In Breath of the Wild, you can find many diaries hidden throughout the world that offer additional insight into many of its cast of characters, including the Champions and Princess Zelda. My favorite diary entry may be from Zelda’s own tome that you can find in the ruins of her room in Hyrule Castle.
In her diary, she reveals not only her frustrations with being unable to unlock her sealing power but also her insights into Link. One particular entry explains Link’s hesitancy to speak within the game: “With so much at stake, and so many eyes upon him, he feels it necessary to stay strong to silently bear any burden.” I love this quote because it places a weight behind Nintendo’s decision to have Link remain quiet despite many of the other characters being given voices for the first time in the series. Link is silent because he doesn’t want to reveal the stress he feels from the task he has been charged with. I find this detail makes Link more relatable because we’ve all felt stressed and struggled to find a moment of peace and quiet.
Oftentimes, artists place the object of most importance in or near the center of the piece in order to emphasize it. In this piece of art titled “A Moment of Quiet” by KitlingLD, two objects are featured prominently. One object that the artist focuses our attention on is the night sky and the magnificent white of the falling star streaking through it. The brilliant splash of white against the rich mixture of dark and light blues helps to emphasize the falling star as well. The second object emphasized is, predictably, Link. He is the hero, after all.
KitlingLD’s use of body language gives us insight into Link’s feelings within the piece. The way he is sitting with one knee up, resting his arm upon it suggests that Link is taking a well-deserved rest from his quest. If we trace Link’s line of sight, we also notice that he is watching the falling star. After a long day of facing vicious Lynels and swaths of Malice, nature has rewarded the hero with a vision of beauty.
Another tool KitlingLD uses to focus our eyes on the sky is the low angle from which we are viewing the art. By having our point of view be from such a low angle, it draws our eyes upwards just as Link’s eyes are also drawn upwards.
The foreground of the picture features an ant’s eye view of blades of grass, but they are blurred, so we don’t lose focus on the more important elements of Link and the sky. The fact that the grass is left unfocused does more than just direct our focus: It also helps create a candidness to our view of Link. We get to see the warrior during a rare moment of rest. This point of view emphasizes the peace of the moment, leaving us feeling almost like a parent catching a rare glimpse of silence from a rambunctious child.
Even as we quietly celebrate Link getting to take a moment to rest, the framing of the trees reminds us that the moment isn’t meant to last. There are trees standing on both the left and right sides of the piece. While the trees on the left only slightly lean towards Link, the tree on the right and directly behind the Champion looms over him. There are multiple ways to read the positioning of this woodland sentinel. It could be leaning over Link, offering him shelter beneath its foliage. This reading allows us to take solace in Link’s ability to finally find a time to rest, but a second reading implies a more sinister impermanence. The way that the tree’s branches bend over Link reminds us of the tremendous weight of Link’s charge to save Zelda from the calamity. This second interpretation puts us back into Link’s shoes because we know that despite the beauty of the moment, it’s not meant to last. Before long, the swordsman will rise again to carry the burden of the hero.
Sometimes the greatest pieces of art allow us insight into the mind of someone who was a mystery before. This extraordinary piece by KitlingLD offers a glimpse into the heart and mind of the Hero of the Wild as we observe him taking a moment to practice self-care as he sets aside his weighty task and just gazes at the majesty of a starry sky.
