Huddled in front of the CRT playing Wind Waker on the GameCube is one of the best experiences you could ever have as a kid. Nintendo’s cartoony Legend of Zelda game felt like a sprawling open ocean despite its tiny world, and I wanted nothing more than to jump into the screen and sail around the cel-shaded seas for myself.
While I may not be able to sail the seas on my very own King of Red Lions, talented YouTuber LittleJem can. In a recent video, the talented YouTuber and cosplayer lived out the dreams of every Wind Waker fan by building and sailing on a fully functional replica of the trusty sentient boat, and I’m well jealous.
Wind Waker in Real Life
In the YouTube video, LittleJem revealed that she always dreamt of sailing Wind Waker’s Great Sea as a child. Now, with the skills and know how of making her extremely complicated cosplays, she decided to create a functioning version of the game’s King of Red Lions.
“Ever since then, I haven’t stopped dreaming of what it would actually be like to sail the King of Red Lions in real life,” the YouTuber said. “So, with adult money and too much time on my hands, I’m going to bring him to life and sail him.”
To construct the sentient boat, the YouTuber purchased a retro wooden boat and used it as a base for the Wind Waker additions. With a two-month time limit, LittleJem constructed the rest of the boat with a combination of wood, foam, 3D printing and some additional hardware.
While just looking like the King of Red Lions would be cool enough, LittleJem’s recreation also incorporates moving parts. Just like in the GameCube game, the King of Red Lion has a moving jaw to replicate his speech. The YouTuber also added a fully moving head that can turn around to face people, and it looks glorious.
In the end, the YouTuber’s build came out beautifully. It’s as close a recreation to the in-game boat as anyone could dream, despite the massive modern motor stuck to its rear.
“This has been such a journey,” the YouTuber told fans at the end of the video. “And I just want to thank you all for watching my dream come true.
