The Wind Waker is pretty dark, in hindsight.

[Spiritual Mask Salesman]

The Wind Waker is one of my favorite Zelda games, and I hate how sometimes it’s disregarded as a mere child’s game. It isn’t, in fact Wind Waker is probably one of, if not the darkest Zelda game we have, set in Hyrule, in terms of plot.

Sure we have the downfall timeline, Link died and Ganon obtained the Triforce. But that didn’t cause a downfall of Hyrule, the original kingdom and land continued on existing. The gravity of the events that occurred leading up to the Wind Waker were much more significant. Ganondorf broke out the seal that the Sages in OoT placed him in, and no hero appeared to stop him. The Hylians had no choice but to seek divine intervention from the gods, and the gods’ solution was to flood Hyrule.

In the end, the original land of Hyrule wasn’t even saved by the Hero of Winds. Had the King of Hyrule not stepped in and made a wish on the Triforce, Ganondorf would have used it instead while Link was unconscious. Hyrule was completely destroyed as a result of the King’s wish, and in no other Zelda games do we see Hyrule actually coming to a catastrophic end like that. The Wind Waker’s plot is the most serious and dark plot from a Zelda game that is set in Hyrule.

I think it’s simply the games bright and vibrant graphics, as well as the fact that Link is a child, that makes people feel like WW is a kids game, and I’ve even seen people say its plot isn’t serious at all, but that isn’t the case. The Wind Waker is a great example of how a certain art style can give a game the appearance of a happy and non-serious game, but the plot is quite the contrary.

I got inspired to share these thoughts by talking with @Spirit

 

[Dio]

Well you can say anything is dark if you look into it. Life in general isn't a constant happy happy fun adventure and our own lives are set in a world with much tragedy still occuring and much that has already occurred. And if you look into many stories there are dark elements but that doesn't make them dark overall. It is the focus on the dark that does that.

Majoras Mask (the only overall dark game in the series) is dark because you know in three days everyone will be crushed to death by the moon. When you talk to people you see them either come to accept it or are in total denial about their impending doom. The atmosphere of tragedy, fear and doom is present throughout the entire game, you are constantly reminded that Terminas days are numbered. It's inescapable. No other Zelda is like this.

WW on the other hand isn't very dark at all. It is technically a post apocalyptic world as the old Hyrule was flooded, but nobody is aware of this past. Instead the majority of island inhabitants seem to be happy and live normal trouble free lives. The tragedy and destruction in the past as shown in the introductory sequence is generally glossed over and the horrors of what would have happened are glossed over also. Your captured sister and other captured girls are not even mistreated in prison, one even starts a romance with a moblin.

In the final act the old Kingdom of Hyrule came to an end but it was not in a dark way. It was destroyed as a symbol of hope for the future as the old land of Hyrule was simply no longer needed. It represented the past and the mistakes that were made and it was washed away for a better future. That's a light and hopeful message. The whole game is very light-hearted overall.

The darkest thing about WW of course is Tingle and how slavery is still alive on the great sea.

 

[YIGAhim]

An adventure game like LoZ always must have some dark plot points... Wind Waker is no exception.

In the end, the saving of Hyrule had a huge cost, but it was a happy ending. I think the kidnapping is also a good point to bring to light the darkness of WW.

It is a little tragic, but not particularly dark

 

[Spiritual Mask Salesman]

The darkest thing about WW is Tingle and how slavery is still alive on the great sea.

He price gouges the hell out of Link too.

 

[Spirit]

 

[YIGAhim]

Climatic, nothing more. Stylish, not gruesome

 

[Fraxinus]

I don't know if "dark" is the best word for it, but The Wind Waker does address some relatively mature themes, wrapped in a cartoon art style. The game heavily focuses on this recurring theme of moving on and letting go of the past. It's something that pretty much went over my head entirely until I played the HD version for the first time and had more experiences in my life for that message to really stand out to me. I never understood what Daphnes meant at the end of the game where he said he lived "bound to Hyrule." Took it in a literal sense for the longest time, and thought there was some cursed magic that didn't allow him to exist beyond the confines of Hyrule, and that's why he pretended to be a boat, or something. But, no. He meant that his history with Hyrule was so emotionally involved, that he literally could not let go of the idea of it. That's why he said he was the same as Ganondorf. Ganondorf couldn't let go of the past, what could have been had he gotten his clutches on the Triforce and made that wish. Ganondorf's motives were selfish, but he wanted to bring back Hyrule, too. When Daphnes made his wish to wash away Hyrule, it was about letting go. And I never realized how absolutely powerful that was.

I think this message is further emphasized by the fact that afterward, Link made the decision to leave his home on Outset, and his family behind, in favor of looking to the future. The backstory may have been a bit on the darker side, but this is the moral I seem to be taking from The Wind Waker now, and it's really well done. It's very encouraging, and hopeful. I'm someone who always lives in fear of the future so I find the struggles of both Daphnes and Ganondorf to be extremely relatable, and I probably should strive to confront my fears like Daphnes more.

 

[Deep Shadow]

Honestly, I feel like the ability to cover dark themes and yet be kid-friendly is why there is such Zelda is so appealing to older folks. You can look at it in a surface level and say it’s stylized for kids (until you meet the Redeads which are freaking terrifying in this game) and it certainly is enjoyable by kids, but there’s a deeper story that is definitely there that takes an older mind to fully comprehend. That’s why Pixar has a broad appeal as well, because it’s able to cater to both young and old without sacrificing anything in the process. I feel like WW is the same way - there’s something for everyone.

But yeah, WW is dark when you think of it, but the cheery graphics sure help

 

[YIGAhim]

Honestly, I feel like the ability to cover dark themes and yet be kid-friendly is why there is such Zelda is so appealing to older folks. You can look at it in a surface level and say it’s stylized for kids (until you meet the Redeads which are freaking terrifying in this game) and it certainly is enjoyable by kids, but there’s a deeper story that is definitely there that takes an older mind to fully comprehend. That’s why Pixar has a broad appeal as well, because it’s able to cater to both young and old without sacrificing anything in the process. I feel like WW is the same way - there’s something for everyone.

But yeah, WW is dark when you think of it, but the cheery graphics sure help

Adult references are very fun to find in those kinds of movies.

I agree, I like when things appear to many audiences and since kids really can only look at things at surface level, it is easy and a good idea

 

[Hero of Pizza Time]

The Wind Waker is one of my favorite Zelda games, and I hate how sometimes it’s disregarded as a mere child’s game. It isn’t, in fact Wind Waker is probably one of, if not the darkest Zelda game we have, set in Hyrule, in terms of plot.

Sure we have the downfall timeline, Link died and Ganon obtained the Triforce. But that didn’t cause a downfall of Hyrule, the original kingdom and land continued on existing. The gravity of the events that occurred leading up to the Wind Waker were much more significant. Ganondorf broke out the seal that the Sages in OoT placed him in, and no hero appeared to stop him. The Hylians had no choice but to seek divine intervention from the gods, and the gods’ solution was to flood Hyrule.

In the end, the original land of Hyrule wasn’t even saved by the Hero of Winds. Had the King of Hyrule not stepped in and made a wish on the Triforce, Ganondorf would have used it instead while Link was unconscious. Hyrule was completely destroyed as a result of the King’s wish, and in no other Zelda games do we see Hyrule actually coming to a catastrophic end like that. The Wind Waker’s plot is the most serious and dark plot from a Zelda game that is set in Hyrule.

I think it’s simply the games bright and vibrant graphics, as well as the fact that Link is a child, that makes people feel like WW is a kids game, and I’ve even seen people say its plot isn’t serious at all, but that isn’t the case. The Wind Waker is a great example of how a certain art style can give a game the appearance of a happy and non-serious game, but the plot is quite the contrary.

I got inspired to share these thoughts by talking with @Spirit

I think that in BotW and the original two games, Hyrule is destroyed. I still think that the Downfall timeline fared the worst overall and the Child timeline fared the best overall (despite it ironically having the "darkest" games of the series).

When I first saw the intro, what you wrote is exactly what I thought. To say that it is a game that is too happy-go-lucky for adults to play is inaccurate.

That being said, it is still overall a light-hearted game. Majora's Mask is to the Dark Knight as Wind Waker is to Spider-Man 2. Sure Spider-Man 2 had some sad scenes and times where the hero did not get his way despite his hard work, but in the end, the world turns out okay.

The flood, while not ideal, wasn't really as tragic as it might sound. Sure it's depressing to hear that the old Hyrule was gone, but did it really cause that much harm? The world of Hyrule still exists above the sea and it is likely that everyone made it to the hilltops unharmed. Geological change is natural and when the climate or terrain changes, people migrate. It didn't seem like the people were suffering a lot in Wind Waker. If you were to pick between having to migrate due to rising water levels or having a greedy demon rule the world, which would you pick?

Plus, Hyrule does eventually get re-founded late.

 

[Spirit]

 

[Spiritual Mask Salesman]

 

[Hero of Pizza Time]

 

[thePlinko]

I think the best way of putting it is that Windwaker knew exactly when to be dark and serious, and knew exactly when to be silly and light hearted. Something other Zelda games don’t seem to pull off *looks towards twilight princess*

 

[dekusprout700]

I agree with you. I think Wind Waker was a darker game than Twilight Princess. It's cutesy, cartoon art style contrasts with the serious story of Hyrule being flooded by its own gods then destroyed at the end. The heartwarming credits with the characters' faces in the bubbles of destroyed Hyrule is the kind of morbid stuff I'm talking about.
Ganondorf was even sicker than usual in this game. It's the first game where he actually hits Zelda! And the whole leaning over her on the bed while touching her forehead, saying he could see her dreams? Too close for comfort from a psycho like him.
Him punching 12 year old Link in the face was weird too.