00:08Welcome to MojoPlays, and today we're looking at the biggest plot twists within the Legend of
00:13Zelda series. You know what that means, spoilers ahead. But before we dive in, we publish new
00:26content all week long, so be sure to subscribe and ring the bell to get notified about our latest
00:30videos. The True Princess, The Legend of Zelda, Ocarina of Time
00:43One of the plot twists Nintendo uses most often is the reveal of a character's true identity.
00:48Even though it's something everyone knows now, Sheik being a disguised Princess Zelda in Ocarina
00:53of Time was the first time Nintendo did this kind of twist. And for the time it came out,
00:58it worked fairly well.
01:13Sheik's character model is naturally more masculine, other characters use male pronouns in conversation,
01:19and the eye color is red instead of blue. Again, it's common knowledge, but in 1998 it was still
01:25a surprise, especially since Zelda had only been a princess in need of rescue up to this point.
01:38The Fake Ganon, The Legend of Zelda, Echoes of Wisdom
01:51Ganon has returned through a variety of means in multiple games, and even though he vanishes during
01:57the prologue of Echoes of Wisdom, he appears again later in Hyrule Castle. Except something's
02:03still off. It isn't until much later that the actual threat behind the rifts in the kingdom
02:08is revealed, and it comes in the form of a huge lore bomb that completely re-contextualizes
02:14the creation story of the series.
02:20As it turns out, when Din, Faror, and Nehru created Hyrule, as we've been hearing since 1998,
02:27it was used as a means to seal away Null, a primordial being who devoured any life that tried
02:33to form around it. That's a pretty important plot point to the series as a whole, and a little
02:38surprising that it's here instead of in one of the 3D, more story-driven games.
02:50Hilda's Intentions, The Legend of Zelda, A Link Between Worlds
03:00Despite being a spiritual successor to A Link to the Past, there are several story beats that
03:06actually come as a surprise in A Link Between Worlds. When Link arrives in Lorule, the mirror
03:11dimension of Hyrule, he meets Princess Hilda, Zelda's counterpart.
03:25She advises Link across the game and guides him where to go in his quest to rescue Zelda
03:30and the Sages. It seems, much like his own princess, that she is good and just and wants
03:36to help. Turns out, she was in cahoots with Yuga to begin with, and commanded him to invade
03:41Hyrule to steal the Triforce so she could replace the one her kingdom lost. And she only wanted
03:47you to rescue Zelda to bring all three pieces together.
04:00The one true king. The Legend of Zelda, The Wind Waker.
04:04Not every character reveal in the series comes as a surprise.
04:13In this very game, it's pretty obvious that Tetra is this era's version of Zelda. But the
04:19other reveal actually does catch you off guard. Although it's clear that Link's companion,
04:23the King of Red Lions, is very knowledgeable about the history of this world, it's unlikely
04:28many would have guessed his identity. But he's the spirit of the former King of Hyrule, helping
04:33Link in order to atone for the fate that befell his kingdom.
04:42Given that, in most previous games, Hyrule's kings didn't play important roles, this is a
04:48character reveal that works well.
04:54Crystallized. The Legend of Zelda, Skyward Sword.
05:05Skyward Sword establishes an incredibly strong bond between Link and Zelda, building a desire
05:11for players to search for her throughout the game's opening sections. After a few close reunions,
05:16the two finally come together again at the sealed temple, in the era of the past. And
05:21it's here where Zelda provides some of the most significant lore, as well as delivering
05:25a somber twist.
05:34First, she reveals that she is the goddess Hylia reincarnate, reborn in mortal form to help stop
05:40the Demon King demise once and for all. Then, in a twist that broke the hearts of the Link
05:46shippers everywhere, she encases herself in amber.
05:58So many times, Link walked by this very spot in the present day, with us not knowing she was just
06:04behind those doors. The Light Dragon, The Legend of Zelda, Tears of the Kingdom.
06:15To be fair, the way this twist is revealed might not work for everyone. Instead of going with a
06:20singular moment to reveal that the Light Dragon is Princess Zelda, Nintendo chose to take a slower,
06:26more gradual approach across the game before finally confirming it.
06:30To swallow a secret stone is to become an immortal dragon, one blessed with eternal life.
06:37Whether you realized by first finding the proper Dragon-tier memories, or picked up on it after
06:42pulling the Master Sword from the Light Dragon's head, it became crystal clear at one point or another.
06:47But that doesn't take away from the actual moment. The flashback of Zelda's transformation,
06:52as a final step in her grand plan to prepare Link and Hyrule for Ganondorf's second coming,
06:58is still a powerful scene.
07:09The Deku Butler's son, The Legend of Zelda, Majora's Mask.
07:23During the tutorial of Majora's Mask, you come across a twisted old tree, which,
07:28Tatl notes, you now look like. A fair bit later in the game, after Link has completed the first dungeon,
07:33he can earn a new mask from the Deku Butler, by keeping up with him through a series of obstacle
07:38courses.
07:39He apologizes for being so swift, stating Link reminds him of his son, who he used to race with,
07:45but who left home long ago.
07:55This small exchange is far enough past the tutorial that you may think nothing of it,
08:01and it isn't until the end credits, when the butler is shown grieving at the base of the tree,
08:06that we realize the reason his son never came home. It's implied he was one of the mask's victims,
08:12whose soul was used to transform Link at the beginning of the game,
08:15and which was turned into the Deku Mask.
08:21LoRul's Missing Hero, The Legend of Zelda, A Link Between Worlds
08:31As you explore the land of LoRul, you meet all the various counterparts of the citizens in Hyrule.
08:37That is, except for one, Link.
08:40All the while, you might think Link special, as he so very often is,
08:45but you later find out his counterpart has simply been hiding in plain sight.
08:49At the beginning of the game, long before Link knows about LoRul, he meets Ravio.
08:58The merchant takes up residence in Link's home, renting out items needed to progress through the game.
09:04He appears at the end to calm Princess Hilda's rage,
09:07removing his hood to reveal a face that looks exactly like Link.
09:17He fled LoRul out of fear of what the princess was becoming.
09:21Because of Ravio's much more outgoing, silly personality,
09:25and because he only appears in Hyrule until this point,
09:28this is one of the series' character reveals that works best.
09:31Waking from a Dream, The Legend of Zelda, Link's Awakening.
09:43One of the defining details of Link's Awakening came as a pretty big surprise when it was originally released.
09:50While exploring Koholint Island, you'll eventually come across some ruins.
09:54Inside a small building past a miniboss, Link discovers a mural that explains that the island,
09:59and everyone on it, is only an illusion born from the mind of the windfish.
10:04If Link wakes it, as he plans to do so he can get home, everything will vanish.
10:16It was an interesting way to deliver a twist, given the natural confines of the original Game Boy,
10:21and it led to one of the franchise's most memorable moments,
10:25the waking of the windfish at the end of the game, and the disappearance of Koholint Island.
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11:07The Fall of Hyrule, The Legend of Zelda, Ocarina of Time.
11:20When it's your first playthrough of Ocarina of Time, you assume that Link and Zelda's plan
11:25to gather the spiritual stones and get the Triforce before Ganondorf can is a good one.
11:30After all, Ganondorf caused different disasters all over the kingdom trying to get them.
11:35And hey, who isn't excited about the prospect of an upgrade with the Master Sword?
11:46Unfortunately, Ganondorf was just biding his time.
11:49The sword was the key into the Sacred Realm, which allowed him to steal the Triforce of Power.
11:54Returning to Hyrule seven years in the future to see the once charming market destroyed and
11:59filled with re-deads was a standout moment of the game.
12:03It arrived in stark contrast to the otherwise mostly whimsical nature of the rest of the game,
12:08while tying in with the loss of innocence, a key theme.
12:17What plot twist in the series caught you by surprise?
12:20And which ones did you see coming a mile away?
12:23Share your thoughts in the comments, and we will see you next time.
12:26Don't even know who did this for yourself, just wish.
12:26You won't.
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