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00:00Welcome to Mojo Plays, and today we're looking at some of the more obscure lore throughout
00:16the Zelda series that some players may be unaware of.
00:20Of course, with something as long-running and popular as this, there's a chance you've
00:24heard some, if not all, of these factoids before.
00:28But for the most part, we're focusing on interesting bits of worldbuilding that slip through the
00:32cracks and go unnoticed by the majority of players.
00:40But before we dive in, we publish new content all week long, so be sure to subscribe and
00:45ring the bell to get notified about our latest videos.
00:49Midna's Helmet
00:59The fan-favorite companion, Midna from Twilight Princess, has a pretty unique design.
01:04Part of it is the stone helm she wears, which is part of the larger, fused shadow, an ancient,
01:10magical artifact of her people, the Twili.
01:13The stone's left eye carving, which covers her own, bears a striking resemblance to the
01:18eyes of Majora's Mask.
01:20However, on the helmet's backside is a carving of a different eye, one linked to the Sheikah,
01:26the tribe that serves Hyrule's royal family.
01:31There have been some interesting fan theories about how the Twili, the Sheikah, and the
01:36mysterious tribe that worshipped the evil Majora's Mask could be connected.
01:41While theories aren't concrete lore, the fact that this artifact seems to connect them
01:45all can't be refuted.
01:59The Missing Lynx
02:08This spirit is reborn across several timelines and many different games.
02:13And for the most part, we've seen and played as each of them.
02:17However, there are a handful of them we've only heard about.
02:21While Link from Skyward Sword is the first version of the hero in-game, he's not exactly
02:26the first.
02:27In that game's lore, the goddess Hylia had her own version of the hero long in the past.
02:33Much like Zelda is Hylia reborn in mortal form, Link is the reincarnation of this hero,
02:39who we've only seen in non-canonical manga.
02:48We also glimpse another version of Link during the prologue of the Minish Cap.
02:53We learn the Picori, or Minish, gifted a sword and the Light Force to a hero, who used them
02:58to defeat monsters plaguing Hyrule.
03:01Then there's the ancient hero in Breath of the Wild's lore.
03:05Notably, this was a Zonai, so it's unclear if it was a version of Link.
03:09But since he appeared to stop Ganon and teamed up with a Hylian princess that was probably
03:15Zelda, we felt we should include him.
03:26A Most Wanted Man
03:35Now for a fun one.
03:37The hidden village in Twilight Princess was once the original Kakariko village, proven
03:42by translating the Hylian text on the sign that sits at its entrance.
03:47And apparently, this village once had a major problem with a wanted criminal.
03:52You can find posters around town of a goateed man that Reed wanted, followed by the reward
03:58of one quadrillion rupees.
04:04Naturally, you never learn who this guy was, what he did, or if he was ever caught.
04:14But that insane amount of money means he must have been pretty awful.
04:18Can you imagine a villain so vile his acts can rival even Ganondorf's?
04:23Because that's what that sum of money tells us.
04:31The Ocarina of Time's Origins
04:41In Ocarina of Time, the titular instrument is said to be a precious item passed down
04:46within the royal family.
04:48While we don't know the history behind its creation, we do know the material it's
04:52made from, and why it lets Link travel in time.
04:55The book Hyrule Historia hints that it is made from the same material as Time Shift
05:00Stones, seen in Skyward Sword.
05:09Whenever Link activates one of these, it produces an aura, where everything within it travels
05:15back in time.
05:16It's not something we particularly wondered about, but it still makes for a nice connection
05:21between games, and completely fits with why the Ocarina is used as a key to the Gate of
05:26Time and the Master Sword.
05:36The Two Zeldas
05:46Since their spirits are reincarnated across games, there's usually only one Link and
05:50one Zelda in each game.
05:53Usually, but not always.
05:55In Zelda 2, which takes place not long after the first, we're told of the quote unquote
06:00original, Zelda, who was cursed with endless sleep by her jealous brother long ago.
06:06But at the end of the game, Link cures her.
06:10So since it is a direct sequel, that means there are then two Zeldas in existence at
06:15once.
06:20This brings up all kinds of questions.
06:23If every Zelda is a reincarnation, how can two coexist?
06:27And what does this mean for governing Hyrule's people?
06:30Obviously this plotline was created long before Nintendo thought about a timeline or reincarnation.
06:37But it's still an interesting sort of paradox that isn't often brought up.
06:47Termina's Triforce
07:01We don't want to get into exactly what Termina is, but there's a lot of intrigue when it
07:06comes to the setting's religion.
07:08There are the four guardian deities that are worshipped, as well as a goddess of time who
07:13is mentioned several times, which most fans have accepted to be Hylia before she was given
07:18a name.
07:19However, if that is Hylia, you'd think there'd be some mention or reference to the golden
07:24goddesses Din, Farore, and Nayru, who created Hyrule and the Triforce.
07:38While it can be seen on Link's shield, which he starts the game with, there's only one
07:42area in Termina that features the holiest of triangles.
07:46There are pillars seen on the way to Ikana Canyon, as well as cube-shaped statues in
07:52that area's stone tower that depict faces with outstretched tongues, holding the Triforce
07:57at the end.
07:59In the case of those at the stone tower, the tongue extends to their underside, hiding
08:04the Triforce unless you look at them from below.
08:07Some fans have theorized this as an insult to the goddesses.
08:10Regardless, it only showing up in the Land of the Dead is a unique choice.
08:24One Lucky Guard
08:32At Hyrule's entrance in Ocarina of Time, you can find a lone soldier inside a guardhouse
08:38surrounded by pots.
08:39Speaking to him during the day, he'll complain out of boredom, wishing that there were more
08:43troubles in the world.
08:45However, speak to him at night, and he'll talk about his passion for studying ghosts.
08:50Well, seven years in the future, and it looks like this guy got exactly what he wanted.
09:03Not only is the town demolished by Ganondorf, but upon revisiting the guardhouse in the
09:08future, Link meets the creepy Toe Collector, who's completely unbothered by the state
09:14of things.
09:15The nighttime dialogue is easier to miss, so some players may not have pieced together
09:19that these two NPCs are one and the same.
09:28Gerudo Ears
09:37Get ready for a deep dive into Gerudo anatomy.
09:40No, not that anatomy.
09:42Get your mind out of the gutter.
09:43When the tribe first appeared in Ocarina of Time, they were noticeably different from
09:47Hylians, primarily in their dark skin and the fact that all but one of them were female.
09:54Another difference was their ears.
09:56Where Gerudo had round ears, Hylians had pointed, elf-like ones, which were said to let them
10:01hear messages from the gods.
10:03However, fast forward to Breath of the Wild, and it seems the Gerudo's overwhelming genes
10:08that lead most of them to be women aren't as strong in other areas.
10:20A few Gerudo NPCs have much lighter skin, brought about by breeding with Hylians to
10:25keep the race alive.
10:27But all of them, now, have pointed ears.
10:31This was actually explained in the companion book, Creating a Champion.
10:35Some Gerudo believe this change in anatomy was brought about by centuries of relationships
10:39with Hylian men.
10:41Others believe it came from their shame over Ganondorf, with their pointed ears opening
10:45them up to receive messages from the Hylian deities.
10:58The Mysterious Fado Fado is a minor NPC surrounded by mystery.
11:10In Ocarina of Time, she's a Kokiri who warns about the dangers of the Lost Woods.
11:15And she even takes unnerving glee at the fact that anyone other than the Kokiri who enter
11:20this place end up losing their minds and turning into Stalfos.
11:24Famously, a wind temple was scrapped during the game's development.
11:29Since Fado has a unique character model, the forest medallion bears a wind-like design,
11:34and the forest room in Ganon's Tower features wind-based obstacles, many speculate she was
11:40the sage for this scrapped dungeon before Saria the Forest Sage was created.
11:52Then you have the Wind Waker.
11:54In that game, the Korok Makar awakens as the Wind Sage, taking over from the previous one,
12:00a Kokiri boy, also named Fado.
12:04There are many characters named after previous ones, but it isn't usually as blatant as
12:09two members of the same race sharing the exact same name.
12:14Furthermore, the official strategy guide from Prima states Wind Waker's Fado was a close
12:19friend to the Hero of Time.
12:21Is this unintended trans representation?
12:24Maybe.
12:25The closer connection between the two NPCs makes this seem like something more than an homage.
12:37Ganon Reincarnated
12:47While Zelda and Link are reborn at multiple points in time, Ganon's deal is different.
12:52Canonically, his first appearance is an Ocarina of Time.
12:56Every other time he shows up, across the different timelines, is just the same version of him
13:02having found some way to be resurrected, either as a man or a beast.
13:07The exception, other than Tears of the Kingdom which is disconnected from the timelines,
13:12is for Sword's Adventures, the GameCube multiplayer title.
13:24This version of Ganon is actually a reincarnation within the Gerudo tribe.
13:29You may think this is just Demise's curse at play, but it also ties in with dialogue
13:34that, for whatever reason, was cut from Ganondorf's final speech in Twilight Princess.
13:40Upon defeat, he would have originally threatened that those born with the crests of the goddesses,
13:46like Link and Zelda, would also have to contend with one of his blood.
13:51Of course, the game set after Twilight Princess in the child timeline is for Sword's Adventures.
14:04Are there any obscure pieces of lore from Zelda that fascinate you?
14:08Drop some knowledge down in the comments.
14:18Thanks for watching.
14:19If you enjoyed the video, there's more where that came from.