List of The Legend of Zelda characters
[13] While older titles portray her as a "princess in peril" who Link needed to save from Ganon, since Ocarina of Time she has been developed as a more fully realized character, particularly in Breath of the Wild.
His specific motives vary across games, but general themes include seeking the Triforce for power and destruction and to conquer Hyrule, and kidnapping Princess Zelda as a means to this end.
In Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity, which features the younger self of her Breath of the Wild incarnation, she is portrayed as a powerful fighter and strongly resembles her future granddaughter, Paya.
[50] Den of Geek praised Dark Link in Ocarina of Time as one of the series' most creative battles as his counter moves force the player to try different methods to defeat him.
[51] In 2010 IGN ranked Dark Link as 77th on its list of the Top 100 Video Game Villains for being a "formidable opponent, mirroring your moves and putting up a seemingly impenetrable defense".
[56] In Breath of the Wild, the Old Man guides Link throughout the Great Plateau and helps him obtain the paraglider and is eventually revealed to be the spirit of King Rhoam Bosphoramus Hyrule.
[57] In the game's backstory, he prepared for the return of Calamity Ganon and put pressure on his daughter Zelda to awaken her sealing powers, but his efforts ended in failure and his death.
[60] Four Great Fairies, Cotera, Kayla, Mija and Tera appear in Breath of the Wild; they are scattered across Hyrule, and will upgrade Link's armor in exchange for materials.
[65] Jenni Lada of Siliconera considered Marin to be one of the most charming aspects of the game because, rather than being a one-note character, she grows as a person and plays a major role in the story.
He makes cameo appearances in Phantom Hourglass as a poster, in Spirit Tracks as a shop figurine, and in Skyward Sword as a doll in Zelda's room at the Knight Academy.
He used the Wishing Cap created by his master, Ezlo, to transform into a Hylian sorcerer and curse him into his current hat-like form, now seeking the power of the Light Force.
[80] Her ancestor Laruto, a Zora, was the original Sage,[81] and teaches Link the Earth God's Lyric and appears to Medli in a vision to inform her of her sacred duty.
Rob Crossley of GameSpot remarked that Zant's personality "descends from composed usurper king to a confused, overpowered adolescent" as he becomes increasingly desperate, and described his story arc as "fascinating and overbearing and weird and brilliantly imaginative".
After the Ghost Ship's treasure is revealed to be a rumor devised by the monstrous Bellum to attract people to it, Linebeck indignantly gives up and refuses to accommodate Link any more.
[95] Kenneth Shepard of Kotaku described him as a "queer-coded menace" and noted that despite all of his theatricality and cockiness, him resorting to brute force in the final battle reveals his true character.
Impressed to see a Hylian like Link willing to stand up to him, Demise decides to battle him out of amusement, setting up a specially made arena where they can fight with no distractions.
In the end, after Demise is sealed within the Master Sword, Fi reveals her last order from the goddess is to let Link put her into an endless sleep within the weapon, which he does after encouragement from her and Zelda.
[123] At a New York Comic Con panel, Eiji Aonuma explained that Yuga had been designed with long hair and physical features that make him "a little bit ambiguous gender-wise".
[135] Afterwards, she bestows Mipha's Grace upon him, which is a powerful healing ability that brings Link back to life should he run out of health, and sets Ruta up on a mountain to take aim on Calamity Ganon.
[153] With the Rito unable to fly freely for fear of getting shot down by Vah Medoh, Teba intends to attack the Divine Beast by himself while disregarding the potential consequences.
[168][169] Writing for Kotaku, Narelle Ho Sang considered this moment to be hilarious, commenting on the irony that Magda is more obsessed with caring for her flowers than Hyrule's destruction.
[175] He plays an integral role in the story by setting up the Purah Pad for Link to use at Lookout Landing and sending him on a quest into the Depths, which allows the player to unlock the Camera and the Hyrule Compendium.
Allegra Frank of Polygon described Hestu as the "true star" of Breath of the Wild, commenting that he is a familiar and comforting presence in the game's enormous world and highlighting that he is a fan favorite amongst many players, who responded positively to his appearance.
Caleb Pistoni, writing for Paste, considered that the side quest to help Hudson build Tarrey Town was a highlight of Breath of the Wild and praised the story continuity in Tears of the Kingdom, which shows the existing characters thriving and rebuilding Hyrule after its destruction.
[170] In Tears of the Kingdom, Kilton's brother Koltin fulfils a similar function, trading collected Bubbul Gems obtained from Bubbulfrogs in Hyrule's caves.
[196][197] Cody Perez, writing for Destructoid, considered Rauru to be one of the most important characters in the game, as he is the source of Link's arm and plays an integral role in battling Ganondorf.
[209] Tulin initially made a minor appearance as a child in Breath of the Wild and returns in Tears of the Kingdom, where he helps Link traverse the Stormwind Ark and stop the blizzard threatening the Rito.
[210][211] GamesRadar reported that players reacted positively to the character, describing him as "adorable", particularly because the two feathers that hang from his Great Eagle Bow are a display of love for his parents.
He also opined that Addison's eagerness to support his boss, who is motivated by his own self interests, is a satire on Japanese work culture and that, even when catastrophe hits the world of Hyrule, the mediocre aspects of life continue.
[220] Jim Norman of Nintendo Life wrote an entire "love letter" to the character, describing him as "hilarious" due to him being "terrible at his job" and commented that he felt unable to walk past him in-game without stopping to help him.
