Zelda Characters

Young Link

Link is a child of destiny born during the Hyrulian Civil War. Though he is actually Hylian, he was left with the Great Deku Tree as an infant by his mortally wounded mother and thus was raised as a Kokiri in the forest. He is often picked on by the other Kokiri kids for not having a fairy companion like every other Kokiri. Mido in particular ridiculed Link often, partly also due to jealousy over Link's close friendship with Saria. He is a very courageous and noble individual who is always willing to take up a difficult challenge to help those dear to him. At the beginning of the game, Link is having a dream in which the sky is pitch-black & stormy, a bridge is lowered across a moat, a woman and a young girl on a white horse ride by, and a sinister-looking man with dark skin and red hair (Ganondorf) on an black, armored horse appears right behind Link when he looks back. When the Great Deku Tree, the guardian of the Kokiri, is cursed by Ganondorf for not handing over the Spiritual Stone of the Forest, he sends Navi the fairy to become Link's fairy companion. After obtaining a sword and shield, Navi takes Link over to see the Great Deku Tree, who explains to Link about the curse and asks Link to break it. Link travels inside the Great Deku Tree and defeats the monster Gohma sent there by Ganondorf, thus breaking the curse. However, the Great Deku Tree was going to die either way, so with his final breath, he tells Link the creation story of Hyrule and the Triforce, the evil man Ganondorf and his origins, and gives Link the Kokiri Emerald, the Spiritual Stone of the Forest, and sends Link out to Hyrule Field -- considered forbidden to the Kokiri, as they believe they will die if they leave the Forest -- to speak with Princess Zelda. Before Link leaves the forest, he is given the Fairy Ocarina by Saria, which allows him to play the various magical songs that are key to gameplay. Link journeys to Hyrule Castle and finds Princess Zelda, who explains Ganondorf's evil plan to obtain the Triforce and take over Hyrule. She tells Link that he must go find the other two Spiritual Stones before Ganondorf can get a hold of them. Link first travels to Goron City atop Death Mountain, where he obtains the Goron Ruby after gaining the Goron people's trust by clearing the monsters Ganondorf unleashed in Dodongo's Cavern. He then travels to Zora's Domain, where he obtains the Zora Sapphire after rescuing Princess Ruto from the parasites that Ganondorf cursed the deity Lord Jabu-Jabu with. With all three Spiritual Stones in hand, Link travels back to Hyrule Castle Town, only to have his haunting dreams come to pass. Princess Zelda and her aid Impa dash by on a white horse, but Zelda manages to throw the Ocarina of Time to Link during her escape. Ganondorf appears right behind Link and asks which way they went. Link refuses to tell, drawing his sword and shield, to which Ganondorf simply blasts him with a ball of energy. Ganondorf then proclaims that he will soon rule the world and rides off. Link finds the Ocarina of Time in the moat, and upon finding it recieves a vision from Zelda, teaching him the Song of Time, the final key to opening the Door of Time. With the three stones and now the Ocarina of Time, Link is able to open the Door of Time in the Temple of Time and access the Master Sword's chamber. When he pulls the sword out, however, he is frozen in time by the Master Sword, as it did not recognize a child as young as him to be the Hero of Time.

Adult Link

After being frozen in time and allowed to age for seven years, Link has finally become old enough to hold the title Hero of Time. He is awakened by Rauru, the Sage of Light, in the Chamber of Sages, who explains that when Link opened the Door of Time, Ganondorf was able to enter the Sacred Realm and take the Triforce of Power, since his unbalance heart prevented him from claiming the full Triforce. During Link's seven year slumber Ganondorf used his new found power to take over Hyrule. Rauru tells Link that he must awaken the other five sages in order to defeat the King of Evil. Link travels through Hyrule once more to awaken the Sages. He first travels to Kokiri Forest, now infested with monsters, to defeat the evil in the Forest Temple and awaken Saria as the Sage of Forest. He then travels to Death Mountain, where the Gorons have been trapped by the dragon Volvagia, to slay the dragon in the Fire Temple and awaken Darunia as the Sage of Fire. Afterwards, Link travels to Lake Hylia, which has been drained of water, to remove the curse on the Water Temple and awaken Ruto as the Sage of Water. He then must journey to Kakariko Village and defeat the evil spirit hiding in the Shadow Temple to waken Impa as the Sage of Shadow. His last stop is Gerudo Valley, where he must free Nabooru from the evil magic of Twinrova in the Spirit Temple and awaken Nabooru as the Sage of Spirit. With the Sages awakened, Link returns to the Temple of Time to find Princess Zelda waiting for him. She explains that he holds the Triforce of Courage and gives him the Light Arrows before being captured by Ganondorf. Link enters Ganon's Castle to save her and to face Ganondorf, first in his Gerudo form, then in his beastly Ganon form after the castle collapses. With Ganondorf defeated and sealed away, Link is sent back to his own time to relive the childhood that he missed during his seven year slumber.

Navi

Navi is Link's fairy companion throughout the game, giving him hints and advice on what to do or where to go, as well as acting as his Z-button target mechanism. She has annoyed many players with her constant cries of "Hey!", "Listen!", "Look!", and "Watch out!" She will often fly over nearby secrets and change colors to alert Link. When talked to in battle, she will give information on the monster being fought and sometimes hints on how to beat it. She was summoned by the Great Deku Tree in the beginning of the game to act as Link's fairy partner and bring the young boy to him. After the events that transpired inside the Great Deku Tree, Navi leaves Kokiri Forest with Link to help him on his adventure. She initially sees Link as a lazy child, doubting that he can really be the Hero Hyrule needs. However, as Link's journey progresses, the two grow to be very close. Once Link ascends Ganon's Castle and confronts Ganondorf, Ganondorf's aura of evil is so strong that Navi is prevented from helping Link during the first stage of the battle. When Ganondorf transforms into his monstrous Ganon form, Navi is determined not to let him hold her back and is able to assist Link in the final showdown. Upon defeating Ganondorf and traveling back in time, Navi departs through a window in the Master Sword Chamber of the Temple of Time. Her reason for leaving is never explained.

Princess Zelda

Princess Zelda is the heir to the Royal Family of Hyrule. She is an insightful and intelligent young lady who, as with Link, has had prophecy dreams of the events of Ganondorf's treacherous plans and Link's arrival as the destined hero. Prior to meeting with Link, she had attempted to warn her father, King of Hyrule, about Ganondorf's evil, but to no avail. Link first meets with the Princess in the Hyrule Castle Courtyard, where she is spying on Ganondorf. She recognizes Link as the destined hero upon seeing him with the Spiritual Stone of the Forest and explains to him about Ganondorf's plot to take over Hyrule using the power of the Triforce. She sends Link out to find and retrieve the other Spiritual Stones, which act as keys to the Door of Time, before Ganondorf can steal them. Though Link succeeds in collecting the stones, on his way back to Princess Zelda, the prophecy dreams come true. Princess Zelda is forced to flee with her bodyguard Impa, but she manages to throw to Link her Ocarina of Time. In a vision, she teaches Link the Song of Time, the final key to the Door of Time. During Link's seven year slumber, Princess Zelda was forced to disguise herself as a male Sheikah known as Sheik to avoid detection by Ganondorf's forces. As Sheik, she was able to move about Hyrule to spy on Ganondorf's forces and later assist Link along his quest upon his awakening as the Hero of Time. After Link awakened the remaining five Sages, Zelda removes her disguise via the Triforce of Wisdom and reveals her identity to him as the seventh and final Sage, explaining that they both are holders of pieces of the Triforce, Ganondorf having the Triforce of Power, Zelda (again) having the Triforce of Wisdom, and Link having the Triforce of Courage. She manages to give Link the Light Arrows before being captured by Ganondorf, who was able to find her when she shed her disguise. Ganondorf takes the imprisoned Princess Zelda up to the top of his Castle, where Link faces him in battle. Upon defeating Ganondorf's Gerudo form and freeing Zelda, the castle begins to collapse and Zelda leads the way down through the castle, using her magic to remove barriers in the doorways. In the final battle against Ganon's beast form, Zelda uses her magic to hold him down as Link delivers the final blow. With Ganondorf sealed away and Hyrule saved, Princess Zelda uses the Ocarina of Time to send Link back to the past, allowing him to live his lost childhood.

Shiek

Sheik is a mysterious character who first appears before Link when he wakes from his seven year slumber in the Temple of Time. He presents himself as a member of the Sheikah race, having spent the last seven years during Link's absence spying on Ganondorf and aiding all resistance against him, including freeing Ruto when she was frozen in the Ice Cavern. When he approaches Link upon waking, Sheik confirms that Link is indeed the Hero of Time and informs him that he must awaken the Five Sages in order to defeat Ganondorf. He points Link towards the first Temple in Kokiri Forest, also telling him he must first retrieve an item in Kakariko Village. From that point on, Sheik often appears right before Link enters a Temple in order to teach him the warp songs associated with each Temple. He appears in the Sacred Forest Meadow to teach the Minuet of Forest, at the Temple of Time afterwards to teach the Prelude of Light and allow Link access to the Pedestal of Time, in Death Mountain Crater to teach the Bolero of Fire, by Kakariko's well to teach the Nocturn of Shadow, and in front of the Spirit Temple to teach the Requiem of Spirit. It is notable that at Kakariko's well, before teaching Link the warp song, Sheik had been attempting to prevent Bongo Bongo's spirit from escaping the well. However, Bongo Bongo proved to be too strong for both Sheik and Link, taking them by surprise and fleeing to the Shadow Temple. Before teaching the song, Sheik asked Link to go assist Impa, who had journeyed to the Temple to reseal Bongo Bongo. After awakening all five Sages, Link returns to the Temple of Time to find Sheik waiting for him there. Sheik then reveals he is actually Princess Zelda. She had disguised herself as a male Sheikah to avoid detection by Ganondorf's forces. She presents the Light Arrows to Link, the only weapon that can defeat Ganondorf, but having shed her disguise, she is quickly found and captured by Ganondorf's magic. Her Sheik disguise is not used again in the game.

Ganondorf

As the single male Gerudo born to the Gerudo Tribe every hundred years, Ganondorf was born the king of his people. He is a power hungry thief and sorceror seeking to find the omnipotent Triforce and use it's power to take over Hyrule. Ganondorf is willing to use any means to achieve his goals, including treachery towards the King of Hyrule and manipulation of his own people. In order to open the Door of Time and obtain the Triforce, Ganondorf seeks to obtain the three Spiritual Stones, which act as keys to the Door of Time. In order to make the holders of the stones hand them over, Ganondorf curses the Great Deku Tree, infests Dodongo's Cavern with monsters, and inflicts a parasite onto Lord Jabu-Jabu. Link manages to undo all the curses and defeat all the monsters to retrieve the stones himself, but when he returns to Hyrule Castle Town he finds that Ganondorf has already laid siege to the town and drove Princess Zelda out. He allows Link to open the Door of Time, stepping in once the Master Sword pulls Link into a seven year slumber. With Link unable to stop him, Ganondorf enters the Sacred Realm and claims the Triforce for himself; however, his unbalanced heart causes the Triforce to split into three pieces, Ganondorf keeping only the Triforce of Power for himself because his heart desired power most of all. With his newly obtained powers, Ganondorf spends the seven years of Link's slumber ruling over Hyrule with an iron fist and seeking the other two holders of the Triforce. After Link awakens from his slumber, he sets out to undo the evil Ganondorf has inflicted over the land and awaken the five Sages. After doing so, Princess Zelda comes out of disguise and presents Link with Ganondorf's weakness, the Light Arrows. With Zelda's disguise removed, Ganondorf is able to find her and capture her, using her to lure Link up into his castle. He hopes to take the pieces of the Triforce from Link and Zelda and engages Link in battle. At first, Link seems to win and the castle collapses, but Ganondorf revives in his beast form, Ganon, and engages Link in battle again. In the end, Link comes out victorious, but as Ganondorf still holds the Triforce of Courage he cannot be killed. The Sages are forced to seal Ganondorf away, though he claims that as long as he holds the Triforce of Power, he will return and take his revenge.

Epona

Epona is a flaxen colored horse. She is first seen at Lon Lon Ranch as a young foal and seems to be shy around anyone except for Malon. When Malon teaches Link Epona's song, a song composed by her dead mother, Epona becomes less shy and will approach Link. After the Seven year period, Link returns to Lon Lon Ranch to find it run by Ingo, who seems to have become evil. Ingo was going to give Epona as a gift to Ganondorf since she is the fastest horse at the ranch. Malon remained at the ranch to protect the animals, but Talon had been exiled. Ingo challenges Link to a horse race, but Link is able to win with Epona, who recognizes him by Epona's Song. After Link wins, Ingo tries to lock Link and Epona in the ranch, though they both escape by jumping the fence that prevents them from exiting. When Link returns to the ranch he finds everything back to normal. Epona then becomes a quick mode for transportation and Links trusty stead, running up to Link anytime he plays Epona's Song. She proves to be an invaluable ally, particularly for jumping past obstacles along Link's journey such as the fences blocking Lake Hylia and the canyon leading to Gerudo Valley.

Saria

Saria is a kind-hearted Kokiri girl who many of the other Kokiri look up to. Her fairy companion is pink in color. She is Link’s best friend and their close bond elicits resentment and jealousy from another one of the Kokiri, Mido. Saria is the first to greet and congratulate Link upon his receiving Navi as a fairy partner. When she finds out that Link is leaving the Kokiri Forest, she meets him at the entrance and gives him her Fairy Ocarina as a token to remember her by, sad to see him go. When Link later returns to the forest during the early stages of his quest, he follows the sound of Saria’s music through the Lost Woods and finds her at the Sacred Forest Meadow. She teaches him Saria’s Song, a catchy tune that allows him to speak telepathically with her whenever he plays it. She often gives Link hints to help him on his quest when contacted in this manner. When Link returns to the Kokiri Forest as an adult, he learns that Saria has gone to the Forest Temple to investigate the cause of the sudden monster infestations in the forest. However, Saria was trapped by the monsters in the Temple and Link must fight his way through the Temple to save her. Upon defeating Phantom Ganon, Saria awakens as the Sage of Forest, telling Link that as a Sage she cannot accompany him, but will continue to help him along his quest, urging him to accept his fate. Mido later reveals that Saria had really liked Link, possibly as a crush though this is unconfirmed. She later helps Link during his trek through Ganon's Castle when all the sages create the rainbow bridge up to his Castle, and she dispells the Forest Barrier inside. Saria is last seen in the credits overlooking Hyrule with the other sages on Death Mountain.

Darunia

Darunia is the Patriarch, or leader, of the Goron Race. He comes across at tough and rude at first, but this is due to the stress caused by Dodongo Cavern being blocked up and his people starving, Ganondorf's punishment for Darunia refusing to hand over the Goron Ruby. When Link enters Darunia's room using Zelda's Lullaby, Darunia assumed him a messenger from the Royal Family. Irritated that Link was not, Darunia refused to assist Link. However, Link manages to lift Darunia's mood and make him dance by playing Saria's Song for him. Darunia gives Link the Goron Bracelet and asks him to clear the evil from Dodongo's Cavern. Upon completing the task, Link is made a Sworn Brother and is given the Goron Ruby. As an adult, Link returns to Goron City to find all the inhabitants imprisoned by the evil dragon Volvagia. Link meets up with Darunia in the Fire Temple, and Darunia heads into Volvagia's chamber to confront the monster, determined to slay the beast even though he lacks the legendary Megaton Hammer. Darunia fails, though Link manages to succeed after finding the hammer, and upon defeating Volvagia he awakens Darunia as the Sage of Fire. Darunia remarks once again that he and Link are true Brothers. He later helps Link during his trek through Ganon's Castle when all the sages create the rainbow bridge up to his Castle, and he dispells the Fire Barrier inside. Darunia is last seen in the credits overlooking Hyrule with the other sages on Death Mountain.

Ruto

Princess of the Zoras and caretaker of the Zoras?patron deity Lord Jabu-Jabu, Princess Ruto is a rather spoiled and sassy young lady with a rebellious attitude towards her father King Zora. Link first learns of Princess Ruto when he finds a message in a bottle that she supposedly wrote asking for help as she had been swallowed by Lord Jabu-Jabu. When Link gets swallowed as well, he finds Ruto safe and sound inside, claiming that she enters Lord Jabu-Jabu all the time. She tells Link that she has lost her treasure, the Zora Sapphire, and demands he accompanies her in search of it. She is captured once she finds the Sapphire, and Link must defeat Barinade to free her. After being saved, she is so impressed with Link that she quite quickly falls in love and declares them engaged by giving him her Sapphire, which is supposed to be her engagement ring. As an adult, Ruto has become far more mature and responsible. She was trapped in the Ice Cavern when Zora’s Domain freezes over, but after being saved by Sheik she heads for the Water Temple to try and save her people. Link meets up with her again inside the Temple, and she still remembers the engagement. While trying to assist Link in the Temple, Ruto suddenly disappears, only to later awaken as the Sage of Water upon Link’s triumph over the Temple’s boss. In light of her new duties, she cuts off her engagement to Link at that time. She continues to help Link during his trek through Ganon's Castle when all the sages create the rainbow bridge up to his Castle, and she dispells the Water Barrier inside. Ruto is last seen in the credits overlooking Hyrule with the other sages on Death Mountain.

Impa

Impa is the last member of the Sheikah race, a race of warriors sworn to protecting the Royal Family of Hyrule. She was born in Kakariko Village, originally a Sheikah village, before Impa opened the village up to non-Sheikah entry. Prior to the events of Ocarina of Time, Impa was responsible for sealing the evil spirit Bongo Bongo away into the bottom of the Well of Three Features. Link first meets Impa when leaving the courtyard of Hyrule Castle after meeting with Princess Zelda. Impa is Zelda’s bodyguard and teaches Link Zelda’s Lullaby before directing him to his next destination in Kakariko Village. Later in the game, when Ganondorf attacks Hyrule Castle Town, Impa takes Princess Zelda and the two escape on a white horse riding away from the Castle. As an adult, Link witnesses Bongo Bongo escape his entrapment in the Well and flee to the Shadow Temple, which Link enters to chase the evil spirit down. Upon defeating Bongo Bongo, Impa is awakened as the Spirit of Shadow. She asks Link to protect Princess Zelda on her behalf. Impa later helps Link during his trek through Ganon's Castle when all the sages create the rainbow bridge up to his Castle, and she dispells the Shadow Barrier inside. Impa is last seen in the credits overlooking Hyrule with the other sages on Death Mountain.

Nabooru

As the second in command of the Gerudo Thieves, Nabooru wields a great deal of respect among the Gerudo society. She has her headquarters in the Spirit Temple. Her only superior is Ganondorf himself, who she hates for his evil ways, citing his thievery and murder as unacceptable. She plans to infiltrate the interior of the Spirit Temple to find a treasure she can use to mess up Ganondorf’s plans, but she needs the Silver Gauntlets first. Link first meets her when he travels to the Spirit Temple as a child. Nabooru cannot fit through the passage to the half of the Temple that houses the Gauntlets, so she promises Link something great if he retrieves them for her. Link agrees, but when he returns with the Gauntlets, he sees Nabooru being captured by the twin witches Koume and Kotake. When he returns to the Spirit Temple and uses the Silver Gauntlets as an adult, Link finds and defeats a particularly powerful Iron Knuckle right before the boss room. When the armor falls off, it is revealed that the Iron Knuckle was actually Nabooru, having been brainwashed by Koume and Kotake. The two witches appear immediately and teleport her away again, and in order to save her Link must defeat the twin witches. Upon successfully taking down Twinrova, Nabooru awakens as the Sage of Spirit and comments that if she had known how handsome a man Link would become, she would have kept that promise she made to him as a child. She later helps Link during his trek through Ganon's Castle when all the sages create the rainbow bridge up to his Castle, and she dispells the Spirit Barrier inside. Nabooru is last seen in the credits overlooking Hyrule with the other sages on Death Mountain.

Rauru

Rauru is the Sage of Light who resides inside the Chamber of Sages. He is the first to greet Link after Link awakens from his seven year slumber. It is implied that he may be immortal or otherwise long lived, as it is revealed that he was one of the Ancient Sages who helped construct the Temple of Time. When Link awakens in the Chamber of Sages, Rauru explains to Link that he had been sealed away for seven years due to having been too young to bear the title Hero of Time when he pulled the Master Sword. He also explains that Ganondorf had entered the Sacred Realm and touched the Triforce, receiving the Triforce of Power as a result and taking over Hyrule. Rauru informs Link that he must awaken the five other Sages in order to defeat Ganondorf, then transports Link back to the Temple of Time to continue on his journey. Rauru can communicate via telepathy, calling Link back to the Temple of Time after he awakened all five other sages. He later helps Link during his trek through Ganon's Castle when all the sages create the rainbow bridge up to his Castle, and he dispells the Light Barrier inside. It is notable that Rauru was not with the other Sages on Death Mountain overlooking Hyrule at the end of the game. It is implied that he may not be able to leave the Chamber of Sages.