The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker was a controversial title when it first launched. While it garnered great reviews from a notable source of websites, that didn’t stop some fans from disliking it based on the aesthetic. It was deemed too immature and cartoony, and it wasn’t the game Nintendo first teased on the GameCube in regard to its tech demo.
Despite all that, criticism softened over time, and now it holds up as one of the best 3D entries in the series due to its more artistic, cel-shaded design. That doesn’t mean there isn’t stuff to make fun of it for, because these memes don’t pull any punches. There will be spoilers ahead, just as a friendly warning.
10 Sword To The Head
The Wind Waker is one of the most violent endings to any game in the series. Sure, it’s a cartoon, but, even so, seeing the Master Sword thrust into Ganon’s head was shocking, to say the least. There was no blood, but seeing it just sit there was both horrifying and hilarious at the same time, as this meme rightfully points out. Thankfully this was never changed in any re-releases of the game.
9 I Hear You, Kanye
This video was made by Kryptick Bidoof on YouTube around the time the Wii U remaster came out. The song in question, for those that don’t recognize it, is “Black Skinhead” by Kanye West. This mashup works almost too well and was memed plenty afterward. Kryptick Bidoof also put out tributes using Link for Daft Punk’s “Get Lucky” and Phil Collins’ “In The Air Tonight.”
8 The Plot Is Bananas
When one really thinks about it, the plot of The Wind Waker is pretty nuts, and this meme is spot-on. Link has a talking boat that is actually a king? Plus a pirate queen is actually a princess of a kingdom frozen in time below the waves? Every game in The Legend of Zelda franchise is fantastical, but everything about this game just seems even bigger.
7 Sad Fairies
Capturing faeries, when one really thinks about it, is a monstrous action. In some games faeries are represented by lights, like Navi in Ocarina of Time, making it feels less diabolical.
However, in The Wind Waker fairies just look like small humans with wings. Trapping them then in a tiny bottle for this game might be the creepiest implementation in the series.
6 Metal Link
Sneaking inside the prison fortress might be one of the most frustrating sections of the game. Plus, it’s so early in The Wind Waker, too. Getting spotted is a no-go, which can mean players may have to retread ground on repeat. As irritating as it can be, this meme also points out the comedy in sneaking around a barrel akin to Solid Snake’s trusty cardboard box.
5 I'm On A Boat
If SNL released the "I'm on Boat" sketch at the same time as The Wind Waker's release, it would have been an even bigger hit. That's the thing with memes, though, even though something may be old or seemingly unrelated, memes have a way to bring even the most unlikely of pairs together. Jokes aside, getting to explore a vast ocean was quite adventurous and new for the series. Just look at Link's face. How could he not be thinking, "I'm on a boat!"
4 Sea Of Thieves
When The Wind Waker first launched, even those that praised the game found fault in the open waters of Hyrule. They were barren, and there wasn’t much to do. Basically, there was too much water is what they were trying to say.
Well, the same criticism can be likened to Sea of Thieves when it first launched. As this meme jokes, even going so far as to put in a black Triforce as the nose, it can feel like a direct sequel to The Wind Waker.
3 You Cowards
How can a game like Hyrule Warriors, which is a fun spinoff in its own right, get ported to the Switch, but not The Wind Waker? It a criminal injustice to gamers everywhere especially Nintendo fans.
Since even the seemingly most obscure Wii U games are getting ported, it’s more a matter of "when" and not "if." That is the hopeful belief, at least.
2 YOLO
Going back to that Ganon boss fight once again, that selfie mode in the remaster is just fantastic. It can create cool videos, as previously mentioned with Kryptick Bidoof, along with capture inappropriate moments. Should Link take a photo in the middle of battle? Absolutely not, but, as the motto goes, “You Only Link Once.”
1 Well Excuse Me, Princess
Link in the animated adaptation of The Legend of Zelda is one sassy customer. The things that happen in that show are crazier than the talking boat. That said, thanks to Link’s expressive face, he too can get just as sassy as the cartoon version of Link. There should be a mod for the game that inserts an “Excuse me princess” every time Link looks upset.