Unmasking Grief: Applying the Kübler-Ross Five Stages - The Beer Thrillers https://thebeerthrillers.com Central PA beer enthusiasts and beer bloggers. Homebrewers, brewery workers, and all around beer lovers. Fri, 27 Feb 2026 13:36:12 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.9.1 https://i0.wp.com/thebeerthrillers.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/cropped-The-Beer-Thrillers-December-2022-Logo.jpg?fit=32%2C32&ssl=1 Unmasking Grief: Applying the Kübler-Ross Five Stages - The Beer Thrillers https://thebeerthrillers.com 32 32 187558884 Book Review: The Psychology of Zelda (edited by Anthony M. Bean) https://thebeerthrillers.com/2026/02/26/book-review-the-psychology-of-zelda-edited-by-anthony-m-bean/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=book-review-the-psychology-of-zelda-edited-by-anthony-m-bean Fri, 27 Feb 2026 03:45:30 +0000 https://thebeerthrillers.com/?p=16773 Book Review: The Psychology of Zelda (edited by Anthony M. Bean)

The Psychology of Zelda isn’t your typical gaming book: it’s a collection of academic essays by different psychologists and scholars examining The Legend of Zelda series through the lens of psychological theory—ranging from Jungian archetypes to grief models to music and identity. It’s a concept that will delight some fans and frustrate others.

On the positive side, the book brings a fresh way to think about a franchise many of us grew up with. Essays like those on Majora’s Mask and Link’s psychological journey can genuinely make you reflect on why these games resonate so deeply. On the less positive side, the content can feel repetitive, and for readers already familiar with basic psychology or Zelda lore, a lot of the material might seem introductory or obvious.

Overall: a solid 3.5 out of 5—a worthwhile read for devoted Zelda fans and casual psychology buffs, but it lacks the depth and cohesion that would make it essential reading – but read on for the review!

(Also — see our article on Zelda and Craft Beer)

The Psychology of Zelda: Linking Our World to the Legend of Zelda Series (edited by Anthony M. Bean)

The 40th Anniversary Year of Zelda

2026 is the 40th anniversary year of the original game – The Legend of Zelda (1986) released in Japan in 1986 and in America in 1987. I have many, many, many incredible fond memories of the Zelda series as a whole, and particularly the first game, A Link to the Past, and then the N64 games – Ocarina of Time and Majora’s Mask. I’ve played nearly every game of the series (minus the Oracle of Ages and Oracle of Seasons, which I intend to this year with the Switch Online, and the only other ones being Twilight Princess and Tears of the Kingdom [though I have played it a little], and the newest one based around Zelda).

2026 marks the 40th anniversary of the original The Legend of Zelda, which debuted in 1986 and laid the foundation for one of gaming’s most enduring and beloved franchises. That history casts an interesting shadow over The Psychology of Zelda: much of what the book discusses—the archetypal hero’s journey, the cycle of conflict and rebirth, and the symbolic elements like the Triforce—is rooted in storytelling patterns that have kept Zelda relevant for four decades. The games’ influence on players’ identities and emotional lives, as explored in the book, speaks to the series’ longevity and cultural impact.

The Psychology of Zelda: Linking Our World to the Legend of Zelda Serie

The following is the GoodReads “back of the book blurb”:

It’s dangerous to go alone! Take this (book).

For more than 30 years, The Legend of Zelda—which immerses players in a courageous struggle against the shadowy forces of evil in a world of high fantasy—has spanned more than 30 different installments, selling over 75 million copies. Today, it is one of the most beloved video game franchises around the globe.

Video game sales as a whole have continued to grow, now raking in twice as much money per year as the entire film industry, and countless psychologists have turned their attention to the effects gaming has on us: our confidence, our identity, and our personal growth. The Psychology of Zelda applies the latest psychological findings, plus insights from classic psychology theory, to Link, Zelda, Hyrule, and the players who choose to wield the Master Sword.

In The Psychology of Zelda, psychologists who love the games ask:

How do Link’s battles in Ocarina of Time against Dark Link, his monstrous doppelganger, mirror the difficulty of confronting our personal demons and the tendency to be our own worst enemies? What lessons about pursuing life’s greater meaning can we take away from Link’s quests through Hyrule and beyond the stereotypical video game scenario of rescuing a Princess (Zelda)? What do we experience as players when we hear that familiar royal lullaby on the ocarina, Saria’s spirited melody in the Lost Woods, or the iconic main theme on the title screen? How do the obstacles throughout Majora’s Mask represent the Five Stages of Grief? What can Link’s journey to overcome the loss of the fairy Navi teach us about understanding our own grief and depression? Why are we psychologically drawn to the game each and every time a new version becomes available even when they all have a similar storyline? Think you’ve completed the quest? The Psychology of Zelda gives you new,  thrilling dungeons to explore and even more puzzles to solve.

–GoodReads “The Psychology of Zelda”

Book Review

Lets get into it, and we’ll break it down chapter by chapter.

Chapter Highlights (Themes & Takeaways)

Thanks to published chapter listings, we can unpack what each essay focuses on.

1. Embodying the Virtual Hero: A Link to the Self

This opening essay explores how players identify with Link and project themselves into his role, using psychological concepts of projection and selfhood. It argues that embodying Link can reflect aspects of our own identity and growth.

2. It’s Dangerous to Go Alone: The Hero’s Journey

A classic motif in the Zelda games, this chapter ties Link’s quests to the monomyth Hero’s Journey framework—which frames Link’s progression from humble beginnings to heroic maturity.

3. The Nocturne of (Personal) Shadow

Drawing on Carl Jung, this essay looks at enemy figures (like Dark Link) as symbolic representations of the player’s inner fears and unresolved aspects of the self.

4. The Archetypal Attraction

This broader psychological perspective investigates why the Zelda mythos consistently engages players: the universal appeal of archetypes like the Hero, Mentor, and Threshold Guardian.

5. Unmasking Grief: Applying the Kübler-Ross Five Stages

One of the most praised chapters looks at how Majora’s Mask mirrors the five stages of grief, using regions of the game world to symbolically reflect emotional states like denial, anger, and acceptance.

6. The Protective Power of Destiny: Posttraumatic Growth

This essay links Link’s repeated confrontation with adversity to psychological posttraumatic growth, showing how overcoming challenges can become a source of resilience.

7. The Quest for Meaning in the Legend of Zelda

Explores deeper existential themes, showing how the series reflects humanity’s search for meaning through adversity and purpose.

8. The Song of the Ritos: The Psychology of Music

A unique entry: it considers how Zelda’s music influences player emotions and strengthens memory and immersion—tying sound design to psychological engagement.

9. Triforce Heroes and Heroines

Focuses on the Triforce’s symbolic meanings—balance, unity, and integration of opposites—and how it reflects broader psychological concepts.

10. The Legend Herself: From Damsel in Distress to Princess of Power

This final essay looks at how Princess Zelda’s role has evolved from a passive figure to one of agency and power, reflecting changing societal views on gender and identity.

What Works

  • Fun for Zelda fans: Makes you see familiar games in new ways.

  • Accessible psychology: Even non-psychology majors can follow the essays.

  • Diversity of topics: From grief to music to meaning, there’s a broad range.

What Falls Short

  • Repetition across essays: Jungian concepts crop up often.

  • Introductory depth: Experienced psychologists or readers might want deeper analysis.

  • Western-centric viewpoints: Some interpretations lean heavily on Western psychological frameworks.

  • Dating Throughout the Work – Theres a few times, even sometimes within the same chapters where games are dated inaccurately or differently. One chapter I can recall, talks about Wind Waker being (2003) and then also saying (2002), which is odd when they even say it came out five years after Ocarina of Time (1998).

Final Thoughts

If The Psychology of Zelda were a video game, it would be like a Zelda title you enjoy for the worldbuilding and unique ideas, even if some dungeons feel familiar. It’s insightful, thoughtful, at times eye-opening—but imperfect. For the 40th anniversary of the Zelda franchise, this book adds an interesting layer of reflection on why those pixelated trips through Hyrule meant so much—and still do—for players.

My Overall Rating: 3.5 out of 5
For GoodReads: *** out of 5
For LibraryThing: ***.5 out of 5
Global Average GoodReads Rating: 3.72 (as of 2.26.26)

Other Book Reviews

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