In Ocarina of Time, we're shown how Link grows up with the Kokiri, adopting their dress. Given how his manner of dress is imitated in later times (as told in TWW), this seems to explain why all the Links dress the same. This also seems to imply that OoT is the first Zelda game chronologically.
However, recently I've begun to rethink this. Could it be that there were heroes who wore green BEFORE OoT, and the Kokiri were simply imitating THEIR dress? Given how the hero legends have sprung up and died out multiple times, I think it's plausible that the same green outfit has come into style multiple times.
For example, in Minish Cap Link wears green clothes but no cap (until he finds Ezro). The hero in the backstory didn't wear a cap either. It stands to reason that Link was imitating the hero of legend. It also stands to reason that the Kokiri imitated this Link's custom of wearing green clothes and a cap.
Origin of the green outfit
Started by
davogones
, Nov 12 2004 01:15 PM
32 replies to this topic
#1
davogones
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Posted 12 November 2004 - 01:15 PM
#2
joeymartin64
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Posted 12 November 2004 - 02:31 PM
Not to mention none of the other Kokiri wear that kind of fold-over cap. They're either capless or wearing a pointy dunce-type cap, for lack of a better description.
#3
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Posted 12 November 2004 - 03:20 PM
One theory that caught my eye was that the Kokiri evolved from the Minish.
#4
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Posted 12 November 2004 - 03:56 PM
THAT'S EXACTLY what I was thinking! The Kokiri were the origin of green clothes, the Minish before them. OoT Link was (kind of) the first hero to wear green, setting a trend we see later.
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Posted 12 November 2004 - 09:19 PM
Nah..the Deku Tree created the KOKIRI, not Minish. But, we don't know if we see the Deku tree in TMC. ;-) Only TSA would know.
And for Alttp, LoZ and AoL, how does Link get his outfit there? I'm thinking it's been said to be some holy thing passed on from TWW into Alttp and so on.
And for Alttp, LoZ and AoL, how does Link get his outfit there? I'm thinking it's been said to be some holy thing passed on from TWW into Alttp and so on.
#6
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Posted 12 November 2004 - 11:13 PM
The origin of the Kokiris is very interesting, it could help a lot to place the Magical Cap, unfortunately, I'm afraid I don't remember their origin being mentioned at any time.
So, Davogones, do you think the Magical Cap to precede OoT?
So, Davogones, do you think the Magical Cap to precede OoT?
#7
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Posted 13 November 2004 - 03:08 PM
considering the kokiri were possibly born trees and became humanoid later on, it's interesting, regardless, what clothes they wear and how they came about them.. 
still, i don't see a difference between the pointy hat and the folded down pointy hat.
still, i don't see a difference between the pointy hat and the folded down pointy hat.
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Posted 13 November 2004 - 09:12 PM
I LIKED the idea that all the Links' choice of attire could be traced back to the Hero of Time's childhood friends.
#9
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Posted 13 November 2004 - 11:03 PM
Started as trees? Where'd you get that idea? Is that in TMC?
#10
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Posted 13 November 2004 - 11:24 PM
They evolved into talking trees in TWW, if you believe Koroks are evolved Kokirir, which the game screams at you. Maybe like most species, they sort of de-evolve when an apocalypse happens, like how some mammals went back to the sea after the dinosaur era.
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Posted 14 November 2004 - 01:18 AM
I'm going to have to put a "Someone who hasn't played Minish Cap" spin on things here. I'll stick with the traditional view that OoT is the first game in the chronological series.
I do believe that Link is simply copying the dress of the Kokiri in OoT and MM. It's obviously what he feels the most comfortable in, because when we see him in MM he continues to wear the same clothes. People say his clothes are strange, but he still wears them. Obviously, after Link becomes the hero, the people view his clothes differently. We see this in WW, where it becomes a tradition for boys to dress like Link. Therefore, it does make sense that this is one tradition that carries on, and this is why all of the Links dress like this.
But something about that theory doesn't seem quite right to me. The Link in LttP/LA seems older than Link in WW, and I doubt that all of the Links happened to begin their adventures on their 'coming of age' birthday. I then start to think about the original Zelda, LoZ. In that game, Link was a traveller who literally stumbled into his adventure when he saved Impa. Can I draw your attention to this picture:
The merchant with Link also wears similar clothes, only he wears a blue tunic. He does not wear a hat, but then, most of us don't when we are inside or at work (unless you work in a fast food joint, lol!). I think that Link's hat is simply another part of his outfit. I think that this style of clothes is the norm for the world of this game. Even in Lttp, Link's uncle:
wears clothes that aren't too different. He doesn't have the 'skirt' tunic, but he has the belt and the boots, and the neck of the outfit is similar. And it's green! Again, I think that this style of clothes is normal.
I really don't think the Kokiri are copying the dress of another hero. OoT makes it clear that the Kokiri are pretty cut off from the rest of the world, and so I would imagine that the Hylians, if anyone, would be the ones who would have taken up the green tunic. I remember one of the Kokiri asking Link, "The castle? What's that?" so I doubt they would have heard stories of a hero.
I do believe that Link is simply copying the dress of the Kokiri in OoT and MM. It's obviously what he feels the most comfortable in, because when we see him in MM he continues to wear the same clothes. People say his clothes are strange, but he still wears them. Obviously, after Link becomes the hero, the people view his clothes differently. We see this in WW, where it becomes a tradition for boys to dress like Link. Therefore, it does make sense that this is one tradition that carries on, and this is why all of the Links dress like this.
But something about that theory doesn't seem quite right to me. The Link in LttP/LA seems older than Link in WW, and I doubt that all of the Links happened to begin their adventures on their 'coming of age' birthday. I then start to think about the original Zelda, LoZ. In that game, Link was a traveller who literally stumbled into his adventure when he saved Impa. Can I draw your attention to this picture:
The merchant with Link also wears similar clothes, only he wears a blue tunic. He does not wear a hat, but then, most of us don't when we are inside or at work (unless you work in a fast food joint, lol!). I think that Link's hat is simply another part of his outfit. I think that this style of clothes is the norm for the world of this game. Even in Lttp, Link's uncle:
wears clothes that aren't too different. He doesn't have the 'skirt' tunic, but he has the belt and the boots, and the neck of the outfit is similar. And it's green! Again, I think that this style of clothes is normal.
I really don't think the Kokiri are copying the dress of another hero. OoT makes it clear that the Kokiri are pretty cut off from the rest of the world, and so I would imagine that the Hylians, if anyone, would be the ones who would have taken up the green tunic. I remember one of the Kokiri asking Link, "The castle? What's that?" so I doubt they would have heard stories of a hero.
#12
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Posted 14 November 2004 - 04:54 AM
SPOILERS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Just an FYI - Link gets his "green hat" at the end of The Minish Cap from the Minish Elder. Zelda has a Minish Cap, and Link also gets one. Zelda's is red, and Link's is green. This is the "first" time the "hero" has the "green hat". Although it is quite clear BEFORE The Minish Cap, heroes had "Green Tunics".
But as far as the green hat goes, The Minish Cap is the first game in which this happens.
Just an FYI - Link gets his "green hat" at the end of The Minish Cap from the Minish Elder. Zelda has a Minish Cap, and Link also gets one. Zelda's is red, and Link's is green. This is the "first" time the "hero" has the "green hat". Although it is quite clear BEFORE The Minish Cap, heroes had "Green Tunics".
But as far as the green hat goes, The Minish Cap is the first game in which this happens.
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Posted 14 November 2004 - 10:55 AM
Although it is quite clear BEFORE The Minish Cap, heroes had "Green Tunics".
But as far as the green hat goes, The Minish Cap is the first game in which this happens.
But there haven't been any games where Link does not have a hat the whole way through. How do we know that there were any before heroes that wore green tunics?
#14
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Posted 14 November 2004 - 12:52 PM
The connection between the Minish and the Kokiri is logical, considering children are the only ones who can see the Minish, right?
I think that perhaps its not so much that Kokiris evolved from the Minish as had a long-standing relationship with them, being the only "race" of peoples who would always be able to see them. So the Kokiri become the only permanent sort of link the Minish have between themselves and the larger world.
I think that perhaps its not so much that Kokiris evolved from the Minish as had a long-standing relationship with them, being the only "race" of peoples who would always be able to see them. So the Kokiri become the only permanent sort of link the Minish have between themselves and the larger world.
#15
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Posted 14 November 2004 - 12:58 PM
Trinexx - were you asking how I know Heroes befoes THC wore green?
#16
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Posted 14 November 2004 - 01:48 PM
Perhaps what they wear is just a coincidence? It's only in TWW that it becomes odd to wear Link's clothes, as clothing styles have changed, and a reason is needed to explain his attire.
#17
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Posted 14 November 2004 - 03:34 PM
Well, for whatever reason, TMC Link wears a green tunic. If the FS games really do precede OoT, then FS/FSA Link could simply be a descendant of TMC Link. And, as Louisa surmised, the Kokiri, being innocent children, would be the only ones who could communicate with the Minish. The Hero of Time got his tunic from the Kokiri, and by the time of TWW, the green tunic was legendary.
#18
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Posted 14 November 2004 - 10:41 PM
They evolved into talking trees in TWW, if you believe Koroks are evolved Kokirir, which the game screams at you. Maybe like most species, they sort of de-evolve when an apocalypse happens, like how some mammals went back to the sea after the dinosaur era.
It wasn't an evolution, the game stated that they gave up/stopped using their human forms and it gently implied that this was their true form. it makes the most sense, too, a tree-people living in the forest.. not a human people inexplicably living among plants and considering the tree to be their father, who can't leave the forest (i guess the korogs proved that wrong, didnt they?) and would change into plant people later for no reason.. i mean.. right? meh. either way, the change of form was something they all did together on purpose.
#19
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Posted 15 November 2004 - 01:52 AM
Considering that the green tunic is not THAT common among youngsters in Zelda games, I think it would be a stretch to say that the Links all wearing green tunics is just a coincidence. I think there's something else going on here.
TWW showed that it became the custom on a certain island to wear green clothes in commemoration of the hero. But this isn't necessarily the only ceremony that could have popped up. In particular, I think it's possible that there was a custom that when going on a journey, young men would wear the green clothes in commemoration of previous heroes who had worn the same green clothes on their journies. After all, in TWW Link wears the green clothes all throughout his adventure, not just on his birthday. This tradition could have continued and been adopted elsewhere.
As for the Kokiri, I'm not saying that they necessarily remember the hero. I'm saying that, at some time in their past, the Kokiri adopted the dress of the hero. Later generations of Kokiri may have forgotten the origins of their dress. The Deku Tree may have also commanded them to wear such clothes.
TWW showed that it became the custom on a certain island to wear green clothes in commemoration of the hero. But this isn't necessarily the only ceremony that could have popped up. In particular, I think it's possible that there was a custom that when going on a journey, young men would wear the green clothes in commemoration of previous heroes who had worn the same green clothes on their journies. After all, in TWW Link wears the green clothes all throughout his adventure, not just on his birthday. This tradition could have continued and been adopted elsewhere.
As for the Kokiri, I'm not saying that they necessarily remember the hero. I'm saying that, at some time in their past, the Kokiri adopted the dress of the hero. Later generations of Kokiri may have forgotten the origins of their dress. The Deku Tree may have also commanded them to wear such clothes.
#20
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Posted 15 November 2004 - 07:18 AM
I think it's both coincidence and destiny that Link wears his green tunic. Because the Cap happens to complete Link's outfit in the Minish Cap, it may very well be older of origin. There's no clue which points to the Minish Cap Link being the first to wear such a combination. His clothes were already green to begin with, maybe there were Links before him.
Maybe it's a matter of prophecy: maybe soms ancient sage told the Deku Tree in OoT that there would be a hero among his people one day, and so he dressed them in the tradition. Maybe the Outset Island tradition to wear the clothes also stems from such a prophecy.
Spikey
Maybe it's a matter of prophecy: maybe soms ancient sage told the Deku Tree in OoT that there would be a hero among his people one day, and so he dressed them in the tradition. Maybe the Outset Island tradition to wear the clothes also stems from such a prophecy.
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#21
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Posted 15 November 2004 - 09:06 AM
Er... I've seen a few others in canonical zelda art in green tunics, though. I think green tunics are worn by foresters and robinhood-esque dudes. any time the green tunic wasn't otherwise explained, link wore green cuz he.. lived... near a forest.. and stuff.. right? hmm, maybe not.
#22
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Posted 15 November 2004 - 10:40 AM
Let's see... as far as it being tradition, it's very likely
TMC- modeled after previous heroes?
FS/FSA- I don't think the games give enough information to be able to say
OOT/MM- Kokiri tradition, possibly descended from previous heroes
ALttP/LA/Oracles- As I believe that Link's uncle is possibly some kind of knight, the knights of Hyrule may have a tradition of dressing the young men in the attire of the hero, but that's all purely speculation
TWW- Tradition of island, based off previous heros
LoZ/AoL- Young travelers wear the green tunic, based off of previous heros
There, that's all that's either been said here, or my own opinion in the case of ALttP/LA/Oracles. All these cases do point towards it being a tradition, anybody have any theories as far as FS/FSA goes? Because I really haven't researched that game enough to say.
TMC- modeled after previous heroes?
FS/FSA- I don't think the games give enough information to be able to say
OOT/MM- Kokiri tradition, possibly descended from previous heroes
ALttP/LA/Oracles- As I believe that Link's uncle is possibly some kind of knight, the knights of Hyrule may have a tradition of dressing the young men in the attire of the hero, but that's all purely speculation
TWW- Tradition of island, based off previous heros
LoZ/AoL- Young travelers wear the green tunic, based off of previous heros
There, that's all that's either been said here, or my own opinion in the case of ALttP/LA/Oracles. All these cases do point towards it being a tradition, anybody have any theories as far as FS/FSA goes? Because I really haven't researched that game enough to say.
#23
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Posted 15 November 2004 - 10:46 AM
Could it be that TMC Link just happens to be wearing green? I do, quite often, and yet I have no conneciton to the Hero's Bloodline.
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Posted 15 November 2004 - 01:07 PM
I would assume that you don't, but then again, how often do you go around wearing an actual green tunic weilding a sword and shield (as well as various other nifty gadgets) and attempting to save the land of Hyrule from some kind of certain doom or another?
#25
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Posted 15 November 2004 - 02:02 PM
Well, not every week, but green IS a cool color.
#26
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Posted 15 November 2004 - 03:24 PM
The "Hero of Men" in the backstory for TMC was wearing a green tunic (no cap), so if TMC Link is wearing his green tunic in respect for a previous life (much like TWW Link and the other Outset boys did for the Hero of Time), then he's modeling his clothes after the Hero of Men. If not, then he just happens to be wearing a green tunic that day.
#27
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Posted 15 November 2004 - 05:55 PM
Perhaps, if Link keeps reincarnating like some people think, in each life he has a subconcious tendency to wear green? (sorta like how Kagome inherited Kikyo's kindness and crap >_>)
#28
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Posted 15 November 2004 - 11:24 PM
I kind of see it like the characters' faces in "The Crow" movies.
One way or another, each form of 'The Crow' gets a pale white face and black lines over their eyes and lips (make-up, burns, etc.).
I think each time a hero in LoZ arises, he is kind of destined to wear the green garb and hat.
One way or another, each form of 'The Crow' gets a pale white face and black lines over their eyes and lips (make-up, burns, etc.).
I think each time a hero in LoZ arises, he is kind of destined to wear the green garb and hat.
#29
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Posted 16 November 2004 - 01:52 AM
And now it wouldn't be the same if they made a Zelda game where Link wasn't wearing such an outfit..!
#30
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Posted 16 November 2004 - 10:08 AM
Ya know, the more I get into this, the less likely I think it is that the Links are all reincarnations of the first Link (whichever that may be, if we have even seen him), but that's beside the point.
I really don't think it's as simple as to say that Link is destined to wear green by some strange twist of fate, that really doesn't have anything to do with him being the hero (as seen in TWW, the bonus second playthrough Link wears his islander clothes). After some thought however, green is the color that corresponds the the Goddess of Courage, Farore. This probably has more to do with any associations than any other reference in the mythology of Hyrule.
I really don't think it's as simple as to say that Link is destined to wear green by some strange twist of fate, that really doesn't have anything to do with him being the hero (as seen in TWW, the bonus second playthrough Link wears his islander clothes). After some thought however, green is the color that corresponds the the Goddess of Courage, Farore. This probably has more to do with any associations than any other reference in the mythology of Hyrule.
