Quick correction regarding the Patreon/Member shoutout at the end. There are TWO Mike's (Miky and Mikey) and I accidentally mistook one for the other haha. So my apologies to Mikey with an "e". He is in fact not my cousin, but appreciated nonetheless ;) Have a good week everyone! ^^
Gosh, I despised the Zora elders in the beginning. They lose one person and decide to blame the race that lost about 75-85% of their population, the majority of their home and their government. The Hylians were hit so much harder than them, and there was no way anyone could have foreseen that. So yeah, sure. Obviously, it was totally on purpose. Way to go and blame the victims, elders.
@Carter Gieni As far as the entirety of Hyrule (except for the Sheikah) was concerned, the Hylians also lost their princess and their most skilled fighter in addition to the majority of their population and their home. But you never see them blaming (for example) the Sheikah for creating the Guardians in the first place. Some misplaced anger and resentment would have been fine for a bit, while emotions are high. But the Zora held onto that hatred for a century. And at that point it's just getting ridiculous and petty. It only show's that they never cared to look beyond their domain at the bigger picture. And I really wish that someone in the game had called them out on that.
@@farhaanj4330 They could have blamed the Sheikah for creating the Guardians in the first place. Or for not predicting the disaster (since apparently foretelling the future is a thing for them?). Or for not having better control of the Guardians. Or they could have blamed the Champions as a whole since they all failed at their job. Would it have been irrational and misplaced? Yes. Just like the Zora's hatred of the Hylians. And yet, they don't blame them, and if they ever have, they let go of that notion long ago.
Yeah the Elders really were a bunch of stubborn pricks haha. Besides, it was Mipha's own choice to become champion. And her dad approved. You choose to go to war... you could potentially die. It's not like Mipha was forced, lol
16:32 Saki (Teba's wife) does say that "Revali's Landing is a memorial for the Rito Champion, Revali..." Even though it already existed before The Calamity they probably changed the name afterwards to honor him.
Hey, just an idea but I was playing Skyward Sword and realize that the dragon giving the Hylian Shield to link was a really big deal because it was a gift from the dragon to the hero. Then, it got me thinking about the Hylian shield in Ocarina of Time. Then I thought, what if the grave in the cemetery where you find the shield is actually the grave of the hero of the Skies. It would make sense because of course he would have a place among the Royal Family in the cemetery.
I'd suspect the Gerudo would have also had a big slump after the calamity, with their primary trade partner gone along with the men that came with it its likely they too would've undergone a population decline following the calamity.
This makes a lot of sense, especially because you can see a lot of the older Gerudo women sleeping in tents on the streets instead of inside their own homes. I'm not sure they have homes...
Not to mention the possible racism. The Gerudo were often associated with the Calamity, so in the wake of the Calamity's aftermath I could definitely imagine a few traumatized and angry Hylians refusing to mingle with them because of it.
@@popsicIes Even far, far before then, as far back as Ocarina of Time in the distant past. Even in Breath of the Wild, Urbosa('s ghost) still describes Calamity Ganon having taken on the form of a Gerudo male: Ganondorf. I could imagine plenty of anti-Gerudo sentiment settling in following Ganondorf's invasion of the Sacred Realm, especially in the Hero's Defeat and Child timelines.
@@liamanderson7082 I'm not sure this is widely known. The Gerudo maintaining a list, written, oral, or otherwise, of their men (and thus rulers) makes sense, this is pretty important, especially to the historically insular Gerudo. However, this information existing outside of Gerudo or perhaps Shiekah circles is unlikely; this happened AT LEAST ten thousand years ago, and almost certainly many more. There are certainly many wildly different, competing theories regarding the origin, reason, and cause for Calamity Ganon, and "Ganon was a Gerudo" is about as viable a hypothesis as "Ganon was a curse from an ancient demon", "There was actually a second Ganon one time, it was really weird", "Ganon was totally uninvolved with a moon not striking a parallel dimension, but almost opened up a fishing hole there", "Ganon once fought in a massive tournament using only his bare hands; he was widely regarded as a surprisingly awful fighter, one of the worst to ever participate despite a long history of competing".
Heh its funny. Hylians are compared to elves for their ears, but Zora's seem to be effectively biologically immortal and are always the most reclusive of the races. Zora's are the Elves of the Zeldaverse.
@@robertbarrows6687 I just straight up refer to them as sea elves to my D&D group if they ever get confused as to what they are. Essentially the same idea just without the fish head.
@@robertbarrows6687 IIRC Warcraft elves only live that long because of a magical thing that was created, not biology. I know it doesn't matter, but you seem fun and like you might wanna know haha
I stated this elsewhere, but I feel the need to point out that the Zora were very used to Mipha serving as a healer, and apparently having the ability to manipulate water even on her own. Meaning that, while they likely didn't fight as a _organized force_ in the Calamity, they still would have had fatalities to it. Not only to those outside the Domain at the time, but quite possibly to the Divine Beast itself since we don't know for certain that the DB weren't influenced to dangerous behavior by the Blights. However, it's quite likely they had been expecting Mipha to be alive and well to heal them both in the immediate aftermath and the long term after the tragedy. Meaning that they would have likely looked at *every* future loss- whether by accident, monster, infection, plague, or something else- as, "If Princess Mipha had been here, this wouldn't have happened." Notably, there *is* a strange gap in the age curve of the Zora population. There's a lot of Elders, some Zora who are in their 100's- though not what you'd expect- and a *lot* of children. But there's a gap where you'd expect there to be several more Zora in their mid-50's and thereabouts. So it's quite possible that the Zora did experience more loss, but just saw Mipha's death as the main cause of those losses. Particularly as we have little reason to think that the Zora population was untouched by *all* tragedy during this time- they have guards, they have watch towers, and they have obviously lost Zora to sudden floods before, for them to know of the risk. It'd be like if someone- way back in the day when you couldn't just drive on a highway to the next town with a hospital- rode into town, shot the doctor and burned down the clinic, then rode off. You wouldn't be _absolutely certain_ that your son wouldn't have died of infection, your wife wouldn't have died of childbirth, or your husband died of pneumonia if they hadn't killed the doctor... but you'd probably *FEEL* very certain that they wouldn't have died. It isn't an excuse, but it may provide more context that some people may not have thought of.
I agree with this. The Zora Monuments also show a large history of them allying with the Royal Family of Hyrule, and even though their elders don't like Hylians, their royal family seems to bear them no ill will, which I imagine would be further hint of an alliance. It makes sense that they lost more than just Mipha in the Calamity.
I saw the Monuments and it mentioned something about a flood that took lives ages prior or around that time, so it could be possible that something like that happening during that time gap, although I could be wrong.
22:10 And we actually get to see in-game that Hyrule Catle used to be safer, before you activate "The Great Plateau Tower" there is no eerie mist covering the castle yet. I feel like this is a detail that goes over many people's head.
Yeah Ganon only manifests when the tower is activated. Before that he is 100% “dormant” as the divine beasts. It all wakes up after Link wakes up and start doing his thing lol
@@monicacrisanoli That's not entirely accurate. It's Zelda's waning power that sets everything into motion. She begins calling out to Link to awaken him before her power fails.
@@kingdaniel3519 You literally see the cutscene. Ganon “awakens” the moment Link activates the tower. Zeldas power is weak but she’s still holding Ganon and when Link activates the tower and Ganon feels his presence he wakes up, that’s the plot.
@@monicacrisanoli No. Thats how it appears at first but thats not how it actually happens. If you speak to NPCs around the different regions, they'll tell you how the Divine Beasts have been dormant until just before Link woke up. That means that Zelda's power had weakened enough that Calamity Ganon had re-established contact with his Blights.
It's definitely fair to think those that couldn't make it to Kakariko or Hateno had to make their last hike to the Citadel. Due to how different age is to the Zora tribe, it makes sense that many were still angry and grieving when Link woke up. It was a fresh wound. I can't even imagine how the Sheikah felt knowing their technology was the cause of Hyrule's downfall. The Goron and the Gerudo are a hardy bunch. They clearly had their time of grieving then focused on building their kingdoms, sharpening their skills and moving forward. I don't know enough about BotW's Rito culture to comment, but they seem to be doing alright, if not a little isolated and quiet. Just thought I'd share my thoughts, maybe start a discussion or somethin'
While that's both probable and likely, I think it more likely that the majority of people that couldn't make it to Kakariko or Ft Hateno made for the Great Plateau instead. When you consider the close proximity of the different outposts and settlements to the plateau it makes the most sense. Based on the amount of destroyed Guardians scattered on the plateau, it can be surmised that an intense battle took place there. Plus, it's generally thought that the King died there, so his presence would've convinced many people of it's assumed safety.
Dude, your content is so professionally done. Have you done any official documentary work? Every time I watch one of your history lessons/documentaries on BotW, I'm just blown away by the quality of it! You're awesome 🙂
@@princesspiranha Thank you so much! It's definitely worth the extra time to capture some nice looking footage. makes the editing pprocess a lot easier ^^
@@MonsterMaze 1. The Weakening seal could be why the castle is more dangerous than it once was. 2. Why do the Rito, which evolved from Zora, have the shortest life span despite Zora having the longest?3. This is the 3rd time I suggested this because I'm sure you've forgotten since it has been a month, so: Didn't you tell me you were interested in doing a complete map of Hyrule going over everywhere that was once Hyrule, after I suggested it last month or the month prior? Overlapping your videos into 1.
Rito Elders: Read of Revali and his unmatched skill… you must always strive to match him, for even failing to do so, you will find that each day you are better than you were the day before. Aspiring Warrior: And we should strive to match the quality of his character as well? Rito Elders: Please don’t.
About the “Era of Burning Fields” it's likely a reference to the loss of farmland rather than the creation of it. As you mentioned, before the calamity Hateno would have largely relied on trade. Both Kakariko and Hateno are small villages either on or surrounded by hills and Lurelin is a fishing village surrounded by cliffs. None of these would have been big agricultural producers. Hyrule field was likely where most agriculture took place. “Age of Burning Fields” doesn't sound like something related to rebuilding or recovery. It's probably not only referencing the literal fires that would have taken place in the few days following the calamity, but also the loss of farmland that would have directly impacted people's lives for years to come what with food shortages etc
Oh! I didn't think about the agriculture when I learned about the "Age of Burning Fields".. I assumed it was a rememberance of the destruction and funeral pyres that followed... 😔 Good point tho!!
Great video, it feels like a real documentary! I've only got one little thing to add; as far as I remember, the big place with the rito crest in Rito Village was named something like "Revali's Landing", so he did get some kind of memorial through that; although it's obviously not as much as in the cases of Mipha or Daruk
Ah yes, true. I remember is being a platform right? It was already there when he was still alive, as one of the cutscenes takes place on that thing. But perhaps they named it "Revali's landing" after his death?
@@MonsterMaze I think that's the most logical conclusion, though they also could have named it that when he was still alive to honour him; as you stated, his legacy seems to carry on mostly throughout his fighting skills and tales that inspire people like Teba and Harth; plus he's not a royalty like Mipha or a great hero of his race like Daruk but more of an "ordinary" very talented guy, so I guess it makes sense he doesn't get that much of a memorial..although with that logic in mind it wouldn't make sense that Urbosa seems to get nothing at all, if I don't forget anything in Gerudo Town rn..anyways, thanks for the heart!
Well, I don’t know when Revali‘s Landing was named that way, but I know that it is the biggest platform in Rito Village. I also think the bowtraining thingy with the updrafts (don’t know the name right now) serves as some kind of memorial place, as the Rito remember him being the one wanting to build it.
Since the Zora live 300+ years, it makes sense that they would still feel the loss of their champion/princess much longer than the other races. It's such a small, amazing touch.
And then there's the fact that the malice had eye stalks very similar to the one eye in Lord of the rings. Ganon may have been held but he was watching he was involved. There are times in Links travels when the shadows that pass over him in the overworld take the shape of Ganon. He was constantly watching and giving orders still to the guardians. The guardians that protected Hyrule Field and Hyrule Castle. Making sure no one would approach the prisoner Ganon.
They probably went inside the divine beasts I guess. The blights were temporarily gone at that point. So there were probably no dangers inside them at that stage. But how, and who exactly did it.. no clue. Probably just one of their braver members haha
I don’t know, the game says that only champions were able to board them. I’m not sure if that just meant brave and capable warriors or the actual pilots, link, and zelda
@@rayoconnell261 I dunno, in Age of Calamity anyone can just enter to help The Champions fight the blights I think, The Champions are probably just the only ones who can pilot them.
I don't believe that the champions had their weapons with them that makes the most sense. There was no time they simply went to the Divine beasts. This was a very good question I was thinking this as well.
I'd say 400 years is the maximum lifespan of a Zora. 0 years = egg 25 years = toddler 50 years = child 75 years = teen 100 years = young adult 200 years = adult 300 years = elder 400 years = on the verge of death
Also just a guess I think that the royal zora family is most likely to live even longer than most of the citizens by at least a hundred years or so but not by much on their terms while to the hylians probably what looks like forever
@@brendensmith5452 Frankly, Zora royalty may as well be a subspecies of its own, given the colossal size difference between the average Zora and them. Even back in OoT, King Zora was an absolute monster. Since the species seems so mutable anyways, turning into firebreathing psychopaths at the drop of a hat and whatnot, it's not that crazy, at least.
Outstanding as always ! I’m equally impressed by the work the Zelda team put into creating such a cohesive world and by your in depth analysis of the said world. It’s almost as if the developers expected all this speculation/analysis thing (still going strong after 4 years!). When you trust the player with a complex world, you get rewarded with gems like Monster Maze’s videos, or Zeltik’s, or … well you know, all the other awesome Zelda enthusiasts out there ! I really do hope Aonuma knows about you guys, and that he’s proud. Proud of him, and proud of you.
As someone who started with breath of the wild, I have to say… your videos among other things have had me playing many other Zelda games to better understand the history and lore of hyrule. I grew up playing the games I could get my hands on and unfortunately the legend of Zelda series wasn’t included. I feel like this video in particular really throws me into the world of the legend of Zelda and makes it an even more tangible place. I love it. Thank you so much.
I just want to make a comment about you saying early in the video that “hundreds, perhaps thousands of people lay dead”. While that’s a very reasonable claim if you take the population of Hyrule to be similar to the population shown through NPCs in BotW and AoC, if you take the game as a representation of the world constrained by hardware and necessity, and compare Hyrule to, say, France or Germany in the 13th century (I think a 13th century France is probably the best real-world approximation) it would likely have a population of 10 million or greater and it’s a more realistic statement that 150,000 people were killed in the destruction of Castle Town alone, let alone the entire Calamity. I don’t know whether upscaling Hyrule to a more realistic depiction is something you would consider, but I think it sheds more light on the extent of the tragedy caused.
I wish so badly that you could have explored the inside of the citadel and find things within it that would expose more lore, as when you speak to the guy in front of it he says how his grandfather i believe it was fought in the great calamity and he wanted to find more out about his death or what had happened, and that after all royalty within hyrule castle perished all of the soldiers and knights fled to the citadel to make a final stand, sadly when you go there you see that they did not make it, you can find swords stuck in the ground and malice with guardians rusted over everything, i wanted to explore the inside and see what was happening inside during all the commotion, and how scared the knights must've been.
Amazing job! Love hearing about people talk about things that aren’t well known. Such as the Age of Burning Fields, Epona Co., etc… Idk if you take recommendations but I think a video having to do with the people’s faith in the Goddess Hylia would be amazing. Especially how the Calamity nearly destroyed the people’s faith since so many places of worship were either destroyed or forgotten. Like the Great Plateau being completely isolated, and the Lanayru Promenade being left in ruin which left the road to Mount Lanayru nearly impassable. I believe Creating a Champion mentions this specific idea. Seeing a video about how the Calamity affected the People’s faith in the Goddess would be interesting. Great Job again!
The three Goddesses are omnipotent and know events in all of the timelines. Instead of the Queen or Zelda receiving the visions as many have theorized, the visions are instead received by this "fortune teller" that King Rhoam referred to in his journal. Now, what does this have to do with religion? Well, fortune teller can be a synonym for a prophet. I propose that the "fortune teller" is actually a priest or priestess of a religion focused around the worship of the Goddess Hylia. Master Works speculates that the fortune teller was the Queen, a high ranking official or a trusted advisor. Throughout history, most state leaders have had a trusted religious advisor. Some still do. It doesn't make sense that it would be the Queen, Zelda or another government official. If it were, then why would the King refer to them as simply a "fortune teller" and not by their name or title? I think that this rules out the royal family or a high ranking official. That would mean this "fortune teller" is someone outside the royal family and government, yet close enough to have the confidence of the king and also be in tune to the Goddesses to be a recipient of visions. A trusted religious leader or renowned prophet could fit that description. How does this fix the timeline inconsistencies? The prophet informs the royal family of the visions they're receiving from the Goddesses and the church spreads these stories throughout Hyrule. These visions are of events depicted throughout the timelines and are passed on. Not in print but orally, where they are slightly changed in each telling. Eventually, the truth is muddled by countless retellings and are largely dismissed as mere "legends and fairy tales". However, having heard these revelations straight from the prophet, the royal family believes them to be true. So they trust the prophet and their "fortune telling". Fast forward to before the calamity and King Rhoam has just been visited by the prophet, warning of Calamity Ganon's rise and that the key to his defeat lies underground. He believes the fortune teller and immediately begins massive excavations across Hyrule. They accidentally re-discover Divine Beast Vah Naboris and believe that this is what the prophecy was referencing. The Shiekah, upon the discovery, recall tales of the legions of Guardians and Divine Beasts once used to aid the Hero and Princess against the previous Calamity. The search for the Guardians ensues. Then of course, you have the events of BotW, the Divine Beasts and Guardians are found, new Champions are chosen, then the Calamity revives. I've always felt that religion played an extremely important role in Hyrulean society before the calamity. There are cathedrals and temples all over the kingdom, especially concentrated in Hyrule Castle Town, Central Hyrule and the Great Plateau, the population and religious centers of Hyrule. Not to mention all the Goddess statues in each major settlement. You have a religion sharing the teachings of the three Goddesses with the people, leading to a general acceptance of certain events and a prophet sharing visions from the Goddesses with the royal family. That explains how Zelda knows of events in alternate timelines, it explains how the different races can have knowledge of people and events from alternate timelines and how locations could be named after people and locations from the alternate timelines.
Before this video I felt the Hyrule was too big with too little narrative, basically stretched too thin. I only saw scattered ruins and the few roaming NPCs as copy-paste fillers to make Hyrule feel more interesting. I wasn't sensitive to the world building going on. Monster Maze, thanks for threading together such a beautiful and compelling historical narrative for BoTW. It's amazing to see ignored and forgotten details scattered in such a large world come together. You're bringing the game to life!
Beautiful as always. I appreciate you shedding light on the humanity marching on in this untold era. It speaks of a wealth of subplots and stories still to tell. Makes the imagination soar!
Personally, I think "The Age of Burning Fields" was more a metaphorical refrence to the state of Hyrule at that time, and the state of destruction across the land. (But I also really like your take)
Another amazing Zelda video! Just wish it covered more on the Yiga, may have been interesting to address that some may have sealed themselves in hibernation chambers similar to Link. Also thanks for bringing focus to a non BOTW 2 Zelda topic, trying to go into the sequel as blind as possible!
I would've LOVED to cover the Yiga more. They are awesome! Problem is that we really don't know much about what they were up to in this time period, asside from spying on the Sheikah. Most of their known history is from their formation 10.000 years ago, and the present day. I feel like they were probably laying low for most of those 100 years. Waiting for Ganon to return again I guess. Maybe stir up some trouble at Gerudo Town sometimes, haha.
The camera work, bittersweet music, and the grim topic really put me in a certain mood... Not a bad mood! But man.... The dark days following the calamity and the constant struggle to survive and thrive is such a common theme in Zelda, I love it so much! You did EXCELLENT work, Monster Maze! I'm looking forward to the next video
That was amazing again! everything is so perfect and well done, from the narrative to the research. One question that I would have asked myself would be: What was the opinion of the survivors and / or their descendants about the monsters? Was it just hate, or was it trying to understand and explore like Kilton? Would the relationship between the Hylians and the monsters be worth a video? Or will it be part of one of the "Life as a ...... (Bokoblin)" series that may possibly be presented in the future?
We see Hylians killing monsters in some cases, so they don't seem to like them a lot haha. Kilton is probably the only one fascinated by them. Which is pretty cool!
I really love your videos as they are not just 10 Minutes of Zelda thoughts/theory, but really go in depth with the theme. The visuals are also always great and I love listening to your voice and your thoughts when drawing early in the morning before the sun rises. Everytime I think I have heard enough of Breath of the Wild you surprise me again ♥ I really love that you always go the extra mile for your videos. Thankyou so much for your time and effort!
19:00 about "A Whole (Old) New World": The settlements began to reconnect when travelling picked up- Hyrule became a country again. A doughnut-shaped country, encircling an enclave of no-man's land haunted by Ganon's presence. Poetic. Bittersweet. Touching. Beautyful. Post-war rebuilding eras are among the most intrigueing and bittersweet parts of history.
I never considered that the Age of Burning Fields could just be an agricultural thing. Thanks for showing me a new perspective on a world I thought I knew pretty well!
Great video as always tbh I am surprised within the hylians who survived there was no conflict from somebody trying to be top dog but I suppose most people who would have had those kind of ambitions would have been living in castle town or other areas of importance and got wiped out
Don, this is best video you made so far! I can see why you needed to take a break. This is literally a full length episode. And that opening?! That new opening look amazing. Your skills are top tier. Glad your back!
Thanks Brandon! That means a lot. The break gave me the necessary energy for a project like this. The next few videos will be of the shorter kind, but another big one will come soon, no doubt.
Holy shit this was soooooo good!!!!!! The backstory of BOTW is so good, like a million personal stories could be told during the early years era. Also I personally like to think a large portion of Hylians chose to leave Hyrule instead of settle in Hateno, to help account for population numbers and what not.
I love the thumbnail!! Looks like a bona-fide documentary. Haven't seen the video yet but I'm certain it'll feel like one too! You've got some of the best content out there
Great video as always but I just wanted to point out that Revali's landing was constructed in his honor so it can be counted as a memorial to him. He also commissioned the building of the Flight range but since he asked for that while he was still alive it isn't a memorial to him just a way that he contributed to the Rito society.
What I wonder is what happened to the village around which are located the Fir River, Camphor Pond, and Lake Jarrah. It's west of Hateno Village and just east of Hateno Tower. We know the Guardians didn't get that far, as it's east of Fort Hateno. Perhaps the explanation lies in how far up Hateno Village is? Hateno Village is located at a fairly high elevation, and the road leading right up to the gate is pretty steep. Maybe the destroyed village was easier for the monsters to get to than Hateno Village, which is in a much more defensible position. EDIT: BTW, love this video! I've always been curious about the 100 years between the Calamity and Link's awakening!
This was a fantastic video! Seriously well done!! The way you capture footage and include certain songs just makes it feel more like a documentary and more like a real tragedy. This is one of your finest works yet!!
Awesome video, MM! No day passes by that I don't miss getting my hands on the sequel to BOTW. Your video's make the waiting less painful. We don't deserve you!
26:42 I just noticed that’s a Goron emblem on the Zora hammer. Little details like that make this game brilliant, and I can’t wait for TOTK to arrive, so the internet can once again implode with the small details
Amaaaaazing video omg. i really appreciate how much effort you put into these videos, from the thumbnail art, to graphically computed scenes, to 3d maps. super professional
What a fucking incredibly well done video, holy shit. This video draws me right into it's atmosphere and shows just how truly intricate and well thought out Hyrule is. People who say Breath of the Wild has no story have no idea what they're talking about. I have no idea how you managed to make everything about this video so new. Like nobody has ever really talked about most of the stuff in this video. I love this universe, it's such a great vibe and it's incredibly interesting and captivating. Thank you for making this. I was completely immersed the entire time. Not to mention the production is insane. Keep it up. BTW I believe I've been subbed since the first day or couple of days this channel was created, when it was announced on one of Commonwealth's videos. It's been awesome watching you grow over this past year or so. You make the absolute best Zelda content by a long shot imo. You're honestly probably my favorite youtuber now that I think about it. This game means so much to me and these videos fleshing out every corner of the universe makes me love it even more. Thank you.
I wonder...do you think that Purah and Robbie destroyed the entrances to the Great Plateau in order to prevent anyone from entering the Shrine of Resurrection, or was it part of the attacks during the Great Calamity? I'm wondering because how were they able to get on the Plateau if it was destroyed before they got there, or off if they were already at the top when it happened (as they wouldn't have a paraglider)? It seems like it would have had to been intentional, I'd just like your take
This is incredible! Your work really has reached a new level of mastery. Every video you release is better than the last and i really think you've become of of the best Zelda theorists out there--youtube or otherwise. Thanks for making this beautiful video! looking forward to the next one!
this is why I really hope in botw 2 the side quests are related to rebuilding hyrule back to its glory, it would be so much fun and rewarding The tarry town side quest but on a bigger scale!
Considering Ganondorf is fully around by the time of the sequel, I wouldn't bet on that. If anything, you're probably just gonna get some ruined stone buildings that have been partially patched up with wood and cloth just to make some form of decent shelter.
Urbosa must have been pretty chill. "My skill has come to be known as Urbosa's Fury." She didn't name it. Others did. Then, she does a snaaaaa~aaaap so hip, Purah would be totes jelly of.
I've been binging your videos! really love the content! I never got to play BOTW and due to playing too many games, I might not get to play the 2nd one, but I LOVE the lore behind TLOZ and I tend to watch let's plays of all of the games, because they're awesome. I watch both you and Zeltik, because I feel you go really in-depth with your explanations and it's easy to follow along. Thanks for making these videos! :3
The Sheikah poet is said to have been close in age to Princess Zelda, so he might have been around the same age as Impa, Purah and Robbie, in his early 20s. As for why he died before Link awoke, he may have contracted an incurrable illness, or the stress of his quest took its toll on him.
another fantastic video. i love these so much. you really capture everything so well with your words and the shots you choose. it feels almost as if it’s a real life event.
Great video. I love how well you write your script and back it up with meaningful video clips. Good storytelling along with showing the facts/theories.
Hey I can’t watch right now but I will soon! I can tell it’s pretty long! I can’t wait to watch it, thank you for your effort into all of these videos, they’re absolutely great man. 💕
Excellent video and narration! Two comments. The blockage of the entrance to the plateau might have been done by the Sheikah themselves soon after the calamity in order to stop people from disturbing the resurrection chamber. Loshlo harbor. Was that place near Hateno village used as a port of embarkation for refugees desperate to leave Hyrule for lands beyond the eastern seas? (I certainly hope there will be ocean travels in Botw 2).
It's generally thought that the Hylians and/or King destroyed the entrance to the Plateau to stop or slow the attacking Guardians. There is ample evidence to support this in game.
Absolutely love your work! I put these videos on while I clean, cook and relax. Currently smoking some wings learning the history of the burning fields period!
25:52 Actually, the poet was likely around the same age as Zelda at the time, so he couldn't have been much older than Impa, Purah, and Robbie... Perhaps he simply passed away from old age sooner than most, or was taken out by monsters during his travels.
Always love it when MM does a theory! The attention to every little detail/context to give us an idea off what could've happen based on the known facts is always better than that guy who just makes assumptions bc he wants to make a theory and get them views. Kudos mate! Great vid as always.
Quick correction regarding the Patreon/Member shoutout at the end. There are TWO Mike's (Miky and Mikey) and I accidentally mistook one for the other haha. So my apologies to Mikey with an "e". He is in fact not my cousin, but appreciated nonetheless ;)
Have a good week everyone! ^^
Thanks you have a good week too
WHY
WHY
@@skullkid7989 GO get lost I'm the lost Woods skull kid
FIRST
Gosh, I despised the Zora elders in the beginning. They lose one person and decide to blame the race that lost about 75-85% of their population, the majority of their home and their government. The Hylians were hit so much harder than them, and there was no way anyone could have foreseen that. So yeah, sure. Obviously, it was totally on purpose. Way to go and blame the victims, elders.
@Carter Gieni As far as the entirety of Hyrule (except for the Sheikah) was concerned, the Hylians also lost their princess and their most skilled fighter in addition to the majority of their population and their home. But you never see them blaming (for example) the Sheikah for creating the Guardians in the first place. Some misplaced anger and resentment would have been fine for a bit, while emotions are high. But the Zora held onto that hatred for a century. And at that point it's just getting ridiculous and petty. It only show's that they never cared to look beyond their domain at the bigger picture. And I really wish that someone in the game had called them out on that.
I guess it’s just that the Zoras had someone to blame, and the Hylians had no one to blame but themselves, even if it wasn’t really their fault
@@farhaanj4330 They could have blamed the Sheikah for creating the Guardians in the first place. Or for not predicting the disaster (since apparently foretelling the future is a thing for them?). Or for not having better control of the Guardians. Or they could have blamed the Champions as a whole since they all failed at their job.
Would it have been irrational and misplaced? Yes. Just like the Zora's hatred of the Hylians.
And yet, they don't blame them, and if they ever have, they let go of that notion long ago.
Yeah the Elders really were a bunch of stubborn pricks haha. Besides, it was Mipha's own choice to become champion. And her dad approved. You choose to go to war... you could potentially die. It's not like Mipha was forced, lol
At least Sidon, the other younger Zoras, and especially King Dorephan were cool.
16:32 Saki (Teba's wife) does say that "Revali's Landing is a memorial for the Rito Champion, Revali..." Even though it already existed before The Calamity they probably changed the name afterwards to honor him.
Yeah, Revali just really liked to hang out there.
Hey, just an idea but I was playing Skyward Sword and realize that the dragon giving the Hylian Shield to link was a really big deal because it was a gift from the dragon to the hero. Then, it got me thinking about the Hylian shield in Ocarina of Time. Then I thought, what if the grave in the cemetery where you find the shield is actually the grave of the hero of the Skies. It would make sense because of course he would have a place among the Royal Family in the cemetery.
My mind just exploded- That makes a lot of sense
Been a while since I last heard of that
@@kattheneeko or u just buy it ☺
Omg it could really match with the song of light
Great idea of the only thing that ruins it is you can buy it for 90 rubies in Hyrule.
I'd suspect the Gerudo would have also had a big slump after the calamity, with their primary trade partner gone along with the men that came with it its likely they too would've undergone a population decline following the calamity.
This makes a lot of sense, especially because you can see a lot of the older Gerudo women sleeping in tents on the streets instead of inside their own homes. I'm not sure they have homes...
In age of calamity, theres hundreds of them, however in breath of the wild, there are only about 20 or 30. Depopulation would make a lot of sense.
Not to mention the possible racism. The Gerudo were often associated with the Calamity, so in the wake of the Calamity's aftermath I could definitely imagine a few traumatized and angry Hylians refusing to mingle with them because of it.
@@popsicIes Even far, far before then, as far back as Ocarina of Time in the distant past. Even in Breath of the Wild, Urbosa('s ghost) still describes Calamity Ganon having taken on the form of a Gerudo male: Ganondorf. I could imagine plenty of anti-Gerudo sentiment settling in following Ganondorf's invasion of the Sacred Realm, especially in the Hero's Defeat and Child timelines.
@@liamanderson7082
I'm not sure this is widely known.
The Gerudo maintaining a list, written, oral, or otherwise, of their men (and thus rulers) makes sense, this is pretty important, especially to the historically insular Gerudo. However, this information existing outside of Gerudo or perhaps Shiekah circles is unlikely; this happened AT LEAST ten thousand years ago, and almost certainly many more. There are certainly many wildly different, competing theories regarding the origin, reason, and cause for Calamity Ganon, and "Ganon was a Gerudo" is about as viable a hypothesis as "Ganon was a curse from an ancient demon", "There was actually a second Ganon one time, it was really weird", "Ganon was totally uninvolved with a moon not striking a parallel dimension, but almost opened up a fishing hole there", "Ganon once fought in a massive tournament using only his bare hands; he was widely regarded as a surprisingly awful fighter, one of the worst to ever participate despite a long history of competing".
Heh its funny. Hylians are compared to elves for their ears, but Zora's seem to be effectively biologically immortal and are always the most reclusive of the races. Zora's are the Elves of the Zeldaverse.
Elves are immortal?
@@ortherner As in they can't age and basically live forever if not killed. Its common in fantasy like Lord of the Rings, Warcraft and Warhammer.
Zora age, just slower.
@@robertbarrows6687 I just straight up refer to them as sea elves to my D&D group if they ever get confused as to what they are. Essentially the same idea just without the fish head.
@@robertbarrows6687 IIRC Warcraft elves only live that long because of a magical thing that was created, not biology. I know it doesn't matter, but you seem fun and like you might wanna know haha
Nice thumbnail art!
Thank you as always my friend!
Adam that's not cool that graphic is effing dope
The Thumbnail is cool and all not it's effing dope just like the graphic
Pretty cool right?
@@TMD-2147official
Nice one.
I liked that.
I stated this elsewhere, but I feel the need to point out that the Zora were very used to Mipha serving as a healer, and apparently having the ability to manipulate water even on her own.
Meaning that, while they likely didn't fight as a _organized force_ in the Calamity, they still would have had fatalities to it. Not only to those outside the Domain at the time, but quite possibly to the Divine Beast itself since we don't know for certain that the DB weren't influenced to dangerous behavior by the Blights.
However, it's quite likely they had been expecting Mipha to be alive and well to heal them both in the immediate aftermath and the long term after the tragedy.
Meaning that they would have likely looked at *every* future loss- whether by accident, monster, infection, plague, or something else- as, "If Princess Mipha had been here, this wouldn't have happened." Notably, there *is* a strange gap in the age curve of the Zora population. There's a lot of Elders, some Zora who are in their 100's- though not what you'd expect- and a *lot* of children. But there's a gap where you'd expect there to be several more Zora in their mid-50's and thereabouts. So it's quite possible that the Zora did experience more loss, but just saw Mipha's death as the main cause of those losses.
Particularly as we have little reason to think that the Zora population was untouched by *all* tragedy during this time- they have guards, they have watch towers, and they have obviously lost Zora to sudden floods before, for them to know of the risk.
It'd be like if someone- way back in the day when you couldn't just drive on a highway to the next town with a hospital- rode into town, shot the doctor and burned down the clinic, then rode off. You wouldn't be _absolutely certain_ that your son wouldn't have died of infection, your wife wouldn't have died of childbirth, or your husband died of pneumonia if they hadn't killed the doctor... but you'd probably *FEEL* very certain that they wouldn't have died.
It isn't an excuse, but it may provide more context that some people may not have thought of.
I agree with this. The Zora Monuments also show a large history of them allying with the Royal Family of Hyrule, and even though their elders don't like Hylians, their royal family seems to bear them no ill will, which I imagine would be further hint of an alliance. It makes sense that they lost more than just Mipha in the Calamity.
I saw the Monuments and it mentioned something about a flood that took lives ages prior or around that time, so it could be possible that something like that happening during that time gap, although I could be wrong.
22:10 And we actually get to see in-game that Hyrule Catle used to be safer, before you activate "The Great Plateau Tower" there is no eerie mist covering the castle yet. I feel like this is a detail that goes over many people's head.
Yeah Ganon only manifests when the tower is activated. Before that he is 100% “dormant” as the divine beasts. It all wakes up after Link wakes up and start doing his thing lol
It's a very good point somebody even say that it was more than simple coincidence. 🤔
@@monicacrisanoli That's not entirely accurate. It's Zelda's waning power that sets everything into motion. She begins calling out to Link to awaken him before her power fails.
@@kingdaniel3519 You literally see the cutscene. Ganon “awakens” the moment Link activates the tower. Zeldas power is weak but she’s still holding Ganon and when Link activates the tower and Ganon feels his presence he wakes up, that’s the plot.
@@monicacrisanoli No. Thats how it appears at first but thats not how it actually happens. If you speak to NPCs around the different regions, they'll tell you how the Divine Beasts have been dormant until just before Link woke up. That means that Zelda's power had weakened enough that Calamity Ganon had re-established contact with his Blights.
It's definitely fair to think those that couldn't make it to Kakariko or Hateno had to make their last hike to the Citadel.
Due to how different age is to the Zora tribe, it makes sense that many were still angry and grieving when Link woke up. It was a fresh wound.
I can't even imagine how the Sheikah felt knowing their technology was the cause of Hyrule's downfall.
The Goron and the Gerudo are a hardy bunch. They clearly had their time of grieving then focused on building their kingdoms, sharpening their skills and moving forward.
I don't know enough about BotW's Rito culture to comment, but they seem to be doing alright, if not a little isolated and quiet.
Just thought I'd share my thoughts, maybe start a discussion or somethin'
Thanks for sharing. It's always appreciated!
Very good natured, and positive are all Zelda Fans 🙂😇
While that's both probable and likely, I think it more likely that the majority of people that couldn't make it to Kakariko or Ft Hateno made for the Great Plateau instead. When you consider the close proximity of the different outposts and settlements to the plateau it makes the most sense. Based on the amount of destroyed Guardians scattered on the plateau, it can be surmised that an intense battle took place there. Plus, it's generally thought that the King died there, so his presence would've convinced many people of it's assumed safety.
@@kingdaniel3519 That makes sense
Dude, your content is so professionally done. Have you done any official documentary work? Every time I watch one of your history lessons/documentaries on BotW, I'm just blown away by the quality of it! You're awesome 🙂
Thank you so much! I am an animator/editor when it comes to my regular day job. But I haven't done full documentaries. I'd love to some day though! ^^
@@MonsterMaze The composition of your shots is always so well done!
@@princesspiranha Thank you so much! It's definitely worth the extra time to capture some nice looking footage. makes the editing pprocess a lot easier ^^
@@MonsterMaze 1. The Weakening seal could be why the castle is more dangerous than it once was.
2. Why do the Rito, which evolved from Zora, have the shortest life span despite Zora having the longest?3. This is the 3rd time I suggested this because I'm sure you've forgotten since it has been a month, so: Didn't you tell me you were interested in doing a complete map of Hyrule going over everywhere that was once Hyrule, after I suggested it last month or the month prior? Overlapping your videos into 1.
@@MonsterMaze you have the skill that's for sure
Rito Elders: Read of Revali and his unmatched skill… you must always strive to match him, for even failing to do so, you will find that each day you are better than you were the day before.
Aspiring Warrior: And we should strive to match the quality of his character as well?
Rito Elders: Please don’t.
About the “Era of Burning Fields” it's likely a reference to the loss of farmland rather than the creation of it. As you mentioned, before the calamity Hateno would have largely relied on trade. Both Kakariko and Hateno are small villages either on or surrounded by hills and Lurelin is a fishing village surrounded by cliffs. None of these would have been big agricultural producers. Hyrule field was likely where most agriculture took place. “Age of Burning Fields” doesn't sound like something related to rebuilding or recovery. It's probably not only referencing the literal fires that would have taken place in the few days following the calamity, but also the loss of farmland that would have directly impacted people's lives for years to come what with food shortages etc
Oh! I didn't think about the agriculture when I learned about the "Age of Burning Fields".. I assumed it was a rememberance of the destruction and funeral pyres that followed... 😔 Good point tho!!
Great video, it feels like a real documentary! I've only got one little thing to add; as far as I remember, the big place with the rito crest in Rito Village was named something like "Revali's Landing", so he did get some kind of memorial through that; although it's obviously not as much as in the cases of Mipha or Daruk
Ah yes, true. I remember is being a platform right? It was already there when he was still alive, as one of the cutscenes takes place on that thing. But perhaps they named it "Revali's landing" after his death?
@@MonsterMaze I think that's the most logical conclusion, though they also could have named it that when he was still alive to honour him; as you stated, his legacy seems to carry on mostly throughout his fighting skills and tales that inspire people like Teba and Harth; plus he's not a royalty like Mipha or a great hero of his race like Daruk but more of an "ordinary" very talented guy, so I guess it makes sense he doesn't get that much of a memorial..although with that logic in mind it wouldn't make sense that Urbosa seems to get nothing at all, if I don't forget anything in Gerudo Town rn..anyways, thanks for the heart!
Well, I don’t know when Revali‘s Landing was named that way, but I know that it is the biggest platform in Rito Village.
I also think the bowtraining thingy with the updrafts (don’t know the name right now) serves as some kind of memorial place, as the Rito remember him being the one wanting to build it.
Since the Zora live 300+ years, it makes sense that they would still feel the loss of their champion/princess much longer than the other races. It's such a small, amazing touch.
25:52 The court poet was around the same age as Zelda, he was also in love with her (but of course the princess wasn't)
Poor guy :(
I wonder if Kass will talk more about him in the sequel.
This aged really poorly :( @@legomaster2538
And then there's the fact that the malice had eye stalks very similar to the one eye in Lord of the rings. Ganon may have been held but he was watching he was involved. There are times in Links travels when the shadows that pass over him in the overworld take the shape of Ganon. He was constantly watching and giving orders still to the guardians. The guardians that protected Hyrule Field and Hyrule Castle. Making sure no one would approach the prisoner Ganon.
Revali was actually memorialized. The big platform in Rito village is called Revali's Landing. Awesome video! :)
Video suggestion: How were people able to recover the champions’ weapons?
They probably went inside the divine beasts I guess. The blights were temporarily gone at that point. So there were probably no dangers inside them at that stage. But how, and who exactly did it.. no clue. Probably just one of their braver members haha
I don’t know, the game says that only champions were able to board them. I’m not sure if that just meant brave and capable warriors or the actual pilots, link, and zelda
@@rayoconnell261 I dunno, in Age of Calamity anyone can just enter to help The Champions fight the blights I think, The Champions are probably just the only ones who can pilot them.
@Essey Afewerki then how does yunobo have daruks champion scarf
I don't believe that the champions had their weapons with them that makes the most sense. There was no time they simply went to the Divine beasts. This was a very good question I was thinking this as well.
Hopefully we will get to explore some of this in BotW 2!
Yes please!
Addition: I'm pretty sure the old Zora dude is like 700 years old or something like that. Zoras live way past even 200.
I'd say 400 years is the maximum lifespan of a Zora.
0 years = egg
25 years = toddler
50 years = child
75 years = teen
100 years = young adult
200 years = adult
300 years = elder
400 years = on the verge of death
Also just a guess I think that the royal zora family is most likely to live even longer than most of the citizens by at least a hundred years or so but not by much on their terms while to the hylians probably what looks like forever
@@brendensmith5452
Frankly, Zora royalty may as well be a subspecies of its own, given the colossal size difference between the average Zora and them. Even back in OoT, King Zora was an absolute monster.
Since the species seems so mutable anyways, turning into firebreathing psychopaths at the drop of a hat and whatnot, it's not that crazy, at least.
I'm as impressed as ever by the artfulness of your writing and editing, in a media niche where artfulness is not the norm.
Outstanding as always ! I’m equally impressed by the work the Zelda team put into creating such a cohesive world and by your in depth analysis of the said world. It’s almost as if the developers expected all this speculation/analysis thing (still going strong after 4 years!).
When you trust the player with a complex world, you get rewarded with gems like Monster Maze’s videos, or Zeltik’s, or … well you know, all the other awesome Zelda enthusiasts out there !
I really do hope Aonuma knows about you guys, and that he’s proud. Proud of him, and proud of you.
The intro is too good, I can’t stop rewatching it over and over and over
So happy you like it! It was a lot more work for me than I anticipated :O
I love how comforting and cozy every settlement is in this game
As someone who started with breath of the wild, I have to say… your videos among other things have had me playing many other Zelda games to better understand the history and lore of hyrule. I grew up playing the games I could get my hands on and unfortunately the legend of Zelda series wasn’t included. I feel like this video in particular really throws me into the world of the legend of Zelda and makes it an even more tangible place. I love it. Thank you so much.
And just like that….I wanna do another playthrough, hear the noises and see the rain. This game is amazing
I just want to make a comment about you saying early in the video that “hundreds, perhaps thousands of people lay dead”. While that’s a very reasonable claim if you take the population of Hyrule to be similar to the population shown through NPCs in BotW and AoC, if you take the game as a representation of the world constrained by hardware and necessity, and compare Hyrule to, say, France or Germany in the 13th century (I think a 13th century France is probably the best real-world approximation) it would likely have a population of 10 million or greater and it’s a more realistic statement that 150,000 people were killed in the destruction of Castle Town alone, let alone the entire Calamity. I don’t know whether upscaling Hyrule to a more realistic depiction is something you would consider, but I think it sheds more light on the extent of the tragedy caused.
This was heartstring-pulling, touching, and beautifully crafted. ❤
I wish so badly that you could have explored the inside of the citadel and find things within it that would expose more lore, as when you speak to the guy in front of it he says how his grandfather i believe it was fought in the great calamity and he wanted to find more out about his death or what had happened, and that after all royalty within hyrule castle perished all of the soldiers and knights fled to the citadel to make a final stand, sadly when you go there you see that they did not make it, you can find swords stuck in the ground and malice with guardians rusted over everything, i wanted to explore the inside and see what was happening inside during all the commotion, and how scared the knights must've been.
Amazing job! Love hearing about people talk about things that aren’t well known. Such as the Age of Burning Fields, Epona Co., etc…
Idk if you take recommendations but I think a video having to do with the people’s faith in the Goddess Hylia would be amazing. Especially how the Calamity nearly destroyed the people’s faith since so many places of worship were either destroyed or forgotten.
Like the Great Plateau being completely isolated, and the Lanayru Promenade being left in ruin which left the road to Mount Lanayru nearly impassable. I believe Creating a Champion mentions this specific idea. Seeing a video about how the Calamity affected the People’s faith in the Goddess would be interesting.
Great Job again!
I've had this theory about religion in Hyrule for years now. Would you be interested in hearing it?
@@kingdaniel3519 Sure
The three Goddesses are omnipotent and know events in all of the timelines. Instead of the Queen or Zelda receiving the visions as many have theorized, the visions are instead received by this "fortune teller" that King Rhoam referred to in his journal.
Now, what does this have to do with religion? Well, fortune teller can be a synonym for a prophet. I propose that the "fortune teller" is actually a priest or priestess of a religion focused around the worship of the Goddess Hylia. Master Works speculates that the fortune teller was the Queen, a high ranking official or a trusted advisor. Throughout history, most state leaders have had a trusted religious advisor. Some still do. It doesn't make sense that it would be the Queen, Zelda or another government official. If it were, then why would the King refer to them as simply a "fortune teller" and not by their name or title? I think that this rules out the royal family or a high ranking official. That would mean this "fortune teller" is someone outside the royal family and government, yet close enough to have the confidence of the king and also be in tune to the Goddesses to be a recipient of visions. A trusted religious leader or renowned prophet could fit that description.
How does this fix the timeline inconsistencies? The prophet informs the royal family of the visions they're receiving from the Goddesses and the church spreads these stories throughout Hyrule. These visions are of events depicted throughout the timelines and are passed on. Not in print but orally, where they are slightly changed in each telling. Eventually, the truth is muddled by countless retellings and are largely dismissed as mere "legends and fairy tales". However, having heard these revelations straight from the prophet, the royal family believes them to be true. So they trust the prophet and their "fortune telling". Fast forward to before the calamity and King Rhoam has just been visited by the prophet, warning of Calamity Ganon's rise and that the key to his defeat lies underground. He believes the fortune teller and immediately begins massive excavations across Hyrule. They accidentally re-discover Divine Beast Vah Naboris and believe that this is what the prophecy was referencing. The Shiekah, upon the discovery, recall tales of the legions of Guardians and Divine Beasts once used to aid the Hero and Princess against the previous Calamity. The search for the Guardians ensues. Then of course, you have the events of BotW, the Divine Beasts and Guardians are found, new Champions are chosen, then the Calamity revives.
I've always felt that religion played an extremely important role in Hyrulean society before the calamity. There are cathedrals and temples all over the kingdom, especially concentrated in Hyrule Castle Town, Central Hyrule and the Great Plateau, the population and religious centers of Hyrule. Not to mention all the Goddess statues in each major settlement. You have a religion sharing the teachings of the three Goddesses with the people, leading to a general acceptance of certain events and a prophet sharing visions from the Goddesses with the royal family. That explains how Zelda knows of events in alternate timelines, it explains how the different races can have knowledge of people and events from alternate timelines and how locations could be named after people and locations from the alternate timelines.
Before this video I felt the Hyrule was too big with too little narrative, basically stretched too thin. I only saw scattered ruins and the few roaming NPCs as copy-paste fillers to make Hyrule feel more interesting. I wasn't sensitive to the world building going on. Monster Maze, thanks for threading together such a beautiful and compelling historical narrative for BoTW. It's amazing to see ignored and forgotten details scattered in such a large world come together. You're bringing the game to life!
Beautiful as always. I appreciate you shedding light on the humanity marching on in this untold era. It speaks of a wealth of subplots and stories still to tell. Makes the imagination soar!
By Design 👌🏼
You are an artist, MM. This makes the game feel so much deeper.
Personally, I think "The Age of Burning Fields" was more a metaphorical refrence to the state of Hyrule at that time, and the state of destruction across the land. (But I also really like your take)
Another amazing Zelda video! Just wish it covered more on the Yiga, may have been interesting to address that some may have sealed themselves in hibernation chambers similar to Link. Also thanks for bringing focus to a non BOTW 2 Zelda topic, trying to go into the sequel as blind as possible!
I would've LOVED to cover the Yiga more. They are awesome! Problem is that we really don't know much about what they were up to in this time period, asside from spying on the Sheikah. Most of their known history is from their formation 10.000 years ago, and the present day. I feel like they were probably laying low for most of those 100 years. Waiting for Ganon to return again I guess. Maybe stir up some trouble at Gerudo Town sometimes, haha.
What a beautifully shot documentary. The History Channel has nothing on you
The camera work, bittersweet music, and the grim topic really put me in a certain mood... Not a bad mood! But man.... The dark days following the calamity and the constant struggle to survive and thrive is such a common theme in Zelda, I love it so much! You did EXCELLENT work, Monster Maze! I'm looking forward to the next video
That was amazing again! everything is so perfect and well done, from the narrative to the research. One question that I would have asked myself would be: What was the opinion of the survivors and / or their descendants about the monsters? Was it just hate, or was it trying to understand and explore like Kilton? Would the relationship between the Hylians and the monsters be worth a video? Or will it be part of one of the "Life as a ...... (Bokoblin)" series that may possibly be presented in the future?
We see Hylians killing monsters in some cases, so they don't seem to like them a lot haha. Kilton is probably the only one fascinated by them. Which is pretty cool!
What a Globally unifying type of game, Zelda is.
Bro this was so well done you got me emotional. Who's cutting onions in here?
I really love your videos as they are not just 10 Minutes of Zelda thoughts/theory, but really go in depth with the theme. The visuals are also always great and I love listening to your voice and your thoughts when drawing early in the morning before the sun rises. Everytime I think I have heard enough of Breath of the Wild you surprise me again ♥ I really love that you always go the extra mile for your videos. Thankyou so much for your time and effort!
That is honestly heartwarming to read! And it makes the extra effort more than worth it ^^
19:00 about "A Whole (Old) New World":
The settlements began to reconnect when travelling picked up- Hyrule became a country again. A doughnut-shaped country, encircling an enclave of no-man's land haunted by Ganon's presence.
Poetic. Bittersweet. Touching. Beautyful.
Post-war rebuilding eras are among the most intrigueing and bittersweet parts of history.
I never considered that the Age of Burning Fields could just be an agricultural thing. Thanks for showing me a new perspective on a world I thought I knew pretty well!
Wow, this video helped me see the Calamoty event a lot more real and personal. Amazing video!
Stunningly crafted and compelling. Thank you for your beautiful contributions to my favorite game series. You make these games better.
This videos add so much context to the game, I'll appreciate every detail even more when I replay it
SUPER cool
I feel like we don't get a lot of discussion of this time period but there's really a lot there to consider
Great video as always tbh I am surprised within the hylians who survived there was no conflict from somebody trying to be top dog but I suppose most people who would have had those kind of ambitions would have been living in castle town or other areas of importance and got wiped out
I love this!! every time i walk through some ruins i always wonder if they were able to escape
Some of the highest quality gaming content is found on your channel. Kudos, man.
I am so impressed by this analysis. I enjoy the story and lore, but I can never see this deeply into the history of it. This was excellently done.
Don, this is best video you made so far! I can see why you needed to take a break. This is literally a full length episode. And that opening?! That new opening look amazing. Your skills are top tier. Glad your back!
Thanks Brandon! That means a lot. The break gave me the necessary energy for a project like this. The next few videos will be of the shorter kind, but another big one will come soon, no doubt.
@@MonsterMaze Hey I’m just glad your back and feeling refreshed!🙌🏽
Hey I thought Ganon didn’t start reviving until he sensed Link’s presence.
Holy shit this was soooooo good!!!!!!
The backstory of BOTW is so good, like a million personal stories could be told during the early years era. Also I personally like to think a large portion of Hylians chose to leave Hyrule instead of settle in Hateno, to help account for population numbers and what not.
I love the thumbnail!! Looks like a bona-fide documentary. Haven't seen the video yet but I'm certain it'll feel like one too! You've got some of the best content out there
Great video as always but I just wanted to point out that Revali's landing was constructed in his honor so it can be counted as a memorial to him. He also commissioned the building of the Flight range but since he asked for that while he was still alive it isn't a memorial to him just a way that he contributed to the Rito society.
Wow this was really good I like the thumbnail art
This video is really well done! I love to explore the ruins and scars from the Great Calamity.
What I wonder is what happened to the village around which are located the Fir River, Camphor Pond, and Lake Jarrah. It's west of Hateno Village and just east of Hateno Tower. We know the Guardians didn't get that far, as it's east of Fort Hateno.
Perhaps the explanation lies in how far up Hateno Village is? Hateno Village is located at a fairly high elevation, and the road leading right up to the gate is pretty steep. Maybe the destroyed village was easier for the monsters to get to than Hateno Village, which is in a much more defensible position.
EDIT: BTW, love this video! I've always been curious about the 100 years between the Calamity and Link's awakening!
This was a fantastic video! Seriously well done!! The way you capture footage and include certain songs just makes it feel more like a documentary and more like a real tragedy. This is one of your finest works yet!!
This is incredibly detailed and well done. Making me a history nerd again!
Awesome video, MM! No day passes by that I don't miss getting my hands on the sequel to BOTW. Your video's make the waiting less painful. We don't deserve you!
What an amazing compliment Julian, thank you!
26:42
I just noticed that’s a Goron emblem on the Zora hammer. Little details like that make this game brilliant, and I can’t wait for TOTK to arrive, so the internet can once again implode with the small details
God this makes me wanna replay BotW and BotW2 so bad lol. This is a great hype trailer as well as a solid timeline breakdown.
Amaaaaazing video omg. i really appreciate how much effort you put into these videos, from the thumbnail art, to graphically computed scenes, to 3d maps. super professional
What a fucking incredibly well done video, holy shit. This video draws me right into it's atmosphere and shows just how truly intricate and well thought out Hyrule is. People who say Breath of the Wild has no story have no idea what they're talking about. I have no idea how you managed to make everything about this video so new. Like nobody has ever really talked about most of the stuff in this video. I love this universe, it's such a great vibe and it's incredibly interesting and captivating. Thank you for making this. I was completely immersed the entire time. Not to mention the production is insane. Keep it up.
BTW I believe I've been subbed since the first day or couple of days this channel was created, when it was announced on one of Commonwealth's videos. It's been awesome watching you grow over this past year or so. You make the absolute best Zelda content by a long shot imo. You're honestly probably my favorite youtuber now that I think about it. This game means so much to me and these videos fleshing out every corner of the universe makes me love it even more. Thank you.
Sir, this is one of the best Hyrule history videos i have ever watched. ❤
Thank you.
Your videos feel way too good for TH-cam, its like a movie to me :o
another masterpiece of video editing and scripting.. really enjoying your content and theories ! thank you mate, keep up the good work !
Playing Hyrule Warriors Age of Calamity Castle Town was so big and packed seeing the ruins again in BOTW was more devastating
I wonder...do you think that Purah and Robbie destroyed the entrances to the Great Plateau in order to prevent anyone from entering the Shrine of Resurrection, or was it part of the attacks during the Great Calamity? I'm wondering because how were they able to get on the Plateau if it was destroyed before they got there, or off if they were already at the top when it happened (as they wouldn't have a paraglider)? It seems like it would have had to been intentional, I'd just like your take
This Video is like a Museum all about the history of hyrule. Good Job!
I love watching your videos. Your voice makes it seem like I'm listening to a chill educational podcast.
Thank you! ^^
Yes, Lurelin Village is secluded. But there’s a road leading to it going through the Faron region.
This is incredible! Your work really has reached a new level of mastery. Every video you release is better than the last and i really think you've become of of the best Zelda theorists out there--youtube or otherwise. Thanks for making this beautiful video! looking forward to the next one!
this is why I really hope in botw 2 the side quests are related to rebuilding hyrule back to its glory, it would be so much fun and rewarding
The tarry town side quest but on a bigger scale!
Considering Ganondorf is fully around by the time of the sequel, I wouldn't bet on that. If anything, you're probably just gonna get some ruined stone buildings that have been partially patched up with wood and cloth just to make some form of decent shelter.
I love the implication that Robbie is able to easily take down and deactivate Guardians on his own.
Urbosa must have been pretty chill. "My skill has come to be known as Urbosa's Fury." She didn't name it. Others did. Then, she does a snaaaaa~aaaap so hip, Purah would be totes jelly of.
I don’t know why but the statement @23:50 “the recovering hero undisturbed” gave me chills
I've been binging your videos! really love the content! I never got to play BOTW and due to playing too many games, I might not get to play the 2nd one, but I LOVE the lore behind TLOZ and I tend to watch let's plays of all of the games, because they're awesome. I watch both you and Zeltik, because I feel you go really in-depth with your explanations and it's easy to follow along. Thanks for making these videos! :3
The Sheikah poet is said to have been close in age to Princess Zelda, so he might have been around the same age as Impa, Purah and Robbie, in his early 20s. As for why he died before Link awoke, he may have contracted an incurrable illness, or the stress of his quest took its toll on him.
So professional, I love it! This deserves more recognition.
A fantastic video as always! Your work is so high quality and satisfying to watch, love your content!
Damn, I will never cease being amazed at how you can piece together all these tiny scraps of lore into such a cohesive story!
Hey I just found your channel through Zeltik and NBC. Your videos are great 👍
I love this kind of content. Gets me pulled back in the world again. Great work as always.
another fantastic video. i love these so much. you really capture everything so well with your words and the shots you choose. it feels almost as if it’s a real life event.
Great video. I love how well you write your script and back it up with meaningful video clips. Good storytelling along with showing the facts/theories.
Monster Maze doesnt miss I swear🎯💯
I can just imagine how many hours lies behind. Another stunning video!
Hey I can’t watch right now but I will soon! I can tell it’s pretty long! I can’t wait to watch it, thank you for your effort into all of these videos, they’re absolutely great man. 💕
And thank you for watching them! ^^
This video is the one I listen to the most, amazing music and such a calming voice
Excellent video and narration!
Two comments.
The blockage of the entrance to the plateau might have been done by the Sheikah themselves soon after the calamity in order to stop people from disturbing the resurrection chamber.
Loshlo harbor. Was that place near Hateno village used as a port of embarkation for refugees desperate to leave Hyrule for lands beyond the eastern seas? (I certainly hope there will be ocean travels in Botw 2).
It's generally thought that the Hylians and/or King destroyed the entrance to the Plateau to stop or slow the attacking Guardians. There is ample evidence to support this in game.
Absolutely love your work! I put these videos on while I clean, cook and relax. Currently smoking some wings learning the history of the burning fields period!
Yoooooo this is so good, the connections you make are fantastic. The explanation behind the Age of Burning Fields is just... *chef's kiss*
25:52 Actually, the poet was likely around the same age as Zelda at the time, so he couldn't have been much older than Impa, Purah, and Robbie... Perhaps he simply passed away from old age sooner than most, or was taken out by monsters during his travels.
Always love it when MM does a theory! The attention to every little detail/context to give us an idea off what could've happen based on the known facts is always better than that guy who just makes assumptions bc he wants to make a theory and get them views. Kudos mate! Great vid as always.
Dude, you are easily one of the most talented people on this platform
As always, quality work Don. Love the new intro!