The Psychology and Philosophy of Legend of Zelda
Most of us that play Zelda games probably don’t pay much attention to the psychology and philosophy behind the series. Thankfully, VGM artist RebeccaETripp has taken it upon herself to investigate the themes, mythology, and folklore of the Zelda series, and over the course of five videos, she has presented fascinating insight into what makes this series tick.
What is your interest in psychology or philosophy? Did you ever take classes or is this just a personal interest?
I guess it’s a personal interest. I was always looking for patterns and insights within stories. I think it just naturally grew from a sense of being curious about myself and other people.
Your first psychology and philosophy series centered around the Final Fantasy franchise, so what made you choose Zelda as the successor?
I believe these two series pretty much have the most to offer in terms of modern (and archaic) mythological storytelling. They also happen to be my favourites, probably for that reason! I think in some ways, these games speak to the human condition more effectively than even some of the series which go more directly out of their way to do so.
How long does it take for you to create a single episode for this series?
I think the shortest I’ve ever spent on one of these would’ve been something like two weeks, but it usually takes closer to five months.
What kind of research do you perform for these videos?
I take pages of notes, cross-reference tons of things from different games, and often spend hours reading about mythological characters on various wikis. I like to be sure that I’ve got my ideas in order. For instance, if I use an image from Celtic or Chinese mythology, I read up on the stories and symbolism surrounding all the characters and objects represented in that image. I also spend a lot of time planning which scenes and shots from the Zelda games are being shown as I speak (a couple times I’ve even replayed Zelda games to get these ideas more fresh). I want everything to come together like a tapestry in order to better demonstrate similarities, patterns, etc. It takes a lot of research.
What are some of your favorite symbolisms and metaphors in the Zelda series?
I've always had a soft spot for the concept of the "grail knight”, and Link fits this archetype better than many of the heroes I’ve seen in other fantasy. The games demonstrate the process of psychological purification extremely well, since Link must willingly subject himself to all kinds of physical, mental, and spiritual ordeals. The process of becoming “courageous" is seen as synonymous with making oneself worthy of the sword which tolerates no evil. It is because of these acts of self sacrifice that Link is the only one pure enough to wield the sword. This idea ties in nicely with another ubiquitous cultural metaphor: that of the Sun God, who is a harbinger of rebirth, hope and enlightenment.
Lastly, I want to mention the symbolism of the “forest children”, as seen in OoT, SS, MC, LttP, MM, WW and BotW. The Zelda series demonstrates the importance of psychological “youth” in a very beautiful and effective way. The realization that we never really stop “growing up” is something I think most people need in order to feel whole.
Did anything surprise you during your research of the Zelda series?
Yes and no. The only main Zelda games I never really played were Zelda 2, Four Swords Adventures, and Spirit Tracks. So, on the one hand, I wasn’t really exposed to much that was new. On the other hand, working on this project exposed me to a lot of patterns I never really noticed before. For instance, the overstated psychological importance of being small vs big.
What do you think is the defining theme of the Zelda series?
One thing that really sticks out is the relationship between courage and goodness.
Rebirth seems to be a common theme for the Zelda series, both for good and evil forces. Could you elaborate on that?
It’s part of a larger pattern, I suppose. A very important aspect of mythology is the idea of cycles. People have understood for a long time that there are “seasons” to everything. Wealth, fertility, even war! But this can also be applied to internal concepts, such as our moods, passions, or traumas. External cycles are good metaphors for psychological development.
From a philosophical perspective, what is your favorite Zelda title?
I think Ocarina of Time probably has the most to offer in a lot of ways since it’s well-rounded and covers a lot of ground without being too heavy on the exposition, but my personal favourite for this purpose might be Majora’s Mask or maybe Skyward Sword.
What other video game series would you like to examine for your psychology and philosophy series?
It might sound strange in this context, but I actually have a lot of notes for the Donkey Kong series! I've also thought about covering Castlevania, LotR, Star Trek and Portal (I know, not all of those are video games, haha). DK is likely to be next!
RebeccaETripp
Rebecca is a composer, arranger, gamer, writer, amateur philosopher and video essayist. Her YouTube channel mainly features VGM covers and remixes, original compositions, and longform tribute medleys.