Fun fact about me: I have thalassophobia: fear of the deep sea. The thought that the Earth is made up of so much water and we haven’t even begun to discover what lies waiting for us in the depths is terrifying to me. Myths and folklore of civilizations past are full of references to sea monsters that destroy peaceful vessels. Fear of what’s in the water is a motivator in many horror vehicles of the modern era: the Cthulu mythos, Jaws, and Pacific Rim to name a few.
It’s a fear that many people have, even if they can’t put a name to it. So, it’s no surprise that in Link’s Awakening, a game all about nightmares, one of the big bads is a deep-sea creature.
The Angler Fish is the boss of Angler’s Tunnel, the fourth dungeon. Many people ridicule the boss for being too easy or just plain dumb. Which, you know, I kind of agree. It’s almost impossible to take damage during this fight (unless you are a literal child with no motor skills). It just floats there, blooping at you. Of course, that’s just from the point of view of the player.
Artist CorvusRone shows us Link’s perspective in their piece “Link’s Awakening – Angler Fish,” a work for the GameArtHQ collection called “Link’s Blacklist.”
Link jumps into the darkness of the sea, unaware of what is going to come next. It’s pitch black in the depths and cold. A light begins to emerge from the dark, far away. It slowly grows until it reveals a massive, menacing fish, large enough to swallow him whole. It’s a terrifying encounter, the scariest so far in his quest. Thankfully, he just has to swing his sword right in the fish’s face until it explodes, but that’s not what we are focusing on.
CorvusRone’s use of color (or lack thereof) plays into the darkness of the deep. There is nothing reflected from the fish’s lantern, just a blank surface. The fish itself is shrouded in dark colors, with blues and purples used to invoke fear and dread. The only bright color is the yellow glow of the lantern, the literal only bright spot in Link’s adventure at that moment. If that light goes out, Link is back in the murky black-and-blue of the water.
Another great aspect of this piece is the fish’s face. Now, don’t get me wrong, most fish have a really dumb look on their face. This face is definitely on the sillier side, but I think it really plays in well with the overall theme of fear. To me, the fish looks hungry. It looks ready to take a bite out of Link and go along its merry way. The sheer single-mindedness of the creature is terrifying. It harbors no malice toward Link. It wants food. Even the text from the game supports this idea. We are tiny, insignificant bits of food to these massive denizens of the deep.
Finally, let’s look at Link. Our intrepid hero has never been one to show fear and this is no exception. His sword is raised, ready for battle. He looks about ready to clock this fish in the face. Maybe the fish is the one who should be scared here.
CorvusRone really created a work of art that takes one of the most forgettable and laughable bosses in any Zelda game and made it into something to fear. On my next playthrough, I will definitely look at the Angler Fish in a different light.
