History Fridge / TheLegendOfZeldaTwilightPrincess

** "Ballad of Gales" appears odd considering the confirmed timeline, but is shares much of its melody with the final part of "Minuet of Forest", the warp song of the first adult dungeon, the Forest Temple, and a connection to Link's childhood friend, Saria.

* It's often wondered why Zant's men took the children of Ordon Village away and kept them hostage, as they do not do that to anybody else in Hyrule. It's possible that OoT/MM Link settled down in Ordon Village (where his descendant, TP Link, lives) and that [[spoiler: Ganondorf somehow knew this]], so it was suspected that one of the children might have inherited the Triforce of Courage. This could explain why TP Link was taken to Hyrule Castle instead of staying with the other children (as his... [[BalefulPolymorph unusual reaction]] to the Twilight pretty much gave himself away).

** When Zant [[spoiler: manages to attack you at Lanayru's spring]] and when he assaults Hyrule Castle, he (albeit temporarily) is in the Light. But he's a native Twili, and if going by Midna's reaction to [[spoiler: being exposed to Lanayru's light]] and the fact she remains a shadow [[spoiler: until Zelda grants her the ability to dwell in the Light]] he should probably be in pain, or not even there at least. The thing is [[spoiler: like when Zelda gave Midna her soul/Triforce piece/whatever she did, Zant had received Ganondorf's ability to live in the Light, and thus was able to be in the realm of Light without harm.]]

** Midna being only partially clothed may also be justified by the fact that, when at full power, she wouldn't need to wear any kind of protective armor as she could simply cast a protective spell of sorts.

* The Hylian soldiers in Twilight Princess have an uncharacteristic level of cowardice compared to other Zelda titles. They're easily scared of Wolf Link whenever he's in town, and when a group of them volunteered to escort the civilians to Kakariko village, they ran away the moment Telma mentions that the path would be filled with monsters. But considering what had happened to them up until now, it's not all that surprising:
** Zant's attack on Hyrule castle no doubt killed several soldiers without them barely being able to fight back. With Zelda surrendering to Zant added into the mix, morale would suffer a devastating blow and not likely to recover anytime soon.

* When ascending the tower of Hyrule Castle [[spoiler: to confront Ganondorf]], transforming into Wolf Link allows one to see [[spoiler: the ghosts of dead soldiers]] at a certain point. [[spoiler: These soldiers probably died defending the castle from Ganondorf, and guide the way in hopes of being avenged]].
* After playing through [[VideoGame/TheLegendofZeldaSkywardSword Skyward Sword]], the City in the Sky takes on an entirely new perspective. One can only assume its what is left of Skyloft after all these years. The place looks positively futuristic compared to olden times, but in the end, the place is falling apart, and not just because of Argorok. It's really kind of sad in that way.

* Most dungeon bosses have an eye (which may [[EyeDoNotBelongThere not belong where it is]]) that both functions as a weak point and turns into a Heart Container upon the boss's defeat. This may be a Japanese pun: eye = ''ai'' (love). Which comes full circle when you beat Blizzeta and the Heart Container comes from an expression of ''ai''.

* Each stage of the final boss tests Link in a different way: [[spoiler:for example Beast Ganon tests his beast form against your beast form, Horseback Ganon tests him on horseback with you on Epona, Spirit Ganon tests Midna's spirit form against his and Ganondorf is a final test of your skill as a swordsman. To me, Possessed Zelda is a test against you as a player, as you must use most of your skills to defeat that which you have sworn to protect.]] The analogy (that [[spoiler:Possessed Zelda]] is a test for the player himself) makes even more sense when you consider this: You are essentially "possessing" Link, as a counterpart to [[spoiler:Ganondorf possessing Zelda]].

* It's often wondered why Zant's men took the children of Ordon Village away and kept them hostage, as they do not do that to anybody else in Hyrule. It's possible that OoT/MM Link settled down in Ordon Village (where his descendant, TP Link, lives) and that [[spoiler: Ganondorf somehow knew this]], so it was suspected that one of the children might have inherited the Triforce of Courage. This could explain why TP Link was taken to Hyrule Castle instead of staying with the other children (as his... unusual reaction to the Twilight pretty much gave himself away).

** Finally the "Twilight Princess Theme", the theme of Link from ''Twilight Princess'', protege of the Hero's Shade. This was probably chosen to represent the new Link's rise to heroism.

* After playing through [[TheLegendofZeldaSkywardSword Skyward Sword]] the City in the Sky takes on an entirely new perspective. One can only assume its what is left of Skyloft after all these years. The place looks positively futuristic compared to olden times, but in the end, the place is falling apart, and not just because of Argorok. It's really kind of sad in that way.

* After playing through [[LegendofZeldaSkywardSword Skyward Sword]] the City in the Sky takes on an entirely new perspective. One can only assume its what is left of Skyloft after all these years. The place looks positively futuristic compared to olden times, but in the end, the place is falling apart, and not just because of Argorok. It's really kind of sad in that way.

* The Hylian soldiers in Twilight Princess have an uncharacteristic level of cowardice compared to other Zelda titles. They're easily scared of Wolf Link whenever he's in town; and when a group of them volunteered to escort Telma, Ilia and a sick Ralis to Kakariko village, they ran away the moment Telma mentions that the path would be filled with monsters. But considering what had happened to them up until now, it's not all that surprising:

* Remember that fancy store Malo took over in Castle Town? Remember how the doorman wouldn't let you in unless your shoes were clean? Anyone who wanted to go into the shop had to go get their shoes shined by a little boy sitting near the steps for ten rupees. Malo Mart doesn't have the same restriction, meaning nobody ever actually ''needs'' to go get their shoes shined, meaning that boy has probably lost the vast majority of his one small source of revenue.
** It's a little kid with a little pocket change hobby, he probably doesn't need the money to live. Also, with how much Link has done for everyone, it's possible that, off-screen, Link asked around for a job/family for him. Or there's another Malo Mart we never see because both cannons and teleportation are things, and the kid works there. Or he can move to Ordon Village, with fresh water, fish, and pumpkins aplenty.

** With several soldiers now dead, new men would have to be drafted who would otherwise be unsuited for a military career.

* It took a few playthroughs to realize that Rutela's theme is the Serenade of Water from ''OcarinaOfTime''.

* The twilight itself seemed to put everything into a pseudo-stasis, basically taking a freeze-frame of a region, then allowing for movement. Therefore, water becomes ice, wind stops (allowing a certain valley to fill with poison), and people become nearly immobile spirits who move, if they move at all, in slow, mechanical, "pre-programmed" movements, like the regiments of soldiers moving in lockstep through Twilit Castle Town. I don't think fire would go out if it was lit before twilight descended. - Landis
** Looking back on this, it appears to be a deconstruction of GoingThroughTheMotions as well.
* The final boss's death scene. It's a pretty common point of confusion the way [[spoiler:Ganondorf seems to lose the Triforce of Power. At some point, long after viewing the scene for the first time, this troper realized that he's not ''losing'' it; the crest fading out signifies that it can't save him from being impaled by the Master Sword like it saved him when he was impaled by the Sages. Master Sword trumps Triforce-granted powers.]]
** [[spoiler:Confirmed by ''A Link To The Past'', where it's stated the sword was originally created with the ability to block the Triforce's power. A fragment compared to the complete Triforce is easily depowered.]]
** [[spoiler:I kind of interpreted this that Link had proven himself more powerful than Ganondorf in every way. Thus, the Triforce of Power switched allegiance.]]
** That last part makes more sense when you think about the fact that each stage of the final boss tests Link in a different way: [[spoiler:for example Beast Ganon tests his beast form against your beast form, Horseback Ganon tests him on horseback with you on Epona, Spirit Ganon tests Midna's spirit form against his and Ganondorf is a final test of your skill as a swordsman. To me, Possessed Zelda is a test against you as a player, as you must use most of your skills to defeat that which you have sworn to protect.]]
*** The analogy (that [[spoiler:Possessed Zelda]] is a test for the player himself) makes even more sense when you consider this: You are essentially "possessing" Link, as a counterpart to [[spoiler:Ganondorf possesing Zelda]].
* Puzzling over Ganondorf's silly reaction to the Fishing Pole recently led me to a hilarious conclusion: he's from the ''desert''. He has ''no idea what that thing you're holding is''. Of course he's going to keep his eyes on it, especially when you're bringing it out in the middle of battle with him! For all he knows, that Fishing Pole is some kind of Ultimate Weapon!

** The Hero Shade has been confirmed to be the Hero of Time

* When Zant [[spoiler: manages to attack you at Lanayru's spring]] and when he assaults Hyrule Castle, he (albeit temporarily) is in the Light. But he's a native Twili, and if going by Midna's reaction to [[spoiler: being exposed to Lanayru's light]] and the fact she remains a shadow [[spoiler: until Zelda grants her the ability to dwell in the Light]] he should probably be in pain, or not even there at least. The thing is [[spoiler: like when Zelda gave Midna her soul/Triforce piece/whatever she did, Zant had received Ganondorf's ability to live in the Light, and thus was able to be in the realm of Light without harm.]]
** Alternatively, he is the only Twili we see wearing clothes until the end when [[spoiler:Midna shows her true form]]. Perhaps clothes protect them. (And looking at [[spoiler:Midna]], perhaps not everything needs to be covered, but Zant's covered from head to toe.)

* So, it's been confirmed that the Hero's Shade is a manifestation of [[spoiler:Ocarina of Time/Majora's Mask Link's]] regrets of not being able to pass on his abilities and skill to those after. Now, for the most part this makes sense, as he was returned back in time to be a child and nobody had any memory of his adventure nor believed he was a hero. But then you wonder, why didn't that Link just pass on those abilities to his kid(s)? He must have HAD at least one child, as Twilight Princess Link is his descendant, and surely they could have taken after their father. With this in mind, we're left with three possibilities, in ascending order of sadness: 1. Link had a distant/cold relationship with his child. 2. He or she was somehow disabled (e.g, blindness) and unable to take on the abilities. 3. [[TearJerker Link died before his child was old enough to learn.]]
** Or, much more simply, his child wasn't or didn't have reason to become a swordfighter.
** The possibility of OoT Link having a child is 50/50. It's known that Link is reincarnated after so many years, each new Link being an entirely new incarnation (though with similar characteristics), and not necessarily being a blood-descendant of past heroes. Link's regrets, therefore, could be simply having no one at all to pass his skills and knowledge to.
*** That's already been {{Jossed}} by [[WordOfGod Hyrule Historia]], which confirms Twilight Princess's Link is indeed the descendant (''not'' reincarnation) of Ocarina/Majora's Link.

* Think about the Arbiter's Grounds for a moment. In a Gerudo Desert, has some stylistic resemblances to the Spirit Temple from Ocarina of Time, was used as an executioner's ground by the sages...and there are no Gerudo in the game save [[BigBad Ganondorf]]. There's a good chance that all those undead in the Grounds are the result of the Hylians "dealing with" the rest of the Gerudo.
** Except ''Four Swords Adventures'', which takes place after TP on the timeline, shows that the Gerudo are still around, and have relatively friendly relations with the Hylians.
* It is established that using his wolf "senses" Link can see spirits (when in Twilight) and ghosts. Now think about when he's fighting his way through the castle and eventually he'll comes across some ghost soldiers who show him the right way... We know there were soldiers patrolling the castle still after Zant took over (we saw their terrified spirits in the twilight), so we can only assume they were all slaughtered after Link restored Light in the Lanayru province.

* The side quest for the Imp Poe souls. Jovani [[DealWithTheDevil makes a deal with the Poes and he gets incredibly rich and his soul gets separated into sixty pieces and given to the poes]], who go away. Now, when the hero comes to his house, he is [[AndIMustScream solid gold]]. He's regretting the decision and has the hero kill off the poes that fairly traded with him and retrieve his soul fragments. No one even thinks twice about slaughtering these guys.
** However, it's assumed that this is a case of the Poes being a LiteralGenie and/or JackassGenie, clearly giving the man a [[AndIMustScream fate he did not intend to wish for]].
** It also helps that a number of them can't be ignored: if you want to go certain places, you have to deal with them or they'll hit you and set you back (think the Piece of Heart in the Snowpeak Ruins lobby; you have to beat the Imp Poe or he'll keep you from getting to it); some are in the cave of Ordeals and counted as enemies, so they have to be defeated to get the door to open; four are even part of one dungeon's puzzle. Also, the reward for beating 20 is tied with Rare Chu Jelly for the best potion in the game. (The reward for killing 60 is a bunch of Rupees, so, meh, but if you want 'em, or just want to see what Jovani really looks like...)
** They are [[AttentionDeficitOohShiny shiny things]] in a game where the hero [[KleptomaniacHero wants as many shiny things as possible]]. Link would take them even if Jovani didn't tell him to.
* At one point, Midna tells Link about how she heard legends of the Mirror of Twilight and how it could potentially lead them back to Zant. Question is, shouldn't she already know that it exists? How else did she get to Hyrule in the first place? If Zant sent her to Hyrule, then the question is now, why didn't Zant just take her prisoner in the first place? If he did try but she escaped, once again, how else did she get to Hyrule unless she used the Mirror of Twilight?
** Maybe ''she'' didn't need it (though whether it's because of her headgear or whatever is a mystery), but someone from the light side would. Alternatively, maybe she was using it all along without realizing it, even with it broken, and it's just that someone from the light side who would need to stand in front of a fixed mirror in order to go there.
** I've come up with a theory that Zant may have let her go initially so that he could experience the satisfaction of watching her be helplessly strangled by shadow beasts after being hunted down like the little beast he seems to view her as. But then Midna brought out the Fused Shadow and used its powers to evade him and put an end to that plan. As for the mirror and her knowledge of it, I'm not quite sure. Perhaps she used it to travel to Hyrule and then warped somewhere else from the desert - therefore, since she doesn't know squat about the kingdom's geography, she didn't know how to reach it again later on.

** Maybe ''she'' didn't need it (though whether it's because of her headgear or whatever is a mystery), but someone from the light side would. Alternatively, maybe she was using it all along without realizing it, even with it broken, and it's just that someone from the light side who would need to stand in front of a fixed mirror in order to go there.

** However, t's assumed that this is a case of the Poes being a LiteralGenie and/or JackassGenie, clearly giving the man a [[AndIMustScream fate he did not intend to wish for]].

* It is established that using his wolf "senses" Link can see spirits (when in Twilight) and ghosts. Now think about when he's fighting his way through the castle and eventually he'll comes across some ghost soldiers who show him the right way... We know there where soldiers patrolling the castle still after Zant took over (we saw their terrified spirits in the twilight), so we can only assume they where all slaughtered after Link restored Light in the Lanayru province.

** They are [[AttentionDefecitOohShiny shiny things]] in a game where the hero [[KleptomaniacHero wants as many shiny things as possible]]. Link would take them even if Jovani didn't tell him to.

* When Zant [[spoiler: manages to attack you at Lanayru's spring]] and when he assaults Hyrule Castle, he (albeit temporarily) is in the Light. But he's a native Twili, and if going by Midna's reaction to [[spoiler: being exposed to Lanayru's light]] and the fact she remains a shadow [[spoiler: until Zelda grants her the ability to dwell in the Light]] he should probably be in pain at least. The thing is [[spoiler: like when Zelda gave Midna her soul/Triforce piece/whatever she did, Zant had received Ganondorf's ability to live in the Light, and thus was able to be in the realm of Light without harm.]]

* When Zant [[spoiler: manages to attack you at Lanayru's spring]] and when he assaults Hyrule Castle, he (albeit temporarily) is in the Light. But he's a native Twili, and if going by Midna's reaction to being exposed to Lanayru's light and the fact she remains a shadow [[spoiler: until Zelda grants her the ability to dwell in the Light]] he should probably be in pain at least. The thing is [[spoiler: like when Zelda gave Midna her soul/Triforce piece/whatever she did, Zant had received Ganondorf's ability to live in the Light, and thus was able to be in the realm of Light without harm.]]

* When Zant [[spoiler: manages to attack you at Lanayru's spring]] and when he assaults Hyrule Castle, he (albeit temporarily) is in the Light. But he's a native Twili, and if going by Midna's reaction to being exposed to Lanayru's light and the fact she remains a shadow until [[spoiler: Zelda grants her the ability to dwell in the Light]] he should probably be in pain at least. The thing is [[spoiler: like when Zelda gave Midna her soul/Triforce piece/whatever she did, Zant had received Ganondorf's, and thus was able to be in the realm of Light without harm.]]