{"slug":"its-dangerous-to-go-alone","name":"It's Dangerous To Go Alone","url":"/templates/its-dangerous-to-go-alone.png","w":570,"h":392,"top":"","bottom":"","hidePreviewHints":true,"alternateFormats":[{"slug":"its-dangerous-to-go-alone-gif","label":"GIF Version"}],"description":"The original Legend of Zelda cave scene. Old man offers Link a sword with the famous words. For giving unsolicited advice or equipping someone with questionable tools.","keywords":"its dangerous to go alone meme, zelda old man meme, take this meme, legend of zelda meme, zelda cave meme, link sword meme","year":1986,"origin":"From the original Legend of Zelda (1986) on NES. In the very first screen of the game, Link enters a cave where an old man in a red robe stands flanked by two flame torches. A sword sits on the ground between them. The old man says: \"IT'S DANGEROUS TO GO ALONE! TAKE THIS.\" This was one of the first scripted dialogue moments in gaming history, and forty years later it remains one of the most quoted. The pixel art shows Link in his green tunic, the old man's red robe, the brown cave walls with their distinctive red-orange diamond pattern, and the white NES text at the top. The meme format replaces what is being offered. Instead of a sword, the old man might be giving you a bad idea, a weird tool, or unsolicited life advice. For another NES-era gaming meme, see Skyrim Arrow In The Knee (same energy, different millennium).","format":"classic","howToMake":["The Zelda cave scene is loaded with the original text baked in. Use it as-is or add top text for extra context.","Top text can specify what the \"this\" is that you are being given. The cave and the old man set the tone.","The retro pixel art and NES font give this a nostalgic charm. Lean into it.","White text reads well on the dark cave background above the existing pixel text.","Download and pass along whatever \"dangerous to go alone\" wisdom you have to offer."],"exampleCaptions":["STARTING A NEW JOB AND YOUR COWORKER HANDS YOU THE MANUAL",""],"exampleAltText":"Zelda dangerous to go alone meme about a coworker handing you the manual at a new job","exampleRefreshDate":"2026-04-21","seo":{"aliases":["Take This Meme","Zelda Cave Meme","Zelda Old Man Meme","Link Sword Meme","NES Zelda Meme","Dangerous To Go Alone"],"description":"An 8-bit cave rendered in the original Legend of Zelda's pixel art style, framed by a wooden brown border. Red-orange diamond shapes tile the cave walls. Two flame torches burn on either side of an old man in a red robe who stands in the center. Below him, a small green-clad Link faces a golden sword on the ground. White NES-era text at the top reads: \"IT'S DANGEROUS TO GO ALONE! TAKE THIS.\" The scene is minimal, iconic, and forty years old. It still works.","definition":"The cave scene from the original 1986 Legend of Zelda where an old man offers Link a sword with the words \"IT'S DANGEROUS TO GO ALONE! TAKE THIS.\" Used when giving someone advice, tools, or objects (often questionable ones) before they face a challenge.","useCases":[{"category":"Giving Questionable Advice","examples":["Handing a friend a bad decision and calling it guidance","Passing along a life hack that has never actually worked","Sharing advice that starts with \"I heard somewhere that...\"","Giving someone directions and having zero confidence they are correct"]},{"category":"Equipping for Battle","examples":["Handing someone coffee before a Monday morning meeting","Giving a friend a pep talk before a date","Passing someone the aux cord with a very specific playlist recommendation","Offering emotional support in the form of a meme"]},{"category":"Workplace Onboarding","examples":["The senior employee handing you a binder on your first day","Getting access to the shared drive with zero explanation","Being shown the coffee machine as your most important workplace orientation","Receiving a laptop and a password sticky note as your entire IT setup"]},{"category":"Parenting Moments","examples":["A parent handing their kid a life lesson before school","The talk before your first solo grocery trip","Being given a list of emergency contacts \"just in case\""]},{"category":"Gaming References","examples":["When a game gives you a terrible starting weapon","The tutorial that teaches you nothing useful","Getting a useless item from an NPC who acted like it was legendary"]}]}}