Guardians are among one of my favorite enemies throughout the entire
Legend of Zelda series. I have seen them as one of the greatest enemies that I've ever engaged in most of my gaming experience as well. My thoughts on them go beyond the level of fascination towards near obsession. They are no doubt the small hole that allows sunlight in on the sad experience I had with
Skyward Sword.
A lot of factors have contributed to this fascination in this species. Anatomically, they are an armor-clad group that make me wonder if Link could possibly best them, even when armed with the Master Sword. The Guardians that travel on foot boast powerful weapons, and the gliding ones - my favorite of the two - boast great speed. The watchers are interesting creatures that add a hint of stealth to an otherwise simplistic Silent Realm. Sure, a time limit before the Guardians awaken can add stress to plenty of players, but the prospect of a watcher lurking around the corner adds a hint of caution with each step.
The most interesting thing is their creation. Tools of the Goddess, you have to wonder if they ever fought alongside their Creator. I like to think that they fought Demise and his Demon Horde until the bitter end. The surviving warriors of this group were sent to the Silent Realm to test the Hero that would save Hyrule and defeat Demise. It's interesting to imagine that they are the very thing that Link strove to be in Skyloft; a knight.
The flying guardians are easily my favorite of them all. Although not as heavily armed as their sentry counterparts, they boast a level of agility that rivals the Hero himself. To escape their grasp and find the next tear is quite an accomplishment. Link is faced by powerful creations by Hylia herself, and yet still prevails. No doubt the Goddess made sure that only the Hero could outwit and outrun these powerful beings.
The amount of things that one can wonder of them are all left to theory, as so little is known about them. They seem entirely composed of mechanisms, and yet I wonder if they contain some form of free will. Did they truly want this? I like to think that they decided to take on this job willingly, rather than being forced by Hylia to do it. It's better to imagine them being honored, rather than reluctantly submitting to Her Grace's demands.
The Watchers, although not my favorite, are the most intriguing. At least on an anatomic level. They look like nothing I have ever encountered before. And yet, they seem familiar. The best explanation is that the matter that forms their body seems a bit similar to that of the carpet in
Aladdin. It seems a bit less decorative, naturally, but the way the carpet would fold forward in certain scenes definitely seems similar to that of this guardian watchdog. The lantern that they hold also remind me of the Poes from
Twilight Princess.
One of the most interesting things about the Guardians is the fact that they create a feeling of suspense in the Silent Realm. It wouldn't be nearly as difficult if it simply had a time limit. The knowledge that there are a significant number of enemies waiting to make you fail the test is much more stressful than just having a time limit. A time limit won't surround you. A time limit won't force you to veer off from your course. A time limit is far more in your head - once the Guardians are awakened, you need to find the nearest Tear.
From all of this, one can easily infer that I am an enormous fan of the Guardians. They are to me what Darknuts and Stalfos are to many other
Legend of Zelda fans. I think that they made my time in
Skyward Sword a lot more enjoyable than had they not been in there. The Silent Realm as a whole would have been entirely lacking without them. I had been skeptical about the Silent Realm when I had first heard about the Guardians' presence in there, but now I couldn't imagine the Silent Realm without them.
