Imagine this: You’re dropped into a world with zero context (unless you read the instruction booklet). You’re surrounded by trees. You have no weapon. There are three exits around you to get you onto your adventure. And a cave. Each path leads to monsters. You take the cave.
There is an Old Man standing in the cave, flames on either side of him. A sword lays on the ground in front of you. He opens his mouth to speak.
“It’s dangerous to go alone! Take this.”
Some random old dude in a cave hands you a sword and sends you on your merry way. But, does he stay in his cave, thinking the job is over? Oh, no, quite the opposite. He now has to prep the next two swords, run out to a peninsula to give you a note, go throughout the world to help you make some money, and give you helpful hints. His sole purpose in life is to help Link save the princess and the world.
The Old Man is an archetypal figure from Joseph Campbell’s “hero’s journey.” For those unaware, the hero’s journey, or “monomyth,” is a narrative structure that is so pervasive, you’re probably already aware of it.
The hero receives a call to adventure and supernatural aid. They approach some sort of threshold guardian that must be overcome to begin the journey. The hero travels into the unknowns of the world and experiences challenges. Within that, the hero usually meets some sort of mentor/helper character to aid them in battle. Eventually, the hero has some sort of revelation while in the “abyss” which gives them a transformation (think of this as reaching their final form) and atonement. They beat the big boss (literal or ideological) and return home.
The Old Man is the quintessential mentor/helper. We see him in all kinds of media. He’s Obi-Wan Kenobi. Gandalf. Zeus. He’s the Hero’s Shade from Twilight Princess. He’s here to aid our hero, Link. He offers healing by giving you the note for the Old Woman. He offers you money to help you along your quest (and buy meat for a Moblin). He offers advice within dungeons. He offers you weaponry and, in theory, trains you on how to use it. He literally offers you life. He teaches you about responsibility and how you shouldn’t burn people’s doors down.
The Old Man may seem like a throwaway character that is simply used to get Link on his way. But I will argue that he is the most important character in the Zelda-verse. He’s our mentor, the first person we meet in the unknown. He’s also the first character we meet in the first game of the series. He’s kind of a big deal! Thanks to the Old Man, we can live and learn and grow and save Hyrule.
As for the character himself, there are arguments out there that it’s not just an Old Man, but many Old Men who aid Link. Going with the hero’s journey, though, it would make sense that it is only one Old Man. There is no secret cabal of Old Men. The Old Man is connected to magic in a way we, the player, don’t understand. He demonstrates his magical abilities when you strike him with your sword. After getting sliced, he shoots fireballs at you. So, either he’s magical or he owns sentient fire pits. It’s not too far of a leap to have him travel all over Hyrule by magical means.
It’s hard to imagine how the game would play out without him. The weapons could just be there, on the ground with no fanfare, but the Old Man gives the moment some gravitas. He makes it a moment. Without the Old Man, Zelda just wouldn’t be Zelda. Without him, it would be dangerous to go alone.
The Legend of Zelda series is 35 this week, and we’re celebrating with the game that started it all! Be sure to check out more articles from Classic Zelda Week 2021.
