The art credits for this video would not fit within CZcams's character limit. Here is a complete list of all the sources I was able to track down: Fanime 1513: twitter.com/pix_bun/status/1707395749666078932 watercolor_guild: instagram.com/p/CoZbuG9LCzu/?epik=dj0yJnU9VGZ6QS1DeUhudUgzc29WZ20zdmJ4UnE1UnFhN1JuSjkmcD0wJm49b2g0TDRBbzV1UXA1S1A1WlpLRXdIQSZ0PUFBQUFBR1ltdGNN&img_index=1 frasesoftime: frasesoftime.tumblr.com/post/40021695141/quien-quiere-a-alguien-de-verdad-quiere-en: frasesoftime.tumblr.com/post/40021695141/quien-quiere-a-alguien-de-verdad-quiere-en vee: twitter.com/veetelier/status/1666502952041717764 EmilyBalivet: www.etsy.com/uk/listing/1008446019/idun-norse-goddess-pagan-mythology-aceo Matt Cummings: www.reddit.com/r/zelda/comments/8ca0n3/beedle_by_matt_cummings/ Pol: www.inprnt.com/discover/image/appol/the-depths Frozensoba: www.inprnt.com/discover/image/frozensoba/the-depths @pra_11__: twitter.com/VideoArtGame/status/1760046674557186524 Mukti Alamsyah: www.reddit.com/r/Heavymind/comments/29q8hj/dissociative_identity_disorder_by_mukti_alamsyah/ Silvia Pasqualetto: www.artstation.com/artwork/L9dPK Tom Garden: tomgardenart.artstation.com/projects/89lzR Kinuko Craft: www.kinukoycraft.com/ Holly Sierra: www.etsy.com/ca/listing/91931241/maat-the-egyptian-goddess-of-truth dele: twitter.com/dele14375735/status/1501253648931713026 ajzren: twitter.com/VideoArtGame/status/1727401564342772154 Celia the Ssinner: twitter.com/CeliaHoodCat/status/1274171524635783168 Justin Adams: www.inprnt.com/discover/search/image/memper/tarot-the-magician RoseMakesArt: www.etsy.com/ca/listing/488287099/lucys-discovery-custom-narnia Fortunino Matania: fineartamerica.com/shop/canvas+prints/fortunino+matania Stef Tastan: www.artstation.com/artwork/dQ801 GiftLee: www.deviantart.com/giftlee/art/Peter-Pan-367986599 AbePapakhian: www.deviantart.com/abepapakhian/art/The-Ride-of-the-Rohirrim-149356962 Unknown: www.reddit.com/r/zelda/comments/723n1u/what_botw_ending_cutscene_should_look_like_by/ fjsmu: safebooru.org/index.php?page=post&s=view&id=4417384 David Wyatt: www.davidwyattillustration.com/illustration/taliesin/ Joe Gilronan: fineartamerica.com/featured/eternal-land-of-the-elves-joe-gilronan.html Unknown: safebooru.org/index.php?page=post&s=view&id=4047993 yuhuaniiiiiii: twitter.com/yuhuaniiiiiii/status/1722633221006098451 venusqueenoffaeries.tumblr.com/post/648671641058033666/suneiaaa-skyward-sword-zelda-in-faron-woods-a suneiaaa: twitter.com/_darkta_/status/1679958957111267328 Mikoooo_1214: www.reddit.com/r/ZeLink/comments/mj7ac6/the_princess_looks_at_her_knight_by_mikoooo_1214/ ripushko: danbooru.donmai.us/posts/6344265 elohay_: twitter.com/elohay_/status/1698332005597921638 thatLD: www.deviantart.com/thatld/art/Conquer-Yourself-260813222 Pao Yong: cdna.artstation.com/p/assets/images/images/020/035/704/large/pao-yong-zelda-4k.jpg?1566079800 Samantha Johnson: www.deviantart.com/pernastudios/art/Nuada-Samantha-Johnson-436624435 Olaf Hajek: olafhajek.com/collaborations Gilbert Williams: thegallerist.art/paintings-by-gilbert-williams/ Josephine Wall: josephinewall.co.uk/ Alex Grey: www.alexgrey.com/
Sections: 0:00 Introduction 1:56 The Metatextual Nature of TotK 7:54 The Dwindling of Spirit 19:46 A World Transformed 29:20 Hyrule 2.0 33:42 Virtue and Enlightenment in Fantasy 46:40 Mystery, Divinity, and Eternity 1:13:22 The Underworld and The Sky 1:37:29 The Science of Spirit 1:48:03 The Yiga 1:53:10 The Dragons of Time 2:03:04 The Truest Magic
First an eclipse, then the aurora, and now one of my favorite music channels made a video essay?!? I must be living in a simulation 😂 can't wait to watch this thank you
@@RebeccaETripp I'll definitely be listening to them. Your analysis is so insightful and descriptive, and your voice is so calming. I listen to video essays while I work, and some people rely heavily on the video part, it's rare to find someone with such an excellent script voice and insight. Thanks!! Can't wait to find the others!!
Dorian's dialog "But the Yiga...They took my wife's life as punishment." This is the pure embodiment of the sentiments of Cain, if I can't have anything that makes me happy or brings me praise then neither can you. The intent that underlies the Yiga's philosophy is sinister, and it's led by a goofy anime character. Love these videos, I don't have much time devote to watching anything with more than passive attention but I always clear a block when you upload these psychological and mythological deep dives; I'd love to see Majora's Mask get the Rebecca Tripp treatment.
I absolutely adore this video! The moment you talked about your forest and cat hit me hard and made me feel like a child exploring a nearby park with my family to find cool things left by other people like hidden swings over ponds all over again!
I love listening to you articulate your thoughts when you release long form video essays like this. You always manage to weave in concepts and build narratives that I don't think ever would have occured to me otherwise. Yet when you bring those more obscure or veiled elements to light, they instantly become crystal clear! It's like an "AHA!" moment. The mark of a creative mind, I suppose... Being able to see through the mundane and ponder upon the intertextual. Thank you!
These essays of yours are always so spiritually nourishing, but your Zelda videos especially are a blessing. I sadly can't watch all of this for now because I haven't played TotK yet, but I listened to most of the 'Mystery, Divinity, and Eternity' segment and that alone is already one of the most special things you've written! Thank you so much once again, from the bottom of my heart.
I think you have a unique ability to express quality analysis material, and still do it in an artistic way. This was.. calming and enchanting in a way. Love it!
Wow...What a treat. As a huge fan of the Zelda franchise and a Psychology Major who's finishing up his post-grade thesis, I adore this video. You have an ethereal presentation style and whether its intended or not, I think it fits perfectly with the topic itself. Thank you for this lovely video! I notice you have more videos like this and will most likely check those out as well when I have time.
The last part of this video was sublime. Thank you. I fell asleep while listening and woke up and thought, wow, a mystic poem. There were several moments like that throughout the video along with thought provoking ideas, so I will have to rewatch again!
This is gold. Your thoughts and the themes are spot on. I havent heard any of your psychological analyses before but I must say I wont miss another. Having played most of the Zelda games, I really connected to your beliefs. I loved old Zelda games, and the criticism of the quantity over quality aspects of BOTW and TOTK (and in society) really struck a chord.
YESSSSS!!! I’ve been waiting so patiently for so long!!!! I’m so very excited I don’t even know what to say. Your Zelda and final fantasy philosophy and psychology videos meant so much to me. I can’t wait to watch through this one.
58:58 This made me tear up, I think it's because a lot of the media you describe in your video here are what I also experienced growing up and it hits me right in the nostalgia. Amazing video, so glad you make these analysis videos still! And yes, I do feel that urge to show others the experience. 2:02:38 You definitely made that scene way more epic for me now!
I’m not even finished with this video, but I must comment already: I LOVE your music that you make for this channel. My wife, my friends and I will play Settlers of Catan, and I’ll sneak your music on and they ALWAYS say “wow! This is beautiful!” But, you did this 2 hour plus essay… And now, somehow, you have completely outdone every other Zelda Tuber on their own expertise: essays! This video is transcendent. You have completely filled in the vague narrative written in my heart for why I love fairy tales, TLoZ being my absolute favorite thing ever; I love this Legend for all the reasons you fleshed out! Like you said in this video and I paraphrase: it can be a spiritual experience for some. I added this video to an ASMR playlist because this is such a comforting message and the execution is done so well and has such a sweet, peacefully, spiritually enriching vibe that I will use it to finally cure my occasional insomnia! Anyway, I’ve gushed enough, but I had to comment! You are simply brilliant! This is so involved, so fastidiously and passionately executed! This seems like your dissertation for your master’s degree or PHD because it’s so coherent and engaging! I’m gonna rewatch this video several times as I build Ocarina of Time Landmarks out of Legos in my Lego-Room! Thank you for truly creating a work of art!
Thank you so much, Cody! I feel very encouraged to make these kinds of videos when others are able to connect to them as well as you have! ^_^ And I'm also very honoured and flattered that you have been sharing my work with other people. Catan is a fun experience! If you're interested, I have many more videos like this on my channel (linked to in the description).
An over 2-hour long video of this game analysis?! I gotta watch this later when I get the chance! I remember when you told me TOTK wasn't one of your favorites. But I wanna see your in depth point of view. Hope you're having a great day!!
I'm not a particularly big Zelda fan despite having played a large majority of them since early childhood, and I was ESPECIALLY not a fan of BotW, but halfway through I just had to drop a comment to say wow. What a thought-provoking video and enjoyable watch, the vibes are truly immaculate.
I really appreciate that. Maybe we can both agree that media can carry a deep and powerful message, even if it's not exactly to our taste, and, in some cases, even if only accidentally.
A beautiful discussion of the themes and symbolism of this game, one which I haven't even played but now feel as though I have deeply visited. There were a few sections I particularly loved, such as the one starting at 1:44:30, where you bring us to a dream-like place of reprieve, reflection, and serenity. This is not just a video essay, but its own storytelling experience - a story of themes that touch our human experience, and a call into the realm of the divine, a realm that exists not within the busy array of treasures in modern society, but within ourselves. I also liked: How you dug in on modern sensory excess and the consequences of becoming numbing ourselves with it here: 1:24:11 The discussion of the "bokoblin inside", the first example here: 38:03 The lovely, quiet moment at 46:28 The way you call out the Yiga as edge-lords at 1:48:07 XD The interesting story of Koltin and what that says about futile obsessions of spiritual escapism: 1:05:00 There are a lot more moments of insight and beauty scattered throughout. I think, in general there are some beautiful messages being brought forward by the game, highlighted by your analysis, that reflect well the conditions of our modern world. It is interesting to see a Zelda game take on our relationship with technology, for instance, and I find it very poignant that such emphasis is put on finding out where spirit went, through looking for and finding false versions of Zelda. To be spiritual in a world of technological innovation on every front is certainly a task, for it is to realize that not all things can truly be fixed through technology, and that some measure of personal and spiritual experience must be included. We cannot chase the dragon of spirituality, collect or devour spiritually-charged goods, or seek to deny through deliberate ignorance the nature and bounty of spirit where it actually exists. There is something warm and real inside us all, when we're willing to look for it, and persist past the gloom and malaise we might too easily entertain. In essence, I really love the things you've highlighted here, and I take it as a call to something higher and more real. Much like Zelda, as a game and character, points in this direction, you have also illuminated this kind of pathway, with playfulness, grace, and insight. Thank you Rebecca! I enjoyed this very much.
I can always count on your to give insightful, thoughtful, and heartwarming comments. Thank you again, Oliver! I'm so glad you enjoyed this, and that you wanted to give it a chance, even though you haven't even played the game! :) Thank you, too!
I rarely ever comment but I wanted to say I loved all you had to say :) Something also felt missing to me in totk that was present in botw, and it certainly had something to do with that spiritual aspect; totk, as you mentioned, didn't have a distinct identity that immediately emerged for me. Yet there was always something undoubtedly beautiful about Tears that I couldn't quite put my fingers on. The way you spoke about magic, technology, eternity, and enlightenment clarified it all to me and was beautifully articulated. It doesn't change my mind fundamentally about Tears, yet it also helped me let go of the expectation that this would be another breath of the wild. I was searching for the same sorts of epiphanies but this video helped me find and appreciate new ones
My two sisters and I have a really special bond through Zelda since ocarina of time in 98, and your videos make me relive what we experienced together. In any case, what you do is truly exceptional. Thank you very much!!
I’ve been looking forward to watching this for so long and finally after finishing TOTK, I get to do that! Even though it’s completely messed with the timeline and I yearn for the traditional Zelda form, I loved it! And that ending sequence and fall really got me, I got swept up in that moment…❤❤❤
These philosophical analysis videos of yours are fantastic! By invoking the help of your profound analogical vision, you wander with us into the mythical worlds of the soul ❇ Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for making us happy with your kindness, time and knowledge 🌼 💙
Absolutely fantastic video! I really love your video essays because the delve deeply into the psychological and philosophical meaning in these games. The themes and subjects you cover in this video are simply beautiful.
I feel confident in stating that no individual has brought more intellect to bear in discerning the lore of LoZ than Rebecca Tripp. Thanks for the great presentation! The discussion of crossing thresholds and the long shadow of mystery encountered on the other side reminds me of images such as the Flammarion engraving and the idea of the spiritual pilgrim. And also the dangers of englightenment and encountering a sort of "enlightenment depression". By the way, I think there may be some value in analyzing the mythology of Zoroaster with respect to LoZ. The eternal struggle between Ahura Mazda and Ahriman is strikingly reminscent of some LoZ themes (Link v. Ganon) --- Best regards.
Honestly the way totk made me feel was optimistic. It felt like evil was getting stronger but it's sort of a wasted effort on its part bc the people of hyrule, thanks to the events of botw, are united now and - though they still need link and the master sword - they are the ones holding evil off until he's ready, not Zelda, and they're gonna be with him when he faces down ganon - literally with the sages and zelda. I know on paper there's a lot of struggling going on - like with Zelda holding ganon back - but the energy is positive and optimistic, there's a kind of whimsy and the problems are easily solved. The technology is like a cleaner steampunk, whimsical, artistically rendered with figures and faces and stripped of any unnecessary complexity, reveling in simple physics similar to magnesis and using a torch in botw, and highly prone to failure, emphasizing the way the are often add-ons. Plus, the kingdom is growing and becoming united in obvious ways. Npcs talk about issues but they are all either recent issues caused by the upheaval (which they are performing extensive efforts to mitigate) or minor squabbles ideal for side quests and realistic in even the most idyllic society. The areas where true evil reside, the depths, lack friendly npcs but also lack most major story beats unless they are a temple reached after completing story missions on the surface. The rest is a proving ground - useful for resources and even lore, but not a friendly nature to explore with indifferent animals - though it can be beautiful still I think the thing that honestly bothered a lot of people is that link isn't a solo hero in any meaningful way - the monster control crews also fight monsters, his sages will only give him their power if he walks up to them and hits a button, same as talking to an npc. He can exhibit godlike abilities and become so op as to be unstoppable but every major story beat bypasses this in some way - making that godlike op-ness ring hollow and pointless. That isn't the point of this story. Like Rauru in the past, despondent over what his hubris caused, he is not alone. I also think the game, oddly enough, doesn't actually reward mini-max style gameplay. By which i mean the reward is that everything is so easy its boring and feels empty. In which case i think it encourages you to actually hold back, to not simply do what ever you can. This is aphilodophyi already had and a such the game gas been my favorite in the series and agonist exclusively fun and rewarding. But like, The tragedy of this game isn't the expanding evil, its the evil of the past and that Zelda has sacrificed herself to save hyrule, but this is presented not as a thing to primarily make link/ the audience sad or add drama - it's a beautiful symbolic sacrifice that shouldn't be necessary but also puts to shame the self centered and realistically 2 dimensional ambition of Ganondorf (like many actual corrupt rulers in real life where the motivations are either not complex or not important to those who are suffering), which seems to symbolize individualism, in contrast to Zelda and the Zonai who, like you said, empower others while preserving individuality - representing an optomistic solution - perhaps the only real solution to apocalyptic problems, mutusl cooperation among varied groups
Zelda II, A Link to the Past, Ocarina of Time, and Windwaker for the win. But hey, that's just me, and I'm an old man now. Loved all the Lord of the Rings clips. Great video Rebecca. I relate to this feeling you describe. The music, the stories, let 'em call us silly. I pity those who haven't had such an experience in life. "There's some good in this world Mr. Frodo, and it's worth fighting for."
TotK felt philosophically bankrupt to me and watching the credits roll hurt me like watching a once beloved sage become an addict. I'd been waiting for that moment where it all made sense and it never did. They took Ashitaka's cursed arm from Princess Mononoke and turned it into a goddamn physics toy, completely ignoring the danger of reckless Sheikah ventures with technology explored in BotW. Like it was even implied that Ganondorf was the source of ancient energy but again not explored. The handling of Ganondorf was incredibly disappointing that it painted him as no more nuanced than Calamity Ganon and didn't in any way acknowledge the cycle (other than piggybacking off BotW), seemingly reverting to the Downfall Timeline's zeal. We already know where that leads - fighting your own shadow. Which is so strange to me when it feels like every game since Majora's Mask had been building to some kind of revelation about Ganondorf's role in the curse, yet that revelation came not from an official game at all but from Hero's Purpose Episode 5 just a couple of months later. I consider that more "canon" that the actual game, which really shouldn't be the case. There's also a huge amount of ludonarrative dissonance between the story and gameplay, with expected order of events yet freedom to completely mess up the experience of those events. "Where's Zelda?!" Gee I wonder... It's like they took BotW's openness and past games' linearity and doubled down on both at the same time to create something worse than either rather than finding the natural symbiosis between them. Adding linear elements to the sky plateau completely broke what made the great plateau the best tutorial ever put in a game. None of BotW's flaws were really acknowledged as should be done by any sequel. Beautifully crafted dungeons full of puzzles... that you can just skip. That's a modern vapidness that I do not want from this beloved series. If they don't change direction with the next game I probably won't be returning to it. The intro under Hyrule Castle is the only part of Tears of the Kingdom that seems "right". Everything after that seems like a pale imitation of what should've been, with all of the setups of the intro being fan-bait and switch. Ganondorf isn't Ganondorf. The Zonai are seemingly nothing like the ones from BotW's ruins and are barely explored. The Imprisoning War isn't The Imprisoning War. The finally increased presence of Zelda is short lived. Rauru isn't Rauru... The robots aren't inspired by ancient tales, just like Link's arm and Tarrey Town they are visually inspired by (read - stolen from) Studio Ghibli while completely trashing the original thematics. The... dare I say blasphemies this game makes against Ghibli works is what makes me hate it so much. Yes I actively hate this game. You say about the 4th mode being like the Sheikah of the past. Do you mean the same Sheikah that gave Ganon his army through their hubris? The same Sheikah that oversaw whatever the heck the Shadow Temple was for? They are not some righteous promised future state of being. They are a warning. 49:46 That's the part I take issue with. The zeitgeist is like the wind and creatives are like birds. They do not have to fly with the wind and if enough of them flap their wings they can create gusts of their own. To merely glide on the zeitgeist is to fall prey to a cycle of evil that will continue with our without your input. Ganondorf from Wind Waker allowed the wind to dictate his actions. But Link? In a world without a hero he gained the power to change the winds himself. 52:39 I'm convinced that Majora's Mask is intended to be played as a child and then again as an adult to get the complete experience. Gotta say I'm very taken with your analysis of the Hateno politics and the synthesis between Objectivity and Subjectivity. This reminds me of an idea I've long been fascinated by, originating from one of Richard Feynmann's lectures in which he talks about the "heirarchy" of ideas that can be viewed from the objective or subjective directions and has different fundamentals accordingly, with a complete picture of reality only able to be found by pieceing together all of the connections in both directions. Hmm and you're onto something with Mineru too... I think the Spirit Temple is a straight up lie, that's the Shadow Temple. Purple gem. Spirit already aligned to the Lightning Temple. Mineru clearly about to be succeeded by Purah in the post-credits scene (the careless wielders of technology and co-owners of the Purah Pad). Her entire robot project was a secret from everyone, obscured by some kind of ancient Zonai weather control revered by the normal folk as magic. Mineru acts all shocked that Zelda is going to undergo Draconification but she's the one who gave her the idea. For the paragon of spirit to be an ancient uploaded-consciousness cyborg who couldn't even manage control of her original robot like Doc Ock's broken inhibitor chip is just hilarious. If that was intentional I might just change my mind about the game. 1:44:43 and AI slaves with a self-preservation instinct that will fight to the death anything that is not a Zonai. Rauru, your concern over what has become of them is deserved. The Yiga don't make sense in TotK because the game fails to acknowledge the Sheikah's deep flaws that they would have been opposed to. In BotW it's made nice and clear that there was a whole beef with the royal family that led to the split, but like most things TotK forgot that.
@@RebeccaETripp @RebeccaETripp Your insights are always great food for thought. Besides, even bad works can give inadvertant insight into the current state of humanity. Donut County is an incredibly vapid game that depicts in detail the black hole indifference entity seen across contemporary art as the villain of our time - except Donut County unironically regards it as a midunderstood protagonist to embrace. I was hoping you'd change my mind on Totk and to a meaningful degree you did toward the end of the video. It does seem like the subtext is too deeply buried though to the point it succumbs to poe's law.
@@rafaelrasillo7356 I'm so glad you liked it! I had so much fun with that project! I don't have it all in a single video, but I do have a playlist (it's linked to on this video, and in all the LoD videos! :)
I wish I enjoyed exploring botw and totk as much as I do the elder scrolls. I think those Zeldas just aren't as varied, the sprinkled 'dungeons' (in this case shrines) are so short, the density of interactables/points of interests isn't as high.
This was a lovely video and i enjoyed listening to it. Most if not all of your interpretation feels to me like trying to dig 100ft in a 2ft sandbox. Which is to say, the game was not invisioned with depth, you are bringing almost all of it. With that said, when I attempt to view the game with the depth you have projected onto it, I do find it a far more appealing story. It makes me much more interested in giving the game yet another shot. (Its still has awful building mechanics, but thats another conversation) Despite my distaste for the game, I want to reiterate. This was a very enjoyable video and I found your perspective very interesting.
I always tended to link Legend of Zelda episodes to spiritualities of the world. Link's Awakaning is unmistakebly Buddhist (with the theme of Awakening, present in the title, central to Buddhism, and present at the very core of the story), Ocarina of Time is for me the most Shinto of all, with all the temples and elemental shrines throughout the whole map. Majora's Mask is to me a mixture of Buddhism (with the theme of time flexibility and eternal return of the same) and Apocalyptic messianism like in the monotheistic religions. Twilight Princess, I link to Daoist and also, lesser known Aztec philosophy and mystics (the Dao and the Teotl are two concepts fairly similar, encompassing darkness and light in a very dualistic and yet intermingling, multi-layered view of the phenomenal world). I played very few Breath of The Wild, and no Tears of the Kingdom at all, but, and thanks to your investigations, I link those games to even more obscure schools of thoughts (which, on an aesthetic level at least, I relate to perhaps not-so-much mythological eras like Atlantis, Lemuria, Arcadia etc) like the Jain concept of karma, seemingly older than India itself. The Jain conceived karma as a dark and obscure matter, immaterial in nature as if linked to pure non-being, which can cover the heart of beings, shielding it from the light of their true nature. It is very close to the idea of "malice" or "gloom". The dematerialisation of the Zelda series represents indeed, both a dive into the most archaic layers of ourselves, and into the most forgotten timelines of our collective history. And by the way, you excuse yourself for being corny, but isn't Japanese virtual wabi-sabi culture (which we could perhaps link to Myamoto's experience and desire to create, with the first Legend of Zelda, a kind of digital "Zen garden", in which you could come and go at will and be relieved of the chaos of the world of illusion outside, like in the quoted cave...) anything but the epitome of corniness ? "Elegance of imperfection" isn't the meaning of life itself ?
I love this! I think one of the reasons these kinds of stories are so potent is that we can project almost any faith, structure, philosophy, etc onto them! For instance, for me, Majora is distinctly Shinto/Doaist! Ocarina of Time has very pagan inspired roots, as do the Oracle games. Link to the Past has a kind Arthurian style Christian feel, as does Link's Awakening! Skyward Sword has a decided Gnostic feel to me, with significant elements of Buddhism. I feel that your takes are valid, however.
@@RebeccaETripp You seem to know those games better than I do to be fair, thanks to you musical musings probably, as I am not a artist myself. Amazing !
Ganondorf's character has always been interesting to me because he is always the same type of person, the same type of character in every game but some games show more of what his desires are and what his delusions are, what his lies are. A entirely selfish character who doesn't care about the people he came from and forces them to agree with him through brainwashing and deception. Someone who only cares for the power and wealth he was born with and the power he could obtain as he isn't grateful with what he had and never sought to improve his home into a prosperous paradise(but his people succeed at improving their home without him and finds a way to use the desert to grow stronger as a civilization and stand proudly on it as a beautiful desert flower), instead seeking to take what someone else had for himself only. An entitled, proud warrior king with a bottomless thirst for battle and power, a superiority complex and a hatred towards anything that differs from his worldview. A man who seeks to create a world that only benefits warmongerers, bloodthirsty, greedy and violent selfish people like himself and punishes anyone weak, defenseless and harmonious. In OOT he murders people and steals from them to get what he wants and deceives the king of Hyrule and despite conquering Hyrule with just a piece of the Triforce to empower his dark magic he still wants the entire Triforce so he can try satisfying the powerhungry desires that can never be satisfied. He goes against traditional Gerudo values, brainwashed Gerudo and breaks an alliance that would have benefited the Gerudo. He belittles Link both when the hero is a child and when he is an adult(well technically a child in an adult's body) and arrogantly treats the hero as less capable and less intelligent than an adult like himself. He punishes Talon for laziness, incompetence and decadence and rewards Ingo for ambition, hard work and greed. In TWW he is bitter towards the gods for moving his goalpost further away from him in his moment of triumph and for reducing the land to a couple of islands that in his eyes pale in comparison to the Great land he could rule and wage war in, he doesn't believe anyone on the Great sea's islands could possibly hope to achieve anything but Link and the characters on the Great sea prove that Ganon is wrong. He scoffs at the idea of a future that doesn't resemble his vision and is stuck living in the past because of his narrow mindedness, selfishness, narcissism, egoism (imagery depicting his demon beast form in his own tower, his offshoots and the way he words his speeches and make himself sound important and how he makes everything about himself and not anyone else proves this) and regrets nothing other than specific actions that caused his ideal world to move away from his reach and he feels little to no remorse. He is an unreliable hypocrite who while acknowledging some strength in the hero still refuses to see himself as weaker than the hero and tries to make up explanations as to why he is still the strongest and also tries to justify his own nonsense with made up reasons that don't line up with what he did. He is consumed by his unfed hunger for power and cracks when he loses his goalpost for the last time, when he draws his swords during the final battle he smiles a wicked smile. He questions the Triforce's worth when it is used against him. Like in OOT he has no problem hurting children to get what he wants, he attempts to kill Link throughout the game and only decides to not do it at the end only to change his mind when he doesn't achieve his goals. In TP his servants follow the strong and doesn't believe there are anyone stronger than the demon king but king Bulblin opens his eyes when he realizes that Link wields a power greater than the demon king. Zant is resentful towards his own people for abandoning ambition, hate and greed in favor of harmony and he worships Ganon for being a symbol of those emotions and desires. Ganon scoffs at the idea that kindness has power that can stand against his dark might and like some mythical demons feeds on negative emotions and desires for an increase of power. In FSA Ganon like in TOTK finds peace boring and thinks it only makes the world weak and pathetic and he yearns for a great destructive overwhelming power he can use for conquest. In Skyward sword the nameless person of demise or avatar of demise like Ganon in many games like TOTK likes the surge of adrenaline he feels when he unleashes his full power or is in a situation that forces him to use his full power. The avatar is however more respectful of his opponent and even congratulates him. In ALTTP Ganon murders his own followers in the backstory so he won't have to share the ultimate power and his form known as the demon beast or dark beast is established to be a mirror reflection of who is as a person which is perhaps also the case for the different forms he takes like the spider, lion-boar and snake-boar forms or the forms some of his manifestations take. He also creates an offshoot that can carry out his will and help destroy some of the obstacles that prevents his wish from being fullfilled. His dark world looks like an extension of the original hell/dark world/demon world and Ganondorf's wicked heart. In BOTW and HW:AOC his manifestation shows an obsessive desire to try creating a body for a revival and hates all attempts to deny it. In TOTK like in FSA Ganon is shown to be a bloodthirsty warmongerer who similar to TWW yearns for the world to return to a great era, an era where the world constantly experienced war, attacks from demons, a fight for survival, a fight for power where only the mightiest being of them all will reach the top of the pyramid and rule all creation like "a true king". Like in OOT he doesn't like laziness, decadence and slackers as he says in one of the flashbacks that Hyrule kingdom is "so proud of the power it's been granted" by Rauru and Sonia and talks about the lack of fighting spirit during the final battle. Like in ALTTP and many other games he sees the monsters and the demons as stronger than mere mortals and shows his thoughts about his people by attacking them the moment he can become "the strongest entity to walk the earth" and because the Gerudo chose to take part in Hyrule kingdom and side with it. The people of Hyrule, Zelda and Link prove that Ganondorf beliefs and desires are wrong. In every game Ganon seeks to make everyone get consumed by his type of power, selfish ideas of what can be done with power, malevolent thoughts towards others and greed. When he is removed from his pedestal he often tries to get the last laugh even if he has to go back on his own words and make the most reckless of decisions. His obsessesions, delusions, egoism and arrogance makes him always refuse the very notion that he is weaker than someone else and he always stays delusional and ignorant in his ways because he sees his ideology, philosophy and views as an absolute irrefutable truth. His monstrous and demonic servants almost look like manifestations of his will as they pick up things and act like it always belonged to them and behave in a barbaric manner. He serves his role well as a twisted reflection Daphnes and Rauru's character and the type of person that is opposite to Link’s and Zelda's character and their greatest enemy and obstacle to enlightenment. Ganon and the forces that oppose him and characters and evil forces like him is why I enjoy a lot of the Zelda series' pholosphical ideas and concepts.
I think you should replay Majora's Mask. Ganondorf is no more evil than Skull Kid. That was the point of that Terminian parallel, why the Malice as shown in Skyward Sword and BotW is a pervasive controlling liquid. This idea came from the boar in Princess Mononoke, where the "demon" turned out to actually be a holy boar (!) irritated and enraged by a demonic substance.
@@chiffmonkey I don't know where you got that from. Ganon resembles Majora more than skull kid, a demon who feeds on someone else's thoughts, desires and emotions and stands in the way of enlightenment. Skull kid didn't know much about what the mask was going to do until it was too late and the mask started to take control over him because he couldn't control his own mind and insecurities and if fully under the control of the mask he would be no different from one of Ganondorf's victims/servants who become consumed by a desire that makes them think they are in control of Ganondorf but are actually under his control, Skull kid has more in common with Zant. Ganondorf is controlled by his own emotions and desires or "ruled by power" but is controlling his forces and magic and malice to attack others. I don't see any evidence that the devs thought of skull kid like you believe when making MM. The demonic substance in princess Mononoke originates from the boar itself because it was it's own desires that gave birth to the substance and there were people that caused it to have those desires because of their actions towards it so the end result was an angry vengeful boar that became consumed and blinded by it's own hatred. Ganondorf is someone with strong negative desires and emotions who infects others with his will, his mind can create copies of itself but they aren't going against the will of their creator, this will consumes the mind because of obssession. While it is controlling the mind it doesn't have a mind of it's own, it also doesn't do anything it's creator doesn't want to do and it isn't a puppet master pulling the strings from behind the scenes, it's more like an addiction. The creator can however create manifestations or attract demons to their location without knowing it. Unlike the boar from princess Mononoke Ganondorf is not motivated by any crime committed against him or had any noble goals to begin with, he is just a jealous entitled character with a privileged background and knowledge in the darks arts because of his mothers and he thinks the gods/spirits/kami represent everything that is opposite of the dark world he desires. Princess Mononoke is not fully the same as The legend of Zelda either, just a source of inspiration but the series takes inspiration from more than one source and makes some of it's own characters and concepts different here and there. I believe you are over thinking this as something far more complex than it actually is. But I guess it's impossible to convince you so agree to disagree...
You forgot the Oracle duology where his incomplete resurrection reverted "Ganon" into a primal creature driven by an insatiable lust for death and destruction prooving that, at his core, his entitled ego for absolute superiority over the entire world forces him on a self destructive path to indulge said superiority.
@@javiervasquez625 Good point. I've kind of seen that situation a bit as Ganondorf's soul becoming consumed by rage the moment he is denied a proper body to complete his resurrection like he needed a body related to his vengeful desires or something else though perhaps he needed a strong energy level for his powerful soul and Twinrova's fused body and fused soul was not what he needed. I do think he did get a proper resurrection later on (or perhaps it's a new iteration of the character like TOTK Ganon and FSA Ganon since there is room for that but I think the intent was for ALTTP to be the backstory of TLOZ Ganon based on a few lines from the ALTTP manual) that made him a bit less mindless but still a blind beast since in the first game's backstory(from the manual) he shows a bit of intelligence when leading his army to invade Hyrule, planning to rule the world, stealing the Triforce of power from the Royal family of Hyrule, capturing Zelda when he learned that she had tried to prevent his desire from succeeding and when he sent a search party to find Impa. Malladus shows a bit of intelligence as a spirit when his resurrection is denied, he becomes desperate since he can't remain in the world without a proper body to house his soul so he forcefully possesses the body of his servant but realizes that the body is resisting him so he tries to use the little time he has left for destruction like he wants revenge for being denied a proper resurrection and the things he could have done if it succeeded.
TOTK was a left brain game- very focused on engineering.. if you are not a left brained individual, i suspect you won't like the main focus of the development cycle.... building things-.. The zelda team poured all their efforts into the fuse and ultra hand mechanics-- other than those two things and don't get me wrong, they are 2 HUGE evolutions in gaming... it is pretty much the same game as botw..
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The art credits for this video would not fit within CZcams's character limit. Here is a complete list of all the sources I was able to track down:
Fanime 1513: twitter.com/pix_bun/status/1707395749666078932
watercolor_guild: instagram.com/p/CoZbuG9LCzu/?epik=dj0yJnU9VGZ6QS1DeUhudUgzc29WZ20zdmJ4UnE1UnFhN1JuSjkmcD0wJm49b2g0TDRBbzV1UXA1S1A1WlpLRXdIQSZ0PUFBQUFBR1ltdGNN&img_index=1
frasesoftime: frasesoftime.tumblr.com/post/40021695141/quien-quiere-a-alguien-de-verdad-quiere-en: frasesoftime.tumblr.com/post/40021695141/quien-quiere-a-alguien-de-verdad-quiere-en
vee: twitter.com/veetelier/status/1666502952041717764
EmilyBalivet: www.etsy.com/uk/listing/1008446019/idun-norse-goddess-pagan-mythology-aceo
Matt Cummings: www.reddit.com/r/zelda/comments/8ca0n3/beedle_by_matt_cummings/
Pol: www.inprnt.com/discover/image/appol/the-depths
Frozensoba: www.inprnt.com/discover/image/frozensoba/the-depths
@pra_11__: twitter.com/VideoArtGame/status/1760046674557186524
Mukti Alamsyah: www.reddit.com/r/Heavymind/comments/29q8hj/dissociative_identity_disorder_by_mukti_alamsyah/
Silvia Pasqualetto: www.artstation.com/artwork/L9dPK
Tom Garden: tomgardenart.artstation.com/projects/89lzR
Kinuko Craft: www.kinukoycraft.com/
Holly Sierra: www.etsy.com/ca/listing/91931241/maat-the-egyptian-goddess-of-truth
dele: twitter.com/dele14375735/status/1501253648931713026
ajzren: twitter.com/VideoArtGame/status/1727401564342772154
Celia the Ssinner: twitter.com/CeliaHoodCat/status/1274171524635783168
Justin Adams: www.inprnt.com/discover/search/image/memper/tarot-the-magician
RoseMakesArt: www.etsy.com/ca/listing/488287099/lucys-discovery-custom-narnia
Fortunino Matania: fineartamerica.com/shop/canvas+prints/fortunino+matania
Stef Tastan: www.artstation.com/artwork/dQ801
GiftLee: www.deviantart.com/giftlee/art/Peter-Pan-367986599
AbePapakhian: www.deviantart.com/abepapakhian/art/The-Ride-of-the-Rohirrim-149356962
Unknown: www.reddit.com/r/zelda/comments/723n1u/what_botw_ending_cutscene_should_look_like_by/
fjsmu: safebooru.org/index.php?page=post&s=view&id=4417384
David Wyatt: www.davidwyattillustration.com/illustration/taliesin/
Joe Gilronan: fineartamerica.com/featured/eternal-land-of-the-elves-joe-gilronan.html
Unknown: safebooru.org/index.php?page=post&s=view&id=4047993
yuhuaniiiiiii: twitter.com/yuhuaniiiiiii/status/1722633221006098451
venusqueenoffaeries.tumblr.com/post/648671641058033666/suneiaaa-skyward-sword-zelda-in-faron-woods-a
suneiaaa: twitter.com/_darkta_/status/1679958957111267328
Mikoooo_1214: www.reddit.com/r/ZeLink/comments/mj7ac6/the_princess_looks_at_her_knight_by_mikoooo_1214/
ripushko: danbooru.donmai.us/posts/6344265
elohay_: twitter.com/elohay_/status/1698332005597921638
thatLD: www.deviantart.com/thatld/art/Conquer-Yourself-260813222
Pao Yong: cdna.artstation.com/p/assets/images/images/020/035/704/large/pao-yong-zelda-4k.jpg?1566079800
Samantha Johnson: www.deviantart.com/pernastudios/art/Nuada-Samantha-Johnson-436624435
Olaf Hajek: olafhajek.com/collaborations
Gilbert Williams: thegallerist.art/paintings-by-gilbert-williams/
Josephine Wall: josephinewall.co.uk/
Alex Grey: www.alexgrey.com/
Holy moly this is long LOL
So great of you to do this. I wish more channels gave artists credit.
Sections:
0:00 Introduction
1:56 The Metatextual Nature of TotK
7:54 The Dwindling of Spirit
19:46 A World Transformed
29:20 Hyrule 2.0
33:42 Virtue and Enlightenment in Fantasy
46:40 Mystery, Divinity, and Eternity
1:13:22 The Underworld and The Sky
1:37:29 The Science of Spirit
1:48:03 The Yiga
1:53:10 The Dragons of Time
2:03:04 The Truest Magic
First an eclipse, then the aurora, and now one of my favorite music channels made a video essay?!? I must be living in a simulation 😂 can't wait to watch this thank you
I hope you liked it! ^_^ This is not the only video essay on this channel!
@@RebeccaETripp I'll definitely be listening to them. Your analysis is so insightful and descriptive, and your voice is so calming. I listen to video essays while I work, and some people rely heavily on the video part, it's rare to find someone with such an excellent script voice and insight. Thanks!! Can't wait to find the others!!
@@seionne85 Ah, thank you again! Yeah, to me, the words are more important!
As much as I like the remixes and covers, the phycologycal analyses are my favorite thing on this channel
Ah, thank you! ^_^ It's my favourite thing to make, honestly!
Dorian's dialog "But the Yiga...They took my wife's life as punishment." This is the pure embodiment of the sentiments of Cain, if I can't have anything that makes me happy or brings me praise then neither can you. The intent that underlies the Yiga's philosophy is sinister, and it's led by a goofy anime character.
Love these videos, I don't have much time devote to watching anything with more than passive attention but I always clear a block when you upload these psychological and mythological deep dives; I'd love to see Majora's Mask get the Rebecca Tripp treatment.
That's an apt comparison! Thank you so much! ^_^
You're a very special individual Rebecca. I see you as sensitive and wise. And what you share through this channel is important and thoughtful.
I appreciate that. Thank you!
I absolutely adore this video! The moment you talked about your forest and cat hit me hard and made me feel like a child exploring a nearby park with my family to find cool things left by other people like hidden swings over ponds all over again!
I'm really happy that we connect like that over different childhood memories, but with the same feeling, ultimately. That's what it's all about!
I love listening to you articulate your thoughts when you release long form video essays like this. You always manage to weave in concepts and build narratives that I don't think ever would have occured to me otherwise. Yet when you bring those more obscure or veiled elements to light, they instantly become crystal clear! It's like an "AHA!" moment. The mark of a creative mind, I suppose... Being able to see through the mundane and ponder upon the intertextual. Thank you!
Thank you so much, Jules. It's also very encouraging to receive comments like these. ^_^
These essays of yours are always so spiritually nourishing, but your Zelda videos especially are a blessing. I sadly can't watch all of this for now because I haven't played TotK yet, but I listened to most of the 'Mystery, Divinity, and Eternity' segment and that alone is already one of the most special things you've written! Thank you so much once again, from the bottom of my heart.
I'm glad you still had something to relate to! ^^
I think you have a unique ability to express quality analysis material, and still do it in an artistic way. This was.. calming and enchanting in a way. Love it!
Thank you so much!
@@RebeccaETripp My pleasure, Rebecca!😊
Wow...What a treat. As a huge fan of the Zelda franchise and a Psychology Major who's finishing up his post-grade thesis, I adore this video. You have an ethereal presentation style and whether its intended or not, I think it fits perfectly with the topic itself. Thank you for this lovely video! I notice you have more videos like this and will most likely check those out as well when I have time.
The last part of this video was sublime. Thank you. I fell asleep while listening and woke up and thought, wow, a mystic poem. There were several moments like that throughout the video along with thought provoking ideas, so I will have to rewatch again!
I appreciate that a lot! :D I wanted to try to simulate that state of mind being described!
Your voice is so calm i could sleep to this
I'm glad you liked my video!
Such a well done video! your voice is so relaxing! i hope you make more of these analysis videos!
I'm so glad you enjoyed this! :)
This is gold. Your thoughts and the themes are spot on. I havent heard any of your psychological analyses before but I must say I wont miss another. Having played most of the Zelda games, I really connected to your beliefs. I loved old Zelda games, and the criticism of the quantity over quality aspects of BOTW and TOTK (and in society) really struck a chord.
Thanks! I'm very happy you were able to relate to my thoughts!
Always enjoy your videos. Will save this for when I need something really calming.
YESSSSS!!! I’ve been waiting so patiently for so long!!!! I’m so very excited I don’t even know what to say. Your Zelda and final fantasy philosophy and psychology videos meant so much to me. I can’t wait to watch through this one.
I hope you enjoy(ed) it! ^_^
58:58 This made me tear up, I think it's because a lot of the media you describe in your video here are what I also experienced growing up and it hits me right in the nostalgia. Amazing video, so glad you make these analysis videos still! And yes, I do feel that urge to show others the experience.
2:02:38 You definitely made that scene way more epic for me now!
Thank you! :')
I’m not even finished with this video, but I must comment already:
I LOVE your music that you make for this channel. My wife, my friends and I will play Settlers of Catan, and I’ll sneak your music on and they ALWAYS say “wow! This is beautiful!”
But, you did this 2 hour plus essay…
And now, somehow, you have completely outdone every other Zelda Tuber on their own expertise: essays!
This video is transcendent. You have completely filled in the vague narrative written in my heart for why I love fairy tales, TLoZ being my absolute favorite thing ever; I love this Legend for all the reasons you fleshed out!
Like you said in this video and I paraphrase: it can be a spiritual experience for some.
I added this video to an ASMR playlist because this is such a comforting message and the execution is done so well and has such a sweet, peacefully, spiritually enriching vibe that I will use it to finally cure my occasional insomnia!
Anyway, I’ve gushed enough, but I had to comment!
You are simply brilliant! This is so involved, so fastidiously and passionately executed! This seems like your dissertation for your master’s degree or PHD because it’s so coherent and engaging!
I’m gonna rewatch this video several times as I build Ocarina of Time Landmarks out of Legos in my Lego-Room!
Thank you for truly creating a work of art!
Thank you so much, Cody! I feel very encouraged to make these kinds of videos when others are able to connect to them as well as you have! ^_^ And I'm also very honoured and flattered that you have been sharing my work with other people. Catan is a fun experience! If you're interested, I have many more videos like this on my channel (linked to in the description).
I clicked on your channel, hoping to find lego!
Thank you for your videos, they’re so grounding.
You're very welcome!
An over 2-hour long video of this game analysis?! I gotta watch this later when I get the chance! I remember when you told me TOTK wasn't one of your favorites. But I wanna see your in depth point of view. Hope you're having a great day!!
I'm not a particularly big Zelda fan despite having played a large majority of them since early childhood, and I was ESPECIALLY not a fan of BotW, but halfway through I just had to drop a comment to say wow. What a thought-provoking video and enjoyable watch, the vibes are truly immaculate.
I really appreciate that. Maybe we can both agree that media can carry a deep and powerful message, even if it's not exactly to our taste, and, in some cases, even if only accidentally.
A beautiful discussion of the themes and symbolism of this game, one which I haven't even played but now feel as though I have deeply visited. There were a few sections I particularly loved, such as the one starting at 1:44:30, where you bring us to a dream-like place of reprieve, reflection, and serenity. This is not just a video essay, but its own storytelling experience - a story of themes that touch our human experience, and a call into the realm of the divine, a realm that exists not within the busy array of treasures in modern society, but within ourselves.
I also liked:
How you dug in on modern sensory excess and the consequences of becoming numbing ourselves with it here: 1:24:11
The discussion of the "bokoblin inside", the first example here: 38:03
The lovely, quiet moment at 46:28
The way you call out the Yiga as edge-lords at 1:48:07 XD
The interesting story of Koltin and what that says about futile obsessions of spiritual escapism: 1:05:00
There are a lot more moments of insight and beauty scattered throughout. I think, in general there are some beautiful messages being brought forward by the game, highlighted by your analysis, that reflect well the conditions of our modern world. It is interesting to see a Zelda game take on our relationship with technology, for instance, and I find it very poignant that such emphasis is put on finding out where spirit went, through looking for and finding false versions of Zelda. To be spiritual in a world of technological innovation on every front is certainly a task, for it is to realize that not all things can truly be fixed through technology, and that some measure of personal and spiritual experience must be included. We cannot chase the dragon of spirituality, collect or devour spiritually-charged goods, or seek to deny through deliberate ignorance the nature and bounty of spirit where it actually exists. There is something warm and real inside us all, when we're willing to look for it, and persist past the gloom and malaise we might too easily entertain.
In essence, I really love the things you've highlighted here, and I take it as a call to something higher and more real. Much like Zelda, as a game and character, points in this direction, you have also illuminated this kind of pathway, with playfulness, grace, and insight. Thank you Rebecca! I enjoyed this very much.
I can always count on your to give insightful, thoughtful, and heartwarming comments. Thank you again, Oliver! I'm so glad you enjoyed this, and that you wanted to give it a chance, even though you haven't even played the game! :) Thank you, too!
I rarely ever comment but I wanted to say I loved all you had to say :) Something also felt missing to me in totk that was present in botw, and it certainly had something to do with that spiritual aspect; totk, as you mentioned, didn't have a distinct identity that immediately emerged for me. Yet there was always something undoubtedly beautiful about Tears that I couldn't quite put my fingers on.
The way you spoke about magic, technology, eternity, and enlightenment clarified it all to me and was beautifully articulated. It doesn't change my mind fundamentally about Tears, yet it also helped me let go of the expectation that this would be another breath of the wild. I was searching for the same sorts of epiphanies but this video helped me find and appreciate new ones
Thank you. :)
My two sisters and I have a really special bond through Zelda since ocarina of time in 98,
and your videos make me relive what we experienced together. In any case, what you do is truly exceptional. Thank you very much!!
Thanks so much! It's so wonderful to have that kind of experience with siblings (I know from personal experience)!
Omg I definitely MUST watch this later cause it seems you put lots of effort into it!
I hope you enjoyed it. :)
I’ve been looking forward to watching this for so long and finally after finishing TOTK, I get to do that!
Even though it’s completely messed with the timeline and I yearn for the traditional Zelda form, I loved it! And that ending sequence and fall really got me, I got swept up in that moment…❤❤❤
I hope you enjoyed the video! And I'm glad you enjoyed the game.
@@RebeccaETripp the video was fantastic, as always! ❤️
Just yesterday I was rewatching your Chrono Trigger Massterpiece. What a great weekend.
Thank you. ^_^
These philosophical analysis videos of yours are fantastic!
By invoking the help of your profound analogical vision, you wander with us into the mythical worlds of the soul ❇
Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for making us happy with your kindness, time and knowledge 🌼 💙
Thank you for being a part of that process! :D
@@RebeccaETripp It is an honor and a pleasure to be with you 😀
Love your analysis so much. Beautifully done.
Thanks so much! :D
Absolutely fantastic video! I really love your video essays because the delve deeply into the psychological and philosophical meaning in these games. The themes and subjects you cover in this video are simply beautiful.
Thank you so much! :')
I feel confident in stating that no individual has brought more intellect to bear in discerning the lore of LoZ than Rebecca Tripp. Thanks for the great presentation! The discussion of crossing thresholds and the long shadow of mystery encountered on the other side reminds me of images such as the Flammarion engraving and the idea of the spiritual pilgrim. And also the dangers of englightenment and encountering a sort of "enlightenment depression". By the way, I think there may be some value in analyzing the mythology of Zoroaster with respect to LoZ. The eternal struggle between Ahura Mazda and Ahriman is strikingly reminscent of some LoZ themes (Link v. Ganon) --- Best regards.
Thank you so much! This encourages me to keep making more! ^_^
Honestly the way totk made me feel was optimistic. It felt like evil was getting stronger but it's sort of a wasted effort on its part bc the people of hyrule, thanks to the events of botw, are united now and - though they still need link and the master sword - they are the ones holding evil off until he's ready, not Zelda, and they're gonna be with him when he faces down ganon - literally with the sages and zelda. I know on paper there's a lot of struggling going on - like with Zelda holding ganon back - but the energy is positive and optimistic, there's a kind of whimsy and the problems are easily solved. The technology is like a cleaner steampunk, whimsical, artistically rendered with figures and faces and stripped of any unnecessary complexity, reveling in simple physics similar to magnesis and using a torch in botw, and highly prone to failure, emphasizing the way the are often add-ons. Plus, the kingdom is growing and becoming united in obvious ways. Npcs talk about issues but they are all either recent issues caused by the upheaval (which they are performing extensive efforts to mitigate) or minor squabbles ideal for side quests and realistic in even the most idyllic society. The areas where true evil reside, the depths, lack friendly npcs but also lack most major story beats unless they are a temple reached after completing story missions on the surface. The rest is a proving ground - useful for resources and even lore, but not a friendly nature to explore with indifferent animals - though it can be beautiful still
I think the thing that honestly bothered a lot of people is that link isn't a solo hero in any meaningful way - the monster control crews also fight monsters, his sages will only give him their power if he walks up to them and hits a button, same as talking to an npc. He can exhibit godlike abilities and become so op as to be unstoppable but every major story beat bypasses this in some way - making that godlike op-ness ring hollow and pointless. That isn't the point of this story.
Like Rauru in the past, despondent over what his hubris caused, he is not alone. I also think the game, oddly enough, doesn't actually reward mini-max style gameplay. By which i mean the reward is that everything is so easy its boring and feels empty. In which case i think it encourages you to actually hold back, to not simply do what ever you can. This is aphilodophyi already had and a such the game gas been my favorite in the series and agonist exclusively fun and rewarding.
But like, The tragedy of this game isn't the expanding evil, its the evil of the past and that Zelda has sacrificed herself to save hyrule, but this is presented not as a thing to primarily make link/ the audience sad or add drama - it's a beautiful symbolic sacrifice that shouldn't be necessary but also puts to shame the self centered and realistically 2 dimensional ambition of Ganondorf (like many actual corrupt rulers in real life where the motivations are either not complex or not important to those who are suffering), which seems to symbolize individualism, in contrast to Zelda and the Zonai who, like you said, empower others while preserving individuality - representing an optomistic solution - perhaps the only real solution to apocalyptic problems, mutusl cooperation among varied groups
Ah, this is gonna be amazing! And Twin Peaks mentioned?
Yih. Hope you liked it!
Amazing Analysis! I could listen to your voice for 5 more hours... beautiful
Thank you so much! I plan to make more of these.
@@RebeccaETripp im officially excited 🖤
Fantastic video!
Zelda II, A Link to the Past, Ocarina of Time, and Windwaker for the win. But hey, that's just me, and I'm an old man now. Loved all the Lord of the Rings clips. Great video Rebecca. I relate to this feeling you describe. The music, the stories, let 'em call us silly. I pity those who haven't had such an experience in life.
"There's some good in this world Mr. Frodo, and it's worth fighting for."
Accidental ASMR at 1:44:18!
miss ur psychological videos 😌
Well, I hope you enjoyed this one! ^_^
TotK felt philosophically bankrupt to me and watching the credits roll hurt me like watching a once beloved sage become an addict. I'd been waiting for that moment where it all made sense and it never did. They took Ashitaka's cursed arm from Princess Mononoke and turned it into a goddamn physics toy, completely ignoring the danger of reckless Sheikah ventures with technology explored in BotW. Like it was even implied that Ganondorf was the source of ancient energy but again not explored. The handling of Ganondorf was incredibly disappointing that it painted him as no more nuanced than Calamity Ganon and didn't in any way acknowledge the cycle (other than piggybacking off BotW), seemingly reverting to the Downfall Timeline's zeal. We already know where that leads - fighting your own shadow. Which is so strange to me when it feels like every game since Majora's Mask had been building to some kind of revelation about Ganondorf's role in the curse, yet that revelation came not from an official game at all but from Hero's Purpose Episode 5 just a couple of months later. I consider that more "canon" that the actual game, which really shouldn't be the case.
There's also a huge amount of ludonarrative dissonance between the story and gameplay, with expected order of events yet freedom to completely mess up the experience of those events. "Where's Zelda?!" Gee I wonder... It's like they took BotW's openness and past games' linearity and doubled down on both at the same time to create something worse than either rather than finding the natural symbiosis between them. Adding linear elements to the sky plateau completely broke what made the great plateau the best tutorial ever put in a game. None of BotW's flaws were really acknowledged as should be done by any sequel. Beautifully crafted dungeons full of puzzles... that you can just skip. That's a modern vapidness that I do not want from this beloved series. If they don't change direction with the next game I probably won't be returning to it.
The intro under Hyrule Castle is the only part of Tears of the Kingdom that seems "right". Everything after that seems like a pale imitation of what should've been, with all of the setups of the intro being fan-bait and switch. Ganondorf isn't Ganondorf. The Zonai are seemingly nothing like the ones from BotW's ruins and are barely explored. The Imprisoning War isn't The Imprisoning War. The finally increased presence of Zelda is short lived. Rauru isn't Rauru...
The robots aren't inspired by ancient tales, just like Link's arm and Tarrey Town they are visually inspired by (read - stolen from) Studio Ghibli while completely trashing the original thematics. The... dare I say blasphemies this game makes against Ghibli works is what makes me hate it so much. Yes I actively hate this game.
You say about the 4th mode being like the Sheikah of the past. Do you mean the same Sheikah that gave Ganon his army through their hubris? The same Sheikah that oversaw whatever the heck the Shadow Temple was for? They are not some righteous promised future state of being. They are a warning.
49:46 That's the part I take issue with. The zeitgeist is like the wind and creatives are like birds. They do not have to fly with the wind and if enough of them flap their wings they can create gusts of their own. To merely glide on the zeitgeist is to fall prey to a cycle of evil that will continue with our without your input. Ganondorf from Wind Waker allowed the wind to dictate his actions. But Link? In a world without a hero he gained the power to change the winds himself.
52:39 I'm convinced that Majora's Mask is intended to be played as a child and then again as an adult to get the complete experience.
Gotta say I'm very taken with your analysis of the Hateno politics and the synthesis between Objectivity and Subjectivity. This reminds me of an idea I've long been fascinated by, originating from one of Richard Feynmann's lectures in which he talks about the "heirarchy" of ideas that can be viewed from the objective or subjective directions and has different fundamentals accordingly, with a complete picture of reality only able to be found by pieceing together all of the connections in both directions.
Hmm and you're onto something with Mineru too... I think the Spirit Temple is a straight up lie, that's the Shadow Temple. Purple gem. Spirit already aligned to the Lightning Temple. Mineru clearly about to be succeeded by Purah in the post-credits scene (the careless wielders of technology and co-owners of the Purah Pad). Her entire robot project was a secret from everyone, obscured by some kind of ancient Zonai weather control revered by the normal folk as magic. Mineru acts all shocked that Zelda is going to undergo Draconification but she's the one who gave her the idea. For the paragon of spirit to be an ancient uploaded-consciousness cyborg who couldn't even manage control of her original robot like Doc Ock's broken inhibitor chip is just hilarious. If that was intentional I might just change my mind about the game.
1:44:43 and AI slaves with a self-preservation instinct that will fight to the death anything that is not a Zonai. Rauru, your concern over what has become of them is deserved.
The Yiga don't make sense in TotK because the game fails to acknowledge the Sheikah's deep flaws that they would have been opposed to. In BotW it's made nice and clear that there was a whole beef with the royal family that led to the split, but like most things TotK forgot that.
I guess I'm flattered that you watched the whole thing, considering the fact that you hated the game! Thanks for taking the time! :)
@@RebeccaETripp @RebeccaETripp Your insights are always great food for thought. Besides, even bad works can give inadvertant insight into the current state of humanity. Donut County is an incredibly vapid game that depicts in detail the black hole indifference entity seen across contemporary art as the villain of our time - except Donut County unironically regards it as a midunderstood protagonist to embrace. I was hoping you'd change my mind on Totk and to a meaningful degree you did toward the end of the video. It does seem like the subtext is too deeply buried though to the point it succumbs to poe's law.
I've been waiting for more since the chrono trigger one
Same here!
Well, heck! I am touched! There are several more Zelda ones on this channel, fyi!
@RebeccaETripp I loved the independent LoZ story you and your friends produced, The Lamp of Destiny; I'm still listening to it.
@@rafaelrasillo7356 I'm so glad you liked it! I had so much fun with that project! I don't have it all in a single video, but I do have a playlist (it's linked to on this video, and in all the LoD videos! :)
@@RebeccaETripp I have it saved and have listened to it a few times already lol
I wish I enjoyed exploring botw and totk as much as I do the elder scrolls. I think those Zeldas just aren't as varied, the sprinkled 'dungeons' (in this case shrines) are so short, the density of interactables/points of interests isn't as high.
This was a lovely video and i enjoyed listening to it.
Most if not all of your interpretation feels to me like trying to dig 100ft in a 2ft sandbox. Which is to say, the game was not invisioned with depth, you are bringing almost all of it.
With that said, when I attempt to view the game with the depth you have projected onto it, I do find it a far more appealing story. It makes me much more interested in giving the game yet another shot. (Its still has awful building mechanics, but thats another conversation)
Despite my distaste for the game, I want to reiterate. This was a very enjoyable video and I found your perspective very interesting.
You could be right, haha! But that kind of depth is in everything - if you know how to see. ^_^
A new Rebecca Tripp analysis just dropped? Hell yeah! ^_^
I always tended to link Legend of Zelda episodes to spiritualities of the world. Link's Awakaning is unmistakebly Buddhist (with the theme of Awakening, present in the title, central to Buddhism, and present at the very core of the story), Ocarina of Time is for me the most Shinto of all, with all the temples and elemental shrines throughout the whole map. Majora's Mask is to me a mixture of Buddhism (with the theme of time flexibility and eternal return of the same) and Apocalyptic messianism like in the monotheistic religions. Twilight Princess, I link to Daoist and also, lesser known Aztec philosophy and mystics (the Dao and the Teotl are two concepts fairly similar, encompassing darkness and light in a very dualistic and yet intermingling, multi-layered view of the phenomenal world). I played very few Breath of The Wild, and no Tears of the Kingdom at all, but, and thanks to your investigations, I link those games to even more obscure schools of thoughts (which, on an aesthetic level at least, I relate to perhaps not-so-much mythological eras like Atlantis, Lemuria, Arcadia etc) like the Jain concept of karma, seemingly older than India itself. The Jain conceived karma as a dark and obscure matter, immaterial in nature as if linked to pure non-being, which can cover the heart of beings, shielding it from the light of their true nature. It is very close to the idea of "malice" or "gloom". The dematerialisation of the Zelda series represents indeed, both a dive into the most archaic layers of ourselves, and into the most forgotten timelines of our collective history. And by the way, you excuse yourself for being corny, but isn't Japanese virtual wabi-sabi culture (which we could perhaps link to Myamoto's experience and desire to create, with the first Legend of Zelda, a kind of digital "Zen garden", in which you could come and go at will and be relieved of the chaos of the world of illusion outside, like in the quoted cave...) anything but the epitome of corniness ? "Elegance of imperfection" isn't the meaning of life itself ?
I love this! I think one of the reasons these kinds of stories are so potent is that we can project almost any faith, structure, philosophy, etc onto them! For instance, for me, Majora is distinctly Shinto/Doaist! Ocarina of Time has very pagan inspired roots, as do the Oracle games. Link to the Past has a kind Arthurian style Christian feel, as does Link's Awakening! Skyward Sword has a decided Gnostic feel to me, with significant elements of Buddhism. I feel that your takes are valid, however.
@@RebeccaETripp You seem to know those games better than I do to be fair, thanks to you musical musings probably, as I am not a artist myself. Amazing !
watching this while duping gems in totk to upgrade all armours 😅
Fire video
Hello, hope you're doing well ❤
your cat was there to protect you from the goblins.
She was great for that!
Rebecca, I love you.
I don't even like Zelda and I'm hyped to listen to this.
Ganondorf's character has always been interesting to me because he is always the same type of person, the same type of character in every game but some games show more of what his desires are and what his delusions are, what his lies are. A entirely selfish character who doesn't care about the people he came from and forces them to agree with him through brainwashing and deception. Someone who only cares for the power and wealth he was born with and the power he could obtain as he isn't grateful with what he had and never sought to improve his home into a prosperous paradise(but his people succeed at improving their home without him and finds a way to use the desert to grow stronger as a civilization and stand proudly on it as a beautiful desert flower), instead seeking to take what someone else had for himself only. An entitled, proud warrior king with a bottomless thirst for battle and power, a superiority complex and a hatred towards anything that differs from his worldview. A man who seeks to create a world that only benefits warmongerers, bloodthirsty, greedy and violent selfish people like himself and punishes anyone weak, defenseless and harmonious.
In OOT he murders people and steals from them to get what he wants and deceives the king of Hyrule and despite conquering Hyrule with just a piece of the Triforce to empower his dark magic he still wants the entire Triforce so he can try satisfying the powerhungry desires that can never be satisfied. He goes against traditional Gerudo values, brainwashed Gerudo and breaks an alliance that would have benefited the Gerudo. He belittles Link both when the hero is a child and when he is an adult(well technically a child in an adult's body) and arrogantly treats the hero as less capable and less intelligent than an adult like himself. He punishes Talon for laziness, incompetence and decadence and rewards Ingo for ambition, hard work and greed.
In TWW he is bitter towards the gods for moving his goalpost further away from him in his moment of triumph and for reducing the land to a couple of islands that in his eyes pale in comparison to the Great land he could rule and wage war in, he doesn't believe anyone on the Great sea's islands could possibly hope to achieve anything but Link and the characters on the Great sea prove that Ganon is wrong. He scoffs at the idea of a future that doesn't resemble his vision and is stuck living in the past because of his narrow mindedness, selfishness, narcissism, egoism (imagery depicting his demon beast form in his own tower, his offshoots and the way he words his speeches and make himself sound important and how he makes everything about himself and not anyone else proves this) and regrets nothing other than specific actions that caused his ideal world to move away from his reach and he feels little to no remorse. He is an unreliable hypocrite who while acknowledging some strength in the hero still refuses to see himself as weaker than the hero and tries to make up explanations as to why he is still the strongest and also tries to justify his own nonsense with made up reasons that don't line up with what he did. He is consumed by his unfed hunger for power and cracks when he loses his goalpost for the last time, when he draws his swords during the final battle he smiles a wicked smile. He questions the Triforce's worth when it is used against him. Like in OOT he has no problem hurting children to get what he wants, he attempts to kill Link throughout the game and only decides to not do it at the end only to change his mind when he doesn't achieve his goals.
In TP his servants follow the strong and doesn't believe there are anyone stronger than the demon king but king Bulblin opens his eyes when he realizes that Link wields a power greater than the demon king. Zant is resentful towards his own people for abandoning ambition, hate and greed in favor of harmony and he worships Ganon for being a symbol of those emotions and desires. Ganon scoffs at the idea that kindness has power that can stand against his dark might and like some mythical demons feeds on negative emotions and desires for an increase of power.
In FSA Ganon like in TOTK finds peace boring and thinks it only makes the world weak and pathetic and he yearns for a great destructive overwhelming power he can use for conquest.
In Skyward sword the nameless person of demise or avatar of demise like Ganon in many games like TOTK likes the surge of adrenaline he feels when he unleashes his full power or is in a situation that forces him to use his full power. The avatar is however more respectful of his opponent and even congratulates him.
In ALTTP Ganon murders his own followers in the backstory so he won't have to share the ultimate power and his form known as the demon beast or dark beast is established to be a mirror reflection of who is as a person which is perhaps also the case for the different forms he takes like the spider, lion-boar and snake-boar forms or the forms some of his manifestations take. He also creates an offshoot that can carry out his will and help destroy some of the obstacles that prevents his wish from being fullfilled. His dark world looks like an extension of the original hell/dark world/demon world and Ganondorf's wicked heart.
In BOTW and HW:AOC his manifestation shows an obsessive desire to try creating a body for a revival and hates all attempts to deny it.
In TOTK like in FSA Ganon is shown to be a bloodthirsty warmongerer who similar to TWW yearns for the world to return to a great era, an era where the world constantly experienced war, attacks from demons, a fight for survival, a fight for power where only the mightiest being of them all will reach the top of the pyramid and rule all creation like "a true king". Like in OOT he doesn't like laziness, decadence and slackers as he says in one of the flashbacks that Hyrule kingdom is "so proud of the power it's been granted" by Rauru and Sonia and talks about the lack of fighting spirit during the final battle. Like in ALTTP and many other games he sees the monsters and the demons as stronger than mere mortals and shows his thoughts about his people by attacking them the moment he can become "the strongest entity to walk the earth" and because the Gerudo chose to take part in Hyrule kingdom and side with it. The people of Hyrule, Zelda and Link prove that Ganondorf beliefs and desires are wrong.
In every game Ganon seeks to make everyone get consumed by his type of power, selfish ideas of what can be done with power, malevolent thoughts towards others and greed. When he is removed from his pedestal he often tries to get the last laugh even if he has to go back on his own words and make the most reckless of decisions. His obsessesions, delusions, egoism and arrogance makes him always refuse the very notion that he is weaker than someone else and he always stays delusional and ignorant in his ways because he sees his ideology, philosophy and views as an absolute irrefutable truth. His monstrous and demonic servants almost look like manifestations of his will as they pick up things and act like it always belonged to them and behave in a barbaric manner.
He serves his role well as a twisted reflection Daphnes and Rauru's character and the type of person that is opposite to Link’s and Zelda's character and their greatest enemy and obstacle to enlightenment.
Ganon and the forces that oppose him and characters and evil forces like him is why I enjoy a lot of the Zelda series' pholosphical ideas and concepts.
I really appreciate how much thought you have put into this, and also how you've differentiated them all, but shown how they're really the same!
I think you should replay Majora's Mask. Ganondorf is no more evil than Skull Kid. That was the point of that Terminian parallel, why the Malice as shown in Skyward Sword and BotW is a pervasive controlling liquid. This idea came from the boar in Princess Mononoke, where the "demon" turned out to actually be a holy boar (!) irritated and enraged by a demonic substance.
@@chiffmonkey I don't know where you got that from.
Ganon resembles Majora more than skull kid, a demon who feeds on someone else's thoughts, desires and emotions and stands in the way of enlightenment. Skull kid didn't know much about what the mask was going to do until it was too late and the mask started to take control over him because he couldn't control his own mind and insecurities and if fully under the control of the mask he would be no different from one of Ganondorf's victims/servants who become consumed by a desire that makes them think they are in control of Ganondorf but are actually under his control, Skull kid has more in common with Zant. Ganondorf is controlled by his own emotions and desires or "ruled by power" but is controlling his forces and magic and malice to attack others. I don't see any evidence that the devs thought of skull kid like you believe when making MM. The demonic substance in princess Mononoke originates from the boar itself because it was it's own desires that gave birth to the substance and there were people that caused it to have those desires because of their actions towards it so the end result was an angry vengeful boar that became consumed and blinded by it's own hatred. Ganondorf is someone with strong negative desires and emotions who infects others with his will, his mind can create copies of itself but they aren't going against the will of their creator, this will consumes the mind because of obssession. While it is controlling the mind it doesn't have a mind of it's own, it also doesn't do anything it's creator doesn't want to do and it isn't a puppet master pulling the strings from behind the scenes, it's more like an addiction. The creator can however create manifestations or attract demons to their location without knowing it. Unlike the boar from princess Mononoke Ganondorf is not motivated by any crime committed against him or had any noble goals to begin with, he is just a jealous entitled character with a privileged background and knowledge in the darks arts because of his mothers and he thinks the gods/spirits/kami represent everything that is opposite of the dark world he desires. Princess Mononoke is not fully the same as The legend of Zelda either, just a source of inspiration but the series takes inspiration from more than one source and makes some of it's own characters and concepts different here and there.
I believe you are over thinking this as something far more complex than it actually is. But I guess it's impossible to convince you so agree to disagree...
You forgot the Oracle duology where his incomplete resurrection reverted "Ganon" into a primal creature driven by an insatiable lust for death and destruction prooving that, at his core, his entitled ego for absolute superiority over the entire world forces him on a self destructive path to indulge said superiority.
@@javiervasquez625 Good point. I've kind of seen that situation a bit as Ganondorf's soul becoming consumed by rage the moment he is denied a proper body to complete his resurrection like he needed a body related to his vengeful desires or something else though perhaps he needed a strong energy level for his powerful soul and Twinrova's fused body and fused soul was not what he needed.
I do think he did get a proper resurrection later on (or perhaps it's a new iteration of the character like TOTK Ganon and FSA Ganon since there is room for that but I think the intent was for ALTTP to be the backstory of TLOZ Ganon based on a few lines from the ALTTP manual) that made him a bit less mindless but still a blind beast since in the first game's backstory(from the manual) he shows a bit of intelligence when leading his army to invade Hyrule, planning to rule the world, stealing the Triforce of power from the Royal family of Hyrule, capturing Zelda when he learned that she had tried to prevent his desire from succeeding and when he sent a search party to find Impa.
Malladus shows a bit of intelligence as a spirit when his resurrection is denied, he becomes desperate since he can't remain in the world without a proper body to house his soul so he forcefully possesses the body of his servant but realizes that the body is resisting him so he tries to use the little time he has left for destruction like he wants revenge for being denied a proper resurrection and the things he could have done if it succeeded.
It's a secret, but, my Navi-like AI assistant's voice would have to be trained on you! 😶😊
i enjoy ✔️
Thanks!
What do you think of AI , Rebecca?
I feel neutral about it. Like any tool/technology, it can be used for good or evil.
TOTK was a left brain game- very focused on engineering.. if you are not a left brained individual, i suspect you won't like the main focus of the development cycle.... building things-.. The zelda team poured all their efforts into the fuse and ultra hand mechanics-- other than those two things and don't get me wrong, they are 2 HUGE evolutions in gaming... it is pretty much the same game as botw..
To me, it seems to emphasize both very strongly!
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No?
I have only one question .. why furry?
You already know waking up to this made my day- I'm absolutely PUMPED for my next relaxing night in.
Also, the thumbnail is fantastic!
Thanks a lot! ^^ I hope it will be good unwinding material!