Relative Humanity of Shadow Beasts?

[Shadsie]

Alright, murdered thread, RISE FROM YOUR GRAVE!!!

I think most of what could be said on this topic had been said on the pre-wipe thread, but I thought it bore repeating and could generate new and interesting disscussion brought if brought up again.

For those of you who have played through Twilight Princess, you learn late in the game that the Shadow Beasts you've been killing around Hyrule are Twili that have been transformed into grotesque forms by Zant.

In other words, all this time, you've been killing Midna's people. Also, quite probably, some innocent Hyruelans as well, if Barnes' story about the Shadow Beasts transforming the general store woman is true.

I wrote a fanfiction about this aspect of the game once. ("A Night on the Mesa" for anyone interested in looking it up on the fanfiction network - my profile there is at the bottom of my sig). In the story, I postulated that the Shadow Beasts were "too far gone," and that there might be something of a soul trapped within the creature waiting to be freed - by death, thus, death becomes a mercy for them.

We do see some half-transformed Twili at the Twilight Palace that are able to be restored by the power of the Sols, but I am guessing that the fully transformed creatures probably are not able to be restored. I seem to recall seeing some inside the Twilight Palace and the Sol-light infused Master Sword did nothing to help them.

Anyway, what are your thoughts on this? Do you you think that the Shadow Beasts would ever be able to be restored with some great event (such as the death of Zant), or are they too far gone? What of the person that used to be? Are they already gone, or is there just a bit of them trapped within the horrible things their bodies have become, unable to gain control, awaiting to be freed by death or some other measure?

 

[startimer]

Yeah, during the biginning of the game killing a shodow beast brought a feeling of accomplishment since it opened up a new portal in that area. but after i learned that they were mutated twili, i felt guilty every time i attacked one. And no, i dont think they can be saved

 

[Master Kokiri 9]

I prefer to call them Twilit Soldiers since the serve the usurper king of twilight (zant) for military purposes.
Anyways I do believe that they were mutated innocent twili who were forced to join zant's army and do his bidding and now every time i kill a them i feel guilty.

 

[Zarom]

Are you sure that the monsters are inhabitants of Twili? Me I tought the Twili people were only in the Twilight Realm/Palace of Shadow. I tought the others were just monsters. So?

 

[Shadsie]

Are you sure that the monsters are inhabitants of Twili? Me I tought the Twili people were only in the Twilight Realm/Palace of Shadow. I tought the others were just monsters. So?

Nah.

As I recall, when you first enter the desert (shot from the canon, Oasis Flight) for the first time, Midna gaves you a little history lesson. She talks of how Zant took over the Twilight Realm and of how he turned the Twili into Shadow Beasts. She asks Link if she'll stay with her and help her save (the rest of?) her people. Link gives her a little nod and then you're free to proceed on your way to the Arbiter's Grounds.

 

[Zarom]

But what if they aren't people? In the fights with Phantom Zant in the Palace of Shadows, he can summon creatures, right? What if he actually did just summoned the red ones and that only the blue ones are inhabitants? :huh::thinking::huh::thinking::huh::thinking::huh::thinking::huh::thinking:

 

[knowlee]

I would think that the ones that were transformed into Shadow Beasts would have been brought back to their original forms when Zant and/or Ganondorf was defeated. They both were the ones that changed them into those states. (Zant being the one who did the transforming and Ganondorf being the one who provided the power to do it.)

Yes, I think that it's possible that there were some Twili that were too much into the transformation that even the Sol-infused Master Sword couldn't help them. The only other possible way for them to return to their former states is to get rid of the ones who did it, as I previously stated. But there could of been a chance that it didn't work even after those two were gotten rid of.

 

[dur.i.am]

I never really felt guilty, Seeing as if you didn't kill them they would have been stuck like that for much much longer, You wouldn't be able to get Kakariko Gorge because you need the portal's to move the bridge. It would have been way to hard moving that through woods to get it their in time.

Also also have ease in killing them seeing as Midna was actually helping you kill her own people. She probably knew that they were better off dead instead of living knowing what they had done themselves to innocent people.

So really I think it was unfortunate having to do so but not really something that ever made me feel guilty by killing them, They killed/injured most of Zelda's men in the usurping of her throne near the start of the game.