The Legend of Zelda TV series is full of unintentionally funny moments. There is no shortage of animation goofs and poorly written dialogue throughout the cartoon, and I love it all the more for it.
“Cold Spells” isn’t my favorite episode, but it does offer one of my personal favorites scenes of the series.
In this episode, Ganon sends a Moby (a hawk-like creature originally from Zelda II: The Adventure of Link) to investigate what Link and Zelda are up to at North Castle. When it reports back to its master, Ganon announces his plan to infiltrate the castle and summons his giant, beetle-like Lowder to transport him to Hyrule.
It all sounds like standard fare so far: Ganon has a basic plan to steal the Triforce of Wisdom and is relying on his minions to help him carry it out. That’s when it happens: Ganon looks back at the Moby, points at it and shouts:
“AS FOR YOU, BACK IN THE EVIL JAR!”
This is only the second episode of the series, and so it is the first time that the prison that holds all of Ganon’s monsters is named. It is called the Evil Jar.
My first thought was: “The ‘Evil Jar?’ Are you serious?” That giant device in the Underworld, which magically resurrects Ganon and all of his minions every time they are defeated, a prominent plot device throughout the series: It’s called the “Evil Jar?” Then I broke out into laughter.
It’s funny not only because of the stupid and lazily apt name but also due to Len Carlson’s delivery of this line. He is often screaming Ganon’s dialogue, usually because the villain is angry at something or someone (usually at Link and Zelda, or at the failings of his minions). There’s no reason for Ganon to screech this particular line at the top of his lungs, but I’m so glad that he did.
I don’t know why “Back in the Evil Jar!” hasn’t become a meme on the same level of popularity as “I wonder what’s for dinner.” It’s a stroke of genius. I regularly say it to my dog any time she misbehaves.
