The 10 BIGGEST Mysteries In Zelda Games
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VOICE OVER: Johnny Reynolds
WRITTEN BY: Johnny Reynolds
There are a lot of mysteries in "The Legend of Zelda," but these are the most fascinating! For this list, we'll be showcasing mysterious places, characters, or lore from “The Legend of Zelda” that left us with questions. Our list includes the Snowpeak Ruins from "The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess" (2006), the Goddess of Time from "The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask" (2000), Fossils of Giants from "The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the WIld" (2017), and more!
Script written by Johnny Reynolds
There are a lot of mysteries in "The Legend of Zelda," but these are the most fascinating! For this list, we’ll be showcasing mysterious places, characters, or lore from “The Legend of Zelda” that left us with questions. Our list includes the Snowpeak Ruins from "The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess" (2006), the Goddess of Time from "The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask" (2000), Fossils of Giants from "The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the WIld" (2017), and more! What do you think is the biggest mystery in “Zelda?” Head to the comments and let us know.
Let’s start with one of the more well-known mysteries, and one that we hope will be touched on in the upcoming sequel. The Zonai tribe is frequently referenced throughout “Breath of the Wild” through ruins and one of the game’s best armor sets. However, who they were and what became of them is still up in the air. Some of their ruins found in the Faron region point to them worshiping the dragon Farosh. But this isn’t the only place their structures appear and they also appear to be linked to the Sheikah in some way. Players have been theorizing on the Zonai since the game was released. With the sequel’s trailer hinting at them yet again, this one may not remain a mystery for long.
Time travel brings all sorts of paradoxes. One of the catchiest songs in “Ocarina of Time” also holds one of its greatest mysteries. When Link visits the Kakariko Village windmill as an adult, the man inside complains of a boy who played the Song of Storms seven years ago, causing the windmill to spin wildly out of control. Traveling back in time to play the song for him gets you into the Bottom of the Well mini-dungeon. So, who wrote the Song of Storms? Because it sure wasn’t Link and it sure wasn’t the man inside the windmill. “Majora’s Mask” also features the song and its composers. But as Termina is a parallel world never seen again, that’s hardly an explanation.
One of the most bizarre NPCs in the series is a hand Link finds sticking out of a toilet. In both “Majora’s Mask” and “Oracle of Ages,” you can help this unfortunate soul by giving them paper. Things get even weirder in “Skyward Sword.” In this entry, Link can meet a ghost hand inside the Skyloft Academy’s bathroom. Only this time, the character is given a name: Phoeni. Through a sidequest, Phoeni ends up falling in love with Cawlin, one of Link’s classmates. These characters are based on Japanese ghost stories where a toilet hand grabs the person sitting on it. And while they bare no impact on the overall story or lore of the series, we can’t help but want to know more about them.
A sidequest in “Breath of the Wild” takes Link to three distinct locations, each of which has a massive, whale-like skeleton. Fans have speculated that these bones belonged to several deities seen in other games: Levias from “Skyward Sword,” Oshus in “Phantom Hourglass,” and the Wind Fish in “Link’s Awakening.” However, there’s no in-game explanation for them. If these are the remains of those deities, it’s likely just an Easter Egg. Besides, they aren’t the only oversized bones Link can find. In multiple places across Hyrule, you’ll see gigantic rib cages, spines, and skulls of long-past behemoths. Perhaps this is another mystery that will be touched upon in the sequel, but for now we can only theorize.
Not every mystery requires an answer. Which is great seeing as how we probably won’t get answers for most of them. In “Majora’s Mask,” Link can help Romani defend her ranch from what she only refers to as “Them.” Every year as the carnival draws near, these alien-like beings invade the ranch to steal its prized cows. Almost nothing is known about them, why they appear only once a year, where they come from, or why they choose to go after the cows. Romani Ranch is famed for its Chateau Romani milk, heavily implied to be alcoholic. So maybe these aliens are just looking for a way to celebrate the Carnival of Time in their own way.
More than two decades later and Navi’s iconicism remains unmatched by most side characters in video games. The sometimes overly helpful fairy builds a strong bond with Link over their adventure in “Ocarina of Time.” And yet, at the end of the game, she simply floats off without another word to the hero. Maybe it’s more thematically appropriate to not have dialogue between them. But Link begins “Majora’s Mask” by looking for his friend before being sidetracked by the Skull Kid. We’ve never been given a definitive explanation as to why she left or where she went. This version of Link is also never seen again, save for his appearance as the Hero’s Shade in “Twilight Princess,” so it remains a mystery.
“Majora’s Mask” is a peculiar game almost designed to be theorized on. One its most enigmatic characters and pieces of lore is the Goddess of Time, who’s never actually seen. She’s mentioned a couple of times in the game, namely by Zelda during a flashback and Tatl during the confrontation with Skull Kid atop the Clock Tower. But her identity and where she fits within the “Zelda” pantheon has never been explained. Some have theorized that she’s Hylia given that goddess’ connection to the Gates of Time. Others believe she’s Nayru, one of the three Golden Goddesses. But as far as an official answer goes, we’re only left to piece things together ourselves.
One of the most mysterious places in any “Zelda” game is also one of “Twilight Princess’” best dungeons. The Snowpeak Ruins are used as a home for a lovely Yeti couple, though it becomes clear very quickly that they didn’t build them. Part mansion, part military stronghold, the dungeon has been perplexing players for years. Suits of armor don’t appear to fit humans or the Yetis while a prominent coat of arms doesn’t appear anywhere else in the game. Why was it built in such a desolate place? Who were its inhabitants and why did they abandon such a useful structure? And what were they defending against? We’ll likely never know any of these answers, and that makes the dungeon one of the series’ most enrapturing locations.
Just like the Goddess of Time, the malevolent deity at the heart of this game is shrouded in mystery. The Mask Salesman tells us that Majora’s Mask was once used by an ancient tribe in hexing rituals, though they hid it away out of fear. The tribe no longer exists in-game, so that’s really all the information we get. Where did this villainous entity come from? How and why was it sealed inside a mask? Furthermore, the relationship between the Mask Salesman and Majora brings up more questions. Inside the moon, Link comes across five masked children. By extracting certain files in the 3D remake, fans figured out that these children look just like the creepy salesman. So, what is his relationship with the mask, other than simply seeking it out?
The prelude for “Minish Cap” gives us very little information on the events that set up the game. Once, Hyrule was under threat of being “swallowed by shadow” before the Picori appeared from the sky, giving a Hero of Men a powerful sword. Every 100 years after, Hylians celebrated the Picori with a festival. Was the “shadow” mentioned another instance of Ganon, or something else? Where did the Picori come from exactly? “The Minish Cap” is also the only game with the Picori in it. Did they remain in Hyrule or did something tragic befall them? And why did Hylians stop holding the festival? The existence of a miniature world within “Zelda” is fascinating, but we don’t expect we’ll get any more Picori lore anytime soon.
There are a lot of mysteries in "The Legend of Zelda," but these are the most fascinating! For this list, we’ll be showcasing mysterious places, characters, or lore from “The Legend of Zelda” that left us with questions. Our list includes the Snowpeak Ruins from "The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess" (2006), the Goddess of Time from "The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask" (2000), Fossils of Giants from "The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the WIld" (2017), and more! What do you think is the biggest mystery in “Zelda?” Head to the comments and let us know.
The Zonai
“The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild” (2017)Let’s start with one of the more well-known mysteries, and one that we hope will be touched on in the upcoming sequel. The Zonai tribe is frequently referenced throughout “Breath of the Wild” through ruins and one of the game’s best armor sets. However, who they were and what became of them is still up in the air. Some of their ruins found in the Faron region point to them worshiping the dragon Farosh. But this isn’t the only place their structures appear and they also appear to be linked to the Sheikah in some way. Players have been theorizing on the Zonai since the game was released. With the sequel’s trailer hinting at them yet again, this one may not remain a mystery for long.
The Song of Storms
“The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time” (1998)Time travel brings all sorts of paradoxes. One of the catchiest songs in “Ocarina of Time” also holds one of its greatest mysteries. When Link visits the Kakariko Village windmill as an adult, the man inside complains of a boy who played the Song of Storms seven years ago, causing the windmill to spin wildly out of control. Traveling back in time to play the song for him gets you into the Bottom of the Well mini-dungeon. So, who wrote the Song of Storms? Because it sure wasn’t Link and it sure wasn’t the man inside the windmill. “Majora’s Mask” also features the song and its composers. But as Termina is a parallel world never seen again, that’s hardly an explanation.
The Mysterious Hand
VariousOne of the most bizarre NPCs in the series is a hand Link finds sticking out of a toilet. In both “Majora’s Mask” and “Oracle of Ages,” you can help this unfortunate soul by giving them paper. Things get even weirder in “Skyward Sword.” In this entry, Link can meet a ghost hand inside the Skyloft Academy’s bathroom. Only this time, the character is given a name: Phoeni. Through a sidequest, Phoeni ends up falling in love with Cawlin, one of Link’s classmates. These characters are based on Japanese ghost stories where a toilet hand grabs the person sitting on it. And while they bare no impact on the overall story or lore of the series, we can’t help but want to know more about them.
Fossils of Giants
“The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild” (2017)A sidequest in “Breath of the Wild” takes Link to three distinct locations, each of which has a massive, whale-like skeleton. Fans have speculated that these bones belonged to several deities seen in other games: Levias from “Skyward Sword,” Oshus in “Phantom Hourglass,” and the Wind Fish in “Link’s Awakening.” However, there’s no in-game explanation for them. If these are the remains of those deities, it’s likely just an Easter Egg. Besides, they aren’t the only oversized bones Link can find. In multiple places across Hyrule, you’ll see gigantic rib cages, spines, and skulls of long-past behemoths. Perhaps this is another mystery that will be touched upon in the sequel, but for now we can only theorize.
The Aliens
“The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask” (2000)Not every mystery requires an answer. Which is great seeing as how we probably won’t get answers for most of them. In “Majora’s Mask,” Link can help Romani defend her ranch from what she only refers to as “Them.” Every year as the carnival draws near, these alien-like beings invade the ranch to steal its prized cows. Almost nothing is known about them, why they appear only once a year, where they come from, or why they choose to go after the cows. Romani Ranch is famed for its Chateau Romani milk, heavily implied to be alcoholic. So maybe these aliens are just looking for a way to celebrate the Carnival of Time in their own way.
Navi’s Whereabouts
“The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time” (1998)More than two decades later and Navi’s iconicism remains unmatched by most side characters in video games. The sometimes overly helpful fairy builds a strong bond with Link over their adventure in “Ocarina of Time.” And yet, at the end of the game, she simply floats off without another word to the hero. Maybe it’s more thematically appropriate to not have dialogue between them. But Link begins “Majora’s Mask” by looking for his friend before being sidetracked by the Skull Kid. We’ve never been given a definitive explanation as to why she left or where she went. This version of Link is also never seen again, save for his appearance as the Hero’s Shade in “Twilight Princess,” so it remains a mystery.
The Goddess of Time
“The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask” (2000)“Majora’s Mask” is a peculiar game almost designed to be theorized on. One its most enigmatic characters and pieces of lore is the Goddess of Time, who’s never actually seen. She’s mentioned a couple of times in the game, namely by Zelda during a flashback and Tatl during the confrontation with Skull Kid atop the Clock Tower. But her identity and where she fits within the “Zelda” pantheon has never been explained. Some have theorized that she’s Hylia given that goddess’ connection to the Gates of Time. Others believe she’s Nayru, one of the three Golden Goddesses. But as far as an official answer goes, we’re only left to piece things together ourselves.
Snowpeak Ruins
“The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess” (2006)One of the most mysterious places in any “Zelda” game is also one of “Twilight Princess’” best dungeons. The Snowpeak Ruins are used as a home for a lovely Yeti couple, though it becomes clear very quickly that they didn’t build them. Part mansion, part military stronghold, the dungeon has been perplexing players for years. Suits of armor don’t appear to fit humans or the Yetis while a prominent coat of arms doesn’t appear anywhere else in the game. Why was it built in such a desolate place? Who were its inhabitants and why did they abandon such a useful structure? And what were they defending against? We’ll likely never know any of these answers, and that makes the dungeon one of the series’ most enrapturing locations.
Majora’s Origins
“The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask” (2000)Just like the Goddess of Time, the malevolent deity at the heart of this game is shrouded in mystery. The Mask Salesman tells us that Majora’s Mask was once used by an ancient tribe in hexing rituals, though they hid it away out of fear. The tribe no longer exists in-game, so that’s really all the information we get. Where did this villainous entity come from? How and why was it sealed inside a mask? Furthermore, the relationship between the Mask Salesman and Majora brings up more questions. Inside the moon, Link comes across five masked children. By extracting certain files in the 3D remake, fans figured out that these children look just like the creepy salesman. So, what is his relationship with the mask, other than simply seeking it out?
The Picori Legend
“The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap” (2005)The prelude for “Minish Cap” gives us very little information on the events that set up the game. Once, Hyrule was under threat of being “swallowed by shadow” before the Picori appeared from the sky, giving a Hero of Men a powerful sword. Every 100 years after, Hylians celebrated the Picori with a festival. Was the “shadow” mentioned another instance of Ganon, or something else? Where did the Picori come from exactly? “The Minish Cap” is also the only game with the Picori in it. Did they remain in Hyrule or did something tragic befall them? And why did Hylians stop holding the festival? The existence of a miniature world within “Zelda” is fascinating, but we don’t expect we’ll get any more Picori lore anytime soon.
