient
Sage and a direct descendant of one (while the others are merely successors, not descendants in
their bloodline).
The Sages in The Wind Waker, on another hand, are direct descendants of the ones from Ocarina of
Time. And the ones in Four Swords Adventures and A Link to the Past, are supposedly descendants
of the sages in TP (who are likely descendants of a long line of Sages).
Q:
How does the ending of Ocarina of Time work?
A: (Obvious spoilers)
It took me seven years, The Wind Waker and Four Swords Adventures to figure it out (this time
for good I'd hope). After sealing Ganon Zelda sends Link into the past, precisely after Link
left the forest but before he met her. Let me explain how this happened and why we can be sure
of such a precise timeframe for his return: Link returned the Master Sword to the Pedestal of
Time (actually, its more like gave it up so it could stay in the pedestal of time we never
see him put it back, and he returns to before taking it in the first place) so he "closed the
road between times" and was sent back to have his youth returned (free of his destiny's burden),
before he ever took the Master Sword thus changing the past, because he was still to fall asleep
in the Temple of Light; rather he was on his way for the castle when he was replaced by another
himself who appeared in the Temple of Time with the memories of the future. In fact Zelda must
have sent Link back to right before they met; otherwise she would not be spying in the window
(spying on Ganondorf as he met her father) and Link would be wearing the Goron Bracelet too.
Think of it, in this game all cutscenes always had Link wearing the same gear he had on when
they start, even in this one, he has the shield young Link last used. (except when Link gives
Zelda the Ocarina he doesn't have his gauntlets, which I assume is because they would have
overlapped with the Ocarina). Why take away the Goron Bracelet then? I believe it was because
he's not supposed to have it yet. And the ending can't just be meant to remind you of their
first meeting because of the Triforce mark on Link's hand. And even more interesting, Zelda does
not have one.
Now if the past was changed, what of those people celebrating in the future? Wouldn't that
future cease to exist? Seeing as Zelda says good bye to Link and how The Wind Waker takes the
story from there and in an all new direction, it becomes evident that while enacting (at least
in part) the Imprisoning War background to ALttP, by having Link sent back OoT begun a new
timeline too. In the timeline we are familiar with, Majora's Mask tells us, the legend of the
Hero of Time was held in the memory of the Royal Family, to supposedly become common knowledge
(minus the time travel part) over the centuries (TP's references to the ancient hero). Before
then though, Link left to search for Navi leaving Ganondorf unable to get past the Door of Time.
Many years later, he attacks Hyrule and is banished; then, upon returning, killed.
It doesn't end at that though, and Ganondorf is reborn among the Gerudo (in FSA). With his heart
now balanced he manages to find another way in the Sacred Realm (now Dark World) and get the
Triforce. A new Link opposed him, that of FSA, and records of this struggle are combined with
fragments of the legend of the Hero of Time to become ALttP's background.
One more thing left to sort out is the Triforce: Link went back in a different timeline and
still has the mark on his hand. We know the Triforce has not split yet because only Link has the
mark, not Zelda, therefore this must be the Triforce from the future. Does this mean there's no
Triforce of Courage in the timeline he left? Because of TWW we know that's not the case. When
Link left Hyrule (to enter Termina), the Triforce was split into eight parts and returned to its
poper place and time(line). If this seems too convenient, to fix such a situation as having two
Triforces of Courage in one timeline and none in the other, with a seemingly unrelated side
quest, just remember that this is Hyrule and destiny is believed in as certain by one such as
the Deku Tree (when he spoke about the Princess of Destiny), who has watched over the forest
since the beginning of time (he ought to know his stuff). So it is perfectly plausible for the
Gods to have planned for Link to return the Triforce to the other timeline by leaving Hyrule.
See also in the next question about the marking in the room where Link is cursed for further
evidence.
Q:
When is it exactly that Link enters Termina?
A:
Hard to tell. Supposedly (but not certainly) Link was already out of the kingdom's borders as the
game begins. But as for when he left his own world... it could either be when he falls down
that pitch black pit in which the masks appear floating around him or it could be when he walks
through that twisting passage that led to Clock Tower's basement. It could even be both, with
the part between them being a transition between the two worlds (some sort of common ground if
you will).
It is interesting that after falling into that pit, Link finds himself in a chamber with a
peculiar Triforce drawing on the ground. Peculiar because the tringles are upside down and one of
them is shrunk. I believe this represents the Triforce of Courage leaving Link (who gets
uncharacteristically terrified of the Deku Scrubs in the vision SkullKid gives him), that he was
fated to cross that passage.
Q:
Which is the Goddess of Time both Zelda and Tatl mention?
A:
Supposedly Nayru since she created the laws of the land (or of physics if you will) and time
travels in Zelda involve blue lights. Besides her Oracle turns out to be that of Ages.
Some people however believe it's Farore because in PH we have a spirit of Courage -and- Time...
but I find evidence for Nayru being it more compelling.
Q:
How is Ikana connected to the rest of the plot?
A: (Caution spoilers)
A long time ago, the Kingdom of Ikana (probably Termina's equivalent to the Hylia) was at war
with the country the Garo came from (known as Teki in the Japanese game). At that time, as Ikana
was about to fall after General Keeta had lost a battle in their own territory, a terrible curse
emanated from the stone tower that sits atop of Ikana Canyon, turning both the people of Ikana
and their invaders in wandering undeads. However, somehow the doors to the tower were closed and
the troubled souls could rest. Much later the doors were opened again, awakening the undead, and
Skullkid possesed by Majora's mask, persuaded a ghost musician, Sharp, to aid him in keeping
Ikana to the undead and seal away his brother Flat.
These are the facts, now for some speculation: seeing how the Garo are described as ninja ghosts
of sorts, I would guess that they are of the same people as the Mask Salesman who looks quite
Japanese with his yellow skin and slanted eyes. Similarly, the choice of Majora and the other
evil masks to use bodies like the Mask Salesman's leads me to believe that Majora's Mask once
belonged to these people. Now this is a long shot, but perhaps Majora's Mask was the origin of
the curse at first, and the Stone Tower could be where it was sealed (and there is a giant stone
structure shaped like Majora in the Tower's entry room which doesn't seem like a later addition
but an integral part of the structure. Also note that the Tower seems to belong to the Garo, not
the King of Ikana). If so, then it would appear that it was the Mask Salesman who brought the
curse back upon Ikana by opening the tower's doors to retrieve the mask. Sure enough, a
connection between Majora and Twinmold (plus the other evil masks) does exist.
On a nearly unrelated note, there seems to be carvings of the Triforce on the pillars that lead
to Ikana and some of the floating blocks at the tower. These appear to be the only instances of
the Triforce myth being present in Termina, so it may be the Ikanians and their enemies fought
because of the Triforce (similarly to how Hyrule was at war because everybody wanted to locate
it).
Q:
What do we know about the Fierce Deity Mask?
A: (minor spoilers)
Sadly, not much. We know that Majora gave Link the mask so he could be the Oni ("it" we would
say) in their game of tag, we know its dark power can be used only in the greatest battles, we
know it "has the merits of all masks" (although that was probably meant as a clue for the
player to collect all masks so the last one could be achieved), we know that all other
transformation masks contain the spirit of a once living being (except I suppose the Giant
Mask, but that just changes your size), we know its name and that in Japanese culture the oni
are ambivalent figures that can be both ogres or gods (but lesser gods, not on the same level
as the Goddesses of the Triforce are), bad or good. This leaves us to wonder: why does the mask
itself look so much like Link? Is it just the programmers' way to give the player an ego boost,
or is there a deeper meaning to this resemblance? And for that matter, why does Link bear a
yellow triangle and moon on his chest armor when wearing it? We can only hope these questions
will some day be answered.
Q:
And what do we know of the Mask Salesman, Majora's Mask and Skull Kid?
A:
For one thing, it is not possible to pinpoint with certainty the origins of the first two. While
Majora's Mask has definitely some strong connection with the land of Termina (like Stone Tower
which seems to have been built in relation to the mask), it is never explicitly stated what world
or land it was originally from. The Mask Salesman tells us that it is said to have been used by
an ancient tribe (which, as I said above, would seem to be of the same race as the Mask Salesman)
in its hexing rituals, but he does not tell us if they creted the mask themselves or received it
somehow. Some could theorize that it was simply a magical artefact that eventually became aware
of itself. Others may believe it to be the spirit of a long dead ruler (the mask is called Magic
Emperor by the Japanese version) or wicked deity (as was depicted in a sub story to the quasi
official manga, one that was conceived before the game's plot was finalized).
The Mask Salesman too is an enigma. Is he the same Link met in OoT? He surely seems to know what
the Hero is capable of. But if that is so, then was he born in Hyrule? Or did he just live there?
Again we are left with no clues.
About Skull Kid, we have some more information. It is not absolutely certain which world he is
from, but it would seem like it is Termina. He's not the average Skull Kid in which children are
turned by the Lost Woods; he may have the looks and mind of a child, but he is very, very old.
Enough to have his place in the legends of Termina. He did however spend some time in Hyrule as
he knows Saria's song (it is not certain however, whether it was Link or Saria herself to have
taught him that).
