Light

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Light is a recurring element in The Legend of Zelda series.^[1] Over the years, light has served various purposes both in narrative and in gameplay. It is a central element archetypal of good, divinity, and heroism.

Role in the Series

Light as a symbolic element

The Triforce within the Sacred Realm

The most iconic source of light in The Legend of Zelda is the Triforce, which usually rests within the Sacred Realm. In Ocarina of Time, the ancient Hylian Rauru guards the Triforce within the Temple of Light in the center of the Sacred Realm as the Sage of Light. After Ganondorf steals the Triforce, Rauru blesses Link with the Light Medallion before he ventures back into Hyrule with the Master Sword. Near the end of the game, Rauru and the other Sages create a bridge of solid light so Link can make his way to Ganon's Castle and rescue Princess Zelda.

Light is also given homage by several melodies: the Prelude of Light, useful for transporting instantly to the Temple of Time in Ocarina of Time, and the Song of Light in Spirit Tracks.

The element of Light is often represented by the human races of Hyrule, particularly the Hylians, since they are often considered the chosen people of the Goddesses. In the era of The Minish Cap, the Hyrulean royal family possessed the Light Force, a gift from the Picori. The royal family is also thought to possess powerful magic due to their bloodline with the Goddess Hylia, and this power tends to emerge when Hyrule is in peril.^[2] Some of the Light power within Princess Zelda's bloodline in Tears of the Kingdom is attributed to the Zonai Rauru, her ancestor, who was known as the King of Light.

Light also plays a large role in the technology of the Hylians, most famously the Beamos. The Beamos is a defense mechanism which uses a rudimentary form of a radar to track targets and dispatch them with a damaging ray of light; such devices often guard some of the Hylians' most ancient structures such as the Desert Palace.^[3] In addition, Hylians construct large lighthouses such as the one found on Windfall Island for navigational purposes; others exists within the Clock Tower in Termina, and atop the Light Tower on Skyloft. Hylians also make use of light to study the heavens, by constructing telescopes such as the one found in the Astral Observatory. Some of the ancient technology left in the Temple of Time by the Hylian's ancestors, such as the Dominion Rod, uses light to take control of large mechanical statues.

By the time of Breath of the Wild, the Sheikah have made such tremendous advances in technology that they can create platforms, barriers, and weapons including swords and bombs out of solid light. They are also capable of engineering autonomous Guardians and Divine Beasts with powerful laser weaponry, instant teleportation, and handheld devices with video screens that can activate magical runes and function as photographic cameras. More rudimentary cameras existed in the era of The Wind Waker and Majora's Mask in the form of the Pictobox.

The Gerudo also make use of light in their technology and architecture found in the Spirit Temple and Lightning Temple, and also use Lighthouses for navigating the desert. Sunlight plays a crucial role for life in the desert, as it can heat the sand to dangerous temperatures and create mirages which can lead the unsuspecting traveler astray.^[4]

The hero from Four Swords Adventures is sometimes known as the Hero of Light for his efforts in collecting Force Gems to empower the Four Sword.^[5]^[6]^[7] He notably had the ability to focus the energy of Force Gems into a powerful Sword Beam, even without full health.

Light as a setting

The four Spirits of Light

The world in which Hyrule exists is often called the Light World in contrast to other, darker realms. In the backstory of A Link to the Past, Ganon seizes power of the Sacred Realm after attaining the Triforce, and turns it into the Dark World; when a being from the Light World enters Dark World, they shapeshift into a creature that reflects their inner self. Only when the individual returns to the Light World will they regain their previous form.

In Twilight Princess, the concept of the Light World plays a similar role as in A Link to the Past in contrast to the Twilight Realm. The land of Hyrule is blessed by four Spirits of Light: Ordona, Faron, Eldin, and Lanayru. With their holy powers, these Spirits protect the different provinces in the land. When the Shadow Beasts led by Zant defeat these Spirits, the influence of twilight is able to cover the land of Hyrule, rendering its inhabitants defenseless and reverting them into ghosts. Link must retrieve the Tears of Light by defeating the Shadow Insects holding them in order to restore the Light World. Light is also capable of severely injuring dark entities, which includes beings who are not evil such as Midna.

It's eventually revealed that light is actually essential for the inhabitants of the Twilight Realm as well. Because there is no Sun in their world, the Palace of Twilight keeps two sacred artifacts, the Sols, which bring light to the Twili people. Without these sources of light, they become Shadow Beasts.

In Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom, the Gerudo Desert becomes unbearably hot in areas illuminated by the sun, and Link must stay in the shadows to avoid taking heat damage.

Light as a force of justice

Light is sometimes framed as a force of good against evil. It is revealed in The Wind Waker that the Master Sword must be blessed by light in order to show its Power to Repel Evil. Whereas the Sages of Light, Forest, Fire, Water, Shadow and Spirit are tasked to seal evil, the Sages of Earth and Wind must pray inside their respective temples in order to infuse the Master Sword with the aforementioned power. In Twilight Princess, however, the Master Sword is blessed instead by the light from the Sols in the Twilight Realm, and this light is the only one capable of penetrating Zant's defenses. It's unknown whether or not this light has effect in the Light World as well, however. In Spirit Tracks, the Recruit's Sword can be empowered with the help of the Tears of Light, allowing Link to stun Phantoms so that Princess Zelda can possess them. In comparison, the Lokomo Sword doesn't need to be empowered, as it has the blessing of the gods and thus has the properties of the Tears of Light as a default.

Light can also be materialized as a weapon in the form of the Light Arrows. These divine arrows are capable of vanquishing darkness more efficiently than any other weapon and, as shown in Ocarina of Time, they also lift evil seals. The Light Arrows are, along with the Silver Arrows, the ultimate weapon to defeat Ganon.

In Skyward Sword, the Goddess Sword can shoot a light beam when put in a skyward position (pointing at the sky).

Light as a puzzle device

The staircase of solid light leading to the Temple of Time's inner dungeon in Twilight Princess

Light-based dungeon mechanics have taken a variety of forms throughout the series and can range from as simple as lighting torches to solving complex sun and mirror puzzles.

In A Link to the Past, the Lantern is used to control light levels in darker areas of Hyrule Castle by lighting multiple torches before they slowly extinguish. A similar puzzle exists in Hyrule Castle's Twilight Princess incarnation which involves lighting and extinguishing specific torches to manipulate staircase steps. In Tears of the Kingdom, lighting becomes a vital mechanic when traversing the Depths; here Link can throw or fire Brighbloom Seeds from his bow to navigate the pitch darkness (alternatively he can drink a Bright Elixir or use a Light device), while Lightroots can illuminate an entire region and reverse Gloom damage when activated.

Link using the Mirror Shield to illuminate a Sun Pattern in the Earth Temple

Manipulating Light Beams is a common dungeon mechanic utilized across the series, particularly in mirror puzzles. In Ocarina of Time, sunlight is used in the Spirit Temple and the Spirit Room to activate Sun Patterns, which can involve moving the switch into the beam path or redirecting sunlight using large mirrors. After the Mirror Shield is acquired, sunlight can be manually redirected at various angles to hit areas that were previously unreachable. In Majora's Mask, this mechanic returns in the Ikana region, particularly in Stone Tower Temple, Ikana Castle, and the well. The Stone Tower Temple is unique in that Light Arrows are consciously used to solve puzzles; once they are acquired, any puzzle that previously required the Mirror Shield can be bypassed by firing a Light Arrow directly at the Sun Switch. In The Wind Waker, sun and mirror puzzles return in the Earth Temple, where Medli can use her reflective harp to redirect sunlight in conjunction with Link's Mirror Shield. In Tears of the Kingdom, Link can redirect sunlight in the Lightning Temple with the Mirror part.

Sunlight is also used in other ways. In A Link to the Past, the core mechanic of Thieves' Town involves bombing various floors of the hideout to bring sunlight into the lowest level to reveal Blind the Thief's true form. Sunlight is also used in the Temple of Droplets to melt ice in The Minish Cap, the Temple of Time to track Armogohma's movements in Twilight Princess, and the Dark Palace to activate eyeball switches in A Link Between Worlds.

A Sun Pattern block in the Stone Tower Temple, which can be dispatched with a Light Arrow

Puzzles may also take the form of optical illusions, similar to those in Dark-themed dungeons. These may involve using the Lens of Truth to discover invisible enemies, barriers, platforms, and fake walls like those found in the Light Room in Ocarina of Time; or in Ikana Castle, the well, and Ikana graveyard in Majora's Mask. The entrance to the Temple of Time dungeon in Twilight Princess is revealed behind an illusory window in the Master Sword chamber; inside, Link must use his wolf senses to detect a hologram-like mirage of the missing statue. In Skyward Sword, Link must use his dowsing ability to locate the Sandship, which is cloaked and invisible to the naked eye. Additionally, puzzles can involve platforms and staircases of solid light, such as in the Tower of the Gods and at the Temple of Time's dungeon entrance. In the Palace of Twilight, Link must used a Sol-infused Master Sword to activate such platforms.

Stealth segments such as those found in the Forsaken Fortress, Eldin Volcano, and Infiltration of Hyrule Castle involve the avoidance of searchlights and other illuminated areas.

Armogohma firing a laser from its eyeball

Lasers present a more physical hazard and are wielded by enemies such as Beamos, Eyegores, and Guardians. In A Link to the Past, Laser Eyes pose a particular threat in Turtle Rock; certain areas can only be accessed by blocking their beams with the Mirror Shield. Beamos and electrifying beam traps are also common in the Temple of Time dungeon and Tower of the Gods, and beam-emitting Moblin statues guard the Forsaken Fortress. In the main section of the Final Trial in Breath of the Wild, Guardians appear successively after Link completes each of the four elemental sections of the Divine Beast and must defeat them each time. Lasers are not always an obstacle and can be used to Link's benefit; in Phantom Hourglass, tribal statues emit beams which pinpoint spots of interest, such as the Temple of Courage. In Spirit Tracks, certain crystals emit a laser after Link plays the Song of Light. In Tears of the Kingdom, many Shrines of Light are revealed after bringing crystals to the shrine entrance; the crystals emit a thin beam which points in the right direction, making the task easier. Link can also find the Beam Emitter part to use lasers offensively.

Dungeon mechanics involving color such as those found in the Color Dungeon and Illusory Mansion may also be interpreted as light-based puzzles.

Light as an arbiter

The Silent Realm in the Faron Woods territory

In Skyward Sword, the Silent Realm is a sacred dimension that has the same layout and design as the world of mortals. However, it has a blue-colored atmosphere, and is patrolled by Guardians, beings capable of defeating Link with one hit. The Silent Realm serves as a trial for the chosen hero fallen from the skies. He must collect Sacred Tears and return alive to his world in order to gain approval from the Goddess and receive a tool that will help on his quest. This is a spiritual test that the hero must complete on his own, without the help of Fi or any of his items. However, there are items that ease his trial. Every Sacred Tear gives the hero 90 seconds to roam around freely without being chased by Guardians. In addition, Light Fruits cause the missing Tears to emit green beams of light into the sky for 30 seconds, allowing the hero to locate them more easily.

In The Wind Waker, the Hero of Winds accepts two tests during his ordeal: The completion of the Tower of the Gods, and the collection and assembling of the Triforce of Courage.

Relationship with electricity

Light appears to be associated with the element of electricity, possibly due to their close relationship in science and technology.

Link electrocuting Puppet Ganon with a Light Arrow

Dungeons with Light-based elements are often accompanied by objects, traps, and enemies that wield electricity. This includes the Misery Mire, Tower of the Gods, Temple of Time, and Lightning Temple.

The Light Arrows from The Wind Waker have an electrical effect when used on Puppet Ganon and Ganondorf, and will even shock Link if accidentally hit by Zelda. Light Arrows in Twilight Princess will also electrify Ganondorf when fired by Zelda.

Enemies and bosses inherently vulnerable to light

Bosses and Mini-Bosses

Blind the Thief (true identity revealed)
Ganondorf (stunned in every game where both he and Light Arrows make an appearance).
Igos du Ikana and his servants (both stunned while fighting, and killed instantly while weakened).
Gomess (its defenses disabled in Majora's Mask).
Eyegore (weakened in Majora's Mask).
Jalhalla (stunned in The Wind Waker).

Enemies

Boo Buddy (stunned and weakened when Link turns the lights on in Link's Awakening).
Dark ChuChu (turned into stone in The Wind Waker).
ReDead (killed instantly in Majora's Mask, stunned in The Wind Waker).
Floormaster (killed instantly in Majora's Mask).
Death Armos (their weaknesses exposed in Majora's Mask).
Shadow Beast (killed instantly in Twilight Princess).
Nocturn (weakened in Spirit Tracks).
Phantom (stunned for possession in Spirit Tracks).