Why Tingle is Terrifying (Zelda)

Tingle is one of the Zelda series' most iconic characters- loved and hated in equal measure. Let's examine his character- is he truly a monster, or just misunderstood?

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10:51 * This dialogue, along with the David Jr. quote about waking up on Tingle Island, exists in the game's files, and is readable in any text dump of the game. However, I failed to trigger this dialogue myself in game - I'm not sure if it's cut content, or can only be read at certain points in the game?

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Gameplay footage used:

#Zelda #Nintendo #LegendofZelda

[CitruhMC]

Tingle: proof that even in a fantasy world, midlife crises exist.

[Sam_T]

I first played _Ocarina of Time, _ my first _Zelda_ game, when I was the same age as Link.

…I am now the same age as Tingle. I am having an existential crisis.

[ultimate_pleb]

You know what they say "you either die a link or live long enough to see yourself become a tingle"

-shigeru miyamoto (probably)

[lilkorok]

the facial expression when the guardian theme came on 😂 so real for this

[davisbowe]

I think Wind Waker is what first made Tingle come off as creepy. Like, he was a little strange in Majora's Mask but he was mostly innocuous and just wanted to sell maps and be friends. In WW, he gouges Link for hundreds of rupees and even enslaves other people. Not to mention he apparently makes some really creepy comments in the Tingle Tuner.

[Mido-]

Kilton and Koltin seem like a clear reference to Tingle and his quirks. Surprised they weren’t mentioned.

[dotz]

Never expected a deep social commentary from Tingle's Rosy Ruppeeland, made me giggle.

[ndh]

I can't help but feel that Tingle would've been into NFTs

[TheRealNorth]

Great video man, can’t wait for the 40 minute character study on Stamp Guy next 😅.

[Gochen]

One detail I've noticed is almost never touched upon in discussions about Tingle is his red nose. In Japanese media, a character whose nose is bright red is, more often than not, an indicator of someone who is drunk, often times being an extreme alcoholic. At the same time, in various forms of Western media, a red nose tends to indicate someone who uses illegal drugs, usually cocaine or similar nasally-consumed products. I personally believe that Tingle's nose (especially with it being practically crimson) shows that _both_ interpretations apply, as a history of drug and alcohol abuse can readily explain a vast majority (if not all) of the things Tingle does.

[TheJaggedCarpet]

One part of Wind Waker that’s interesting is when you play the game again. In the Second Quest, you get the Hero’s New Clothes, which are invisible to everyone but those with a pure heart, so it looks like he’s still wearing his original blue shirt. Everyone who talked about Link’s green tunic in the First Quest will comment about link’s blue lobster shirt in the second… except Tingle. He still comments about Link’s green clothes. How can he have a pure heart if he’s greedy and mean to his brothers? He might simply not understand money or how his words and actions affect others.

[perrymoser]

Man, having a Tingle horror game playing as Dave JR trying to escape might be fun.

[ToxicSpinach]

"Tingle is a 35 year old man" WHY DO I FEEL ATTACKED ALREADY!?!?!?

[Heezi-thkz]

I used to have nightmares of him as a kid

[Tsumami__]

I’m less bothered by his middle aged fairy obsession and way more disturbed by him trapping a dude to enslave to power a windmill or whatever it was 💀

[NotTakenGreatName]

Nintendo: Here's this goofy character who wears tights

Also Nintendo: Oh and he also represents human greed and the lengths people will go to acquire more wealth, transforming them into a reviled, twisted caricature, forcing them to live in a hell of their own creation.

[RronKarahoda]

Thanks for this deep dive, I had no idea how odd the Tingle spin-offs were!

The chef in BOTW being Tingle seems intentional, but I also wonder if Nintendo hasn't already replaced Tingle with the monster brothers in BOTW and TOTK, especially as one of them wants to become a spirit creature through the accumulation of gem-like objects, and the other helps you make monster recipes (making him a cook of sorts)!

[glowstickofdestiny]

You've hearc of the Dragon of Dojima, but are you ready for the Cobra of Clock Town?

[cherrytonshawty]

Tingle is very strange, that's for sure. A shame you didn't do a Halloween special this year, but this may as well be Zeltik Halloween 2024. Haha.

[ArcaneAvian]

I really didn't expect this video to tell me that the weird fairy guy is a member of the Yakuza