List of The Legend of Zelda characters

This is a list of notable fictional characters in The Legend of Zelda, a series of video games developed by Nintendo.

Anju

Anju first appears in Ocarina of Time, but during that game, she has no name and was generally referred to as the Cucco Lady.

Majora's Mask was the first time Anju was given a name. Anju was troubled because her boyfriend, Kafei, had gone missing. When Link finds Kafei and goes through a series of tasks, he can get several masks: the Keaton Mask, the Couple's Mask, the Postman's Hat, and the Kafei Mask.

Anju appears in Minish Cap, again requiring Link's help to retrieve her cuccos.

Biggoron

Biggoron like his name suggests is a giant Goron who is approximately the size of a mountain. He first appears in Ocarina of Time where he sits atop Death Mountain. He's in need of eye drops due to the ash and smoke from Death Mountain which Link gives to him in order to fix the Broken Giants Knife so to then get Biggoron's Sword. He has a brother named Medigoron who's half his size and resides in the second level of the Goron city.

In Majora's Mask, Biggoron has been cursed by the Skull Kid to be invisible and sits on the narrow paths which leads to Snowhead Temple blowing gusts of wind preventing anyone from walking the path. This was the cause of death of the Goron Darmani who fell off the path. Once Link learned the Goron's Lullaby, he used this to make Biggoron fall asleep and turn visible again thus making him fall off the edge and gain access to the temple.

In Oracle of Seasons, Biggoron resides at the top of Goron Mountain which he's suffering from a terrible cold which Link gives him the Lava soup which he's then cured and gives Link the Goron Vase. Through a linked game with passwords, Link can tell Biggoron a password which then gives Link Biggoron's Sword.

In The Minish Cap, he resides in the mountains near Veil Falls where he'll only appear once Link fuses kinstones with a Goron in a cave near Lon Lon Ranch. Biggoron is hungry and will ask for a shield for Link to give him to eat. After Link comes back after he's done eating, he will give him the Mirror Shield.

In Phantom Hourglass, Biggoron isn't his usual giant size but a normal Goron height although still remains to be the biggest Goron on Goron Island. Here he has a son named Gongoron. Link is required to answer questions he gives him so to explore further the island and is then titled Goro-Link.

Dark Link

Dark Link (also known as Shadow Link in Oracle of Ages and Four Swords Adventures) is a recurring boss in the series, and is a doppelgänger of Link. Dark Link is usually solid black with red eyes. In general, Dark Link just copies Link's swordplay, but in some games he is able to use Link's full arsenal of weapons. He is formed in various ways between the games, though always involving some sort of magical summoning. When he first appears in The Adventure of Link, he is the final boss of the game, and was created by a mysterious wizard as a test for the Triforce of Courage.

Shadow Link's largest appearance is that of a main character, a recurring boss, and respawning enemies in Four Swords Adventures. These Shadow Links are created by the Dark Temple's Dark Mirror, and one tricks Link into drawing the Four Sword from the Four Sword Shrine, which releases Vaati and splits Link into four clones. They plague the Links throughout the game by both directly attacking him, and impersonating him while they attack Hyrule's citizens, causing them to be suspicious and mistrusting of the Links. The Links eventually eradicate them in a final battle in which they destroy them while Zelda undoes the seal on the Dark Mirror and takes it into her possession. However, in the manga, Shadow Link destroys the mirror, and ultimately himself, to save the Links from Vaati.

Dark Link also appears in both Ocarina of Time and its manga, but only serves as a character in the manga. While Link is in Kakariko Village, a shadowy substance emerges from the well, grabs a child, and then manifests as Dark Link. It attacks Link and initially has the upper hand, due to Link's overall lack of skill, but Link eventually manages to hit it. At this point, it re-manifests riding a horse, and so Link and Epona engage it in a horse-battle and soon defeat it. His role in Ocarina of Time itself is merely as a sub-boss in the Water Temple.

Dark Link appears in Super Smash Bros. Melee and Super Smash Bros. Brawl as an enemy in one of the Event Matches, as well as an alternate costume for Link and Toon Link in Super Smash Bros. Brawl. The design of the Brawl alt. color incarnation is similar to a shadowy Link seen in Twilight Princess, and the Dark Link in the events, in both games, have no color depth.

Dark Link was also found briefly in Zelda: Spirit Tracks at the end of the mini game "Take 'Em' All On" and was again just a shaded out Link.

Epona

Main article: Epona (character)

Four Giants

The Four Giants are four magical giants who exist in the land of Termina. They are orange-colored and basically large heads with long legs and arms. They are responsible for the creation of the four regions that surround Clock Town in Termina and were very close friends with the Skull Kid but got angry at him when he played tricks on others. After the giants made the four regions they left Clock Town to live with their races that lived in those regions. In Majora's Mask, the Skull Kid under the influence of Majora's mask seals away the Four Giants into evil masks which make them into monsters and harm their own regions leaving Link to free them so they can stop the moon from crashing into Termina. At the end of the game, they reveal that even though they left the Skull kid, they hadn’t forgotten about him.

Ganon

Main article: Ganon

Golden Goddesses

The three Golden Goddesses, Din, Farore and Nayru, are responsible for the creation of Hyrule, as well as the creation of the Triforce, which houses a fraction of their divine power. Din is the Goddess of Power, associated with the color red and the elements of earth and fire; Farore is the Goddess of Courage, and associated with the color green and the element of wind; and Nayru is the Goddess of Wisdom, and is associated with the color blue and the element of water. Each Goddess is also associated with a fragment of the Triforce—Din with the Triforce of Power, Farore with the Triforce of Courage, and Nayru with the Triforce of Wisdom. Each Goddess has a spell that Link may acquire from a Great Fairy—Din's Fire, Farore's Wind, and Nayru's Love. These three spells are used by Princess Zelda in Super Smash Bros. Melee and Super Smash Bros. Brawl. Statues appear in The Wind Waker, depicting the three Goddesses. These statues are arranged in a triangle shape.

Three humanoid women of the same name exist in Oracle of Seasons and Oracle of Ages. Din is the Oracle of Seasons, Nayru is the Oracle of Ages, and Farore is the Oracle of Secrets. Din has red hair, and is a dancer. Earlier in the game, she is captured by a knight named Onox, who uses her to disrupt the seasons. Nayru has blue hair, and is a singer. She is possessed by the witch Veran, who uses her to disrupt time. Farore has green hair, and lives inside of the Maku Tree, an entity in both Oracle of Seasons and Oracle of Ages. She has no relevance to the plot. The Minish Cap uses the same design for the three Oracles. In The Minish Cap, they are travelers who are staying at an Inn in town who are seeking permanent residence. Later in the game, you may only pick two who get to live in their own homes, and, depending on who you pick, they will give you special potions.

In Twilight Princess, they do not appear, though allusions to their names are found in the names of 3 of the Spirits and their respective provinces: Faron (Farore), Eldin (Din), and Lanayru (Nayru).

Great Deku Tree

The Great Deku Tree is considered the 'Father of the Forest', and his first appearance is in Ocarina of Time. In it, he is charged with watching over the Kokiri, a child-like race of forest spirits that live in the Kokiri Forest. He is an exceptionally large tree with a humanoid face.

When Ocarina of Time begins, the Great Deku Tree is suffering from a curse cast upon him by Ganondorf in an effort to gain the Spiritual Stone of the Forest, which is in the Deku Tree's possession. Knowing Link's destiny, the Deku Tree sends Navi the fairy to retrieve the boy (who is, at this time, living among the Kokiri as one of them) and asks him to destroy the cause of the curse, a spider called Queen Gohma, within him. Although Link defeats Queen Gohma, the Deku Tree was doomed before Link had begun; before he dies, the Deku Tree gives Link the Kokiri Emerald and tells him to seek Princess Zelda at Hyrule Castle. After adult Link completes the Forest Temple and returns to the site of the Deku Tree, he discovers a little sprout, which grows into the Deku Sprout. It is this sprout who tells Link the truth about his past, and reveals that Link is not a Kokiri, but rather a Hylian who was entrusted to the Deku Tree by his mother, who died soon after.

In The Wind Waker, the Great Deku Tree is the guardian of Forest Haven and is a legendary forest and earth spirit. He is at first plagued by ChuChus and, after Link assists in removing the ChuChus, the Deku Tree tells Link about Forest Haven and the Koroks who live there. He confesses to Link that his energy is actually waning and that he has become feeble with age. It is assumed that this is the same Deku Tree that was a sprout in Ocarina of Time, as he speaks Hylian and remembers old times when he sees Link's green tunic. He gives Link the Deku Leaf to help him on his quest, and later Farore's Pearl after Link rescues Makar from the Forbidden Woods. Like Valoo and Jabun, he speaks Hylian, but he can also speak the modern language of the Great Sea.

The Great Deku Tree and its Sprout also appear in Freshly-Picked Tingle's Rosy Rupeeland.

Great Fairy

Great Fairies appear in all of the games as giant fairies that reside in springs called "Great Fairy's Fountains". They are much older than other fairies, and are thus much more powerful. Most of those depicted wear dresses, full-length or knee-length, though in Ocarina of Time, Majora's Mask and Twilight Princess, they are more risque. In Twilight Princess, there is only one Great Fairy and all she wears is a skirt with her hair covering her breasts. According to their figurine in The Wind Waker, they were born on the Angular Isles, and are destined to aid the "Great Hero", Link. In all games, they will completely refill Link's health. In some of their appearances, they will reward Link with new items or upgrades of his items or meters, usually for merely visiting them, though sometimes he must complete a task. These tasks usually involve some selflessness on the part of the player.

Impa

Impa (インパ, Inpa) is a caretaker to Princess Zelda. There are multiple versions of the character named Impa throughout the Zelda series, just as there are multiple Link and Zelda characters. As with Link and Zelda, all versions of the character share personality traits.

The original Impa (appearing in The Legend of Zelda and The Adventure of Link instruction manuals, but not in the actual games) is portrayed as an old woman who calls for Link to save Zelda from Ganon and his henchmen. The Impa of Ocarina of Time is a Sheikah, and the guardian of Princess Zelda. As well as being the founder of Kakariko Village it is later revealed that she is in fact the Sage of Shadow, one of the seven sages in the Zelda universe. She is also a main character in Oracle of Seasons and Oracle of Ages. In Twilight Princess, a character named Impaz dwells in a village which Hylian text suggests is called "Old Kakariko Village", and claims both that she is serving the Royal Family and that she was named after the founder of the village. The Impa from The Legend of Zelda is also supposed to be the same Impa who appears in the Phillips spin-off Zelda: Wand Of Gamelon.

Kaepora Gaebora

Kaepora Gaebora is a wise owl who guides Link throughout various games in the series. One of the Gossip Stones in Ocarina of Time (found in the Sacred Forest Meadow) says he is the reincarnation of an ancient sage. Another Gossip Stone in the same area tells Link that Kaepora Gaebora "may look big and heavy, but its character is rather lighthearted." Despite him guiding Link throughout his childhood in Ocarina of Time, he is not encountered while an adult except near the end. He is seen flying over Lon Lon Ranch when Link learns Epona's Song and in shadows when Link learns the Requiem of Spirit, but makes no other appearance until Link completes the child half of the Spirit Temple; after that, he is seen flying away during the credits.

Kaepora Gaebora claims he does not believe in the Hero of Time. A counterpart of him also appeared in Majora's Mask, first appearing in the swamp area to teach Link the Song of Soaring, and in Goron Village to help Link cross a large abyss. There are statues of his likeness spread across Termina, used as warp points that can be teleported to with the Song of Soaring, as they are discovered by Link, and a way to temporarily save the game.

In Four Swords Adventures, Kaepora Gaebora serves a similar purpose as in the other games.

In Link's Awakening, a similar owl guides Link, and arrives at certain points to give hints and back-story. He believes in a prophecy that says Link will wake the Wind Fish. At that point it is revealed that the owl is actually a part of the Wind Fish's spirit and the guardian of his dream world. He vanishes when the Wind Fish awakens from its dream.

King of Hyrule

King Daphnes Nohansen Hyrule is the last king of Hyrule in The Wind Waker. To meet with Link, he remotely operates the King of Red Lions, a talking boat, using magic. By the end of the game, the King wishes to the Triforce for Hyrule to be destroyed, and stays with the kingdom as it is flooded.

Other Kings of Hyrule appear or are mentioned in the series. In A Link to the Past, the king only appears during the ending credits. In Ocarina of Time, it is stated that Princess Zelda's father is the king and Ganondorf is seen approaching and kneeling to him when Link and Princess Zelda first meet, although the king himself is never shown and his ultimate fate is never revealed (though it is assumed that he was killed, most likely by Ganondorf personally, when Ganondorf conquered Hyrule). In The Minish Cap, the current ruler, King Daltus, is a major character during the game, and his ancestor King Gustaf appears to help Link enter the fifth dungeon. King Harkinian also plays a major role in Zelda: The Wand of Gamelon.

Link

Main article: Link (The Legend of Zelda)

Majora

Majora (/ˌməˈdʒɔrə/) is the name of the mask that possesses the Skull Kid in Majora's Mask and serves as the main villian and final boss of that game. It was created by a tribe and caused havoc, resulting in the tribe banishing it to another world. In Super Smash Bros. Melee a trophy of Majora's Mask is given to the player after the complete Event Match: Trophy Tussle 2. The Trophy basically summarizes of the game. In Super Smash Bros. Brawl, a sticker of Skull Kid wearing Majora's Mask increases the player's attack power in the Subspace Emissary mode.

Malon

Malon (マロン, Maron) has appeared in several games in the series, and is almost always found at Lon Lon Ranch with her father Talon. Like the series' protagonist, Link, and its namesake, Princess Zelda, Malon is depicted with many varying incarnations. Her largest appearance is in Ocarina of Time, where she interacts with Link on various occasions when he visits the ranch. Link helps her and her father with their ordeals while Malon mainly raises Epona, and teaches Link Epona's Song, which can call the horse to Link at any time. In other games, she has smaller roles, involving Link helping her and Talon. In Majora's Mask, there are Terminan counterparts of Malon, Romani and Cremia, living at Romani Ranch, who respectively resemble her child and adult forms.

Malon is also similar to the character Marin (マリン, Marin) from Link's Awakening. She is a girl who finds Link on Koholint's shore and begins developing a romantic relationship with him. As the game begins, Link awakens in Marin's house after she brings him back from the beach. Groggily, he mistakes her for Princess Zelda, but soon learns what has happened. Marin teaches Link the "Ballad of the Wind Fish", and also takes Link as an escort to the Animal Village, where she helps him enter Yarna Desert. If the player completes the game without losing a life, the Wind Fish grants Marin's wish to fly to other lands. In the original version, she is given wings, while in the DX version, it is implied that she was transformed into a seagull. Marin and her father Tarin bear a striking physical resemblance to Malon and Talon from Ocarina of Time. Marin appears in Super Smash Bros. Melee as a Trophy awarded for unlocking every character and level.

In Four Swords Adventures, the four Links guide Malon to her father, Talon, when her path is blocked by castle knights. Upon reuniting her with Talon, he gives the Links permission to use his horses, which appear when one of the Links touch a carrot. She also makes an appearance in The Minish Cap, in which Link helps her and Talon back into their house by finding a key, later moving to the town to sell Lon Lon Milk.

Though the Malon and Talon do not appear as characters in Twilight Princess, allusions to the characters can be found in the names of two of the youths from Link's home village: Malo and Talo.

Malon also appears in Oracle of Seasons, where she gives Link a Lon Lon egg in return for a cuccodex.

Midna

Main article: Midna

Navi

Navi (ナビィ, Nabi) (voice actress: Kaori Mizuhashi) is a fairy who is Link's "sidekick" throughout the game. She is instructed by the Great Deku Tree in Kokiri Forest to assist Link in his quest to stop Ganondorf. All Kokiri have companion fairies, but because Link is actually a Hylian, he never received one until Navi joins him near the beginning of the events in Ocarina of Time. In gameplay, Navi functions primarily as a guide that points out clues in the environment and helps the player learn the controls and advance in the game. Most of her hints are about how to progress in the story or defeat enemies. She can also be used to lock on enemies in the game, items and other characters. She is one of the few characters with any voice-acting in the series, and the only character who (aside from Link in The Wind Waker) actually uses English words, such as "Hey", "Look", "Listen", "Watch out" and "Hello". Her habit of doing this constantly has made her one of the most hated characters in the series among gamers.

Cracked editor ranked Navi the eighth most annoying video game character from an otherwise great game, describing her as a naggy, clingy spouse. GamesRadar editor Mikel Reparaz ranked Navi as the most irritating female character, stating that she would have been bearable if she did not interrupt the game with "Hey!" and "Listen!" constantly. Fellow GamesRadar editor Tom Goulter listed her as the second most annoying sidekick ever, while In another article, GamesRadar ranked Navi second place in the list of cutesy characters they want to beat the crap out of, citing similar reasons but describing her as a "tactless Tinkerbell". The web site also listed her "Hey! Listen!" quote as one of the 40 most repeated game quotes. GameDaily listed her as one of the characters they wanted to kill, but couldn't, describing her as irritating. In the book "Game writing: narrative skills for videogames", author Chris Mark Bateman described Navi as the "most famous, and most famously annoying, instance of an explicit funneling companion". In the book "The Legend of Zelda and Philosophy", author Luke Cuddy describes Navi as the "most insipid" character next to the character Tingle, she is seen by the in-game characters as a necessary stage in a Kokiri's life. The VG Cats web comic has featured Navi multiple times in its web comic; in an early comic, one of the comic's characters, Leo, is seen dressed as Link dressed in a straight jacket in a padded room with "Hey! Listen!" scribed on the walls. A later comic would parody The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass, showing the same character yelling out in terror once he sees her.

Old Man

The Old Man is a character in multiple titles in the series, particularly the original title. He is bald, and wears a red gown and has a white beard. Link can usually find the old man inside dungeons or caves, often in an off-map location, standing between two torches. The Old Man has several functions, commonly being giving Link items or advice. The Old Man is known for his vague advice, such as "DODONGO DISLIKES SMOKE". Some of this text was corrected in later releases of the game. He later appears in The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Seasons. A character with a very similar design to the Old Man appears in The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, however, whether or not this individual was meant to have been the same old man has never been confirmed by the game's creators and/or designers.

Postman

The Postman is an unnamed character who appears in multiple titles. He first appears in Ocarina of Time not as a postman but as a man running around Hyrule, copying an extinct race of rabbits. Link sells him the Bunny Hood, causing him to run faster. Seven years later he is living with the carpenters of Kakariko Village outside the Gerudo Fortress entrance, where Link is given the option of racing him. This race is impossible to win, even with Epona.

He first debuts as the Postman in Majora's Mask, where he runs around delivering mail in Clock Town. He always tries to be on schedule as well when the moon gets closer he's seen running quicker. Link can obtain the Postman's Hat after delivering the mail on the third day to which he then flees the town. Whenever he speaks, he says "Ya!" loudly, though this practice was discountinued in later games.

In Oracle of Ages he is a human (being Hylian/Terminian in the last two) again as a Postman at the Post Office in Lynna Village in Labrynna. Here he is unable to deliver the mail on time due to not having a clock. Link later gives him the Poe Clock, prompting him to rush out to deliver the mail. In his haste, he leaves behind Stationery, which Link takes.

In Minish Cap he's seen running around Hyrule Town making deliveries. He works together with another post office worker named Stamp, the two of whom start a newsletter once Link and the Postman fuse Kinstones.

In Twilight Princess, he appears whenever Link walks into a certain area where he's given mail by him from other characters and unknown sources. He's also found in certain places at certain times, such as in Telma's bar where he wonders what food to buy, or in the Zora's domain wondering which exact Zora his mail is to be delivered to. When Link is in his wolf form, he automatically transforms into human form to receive the mail.

In The Wind Waker Koboli is a Rito mail sorter who is said to have deseded from a postman long ago. He has a striking resemblence to the postman in "Majora's Mask" and it is likely that he is the desendent of that postman.

In Phantom Hourglass when Link approaches a wiggling mailbox, the Postman flies over to him with a winged backpack and reads the mail aloud.

In Spirit Tracks he looks similar to the Phantom Hourglass mailman, but has no wings. He gives people their mail, and is depressed by the fact that he can only hand out letters.

Princess Zelda

Main article: Princess Zelda

Sages

The Sages first appear in the intro to A Link To The Past, but they are only mentioned as part of the back story. In Ocarina of Time, Link must save the seven sages, an Old Man named Rauru (Sage of Light), the Kokiri girl Saria (Sage of Forest), the Goron patriarch Darunia (Sage of Fire), the Zora Princess Ruto (Sage of Water), Gerudo thief Nabooru (Sage of Spirit), Impa (Sage of Shadow), and Zelda (the Seventh Sage and leader of them all).

The Sages also appear in Twilight Princess, this time as bright, spirit-like men with diesmbodied faces (which resemble masks) and hands. In Twilight Princess the Sages are described as guardians over the Mirror of Twilight and are once mentioned as the mentors to Princess Zelda. The sages in the game were responsible for sending Ganondorf into the Twilight Realm and inform Link and Midna where to find the pieces of the Mirror of Twilight.

The Sages make a cameo in Wind Waker. When Link goes to retrieve the Master Sword, stain glass windows of the all of the sages from Ocarina of Time (except for Zelda) are seen. In Wind Waker two more Sages are also introduced, a Zora Sage named Laruto (Sage of Earth) and a Kokiri named Fado (Sage of Wind), whose spirits were stolen by Ganon in ancient times and ask Link to find their descendents/successors to help them restore power to the Master Sword.

Skull Kid

The Skull Kid is a character first seen in Ocarina of Time. There are a few of them that can be found in the Lost Woods, a maze-like forest near the starting location of the game. He appears separated from the other Skull Kids. In the direct sequel to Ocarina of Time, Majora's Mask, the Skull Kid that Link befriended in Ocarina of Time is the same as the main antagonist in the storyline. He was somewhat of a bully and always played tricks, hence he could never make any friends. Four of his closest friends, the Four Giants of Termina, also got angry at him for this reason. He believed when they left Clock Town to live with their races that they were leaving him behind. Not long thereafter, he was taking shelter from the pouring rain, all alone and very unhappy when he met Tatl and Tael and was quickly befriended by them. He continued to play tricks, including on a man called the Happy Mask Salesman, who has a mask called the Majora's Mask in his possession, which Skull Kid takes. Under its influence and with the help of the mask's power, he cursed many people in Termina as well as Link, sealed away the Four Giants into evil masks and cursed the moon, forcing it to abandon its orbit and crash into Termina, threatening to annihilate its inhabitants. At the end, the Skull Kid notes that Link "smells a lot like that fairy kid who taught me that song in the woods," revealing that this is the same Skull Kid that Link befriended via "Saria's Song" to get a Piece of Heart.

A Skull Kid also makes an appearance in Twilight Princess. He also has the ability to open doors in the Sacred Grove, to guide the player to the Master Sword and the temple of time. He also appears in The Legend of Zelda manga.

Tingle

Main article: Tingle

Twinrova

Kotake (コタケ) and Koume (コウメ, Kōme), collectively referred to as the Twinrova Sisters (双生魔術師ツインローバ, Sōseimajutsushi Tsuinrōba, lit. "Twin Magicians Twinrova") (/ˌtwɪnˈroʊvə/), are a pair of Gerudo witches who play an important role in a few games in the series. They are both the surrogate mothers of the Gerudo King, Ganondorf, being somewhat his more devoted servants. They can brainwash others to serve Ganondorf (they do so to Nabooru in the Spirit Temple of Ocarina of Time) and merge to form the stronger witch Twinrova. The brooms the sisters use to fly become scepters through which Twinrova channels her power. They portray the same characters in The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask, though they are more benevolent than their Ocarina of Time counterparts. In Oracle of Seasons and Oracle of Ages, the Evil Gerudo Witches Twinrova enact a plot to resurrect Ganon.

Vaati

Vaati (グフー, Gufū), the Wind Mage, is the main antagonist of The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords, Four Swords Adventures and The Minish Cap. His most common appearance is a black orb with a single eye, though he was originally a human-shaped being. In Four Swords, Vaati is initially sealed in the "Four Sword" weapon, but escapes and captures Princess Zelda, only to be returned to the sword by Link, who is split into four by the sword. In the sequel, Four Swords Adventures, he escapes with Princess Zelda yet again with the help of Ganon, forcing Link to be split up and defeat him. Before the events of The Minish Cap, Vaati was a Picori that became corrupted by the evil in the hearts of mankind. He used the Wishing Cap created by his master, Ezlo, to transform himself into a Hylian sorcerer, and in the game he begins seeking out the power of the Light Force. He eventually becomes his black orb form in this game. In the manga, Vaati realizes his mistakes and turns good at the end.