10 Legend of Zelda Facts You Didn't Know
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VOICE OVER: Johnny Reynolds
WRITTEN BY: Johnny Reynolds
With a series as long-running as "The Legend of Zelda," there are naturally some interesting facts that not everybody knows. For this list, we'll be looking at trivia about “The Legend of Zelda” that general players may be unaware of. Our list includes the Triforce's real-life origins, secret mask features in "The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time" (1998), Link's cut family from "The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild" (2017), the franchise's canceled games, and more!
Script written by Johnny Reynolds
With a series as long-running as "The Legend of Zelda," there are naturally some interesting facts that not everybody knows. For this list, we’ll be looking at trivia about “The Legend of Zelda” that general players may be unaware of. Our list includes the Triforce's real-life origins, secret mask features in "The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time" (1998), Link's cut family from "The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild" (2017), the franchise's canceled games, and more! How many of these did you know? What’s your favorite obscure Zelda fact? Share your thoughts in the comments.
More people likely saw “I Am Error” as a meme than actually encountered the NPC in this black sheep of the “Zelda” family. You can find Error fairly early on in Ruto, where he says nothing more than his famous line. He can offer a clue later, but for a long time, players thought his text to be an actual error. He actually looks nearly identical to another NPC found later named Bagu, which means “software bug” in Japanese. The two characters are merely jokes from the developers; Era had his name correctly translated to ‘Error’ in the English-language version while Bagu did not. So the joke went over a lot of players’ heads for a long time.
For Link’s first 3D adventure, Nintendo naturally needed to give him a bit more combat prowess. Although it may not seem like it, series creator Shigeru Miyamoto and his team were inspired by chanbara films. These sword fighting movies primarily focus on samurai, and have in turn heavily influenced the Western and Adventure film genres. Nintendo even used stunt performers to get sword movements just right. Link’s use of a shield and other helpful weapons is obviously where his style diverges. But it’s still cool to know his fighting style was influenced by something so prominent in Japanese entertainment.
The Triforce is one of the most recognizable elements from “The Legend of Zelda.” The three divine triangles left behind by the Golden Goddesses represent power, courage, and wisdom. While bringing them together will grant someone their greatest desire, the origin behind the design of the mystical object is actually of our world. The Triforce originated as the emblem of the Hojo Clan, which was prominent in 13th and 14th Century Japan. Of course, they didn’t refer to it as the Triforce; it was called the mitsuuroko, or “three scales.” It’s cool to see how Nintendo adapted a piece of Japanese history through its game.
Very rarely will Link have a family. And in cases where he does, things don’t turn out well for them. Perhaps that’s why Link’s family was scrapped from “Breath of the Wild.” We get a brief mention of his father in the final game. But Nintendo apparently played with the idea of putting them in the game. In the compendium book, “Breath of the Wild - Creating A Champion,” concept art of his father and sister can be seen. Strangely, this concept art only appears in the Japanese version of the book, so many Western fans likely haven’t seen it. Given the nature of the game, Link’s family probably would’ve only been seen in flashbacks anyway. But it still would have been interesting to see.
“Ocarina of Time” goes first-person in several small instances, but it almost could have been the whole game. Early in development, Miyamoto considered making the game first-person so that players could better appreciate the shiny new 3D environments. He also reasoned that with most of Link off-screen, the team could put more effort into level and enemy designs. This idea was abandoned fairly quickly though; when it was decided that “Ocarina” would feature both Young and Adult Link, Nintendo decided players should be able to see him. If it had been included, the franchise would have had an entirely different trajectory.
Epona is Link’s trusted steed and one of the most famous animal companions in video games. Although she only appears in a handful of entries, her aid in getting us across the overworld is always appreciated. For her first appearance in “Ocarina of Time,” Nintendo planned on letting players name her. The feature was removed, with Nintendo instead naming her Epona after the Celtic Goddess of Horses. Nintendo did make her nameable in “Twilight Princess.” But we’d be lying if we said we chose to name her anything but Epona. Considering “Zelda” draws from multiple mythologies to build its world, it only seems right she keeps the name.
At the start of “Ocarina of Time,” Link is a bit of an outcast among the Kokiri as he’s the only one who doesn’t have a Fairy companion. Every one of them, even the obnoxious Mido, has a unique fairy at their side. However, a little-known secret about the Kokiri’s fairies is that they’re actually randomized. Players may notice it during cutscenes with Saria, but it’s still an easy thing to miss. It isn’t just that the fairies change colors between save files; they alternate every time Kokiri Forest reloads, whether you leave the area and return or simply exit a building. Why the fairies alternate colors this way is, as far as we can tell, unknown.
The only N64 game released in the West to implement the console’s Voice Recognition Unit was “Hey You, Pikachu!” The peripheral was used to communicate with and give commands to the Pokemon, but it was also almost used with “Majora’s Mask.” In 2018, Rom Hacker Zoinkitty discovered how the abandoned feature would’ve been used by digging through its internal data. Its uses would have been relatively simple, like speaking to wake up a sleeping Deku Scrub or to take pictographs. However, as the feature was removed before release, all commands are still in Japanese.
Young Link’s trading quest is a worthy endeavor, earning you the helpful Mask of Truth. However, there are some nifty secret features that come with other masks. The Skull Mask will stop Keese from attacking Link and earn him a Deku Stick carrying capacity upgrade. The Bunny Hood stops Stalchildren from spawning in Hyrule Field. The Keaton Mask, which doesn’t come with a perk, does come with the most interesting NPC interactions. If you refuse to sell it to the Guard that requested it, he’ll close the gate to Death Mountain until you do. Most NPCs call the Keaton character a craze, with Zelda mistaking it for a mouse. These reactions, along with its appearance, reference the beloved Pokemon, Pikachu.
“Zelda” fans are lucky enough to get a healthy spread of canon and spin-off games for each console. But not every game sees the light of day. The “Oracle” duology on the Game Boy Color was nearly a trilogy, but the feature that links both games turned out to be too complicated for a third entry. Tingle, who received a Non-American spin-off series on the DS, was also set to star in a Horror game from the same developer before it was scrapped. The one that sounded the most promising was a Sheikah spin-off set in the dark timeline from “Metroid Prime” developer Retro Studios. Only concept art exists as it was canceled soon after several higher ups at the studio left.
With a series as long-running as "The Legend of Zelda," there are naturally some interesting facts that not everybody knows. For this list, we’ll be looking at trivia about “The Legend of Zelda” that general players may be unaware of. Our list includes the Triforce's real-life origins, secret mask features in "The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time" (1998), Link's cut family from "The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild" (2017), the franchise's canceled games, and more! How many of these did you know? What’s your favorite obscure Zelda fact? Share your thoughts in the comments.
Error and Bagu
“Zelda II: The Adventure of Link” (1988)More people likely saw “I Am Error” as a meme than actually encountered the NPC in this black sheep of the “Zelda” family. You can find Error fairly early on in Ruto, where he says nothing more than his famous line. He can offer a clue later, but for a long time, players thought his text to be an actual error. He actually looks nearly identical to another NPC found later named Bagu, which means “software bug” in Japanese. The two characters are merely jokes from the developers; Era had his name correctly translated to ‘Error’ in the English-language version while Bagu did not. So the joke went over a lot of players’ heads for a long time.
Chanbara Style
“The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time” (1998)For Link’s first 3D adventure, Nintendo naturally needed to give him a bit more combat prowess. Although it may not seem like it, series creator Shigeru Miyamoto and his team were inspired by chanbara films. These sword fighting movies primarily focus on samurai, and have in turn heavily influenced the Western and Adventure film genres. Nintendo even used stunt performers to get sword movements just right. Link’s use of a shield and other helpful weapons is obviously where his style diverges. But it’s still cool to know his fighting style was influenced by something so prominent in Japanese entertainment.
The Triforce’s Origins
VariousThe Triforce is one of the most recognizable elements from “The Legend of Zelda.” The three divine triangles left behind by the Golden Goddesses represent power, courage, and wisdom. While bringing them together will grant someone their greatest desire, the origin behind the design of the mystical object is actually of our world. The Triforce originated as the emblem of the Hojo Clan, which was prominent in 13th and 14th Century Japan. Of course, they didn’t refer to it as the Triforce; it was called the mitsuuroko, or “three scales.” It’s cool to see how Nintendo adapted a piece of Japanese history through its game.
Link’s Family
“The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild” (2017)Very rarely will Link have a family. And in cases where he does, things don’t turn out well for them. Perhaps that’s why Link’s family was scrapped from “Breath of the Wild.” We get a brief mention of his father in the final game. But Nintendo apparently played with the idea of putting them in the game. In the compendium book, “Breath of the Wild - Creating A Champion,” concept art of his father and sister can be seen. Strangely, this concept art only appears in the Japanese version of the book, so many Western fans likely haven’t seen it. Given the nature of the game, Link’s family probably would’ve only been seen in flashbacks anyway. But it still would have been interesting to see.
First-Person View
“The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time” (1998)“Ocarina of Time” goes first-person in several small instances, but it almost could have been the whole game. Early in development, Miyamoto considered making the game first-person so that players could better appreciate the shiny new 3D environments. He also reasoned that with most of Link off-screen, the team could put more effort into level and enemy designs. This idea was abandoned fairly quickly though; when it was decided that “Ocarina” would feature both Young and Adult Link, Nintendo decided players should be able to see him. If it had been included, the franchise would have had an entirely different trajectory.
Epona’s Name
VariousEpona is Link’s trusted steed and one of the most famous animal companions in video games. Although she only appears in a handful of entries, her aid in getting us across the overworld is always appreciated. For her first appearance in “Ocarina of Time,” Nintendo planned on letting players name her. The feature was removed, with Nintendo instead naming her Epona after the Celtic Goddess of Horses. Nintendo did make her nameable in “Twilight Princess.” But we’d be lying if we said we chose to name her anything but Epona. Considering “Zelda” draws from multiple mythologies to build its world, it only seems right she keeps the name.
Fairy Colors
“The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time” (1998)At the start of “Ocarina of Time,” Link is a bit of an outcast among the Kokiri as he’s the only one who doesn’t have a Fairy companion. Every one of them, even the obnoxious Mido, has a unique fairy at their side. However, a little-known secret about the Kokiri’s fairies is that they’re actually randomized. Players may notice it during cutscenes with Saria, but it’s still an easy thing to miss. It isn’t just that the fairies change colors between save files; they alternate every time Kokiri Forest reloads, whether you leave the area and return or simply exit a building. Why the fairies alternate colors this way is, as far as we can tell, unknown.
Voice Commands
“The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask” (2000)The only N64 game released in the West to implement the console’s Voice Recognition Unit was “Hey You, Pikachu!” The peripheral was used to communicate with and give commands to the Pokemon, but it was also almost used with “Majora’s Mask.” In 2018, Rom Hacker Zoinkitty discovered how the abandoned feature would’ve been used by digging through its internal data. Its uses would have been relatively simple, like speaking to wake up a sleeping Deku Scrub or to take pictographs. However, as the feature was removed before release, all commands are still in Japanese.
Secret Mask Features
“The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time” (1998)Young Link’s trading quest is a worthy endeavor, earning you the helpful Mask of Truth. However, there are some nifty secret features that come with other masks. The Skull Mask will stop Keese from attacking Link and earn him a Deku Stick carrying capacity upgrade. The Bunny Hood stops Stalchildren from spawning in Hyrule Field. The Keaton Mask, which doesn’t come with a perk, does come with the most interesting NPC interactions. If you refuse to sell it to the Guard that requested it, he’ll close the gate to Death Mountain until you do. Most NPCs call the Keaton character a craze, with Zelda mistaking it for a mouse. These reactions, along with its appearance, reference the beloved Pokemon, Pikachu.
Canceled Games
“Zelda” fans are lucky enough to get a healthy spread of canon and spin-off games for each console. But not every game sees the light of day. The “Oracle” duology on the Game Boy Color was nearly a trilogy, but the feature that links both games turned out to be too complicated for a third entry. Tingle, who received a Non-American spin-off series on the DS, was also set to star in a Horror game from the same developer before it was scrapped. The one that sounded the most promising was a Sheikah spin-off set in the dark timeline from “Metroid Prime” developer Retro Studios. Only concept art exists as it was canceled soon after several higher ups at the studio left.
