Fan Theory for Zelda U Paints Interesting Story and Progression

Theories are fun, and they are really fun when we’re talking about the unknown aspects of Zelda. In this case we’re taking a look at Zelda U and the potential implications the story or world could have. A fan over at the GameFAQ forums decided to take a crack at what the story and world could be in the game, with some of it feeling rather plausible. Then again, it’s just a guess so we’re only posting it for discussion purposes.

As a bit of a pre -warning, this was posted as a “leak”, but like every post and email to us like this in the last 7 years, we’re confident this is 100% fake. We feel no shame if proven wrong, but I just wanted to note how this is phrased before you head into reading it:

“I know, there are countless leaks out there claiming to have “the real deal”, which most of the time, is completely false. I also know that there are many text leaks out there, making it very hard to prove your point. I am in a position in that I cannot show any pictures, nor any videos, and I only have my words else my career would be ruined. I have some information regarding Zelda Wii U, and a lot of it is very interesting.

Of course, what I saw or heard is subject to change during development, but I am sure most of these will be within the game. So let’s get started.

It is very well known knowledge that recent official footage of Zelda Wii U has been released, but that build was 2 months old and has seen much improvement in that time.

The horse(you can opt to name her Epona if you wish) is not the only animal you can ride on. So far, you are able to ride a giant turtle within the lakes and rivers in the overworld, a boar(similar to Twilight Princess), and there is being a method of flying(similar to Loftwings in Skyward Sword) being developed. The animal of which Link does fly is still being talked about, and they are using a Loftwing as a substitute for the time being.

Technology versus Nature is going to be the overall arching theme of the game.

Link grew up within the Gerudo Tribe, even though he is Hylian. That is where he learned to be a hunter, and how he learned to be so skilled with Horseback Archery. Link’s form and animations within the game are based off of Yabusame archery, which is a form of Mounted Archery within Japanese Culture.

Speaking of Japanese Culture, the world of Zelda Wii U is based of the area of Kyoto. This is one of the few things I can definitely prove. Look at the area of Kyoto and look near Lake Biwa. A very similar land mass can be seen within the world of Zelda Wii U, and even some of the rivers have similar locations to its real world counterpart,

Within the game, you can beat a dungeon in almost any order. Whenever you beat a dungeon though, enemies in both the overworld and within other dungeons will grow stronger and more plentiful.

Ganondorf nor Ganon will be featured in this game. There will be a completely new villain from start to end. The best I can explain about his design is that he looks similar to the Twili in Twilight Princess, but he has blue eyes and regular colored skin. He also wears a cloak, very similar to Link’s.

There is going to be a lot of lore in this Zelda game, but told in a very clever way. Instead of NPC’s telling the lore of the world(though there is some of that), the world itself will tell its own story. There will be cave drawings, designs, and a small amount of tablets that are hidden away, especially near dungeons.

The NPC’s will have comprehensive A.I. similar to the horses. There will be packs of merchant Gorons, school’s of Zoras, and regular humans that you have a chance of finding while travelling in the overworld. Some characters will fight, some will run away, and some will fight you if enemies attack.

The postman will also return, but will not be disruptive like he was in Twilight Princess. You have a chance of finding him directly, or you may find letters in a post box.

Now, I think that is enough for now, as I let this information sink in. Believe me, or do not. It is your choice. I only give my word with some sparse evidence to back it up, and I perfectly understand that. If you have further questions, believe me, or do not believe me, comment below and I may make things a bit clearer. Other than that, I say farewell.”

He didn’t stop there, stating this stuff in follow up questions:

“Similar to A Link to The Past, some NPC’s are more on the side that Link is a villain. Spreading rumors that Link is a thief broadly changes some NPC’s mind that causes them to attack him. Similarly, some races just do not trust Link, especially early game. It is also very similar to how Gorons attacked Link in Twilight Princess.”

“Since some people are very curious and debating about Link growing up in a Gerudo village, I can shed some light in that. The Gerudo village that Link grew up within is open to outsiders, much like how the Sheikah made their village open to outsiders. They also live within the confines of Hyrule. Links village is close to where Mr. Aonuma started in the gameplay footage. They still have similar ideals to the Gerudo in OoT, but there is another, more extreme faction of Gerudos within the dessert area of the game.”

“Ok, so since people want more clarification on the Gerudo, and the lack of Ganondorf.
The main villain, a reincarnation of Demise, is not Gerudo. There actually is a male Gerudo, and he served as a father figure for Link and takes a large part of the (optional) tutorial of the game. Being a male Gerudo, he resembles Ganondorf, but he is actually quite kind.”

“The desert area within the game. is indeed within the west portion of the map. That black circle dotting it is actually a dungeon and serves reference to Arbiters Grounds. You can even find a place that references the Mirror of Twilight.

I would also like to say, the beetle item comes back, and uses the Wii U Gamepad very similarly to the Seagulls in Wind Waker HD.

I hope you all are starting to see what I mean. The dungeon and over world difficulty getting higher after each dungeon is almost exactly what Miyamoto means by your choices affecting the world. That and side quests affect the world, along with some smaller things. Such as your footprints being on the sand before a tide comes, and monsters physically destroying the land.”

“Combat in this game, is quite interesting to say the least. First is that the A.I. For the enemies is quite comprehensive, and stealth can play a key role(if you want). Obviously, there is a focus on Archery and that has been clear from everything you have seen and what Mr. Aonuma wants to do. Many enemies will not be easily hit, as Aonuma stated, there are parts on a specific monster that attacking will not glance off. Some arrow shots will do more than others, however if you do hit it. As for swordplay, swordplay uses combat similarly to Wind Waker and Twilight Princess. Though, there is more of a focus on precise timing, and where you hit with your sword. Enemies will still have those same armor spots they have with archery, and part of the puzzle of figuring out each enemy, is how to attack it and damage. There will also be more of a focus on using items as useful weapons, similar to A Link Between Worlds. As for difficulty, there are some big monsters out there, that are tough. But it’s impossible to say the overall difficulty. That is still being tweaked to Mr. Aonuma’s liking, though it will probably be similar to, again, A Link Between Worlds difficulty, and there are plans for a Hero Mode/Second Quest. Though none has been implemented yet.
As for amount of hearts, I cannot possibly say… That is something that Mr. Aonuma quite frankly, is torn upon, and is waiting to see the overall balance of

the full-game.”

“Puzzles have not come back in a conventional way. Most of the puzzles within the game is where to go next, and what equipment you have in order to do that. Many puzzles can be completed in multiple ways, allowing for that layering you seek. You still do earn some items in a dungeon, but as so, they are a bit less puzzle oriented. It is truly hard to explain, as it still has a Zelda Puzzle like feel, but it is different than how the series has handled it in the past. I guess the best way to explain it is instead of asking “where do I use this item”, it is more “how do I use this item” if that makes any sense. Items have multiple uses, but no one item is truly required for a single puzzle is what I am trying to say.”

“Alright. Last I heard, we will get a “Proper” Trailer for Zelda Wii U during the January Direct. It will come with some story details, you will get to see new enemies such as the new design for the Moblins, you will get to see the desert, mountain, and oceanic areas of the game as a little glimpse in parts of the world. You will get to see sword combat, and apples in the trees. You will also see some of the stealth parts of the game and how it fits within the Zelda world.”

That last bit is thrown in just so if anyone attempt to take this seriously, they know when it will be officially debunked, EIther way, we know this is fake. The real question is what do you think of the ideas presented? I really like the concept that Link is raised by the Gerudos and how there are “extremist” factions, which is a real thing out there among many tribes. I think this would be a really interesting direction, but it almost feels so unlike a Zelda game I am unsure that Eiji Aonuma is willing to go that far from the traditional line of story telling. All I know is that I can’t wait to learn more next year.

Source: GameFAQs