More Games Should Follow The Legend Of Zelda's Use Of Mythology

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series is a masterclass in using real-world mythology to inspire its world, and other games should take note. Of course, being inspired by mythology is far from a unique quality of the games. Plenty of games and other media draw on mythology as inspiration, some more blatantly than others. Games like and are explicitly adaptations of certain myths. In contrast, games like the series include some mythological elements, such as the Apples of Eden or Mjölnir.

Although most players likely know the inspirations behind a game like, ’s inspirations are more subtle. This has allowed the series to establish its own strong identity, despite having taken inspiration from myths. Not all games with mythological inspiration have managed to pull this off. Any developers looking to create their own new IPs should seriously consider taking cues from ’s use of mythology when considering creating a unique video game world.

One key element in ’s successful use of mythology is the balance between borrowing and creating. takes a lot of inspiration from Celtic mythology. Fairies are a mainstay in both Celtic mythology and the series. The Master Sword is similar to Claidheamh Soluis (The Sword of Light), a sword that appears in bridal-quest stories that themselves share narrative similarities to. However, while takes inspiration from these elements, it does not adapt them on a one-to-one basis.

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Perhaps the best example of this is ’s fairies. Fairies in are typically helpful, either healing the player or else guiding them like Navi does in. In contrast, the word fairy in Celtic mythology describes a wide range of different beings, many of which are tricksters or downright malevolent. While ’s fairies share a name and some superficial similarities to fairies from mythology, the games still imbue their fairies with enough unique qualities to make them stand