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Zelda Theory: Is The Master Sword in LoZ 1?

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Jan 16, 2019
In the first installment of the series, the Master Sword was absent. Instead, we had the Wooden Sword, the White Sword, and the Magic Sword. But could one of these actually be the Master Sword? The White Sword has appeared in other games, and it’s usually upgraded into the Master Sword or something similar. What do you guys think?
 
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I think it's a minor retcon, and the Magical Sword is the Master Sword. Like the Master Sword is in most games, the Magical Sword is the final and most powerful. Side note, you start off with the Magical Sword in Zelda II and it's the only one you get.
 

Bowsette Plus-Ultra

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It's possible that the magical sword is the Master Sword, but that Hyrule just hasn't passed that information down. Like the Link, the Master Sword tends to be conveniently forgotten when the plot demands it. It could be that it's just being seen as a powerful magical artifact by the time the original Legend of Zelda rolls around.
 
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I would disagree that the Magical Sword was or has ever been intended to be the Master Sword. Other than it not being stated anywhere as such, considering the amount of "behind the scenes" content we've received in recent years with books like Hyrule Historia and the like, I think we can simply look to the ending of A Link to the Past to find the answer. At the end of that game, it is stated that the Master Sword "sleeps forever" once returned to its pedestal. Being that ALttP was, even at the time, a prequel story to the events of LoZ and AoL, this is enough for me to believe that the Master Sword was meant to be a part of the ALttP story, but not the legends which would follow.

Also, the BS version of Legend of Zelda, which was essentially a "SNES" version of the original game that was released in 1995 (a few years after ALttP) had the opportunity to make this change to the Magic Sword's name but didn't. Nintendo also had the chance to change the name with the Collector's Edition release for the Gamecube, and even later with the versions released for the Virtual Console on Wii U, 3DS, and even most recently, the Switch NES Online, these later editions actually going as far as to make changes/corrections to the text in various other parts of the game.
 
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Spiritual Mask Salesman

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I would disagree that the Magical Sword was or has ever been intended to be the Master Sword. Other than it not being stated anywhere as such, considering the amount of "behind the scenes" content we've received in recent years with books like Hyrule Historia and the like, I think we can simply look to the ending of A Link to the Past to find the answer. At the end of that game, it is stated that the Master Sword "sleeps forever" once returned to its pedestal. Being that ALttP was, even at the time, a prequel story to the events of LoZ and AoL, this is enough for me to believe that the Master Sword was meant to be a part of the ALttP story, but not the legends which would follow.

Also, the BS version of Legend of Zelda, which was essentially a "SNES" version of the original game that was released in 1995 (a few years after ALttP) had the opportunity to make this change to the Magic Sword's name but didn't. Nintendo also had the chance to change the name with the Collector's Edition release for the Gamecube, and even later with the versions released for the Virtual Console on Wii U, 3DS, and even most recently, the Switch NES Online, these later editions actually going as far as to make changes/corrections to the text in various other parts of the game.
A Link Between Worlds is a sequel to A Link to the Past and the Master Sword is used again in it. I see your point based on what we knew from ALttP but that no longer stands.
 
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Castle

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Canonically? Who's to say? But the magic sword is a decent contender for the Master Sword, if any.

as @Bowsette Plus-Ultra pointed out, the master sword's legend, its power, or even just its name may have been lost to time. The original LoZ and AoL's placement at the furthest (most "recent") point on the time line has never changed.

But @Spiritual Mask Salesman also brings up a good point. It's the silver arrows that are necessary for defeating Ganon, which makes me wonder why Ganon is suddenly susceptible to silver. :err::suspicious::shrug:

I somewhat disagree with @MrMosley however. I don't think nintendo would have to retcon the name to make it officially the master sword. Simply inserting an allusion to suggest a link between the master sword and the magic sword would be enough.
 

el :BeoWolf:

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I believe the magical sword and the master sword are two different blades and have a small idea regarding this

Between the time of A Link Between Worlds and Zelda 1 the master sword was lost as were the light arrows, so in haste the silver arrows were crafted as a substitute. Silver is commonly depicted as being very effective against monsters but not as good as gold (light) but until the incredibly rare components for light arrows can be acquired, silver will have to do. Hyrule was also in search for the master sword. Elsewhere Link was collecting triforce pieces and happened upon a grave that had a cave underneath with an old man who gave him a magical sword he'd been working on in hopes a hero would be strong enough to take it. The rest is history.
 
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A Link Between Worlds is a sequel to A Link to the Past and the Master Sword is used again in it. I see your point based on what we knew from ALttP but that no longer stands.
Of course it no longer stands in relation to other games, but the topic is Zelda 1 and my point was actually how it still stands in relation to that game and the Magic Sword. Again, even with revisions to the original LoZ text years later, the name of the sword was not changed.

I somewhat disagree with @MrMosley however. I don't think nintendo would have to retcon the name to make it officially the master sword. Simply inserting an allusion to suggest a link between the master sword and the magic sword would be enough.
That would be a fair argument if such an allusion existed, but all of the examples I provided point to the contrary. In fact, I can't think of any allusions, hints toward, or any other kind of relation between the two swords that has been presented in game form or otherwise, while there are multiple examples of them remaining separate.
 
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Spiritual Mask Salesman

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Of course it no longer stands in relation to other games, but the topic is Zelda 1 and my point was actually how it still stands in relation to that game and the Magic Sword. Again, even with revisions to the original LoZ text years later, the name of the sword was not changed.
True. I don't necessarily believe it is the Master Sword either; as I mentioned earlier, in Zelda 1 you can only kill Ganon with the Silver Arrows, plus you can get the Magical Sword which is more powerful than White Sword anyway, so the White Sword has no real significance.
 
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Hyrule Encyclopedia actually states that the Master Sword wasn't present during the era of LOZ and Adventure of Link.

Though that is if you take HE as canon, so it's probably up to interpretation.
 

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