Tragic Deaths in The Legend of Zelda #2

Added: 2026-05-31

[00:00:08]Hey folks, a few weeks back I made a video talking  about the most tragic deaths throughout the Legend of Zelda series. Exploring the heartbreaking  stories behind each passing. From the murder of Queen Sonai at the hands of Ganondorf to the  hollowing loss of the Deku Butler's son and many more. As I was reading through the comments of  that video I realized that I missed some pretty significant and truly heartbreaking passings in  the series so today's video is a continuation.

[00:00:40]Let’s look at five more deaths across the  Zelda series and delve into the sorrowing stories at how these individuals met their end.  The original video will be linked below if you’d like to check it out afterwards but without  further ado be sure to go and grab yourself a delicious snack and drink for the video folks,  subscribe if you’re new around here and drop a cheeky wee like down below. Now let’s dive into  some heartbreaking deaths in The Legend of Zelda.

[00:01:22]In the best adventure Twilight Princess after Link  thaws out the frozen Zora Throne room, an evil action of Zants Twilight Invasion the hero, Link  still in his beastual wolf form can see the damage this act left on the Zora people. Their trapped  spirits are dazed and confused, hardly able to get ahold of their breath after being frozen in place.  As Link and Midna prepare to leave the Zora Throne Room believing that’s business taken care of here,  they’re called upon by the spirit of Queen Rutela.

[00:01:56]The former monarch of the Zora who ruled over the  domain. She goes on to explain more details of the dark events that transpired here not so long ago.  Terrifying shadow beasts raided the Zora’s home.

[00:02:09]Freezing over the water which trapped many Zora  in place. Whilst also cutting means of transport for those not in the water. However, most brutally  of all Queen Rutela explains that in order to send a message to her people the dark shadow invaders  had her executed directly in front of her people.

[00:02:30]No thoughts for the innocent youths of the domain.  Not an ounce of mercy spared at what horrible actions they were doing. The one these people  looked up to was simply murdered before their very eyes. A message that would swiftly wipe  what little hope they had of getting through such a malicious assault on their home. To then  be topped off by having their home frozen over, trapping them within the bloodstained  Throne Room high above the river.

[00:02:57]As those dark events took place, Rutela sent  her son Prince Ralis to rush to Hyrule Castle so he could inform Princess Zelda of what  was happening. A beacon of hope to send aid to the Zora… unfortunately Princes Ralis  was intercepted on his way to Hyrule Castle by more Shadow Beasts. He was attacked  and barely survived, if it wasn’t for being found by Ilia and brought into Castle  Town to try and find the Prince medical aid.

[00:03:26]Queen Rutela explains to Link that  despite having already passed herself, that she could feel the presence of her son  weaken. Knowing that something went wrong or happened to him. She asks if the hero can save  her son, incentivising this task with the reward of the Zora Armour which would allow Link to dive  deep beneath water without any need for air. Which would be essentially on his quest that’d soon take  him to the Lakebed Temple deep below Lake Hylia.

[00:03:54]Link honours the late Zora Queen by aiding her  son. In the game's infamous escort mission the hero helps Telma and Ilia transport the  ill Prince from Castle Town to Kakriko, a route plagued with monsters. Once in Kakariko  Village Prince Ralis is treated by Renado and starts his journey to recovery. After seeing  what Link has done for her boy, Queen Rutela appears in front of Link in Kakariko Village. Her  floating spiritual form guides the hero to the hidden grave behind the village graveyard. Where  we find the resting place of the already passed Zora King. This is where Rutela plans to rest in  peace, now knowing that her boy is in good hands.

[00:04:36]Before leaving she keeps her word and presents  Link with the Zora Armour. She tells Link to let Ralis know that his mother loves him and with  that her time in this adventure comes to an end.

[00:04:50]The tragic death of Queen Rutela is one that was  horrific to learn. The assault that took her life away happens before the events of the game. We  as the player and Link as the hero discover the hollow aftermath of the Twilight Invasion. If  the scenes at Hyrule Castle are anything to go by I can only imagine the attack on Zora’s Domain  looked similar. After sending her own son away to inform Hyrule of the danger she was made an  example of, right in the innocent eyes of her own people… To add to it all, Prince Ralis would have  known absolutely nothing of what happened at the Domain. Queen Rutela was murdered after he left  for Hyrule Castle. The Prince was then effectively put into a coma as a result of being attacked.  It’s a brutal tale that perfectly captures the struggles of the Twilight Invasion troubling  The Kingdom of Hyrule. During the games end credits we get a moment of light in this dark  story however. We can see the spirit of Rutela looking over Prince Ralis at Zora’s Domain. With  everything back at peace, Zora life flourishes.

[00:06:02]Right before the big plot twist  of Ocarina of Time takes place, which sees Link jump ahead in time seven  years as Ganondorf takes over Hyrule, there’s an easily missed character during this  part of the game that plays a significant role in the development of these events.  Unfortunately costing them their life… After Link encounters Princess Zelda and her  personal guardian Impa fleeing at pace from Castle Town. With the King of Evil Ganondorf  hot on their tales, something happened within the settlement that isn’t seen to our eyes but  the leftovers can be found. When Link heads into Castle Town after collecting the Ocarina of Time  thrown into the moat by Princess Zelda, if he decides to explore around a little before heading  to the Temple of Time he can stumble across and fatally wounded guard down an alleyway. He can  only be found here in this state following the fleeing of Zelda and Impa because it was during  their escape that this Guard met a terrible fate.

[00:07:03]If Link speaks to the guard, he’ll ask if  that’s the boy from the forest. Trying his best to get some final words out before his  injuries become too much. Struggling to hold himself steady he utters that he has something  to tell Link. Ganondorf the King of the Gerudo has betrayed the King of Hyrule. Link previously  saw the Gerudo King swearing allegiance to Hyrule… but it was false. A part of Ganondorf's grand  plan to take over. He explains that Impa sensed the dangers of Ganondorf and fled as soon as  possible with Zelda beside her. With Ganondorf sharp to their plans he set after the pair and  in these frantic moments this guard right here tried to stop the King of Evil himself. This is a  man who towers over Hylians in height. He’s built like a warrior and all whilst riding a giant  horse. The guard attempted to stop this threat and was fatefully wounded in his effects, leaving  him down this alley hanging on for dear life. In the final moments of his life he manages to tell  Link that Zelda wanted to give him something. That something being the Ocarina of Time he collects  from the moat. Right before passing away the guard advises Link to head to the Temple of  Time, using what little life he has left in him and then he collapses. His body falls void of  life and in that moment the brave guard who tried to stop the Ganondorf, likely slowing him down at  least and allowing Zelda and Impa to escape dies.

[00:08:40]This is a tragic story of an unsung hero who  easily gets missed as there’s no in game reason to actually discover him. He’s likely here as  a way to direct players on where to go if they get lost during this part of the adventure. But  the implications of what he did are massive. Him slowing the King of Evil down plays a massively  significant knock on effect for the events of the game. If he didn’t make the sacrifice he did,  would Ganondorf have caught up to the Princess and Impa? It’s entirely possible. The Dying Guard  of Castle Town is easily one of the coolest NPC stories in the entire Zelda series. This man  dies a hero and his story deserves to be told.

[00:09:25]In the classic adventure of A Link To The Past,  Link can discover a mysterious character in the Haunted Groove. There’s a boy here who plays  his flute for the animals of the woodlands. A harmless and whimsical character to stumble upon  but as Link gets closer the flute boy begins to vanish. Something's not quite right here. The  flute boy's father can be found in the Tavern of Kakariko Village. If asked he’ll tell Link  that his son went off on a quest to find the Golden Power. Referring to the almighty Triforce  relic but since setting off he hasn’t seen him.

[00:10:02]The village innkeeper also tells Link that the  boy had a pet bird who travelled everywhere with him. Even saying that they went to Death  Mountain together but again never returned.

[00:10:14]In order for Link to get close enough to the  flute boy without him vanishing he needs to enter the Haunted Groove from within the Dark  World. The alternative version of Hyrule that’s been cast into darkness by the evil wizard  Agahim. It’s essentially the same base world but with different versions of existing locations  now influenced by the evil ruler of the land. The Dark World can also affect the physical appearance  and nature of life. From flora and fauna to living and breathing humans. Link is able to transport  between these two plains thanks to portals and the magic mirror and it’s through shifting between  the light and dark worlds that the truth of the mysterious Flute Boy is revealed. When Link enters  the Haunted Groove within the dark world he’ll meet a curious creature sitting on the tree stump  where the Flute Boy would normally be found. If Link speaks with him he’ll tell the hero “After  wandering into this world I turned into this shape… I enjoyed playing the flute in the original  world… …There was a small grove where many animals gathered. I want to see that place again… …I  buried my flute there with some flower seeds.

[00:11:24]This creature is the Flute Boy. He appears to have  been trapped within The Dark World. The effects of the it turned him into this unrecognizable  creature. Whilst also robbing him of his passion and love for playing the Flute. He offers Link  his shovel in return to helping him find his beloved flute. Telling Link it was buried nearby  alongside flowers. If Link returns to the Light World and digs around he’ll find the flute nearby  but when he returns to the Dark World to return it the transformed Flute Boy says he can’t play  it anymore and that if Link could return the flute to his dad in Kakariko Village. His  mind becomes hazy and he requests Link to play the flute so he can hear it one last time.  In a really heartbreaking moment Link begins to play the flute for the boy before he becomes  one with the tree stump, appearing to petrify into a tree himself. Implied to be the tragic  death of the boy who loved playing his flute.

[00:12:29]As the story of The Wind Waker reaches its  summit, moments before the Grand Showdown against Ganondorf takes place a truly monumental  moment comes from The King of Hyrule. Atop Ganons tower deep below the waves of the Great Sea, in  the old Kingdom of Hyrule now washed away. The Gerudo King is within arms reach of the full  Triforce. Control of such a relic would grant him whatever he wants. In his case that’s Hyrule  itself. Power and control of the land to do as he pleases but in the moments before Ganondorf  is granted his evil desires the King of Hyrule steps in first and touches the Triforce.  He uses the divine blessing to wish for a future. Hope for the kids laying down beaten by  Ganondorf. For the now ancient land to be washed away once and for all. To create a path for a  brighter future. Water begins to gush downward, the remains of the Kingdom from long ago begin  to flood once more and it’s in this incredibly epic setting that the final boss battle  between Link and Ganondorf gets underway.

[00:13:37]The two battle it out atop the tower, with water  rushing down and filling the land below. It’s a true speculation of a final boss fight, one which  ends with Link driving the Master Sword through Ganondorf's skull, turning the King of Evil  to stone but that's not the tragic death here.

[00:13:56]As Link and Zelda hold onto one  another after a fierce battle, the King of Hyrule begins to talk about how  he’d have done things differently if he could start again. How not a day has gone by where  he hasn’t thought about his Kingdom of old.

[00:14:10]This is the very same leader who led The Kingdom  of Hyrule before the Great Flood that swept Hyrule beneath the waves. During the era prior to  The Wind Waker where the hero didn’t show up, forcing the Gods hands into flooding the land  to prevent evil from taking over. This is also known as the event which starts the adult timeline  split, following the events of Ocarina of Time.

[00:14:32]King Daphnes Nohansen never gave up on his Kingdom  and always held out hope that one day it would be restored but now he sees that time has passed and  his duty must pass with it. As the water caves in over the three, Link and Zelda are protected by  air bubbles and begin to ascend to the surface as the King wished for them to have a future.  Meanwhile he remains with his Kingdom of old, knowing that his sacrifice aided in the battle  against Ganondorf. Buying Link and Zelda valuable time to be able ultimately put a stop to  Ganondorf's quest for control. In the emotional final moments of the King's life Link reaches out  for his hand desperately wanting to pull him up to the surface with them but the King remains.  Being washed into the deep blue with Kingdom.

[00:15:23]King Daphnes Nohansen Hyrule dies a not so much a  tragic per say but a bittersweet one. He ends his adventure by ensuring a future for the next  generation and wish would be fufilled. Link and Zelda go onto another adventure following  this, the events of Phantom Hourglass. Which then leads onto another adventure where  together they discover and find new land, creatively naming it New Hyrule and this is  where the adventure of Phantom Hourglass, Spirit Tracks takes place. If it wasn’t for the  Kings bravery this might have never happened.

[00:16:07]One of the series most iconic adventures  opens with the Guardian Deity of the Forest, the Great Deku Tree summoning one of his fairies,  Navi. He explains that the climate of evil has been descending upon their realm. Evil forces  are mustering a plan to attack Hyrule. For a long time the Kokiri Forest that the Deku Tree  watches over has served as a barrier helping to maintain order in the world. However the evil  that festers around Hyrule is growing greater than that of the Great Deku Tree’s power. In  order to act upon the wicked plans being built the Great Deku Tree decides that it’s time for the  boy without a fairy to begin his journey. The one destined to become the hero Hyrule needs. That boy  is none other than Link. A young Hylian who has been brought up in the Kokiri Forest as if he is  Kokiri himself. The Great Deku Tree instructs Navi to find and bring Link back to him. Stating  that the fate of the world depends on this.

[00:17:09]After Link reaches the Great Deku Tree with  his new companion Navi, the Guardian Deity begins to explain to the hero what's going on.  Like Link, the Great Deku Tree has seen the nightmares that have been occurring of late.  Visions of the evil King of Gerudo. He tells Link that the time to test his courage has come.  Despite being a Deity he’s succumbed to a curse, one put on him by the very evil he speaks of.  Link is tasked with entering the Great Deku Tree and getting to the bottom of the curse. This is  the game's opening Dungeon and it concludes with Link battling against Queen Gohma. The parasitical  armoured arachnid that’s the source of the Great Deku Trees pain. Proving his courage as a hero  Link slays this parasite, relieving the Great Deku Tree… or so he thought. As Link exists and  returns outside to speak with the Guardian of the Forest the Great Deku Tree begins to talk more  directly about Ganondorf himself. Explaining that he cast the curse and tells Link all about  his desire to enter the Sacred Realm in order to take control of the Triforce and take over  the land. This conversation takes a bitter turn however. Instead of a rallying speech to motivate  the hero before he sets off on his grand adventure to prevent evil from taking over… the Great  Deku Tree falls ill. He reveals that he was doomed from the beginning. Despite Link taking  care of the parasite inside him it’s too late.

[00:18:39]Link is the final hope that the fate of Hyrule  rests upon. Setting up a much more dramatic, daunting and massive task ahead. The Great  Deku Tree gives Link the Sacred Kokiri Emerald, one of three spiritual stones that he’ll find  on his quest. The Great Deku Tree sends the hero on his way to Hyrule Castle before the colour  in his bark begins to fade. Leaves shed from his tall branches and in this moment the Great Deku  Tre, the guardian of the forest passes away.

[00:19:14]The death of the Great Deku Tree is what ties  together the opening of this adventure. It begins as a curious and whimsical tale tucked  away within the enchanting woodlands of Kokiri Forest. To then swiftly shift to a quest to save  the entire Kingdom. The passing of the Guardian Deity of the Forest adds so much emphasis to the  importance of Link's quest and is a massive part of setting up just how significant this task  really is. It’s a tragic and sad beginning as the Great Deku Tree took Link into their home as  a baby. Prior to the events of Ocarina of Time, Hyrule went through a brutal Civil War. During  this period a Hylian Mother fled into the Lost Woods in search of safety for her child. It’s  here that Link was accepted and taken into protection. The Great Deku Tree could sense  the destiny of this child. He knew Link would be the hero Hyrule needs someday and despite  not being a child of the Forest, he took Link in as one of his own. It’s a sad opening to  one of the greatest adventures in the series.

[00:20:19]Thanks a ton for watching folks, I really hope  you enjoyed the video and if you did be sure to subscribe to the channel for lots more fabulous  Zelda content from myself and of course drop a cheeky wee like down below. Let me know down  in the comments who you feel the most tragic or heartbreaking across the Zelda series. I  always love reading your comments so be sure to leave one. If you missed the first part of this  video I'll have it linked down in the description, it'll also pop up somewhere here on screen  and it'll be on the end card of the video.

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