One of the most memorable moments in The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time is part of an entirely optional quest line and isn’t as necessary to the game’s completion as players might think. In fact, most players may find it illogical that the game would make this mission optional, as it introduces important recurring characters in the Zelda universe and a companion that makes traversing the landscape of the game much more tolerable. It would seem that Ocarina of Time does not think the Epona quest is a necessary part of the player’s adventure and that the introduction of this beloved horse companion is better left an optional discovery.
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time is the first game in the franchise to have 3D graphics, allowing players the ability of open-world traversal, which was revolutionary for its time and placed Ocarina in the video game hall of fame. Released on the Nintendo 64 in 1998, Ocarina of Times’ story follows Link through the Kingdom of Hyrule, entering dungeons and restoring the Triforce in order to stop Ganondorf from conquering the world. With Ocarina in hand, players will use songs learned along the way to clear dungeons overrun with Ganondorf’s monsters and help restore the homes of several different inhabitants of Hyrule Kingdom. With this title being considered one of the best games of the franchise by many fans, and being well known for its introduction of Epona, it seems bizarre to imagine playing the game without her.
One of the major reasons Epona originated in Ocarina of Time is so players can travel from one location to another with ease, since building out the game three-dimensionally added a lot of extra distance between areas. With a clear need for transportation and the implementation of a solution for that need, it’s strange Epona’s rescue is set up as an optional mission. Not only is the ability to obtain Epona left up to players’ choice but the steps to get the horse companion feel convoluted. If players choose not to explore Hyrule Field after the first encounter with Zelda, Epona may not be attainable later and audiences will have missed out on one of the most memorable moments of Ocarina of Time.
Rescuing Epona Is One Of Ocarina Of Time’s Best Moments
Epona’s quest begins once you wake Talon, an Ocarina of Time NPC that resembles Mario, as this will trigger Malon, his daughter, to return to Lon Lon Ranch. Players must visit the ranch as both young Link and adult Link to secure Epona. Malon will give young Link Epona’s song and adult Link will need to beat Ingo, Ganon’s underling who takes the ranch over, in a race. Even once players defeat Ingo, they will be trapped inside the ranch, and with no other way out, will need to speed up to the back wall of the farm and trigger the scene of Link hopping over it on Epona’s back. This scene is a direct victory against the rise of Ganon, as Ingo is a henchman of the evil wizard, and Epona was meant to be given to Ganondorf.
While The Legend of Zelda has many notable characters, such as Shiek, who should reappear in BOTW 2, Epona sits near the top as one of the best companions of the entire franchise. Although developers for the game could not have foreseen the horse’s popularity, there are still valid reasons for this questline to have been made a more permanent part of the story. Players skipping this mission will miss Malon, a recurring character in the Zelda Franchise, and not securing Epona will make traveling in-game, especially through Hyrule Field, much more taxing. With all of this in mind, and taking into account the amazing moment of rescuing the silver bay horse, The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time does seem as though it doesn’t care if players miss Epona’s questline.
