Bombers' Notebook: Flute Boy - Zelda Universe

Many gameplay and story elements introduced in A Link to the Past have returned in various games throughout the years. One such element is the use of a musical and magical instrument to quickly travel across Hyrule. In A Link to the Past, this ability was made possible by the flute.

The flute’s usefulness is clear, but the history of the flute’s original owner is something I feel is far more important to Link, the game’s story, and the player’s invested interest. The person I’m talking about is the one who gives Link the valuable item: the child known only as the Flute Boy.

Bombers’ Notebook is a series where we take a special look at the various and unique characters found in The Legend of Zelda series. From the central figures to the supporting cast, every character has a story to tell and an important part to play. So, take a moment to become acquainted with the wonderful people and creatures that give life and energy to the world of Zelda and learn how they help make each game legendary.

In many ways, the Flute Boy acts as a parallel to Link, but he is also a harsh reminder of the danger Hyrule is in. There is a lot at stake in Link’s quest to save the kingdom, and the boy’s fate is a very somber example.

Flute Boy is a character shown to be incredibly good-natured and kindhearted. He has an affinity for natural things, particularly animals. When Link first visits the Haunted Grove in the Light World, he witnesses a group of animals flocks to the Flute Boy’s apparition to hear him play. It is actually upsetting to watch as the animals disperse once Link draws too close and the “ghost” of the boy vanishes. Their friend isn’t actually there, only a haunting reminder.

Link later learns from an old man in the Kakariko Village tavern that the boy supposedly tried to travel to the Dark World in search of the Golden Power. After he finds his way into the Dark World, Link happens upon the twisted dimension’s version of the Haunted Grove. There he finds the Flute Boy, who had been turned into a bizarre creature after leaving Hyrule.

The boy tells Link that he wandered into the realm, just like the old man had said, though it is unclear what his true intentions are. He only mentions that he used to play his flute in a similar grove, and he wishes he could see that place and hear his flute once more.

Knowing his own time is short, the boy asks Link to help him fulfill his wish to hear his flute once more. Link obliges and finds the flute, but the boy is unable to play it himself due to his disfiguration, so Link prepares to play for him. The boy begins to succumb to some apparent curse, but as he does, he asks Link to give the flute to a tired old man in town. Link then plays a song, and the Flute Boy turns into a tree.

Flute Boy was very similar to Link, but he did not carry Link’s destiny. He was another victim of evil’s manipulations. He also represented what Link could have been, as well as being a reminder to Link of how important his mission was.

During the part with the Flute Boy’s phantom, I noticed, in particular, the rabbits in the grove. Peaceful and kind creatures, which rabbits are often represented as being, are drawn to Flute Boy. I then remembered how Link transformed into a rabbit after he first entered the Dark World. Link represents and is champion to the same purity that loved and was loved by Flute Boy.

It is safe to assume that Link, after seeing someone so innocent die right before his eyes, felt an overwhelming need to continue on and save everyone. Link destroyed Ganon and restored Hyrule, and as the triumphant summary scene played and every happy ending was shown, one of those endings showed how the Flute Boy recovered. The boy was always on Link’s mind, even while he made his wish to the Triforce.

Flute Boy’s fate was the price of failure, and that was a price Link was not willing to pay.

Zac Pricener

Zac Pricener has been an avid Zelda fan for twenty years. The series has been a source of creative inspiration for him and fueled his desire to become a writer. That desire to write in turn led him to now serve as the Features Manager, Assistant Columns Manager, and Assistant News Manger for Zelda Universe.

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