Summary
The Legend of Zeldagames are often inspired by real-world Japanese myths, fairy tales, and even ghost stories. Many of the fantastic elements in the land of Hyrule are based in some way on locations and concepts seen in the real world, even when the particular idea is something fairly creepy.The Legend of Zeldais no stranger to exploring darker themes, monsters, and characters, but there are a few instances where the truth is stranger than fiction. This is the case of the mysterious hand characters.
The “hands” appear in threeLegend of Zeldatitles to date:Majora’s Mask,Oracle of Ages, andSkyward Sword. They are characterized by a pale, often scrawny hand reaching out from a toilet bowl. All versions of these strange creatures ask Link for toilet paper and in return offer various items to the hero. Though these odd characters inthe world ofThe Legend of Zeldaare seemingly harmless, the real-world folklore that served as their inspiration is even creepier than they look.
One Of Zelda’s Creepiest NPCs, Explained
Toilet Hands in The Legend of Zelda
Each appearance of the hands is unique in its way, as they each have a different name and item associated with them. Some items are even part of an ongoing quest, likeOracle of Ages' Trading Quest. Their appearances are as follows.
Oracle of Ages
Skyward Sword
Most of the hands inThe Legend of Zeldadon’t reveal too much backstory.Phoeni inSkyward Swordis the exception, as there is dialogue from Fi saying how the character is the ghost of a little girl. Fi also explains how spirits linger when they have some sort of unfulfilled desire, which in this case Link can help with. This coincides with the real-world inspiration of these characters: ghosts in Japanese folklore.
Zelda Toilet Ghosts in Real Life
The actual myth behind these toilet hand ghosts is a bit scarier than the generally docile characters Link meets. The inspiration comes from various ghost stories in Japan that all relate to a hand grabbing someone from inside a toilet. Though the stories vary in specific origin and details, the common thread among them is the toilet. Japanese myths such as the Kappa are similar tothe monsters inThe Legend of Zelda, as they are water-dwelling creatures set on dragging people into the water to drown or eat them. As traditional Japanese toilets were often situated by a riverbed, the Kappa might reach up through the toilet to attack their prey.
Other bathroom-related ghosts in Japanese culture could have served as inspiration for the hands inZelda. One is Hanako-san, who is said to be the ghost of a little girl who haunts bathrooms. When called upon, she will drag victims into the toilet. Another tale is of the Manekute no Yurei or “Inviting Hand”, which appears at night to beckon people as they use the bathroom. Most of these Japanese ghost stories end with the creature killing its victim in some way, so the friendlycharacters inThe Legend of Zeldaare a welcome change of pace.
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
WHERE TO PLAY
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is the sequel to the beloved open-world adventure, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. This installment once again sees Link and Zelda battling to protect Hyrule from falling to Ganondorf. This new adventure takes place in the same land of Hyrule as Breath of the Wild but sees something called the Upheaval, which allows link to travel to Sky Islands, as well as deep into the Depths beneath Hyrule. Players can use special abilities to fuse together weapons, and build items to help them progress through the release.
