Walls Crumble in the Darkness: What Ocarina of Time Teaches Us About Maturity.

Created by WillGtl

Nestled deep within the Kingdom of Hyrule, you find a peculiar forest where a group of children never grow up.

A giant, sentient tree along with an army of fairies protect these children from the darkness that exists outside the forest. If the children leave the forest and face this darkness, they will surely die. But, why would anyone leave such a place? Everyone has everything they need, and they (mostly) get along with each other. Only fools would ever wander beyond the safety of the forest. Thus, the children within the Kokiri forest remain equally protected and trapped within the structure that exists around them.

The Curse of Naivety

Created by Conor Burke

During childhood, each of us must rely on certain things in order to survive. For example, we all need parents to feed us and protect us. These things allow us to survive the complexities and dangers that surround us. We can call these things “structures”. Unfortunately, these structures all come with a “curse” of falling apart one day. The Great Deku Tree represents the center of a structure that the Kokiri rely on. They remain carefree because the Great Deku Tree has so much protective power that they do not need to think about the outside world. However, strange forces exist outside, in the periphery of their home. A powerful stranger from the periphery can find his way through the cracks and dissolve the protective spirit at its core.

If you would like to learn more about the center and the periphery, check out my Majora’s Mask and “Spirit” articles!

How the Darkness Corrodes

Created by Jasper Sandner

Ganondorf represents an entity that causes a structure to harm more than it protects. We can call such a state a tyranny. Tyranny causes even the most reliable beings to crumble, just as rain and oxygen can make a solid chunk of iron rust into pieces. His outlandishness opens the gates for the periphery to flood the kingdom of Hyrule, creating chaos. If someone does not face Ganon, the entire kingdom will dissolve just like the Great Deku Tree.

As we begin to mature, we start to recognize the limits of our parents’ protective capabilities. We become more aware of the outside world and the different treasures that it holds. Our parents cannot provide everything that we need in life. For example, many of us yearn to become free, but the initial structure of our family feels too limited. As we discover these limits, the protective aspect of the family starts to fall apart. Tyranny (e.g. Ganondorf) has found its way into our lives. This event pressures individuals (such as Link) to make a harsh decision. Let our childhood wither away to face the monsters of the unknown, or remain a child and end up in the belly of the chaos? Nobody wants to let go of things that they have relied on for so long, but, in this situation, it is the only way we can adapt. Therefore, Link leaves the forest to confront tyranny.

Harnessing Tools to Push Away the Shadows

Created by Ty Lettau

As children, we do not have the tools to understand and face the heart of tyranny right away. We must first harness power and value. How do we go about doing this in a large, dangerous world? Simple. We overcome smaller obstacles to gain experience and tools (such as the Kokiri sword) that help us with larger obstacles (such as the monsters in the Great Deku Tree).

You can think of tools and knowledge as “microstructures”. They support us in pushing away chaos but we also have to let go of them when they no longer benefit us. Young Link gathers a toolset, many of which seem like toys, that help him overcome smaller obstacles. Through this process, he eventually collects a set of Spiritual Stones that unlock the gateway to his adulthood. Unfortunately, he must leave these toys behind in order to take hold of a more significant tool, the Master Sword.

Grasping What Truly Matters

Link takes hold of his responsibilities which allow him to adapt and grow.

Three distinct consequences occur when Link obtains the Master Sword. First, all of the tools that Link used as a kid become useless as an adult. Second, Link becomes much stronger, but he cannot go back to his childhood (at least not until he reunites his childhood with his adulthood). Third, he opens the gates to the “Spirit Realm”. I will explain the Spirit Realm more deeply in a future article, but accessing it essentially means that Link has become aware of what truly matters to him. This provides Link the Triforce of “courage”. However, it also allows tyranny (Ganon) to gain power and corrode the entire Kingdom of Hyrule.

Entering adulthood means grabbing hold of your sword, or taking on the burdens that you ought to face. Doing so may require you to sacrifice your childhood, but it also grants you the courage you need to put your world back together. As Link takes the Master Sword into his hand, he no longer has to rely on the stability of the world for his protection. He can now resolve his own problems, thus fixing the structure of the world. Once Link overcomes these challenges, he can, thankfully, unite his maturity with his childhood.

Letting go of your naivety to face your problems may terrify and hurt you in many ways. However, you will likely find a far more important responsibility as a result. If you take on this burden, you can understand the world around you and repair the damage that tyranny has caused in your life. Therefore, leaving your forest to take hold of your sword will open the doors to your freedom.

-Yak

P.S. If you would like to be notified of my new articles, enter your email here or follow me on Twitter @AboutThatYak. Also, if the subtext of Ocarina of Time interests you, watch Good Blood’s Ocarina of Time video which goes through the whole story in depth. If you want to learn more on the topic of symbolism, check out Jonathan Pageau’s The Symbolic World on YouTube. Let me know if you have any suggestions for future articles!