Skyward Sword’s unique and endearing races deserve a comeback

As time goes on, we see more and more of the impact that Skyward Sword had on The Legend of Zelda franchise. Its extensive use of East Asian and South Asian-inspired aesthetics showed that Hyrule could feature more than just European cultural inspirations, setting the stage for the shinobi-like Sheikah in Breath of the Wild. The Stamina Meter went on to be an integral gameplay mechanic in future titles, and now it appears we’re set to return to another sky-spanning adventure with the Breath of the Wild sequel!

There is something from Skyward Sword that we haven’t seen anywhere near enough of since its 2011 release, though. Or maybe it’s more accurate to say some things. Whether they were living, breathing creatures like the Kikwi and Mogma, or Lanayru’s electricity-fueled Ancient Robots, the different races introduced in Skyward Sword all deserve to make a return sooner rather than later in new games.

Yes, even the Parella.

A Game With A Memorable Cast

It’s an impossible task for any species to dethrone longtime fan favorites such as the Gorons and Zora as the most recognizable non-human creatures in The Legend of Zelda. That said, those who made their debuts in Skyward Sword had plenty of charm that has never quite been appreciated as much as it should be. In the docile, adorable, and anything-but-fit-for-battle department were the Kikwi with all of their culinary inspirations. While their English-translated name seems derived from “kiwi,” and their plump bodies look peculiarly like furry pears, their names actually come from different types of tea. For a race of creatures who were terrified of being eaten by evil monsters, that’s some clever comedy to go along with their design theme.

The Mogma, on the other hand, get their names from ores, hence why we find them going by names like Ledd, Nackle, Plats, or Kortz. That theme is a perfect fit for a gang of creatures who live underground and whose favorite pastime is hunting for valuable treasure. The geologic wordplay even slips into their everyday conversation from time to time in the form of laugh-out-loud puns. Ledd sarcastically calling someone else “igneous” instead of “genius” is just plain good writing.

What are the Mogma, exactly? Well, that’s pretty hard to pin down. The average Mogma looks like a hybrid of several different animals. They have the snouts of moles, facial markings like badgers or raccoons, lanky arms like that of certain primates, and stout tails like jackrabbits. Just about each Mogma also had their own hairstyle or other distinguishing feature. Tyto had a bowl cut, Kortz had long bangs, while Cobal had a top knot. Tubert had a finely groomed handlebar mustache, while Guld had a full-blown beard that would have impressed Gandalf. You never knew what you were going to get out of the spunky and scheming Mogma.

The only group who were even more ambitious than the Mogma were the Ancient Robots built by the Thunder Dragon, Lanayru. One way or another, the little guys always found a job to dutifully labor away at. Most could be found hard at work mining in the Laynayru Province, but we did eventually meet a few who decided to pursue more unique endeavors. Scrapper ended up assisting Link (well, more so Fi) on multiple occasions serving to transport heavy items throughout the Sky, while Skipper and his crew commanded the Sand Ship which guarded Nayru’s Flame.

Despite being machines, the Ancient Robots had more personality than a lot of their organic counterparts from throughout The Legend of Zelda series. What is perhaps most memorable about them was just how enthusiastic they were about whatever task they dedicated themselves to. Some of the Ancient Robots were so laser-focused on their jobs that they had no time to pay Link more than a few words, others like Scrapper could be rude and condescending (although “Master Shortpants” is an all-time great nickname), while some like Skipper were as affable as any creature with a beating heart.

Then there are the Parella. The poor, poor Parella. They have a very interesting design, combining elements of seahorses, jellyfish, and coral, and they looked majestic swimming in formations throughout Faron’s hall like schools of fish. Too bad they barely got to do a single thing of note in Skyward Sword. Only one among their kind even got a proper name. The Parella aren’t in need of a comeback, they need a redemption story!

Giving Each of Them Depth

Skyward Sword may not have done right by the Parella, but it certainly handled the Kikwi, Mogma, and Ancient Robots with a lot of care. In the case of the Kikwi and Mogma, Skyward Sword took after its predecessor, The Wind Waker, and gave each member of those species a unique name in addition to their unique appearances. There was no copying and pasting going on for the Kikwi’s and the Mogma’s models during the development phase. Even those NPCs with little to no narrative importance got their own identities.

What Skyward Sword did best with its new races was how it used them as prominent story elements (the Parella notwithstanding) throughout the course of the entire adventure. Following their introductions, the Kikwi, Mogma, and Ancient Robots continued to make appearances in the story just about from start to finish. The Kikwi popped up every time Link and Fi circled back to Faron Woods; the Mogma managed to find their way into multiple dungeons (later on, Plats bailed Link out big-time during the Song of the Hero quest); the Ancient Robots’ assistance spanned from the Surface of the Lanayru Province all the way up to the Sky.

Not all Legend of Zelda games can say the same, even some of the most renowned. In games like Ocarina of Time, Majora’s Mask, and Breath of the Wild, the various races largely fade into the background after you get done with their dedicated scenario and whatever dungeon their region was associated with, only appearing again for side content. Skyward Sword, on the other hand, was anything but one-and-done with the Kikwi, Mogma, and Ancient Robots.

The Hope For a Reunion

The Breath of the Wild sequel may be the perfect game for these races to finally make their returns. The Era of the Wilds is already loaded with advanced technology thanks to the Sheikah, so the Ancient Robots would be right at home alongside the Guardians. There’s got to be some funny shenanigans involved when the Kikwi and Koroks get together. If Link and Zelda are stuck underground for a while, as suggested by the two trailers we’ve seen so far, there is no one better for them to run into than the Mogma.

It doesn’t take an igneous to realize that.