No one will argue that Breath of the Wild goes easy on you at the start. On top of skipping out on a traditional tutorial, your three tiny hearts will be depleted by nearly everything in the game if you’re not careful. From encounters with monsters big and small to powerful and deadly weather to taking one wrong step off a cliff, Hyrule is out to get you from the moment you exit the Shrine of Resurrection.
On the subject of monsters, there certainly are some towering baddies in the latest Zelda entry: the behemoth, one-eyed Hinox; the stony, lumbering Taluses; and the ruthless and cunning Lynels. But how would you react to a Darknut or Iron Knuckle bigger than all of them? Based on this fan imagination, I wouldn’t want to be in Link’s greaves.
This grand painting by artist Jude Smith depicts a kind of shrine sitting high in the mountains, as it seems from the residual snow on the ground. Link is wearing his Soldier’s gear, an armor set that boosts Link’s defense — which he’s going to need, considering the towering fright before him. It’s a giant clad in heavy armor, with a helmet similar to the Phantoms of Spirit Tracks, which is where I imagine some design inspiration came from. The looming silhouette of the foe is daunting enough, but then you notice its weapon, a forged wedge of steel four times Link’s size. Through the painting, I feel my hands shaking on the controller as I turn to see that monstrosity rise from its throne, glowing red eyes trained on me.
That’s a feeling I wish I could have experienced in Breath of the Wild. As deadly as the monsters are in that game, none inspire terror quite like this one; but alas.
Aside from the tantalizing concept of humanoid knight enemies returning to Zelda, the artistry of the piece is phenomenal. The knight itself is rendered with grim colors and satisfying detail, and the natural landscape surrounding it is picturesque, to say the least. A lot of time and effort went into this masterpiece, and it’s to this day my favorite piece of Zelda fan art.
