Time-travel shenanigans and The Legend of Zelda go together like peas in a pod. We often think of Ocarina of Time first and foremost in this regard; even that game’s title tells us what we’re in for, after all. From the main quest’s colossal temporal ramifications to the causal loop behind the “Song of Storms,” time travel defines the aptly named Hero of Time’s life in ways both big and small.
But other Zelda games also tackle time travel, most notably Skyward Sword. The recently remastered tale of Hylia’s chosen hero and the man with the slickest pompadour in town juggles the unenviable job of bringing its contemporary Link into his era’s distant past, all as a keen setup for the franchise’s preexisting future. Skyward Sword, after all, bills itself as the saga’s origin story — but its own lore contains a mythical hero who set a prior epoch to rights.
In a new video, Zeltik — handily one of the most knowledgeable and downright pleasant-sounding Zelda-centric YouTubers around — analyzes why the game’s creators elected to include a previous Link in a game that purportedly “links” the series together with a narrative that in almost every other sense comes across as the ultimate Zelda creation myth.
Zeltik’s conclusion harkens back to the mechanics behind the aforementioned “Song of Storms.” Though by his own admission certain questions cannot feasibly be answered by his theory, the overall shape of Skyward Sword’s tale clicks together most vividly if we consider its own protagonist to be not just Skyloft’s savior but the very first Link as well. Indeed, Link’s time-traveling adventure rather neatly sets him up to be a hero of two ages, even if there are some weird wrinkles around the notion’s edges.
It’s all a bit much, as the best Zelda analysis videos are, and I’m personally willing to overlook the Demise-related holes in an otherwise solid tapestry. Your mileage may vary, of course. Enjoy the video in all its glory below!
