The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess - Gamecube/Wii/Wii U - 2006/2016

I have enjoyed Zelda games ever since I became interested in retro gaming. Back when Youtube still had a 5-star rating system, one of my favorite pastimes was learning about old games from the Angry Video Game Nerd (very appropriate content for an 8-year-old to be watching, yes definitely!). Thankfully, I knew better than to use the same colorful vocabulary he did, but I always found something awe-inspiring about these older games that were just out of my reach. Thankfully, I didn’t have to go too long without access thanks in part to the Wii Virtual Console. For the most part, I enjoyed the 3D titles more, like Ocarina of Time and Majora’s Mask, though I did dabble with some of the early portable titles, particularly Minish Cap.



But of all the Zelda games out there, I think I would call this one my absolute favorite. Admittedly, I was drawn in by the more realistic, gritty art style and its darker, more somber themes; and as a kid , that’s really all I noticed other than the feeling of having fun playing a video game (my, how those feelings become fleeting with age). But upon further analysis with a maturated perspective, I find myself appreciating not only the great gameplay and creative level design, but also the effort put into the characters and world development. I could imagine myself actually living in this well-crafted land of Hyrule, finding a place to belong within its vast borders. The diverse lands of Hyrule are well realized in this game, and are probably my favorite iteration.



The characters of Twilight Princess are realistic, complex, and, at times, surprisingly sobering. They each have their own memories, motivations, and personalities that appear multi-faceted. I think that many people who praise the character interactions in Twilight Princess tend to highlight the villagers of Ordon, particularly Link’s connection with Illia, how he plays the role of “big brother” to the children of Ordon, and the dynamic relationship with him and Midna. And while I love seeing and experiencing those authentic and tender interactions, I also feel like that’s only part of what makes this game so convincing.



I often find myself sympathizing, empathizing, or otherwise connecting to much of the supporting cast. Though many criticize the prologue for taking quite a while to get through, I believe it does its job of portraying the exposition quite well. We meet the Ordon villagers, plus the tree-hugging lamp oil vendor, Coro (at least, that’s how I thought of him, what with that bird nesting in his hair). We also learn more about the monkeys, and they help us delve deep into the Forest Temple to defeat the evil lurking within, and get our first Fused Shadow.



After that, we find the children in Kakariko and meet the paternal Renado, his daughter Luda, and the cowardly Barnes. I’ve always appreciated the love and concern Renado has for not only the village, but also the Gorons and the children of Ordon. He’s a wise, considerate, and genuine person; he points us in the right direction to help the Gorons rescue their leader, and we find our next Fused Shadow far within the Goron Mines. I see a lot of myself within him, so perhaps that’s why I resonate with him.



Heading northward, we meet some new faces in Lanayru. Falbi and Fyer, two former circus performers, run “Fyer and Falbi's Watertop Land of Fantastication.” We meet Fyer first, and his cannon shoots us up to the top of Lake Hylia where we meet Falbi, who lets us borrow a cucco to fly back down, possibly gaining some treasure along the way. I absolutely adore their fabulous little getups, and Fyer actually helps us a few more times down the line. I enjoy the opposing dynamic those two have going on.





But further upriver, we find another delightful duo, Hena and Iza, who run some attractions there: Hena’s Fishing Hole and Iza’s Rapid Ride. They are both useful places to go early on, yielding an extra empty bottle and bomb bag respectively. I also recently learned that Coro (the big afro guy) is their brother, which in hindsight makes perfect sense; I love Coro and Iza’s magnificent hair, and those cute overalls of Hena’s are sweet!



We learn more about the Zoras when we encounter a bed-ridden Prince Ralis. The fallen Zora Queen, Rutela (with the most ethereal rendition of the Serenade of Water as her theme) bestows the Zora armor unto us as a gratitude for helping her son. I like coming back to Kakariko to speak with him later on as well; it seems like he was able to find solace and closure regarding his mother’s passing and emerges stronger for it.





One of my favorite characters helps us transport him to Kakariko, along with our friend Ilia, in the dead of night. Telma is… well, “she is the mother I never had, she is the sister everybody would want. She is the friend that everybody deserves. I don’t know a better person.” I love how her no-nonsense attitude is perfectly tempered with her caring maternal instincts. Telma’s bar is sort of the hub of operations in the latter half of the game, so we can visit her and her band of misfits called “The Resistance,” who all work for the sake of Hyrule. This group of people seem to have similar objectives as Link, so I really like seeing how their own paths of relative heroism cross and overlap with our own, if only for a short moment. Also, the fact that Renado thinks that Telma comes off a little too strong but doesn't really have the heart to turn her down just tickles me, really.



Telma’s feline companion, Louise, also makes her presence known, particularly when we return here during “Midna’s Desperate Hour.” Louise helps us sneak into the castle through the old passageway connecting Telma’s Bar to the old castle waterways. She has a similar commanding aura to Telma, albeit with a bit more sass and regality. They both compliment each other quite well, in my opinion.



Plenty of other notable faces reside in Castle Town, like Jovani and his cat, Gengle. I’ve never collected all 60 Poe souls, but I usually get more than enough to free Gengle and let him return to his post as leader of the Kitty Cat Club (as I deem them). Madame Fanadi runs the fortune-telling shop. I seldom visit her shop, but she does indeed serve charisma, uniqueness, nerve, and talent. Agitha, the so-called “Princess of the Insect Kingdom,” was originally someone who I didn’t really care for as a kid, but have now grown to like her character. I can’t complete the game anymore without collecting all 24 golden bugs for the ball! Though some may see her as a delusional fanatic, I think she is just enjoying herself and her little golden bugs; living her best life, so to speak. Just make sure you give her all the bugs you have before you leave…



Getting into the “2nd arc,” as I like to put it, we begin to interact with members of the aforementioned “Resistance” of Hyrule. To get to the Gerudo Desert, we meet Auru, a man of a particular age who seems to know a lot about the history of Hyrule. He appears to have lived a rich and full life, and I often find myself wondering what secrets he knows about this world.



Then we have Ashei, a young lady from the Snowpeak region who was taught the way of the sword from her father. Her design is quite striking and leaves me wanting to know more about her upbringing and her current endeavors. She seems similar to Link in more ways than one, and I wonder if things were different, would she be walking the same path that we tread now?



Yeto and Yeta are a peaceful yeti couple living in an abandoned manor tucked in the ice mountains of Snowpeak (I wonder if Ashei has crossed paths with them?). Yeto is a doting husband, travelling all the way down to Zora’s Domain to catch Reekfish to make a hearty soup for his ill wife, Yeta. They both welcome Link into their home to look at the Mirror Shard Yeto found a while ago. And after defeating Blizzeta, the way Yeto rushed down Link to embrace his sweet little Yeta never ceases to make my little heart grow three sizes every time.











With Snowpeak done, we travel back to the Faron region where we meet someone who we’ve known before. Rusl leads a double life as a part of the Resistance, guiding Link to the Sacred Grove hidden deep in the Faron Woods. Seeing him in this context is somewhat cathartic; this was the same Rusl who not too long ago was sitting with us in the woods the day before our big journey was set to begin. So many things have changed since then, but look at how far we’ve come.



After finding another Mirror Shard, we travel back to Kakariko and find Shad, the scholar, researching the ancient race said to reside in the heavens. I’ve always admired his stylish outfit and his nerdy, yet grounded demeanor. He just seems like a real good bud to hang out with (preferably throwing back a cold one over at Telma’s). And the scene where all four of them show up to help you in Hyrule Castle to lend a helping hand is one of the most touching acts of bravery I’ve seen in a video game.



As we make way for the City in the Sky, Ooccoo and Ooccoo Jr., who have been accompanying us through our dungeon escapades, tag along on the way up. It always makes me happy to help them finally return home after so long; Ooccoo has been a gracious and enthusiastic partner, ever since meeting her all the way back in the Forest Temple. And after all we’ve been through, it means a lot to consider her “a reliable Oocca friend.”



Compared to the side characters found in other games, this cast seems the most three-dimensional. Though they don't get much in the way of screen time or relevance to the main story, they are crafted in a way where they don't necessarily feel like mere plot devices. Rather, they are diverse individuals living unique lives that happen to cross paths with the legendary hero. And I think that is what I like most about this world; everything and everyone in it is alluded to have rich and robust stories of their own, finding their own way in the world.

Link, though respected, isn’t revered as some sort of holy, divine being sent by the goddess herself (which is what seems to be the case in the majority of the other games). I think this more realistic approach to Link’s character (where the Triforce plays a part, but the role of the hero does not compose his entire personality) makes him a stronger, more convincing protagonist overall. A good story is more than just its hero, and the characters in Twilight Princess do a great job of capturing the essence of humanity: diverse, compelling, and perfectly imperfect.



This was hardly a retrospective; there are so many other things that I love about this game that I haven’t mentioned here (Midna, the boss battles, hog riding, snowboarding, Malo Mart, Telma making you get the town doctor try to pay his tab, the Hidden Village, the list goes on), but I wanted to highlight one aspect of this game that tends to get overlooked by others, and share how it makes this game special to me.



“Tell me, do you ever feel a strange sadness as dusk falls?"

"They say it’s the only time when our world intersects with theirs…
…the only time we can feel the lingering regrets of spirits who have left our world.”