The Hylians Evolve: Forest Folk

As I can only comment on areas of the game (Skyward Sword) I have to this point played, count on a lot of content revolving around the forest here in the beginning. To continue the trend, I present to you the very evolution of people and how the magic of the forest has evolved them over time. The people of Hyrule are a diverse bunch, but one group in particular stands out because they are not consistent. the forest people are always somewhat different. Here's how we begin:

Behold!  A typical jerk resident of Skyloft.  We don't have people in the forest here.  We really don't.  People live in the sky.  They were separated from the evils below.  We've been over this. But, while we are looking at our friend here, I'd like to take the time to point out something rather, well, peculiar.

Instructor Horwell. Looks....  well...  like a proper Hylian of future games.  It is possible that there are two different "races" in Skyloft. Rather, I believe that those who chose to reside in the forest are of a more common nature (like Groose, above), and Instructor Horwell among others chose to reside in an Imperial City, building a castle upon the earth for the new royal family. Indeed, if the royal family follows Zelda's bloodline, then it's no mystery as to why they all have those wonderfully pointy ears. So, what next?  Well, in twilight princess, we have people living in the forest again.  And they look fairly normal.  Let's have a look:

See?  Normal.  The styling in TP is a tad characterized, but they are seemingly normal humans, living in the forest.  No pointy ears, though.  Looks like if you want the ears, you need to be part of the Hylian division of Hyrule. I think that separation speaks volumes about why some people end up changing and some don't.  In the end, the one true representative race of human-kind are the Hylians. They are unwavering throughout history, always bestowing another Link, another pointy-eared Zelda, and dwelling in the castle.  Let's fast forward now to OoT:

Above, the Kokiri.  The most human-like descendants of the forest-dwellers.  They do not age, much like the children of Neverland. The magic of the forest has changed them.  The relaxed lifestyle of their forest life has transformed them.  While before, responsibility may have been shirked in favor of simply fishing, these children have been exonerated from the very idea of responsibility by remaining forever young. each is also given a fairy companion to help them as they age, but not grow. Kokiri also have pointed ears, more a design choice for an elvish look if I may say, but the theory holds up despite it. The lower is Skull Kid.  Another denizen of the forest, humanoid in nature, able to talk, even play an instrument...  Little is known about him, but he is clearly not the human we might expect to find after two games of human characters. Major transformation between these two games.  However, moving on to WW will once again reveal an absurd change:

Koroks!  The new forest dwellers, living under a descendant Deku Tree, these little guys look like they might grow roots and start to flower at any moment.  They are small, young, play musical instruments, and are generally skittish, like children.  These little guys are the direct result of the forest magic continuing the alteration process across many generations of forest-dwellers. They are more plant than people, but humanoid, nonetheless.

So what can be seen here?  The answer lies in the idea that before people descended to the forest, there were no excessively human people on the ground.  Sure there were monsters, but they are exactly that. These characters represent the evolution of the human form as influenced by thousands of years and a heavy dose of forest magic and fairy love. This is easily the most obvious of the transformations among people in Hyrule to notice, as other changes are usually more subtle. But even still, the flow of events in this chain provides solid evidence to the four-game backbone I have suggested.  It also suggests that a massive amount of time has happened between games, as changes of this magnitude certainly do not happen overnight.

The Legend of Zelda: Comparative Anatomy

In my last post I discussed some of the major, overarching ideas that help to support my idea of the grand Zelda timeline. for this post, I'll be looking at one of the minor details, and one that I find fascinating in the Zelda series. One of the first enemies you run across in any of the 3D Zelda titles is the Deku Baba (or Boku Baba if we are in Wind Waker). This creature also clues us in to the order of the games in the way it evolves. And if one wishes, one can find rationale why one DB strain was pushed through evolution, and other strains died out.  Let's start with Skyward Sword.

A thick, thorny vine and pointed leaves are the accessories to the true star of this show.  The Deku Baba is the most ferocious Venus Flytrap short of Audrey II. It can move on its own, though it stays rooted, and lunge at close-wandering prey. This Skyward Sword Deku Baba has what looks like small hexagonal panels that help to protect its head.  Indeed, striking at this hard exterior with a sword only results in a pissed off monster. Only by cutting through its mouth or chopping down the vine can it be defeated. the SS DB has two such mouths, one horizontal, one vertical. Thus, inside the plant itself, it requires extra muscles, extra tooth development, and a split head to allow for multidirectional opening. And the teeth are few in number, probably resulting in a less-than-desirable ability to make killing strokes. These features would require even more energy to maintain, and thus the Deku Baba probably needs a lot of food to maintain its strength. It would make sense that a more efficient use of energy would be for growth or reproduction. So let's look at the Twilight Princess Baba:

Many similarities exist. But of most interest are the differences.  the Deku Baba can no longer open his mouth vertically. He's horizontal only, teeth now lining the ring of plant flesh that form its lips and in large numbers. With only one mouth, these new teeth have developed to make it a more efficient killer of prey.  also notice the upturned lip on the top half of the head. A remnant of the SS Baba that could split vertically, as the Baba evolves, it has sealed the vertical opening, but it is not quite finished completing that transformation. We can also see the loss of the paneling, a sign that it was not essential to the growth of the species. After all, I don't imagine that many creature attempt to destroy this plant at its head.  Rather, I think it's far more likely that a majority of Deku Babas die of starvation due to their inability to be a motile predator. This lack of predators for the Baba result in losing the armor. And losing the mouth provides a less complex system of muscles, which means it requires less energy to move the mouth. The leaves look a bit withered, losing the lush pointed shape and looking a bit tattered. This could be a natural adaptation to camouflage itself. The darker colors lends themselves to the shadowy forest floor, as does the muted blue of the head. The outline of the Baba is also interrupted by the shape of the leaves, helping it to remain undetected amongst other growth. Now let's visit Ocarina of Time's Deku Baba:

Confession: this Baba is actually from Majora's Mask. But that game is a direct sequel to OoT, and features many of the same enemies, including Ol' Mr. Baba here. So let's have a looksy.  Looking almost as if it is smiling, the opening of the Baba's mouth has become curved. This would be to more effectively trap prey in its jaws.  After all, it is easier to remove oneself from a straight passage than a curved one.  The same rules apply here. As the Baba evolves, it gains more tools to help it catch prey. What is difficult about this is that any N64 games go without the same....  graphical fidelity we are treated to now.  The game is fifteen years old. So we ask the question: Does this Deku have teeth? The short answer is yes.  Though not rendered, it is safe to assume that this Baba should have teeth. This is due to the fact that every other Deku Baba has teeth across the series, and it makes no sense for teeth to disappear and reappear. And because WW comes after OoT, and those Baba's have teeth, it is a reasonable assumption to make that these should also have teeth. Note also that the same odd-shaped leaves adorn this Baba that were seen in the TP Baba. One more feature worth mentioning before moving on: The top half is beginning to look smaller than the bottom. It can be a bit tricky to see because of the curved edge of the hemisphere, but the bottom does appear to be bulkier than the top, whereas in the previous two titles each half was even. This subtle change will become much more pronounced as we look as the Wind Waker version:

A robust flowered base, protruding teeth, a flap-like top, and the bright coloors make this a far cry from what we saw back in Skyward Sword. But then again, this is not a Deku Baba. By Wind Waker, the plant has shed that name in favor of the Boku Baba. the Boku Baba exists in a world where rapid evolution is harbored (no pun intended) by geographic separation and a harsh environment. In a world where real estate is at a premium, these plants cannot afford to be weak. Thus, the teeth probably extended out to favor stabbing the prey instead of directly grasping them. Again, the gap between hemispheres is curved, allowing for additional hold while grasping prey, but given the nature of the teeth, they do not kill in the manner of their ancestors. The orientation of the teeth would allow for easier escape of prey, because exiting the jaw also means removal of the teeth from the flesh. In the past, the more vertical orientation of teeth meant that the victim would have to drag those teeth through its flesh in order to escape. Bright colors adorn the plant, probably as a way to attract food. While before, the Baba may have wanted to remain unnoticed, this new Baba needs to lure in whatever prey it can.  The colorful display may attract victims of all sorts, from pollenating insects looking the the Baba's flower to curious animals, and even children. The large flower at the base could be used for reproduction(as most are), but given the nature of the plant and its location on the plant structure, I believe it to be a dense flower that allows for high amounts of nutrient storage. This would help it survive the harsh environs of the island world.

Hope this post was thought-invoking, and I can't wait to do more comparative anatomy pieces. We'll be looking at many creatures, as well as other things.  Keep checking back as we move forward in the exploration.  And feel free to leave feedback!

The Legend of Zelda Timeline: Evolution in Myth

After it was confirmed that the Zelda series actually sat on one cohesive timeline, the internet ran abuzz with speculation about the order of games.  With the release of Skyward Sword, everything can begin to fit into place.  In fact, I find it quite easy to deduce the Zelda timeline with just the knowledge that Skyward Sword is the first in line. With the origin of the myth understood, I want to look at how the world of Hyrule shifts and changes throughout the ages in all dimensions, using geographic knowledge, the study of names, and a look at the comparative anatomy of those that we find throughout the series. That being said, let me begin by stating the order of the games.

Skyward Sword, Twilight Princess, OoT, and Wind Waker.

Yes, I'll be looking only at the 3D Zelda titles.  They are the most major releases of the past fifteen years, and make up the grand framework of the Zelda franchise. I can't say that I've already played every Zelda, and so I am not in a position to comment on every title. But the 3D Zeldas often garner the most interest because each is such a monumentous occasion.  Each also carries more of the mythos than the other titles.  Ages/Seasons feels out of place, Majora is a direct sequel to OoT, the two DS titles are direct WW sequels, and so forth. I feel like comparing only the four major 3D titles will provide a good 90% of the framework for really digging into the evolution of the Legend of Zelda and how it adapts over time.

I also think that such an examination may be unprecedented in games as a whole. I've yet to think of another franchise of games that so eagerly spans thousands of years in its breadth, and I believe that Zelda is exclusive in this. Therefore, only with Zelda can we have such an in-depth look at the creations of a game and what decisions go into it, even if some of the things that are talked about were never the intentions of the developers. I also believe that finding the details of how Hyrule changes can help us to anticipate future findings in Zelda titles. Forgive me, as this initial post will seem all over the place with theories and ideas. But take not that each idea will be explored in more detail and receive full attention in one or more dedicated posts in the future. So without further ado, I present my rationale on why it is that I have chosen the order above:

It is no secret that SS is the first in line.  It has been stated.  Hell, it's on the back of the damn box. There are several pieces of information we can glean from even the basics of this title as to why the order is what it is. First, the names of the territories. With Faron forest and Eldin being in SS, we can deduce that TP is next.  after all, people don't lose the names of a location and readopt it later. It is far more likely that those residing on the surface would keep the names of a location intact when discovered. So Faron forest is known in SS, and after the decent of the sky people to Hyrule, they keep the names of these locations. Only after millenia pass do these names change. But they do not disappear.

OoT calls this same forest Kokiri Forest, or the Lost Woods. But the residents of Hyrule have not forgotten the original name.  Instead, they simply confused it over time. Faron was lost as a location, and was adopted as the name of a fabled earth goddess known as Farore. Just as the territory Eldin became known differently, but they kept the name Din as the fire goddess. Legends are often changed over many years, and here I find that it is no different. And Skyloft, the sacred home of the Goddess, became known as the Sacred Realm. Lost to time after the great migration to earth, the Sacred Realm contained the power of the three goddesses.

I feel as though this alone is evidence enough to determine the order of the games. After all, from just these assumptions, more deductions can be made.TP introduces the three spirits, and they exist within Hyrule.  Link interacts with them directly. The goddess above may have split herself to govern the three kingdoms. This is the most uncertain part. Why do the deities change? This is a question that may not ever be entirely clear, but from TP on, the number stands as three. I believe that because of the great release of evil, the power of the spirits is slowly dying over time. So it is safe to assume that where in TP people can interact with these spirits as spirits, they continue to transform. By the time we encounter OoT, the deities each take a mortal form. The Deku Tree, Volvagia, and Jabu-Jabu. Each is the keeper of their realm. In WW, they are even weaker. The great tree in WW is not the incredibly wise Deku tree from OoT. He is more human, a fully featured face, and drowning under the ever-sinking earth. Valoo is not the mighty beast that Volvagia was, as he sits helpless at the top of a mountain. I believe that the gods of Zelda are dying with Hyrule, and that Link is summoned back to delay the inevitable.

Once evil breaches the world, that's it.  There is no turning back.  The corruption is choking the very earth, seizing all that there is. It cannot be stopped, only sealed briefly until is becomes too great for the gods to hold steady and spills out again. Thus, we summon Link to seal evil again.  But each time we visit Hyrule, it is in greater disarray. SS sees Hyrule as a lush land with evil in it. TP shows us the evil dimension as it first invades Hyrule as a whole. In SS, evil erupts out of a rift, but the monsters are only part of what threatens the land. TP sees the evil realm itself attempting to swallow Hyrule completely. It mimics its very shape, and encapsulates it. By OoT, evil becomes one with the world. Gannondorf, evil manifest, corrupts Hyrule through tyranny.  It is the first time that the land itself looks destroyed.  Although SS has Hyrule separated, it is the goddess who does it. TP has Hyrule plunged into evil, but it is not transformed. OoT has the land of Hyrule actually tainted by becoming evil. And finally, WW showcases the death of Hyrule. The inevitable end of the world, where the weight of all the chaos is sinking it, plunging it below.  The remains of Hyrule are mountaintops above the water, a last gasp for air before the world ends. And Ganon will not stop until Hyrule rest at the bottom of the cold ocean, and the gods grow weaker with every passing year. Ganon never loses strength. the gods show that they need another's aid.

There's my preview, and I hope I made you think.  My favorite parts are coming, looking at the comparative anatomy of the creatures and how they evolve in Hyrule. How each race shifts and changes. Feel free to comment and spitball your ideas.  But what I provide here is a sample of the firm foundation on my argument, and there's more to come.  thanks for reading!