The Psychology of Zelda

This was a highly engaging book. The way each essay handles different psychological processes and ideas was fascinating to read about. I especially liked how they all linked to our own world. The concepts were explained very well and connected to the game in ways I personally hadn't considered. It made me want to play the games again with a new understanding of the psychology behind them. And while I don't think being a (hardcore) Zelda fan is necessary to gain something from this book, it does aid somewhat in the general enjoyment. My one very minor complaint is that it seemed like a lot of the essays heavily focused on OoT, MM, and BotW with honorable mentions going to the first installment, as well as the 1991 release and Twilight Princess. However, I felt that titles such as Wind Waker and Skyward Sword were mentioned only a handful of times in a couple of essays. I would have loved to see these games have more of a spotlight in analyses. Overall, though, this was a great book that makes different psychological phenomena fun and engaging.

The Psychology of Zelda: Linking Our World to the Legend of Zelda Series is an in-depth guide to the series, detailing the many psychological aspects of the narratives, character arcs, and the decades-long dedication players have to Link and his world. It’s an incredibly insightful book that acts not only as a review of the games, but as a primer for a number of basic and complex psychological concepts.

The essays are well-written and heavily researched. You’ll learn about how players project themselves into their favorite video games. How grief plays out in Link’s journey in Majora’s Mask. These ten essays are exciting to read and compelling. Expect to deepen your understanding of the games and to potentially become a bigger fan.

As the most obvious disclaimer ever written, this book would be best enjoyed by those who have a passion for the games and want to understand them on a deeper level. Admittedly, I haven’t played the games, so the fact that I was able to enjoy and learn a ton from this collection is a testament to the writers and the material.

Before we get into the review, I should preface it with the fact that I am and always will be 100% a Legend of Zelda fan. I have fond memories growing up playing Ocarina of Time and Majoras Mask on my Nintendo 64 (of which I still pull out from time to time) all the way up to exploring the wondrous world of Breath of the Wild. So as soon as I saw this book I knew I had to read it. I thought I would note down a few thoughts I had below, while reading each of the essays.

Embodying the Virtual Hero

How does the silent hero allow us to project our own personality and psyche into Link? Do we enmesh ourself with Link more when the hero character gives us space to form our own narrative of what is going on in his head or how he would respond?

It’s Dangerous To Go Alone

How does the implementation of the typical heroic journey influence our connection to the series? Does the fact that we have personal input/control over the story make us more empathetic towards the heroes plight?

The Nocturne of (Personal) Shadow

In order to truly live an authentic courageous life, one must acknowledge, accept and work on both parts of the psyche. Light coexists with dark and two halves make a whole.

The Archetypal Attraction

How does working through issues in a fantasy setting assist in our ability to tackle these issues in our day to day life? As adults, who no longer have the freedoms or inhibitions of child-like play, do video games hold the key to allow us to unlock and mold our habit forming opinions?

Unmasking Grief

Wow. I have no words for this one. Probably my favourite essay of the book. My mind is completely blown at this concept.

The Protective Power of Destiny

Does playing as a character who exhibits healing and growth from traumatic events assist the player in reshaping their own personal experiences of trauma?

The Quest for Meaning in The Legend of Zelda

How does Viktor Frankl’s logotherapy apply to Link’s personal journey and how is it different to the hero’s journey? Does witnessing this theory of existentialism in a fantasy setting allow the player to ponder this theory and its applications in real life easier?

The Songs of the Ritos

The application of musical conditioning throughout the Zelda series is so well done that even when thinking about how this could be applied, my mind was already humming Zelda’s Lullaby to itself.

Triforce Heroes and Heroines

Does the relation of the Triforce to the identify of self assist the player in better understanding themselves? Does it give the player more of a personal connection to the idea of the whole and unified Triforce?

I enjoyed the highlights of the importance of femininity within the series – I thought this was really well explained and written.

The Legend Herself

Explanations of feminist teachings in The Legend of Zelda? Yes please.

All in all this was a highly enjoyable and thought provoking read. It has opened my eyes up to not before seen depths of my favourite childhood series and now I want to go and replay them all with a fresh set of eyes and my broadened mind.

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*thank you to BenBella Books and NetGalley for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Really enjoyed this book, it envolved Psychology which is something that a found really interesting and really helpful with each essay !

I received a copy of The Psychology of Zelda through NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

The Psychology of Zelda is a collection of essays written by psychologists fascinated with the enduring nature of our love of Zelda. Together they delve into the psychology behind the game, some with a focus on Link, others with a focus on the plots or trials that Link goes through, and yet others choosing to focus on Zelda herself.
This novel is perfect for any fan of Zelda, from the casual to the dedicated. Anybody that’s curious about how one could break down the psychology behind the game would really enjoy this read. I know I did.
There are ten essays in total in this collection. Embodying the Virtual Hero: A Link to the Self by Jonathan Erickson; It’s Dangerous to Go Alone: The Hero’s Journey in the Legend of Zelda by Stephen K. Kuniak; The Nocturne of (Personal) Shadow by Louise Grann; The Archetypal Attraction by Anthony M. Bean (who is also the editor of the collection); Unmasking Grief: Applying the Kubler-Ross Five Stages of Greif Model to the Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask by Larisa A. Garski, F. Cary Shepard, and Emory S. Daniel; The Protective Power of Destiny: Posttraumatic Growth in the Legend of Zelda by Larisa A. Garski and Justine Mastin; The Quest for Meaning in the Legend of Zelda by Kelsey Klatka and Louise Grann; The Song of the Ritos: The Psychology of the Music Within the Legend of Zelda Series by Shane Tilton; Triforce Heroes and Heroines: Transcending the Opposites Through the Golden Power by Angie Branham Mullins; and the Legend Herself: From Damsel in Distress to Princess of Power by Melissa Huntley and Wind Goodfriend.
The Psychology of Zelda was an absolutely fascinating read. I’ll confess that I enjoyed some of the essays significantly more than others, but that was bound to happen. Psychology is a broad enough field where everyone still has room to have their preferred theories and experts. Apparently, that holds true even when analyzing video games.
The only downside to this collection would be that there was some repetition occurring. For example, several essays kept referring back to Carl Jung and his theories. I personally would have preferred only one essay focused on each theory. Though I will say that the different essays had different focuses and arguments for the use of Jung’s theories. I have to give them credit for that.
Other philosophies included Kubler-Ross and the five stages of grief, posttraumatic stress disorder, Viktor Frankl and Logotherapy, the mere-exposure effect, and benevolent sexism from Peter Glick and Susan Fisk.
Personally, my favorite essay had to be Unmasking Grief. It was so beautifully thought out, and you can tell that the writing team behind it really knew that they were talking about when it comes to Zelda. It was one of the few essays that focused on one game for their subject, instead of doing an overview of all of them. While the latter allows for a broader understanding of the subject, the former allowed for an in-depth look at the process in which Link was going through.
The Protective Power of Destiny was a close second for my favorite essay in the collection. I feel like this one touched on some very important points that many people tend to overlook. I enjoyed the perspective.
Honestly, though, all of the essays had important things to say. It does partially depend on what your preference is, and what you’re hoping to take away from this book. I think anybody that loves Zelda will enjoy this read. You don’t need a background in psychology to enjoy it (if anything, not having one will allow you to read this with a fresh perspective).

If you're looking for a genuinely interesting book about a certain video game franchise, than you need to check this one out. It's safe to say that almost everyone's played a video game in their life, after all, they have billions of dollars in sales each year. The reason that The Legend of Zelda games are popular, however, or so this book claims, is because of psychology. Over seventy five million copies have been sold worldwide since the launch in 1986, and this book takes you into the reasons why they think that psychology is the driving force behind the game.

Many different people voice their opinions in this book, whether it's the five stages of grief, ptsd, or even modern day sexism, and I have to say that every single part of this book was a wild ride, not because it's exciting, but because it's actually really interesting. I came into the book thinking, oh this will be really weird, I'm probably not going to like it but I'll give it a try, since I haven't came across anything else like it. And I'm glad that I gave it a chance.

Most of the opinions in this book, state that the games are so popular because we feel drawn to Link as the main character. He's a skinny orphaned child/teenager in most of the games, and we really watch him grow and develop as he gets stronger and learns to take on more and more monsters, and eventually save the princess time and time again. Though the games always follow a certain path, they never feel like they're just reusing the story, they feel fresh every time. To me, anyways. After all, these are games that have been coming out for many years, and they're still popular to this day.

Overall, if you're interested in learning about the journey of self discovery hidden in these games, and want to hear various psychologists talk about their varying points of view on the game and why it's so popular and relatable, than this is the book you need to check out. I can't stress enough that it's so much better than I expected it to be, and if you're on the fence about reading it, you need to really give it a chance.

Thanks for reading!
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Quick disclaimer, I'm a college student studying audio design and composition for film, tv, and video games, so this was Right up my alley. I had such a good time reading this, and I think this book has so much to say regarding the impact that a quality video game can have on one's life and mindset. It delves into so many aspects of the Zelda games, such as the application of the Hero's Journey, as well as (a personal favorite), a wonderful discussion surrounding brain mapping and the ability to self-insert while playing video games in a way other media doesn't allow. Altogether this was a wonderful read, and I would recommend it to honestly anyone!

I'm not usually someone who enjoys psychology books, however, I do greatly enjoy The Legend of Zelda, which is why I decided to give this one a try.

Overall, it's a really interesting read, although I technically didn't finish it (it's just not my usual genre!) That said, I think it IS a good book that a lot of people would be interested in reading.

I read an ARC of Psychology of Zelda from Net Galley. It was an amazing read. If, by some chance, you are ever studying for your NCE and want to take a break from studying without detracting from learning about theories, a Psychology of Pop Culture book is just the right choice. This is the third Psychology of Pop Culture book that I've read. I adore all of them, but this one has to be my favorite. Now, there is quite a lot of Jungian theory included in the book, so if that doesn't interest you at all, you should skip this one. However, I know of no one in history more devoted to the Jungian Archetypes than the writers and creators of Zelda (other than Jung himself).

My absolute favorite part was look at Majora's Mask through the Five Stages of grief. I must mention, that happens to be my absolute least favorite Zelda game in it's over 30 year history. Yet, the piece makes it seem as if playing Majora's Mask will help me in my own grief journey, so I'll greatly consider playing it again in the future.

Every piece in the book manages to grab on to theory and illustrate it amazingly while walking the reader through the stages of Zelda that will bring the story about. It is quite delectable. I encourage everyone with the vaguest interest in Zelda, psychology or both to read it.

I'm not a gamer and have never actually played a Zelda game. So, why on Earth did I request this book from NetGalley?

Growing up, I watched my younger brother and sister play Ocarina of Time, Twilight Princess, and Majora's Mask. Later on, I watched videos of someone playing Skyward Sword so I could tell my husband what to do next. Since then, we've accumulated Link costumes for my husband and son, my husband's Master Sword and Hylian shield, and at least a couple of Link figurines. My son picked out one of those figures as a present from us when his sister was born. My husband is very proud that our son is a fan of The Legend of Zelda series.

I'm not unfamiliar with the series, but have never played it myself. I'm almost as far from being a gamer as I could possibly get. But my background is in psychology. So, when I saw this book, I couldn't pass up the opportunity to request it. And maybe figure out why the people I love enjoy these games so much.

Unfortunately, not being a gamer and having never personally played the games, I struggled to connect with what the authors were saying about why the games are so popular and compelling. Having never played, I don't have the ability to understand the connection the player is meant to create with Link, according to the various authors. I'll have to leave it up to those who have played the game to say whether they actually formed a bond with Link or not. I like watching players solve the puzzles and my husband freely admits he loves the games for the puzzles, so I struggle with understanding how Link is actually relateable.

But I did love that almost all of the authors come from a psychology background and are actively engaged in research with video games and the people who play them. Even though I struggled with what they presented, I appreciated that they are experts in the field and it's easier for me to accept that it must be true.

Many of the of the chapters are heavily focused on Carl Jung and his archetypes (Hero, Villan, etc.). I'm not unfamiliar with Jung, but he's not someone I really studied as many of my professors actually considered him outdated, though that may also be because my studies were more clinical and talk about archetypes doesn't seem to be commonly done with people with, say, schizophrenia and anger issues. While it was interesting to see how the authors linked the games with Jung's ideas, it did get a little repetitive and, by the third chapter, I was ready to never, ever hear Jung again.

Fortunately, not all of the chapters focused on Jung. There was a particularly interesting one about the Hero's Journey and another that focused on the masculine and feminine attributes. But the ones that made the most sense to me were the ones about Majora's Mask. As a gamer, I think I probably would have been frustrated and, considering how easily frustrated my brother gets while playing, I'm glad I wasn't home for much of his game play for that one. As a student of psychology, I was fascinated. How the game was created made complete sense, and I often wondered throughout my reading of this book if the game developers had psychology in mind when they created it.

Overall, I found this book quite interesting. There were several pieces that I can never fully understand and will have to leave it to someone who has actually played the games to see if it rings true or not. My husband is currently reading it and he is really enjoying it. So, maybe it is true. It was fascinating to see how the games have evolved over time to more closely reflect current society, but there is still a long way for them to go before it's an accurate mirror.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a free copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

Ocarina of Time was it for me, the magical game that got me hooked on gaming forever. It's a game that I still play to this day and the reason I will never part with my trusty N64 console or my 3DS. I've gone on to play a large portion of the Legend of Zelda series since Ocarina of Time and these games have forever become a part of who I am. Each game has marked different moments in my life while also helping to keep my imagination alive and provide a safe space for me to relax. It's a reliable world that I can always lose myself in no matter what's going on. Many fans of the series feel the same so it's no surprise that there would be interesting psychology behind this beloved series.

I saw this book being promoted on one of the Zelda fan pages I follow on Facebook and was immediately captivated by the cover art. It's absolutely stunning. Having always wanted to dive into the psychology of this game and explore my own intense interests in the game, I made a frantic search and request for this book on Netgalley.

This book is a collection of essays by psychologists and similar professionals who also have a passion and academic interesting in video gaming. Each essay broaches a different topic in the game. From the analysis of Link's hero archetype, the reason why Link never speaks a word, the role of the notorious Dark Link, the structure of the music in the game and how it affects gamers, and the changing role of Zelda over the years, to themes of grief and depression present in Majora's Mask, this collaboration of essays touches every aspect of the game despite its short length.

The essays are quite academic in nature but I wasn't expecting anything less, though it seems some readers were a bit put off by this. I think it would have been disappointing if the essays didn't have enough factual references. I particularly enjoyed the section on Majora's Mask and the different stages of grief. This one essay alone stands out and is worth getting this book for this essay alone. Majora's Mask was and still is unique from the rest of the Zelda games for its approach to these darker themes and the fact that it is the only game that has been made as a direct sequel (Ocarina of Time). There are some repetitive facts in relation to Carl Jung as he is discussed in at least 2 or 3 different essays. There is also some repetition with the game quote selection used in the essays as well.

You don't need to be a psychology major to appreciate this book as the analysis is laid out in a straightforward and easy to understand manner. Overall this was a quality read and if you love Zelda and are interested in an academic analysis of the games and their themes this is a worthwhile little read.

This was a really interesting read. Books about video games tend to be patronizing and mildly insulting to those who play them. This title, on the other hand, featured essays written by people whose respect and sometimes affection for the Zelda series is evident. The authors were all very familiar with the subject matter, and looked at it though a lens that was new and interesting. I especially liked the chapter that dealt with Majora's Mask as an analogue for the five stages of grief. I recommend this book to anyone who is interested in gaming or the Zelda series in particular. I also think it would be an interesting read for non-gamers who would like to better understand why people love video games.

I look forward to discussing this book on my podcast, Gamestack.