00:08Welcome to MojoPlays, and today we're going over some fun facts you might not know about
00:13the Master Sword, Link's iconic blade in The Legend of Zelda.
00:18Was that the sword that seals the darkness?
00:22The blade that shatters so easily against my power cannot save you from me.
00:28But before we dive in, we publish new content all week long, so be sure to subscribe and
00:34ring the bell to get notified about our latest videos.
00:39Creation discrepancies It is now canon that the Master Sword was
00:43originally created by the goddess Hylia, as confirmed in 2011's Skyward Sword.
00:55But, as any fan can tell you, canon in The Legend of Zelda can get a little messy.
01:01When it debuted in A Link to the Past, the manual claimed that the Master Sword was created
01:06by the people of Hyrule.
01:07Although, exactly when it was created varied between Japanese and American versions.
01:12In Twilight Princess, Zelda herself claims the sword was created by ancient sages.
01:25Yet, the very next console release retconned this with the introduction of Hylia, unless she
01:32also happened to have some unseen ancient sage friends in the past.
01:44The problem with origins.
01:46The team behind Skyward Sword became well aware of the plot contradictions they faced when creating
01:52an origin for the Master Sword.
02:01The idea to focus on It, and also the franchise's history, grew out of its important connection
02:07when using the Wii's motion controls.
02:10But when balancing this gameplay focus with a new setting, one meant to lead to the rest
02:15of the games, these contradictions arose.
02:25Director Hidemaro Fujibayashi spoke about his frustration during an Iwata Asks interview,
02:31recalling a time where he wrote a plot synopsis on a time crunch over a single day.
02:38The birth of a hero.
02:40The Master Sword debuted in the third game in the series, A Link to the Past.
02:45That moment when the music swells and Link lifts the blade from its pedestal is one of the
02:50franchise's most iconic, and one that would be replicated in numerous future games.
03:01Seemingly knowing that this scene would be important to the series moving forward, Nintendo
03:06made us all feel mighty.
03:08Director Takashi Tezuka stated they wanted to create a birth of a hero moment for Link,
03:14as well as for the player.
03:23Fittingly, Link doesn't begin his journey worthy of the sword.
03:27You have to complete several challenges in order to earn it.
03:37Taking a Name
03:39Nintendo has looked to several mythologies for inspiration throughout the Legend of Zelda series.
03:44In most cases, you see the influences, even if they're given a different name or details.
03:50But in the French version of A Link to the Past, the two are one and the same, at least
03:55when
03:55it comes to the Master Sword.
04:02Lying in wait for a hero buried in a pedestal, you can follow a clear thread to Excalibur of
04:09Arthurian legend.
04:13Master Sword doesn't quite have the unique flair of Excalibur, so in the French version
04:19of A Link to the Past, Link's legendary blade is simply called Excalibur.
04:23But it would be changed to Sword of Legend in later games.
04:35Time Shift Theory
04:37Time Shift Stones were introduced in Skyward Sword, able to transport a given area to the
04:42past when activated.
04:50These were given more series-wide importance when Hyrule Historia implied that the Ocarina
04:56of Time was made of the same material.
04:59This made sense, given the instrument's use as a key to transport Link through time.
05:04But it also sprouted a fan theory, that the hilt of the Master Sword was also made out of
05:10Time Shift Stone.
05:15The Master Sword has certainly been shown to have some sort of hold on time, in specific
05:22cases like unfreezing Ganondorf's minions in Wind Waker, and broad ones, like the fact
05:28that it appears without fail to Link across different timelines.
05:39Far From Master
05:42When giving your weapon the title of Master, it implies a certain high quality, one above
05:48all others.
05:56And while the Master Sword is impressive, with its exclusive ability to seal away literal
06:01evil, there's still room for improvement in a surprising number of its appearances.
06:06It's understandable it needs to go through an awakening in Skyward Sword, but down the line
06:12in Wind Waker, it also must be powered up in order to defeat Ganondorf.
06:22Even in its original appearance, A Link to the Past, you could upgrade the Master Sword
06:27several times.
06:28You can do the same in A Link Between Worlds, Breath of the Wild DLC, and we can't forget
06:34about Tears of the Kingdom, where it breaks and must go through untold centuries of restoration.
06:40He defeated her before, but a long slumber will heal these grievous wounds.
06:49Far From Master, Part 2
06:50Yeah, we'll pick on the Master Sword just a bit more.
06:54Again, while Master might imply unmatched quality, the Master Sword isn't always the strongest
06:59weapon you can get in the game.
07:01In Ocarina of Time, the two-handed Big Goron Sword outmatches its damage output.
07:11The same goes for its appearance in the Oracle games, as well as the Silver Arrows and Light
07:17Arrows, which usually show up towards the end of their respective games.
07:25Tears of the Kingdom is a whole other story, given the combination of weapons, fused materials,
07:31and armors that reach damage numbers of astronomical heights, some of the strongest which don't
07:37use the Master Sword.
07:42Legendary Fame
07:43Since its debut, the Master Sword has naturally become emblematic of the Zelda series, and so
07:49it has popped up in a ton of games over the years, some of which are surprising.
07:54Besides being an unlockable trinket in Super Smash Bros., you can also decorate your house
07:59with it in Animal Crossing.
08:05It's the focal point of a WarioWare micro-game and can give you a sweet boost in Mario Kart 8.
08:15Its fame has led to cameos in non-Nintendo games as well, like in Dying Light or Skyrim on Switch.
08:22One of the strangest, and also best, Master Sword cameos comes in Hamtaro Ham Ham Heartbreak
08:29on Game Boy Advance, where the adorable hero earns the Master Spoon.
08:41It's Disappearance
08:42Given that it debuted in A Link to the Past, the Master Sword naturally doesn't appear in the two NES
08:49games that precede it.
08:50But since they canonically take place at the end of their respective timeline, that does bring up the question of
08:57where exactly it is.
09:02It's last appearance in the Hero is Defeated timeline is A Link Between Worlds, and that Link goes off without
09:13it to Hytopia and Triforce Heroes.
09:16The next game is Echoes of Wisdom, where it also doesn't appear.
09:21Then the original NES games happen.
09:23Now obviously the Master Sword isn't in those games simply because Nintendo hadn't created it yet.
09:29But given when they take place, it does make you wonder about the narrative possibilities for why it didn't, or
09:36couldn't appear, to this incarnation of Link.
09:45The other Master Sword
09:48It goes without saying that when anyone says the words Master Sword, your brain naturally goes to The Legend of
09:54Zelda.
09:55But that isn't the only Master Sword in video games, even ones owned by Nintendo.
10:07In Fire Emblem you can find a weapon called the Meistersfiert, German for Master Sword.
10:13It debuted in 1994's Mystery of the Emblem and has since only made a couple more appearances.
10:19However, while it is on the rarer side, it isn't vital to a character or the story the same way
10:25Link's Master Sword is.
10:33Do you know any other fun facts about the Master Sword?
10:37Let us know in the comments and we'll see you next time.
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