An Analysis of LoZ’s Magic and Color Symbolism
Builds off of this video:
(This is essentially a notes dump, so… have fun!)
Dark, Light, and Spirits: Twilight
Other observations:
Red is associated with Ganondorf’s evil magic
When you kill the bugs that hoard the blue light, they poof and red poofs fade away like the poof effect after monsters die
The twili monsters also have red on them in place of green-blue
Midna’s spirit energy was what the light spirit/Zant? burned out; Zelda gave her own spirit to her (she sees everything that happens from here on out); this lets her stay in her real form in the light world
Bright blue is analogous to light magic (light spirit’s tears plus Master sword guardians), while a more greenish blue (teal) is analogous to the twilight people’s magic (more generally spirit/soul as well)
Except it may actually be different—more so sacred magic? This comes from final TotK fight
It’s most likely the manipulation of spirit magic that got the twilight people banished, or something along those lines
It’s mere dark/twilight energy that transforms Dusk at first, but the true curse (the shadow crystal that lets him be a wolf in the light world) is dark magic (as in orange-black)
Interestingly enough, instead of the red of Ganondorf, it’s just orange like Midna’s hair - so maybe not truly the same power, but something similar; probably just got filtered through Zant first, so likely a degree removed from Ganondorf himself
Mind, Soul, and Body
A continuation of the above.
I noticed that there are more color associations, also present in BotW/TotK
Red: Power (body/substence—based off of Din’s role in creation), greed
Demise
Most iterations of Ganondorf
Notably TotK’s Ganondorf and DraGan
The Twili that Zant controlled (using Ganondorf’s power)
Pretty much exclusive to Evil (at least for the color of magic specifically, not red things in general), and the only times it isn’t is actually just fire magic, which is completely different (and more orange), or it’s related to Din herself, though she’s also associated with gold
Doesn’t seem to need any other magic to control (or maybe Ganon just uses Shadow magic to do so; or the slight purple tinge in malice and gloom is hints of Mind, in which case Red doesn’t need much to control it, or maybe it completely overpowers Mind)
Defeated by a green-clad hero; opposites on the color wheel
BotW uses wisdom (metaphorical) and Light instead for its mindless menace, but TotK is back at it with Green for the true threat
Burns away in Light (as shown by Zelda and gloom damage)
Blue: Wisdom (mind, more so intellect then actual Wisdom, what the video lumped in with spirit but that’s not quite the whole picture), information, fairly clinical and lacking emotion
Sheikah tech (active/actively doing something or manipulating something; perhaps the orange magic getting manipulated?)
The blue completely overshadows the orange for Shiekah (other way around for Yiga maybe?); opposites on the color wheel
Some Twili magic: portals and markings on the Twili’s body, including Midna
Excessive light magic can overshadow/cover up this magic (happens to Midna, plus the Twili can’t normally physically be in the light world); doesn’t seem to be the case in BotW, so perhaps this element only applies to Blue with shadow?
Or is that color actually Teal? Really close to blue regardless
Healing magic, namely Mipha
Good at guiding things/doing stuff, not so good at powering them it seems
Like the inner mechanisms of a machine
Probably easy to control itself, so mixing it in with other magics makes them easier to control
Green: Courage (soul, life)
Wolf Link is tinted green
Zoni, but not the full story with them
The Dominon Rod’s energy ball—stated directly to be Life; the rod itself is blue/teal
Mastery over life itself
Probably hard to control, but able to guide itself somewhat; it just probably won’t do what you want it to do
Like Life itself; Red Power can’t control it, and Blue Intelligence struggles to understand (you have to let it do its own thing and not be heavy-handed)
Orange: (Tamer) Power (Red Power mixed with Yellow Light for ease of handling maybe?), power with a purpose (other then the pursuit of more power); Dark (but not always evil) magic—might need to be mixed with Shadow to be considered that
Midna’s hair, charge attack as a wolf (also Midna’s doing), shadow crystal
Light magic burns out this type, evidenced by Midna’s hair loosing some of its color at the tips after something
Also mixed with Shadow Magic for these ones
Shrines (that have power but aren’t activated), Yiga and that one Monk’s teleportation
The Yiga are also associated with Demise-Red (also the Monk, though that could just be reused assets, or the reason why Shiekah tech was banned)
Possessed guardians
Amazing at powering stuff
Like a battery
Teal: Spirit (soul + mind/life + thought)
Ghosts (yes, they still have life force even in death—trust me on this; they’re more blue anyway)
Zoni tech (more green then ghosts)
Takeaways:
The Zoni power with Courage, while the Shiekah power with Tamed Power; both control with Mind
The Twili are a lot like the Shiekah, just with shadow magic (and also a lot less orange magic, though maybe that was stripped away from them? It’s their hair color though)
Maybe Shiekah tech got banned due to its hidden connections to Dark Magic?
[Part two with an analysis of light vs. holy magic and updated thoughts will be posted eventually]
