#berrieanalysis

[eclipse-ofthe-sun]

The Golden Light

yapping under cut

HOLY SHIT WAS THIS A BEAST BUT IT WAS ALSO SO WORTH IT. had the lines down over a week ago but had to hold off to do my uni assignments, and was buzzing with anticipation to finish it. this is my (first) love letter to alttp, the story that has captivated me in all of its old zelda storytelling charm. i havent even finished the dark palace yet.

there's obvious symbols here, with link reaching for the triforce as is commanded of them, and his rescue of zelda in tandem with his bunny form, moments both of them were vulnerable and felt trapped. but i also wanted to convey more of their relationship in this, how i see it - the complications of zelda only able to rely on link, but also how it is inextricably tied to his duty and ability to fight for her (represented by the sword), not any sort of connection they have as companions or friends. link is looking away from her, to the goal, the only thing he has that is sure, the only thing he has to keep pushing towards, unable to stop and consider what has happened to him, to them - and zelda looks at a viewer, in the same way as in the cell, trapped by what they must do, and what may have always been a destiny. the golden triangle reflected in her eyes, ears pointed up to the heavens. and, as well, how everything is bracketed by those that came before them: the castle pillars, the knights and the king, the adults and those of the prior generation having failed those of the current, leaving them with no choice but to pick up the shattered remains of the kingdom. a whole world of light, and darkness, and infinite colour, streaking across their minds like lightning

or something like that. im a writer first, before an artist, and these are my thoughts :P i hope you enjoy them, and the art

[eclipse-ofthe-sun]

the difference between the characters of hyrule and lorule isn't that one is the 'good' and one is the 'bad', its that one is presented with their good side first and the other their bad side first. i am against the idea that ravio is the 'worse' version of link, and hilda the 'worse' version of zelda.

one thing i really like about albw is that it isn't a story of one dimensional good vs evil. it is about the things people do when they are pushed to do them. link, with no choice but to embark on the quest, rising to the task of hero to save people. ravio, realising he cannot change hilda's mind from at her side, travelling to another world in the hopes of finding someone who can be of aid. zelda, imprisoned for most of the story and limited in her influence, urgently using the compassion and empathy she holds to offer understanding and a second chance despite the situation. hilda, desperate to save her people and world and doing the horrible, the impossible, to achieve that.

did hilda make the 'wrong' choice, and was ravio's desertion a betrayal and cowardice? yes. that is what you see first. but it is far from all they are. and to pretend that zelda and link are one dimensionally 'good' and 'pure' is also a disservice to their characters. link runs headfirst into danger without any strategy, follows orders blindly without stopping to think about what is right (something that in ravio's position, would've led him blindly going along with hilda's schemes to their end). and zelda has very little power or influence in the end, even as a ruler and leader - despite her compassion she is still unable to connect to hilda as much as ravio's words can, and lacks true understanding of the situation hilda has been in because of her own privilege.

link is brave, but also impulsive and single minded. ravio is a coward, but he's clever and strategic. zelda is knowledgeable and kind, but is ultimately powerless. and hilda is misguided, but also so strongly convicted and determined.

none of these characters are better or worse than the other, simply doing the best with the hand they've been dealt, and trying to make their world a better place for those in it. all four of them

[eclipse-ofthe-sun]

do you ever jusr sit and think about hilda. and all that she is. the hopeless princess with so much conviction she will destroy a world to save her own. the ruler of darkness that has space for so much light inside of her. a jealous, cruel woman who yearns for a sweetness shes been convinced she can never obtain, but deserves just as anyone else does. one of the best loz characters ever. AND shes purple

[eclipse-ofthe-sun]

the hope of all we might've been

a scene i've had in my head for a while of zelda witnessing her father dead for the first time. i imagine he was the final piece in agahnim's plan to fall in place before alttp starts, and this is mere moments before zelda is thrown in the dungeons. a surprisingly solemn moment, with a condolence offered, all pity and nothing more. the past generation having officially fallen and hyrule at the hands of its children

[eclipse-ofthe-sun]

albw zelda...... oh i adore her.

theres not a lot to her that is wholly from her in the games, but in comparison and in reaction, as well as what we can interpret from her circumstances when we do see her, i have a few thoughts and ideas.

zelda is... she's perfect. shes beautiful, and graceful, and demure and kind and sweet. she's everything a princess should be. and that, very much, is on purpose. i think every bit of perfection and light hilda projected onto her is something zelda tries desperately to make true, to make others believe.

i do not think this persona she puts forward is a lie, per se. she is genuinely kindhearted, is graceful and bright and a good leader. but i think this has come at the cost of letting herself be a person, in the way others are granted. she cant make mistakes, she cant yearn for any freedom outside of her responsibilities, she cannot be sad, or angry, or hurt. she must always be the perfect picture of a princess, must always know and must always be the most good.

we never see a king of hyrule, or any larger council or aides, just zelda and impa, and dutiful guards. it gives the impression that zelda is very much alone, very much in solidarity in her life and station. it seems like something like that would be a lot of pressure to put on one young lady, and we have no idea how long that has been hers alone to bear. i headcanon she is just past 19 in albw, but it could be any number of years shes been expected to be hyrules sole leader. and that i think would only reinforce the complex she has over her perfection. if she fails, theres nobody else to take her place. everyone is relying on her.

i think the fact that she was the 'least helpful' in the final fight - not physically, she helps plenty against yuga, but emotionally in connecting to hilda - is a big point of fear and insecurity for her moving forward post albw. the first moment shes not literally a painting, the first moment she has to act the princess and not simply be one, and her perfection crumbles - she fails to convince hilda, and if it wasn't for ravio hyrule would've been doomed. and also in the same moment, its because of everything she tries so hard to be that she fails. too perfect and light to reach out and understand what hilda's going through - it was the one moment she wasnt supposed to be the princess, and she couldnt let it go because its all shes allowed herself to be. and that light blinded someone else, unable to see the person underneath. and that was on purpose and so devastating.

shes perfect, because she has to be, and shes dismayed to find the very thing that wouldve saved hyrule by her own hand is the one thing she can never allow herself to have. she can only be the princess, and never zelda, and its her own fault.

[eclipse-ofthe-sun]

lana and cia are two halves of one woman. but cia keeps her name, keeps her face, where lana is left to reshape it into something just for her. she wears her hair long, and brighter. a cloak only able to hide half of her, clothes disjointed and unable to shake the similarities.

lana and cia are two halves of one woman. but they do not get to be equal, they do not get to be peers, or friends, or sisters, or anything else. they do not get to be each others other half. lana was made to get rid of the problem of cia. cia created lana out of what was only a problem to her. they do not get to exist at the same time, they do not get to keep the other.

lana and cia are two halves of one woman. and it is both of their goals, to kill that woman. whether they want it or not: she cannot exist. a skin outgrown or a problem to be solved; there is no happy ending for the guardian of time.

cia seems to be happy with this, but ultimately doomed to moving back into that dead skin. lana is devastated, and it is her very purpose for living to enact that very thing.

what a fucking tragedy

[eclipse-ofthe-sun]

rotating how much ravio loves lorule (and hilda) in my mind.... how everything he did was in service of lorule and wanting it to be the best it could be. its a cruel place, and theres lots to infer about his early life from who you meet in lorule and how they (and ravio) interact with money, and hiding their faces, and the very idea of travel being dangerous. it isnt a good place to live, to grow up in, those meant to serve it dont believe in it and survival is never guaranteed. but even so ravio loves it so much. and this of course extends to hilda, its leader, and how he knows that her actions are a betrayal of what lorule is meant to be and what they both believe it can be. he wants lorule to be a good place and genuinely believes it can, they just have to do it right, and thats so special to me. that he has ideas and he has morals and he sticks to those even in the complicated mess of what hes been taught he has to do to survive, and that he is motivated out of love before anything else comes into it. before cowardice before fear before self preservation, there is love

[eclipse-ofthe-sun]

link's awakening as a metaphor for transfemininity and being helped in finding courage to be yourself. the dream being marin's dream of herself, the place she can be a woman. she speaks of trying to wake up the windfish - trying to find the courage to be herself, but ultimately unable to do so. the mountain too high, the shell too thick. the monsters are a physical representation of her anxiety and worries, the danger of the outside world. their begging link not to wake up the windfish, to please not destroy them, that idea of your anxieties protecting you from the harsher life of being trans in today's world. link, also a woman, having lived as herself, pink hair proud and bright, helping marin find the strength to wake from the dream. to fly high in a blue sky, free.