20 Insane Little Details in Zelda Games

Translated Sheikah Text
“The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild” (2017)

Sheikah technology and lore is all over “Breath of the Wild” and that includes their language. The small, squarish letters can be found on Sheikah devices and structures throughout the game. However, many of these letters actually translate to English. Most of them are literal descriptions of what the object or locations are - the Sheikah Towers are labeled exactly that, for example. But some text gives helpful hints, such as the memory photos stored in your Sheikah Slate, whose translations tell you precisely where to find them. There are some fun Easter Eggs too, like the text on Beacons, which says the familiar phrase “It’s dangerous to go alone.”

Koume & Kotake
“The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom” (2023)

“Ocarina of Time” introduced two of the Demon King’s greatest supporters, Koume and Kotake. These withered Gerudo witches appear in several games, but one of their more lowkey cameos is in “Tears of the Kingdom.” In the memory of Ganondorf swearing fealty to Rauru, two masked Gerudo women can be seen behind him. Although not identified in dialogue, their greener skin tone and the red and blue stones on their masks make it clear that these are younger versions of Koume and Kotake. Eagle-eyed fans did find their names written in Hylian on their clothing, confirming their identities.

The Depths Mirror the Surface
“The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom” (2023)

The massive map of Hyrule gets even bigger in “Tears of the Kingdom.” In addition to the sky islands above Hyrule, there’s also a huge underground section below it. Although the atmosphere and dangers of the Depths are quite unique, its layout is actually reflective of the surface. Shrines above correspond exactly with Lightroots below, which can make finding one using the other as reference much easier. Likewise, towns on the surface sit above mines, Lynels are located below stables, and Bargainer Statues are under Goddess Statues. Even the landscape is a mirror of the surface. Mountains above are ravines below, while water on the surface corresponds with impenetrable walls in the Depths. Examining both layers of the map can make navigation a breeze.

Lynel Launching
“The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild” (2017)

These huge lion-like centaurs are among the most powerful enemies in “Breath of the Wild” and its sequel. There are a number of tricks to defeating them easily, provided you have enough skill. But one of the more bizarre things you can do with them is make them bounce off the ground. Chuchu jellies placed on the ground will send both enemies and Link bouncing up in the air if they’re struck. While this is a handy way of entering bullet time for you, it’s also a fun way of knocking these intimidating enemies off balance. They also make easy targets mid-air.

“Star Fox” Masks
“The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask” (2000)

There are a ton of references to other Nintendo games in the “Zelda” series. One fun little nod is in “Majora’s Mask.” Five of the two dozen masks you acquire in the game correspond with “Star Fox” characters. The Keaton Mask lines up with Fox McCloud. The Bremen Mask resembles a bird, or Falco Lombardi. The Bunny Hood is similar to Peppy Hare. Don Gero’s Mask is a ringer for Slippy Toad. Lastly, the Mask of Scents looks surprisingly like Pigma Dengar. We might write this off as a coincidence if all these masks weren’t lined up right next to each other.

Hunting Ducks
“The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild” (2017) & “Tears of the Kingdom” (2023)

Hunting for meat can be one of the more tedious ways of acquiring food in these open world “Zelda” games. However, this little Easter Egg makes it slightly more fun. If you kill a duck or indeed any bird, while it’s flying, it will then fall out of the air with a familiar spiraling animation. Their death dive pays tribute to the same animation which appears in the classic Nintendo game, “Duck Hunt.” Thankfully, none of the dogs in these games will mock you if you miss your shots - they’d be doing it a lot.

Erdrick’s Grave
“Zelda II: The Adventure of Link” (1987)

The practice of referencing other games dates back to the NES days of the franchise. Along with being home to the infamous “Bagu,” or “Bug,” Saria Town also sports another famous feature…at least, in the Japanese version. If you examine one of the graves, it will read “The Hero Loto lies here.” Loto is the Japanese version of the name given to several heroes in the “Dragon Quest” series, with the English version translating the name to Erdrick. It seems Link isn’t the only multigenerational hero to have lived and died in Hyrule.

Stick to the Path
“The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time” (1998)

Getting stuck outside in Hyrule Field at night can be bad news in this game. The skeletal Stalchildren will frequently erupt from the ground to attack you at the most inopportune moments. However, there are a few tricks fans have discovered to keep the undead monsters at rest. The first is to stay on the dirt path that crisscrosses the area. Remaining on it will prevent them from spawning and stepping onto it from the grass will drive the Stalchildren back underground. Another trick is to wear the Bunny Hood. Maybe they’re afraid of rabbits?

Music Break
“The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks” (2009)

Music can help reach even the most hardened villain. Playing music during boss fights can lead to some interesting effects in several “Zelda” titles. One such case is against Byrne, one-time good guy and the right hand man of one of “Spirit Tracks”’ central antagonists. If you play the Spirit Flute during your boss fight with him, Byrne will pause during the battle, recognizing the flute. The European version goes further and has him criticize Anjean, protector of the Tower of Spirits, for gifting the flute to a child. It’s a small character beat that few players get a chance to see.

Resetting Stasis
“The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild” (2017)

Stasis is one of the core abilities in “Breath of the Wild” and one of the most fun to toy around with. With it, you can build up kinetic energy on an enemy or object you’ve frozen to send it flying. Speedrunners will tell you about many ways to use Stasis on something again soon after you’ve used it once, such as by watching a memory. However, that’s not what we’re talking about. What you may not know is that by hitting the frozen target with the beam energy attack from the Master Sword, you can undo all the hits you’ve already made to it. It’s basically a Ctrl-Z.

Grappling for Health
“The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker” (2003)

The eponymous princess Zelda rarely takes part in the action during the series that bears her name, but the final battle in “The Wind Waker” sees her face Ganondorf right alongside Link. Ganondorf proves challenging during this 2-on-1 duel and will block or hit you when you least expect it. If you’re running low on hearts, you can actually get some from Zelda herself. By using the Grappling Hook on her, you’ll literally pull some hearts out of her. It’s not something most of us would think to do, so it’s no wonder most people miss this detail.

Final Bosses Are Weak to Ordinary Items
Various

Conventional wisdom is to go up against the Big Bads with the Master Sword. But evil has more than one bane! Enterprising players have discovered that using various non-weapon items against several of the games’ final bosses can be surprisingly effective. Ganondorf’s magic blasts in “Ocarina of Time” can be reflected with an empty bottle. Likewise, the king of evil can be distracted like a cat with a toy if you wave the fishing rod in front of his face in “Twilight Princess.” Even the O.G. antagonist Demise from “Skyward Sword” can be sidetracked by the bug net, which can also reflect his attacks back at him. Truly the item is mightier than the sword.

Secret Map Message
“The Legend of Zelda” (1987)

Back in the day, gamers didn’t have much in the way of guides for the layouts of their favorite games. Unless you subscribed to Nintendo Power, you had to map things out yourself. The original “Legend of Zelda” game proved especially difficult to navigate. However, some fans discovered something rather interesting about the shapes of some of the game’s dungeons. When playing the Second Quest, the designs of the first 5 dungeons spell out a word - “ZELDA.” Well, technically it’s “EALDZ” if you play them in order, but the message is pretty clear.

Field of Kittens
“The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword” (2011)

New items often open up new areas to explore in “Zelda” titles. However, not all of them are essential. After you get the Clawshot (and before the Goddess Statue returns to the Surface), you can use the item to reach a previously blocked off area on the statue’s right side. Here, you’ll find a field of flowers and a group of sleeping Remlits, the cat-like creatures found all over Skyloft. Although hostile at night, these adorable fuzzballs will yawn, stretch and generally be adorable when you drop into their secret garden during the day. There’s no real purpose to the area, besides providing you with more opportunities to say, “awwww!”

Fixing Broken Signs
Various

In several “Zelda” titles, areas are marked by signs, displaying helpful hints or information on the current location. They’re also destructible - who among us hasn’t hit “B” to get through the text and then accidentally cut them in half? Or just done it for kicks? Regardless, there is a way to repair the signs once they’re destroyed…besides leaving the area and then coming back, that is. In several of the games where you play music, namely “Ocarina of Time,” “Majora’s Mask,” and “The Wind Waker,” playing a song will instantly repair a destroyed sign. These tunes are “Zelda’s Lullaby,” the “Song of Healing,” and the “Wind God’s Aria,” respectively.

Tears of the Bokoblins
“The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom” (2023)

One of the most amusing activities in “Tears of the Kingdom” is messing with Bokoblins. These gullible goons have a lot of hilarious responses to various actions, which makes them fun to experiment with. However, one of their most startling reactions involves their bosses. Groups can be found throughout the map following their significantly beefier counterparts, the Boss Bokoblins. If you manage to kill one without being detected by their followers, the remaining Bokoblins will shed tears at being unable to find their beloved leader. Whether you think it humanizes them, or you do it for schadenfreude, it’s still an interesting detail.

Instantly Killing a Boss
“The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker” (2003)

Boss exploits are everywhere in video games, and “Zelda” games are no exception. However, one of the more unusual examples is in “The Wind Waker.” The Forest Haven is home to the Koroks, the Great Deku Tree, and a healing spring of sacred water. Unfortunately, the nearby Forbidden Woods are threatened by Kalle Demos, the boss who swallows one of the Koroks, Makar. While it’s not a very difficult boss battle when fought normally, it can be shortened. Once you expose Kalle Demos’ weak point, you could hit it with your sword like you’re supposed to. Or…you could pour some Forest Water on it, and destroy it instantly. Now that’s some potent weed killer!

Link’s Reflection
“The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time” (1998)

With its mammoth layout and all the water you have to raise and lower, it can be easy to miss things in the Water Temple. Still, the miniboss fight against Dark Link is something everybody remembers. But even this bright spot in a hated dungeon has something many players probably don’t pick up on. Dark Link’s boss room appears to be an open area of water, surrounding an island with a single tree. Unless you’re paying close attention, you may not notice that Link’s reflection in the water disappears once you go halfway across the room. Dark Link is your literal mirror image come to life!

Hudson’s Ancestors
“The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild” (2017) & “Ocarina of Time” (1998)

One of the more memorable side quests in “Breath of the Wild” involves building a village from the ground up, helping construction worker Hudson by finding materials and people to create it. The mustachioed, helmet-haired character also appears in “Tears of the Kingdom.” But Hudson’s design isn’t entirely new to the franchise. Almost 20 years earlier in “Ocarina of Time,” Link encounters several construction workers in Kakariko Village and Gerudo Valley who also wear vests, and sport mustaches and Hudson’s distinctive hairstyle. While the “Zelda” timeline can be confusing, it’s entirely possible that Hudson is descended from one of these men. Thankfully, he has better luck with Gerudo women.

Catching Skullfish & Bombfish
“The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess” (2006)

When it comes to fish in “Zelda” games, there’s generally a separation between fish you can catch, and enemies that are also fish. Not so in “Twilight Princess.” Skullfish and Bombfish are foes that can be found in several areas, most prominently Lakebed Temple. Contrary to what you might think, you can actually catch them with your fishing rod. However, as proud as you might be of your catches, reeling them in won’t get them recorded in your Fish Journal. Oh, so just because they’re terrifying monsters that blow up or don’t have skin, that means they’re “forbidden?” Who makes these rules?


Is there a small, interesting part of “Zelda” games that we missed? Dive down into the comments to tell us your favorites!