Ocarina

The Ocarina of Time
Ocarina
Type	Musical Instrument
Owner	Link
Debut	The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past

The Ocarina is a recurring musical instrument throughout the Zelda series. Out of several musical instruments appearing throughout the games, the ocarina appears most frequently. It is a seemingly normal instrument but can be used to play a variety of magical songs.

Information

The ocarina first appeared in The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past, although it was called a flute in the English localization, where it was originally owned by a boy in Kakariko Village who was referred to as simply the "Flute Boy". Link can gain the ocarina by digging it up within the grove of the Dark World for the transformed Flute Boy, and after playing it to put him to rest, the ocarina can then be played near the weathercock in Kakariko Village in order to bring the bird to life. Playing the ocarina will then automatically summon the bird, which can take Link to any of eight specific locations, regardless of whether or not Link has visited these places. At the end of the game, the Flute Boy is shown to have been restored and playing his ocarina, Presumably it had been returned to him by Link.

An ocarina also appears in Link's Awakening, where it is found within the Dream Shrine. This is the first game where Link can play different songs on it, with a total of three songs. Two different ocarinas appear in Ocarina of Time - the Fairy Ocarina and the titular Ocarina of Time, and Link learns a variety of songs that can be played on both of them. Link is given the Fairy Ocarina as a present from Saria early in the game, and it is used until Link gets the Ocarina of Time from Princess Zelda near the end of the child era. The Ocarina of Time additionally appears in Majora's Mask, where it will also transform into a different instrument whenever Link becomes a new form - becoming Deku Pipes, Goron Drums or a Zora Guitar.

An ocarina called the Ocarina of Winds appears in The Minish Cap. It is found at the end of the Fortress of Winds and is a relic of the Wind Tribe. It is similar to the ocarina from A Link to the Past, as playing it summons a bird named Zeffa that can take Link to any area with a Wind Crest that Link has discovered.

Ocarina of Time

Within Ocarina of Time, the eponymous object is shown as a heirloom of the Royal Family and is one of the keys needed to open the door to the Sacred Realm. Princess Zelda had the Ocarina until she was forced to flee Hyrule Castle after Link collected all three Spiritual Stones, at which point she tossed the ocarina to Link. It was primarily used for opening the Door of Time and afterwards was used to play songs like a normal ocarina. At the end of the game, Zelda reclaimed the ocarina and played a song on it to return Link to his childhood years.

In Majora's Mask, Princess Zelda gave Link the Ocarina of Time before he left Hyrule on his journey. It was initially stolen by the Skull Kid, but Link could reclaim it by making him drop it during a confrontation aboard the clock tower on the third night. Its importance in this game is that it is needed to save Link from being killed from the falling moon at the end of the third night. This is accomplished by playing the Song of Time, which sends Link back in time to the dawn of the first day.

Other Appearances

Video Games

• An ocarina appears in Link's ending of Soul Calibur II, where he uses it to return to Hyrule (presumably having using it to travel from Hyrule to the world of Soul Calibur).

In Other Media

• Both the Fairy Ocarina and the Ocarina of Time appear in the Ocarina of Time manga. It follows the game but also provides an explanation for what happened to the Fairy Ocarina, as Ganondorf deduces that Link has the Ocarina of Time and tries forcing him to give it to him, and Link gives Ganondorf the Fairy Ocarina instead. He later crushes it after realizing it is not the Ocarina of Time.
• The Ocarina of Time appears in the Majora's Mask manga, with a similar role as in the game.
• The ocarina appears in the 2005 manga adaptation of A Link to the Past, where the Flute/Ocarina Boy, instead of becoming a tree-like creature, becomes a furry creature with Gollumesque habits. After finding the ocarina, Link plays it to return from the Dark World.

Trivia

• The Ocarina of Time appears as a trophy in Super Smash Bros. Melee and a sticker in Super Smash Bros. Brawl.
• While the ocarina has become the most prolific instrument within the series, other instruments used in earlier and later games include the flute, the Harp of Ages and the Spirit Flute, as well as pieces of grass and the horse call which Link can play songs through in Twilight Princess. Though technically not an instrument, the Wind Waker in the game of the same name and howling at Howling Stones in Twilight Princess act as replacements for the ocarina in those particular games.

See Also

• Songs in Legend of Zelda series