Everyone’s playthrough of Breath of the Wild is unique. Some may take Link to Vah Rudania first while others go to aid the Zora and Vah Ruta. Some players may spend hours finding every shrine and Korok seed while others make a beeline for Hyrule Castle and the waiting Calamity. No matter what decisions the player makes though, there is one constant: trauma awaits Link. Either monsters, puzzles, or nature will try to lay the hero to rest once more, and he must overcome or Hyrule will never recover. With all that pressure on him, Link surely needs a relaxing spa day every once in a while. It’s this kind of moment that Zoe from bigskycastle captures in her piece titled “Catching Fireflies.”
Link is the sole human figure in the painting, which immediately pegs him as a point of interest when it comes to analysis (as if Link is ever not a point of interest). The pose of the hero is interesting. He’s not ready for action, nor is the Master Sword drawn; instead, his hands are gently stretched forward with his palms up. There’s something almost holy to the pose. It calls to mind someone praying for something, reaching out their hands to accept whatever help the divine might offer. While Hylia doesn’t seem to answer Link’s prayer directly, we see that his head is tilted up and his eyes are focused on the firefly gracefully floating into his outstretched palms. This little ball of buggy light doesn’t mean Link any harm. Unlike the rain and lightning, the sun and snow, or many of Hyrule’s wildlife, this minuscule marvel isn’t trying to kill Link. It only offers him a moment of peace and comfort.
While there’s a lot to notice about the actual figure of Link in this art, there’s just as much to interpret based on his position next to other key elements. Aside from the fireflies, the brightest element of the piece is the waterfall falling down in the background. Besides the fact that the lines of the water do a great job of framing the wanderer between two vertical lines, it’s also interesting to consider what the waterfall could mean symbolically. Water is often associated with the idea of cleanliness and the washing away of dirt. It can also be seen as a way to remove stress and reset yourself. By placing Link smack in the middle of the falling water, perhaps Zoe is trying to convey that the water is working with the firefly to provide a moment of comfort to Link after a long day of searching for shrines and mashing some monsters.
Another interesting component of this piece is the wooden structure that Link is standing on. At first I assumed that it was a bridge, but it doesn’t appear to have any slats to walk on between the two posts. In fact, even Link is not standing on a walkway but instead showing off his amazing balance by standing on an arch. Perhaps the bridge was destroyed sometime in the past and is in the process of being rebuilt. It’s interesting though that Link stands in the middle, between the two sides of land. Link is a part of the broken bridge. Just as it may still be being built, so is the Champion’s memory. The battle that took place 100 years ago may have left both the bridge and hero partially destroyed, but both are on the mend. Link and the bridge serve the very real task of connecting Hyrule’s past to its present and tracing the path of reconstruction for the kingdom once the Calamity has been defeated.
People, like places, can get worn down. Stress and responsibilities can erode away at our self-esteem and leave us feeling just as crumbling and broken as a cliffside worn away by the pounding waves. When we feel that way, whether we’re the Hero of Hyrule or just our own little cubicle, we need to find a place to relax and recoup just as Zoe shows Link doing.
