Link's Death As an Ending?

[ironknuckle1]

Steal This Game: Halo Reach - Xbox 360 Feature at IGN
Quite a while a go I was reading the above article on ign. It at some point says that maybe we should play as ganon and have a story where you already know the ending (similar to in Halo: Reach where you know that you were going to die in the end of reach since it was already shown to o happen in other halo media) so that you can play just to see how it will occur. It makes me wonder if a game where we know the ending would be a good step forward for the zelda series. Maybe even with an ending where link loses his final battle. hen I had the idea for a game that took place in between OOT and WW. It could tell the story of link as he tries to stop ganon. It would be interesting to me if it included the actions of the gods as they choose to flood the land to stop ganon rather then give the would be link the power to stop the evil ganon (if it is even possible to stop ganon in this story). So what is your opinion on a story in the zelda series with a already known ending?

 

[Ventus]

Yes please?

I don't want to play as Ganondorf or any villain, not that part. I want to see Link get killed outright by the final villain of the game, to put an end to this happy-go-lucky hero will always win madness that has plagued the series for 25 years and counting. Yeah, it would be a sudden break from a longstanding trend of Link being successful, but sometimes little breaks need to be taken (MM, SS) in order for people to truly appreciate what they're given, and I'd say nothing less of our favorite green hero himself! =)

 

[Dragoncat]

For the record, Vanitas, a lot of games have the Hero Always Wins thing.

I myself would probably be opposed to it. Beat the game, you send Link to his death...tragedy and guilt. But an ending like in Spyro: Dawn of the Dragon would be cool. Even though this isnt a Spyro forum, I'll put it in a spoiler:

Spoiler

The Dark Master has been defeated, but his doomsday spell is exploding the planet. Spyro, being a rare and special purple dragon, uses his powers to reverse it. It looks like he just sacrificed himself to save the world, the credits roll, I bawl my eyes out until the credits are over and I learn that Spyro survived.

So to put this into context, imagine the moon coming down in MM, landing on Link and looking like he's a goner. The credits roll. Then we see the moon glow, then shatter, and Link sitting there with the triforce on his hand shining, weakened, but still alive.

 

[AnimeHat]

There is an ending where Link fails. It's called the third timeline split. XD But seriously, I think it would be interesting if Link actually died, but it would have to be a good ending, not something cheesey.

 

[Skunk]

Well, that's sort of a cop out. Unless it's actually a good death, then it's like saying,"It was all just a dream." or,"I will send you back seven years if you.." oh wait.

 

[Dio]

The game focussing on the great flood, we know only a few will be saved and Ganon will succeed. The main character does not even need to be link since the hero never appears(not appears could also mean he's there but behind the scenes), he can be someone that stays behind.

 

[ironknuckle1]

The game focussing on the great flood, we know only a few will be saved and Ganon will succeed. The main character does not even need to be link since the hero never appears(not appears could also mean he's there but behind the scenes), he can be someone that stays behind.

See this is kind of what I was thinking. You could play as the would- be-hero and as you go through the game maybe little things will tip you off such as the gorons moving to the tops of the mountains, large rainclouds appearing or other such things that would fore shadow the known events that will occur. It would be interesting in my eyes if you actually saw cutscenes or other hints as to how the goddesses came to the decision of flooding the land.

Edit: Another interesting thing would be if the Would be link tried to gain the triforce but it instead broke into the pieces that are found in WW

 

[Ronin]

The death of a hero who constantly displays true valiance is not something that fans will long for. It's a given that the player will more often than not root for the character they're playing as. Therefore the majority would not be for Link outright dying at the end of the final battle with the antagonist. They feel that there should always be a happy ending for the protagonist; or in this case, Hyrule's perpetual champion, Link.

Interestingly enough, not all past civilizations believed in that. The great storytellers of Greek Mythology provided a twist of fate to almost every one of the old heroes of Olympus. Although the heroes had respectively attained remarkable triumphs, tragedy nearly always found a way to bring them down in the end (if memory serves right, Hercules/Heracles was the only "demigod" do be shown favor). For example, as was the agreement, Theseus returned to Athens after defeating the Minotaur, but forgot to raise white flags, signaling his safe return home. But when his father, Aegeus the king of Athens, saw that the black sails still blew in the maritime breeze, he cast himself out of grief for his son, deeming Theseus to have perished in the Labyrinth like everyone before him.

Suppose that Nintendo decided to go with the Greek's "no hero should have a happy ending" concept. To a degree, they'd already done that in Ocarina of Time; despite being grateful to Link for restoring peace to Hyrule, Zelda tells him that he should return to the past. It goes along the same lines of the somewhat melodramatic conclusions of a hero's tale in Greek Mythology. But it's something that Nintendo could expound on even more, to bring out a more tragic side of things.

Now, I certainly don't think that Zelda needs a melodramatic flair to it, but it's that aspect in which Link for once doesn't receive a carefree finale. I'm considering something of a more poignant nature. A story where Link lays down his life in order for Hyrule to be saved. The essence of sacrifice is something that feels very lacking in mainstream media, because most of the time the protagonist just gets his way. But imagine what Hyrule would be like after a hypothetical demise of Link. The entire kingdom would gather to honor the ruthless tenacity that Link represented countless times over. With the cinematic spin that the LoZ franchise has been taking on of late, the emotional aptitude could be amplified tenfold, surpassing even Skyward Sword's most touching moments. In my belief, such an event would benefit Zelda.

As an additional thought, Link doesn't even have to die. He could just be mortally wounded—on the verge of death, yet resuscitated by a phenomena that's explicable in a certain game setting. Perhaps the antagonist strikes him down right before the final battle, abducts Zelda, and leaves Link to die. But around that point I can see Link's helper (whoever it might be) come out from hiding and cry helplessly over Link; and next thing "she" knows her hands are illuminated by a power that lay dormant within her, and it seeps over Link, instantly healing him. This could also set up another emotive situation that our hero must struggle to overcome; and also establishes the culmination of that story as Link is driven to go after Zelda's captor.

With all that said, I personally think Link's death—or near-death experience—would create a more constructive ending than we're used to. Yes, it would change how the series typically wraps up, yet it would strike me as likely the most memorable event in Zelda history. A heroic demise does nothing to change the formula, after all, as it is just another in-game scenario, albeit a radical and arguably necessary one.

 

[theoathtoorder]

It might be cool to see Link sacrifice himself for Hyrule, only to be saved by Princess Zelda (a la Midna anyone??)

 

[The Jade Fist]

I've always hated those, look he's dead, oh wait no he's not , magic.

Now a game where he fails or died but succeeds at the end could be done cheesy or it could be done well.

Now doing it well, could involve in the final fight or just before it Link becomes mortally wounded, and still pushes on. Despite his injuries still defeats his enemy, only to succumb to his own injuries shortly after.

 

[Sir Quaffler]

I'm taking a cue from The Dark Knight Rises on this one [SPOILER WARNING], and I say they could do a game where you defeat the main villain, but there is a curse or bomb or something that will annihilate the kingdom unless Link himself gets it out. But they need to be careful with how they do this, we would already need to know that this curse or bomb has a time limit, but we're not sure how much time's left. We would need to think that by hurrying and defeating the antagonist that we can disarm it. Only after we defeat him and try disarming it do we find out that we can't and that there's not enough time to do anything but get it out of Hyrule before it blows. Make the player himself discover this, no cutscenes, it won't be as impacting otherwise. This also leaves us with an alternative bad ending where instead of Link simply falling over dead, the bomb goes off before we can get it out and Hyrule is destroyed.

 

[Dragoncat]

I've always hated those, look he's dead, oh wait no he's not , magic.

Yeah...I guess that is a huge cliche...

 

[Ganondork]

I have adored this concept for as long as I can remember. I can't say I've played many - if any at all - games where the protagonist actually dies, but the idea has always fascinated me. It keeps it from being cookie-cutter; it would be a plot twist to Zelda that no one would ever see coming. I'm not a fan of the idea of going through the game, already knowing you're going to die though. To make it a surprise at the end would be such an interesting thing. I'm never going to be someone that says, "Do something out of the ordinary in Zelda that will make other fandoms - namely Call of Duty ones - look at us in a new light." No. That is such a Legend of Zelda fan mentality to prove our worth that I despise. I wouldn't want this to be done to make the other fandoms like us, or to gain fans from another series - Darksiders, anyone? - but to satisfy our own fans that no doubt want this to happen.

With all of this kept in mind, I do not want to play through the eyes of a villain. That's an entirely different concept that should be explored in another game. I don't want to kill Link as Ganon, because in hind sight, that's just the reversed positions of Link defeating Ganon. That's just a similar scenario in a different skin. No, the player needs to legitimately be Link. Be the one who feels the pain of death, not the one to deliver it. Using a real life situation, that's like, instead of the executioner killing the prosecuted criminal, the criminal is killing the executioner. Wouldn't it be more powerful to be the one to feel the pain, rather than the one to deliver the ending blow? I think so, at least.

With this kept in mind, I would much prefer it be less of a death in the battlefield. Those are usually never half as powerful as a kind that knows no physical harm, but rather an emotional one. Perhaps not an attack on his sanity, but rather he dies of his own accord. To see his life after his journey has ended. Perhaps it isn't one of success and happiness, but of cold loneliness that follows him to the grave. Or even he battles Ganon to the very end as an old man, where the final killing blow is mere days before his own. A battle of the mind rather than the body may just be something that Zelda should try.

Sir Quaffler used The Dark Knight Rises as a help to his statement, and now I feel that I should use my own; Assassin's Creed Revelations. Skyward Sword showed a minimal amount of parkour with Link's sprinting, but rather than learning from Assassin's Creed's gameplay, they should learn from its story. The prime example is the life of Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad following the murder of his dear Mentor, Al Mualim. Following Altaïr's life after Al Mualim's life, you see a life of hardship. A childhood misunderstanding with a fellow Assassin, Abbas Sofian, Altaïr was driven out time and time again.

This mental struggle caused a rift between the Assassins; some sided with Abbas, and others with Altaïr. At the ripe age of 84, Altaïr made his way back to the Castle he had grown up in, and shot the man that drove him out of his home over 50 years earlier. And yet, 8 years later, the Syrian Assassin still was forced to die alone. With a dead wife, and forced to order all Assassins to evacuate - for the Mongols were intending to take over the Castle anyway - he died in a vault, left with nothing but memories of events that occurred decades prior. To see such an emotional struggle in Zelda would be one of the most amazing things I could ever imagine.

Link's death would be an amazing concept, but only if they use his death in a proper way. I think to see the skeletons in his closet be what kills him in the end, rather than a death blow from Ganon. To see Link dying would have to be something that tugs at heart strings. I just don't believe a sword slash that takes Link's life would have quite the profound effect as Link finally being alone, and welcoming death like it's an old friend.

 

[the_chosen_one]

it would explain the *hero is defeated* timeline but it would totally suck because you cant beat ganon

 

[The Jade Fist]

I have adored this concept for as long as I can remember. I can't say I've played many - if any at all - games where the protagonist actually dies, but the idea has always fascinated me. It keeps it from being cookie-cutter; it would be a plot twist to Zelda that no one would ever see coming. I'm not a fan of the idea of going through the game, already knowing you're going to die though. To make it a surprise at the end would be such an interesting thing. I'm never going to be someone that says, "Do something out of the ordinary in Zelda that will make other fandoms - namely Call of Duty ones - look at us in a new light." No. That is such a Legend of Zelda fan mentality to prove our worth that I despise. I wouldn't want this to be done to make the other fandoms like us, or to gain fans from another series - Darksiders, anyone? - but to satisfy our own fans that no doubt want this to happen.

With all of this kept in mind, I do not want to play through the eyes of a villain. That's an entirely different concept that should be explored in another game. I don't want to kill Link as Ganon, because in hind sight, that's just the reversed positions of Link defeating Ganon. That's just a similar scenario in a different skin. No, the player needs to legitimately be Link. Be the one who feels the pain of death, not the one to deliver it. Using a real life situation, that's like, instead of the executioner killing the prosecuted criminal, the criminal is killing the executioner. Wouldn't it be more powerful to be the one to feel the pain, rather than the one to deliver the ending blow? I think so, at least.

With this kept in mind, I would much prefer it be less of a death in the battlefield. Those are usually never half as powerful as a kind that knows no physical harm, but rather an emotional one. Perhaps not an attack on his sanity, but rather he dies of his own accord. To see his life after his journey has ended. Perhaps it isn't one of success and happiness, but of cold loneliness that follows him to the grave. Or even he battles Ganon to the very end as an old man, where the final killing blow is mere days before his own. A battle of the mind rather than the body may just be something that Zelda should try.

Sir Quaffler used The Dark Knight Rises as a help to his statement, and now I feel that I should use my own; Assassin's Creed Revelations. Skyward Sword showed a minimal amount of parkour with Link's sprinting, but rather than learning from Assassin's Creed's gameplay, they should learn from its story. The prime example is the life of Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad following the murder of his dear Mentor, Al Mualim. Following Altaïr's life after Al Mualim's life, you see a life of hardship. A childhood misunderstanding with a fellow Assassin, Abbas Sofian, Altaïr was driven out time and time again.

This mental struggle caused a rift between the Assassins; some sided with Abbas, and others with Altaïr. At the ripe age of 84, Altaïr made his way back to the Castle he had grown up in, and shot the man that drove him out of his home over 50 years earlier. And yet, 8 years later, the Syrian Assassin still was forced to die alone. With a dead wife, and forced to order all Assassins to evacuate - for the Mongols were intending to take over the Castle anyway - he died in a vault, left with nothing but memories of events that occurred decades prior. To see such an emotional struggle in Zelda would be one of the most amazing things I could ever imagine.

Link's death would be an amazing concept, but only if they use his death in a proper way. I think to see the skeletons in his closet be what kills him in the end, rather than a death blow from Ganon. To see Link dying would have to be something that tugs at heart strings. I just don't believe a sword slash that takes Link's life would have quite the profound effect as Link finally being alone, and welcoming death like it's an old friend.

Elderly Link huh? Well thats one thing they havne't done yet.