Psychology Researcher Identifies Psychological Themes of the Zelda Series

Have you ever wondered about the deeper meaning of your favorite Zelda game? Ever wanted to break down the psychology of different aspects of the series? Wonder no more, because Derek Laffan, a psychology researcher that specializes in “cyberpsychology,” has written an extremely thought provoking article that takes a look at three psychological themes of the Zelda series. The themes that Laffan’s article, found on ACM Computers in Entertainment, include: music learning, personality change, and Jungian archetypes.

Music learning takes a look at the interactions between the game player and learning music, using Ocarina of Time as a strong example of why we might enjoy learning to play the ocarina so much. The personality change section dissects how Majora’s Mask uses masks to display personality changes, with Skull Kid as a main example. The article finishes out with its most interesting section – it even uses a ZI article as a reference! (We’re honored, Derek!) Laffan also argues that reoccurring characters within various series titles could be representations of Link’s collective unconscious.

If you enjoy Laffan’s psychological theories about video games, you can read more of his work on his website. Have your own theories about psychology in Zelda? Let us know what you think in the comments.

Source: ACM Computers In Entertainment