Ahoy there! I be a Zelda fan and loved studying psychology when I was younger so when I saw this title I had to give it a whirl. While I found parts of the book enjoyable, there was too much repetition and so I found meself skimming later chapters. It read as a primer of sorts for those not familiar with basic psychological history. Nice concept and glad to have tried it but it wasn't completely to me taste. Arrr!

Though individual essays are quite interesting, as a book issues begin to appear. Primarily the issue is that many of the essays hit the same ideas and themes over and over, an example of which being how often Campbell's Hero's Journey or the psych taught by Jung come up.
One essay in particular shines above the rest-- the exploration of Majora' s Mask through the lens of the stages of grief. Even if you don't read the rest of the book, it's worth picking up for this one alone.

I received a copy of The Psychology of Zelda through NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

The Psychology of Zelda is a collection of essays written by psychologists fascinated with the enduring nature of our love of Zelda. Together they delve into the psychology behind the game, some with a focus on Link, others with a focus on the plots or trials that Link goes through, and yet others choosing to focus on Zelda herself.
This novel is perfect for any fan of Zelda, from the casual to the dedicated. Anybody that’s curious about how one could break down the psychology behind the game would really enjoy this read. I know I did.
There are ten essays in total in this collection. Embodying the Virtual Hero: A Link to the Self by Jonathan Erickson; It’s Dangerous to Go Alone: The Hero’s Journey in the Legend of Zelda by Stephen K. Kuniak; The Nocturne of (Personal) Shadow by Louise Grann; The Archetypal Attraction by Anthony M. Bean (who is also the editor of the collection); Unmasking Grief: Applying the Kubler-Ross Five Stages of Greif Model to the Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask by Larisa A. Garski, F. Cary Shepard, and Emory S. Daniel; The Protective Power of Destiny: Posttraumatic Growth in the Legend of Zelda by Larisa A. Garski and Justine Mastin; The Quest for Meaning in the Legend of Zelda by Kelsey Klatka and Louise Grann; The Song of the Ritos: The Psychology of the Music Within the Legend of Zelda Series by Shane Tilton; Triforce Heroes and Heroines: Transcending the Opposites Through the Golden Power by Angie Branham Mullins; and the Legend Herself: From Damsel in Distress to Princess of Power by Melissa Huntley and Wind Goodfriend.
The Psychology of Zelda was an absolutely fascinating read. I’ll confess that I enjoyed some of the essays significantly more than others, but that was bound to happen. Psychology is a broad enough field where everyone still has room to have their preferred theories and experts. Apparently, that holds true even when analyzing video games.
The only downside to this collection would be that there was some repetition occurring. For example, several essays kept referring back to Carl Jung and his theories. I personally would have preferred only one essay focused on each theory. Though I will say that the different essays had different focuses and arguments for the use of Jung’s theories. I have to give them credit for that.
Other philosophies included Kubler-Ross and the five stages of grief, posttraumatic stress disorder, Viktor Frankl and Logotherapy, the mere-exposure effect, and benevolent sexism from Peter Glick and Susan Fisk.
Personally, my favorite essay had to be Unmasking Grief. It was so beautifully thought out, and you can tell that the writing team behind it really knew that they were talking about when it comes to Zelda. It was one of the few essays that focused on one game for their subject, instead of doing an overview of all of them. While the latter allows for a broader understanding of the subject, the former allowed for an in-depth look at the process in which Link was going through.
The Protective Power of Destiny was a close second for my favorite essay in the collection. I feel like this one touched on some very important points that many people tend to overlook. I enjoyed the perspective.
Honestly, though, all of the essays had important things to say. It does partially depend on what your preference is, and what you’re hoping to take away from this book. I think anybody that loves Zelda will enjoy this read. You don’t need a background in psychology to enjoy it (if anything, not having one will allow you to read this with a fresh perspective).

Before we get into the review, I should preface it with the fact that I am and always will be 100% a Legend of Zelda fan. I have fond memories growing up playing Ocarina of Time and Majoras Mask on my Nintendo 64 (of which I still pull out from time to time) all the way up to exploring the wondrous world of Breath of the Wild. So as soon as I saw this book I knew I had to read it. I thought I would note down a few thoughts I had below, while reading each of the essays.

Embodying the Virtual Hero

How does the silent hero allow us to project our own personality and psyche into Link? Do we enmesh ourself with Link more when the hero character gives us space to form our own narrative of what is going on in his head or how he would respond?

It’s Dangerous To Go Alone

How does the implementation of the typical heroic journey influence our connection to the series? Does the fact that we have personal input/control over the story make us more empathetic towards the heroes plight?

The Nocturne of (Personal) Shadow

In order to truly live an authentic courageous life, one must acknowledge, accept and work on both parts of the psyche. Light coexists with dark and two halves make a whole.

The Archetypal Attraction

How does working through issues in a fantasy setting assist in our ability to tackle these issues in our day to day life? As adults, who no longer have the freedoms or inhibitions of child-like play, do video games hold the key to allow us to unlock and mold our habit forming opinions?

Unmasking Grief

Wow. I have no words for this one. Probably my favourite essay of the book. My mind is completely blown at this concept.

The Protective Power of Destiny

Does playing as a character who exhibits healing and growth from traumatic events assist the player in reshaping their own personal experiences of trauma?

The Quest for Meaning in The Legend of Zelda

How does Viktor Frankl’s logotherapy apply to Link’s personal journey and how is it different to the hero’s journey? Does witnessing this theory of existentialism in a fantasy setting allow the player to ponder this theory and its applications in real life easier?

The Songs of the Ritos

The application of musical conditioning throughout the Zelda series is so well done that even when thinking about how this could be applied, my mind was already humming Zelda’s Lullaby to itself.

Triforce Heroes and Heroines

Does the relation of the Triforce to the identify of self assist the player in better understanding themselves? Does it give the player more of a personal connection to the idea of the whole and unified Triforce?

I enjoyed the highlights of the importance of femininity within the series – I thought this was really well explained and written.

The Legend Herself

Explanations of feminist teachings in The Legend of Zelda? Yes please.

All in all this was a highly enjoyable and thought provoking read. It has opened my eyes up to not before seen depths of my favourite childhood series and now I want to go and replay them all with a fresh set of eyes and my broadened mind.

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*thank you to BenBella Books and NetGalley for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I am a life long fan of the Legend of Zelda. This book was a fun and albeit easy read. Nothing new to learn here, but I liked it all the same.

The Psychology of Zelda: Linking Our World to the Legend of Zelda Series is an in-depth guide to the series, detailing the many psychological aspects of the narratives, character arcs, and the decades-long dedication players have to Link and his world. It’s an incredibly insightful book that acts not only as a review of the games, but as a primer for a number of basic and complex psychological concepts.

The essays are well-written and heavily researched. You’ll learn about how players project themselves into their favorite video games. How grief plays out in Link’s journey in Majora’s Mask. These ten essays are exciting to read and compelling. Expect to deepen your understanding of the games and to potentially become a bigger fan.

As the most obvious disclaimer ever written, this book would be best enjoyed by those who have a passion for the games and want to understand them on a deeper level. Admittedly, I haven’t played the games, so the fact that I was able to enjoy and learn a ton from this collection is a testament to the writers and the material.

This was a highly engaging book. The way each essay handles different psychological processes and ideas was fascinating to read about. I especially liked how they all linked to our own world. The concepts were explained very well and connected to the game in ways I personally hadn't considered. It made me want to play the games again with a new understanding of the psychology behind them. And while I don't think being a (hardcore) Zelda fan is necessary to gain something from this book, it does aid somewhat in the general enjoyment. My one very minor complaint is that it seemed like a lot of the essays heavily focused on OoT, MM, and BotW with honorable mentions going to the first installment, as well as the 1991 release and Twilight Princess. However, I felt that titles such as Wind Waker and Skyward Sword were mentioned only a handful of times in a couple of essays. I would have loved to see these games have more of a spotlight in analyses. Overall, though, this was a great book that makes different psychological phenomena fun and engaging.