Hyrule is usually filled with creepy monsters and it’s mostly Link’s job to defeat them and make sure they won’t come back to create more trouble. Poes were one of many enemies in Ocarina of Time that scared me as a child, mostly because they resembled ghosts and my young self never knew what was lurking in the dark. They also had glowing eyes that scared me, not to mention their malevolent laughter, mocking me for not being able to hit them with Link’s sword every time I pressed the button to swing it. I generally never liked them, but I didn’t mind the Poes hiding in Hyrule Field as much. With Link riding on Epona, it was a breeze to speed past them if I wanted to.
However, it’s not always possible to avoid every enemy you come across. Gabriel Dias submitted this dramatic illustration to Zelda Universe’s own DeviantArt gallery, and I’m glad he did because he managed to capture Link fighting off two Poes really well.
Not many artists draw combat-themed pictures since they can be quite tricky to make. There has to be movement in the picture, and the composition needs to look right, too. Gabriel Dias has done a great job with this action-packed illustration of Link in close combat with two Poes, not only nailing the movement and composition, but also the coloring and shading. Epona is fearlessly riding in the field as the enemies circle around her, and time has been paused just for us to see Link firing off an arrow right before it’s about to hit one of the Poes. Letting the Poe float outside the border is a brilliant decision to create an illusion of depth and, if you look closely, you can see that the Poe is still see-through. Quite spooky, isn’t it?
When I look at this picture, it’s strangely enough not the “Hyrule Field” theme music that starts playing in my head, nor the battle music, but the title track to Ocarina of Time. The reason for that, I think, is Gabriel’s color choice for the sky. Once these Poes are defeated, peace will momentarily be restored and for a little while, Link and Epona can rest and watch the sun set over Hyrule. Ocarina of Time’s title track is also quite peaceful and I think it would match this burning sky perfectly. Perhaps Link and Epona will feel the same admiration I felt as a kid playing Ocarina of Time and watch Hyrule Field change its pretty colors as nighttime gets closer.
