Saddest Zelda game

[Alder Dragon]

I'd have to say Majora's Mask, with LttP following closely behind. It's sad seeing things go in LttP, such as the flute boy or the Kakariko Village residents, and your uncle. Majora's Mask on the other hand, is basically the end of the world type of plot.

I wouldn't say LA is sad, since it was just a dream. I did get attached to the characters from Koholint Island though.

 

[Zarom]

I find that the saddest game is WW. At the end, when the King decides to submerge Hyrule forever and you see him drown with his kingdom, very sad. All the expressions on people's face (Link, Tetra & Hyrule King) when they left all of Hyrule behind them. So sad.

 

[Shadsie]

I am torn between MM and TP on this. I've not played LA, so I cannot say for sure, but among the games I've actually played, I'd say either MM or TP, and *maybe* TP edges out MM for me just a tiny bit....


With Majora's Mask, you have an entire world that's doomed, the source of that doom easily visible overhead. You see people in denail - and oh, man, is it ever heartwrencing to see people in denail of a problem... then, they start to realize. Even though some go to take refuge, some realize that there really is no escape. Add to that Termina's heroes, who tried to save their peoples and failed, who must rely upon Link to wear their faces and take on their guise to set things right. The boy does not even get credit for himself, acting in their stead. Then, whenever time is reset, everyone's embroiled in the problems Link once solved.

Though, beat the game and everything becomes right in the end.


Twilight Princess is sad for me because of the tone... the darkness, the people being turned into uneasy spirits, the banishment of the Twili, lots of things. One minor thing for Link is that while he is a wolf, he cannot reveal himself to his friends and Ordon "family." His own mentor will attack him with a sword early on if he gets too close. Then you meet the ghost of Rutela, a proud queen who was executed before her people, and must carry her last wishes to her son (whom you see later mourning deeply). To boot, you find out that those shadow beasts you've been killing are the Twili people (and the occasional Hyrulean, like the general store lady of Kakariko), transformed. Then, the end... I'm sure the spoilers have been flying here already... the end, when Link's closest companion on his journey breaks the only connection between the worlds. I think the Link of this game and Midna had a closer relationship than did OoT Link and Navi, so it strikes me as very sad.

What seals this for me is, unlike MM, where winning the game sets most things right (the dead heroes remain dead, but the rest of the world survives), EVERYONE in this game who is gone or dead stays that way. They will not be coming back.

 

[basement24]

I'm not sure if I can 100% wade in on this topic since I haven't played MM to its full extent, and it does seem to be a bit of a downer. I would tend to agree with the idea that TP is quite sad even though it doesn't appear to be so bluntly.

I think Shadsie hit the major points on why this is the case, but I would add that it doesn't beat you over the head with the idea that you should be feeling sad. It's very subtley done at times, but the overall tone is that of dread and sadness. Rusl states as such in the games opening lines. It's a set up for things to come, whether you ralize them or not.

Along with the whole separation from Midna in the end, I think the saddest point to me is that of Link leaving Ordon in the ending, possibly forever? I've gone over this in another thread, I'm sure, but it just leaves the ending with a very sad tone.

I think TWW had potential to be a very sad game, but it kept it very light. The whole concept of what the King of Hyrule was going through and the story of Hyrule's flooding is sad stuff, but it managed to stay somewhat detached from it all due to Link's innocence. He listens to everyone throughout the game, but he always seems to be confused in the end as to the bigger picture. So, if he was a little less naieve to the greater picture, I think this title had potential to be up there. As it is though, it's not amongst the overall saddest.

 

[voltarrow]

the saddest loz game i ever played is WW when u see the king of hyrule dying and TP when Midna vanishes forever, i still have the doubt if i'll see her again :-(