Players are introduced to many different characters and species throughout Nintendo's The Legend of Zelda franchise. Few of them, however, have unsettled players as much as Ooccoo from Twilight Princess does. Is there a reason behind her creepy appearance, and did player responses take the game's creators by surprise?
Although the Legend of Zelda series doesn't include strictly horror games, there have been several creatures or NPCs throughout the franchise that have been scary. The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask in particular has many elements that players look back on as creepy, such as the Happy Mask Salesman, the Moon, and even Majora itself. These characters are likely purposefully designed as such in order to add to the tension of the game;
As strange as the Oocca might look, it isn't the only thing that makes them so eerie. They're able to walk on walls, and their noises can be considered unsettling to many Twilight Princess players. Their appearance, though, is the most notable of these aspects. This could be because their looks might fall into the Uncanny Valley, a phenomenon in which humanoid creatures aren't quite human enough to seem normal. Because of this, it could very possibly be Ooccoo's face that makes her so creepy to Legend of Zelda fans.
Could The Legend Of Zelda's Oocca Be Purposefully Creepy?
The Oocca are depicted as bird-like beings with human heads, and they can be found relatively frequently throughout the series. Their most notable presence, however, is in The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess. There, players are introduced to a character named Ooccoo, who is presumably named after the Oocca race. Although she is depicted as a generally helpful and sympathetic character, many players are unsettled by her appearance. Some fans of the franchise have theorized that the Oocca were designed after the works of M. C. Escher, whose unsettling paintings sometimes feature impossible creatures that resemble bird-people. It's unknown if this was an intentional design choice or a coincidence, but it could explain why Ooccoo looks so disturbing.
Ooccoo has also made a few appearances in other Nintendo games, namely as items for players to use. In Super Smash Bros. Brawl, Ooccoo shows up in both trophy and sticker forms. Additionally, she can be found as an Item Card in Hyrule Warriors, specifically as part of the Twilight Princess DLC pack. In light of Nintendo's upcoming presentations during E3 2021, some fans of the series are wondering if the Oocca could be returning to the next game of the franchise, and new footage or updates regarding The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild 2 could hint at the species' return. This is only speculation, however, and as of yet it remains unknown whether The Legend of Zelda's creepiest-looking characters will be making a comeback.