The Mystery of The Wind Waker’s “Frightening Fishmen” 

4:09 "He finds his boat mid-conversation with one of them." If I told this line to someone who doesn't play Zelda, they'd probably call me crazy.

I hear the picture of the fish man. “QUUUEEE?”

The death of the King of Hyrule in the Wind Waker, to me, is one of the most saddening moments in Zelda, and one of the few moments a video game made me cry while playing it. His recognition that he is ultimately a product of the old Hyrule and its fatal mistakes, Link reaching out to him and the King briefly reaching out his own arm, clearly wanting to go with Link, but ultimately drowning with Hyrule, content that he, "scattered the seeds of the future", and then seeing the lifeless King of Red Lions at the end; it was all very moving.

I like this theory! But think it's easier to believe that Fish-Men are Hylian sailors who drowned at sea, and are cursed to become fish. That explains why the barmaid had a relation with a fish. It was her past lover who died at sea and came back as a fish. 🐟

I always liked to think they were guards or soldiers of Hyrule during the reign of Daphnes. When the flood hit, King Daphnes ordered them to the highest peaks and they went to the islands and lived normal lives until he summoned them. When Ganondorf returned, he knew the hero would eventually show up, so he dispatched his soldiers to each of the islands under the guise of fish so that Ganondorf wouldn't discover them. The neck pain is because they're still not used to their transformed bodies.

One thing I speculated: that Jabun was the guardian deity of the Fishmen in the same manner that Valoo is to the Rito or the Great Deku Tree to the Koroks.

Never made the connection between the fish men and the gossip stones before, very cool! Makes you think they may be related to the Sheikah after all

The guy mentioning a cruise makes me wish for the DLC where Link takes a vacation with his family on a sea vacation.

Somehow I never realized that there was actually a "dear Gillian" on the island! In my head it was pronounced with a hard G (I have a cousin with the same name and that's how she pronounces it) and was just a fish-related pun. Y'know....GILL-ian....

I could see the secret fishman boyfriend being that Gillian never knew he was a FIshman and they were penpals, or talked without her seeing him.

Anyone else mentally auto-fill "Listen" after Zeltik said "Hey" at the start?

my theory is they're funny little guys, and my evidence is take a gander at them

The fishmen are clearly the reincarnated spirits of Tingle's victims, and the service that the King of Red Lions provided to them was getting Tingle arrested in the first place.

I’m glad the well has not quite yet run dry on my favorite Zelda game!

So happy to see a good ol' zelda theory video about an older game again! I feel like with all the excitement lately with Tears, Botw, Echoes, the book, the lego deku tree... these have fallen by the wayside lately. But they always bring me so much joy!

i stand by the belief that they were once Sheikah. it makes the most sense and would explain why they know so much.

The Legend Of Salmon

Would've been really cool if you threw out bait then get dragged into the ocean. Getting to explore the ocean floor (sunken Hyrule) would be such a dope idea

It wouldn't explain them as a thing in Wind Waker, but I wouldn't be surprised if they're based on a yokai or something. The dragons in Skyward Sword had those oddly human like heads, something that occasionally comes up in some East Asian stuff in one form or another

know what, the Fishmen are very similar tot he japanese myth of the Ningyo, who were fish with human faces and the possible ancient life spans could be a reference to how eating a Ningyo would make you immortal

I missed these types of videos! Classic Zelda games just have so much more random, unexplained stuff in them that makes them fun to think about. Great video!

Perhaps it's one Kafei/Anju situation. This guy got cursed, being transformed into fish. The way he talks casually with people, and the fact he is famous for knowing about everyone whereabouts, puts him in a very similar position to Kafei. Add up the fact that he is in debt with the King of Red Lions, and you have a typical thief/rogue archetype. To make it all more obvious, the local Inn girl has one secret affair with him. Basically, Anju and Kafei all over again.

I personally like the idea of them being the sheikah tribe, given a new body by the king to continue serving him, and Link. Since the tribe was very good at exactly what the fishmen do, collecting information for the kingdom through a spy network.

The forsaken fortress was said to once belong to a band of thieves. What if Gannondorf cursed the original occupants turning them into fish men and the king of red lions helped them escape and get them settled into their new existence. Edit: I would also like to point out that many enemies in the game have a similar if not same yellow and red eye pattern. This may suggest some prior involvement with Gannondorf who himself has yellow eyes with red pupils. Perhaps they were monsters created by Gannondorf who were liberated by the king.

Literally listening to the Wind Waker soundtrack as this was uploaded

I originally thought that the fish-men were actually just the Zoras of Wind Waker's world until I learned about the connection between the Zoras and Rito in WW.

You know it’s a zeltick vid when he finds a connection between fish and the Shekiah

So the fishman isn’t the same fish every time? It’s a different fish every island?

Great video. You will always be the GOAT of Zelda-tubers to me Zeltik, sending love!

I should fill out more of the figurine gallery if I play Wind Waker again. Didn't really occur that there'd be more NPCs than the ones you interact with more regularly like Zunari or Marie. Maybe Gillian's relationship is top secret because the fish men aren't supposed to interact with humans on a more personal level like that.

god i love the wind waker and i'm so glad to see theories about it still

The fish could be River Zora where The Sea Zora became The Reto or something else

This is a good theory! I love Wind Waker.

Isn't there a theory that the school teacher on Windfall Island is a Sheikah?

They being the sheikah could make sense to me if you think about how the zora were maybe forcibly evolved into the rito to get them out of the sea and keep hyrule hidden, the fish men are allowed there because they're in service of the gods or linked to the royal family

In regards to them suffering from stiff necks, I'm reminded of Ocarina of Time's fishing hole which had the fisherman always reaching to the back of his neck as you spoke to him. One could say that he was likely suffering from neck pain or a "stiff neck" and considering how he's the only "fisherman" from the previous game in the timeline, we can extrapolate that out to all the new "fishermen" or "fishmen" who have appeared after Hyrule was flooded.

a Zeltik upload day is a good day

Its always so soothing to listen to Zeltik, talk about myths and mysteries.

I like how you went for the spooky vibe 👍

I love the atmosphere in that bar.

Well they certainly can't be evolved Zora as that evolution was 100% forced by the Goddess to hide ancient Hyrule under the waters. Hard to keep a secret like that going if there is an entire race that is swimming around to see it.

I love that this series has so much depth that seemingly insignificant characters like the fishmen can have a whole lore and multiple theories about their origins. Part of what makes Zelda so awesome!

Ruto: "Hey Link, I waited 7 years. It's time to fulfill your wedding vows." And so Link took a long time to complete the Water Temple. Why? Uh, cause it's more difficult! Yeah, no other reason. Centuries later: Fishmen: "We fishmen are worthy to join the Zoras in evolution! Give us our wings!" Zora: "No, you stay here. No one must know about you. People will start asking uncomfortable questions."

Regarding the Shiekah: I think it is VERY important to point out that Shiekah, VISUALLY, do not look at all much different than Hylians, and that they are, in fact: ninjas. Their whole THING is stealth and infiltration. Most likely there ARE still Shiekah around as of the Great Sea era but for whatever reason they have abandoned the Forsaken Fortress and gone to ground. Possibly because of a wavering of their cause with the kingdom of Hyrule to which their clan is so dedicated gone. They lost purpose and as an organization simply slowly broke up and went their separate ways, dispersing across the Great Sea and abandoning their old ways over the centuries. They likely held a presence at first, and probably had a HUGE hand in setting up the organization of the Great Sea's various people and societies. It is even possible that Outset Island is directly and outright a Shiekah-founded village. Link may have encountered, spoke to, and even GREW UP AMONG, Shiekah all throughout the game.

I like that lost souls idea, almost like the Stalfos. You get lost at sea, you stay at sea.

Not gonna lie, the Eagles Tower track mixed with the creepy mystery of the fish men was a little creepy haha

OMG, I loved the fish-men in Wind Waker.

I always assumed the Fish Men was just one really lonely fish following you around and pretending to be a new one every time there was a new one

3:04 the bottom of the text box…is that a, is that a…ZONAI SWIRL!? 😂

The ZD staff had a debate last month whether it’s a single fish-man, or a group of fish-men. I like to think this video confirms it’s fish-men 👍 Thanks bud

Zeltik killing it with the atmosphere in this video. Great job man!

Given the nature of the Fish-Men, maybe they are the freed spirits that once inhabited the Gossip Stones/Sheikah Stones. While the Kingdom of Hyrule was drowning, King Daphnes may have ordered the Sheikah to realease them from their duty. Alll speculation of course, but as to why they "turned into" Fish-Men, they might have possed their body as they once possed the Stones or maybe they reborn as such beings.

Great video as usual, man! Also, I have a video request: how about a full story explanation for Wind Waker? I know you love it, so might as well explain the story! I would love to hear it!

This is so awesome! Please do more Wind Waker videos like this 🎉

These obscure videos are the reason I love this channel!

What if the neck pain is from a past hanging and they're executed pirates brought back by the Kings magic to serve him after death. Hence Zelda's willingness to become a pirate.

I always thought it was just one fish guy swimming from island to island with you

In the first minute of "The Fortune Teller" episode 14 of Avatar The Last Airbender, we see a Frightening Fishmen taunt Sokka as he tries to catch it for food.

Fishman is one of my favorite supporting characters. I say "Hoy there, Small Fry!" to my daughter.

the fishmen seem to all be fishMEN which I think implies that rather than being a reproducing species there's only a certain number of them so if they were the Sheikah they'd probably remember who the King of Red Lions was

More theory videos for older Zelda games! I love this stuff, great video.

I always thought there was just one single fish-man and he just swam around to the different islands...

It’s worth mentioning that, in BOTW, Pikango was a Shiekah painter that would paint locations and provide similar aid/hints to the hero, and that the Fish Men paint your map. Also, the Shiekah Slate/Purah Pad both do the same thing the Fish Men do…provide a topographical map of the area. Perhaps they are indeed Sheikah that were transformed into Fish Men by the will of the Goddesses or some magic…creatures that were meant to look like ordinary fish at a glance so Ganondorf’s minions wouldn’t suspect anything. It wouldn’t be the first time in the Zelda series that people mysteriously turned into animals or creatures. So the Shiekah just become spies of the sea for the king.

Man it’s such a shame TOTK did nothing with the lore. So much better, more connected lore in past games it’s crazy.

I kinda just assumed the Rito weren’t the only Zora evolution and that like real world evolution, there are various branches. I also assumed Zoras were still around in Wind Waker living in the Great Fish Isle but had to flee when Ganondorf destroyed it.

I think what we missed here, in regards to possible zora evolution is that the rito can absolutely be descended from the friendly river/Lake zora and the fish men from the ocean zora

This is the type of content I subscribed for!

I like the idea that they were transformed Hylians, it reminds me of a detail I think you pointed out in a previous video regarding the dog forms royal symbols of darknuts in this game as well.

The fishmen being zora descendants could explain how the zora and rito exist alongside each other in botw and totk

I love the intro

Legend of Zelda H2O: Just Add Water, but instead of turning into mermaids, they turn into fishmen.

I like the idea that they were Hylians before the flood that King Daphnes saved by pulling them from the water and tossing them aboard himself as he transformed into a boat, and then begged the gods to save them, so they turned them into the fish men. When they awoke, they saw the King of Red Lions and their memory from before had begun to fade, since they now had a fish-sized brain, so they recognized that the King of Red Lions had saved them but not who he was or what he saved them from.

I always figured they were sailors that were drowning, and about to die. Then Nayru appeared and offered them a chance to live on and serve her in distributing wisdom across the sea

The idea of them being the spirits of the sheikah transformed is interesting and it would explain their debt to the King neatly, but I feel like them being the spirits of drowned sailors would make more sense for their personalities.

on the Zora, i think it’s totally possible the Salt Water Zora evolved into the Fishmen, whereas the Freshwater Zora, who couldn’t live in the sea, evolved into the Rito

9:32 guy: stares into your soul T ravolta in the back: 🕺

Theories on the older games are still the best. Getting to uncover mysteries from childhood makes me feel like a kid playing these games again ❤

Personally, I never knew about the barmaid being the girl the one fish-man was talking about (mainly because I don't remember ever learning the barmaid's name before watching this). So to me, the fish-men's origin is that they're a clan of River Zora that have adapted for oceanic life, much like the real-life salmon they sort of resemble. Although, I wouldn't deny the possibility of them also being reincarnated sailors who had been lost at sea, what remains of the crew of the now haunted/cursed ghost ship that Link can encounter in various places on the Great Sea.

Nice video as always ! I think your last theory makes a lot of sense (fishmen being sheikahs) as both of them were charged to collect information for the king of Hyrule. Although it is a bit strange that they are not adressing him formaly. Maybe the king only ordered them to obey the Red Lion without revealing them its true identity

5:24 Why are humans mating with fish so prevalent in this franchise. That's the real mystery here.

Okay okay wait - I was literally just working on my own theory about the fishmen being specifically related to the river zora. I thought this was a video that dropped years ago when I clicked on it; not an hour ago.

People being transformed into fish is like The Incredible Mr. Limpet.

Weird waker had the strangest characters even by Zelda standards at that time.

I first thought they were the descendants of the Zora... Imagine my shock and incredulity when the Zora to Rito connection was made later in the game.

They could be death row prisoners that King Hyrule used the Sheikah magic to transform into fishmen, offering them a deal of gathering info in exchange for sparing their lives.

I wonder if the idea behind them takes from the Nordic/Irish/Scottish Selkie myths or the Japanese/Chinese Ningyo myths. Windwaker in particular pulls from a lot of Irish themes and Zelda in general pulls from many Eastern themes. I think work backwards from those could also provide some potential insight. Great work looking up the original Japanese text btw. I think that’s always worth doing when looking into these ideas. 💚👏👏👏

I always thought it was just one fishman.

I buy into the idea that this is a form of the afterlife. The King can pass his spirt into an inanimate object so I think he was able to pass their spirits into the fish to extend their lives that were perhaps cut short. I could see this having happened in the last 10 or 20 years or even more recently. Maybe Gillian and her boyfriend were just kids or young adults when they were in a relationship and he died.

I think Gillian was legit in love with a Fishmen, and Lute was trying to turn public opinion against them in hopes that Gillian would love him instead. As for what they are... probably Hylians/Zora cursed into their new forms. It might be why swimming is considered so dangerous in Wind Waker.

Maybe after the goddesses flooded Hyrule, they created the Fishmen to serve as guides, or perhaps guardians of the Great Sea.

My headcanon was that they were all from old Hyrule and were given immortality and fishman status in exchange for service when the time came. Really interesting to hear multiple theories.

Never really thought about it, but now that you mention it, the whole thing does have a certain 'Incredible Mr. Limpet' vibe.

I always thought there was just one Fish Man and he just happened to get around. I feel so dumb now hahaha

i ask literally every zelda youtuber, can you do a video on oot ganondorf having zonai colored jewelry? multiple do but that one stands out

I always assumed that they were related to the River Zora, who are more fishlike, though looking at them now their noses and especially their ears are distinctly Hylian, so I think the idea that they were Hylians transformed through magical means makes more sense.

Yess new video!

I thought of them like skull children. Sailors who got lost at sea and were reborn as Fish Men. Some remember parts of their past...some don't.

Maybe back in the day the King used the triforce to wish that any of those unfortunate enough to escape the flooding of Hyrule would turn into fish. Maybe that's why they're not so formal or happy about it. "Thanks, but now I'm a fish."

I was waiting the whole video for you to suggest they're sheikah. I like that one - as horrifying as it is. :D

Considering Maggie wants to marry a Moblin, I don't think it's unreasonable to assume Gillian is into fishmen. I mean, that's why it's "TOP SECRET", after all.