The Zelda series is iconic for multiple reasons. Characters, story, lore, and gameplay come together to create an undeniable package of classic gaming. This has been the case for almost 40 years. But there’s one game in particular that stood apart from previous entries — not for gameplay, but for sheer horror.
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time was the scariest game I had ever played when it came out. Nintendo took full advantage of their jump to 3D and leaned all the way in on environmental and atmospheric horror.
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And it wasn’t just the environment. Some of the images from that game are burned into my mind forever. The art direction and character designs were so well done, that even now at 34, I can play the game and remember exactly how I felt when I was a kid.
zelda and the spiders
First things first: Skulltulas. I hate them. I’m not even scared of spiders; I find them kind of funny. But these things? Kill it with fire arrows. Skulltulas are the origin point of my Zelda-related trust issues. From the moment the very first one dropped on my head at the top floor of the Deku Tree, they’ve been an automatic “NOPE” for me.
Imagine yourself as an 8-year-old, minding your business. Suddenly, a giant skull drops down and makes the weirdest creaking noise ever. Oh, yeah, and attached to that skull? An eight-legged menace that attacks you by spinning like 1988 Michael Jackson. Leave me alone.
How did Link walk into the Skulltula House in Kakariko Village and not immediately burn the building down? Just unnecessary nightmare fuel surrounded by other insanely creepy creatures and places.
oh, the places you’ll go
To make matters worse, the environment was just as scary. The Bottom of the Well might as well have been a different game. Skeletons in the walls, obvious torture devices, and the iconic, bloodstained Dead Hand all looked more in place in a Resident Evil game than Zelda.
The Shadow Temple was another example of just blatant horror show tactics. The floating barge in the middle of the temple might as well have said, “This way to the underworld and Hades himself.” Bongo Bongo being a headless, insanely buff monster who was all hands is just wild. You can tell he didn’t skip Upper Body Day down there. And don’t get me started on the Skulltula hallway. Just don’t.
But to me, the scariest of these temples was the Forest Temple. Nestled at the end of the Lost Woods and overtaken by nature, this mansion was eerily quiet — minus a weird, ethereal tone played throughout. Even for that era in gaming, it felt lived-in then abandoned. As if someone was in a hurry to leave. And all of that is before you get to watch your shadow grow, hear rushing air, and see a zombified hand grab you and send you out the room. Damn Wallmasters, man.
the height of horror
I genuinely don’t think any other Zelda game has reached that level of horror. There are some cutscenes like Twilight Princess’ iconic white eyes. The Majora’s Mask transformations (and the game in general) are more unsettling than frightening. Tears of the Kingdom is the closest Nintendo has come, but a steady diet of brightbloom seeds will generally hold you down in the Depths. Although, I will say the new Like Likes are beyond creepy.
I’d love to see Nintendo reach deeper into that horror bag. Specifically, with Zelda. Despite Link being a formidable fighter, he generally feels pretty normal and even powerless sometimes. He’s the perfect protagonist for that style of gameplay, and it’s definitely something to explore.
