Highlights
- A talented fan of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild has recreated a memorable location in the game in the style of a Studio Ghibli movie.
- The Zelda franchise and Studio Ghibli share a similar mystical and spiritual resonance, making the comparison between the two not surprising.
- This fan art serves as a reminder of the inspiration and exploration-heavy nature of the Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom games.
A Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild fan has managed to recreate an instantly recognizable location from the game, in an art style that is perhaps even more recognizable. This piece follows countless other impressive Zelda-inspired fan art creations, as fans of the series have spent years leveraging their talent and creativity to craft unique drawings, paintings, sculptures, and more based on the famous Nintendo franchise.
The rendition of Hyrule that players got to explore in Breath of the Wild has arguably become the most iconic version of the country in series history. As one of precious few Legend of Zelda games that serves as a direct sequel, 2023's The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom reprised this sun-soaked, cell-shaded envisioning of Link's homeland. Tears of the Kingdom managed to retain what made Hyrule so alluring in its predecessor, while also expanding it and adding enough depth to keep it interesting for returning players. As such, there are a number of unique and memorable locations that keep modern Zelda games front-of-mind for many gamers.
A talented fan of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild has recently shared a high-quality, inventive piece of fan art that features one of many such memorable locales. The piece centers on the Lanayru gate, which marks the entrance to the mystical lands of the Zora, the franchise's intelligent aquatic race. One of the most interesting elements of the painting is the fact that it has been created, as the artist themselves points out, in the style of a Studio Ghibli movie, the studio behind beloved anime films like Spirited Away and Howl's Moving Castle.
Connections being drawn between Studio Ghibli and the Zelda franchise, especially its modern entries, may not be a surprise to many gamers. The many versions of the Zelda world can vary drastically in terms of style, scope, and game design, but they all share a certain mysticism and spiritual resonance, which is a clear parallel to Studio Ghibli's movies.
Studio Ghibli comparisons aside, this piece of fan art is rather impressive, and is a reminder of how inspirational The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom have been. Since these games are exploration-heavy, it makes sense that some of their most memorable moments would involve key locations and discoveries--an idea that is reinforced by this fan's creation. This isn't the first piece of Zelda fan art to incorporate an outside style, and hopefully it won't be the last.
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is currently available on the Nintendo Switch and Wii U.
