The Lonely Skies

When first exploring the skies in The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, there was so much excitement. A desire to explore every facet that the map above the surface had to offer. However, if you listen to the music that accompanies these vistas, it paints a different picture.

It wasn’t until I was trying to figure out how to complete a shrine that I truly took note of the track. It’s ambient yet haunting, especially when the piece of music has moments of silence. It’s a beautiful track, but instead of expressing fun and adventure, it showcases an isolated, decaying place. When I was reminded of the tragic fate that befell the young kingdom of Hyrule thousands of years ago, it made sense that the sky would represent this calamity.

The sky islands were a part of the original Hyrule. A kingdom that had only wished for peace and prosperity, only to be ruined by the Demon King Ganondorf’s desire for power and chaos. Now, they are above ground, having largely been forgotten, and will remain there for all time.

The only inhabitants are the constructs, programmed by the Zonai, that no longer exist and work and defend land that has since become a myth. And while the true ending reminds us that Hyrule will rebuild once more, the sky islands can never return to the land below. They now only serve as monuments and a reflection that, despite finally breaking free from its tragic fate, just like in our world, it will never be the same again.