The Ocarina of Time remake will be releasing later this year, finally giving Zelda fans a high-quality modernization of one of the greatest games ever made. It’s still unknown if the remake will be 1:1 with the original, or make some changes, but Nintendo would be right to make some additions to OoT. In fact, there’s compelling lore from Akira Himekawa’s Ocarina of Time manga that would be a perfect way to help flesh out the game’s story.
In the Ocarina of Time manga, Link actually has a personal connection to one of the game’s bosses in the second half. This relationship adds some real depth and nuance to what was otherwise an enemy with no personality in the main game. It also gives Link a deeper reason to hate Ganondorf. Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom resisted giving Link more personality than necessary, but with Nintendo remaking the best game ever made, there’s no harm in making Link feel like a real character – something Akira Himekawa does expertly in the Zelda manga.
Volvagia Was Link’s Pet in the Ocarina of Time Manga
In the original Ocarina of Time, Volvagia was an ancient dragon who was previously defeated by a Goron Hero with the Megaton Hammer. For the manga, Akira Himekawa changed Volvagia’s backstory so that the dragon was instead Link’s pet. After leaving Kokiri Forest, Link adopts Volvagia in Hyrule Market Town and the two bond. Unfortunately, after Link pulls out the Master Sword, he’s sealed away for seven years and Ganondorf corrupts Volvagia.
The Fire Temple’s final battle is no longer between a hero and an ancient evil, but a boy and his pet. Thematically, turning Volvagia into a pet Link has to put down actually ties in perfectly with Ocarina of Time‘s themes of growing up. Losing a pet is something most children experience, so having Link need to say goodbye to his former dragon is a very fitting story beat. Link remains haunted by the fact he had to kill Volvagia in the manga, to the point he hallucinates him on his way to the Spirit Temple.
Including the detail of Volvagia being Link’s pet would need to require dialogue and lore changes to the Gorons, but it would be a great way of giving Link more humanity. Players could obtain Volvagia themselves through a side quest, and maybe even use them as a weapon/item, considering baby Volvagia helps Link fight Stalchildren in the manga. Letting the player form a connection with Volvagia only to force them to kill him would also make the boss fight at the end of the Fire Temple hit so much harder.
The Ocarina of Time Remake Has the Chance to Really Flesh Out the Game’s Lore
Ocarina of Time had some terrifying lore implications hiding under the surface, and the remake is the perfect opportunity for Nintendo to put those details front and center, while also fleshing out the game’s plot. The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time has an excellent story, but it could stand to have a few more side quests and extras to really keep up with modern games. On top of adding Volvagia as Link’s pet, Akira Himekawa acknowledged the cycle of reincarnation in the Twilight Princess manga, turning it into a key part of the story.
With Ocarina of Time set to bring the series’ timeline back in time, it makes seen to highlight how Link and Zelda have reincarnated since Skyward Sword, as well as Demise’s evolution into Ganondorf. The Ocarina of Time remake teaser showed Link with the Triforce already on his hand, so the game is clearly willing to shake up the actual story. In OoT, Link doesn’t get the Triforce until the very end of the game, and it’s only seen in the post-credits scene where he reunites with Zelda.
Link already having the Triforce means that the Ocarina of Time remake is treating the Hero of Time as a fully prophesied hero already chosen by the Gods, as opposed to needing to earn the Triforce of Courage by finding the Spiritual Stones. This is at least a sign that Nintendo is open to changing important lore details when it comes to OoT.
- Released
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2026
- Developer(s)
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Nintendo
- Publisher(s)
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Nintendo
- Number of Players
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Single-player
