It was generally understood that he was dead. That was the story at least. The princess’s protector had fallen along with the kingdom on the day Calamity Ganon struck. Yet, 100 years later, rumors began to spread. A mysterious Hylian had been sighted performing miraculous deeds. He’d been seen entering dozens of the mysterious Sheikah shrines. He fought alongside the Zora prince and freed the Divine Beast of that region. He even helped form a town in the Akkala Highlands. Travelers looking for a warm bed for the night began hearing a song of hope. In the time of Hyrule’s need, the fallen knight had returned.
Through his simple but powerful choice of instruments, Algal the Bard’s “Breath of the Wild – Main Theme” cover is able to make us honorary citizens of the fallen kingdom, sitting in bed as a hopeful tune promises a brighter future.
As his name implies, Algal the Bard purposely uses more medieval instruments to transport us into the land of Hyrule. Starting with some tremulous notes from a Spanish guitar, I can imagine a bard sitting around the stable’s fire, beginning the story: The hero has returned. He is traveling the land, righting the wrongs of the Calamity. Time stood still as the Bokoblin club descended towards the Hylian villager’s head. Death awaited but then passed by as a hero clad in the Champion’s Tunic sprung from a nearby hilltop. The Bokoblin fell to the ground, an arrow piercing its skull. The villager turned to thank their savior, but he was already far away, cresting the next hill.
As the strumming of the guitar continues, a youth joins in my imagination, with a tin whistle. Their friends see and soon a variety of children form an impromptu tin whistle and recorder band with each covering different notes. Seeing her peers joining in, a tiny Sheikah girl who is traveling with her father tells a simple story of the champion’s heroism: A Hylian wearing the cyan tunic visited Kakariko Village, and while everyone else listened to her desires to cook different foods and rolled their eyes, this hero took the time to actually listen. Not only that, but he brought her the ingredients she needed each time. He wasn’t just a warrior. He was a friend to the downtrodden and disenfranchised.
As the song nears its climax, a new instrument joins the song. The crowd that has slowly gathered in my vision turns to see the stable manager with an ocarina gently pressed to his lips. The notes of all three instruments rise as a tale is told of the Divine Beast of the desert being freed. The monstrosity known as Thunderblight Ganon has been purged because despite its blinding speed, it could not best the hero. For every strike was parried and every blow returned, the hero moving too fast to even be seen. Even now evidence of his bravery can be seen if you look at Hyrule Castle. Red beams of light from all corners of the land point to the castle as if targeting it. The hero has returned, and it’s only a matter of time before he retakes the castle and Calamity Ganon falls.
Algal the Bard’s choice to recreate the “Breath of the Wild – Main Theme” using more medieval instruments like the ocarina allows it to transport us. We’re no longer at a coffee shop, on our couch, or in our car. We’re invited to sit with the rest of the visitors at the stable and hear tales of the hero. Perhaps we even share our own encounter for we each have one, and as the music inspires more and more stories, hope returns to the hearts of the people.
