The HYRULE MAP Theory: The Missing Pieces of Zelda Lore

[Music] what if I told you that I've found crucial pieces out of law that's been hidden in plain sight for nearly a decade Strangers still you might even have it in your home right now one of the reasons I loved the Legend of Zelda is the many Mysteries that surround the series and its law the Mysteries are like Puzzles and that's a core feature of Zelda games in general it's not surprising that a lot of Zelda fans who love the games also appreciate the Mysteries as puzzles waiting to be solved now if that sounds like you get ready to investigate the mystery of the Hyrule map one of the missing pieces of Zelda law we need to talk about there's a lot to cover so let's get into it [Music] thank you the first appearance of the Hyrule map dates back to 2014 on a puzzle released as official Nintendo merchandise distributed through various retailers it was produced by usaopoly and it still forms part of their catalog today currently it's sold on Amazon it's here in 2014 where our chronology begins from a fam perspective with the first appearance on a Reddit thread that I can find the thread itself is titled we have our first unified world map thanks to an officially licensed puzzle and it was posted on our slash tree Zelda by soccer beans and shows the map in puzzle form with the highly in text deciphered and a slew of comments from interested fans it's a beautiful snapshot in time with the first comment reflecting the excitement at expanding the lore of the Zelda franchise and looking forward to Zelda Wii U later to be dubbed breath of the wild the next reaction fits a theme that will become all too common as time goes on Twitter Mexican guy here comments on elements of the map being similar to that of Ocarina of Time Minish Cap and Twilight Princess even one aspect in the Gerudo desert that of the sinking ship being similar to that of the ancient ocean featured in Skyward Sword the observations make sense indeed the map can be interpreted to highlight elements from all those games and you'd be hard-pressed to argue against her overall the thread captures a general enthusiasm for the item especially considering what little context there is to go by we fast forward to one year later in 2015 where the next Reddit thread appears and this one is dubbed Zelda Hyrule map key I completed and it's by wind sleeper on r slash Zelda this post is a detailed breakdown of when sleeper's investigation into the map and curiously notes the origin of their Discovery as being a poster that was paired with Zelda's Monopoly Edition that's right our map has moved on from puzzle form to another piece of merchandising that being a poster associated with another licensed product reaching a new audience via this medium windsleeper does a great job in detailing their sources and explanations for what the map actually is concluding it to be not one of a certain version of Hyrule but instead of collective in this instance comprising maps of Hyrule and termina their final version is an interesting take with some Liberties in recognition of other locations and titles familiar to the series and it's an exercise that will employ towards the end of this video things go quiet on the forums for a while but upon the release of breath of the wild in 2017 a new thread appears this one is the classic question that I see asked the most from this point on anyone know what map of firewall this is from here responses are mixed from what the map represents as well as where it originates from as far as locations what's more common is a mashup people referring to all sorts of titles those being Majora's Mask I would sword Ocarina of Time we even see our first mention here of a reference to breath of the wild the most recent threads appear within the last two years towards the end of 2021 and like the trend of threads to date the op puts the map up asking if anyone knows what game it's from or what it's about responses continue to reflect individual interpretations with most seeing aspects of a variety of Zelda titles and the origins of the map again ranging from the initial puzzle we talked about before to its inclusion in an official notebook this is that the maps start to vary where we see it being bundled and included with an official notebook an example of one finding it on a tapestry at their local mall one person recalls receiving a copy of it with the 3DS carrying case around of Majora's Mastery day and even another mentions finding it bundled in with the switch Pro Controller they got from Japan from the first publication of the map in 2014 to the most recent threads in 2021 the map has found curious fans at specific Junctions of time coming across it from different media and sources yet somehow managing on All Occasions to capture the essence of Zelda little context to put it in perspective in terms of an explanation as to why this map exists or is in circulation to begin with marketing blurb featured on the puzzle invites buyers to explore the wild vastness of Hyrule with this collectible and beautifully detailed jigsaw puzzle styled as a map of Hyrule featuring locations from multiple classic Legend of Zelda games from Nintendo though this version that we see today loaded with the thousand pieces and is copyright 2021 people like myself probably own the original release a 500 a piece collector's edition copyright 2014 the same map the same question the same vague answers and so it could easily be left as nothing more than what it appears General Zelda merch featuring a map recalling locations for multiple classic Zelda titles nothing more nothing less however for me my love affair with the map didn't begin with the puzzle even though I owned it at the time it began more so with its inclusion in a GDC presentation and the moment it was referred to by hitamaru fujibashi [Music] hitamara fujibashi's involvement in the Zelda Series dates back to the Oracle games where he worked as part of a collaboration between Capcom and Nintendo upon completion of those titles he was bought directly into the Nintendo family where he continued his work under the guise of ignuma leading to his directorial debut on scarward sword since then he's continued to direct breath of the wild and indeed tears of the Kingdom which is no doubt a major driver of the similarity many people notice in these games including the role of Hialeah in the storylines of each specific title his first game that of scold's Sword precedes the first publication of the horal map but its purpose cannot be underestimated in any review the title was set to tackle the origin story and coincided with the release of the first official Zelda publication in the form of Hyrule Historia both releasing in 2011 and confirming the long-held theory that the titles were indeed connected as it explains a wider Zelda Universe of sorts crucial to this moment in time was the reveal of the much maligned Zelda Timeline Chronicle detailing the games as a cohesive series of events that evidence the cycle of the hero The Princess and the villain in a battle over the realm of Hyrule controversially however it split the series into three distinct timelines following the events of one game that being Ocarina of Time and they would dubbed the Fallen child and adult timelines now for the sake of this Theory I won't delve further into details but what's important to note is that in this period Skyward Sword and hyrule's story are essentially anchored the Zelda series by providing a bass line any building of Worth or construction of materials or even ideas must begin with the solid foundation and in 2011 Zelda laid its foundation for the future now while scold saw would not meet Expectations by and large the storyline remained a standard aspect and it paved the way for what was to come the game also experimented with new features that would become Hallmarks of its more successful Evolution which we would see in breath of the wild examples being similar to that of stamina management the sail cloth damage mechanics and in-game item management they all hinted at revolutionary mechanics that would define breath of the Wild in an a water ass interview from 2014 regarding Skyward Sword ionoma makes an insightful Revelation he refers to how Simplicity leads to a return to Basics and that new things are similar but different and how they are born from here it's a statement that Echoes the development process itself but also extends to mirror the story elements in Zelda made me even familiar to some plaintiffs of the Kingdom now it's fair to say that every Adventure in Zelda tells the Standalone story with similar tropes permeating each Legend all similar to a degree yet somehow different the same interview sees hiramaru fujibar she welcomed by whiter towards the end where he expresses his concerns about the quote unquote next work detailing I guess the challenges that lay on the horizon regarding the development of breath of the Wild no surprise really there interestingly he also references his learnings from Miyamoto and how the universal appeal of miyamoto's games provided the key to longevity and success putting it another way he found that miyamoto's games evoked a sense of feeling and did not need to be understood by a knowledge culture or maybe having a defined background or entry point to the game the DNA of Zelda was in the way it could appeal to Old fans and new a sentiment that reinforced his work on skyward's sword when he received feedback from a play tester during development the Revelation was almost serendipitous by Nature it proved how it returned to the origin story of Zelda in Scarborough's sword helped to welcome new players to the series also providing that familiar feeling that long-term fans had come to expect it's a perspective I keep in front of mine myself indeed though the law plays an important role but engagement of the nuances within are voluntary by nature and don't really act as a price of Entry nor does it really intrinsically relate to what constitutes a Zelda fan we all love the series for reasons that are personal to us old and new and in that way we bring a diverse Viewpoint to the community that Fosters appreciation on a variety of different levels it's a revelation by hidimaru fujibashi acts as an endorsement of sorts considering the importance of the Hyrule map when we refer to the presentation see I mentioned earlier here he reflects on the map as an asset he found when searching for inspiration and designing the world of breath of the wild it's referred to in an ambiguous nature saying how it doesn't represent the Hyrule that we see in breath of the wild nor that of Skyward Sword but how it manages to capture the spirit of everything's Zelda his opening remarks focused on the challenges the team had faced the landscape had changed in terms of competition hardware and the player base and in 2017 by a large Zelda had become predictable and needed to reinvigorate the series and retake the pioneering position they once held when Zelda created the very genre it now struggled to compete with in reflecting on the series Origins and pointing to the original Zelda on the NES the team found the inspiration they needed the world would have to provide a feeling of Adventure exploration and discovery that allowed the players old new to create a story of their own and it's following this key Revelation that the Hyrule map appears with fujibashi fighting the piece as universal an embodiment of the very Spirit of Adventure and everything iconic to Zelda the perfect visual representation of the inspiration poured into the development breath of the wild the event becomes even more relevant to this Theory when fujibayashi pauses to highlight three particular feature of the map one is an area similar to that of the great Plateau but two others he mentions are floating islands and a cave entrance now we can start putting the pieces together in the GDC presentation fujibashi points out three specific features highlighting them in red underline the first is an area reminiscent of the great Plateau featured in breath of the wild although he notes this is in the wrong location but he also points out floating islands and a cave entrants what's strange is that two of these features are distinct from breath of the wild as in they don't feature at all in the map or the game however they do feature in tears of the Kingdom so worth noting that later in the GDC presentation we also saw examples of concept art which would turn out to play an important role in tears of the Kingdom one referring to Ganon amongst a floating palace or sky island and another referring to Link's arm being damaged and the tool set with them but this representation in the GDC wouldn't be the only official endorsement from Nintendo barely one year later the same map features in Zelda encyclopedia the third and final installment of the Goddess Trilogy of books providing extensive insights in depth his older law under encyclopedia acts to comprehensively collect the many facets of the series and all the titles providing a timeline that's adjusted since 2011's iteration in Hyrule Historia and including a section of historical records covering the world and the Legend of Zelda throughout the ages there's also a database of information covering locations items dungeons enemies and monsters as well as an archive of details specific to each and every game it's a comprehensive collection that covers the series in its entirety from the first game in 1986 to the point just prior to breath of the wild and whilst breath of the wild is not included in the database of information it's still featured in a final perspective an interview with producer IGN Numa is the last topic covered in the book acts similar to a journey the opening section establishes the origin of Zelda from the creation to the Triforce and formation of Hyrule and the hylians and the map itself features prominently here at this very juncture on page 14 where it's described as a map depicting key locations of historical significance in Hyrule it's a setting that should be familiar to anyone playing tears of the Kingdom more emphatically however it also adorns the cover sleeves of the Tome at beginning and end acting to bookend the publication from start to finish here we have the literal Collective archives of the Zelda series from inception up to breath of the Wild and yet here we also have the Hyrule map featuring as the first and last thing the readers see when they open the book it's almost a metaphorical Alpha and Omega of the series collectively and I couldn't imagine a more fitting analogy considering the aura boroslike emblem in the tears of the Kingdom logo let alone the themes that comprise the heart of Tears of the kingdom and the storyline we're seeing play out how significant are the locations depicted on the map and indeed how closely do they relate to tears of the Kingdom well the answers to both of those questions can be quite surprising a few obvious call outs would have to include the gibdos located in the Greedo desert and of course that pirate ship which is located in the Southeast almost seeming like it's about to invade a Beachside Town something like laurelin but one reference in particular stands out amongst the more interesting divinations and that's Caster Wilde up until now we've explained how this map has Universal appeal generally being applicable to most Zelda titles of the past but Castor oils as a reference is really specific it's only mentioned in one title prior and that's the Minish Cap see here Castle worlds is a large marshy area in Western Hyrule and actually connects two areas the wind ruins of the South and the Western wood to the east ironically though the Japanese translation of this term Caster Wilds turns out to be to Bent the Wilderness now that has a direct reference when we look at breath of the wild and tears of the Kingdom that being the home of the Rito and again located to the West perfectly where we see Caster Wilds on the Hyrule map there is more and other elements of the game can be discerned when reviewing the map as a whole in the upper left corner we have Jagged sections of land protruding from the earth and that's very reminiscent of demise's breach we have the colder icy regions above which hearken to the Hebrew region including the mountainous terrain and indeed we can see a little single structure peeking out of the landscape kind of reminds me of the Forgotten Temple in the southwest and greater region I mentioned before we have the gibdos and they're intimately tied to the story and location in tears of the Kingdom we also notice a sinking ship indicating quicksand one of the original phenomena that does exist in that area as well as the structure that seems iconically reminiscent of the lightning temple one of my favorites here is the large Leviathan bones as well now for me that acted as one of the biggest Clues dating back to breath of the wild when I saw this map it had more than a passing resemblance and a center reflect the current version of Hyrule the Gerudo area is also surrounded by mountainous areas that we could align with that of the Gerudo Highlands towards the bottom of the map is a curious object I found difficult to reference until tears of the Kingdom the almost oblong egg-shaped stone is eerily similar to the shrines that we see in tears of the Kingdom towards the middle of the map we see some other iconic references we've got like hylia and the Hialeah Bridge which Echoes Twilight Princess as well as breath of the wild and tears of the Kingdom as iconic locations from Ocarina of Time examples being Long Long Ranch the Lost Woods and the great Deku Tree again featuring in tears of the Kingdom following the southern coast around we see a location that could easily be identified as a Township that being similar to laurelin we mentioned before the pirate ship off the coast foreshadowing events that we see play out in game and further out from the township and past the immediate ocean we see a small island that's more than a passing resemblance to even Todd Island we see in game kakariko Village had me confused and this is one that's maybe interpretable but I always thought it was strange when I looked at this map it seems to be there with the windmill depicted closely to the castle just off to the east but knowing the history of breath of the wild and tears of the Kingdom we know that the sheikah will Falls from their homes in the events of breath of the Wild's tapestry referring to the 10 000 years ago calamity that could make sense when we consider the location of the stone which features the sheika eye symbol to the east of the map it could be recalling the new version of kakariko Village as well as a reference to Ocarina of Time it Heralds the current home of the sheikha as well as referencing the past a beautiful marriage of thoughts could make sense if we consider the location of the stone featuring the sheikhai symbol to the east of the map this almost Heralds the current home of the sheikah The kakariko Village we know from breath of the wild and tears of the Kingdom as providing a dual reference to the Chic eye stones that are featured in Ocarina of Time as well as Skyward Sword the north we have the iconic Death Mountain location which is a staple amongst most Zelda titles and if we move across to the great plateau-like area and cave entrance that was hinted at by fujibashi we can notice a spider reference now this is a call back to Ocarina of Time Of course but it also does marry up with another iconic location from breath of the wild and tears of the Kingdom that being Lana us this was known as a place of pilgrimage for those seeking the spring of wisdom atop male and aru and also the same where Calamity Ganon erupted in breath of the Wild's memories following Zelda's descent from the mountain on her 17th birthday in development concept art this is referred to when creating a champion as the spider's Nest a name that seems to reflect this location perfectly on the map situated to the East and acting as a thoroughfare between the mountains and those seeking access to the east in areas like Zora's domain but his domain is located to the east where expected and just around there we also see ancient ruins tory-like structures and a place not unlike akala here we also see those floating sky islands with one featuring a structure that I can't help but liken to the Temple of Time there's other random features around the map as well for example the octrocks the stealthos wolves and tutus and of course the dragons as well collectively they managed to respectfully acknowledge the past in terms of previous Zelda titles but also indicate enemies or encounters that are present in tears of the Kingdom now all of these are simply my interpretation of the artist's work particularly compared with what I've experienced in tears of the Kingdom today noting I haven't actually finished the game yet the fact that certain features or locations align specifically with this title is what I find the most interesting Caster Wilds is a perfect example while the map embodies the spirit of so many Zelda Adventures that name traditionally was only ever specific to the Minish Cap up until breath of the wild and while breath of the wild doesn't exactly align with the map it does align Mateus the kingdom when we consider the sky islands and the caves which are iconic to that game consideration is the choice to use the modern variant of ancient Hylan scripting which debuted in the link between worlds in 2014. see that dates the map essentially and provides perspective about when it was released as part of official Zelda merchandise the Minish Cap itself released in 2004 and it begs the question as to why a generic depiction of Hyrule that features key locations of historical significance as explained in Zelda encyclopedia would specifically cite a location that surfaces in one title only and one being from a decade prior it would limit the universal appreciation of the map across the franchise decision that would seem arbitrary and nonsensical it would be understandable however if the location was included as part of a longer term plan one where potentially fujibashi envisioned a result of sorts a way to reunite Hyrule by a return to its Origins indeed this map imperfectly done but representing the composition of Zelda's past with its future in a planned to unite the series under a common understanding the universal skill derived from miyamoto's DNA itself one about a sense of feeling and one that is universal spiral would be familiar invoking a feeling amongst the fan base of times past without being specific to any story or timeline and easily recognizable by fans new and old one of my favorite mysteries in the Zelda franchise is that around the Song of Storms it's a paradox by nature but it does tantalize the player to try and figure out what happened when you play Ocarina of Time you come across the man in the windmill as Adult Link and he teaches you this Song of Storms because of his Fury at the damage caused when a young person came through and played the song in the game time travel becomes a factor and you end up going back to that location as Child Link and inevitably using that very song to cause the damage the man at the Windmill had referred to as a means to an end of source to afford entry to the well at the bottom of kakariko Village wherein lies the Paradox Adult Link could not learn the song If he had not played it as a child in the past but then again the child would not have known the song had he not experienced it as an adult earlier in the game thus the concept is paradoxical by name nature classic conundrum for the brain or a causal Loop of sorts it's impossible to know what came first here the chicken or the egg or in this case the song or the crazy this isn't the only example of time travel and Loops driving the Zelda series in its lore Skyward Sword tells a narrative structured around similar time travel mechanics hinting towards a Time Loop depending on the perspective of the Bureau of course events transpire such that it establishes a cycle that is destined to repeat whether that be based on demise's curse or simply the pursuit of power which is embodied in the iconic Triforce and those who seek it such Cycles can be considered universal because they are nothing new to us we accept them without knowing the trigger definitively if we look at the story of balance for where there is light a shadow is bound to be cast where there is day it is about to turn tonight as towards the cycle of Life Death rebirth let's take the view of day and night doesn't matter which came first we hardly debate the origins of our daily routines because it's almost irrelevant what is important is how each affects us and how they make us feel we are by nature livelier and more active during the day whereas night tends to evoke a feeling of uneasing caution or a feeling of rest and relaxation depending on where you come from that feeling that of the beginning and end of each the story also guarantees another to come and that Hyrule will always face a new threat and so the spirit of the hero would again be called to meet the challenge it occurred to me that maybe fujibashi's solution was not explicit and that the map is indeed the perfect composition of that Philosophy by telling an origin story in Skyward Sword he was able to create a connection to an end of sorts potentially the events occurring in tears of the Kingdom as an example but just as the song of Storm's Paradox does not have a definitive beginning or end so too does the employment of that iteration of the cycle in how the ending is intrinsically linked to the beginning so towards the loop now A variation of the original iteration and that's because the events of the past have now been altered in this particular cycle it means the stories from the past still exist but they're open for reinterpretation in a new cycle a rebirth of sorts if it's viewed simplistically it explains how Hyrule can be so similar yet different from what iteration to the next but therein lies the secret application and why this is such a great philosophy it's how it only represents one Viewpoint and therefore it's open to interpretation indeed the cycle nature allows room for imagination hardcore fans are able to debate the minutia whilst new players can simply appreciate the story on its own merits the thing is is time travel and thereby the theoretical application that surrounds the nature of it within a fictional artwork such as the Legend of Zelda will always be open to debate I'm certainly not proposing one viewer over another what I am proposing though is that this map this innocuous pace of merchandising sold in the form of puzzles Flags decals and more for nearly a decade now is actually an important piece of Zelda law very relevant to our understanding of the series particularly for the last decade whether it be how a fan of Twilight Princess made connections nine years ago to what a fan of Tears of the kingdom is able to Garner when looking through the lens of 2023 the inclusion of this map in the GDC presentation by hitamara fujibashi and indeed the references in Zelda encyclopedia in the way it acts to bookend the series archives seems more than coincidental very least I'd argue it's quite symbolic for me personally the Hyrule map defines the last decade of Zelda it explains the journey that developers and fans alike have shared as we've ushered the series forward towards the future one that respectfully acknowledges the past is considerate of its place in the world currently but establishes a future where Hyrule will strike the balance between the new and the familiar let's call it an unfamiliar Hyrule but what I know is that's only my perspective and what matters more is what you think I'd love to hear more in the comments especially what you see in the map maybe how you've come across in the past whether you have it or not and what you think it could relate to in the future maybe even DLC if you enjoyed the video a light goes a long way and feel free to leave any thoughts you have in the comments this video actually marks a celebration of the two-year anniversary of gamesmiths so I'd really like to say a huge thank you to everybody who supported the channel in that time moving forward I'm hoping to Branch out into some other mediums maybe even trying to do it via podcast just simply to speed up the production time it takes a long time for me to do the edits outside of my usual day job but ideally I'd like to speed up that conversation interacting with the community is my favorite part of what I do and if I can find a way to do that that keeps you all interested then I'm certainly keen and try it well as always thanks for choosing to spend your time with us stay safe keep being amazing see you next time here on game Smith [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music]

Channel: GameSmiths

Views: 265,056

Keywords: GameSmiths, Gaming, zelda, botw, zelda theory, Tears of the Kingdom, TOTK, mystery, hyrule map, ocarina of time, skywartd sword, theory

Id: xX_16NbAGlo

Length: 29min 41sec (1781 seconds)

Published: Sat Jul 15 2023