10 Most DISTURBING Quests in Zelda Games
The Bargainers
“The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom” (2023)
In the Depths, which is already a pretty dark place both literally and figuratively, Link can find the Bargainers. These giant, living statues are essentially merchants, selling Link resources, weapons, and armor pieces, and gaining new stock as Link progresses through the area. Only, they don’t accept Rupees like other shopkeepers; they accept Poes, which, while enemies in most games, are simply souls of the dead here. On paper, the Bargainers are seemingly innocent, if not a little creepy. But we have to wonder what need they have for these souls. Considering each Bargainer is found directly underneath a statue of the Goddess Hylia, the game implies that the two are at odds; opposites, of a sort. And here we are, happily trading the essence of Hyrule’s citizens to these mysterious behemoths, just for some gear.
A Lovely Haunting
“The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword” (2011)
Early on in “Skyward Sword,” Link learns of a ghostly hand haunting the Knight Academy bathroom. This was inspired by two things: past “Zelda” characters who got stuck in toilets, asking for paper, which is disturbing in its own right, and Japanese ghost stories of spirits grabbing you from below. In “Skyward Sword,” the ghost also asks for paper, and Link’s only option is a love letter from Cawlin to Karane, two other students at the academy. If you give the letter to Karane, Cawlin gets his heart broken when she chooses Pipit over him. If you give the letter to the ghost, she’ll be moved by his words, and you’ll find the hand watching over him at night. We don’t feel too bad for Cawlin; he’s one of Link’s tormentors at the start of the game. But the implications of an obsessive ghost latching onto him, for who knows how long, paints a dark picture for the future.
The Fate of the Craftsman’s Son
“The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time” (1998)
Most are familiar with Adult Link’s trading quest, which earns him the powerful, two-handed Biggoron’s Sword. The side quest encompasses multiple characters across several locations. But the one disturbing aspect concerns the Master Craftsman’s son. As a child, you can find him lazing about in Kakariko Village, which disappoints his father to no end. The future shows that their relationship has only gotten worse, as he’s found far from his home, in the Lost Woods. He gives Link a special mushroom, which is given to his mother to produce a rare and powerful medicine. But by the time Link returns to the Lost Woods, he finds not the Craftsman’s son, but Fado, a Kokiri girl. She explains, somewhat gleefully, that adults who become lost in these woods turn into Stalfos, skeletal warriors. Perhaps the medicine could have saved him, if we weren’t too late.
Mila’s Return Home
“The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker” (2003)
There’s nothing creepy about Mila’s side quest in “Wind Waker,” but it is remarkably sad when you think about it. She’s a wealthy girl from Windfall Island who was kidnapped by Ganondorf and held at the Forsaken Fortress. When Tetra and the pirates bring her home, the reward they ask for is so steep that she and her father lose their house and possessions, and must live on the streets. To make money, she takes a job at Zunari’s Shop, which Link can catch her trying to rob at night. Making her see the error of her ways, she rewards Link with an empty bottle and takes a second job on some faraway island for all remaining evenings. Meanwhile, her father refuses to work, citing some back injury…which yeah, we totally believe. Going through all of this at such a young age makes Mila’s story somber, more so than you might expect in this particularly cheerful entry.
The Stolen Heirloom
“The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild” (2017)
After completing several other side quests in Kakariko Village, an orb that activates a Sheikah Shrine will be stolen from Impa’s house. This takes Link on an investigation to figure out who did it, eventually leading him to Dorian, one of the guards outside Impa’s house. Following him at night, he’s eventually confronted by the real thief, a member of the Yiga Clan, the evil inverse to the Sheikah. You then learn that Dorian left the Yiga after he fell in love and had children. But also that the Yiga retaliated, killing his wife, and threatening the same for Dorian’s two young daughters unless he spied on Link and Impa. The sorrow we feel as Dorian explains this to Link is only surpassed by what we feel for his daughters, Cottla and Koko, who are still learning to cope with their mother’s passing.
Saving Jovani
“The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess” (2006)
Most of the story in “Twilight Princess” is pretty dark. But since we’re only focusing on side quests today, let’s talk about Jovani. An incredibly greedy man, he sold his soul for insane wealth to the Poes, which are far more than simple souls of the dead here. In turn, they cursed him, turning him and his cat into solid gold statues. To free him, Link must hunt down all sixty Poes across the game and collect the pieces of Jovani’s soul. It’s a collect-a-thon side quest, like many others. But it’s also somewhat of a dark fable, and Jovani finds that even when his soul and body are returned to him, he won’t find happiness. After freeing him, Link can find him in Telma’s bar, sobbing and drowning his sorrow as his girlfriend had fallen for another man.
Anju and Kafei
“The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask” (2000)
Even if a side quest ends as beautifully as Anju and Kafei’s does, that doesn’t mean you won’t find a few disturbing things along the way. Anju and Kafei are set to be married at the upcoming Carnival of Time, except the groom has gone missing. Through an investigation, Link finds out that he was cursed by Skull Kid, and turned into a child. But the reason he’s in hiding is because his wedding mask, which couples exchange during the ceremony, was stolen by a thief named Sakon. And he doesn’t feel he can face Anju without it. Meanwhile, since he’s been missing for a month before the game starts, his fiancee is wracked with sadness and uncertainty. Before learning the truth, she even admits a fear that Kafei might have left because of her. These two characters are so deeply sad that it instills a desire to help them, and that’s why it’s still regarded as one of the best side quests in the series’ history.
Lorule’s Graveyard
“The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds” (2013)
Graveyards are classic locations for darker plotlines, but the one in Lorule takes the cake. This mirror world to Hyrule has long been falling into ruin by the time Link arrives. At the graveyard, you’ll find a mini-dungeon that earns you a piece of Master Ore, used to upgrade Link’s sword. But you’ll also find two NPCs who are far worse off than their Hyrulian counterparts. One is the Philosopher, who can be found hiding in a cave. Not only does he warn Link that the end is nigh and that the Gods have abandoned them, but he’s apparently been alone for so long that he can’t remember the last time he saw light. The other NPC is Dampé the gravekeeper. He also claims it has been ages since anyone spoke to him, as well as had need of a graveyard. Lorule is a pretty bleak place.
Special Delivery
“The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild” (2017)
‘Special Delivery’ is one of the most infamous side quests in “Zelda,” so I’m sure you all know what I’m about to say. After completing the main story of Zora’s Domain, you can find a Zora child named Finley at the Bank of Wishes. She’ll give Link the task of following and protecting one of her love letters, which she has been sending in barrels down stream to some unknown suitor. By doing so, you meet Sasan, a grown man…who then goes to Zora’s Domain and starts a relationship with Finley, who makes him promise to build up his muscles for her. Yeah, yuck. By now, we know that this disturbing romance was a translation change from the Japanese version, where the two are merely pen pals. And while some point to the different anatomy of Hylians versus Zoras as an excuse (Zoras seemingly age slower than Hylians, making Finely older than she appears), the translation change makes it clear that Nintendo never intended for them to be romantically involved. And they shouldn’t be!
Saving the Ranch
“The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask” (2000)
Sisters Romani and Cremia are two of the sadder characters in “Majora’s Mask,” which is saying quite a lot. When Link visits their ranch on the first day, he finds the younger Romani practicing archery in preparation for ‘Them.’ Who ‘they’ are is, basically, aliens that arrive every year around the Carnival of Time and try to steal the ranch’s cows. While Cremia doesn’t believe her, Link can help Romani fight them off. Inspired by the Flatwoods Monster of West Virginian folklore, these enemies slowly drift forward, only stopping once the sun rises. If you fail to stop them, or just don’t do the quest, Romani is abducted, and returned later without her memories and her previous, cheery personality. Meanwhile, Cremia feels guilty over what happens to her sister, and the ranch falls further into decline due to the stolen cows.
Do you know of any other disturbing side quests in the “Zelda” series? Share them with us in the comments, and we’ll see you next time!
