The Legend of Zelda has been one of the most iconic, franchises in gaming. It is arguably the best series that is published by Nintendo. Many of the games in this series sets a new standard for adventure games, including last year’s historic release of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of The Wild. However, long before Breath of The Wild came out and set a new standard for adventure games in the modern era, it was The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time that truly introduced to the gaming world what it is like to play an adventure game in a 3D environment. Even to this day, there are many that still consider Ocarina of Time as the biggest technological achievement in gaming and the greatest game of all time.
Of course, there are many things in this game that is remembered by anyone who has played it. Playing as a young Link, meeting Princess Zelda, obtaining the Spiritual Stones, then traveling seven years into the future as an adult, and conquering the temples to reach Ganon’s castle, defeat Ganondorf, and save Zelda and Hyrule. It was as unforgettable of an adventure as one could get, but there are many secrets about the game, the characters, and the story that had many fans thinking what could be the explanation. Here we will explore 30 secrets and mysteries about the game that could shift your perspective of Nintendo’s masterpiece.
30 The Story Of The Hyrulean Civil War
Before The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time took place, there was a terrible war that broke out. This war was known as the Hyrulean Civil War. This was a war that broke out among the people of Hyrule when knowledge of the existence of the Triforce got out. This war was a battle to gain control of the Sacred Realm, which is where the Triforce was supposedly hidden. This war was referenced in multiple Zelda games, including A Link to the Past, Twilight Princess, and of course, Ocarina of Time. However, neither game really goes too deep into what actually went on in the war.
Long after the Hyrulean Civil War ended, Hyrule united as one and became its own nation.
However, during the war, a gravely wounded Hylian mother escaped to a forbidden forest, carrying her baby boy. She didn’t have many options but to entrust her son to the Great Deku Tree. Sensing the dangers of the situation as well as the destined fate of the child, it accepted the boy to take care of. That boy, of course, is none other than Link, who was raised among the Kokiri people as one of their own.
29 Was The Same Skull Kid From Majora’s Mask Also In Ocarina Of Time?
The true sequel to Ocarina of Time is The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask. This Nintendo 64 game took place roughly right after Link returned to the past in Ocarina of Time and set out on a journey to find Navi. He eventually meets a Skull Kid that is wearing a peculiar mask. This skull kid wasn’t very friendly as he steals Epona and Link’s ocarina away from him and places a curse on him for good measure. Skull Kid himself isn’t truly the villain, before (and after) he was wearing the Majora’s Mask, he was known as a pretty friendly kid.
At the end of Majora’s Mask, Skull Kid meets Link and mentions that he has the same smell as the fairy kid that taught him a song in the woods.
In Ocarina of Time, Link does meet a Skull Kid in the Lost Woods where he teaches him Saria’s Song. The Skull Kid then becomes friends with Link. In addition, Link also sells the skull mask to him, which could have created interests in masks. It was never outright confirmed, but with all the evidence it strongly suggests that the Skull Kid in the Lost Woods and the Skull Kid in Majora’s Mask are one in the same.
28 Was The Triforce Actually Obtainable In Ocarina Of Time?
This was a rumor that perhaps got a bit too carried away. A long time ago one individual created a hoax that carried on quite strongly within the gaming community. That hoax involved the idea of collecting the actual Triforce in The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. This hoax was forged by one gamer through vague teases of providing information and screenshots. These screenshots depicted young Link obtaining the Triforce and were rather legitimate and believable back in 1999. As the hoax gained some chatter and attention, the process was slowly explained when Link had to somehow learn a song from the owl Kaepora Gaebora with another screenshot as support. It was within that screenshot that there was an inconsistency with a few details, including the side of the shoulder Link’s sword is appearing from.
Once presented with the contradiction, the hoaxer admitted that the screenshots were fake.
The hoax was meant as a way to point out how overexcited and perhaps gullible gamers can be in believing such a fake. Since then, many other rumors about finding the Triforce was created, and even could be visible in-game through the use of a hacking device, but it is this hoax that really changed how information can be absorbed in this industry.
27 The Origin Of The Song Of Storms, And The Time Paradox It Creates
I think this picture just about covers the confusing truths of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. Link learns the Song of Storms from Guru-Guru. Yet, in order for Guru-Guru to learn the song he has to learn it from Link when he already learned it from Guru-Guru. If you don’t have a headache by reading this then I envy you because just thinking of this moment causes my head to hurt every time. However, due to the time traveling nature of Ocarina of Time, it is very likely that this was done on purpose. This was a nice little trick for Nintendo to use to take advantage of that story mechanic to mess with our heads, and I gotta say, it has worked.
With that being said, that doesn’t stop many fans from speculating the song’s true origins. When looking at the facts, it is important to consider the composer brothers were laid to rest in Kakariko Village, but it was Flat who taught the song to Link in Majora’s Mask. Therefore the song’s true origins must come from Flat, but was featured as a neat time paradox in Ocarina of Time.
26 The Events During Link’s Time Traveling Slumber
After Link collects the Spiritual Stones to bring to Princess Zelda, a great plot twist occurs where Link himself has to open the door in the Temple of Time to obtain The Master Sword, releasing the seal of the Sacred Realm, and sealing Link for 7 years when he would awaken capable of wielding The Master Sword. A lot has happened during the 7 years in Hyrule, including some mysteries that may not be fully explained.
Hyrule would go through a dark and drastic change.
Since Ganondorf obtained the Triforce of Power (thanks to Link ironically), he overthrows the kingdom and creates his own castle as well as revive Volvagia in Death Mountain. Ganondorf is also the likely reason behind the disappearance of Jabu-Jabu, either the curse that was placed before Link saved him caused the end, or Zora’s Domain freezing overdid it. The later would explain the large block of ice that sat where Jabu-Jabu rested, could be what is left of it. Princess Zelda, under the protection of Impa, fled to somewhere unknown, but between that time and the moment Ganondorf obtained the Triforce of Power, she used her magic powers to veil herself and become Sheik. Since Impa is the eventual sage of the Shadow Temple, it is possible that Sheik could have been dormant there while she (or in this case, he) learned the ways of the Sheikah. What is fascinating about these events is that most of them are not fully explained in the game, but piece by piece, you gather information that shows just how powerful Ganondorf had become.
25 The Dark History Of Bongo Bongo
Bongo Bongo is the boss of the Shadow Temple, a weird creature that played music with the platform Link was battling on. I didn’t think much about who or what Bongo Bongo was when I first saw it, I kind of took it as a bit of a clownish type creature, one you couldn’t really take seriously. I mean, the name Bongo Bongo doesn’t really suggest pure evil and he seemed to enjoy playing bongos. But when you look at a bit of the very dark lore behind Bongo Bongo, you realize he is one of the evilest beings you will encounter in The Legend of Zelda series.
There is an old man in Kakariko Village that mentions how a long time ago, a man had an eye that “could see the truth,” one would normally require intense training to see the truth, but this man had a different way of doing so. “His house stood where the well is now.” Bongo Bongo was believed to be a Sheikah member who betrayed the Royal Family, probably to claim the Triforce for himself. However, Impa would seal him away. Over time, Bongo Bongo would undergo a drastic change and take the form of the “Phantom Shadow Beast” you see in the game.
But it is the actual design that leads to speculate how the Hyrule Royal Family dealt with him.
Considering his hands are severed from his arms and the neck of Bongo Bongo is open, it is possible that Bongo Bongo met his fate via a guillotine. That dark fate would be consistent with many of the contraptions found in both the well and the Shadow Temple. Fans also have speculated that the Dead Hand Link fights in the well was an early manifestation of Bongo Bongo, perhaps making the drastic morph later due to the dark change of Hyrule. It is also important to note that Bongo Bongo is the only boss in Ocarina of Time that Ganondorf had no direct connection to.
24 Princess Zelda Can See Into The Future
In The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time a young Princess Zelda explains that she knew Link would arrive and meet her at some point thanks to a prophecy she had that someone would come from the forest. This would be the only time a prophecy would be mentioned in the series. It is these prophecies that are actually very important to how the events of Ocarina of Time would sort out.
Everything that happened would be how she saw it, even if it required to do something that is too risky.
She anticipated Ganondorf overtaking Hyrule castle, she knew she would have to flee the castle to get away from Ganondorf. Most importantly, she knew that even if she allowed the seal to the Sacred Realm to be broken, thus allowing Ganondorf to obtain the Triforce of Power, she knew that by having Link obtain The Master Sword it would result in the best possible outcome. This was something about Princess Zelda that was so subtly mentioned in the game that it was almost forgotten by many, but as it turns out, being able to prophesize these events has allowed her to fulfill her role in saving Hyrule.
23 Princess Zelda May Not Be The Only One Who Can See The Future
Speaking of prophecies, it appears Princess Zelda may not be the only one who can have prophecies. If you remember the beginning of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, the game starts out with Link waking up from a nightmare. That nightmare featured Link in a fateful encounter with a mysterious dark figure riding on top of a horse. Of course, that nightmare would become true as Link would encounter Ganondorf riding his horse in front of Hyrule Castle Town after collecting the Spiritual Stones. However, that may not be the only prophecy Link has experienced.
In the beginning of the game, at the base of the tree that Link lives in, there is a rough sketch of a person standing up against some sort of monster. The sketch does appear a bit off, looking to be an angel going up against some sort of dinosaur creature, but it appears to be too much of a coincidence as it is a strong reference to the game’s final battle when Link takes on Ganon in beast form. Link may not have the same foretelling capability as Zelda, but it is pretty cool to see little references like that from time to time.
22 The Sages Medallions Were Originally Items
The Sages Medallions were given to Link by each of the Sages after Link liberated the evil that resided within their respective territories. The medallions themselves did nothing more than be a token of accomplishment and support from each of the awaken sages. However, at one point in time, these medallions were supposed to be items Link would use during his adventure. In the beta for The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, each of these items were usable. There were plenty of screenshots that prove this, and if you ever somehow got your hands on a beta version you could actually play with those items. Each medallion basically used to be a magic item that veterans would already be familiar with.
For example, the Fire Medallion would have the same effect as Din’s Fire.
Interestingly enough the Fire Medallion symbol in front of the Shadow Temple was one such example that proved that the medallions were usable items. Other examples included the Forest Medallion using Farore’s Wind, and the Spirit Medallion using the Lens of Truth. The later is interesting as it would have required the Spirit Temple to be finished before the Shadow Temple, which in many cases is not the normal order of progression.
21 Who Does The Spirit Temple’s Goddess Statue Represent?
One of the most fascinating facts about the Gerudo is simply how different of a race than others in terms of culture. The Gorons appeared a bit lazy, while the Zoras come off as another royal kingdom. The Gerudo has their own traditions, their own activities, their own style that is unique to them. One noticeable difference is a Goddess statue that resides within the Spirit Temple. It shows that there is even diversity in what they believe in.
Question is, exactly who is the Goddess statue depicting? There is nothing in the game that would acknowledge the statue and reveal who it is, but by looking at the lore of other names, you could draw the conclusion that the Goddess statue depicts the Goddess Din. Din commonly represents the fire element in Zelda games and considering the Gerudo’s location in a hot desert, it would be a sensible match for Din. In addition, the Gerudo King Ganondorf obtains the Triforce of Power, which is the part of the Triforce that Din represents. This is one example of how Ocarina of Time is a deeper game than what is seen on the surface.
20 Ganondorf Had Some Kind Of Plan With Horses
One of the cool things about Ganondorf is how he made his appearance at the end of the young Link portion of the game. He shows up during an ominous storm and the blasts Link with a touch of his dark magic, then rides off in his horse. The horse in particular seems extra cool here because you don’t really see it much in Ocarina of Time. It does have a rather intimidating design with it’s jet black skin, fiery orange mane and eyes that spell out “evil stare.” Later on, Link will encounter what appears to be the same horse in the Phantom Ganon fight in the Forest Temple.
Once Link earns Epona from Lon Lon Ranch, you’ll learn that Epona was supposed to be a gift to Ganondorf. Obviously, Ganondorf needed a replacement for his old horse, but why does he need another horse? He didn’t seem to be in high demand for one, just one that is strong and fast, kind of like Epona. It is just pure speculation, but either Ganondorf needed a new horse to travel to lands beyond Hyrule, or he could have use of more horses to assist future Phantom Ganon creations.
19 Was Link Able To Access Gerudo Fortress As A Child?
This was a mystery that, when you think about it, made the actual sequence in The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time rather odd. Apparently there is one hidden piece of heart that can be obtained in Gerudo Fortress, however, it is only seen when you enter as a child.
It turns out there were a lot of evidence that supported the theory that the developers intended on having young Link venture through Gerudo Fortress, specifically to rescue each of the carpenters that were captured.
Hidden within the game’s files were text from a Gerudo saying “When you finally learn to ride a horse you should come back and try it.” That line obviously references the fact that young Link cannot ride a horse until he is older. Furthermore, after saving one of the carpenters, he expresses his thanks by calling Link “cute kid.” Now maybe he is just one of those types of male characters that isn’t afraid of calling a teenage/young adult male cute, but the dialogue does strike as a bit odd. Also, the logistics of Link firing arrows to knock out Gerudo guards doesn’t make sense, I’m pretty sure a direct hit from arrows would do more than just knock someone unconscious. The slingshot on the other hand, would make a lot more sense in that situation.
18 Who Gets Transformed Into A Stalchildren?
The Stalchildren were some of the most annoying enemies in Ocarina of Time, they would show up at night in small packs to hunt Link down. After Link dispatches them, a few more show up just a few seconds later! On that note, they are also really annoying in Breath of the Wild too for how they show up very randomly at night. Stalchildren aren’t the only skeleton type enemy to show up in the game, there are also Stalfos, whom used to be Hylians, and there are Skull Kids, who used to be Kokiri, but what are the Stalhchildren based from?
Ocarina of Time doesn’t provide an answer, but in The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask, you are able to talk to them after you obtain the Captian’s Hat. One of your conversations will lead to Stalchildren being former soldiers, but the answers stop there. Could that really be the case? First of all, as their name implies, they used to be children, second, I doubt that they were Hylian soldiers due to having a much different shaped skull than a Hylian. Could there have been a race that went extinct before Ocarina of Time?
17 Was the Ice Cavern supposed To Be An Ice Temple?
As with many games in the Nintendo 64 era, there would always be some content that is either cut or altered in the final version. In Ocarina of Time, it appears that there might have been other temples that would eventually be replaced throughout development.
It appears that there was an “Ice Temple” in the early planning phases of the game.
The evidence that supports this is actually found in Ganon’s Castle. Inside of Ganon’s castle are rooms that involve puzzles based off of the previous temples, a montage of sorts. The Water Temple room is actually based more off of the Ice Cavern that you access before the Water Temple. In addition, the plot surrounding Zora’s Domain would fit more with the idea that there was an Ice Temple. Sheik tells Link that by defeating the monster in the Water Temple, it would eventually unfreeze Zora’s Domain. That obviously never happens and it doesn’t make much sense considering that Lake Hylia is on the other side of Hyrule.
Lastly, it appears that the Water Medallion is based off of the ice element, a snowflake. It is unsure why the Ice Temple was removed, but it just brings up the bigger mystery, who the heck thought it was a good idea to prefer the Water Temple’s design over an Ice Temple?
16 Could The Forest Temple Also Be An Altered Dungeon?
Much like the possible Ice Temple, it appeared that there was evidence supporting the idea of a Wind Temple being a part of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. Most of the supporting evidence is very similar to that of the Ice Temple. In the Forest Temple room of Ganon’s Castle, there are fans that blow air currents across the room. Oddly enough, in order to get through the room, you would have to use the Hover Boots, an item that was not found in the Forest Temple, thus never needed for that dungeon’s puzzles. Also, the fans in the room were not seen in the Forest Temple at all. In fact, they were found in the Shadow Temple.
In addition to all of that, just like how the Water Medallion resembles a snowflake, the Forest Medallion resembles a design that looks a bit like a fan. It is important to note that hackers have found Japanese text in the ROM for both a Wind Medallion and and Ice Medallion. When the Wind Medallion was hacked into Link’s inventory the design was that of the Forest Medallion, thus further proving the initial intent of both of the dungeons mentioned.
15 Was The Temple Of Time Originally The Light Temple?
Yet another potentially removed or altered dungeon in Ocarina of Time. Considering how the Light Medallion was basically given to you as soon as Link obtained the Master Sword, it does leave players to wonder if there was originally a Light Temple. One of the first hints at the possible existence is the song, “The Prelude of Light.” Link learns the Prelude of Light from Sheik at the Temple of Time as early as after saving Saria in the Forest Temple. What is odd about the song is that in the menu screen, it is listed as the final song Link learns based on the order of the songs, which isn’t true. Furthermore, the warp panel in the Temple of Time has the light symbol on it.
Finally, there are few hints within the Temple of Time itself that suggested so, light coming down into the temple even when it is dark outside, as well as the design on the Door of Time resembling the sun itself.
If you had played through Twilight Princess, then you have seen that the dilapidated Temple of Time actually had a hidden passage that lead to a dungeon, that concept likely would have been applied in Ocarina of Time had there been a Light Temple. Also, it is likely some of the concepts for puzzles were transferred into the Spirit Temple with puzzles requiring the use of light.
14 The Running Man Is Undefeated!
Have you tried to beat the running man’s time in his own race hoping to earn some kind of reward? I’m willing to bet every single one of you who tried failed. The running man is so fast that no matter how well you run the course, he will always beat you by exactly one second. Gamers have tried all sorts of methods, from taking advantage of glitches, to even hacking the game. Even if you hack the game and froze the clock at zero, he will still beat you. Fortunately, there is no prize for beating the unbeatable, although it would make a hilarious tease if there was.
Shigeru Miyamoto must have had a heck of a trolling laugh implementing this into the game.
One fact that proved this was intentional by Nintendo was that an English translator never had to translate a congratulations message for defeating him during the localization process. Ocarina of Time’s running man is arguably the fastest character ever in a video game. He is the type of character that will tell Sonic that he is too slow. Captain Falcon couldn’t beat him even if he was in the Blue Falcon. No matter who you pit in a race against the running man, he will always be one second ahead.
13 The Fate Of The Six Sages
With the exception of Rauru and obviously Princess Zelda, all of the sages meet a very similar fate. It is a bit of a secret as to exactly what happened to each of these individuals before they awakened as sages, but it was for the better as the reality is rather sad and dark for your standard Nintendo game. Each of these sages meets their end as they tried to battle and hold off their respective evil haunting their temple. Some of these characters Link actually runs into shortly before their fated encounter like Darunia and Princess Ruto.
This is actually something that appears to be a bit common in some Zelda games. In Breath of the Wild for example, each of the Champions had to battle Calamity Ganon’s incarnations, however, they presumably failed in their fights and became spirits that were trapped within their own divine beast. The two plot details are very similar to each other and it really shows some of the saddest moments in the series as the sages leave loved ones behind. These subtle moments in Ocarina of Time really become clear as the credits play showing relating characters in a moment of mourning.
12 The Mystery Of The Happy Mask Salesman
The happy mask salesman is one of the most recognizable characters from the Nintendo 64 Legend of Zelda games. Even among his role as a side quest NPC, he is still one of the most mysterious, yet oddly important characters in Ocarina of Time. A lot of the plot details that were introduced in Majora’s Mask is actually applicable and relevant to Ocarina of Time. Since Majora’s Mask took place very shortly after the events of Ocarina of Time, one can draw the conclusion that the happy mask salesman already had the Majora’s Mask in his possession.
For obvious reasons, he wouldn’t have the Majora’s Mask available, but popular speculation leads to believe that the happy mask salesman made a world saving decision to evacuate Hyrule when Ganondorf overtook the castle. It is doubtful that Ganondorf knew about the power of Majora’s Mask, but had he gotten his hands on it, he could have terrifyingly enhanced powers, or could have used the evil entity within the mask to further his ambition. It is a plot detail that isn’t explained, but by putting the pieces together, you can develop a stronger connection between the two games.
11 Start In The Present, Travel To The Future, And The Past As Well?
The main ideology of Ocarina of Time is obviously time travel as Link travels between the present and the future, but what about the past? Well, it’s very possible that Ocarina of Time conceptually could have include a sequence where Link travels to the past. According to unused text files in the game, there are three messages that say the entrance to the past, present, and future. Most likely this is a reference to the Spirit Temple, traveling between the present (young Link) to the future (adult Link).
However, it suggests that three different time periods might have been planned, with Link possibly traveling to the past.
Now a lot of this is just speculation, but traveling to the past could have just been used for early concepts of the Spirit Temple. However, if the plan at one point was to travel back in the past, then perhaps the game could have ventured into the time during the Hyrulean Civil War and explain a lot of what happened back then. However, it could create the problem of Link traveling back to the past, aging back into a baby. Obviously, there wouldn’t be much potential to be playing as a baby Link, he isn’t Mario after all.
