Spoiler Themes Within Link's Awakening

[Ganondork]

Link’s Awakening is one of the more underrated games within the Zelda games, as it didn’t revolutionize the gaming world like A Link to the Past or Ocarina of Time did. It was almost like the middle child that was forgotten, and its release on the GameBoy probably didn’t help that.

And yet, it is underrated for something that neither Ocarina of Time nor A Link to the Past are known for; gameplay wasn’t the game’s strong suit. The game’s strong suit, rather, was in the story, and the themes presented within them.

We all know Link’s Awakening as the game where Link slowly learns that he is on an island fabricated inside of the dreams of the Wind Fish, and that he must awaken it. However, there is so much more to the game than just that. It’s coming to understand everything that this story is saying.

One fact that is understood is the idea that once the Wind Fish is awakened, everything on Koholint ceases to exist – the animals, the enemies, and even the people. This is the very beginning of going down the rabbit hole of Link’s Awakening – understanding that in completing this quest, you end the lives of many.

But at the end of this all, you begin to wonder: who is the Wind Fish? What is his significance? He’s never confirmed to be in other Zelda games – though he bears a striking resemblance to Skyward Sword’s Levias – and yet he is almost a deity within Koholint.

And then you also wonder: how does Link fit into all of this? He just washes onto Koholint after he is lost in a storm after leaving Holodrum/Labrynna, and then is tasked with awakening the Wind Fish. It’s as though the two’s destinies are entwined. Perhaps, though, the connection may be more than simply that.

COME, LINK … LET US AWAKEN… TOGETHER!!

This is what the Wind Fish tells Link when he is awoken. It is at the climax of the game that you begin to see just how entwined the two are. Yet if the Wind Fish is awakening, then why does he invite Link to awaken with him? Why is the game titled, “Link’s Awakening?”

It is then that you begin to understand that Link and the Wind Fish are one in the same. The Wind Fish is a deity of this land because Link has control over his own dreams. Once he begins to understand that he is within a dream, he gains more power over it.

So why does Link still appear, if he is the Wind Fish? In order to answer this question, one has to evaluate the conditions presented within this game. Link is shipwrecked at sea, and washes ashore on Koholint. Koholint is the only fabricated part of this story, as evidenced by the ending. So what’s the significance of this?

Link represents courage – the ability to face the challenges ahead. He needs it if he is to awaken from his dream and accept the reality. He has to accept that he is lost at sea. But part of him is reluctant to do so. This is why he creates this entire island, the village, and Marin. Marin is one of the most compelling reasons for Link to remain; she is what Link could never have – a love interest that clearly reciprocates.

The nightmares that Link must fight symbolize Link’s desire to stay within this perfect world for him. This side of him wants to reject the harsh reality for this more ideal one.

If it weren’t for you, nothing would have to change! You cannot wake the Wind Fish! Remember, you…too…are in……the dream…

My energy…gone…I…lost! But you will be lost too, if the Wind Fish wakes! Same as me…you…are…in… his… dream…

Okay, listen up! If the Wind Fish wakes up, every-thing on this island will be gone forever! And I do mean… EVERYTHING!

These various nightmares all try to dissuade Link from awakening himself and accepting reality, because they fear what awaits them once the Wind Fish is awoken – certain death. And yet, Link understands this, and still accepts this reality. And so he awakens.

This is when Link meets reality again. He is holding onto a plank in the middle of the sea with no land in sight. Yet he is smiling. He is accepting of what is to come – death. He no longer fears it, and that is why he is smiling. He has led a good life – from A Link to the Past, to the Oracle Series, to his own personal obstacles in Link’s Awakening. He looks overhead and sees the Wind Fish covering the sun. In this instance, the lack of a sun symbolizes the dusk of his life, heading into darkness. As the Wind Fish flies away, it means that this ideal world he dreamed for himself is now gone forever.

And as he looks onward, he sees a bird flying.

If I was a sea gull, I would fly as far as I could! I would fly to far away places and sing for many people! …If I wish to the Wind Fish, I wonder if my dream will come true…

This raises a question now; is Link within the dreams of Marins now? Is his reality her dream, and his dream her reality? It is just vague enough to make you wonder about that. About our reality as we know it. Is it the dream of another? And is their reality in our dreams?

Link’s Awakening isn’t revolutionary for its gameplay, but rather for its storytelling. Within it is a tale that teaches of accepting reality, not running into the safety of your mind. It questions the value of human life – is accepting reality worth destroying what is within your mind? And above all, it teaches you to question reality.

These themes weave seamlessly into a great narrative, filled with symbolism and existential concepts.

Hoot! Ho, brave lad, on your quest to wake the dreamer!

 

[Iridescence]

Its also worth noting that the story in Link's Awakening is derived from the philosophies of Rene Descartes who suggested that the illusory nature of dreams should cause us to question our own reality and existence.

 

[OmenBlite]

You cast some interesting points and capture what, essentially, is at the heart of the game. What I took away from it was just a bit different, however:

What bothered me most in regards to LA was the exact tangibility of the characters; that is, the reality behind, say, Marin: was she a true, conscious human, or merely an illusion, a product of the grand dream world? Were her emotions legitimate, or simply the cold calculations of the Wind Fish's subconscious?

What I found, in the end, and what I consider to be the core theme of Link's Awakening, isn't exactly either. Here it is:

"What is true and what is false, what is good and what is evil, depends entirely upon the experience of the perceiver; and the reality behind all things is no more and no less than precisely its effect upon the preconceived."

In less pretentious terms, I'm basically saying that what's real is up to you; that, if you were affected by something, it doesn't matter whether it was "fake" or not; what matters is how it affected you. Now, where did I get this?

Mainly, I drew this from a single remark by the Wind Fish. It was spoken in regards to the fate of Koholint:

"When I dost awaken, Koholint will be gone... Only the memory of this dream land will exist in the waking world... Someday, thou may recall this island... That memory must be the real dream world..."

Hopefully, you can see my inspirations from within that line. The Wind Fish makes a point to remark that, although Koholint, and therefore Marin, Tarin, and all others, were merely a dream, perhaps even an illusion, it was the perception of Link which gave to them their reality, and, in the end, it is the perception of Link which truly matters.

I also drew from several other sources in analyzing the game, but what's here was primarily what drove me to conclude what I did.

 

[Heroine of Time]

Yes. Yes, yes, yes, a thousand times yes.

Link's Awakening has always been one of my favorites for the exact same reason. I even have half-written articles on this same subject on my blog, although I discussed more of how it was executed rather than the actual meaning behind the things presented in it.

This is an excellent interpretation of Link's Awakening's themes. I certainly agree that Link and the Wind Fish are the same, and everything in Koholint is somehow a part of Link.

The thing about this game is that you get the sense that everything is immensely symbolic. I never really have felt that a Zelda game has been so quietly powerful as this one. Everything seems so lighthearted on the outside, but the whole island is actually hiding some terrible creatures and secrets. There are surprisingly a lot of sad things. The game is a constant juxtaposition of silliness and depression. There are wacky, memorable characters in the overworld, but the dungeons hold the monsters and, perhaps most significant, the Nightmares.

The Nightmares are definitely one of the most important aspects of the game, in my opinion, and they leave a lot of room for interpretation. I saw nearly the same thing as you did. They are a symbol of ignoring the bad in favor of the good. They're the personified temptation to ignore the problems of reality and succumb to illusion. The whole game is almost representing the struggle against putting on a mask of happiness and running from your problems. Link could choose not to deal with them, leaving the entire island to deal with the monsters while he enjoys the happier parts of his dream world. But after Face Shrine, there will always be the knowledge that none of it is real. It's like it's testing Link's heroic spirit -- or, as you worded it, his courage. It's forcing Link to confront danger, even at the sacrifice of his own happiness, or else let evil reign free.

And I love how you pointed out that Marin is like the perfect love interest that Link has always wanted. The story sets her up so brilliantly, even letting her travel with you, providing the opportunity for numerous Easter Egg-like pieces of dialogue available on your trip together, allowing the player to fall in love with her as well. It's also important to note that toward the end of the game, she actually heads up to Mt. Tamaranch and sings the Ballad of the Wind Fish, a song of awakening. It seems that Marin represents innocence and naivety. She doesn't realize that her song is the one thing that will be her undoing. She thinks it's a song that will grant her wish; instead, it's the song that ultimately makes her disappear. Same with the Wind Fish and even Link. She trusts them, but Link is forced to let her go in order to escape back to reality. She is the part of Link that hopes they will have a happy ending -- the part that makes him want a happy ending. But at the same time, she provides Link with one of the crucial tools needed to wake up from the dream. It's so beautifully tragic when you think about it.

By the way, about the Owl, he is confirmed by the game to be a part of the Wind Fish. If we're arguing that the Wind Fish is a part of Link, it's clear that the Owl is Link's subconscious that knows it can't give in. It's the part of him that's still connected in some way to reality and tries to guide Link's dream self to awakening. (But even he admits at one point that he does not know for sure if the world is a dream, so he's not Link's real self.)

You could even take the symbolism further and examine some of the lesser-known characters. I especially think of the Ghost who feels nostalgic and begs Link to take him to his house. It's such a short part of the game, but I feel that it holds a lot more significance when looking at it from the perspective that this dream is essentially a representation of Link. And again, the Ghost is a rather sad but powerful character that is often overlooked in favor of the cheerful attitude presented by the rest of the cast.

OmenBlite, I certainly agree with your interpretation as well. There's a very fine line between illusion and reality. I suggest you guys read the manga by Ataru Cagiva if you get the chance. Although it's a bit cheesy, there are some moments in it that I thought really brought out the themes in Link's Awakening. It made me fall in love with the game all over again.

Some day I'd love to ahead and pick apart this game completely. It's such a fantastic but overlooked entry in the series. I believe that its story and music were very important to the series' development. It was the first Zelda game to use music as a core gameplay mechanic rather than something extra that let you warp or solve puzzles, and it was the first game to have real overlying leitmotifs throughout the game, both musical and literary. And the prevalence and complexity of its themes is something I otherwise only see matched perhaps by Majora's Mask in the series.

Now I need to stop writing this. I've got a ton of stuff to do today, but this post keeps getting longer and longer...