Ancient Sages
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The Ancient Sages are a group of mystical characters found in Twilight Princess. There are six of them; each represents a different element, including light, forest, fire, water, shadow, and spirit.[1]
First Encounter
They are first encountered immediately after Link has defeated Stallord, in the Mirror Chamber. They talk about how a "dark entity" lurks in the twilight,[2] and proceed to explain who they are; ancient sages who have guarded the Mirror of Twilight since ancient times at the command of the goddesses.[3] They continue by telling Link the Mirror of Twilight has been fragmented by Ganondorf.[4][5][6][7] They reveal a short history of Ganondorf: he was the leader of a band of thieves who attempted to establish dominion over the Sacred Realm,[8] but was subdued and brought to justice.[9] They then show Link a scene from when they attempted to execute him, but failed, do to the fact he had been blessed with the chosen power of the gods.[10] They show a scene of Ganondorf killing one of the Ancient Sages,[11] which, according to the broken symbol, was the Sage of Water. They conclude their speech by telling Link that each fragment lies hidden across Hyrule,[12] and then tells Link the locations of each fragment.[13][14][15]
Second Encounter
The second encounter of the Ancient Sages comes once Link has collected the final Mirror Shard from the City in the Sky. Once Link has warped to the Mirror Chamber, the Sages apologize to Midna for allowing Ganondorf to enter the Twilight Realm,[16] and further revealing Midna's status as the Twilight Princess.[17] This gets a lengthy explanation from Midna, which starts with her being surprised the Sages knew.[18] She continues by saying that because she fled her people she is not qualified to forgive the Sages for their wrong-doing.[19] She shows Link a scene of Zant placing a curse on her, changing her from her normal form to her current one. Also in this scene, she shows her placing the first part of the Fused Shadow on her head, along with a foul smile. She continues by explaining her motives in befriending Link: it was because in her world they believed the Hero would appear as a divine beast,[20] exactly as Link looked. She only cared about returning her world to normal.[21] She continues by telling Link that her motives changed once she saw the sacrifices Link and Zelda made.[22] She now understands that both worlds must be saved, not just hers.[23] She concludes by motivating Link to continue, not for her, but for Zelda and all of the Realm of Light.[24] The cutscene concludes with the Sages vanishing into thin air, which is also the last time they are seen.
Trivia
- The Ancient Sage that was killed by Ganondorf can be identified using the cracked symbol on its former pedestal. According to it, the Sage was the Sage of Water.
Gallery
Ganondorf surviving the Sages' execution
Ganondorf killing the Sage of Water
References
- ↑ "From the crests depicted on their clothing, we can ascertain that the sages represent light, forest, fire, water, shadow, and spirit." — Hyrule Historia, pg. 113
- ↑ "A dark entity lurks in the twilight... It houses an evil power..." — Ancient Sages, Twilight Princess.
- ↑ "At the command of the goddesses, we sages have guarded the Mirror of Twilight since ancient times." — Ancient Sages, Twilight Princess.
- ↑ "You seek it...but the Mirror of Twilight has been fragmented by mighty magic." — Ancient Sages, Twilight Princess.
- ↑ "That magic is a dark power that only he possesses..." — Ancient Sages, Twilight Princess.
- ↑ "His name is..." — Ancient Sages, Twilight Princess.
- ↑ "Ganondorf." — Ancient Sages, Twilight Princess.
- ↑ "He was the leader of a band of thieves who invaded Hyrule in the hopes of establishing dominion over the Sacred Realm." — Ancient Sages, Twilight Princess.
- ↑ "In all of his fury and might, he was blind to any danger, and thus was he exposed, subdued, and brought to justice." — Ancient Sages, Twilight Princess.
- ↑ "By some divine prank, he, too, had been blessed with the chosen power of the gods." — Ancient Sages, Twilight Princess.
- ↑ "However, Ganondorf, who had been chosen by the Triforce of Power, did not perish, and managed to kill one of the sages." — Hyrule Historia, pg. 113
- ↑ "Once broken by magic, the Mirror of Twilight became fragments, which even now lie hidden across the land of Hyrule." — Ancient Sages, Twilight Princess.
- ↑ "One is in the snowy mountain heights..." — Ancient Sages, Twilight Princess.
- ↑ "One is in an ancient grove..." — Ancient Sages, Twilight Princess.
- ↑ "And one is in the heavens..." — Ancient Sages, Twilight Princess.
- ↑ "I hope you can find it in yourself to forgive our carelessness..." — Ancient Sages, Twilight Princess.
- ↑ "O Twilight Princess." — Ancient Sages, Twilight Princess.
- ↑ "What? So...you knew?" — Midna, Twilight Princess.
- ↑ "As a ruler who fled her people, I'm hardly qualified to forgive you." — Midna, Twilight Princess.
- ↑ "In our world, we've long believed that the Hero would appear as a divine beast." — Midna, Twilight Princess.
- ↑ "And I only cared about returning our world to normal..." — Midna, Twilight Princess.
- ↑ "But after witnessing the selfless lengths that Princess Zelda and you have gone to... Your sacrifices..." — Midna, Twilight Princess.
- ↑ "I now know, in the bottom of my heart, that I must save this world, too. There is no other way." — Midna, Twilight Princess.
- ↑ "Let's go, [Link]! For Zelda! For all of this world!" — Midna, Twilight Princess.