There are quite a few characters in The Legend of Zelda series that are minor roles but leave a huge impact emotionally. Characters like Moon Children, Pamela and her father, and that dang crying baby all left me feeling drained and sad and those are just characters from Majora’s Mask. These games weave such compelling narratives that even the tiniest roles leave a big impact on the player.
Everyone has their favorite sad moment from the series, but mine is from A Link to the Past and that is the tragedy of Flute Boy.
After learning from his father that he went in search of the Golden Power and from the tavern owner that he disappeared near Death Mountain, Link can see the apparition of Flute Boy in the haunted grove. He stands on the stump, just flutin’ away. After traveling to the Dark World, you can interact with him. He tells you about how much he loves playing the flute. He also gives you a shovel and the location of where his flute is buried. Once you return the flute to him, he realizes that he can’t play anymore but he wants to hear the flute one more time. After hearing it, he turns into a tree.
DeviantArt user knight-mj shows off this brilliant and somber moment in his piece “AGDQ2019 The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past.”
The greens and browns are dark and muted, giving the whole work an air of sadness. The tree and Link are front and center and crystal clear in the image. They are the focal point of the piece. Everything else just kind of fades away in the background. It’s indicative of Link’s complete attention to Flute Boy — that nothing else around him matters. He continues to play even though the boy has fully transformed into a tree.
One detail that you never get to see in pixel art is how Flute Boy seems to be smiling as he hears the flute one final time. It’s a small, comforting detail that Link can bring back to the boy’s father. The hunt for the Golden Power may have claimed his son, but he can rest knowing that the boy accepted his fate at the end of it all.
This is one of those moments that didn’t really affect me too much as I was growing up, but, now, as a Zel-dad, it hits and it hits hard. knight-mj really did this incredible moment justice with this piece. You can check out more of his work on his DeviantArt, Tumblr, or Twitter profiles.
