Zelda dungeons are known for many things. Devious puzzles that test our brains, sinister secrets that test our resolve, and ferocious foes that test our courage. All of that is to say that they’re not usually cheery affairs. In their artwork titled “Forest Temple,” EliottSontot provides a new view of perhaps one of the most memorable dungeons in the whole series. Though like the temple itself, appearances can be deceiving, and the light sometimes hides the darkest shadows.
When you first approach the Forest Temple in Ocarina of Time, it is a somber affair. Link has just awoken from a seven-year slumber to a world ravaged by Ganondorf’s reign. The woods of his homeland are dark and devoid of life. The hero’s Kokiri friend, Saria, is all but a ghost as she leaves for the Sacred Realm after Link free’s the woodland temple from Phantom Ganon’s influence.
It’s this bittersweet feeling that EliottSontot captures in their art. The rays of light beaming down, brightening the foliage of the forest floor allows Link and us to see the beauty of the Kokiri forest once again. Adding to the rejoicing feelings is the familiar golden triangle crowning the temple’s top. This icon clearly calls to mind the Triforce which is often a symbol of Link’s triumph over the darkness. Everything seems great until you look to the hero himself.
Looking at Link, he doesn’t smile. Surely, he has reason to. He just won the day. But that win came with a cost, Link rests but cannot smile because of it. The darkness has been beaten back in the forest, but it still hangs even in the periphery of the right-hand side of this art. The shadows threatening every tree have not been dispelled, only driven back. The fight continues.
Even beyond the weight of Link’s responsibilities, another weight likely sits heavy within his breast. Saria, his closest friend aside from Navi, has become a Sage, and while there is some happiness in that, there’s also bound to be some sadness as well. The tragedy of Ganondorf’s rise is no longer an oncoming threat sitting on Young Link and Zelda’s shoulders. It’s a very present reality that he cannot handle alone. His childhood friends are also being swallowed up by this conflict. His mistake of allowing the man who would be the Demon King into the Sacred Realm, has cost them all.
This radiant art by EliottSontot does a great job conveying the complex emotions felt by both Link and the player after defeating the Forest Temple. There is elation to be felt at a job well done, but there is also sadness at the cost to Saria, and to Link, and to the future friends to come as dungeon upon dungeon adds to the total that must be paid for a young hero’s mistake.
