{"id":34769,"date":"2026-08-09T16:46:57","date_gmt":"2026-08-09T11:46:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/?p=34769"},"modified":"2026-08-09T16:46:57","modified_gmt":"2026-08-09T11:46:57","slug":"40-years-later-one-zelda-line-remains-the-greatest-quote-in-gaming-history","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/?p=34769","title":{"rendered":"40 Years Later, One Zelda Line Remains The Greatest Quote In Gaming History"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><script>\r\n  atOptions = {\r\n    'key' : '644b717812d811d6a1c1fc5b6ccd6fa6',\r\n    'format' : 'iframe',\r\n    'height' : 90,\r\n    'width' : 728,\r\n    'params' : {}\r\n  };\r\n<\/script>\r\n<script src=\"https:\/\/www.highperformanceformat.com\/644b717812d811d6a1c1fc5b6ccd6fa6\/invoke.js\"><\/script>\r\n<br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div xmlns:default=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\">\n<p>Video game history is full of great quotes, from emotionally compelling pearls of wisdom to memorably sardonic quips. There are plenty that could be contenders for the best of all time, from <em>Portal 2<\/em>&#8216;s &#8220;<em>The cake is a lie<\/em>&#8221; (no matter how much popular culture beat its genuine brilliance to death in trite repetition) to <em>Halo 2<\/em>&#8216;s &#8220;<em>Sir, finishing this fight<\/em>.&#8221; At the end of the day, though, it&#8217;s hard not to look to <a href=\"https:\/\/screenrant.com\/tag\/the-legend-of-zelda\/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong><em>The Legend of Zelda<\/em><\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>    <!-- No AdsNinja v10 Client! --><!-- No AdsNinja v10 Client! --><\/p>\n<p>While Nintendo&#8217;s flagship <em>Super Mario <\/em>series has only occasionally focused on the story, <em>The Legend of Zelda<\/em> has always had strong writing, even in the games where the story is presented with a light touch. Long before <a href=\"https:\/\/screenrant.com\/zelda-ocarina-of-time-greatest-quote\/\" target=\"_blank\"><em>Ocarina of Time<\/em>&#8216;s evocative exchanges<\/a> or Ganondorf&#8217;s fantastic final monologue in <em>The Wind Waker<\/em>, <em>The Legend of Zelda <\/em>started with an all-timer.<\/p>\n<p>    <!-- No AdsNinja v10 Client! --><\/p>\n<h2 id=\"after-40-years-the-first-words-spoken-to-link-remain-iconic\">\n                        After 40 Years, The First Words Spoken To Link Remain Iconic<br \/>\n               <\/h2>\n<div class=\"body-img landscape mobile-optimized\">\n<div class=\"responsive-img  image-expandable  img-article-item\" style=\"padding-bottom:50%\" data-img-url=\"https:\/\/static0.srcdn.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/Screen-Shot-2022-05-30-at-6.03.49-PM-1.jpg\" data-modal-id=\"single-image-modal\" data-modal-container-id=\"single-image-modal-container\" data-img-caption=\"&quot;&quot;\">\n                                                                                            <picture><source media=\"(max-width: 480px)\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/static0.srcdn.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/Screen-Shot-2022-05-30-at-6.03.49-PM-1.jpg?q=49&amp;fit=crop&amp;w=500&amp;dpr=2\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static0.srcdn.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/Screen-Shot-2022-05-30-at-6.03.49-PM-1.jpg?q=49&amp;fit=crop&amp;w=500&amp;dpr=2\"\/><source media=\"(max-width: 767px)\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/static0.srcdn.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/Screen-Shot-2022-05-30-at-6.03.49-PM-1.jpg?q=70&amp;fit=crop&amp;w=800&amp;dpr=1\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static0.srcdn.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/Screen-Shot-2022-05-30-at-6.03.49-PM-1.jpg?q=70&amp;fit=crop&amp;w=800&amp;dpr=1\"\/><source media=\"(max-width: 1023px)\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/static0.srcdn.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/Screen-Shot-2022-05-30-at-6.03.49-PM-1.jpg?q=70&amp;fit=crop&amp;w=825&amp;dpr=1\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static0.srcdn.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/Screen-Shot-2022-05-30-at-6.03.49-PM-1.jpg?q=70&amp;fit=crop&amp;w=825&amp;dpr=1\"\/><img width=\"825\" height=\"413\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"It's dangerous to go alone - The Legend of Zelda.\" data-img-url=\"https:\/\/static0.srcdn.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/Screen-Shot-2022-05-30-at-6.03.49-PM-1.jpg?q=70&amp;fit=crop&amp;w=825&amp;dpr=1\" src=\"https:\/\/static0.srcdn.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/Screen-Shot-2022-05-30-at-6.03.49-PM-1.jpg?q=70&amp;fit=crop&amp;w=825&amp;dpr=1\"\/>\n        <\/picture>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>The first game in <em>The Legend of Zelda <\/em>franchise starts simply, with Link entering a cave to receive a wooden sword from an old man. Famously, the game&#8217;s first line of dialogue pops up on-screen in the cave, declaring &#8220;<em>It&#8217;s dangerous to go alone! Take this<\/em>.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Like the moment that surrounds it, the quote is simple, but anyone familiar with video games is well aware of how much it&#8217;s echoed across time. To some degree, its popularity simply hearkens back to a gaming monoculture, when it was easier for a single game like <em>The Legend of Zelda <\/em>to emblazon its way into a widespread cultural consciousness. It&#8217;s certainly less nuanced or insightful than some later <em>Zelda <\/em>quotes, and it&#8217;s often thought of as more of a tagline than anything. Even so, it&#8217;s absolutely earned its place in history.<\/p>\n<p>At its core, the old man&#8217;s words are the perfect start to the entire <em>Zelda <\/em>franchise. While the first <em>Zelda <\/em>was a standalone adventure, the games took an unusual approach to continuing the story. Rather than providing direct narrative follow-ups or totally disconnected stories, each <em>Zelda <\/em>game loosely retells the same core elements of a long-running legend, creating a sense of reincarnated characters and ideas across the <a href=\"https:\/\/screenrant.com\/legend-of-zelda-series-timeline-explained-breath-wild\/\" target=\"_blank\">history of Hyrule<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Consequently, picking up the sword is a moment that&#8217;s echoed across the entire franchise, serving as the perfect embodiment of the start to each of Link&#8217;s recurring adventures. Hyrule is always a dangerous place, and there&#8217;s always a sense of loneliness at points of the journey, as Link often faces enemies and threats alone before reuniting with comrades or saving Zelda from Ganon&#8217;s clutches. The games are about resourcefulness, though, and Link&#8217;s equipment and allies prevent him from faltering.<\/p>\n<p>Even today, the wide-open expanses of <em>Breath of the Wild <\/em>and <em>Tears of the Kingdom <\/em>have refused to abandon the simple power of Link picking up a wooden sword. The opening of <a href=\"https:\/\/screenrant.com\/zelda-breath-wild-dangerous-go-alone-easter-egg\/\" target=\"_blank\"><em>Breath of the Wild <\/em>calls back<\/a> to this original moment, and throughout the games, weapon fragility places a special value on scavenging for basic swords and spears. In a market full of games that focus on power scaling, <em>The Legend of Zelda <\/em>still believes in the power of a wooden stick.<\/p>\n<p>    <!-- No AdsNinja v10 Client! --><\/p>\n<h2 id=\"the-zelda-series-is-full-of-memorable-quotes\">\n                        The Zelda Series Is Full Of Memorable Quotes<br \/>\n               <\/h2>\n<div class=\"body-img landscape mobile-optimized\">\n<div class=\"responsive-img  image-expandable  img-article-item\" style=\"padding-bottom:50%\" data-img-url=\"https:\/\/static0.srcdn.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/zelda-the-wind-waker-artwork-of-link-and-zelda-s-final-battle-against-ganondorf.jpg\" data-modal-id=\"single-image-modal\" data-modal-container-id=\"single-image-modal-container\" data-img-caption=\"&quot;&quot;\">\n<figure><picture><source media=\"(max-width: 480px)\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/static0.srcdn.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/zelda-the-wind-waker-artwork-of-link-and-zelda-s-final-battle-against-ganondorf.jpg?q=49&amp;fit=crop&amp;w=500&amp;dpr=2\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static0.srcdn.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/zelda-the-wind-waker-artwork-of-link-and-zelda-s-final-battle-against-ganondorf.jpg?q=49&amp;fit=crop&amp;w=500&amp;dpr=2\"\/><source media=\"(max-width: 767px)\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/static0.srcdn.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/zelda-the-wind-waker-artwork-of-link-and-zelda-s-final-battle-against-ganondorf.jpg?q=49&amp;fit=crop&amp;w=800&amp;dpr=2\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static0.srcdn.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/zelda-the-wind-waker-artwork-of-link-and-zelda-s-final-battle-against-ganondorf.jpg?q=49&amp;fit=crop&amp;w=800&amp;dpr=2\"\/><source media=\"(max-width: 1023px)\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/static0.srcdn.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/zelda-the-wind-waker-artwork-of-link-and-zelda-s-final-battle-against-ganondorf.jpg?q=49&amp;fit=crop&amp;w=825&amp;dpr=2\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static0.srcdn.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/zelda-the-wind-waker-artwork-of-link-and-zelda-s-final-battle-against-ganondorf.jpg?q=49&amp;fit=crop&amp;w=825&amp;dpr=2\"\/><img width=\"1650\" height=\"826\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Zelda The Wind Waker artwork of Link and Zelda's final battle against Ganondorf.\" data-img-url=\"https:\/\/static0.srcdn.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/zelda-the-wind-waker-artwork-of-link-and-zelda-s-final-battle-against-ganondorf.jpg?q=49&amp;fit=crop&amp;w=825&amp;dpr=2\" src=\"https:\/\/static0.srcdn.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/zelda-the-wind-waker-artwork-of-link-and-zelda-s-final-battle-against-ganondorf.jpg?q=49&amp;fit=crop&amp;w=825&amp;dpr=2\"\/>\n        <\/picture><figcaption style=\"display: none;\">Zelda The Wind Waker artwork of Link and Zelda&#8217;s final battle against Ganondorf.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>Of course, there&#8217;s ample room to argue that other <em>Zelda <\/em>quotes ultimately supersede the old man&#8217;s words in poignancy. Ganondorf&#8217;s <em>&#8220;Do not betray my expectations<\/em>&#8221; monologue from <em>Wind Waker <\/em>might be my personal pick, but the dialogue with the children on the moon in <em>Majora&#8217;s Mask <\/em>provides some stiff competition. Other picks might represent the franchise at its most comedically brilliant, like the bizzare &#8220;<em>I am error<\/em>&#8221; from <em>Zelda 2: The Adventure of Link<\/em>, or virtually anything that comes out of <a href=\"https:\/\/screenrant.com\/zelda-skyward-sword-hd-meaning-groose-name-character\/\" target=\"_blank\">Groose&#8217;s mouth in <em>Skyward Sword<\/em><\/a>.<\/p>\n<aside class=\"w-promotion-offer promo-article-content-3\/4-depth w-promotion-widget\" data-popup=\"false\" data-sentinel-tracking=\"false\" data-promotion-zone=\"TmV3c2xldHRlciBBcnRpY2xlIENvbnRlbnQgV2lkZ2V0\" data-nosnippet=\"\">\n                                        <link rel=\"stylesheet\" href=\"https:\/\/static0.srcdn.com\/assets\/promotions.099cca01.css\"\/>\n<\/aside>\n<p>Everything comes back<em> <\/em>to &#8220;<em>It&#8217;s dangerous to go alone<\/em>,&#8221; though, and it&#8217;s hard to imagine the franchise without those opening words. It&#8217;s even harder to imagine the landscape of gaming as a whole, as <strong><em>The Legend of Zelda <\/em><\/strong>set the template for so many adventure games to follow. Things might have shaken out more or less the same even if the old man had never opened his mouth, but if he had chosen the Stoic path, we wouldn&#8217;t have such an iconic phrase at the heart of it all.<\/p>\n<div class=\"display-card type-video-game large\" data-show-streamrentbuy-links=\"true\" data-include-community-rating=\"true\" id=\"b347-4d83-b68e87c530ee\">\n<div class=\"display-card-main-content-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"display-card-main-content\">\n<div class=\"display-card-content image-column\">\n<p>                        <!--    Rating block community and brand ratings --><br \/>\n                        <!--  Image --><\/p>\n<div class=\"w-img  has-image-group\" data-stnl=\"%7B%22category%22%3A%22Click%20Interactions%22%2C%22name%22%3A%22Display%20Card%22%2C%22action%22%3A%22Fullscreen%20Image%20Load%22%2C%22once%22%3Atrue%7D\" data-stnl-group-once=\"9xvKS7FlpI\">\n<div class=\"body-img portrait \">\n<div class=\"responsive-img  img-article-square\" data-img-url=\"https:\/\/static0.srcdn.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/sharedimages\/2024\/12\/mixcollage-23-dec-2024-12-38-am-1337.jpg\" data-modal-id=\"single-image-modal\" data-modal-container-id=\"single-image-modal-container\" data-img-caption=\"&quot;&quot;\">\n                                                                                                                                                            <picture><source media=\"(max-width: 480px)\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/static0.srcdn.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/sharedimages\/2024\/12\/mixcollage-23-dec-2024-12-38-am-1337.jpg?q=49&amp;fit=contain&amp;w=300&amp;dpr=2\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static0.srcdn.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/sharedimages\/2024\/12\/mixcollage-23-dec-2024-12-38-am-1337.jpg?q=49&amp;fit=contain&amp;w=300&amp;dpr=2\"\/><source media=\"(max-width: 767px)\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/static0.srcdn.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/sharedimages\/2024\/12\/mixcollage-23-dec-2024-12-38-am-1337.jpg?q=49&amp;fit=contain&amp;w=400&amp;dpr=2\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static0.srcdn.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/sharedimages\/2024\/12\/mixcollage-23-dec-2024-12-38-am-1337.jpg?q=49&amp;fit=contain&amp;w=400&amp;dpr=2\"\/><source media=\"(max-width: 1023px)\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/static0.srcdn.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/sharedimages\/2024\/12\/mixcollage-23-dec-2024-12-38-am-1337.jpg?q=49&amp;fit=contain&amp;w=320&amp;dpr=2\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static0.srcdn.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/sharedimages\/2024\/12\/mixcollage-23-dec-2024-12-38-am-1337.jpg?q=49&amp;fit=contain&amp;w=320&amp;dpr=2\"\/><img width=\"960\" height=\"1440\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"mixcollage-23-dec-2024-12-38-am-1337.jpg\" data-img-url=\"https:\/\/static0.srcdn.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/sharedimages\/2024\/12\/mixcollage-23-dec-2024-12-38-am-1337.jpg?q=49&amp;fit=contain&amp;w=480&amp;dpr=2\" src=\"https:\/\/static0.srcdn.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/sharedimages\/2024\/12\/mixcollage-23-dec-2024-12-38-am-1337.jpg?q=49&amp;fit=contain&amp;w=480&amp;dpr=2\"\/>\n        <\/picture>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>                        <!-- User Rating widget --><\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"display-card-content info-column\">\n<p>                        <!--  Display card community and brand rating widget --><br \/>\n                                                                         <!--  Display card open critics widget --><\/p>\n<p>                                        <!--  Display card main info widget --><\/p>\n<div class=\"w-display-card-info main-info\">\n<dl>\n<p><dt>\n                                            <strong>Released<\/strong>\n                                        <\/dt>\n<dd>\n                                            <span><\/p>\n<p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tFebruary 21, 1986<br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n                                        <\/dd>\n<\/p>\n<p><dt>\n                                            <strong>ESRB<\/strong>\n                                        <\/dt>\n<dd>\n                                            <span><\/p>\n<p>\t\t\t\tE For Everyone Due To Mild Fantasy Violence<\/p>\n<p>\t\t\t<\/span>\n                                        <\/dd>\n<\/p>\n<p><dt>\n                                            <strong>Developer(s)<\/strong>\n                                        <\/dt>\n<dd>\n                                            <span><\/p>\n<p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tNintendo EAD<\/p>\n<p>\t\t\t<\/span>\n                                        <\/dd>\n<\/p>\n<p><dt>\n                                            <strong>Engine<\/strong>\n                                        <\/dt>\n<dd>\n                                            <span><\/p>\n<p>\t\t\t\tHavok<\/p>\n<p>\t\t\t<\/span>\n                                        <\/dd>\n<\/p>\n<\/dl><\/div>\n<p>                                        <!--  Display card main info widget end --><\/p>\n<p>                    <!--  Display card media widget start --><\/p>\n<p>                                        <!--  Display card media widget end --><\/p>\n<p>                    <!-- Where to play button preview --><\/p>\n<p>                    <!-- Where to play preview end --><\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>            <!-- Extra content section, display hidden by default --><br \/>\n            <input type=\"checkbox\" id=\"extra-content-b347-4d83-b68e87c530ee\" name=\"extra-content-b347-4d83-b68e87c530ee\" class=\"expand-extra-info-checkbox css-menu-checkbox\"\/> <!-- Checkbox: control the expandable behavior  of the extra info --><\/p>\n<p>            <!-- Display card footer --><\/p>\n<p>            <!-- PROS and CONS section --><\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<script async=\"async\" data-cfasync=\"false\" src=\"https:\/\/pl30214220.effectivecpmnetwork.com\/9ab3d4df8a7e1a6171e16ddbf732cc19\/invoke.js\"><\/script>\r\n<div id=\"container-9ab3d4df8a7e1a6171e16ddbf732cc19\"><\/div>\r\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Video game history is full of great quotes, from emotionally compelling pearls of wisdom to memorably sardonic quips. There are plenty that could be contenders for the best of all time, from Portal 2&#8216;s &#8220;The cake is a lie&#8221; (no matter how much popular culture beat its genuine brilliance to death in trite repetition) to&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":34770,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/static0.srcdn.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/legend-of-zelda-link-epona-skyward-sword-skyloft.jpg?w=1200&h=675&fit=crop","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[19],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-34769","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-newsweek-trending"],"brizy_media":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/34769","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=34769"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/34769\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/34770"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=34769"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=34769"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=34769"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}