The 10 SADDEST Legend of Zelda Songs
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00:00Thank you, for I am now allowed by this freedom to be with you once again.
00:07Welcome to Mojo Plays, and today we are looking at somber songs from The Legend of Zelda that reach into your soul and make it eight.
00:14But beware, a fair few spoilers lie ahead.
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00:23Before we begin, we publish new content all week long.
00:26So, be sure to subscribe and ring the bell to get notified about our latest videos.
00:32Farewell Hyrule King, The Legend of Zelda The Wind Waker.
00:46In a link to the past, when players entered Hyrule Castle, they were met with a triumphant theme befitting the location.
00:53However, that music was turned on its head for the death scene of King Hyrule in The Wind Waker.
00:58Revealed to be the spirit residing in Link's talking boat earlier in the game,
01:02the king helps out in the climax with Ganondorf by stealing the villain's wish with the Triforce.
01:07As his kingdom is flooded around him, that once triumphant theme is stripped down to a somber piano that flawlessly sets the tone.
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01:20Even as Zelda begs him to come with, this downcast theme lets us know he won't.
01:25Nintendo's composers know how to take classic music ingrained in our memories and manipulate it for different moods.
01:31This being a prime example.
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01:46Ballad of the Wind Fish, The Legend of Zelda Link's Awakening.
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01:57Although Link makes it off of Koholint Island at the end of Link's Awakening, it's not quite a happy conclusion.
02:03Everyone else, brought to life by the Wind Fish's dream, ceases to exist.
02:08The song you play to wake this deity from its slumber, Ballad of the Wind Fish, perfectly sums up those mixed feelings.
02:14It's both melodic and melancholic, and it left a strong impression on every fan who grew up playing this on the Game Boy.
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02:32The Remake's version from 2019 is also stellar.
02:35Just like the rest of the soundtrack, its orchestral reimagining brings new flair, and appropriately encapsulates this bittersweet entry in the series.
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02:49Our Children, Taken. The Legend of Zelda, Twilight Princess.
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03:00With a more mature approach to its narrative and themes, the score of Twilight Princess can also be sorrowful at times.
03:06In an early scene, the children of Link's village are all kidnapped.
03:10Though he's able to rescue them, the danger of the overall world keeps them from returning home.
03:14However, if you do and visit one of the children's homes, you'll hear one of the most heartbreaking tracks in the game.
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03:28Our Children, Taken completely captures the quiet grief of a parent aching to be reunited with their child.
03:35There's a soft, almost music box-like quality to it that feels warm, yet with a longing that leaves you cold.
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03:48Giants Theme. The Legend of Zelda, Majora's Mask.
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03:57There are a lot of deep, emotional themes running through Majora's Mask that are naturally paired with the perfect music.
04:04Sorrow is a big one, and the Giants theme is one of the stronger musical representations of it.
04:10The evil of the mask fed off of Skull Kid's feelings of abandonment, brought on by the departure of his friends the Giants.
04:16Building off of Oath to Order, the song used to summon the Giants during the climax,
04:21the theme of these guardians is fittingly filled with regret and sadness over what's become of their friend.
04:26The pairing of Link's ocarina with their haunting moans is a simple, but very effective combination.
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04:41Grandma's Theme. The Legend of Zelda, The Wind Waker.
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04:52In one of the few instances where Link is given close relatives, the hero must leave his poor grandma behind when he goes on his adventure.
05:00The music that plays during their final conversation is slow, soft, and wrapped in warmth, completely fitting with the character it's linked to.
05:08It's easy to think of one's own grandmother when hearing it.
05:11When Link returns home later, she's so sick with worry she doesn't even notice he's there until he heals her.
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05:25Just how our children take and captures a parent's grief, this theme paints the picture of a lonely woman who just wants her grandchildren to be safe.
05:33It greets you with pathos on every revisit, reminding you of Link's more personal connection to the story.
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05:43Mipha's Theme. The Legend of Zelda, Breath of the Wild.
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05:54If there's one champion whose loss we feel the most in Breath of the Wild, it's Mipha.
05:59With the strongest connection to Link, and with a family and community who still mourn her a hundred years later, it's hard not to feel bad each time she's mentioned.
06:08Worse is when she's shown, because she's accompanied by one of the most gut-wrenching tracks in the series.
06:14Knowing that, we'll let my spirit rest in peace.
06:17Mipha's Theme mostly consists of a delicate piano, with some light strings and a woodwind for support.
06:23It's peaceful, given Mipha's healing nature, but it's also drenched in the type of sad longing that can come from lost love, both romantic and familial.
06:32Hearing it makes the player miss her deeply, despite little time spent with her.
06:37We are both honored to be able to play the role of support.
06:41We'll annihilate Ganon together. Farewell.
06:46Midna's Lament. The Legend of Zelda, Twilight Princess.
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06:55One of the go-to tunes that can pull on any Zelda fan's heartstrings is Midna's Lament.
07:01The character quickly became one of the most popular companions of Link's many journeys.
07:06Her near-death at the hands of Zant lit a fire under players to get her to safety, and the scene was made all the more powerful by its music.
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07:17The quick, downcast piano notes, those strings aching with despair,
07:22it matched so well with the atmosphere of a boisterous, stormy night that it became one of Twilight Princess's standout moments.
07:29Even if we never thought she'd actually die, we can still listen to this and remember that feeling of anxiety as we raced to save her.
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07:42Song of Healing. The Legend of Zelda, Majora's Mask.
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07:50Koji Kondo is clearly a musical genius, able to invoke whatever feeling he needs to with just a few notes in a simple composition.
07:58The Song of Healing from Majora's Mask is still beloved to this day due to its forlorn but gorgeous piano and how effectively it's used throughout the story.
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08:15Players use it to bring peace to certain tormented NPCs, either dead, dying, or cursed.
08:21There's acceptance in it, yes, but that in no way makes the song, or any of its accompanying scenes, happy.
08:27Listening to it on its own, one can't help but pick up on feelings of hopelessness and being lost.
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08:40Title Theme. The Legend of Zelda, Ocarina of Time.
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08:50One might think that the next big Zelda, the first in 3D for that matter, would open with a lively, adventurous track.
08:57What we got was so much better.
09:00The title theme is a stunning piece of music, with deep piano, touching strings, and, fittingly, an ocarina that delivers the main melody.
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09:15It's yet another example of the franchise's music encapsulating a specific entry's themes perfectly.
09:22Since Link gives up his childhood and fast forwards through seven years, the game explores lost innocence,
09:27and either coming to terms with, or trying to fix a world that was far brighter when you were young.
09:32It almost seems built with nostalgia in mind, not just for its player base, but for its lead character.
09:38So, every time we hear this, our hearts ache too, with memories of simpler times.
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09:53Fi's Gratitude. The Legend of Zelda, Skyward Sword.
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10:04Fi may have been far from the best companion, but her final moments still bring tears to our eyes.
10:10With her purpose complete at the end of the game, the spirit plans to return to the Master Sword, where she will sleep eternally.
10:17The scene's music adapts her theme, once mystical and enchanting, into something built with the single goal of making the player cry.
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10:33It's basically a death scene, with Fi thanking Link for showing her kindness and friendship,
10:38things she had no concept of at the start of the story.
10:41We'd be sad regardless, but Fi's Gratitude refuses the bare minimum,
10:45with piano notes that feel like gut punches, and strings that suck the happiness from the room.
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10:55What track from Zelda brings a lump to your throat?
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11:05Share your thoughts and memories in the comments, and be sure to subscribe to Mojo Plays for more great gaming videos every day.
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