Skyward Sword Spoilers Hidden in Plain Sight?
Posted on August 21 2011 by Nathanial Rumphol-Janc
What I am about to discuss is (assuming my observations are correct) potentially heavily spoiler-ridden. Anyone who hopes to avoid spoiling the storyline of Skyward Sword is advised not to read on beyond this bolded header so as to preserve the purity of your first impressions while playing through the game. Of course, I also want to make abundantly clear that the observations contained herein are not intended to be taken as statements of “confirmed fact,” but just that – observations. That said, read on if you’re curious about what storyline secrets I’m referring to.
There’s something else I’d like to get out there: these ideas aren’t necessarily “new.” People have already speculated on both these subjects in response to recent trailers and information. I’m just taking a closer look at the footage we have to see how much grounding these theories hold. With that, let’s get started.
Observation 1: Ghirahim Attacks Skyloft
Of the two ideas I want to put forth, this is the more obvious one. From the moment the E3 trailer launched, people already assumed that the final scene, which showed Link trying to give Ghirahim the old one-two in the midst of a dark ruin, depicted an attack on the sky city. However, there’s one key detail I want to highlight that really backs this up. Take a look at the architecture in walls in the background of the image below:
Now compare those walls to the ones in the screenshot at the header of this article. See any similarities? Look specifically at the turrets – they’re the same size and shape exactly. Now, admittedly, there’s no specific reason this design couldn’t appear elsewhere in the game, and aside from these turrets the walls themselves are pretty generic, but I think it’s safe to say that this place is probably Skyloft.
This is the closest any villain has ever come to hitting home in a Zelda game. Sure, we saw the aftermath of Ganondorf’s curse on the Deku Tree and his attack on Hyrule Castle Town as well as the Bulbins’ initial raid on Ordon Village in previous titles, but we’ve never actually seen a direct invasion of Link’s starting town before – much less one where the main villain makes an appearance in the flesh. It sounds like Skyward Sword is going for a really dramatic approach to storyline and plot, one that takes the feel of the scene where Zant conquers Hyrule Castle and amps up the suspense about a hundred notches.
But what’s Ghirahim’s goal? We know he’s out to capture Zelda, so perhaps Link has already found her and brought her back by this point. Could he be after Skyloft itself? He rules the surface world, perhaps Skyloft serves as the crowning jewel to his collection. Could there be some secret Skyloft holds that he’s after, perhaps related to the Triforce? I think that’s pretty likely given the game’s pre-Ocarina setting. But it’s the other detail that really makes me wonder:
Observation 2: Skyloft Plummets to the Surface?
There’s another slightly more obscure detail in the Ghirahim scene, however: there are what appear to be the silhouettes of mountains in the background. From what I saw of Skyloft in the trailers and the flight demo at E3, there’s no landmass large enough or near enough to Skyloft to give this appearance. Could these be real mountains on the surface? If so, does this mean Skyloft has fallen from the sky?
Is this Ghirahim’s real plan? What does he hope to accomplish by plucking Skyloft from the heavens? Is it a missing piece to the path to the Triforce? Is he just after Zelda and hoping to ensure she can’t escape from him a second time?
People have guessed before that at some point in the game Skyloft will get sent down to the surface, becoming part of Hyrule and possibly catalyzing the Hylians’ migration there. If those really are mountains – and I admit they may not be: another sky continent could have somehow moved nearby, or they could simply be really dark clouds, etc. – then this possibility is looking a lot more likely.
These questions are all huge, but the enduring mystery, I think, is how Skyloft’s descent sets up for the world we see in Ocarina of Time. How do the people move on after their homeland comes crashing down? Are the origins of Hylian culture to be found in Skyloft or from a preexisting society from the surface? Would this event bring the history of Skyloft full circle, undoing the separation between the two worlds? One thing seems clear: if this is true, the fall of Skyloft sounds like the perfect origin for the legend that the Hylians are the people closest to the gods.
Honestly, part of me is hoping these observations (along with most of my other speculation) is at least a bit off the mark. It’d be a shame if this time around the plot was so darn predictable from early promotional materials that the hardcore among us had it all figured out before the game even comes out – we’re already off to a good start with the Master Sword creation story thing. Either way, soon enough the truth will come to light – this November.
Closing note: Yes, I’m aware this article is short – very short. Fact of the matter is there’s not “a lot to work with” in terms of this scene. I do think that these details are very revealing, however, which is why I saw fit to proclaim them to the world despite the fact that I don’t have a whole lot to say about them.
The Skyward Sword Speculation Series is a column that focuses on speculated possibilities for Skyward Sword‘s gameplay and storyline. The idea came from a general speculation article we published in the wake of E3 2010, and I’m bringing it back in the wake of E3 and Comic Con 2011! While I try to make my guesses based on confirmed or suggested facts, bear in mind that they are still just that – guesses – and may or may not prove to be true, or even at all accurate. I’ll be dealing with all kinds of other possibilities in future articles, so stay tuned for upcoming installments!
Today’s discussion was inspired by this topic at Zelda Universe Forums.
