The Secret Music Of The Legend Of Zelda: Breath Of The Wild

Among the many changes that Breath of the Wild brings to The Legend of Zelda series is its approach to music. In Link's latest adventure, the music is subdued making a powerful stirring appearance only when necessary. It, overall, lacks the familiar recurring themes of past Zelda games, but they are in the game – you just have to look for them.

In the video below, you will find a sampling of familiar Zelda tunes that snuck their way into the game. As is the case with nearly all of our Zelda coverage, make sure to look out for spoilers, but we can assure you that you won't see any late or end-game spoilers here.

Great Fairy Fountain Theme
This music is not particularly secret, especially compared the music outlined below, but hearing the great fairy theme when meeting a Great Fairy for the first time was a surprise considering how little music you hear through the course of the rest of the game.

Epona's Song
Kass, A.K.A. the Weird Al of Hyrule, has his own theme, but for some inexplicable reason, he knows Epona's song. He tends to play it when you find him hanging around stables.

The Legend of Zelda Theme
Not only is it the most memorable music of the Zelda franchise, it is arguably one of the most notable themes in video game music in general. In sneaks in when Link rides his horse at night as the backing violin to the main piano piece.

Zelda's Lullaby
Much in the same way the main theme appears in the game, Zelda's lullaby sneaks in while Link is riding during the day. The music is protracted making it difficult to identfy behind the piano, but it's there if you're patient.

Dragon Roost Island Theme
In The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker, Roost Island is home to the Rito Tribe. The Rito return for Breath of the Wild, but are less bird-like, and more full on bird. The theme you hear in Wind Waker returns here, but much like the music heard while Link is riding his horse, its callback is a subtle one.

Zora's Domain Theme
Like the Great Fairy theme, the music in Zora's Domain is included here more in credit for its surprising lack of subtlety. It is more-or-less the same theme heard in Zora's Domain in Ocarina of Time.

Great Fairy Fountain & Epona's Song
We saved the strangest music callback for last. We won't spoil where you find this theme or how it is linked to Breath of the Wild's Hyrule, but it's possible to find an area with a soundtrack that overlaps Epona's theme and the Great Fairy Fountain them in a strange, but admittedly appropriate way.

In one final music-related callback, there is a Shrine Quest mission that recalls Ocarina of Time's Song of Storms. You won't actually hear the familiar song in the game (or at least I haven't), but it does receive a nod.

I highly doubt that these are all of Breath of the Wild's musical callbacks. Let us know what we missed in the comments. And for more on Breath of the Wild, you can find out review here, as well as a number of other callbacks to previous Zelda games here.