The Legend of Zelda The series is a masterclass in using real-world mythology to inspire its world, and other games are ones to watch. Of course, being inspired by mythology is far from being a unique quality of Legend of Zelda games. Many games and other media draw on mythology for inspiration, some more blatantly than others. Games like God of War and Hades they are explicitly adaptations of certain myths. On the other hand, games like Assassin's Creed the series include some mythological elements, such as the Apples of Eden or Mjölnir.
While most gamers probably know the inspirations behind a game like Age of Mythology, The Legend of Zeldathe inspirations are more subtle. This allowed the series to establish its own strong identity, despite being inspired by myths. Not all mythologically inspired games have managed to do this. Any developer looking to create their own new IPs should seriously consider following the The Legend of Zeldathe use of mythology when considering creating a unique video game world.
Zelda is inspired by mythology, not adapting it
Zelda's mythological influences are creatively adapted
A key element in The Legend of ZeldaThe successful use of mythology is the balance between lending and creating. Zelda takes a lot of inspiration from Celtic mythology. Fairies are one of the pillars of Celtic mythology and Zelda series. The Master Sword is similar to Claidheamh Soluis (The Sword of Light), a sword that appears in bridal quest stories that share narrative similarities with The Legend of Zelda. However, while Zelda it is inspired by these elements, it does not adapt them individually.
Perhaps the best example of this is ZeldaThey are fairies. Fairies in Zelda are typically useful, whether healing the player or guiding them as Navi does in Ocarina of Time. In contrast, the word fairy in Celtic mythology describes a wide range of different beings, many of which are tricksters or outright malevolent. While ZeldaThe fairies of share a name and some superficial similarities with the fairies of mythology, the games still imbue their fairies with enough unique qualities to make them stand out.
Zelda Games also don't stick to a single source of inspiration. The centaur-like Lynel, of various Zelda games and A link to the pastThe Cyclopes are both inspired by Ancient Greek mythology. Likewise, the Mirrored Shield is reminiscent of the polished shield that the Greek hero Perseus used to help him kill Medusa. By creating a pastiche of multiple mythologies, rather than simply adapting one, Zelda Assembles a world with a unique feel.
Zelda created her own iconic characters and items
Zelda doesn't just recreate existing mythological figures
The Legend of ZeldaThe flexible approach to adapting the mythology helped create some of its most iconic elements. A great example of this is the Master Sword. While it has similarities to The Sword of Light and Excalibur, its combination of elements from the two and inclusion of unique features help the Master Sword remain distinct.
Like Arthur with Excalibur (in certain versions of the story), Link must pull the Master Sword from its place in a stone. However, unlike Arthur, Link must earn the right to wield the sword, rather than it being divinely assigned to him. Excalibur also does not have the power to repel evil like the Master Sword does. This is more similar to the Sword of Light's ability to defeat a specific supernatural threat. Why the Master Sword is not a direct adaptation of any of the swordsbut inspired by both, it gained status as a unique iconic weapon.
Freely adapting mythology also allows Zelda to create unique characters. For example, Ganon's original name was supposedly Hakkai, according to Nintendofrom the Iwata Asks series of interviews with the company's former president, Satoru Iwata. This is a potential reference to Chohakkai, the Japanese name of Zhu Bajie, a humanoid pig character from Journey to the West. While Ganon steals the pig appearance, Zhu Bajie is more of a comedic character than a major antagonist.
Ganon has become one of Nintendo's most notable antagonists, something that wouldn't have happened if he was a more derivative character. If he were simply an adaptation of Zhu Bajie, he would be forever tied to that character's canon, rather than developing his own.
Many mythology-inspired games don't share Zelda's creativity
Many games don't build significantly on the mythology they adapt
In contrast to ZeldaAlthough the original game creations are inspired by myths, many games inspired by mythology and folklore do this in a much heavier way. Series like God of War or Assassin's Creed they may contain some of their own characters, but their mythological elements, such as certain gods or items, are directly linked to existing elements. For example, Assassin's Creed Valhalla does not create a unique magical sword to replace Excalibur, literally includes Excalibur.
God of War shows the shortcomings of this style of mythological adaptation in its original trilogy of games. Aphrodite, for example, is a beautiful character, focused mainly on sex, and is also vain. Medusa, who - when viewed through a modern lens - would make sense to portray as a more sympathetic character, and with whom Kratos could identify, is simply portrayed as a monster similar to the original myth. These stereotypical representations of Greek elemental figures are quite interchangeable with other versions of the characters.
Many mythology-focused games lack a strong sense of identity
Mythological adaptations can mix
Now, not all mythology-inspired games lack creativity when it comes to adapting famous characters. Stray Gods is one of the most creative reimaginings of Greek mythology in gaming, giving players a much more original take on characters like Medusa and Aphrodite than those seen in God of War. Even later games God of War series have shown that they are capable of creating unique interpretations of mythological figures with their version of Loki. This is probably due to the more patchy record of Norse mythology, which leaves room for interpretation and invention.
However, as creative as these versions of the characters are, because they are a direct adaptation of a character, they will always invoke comparison with other versions. Even though their unique characteristics help them stand out from the crowd, characters like Aphrodite or Loki will always be forced to share space in their characters' cultural consciousness with all the other adaptations and the original mythos. In contrast, an original character like Ganon is not constantly compared to his possible inspirations, as he is not just another version of an existing character.
While not all games aim to create a unique IP like The Legend of Zeldathey should still consider including creative changes to the mythos that will help create a unique identity for their game. Some mythology-inspired games have done this very well. Hadesfor example, it has a unique visual style and creative interpretations of the Greek pantheon that help it stand out from something more generic looking, like Immortals Fenyx Ascending. Using The legend of Zelda as a model for adapting mythology could go a long way in creating more interesting adaptations like Hades or later God of War games.
Source: Nintendo