With the sequel to Breath of the Wild being developed as we speak, it’s easy to let our minds wander, speculating how the game — and thus, the Zelda series as a whole — will continue to move forward and break boundaries as it does. Yet, before we inevitably reach that fateful launch day, I propose a step back, one to Breath of the Wild‘s grand finale.
While you may presume I am referring to the final showdown with Dark Beast Ganon, I am instead reaching beyond that moment, to appreciate the music accompanying Link’s divine trial beneath the Shrine of Resurrection. This backs some of the final moments of The Champions’ Ballad, and thusly, the true last stretch of the adventure. This piece, “The Final Trial,” is fitting; not just in its name, but in its execution and flow. I feel as though the track perfectly presents itself as a symbol of the element of the Triforce that Link himself bears: his courage. That’s a bold claim, I’m aware, and words can only do so much justice, but the more I listen to and analyze this piece, the clearer the connection becomes. I implore our readers to listen along as they read, just as I have done while writing.
Providing that hauntingly beautiful feeling that encapsulates many of Breath of the Wild‘s musical pieces, “The Final Trial” opens with a single vocal (or “Ooooh,” for lack of a better term) before proceeding straight into the shrine theme that longtime players of the game and its DLC are certainly accustomed with. It begins as something the player and Link have become comfortable with. This is a shrine, and much like the 100+ others scattered across the highs and lows of Hyrule, its puzzles can and will be solved.
A newly added bassline is heard in between each string of original notes. Soon, extra percussion sneaks its way in, with light tambourine shakes and the occasional wood instrument being struck. To start off like this — a subtle but effective enhancement of the game’s shrine music — is a testament to Link’s courage, and the added bass adds an air of finality and confidence that lends credence to that statement. These elements mesh so well with the sense of ancient wonder and mystique that comes from stepping into this underground labyrinth, hidden right beneath the starting point of this entire adventure.
But then, just around the two-minute mark, the music swells into something grander, and what was first a subtle-but-effective enhancement of the game’s shrine music becomes a true call to action. The percussion becomes heavier, the poignant strings being played become apparent, and the lone-yet-powerful horn holds everything together like an ethereal glue. At this moment, the mood shifts, from exuberant confidence to an understanding that this is truly Link’s own divine trial, and just like the Champions’ before him, the obstacles within will no doubt offer a great challenge. The sense of courage can falter at the realization that, indeed, this is something much more than a typical shrine.
At the same time, while the music is accomplishing all of this, mind you, it never loses the original shrine theme at its core. No matter what instrument or combination thereof is in control at the given moment, the original melody is left untouched, and that’s what I love about this piece. It can be applied to just about anyone with drive and determination, really, whether from Hyrule or Earth, but, in the context of this column, it stands to reason that Link never loses his resolve — his courage — even as he’s pushed to the limit and is inches from a precarious ledge overlooking a Lake Hylia of lava, so to speak.
In wrapping up this deep dive into the song of The Final Trial (hmm, sounds like something that would be played on an ocarina when you word it like that), I bring us to the last minute and a half of it, wherein which the tempo picks up, and the last piece of this courage analogy slides into place. Like the turning point in a great story, I feel as though the quicker pace of the end of the track serves to invigorate the player, and Link thusly, to charge ahead to the fight with Monk Maz Koshia. It is, in some aspects, no different from the surge of excitement I’m sure we’ve all felt as we listened to our first “puzzle solved” jingle in our first Zelda game and saw a door open, or a treasure chest spawn across the room. We have heard confirmation that we’ve done something correctly; an opportunity is shown such that we can take pride in our actions and proceed further into our adventure with newfound courage and heightened curiosity.
To put it simply, “The Final Trial” is a beautiful piece that captures the essence of Link’s defining characteristic. From its familiar beginning to its empowering end, it brings everything full circle — er, triangle, perhaps — symbolizing the ultimate gathering of courage to push past the enemies and obstacles of Breath of the Wild one last time. In the end, one can only lose themselves to the imagination once more and wonder just how it’ll be topped in the sequel.
