The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time #2 Hyrule in three dimensions
Gameplay & Walkthrough
Link
Link is the name every protagonist in The Legend of Zelda series is known by. It is possible though that these heroes were called something different. There are many incarnations of Link, each possessing the spirit of the hero, with some of them being blood-related as well. They are chosen by the Golden Goddesses to protect the land from evil whenever deemed necessary. They often need to complete a series of trials to mature into the chosen hero. In most games of The Legend of Zelda series, their adventures take place within Kingdom of Hyrule, traveling through the land, collecting important items, and defeating a wide variety of enemies while trying to save both Princess Zelda and her kingdom from the clutches of Ganon or other villains. They are usually portrayed as having been orphaned at an early age.
The first Link was introduced as a young Sword-wielding boy, but the identity, appearance, and role of each incarnation of Link has varied from game to game. Many of them are given titles to identify them, such as the Hero of Time in Ocarina of Time and the Hero of Winds in The Wind Waker.
Biography
In Ocarina of Time, Child Link has been raised as one of the Kokiri, the children of Kokiri Forest. Unlike the other Kokiri, Link does not have a Fairy companion and is thus shunned by their self-proclaimed leader, Mido. Link has a nightmare involving a princess fleeing from a man who then attacks him. The boy's life changes one day when the Great Deku Tree, the forest's guardian, sends Navi the Fairy to Link with instructions to bring him immediately.
A curse has been cast on the Great Deku Tree, and he asks Link to break it. While Link is successful in defeating the monsters inside the Tree, the Great Deku Tree was doomed to die before Link started. He had been cursed by a man named Ganondorf, as revenge for not giving him the Kokiri's Emerald. He warns Link that this evil man seeks the Triforce, and fears a great calamity will befall Hyrule should he seize it. Before passing away, the Great Deku Tree directs Link to Hyrule Castle where he is to find Princess Zelda.
At the Hyrule Castle garden, Link meets Princess Zelda. She believes that Ganondorf is seeking the Triforce. Zelda's description of Ganondorf matches that of the man who killed the Great Deku Tree, as well as the man from Link's nightmare. Zelda asks Link to obtain the three Spiritual Stones so that he can enter the Sacred Realm and claim the Triforce before Ganondorf reaches it, and ultimately save Hyrule. Link collects the other two stones: the first from Darunia, the leader of the Gorons, and the second from Ruto, the princess of the Zoras. Link returns to Hyrule Castle, where Ganondorf is pursuing Zelda and her caretaker Impa on horseback, as in his earlier nightmare.
Link attempts to stop Ganondorf, who warns him not to interfere with his plans. After Ganondorf rides off, Link retrieves the Ocarina of Time that Zelda had left behind for him. Inside the Temple of Time, Link uses the Ocarina of Time and the Spiritual Stones to open the door to the Sacred Realm. Through the door, Link finds the Master Sword, a legendary sword forged to destroy evil. As he pulls the Master Sword from its pedestal, Link is sealed away, and Ganondorf appears and claims the Triforce for himself.
Seven years later, an older Link is awakened as the Hero of Time by Rauru, the Sage of Light. Rauru explains that Link's spirit was sealed for seven years until he was old enough to wield the Master Sword and defeat Ganondorf, who is now the King of Evil. The seven Sages can imprison Ganondorf in the Sacred Realm, but five are not aware of their identities as Sages. Link is returned to the Temple of Time; there he meets the mysterious Sheik, who guides him to temples under Ganondorf's control.
Link defeats the evil lurking in each temple, thus awakening Saria, Darunia, Ruto, Impa and Nabooru as the Sages. Link also returns to the Kokiri Forest, where he finds that none of his friends have grown up, and most now no longer recognize him. After awakening Saria as a Sage, Link also finds that the Deku Tree Sprout has sprouted as the successor to the Great Deku Tree. He reveals Link's hidden past and explains to him that he is not a Kokiri, but actually a Hylian, orphaned in the wars that raged before Hyrule was united. While in the Lost Woods, Fado also references the fact that Link is not a Kokiri by asking Link if he is going to become a Stalfos. When Link was a baby, his mother fled with him to Kokiri Forest and, mortally wounded, left him under the Deku Tree's protection. He was brought up as one of the Kokiri and knew no differently.
After the five Sages awaken, Sheik reveals herself to be Princess Zelda in disguise and the seventh Sage. She tells Link that Ganondorf's heart was unbalanced, causing the Triforce to split into three pieces. Ganondorf acquired only the Triforce of Power, while Zelda received the Triforce of Wisdom and Link the Triforce of Courage. Ganondorf then kidnaps Zelda and imprisons her in his castle. The other six Sages help Link enter the castle, where he fights to the evil king's sanctum. There, Link frees Zelda and nearly defeats Ganondorf, but he destroys the castle in an attempt to kill Link and Zelda.
After the duo escapes the collapsing castle, Ganondorf emerges from the rubble and engages Link. Using the Triforce of Power, he transforms from his human form into a boar-like monster named Ganon and immediately knocks the Master Sword from Link's hand. With Zelda's aid, Link retrieves the Master Sword and defeats Ganon. The seven Sages then seal Ganondorf into the Dark Realm. The battle now over, Zelda uses the Ocarina of Time to send Link back to his original time to live out his childhood, at which point Navi departs. He is last seen when he encounters Princess Zelda again in the Castle Courtyard to warn her about Ganondorf and the future events that would unfold.
Personality
Because Link bears the Spirit of the Hero, all of Link's incarnations each possess an unbreakable spirit. One feature in Link's personality that is greatly emphasized is his courage. He is often depicted as a humble yet brave and courageous boy who steps up to the task of saving the kingdom of Hyrule (and many others), a task to which he seems destined. As such, he is often associated with the Triforce of Courage and the goddess Farore: in Twilight Princess, the Triforce of Courage activated when Link stepped into the Twilight, and it protected him from becoming a lost soul, turning him into a wolf instead. He rarely shows signs of cowardice and is always willing to use his strength and valor to save and help those around him, as seen in The Wind Waker where he asks Tetra and her pirate crew to allow him to go with them on their ship in order to save his sister Aryll.
Abilities
Link is depicted throughout the series as an impressive swordsman. He usually begins his adventure as an average boy with little to no swordsmanship skills. When trouble arises, however, Link demonstrates a natural aptitude for the ways of the sword and is able to best his enemies easily: in The Wind Waker, Link goes to Orca to learn how to wield a sword in order to help Tetra from the Forest of Fairies. It is further noted by Orca himself that Link's ability to use a sword is firmly present in his veins. As the game progresses, Link becomes known for his swordsmanship as well as his ability to quickly adapt to a wide variety of items and skillfully wield them, such as the Boomerang, the Bow, and the Grappling Hook, among others.
In some games, Link can learn advanced sword techniques and complicated move-sets: in The Minish Cap, the Blade Brothers teach the young hero various sword skills by using Tiger Scrolls, and in Twilight Princess, the Hero's Spirit shares his knowledge of the sword by teaching Link seven Hidden Skills to help him become more powerful and save Hyrule.
Additionally, Link is portrayed as having an excellent physical condition, performing backflips easily as well as being able to best others in sumo-wrestling, as seen in Twilight Princess. However, despite this, Link is usually defenseless without a sword or an item. This is depicted in The Wind Waker, where Link loses his sword after being launched into the Forsaken Fortress and must use his stealth abilities to get it back: if he is spotted by an enemy, he quickly surrenders due to his inability to fight back. Although in some games Link is easily able to pick up large stones or push blocks many times his size, other games require him to use special bracelets or gauntlets to further increase his strength, such as the Power Bracelet or the Titan's Mitt.
As seen in The Adventure of Link, A Link to the Past, and Ocarina of Time, Link is capable of using magic spells such as Din's Fire provided that he possesses a Magic Meter, which is usually granted to him by a Great Fairy.
Link is also talented in playing a wide variety of instruments. This is first shown in the original The Legend of Zelda, in which the young hero plays the Recorder to open up secret entrances or transport him to various parts in the overworld. Since then, Link has competently played other instruments such as the Ocarina, a pan flute, a guitar, the drums, and a Harp, all of which play a major role in each of the respective games in which they appear. Not only is Link a proficient instrument player: he is also adept in using a conductor's baton to conduct other players.
Trivia
- Shigeru Miyamoto has said that Link's green tunic and hat were inspired by Disney's version of Peter Pan.
- In The Adventure of Link, Link appears to speak when he finds the Mirror in Saria Town, saying "I found a mirror under the table." Link also appears to speak while inspecting the fireplace in the town of Kasuto, saying "Looks like I can get in the fireplace." In Breath of the Wild, he speaks when examining the cooked fish around the Campfire in Lurelin Village, commenting, "These grilled fish look really good. I wonder if they were caught locally...". This also occurs when he looks at Paya's diary, saying, "Must be Paya's diary. Must not look... Must not look... Must not look..." Furthermore, in the Japanese version of Breath of the Wild, the Adventure Log is written entirely from Link's perspective.
- In A Link to the Past, Link's Awakening, Oracle of Ages, Oracle of Seasons, The Minish Cap or any other sprite-based game of the series when Link faces east, he swings his Sword as if he was right-handed, due to Link's sprite being flipped horizontally; this also happens when Link performs a Spin Attack while facing east, spinning the opposite direction to what he normally would.
- In A Link to the Past, for unknown reasons, Link's hair appears as pink; in official art for the game, it is a light brown.
- Using the Iron Boots in the pool in the Lakeside Laboratory and comparing to the measuring graph, Link stands 1.7 m (5'7") tall as an adult in Ocarina of Time.
- Early screenshots of Majora's Mask show Link with an item resembling a Mask of his adult face. This has led many to believe that an adult version of Link was originally planned to be in the game; however, the Mask is not present in the final version and was likely replaced by the Fierce Deity's Mask. Concept art for an adult Link also appears in the Hyrule Historia book, with the explanation that his inclusion may have been a prototype for the Fierce Deity form. Fierce Deity Link's model and animations are based on Link wielding Biggoron's Sword as an adult in Ocarina of Time.
- Since the Hero's Spirit in Twilight Princess is the Hero of Time, this makes Twilight Princess the first game to feature a Link having proper conversations on his own as opposed to simple responses chosen by the player or utterances during gameplay, as well as having two Links meet in canon content that are of different eras.
- The second instance of the latter is when Link from Breath of the Wild can summon the hero from Twilight Princess in wolf form to aid him on his adventure.
- The Links featured in Skyward Sword and Breath of the Wild are the only Links that are right-handed.
- Link also appears as right-handed in the Wii version of Twilight Princess, in Ocarina of Time 3D's Master Quest, and in Master Mode in Twilight Princess HD.
- While the Link from Skyward Sword is right-handed, his appearance in Mario Kart 8 is shown as left-handed, as he holds the Master Sword with his left hand when doing a trick. The same goes for Breath of the Wild Link.
- Though most characters in the series named Link are the protagonist, there are a few exceptions. Such as Sera's pet Cat from Twilight Princess, Abe and Rose's pet Pig in The Wind Waker and a Goron named Link in Ocarina of Time and Majora's Mask.
Nomenclature
According to Shigeru Miyamoto, Link's name comes from the fact that, during development of The Legend of Zelda, he was the link between the past and the future, which was the original setting for the game. Miyamoto has also stated that Link is named after the fact that he connects people together.
According to Eiji Aonuma, Link is named after that fact that he links the player to the game.
Info based on the info found at Zelda Fandom Wiki: Link Character
Princess Zelda
Growing up in the halls of Hyrule Castle, young Princess Zelda, referred to by the Great Deku Tree as the Princess of Destiny, was growing concerned with one of her father's associates, the Gerudo king Ganondorf, and a vision of his treachery did not help matters. Expressing her concerns with her guardian and nursemaid Impa, she continued to watch the Gerudo despite her inability to do anything about him. This changed when a young Kokiri boy named Link snuck into her garden courtyard.
Convinced that Ganondorf was after the Triforce, Zelda asked Link to find the three Spiritual Stones that would open the Temple of Time in order to prevent Ganondorf from opening the Door of Time and claiming the Triforce for himself. Unfortunately, Ganondorf made his move before Link could return, leading an insurrection in the castle. He chased after Zelda, who had the Ocarina of Time in her possession, when Impa escaped with her from the castle. Dashing out of the castle town with Ganondorf in hot pursuit, Zelda caught sight of Link diving out of their way. She turned and threw the Ocarina of Time to him, trusting that he would keep it safe while Ganondorf chased after them.
For seven years Zelda remained in hiding, training in the ways of the Sheikah by Impa until Link, who had become trapped within the Sacred Realm, was freed. Appearing before him under the name of Sheik, she assisted Link in awakening the remaining five Sages, all the while keeping her real identity secret.
When Zelda finally reveals herself, she does so not only as Princess Zelda but as the seventh sage, the leader of the other Sages, and wielder of the Triforce of Wisdom; however, having watched them from afar, Ganondorf captures Zelda to drive Link into a fight to the death inside his castle.
In the game's conclusion, Zelda sends Link, the Hero of Time, back to his childhood to regain his lost seven years as compensation for his role in the war against Ganondorf. This would leave only the Hero of Time's legend behind him as he returned to the past and returned to Hyrule Castle to warn the young Princess Zelda of events to come.
The actions made by this incarnation of Princess Zelda were crucial to the development of the Zelda Timeline, since it was through Zelda's choices that three timelines were eventually created, making her instrumental in the history of Hyrule. Her plot with Link to retrieve the Triforce resulted in Ganondorf obtaining the Triforce of Power, eventually leading to Ganondorf besting Link in the final battle, and thus forming the Fallen Hero Timeline. Should Link succeed in defeating Ganondorf, sending Link back to his own time afterwards created two timelines: the Child Timeline and the Adult Timeline. The latter of the two shatters the Triforce of Courage and vanquishes the hero in the Adult Timeline, resulting in Hyrule eventually being flooded.
Physical traits
Princess Zelda is often shown as a beautiful and elegant princess, with the exception of Skyward Sword, where she is portrayed as an ordinary girl before the kingdom of Hyrule had been established. She is always either a child, teen, or young adult. Her hair color is depicted as blonde in most games of the series, as well as brown in Twilight Princess and red in The Legend of Zelda and The Adventure of Link. Her eyes are portrayed in different shades of blue throughout all the games, with the exception of her green eyes in Breath of the Wild. Her ears are always pointed, as is characteristic of all Hylians, although in some games her ears are shorter than in others. The dresses that she wears are long with determinate colors, such as different tones of pink, white, and blue. Most of her dresses are shown with the Hylian Crest, and in almost every game, she is seen wearing a tiara with either a red, pink, or blue jewel in it. In some games, she also wears long gloves. Princess Zelda is seen wearing makeup in most games, such as in The Wind Waker and Spirit Tracks, and her hairstyle is characterized either with her hair down or with braids. She wears high heels, although in Twilight Princess, Skyward Sword, and Breath of the Wild she wears boots. She also occasionally wears sandals, such as in Skyward Sword and Breath of the Wild. Each incarnation of Zelda has been shown at various ages depending on which title they appear in. They have appeared as a child, a teenager and as a young adult; for example, the Princess Zelda in Twilight Princess is around 20 years of age.
Personality
Zelda is depicted as a kind and benevolent ruler with a wisdom beyond her years and a deep love towards the people she watches over. She is a caring, gracious, and self-sacrificing person. Zelda's most prominent display of compassion and selflessness was when she saved the life of Midna, the Princess of the Twilight Realm, who had been nearly killed by the false King of the Twilight, Zant. Zelda's wisdom is her most valuable attribute. As a matriarch, it is imperative that she makes the wisest decision concerning the fate of Hyrule; in Twilight Princess when Zant threatened her life and the lives of all of her subjects, she wisely surrendered to him. She upholds her responsibilities no matter the cost and is always willing to help her friends, such as in Skyward Sword, where Zelda faces her duties as the goddess reborn and willingly remains in a deep sleep to keep Demise imprisoned within his seal. Above all, Zelda is known to be a forgiving person even towards those who have harmed her before, as seen in Spirit Tracks, where she asks Anjean to take care of Byrne even though he was the one who stole her body.
Princess Zelda is one of the three most important characters of The Legend of Zelda series, which is also why her name appears in the title of every game. Princess Zelda first appeared in the original The Legend of Zelda, and has since been featured in every subsequent game, with the exception of Link's Awakening. Each incarnation of the Princess is chosen by destiny to be the keeper of the Triforce of Wisdom in their respective eras, which is the main reason why they play such an integral role in the legends of Hyrule.
Abilities
Princess Zelda calls upon the power of the Light Spirits in Twilight Princess
Throughout the series, Princess Zelda portrays various types of both magical and physical abilities, ranging from capably wielding a bow to telepathy, as seen in A Link to the Past's introduction when she pleads for Link's help.
Early on in the timeline of the series, the original Zelda, while born as a Hylian, is the mortal incarnation of the Goddess Hylia. Carrying on this divine blood, her female descendants are always the crown princess of Hyrule throughout its history. Several princesses within the bloodline are also the possessor of the Triforce of Wisdom, imbued with the essence of the Goddess Nayru. The essence of Nayru affords each Zelda divine wisdom, allowing them to discern the wisest decisions, especially in situations concerning the welfare of Hyrule. It grants them myriad mystical abilities, including the ability to heal others, though there is a possibility that this could also be an effect of their bloodline passing down Hylia's own powers and, later, the Light Force. Each incarnation of Zelda uses their powers to keep evil in check.
Many of her abilities as both a Sage and the wielder of the Triforce of Wisdom are widely illustrated in Ocarina of Time, one of them being that she has prophetic visions in her dreams. She also helps Link in their escape from Ganon's Castle by using her powers to magically remove the barriers blocking the exits. During the final battle between Link and Ganon, Princess Zelda uses her powers to restrain the King of Evil as Link delivers the final blow. Being the seventh Sage, she is the ruler of the rest of the six Sages, and it is with her guidance that the Sages seal Ganon in the void of the Evil Realm. Finally, with her powers as a Sage, she is capable of returning Link to his original time by simply using the Ocarina of Time.
Some of Princess Zelda's physical abilities are demonstrated in games such as The Wind Waker, Twilight Princess and Spirit Tracks. In The Wind Waker, Princess Zelda aids Link in battling Ganondorf by borrowing the young hero's bow and using it to fire Light Arrows at the King of the Gerudo. This skill is again portrayed in the final battle of Twilight Princess, where the princess yet again uses a bow and Light Arrows to strike Ganondorf while accompanying Link on his horse, and once more in the final battle against Malladus in Spirit Tracks. In one scene of Twilight Princess, Princess Zelda is seen wielding a sword, although it is unknown if she possesses any true sword skills.
As shown in Twilight Princess, Princess Zelda is capable of communicating with the Light Spirits. Just as the princess and Link are about to be trampled by Ganondorf's ghostly army, Zelda calls upon the Light Spirits to aid her in her time of need, and the spirits grant her the Light Arrow to banish evil.
In Spirit Tracks, Princess Zelda can possess a Phantom's body after Link strikes it with a powered-up sword or the Lokomo Sword. While in this state, the princess can help Link solve various puzzles as well as cross certain obstacles that the young hero cannot traverse by himself. Moreover, due to the Phantom's armor, she can also protect Link from attacks or use her strength to fight alongside Link and help him defeat enemies, as seen when fighting Geozards or Byrne.
Alter Egos
Sheik
In Ocarina of Time, Link met up with a mysterious member of the Sheikah Tribe, fittingly called Sheik. This person taught Link a multitude of different songs and gave him tips on how to proceed in his quest. At the end of the game, Sheik revealed himself to be none other than Princess Zelda in a disguise. During the seven years Link had been asleep while maturing to become ready to fight Ganondorf, Zelda had gone underground and taken the disguise as Sheik so that Ganondorf would not find her in his search for the two remaining pieces of the Triforce, one of which was held by Princess Zelda herself.
Sheik is also a playable character in Super Smash Bros. Melee and Super Smash Bros. Brawl: Zelda is able to transform into Sheik during a battle, allowing her to use a different set of moves.
Navi
Navi (pronounced /ˈnɑː.viː/, NAH-vee) is a recurring character in The Legend of Zelda series. She is a Fairy who serves as Link's companion in his quest to save Hyrule.
Biography
Ocarina of Time
Since Link is not a Kokiri and does not have a Fairy to call his own, Navi is summoned by the Great Deku Tree to accompany him on his quest to save Hyrule. Throughout the game, Navi provides Link with a variety of clues to help him solve puzzles and progress in his quest. Navi also helps Link learn the controls in the game, teaching him how to open doors and how to push and pull blocks. The player can listen to Navi's advice by pressing the C-Up Button in the controller whenever her name flashes on the screen.
Navi's primary purpose is to function as a focusing target. By pressing the Z Button, Navi targets the most nearby object, enemy, or person. She glows yellow to indicate when she is targeting an enemy, blue when Link can talk to someone from a distance, and green when she is targeting something of interest. Any time Navi targets something, she yells out to Link "Hey Listen" or "Watch out." Pressing the C-Up Button while targeting an enemy allows Link to hear from Navi information about said foe. Once Link learns "Saria's Song," he can communicate with Saria through Navi. When Navi's help is not being used, she seemingly hides herself inside Link's hat. However, she can be summoned at any time by pressing the A Button while Link is standing still. In Ocarina of Time 3D, Navi also often tells Link to take a rest from playing.
Although Navi can target most enemies and give Link clues on how to defeat them, during the battle against Ganondorf, Navi is unable to help him due to the waves of darkness produced by the King of Evil. Once Link defeats Ganondorf and escapes the crumbling Ganon's Castle along with Princess Zelda, Navi apologizes for not having helped him in the battle. However, Ganondorf emerges shortly after from the castle ruins and transforms into Ganon. Navi, willing to aid Link, exclaims that she will not be held back by Ganondorf again and joins him in the fight, where they eventually defeat the King of Evil. After Princess Zelda sends Link back to his original time, Navi can be seen leaving Link's side for undisclosed reasons as she flies away into the lit window inside the Temple of Time.
Development
When the concept of Z-targeting was being developed, an upside-down triangle was used to determine which enemy Link was targeting. The designers felt this marker was too simple, so they wanted to replace it with a cute Fairy girl, believing it would fit the Zelda atmosphere. However, the Nintendo 64 was not able to support such a Fairy, so a ball of light with wings was used instead. She was originally called the "Fairy Navigation System," but was later simply named Navi. After naming her, many of her functions were designed, such as changing color to distinguish between friends and foes, acting as a guide, and providing strategy tips.
Her design also allowed developers to overcome a problem in Kokiri Forest. Due to the Nintendo 64's limitations, it was difficult to display the villagers and structures all at once, so each person was paired with a Fairy to help locate them. When Link approached them, their owners would appear and he could interact with them. Both of these expanded the story so that Link was the only child in the forest without a Fairy, then he met and parted with a Fairy companion.
Epona
Biography
Epona is first seen when she is just a foal at Lon Lon Ranch in Ocarina of Time, where she is raised by Malon. She is wild and untamed, running away when Link approaches, as only Malon can get close to her. After Malon teaches Link "Epona's Song." Epona stops running away and approaches Link. Malon then says that Epona has taken a liking to him.
Link then finds Epona seven years later when she has become a mare. However, things have taken a turn at the Ranch and Ingo is now in charge. Ingo plans to present Epona to Ganondorf, who he claims gave him ownership of the Ranch. At first, Epona will run from Link as if he is a stranger, but if he plays "Epona's Song", she will remember him and trot to his side. Link can then participate in a horse race against Ingo with Epona as his steed. If Link wins, Ingo will get furious, challenging him again while betting Epona herself on the outcome of the race. If Link wins, Ingo lets him keep Epona. However, Ingo then attempts to prevent Link from leaving with Epona by shutting the gates of the Ranch. Link can guide Epona to jump over the walls of the Ranch to escape into Hyrule Field. Afterwards, Link can play "Epona's Song" while in Hyrule Field to call her. During the ending credits, Epona is seen running across Hyrule Field, and is later seen next to Malon during the celebration of Ganondorf's defeat at Lon Lon Ranch.
While riding Epona, Link cannot get hurt by enemies and can only attack by using the Bow. He can also whip her to get up to six speed boosts, appearing on-screen as Carrots. The boosts can be used to jump over barriers and fences, such as in the aforementioned escape from Lon Lon Ranch after Ingo shuts the gates, and are restored after a few seconds. Epona can be used to jump across the broken bridge in Gerudo Valley and to play the Horseback Archery Range minigame in Gerudo's Fortress. She is also required to summon Big Poes in Hyrule Field. Despite this, obtaining Epona is entirely optional, as Link can also cross the broken bridge in Gerudo Valley using the Longshot.
Development
During the development of Super Mario 64, the development team had plans to include a horse, which were later moved to Ocarina of Time. The developers did not want controls to be difficult, so Epona was made to automatically jump over barriers if she has enough speed. To make the experience more entertaining, the carrot system was established, as well as mounted archery. The developers also wanted to include one-on-one battles and horseback swordplay, though such features did not appear until Twilight Princess.
The scene where Epona jumps over the broken bridge in Gerudo Valley was specially requested by Shigeru Miyamoto. A similar scene is shown when Epona escapes from Lon Lon Ranch, which had more than one exit, so a cutscene was made for each. The idea of horses and these scenes were inspired by Western movies.
Saria
Saria is a character in Ocarina of Time. She is Link's childhood friend from his years in the Kokiri Forest. She is well-liked amongst other Kokiri, particularly by their boss, Mido, whose dislike of Link might be partially explained by the latter's close friendship with Saria. She often travels to the Sacred Forest Meadow to play her Ocarina. She plays a song that inspires people to dance called "Saria's Song." When Link becomes the Hero of Time, he rescues Saria from the Forest Temple and allows her to awaken as the Forest Sage.
Biography
Saria is the first of the Kokiri to greet Link after he receives Navi, his own Fairy. She congratulates him for finally finding a Fairy and is surprised to hear that the Great Deku Tree has summoned Link, as it is a great honor to speak with him. After receiving his quest from the Great Deku Tree, Saria meets Link at the exit of the forest to say goodbye. She gives him the Fairy Ocarina and asks him to come back and visit her.
Once Link has met with Princess Zelda, he can find Saria in the Sacred Forest Meadow, where she will teach the young hero the song she has composed. This song allows Link to speak with her at any time and is also used to brighten Darunia's mood, thus allowing him to grant Link access to Dodongo's Cavern.
During Link's seven-year absence, Mido kept spreading the rumor that Link was responsible for the death of the Great Deku Tree. Of all the Kokiri, Saria was the only one who stood up for Link. When Link awakens, the Forest Temple in the Lost Woods becomes his first destination after an emergency call from Saria. On the way, he comes through Kokiri Forest where the Kokiri inform him that both Saria and Mido left for the Lost Woods. Following them, Link first encounters Mido, who refuses to let him pass. However, after playing "Saria's Song," Mido understands that Link has to be one of Saria's friends and as such can be trusted and let through. Link continues to the Sacred Forest Meadow and discovers that Saria's "secret place" houses the entrance to the Forest Temple. Link then goes in and manages to defeat the temple's evil spirit, Phantom Ganon. By doing this, he allows Saria to awaken as the new Forest Sage. Saria then says goodbye, knowing that the carefree days of old are over, and gives Link the Forest Medallion.
Later, when Link talks to Mido again, the latter asks him if he would help him keep a promise to Saria: to tell Link that Saria had been waiting for him. When Link defeats Ganon, Saria and the other Sages bundle their powers to seal him away. During the ending, she can be seen overlooking a celebrating Hyrule on Death Mountain with the other Sages, seated atop Darunia's head.
Nomenclature
Saria's name, like several other characters from Ocarina of Time, is taken from a town in The Adventure of Link. Given her connection with music and that fellow Kokiri Mido and Fado have musically-oriented names, Saria may come from the word "aria," a type of song.
Great Deku Tree
Biography
In Ocarina of Time, the Deku Tree is the guardian of the Kokiri and of their forest. He protects the Kokiri's Emerald, one of the three Spiritual Stones.
At the beginning of the game, the Deku Tree sends Navi the Fairy to summon Link to him, explaining to the young boy that he has been cursed by Ganondorf. Link is asked to journey Inside the Deku Tree, the first dungeon of the game, and destroy the root of the curse, the parasite known as Queen Gohma. Afterwards, the Great Deku Tree details Ganondorf's motives, the Golden Goddesses, and the Triforce they created. The Deku Tree withers and dies soon after due to the effects of the curse. Before passing on, he tasks Link with saving all of Hyrule from Ganondorf, directing him to meet Princess Zelda at Hyrule Castle outside the forest, and entrusting him with the Kokiri's Emerald.
When Link returns to Kokiri Forest seven years later as an adult, he finds that it has been overrun by monsters due to the Deku Tree's absence. After clearing the Forest Temple and awakening Saria as a Sage, the Deku Tree Sprout takes root in the ground before his predecessor, and the monsters plaguing the forest subsequently vanish.
Malon
Biography
In Ocarina of Time, Malon is a young girl who loves to sing outside Hyrule Castle's walls at night. She, along with Ingo, takes care of most of the duties at Lon Lon Ranch due to her father's laziness. Link first meets Malon, who calls him "Fairy Boy," in the Market where she is looking for her father, Talon. Link finds Talon asleep outside Hyrule Castle and wakes him up using the Cucco that hatched from the Weird Egg Malon gave him. After this, Talon returns to the Ranch and reunites with Malon. When Link visits Malon at the Ranch, she introduces him to a young Horse named Epona, and teaches the young hero "Epona's Song," a song her mother composed.
When Link returns to Lon Lon Ranch seven years later, he discovers that Ingo exiled Talon and took over the Ranch. Malon has been working for Ingo out of fear of the Ranch's Horses facing abuse from him if she disobeys his orders. Moreover, since Ingo was struggling to tame Epona, he was planning to give her as a present to Ganondorf, though Malon was the only one who could tame her. Malon tells Link that she recognized him but was not sure who he was until he told her his name.
As a minigame, Malon lets him race around Lon Lon Ranch to compete against her best time. When he is able to beat her time, she rewards him by sending a Cow to his House in Kokiri Forest, which may be used as a free source of Milk. Should Link best his own time afterwards, Malon will simply compliment his and Epona's teamwork.
With the Mask of Truth, Link can learn from the Gossip Stones that Malon dreams for a knight to take her away. A Gossip Stone in front of the Temple of Time also says that Malon was the original record holder of the Lon Lon Ranch obstacle course, her record being 50 seconds.
Ocarina of Time is the only game in which Malon's mother is mentioned. She is not present by the time of the events of Ocarina of Time, but it is clear she had a great influence on Malon and the others on the Ranch. She was the one who composed "Epona's Song," which is said to be liked by everyone on the farm. If Link speaks to Talon while wearing the Gerudo Mask or the Goron Mask, he says that it reminds him of his wife, but he quickly retracts that statement.
Ganondorf
Biography
Ganondorf was born a powerful Gerudo sorcerer, the enemy of the human races of Hyrule. The Gerudo twin witches Koume and Kotake were his surrogate mothers. The Gerudo are a race of mostly female warriors and thieves, to whom only one male is born every century. Because of this, the male is by birthright the King of the Gerudo. Nabooru mentions that she is not following Ganondorf because he stole from women and children and killed people. Ganondorf uses his position, to betray of the King of Hyrule, as well as for to cunning, manipulation and mystical power to gain entrance to the Sacred Realm, the abode of the Triforce. However, he does not obtain the full Triforce; he is left with only the Triforce of Power, which he uses to great effect in his conquest of Hyrule.
Characteristics
Personality
Ganondorf is an extremely powerful Gerudo warlock who opposes Link and Princess Zelda within the series; as such, he is a villain of pure evil and a cruel, ruthless warlord whose goal is to usurp the Kingdom of Hyrule. Ganon's only ambition in life is to obtain the Triforce and dominate the world using the abilities imbued by them. He has many characteristics of a megalomaniac. Despite his undeniable lust for power, Ganon is a mastermind; he is an adept tactician and a master of manipulation and deceit. It is not unusual for Ganon to manipulate the events of a story behind the scenes (as he did in A Link to the Past, Four Swords Adventures, and Twilight Princess), only to be revealed as the orchestrator in a plot twist. Ganon usually presents himself with the facade of a cynical yet calm and civil man, although he is known to very quickly become enraged, ensuing in a murderous rampage. Ganon has no sense of morality. In his conquest of the Sacred Realm, once he reached the Temple of Light, he single-handedly killed all of his followers who had aided him in his expedition, so that he could claim the Triforce uncontested. He is also culturally inclined, playing the organ with great skill, as seen in Ocarina of Time where he plays his own theme throughout Link's attack in his Tower. Ganon also possesses an arrogant sense of entitlement; he believes himself to be the only one worthy of ruling the kingdom of Hyrule. His pride is also shown when fighting enemies: despite being more than capable of defeating most enemies in combat, Ganon instead relies on his minions to defeat them. Apparently, he chooses to only fight opponents he deems worthy, such as Link.
Ganon is also an extremely destructive being. Conquest and destruction seem to be one and the same to him, and examples of his rule have shown him willingly turning his dominion into a wicked place of terror and chaos. He resents defiance from anybody.
Abilities
Even before gaining the Triforce of Power, Ganondorf was arguably one of the most powerful men in the entire land of Hyrule, largely due to his political position as the King of the Gerudo.
Ganondorf was also an immensely powerful sorcerer with vast mystical resources. Additionally, Ganondorf has proven himself to be a very talented swordsman, as seen in the final battles between him and Link in The Wind Waker and Twilight Princess. He is also very physically strong, helped further by his extremely impressive height.
Once Ganondorf gained the Triforce of Power, both his physical and mystical abilities were augmented by the essence of the Goddess Din to god-like proportions, his power unrivaled by any mortal, for he ceased to be mortal in that moment. Becoming a monstrously powerful demon king, Ganondorf became utterly unstoppable, conquering Hyrule with ease. He also implies that the Triforce of Power was sufficient enough to allow him to weaken any seals on him overtime. As seen in the events of Twilight Princess, the Triforce of Power also grants Ganondorf invulnerability; using its power, he is capable of enduring mortal wounds (such as having his chest pierced by a sword during his attempted execution), and only the likes of the most powerful sacred weapons (such as the Master Sword) appear to be able to kill him. Even without access to his full capabilities in The Wind Waker, Ganondorf was able to cast a curse to keep the Great Sea in an endless stormy night. As seen in Twilight Princess, the Triforce of Power grants Ganondorf many more powers such as size manipulation and terrain alteration: while Ganondorf is not personally shown using many of these powers, he temporarily gifts the Usurper King Zant with some of them. Ganondorf also has an unnaturally long lifespan, having lived through ages of Hyrulean chronology.
Ganondorf's dark magic, and possibly his position as demon king, give him the power to create his armies of monsters and beasts.
His power, with or without the Triforce, appears to grow over time. The sages in Arbiter's Grounds, when discussing his evil power, mention it being pure malice and hatred. As the Calamity-Ganon, his very essence is known as 'malice', possibly meaning that his demonic magic and power is fuelled as much by his own hatred as the Triforce, and his capacity for hatred is the only true limit on how powerful he can grow.
The reincarnated Ganondorf during the events of Four Swords Adventures was largely similar to the original, although it is implied that he was weaker than the original, to the extent that he lacked the ability to cover Hyrule in darkness by the time he had been defeated and sealed in the Four Sword.
Names
Since the release of the original game, Ganon has had several different names. During the development of The Legend of Zelda, he was referred to as 牛魔王 八戒 (Gyūmaō Hakkai), which is said to be derived from the Journey to the West characters Chohakkai and Gyūmaō. Before the game's release, the name was changed to ガノン (Ganon), an accurate katakana representation of different roman spellings. Both the Japanese and English language versions of The Legend of Zelda spell the character's name as "Gannon." The game's English manual instead opted for the spelling "Ganon." This disparity gave rise to the notion that "Gannon" was a misspelling introduced during the translation of the first installment's in-game text, inspiring the site and phrase "Gannon-Banned." The misspelling theory is conflicted by the Japanese versions of The Adventure of Link and A Link to the Past, whose in-game texts kept the spelling of "Gannon." Ever since the English release of The Adventure of Link, official Nintendo translations have consistently used the spelling "Ganon". The first instance of the "Ganon" spelling being used by the Japanese developers is in the source code of Ocarina of Time. With the Japanese release of Super Smash Bros. Melee, the games finally adopted the official English spelling for the Japanese audience. Although the etymology of Link's name is commonly known, the original inspiration behind the name Ganon has yet to be revealed by the developers.
When A Link to the Past was released, Ganon's human form, Ganondorf, was introduced. In the Western manual of A Link to the Past for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System, Ganondorf was addressed by the full name "Ganondorf Dragmire." Similarly, Ganon was also addressed in the manual by an alias, "Mandrag Ganon," which means "Ganon of the Enchanted Thieves." These names do not appear in A Link to the Past itself, in its re-releases, or in other games, though the name "Ganondorf Dragmire" is used in Ganondorf's character profile on the official Zelda website. According to the Hyrule Historia, the name "Ganondorf" refers to his human form, while the name "Ganon" is both a nickname and the name given to him when he transforms into a boar-like beast. There have been several cases in The Legend of Zelda series in which characters, such as the King of Red Lions or Zant, refer to Ganondorf as "Ganon." In Breath of the Wild, Ganon is known as Calamity Ganon
Timeline
Several years prior to Ocarina of Time, the Hyrulean Civil War ended with the unification of the various races of Hyrule under the Royal Familly. This included the Gerudo, with Ganondorf swearing fealty to the King of Hyrule and the Gerudo Desert coming under Hyrule's control. In truth, Ganondorf only did this so he could move freely throughout the country.
During the events of Ocarina of Time, Ganondorf is striving to conquer the lands of Hyrule and obtain the Triforce. In order to access the Triforce within the Sacred Realm, Ganondorf sought the three Spiritual Stones from the Kokiri, Gorons, and Zoras. When they refused to hand them over, he placed a death curse upon the Great Deku Tree and Lord Jabu-Jabu, and blocked off Dodongo's Cavern with a gigantic boulder. At the same time, he pledged false allegiance to the King of Hyrule to gain his trust.
Princess Zelda, however, senses the evil within Ganondorf and asks for Link's aid to prevent Ganondorf from obtaining the Triforce. Ganondorf eventually betrays the King and assaults Hyrule Castle while Link gathers the three Spiritual Stones. The young hero returns in time to see Zelda and Impa flee, who are being pursued by Ganondorf on his Horse. When Ganondorf demands Link tell him in which direction the two had fled, Link refuses and is attacked by the King of the Gerudo, who proclaims he will soon rule the world. When Link, shortly thereafter, opens the entrance to the Sacred Realm, Ganondorf follows him and seizes the opportunity to obtain the Triforce, with partial success. As he touched the Triforce, however, it split into three pieces, leaving Ganondorf with only the Triforce of Power.
During the seven years Link was asleep, Ganondorf conquered the Kingdom of Hyrule, transforming the feudal-style Hyrule Castle into Ganon's Castle, a tiered near-cylindrical skyscraper resting on a floating island that hovered above a large lake of lava. He had the Castle Town completely decimated, left in ruins, and populated by the ReDead, causing many Hylians to flee to Kakariko Village.
As Hyrule's new king, Ganondorf gained even more knowledge regarding the Triforce. Because his heart was not in balance, he was only bestowed one third of the element: the Triforce of Power. With all of the luxury and power of the subdued kingdom at his disposal, the Sorcerer Evil King is able to wait for the moment when the two remaining Triforce keepers, Link and Zelda, would reveal themselves. Eventually, he finds them in the Temple of Time where he kidnaps Princess Zelda, who had evaded his pursuit for seven years, and challenges Link to come save her. The three Triforce possessors meet again in Ganon's Castle, where the final battle ensues. When Link reaches the top of the Tower, he finds Zelda confined in a pink crystalline enclosure floating above it. Ganondorf taunts the young hero and engages him in battle, where Link is able to defeat the tyrant with the aid of the Light Arrows and the Master Sword. Using the last of his power, Ganondorf tries to make his castle collapse to kill Link and Zelda, but the two manage to escape safely. However, an exhausted Ganondorf uses the essence of the Triforce of Power to transform into a bestial monstrosity called Ganon. Despite his massive size and clever tactics, Link manages to defeat him using the Master Sword and assistance from the power of the Seven Sages. Ganondorf is then sealed into the void of the Evil Realm where he cannot harm Hyrule or lay his hands on the remaining pieces of the Triforce. As he is sealed in the Sacred Realm, Ganondorf claims that when he breaks the seal, he will destroy Link and Zelda's descendants, knowing that he will have the opportunity as long as he possesses the Triforce of Power.
Phonogram Man
Biography
The Phonogram Man stands inside Kakariko Windmill playing his Phonograph. He is attempting to compose a musical theme inspired by the Windmill's cyclicality. He loves to "go around and around." Ironically, he is responsible for a time loop that ruins his enjoyment of the Windmill by making it spin faster.
The Phonogram Man is initially happy when young Link speaks to him. When adult Link speaks to him, he is bitterly angry at "that Ocarina kid" about an event seven years ago. He fails to recognize adult Link as that boy. When Link pulls out his Ocarina of Time in front of the Phonogram Man, he angrily recounts the day the boy tampered with the Windmill by playing the "Song of Storms" on the Ocarina. He plays the Song on his Phonograph in demonstration. In doing so, he unwittingly becomes the one who teaches it to Link. The hero goes back in time and plays the "Song of Storms" in the Windmill as young Link to drain the Bottom of the Well. This upsets the Phonogram Man and completes the time loop.