Tloz Analysis - Blog Posts

I think it's very interesting when link grips his sword a little tighter during a cut scene now that I've realized something, stick with me for a minute

I imagine in Hyrule's knight code, you shouldn't retaliate with words or anger because it distracts you from your weakness and then the enemy can attack blindspots. This is a little more interesting when you take into account the popular headcanon of Link being nonverbal!

(Skyward Spoilers, post makes sense without this part) Let's take Skyward Sword for example, since ive finished the entire game. The entire time you're just trying to find Zelda to bring her home, to make things normal again. Every time he saw her, every time he could've hugged her, she was taken away from his sight again. I can't imagine the trauma this man went through from this, especially when Zelda explains that she had to keep doing what she was doing and locked herself in the past. I imagine link distressed over not knowing how to tell her father, that no one would ever know when they would see her again. Link knowing he has to pick himself back up just when he thought he could rest to fight a literal god

Now back to the point of the post, you'll often see during cutscenes with antagonists ranting that they'll make this big "I've got you now" moment, and then you'll see Link's brow furrow and he grips his sword a little tighter, getting into a fight stance and making sure his sword is angled properly.

I imagine Link, who finally saw his best friend (and potentially lover) get taken again, or some sort of big barrier right when he thought it was over.

He feels so much anger and hatred, but he knows he can't lash out. Whether from not being able to speak or showing vulnerability is up to interpretation. He knows he can't yell out, he can't scream and cry like his body needs to. He has to sit there, as stone faced and quiet as possible.

In those few moments, all he does with his body is tilt his sword and look angry, but he's definitely wanting to break under such stressful things, he's barely a legal adult if even in most games, some games he's an actual kid!

He wants to break, but he just moves his hand, stays in place. Because what's a hero if not strong? What's strong if not contained?

Link wants to break, but he can't. This is his burden to bear.

(This came from a dream we had where we could feel Link's internal feelings in the dream, as well as a mixture of our own projection)

-Aiden (and Link on the sidelines)