Last night in my playthrough of Ocarina of Time, I finished up the Fire Temple and headed (as one does) to Zora Domain, expecting it to be (as the rest of the game has been so far) very much like the original in structure, just visually more elaborate. And it was, mostly. But as I passed through the realm, I also encountered one of my favorite new additions to the remake so far, one that simultaneously clears up one of Ocarina of Time‘s long-enduring inconsistencies, while also adding pretty significant elements of both horror and hope to the original story.
In the original Ocarina of Time, Zora Domain in the adult timeline is completely frozen over. When Link enters, there are no Zora to be found—just an iced-over pond and a frozen waterfall. At the top, you can find King Zora, encased in red ice. Through your adventures in Ice Cavern and later Water Temple, you learn that Ganondorf is (of course) responsible, and that all the Zora have been completely frozen. Sheik was able to save Ruto, who goes on to become the Sage of Water, and you’re later able to thaw out King Zora using Blue Fire.
But the fate of the rest of the Zora is sort of…ambiguous. Presumably due to technical limitations in the original, Zora Domain in adult timeline remains frozen over even post-Water Temple, and the Zora people are nowhere to be found.
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