In what looks like a page straight out of a children’s book, Dottie Torres (aka Gimmeswords) takes us underwater to see an absolutely iconic scene from Ocarina of Time — the moment when Link dove into Hyrule Castle’s moat to fish out the magical ocarina. It was then that his future instantly changed forever, literally.
The beautiful style, colors, and angle of this piece immediately caught my attention when scrolling through my Facebook feed. From the bubbles that rise and ripple on the moat’s surface to the brick-laden ground below the bridge, it really does feel like we’ve taken a dive with Link to retrieve that precious ocarina. You can envision a simple yet wonderful story being told alongside this art to the children of Hyrule, reminding them of the Hero of Time from decades gone by who defeated Ganondorf.
I especially love how Dottie drew Child Link here. The innocence and wonder on his face are clear, and in the context of the game they remind you of his unwavering courage and determination to fill the shoes of a hero. Zelda and Impa just rode off into the distance, but not before Zelda threw her final hope to Link. It either cleverly or luckily plunged into the moat, where the soon-to-emerge Ganondorf wouldn’t see it. That didn’t matter much of course though, as we know it was all part of his plan.
So, in the same snapshot where we think back to Link’s bravery, we also remember that his innocence and good intentions were also disastrously naive. I’m sure this no doubt made an intriguing twist in the story that Hylian children have heard a hundred times, yet always gasp at with each retelling. But, as we know, in good time the hero eventually triumphs, and so ends the tale of Link and the Ocarina of Time.
That is, after you wondered long and hard about whether Link — trying to make room for his shiny new instrument — simply tossed Saria’s Fairy Ocarina into the moat behind him.
