Summary
- The Depths in The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom vividly showcase the casualties of Ganon's repeated assaults on Hyrule.
- The Poes in Tears of the Kingdom serve as a macabre currency, allowing Link to buy items from Bargainer Statues, emphasizing the haunting nature of the underground realm.
- The ghostly soldiers and Poes in the Depths may be victims of Ganon's wrath during the Calamity, adding a tragic and melancholic atmosphere to the game.
The Depths in The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom are filled with the spirits of the dead, and no small number of them appear to be direct victims of Ganon. The Demon King has constantly wreaked havoc in Hyrule over the ages and has doubtlessly been responsible for many deaths. However, TOTK arguably highlights the casualties of his repeated assaults more vividly than any other Zelda game.
It is no secret that the Depths are haunted; Poes fill the underground realm in vast numbers, and Bargainer Statues will explain in no uncertain that they are lost souls. However, unlike previous games, the Poes in Tears of the Kingdom are entirely ive and behave more like items. In fact, the game treats them as a macabre currency, allowing Link to buy various items from Bargainer Statues. However, the small wisps are not the only ghostly presence in the Depths; it is not uncommon to find a spectral soldier (sometimes referred to as a Shadow Soldier) standing on a stone pillar and proffering a Pristine Weapon.
The Depths’ Ghost Soldiers In Zelda: TOTK Were Killed By Calamity Ganon
Although these Shadow Soldiers are usually solitary, at various points in the Depths Link can find three such soldiers standing on a single, enlarged pillar. Furthermore, as with much of the Depths, these locations are a reflection of something on the surface. Specifically, they correspond to places where Link can find memorial monuments, large stone tablets erected by Zelda which are dedicated to those who died during the Calamity a century prior. The implication is that these spirits are some of the soldiers who died in Calamity Ganon’s attack, and who are now offering up their weapons to better arm Link in the latest struggle against the Demon King.
Zelda: TOTK’s Poes May Also Be Victims Of Ganon’s Wrath
Furthermore, if the ghostly soldiers are victims of Ganon’s rage, then it follows that at least some of the much smaller Poe spirits may be as well. Perhaps these lost souls are the civilians who also lost their lives during the Calamity, with the overwhelming violence and dark magic involved in the event disorienting them on their way to the afterlife. This would also explain their ivity, considering that Poes in most Legend of Zelda games are usually (although not always, such as the Poes who lead Link to the Master Sword in A Link Between Worlds) more aggressive, having become ghostly monsters as a result of having unfinished business.
It is clear that the Depths are filled with dead spirits, lingering on until Link helps them on their way. It has been a century since Calamity Ganon ravaged the land, and those he killed are still unable to properly rest. This realization lends Hyrule’s underground realm an incredibly melancholic atmosphere, and turns finding valuable non-decayed weapons into a bittersweet experience; the image of noble, dead knights still being willing to lend what aid they can to Link’s quest is undeniably striking. It is a subtle but tragic detail in The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, which emphasizes the horrific effect Ganon has had on Hyrule.
