Nintendo’s The Legend of Zelda is one of the most well-known franchises they own, next to Mario. Even as the series evolved over the years, Zelda has prioritized puzzle-solving and exploration. Rarely has Nintendo let it hop genres, with exceptions such as the rhythm-based Cadence of Hyrule, developed by Brace Yourself Games.
Marvel’s What If series inspired me to go through several genre-bending scenarios with my favorite video game franchise, and I want to kick off with one that I have stayed away from until recently…horror. What if Nintendo, or a third-party partner, crafted an absolutely terrifying Zelda experience?
The Legend of Zelda, in all its action-adventure glory, has provided elements of skin-crawling eeriness in bite-sized pieces. Take a look at The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask. The entire premise surrounds an evil mask that possesses Skull Kid and the impending crash from the world’s most frightening moon. You pass through Ikana Canyon late in the game, which is, essentially, a home for the dead. You battle spooky enemies, ranging from the masked Garo to Gibdo.
Image Credit: Nintendo via Syfy
Speaking of Gibdo, there are plenty of undead in the Zelda franchise. Most, if not all, games have a graveyard, Undead, and Poes. Um, and remember Dead Hand from The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time? Yes, that mini-boss found beneath the well and in the Shadow Temple was the stuff of many of our nightmares. When you look beyond that ugly mug, there are truly horrible things that occurred in those areas. Blood, bones, and torture devices litter these levels, implying something sinister well beyond the scope of this child-friendly game.
Image Credit: Nintendo via Zelda Dungeon
With that being said, it would not be a huge leap for Zelda to extend into the horror genre. The easiest path would create an action-horror hybrid along the lines of Resident Evil 4.
For example, Zelda could be tasked with exploring a forbidden temple where she discovers the horrible history of her ancestors. You could even take a page from The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom opener. As you descend, the darkness expands and swallows you whole. Perhaps there are corpses that animate and attack you until you plummet to a place where you cannot escape. Zelda could inadvertently unleash an ancient evil once sealed away (not Ganondorf for once!). This evil could stalk you Mr. X style, as you fight your way back to the surface.
Image Credit: Capcom via Super Game Site 64
If Nintendo didn’t want to dabble in a different genre, I can totally see them letting a third-party studio like the Bloober Team create horror spin off. I’d love for them to focus on other races such as the Sheikah or the Gerudos. Both have histories that allude to very disturbing pasts. One idea could be exploring the Arbiter’s Grounds pre-Twilight Princess.
Image Credit: Nintendo via Zelda Dungeon
Nintendo could elevate the horror further. Their style is not so much body horror but rather psychological horror: eerie things that go bump in the night and make you paranoid. We do not necessarily need to see things more grotesque that Dead Hand or Bongo Bongo (and I care not to).
Imagine a first-person survival horror as you re-visit the Forrest Temple from The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. Maybe Link is called back there because he senses that something is wrong with Saria. As Link, you navigate the cold, vacant stone hallways. Your footsteps echo, mixing into creaking floorboards from a nearby room. As an ice-cold feeling washes over you, a breeze picks up. Then, a familiar whirring sound intensifies, and a shadow expands from above. You have but mere seconds to dive forward and avoid the Wall Master.
Image Credit: Nintendo via Fandom
Because of the infinite ways horror can be portrayed in video games, I could go on and on with game ideas for The Legend of Zelda franchise. I, personally, would find a first-person survival horror to be to most interesting, but perhaps it is because it contrasts greatly to the series’ style as it is today. Although I know a horror Zelda game will never come, I am confident we will continue to see horror-adjacent elements in future titles.
What if there was a Legend of Zelda horror game? What elements would you include in it? Please share your thoughts with us on our Boss Rush Facebook Group or our Boss Rush Discord.
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