Main Characters
From Lozwiki
Agahnim
Agahnim is an evil wizard that is an agent of Ganon. Agahnim drives the plot in The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past. Additionally, one of the nightmares in The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening takes on his form, and he is also featured in The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Seasons as a boss. His attack pattern and the method used to defeat him have also been used as the model for other bosses.
Beedle
Beedle is a peddler of goods, and either has many twin brothers all over the Ocean, or can teleport across it. He sells various wares such as Bombs, Arrows and Hyoi Pears, but one of them who wears a golden helmet will sell you a Bottle, a Piece of Heart and a Treasure Chart. A relative in another time opens his shop up once one of the mats is cleaned up, and begins selling Picolyte, a Minish-made Potion. In Wind Waker, Beedle is nice enough to give you small discounts and rewards when you buy his merchandise.
Biggoron
A very large Goron. He'll also forge a sword for Link if he brings Biggoron different items depending on the game. There seems to be other Biggorons in other locations such as Holodrum but this may just be the same Biggoron travelling. Biggoron has a little brother called Medigoron. Medigoron is not nearly as good as Biggoron when it comes to making swords, since it took him 7 years to make a very frail giant's knife in Ocarina of Time. However, he has mastered the art of making powder kegs, which are huge barrels of gunpowder that can blow up giant boulders. Powder kegs are only found in Majora's Mask. Biggoron also appears as one of the collectible figurines in Minish Cap. Biggoron was King Zora's best friend during their childhood.
Dampé the Gravekeeper
A mysterious, old man whose likenesses and/or descendants play similar roles in the storylines of Ocarina of Time, Majora's Mask, The Minish Cap and Four Swords Adventures. In the Minish Cap, he enjoys collecting kinstones, and is isolated by his terrifyingly ugly face. In the Ocarina of Time (in which he was first introduced), he will dig around the graveyard at night for a small fee. In Majora's mask, Dampé (or his alternate universe counterpart) also tends Ikana Graveyard in Termina, but during the day, so as to avoid the Stalchildren. In the future as presented in Ocarina of Time, he dies and his ghost resides at his grave just outside Kakariko Village. Although it is never mentioned in the game, his name is probably a reference to Italian writer Dante Alighieri.
Epona
Link's horse, a light sorrel (horse) mare with flaxen mane and tail. In Ocarina of Time, Epona was born and raised at the Lon Lon Ranch. After the ranch was taken over from Talon and Malon by the cruel Ingo, Link saved Epona from being given to Ganon by winning her in a race. Later, in Majora's Mask, the Skull Kid stole Epona and sold her to the Romani Ranch in Termina. Link reobtained her there. In trailers for the upcoming The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess, Link rides a horse that looks very similar to Epona; however, the game developers have stated that players will be able to name Link's horse in this new adventure.
Epona is named after Epona, a Celtic goddess associated with horses.
Ganon
The most infamous villain in The Legend of Zelda series. Also called Ganondorf, but such is usually given to his human form. In earlier games, his name was spelt "Gannon".
Great Deku Tree
The Great Deku Tree, appearing in The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time and The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker, is the 'Father of the Forest' charged with watching over the Kokiri who live in Kokiri Forest and the Lost Woods. He is an exceptionally large tree with a human-like face located in a clearing in the southern area of Kokiri Forest.
When The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time begins, the Deku Tree is suffering from a curse cast upon him by Ganon in an effort to gain the Spiritual Stone of Forest which is in the Deku Tree's possession. Knowing Link's destiny, the Deku Tree sends Navi the fairy to retrieve the boy and asks him to destroy the curse spider within him. Though Link defeats Gohma, it is too late. Before he dies, the Deku Tree gives Link the Kokiri Emerald and tells him to seek out Princess Zelda at Hyrule Castle. After adult Link completes the Forest Temple, however, 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 member of the Kokiri, but rather a Hylian who was given to them by his mother, who died soon after. This is possibly the same tree Link comes across in The Wind Waker, and that the Koroks, the leaf-faced tree creatures, are evolutions of the Kokiris that the Great Deku Tree once fathered. A theory about the original The Legend of Zelda is that the first dungeon, the Tree Dungeon, is a dead Deku Tree.
The Great Deku Tree is not to be confused with the two Maku Trees in The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Seasons and The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Ages.
Happy Mask Salesman
The Happy Mask Salesman first appeared in The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, offering to let Link work for him as a Happy Mask Salesman. After selling all the masks, Link receives the Mask of Truth, allowing him to understand what the Gossip Stones say.
In The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask, the Happy Mask Salesman played a major role, as it was his mask, dubbed Majora's Mask, that the Skull Kid had stolen and was planning to use to destroy Termina. Asking the transformed Link for help and returning him to his original form, he teaches the hero the Song of Healing, one of the songs used several times throughout the game. When Link finally returns the mask to him, he simply vanishes. The Happy Mask Salesman is best known for his volatile temper, his wacky theme tune (which is in fact a remix of the Song of Healing) and his eerie ability to change position without moving. This may just be lazy animating or, as some believe, to further enhance the character's strange, surreal appearance. This character is widely considered to be one of the more unnerving characters in the series, partly because no one knows his reasons for wanting Majora's Mask back so badly. In a particular scene, the Happy Mask Salesman plays on a massive organ that appears seemingly out of nowhere. This organ is used to teach Link (still in his Deku Scrub form) the Song of Healing. This scene is considered by many fans to be one of the more comical scenes in the Zelda series.
His most recent appearance was in The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Ages. He owns a shop on the outskirts of Labrynna Town, and is very hungry, and will give you a Mask in exchange for something to eat.
His origins are unknown, as he may either be from Hyrule or the parallel universe Termina, and it is never established which. A theory is that he, a supposed Ocarina of Time Character, does not have a Termina double, he and his seeming passion for masks spawns from Termina as a native. He was introduced in The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time which takes place in Hyrule, but he also knows how to travel from Hyrule to Termina, which could mean that he is native to either land, or possibly somewhere else.
Near the end of Majora's Mask, Link travels to the moon and meets kids who resemble the mask salesman. One of them even hints that all of them are destined to become mask salesmen. This adds many questions to the origin of the Mask Salesman.
Manga
The Happy Mask Salesman is quite different in the manga. Though he appears exactly the same as in the game at first, towards the final battle with Majora's Mask, he is shown saying something far more sinister than previously seen of him:
"Heh heh... Looks like they're after the little ogre (Skull Kid). But this is when the real action begins! Once they bring me back that mask, I will no longer have a purpose in this world. I will scurry away quickly then! Heh heh heh heh...".
After the battle, the Happy Mask Man appears before Link (still wearing the Fierce Deity Mask) to take his mask. However, the mask that Link is wearing causes the hero to strike the Mask Man down. With this, the mysterious man picks up Majora's Mask and fades away laughing.
One of the more disturbing features of the Happy Mask Man is that he never stops smiling at any point. (However, if you do not have enough money to repay him for a sold mask in Ocarina of Time, his eyes will turn red and his expression turns to one of insane rage, before he essentially kicks you out of the store.)
Character Inspiration
Some people believe that the Happy Mask Man is, to a degree, based on Shigeru Miyamoto, the creator of the Zelda series. This is due to the Happy Mask Mans hair and constant smile.
Impa
Various appearances and roles, including nursemaid for Princess Zelda, leader of the Sheikah, and a High Priestess.
Jabu-Jabu
Jabu-Jabu, called Lord Jabu-Jabu by the Zoras, first appeared in Ocarina of Time. He has the appearance of a giant fish, and is worshipped by the Zora race as he is their patron deity. He lives in Zora's Fountain where the Zoras care for him and bring him food.
In Ocarina of Time, Ganondorf places a curse on him, causing him to act strangely, and swallow his Zora caretaker, Princess Ruto, while she is bringing him food. Link must then enter Lord Jabu-Jabu's belly to rescue her and break the curse.
Sometime during the seven years Link is trapped in the Sacred Realm, Lord Jabu-Jabu disappears from Zora's Fountain, and is never seen or mentioned in the game again. It is widely believed that he either died or migrated southward when Zora's Domain froze over.
He also appears in Oracle of Ages. In this game the player also found a dungeon in his belly. In the Past age setting the player could encounter a younger and significantly smaller Jabu-Jabu (too small for the player to enter and explore), while in the Present age the player saw him at his more well-known size.
There has been speculation that The Wind Waker's Jabun may be Lord Jabu-Jabu or a relative, due to his similar name and appearance, and because of the similar music that plays when around both Jabun and Lord Jabu-Jabu.
There is also speculation about whether he is related to the Wind Fish from "Link's Awakening"
Kaepora Gaebora
Kaepora Gaebora is a wise owl that assists Link throughout various Legend of Zelda games. One of the Mysterious Statues in Ocarina of Time says that he is the reincarnation of an ancient sage. Sometimes, among fans, he is presumed to be the reincarnation of Rauru, the sage of light, or at least his physical manifestation in Hyrule realm. It is interesting to note that he claimed, during his meeting with young Link in the Desert Colossus, to not have believed in the Hero of Time.
Link
Hero of Time and the main character of almost every Zelda game, he is most famously noted for his green clothing and either brown or, more recently, his blonde hair. He also holds the Triforce of Courage, which belongs to Farore. He is the sole wielder of the Master Sword, the only weapon besides Light or Silver arrows, which he also has, that can harm his archenemy Ganon(dorf).
Link's uncle
Link's blue-haired uncle appeared in The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past. Link got his first sword and shield from him when his uncle was struck down in an attempt to rescue Princess Zelda. Link, who received a telepathic message from Zelda, rushed to the castle as well, where he found his dying uncle. Hoping that Link could save not only Zelda, but all of Hyrule, he gave his trusty sword and shield to Link. Later in the game when Link uses the legendary Triforce to restore peace to the land, it is said that his uncle comes back to life. It is said that this was part of the wish Link made with the Triforce. Link's uncle has only been seen in A Link to the Past.
Majora's Mask
Majora's Mask is an accursed item from legend that is said to have been used by an ancient tribe in its hexing rituals. It is said that an evil and wicked power is bestowed upon the one who wears that mask. According to legend... the troubles caused by Majora's Mask were so great... the ancient ones, fearing such catastrophe, sealed the mask in shadow forever, preventing its misuse. But now, that tribe from the legend has vanished, so no one really knows the true nature of the mask's power. The power of Majora's Mask is very great, rivalling even the power of the Four Giants. The mask is powerful enough to control its wearer (there are numerous references to Skull Kid being "controlled" by the mask). It was only using Skull Kid as a puppet, and perhaps took enough strength from the Skull Kid to move of its own accord. Majora's mask can incarnate itself, giving itself a body.
The Theories of the Origins of Majora's Mask
- There are two theories about the origin of Majora's Mask. One theory is that a very powerful, perhaps godlike, entity was sealed in Majora's Mask (or his essence was). This wicked godlike person did much evil, so he was sealed in a mask. Perhaps the Four Giants did this, or a tribe of powerful protectors - the "ancient ones." This theory explains how the mask is able to act on its own: the mask contains an essence so strong that it can act on its own, and control the wearer. The other possibility is that somebody created the mask in order to cast hexing spells. It seems likely that no one person in Termina could possibly put enough magic into the mask to give it this kind of power. But perhaps an entire group of people mustered all their magical power, and put it into the mask. Or, perhaps, as it passed from person to person, it slowly grew in power as evil magic flowed into it. At first, the mask contained no power whatsoever (or perhaps just a little bit, to get it started). As the tribe kept casting hexing spells with the mask, each wearer put some of his hatred, and dark magic, into the mask. Over time, the mask accumulated more and more of the collective essence of the tribe - the dark, spiteful, bitter half. Eventually, the power of the mask grew so great that the tribe began to lose control of it. It began controlling its wearers, and doing more damage than they intended. It grew so strong, and powerful, that it began to act like its own entity. Where exactly did the ancient ones seal the mask? Obviously, the hiding place was not foolproof, because the mask salesman was able to find it. Perhaps Majora's Mask was banished to the "gap between dimensions" - the same place Ganondorf banished his Phantom Ganon. It would seem that the "gap between dimensions" is outside of Hyrule, the Sacred Realm, Termina, and any other possible world. Think of the gap as a "soup," in which all possible worlds float. This would make sense - most normal people, in all possible worlds, would never be able to access the gap between dimensions. And even if they did, they would get hopelessly lost in it. The mask salesman has some mysterious power of his own, which is why he was able to look for, and find, the mask. Majora's Mask does not need to have originated in Termina. The mask salesman never actually says from what world the mask came. Though it seems most people presume that it came from Termina, the mask could have come from any world. It ended up in Termina because the Skull Kid stole it from the mask salesman. Why, then, is the mask trying to destroy Termina? Would not its grudge be against from whatever world it came? We may recall that Skull Kid is using the mask. Though the mask is controlling him, Skull Kid is still using it to carry out his own wishes. Skull Kid is angry at the Four Giants for leaving him and then banishing him from Termina. The mask inflates this desire, and Skull Kid's impotent desire to cause mischief is blown up into a desire to destroy the whole world. The Skull Kid's essence becomes mixed up with the essence inside Majora's Mask, until the mask does not care what it is destroying:
I...I shall consume. Consume...Consume everything.
Malon
Malon lives with her father Talon in Ocarina of Time. The two own Lon Lon Ranch, where they take care of Epona the horse. Malon calls Link "fairy boy" in this game, because his clothes resemble those in the legends she has heard of the 'fairy children of the forest', presumably the Kokiri. Her mother died when she was a child and taught her "Epona's Song."
There has been speculation and heated debate about the possibility of Malon, rather than Zelda, being Link's love interest; reasons include the fact that one of the Gossip Stones outside the Temple of Time states that Malon dreams of a knight in shining armour, that fact that Talon jokes that Link should marry her and the fact that, aside from Navi, Malon is the only female of the entire supporting and main cast who does not become a Sage. When Ruto awakens as the Sage of Water, she hints that Sages cannot marry.
In Majora's Mask, Link visits an alternate world called Termina which is populated by different versions of Ocarina of Time characters. Malon has two equivalents in this world, Romani (younger sister) and Cremia (elder sister), two orphaned sisters who own Romani Ranch. These characters make use of the two Malon character models in Ocarina of Time, one for child Malon and one for adult Malon after Link has been asleep for 7 years.
Malon also made a cameo in Oracle of Seasons. She had a small house in which you could visit her. Talon also makes an appearance as her father.
In Four Swords Adventures and The Minish Cap, Malon and Talon once again own the Lon Lon Ranch, although it is nothing like the ranch in Ocarina of Time.
Although Marin of "Link's Awakening" is supposed to resemble Zelda, she has often been depicted as a tropical version of Malon because of the similarities of their names and hair color. This theory is further supported by the fact that Tarin is the name of Marin's father. Since Marin was Link's love interest, the Marin=Malon depiction has often helped fuel the debate between shippers of the Zelda fandom.
Moosh
Moosh is a large, blue polar bear with wings in Oracle of Ages and Oracle of Seasons. Depending on which game you have and how you play through, you may only see Moosh once. He has the ability to fly, seeing as how he has rather small but useful wings. Moosh also has a great fondness for bananas. His other counterparts are Ricky the kangaroo and Dimitri the Dodongo.
Dimitri
Dimitri is a young and friendly Dodongo who helps Link in his quest after he saves him from some Moblins (or kids, depends on how you play the game.) A way to have Dimitri as your permanent partner is to go to the Subrosian dance hall and win the Strange Flute. Dimitri's powers include: Eating nearly anything including enemies, swimming in water even up waterfall and rolling up into a ball and being carried around.
Navi
Link's Fairy companion that follows him on his quest to save Hyrule from Ganondorf's cluthches in The Legend of Zelda" Ocarina of Time. After the game is complete Navi flies away, as she is no longer needed to aid Link. Her most famous quote would have to be 'Listen!'
Tingle
Tingle is a grown up man who wears tights and believes he is a fairy. He is actually 35 years old and acts like an infant. Good at deciphering maps and making them. Appears in Majora's Mask, The Wind Waker, The Minish Cap, Four Swords Adventures and a side appearance in The Oracle of Ages. Refers to Link as "Mr. Fairy" based upon his green clothes and partner fairy (Majora's Mask). Also an actual playable second character in The Wind Waker (using a Game Boy Advance to Nintendo Gamecube via Nintendo GameCube-Game Boy Advance cable). Tingle was originally going to have his own game on the DS, but this was scrapped by Nintendo for Zelda: Phantom Hourglass
The Old Man
The Old Man is a character found in the original The Legend of Zelda for the NES, and also in its remake BS Zelda for the Satellaview. The Old Man was a bald character who wore a red gown and had a white beard in the game. The player could usually find the old man in dungeons or inside caves, usually between two torches (if the player attacked the old man, then the two torches would defend him by shooting fireballs). The Old Man was used for several things in the game, ranging from giving the player items to help him in his quest to giving the player advice on how to move forward in the game. He even gambled with Link for rupees! There is speculation that the old men who teaches spells to Link in the various villages of Zelda II: The Adventure of Link are this same old man, or at least based from him. This is somewhat backed up by a translated quotation of the Old Man in the first cave location in the remake in which he says "Heed my words", referring only to himself. He also called the Old Woman as 'the' Old Woman, meaning there might be one of her as well.
The Old Man is known for his vague and/or badly translated advice in the original version. It should be noted that nearly all of the game's text resembled this, not just the Old Man's quotations. In the version on the Gamecube promotion disc, (and the GBA version) the translation was reworded and thus improved.
Examples of Old Man Quotes
- "10th enemy has the bomb."
- "Spectacle Rock is an entrance to death."
- "Dodongo dislikes smoke"
- "Let's play money making game."
- "Eyes of skull has a secret."
- "East most peninsula is the secret."
- "Go to the next room."
The Three Goddesses/Oracles
Din
Din is the Goddess of Power. According to legend, she used her strong flaming arms to sculpt the land and create the red earth. She also helped create the sacred Triforce, along with Nayru and Farore. That being the case, she is often associated with the Triforce of Power, wielded by Ganondorf. She is generally linked with the color red or orange, and the element of fire.
In the game and manga Oracle of Seasons, Din is the legendary Oracle of Seasons, with power over the natural order. Pursued by Onox, she traveled incognito as a talented dancer with a troupe; Zelda's guardian Impa also posed a member of this troupe, hoping to protect Din as she traveled. When Link is sent to Holodrum by the Triforce, Din finds him unconscious and cares for him, and once he wakes convinces him to join her group. After a while, Onox finds Din and abducts her, putting the Oracle in a crystal seal, in order to turn Holodrum into a barren wasteland as part of the Twinrova sisters' plan. But Link managed to save her and defeat Onox.
Oracle of Seasons and The Minish Cap also refer to her as a famous dancer.
In Ocarina of Time the great fairy in the fairy fountain outside of Hyrule Castle can grant Link the knowledge of "Din's Fire", a magic attack that creates an expanding globe of flame, starting from his fist as he drives it into the ground, and expanding for a limited distance around him. In addition to killing enemies, it can light torches. In Super Smash Bros. Melee, Zelda wields this in a modified form.
Farore
Farore is the Goddess of Courage. According to legend (told by the Deku Tree in Ocarina of Time), with her rich soul, she created all the life forms who would uphold the spirit of law. She also helped create the sacred Triforce, along with two other goddesses, Din and Nayru. She is often associated with the Triforce of Courage, wielded by Link. She is generally linked with the color green, and the elements of wind or forest.
Farore is a character in Oracle of Ages and Oracle of Seasons. In both games, she lives in one of the Maku Trees, and if you give her a code, she gives you an item. Exchanging codes between games is needed to get some secret items. The Minish Cap's figurine gallery refers to Farore as a helpful person looking for a house.
There was planned to be a third Oracles game, which had Farore star equally as Nayru and Din are in Ages and Seasons. However, Capcom ultimately decided that it would be too hard to link three different games, so they abandoned the third and integrated Farore into the two remaining Oracle games as the "Oracle of Secrets," who was responsible for unlocking special items and features in one game after you reached various points in the other game.
In Ocarina of Time the great fairy inside a cave in Jabu Jabu's lair in Zora's Domain can grant Link the knowledge of "Farore's Wind", a magic ability that can teleport him to the start of a dungeon. In Super Smash Bros. Melee, Zelda uses this as her third jump, a form of horizontal or vertical teleport.
Nayru
Nayru is the Goddess of Wisdom. According to legend, she used her wisdom to give the spirit of law to the world. It can be safely assumed that she bestowed the laws of physics on the world, therefore giving matter and living things order. She also helped Din and Farore create the sacred Triforce. She is associated with the Triforce of Wisdom, wielded by Zelda, and the key to being able to control the Triforce of Power. She is generally linked to the color blue, and the element of water.
In Oracle of Ages, Nayru is the legendary Oracle of Ages, with the power to travel thorough time. She remained hidden in the Labrynnan forest, known a beautiful songstress, until she was possessed by Veran, who used her powers to alter Labrynna's timeline.
In The Minish Cap, she is referred to as coming from a line of priestesses from Labrynna.
In Ocarina of Time the great fairy at the Desert Colossus can grant Link the knowledge of "Nayru's Love", a magic defense that created a force field around his body in the form of a crystal similar to the one Zelda is later imprisoned in by Ganondorf, yet he is fully able to attack while using it. While active, he is impervious to damage. In Super Smash Bros. Melee, Zelda uses this as an active defense which also damages her attacker.
Princess Zelda
The victim in many of the Zelda games, a hero in some, and the namesake of all of them.
