The Legend of Zelda franchise is not afraid to incorporate horror and terrifying aspects into its games. While many people are still exploring Tears of the Kingdom and spending hundreds of hours exploring the chasms beneath Hyrule, this game is rich with eerie secrets, riddles, and possibly lore implications to the old narrative of the hero, the goddesses, and the Zonai. Tears of the Kingdom contains without a doubt some scariest components for any nightmare fuel enthusiast to adore.
However, perhaps not everybody has seen or heard all of these secrets, so here are 5 Creepy Secrets You May Have Missed in Tears of the Kingdom...
Gloom's Lost Translation
Gloom, the manifestation of evil that spreads from Ganondorf's mummified corpse. It is horrifying, not just for its effects, but the implications it carries. Some fans believe this is the true unadulterated form of Malice from Breath of the Wild. It was previously presented as a sludgey magenta goop, but is now an airborne pure red Fog of Doom that's spread all over Hyrule. Ganondorf is not shy about using the stuff, and unlike Malice, it has multiple illness effects that hurt the inhabitants of Hyrule.
Gloom is a substance that drains the life of its victims. Gloom began emanating from deep places (most notable, beneath Hyrule Castle), which is why at the start of the game Zelda and Link are researching its source. It was unleashed when Ganondorf was resurrected underneath Hyrule Castle, nearly killing Link and drastically reducing his Life Gauge. Following the Upheaval, it was found in vast quantities in the Depths and around chasms on the surface.
Gloom has a similar viscous, ooze-like appearance to Malice - but whereas Malice was purple-black, Gloom was red-black. Gloom is also more potent and dangerous than Malice, as damage done by it can be permanent as shown by Ganondorf's attack on Link. Less severe exposure to Gloom was reversible, however only under certain conditions: activating or traveling to a Lightroot, eating something with the "sunny" effect (food or elixirs cooked using a Sundelion), or remaining outside the Depths for long enough, which will slowly restore lost hearts.
However, while many players may think that Gloom and it's famed new name are the same throughout other translations in different languages, it appears to be the opposite...
While one would assume the Japanese original translation would be 闇 (やみ) (yami) or 'darkness' in English, but it's actually not:
Japanese translation - 瘴気 (shouki) which is what they call "miasma"
German translation - Miasma
French - miasme in french
Italian translation - miasma
i.e. the debunk 19th-century theory of bad air that caused major diseases like the Black Plague.
Miasma theory (瘴気) The miasma theory (also called the miasmatic theory) is an abandoned medical theory that held that diseases—such as cholera, or the Black Death—were caused by a miasma (μίασμα, Ancient Greek for 'pollution'), a noxious form of "bad air", also known as night air. The theory held that epidemics were caused by miasma, emanating from rotting organic matter. Though miasma theory is typically associated with the spread of contagious diseases, some academics in the early nineteenth century suggested that the theory extended to other conditions as well, e.g. one could become obese by inhaling the odor of food. So just like "miasma" in English, is a common jargon used in fantasy settings to describe the kinda stuff you see in ToTK.
Strangely, it's called that in the files, too. So it's pretty weird that they changed it's English translation like that. Maybe it's supposed to be a play on "gloop". Maybe they thought it to be too close to the former word 'Malice'. Or perhaps it helps that gloom literally means partial or total darkness. It's fantastic as a tangible threat from Ganondorf, who is the antithesis of Rauru. But it can also imply the 'light' to 'darkness' theme we see throughout the Depths in Tears of the Kingdom. So it's conceivable that Gloom is a great English translation for Ganon's partial power, but other translations may differ in this direct meaning otherwise...
Rito's Disappearance
Rito Village is initially disturbing. Between the eerie version of its theme, and the fact that only children are around and working, it seems like a PG version of Children of the Corn. It's an incredible relief to come across Tulin's parents and learn that not all of the adults are gone. Still, the poor kids having to dedicate their time to filling in for their parents, not sure if they'll all come home in one piece...
When completing the Wind Temple in Tears of the Kingdom, all appears to be normal, well, just for a bit. However, some of the Rito are missing; One of the major characters we see throughout Breath of the Wild was the infamous rito bard named Kass. Kass is a minstrel who travels throughout Hyrule Kingdom in search of the "Ancient Songs". He has left his family and his hometown of Rito Village to fulfill the final wish of his teacher, the Court Poet. This journey is documented in Kass's Journal, which can be found in a hut on Washa's Bluff.
But in Tears of the Kingdom, there's no sign of him, the only mention of Kass fans have discovered in the game is Penn stating that-
A famous bard once perfected his craft in this place, studying the songs of this land.
It's quite a mystery to where exactly Kass went, knowing that he did indeed leave behind his family majority of the time in Breath of the Wild, there might be a possibility that Kass is on another journey far beyond the lands of Hyrule. Fans debate whether we might see his return in a DLC, but regardless, his disappearance is quite unsettling, considering most of his family is still within the Rito village.
Whether this bodes as a bad omen or not, Kass' disappearance shook a lot of fans in confusion. Some theorize that perhaps there might be an indication to the Court Poet, who was presumed dead just before Link's Awakening in the Shrine of Ressurection from Breath of the Wild. But hey, anything could really happen due to Tears of the Kingdom's story implying the use of Time magic and time manipulation.
Bargainers & Towering Statues
In Tears of the Kingdom, bargainer statues are huge, mysterious statues found in the Depths that you can trade with. They want poes, and in exchange, they'll reward you with Depths-related objects, like bomb flowers and dark clumps. Most importantly, they sell unique armor, like the Dark Tunic.
More oddly, they're all under the main Goddess Statues. Strangely, 3 of them are under each Sacred Spring statue, one under the Forgotten Temple statue, one is under the Temple of Time statue and the last one is under the Temple of Time statue. Makes them imply they are some dark and creepy counterpart of evil beneath the goddess Hylia.
And even in the French translation for Tears of the Kingdom, they call themselves "genies" and said they are helping souls go to the afterlife when bargaining poes.
The peculiar and creepy part of them is the huge statues that lie beneath Hyrule. These giant bargainers have been underneath Hyrule for thousands of years, and strangely enough, some fans speculate that they are just convincing Link that these poor Poes will go into the afterlife, while others are convicted that these spirits are condemning souls to a terrible fate. While these statues are directly under the Goddess statues/Springs of Power/Wisdom/Courage, they seem to speak through them.
And one in the central mines CAN give you a heart container or stamina vessel for giving him his eyes.
While many would call them evil or malicious, these statues are definitely capricious in their demeanor. Maybe they're equivalent to the Grim Reaper. Not good or evil, but an essence that is an important part of the life cycle. What many fans want to know is what's the deal with the demonic faces on their backs? It may imply that they are specifically not light beings/god/s, but they were already ominous and off-putting. Are they two faced? Are they lying, and they are actually evil beings as opposed to merely 'non-light' beings? Well, these questions will only arise the more we play and delve into Tears of the Kingdom...
What makes this even scarier is they also have brothers in the Depths, but these are far bigger. They are gigantic towering statues that are, more often than not, totally buried in the ground with only their head poking out from the ground. For instance, the cliffs bargainer statue, closest to the Depths entrance of Drenan Highlands Tower, to the west of the Thyphlo Ruins Skyview Tower is the only bargainer statue where its full body is above ground. That said, you can Ascend up parts of its body until you get to its head.
It is entirely possible to walk up a gigantic hill, reach the top, and discover a face staring back at you. Some, then, may appear to simply be formations of rock. An easy mistake to make in the darkness. yet when light is ushered in, and you take a step back, you quiver at the sheer size of some of these statues and what they could have possibly been intended to depict.
Makes me feel like there's something more to them, and that in itself, is an off-putting creepy secret within Tears of the Kingdom.
The Ancient Hero
Spoiler alert for those who haven't fully completed Tears of the Kingdom but Those who have played Breath of the Wild know of the Ancient Hero, the mysterious figure who fought the original Calamity 10,000 years ago.
While this figure may just seem like just another Link within the cycle in every legendary hero wielding the Master Sword. It's actually more unsettling than we might think. Link can actually wear an armor based on the Ancient hero. In order to get their hands on the Ancient Hero's Aspect, players will need to complete all 152 shrines in Tears of the Kingdom. After finishing the last one, they'll get a message instructing them to return to the Temple of Time, where they'll find a chest containing the Ancient Hero's Aspect behind the Goddess Statue near the once-closed door from the beginning of the game. It is said to contain the spirit of a mighty hero who once saved Hyrule from calamity and is able to envelop the wearer in his aura. As it changes not only changes Link's appearance but also his race. As it is the 1st hero that defeated Calamity Ganon 10,000 years ago- Impa and Purah recognize this specimen with additional dialogue.
So yes, while some fans may just look at the armor at face value for it's power and strength, the physical appearance change just straight up looks odd and even unsettling to fans when obtaining the armor.
He doesn't look full blooded Zonai, either. His ears are more akin to Hylian ears, and for some reason he has animal feet, which is not a Zonai trait. He also has a tail, which is another non-Zonai trait. Makes me wonder if he even is Zonai at all because he honestly looks quite different. Plus, the first thing I thought looking at the red hair was Ganon, considering the gold forehead emblem.
So yeah, it's quite creepy to fans, to say the least, not knowing exactly who the first hero was during the Calamity. And whether we realize they are Zonai in origin or not, really ends up being unexpected and alien. There is definitely a way they could have made a Zonai-esque hero design look awesome... but this just wasn't it.
Spirits Of The Past
For as much as the Depths is unsettling and spooky, you have to realise that much of that comes from the darkness. It had a practical purpose, to mine Zonaite. It's only because of the Gloom and forgotten nature of it that it's become so unpleasant and spine-tingling.
Until you see the ghosts. And no, not just the Poes, but the spectral warriors brandishing their blades. They speak not a word, only solemnly offer you their weapons. You can't help but shiver, not knowing why they still persist. The weapons they hold not only are Hyrulean in nature, but untarnished from the Gloom's effect.
So who are the spirits of the past? And what battle were they fighting for? While some fans explain the hidden meaning behind them, the closest that would explain these creepy soldiers existing mainly has to do with their location.
The location of this pillar in the Depths corresponded to the edge of the Great Plateau on the surface. At first I wasn’t sure of the significance of this, but I was positive that this meant a battle must have happened at this location some time in the past.
Things started to become clearer when I encountered a second of these larger pillars with three soldiers just outside the Ancient Underground Fortress. Its corresponding location on the surface are the Akkala Citadel Ruins. This was the location of a very well known battle in the past. During the Calamity, 100 years before the beginning of BotW, the remnants of Hyrule’s army took a last stand against the swarming Guardians under the influence of Calamity Ganon’s Malice at the Akkala Citadel. This is explained in further detail in Creating a Champion.
'With Hyrule Castle compromised, the soldiers of the kingdom of Hyrule fell back to Akkala Citadel, a mighty fortress thought to be impregnable'
— Creating a Champion, pg. 384
So, I next checked around the Depths below Fort Hateno, the second location of a last stand during the Calamity, and sure enough there was another gathering of soldier spirits.
It now seemed very likely that these were the spirits of soldiers who had died during the Calamity, 100 years ago. However, I had forgotten one important point about the Depths, they are a Dark World which mirrors Hyrule. Important locations on the surface are mirrored in some way in the Depths. And vice versa. I had forgotten to check exactly what was above these gatherings of soldier spirits on the surface.
All of these larger gatherings of soldier spirits in the Depths are surrounded by a number of single soldier spirits on rocky pillars. But they are also found all over the Depths. Is it a fact that every single one of these soldiers died during the Calamity, 100 years ago? I’m not sure, but it seems like a large number of them are connected to that event.
But with that, we are going to wrap up, 5 Creepy Secrets You May Have MISSED in Tears of the Kingdom. Which on this list was your personal favorite of nightmare fuel, for me, to be honest, it's probably the mystery of the Bargainer Statues, I just again found that to be pretty creepy...
Also, what scary things have you encountered throughout Tears of the Kingdom that others may not have, leave that comment down below!
Thank you for watching, thank you again for RAID: Shadow Legends sponsoring this video, and I will see you in the next video!
Inspiration: TOTK Nightmare Fuel
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