Many Zelda games have some sort of spiritual plane or mirrored underworld, or perhaps a shroud of twilight. In Skyward Sword, it is the Silent Realm. These supernatural domains function as dark, dream-like reflections of the regions where they are found and come equipped with trials that test Link’s spiritual growth. The twist is that he must do this without any items and without the help of his sidekick, Fi.
The objective of the Silent Realm is simple: collect fifteen sacred tears to fill your spirit vessel and complete the trial. Easy enough, right?
Wrong. The moment you step outside your protective circle, the Guardians spring to life and begin their hunt. The gentle, sleepy music becomes an intense and urgent chase track. The soft hues of blue snap to sharp contrasts of orange and black. You run and run until you finally reach a tear. Suddenly, the calm returns and you can relax — well, at least for the next ninety seconds, or until you’re spotted by a Watcher, or you touch some Waking Water, whichever comes first. Your only real hope is if you can find another tear before then.
The portals to the Realms are found in the Faron Woods, Eldin Volcano, Lanayru Desert, and Skyloft. You can access the entrance to them by playing the respective Goddess’s song on your harp, with the help of Fi singing along. By doing this, the gate to Silent Realm opens and you can thrust your sword into the gate to enter — leaving behind your items and Fi to face the Guardians and enhance your spirit.
Similar to their Breath of the Wild counterparts by the same name, Guardians excel at chasing you down and are extremely powerful. They are the primary enemies of this world, and just one hit causes you to fail the trial and restart your collection of tears. There are walking Guardians, which you can outrun if you use your stamina strategically, but the flying Guardians will always track you down. They’re also indestructible since you don’t have any of your items, which makes them even more terrifying.
Aside from the dark tones and lack of colors, the Silent Realms are nearly identical to the regions they mirror with a few exceptions. Some areas are blocked off and some tools are missing, like the bombs that grow on Eldin Volcano. They are also reminiscent of the twilight that covers Hyrule in Twilight Princess, and even share the same concept of collecting tears in a vessel.
I appreciate the Silent Realms for their challenging trials and helpful rewards. Upon finishing the trial, you’re gifted with items that are needed to progress to the next area, like the Water Dragon’s Scale and the Clawshots. You can also pick up some nifty Dusk Relics as you search for tears, which can be used to upgrade your items. Once the realm is complete, you’ll be on your way to the next dungeon where the Sacred Flames that forge the Master Sword await.
The Silent Realm invoked a special kind of fear in me that only a few other things in Zelda have; maybe it’s the anxiety of the chase, or the stress of watching your flower timer lose its petals, or the panic of accidentally walking into the Watcher’s light. Or maybe it’s the eerie resemblance of Guardians to grim reapers or the unsettling feeling of exploring a parallel dimension.
Whatever it is about them that haunts me, I hope similar locations are included in future games. No matter how many times I play Skyward Sword, the thrill of the Silent Realm never fades.
