From the Ocean King to the Windfish, The Legend of Zelda has placed whales in positions of honor befitting ancient spirits and deities. The sheer size of these divine whales is only matched by their vast knowledge of the world and ocean of magic. However, no other whale truly captivated me like Levias did during my playthrough of Skyward Sword.
During the final stretch of his quest, Link must locate the Triforce. He is directed to Headmaster Gaepora who, while lacking knowledge of the Triforce’s whereabouts, knows of a spirit who does: Levias. This spirit of the skies is said to possess a near-encyclopedic knowledge of the world and would certainly know the location of the Triforce. Headmaster Gaepora then directs Link to Instructor Owlan, who is investigating the appearance of the thunderhead trapping Levias.
Upon inquiring Levias’s condition, Owlan describes what can only be called a monster. The once gentle spirit charged at Owlan, eyes full of malice. He was not himself. Owlan believes that Levias is possessed by some creature and tells Link that to approach the spirit in this state would earn him a grave among the clouds.
This warning does not deter Link, so Owlan directs him to Pumm, who makes an offering of pumpkin soup to Levias every year. After acquiring the offering, Link travels inside the thunderhead and lands on a small island with an everlasting rainbow to finally encounter Levias.
Ascending from the depths of the storm clouds, Levias finally makes his appearance. He swims through the air, his massive form moving fluidly. From the barnacles on his body sprout the parasites which cause his rage. Levias moves toward Link and roars, prompting Link to call upon his Loftwing for a battle in the skies.
This battle is one of the most epic fights in Skyward Sword. Link flies around Levias, dashing into the worm-like parasites while dodging Levias’s flippers. Once he destroys the smaller parasites, the true boss reveals itself from Levias’s blowhole: the giant parasite Bilocyte. The Bilocyte, like its host, is massive and sports one gigantic eye. Every Zelda fan knows what to do: Destroy it!
Link lands on Levias’s back and duels the Bilocyte, eventually defeating the monster. Levias and Link fall into the sea of clouds before Levias breaches once more, free of the monster’s control. The dark clouds of the thunderhead brighten as they ascend, Link standing near Levias’s head triumphantly.
The player can finally appreciate Levias’s true form during this scene. Link is a speck, hardly visible from a distance on Levias’s back. His eyes are no longer red and angry, but gentle and almost human-like. His age is clear from the number of barnacles spanning his body. And his mustache and beard combo is truly the most magnificent of the Zelda franchise.
As thanks for freeing him, Levias imparts his knowledge of the Triforce to Link, telling him to find the three parts of the “Song of the Hero” and he will sing the fourth. When Link returns to Levias with the three parts, Levias graces the skies with his deep and beautiful whale song.
Every scene with Levias is more epic and beautiful than the last. From his initial appearance in the thundercloud to the thrilling battle in the sky, to the victory scene upon his back, Levias embodies the intensity of Link’s quest and multiplies it. Out of all the divine spirits, none can come close to the thrill that Levias gives me each time I encounter the Great Spirit of the Skies.
