November twenty first, 2023 marked the twenty fifth anniversary of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time‘s Japanese launch. To mark this historic Hyrulean event, we’re operating articles all through the week devoted to the sport, our recollections, and its legacy. Today, Alana needs to speak concerning the ReDead, the Zelda sequence’ scariest enemies…
Heading to Kakariko Village’s graveyard for the primary time because the younger Link in Ocarina of Time, we most likely ought to have anticipated one thing sinister to be lurking below the earth.
A whole lot of us attempt to blot out the reminiscence of what lies beneath the Triforce-adorned grave — in any case, Kakariko Graveyard is the place we meet Dampe and go on his Gravedigging Tour; it is the place the musical brothers who composed the Sun’s Song have been laid to relaxation; as an grownup, it is the place we get the Hookshot. It’s additionally the house of the Shadow Temple, however let’s put apart that nicely of horrors for an additional time. We’re right here to speak about Zelda’s most terrifying creature: the ReDead.
Before I proceed, I ought to spotlight that, as a child, I used to be fearful of the Deku Tree. Yes, actually. Look, I used to be six years previous — that polygonal face was terrifying. But even getting previous that towering tree, I wasn’t ready to return nose to nose with the undead. So, blissfully ignorant, I performed Zelda’s Lullaby on the foot of the Royal Family’s Tomb and uncovered some of the horrifying fictional creatures I’ve ever laid my eyes on.
Given the impression the ReDead had on so many children again in 1998, it is form of wonderful that these undead-looking creatures have solely appeared in 5 mainline Zelda video games as of 2023: Ocarina of Time, Majora’s Mask, The Wind Waker, Twilight Princess (although as knights that assault with swords) and Tri Force Heroes.
And but, after I consider Zelda, ReDead are one of many first foes that come to thoughts. Walking into that inexperienced smog-filled tomb for the primary time, I used to be already unnerved by the murmuring groans. The bone-filled room with Keese beforehand ought to have been warning sufficient, however no. I braved the noise, tiptoed in, and was greeted by a trio of sluggish, meandering, empty-eyed creatures. One noticed me, it shrieked, and all of a sudden Link may do nothing.
I panicked. I had no concept what to do as this zombie-like creature sluggishly stepped in the direction of the powerless, tunic-wearing hero. Now I may see the creature up shut: its face was expressionless, lined by a clay masks that left darkish holes the place its eyes and mouth must be, and its rib cage was protruding by way of terracotta-coloured pores and skin, wrinkled and unnatural. Then, with sudden, lightning-fast motion, it threw itself at Link and clung to his again, biting, sucking his life away as he struggles.
ReStrain
The concept of shedding management is terrifying, it doesn’t matter what approach you slice it. We’ve all had nightmares the place we’re trapped or cannot escape from someplace, or typically you are falling and you’ll’t cease your self from careening into the abyss. It does not matter how previous you’re, this whole sequence is terrifying as a result of it faucets into that worry. The ear-splitting shriek is sufficient to ship shivers down anybody’s backbone, and all the things blends to create an unsettling encounter that sticks with each single participant.
Even as grownup Link, the worry of shedding management to ReDead does not get any simpler to take care of. I at all times related Ocarina of Time’s ReDead’s not with that preliminary encounter however with their look within the Market within the Castle Town. After taking the Master Sword in hand and falling right into a deep sleep for seven years, Link leaves the Temple of Time solely to seek out an deserted, ruined Hyrule Town. Oh, and a bunch of ReDead.
We’ve seen Hyrule Castle Town alive, bustling, filled with individuals, outlets, and little amusements that the youthful Link may spend all day and evening having fun with. Now this once-lively city is house to shambling corpses who can freeze the Hero of Time with one piercing shriek. It’s a shell of itself, inhabited by horrifying hole husks. As a teen, Link could not cease Ganondorf from pursuing Zelda, nor may he stop what occurred to the Princess and Hyrule. As an grownup, we’ve to instantly face the outcomes of that actuality.
Becoming the Hero of Time is Link’s future, however it does not cease me feeling uneasy about previous failures; the ReDead within the Market stand as a reminder of his earlier incapacity to steer his destiny, his prior lack of management. Their shrieks nonetheless paralyse him lifeless on the spot, and he stays helpless as they inch nearer, grumbling and groaning all of the whereas.
ReGret
However, when you handle to push previous the worry and nervousness that these creatures inflict, it is shocking how simple they’re to defeat. Just a few slashes of the Master Sword will take a single one down.
But the horrors do not finish there. If you kill a ReDead and so they’re in a bunch, the remainder will stroll in the direction of the corpse and crouch beside it, watching till its physique fades away. They will not assault Link, leaving them open to his assaults.
I used the phrase ‘horror’ there once more however, on this context, it is a totally different sort and one that truly evokes sympathy for the creatures. It goes again to that concept of management once more — these ReDead are merely managed by Ganondorf’s magic. They’re animated husks. Some followers assume they’re undead, reanimated corpses of those that have died in Ganondorf’s wake, whereas others (going by Super Smash Bros. Melee‘s trophy description) consider them to be “ghastly” magical clay creatures used as senseless pawns. Whether they’re truly lifeless people introduced again to life or senseless automatons, it is nonetheless upsetting to observe them mourn their fellow ReDead. They’re unable to do something however grieve; it is the one motion they’ve past senseless pursuit and soul-sucking.
ReDead return in Majora’s Mask, and these will dance if Link is carrying Garo’s Mask, the Gibdo Mask, or the Captain’s Hat. That suits with Majora’s Mask’s decidedly bizarre, unsettling tone, however the Gossip Stone reveals extra potential horrors behind these creatures — that they could have as soon as been dancers. So they’re creepy, bizarre, horrifying dancers now? Wonderful.
Wind Waker straight-up refers to ReDead as undead of their description, however these now grey-skinned ghouls are a distinct form of horrifying. They’ve misplaced the masks and so they now have enamel — wonderful, that is precisely what a paralysing zombie-like creature wanted. I needn’t see the enamel to know that it bites, I’ve been by way of all of it earlier than. Tri Force Heroes, nonetheless, leans again in the direction of the clay-like depiction, with our bodies that appear to be they’re melting into the bottom. Those masks return, too.
Not figuring out 100% what a ReDead is barely makes me, and lots of different Zelda followers, worry them extra. It’s the identical for lots of Zelda’s different unsettling options — how would you describe a Like Like to somebody, in any case? Or the ‘gloom fingers’ (Gloom Spawn) from Tears of the Kingdom? These beings have one factor in frequent with the ReDead — a lack of management. Mouth or hand, they’ll seize maintain of Link and forestall him from transferring. And in a sequence like Zelda, the place motion, motion, fight, and exploration are key, that lack of management feels devastating.
ReTurn
The ReDead actually aren’t Zelda’s first ‘scary’ monster, however 25 years after their debut, I feel they’re nonetheless probably the most impactful. The comparable Gibdo could have come first, debuting within the authentic Legend of Zelda, however these mummified creatures really feel a bit extra bearable to me, maybe as a result of I’ve seen them in 8- and 16-bits. Though seeing them in TOTK for the primary time, significantly the flying ones, positively gave me pause. And do not get me began on the sentient fingers which are the Wallmasters.
It’s that uncanny valley of the ReDead that ideas them over the sting as one in every of Zelda’s scariest. They appear to be gaunt people, their lives drained from them, their faces lined with masks, expressionless and impassive, solely capable of present disappointment. Their title says all of it, too: ReDead. They have been lifeless, and are nonetheless lifeless, reanimated for the only function of impeding Link — you.
