The Whip and Grappling Hook

The Grappling Hook was probably the most inspiring new item in The Wind Waker. It was a twist on the hookshot that allowed Link to interact more dynamically with his environment and a great addition to the fast-paced action The Wind Waker offered. Its alternate uses–digging up treasure from the sea and acquiring items from enemies without killing them–were also solid, and it remained consistently useful throughout the game.

Like any good item in any good Zelda game, the point of the Grappling Hook was to make the world more accessible to Link and to keep the adventure interesting. It succeeded in every respect, and also like classic weapons, it had implications for combat–not offensive implications, but it certainly offered the player plenty of excuses to engage more enemies, which is always good in a Zelda game.

The whip in Spirit Tracks was functionally very similar to the grappling hook, and once again, it was implemented well. The developers added new obstacles like thorns which made the whip more useful, and it could double as a weapon. It could also be used to latch on to birds that would carry Link across previously unreachable gaps.

Skyward Sword used the whip in a similar way, but it was given even more implications for combat–such as pulling otherwise undefeatable birds towards Link by their tails–and more implications for overworld exploration, such as flipping switches. The boss of the Ancient Cistern, where the whip was acquired, offered a tantalizing glimpse into other possible uses of the whip for combat, such as disarming enemies.

Unfortunately, after the Ancient Cistern, you’ll rarely see a puzzle use the whip again. There’s one memorable use, when Link is re-aquiring his items in Eldin Volcano, but there were so many missed opportunities to put switches or grappling points around each of the regions to open up the world. Perhaps as a consequence of the game’s linearity, there really is very little exploration to be done with the whip. Furthermore, the whip, like The Wind Waker’s grappling hook, is still used to aquire items from enemies. While this works well, one wonders if perhaps for some enemies, it could be used differently. Especially considering how active and dynamic the combat in Skyward Sword is, they should have found alternate uses for an item that was unfortunately overlooked over the course of the game. Even The Wind Waker, where the item made its debut, made better use of the grappling hook and ensured it stayed relevant throughout.

What other uses do you think the whip should have had in Skyward Sword? Should it be in future Zelda games, and if so, how do you think it can be utilized?

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