Zelda is not a "mature" series and it doesn't have to embroil itself in sex, politics or to a lesser extent violence. And I will be very grateful if it never does. I actually tend to find such material distracting, even in The Witcher. Although The Witcher 3 handles its mature subject matter more deftly than usual. Of course of all things, sex and politics are the least likely to ever find their way into a Zelda game so long as ninty still has a say in the matter.
The Zelda series is also not, however, infantile. Well, it is, if the last couple of entries and Wind Waker are any indication. But it never used to be and it doesn't have to be. The implied violence and depictions of blood and torture in Ocarina of Time enrich the experience. The moment players are introduced to the game's blood and violence is such a formative turning point of the adventure. It serves to underscore the narrative themes of Ocarina of Time.
Link has entered into an adult world, abruptly, unwillingly and unprepared (and for many of us, our experience is the same). This world is nothing like his idyllic childhood. Dark, morbid, and downright sinister secrets are revealed, lurking just behind the polite cheery facade of Hylian society. You don't have to look far to discover the nasty things Hyrule has been up to. This is what it means to be an adult. This is what it means to have courage and mature. Without the depictions of blood and torture in the Shadow and Spirit Temples and the Well, as well as the dark sinister implications of the Forest Temple, this essential theme wouldn't be conveyed and Ocarina of Time would lose a significant portion of its gravitas. The story even begins to deal in genocide and slavery, also an unfortunate fact of life that adults must contend with. Not just Link, but players - kids and adults alike - go through this experience in the game, and learn something from it. This wouldn't happen if violence weren't depicted. Speaking from personal experience, my life has undoubtedly been enriched by this facet of Ocarina of Time.
Similar themes of death, banishment, racial tension and strife, and other mature subject matter also permeate Majora's Mask and Twilight Princess. They are highlights of both games, helping to deliver stories and enrich characters and enlighten players.
The inclusion of blood, sex and violence simply for the sake of being edgy is immature, however. There has to be a reason for it.
Now Zelda could remain frivolous entertainment. It could carry on as a simple, cheerful, carefree adventure with just its humor and melodrama and bright happy neon pastels and cartoon violence and all audiences would take away from it is simple mostly disposable amusement. But if the Zelda series is to be more than that, if it is to be an expressive work of art that leaves a lasting impression more than a mere toy, then mature themes such as this are necessary to enrich the experience.
