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MILD SPOILERS FOR TEARS OF THE KINGDOM.
So, as I had predicted before, when Ganon's Blight touched Link at the beginning, his health and stamina would be sapped away in order to have us start again at 3 hearts and only 1 ring of Stamina.
Glad to see that Nintendo did this.
But having played Tears of the Kingdom for a couple days now, I realized something.
Every time we obtain an Orb of Light from a Zonai Shrine, we see a small ember effect as the Gloom corruption is being purified as Link absorbs the divine power to reduce his curse. This ember effect is restricted to only Link's right arm and nowhere else on his person during this animation.
This is where it gets interesting.
Whenever we exchange 4 Orbs of Light for a Heart Container or a Stamina Container, we see a new peculiar interaction with Link and the Gloom.
I think that because of the corruption brought on by the Blight that Link had encountered at the beginning of the game, Link and Ganon are now connected in some manner.
Because whenever you exchange the 4 Orbs for a Container, you see large plumes of Gloom Smoke emanate from Link's entire body. Which is rather odd.
I predict that when Ganondorf's Blight sapped away at Link's health, the final boss fight will see Ganondorf's health bar not be a bar but rather every Heart of Link's that he had managed to steal away.
And I theorize that whenever we add a Heart Container to Link, so too will Ganondorf's heart containers be increased for the final battle.
Players complained that the late-game of Breath of the Wild was weak and shallow, because when players completed all the shrines, we had a HUGE stack of health and stamina; making the final fight of the game quite easy.
I figure that the BotW/TotK devs saw this complaint and made a way so that even in the late game, the final fight against Ganondorf will be still a worthy battle.
After all, if for each heart Link was drained of in the prelude was truly given to Ganondorf; that nets Ganondorf a Health bar of 27 hearts that players will have to whittle down if they gunned straight for him again.
HOWEVER
For players who completed shrines and got even more hearts, so too does Ganondorf get a new heart. So if the player obtained a total of seven hearts before fighting Ganondorf, then that would mean that Ganondorf would have 27+7 hearts, totaling to 34 hearts; making the fight harder as a result!
As for why Stamina Containers also yield that strange smokey effect as Heart Containers?
I believe that Ganondorf will have a stamina meter as well, to an extent. A hidden value that will determine how often he uses more critical strikes during the final duel and/or how fast Ganondorf moves about the field. So for every Stamina Container that Link has obtained, Ganondorf will be a swifter foe and use power-strikes more often; strikes that might be unable to be shield-countered or have a much more narrow window to dodge with.
In conclusion, I believe that if players were to obtain all 30 hearts once again (3+27), then that would mean that Ganondorf would have 57 hearts during the final battle; ensuring that the battle is still a worthy and difficult fight compared to BotW's lackluster finale.
There may also be a workaround to this.
Since the Orbs of Light are supposed to purify Link of his corruption, I believe that if players wait to deposit all the Orbs of Light in exchange for hearts and stamina AFTER obtaining all the orbs, then Ganondorf will not receive any bonus health or stamina for the final fight.
Why?
Because the Orbs of Light are purifying Link of Corruption.
By completing all shrines, Link will no longer have Blight/Gloom corruption; we will get a cutscene where he is announced as cured of the curse by the divine light.
Ergo, if players wait to obtain hearts until AFTER they obtain all Orbs of Light; they will be able to increase their health and stamina without having to increase Ganondorf's stats.
Basically if players wait, then Ganondorf should only end up with 28 hearts at the end of the game; since the prologue has us obtain a single heart piece to open a door in the Temple of Time.
Whaddya guys think?
So, as I had predicted before, when Ganon's Blight touched Link at the beginning, his health and stamina would be sapped away in order to have us start again at 3 hearts and only 1 ring of Stamina.
Glad to see that Nintendo did this.
But having played Tears of the Kingdom for a couple days now, I realized something.
Every time we obtain an Orb of Light from a Zonai Shrine, we see a small ember effect as the Gloom corruption is being purified as Link absorbs the divine power to reduce his curse. This ember effect is restricted to only Link's right arm and nowhere else on his person during this animation.
This is where it gets interesting.
Whenever we exchange 4 Orbs of Light for a Heart Container or a Stamina Container, we see a new peculiar interaction with Link and the Gloom.
I think that because of the corruption brought on by the Blight that Link had encountered at the beginning of the game, Link and Ganon are now connected in some manner.
Because whenever you exchange the 4 Orbs for a Container, you see large plumes of Gloom Smoke emanate from Link's entire body. Which is rather odd.
I predict that when Ganondorf's Blight sapped away at Link's health, the final boss fight will see Ganondorf's health bar not be a bar but rather every Heart of Link's that he had managed to steal away.
And I theorize that whenever we add a Heart Container to Link, so too will Ganondorf's heart containers be increased for the final battle.
Players complained that the late-game of Breath of the Wild was weak and shallow, because when players completed all the shrines, we had a HUGE stack of health and stamina; making the final fight of the game quite easy.
I figure that the BotW/TotK devs saw this complaint and made a way so that even in the late game, the final fight against Ganondorf will be still a worthy battle.
After all, if for each heart Link was drained of in the prelude was truly given to Ganondorf; that nets Ganondorf a Health bar of 27 hearts that players will have to whittle down if they gunned straight for him again.
HOWEVER
For players who completed shrines and got even more hearts, so too does Ganondorf get a new heart. So if the player obtained a total of seven hearts before fighting Ganondorf, then that would mean that Ganondorf would have 27+7 hearts, totaling to 34 hearts; making the fight harder as a result!
As for why Stamina Containers also yield that strange smokey effect as Heart Containers?
I believe that Ganondorf will have a stamina meter as well, to an extent. A hidden value that will determine how often he uses more critical strikes during the final duel and/or how fast Ganondorf moves about the field. So for every Stamina Container that Link has obtained, Ganondorf will be a swifter foe and use power-strikes more often; strikes that might be unable to be shield-countered or have a much more narrow window to dodge with.
In conclusion, I believe that if players were to obtain all 30 hearts once again (3+27), then that would mean that Ganondorf would have 57 hearts during the final battle; ensuring that the battle is still a worthy and difficult fight compared to BotW's lackluster finale.
There may also be a workaround to this.
Since the Orbs of Light are supposed to purify Link of his corruption, I believe that if players wait to deposit all the Orbs of Light in exchange for hearts and stamina AFTER obtaining all the orbs, then Ganondorf will not receive any bonus health or stamina for the final fight.
Why?
Because the Orbs of Light are purifying Link of Corruption.
By completing all shrines, Link will no longer have Blight/Gloom corruption; we will get a cutscene where he is announced as cured of the curse by the divine light.
Ergo, if players wait to obtain hearts until AFTER they obtain all Orbs of Light; they will be able to increase their health and stamina without having to increase Ganondorf's stats.
Basically if players wait, then Ganondorf should only end up with 28 hearts at the end of the game; since the prologue has us obtain a single heart piece to open a door in the Temple of Time.
Whaddya guys think?