The iconic Kakariko Village is a recurring location in The Legend of Zelda series. While there are many versions of Kakariko Village to cover, I want to focus on the version we find in Ocarina of Time. Admittedly, this is my favorite Kakariko Village. Not only because Ocarina of Time is one of my favorite Zelda games, but because I love how well this Kakariko fits the contrasting tonal atmosphere that we find all throughout the title.
First, a brief history on what we know of Kakariko Village. The town was originally founded by the Shiekah tribe, a mysterious and secretive group, whose job is to protect the Royal Family from the shadows. For much of its history, it was a town that was exclusively Shiekah. However, Impa, Zelda’s designated guardian, decided to open up Kakariko Village to all the people of Hyrule. Impa became known as a great leader, not only for opening up the gates of the village, but because she had a vision to grow Kakariko beyond a simple village and into a thriving town.
Upon arriving in Kakariko Village we find a fairly standard town. It’s got a Potion Shop, a Bazaar, and eventually, a Shooting Gallery. Probably the first building you may notice when entering the village is the windmill. A vital structure for the village, the Kakariko Windmill draws water from beneath the town and up into the well. Most notably, the windmill is where an iconic paradox takes place. Here, Adult Link learns how to play the “Song of Storms” from the Phonogram Man, and then goes seven years to the past and teaches him the song.
The well sits in the center of town, readied with water for the townsfolk to collect. The well, of course, is not just an ordinary well, either. Draining the well reveals a hidden labyrinth of monsters, and it is discovered to be the holding place of the Phantom Shadow Beast, Bongo Bongo, who had been sealed there by Impa. On the outskirts of the village we find the graveyard where the Hyruleans and Sheikah are laid to rest, as well as the Royal Family’s Tomb. Lastly there is the Shadow Temple, one of the major dungeons in the game. The entrance to this dungeon is found deep in the graveyard. The entrance itself is further guarded by a door that only opens to Link by using Din’s Fire.
So many secrets are hidden beneath Kakariko Village. So many things locked away and forgotten, such as the Royal Family’s Tomb. This mysterious tomb is only accessible when Link plays “Zelda’s Lullaby” in order to get inside. Other than hiding a few Keese and ReDeads, we also find the notes to play the “Sun’s Song.” Another mystical melody that allows you to change night to day or day to night, along with numerous other uses. This always puzzled me. Why would some powerful spell be locked away in the Royal Family Tomb? A secret among many in Kakariko.
On a much scarier note, lurking just beneath the well is Bongo Bongo, simply sealed away and forgotten. A secret that proved costly and ended up nearly destroying the entire town after the spirit broke free. It probably would have burned down all of Kakariko had the Hero of Time not shown up. Hylia bless those persevering villagers who happened to put out the fire while Link was busy fighting Bongo Bongo.
Of course, you cannot talk about the secrets of the Shiekah without talking about the Shadow Temple. One of the only dungeons in the Zelda series that is an actual dungeon. The Shadow Temple used to be a place where the Shiekah would take enemies of the Royal Family to “be interrogated or worse” as it reads in The Legend of Zelda: Encyclopedia. This apparently was so embarrassing that the Royal Family and the Shiekah chose to magically lock it away and never speak of it again. In case anyone did manage to get inside the Shadow Temple it was designed to not allow simple egress, to ensure no one can come out and reveal this dark stain on Hyrule’s history.
One of my favorite aspects of Ocarina of Time is the contrasting tones throughout the game. A constant theme we see throughout the title is that the world is much darker than what is seen on the surface. Kakariko Village is a great example of that. This place appears to be nothing more than a peaceful little town with calming music. A nice rest stop before heading up to Goron Village. Yet the more you search, the more you tear away the veneer to reveal a village of shadows and secrecy.
