العربية
中国
Français
Deutsch
Ελληνική
हिन्दी
Italiano
日本語
Português
Русский
EspañolRACES IN THE LEGEND OF ZELDA SERIES
(Redirected from The Legend of Zelda series races)
''The Legend of Zelda'' series has a diverse range of 'races' living in the game's universe. Because of the mystery surrounding the series chronology, it is mostly unknown how the games connect together and which event takes place after another.
'Deities' are the most powerful and important creatures in the world of ''The Legend of Zelda'', and are noted for creating the world of Hyrule and all the realms it holds. In general, deities can be divided into 'Gods' and 'Spirits'.
Gods include the three "Golden Goddesses", Din, Nayru and Farore, who created Hyrule, its physics and its lifeforms. It is unknown where they came from or for how long they have existed. They are usually portrayed as three beautiful women with power nearing omnipotence, but they are sometimes represented differently. They are most often referred to as goddesses, though "gods" is also used, usually as a collective noun. Other gods and goddesses are mentioned within the games: ''Ocarina of Time'' sparingly refers to a "sand goddess" which the Gerudos revered, ''Majora's Mask'' describes the four giants as gods, as well as mentioning a "Goddess of Time" and ''The Wind Waker'' uses the title "Goddess of Fortune" to refer to a certain Great Fairy. Furthermore, in ''Twilight Princess'' the antagonist refers to Ganondorf as his god. This seems to imply that the title "god/goddess" is given due to power rather than due to a dogmatic pantheon. The Golden Goddesses seem to mostly withdraw themselves from Hyrule's affairs, only responding to prayers invoked by the Triforce or made by the sages. Some of their responses include flooding Hyrule and restoring the Master Sword.
Spirits may not be as powerful as the gods, but are still powerful enough to create and protect other creatures. For instance, it was the Great Deku Tree who created the Kokiri[1]. Unlike the goddesses, the Spirits live with the other races on earth, instead of watching them from a distance. They sometimes act as a leader or second leader for a population of their chosen race and are always treated with great respect. Some Spirits age and can be killed, though they will replace themselves.
★ 'Din', the goddess of power and earth; one of the three creator goddesses.
★ 'Nayru', the goddess of wisdom and time; one of the three creator goddesses.
★ 'Farore', the goddess of courage and wind; one of the three creator goddesses.
★ '', the god of winds.
★ '', the god of cyclones.
★ 'Lord Jabu-Jabu', the guardian god of the Zora.
★ '', the four protective gods of Termina.
★ The 'Fierce Deity', depicted by the Fierce Deity Mask.
★ 'Ganon', the main antagonist of the series, who is commonly referred to by various others as the "King" or "God" of evil.
★ The four '' in '':
★
★ 'Ordona', the Light Spirit of Ordon Province.
★
★ 'Faron', the Light Spirit of Faron Province.
★
★ 'Eldin', the Light Spirit of Eldin Province.
★
★ 'Lanayru', the Light Spirit of Lanyaru Province.
★ The 'Great Deku Tree', the guardian of the Kokiri in '' and the Koroks in ''.
★ '', the dragon guardian god of the Rito in ''The Wind Waker''.
★ '', the guardian god of Greatfish Isle in ''The Wind Waker''.
★ ''
★ ''
★ ''
★ ''
The 'Deku' are a race of plant-like creatures introduced in ''. They appear mostly in the Overworld or dungeons throughout, as well as in '', , '', and ''. Their name is derived from , and they are named "Deku Nuts" in the Japanese games.
Deku are generally short and have leaves on their heads where humans would have hair. They often have red, glowing eyes, and their mouths are short, hollow tubes. Deku habitually shoot "Deku Nuts" out of their mouths to attack enemies, bearing some similarity to the rock-spitting Octoroks. Deku's bodies are comprised entirely of wood and leaves and they perish quickly if set on fire. Gibdo and ReDeads ignore Deku, perhaps because they lack meat. According to the Deku Scrubs in '', anyone who becomes lost in the Lost Woods will eventually turn into a Deku Scrub.
In ''Majora's Mask'', Deku Scrubs are sometimes seen flying by using large Samara-like leaves. Business Scrubs can fly using the leaves on their heads for indefinite periods. However, both modes of flight require takeoff from Deku Flowers. Link is able to use these Deku Flowers in ''Majora's Mask'', ''Oracle of Seasons'', and ''The Wind Waker'', though in ''Majora's Mask'' he must be in Deku form. The Deku Flowers in ''Majora's Mask'' come in pink and yellow — yellow Deku Flowers propel Link much higher and for longer than the pink. In ''Oracle of Seasons'', Deku Flowers are only active in the spring. Koroks in ''The Wind Waker'' use similar Samara-like leaves to fly across the Great Sea.
In '', Link is able to turn himself into a Deku Scrub. He is trapped in this form at the beginning of the game, though once he retrieves the Ocarina of Time, he can enter and exit the form at will. Link's Deku form has a number of useful abilities, such as a spinning attack which stuns or harms enemies, and the utilization of Deku Flowers, which allow him to hover through the air and attack enemies from above by dropping Deku Nuts. He is also capable of skipping on the surface of bodies of water for awhile, though he will eventually sink, and after he is imbued with fairy magic, he can fire bubbles of magic through his mouth.
There are four types of Deku depicted in the series: 'Deku Scrubs', 'Mad Scrubs', 'Business Scrubs' and 'Royal Scrubs'.
'Deku Scrubs' have green leaves and are the most common type of Deku. They often spout useful information when caught.
'Mad Scrubs' have red and yellow leaves and are not known to talk. As their name suggests, they tend to be the most violent type of Scrub. In ''Ocarina of Time'', they will attack with Deku Nuts, unprovoked, even from a distance. Once struck, a Mad Scrub is ejected from its Deku Flower, and will flee without counterattack until it finds another burrow in which to hide. Mad Scrubs will sink in water, and can apparently breathe under water as well, although they become immobilized.
'Business Scrubs' are seemingly more intelligent than most Deku Scrubs, as is evident by the fact that they have entered the world of commerce. They sport rounder bodies and longer legs than their cousins, and their leaves are green. They generally offer to sell their wares and services when approached or forcibly coerced into vending.
'Royal Scrubs' have larger heads, bigger eyes, smaller mouths, and some even have arms and legs. The leaves that make up their hair are sparser and resemble a topknot, and they also have extra leaves covering their body, similar to a robe.
In general, Deku are rather territorial, pelting those who approach their hiding places with Deku Nuts. They are typically cowardly creatures, and will hide or run from any potential threat that is not halted by their nut-spitting defenses. They typically reside in 'Deku Flowers', from which they may emerge from time to time. Business Scrubs in ''Majora's Mask'' hold property title's for their Deku Flowers, showing that these act as long term homes to the Deku that own them.
In ''Ocarina of Time'', the few Deku Scrubs within the Great Deku Tree seem to follow Queen Gohma[2], who is sent as a curse by Ganondorf to destroy the tree. A mini-boss in the tree also consists of the "Deku Scrub Brothers", three Dekus who have to be struck in a certain order to be defeated.[3]
The world of Termina is host to a tribe of Deku Scrubs, whose affairs are concerned with the nearby Woodfall Temple. These Deku demonstrate a form of government, with a "Deku King" that presumably rules over all other Deku in the land of Termina. Deku society is depicted similarly to that of the Zora, bearing a Royal family and its subjects. In Deku form, Link converses more openly with them, showing these Deku Scrubs to be quite intelligent. The Deku Scrubs of Termina are shown to be quite reclusive, believing themselves to be superior to other races. They are intolerant of outsiders.[4] Terminan Deku Scrubs traditionally play large Deku Pipes for use in ceremonies. In ''Majora's Mask'', the Deku Princess is said to have used the pipes to gain access to Woodfall Temple. Link himself plays the Deku pipes in place of his ocarina when in Deku form.
The Deku Scrubs in '' live in the Lost Woods because of the shade it provides. They serve Ganon in his attempts to conquer Hyrule both because he revived them from some kind of slumber, and because he has promised to reward them by covering the world in forest, thus allowing the Deku Scrubs to travel anywhere.
★
★
★
★
'Fairies' are a magical and benevolent race, introduced in ''The Legend of Zelda''. They appear in every game, always aiding Link in his quest in some way. Fairies appear as small human-like creatures with wings, sometimes obscured by emitted light. They can be found in many places, but usually reside in a Fairy Fountain or Fairy Spring, sometimes under the protection of a Great Fairy. These Fairies from the fountains will heal Link when he approaches and Link can put them in Bottles for later use. If Link dies whilst carrying a bottled Fairy with him, it will revive him. There are four different kinds of Fairies: Healing Fairies, Guardian Fairies, Stray Fairies, and Great Fairies. In ''Four Swords Adventures'', they are called 'Force Fairies'.
In ''Ocarina of Time'', there are 'Guardian Fairies' who guard the Kokiri and give them advice. One of these, Navi, is a main character in ''Ocarina of Time'', and serves as Link's guardian fairy from the start of the game onwards.
The physical appearance of Fairies tends to change between games. In the early games and ''The Wind Waker'', they are small young girls with wings and wands, while in later games they emit a light that is so bright that the body of the Fairy can not be seen and the Fairy tends to look like a ball of colored light with four wings protruding out of the range of the light. The light the Fairy gives off differs and sometimes changes as an emotional reaction. However, some Fairies do not give off light at all.
In the non-canonical animated series, the Fairies seem to have established a kingdom and have a king, Oberon, based on the King of the Fairies in William Shakespeare's ''A Midsummer Night's Dream'' as well as other legends. He has a daughter named Sprite, but his wife does not appear.
★ 'Venus, Queen of Fairies'
★ 'The Great Fairies'
★ ''
★ ''
★ ''
★ ''
★ ''
★ ''
★ ''
The Fishmen are a race of blue fish with a human-like face. In '', they are responsible for giving Link information on the sector of the Great Sea he was in when he met one of them, and they would fill in the appropriate part of his map the first time he talked to them. They were apparently very skilled information-gatherers, as they seemed to know the King of Red Lions and were sometimes found giving him information.
After talking to Link the first time, the Fishmen will ask Link to ease their aching necks by shooting arrows at them. It is also implied by a certain Fishman and a figurine in the Nintendo Gallery that that Fishman had once dated the owner of the Windfall Island café.
★ ''
'Gorons' are a race of peaceful, mountain-dwelling rock-eaters who appear in '', '', '', '', '', '', '' and ''Phantom Hourglass''. The name "Goron" probably originates from the phrase "goron, goron", a Japanese onomatopoeia for the sound of a rolling rock.
Goron culture apparently revolves around brotherhood and strength. In '', Darunia refers to both the King of Hyrule[5] and Link[6] as "Sworn Brothers" and "Brothers", and in '', Gorons often call many other characters "Brother". Gorons show high regard for individuals who display great strength, and particularly enjoy matching their strength with others in sumo wrestling matches (as seen in ''). By beating an elder, Gor Coron, in a sumo wrestling contest (using the Iron Boots to even the playing field), Link demonstrates his strength and garners enough Goron respect to gain access to their mines.
While not all the games which feature Gorons include full tribes, those that do depict Goron polity as headed by a single patriarch, sometimes aided by one or more Goron Elders, who assume leadership of the tribe when the patriarch cannot. This suggests that Goron tribes are a gerontocracy.
At leisure, Gorons enjoy music and dance, rolling/racing[7], games[8], sumo wrestling, and bathing in hot springs. However, by the time of ''Twilight Princess'', sumo wrestling is losing its popularity with younger Gorons.[9].
Gorons have been known to take on a wide range of occupations, including craftsmithing, blacksmithing, sculpting, demolition, and merchantry. In ''The Wind Waker'', there are three wandering merchant characters who are quite clearly Gorons, although it is never explicitly made clear, and In ''Twilight Princess'', several Gorons set up shop in Kakariko Village and Hyrule Castle Town.[10] The Gorons in ''Twilight Princess'' also have a regular trade with Kakariko Village, though this trade is suspended during the incident with and the Fused Shadow. They have also constructed a large mining complex within Death Mountain, the Goron Mines, so as to accumulate goods for this trade. The complexity of the mine suggests that Gorons have excellent knowledge of mechanics, for it contains both elevators and magnetic cranes.
In basic appearance, Gorons are humanoids of a generally beige hue, whose long arms, short legs, hulking shoulders, and virtually undetectable necks produce gorilla-like silhouettes. Gorons seen in the games have round, purple eyes as well as prominent, rotund bellies. Unlike humans, Gorons lack any observable form of external hearing organs; like reptiles, Gorons’ ears are simply holes at the sides of their heads. By adulthood, Gorons appear to gain rock-like protrusions on their backs as well as, apparently, in the place of where human hair would be on both their faces and, in ''Twilight Princess'', their arms. However, certain Goron patriarchs and elders seem to have actual hair growing on their faces and heads which, along with their nipples and bellybuttons, suggests that Gorons are mammalian.
Size is variable in the Goron world; while most Gorons are a bit larger than the average human in stature and mass, it is apparent that a few grow to exaggeratedly huge sizes, as seen in the case of Biggoron, who was several hundred times larger than others of his species, and his younger brother , who was smaller but still gigantic. Conversely, the Goron Elder is exceptionally small for his race.
Due to their enormous density, Gorons sink to the bottom of bodies of water and are thus helpless in such an environment[11]. However, it is shown in ''Twilight Princess'' that while Gorons do breathe[12], the act is not a necessity and therefore they cannot drown. Gorons are exceptionally resistant to heat, to the point of being able to walk through shallow lava. This is a valuable ability when searching for food inside mountains. Not surprisingly, they are uncomfortable under frigorific conditions[13].
Gorons maintain a strict diet of rocks and iron[14], [15]. It is mentioned in ''Twilight Princess'' that Gorons are in fact living rocks, which could explain most of their characteristics as well as Gibdos' lack of interest in them (as shown by Goron Link in ''Majora's Mask'').
The Goron ability to enter the fetal position appears to have assortment of purposes: resting, crushing obstacles, assaulting enemies, as well as transportation, for they can roll in this position and accelerate to great speeds. Gorons who are endowed with fairy magic can grow stone spikes while rolling[16], though this ability is evidenced only by Goron Link. This curled-up position also creates a strong impression of a rock; therefore, it may also serve as Goron form of camouflage.
Gorons are obviously capable of reproduction as Darunia produces an offspring in ''Ocarina of Time'', but how this comes about is unclear. Since Gorons referred to in the third person in in-game dialogues are mentioned through masculine pronouns, it is safe to assume that all Gorons are either male or androgynous (and simply being referred to by the dominant gender pronoun). In ''Twilight Princess'', a Goron elder refers to a young woman as "brother", although still using feminine pronouns to refer to her, which demonstrates that while Gorons recognize fraternity in other races without regard to sex, they can distinguish gender nonetheless. Therefore, notions of sexual Goron reproduction are probably unlikely, unless they are hermaphroditic. Feminine-looking Gorons have been known to appear in ''The Legend of Zelda'' manga, but the manga are considered non-canonical.
★
★
★
★
★
★
★
★
★
★
★
The are a tribe of thieves from '', '', '', and ''. Their race consists almost entirely of women, but, according to information given in ''Ocarina of Time'', one man is born every hundred years, and is destined to become the king of the Gerudo tribe. Ganondorf, the main antagonist of the series, is a Gerudo and in ''Ocarina of Time'', he was that generation's sole male Gerudo and their king, and was worshipped like a god by his fellow Gerudo.[17] As there are generally only Gerudo women, the Gerudo often mate with Hylians.[18]
In ''Ocarina of Time'', the Gerudo live primarily near to the desert of Hyrule, which is referred to as the Haunted Wasteland and lies to the far west of Hyrule Castle. Their territory is marked with an intricately designed fortress, which is constantly guarded. In ''Four Swords Adventures'', they live in tents instead, in the Desert of Doubt.
Gerudo women are generally short-tempered and aggressive, willing to take on and capture any man trespassing on their ground. Though the Gerudo Desert exists in '', the Gerudo race (with the exception of Ganondorf) is absent. It is implied that Ganondorf had led them to establish dominion over the Sacred Realm[19], but they were apparently stopped. The Sages later tried to execute Ganondorf for his various crimes, but underestimated his power, foolishly bringing him to the Mirror Chamber where he was able to revitalize his power and escape, setting in motion the events of the game.
The Gerudo leaders wear much fancier clothing than normal Gerudo. Nabooru, their leader in ''Ocarina of Time'', wears a semi-revealing cloth around her chest with Gerudo art on it, a large ruby on her forehead, and large, pink, puffy pants with a ruby in the center of a "belt". Similar attire is found on Aveil in ''Majora's Mask''.
When Link sets sail in ''Phantom Hourglass'', he often spots a nearby ship with a Gerudo captain, who he eventually duels. An island in the game also serves as the home of a fortune-teller who appears to be a Gerudo.
★ 'Ganondorf'
★ 'Koume and Kotake'
★
★
'Humans' are rarely specifically mentioned in the series, but are nonetheless part of the ''Zelda'' universe. They seem biologically close to the Hylians, the only known physical difference being their ears, and often live with them in the same towns. Their numbers are not big in Hyrule and Termina, but they are the majority race in Holodrum and Labrynna.
In '', a settlement called is located south of Faron Woods. Except for Link, all of its inhabitants are generic humans. They are farmers and apparently quite successful, since products from Ordon Village can even be found in the most northern regions.
There are several instances within the series where other races may be referred to as "humans". In '', for example, all nearly-human races (including Link) within the game are called humans, and the same occurs within ''.
The are an elf-like[20] race of humans from the fictional world of Hyrule.[21]
The Hylia were the first race to establish organized civilization in ancient Hyrule, though in ''Twilight Princess'', the Oocca are said to have created them. Unlike several other races in the series, they tend to live in highly populated towns.
According to the original[22] '' instruction manual, Hylians were born with magic-infused blood, endowing them with psychic powers and skill in wizardry, while according to the Japanese manual, these powers are gifts from the gods. The manuals also claim that a Hylian's long, pointed ears (their only known physical difference from regular humans) allows him to hear messages from the gods.
In '', most Hylians seem to live within the fortified walls of Hyrule Castle Town or the small, neighboring Kakariko Village. Besides living in the marketplace, other citizens of the kingdom inhabit territory outside of the protected town.
★ 'Link'
★ 'Princess Zelda'
★ ''
★ 'Tingle'
'Sheikah' were an ancient clan of ninja-like warriors that swore to protect the Hylian Royal Family, and were often referred to as the "shadows" of the Hylians[23]. At the time of ''Ocarina of Time'', the only known surviving member of the tribe is Impa, Princess Zelda's nursemaid. Little is known of the tribe, but it has been implied that the Sheikah were incredibly agile and had magical prowess similar to Hylians.
From the few appearances the Sheikah have made in the series, we can assume that the Sheikah had red eyes, as both Impa in the ''Ocarina of Time'' and Zelda in her Sheikah guise do. Impaz from ''Twilight Princess'', who is implied to be a descendant of Impa from ''Ocarina of Time'', also has red eyes, though it is not explained whether or not she is truly a Sheikah.
★ 'Impa'
The 'Wind Tribe' is a group of humanoids who live inside the Tower of the Winds upon the Cloud Tops, as well as guarding the Palace of Winds in ''. They used to populate the Wind Ruins, but moved to the Cloud Tops to escape the problems growing on the surface. They claim to be very skilled in finding Kinstones, and in fact have more than they can deal with. They can use the wind to travel, not needing anything like the parachute Link needs, and also say that they use their power over the wind to support their tower. These people seem to have later been expelled by Vaati, since he is seen dwelling in the Palace of Winds in '' and ''.
'Keatons' are magical, yellow foxes with multiple, black-tipped tails, black-tipped ears, and slanted, closed eyes. Their design is based on that of the mythical kitsune. Keatons recognize each other by the sheen of their tails.[24]
Keatons first appear in ''. Link can participate in a sidequest which includes selling the "Keaton Mask", which displays a Keaton's face, to a soldier guarding the pass to . The guard claims that the mask is for his son and that the Keaton is "a popular character". Many media at first claimed that this was a reference to Pikachu, though this was never verified.
The Keaton Mask appears again in '', where it is used by to disguise himself. By helping Kafei with his troubles, Link can obtain the mask for himself, allowing him to use it to lure out a real Keaton that hides in various clumps of bushes. Though this Keaton laughs at Link for his feeble attempt to trick it, it challenges Link with a short quiz that, if answered correctly, will reward Link with valuable prizes.
In '', Keatons are bipedal, fox-like enemies that appear in yellow and violet hues. They attack by dashing at Link and using knives.
The 'Kokiri' are a humanoid fairy race in '' who inhabit the Kokiri Forest. Cautious, child-like, and secretive, they believe that they will die if they leave the forest,[25] this belief stopping most of them from ever doing so.
Though they resemble Hylian children, the Kokiri are ageless and never grow old. This idea could be influenced by the story of Peter Pan, as he never grew old and had a guardian fairy watching over him. Each Kokiri has a guardian fairy that plays the role of friend, parent, guardian, and teacher. They are watched over by the Great Deku Tree, and later , the Sage of Forest, but is their "boss". In the manga, it is claimed that Kokiri feed on the fruit of the forest.
The Kokiri were likely created by the Great Deku Tree. All Kokiri seen wear green tunics and have pointy ears, and the males wear green hats while the females have green headbands. There have been two records of Kokiri sages known to have aided the hero Link. The first is Saria, the Sage of Forest in ''Ocarina of Time'' and , the Sage of Wind in ''. Fado does not make an appearance in Kokiri Forest in '', but instead has a recycled name from another Kokiri who had the name first: a blonde, twin-bunned female on the large stump in the Kokiri Forest whose name isn't revealed in the game.
An interesting note is that all the given names of the Kokiri (excluding Saria, who was named after a town in '') are concatenated from two words from the solfege musical scale "do re mi fa so la ti do." E.g. Mido = Mi + Do, Fado = Fa + Do, etcetera.
It is suggested in ''The Wind Waker'' that the Kokiri have become the Koroks, due to statements by the Great Deku Tree[26] and Fado[27]. The words "Kokiri" and "Korok" are also very similar.
★
★
★
★
'Koroks' are a race from ''. They come from an area called the Forest Haven, but spend most of their lives away from it.
They have wooden-like bodies (somewhat similar to Deku Scrubs) and wear what look like masks made from various types of leaves. Koroks are very light, and can travel on the wind by using sprouts as propellers.
Most Koroks actually spend most of their lives far away from Forest Haven, planting the seeds of the Great Deku Tree; they only return to Forest Haven once a year, for an annual ceremony held when the Great Deku Tree bears seeds so they can take off again. They plant these seeds in the hope that a large forest will grow, helping to raise the land back above the Great Sea. The only Koroks that do not leave are Makar (who plays his violin at the ceremony) and Hollo (who studies potion-making and uses Boko Baba Seeds to concoct his brews).
In ''The Wind Waker'', The Great Deku Tree states that the Koroks once had different forms, and Makar (a Korok) is claimed by the Kokiri sage Fado to be his descendant (However, the Japanese version places "descendant" in the context of a successor of the line of Sages, rather than a true relative). This would strongly imply that they are a more natural manifestation of the Kokiri.
★
It is not clear whether the 'Merfolk' really exist. In '', Link met a Mermaid named Martha (located in Martha's bay). For returning her necklace, she gave him one of her scales, which could be used on a statue of a mermaid. However, it should be noted that ''Link's Awakening'' was a dream, and therefore, Martha is not real. Since it is unclear whether Koholint and its inhabitants are completely made up by the sleeping Wind Fish or rather are part of its memories, it is not certain whether they really exist. Merfolk don't appear in any other game, but they are referenced in the Mermaid's Suit item and Mermaid's Cave dungeon in ''.
★ 'Martha'
The 'Minish' are race of tiny, gnome-like creatures known to Hyruleans as 'Picori'. They appear in ''. They settled in Hyrule after they came from the Sacred Realm. Their Sacred Realm can be reached once a century, when a door within Hyrule Castle's courtyard opens. It is said that when monsters threatened mankind, the Minish gave a legendary sword and a golden light to a courageous man, now known as the Hero of Men, destined to ward off the monsters. They have faded into a Santa Claus-like myth over the past centuries, with parents telling children that they are only seen by good, well behaved children, and most adults doubting their existence. However, the Royal Family of Hyrule guards the secret that the Minish do exist, and that they have small societies all over Hyrule that are accessible via shrinking portals. Most of the Minish in Hyrule came from the first portal opening and seem uninterested in returning to their world. The Minish' goal is to please humans; hence they stay in Hyrule to help humans with day to day tasks such as shoe making and bread baking. It is also explained that the Minish place objects under rocks and weeds to "please people", which explains how the objects such as Rupees and items appeared under these objects during the series.
There are several different types of Minish, defined by where they live: 'Forest Minish', 'Town Minish', 'Mountain Minish' and 'Ancient Picori'.
'Forest Minish' are the most common type of Minish found in Hyrule. They delight in making humans happy by hiding helpful items and Rupees under grass and rocks all over Hyrule. They also harvest Pico Blooms and leave them where humans can find them (humans use the Pico Bloom's nectar to make Picolyte). Forest Minish often wear red caps and some Forest Minish appear to wear clothes made from grass & leaves, others do not. Some also appear to have feather-like tails.
'Town Minish' like humans so much that they moved from Minish Village into Hyrule Castle Town itself. They make their homes in the rafters and walls of buildings in the town. They try to make humans happy, though it sometimes backfires. Some even work alongside humans, usually without their knowledge, like in Rem's Shoe Store (a reference to the folkloric myth of small fairies or brownies helping cobblers in the night). In Wheaton & Pita Bakery, the Town Minish may be responsible for the Kinstones sometimes being found in the Bakery's pastries. Town Minish wear clothes made from fibers. Their clothes come in different colors, the most common of which is blue. Other colors include: Red, Brownish-green, & pink. The rarest color according to one Minish is yellow. Town Minish also don't seem to have a feather-like tail at all.
'Mountain Minish' live in Mount Crenel. There are seven Mountain Minish, excluding their leader Melari. These seven Minish are the students of Melari that followed him from their home in Minish Village to Mount Crenel so they could be closer to the iron ore they use in their metallurgy. As a result their lives revolve around mining ore & working with metal. They seem to wear eye-protectors and appear to be much stronger than other Minish. They seem to enjoy singing while they work.
'Ancient Picori' are the Minish that live in a world that exists outside the world of Hyrule. All the Minish that exist in Hyrule are descended from this group of Minish, as the Minish themselves are not of Hyrulean origin. These Minish were responsible for the creation of both the legendary Picori Blade & the Mythical Light Force. They seem extremely knowledgeable in magic and ways to combat evil. None of these Minish appear in ''. The ancestral Picori (Minish) are honored once a year in Hyrule during the Picori Festival.
★ 'Vaati'
★ ''
'Oocca' are creatures with yellowish Cucco-like bodies with pale-white, human-like heads. Oocca children look like human heads with wings in place of where the ears would be. They are introduced in ''.
The Oocca dwell in the City in the Sky, located in Hyrule's sky. However, the Oocca don't seem to maintain nor to have created the city for it doesn't seem to be designed for them (although, since they seem to walk on walls just as well as on the floor, this doesn't seem to pose a noticeable problem) and the Oocca could only return there with Link's help-or, more specifically, the broken-down cannon Link located and subsequently had repaired by Fyer. It is implied by in ''Twilight Princess'', that the Oocca were the "Sky People" who were the first race created by the Goddesses, and in turn created the Hylians. These Sky People also had good relations with the Hylian Royal Family, and had given the Family the Dominion Rod, which Ooccoo claims is the most advanced of their technology.
It is possible that they are not actually the Sky People, as Shad never actually describes their appearance or sees one face to face - the Oocca may merely be inhabiting the Sky People's home.
They may be inspired by the birds in the print ''Another World'' by M. C. Escher
★
★
'Rito' are a race of bird-like humanoids in ''. Their main dwelling is on Dragon Roost Island, where all known Rito live. A tribal elder acts as their leader, of who has numerous followers and elaborately dressed guards. It is implied that they are related to the Zoras of ''. Rito are adept flyers and are capable of great speeds. Full-grown Rito can even transport humans for a short time.
No Rito is born with wings. The Rito chick must journey to the tribes' guardian deity, the great dragon , to attain one of his scales which enables the Rito to grow wings. It is treated as a coming-of-age ceremony among the Rito to journey to the great Valoo to receive a scale.
Rito are viewed by outsiders quite dubiously. Some Rito have an inscrutable intolerance directed towards them. Still, Rito are widely accepted among Hyruleans as mail carriers, as only they can traverse the seas without the aid of cumbersome ships.
The Rito are somewhat similar to the Watarara race of the ''Zelda'' manga (which are considered non-canon). The Watarara had a similar gaining of wings past a certain age and the same chieftain leadership structure.
In ''The Wind Waker'', a Rito named Medli tells Link that the Rito were once without wings. It is also revealed in ''The Wind Waker'' that she is a descendant of the Zora sage Laruto. However, in the Japanese text of ''The Wind Waker'', "descendant" is not used in the context of a direct derivative.
The word "Rito" may be an anagram of "tori", the Japanese word for "bird".
★
★
★
'Skull Kids' are a race that appear in the Lost Woods in ''Ocarina of Time'', ''Majora's Mask'', and in the Sacred Grove in ''Twilight Princess''. They are suggested by [28][29] to be what Kokiri become if they get lost in the woods and can't get back out. She also describes them as "unhappy to have no face"[30]. However, Skull Kids are not the only possible example of creatures being warped by Kokiri Forest; according to a Kokiri that Link meets on one of his sidequests, Hyrulians become Stalfos when they get lost in the forest[31], and in ''Four Swords Adventures'', the Dekus claim that getting lost will turn someone into one of them. Both the Skull Kid in ''Majora's Mask'' and the one in ''Twilight Princess'' are described as "imps"[32]
The most significant Skull Kid is the from ''Majora's Mask'', who is possessed by the itself and is the friend of two Fairies named . This Skull Kid said that Link smells like the fairy boy who knew Saria's song in ''Ocarina of Time''[33], suggesting that he is one of the Skull Kids Link could meet in that game.
In ''Twilight Princess'', a Skull Kid is the guardian of the , and Link must play a game of hide-and-seek with it twice in order to advance in the game. The Skull Kid in this game bears a trumpet instead of a flute, and blows it to summon minions called Puppets, of which there seems to be an unlimited amount. The ''Twilight Princess'' Skull Kid also has a purple, leathery face, with red eyes and a scarecrow-like visage, while the ''Ocarina of Time'' and ''Majora's Mask'' Skull Kids have simple wooden faces with glowing yellow features that seem to be merely outlines.
★
★
'Subrosians' are a mysterious race from the subterranean world of Subrosia, featured in ''. They have large, glowing eyes, and always wear hooded cloaks, somewhat like Jawas. In Subrosia, their currency is "ore chunks" instead of Rupees. They are nearly impervious to heat, and can often be seen relaxing in lava pools. Subrosians also have a dance called the Subrosian Dance. If one does the Subrosian Dance well he can win many prizes such as a Boomerang and the Strange Flute. They find outsiders strange and sometimes do not even understand their logic.
The world of Subrosia is connected to the land of Holodrum through a number of vortex-looking ''portals''. The Temple of Seasons, which was thought to vanish when made it sink into the ground, was instead to be found in Subrosia. Link must return to this temple four times in order to complete the quest.
In Subrosia there is a Smithy where Subrosians combine Blue Ore and Red Ore to create Hard Ore, a rare raw material used to make special items such as an Iron Shield. The Subrosians supposedly reappear in ''Freshly-Picked Tingle's Rosy Rupeeland''.
★
The 'Tokay' are a race of lizard people who live on an island off the coast of Labrynna. The name 'Tokay' is derived from a species of gecko. They value possessions and are often quite deceitful.
Tokay steal the player's items when Link becomes shipwrecked on their island in ''. In order to retrieve his stolen items, Link plays minigames and trades with the Tokays. Because they have never been off Crescent Island, they think that outsiders are Tokay as well and refer to Link as a "Strange Tokay". The Tokay play a game called Wild Tokay, where one person throws chunks of meat to a number of passing Tokay. A prize is given to the player if he manages to throw meat to each of the Tokay.
'Twili' are descendants of a tribe of sorcerers that attempted to seize control of the Sacred Realm after the creation of the Triforce. They were seized by the three Goddesses, Din, Nayru, and Farore, with the aid of the , and banished to a limbo known as the Twilight Realm. This event is actually the first and ultimate reason that made the Gods seal the Triforce in the Sacred Realm so no evil would be able to cover the world with eternal darkness with use of the "ultimate power". Over a long period of time, the Twili have evolved from their original forms to a unique, black and white, gentle-looking race. Two major characters of ''Twilight Princess'', and , are members of this race. During Zant's quest for kingship, many of the Twili were transformed into monsters, leaving Link to revert those still capable of becoming Twili to their normal selves. In this form their skin is mostly black with markings on their bodies reminiscient of patterns seen in the Twilight Realm. Their faces, necks, and chests tend to be gray in a marked contrast to the rest of their bodies. The Twili have a stretched appearance, with long limbs, necks, and heads, and great variances in overall height and girth. It also appears that common Twili are incapable of speaking Hylian and appear to only be able to utter a moan when Link draws near.
★
★
The 'Yeti' are based off of the cryptid of the same name. They first appear in '' and appear again in ''Phantom Hourglass''.
Yetis are covered in white fur except on their faces, hands and feet, which are a bluish gray color on males and brown on females. Male Yeti are about twice the height of an average human and have a large, beaver-like tail. The males are very strong and can easily floor a Hyrulean. The only known female Yeti, named Yeta, is much closer to average Hyruleans in size but this could possibly be because she is rather young, implied by Midna referring to her as a girl as opposed to a woman. She has no tail or visible arms and her body is droopy, similar in appearance to a sweater, however Yeta could merely be wrapped in a blanket, as she is ill when Link first encounters her.
Yeti are fluent in Hylian. They are generally kindhearted and generous. Yeto and Yeta also claim to enjoy snowboarding down Snowpeak Mountain.
★
★
The 'Zora' are a race of aquatic humanoids which appear in ''The Legend of Zelda'', '', '', '', '', , '', '', '' and ''. In the earlier games, "Zolas" (female Zoras who chose lives of violence over loyalty to Hyrule[34]) were fire-spitting aquatic enemies. In '', Zoras were remade into a more intelligent, civilized race. '' is the only game to feature both types and introduced new terms to differentiate between them; fire-spitting Zolas were renamed "river Zoras" and humanoid Zoras were renamed "sea Zoras".
Zoras rely heavily on water and reflect this dependency in their culture. Zoras are mostly seen gracefully swimming about and frolicking in water, and Zora's Domain diving minigame in ''Ocarina of Time'' suggests that Zoras like diving in particular. Besides routine swimming and sports, Zoras also enjoy music (the stylings of "The Indigo-Gos, for example") [35].
Zoras resemble other marine creatures in their body structure. Most of them wear no clothes, but certain members of their species do wear clothing, or (as shown by the Zora guards in ''Twilight Princess'') a helmet that completely encases their head. They are generally covered in silver scales, which give them a pale blue sheen from a distance, and they have dark blue spots on their extremities. Where humans sometimes have long hair, average Zoras have rear-hanging caudal extensions of their heads shaped like the tails of dolphins, perhaps as a cephalized form of dorsal fin. These tails undulate periodically, which gives a Zora's head the unique semblance of a fish. In ''Twilight Princess'', the 'dorsal-like fins' appear to be much smaller. Zoras have two large ulnar fins located distally on their forearms, and some have smaller fins at their ankles. They are sometimes depicted as having webbed feet and hands. They lack ears in the traditional sense, but do have pronounced noses. In previous games in the series, Zoras had no visible gills, yet could breathe underwater, but in '', Zoras had gills on their abdomen, analogous to the placement of lungs on a human. As with Deku Scrubs and Gorons, Zoras who are important to the storyline are physically distinct from the general public.
The gender of common Zoras is not well defined in the video games, as their physical appearance is not wholly conclusive on the matter. and Lulu are notably female, having distinctly rounder body features and the fact that Lulu was married and Ruto wanted to be married to Link. The Zora Queen (Queen Rutela) in ''Twilight Princess'' is also female. Her appearance is different from that of Princess Ruto as she lacks Ruto's wide head and extra eyes. Her head and face are much more humanoid (her overall appearance seems to be based off that of mermaids), and she has what appear to be scale-like growths which give her the impression of having hair. She seems to have a distinct red coloration/aura, although she appears as a ghost and thus her coloration in life is not truly known. In ''Twilight Princess'', a Zora referred to as 'she' helps with the river boat-rental on the Zora River. This female Zora slightly appears to have a pinkish tint to her, perhaps to help clarify her gender. It is also noting that many of the Zoras encountered in ''Twilight Princess'' can be seen within a body of water, and their bodies emanate colorful glow, possibly a form of bioluminescence, that the Zoras on land do not show (this may also be the case with the female Zora that helps run the Zora River's boat rental). 'Laruto' the former Earth Sage in ''The Wind Waker'', who is also female isn't as noticeably female as Ruto or Rutela, though her dress indicates she is female. Many of the Zoras in ''Twilight Princess'' had female voice acting, though it was nondistinct. Also in ''Twilight Princess'' Prince Ralis is male and bears the same similarities to his fellow Zoras aside from being Zora royalty and thus having his own distinct appearance.
Certain other features of the Zoran anatomy are revealed when the player can inhabit the body of the Zora in ''. When Link assumes his streamlined Zoran form he can swim with great ease and agility, using his forearm fins to perform barrel rolls or to jump out of the water. Moreover, these fins are specialized for Link's fighting needs. They can grow larger to serve as sharp-edged weapons similar to swords, and even be projected as twin boomerangs; they retract again when not in use. Link's right fin also grows to become his shield when defending. Additionally, Zoras who possess magical power have the ability to create electric fields around their bodies as a defense mechanism when swimming, much like electric eels. This ability has only been seen/used in ''Majora's Mask''. All Zoras are powerful swimmers (in fact, powerful enough to swim up waterfalls).
It is also revealed in ''Majora's Mask'' that Zoras lay eggs to reproduce. Zora eggs need to be kept in cold, clean water in order to develop healthily, and every egg from the same clutch must be kept together in order for them to hatch. Newborn Zoras are tadpole-like with a circular body and a long, skinny tail ending in a fluke. There are occasions when Zoras fall in love with Hylians, as Ruto with Link, however it's unknown if Zoras can breed with Hylians.
Zora government is apparently monarchical, as illustrated by , the sole ruler of the Zoras in ''Ocarina of Time''; another King Zora in ''Oracle of Ages''; and , the deceased ruler of the Zoras in ''Twilight Princess''. Queen Rutela mentions that her husband, King Zora, died some time ago. River Zoras are also shown having a monarchical system, as King Zora from ''A Link to the Past'' was a river Zora. The Zora Royal Family is responsible for maintaining order among their people, overseeing care for Jabu-Jabu (in ''Ocarina of Time'' and ''Oracle of Ages''), and assuring that the waters upon which he and all creatures rely are clean and pure.
In ''Ocarina of Time'' and ''Oracle of Ages'', Zoras revere (known simply as Jabu-Jabu in ''Oracle of Ages''), a giant fishlike creature, as their guardian god[36][37]. As an expression of devotion to the patron god on behalf of all Zoras, attendants feed him with smaller fish and care for his well-being, which did in ''Ocarina of Time''.
★
★
★
★
★
★
★
★
★
★
★
The 'Zuna' are a green-skinned race that live near the Gerudo but deeper into the desert. They appear in ''. The name may be derived from "suna", the Japanese word for "sand". The Zuna's ancestors were the builders of the Pyramid and may be creators of the Trident of Power found inside the Pyramid. The inscription on the stone tablet behind the Trident shows that it was designed for evil purposes by an evil race. One of the maidens says to Link that a dark tribe tried to invade Hyrule, but were defeated and sealed inside the Dark Mirror, found inside the Temple of Darkness.
The Zunas' dress is quite different to that of the Gerudo: some of them wear white ankle-length cloaks and a white turban with a feather sticking out of the top. Others wear red ankle-length cloaks that cover their mouths and a red turban that has a red headdress hanging down from it. There is also a small white flower atop the red turban.
★ List of characters in The Legend of Zelda series
1. ''The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time'', 'Kokiri girl:' "That's because the Great Deku Tree is our father, the forest guardian, and he gave life to all us Kokiri!"
2. ''The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time'', 'Deku Scrub:' "In order to administer the coup de grace to Queen Gohma, strike with your sword while she's stunned. Oh, Queenie... Sorry about that!"
3. Deku Scrub Bros. at the Great Hyrule Encyclopedia
4. ''The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask'', 'Deku guard:' "This is the royal palace of the Deku Kingdom. This is no place for outsiders."
5. ''The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time'', 'Darunia:' "Has Darunia, the big boss of the Gorons, really lost so much status to be treated like this by his Sworn Brother, the King?"
6. ''The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time'', 'Darunia:' "How's about you and I become Sworn Brothers?!" [...] Brother! You'll keep brushing up on your skills as you travel, won't you? [...] Hey, everybody! Let's see off our Brother!"
7. ''The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time'', 'Goron:' “This wild rolling is the only way to relieve my stress!” […] “Let me express my joy with more wild rolling!”
8. ''The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Ages'', 'Goron': "We Gorons love games!"
9. ''The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess'', 'Goron:' “I suppose it is because young Gorons these days have no interest in old arts like sumo.”
10. ''The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess'', 'Goron:' “I sell stuff across from the bomb shop at night. I hope to see you there, Brother!”
11. ''The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask'', 'Darmani's memorial:' "Water is disastrous for Goron heroes, for they sink like stones and are rendered motionless in the deep. Beware."
12. ''The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess'', 'Goron:' “I am practicing holding my breath, so do not bother me, Brother! ...But no matter how much time passes, I never feel the need to inhale! It is strange...”
13. "http://www.nintendoland.com/zelda/oze/entry.php?id=64": “The Skull Kid torments them by bringing deadly winters in the middle of spring and nearly freezing the Gorons to death until Link saves them. That is one other thing the Gorons do not like- the cold.”
14. ''The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap'', 'Goron figurine:' "These rock- and iron-eaters once lived on Mount Crenel in Western Hyrule."
15. ''The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time'', 'Goron:' "You shouldn't be so picky about what you eat! Do you eat all of your green rocks? If you don't, you won't grow up big and strong!"
16. ''The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask'', 'Darmani's memorial:' "If Gorons who possess magic power roll swiftly enough, spikes will emerge from their bodies so that they may mow down enemies."
17. ''The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time'', 'Gossip Stone:' "They say that Gerudos worship Ganondorf almost like a god."
18. ''The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time'', 'Gossip Stone:' "They say that Gerudos sometimes come to Hyrule Castle Town to look for boyfriends."
19. ''The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess'', 'Sage:' “He was the leader of a band of thieves who invaded Hyrule in the hopes of establishing dominion over the Sacred Realm.”
20. http://zelda.com/universe/pedia/h.jsp
21. The games do not depict a race called "Elves" — Nintendo has only made this comparison in comment of the games.
22. The manual provided with the American remake of '' for the Game Boy Advance does not mention the Hylia at all, instead focusing on the history of the Triforce and the events immediately precipitating the game.
23. ''The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time'', 'old man:' "Have you heard the legend of the "Shadow Folk"? They are the Sheikah...the shadows of the Hylians. They say they swore allegiance to the King of Hyrule and guarded the Royal Family."
24. ''The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask'', 'Keaton:' "We Keatons can recognize our own by the sheen of our tails."
25. ''The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time'', 'Kokiri boy:' "The Great Deku Tree said that if a Kokiri leaves the woods, he or she will die!"
26. ''The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker'', 'Great Deku Tree:' "Once upon a time, long ago, the Koroks
took on human forms, but when they came to live on the sea, they took these shapes."
27. ''The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker'', 'Fado:' "Once you do, I'm certain the holder of the instrument will feel the blood of the sages awaken within his veins."
28. ''The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time'', 'Navi:' "Is this what happens to kids who wander into the forest? It looks like he doesn't like grownups."
29. ''The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time'', 'Navi:' Is this what happens to kids who get lost in the forest? He might be our friend if we do something...
30. ''The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time'', 'Navi:' Is this what happens to kids who get lost in this forest? He seems unhappy to have no face...
31. ''The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time'', 'Fado:' "Anybody who comes into the
forest will be lost. Everybody will become a Stalfos. Everybody, Stalfos."
32. ''The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask'', 'Happy Mask Salesman:' "During my travels, a very important mask was stolen from me by an imp in the woods."
33. ''The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask'', 'Skull Kid:' "Eh-hee-hee...You have the same smell as the fairy kid who taught me that song in the woods..."
34. http://www.zelda.com/universe/pedia/z.jsp: “Zola is the name given to any female Zora who turns against Hylians and chooses to live a life of violence. They normally hide underwater, then spit fireballs at anyone who walks by.”
35. http://www.zelda.com/universe/pedia/z.jsp: “Led by their King, the Zoras are peaceful creatures who enjoy music and sports.”
36. ''The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time'', 'King Zora:' “Our guardian god, Lord Jabu-Jabu, would never eat my dear Princess Ruto!”
37. ''The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Ages'', 'Zora:' "Huh? A big fish? Do you mean...Jabu-Jabu? But Jabu-Jabu is the guardian of us Zoras! Calling him a fish is an insult! Watch your language!"
''The Legend of Zelda'' series has a diverse range of 'races' living in the game's universe. Because of the mystery surrounding the series chronology, it is mostly unknown how the games connect together and which event takes place after another.
Deity
'Deities' are the most powerful and important creatures in the world of ''The Legend of Zelda'', and are noted for creating the world of Hyrule and all the realms it holds. In general, deities can be divided into 'Gods' and 'Spirits'.
Gods include the three "Golden Goddesses", Din, Nayru and Farore, who created Hyrule, its physics and its lifeforms. It is unknown where they came from or for how long they have existed. They are usually portrayed as three beautiful women with power nearing omnipotence, but they are sometimes represented differently. They are most often referred to as goddesses, though "gods" is also used, usually as a collective noun. Other gods and goddesses are mentioned within the games: ''Ocarina of Time'' sparingly refers to a "sand goddess" which the Gerudos revered, ''Majora's Mask'' describes the four giants as gods, as well as mentioning a "Goddess of Time" and ''The Wind Waker'' uses the title "Goddess of Fortune" to refer to a certain Great Fairy. Furthermore, in ''Twilight Princess'' the antagonist refers to Ganondorf as his god. This seems to imply that the title "god/goddess" is given due to power rather than due to a dogmatic pantheon. The Golden Goddesses seem to mostly withdraw themselves from Hyrule's affairs, only responding to prayers invoked by the Triforce or made by the sages. Some of their responses include flooding Hyrule and restoring the Master Sword.
Spirits may not be as powerful as the gods, but are still powerful enough to create and protect other creatures. For instance, it was the Great Deku Tree who created the Kokiri[1]. Unlike the goddesses, the Spirits live with the other races on earth, instead of watching them from a distance. They sometimes act as a leader or second leader for a population of their chosen race and are always treated with great respect. Some Spirits age and can be killed, though they will replace themselves.
Notable Gods
★ 'Din', the goddess of power and earth; one of the three creator goddesses.
★ 'Nayru', the goddess of wisdom and time; one of the three creator goddesses.
★ 'Farore', the goddess of courage and wind; one of the three creator goddesses.
★ '', the god of winds.
★ '', the god of cyclones.
★ 'Lord Jabu-Jabu', the guardian god of the Zora.
★ '', the four protective gods of Termina.
★ The 'Fierce Deity', depicted by the Fierce Deity Mask.
★ 'Ganon', the main antagonist of the series, who is commonly referred to by various others as the "King" or "God" of evil.
Notable Spirits
★ The four '' in '':
★
★ 'Ordona', the Light Spirit of Ordon Province.
★
★ 'Faron', the Light Spirit of Faron Province.
★
★ 'Eldin', the Light Spirit of Eldin Province.
★
★ 'Lanayru', the Light Spirit of Lanyaru Province.
★ The 'Great Deku Tree', the guardian of the Kokiri in '' and the Koroks in ''.
★ '', the dragon guardian god of the Rito in ''The Wind Waker''.
★ '', the guardian god of Greatfish Isle in ''The Wind Waker''.
★ ''
★ ''
★ ''
★ ''
Deku
The 'Deku' are a race of plant-like creatures introduced in ''. They appear mostly in the Overworld or dungeons throughout, as well as in '', , '', and ''. Their name is derived from , and they are named "Deku Nuts" in the Japanese games.
Deku are generally short and have leaves on their heads where humans would have hair. They often have red, glowing eyes, and their mouths are short, hollow tubes. Deku habitually shoot "Deku Nuts" out of their mouths to attack enemies, bearing some similarity to the rock-spitting Octoroks. Deku's bodies are comprised entirely of wood and leaves and they perish quickly if set on fire. Gibdo and ReDeads ignore Deku, perhaps because they lack meat. According to the Deku Scrubs in '', anyone who becomes lost in the Lost Woods will eventually turn into a Deku Scrub.
In ''Majora's Mask'', Deku Scrubs are sometimes seen flying by using large Samara-like leaves. Business Scrubs can fly using the leaves on their heads for indefinite periods. However, both modes of flight require takeoff from Deku Flowers. Link is able to use these Deku Flowers in ''Majora's Mask'', ''Oracle of Seasons'', and ''The Wind Waker'', though in ''Majora's Mask'' he must be in Deku form. The Deku Flowers in ''Majora's Mask'' come in pink and yellow — yellow Deku Flowers propel Link much higher and for longer than the pink. In ''Oracle of Seasons'', Deku Flowers are only active in the spring. Koroks in ''The Wind Waker'' use similar Samara-like leaves to fly across the Great Sea.
In '', Link is able to turn himself into a Deku Scrub. He is trapped in this form at the beginning of the game, though once he retrieves the Ocarina of Time, he can enter and exit the form at will. Link's Deku form has a number of useful abilities, such as a spinning attack which stuns or harms enemies, and the utilization of Deku Flowers, which allow him to hover through the air and attack enemies from above by dropping Deku Nuts. He is also capable of skipping on the surface of bodies of water for awhile, though he will eventually sink, and after he is imbued with fairy magic, he can fire bubbles of magic through his mouth.
There are four types of Deku depicted in the series: 'Deku Scrubs', 'Mad Scrubs', 'Business Scrubs' and 'Royal Scrubs'.
'Deku Scrubs' have green leaves and are the most common type of Deku. They often spout useful information when caught.
'Mad Scrubs' have red and yellow leaves and are not known to talk. As their name suggests, they tend to be the most violent type of Scrub. In ''Ocarina of Time'', they will attack with Deku Nuts, unprovoked, even from a distance. Once struck, a Mad Scrub is ejected from its Deku Flower, and will flee without counterattack until it finds another burrow in which to hide. Mad Scrubs will sink in water, and can apparently breathe under water as well, although they become immobilized.
'Business Scrubs' are seemingly more intelligent than most Deku Scrubs, as is evident by the fact that they have entered the world of commerce. They sport rounder bodies and longer legs than their cousins, and their leaves are green. They generally offer to sell their wares and services when approached or forcibly coerced into vending.
'Royal Scrubs' have larger heads, bigger eyes, smaller mouths, and some even have arms and legs. The leaves that make up their hair are sparser and resemble a topknot, and they also have extra leaves covering their body, similar to a robe.
In general, Deku are rather territorial, pelting those who approach their hiding places with Deku Nuts. They are typically cowardly creatures, and will hide or run from any potential threat that is not halted by their nut-spitting defenses. They typically reside in 'Deku Flowers', from which they may emerge from time to time. Business Scrubs in ''Majora's Mask'' hold property title's for their Deku Flowers, showing that these act as long term homes to the Deku that own them.
In ''Ocarina of Time'', the few Deku Scrubs within the Great Deku Tree seem to follow Queen Gohma[2], who is sent as a curse by Ganondorf to destroy the tree. A mini-boss in the tree also consists of the "Deku Scrub Brothers", three Dekus who have to be struck in a certain order to be defeated.[3]
The world of Termina is host to a tribe of Deku Scrubs, whose affairs are concerned with the nearby Woodfall Temple. These Deku demonstrate a form of government, with a "Deku King" that presumably rules over all other Deku in the land of Termina. Deku society is depicted similarly to that of the Zora, bearing a Royal family and its subjects. In Deku form, Link converses more openly with them, showing these Deku Scrubs to be quite intelligent. The Deku Scrubs of Termina are shown to be quite reclusive, believing themselves to be superior to other races. They are intolerant of outsiders.[4] Terminan Deku Scrubs traditionally play large Deku Pipes for use in ceremonies. In ''Majora's Mask'', the Deku Princess is said to have used the pipes to gain access to Woodfall Temple. Link himself plays the Deku pipes in place of his ocarina when in Deku form.
The Deku Scrubs in '' live in the Lost Woods because of the shade it provides. They serve Ganon in his attempts to conquer Hyrule both because he revived them from some kind of slumber, and because he has promised to reward them by covering the world in forest, thus allowing the Deku Scrubs to travel anywhere.
Notable Deku
★
★
★
★
Fairy
A Fairy, as they appear in ''Ocarina of Time'', ''Majora's Mask'', ''Twilight Princess and ''Phantom Hourglass''
'Fairies' are a magical and benevolent race, introduced in ''The Legend of Zelda''. They appear in every game, always aiding Link in his quest in some way. Fairies appear as small human-like creatures with wings, sometimes obscured by emitted light. They can be found in many places, but usually reside in a Fairy Fountain or Fairy Spring, sometimes under the protection of a Great Fairy. These Fairies from the fountains will heal Link when he approaches and Link can put them in Bottles for later use. If Link dies whilst carrying a bottled Fairy with him, it will revive him. There are four different kinds of Fairies: Healing Fairies, Guardian Fairies, Stray Fairies, and Great Fairies. In ''Four Swords Adventures'', they are called 'Force Fairies'.
In ''Ocarina of Time'', there are 'Guardian Fairies' who guard the Kokiri and give them advice. One of these, Navi, is a main character in ''Ocarina of Time'', and serves as Link's guardian fairy from the start of the game onwards.
The physical appearance of Fairies tends to change between games. In the early games and ''The Wind Waker'', they are small young girls with wings and wands, while in later games they emit a light that is so bright that the body of the Fairy can not be seen and the Fairy tends to look like a ball of colored light with four wings protruding out of the range of the light. The light the Fairy gives off differs and sometimes changes as an emotional reaction. However, some Fairies do not give off light at all.
In the non-canonical animated series, the Fairies seem to have established a kingdom and have a king, Oberon, based on the King of the Fairies in William Shakespeare's ''A Midsummer Night's Dream'' as well as other legends. He has a daughter named Sprite, but his wife does not appear.
Notable Fairies
★ 'Venus, Queen of Fairies'
★ 'The Great Fairies'
★ ''
★ ''
★ ''
★ ''
★ ''
★ ''
★ ''
Fishman
A fishman as portrayed in ''The Wind Waker''
The Fishmen are a race of blue fish with a human-like face. In '', they are responsible for giving Link information on the sector of the Great Sea he was in when he met one of them, and they would fill in the appropriate part of his map the first time he talked to them. They were apparently very skilled information-gatherers, as they seemed to know the King of Red Lions and were sometimes found giving him information.
After talking to Link the first time, the Fishmen will ask Link to ease their aching necks by shooting arrows at them. It is also implied by a certain Fishman and a figurine in the Nintendo Gallery that that Fishman had once dated the owner of the Windfall Island café.
Notable Fishmen
★ ''
Goron
'Gorons' are a race of peaceful, mountain-dwelling rock-eaters who appear in '', '', '', '', '', '', '' and ''Phantom Hourglass''. The name "Goron" probably originates from the phrase "goron, goron", a Japanese onomatopoeia for the sound of a rolling rock.
Goron culture apparently revolves around brotherhood and strength. In '', Darunia refers to both the King of Hyrule[5] and Link[6] as "Sworn Brothers" and "Brothers", and in '', Gorons often call many other characters "Brother". Gorons show high regard for individuals who display great strength, and particularly enjoy matching their strength with others in sumo wrestling matches (as seen in ''). By beating an elder, Gor Coron, in a sumo wrestling contest (using the Iron Boots to even the playing field), Link demonstrates his strength and garners enough Goron respect to gain access to their mines.
While not all the games which feature Gorons include full tribes, those that do depict Goron polity as headed by a single patriarch, sometimes aided by one or more Goron Elders, who assume leadership of the tribe when the patriarch cannot. This suggests that Goron tribes are a gerontocracy.
At leisure, Gorons enjoy music and dance, rolling/racing[7], games[8], sumo wrestling, and bathing in hot springs. However, by the time of ''Twilight Princess'', sumo wrestling is losing its popularity with younger Gorons.[9].
Gorons have been known to take on a wide range of occupations, including craftsmithing, blacksmithing, sculpting, demolition, and merchantry. In ''The Wind Waker'', there are three wandering merchant characters who are quite clearly Gorons, although it is never explicitly made clear, and In ''Twilight Princess'', several Gorons set up shop in Kakariko Village and Hyrule Castle Town.[10] The Gorons in ''Twilight Princess'' also have a regular trade with Kakariko Village, though this trade is suspended during the incident with and the Fused Shadow. They have also constructed a large mining complex within Death Mountain, the Goron Mines, so as to accumulate goods for this trade. The complexity of the mine suggests that Gorons have excellent knowledge of mechanics, for it contains both elevators and magnetic cranes.
In basic appearance, Gorons are humanoids of a generally beige hue, whose long arms, short legs, hulking shoulders, and virtually undetectable necks produce gorilla-like silhouettes. Gorons seen in the games have round, purple eyes as well as prominent, rotund bellies. Unlike humans, Gorons lack any observable form of external hearing organs; like reptiles, Gorons’ ears are simply holes at the sides of their heads. By adulthood, Gorons appear to gain rock-like protrusions on their backs as well as, apparently, in the place of where human hair would be on both their faces and, in ''Twilight Princess'', their arms. However, certain Goron patriarchs and elders seem to have actual hair growing on their faces and heads which, along with their nipples and bellybuttons, suggests that Gorons are mammalian.
Size is variable in the Goron world; while most Gorons are a bit larger than the average human in stature and mass, it is apparent that a few grow to exaggeratedly huge sizes, as seen in the case of Biggoron, who was several hundred times larger than others of his species, and his younger brother , who was smaller but still gigantic. Conversely, the Goron Elder is exceptionally small for his race.
Due to their enormous density, Gorons sink to the bottom of bodies of water and are thus helpless in such an environment[11]. However, it is shown in ''Twilight Princess'' that while Gorons do breathe[12], the act is not a necessity and therefore they cannot drown. Gorons are exceptionally resistant to heat, to the point of being able to walk through shallow lava. This is a valuable ability when searching for food inside mountains. Not surprisingly, they are uncomfortable under frigorific conditions[13].
Gorons maintain a strict diet of rocks and iron[14], [15]. It is mentioned in ''Twilight Princess'' that Gorons are in fact living rocks, which could explain most of their characteristics as well as Gibdos' lack of interest in them (as shown by Goron Link in ''Majora's Mask'').
The Goron ability to enter the fetal position appears to have assortment of purposes: resting, crushing obstacles, assaulting enemies, as well as transportation, for they can roll in this position and accelerate to great speeds. Gorons who are endowed with fairy magic can grow stone spikes while rolling[16], though this ability is evidenced only by Goron Link. This curled-up position also creates a strong impression of a rock; therefore, it may also serve as Goron form of camouflage.
Gorons are obviously capable of reproduction as Darunia produces an offspring in ''Ocarina of Time'', but how this comes about is unclear. Since Gorons referred to in the third person in in-game dialogues are mentioned through masculine pronouns, it is safe to assume that all Gorons are either male or androgynous (and simply being referred to by the dominant gender pronoun). In ''Twilight Princess'', a Goron elder refers to a young woman as "brother", although still using feminine pronouns to refer to her, which demonstrates that while Gorons recognize fraternity in other races without regard to sex, they can distinguish gender nonetheless. Therefore, notions of sexual Goron reproduction are probably unlikely, unless they are hermaphroditic. Feminine-looking Gorons have been known to appear in ''The Legend of Zelda'' manga, but the manga are considered non-canonical.
Notable Gorons
★
★
★
★
★
★
★
★
★
★
★
Human
Gerudo
The are a tribe of thieves from '', '', '', and ''. Their race consists almost entirely of women, but, according to information given in ''Ocarina of Time'', one man is born every hundred years, and is destined to become the king of the Gerudo tribe. Ganondorf, the main antagonist of the series, is a Gerudo and in ''Ocarina of Time'', he was that generation's sole male Gerudo and their king, and was worshipped like a god by his fellow Gerudo.[17] As there are generally only Gerudo women, the Gerudo often mate with Hylians.[18]
In ''Ocarina of Time'', the Gerudo live primarily near to the desert of Hyrule, which is referred to as the Haunted Wasteland and lies to the far west of Hyrule Castle. Their territory is marked with an intricately designed fortress, which is constantly guarded. In ''Four Swords Adventures'', they live in tents instead, in the Desert of Doubt.
Gerudo women are generally short-tempered and aggressive, willing to take on and capture any man trespassing on their ground. Though the Gerudo Desert exists in '', the Gerudo race (with the exception of Ganondorf) is absent. It is implied that Ganondorf had led them to establish dominion over the Sacred Realm[19], but they were apparently stopped. The Sages later tried to execute Ganondorf for his various crimes, but underestimated his power, foolishly bringing him to the Mirror Chamber where he was able to revitalize his power and escape, setting in motion the events of the game.
The Gerudo leaders wear much fancier clothing than normal Gerudo. Nabooru, their leader in ''Ocarina of Time'', wears a semi-revealing cloth around her chest with Gerudo art on it, a large ruby on her forehead, and large, pink, puffy pants with a ruby in the center of a "belt". Similar attire is found on Aveil in ''Majora's Mask''.
When Link sets sail in ''Phantom Hourglass'', he often spots a nearby ship with a Gerudo captain, who he eventually duels. An island in the game also serves as the home of a fortune-teller who appears to be a Gerudo.
Notable Gerudo
★ 'Ganondorf'
★ 'Koume and Kotake'
★
★
Human
'Humans' are rarely specifically mentioned in the series, but are nonetheless part of the ''Zelda'' universe. They seem biologically close to the Hylians, the only known physical difference being their ears, and often live with them in the same towns. Their numbers are not big in Hyrule and Termina, but they are the majority race in Holodrum and Labrynna.
In '', a settlement called is located south of Faron Woods. Except for Link, all of its inhabitants are generic humans. They are farmers and apparently quite successful, since products from Ordon Village can even be found in the most northern regions.
There are several instances within the series where other races may be referred to as "humans". In '', for example, all nearly-human races (including Link) within the game are called humans, and the same occurs within ''.
Hylia
The are an elf-like[20] race of humans from the fictional world of Hyrule.[21]
The Hylia were the first race to establish organized civilization in ancient Hyrule, though in ''Twilight Princess'', the Oocca are said to have created them. Unlike several other races in the series, they tend to live in highly populated towns.
According to the original[22] '' instruction manual, Hylians were born with magic-infused blood, endowing them with psychic powers and skill in wizardry, while according to the Japanese manual, these powers are gifts from the gods. The manuals also claim that a Hylian's long, pointed ears (their only known physical difference from regular humans) allows him to hear messages from the gods.
In '', most Hylians seem to live within the fortified walls of Hyrule Castle Town or the small, neighboring Kakariko Village. Besides living in the marketplace, other citizens of the kingdom inhabit territory outside of the protected town.
Notable Hylians
★ 'Link'
★ 'Princess Zelda'
★ ''
★ 'Tingle'
Sheikah
'Sheikah' were an ancient clan of ninja-like warriors that swore to protect the Hylian Royal Family, and were often referred to as the "shadows" of the Hylians[23]. At the time of ''Ocarina of Time'', the only known surviving member of the tribe is Impa, Princess Zelda's nursemaid. Little is known of the tribe, but it has been implied that the Sheikah were incredibly agile and had magical prowess similar to Hylians.
From the few appearances the Sheikah have made in the series, we can assume that the Sheikah had red eyes, as both Impa in the ''Ocarina of Time'' and Zelda in her Sheikah guise do. Impaz from ''Twilight Princess'', who is implied to be a descendant of Impa from ''Ocarina of Time'', also has red eyes, though it is not explained whether or not she is truly a Sheikah.
Notable Sheikah
★ 'Impa'
Wind Tribe
The 'Wind Tribe' is a group of humanoids who live inside the Tower of the Winds upon the Cloud Tops, as well as guarding the Palace of Winds in ''. They used to populate the Wind Ruins, but moved to the Cloud Tops to escape the problems growing on the surface. They claim to be very skilled in finding Kinstones, and in fact have more than they can deal with. They can use the wind to travel, not needing anything like the parachute Link needs, and also say that they use their power over the wind to support their tower. These people seem to have later been expelled by Vaati, since he is seen dwelling in the Palace of Winds in '' and ''.
Keaton
'Keatons' are magical, yellow foxes with multiple, black-tipped tails, black-tipped ears, and slanted, closed eyes. Their design is based on that of the mythical kitsune. Keatons recognize each other by the sheen of their tails.[24]
Keatons first appear in ''. Link can participate in a sidequest which includes selling the "Keaton Mask", which displays a Keaton's face, to a soldier guarding the pass to . The guard claims that the mask is for his son and that the Keaton is "a popular character". Many media at first claimed that this was a reference to Pikachu, though this was never verified.
The Keaton Mask appears again in '', where it is used by to disguise himself. By helping Kafei with his troubles, Link can obtain the mask for himself, allowing him to use it to lure out a real Keaton that hides in various clumps of bushes. Though this Keaton laughs at Link for his feeble attempt to trick it, it challenges Link with a short quiz that, if answered correctly, will reward Link with valuable prizes.
In '', Keatons are bipedal, fox-like enemies that appear in yellow and violet hues. They attack by dashing at Link and using knives.
Kokiri
Male Kokiri
The 'Kokiri' are a humanoid fairy race in '' who inhabit the Kokiri Forest. Cautious, child-like, and secretive, they believe that they will die if they leave the forest,[25] this belief stopping most of them from ever doing so.
Though they resemble Hylian children, the Kokiri are ageless and never grow old. This idea could be influenced by the story of Peter Pan, as he never grew old and had a guardian fairy watching over him. Each Kokiri has a guardian fairy that plays the role of friend, parent, guardian, and teacher. They are watched over by the Great Deku Tree, and later , the Sage of Forest, but is their "boss". In the manga, it is claimed that Kokiri feed on the fruit of the forest.
The Kokiri were likely created by the Great Deku Tree. All Kokiri seen wear green tunics and have pointy ears, and the males wear green hats while the females have green headbands. There have been two records of Kokiri sages known to have aided the hero Link. The first is Saria, the Sage of Forest in ''Ocarina of Time'' and , the Sage of Wind in ''. Fado does not make an appearance in Kokiri Forest in '', but instead has a recycled name from another Kokiri who had the name first: a blonde, twin-bunned female on the large stump in the Kokiri Forest whose name isn't revealed in the game.
An interesting note is that all the given names of the Kokiri (excluding Saria, who was named after a town in '') are concatenated from two words from the solfege musical scale "do re mi fa so la ti do." E.g. Mido = Mi + Do, Fado = Fa + Do, etcetera.
It is suggested in ''The Wind Waker'' that the Kokiri have become the Koroks, due to statements by the Great Deku Tree[26] and Fado[27]. The words "Kokiri" and "Korok" are also very similar.
Notable Kokiri
★
★
★
★
Korok
Koroks
'Koroks' are a race from ''. They come from an area called the Forest Haven, but spend most of their lives away from it.
They have wooden-like bodies (somewhat similar to Deku Scrubs) and wear what look like masks made from various types of leaves. Koroks are very light, and can travel on the wind by using sprouts as propellers.
Most Koroks actually spend most of their lives far away from Forest Haven, planting the seeds of the Great Deku Tree; they only return to Forest Haven once a year, for an annual ceremony held when the Great Deku Tree bears seeds so they can take off again. They plant these seeds in the hope that a large forest will grow, helping to raise the land back above the Great Sea. The only Koroks that do not leave are Makar (who plays his violin at the ceremony) and Hollo (who studies potion-making and uses Boko Baba Seeds to concoct his brews).
In ''The Wind Waker'', The Great Deku Tree states that the Koroks once had different forms, and Makar (a Korok) is claimed by the Kokiri sage Fado to be his descendant (However, the Japanese version places "descendant" in the context of a successor of the line of Sages, rather than a true relative). This would strongly imply that they are a more natural manifestation of the Kokiri.
Notable Koroks
★
Merfolk
It is not clear whether the 'Merfolk' really exist. In '', Link met a Mermaid named Martha (located in Martha's bay). For returning her necklace, she gave him one of her scales, which could be used on a statue of a mermaid. However, it should be noted that ''Link's Awakening'' was a dream, and therefore, Martha is not real. Since it is unclear whether Koholint and its inhabitants are completely made up by the sleeping Wind Fish or rather are part of its memories, it is not certain whether they really exist. Merfolk don't appear in any other game, but they are referenced in the Mermaid's Suit item and Mermaid's Cave dungeon in ''.
Notable Merfolk
★ 'Martha'
Minish
The 'Minish' are race of tiny, gnome-like creatures known to Hyruleans as 'Picori'. They appear in ''. They settled in Hyrule after they came from the Sacred Realm. Their Sacred Realm can be reached once a century, when a door within Hyrule Castle's courtyard opens. It is said that when monsters threatened mankind, the Minish gave a legendary sword and a golden light to a courageous man, now known as the Hero of Men, destined to ward off the monsters. They have faded into a Santa Claus-like myth over the past centuries, with parents telling children that they are only seen by good, well behaved children, and most adults doubting their existence. However, the Royal Family of Hyrule guards the secret that the Minish do exist, and that they have small societies all over Hyrule that are accessible via shrinking portals. Most of the Minish in Hyrule came from the first portal opening and seem uninterested in returning to their world. The Minish' goal is to please humans; hence they stay in Hyrule to help humans with day to day tasks such as shoe making and bread baking. It is also explained that the Minish place objects under rocks and weeds to "please people", which explains how the objects such as Rupees and items appeared under these objects during the series.
There are several different types of Minish, defined by where they live: 'Forest Minish', 'Town Minish', 'Mountain Minish' and 'Ancient Picori'.
'Forest Minish' are the most common type of Minish found in Hyrule. They delight in making humans happy by hiding helpful items and Rupees under grass and rocks all over Hyrule. They also harvest Pico Blooms and leave them where humans can find them (humans use the Pico Bloom's nectar to make Picolyte). Forest Minish often wear red caps and some Forest Minish appear to wear clothes made from grass & leaves, others do not. Some also appear to have feather-like tails.
'Town Minish' like humans so much that they moved from Minish Village into Hyrule Castle Town itself. They make their homes in the rafters and walls of buildings in the town. They try to make humans happy, though it sometimes backfires. Some even work alongside humans, usually without their knowledge, like in Rem's Shoe Store (a reference to the folkloric myth of small fairies or brownies helping cobblers in the night). In Wheaton & Pita Bakery, the Town Minish may be responsible for the Kinstones sometimes being found in the Bakery's pastries. Town Minish wear clothes made from fibers. Their clothes come in different colors, the most common of which is blue. Other colors include: Red, Brownish-green, & pink. The rarest color according to one Minish is yellow. Town Minish also don't seem to have a feather-like tail at all.
'Mountain Minish' live in Mount Crenel. There are seven Mountain Minish, excluding their leader Melari. These seven Minish are the students of Melari that followed him from their home in Minish Village to Mount Crenel so they could be closer to the iron ore they use in their metallurgy. As a result their lives revolve around mining ore & working with metal. They seem to wear eye-protectors and appear to be much stronger than other Minish. They seem to enjoy singing while they work.
'Ancient Picori' are the Minish that live in a world that exists outside the world of Hyrule. All the Minish that exist in Hyrule are descended from this group of Minish, as the Minish themselves are not of Hyrulean origin. These Minish were responsible for the creation of both the legendary Picori Blade & the Mythical Light Force. They seem extremely knowledgeable in magic and ways to combat evil. None of these Minish appear in ''. The ancestral Picori (Minish) are honored once a year in Hyrule during the Picori Festival.
Notable Minish
★ 'Vaati'
★ ''
Oocca
'Oocca' are creatures with yellowish Cucco-like bodies with pale-white, human-like heads. Oocca children look like human heads with wings in place of where the ears would be. They are introduced in ''.
The Oocca dwell in the City in the Sky, located in Hyrule's sky. However, the Oocca don't seem to maintain nor to have created the city for it doesn't seem to be designed for them (although, since they seem to walk on walls just as well as on the floor, this doesn't seem to pose a noticeable problem) and the Oocca could only return there with Link's help-or, more specifically, the broken-down cannon Link located and subsequently had repaired by Fyer. It is implied by in ''Twilight Princess'', that the Oocca were the "Sky People" who were the first race created by the Goddesses, and in turn created the Hylians. These Sky People also had good relations with the Hylian Royal Family, and had given the Family the Dominion Rod, which Ooccoo claims is the most advanced of their technology.
It is possible that they are not actually the Sky People, as Shad never actually describes their appearance or sees one face to face - the Oocca may merely be inhabiting the Sky People's home.
They may be inspired by the birds in the print ''Another World'' by M. C. Escher
Notable Oocca
★
★
Rito
Quill, an adult, male Rito
'Rito' are a race of bird-like humanoids in ''. Their main dwelling is on Dragon Roost Island, where all known Rito live. A tribal elder acts as their leader, of who has numerous followers and elaborately dressed guards. It is implied that they are related to the Zoras of ''. Rito are adept flyers and are capable of great speeds. Full-grown Rito can even transport humans for a short time.
No Rito is born with wings. The Rito chick must journey to the tribes' guardian deity, the great dragon , to attain one of his scales which enables the Rito to grow wings. It is treated as a coming-of-age ceremony among the Rito to journey to the great Valoo to receive a scale.
Rito are viewed by outsiders quite dubiously. Some Rito have an inscrutable intolerance directed towards them. Still, Rito are widely accepted among Hyruleans as mail carriers, as only they can traverse the seas without the aid of cumbersome ships.
The Rito are somewhat similar to the Watarara race of the ''Zelda'' manga (which are considered non-canon). The Watarara had a similar gaining of wings past a certain age and the same chieftain leadership structure.
In ''The Wind Waker'', a Rito named Medli tells Link that the Rito were once without wings. It is also revealed in ''The Wind Waker'' that she is a descendant of the Zora sage Laruto. However, in the Japanese text of ''The Wind Waker'', "descendant" is not used in the context of a direct derivative.
The word "Rito" may be an anagram of "tori", the Japanese word for "bird".
Notable Rito
★
★
★
Skull Kid
'Skull Kids' are a race that appear in the Lost Woods in ''Ocarina of Time'', ''Majora's Mask'', and in the Sacred Grove in ''Twilight Princess''. They are suggested by [28][29] to be what Kokiri become if they get lost in the woods and can't get back out. She also describes them as "unhappy to have no face"[30]. However, Skull Kids are not the only possible example of creatures being warped by Kokiri Forest; according to a Kokiri that Link meets on one of his sidequests, Hyrulians become Stalfos when they get lost in the forest[31], and in ''Four Swords Adventures'', the Dekus claim that getting lost will turn someone into one of them. Both the Skull Kid in ''Majora's Mask'' and the one in ''Twilight Princess'' are described as "imps"[32]
The most significant Skull Kid is the from ''Majora's Mask'', who is possessed by the itself and is the friend of two Fairies named . This Skull Kid said that Link smells like the fairy boy who knew Saria's song in ''Ocarina of Time''[33], suggesting that he is one of the Skull Kids Link could meet in that game.
In ''Twilight Princess'', a Skull Kid is the guardian of the , and Link must play a game of hide-and-seek with it twice in order to advance in the game. The Skull Kid in this game bears a trumpet instead of a flute, and blows it to summon minions called Puppets, of which there seems to be an unlimited amount. The ''Twilight Princess'' Skull Kid also has a purple, leathery face, with red eyes and a scarecrow-like visage, while the ''Ocarina of Time'' and ''Majora's Mask'' Skull Kids have simple wooden faces with glowing yellow features that seem to be merely outlines.
Notable Skull Kids
★
★
Subrosian
'Subrosians' are a mysterious race from the subterranean world of Subrosia, featured in ''. They have large, glowing eyes, and always wear hooded cloaks, somewhat like Jawas. In Subrosia, their currency is "ore chunks" instead of Rupees. They are nearly impervious to heat, and can often be seen relaxing in lava pools. Subrosians also have a dance called the Subrosian Dance. If one does the Subrosian Dance well he can win many prizes such as a Boomerang and the Strange Flute. They find outsiders strange and sometimes do not even understand their logic.
The world of Subrosia is connected to the land of Holodrum through a number of vortex-looking ''portals''. The Temple of Seasons, which was thought to vanish when made it sink into the ground, was instead to be found in Subrosia. Link must return to this temple four times in order to complete the quest.
In Subrosia there is a Smithy where Subrosians combine Blue Ore and Red Ore to create Hard Ore, a rare raw material used to make special items such as an Iron Shield. The Subrosians supposedly reappear in ''Freshly-Picked Tingle's Rosy Rupeeland''.
Notable Subrosians
★
Tokay
The 'Tokay' are a race of lizard people who live on an island off the coast of Labrynna. The name 'Tokay' is derived from a species of gecko. They value possessions and are often quite deceitful.
Tokay steal the player's items when Link becomes shipwrecked on their island in ''. In order to retrieve his stolen items, Link plays minigames and trades with the Tokays. Because they have never been off Crescent Island, they think that outsiders are Tokay as well and refer to Link as a "Strange Tokay". The Tokay play a game called Wild Tokay, where one person throws chunks of meat to a number of passing Tokay. A prize is given to the player if he manages to throw meat to each of the Tokay.
Twili
'Twili' are descendants of a tribe of sorcerers that attempted to seize control of the Sacred Realm after the creation of the Triforce. They were seized by the three Goddesses, Din, Nayru, and Farore, with the aid of the , and banished to a limbo known as the Twilight Realm. This event is actually the first and ultimate reason that made the Gods seal the Triforce in the Sacred Realm so no evil would be able to cover the world with eternal darkness with use of the "ultimate power". Over a long period of time, the Twili have evolved from their original forms to a unique, black and white, gentle-looking race. Two major characters of ''Twilight Princess'', and , are members of this race. During Zant's quest for kingship, many of the Twili were transformed into monsters, leaving Link to revert those still capable of becoming Twili to their normal selves. In this form their skin is mostly black with markings on their bodies reminiscient of patterns seen in the Twilight Realm. Their faces, necks, and chests tend to be gray in a marked contrast to the rest of their bodies. The Twili have a stretched appearance, with long limbs, necks, and heads, and great variances in overall height and girth. It also appears that common Twili are incapable of speaking Hylian and appear to only be able to utter a moan when Link draws near.
Notable Twili
★
★
Yeti
The 'Yeti' are based off of the cryptid of the same name. They first appear in '' and appear again in ''Phantom Hourglass''.
Yetis are covered in white fur except on their faces, hands and feet, which are a bluish gray color on males and brown on females. Male Yeti are about twice the height of an average human and have a large, beaver-like tail. The males are very strong and can easily floor a Hyrulean. The only known female Yeti, named Yeta, is much closer to average Hyruleans in size but this could possibly be because she is rather young, implied by Midna referring to her as a girl as opposed to a woman. She has no tail or visible arms and her body is droopy, similar in appearance to a sweater, however Yeta could merely be wrapped in a blanket, as she is ill when Link first encounters her.
Yeti are fluent in Hylian. They are generally kindhearted and generous. Yeto and Yeta also claim to enjoy snowboarding down Snowpeak Mountain.
Notable Yeti
★
★
Zora
A Zora, as depicted in ''Twilight Princess''.
The 'Zora' are a race of aquatic humanoids which appear in ''The Legend of Zelda'', '', '', '', '', , '', '', '' and ''. In the earlier games, "Zolas" (female Zoras who chose lives of violence over loyalty to Hyrule[34]) were fire-spitting aquatic enemies. In '', Zoras were remade into a more intelligent, civilized race. '' is the only game to feature both types and introduced new terms to differentiate between them; fire-spitting Zolas were renamed "river Zoras" and humanoid Zoras were renamed "sea Zoras".
Zoras rely heavily on water and reflect this dependency in their culture. Zoras are mostly seen gracefully swimming about and frolicking in water, and Zora's Domain diving minigame in ''Ocarina of Time'' suggests that Zoras like diving in particular. Besides routine swimming and sports, Zoras also enjoy music (the stylings of "The Indigo-Gos, for example") [35].
Zoras resemble other marine creatures in their body structure. Most of them wear no clothes, but certain members of their species do wear clothing, or (as shown by the Zora guards in ''Twilight Princess'') a helmet that completely encases their head. They are generally covered in silver scales, which give them a pale blue sheen from a distance, and they have dark blue spots on their extremities. Where humans sometimes have long hair, average Zoras have rear-hanging caudal extensions of their heads shaped like the tails of dolphins, perhaps as a cephalized form of dorsal fin. These tails undulate periodically, which gives a Zora's head the unique semblance of a fish. In ''Twilight Princess'', the 'dorsal-like fins' appear to be much smaller. Zoras have two large ulnar fins located distally on their forearms, and some have smaller fins at their ankles. They are sometimes depicted as having webbed feet and hands. They lack ears in the traditional sense, but do have pronounced noses. In previous games in the series, Zoras had no visible gills, yet could breathe underwater, but in '', Zoras had gills on their abdomen, analogous to the placement of lungs on a human. As with Deku Scrubs and Gorons, Zoras who are important to the storyline are physically distinct from the general public.
The gender of common Zoras is not well defined in the video games, as their physical appearance is not wholly conclusive on the matter. and Lulu are notably female, having distinctly rounder body features and the fact that Lulu was married and Ruto wanted to be married to Link. The Zora Queen (Queen Rutela) in ''Twilight Princess'' is also female. Her appearance is different from that of Princess Ruto as she lacks Ruto's wide head and extra eyes. Her head and face are much more humanoid (her overall appearance seems to be based off that of mermaids), and she has what appear to be scale-like growths which give her the impression of having hair. She seems to have a distinct red coloration/aura, although she appears as a ghost and thus her coloration in life is not truly known. In ''Twilight Princess'', a Zora referred to as 'she' helps with the river boat-rental on the Zora River. This female Zora slightly appears to have a pinkish tint to her, perhaps to help clarify her gender. It is also noting that many of the Zoras encountered in ''Twilight Princess'' can be seen within a body of water, and their bodies emanate colorful glow, possibly a form of bioluminescence, that the Zoras on land do not show (this may also be the case with the female Zora that helps run the Zora River's boat rental). 'Laruto' the former Earth Sage in ''The Wind Waker'', who is also female isn't as noticeably female as Ruto or Rutela, though her dress indicates she is female. Many of the Zoras in ''Twilight Princess'' had female voice acting, though it was nondistinct. Also in ''Twilight Princess'' Prince Ralis is male and bears the same similarities to his fellow Zoras aside from being Zora royalty and thus having his own distinct appearance.
Certain other features of the Zoran anatomy are revealed when the player can inhabit the body of the Zora in ''. When Link assumes his streamlined Zoran form he can swim with great ease and agility, using his forearm fins to perform barrel rolls or to jump out of the water. Moreover, these fins are specialized for Link's fighting needs. They can grow larger to serve as sharp-edged weapons similar to swords, and even be projected as twin boomerangs; they retract again when not in use. Link's right fin also grows to become his shield when defending. Additionally, Zoras who possess magical power have the ability to create electric fields around their bodies as a defense mechanism when swimming, much like electric eels. This ability has only been seen/used in ''Majora's Mask''. All Zoras are powerful swimmers (in fact, powerful enough to swim up waterfalls).
It is also revealed in ''Majora's Mask'' that Zoras lay eggs to reproduce. Zora eggs need to be kept in cold, clean water in order to develop healthily, and every egg from the same clutch must be kept together in order for them to hatch. Newborn Zoras are tadpole-like with a circular body and a long, skinny tail ending in a fluke. There are occasions when Zoras fall in love with Hylians, as Ruto with Link, however it's unknown if Zoras can breed with Hylians.
Zora government is apparently monarchical, as illustrated by , the sole ruler of the Zoras in ''Ocarina of Time''; another King Zora in ''Oracle of Ages''; and , the deceased ruler of the Zoras in ''Twilight Princess''. Queen Rutela mentions that her husband, King Zora, died some time ago. River Zoras are also shown having a monarchical system, as King Zora from ''A Link to the Past'' was a river Zora. The Zora Royal Family is responsible for maintaining order among their people, overseeing care for Jabu-Jabu (in ''Ocarina of Time'' and ''Oracle of Ages''), and assuring that the waters upon which he and all creatures rely are clean and pure.
In ''Ocarina of Time'' and ''Oracle of Ages'', Zoras revere (known simply as Jabu-Jabu in ''Oracle of Ages''), a giant fishlike creature, as their guardian god[36][37]. As an expression of devotion to the patron god on behalf of all Zoras, attendants feed him with smaller fish and care for his well-being, which did in ''Ocarina of Time''.
Notable Zoras
★
★
★
★
★
★
★
★
★
★
★
Zuna
The 'Zuna' are a green-skinned race that live near the Gerudo but deeper into the desert. They appear in ''. The name may be derived from "suna", the Japanese word for "sand". The Zuna's ancestors were the builders of the Pyramid and may be creators of the Trident of Power found inside the Pyramid. The inscription on the stone tablet behind the Trident shows that it was designed for evil purposes by an evil race. One of the maidens says to Link that a dark tribe tried to invade Hyrule, but were defeated and sealed inside the Dark Mirror, found inside the Temple of Darkness.
The Zunas' dress is quite different to that of the Gerudo: some of them wear white ankle-length cloaks and a white turban with a feather sticking out of the top. Others wear red ankle-length cloaks that cover their mouths and a red turban that has a red headdress hanging down from it. There is also a small white flower atop the red turban.
See also
★ List of characters in The Legend of Zelda series
References
1. ''The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time'', 'Kokiri girl:' "That's because the Great Deku Tree is our father, the forest guardian, and he gave life to all us Kokiri!"
2. ''The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time'', 'Deku Scrub:' "In order to administer the coup de grace to Queen Gohma, strike with your sword while she's stunned. Oh, Queenie... Sorry about that!"
3. Deku Scrub Bros. at the Great Hyrule Encyclopedia
4. ''The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask'', 'Deku guard:' "This is the royal palace of the Deku Kingdom. This is no place for outsiders."
5. ''The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time'', 'Darunia:' "Has Darunia, the big boss of the Gorons, really lost so much status to be treated like this by his Sworn Brother, the King?"
6. ''The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time'', 'Darunia:' "How's about you and I become Sworn Brothers?!" [...] Brother! You'll keep brushing up on your skills as you travel, won't you? [...] Hey, everybody! Let's see off our Brother!"
7. ''The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time'', 'Goron:' “This wild rolling is the only way to relieve my stress!” […] “Let me express my joy with more wild rolling!”
8. ''The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Ages'', 'Goron': "We Gorons love games!"
9. ''The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess'', 'Goron:' “I suppose it is because young Gorons these days have no interest in old arts like sumo.”
10. ''The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess'', 'Goron:' “I sell stuff across from the bomb shop at night. I hope to see you there, Brother!”
11. ''The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask'', 'Darmani's memorial:' "Water is disastrous for Goron heroes, for they sink like stones and are rendered motionless in the deep. Beware."
12. ''The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess'', 'Goron:' “I am practicing holding my breath, so do not bother me, Brother! ...But no matter how much time passes, I never feel the need to inhale! It is strange...”
13. "http://www.nintendoland.com/zelda/oze/entry.php?id=64": “The Skull Kid torments them by bringing deadly winters in the middle of spring and nearly freezing the Gorons to death until Link saves them. That is one other thing the Gorons do not like- the cold.”
14. ''The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap'', 'Goron figurine:' "These rock- and iron-eaters once lived on Mount Crenel in Western Hyrule."
15. ''The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time'', 'Goron:' "You shouldn't be so picky about what you eat! Do you eat all of your green rocks? If you don't, you won't grow up big and strong!"
16. ''The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask'', 'Darmani's memorial:' "If Gorons who possess magic power roll swiftly enough, spikes will emerge from their bodies so that they may mow down enemies."
17. ''The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time'', 'Gossip Stone:' "They say that Gerudos worship Ganondorf almost like a god."
18. ''The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time'', 'Gossip Stone:' "They say that Gerudos sometimes come to Hyrule Castle Town to look for boyfriends."
19. ''The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess'', 'Sage:' “He was the leader of a band of thieves who invaded Hyrule in the hopes of establishing dominion over the Sacred Realm.”
20. http://zelda.com/universe/pedia/h.jsp
21. The games do not depict a race called "Elves" — Nintendo has only made this comparison in comment of the games.
22. The manual provided with the American remake of '' for the Game Boy Advance does not mention the Hylia at all, instead focusing on the history of the Triforce and the events immediately precipitating the game.
23. ''The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time'', 'old man:' "Have you heard the legend of the "Shadow Folk"? They are the Sheikah...the shadows of the Hylians. They say they swore allegiance to the King of Hyrule and guarded the Royal Family."
24. ''The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask'', 'Keaton:' "We Keatons can recognize our own by the sheen of our tails."
25. ''The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time'', 'Kokiri boy:' "The Great Deku Tree said that if a Kokiri leaves the woods, he or she will die!"
26. ''The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker'', 'Great Deku Tree:' "Once upon a time, long ago, the Koroks
took on human forms, but when they came to live on the sea, they took these shapes."
27. ''The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker'', 'Fado:' "Once you do, I'm certain the holder of the instrument will feel the blood of the sages awaken within his veins."
28. ''The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time'', 'Navi:' "Is this what happens to kids who wander into the forest? It looks like he doesn't like grownups."
29. ''The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time'', 'Navi:' Is this what happens to kids who get lost in the forest? He might be our friend if we do something...
30. ''The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time'', 'Navi:' Is this what happens to kids who get lost in this forest? He seems unhappy to have no face...
31. ''The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time'', 'Fado:' "Anybody who comes into the
forest will be lost. Everybody will become a Stalfos. Everybody, Stalfos."
32. ''The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask'', 'Happy Mask Salesman:' "During my travels, a very important mask was stolen from me by an imp in the woods."
33. ''The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask'', 'Skull Kid:' "Eh-hee-hee...You have the same smell as the fairy kid who taught me that song in the woods..."
34. http://www.zelda.com/universe/pedia/z.jsp: “Zola is the name given to any female Zora who turns against Hylians and chooses to live a life of violence. They normally hide underwater, then spit fireballs at anyone who walks by.”
35. http://www.zelda.com/universe/pedia/z.jsp: “Led by their King, the Zoras are peaceful creatures who enjoy music and sports.”
36. ''The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time'', 'King Zora:' “Our guardian god, Lord Jabu-Jabu, would never eat my dear Princess Ruto!”
37. ''The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Ages'', 'Zora:' "Huh? A big fish? Do you mean...Jabu-Jabu? But Jabu-Jabu is the guardian of us Zoras! Calling him a fish is an insult! Watch your language!"
This article provided by Wikipedia. To edit the contents of this article, click here for original source.
psst.. try this: add to faves
