I think Ravio is an amazing creation. Nintendo was really thinking, and I think that's great. Even the little bit where Ravio's companion would be helpful to contrast with Navi's annoying traits (Alright, that's a little far-fetched, I know, but it might make sense).
But yeah, Ravio is just a great character with some wicked development. Link changed him, which takes the whole "hero" title so much further.
Ravio being Lorule's hero and the he has resemblances to Link are the only things that make him the alternative to Link. This is probably the case because the guy who is actually supposed to Lorule's hero, who would obviously be related to Ravio as a brother, decided to be a villain instead, which is why Ravio is the hero instead of his brother. I know we haven't seen anything on Ravio having a brother at all, however, the fact that Ravio's name isn't in anyway similar to Link's let alone have a relative meaning to it and Ravio's outfit isn't necessarily all that the same, plus to mention that Ravio never had any evil intentions before, I'd say that pretty much all that is enough facts as it is to at least suggest that Ravio originally wasn't supposed Lorule's hero and that he had a brother who was the one that was originally supposed to be Lorule's hero but Ravio's brother turns evil and that's why Ravio is the Hero of Lorule instead of his brother who is the true opposite of Link. Also, cowardliness isn't the only alternative to courage as there's also carnage and valor, carnage being a bad alternative which is what Ravio's brother would be all about and valor being a good alternative which is what Ravio is actually all about.
I think the reason for Ravio's cowardly actions is because he was hunted down by Hilda, Yuga, and lurking in background somewhere nowhere to seen, possibly his brother and that also the fact that Ravio, currently at that moment didn't have a sword or shield to defend himself with. It's not that Ravio was ever afraid, it's that he witnessed his home be overcome by evil again, that he feels like he failed Hilda, and that the evil ones came after him and his people like a storm, Hilda's sudden betrayal, Yuga being unleashed because of that, Ravio became depressed because off all and lost his valor of hope, especially since he probably knew that had happened could all be the fault of Ravio's brother but we don't know that cause it's not mentioned in the game and plus knowing Nintendo, they'd probably never confirm that thus leaving it a mystery for a very long time, at least officially wise anyways. Plus Ravio originally at first wouldn't want tell this to Link anyways at until he's earned his trust and that Link has earned his, however, he'd still skeptical and afraid to reveal his backstory Link cause he probably doesn't want to be reminded of those horrible times of his life.
Anyway, that's all I have to say for now, I'm tired. :tired:
Lorule isn't really the complete antithesis to Hyrule. This is not opposite land here. The blacksmith is a blacksmith, the Princess rules her Kingdom etc. etc. It's just a world that is Hyrule's counterpart- Lorule is not Hyrule's evil counterpart it became a cursed land due to the destruction of its relic. The explanation for wy Ravio didn't have true courage was due to the Triforce being destroyed. The Triforce forges one's destiny. Ravio was obviously meant to have some sort of strength in relation to the specific piece that was fitting for the Hero of Lorule; however, this never happened as there was no Lorule Triforce.
Also, if you want to go off the logic that each and everyone has counterparts and whatnot then where's Link's twin brother?
Ravio's reveal utterly shocked me. I'd had Hilda's intentions spoiled for me prior to completing the game, and I thought that was the biggest possible twist there could ever be in this game, and I was absolutely disappointed. Turns out there was another twist that I'd never even imagined, despite even having THAT half-spoiled (since someone on the wiki edited Ravio's page saying, "Lorulean isn't a race, it's a nationality"... and I STILL didn't make any connection).
I'm still kind of reeling from it. There were a lot of hints, too, now that I think of it, like how he automatically took Link to his own house and called it "vacant", just like how his house it called the "Vacant House" in Lorule... But you know. I legitimately just thought he was a fun side character put in because Nintendo does stuff like that. And I thought Link wouldn't have a Lorule counterpart because he's cool like that -- he never had one in Termina, so I figured it'd be the same way here.
Ravio being Lorule's hero and the he has resemblances to Link are the only things that make him the alternative to Link. This is probably the case because the guy who is actually supposed to Lorule's hero, who would obviously be related to Ravio as a brother, decided to be a villain instead, which is why Ravio is the hero instead of his brother. I know we haven't seen anything on Ravio having a brother at all, however, the fact that Ravio's name isn't in anyway similar to Link's let alone have a relative meaning to it and Ravio's outfit isn't necessarily all that the same, plus to mention that Ravio never had any evil intentions before, I'd say that pretty much all that is enough facts as it is to at least suggest that Ravio originally wasn't supposed Lorule's hero and that he had a brother who was the one that was originally supposed to be Lorule's hero but Ravio's brother turns evil and that's why Ravio is the Hero of Lorule instead of his brother who is the true opposite of Link. Also, cowardliness isn't the only alternative to courage as there's also carnage and valor, carnage being a bad alternative which is what Ravio's brother would be all about and valor being a good alternative which is what Ravio is actually all about.
I'm afraid this doesn't quite work. The opposite of someone is not always evil. Otherwise every townsperson is Lorule would be evil, wouldn't they?
Take, for a somewhat more obscure example, the Bird Lover and his counterpart, which is the Bird-Masked Man. They both express a love for birds, despite supposedly being "opposites". Not to mention they both seem content to live away from most of society. Or even probably the biggest contrast in the game: the Blacksmith's Wife in both Lorule and Hyrule. The Hyrulean one is very kind and sweet and caring, whereas the one in Lorule is harsh and mean. But is she evil? She still helps Link, despite it all. And then let's take Hilda. She and Zelda both share a strong love for their kingdom. Hilda was just more willing to use darker methods -- but as you see at the end, she's not necessarily evil. She wash just trying to save her kingdom.
Therefore, it's perfectly plausible that Link's counterpart not necessarily be evil, but simply a coward.
And his clothing is a reference to Link turning into a bunny in the Dark World. I think it was very clever. Besides,
Though I do have to question, why did he have all those awesome weapons then? Like were they missing from the dungeons because he already got them, or were they relics from the past heroes of Lorule. That probably makes more sense that he stole them.
I never suspected that Ravio would have such a troubling past to his character, but now that I look back on the affair it would actually be quite apparent to an observing player. The purple bunny calls Link "buddy" right out of his bed, almost insisting that they become friends. In my experience, people tend to do this when they're running through hectic times..
I like Ravio. In fact he is very important. He knew exactly where he had to go and to whom. He provided Link with weapons. The weapons he needed to defeat all those bosses in the Dungeons and to become stronger. He knew Link was able to defeat evil and restore peace. I think he might not have been the Hero like Link when it comes to fighting and stuff because he was more a coward when it comes to battles but I think he was like the wise man behind all this. If Link and Ravio were brothers Ravio would definitly have been the brains out of the two.
I know that but then why would Link's "Lorule counterpart" have a name that is alternative to Link's name in the English version? Why couldn't it be "Larc" or "Jack" in the English version and Ravio in the Japanese version? You see, that's is why I'm convinced that Ravio must have a twin brother who was once more like Link but something happened that must made him go rogue and we just seen that cause Nintendo doesn't allow it as they probably want to keep Dark Link the mystery that he is cause they're afraid that if they ever gave him such a role that he deserves to play in series, it'll spoil and ruin what everyone has already speculated on him, not to mention, confuse every single Zelda fan on this entire planet. I don't think, they could ever handle making such a similar mistake again like they did with HH.
I fear your love of Dark Link as a character may have warped your perception of the game. There is no game evidence to ever suggest that Ravio has a twin brother, you simply have created reasons that because of the name difference, the two cant be counterparts therefore there may be another. Recognizing from previous threads here, I am aware that you often speculated that Dark Link would make an appearance. But it seems as though, and I don't mean to sound disrespectful, that you became to set that he would play a major role and are now looking for anyway to wiggle him into the story.
I really liked Ravio's character. In retrospect, it all made perfect sense. I love how he was dressed up as a rabbit, since that's the creature Link turns into when he first enters Dark World in ALTTP. I think it was very creative on Nintendo's part.
I love Ravio. He was a fantastic character, both as a merchant, and as Lorule's hero. His role in calming Hilda from her rage was probably one of the most interesting parts of the game, as it was at that point that A Link Between Worlds really discerned itself from A Link to the Past. Link was no longer Lorule's hero; it was Ravio. Hilda would have seen Lorule fall into further destruction through the course of her actions, be it by working alongside Yuga, or her attempts to take Link's Triforce pieces. Ravio intervened and showed her the error of her ways and brought her back to her senses.
The thing that I particularly loved about Ravio was the fact that he didn't have conventional courage. He wasn't willing to stand toe-to-toe with Yuga, but he still had plenty of courageous roles. His journey to Hyrule alone was a perilous one, no doubt. But above all, he had the courage to stand between Zelda and Hilda, and show Hilda that what she was doing was wrong. He was courageous in a very different way than Link ever was.
This is definitely my favorite piece of fan art so far for A Link Between Worlds. When this part of the ending comes up, and Hilda's reduced to tears, while Ravio can only smile is so powerful to me. Nintendo really knew how to put every aspect of A Link Between Worlds together neatly into a nice little bow.
Skullkid96 said:
I think it's fitting that his the opposite of link
I would not say that necessarily. He isn't really an opposite to Link. They are similar in some ways, and different in others. Aesthetically, short of hair color, they are very similar. Both are very courageous, but in different ways. Ravio overcame his fears and journeyed back to Lorule, defied his princess, and also helped Link along the way. Link did the fighting for Ravio, but Ravio did the speaking for Link. They are not opposites, but they certainly complement one another. Neither could have succeeded in their attempts to save their respective realms without the other.
In the same way, Hilda is not the opposite of Zelda, and Yuga is not the opposite of Ganondorf Dragmire. They all have similar qualities. Zelda and Hilda will both go to great lengths to ensure that the people of their land are well off, even if that means destroying the other's realm. I don't know if Zelda would have done what Hilda did, but Zelda has done plenty of other things before to save her people. Twilight Princess being a good example. Yuga and Ganondorf Dragmire desire power, and are not above using puppets in an attempt to gain the Triforce of Power. Ganondorf used Agahnim, and Yuga used Hilda.
The point is, Lorule and Hyrule's denizens don't have opposites of one another, they are merely counterparts. They share similar qualities, without being perfect mirrors of one another. These subtle differences are what makes Lorule and Hyrule so different when Link embarks on his journey.
The Jade Fist said:
Lorule isn't the same as the Dark World. Its a very similar world as hyrule until a split happened. Its not really an evil Hyrule. Its a forsaken world.
Going to go ahead and add to this. The Dark World is a result of Ganondorf Dragmire's touching of the Triforce in the Sacred Realm. The Triforce reflected upon the evil intentions of Ganondorf's heart, and the Sacred Realm became the Dark World.
Lorule on the other hand is a sister realm to Hyrule, hence the names being so similar. The reason why Lorule is in a state of disarray is because when Lorule destroyed their Triforce, they destroyed the foundations of their world. Each realm's Triforce acts as its foundation, so if Hyrule were to destroy their Triforce, the effects would be similar to Lorule's. The difference between the two realms was that the people of Hyrule chose to seal the Triforce away in the Sacred Realm, whereas Lorule decided to destroy theirs.
Though I do have to question, why did he have all those awesome weapons then? Like were they missing from the dungeons because he already got them, or were they relics from the past heroes of Lorule. That probably makes more sense that he stole them.
Was wondering this as well. Does anyone actually know why?
Hey! Listen! said:
I love how he was dressed up as a rabbit, since that's the creature Link turns into when he first enters Dark World in ALTTP. I think it was very creative on Nintendo's part.
It was pretty clever foreshadowing, yeah. I had a sneaking suspicion upon seeing that, but I wasn't entirely sure. The signs were certainly there, though. Nintendo is actually really making interesting plot points with Zelda now, and I'm absolutely loving it. Their use of plot devices give it three dimensions, rather than the cardboard stories they used to have. Really loving what they did with this game's story.
I kinda had a feeling before I beat the game that Ravio would be Link's equivalent of Hilda, but I was still a bit surprised. it kind of bothers me that the game refers to him as a coward though because he bravely stood up to his friend (hilda) and prevented her from making a terrible mistake. Going to Link for help was a great Idea. I really loved playing Link Between Worlds, and i love ravio!
I really did not at all see the reveal coming, and I feel kind of silly about it now. Something I thought amusing though was how outgoing and talkative Ravio was. Kind of pokes at the fact that Link never speaks. And the fact that he was dressed as the pink bunny - should have been a dead give away.
Don't look if you didn't beat A Link Between Worlds this contains spoilers
Does any one else thing that besides being a merchant that Ravio was more important that just that? I was surprised who Ravio was, then again He did have some sort of presence that he had. I think it's fitting that his the opposite of link, I think he was an awesome character. His little bird was cool too.
What are your guy's impressions of the game. I also know a lot of ZD members have beaten the game more than once (somehow), I only beat it once but I think it's a very good game.
Ravio has to be one of my favorite characters ever, and it's mostly because he's adorable. I was fond of the idea that he was the complete opposite of Link, as it's rather fitting. You have Hilda, who was impulsive and irrational, the opposite of Zelda who was wise and patient; Ravio who lacked courage and lived by greed, the opposite of Link who had courage and lived by willpower; and Yuga who's... I don't know if there's a difference between Yuga and Ganon besides the fact that one is obviously more fabu than the other. But yeah, great character overall. Now if only Hilda x Ravio was canon... *le shipper sigh*
Ravio is an awesome character but is he a true coward, I think a true coward would have completely abandoned Hilda, Lorule and its people, but he went against Hilda and Yuga and sought out a hero to save his world and stop their plot, he then confronts her when she was most in need of clarity, these are not acts of a coward, and although link is the hero in this story he wouldn't have succeeded with out Ravio's help, with out the bracelet link would have remained a painting, with out the shop he wouldn't have made it far in his quest.
Ravio is one of my favorite characters to be introduced to the series in a long time.
I was very surprised when I saw the end of the game for the very first time. Ravio is a great opposite of Link. While our green Hero is brave and strong Ravio is cowardly and "just a merchant". However I think that his roll was well fitting for a character like him.
