Rope Encounter

This is intended to be for Link's Blacklist at .
But it's also meant to be my contribution to the 30th Anniversary of the entire Legend of Zelda series.
Wow! 30 years already!? I remember back when I was a kid how revolutionary gaming magazines (yeah magazines) called the entire series.
I mean...it still is. But because of emerging brilliance like Undertale and The Witcher III; Zelda is kind of taking a backseat to "revolutionary" and it going through the motions now. Great series of games no doubt; but it's moment of glory separating itself from the rest of the greats is slowly fading.

So about this picture. This is yet another tribute to an enemy from the very first Legend of Zelda game for NES. The enemy is a Rope. What is a Rope? Well..It's a snake. An ordinary poisonous snake. Doesn't do anything special. Doesn't spit venom, breath fire or shoot lasers out of its eyes. It just slithers back and forth being merely an obstacle for our hero Link.
The only thing extraordinary about Ropes that sets them apart from other snakes are their red eyes which compliments their gold skin. That's pretty creepy; given how poisonous snakes are already genuinely creepy and fearsome.

They really pose a threat when in groups. And just like in real life; handling a group of poisonous snakes is worse than handling just one.
So I drew the idea of Link going through one of the many dungeons he treks through; and coming upon a huge group of Ropes slithering about. Their eerie red eyes shining in the darkness and then rearing up bearing their dangerous looking fangs. And with only a candle lighting the area; they are just as threatening in the dark.
Now Link might be wise to back off. Except for one problem. There's a vital key at the end of the hall where the Ropes are slithering. He needs to get past them in order to grab it. (Looks like the Master Key too.)

I don't think there's an area in the original game where a bunch of Ropes gather like this guarding the Master Key. But I wanted this to be more than just a picture of a Rope or two. I wanted them to look more threatening as they gang up on Link.
Sort of like how I drew this picture once of the Ghini swarming Link.


It's interesting to note how in both pictures i have Link's back turned to the viewer as he faces each threat. That was intentional. We're supposed to feel like Link. So we kind of feel the apprehension on his end as he stumbles upon this hall filled with dangerous serpents.

After all; who wouldn't feel nervous about going down a dark hallway with only a candle lighting your way, and then coming upon a swarm of poisonous snakes?

Link Zelda and Ropes belong to Nintendo.