The Triforce Wielders Recurring: Goddesses and Allies, Villains and Enemies, Races Main Series: The Legend of Zelda, Zelda II: The Adventure Of Link, A Link to the Past, Link's Awakening, Ocarina of Time, Majora's Mask, Oracle games, Four Swords, The Wind Waker, Four Swords Adventures, The Minish Cap, Twilight Princess, Phantom Hourglass, Spirit Tracks, Skyward Sword, A Link Between Worlds, Tri Force Heroes, Breath of the Wild & Tears of the Kingdom Spin-Offs: Philips CD-i Games, Hyrule Warriors, Cadence of Hyrule, Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity
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Main Characters
Link
Despite Link's status as a Legacy Character, this is the exact same Link from the previous game. After defeating Ganon, he stays in Hyrule to help rebuild. On his sixteenth birthday, a strange mark appears on the back of his hand; when he shows it to Impa, she takes him to a locked room in the North Castle, where the mark in question causes the door to open. This leads to the explanation of the original Princess Zelda and her centuries of sleep. Link is then tasked with returning six crystals to six palaces in order to acquire the Triforce of Courage, which will enable him to awaken her.
- Ability Required to Proceed: Most of the items Link needs are for this and not helping him navigate dungeons and defeat the bosses. Some of the items Link can get are a Candle to see in the dark, a Hammer to break rocks and trees, a Cross to fight invisible enemies, Boots to walk on water, and a Glove to break blocks with his sword.
- The Ace: In the sequel, Link becomes a better swordsman, learns magic spells, finds more dungeons to conquer, helps more people, saves another Princess Zelda, obtains the Triforce of Courage, and then uses the completed Triforce to awaken Princess Zelda and bring peace to Hyrule.
- All-Loving Hero: Link is willing to help every person in need that he finds, even in the middle of his quest to recover the Triforce of Courage.
- Ambiguously Christian: He's the same Link from The Legend of Zelda, and thus still has the Christian imagery. His shield has a large Crucifix on it, he uses a cross to see invisible enemies, and learns a special swordsmanship technique from a knight in a church. Even more, one of his "magic spells" is actually represented with an image of him praying.
◊ - Anime Hair: He still has the same sideburns and outward bangs he had on the first game.
- The Archmage: Compare to the other Links that will follow him, this Link fits this trope best as he's the most magically adept of them all, knowing elemental magic, enhancing magic, transformation magic, and arcane magic.
- Attack Reflector: The Reflect Spell allows Link to reflect magical attacks with his shield.
- Badass Bookworm: He's the same Link from the previous game so he qualifies as this. In the sequel, Link has more variety in his sword attacks and can learn two sword techniques, master magic spells from old wise men, and still find the Palaces with little input while helping others.
- Bag of Spilling: This is the first Zelda sequel where you lose access to all of the items you obtained in the previous games.
- Birthmark of Destiny: He gets the symbol of the Triforce in his hand when he turns 16. This alerts Impa that Link is ready to reclaim the Triforce of Courage to awaken the sleeping Princess Zelda.
- Brainy Brunette: He is the same brown-haired Link from the first game, who earned the Triforce of Wisdom by finding hidden temples across Hyrule with little input. The sequel shows that Link is still as smart as ever in gathering information, finding dungeons, and learning new techniques.
- The Call Knows Where You Live: As soon as Link turns 16, he gets the Triforce symbol on his hand and tasked by Impa to awaken the sleeping Princess Zelda.
- The Champion: To the sleeping Princess Zelda.
- Charles Atlas Superpower: His constant fights against the army of Ganon made Link tougher as he levels up. He needs less sword strikes to kill enemies, can take more punishment before being taken down, and he can cast spells easier than before.
- Chekhov's Skill: Besides breaking rocks, Link’s Hammer can also break trees. This ability will be useful to find the town of New Kasuto.
- Chimney Entry: Link meets learns one of his sword techniques by using the Jump Spell to jump on the roof of a house and then enter through the chimney to talk with a sword master since his door was locked.
- The Chosen One: He is destined to obtain the Triforce of Courage and save Princess Zelda, thanks to the mark on his hand.
- Chronic Hero Syndrome: Link takes side quests helping many citizens of Hyrule when he's not looking for the Palaces. This works to his benefit as Link always gets a sword technique or spell that increases his fighting or survival potential, or he gets a new item that helps him to further advance around Hyrule.
- Clothes Make the Legend: He still wears the same green tunic and green cap he wore on the first game. And the Links from the other games will use their own versions of it.
- Color Motif: Green is the main color of his tunic and cap, symbolizing Link's desire to rebuild Hyrule.
- Combat Pragmatist: He will use magic to get an edge over his enemies. If that's not enough, he will run away rather than risk his life if he's outnumbered or outmatched.
- Continuing is Painful: Getting a Game Over at any point (with the exception of the Great Palace, which instead lets him start at the beginning of said dungeon) forces Link to start the game again from the Northern Palace and with zero experience, meaning that he has to travel all the way back to the previous point, gather the experience that he lost, and avoid dying again.
- Cool Sword: The Magical Sword that Link used to fight Ganon in the first game is one of the two permanently equipped items when fighting. It can shoot a Sword Beam when at full health and it can cast a fireball with the Fire Spell too. The cover art of the game also shows it as a beautiful sword decorated in jewels.
- Cosmic Keystone: He still has the Triforce of Wisdom and the Triforce of Power he obtained in the previous game. However, the sequel shows that Link was personally chosen to wield the Triforce of Courage. He obtains it by the end and completes the Triforce to awaken Princess Zelda.
- Crazy-Prepared: Unlike the previous game, where Link only had a shield, Link starts with the Magical Sword and Magical Shield. He also has the Triforce of Power and the Triforce of Wisdom with him in order to wake up Zelda after he collects the Triforce of Courage.
- Damage Reduction: The Shield Spell enhances Link's defense status to reduce the damage Link takes if an enemy bypasses his shield.
- Dangerous 16th Birthday: The moment Link turned sixteen, he embarks on a quest to save Princess Zelda while Ganon's minions hunt Link down so that Ganon can be revived with Link's blood. Great way to start a sixteenth birthday, eh?
- Death from Above: His downward thrust is jumping from above and then thrusting his sword down to his enemy's head.
- Department of Redundancy Department: The “Spell” spell is a curious example.
- Earn Your Happy Ending: After fighting the army of Ganon for the entire game, Link finally reclaims the Triforce of Courage and uses it to complete the Triforce. He then makes a wish to wake up Princess Zelda, getting a kiss for his efforts. The trope also applies for the "Hero Defeated" timeline as Ganon is Deader than Dead now that Link destroyed his army, Hyrule is on its way to recovery, and they have the Triforce again.
- Elemental Powers: He can throw fireballs with the Fire Spell and his Thunder Spell acts like a SmartBomb to destroy all enemies in a screen.
- Empowered Badass Normal: In the first game, Link had very limited access to some magical equipment, and mostly used his tools and wits to succeed. Now, he has direct access to powerful magic spells in addition to his sword and shield - which are also magical. These spells allow him to do things like double his jump height, reduce damage taken, reflect magical attacks, heal himself from injury, see invisible enemies, turn himself into a fairy, or blow up just about everything.
- Every 10,000 Points: After maxing out his levels, Link will get an extra life for every 9000 points he gets after that.
- Experienced Protagonist: He is the same Link who defeated Ganon in the previous game.
- Experience Points: He's the only Link in the main games who has them. Collecting them increases his ability to deal damage (Attack), resist it (Life) or cast more spells (Magic) in battle.
- Featureless Protagonist: He was initially intended as such to make the player better connect with the game by playing as him.
- Flaming Sword: He can cast the Fire Spell through the Magical Sword to throw fireballs at his enemies.
- Flight: Link can fly with the Fairy Spell, but only as long as he remains in that form.
- Forced Transformation: Link can invoke this on his enemies with Spell to turn them into blobs.
- Gender Bender: The Fairy spell turns Link into a fairy, with the implication that he is also turned into a female through the duration of the spell.
- Gotta Catch Them All: Inverted since Link is given six crystals that he needs to return to the palaces to be able to enter the final one.
- Healing Hands: The Healing Spell allows Link to heal himself from most, if not all, of the damage he received.
- Healing Potion: A side quest involves him delivering Water of Life for a sick child to learn the Fairy Spell.
- Heart Container: Link has to gather containers to increase his Life Meter as leveling up his “Life” only increases his defense to reduce damage. Likewise, he has to find Magic Containers as leveling up “Magic” only reduces the amount of magic needed to cast spells.
- Hearts Are Health: Subverted, despite being the same Link who created the trope. He has a more traditional Life Meter in this game.
- Heroes Prefer Swords: The Magical Sword that he used to fight Ganon is his main form of attack.
- Heroic Mime: Averted since this is the first Link who has dialogue. While the scenes are brief, it shows that he’s capable of speech.
- Heroic Spirit: This is what makes him worthy as The Chosen One for the Triforce of Courage. Ironically, despite being the first Link receiving the Triforce, he’s actually the last one in his timeline to earn it.
- Humble Hero: Despite defeating Ganon, Link is humble enough to recognize that he can improve his swordsmanship to take on his army and he's also willing to meet many wise men to teach him spells since he's new to learning how to use magic.
- Iconic Item: He earns the Triforce of Courage in this game, which becomes an important object for each Link in following games. His Magical Sword and Magical Shield also count as they are the only items Link has equipped throughout the whole game. The Magical Sword even appears in the cover art of the game.
- Iconic Outfit: He still wears the green outfit he wore in the previous game, which will become a trend in the future games to come.
- Ideal Hero: He saves this game's Princess Zelda out of altruism, as he's risking his life fighting the vengeful army of Ganon to awaken her despite not knowing the sleeping princess because it's the right thing to do. He also takes many detours on his main quest to help any citizen who needs help.
- Impaled with Extreme Prejudice: His sword techniques are an upward stab to kill airborne enemies from above and a jumping downward stab to kill earthbound enemies from above. He can also stab while ducking.
- Improbable Age: Besides defeating Ganon when he was 10, this Link takes it even further by becoming a One-Man Army that destroys the overlord's surviving army, masters advanced sword techniques and magic spells, awakens the sleeping Princess Zelda, and completes the Triforce at the age of 16.
- In a Single Bound: The Jump Spell allows Link to jump twice as far as he normally does.
- Incorruptible Pure Pureness: He proves he's worthy of the Triforce of Courage by defeating Link's Shadow in a duel, symbolizing Link overcoming his inner darkness to do what's right.
- Instant Expert: Besides the items he gets, Link is also a good learner. He masters the two sword techniques he's been taught and the many spells that he learns in a single lecture.
- Interchangeable Antimatter Key: As with the first game, the Magical Key fits this trope by virtue of being a Skeleton Key to any locked door. Unlike the first game, regular keys can’t open doors outside of their own palaces.
- Inverse Law of Utility and Lethality: The Thunder Spell allows Link to kill almost every enemy on the screen. However, it drains Link of most of his magic. Even when leveling his magic stat up to its peak, Link will still lose half of it. This becomes notable during the fight with Thunderbird where Link needs to use Thunder to make the boss vulnerable to his attacks.
- It Sucks to Be the Chosen One: Besides being tasked to rescue another Princess Zelda to find hidden Palaces, defeat monsters, and reclaim the Triforce of Courage, Link needs to avoid getting killed by the army of Ganon, who wants to avenge his death and use Link's blood to resurrect him. This all happens on his birthday.
- Jump Physics: He’s the first Link who has a jumping command button, which would not be repeated until Breath of the Wild many years later. While other Links can jump, they require special items to boost their agility or use specialized leaps and jumps.
- With the Jump spell, Link's jumping distance is increased to reach higher and farther places.
- Kid Hero: More like teenage hero, but still a youth.
- Kid Hero All Grown-Up: The art work shows how much Link has grown in the six year Time Skip between this game and the original game.
- Kill It with Fire: The Fire Spell allows Link to shoot fireballs from his sword if he’s incapable of using a Sword Beam to fight. It’s effective against enemies vulnerable to fire.
- Knight in Shining Armor: This Link is not a knight, but he fits the standards of one. He rescued Princess Zelda and saved Hyrule from Ganon in the first game, awakens another Princess Zelda in this game, and he also does many side quests to help others.
- Knightly Sword and Shield: The Magical Sword and the Magical Shield, the strongest offensive and defensive tools you had in the original game, are available from the start.
- Lady and Knight: The White Knight to this Zelda's Bright Lady.
- Legacy Character: He's the same Link who fought Ganon in the first game. However, in terms of storyline, most of the Links in the following games preceded him.
- Life Meter: His health is represented by a traditional segmented bar rather than the hearts he had on the previous game.
- Light Is Good: His scenes earning the Triforce of Courage and using the completed Triforce show Link being bathed in golden light.
- Living MacGuffin: One of the quest items Link has to get is a kidnapped child. Rescuing him and returning him back to town earns him the chance of learning the Reflect Spell.
- Magical Flutist: He gets a Flute and uses it twice in the story.
- Magic Knight: Link can utilize various sword techniques in addition to magic spells.
- Magic Music: One of the Palaces is unlocked by playing a song with the Flute.
- Mana Meter: Link has a Magic Meter that gets lowered every time he uses a spell.
- Mana Potion: Link can restore his magic with either a Blue Potion or a Red Potion. Blue Potion partially refills his magic. But the Red Potion completely fills it up.
- Master Swordsman: He has more variety in his moves since the first game. He can do sword slashes while jumping and ducking, and he can stab. It's also possible for Link to learn jumping stab moves upward and downwards by talking to the right people and doing the right quests.
- Meaningful Name: Being the same Link as the one in the first game, the meaning of his name is the same. Link was named as such because he was supposed to act as an avatar that linked the player to the game.
- Music Soothes the Savage Beast: Link can play the Flute to convince a monster to let him pass to an unexplored area of Hyrule.
- New Skill as Reward: Link needs to complete side quests to learn sword techniques or new spells to proceed with his adventure.
- Nice Guy: Takes the time to help the citizens of Hyrule in side quests despite his main mission. Even his main quest is quite noble; Hyrule isn't actually in any danger, yet he chooses to venture out and awaken the sleeping Zelda simply because it's the right thing to do.
- No-Nonsense Nemesis: Since his previous adventure, Link does not cut any corners, especially now that the stakes are higher. He actually learns magic spells, learns sword moves, brings only his strongest weapons from the last game, and even levels up from his constant fights.
- Nuclear Candle: The Candle allows Link to see in the dark by illuminating caves with its flames. It’s very useful as the caves are filled with monsters that will exploit Link’s blind spots if he does not have it with him.
- One-Man Army: More than any other canonical Link to date. This Link fights the remnants of Ganon's army and an utterly incredible amount of
insanely tough Mooks almost constantly until he defeats his own shadow at the end of the game. The only Link with a higher kill count would be the one from Hyrule Warriors, which is based on the gameplay of Dynasty Warriors (and isn't canon). - Only the Pure of Heart: This is what makes Link capable of using the Triforce as he's using it for a selfless wish: waking up Princess Zelda from a slumber forced upon her for centuries.
- Only the Worthy May Pass: The birthmark on his hand means that he's the only one worthy of recovering the Triforce of Courage.
- The Paladin: Since defeating Ganon, Link has developed his swordsmanship and he now has the ability to use magic without resorting to magical tools.
- Power Fist: The Handy Glove allows Link to break blocks with his sword.
- Power Up Letdown: The Magical Sword is not as strong as it was compared to the first game. Its Sword Beam no longer splits into four beams when hitting an enemy, it disappears after reaching a certain distance, and some enemies are immune to it.
- Random Effect Spell: The Spell Spell can transform enemies into Bots or reveal a hidden town that was rendered invisible. The effects depend on the situation.
- Reality Warper: Link can turn enemies into barely harmless threats or even reveal a magically hidden town using the Spell Spell.
- Real Men Love Jesus: He's a Bible-reading Christian who singlehandedly killed a Demon King at only ten years old and obliterated the remains of his dark army at sixteen.
- Red Is Heroic: His Shield Spell causes Link's tunic to turn red upon use, similar to the Red Ring in the original game.
- Reduced Mana Cost: Leveling up in Magic causes the amount of magic needed to cast Spells to lower, allowing Link to use them more frequently.
- Religious Bruiser: He had a Bible in the first game (also known as the Book of Magic due to translation), he has a cross in his Magical Shield and even has an actual Cross to See the Invisible in this game, and he also prays when casting spells. He's still a great swordsman and magic user who defeated Ganon by himself.
- Roofhopping: Link can do this by using the Jump Spell to jump high enough to reach the rooftops of any house when visiting towns. He needs to do this to pull a Chimney Entry to meet a sword master to teach him a new technique.
- Secondary Character Title: His name is mentioned after Zelda, but he is the main character of the story since the latter spends most of the story sleeping under a curse.
- See the Invisible: The Cross allows Link to see and fight invisible enemies.
- Shock and Awe: The Thunder Spell, which is the most powerful attack Link can make.
- Silent Protagonist: This is one of the few Zelda games to avert this. Upon finding a mirror, Link exclaims, "I found a mirror under the table."
- Skeleton Key: The Magical Key returns and is able to allow Link to open any locked door as in the original game, but it's only available late in the game.
- Smart Bomb: The Thunder Spell works like this, as it allows Link to destroy all of the enemies on the screen, except bosses, on command at the price of most of your magic. It's also a necessary first strike if you want to defeat Thunderbird.
- So Last Season: Most of his equipment from the previous game is useless now that Link can use magic and his martial prowess increased after the Time Skip between this game and the original one.
- Suddenly Voiced: Gets a few lines of dialogue in this game whereas in the previous one he said nothing.
- Super Drowning Skills: Trying to walk on a large body of water will cause Link to drown. (Not to be confused with swamp areas, where he just moves more slowly.) In fact, this even happens after he gets the boots that allow him to Walk on Water. There's only one area in the game that actually allows him to use the boots in a battle area.
- Sword Beam: Still retains the ability to throws beams from his sword.
- Sword Fight: Link engages into them with some enemies like the Iron Knuckle or some bosses like Link's Shadow.
- Targeted Human Sacrifice: Link is constantly hunted by the army of Ganon because they intend to kill him and use his blood on their leader’s ashes to resurrect him. Getting a Game Over shows the result.
- Taught by Experience: A justified example. This Link is the same one who defeated Ganon in the previous game, making him an Experienced Protagonist by the start of the sequel. He’s also fighting the remnants of his enemy’s army, essentially polishing his fighting skills.
- Teen Genius: He's 16 in the sequel compared to when he was 10 in the first game, but he's still as smart as before. He's a quick learner in swordsmanship and magic and he can find dungeons as efficiently as he did in the first game.
- Time to Unlock More True Potential: During his journey, Link finds sword masters and wise old men who teach him sword techniques and spells to better help him in his journey.
- Tricked-Out Shoes: His Boots allow him to Walk on Water in certain areas of Hyrule.
- Video-Game Lives: Unlike the other Links from the following games, this Link starts with multiple lives and can get more through dolls. However, losing all of his lives will earn a game over and force him to resume his journey again.
- Voluntary Shapeshifting: The Fairy spell allows Link to instantly transform into a fairy to fit into tight spaces.
- Walk on Water: The Boots allow Link to do this. They're needed to reach one of the palaces, and they also make it a good deal easier to return from the one they're in.
- Warrior Monk: Since he's the same exact person from the first game, he fits the Western variant of this trope.
- When All You Have Is a Hammer…: Unlike the other games in the series, Link doesn't obtain much in the way of weaponry. He doesn't need any. Instead, he uses the same sword and shield through the entire game.
Princess Zelda I
The Princess that Link rescues in this game has been asleep for centuries. She had been cursed by the evil wizard who wanted the Triforce at her brother's command. By breaking the curse on the palaces and retrieving the Triforce of Courage, Link rescues her.
- Adaptational Badass: In the Yuu Mishouzaki manga, Zelda I is said to have been the first in a long line of Zeldas to have fought Ganon.
- Expy: Her entire role in the plot is lifted straight from Sleeping Beauty, to the point some fans refer to her as Sleeping Zelda to distinguish her.
- Identical Ancestor: She has the exact same design as Princess Zelda from the first game, down to the curly brunette hairstyle and even the pink dress with ribbons.
- King in the Mountain: Zelda's sleeping body is sealed inside a temple that only opens when the Chosen One approaches. She awakens once the hero brings back the complete Triforce.
- Lady of War: According to Yuu Mishouzaki's manga, she was the first person to have ever fought Ganon.
- One-Steve Limit: Averted; this is a different Princess Zelda than the Princess Zelda in the first game, even though Link, Impa, and Ganon are the same characters. Although as something of a straight example, the Princess Zelda from the first game does not make an appearance anywhere in this game or in the manual. The manual averts further by mentioning that, after the spell was cast on Zelda, the Prince was so distraught at what happened that he decreed that every princess must be named Zelda in honor of his sister.
- Pimped-Out Dress: Her dress has enough trimmings to be pimped out, but is otherwise simple.
- Princesses Prefer Pink: Her dress is pink and adorned with bows.
- Really 700 Years Old: There were other Princess Zeldas before her, but she's the one indirectly responsible for the law requiring every princess to be named Zelda, as explained by the backstory. Hyrule Historia reveals that the events that led to the original Zelda being cursed to eternal slumber happened between A Link to the Past and the first two NES games. While that statement implies that there could have been only one Zelda (the first NES game), it is also possible there were many other Zeldas over the course of time since it is not stated how much time had passed between A Link to the Past and the first Zelda game.
- Sealed Good in a Can: Was put into a deep sleep for centuries inside a temple.
- Secret-Keeper: How she ended up in her predicament. When their father died, her brother inherited the throne and two-thirds of the Triforce, but the Triforce of Courage was sealed away. But before his death, the King told his daughter something, and she refused to tell her brother what it was. (Presumably it was the location of the missing Triforce, but we never find out for sure.) When she wouldn't reveal the secret, the Magician hit her with the curse.
- Smooch of Victory: It's implied that she gives Link one in the ending.
- Spirit Advisor: Appears as one in both the Daisuke Shigoto manga and the Yuu Mishouzaki manga. In the former she simply appears as a spirit of her body, while in the latter, she often takes the form of a terrier to accompany Link and her descendant.
Past Characters
The King of Hyrule
Centuries before the events of the original game, this ancestor of Princess Zelda was the ruler of Hyrule, and beloved by the people for being just and wise. In stark contrast to the Triforce mythos of the later games, the King held all three parts of the Triforce.note As he knew himself to be dying, he realized that his son should not inherit the entire Triforce. He therefore broke it apart, bequeathing only the Triforces of Wisdom and Power to his son, and concealing the Triforce of Courage in a hidden location until such time as a worthy hero would be born who could retrieve it. The secret of what he had done he disclosed only to his daughter, Princess Zelda.
- All There in the Manual: Most of the King's backstory and his actions are found there. He never appears in the game nor is he mentioned.
- The Beast Master: Created or handpicked the monsters in the Palaces to guard the Triforce of Courage. The manual even states that they are stronger then Ganon's remnant forces.
- Big Good: Ushered Hyrule into a golden age and was seen as a very benevolent king by many. He is one of the few characters in the series with enough power, wisdom, and courage to control the Triforce.
- Creepy Good: Not the King himself, but he uses scary monsters to guard his treasure.
- Expy: Has one in King Harkinian, from the animated adaptation, whose look was clearly inspired by this official art.
- No Name Given: Not even Hyrule Historia, the franchise's official history book, gives a name.
- Number Two: A Dwarfish Wizard guards the Triforce of Courage, and seems to create Link's Shadow as a final test for Link, so it's implied he was guarding the Triforce of Courage in the King's absence.
- Only the Worthy May Pass: He assigned monsters as guardians for the Triforce of Courage to prevent evil forces from attaining it, and to make sure only a worthy hero could earn it.
- Posthumous Character: He's long gone before the first game even started.
- Royals Who Actually Do Something: Took action to prevent the Triforce from falling into the wrong hands.
- Summon Magic: The manual describes him as creating monsters to act as guardians.
The Prince of Hyrule
When his father died, the Prince was enraged that he could not inherit the entire Triforce. An evil wizard counseled him that Zelda knew where the Triforce of Courage was hidden. When she would not tell him, the wizard threatened to curse her, and made good on his promise.
- Adaptational Heroism: In Ran Maru's manga adaptation, he is unknowingly tricked by the Magician to interrogate Zelda for the whereabouts of the Triforce. When the Magician puts her under the curse, the Prince attempts to repremand him, only getting as far as injuring him with his sword.
- All There in the Manual: He never appears in the game. Justified, since he's been dead for at least a hundred years by the time the game takes place.
- Ambition Is Evil: He wanted the Triforce for himself so he could rule Hyrule and grew desperate enough to resort to evil methods to find it.
- I Will Punish Your Friend for Your Failure: This seems to be what's happening in the artwork pictured above, with the Prince whipping a servant while Zelda begs him to stop. The accompanying text mentions the Prince attempting to get Zelda to reveal the location of the Triforce Of Courage.
- My God, What Have I Done?: After the Magician curses Zelda into eternal slumber, the Prince repents and decrees that every princess must be named Zelda in honor of his sister.
- Nice Job Breaking It, Hero: Well, he wasn't really much of a good guy, anyway. However, you know that wizard he hired to extract the secret of the Triforce from Zelda? Well, the Magician, according to the Hyrule Historia, was quite possibly an alter-ego of Ganon, or at the very least one of Ganon's minions, meaning the prince was most likely directly responsible for the events that happened in the first Zelda game.
- No Name Given: Like the King, the Prince has no name recorded.
- Posthumous Character: He's assumed to be dead long before this game.
- Royal Brat: He was the rightful heir and did become king after his father's death, but he was so much this trope that his father knew he didn't have the ability to wield the complete Triforce for good.
- Whip of Dominance: As shown in this piece of official art when he threatened Zelda.
- Would Hit a Girl: The official art shows him striking Zelda's attendant or an unfortunate citizen with a whip, while his sister tries to stop him.
The Magician
A court mage who was in the service of the Prince of Hyrule.
- Ambiguously Human: While the Magician might have been a Hylian mage, his bone-white skin and red eyes suggest otherwise. He could be considered a Wizzrobe of sorts, and supplementary materials hint that he might have been an avatar/bunshin of Ganon.
- Black Cloak: The manual depicts him wearing a dark, hooded cloak.
- Composite Character:
- In the Valiant Comic series, Ganon takes his place as the one who casts the sleeping spell on Zelda. He also wears a similar cloak to the Magician, albeit colored blue.
- In the Ran Maru manga, the Magician is the original version of Ganon, with the demon beast serving as The Heartless for him.
- Evil Mentor: He was the confidant of the Prince of Hyrule, and indulged his worst impulses.
- Greater-Scope Villain: He is responsible for casting the sleeping spell on Zelda, but he is already long dead.
- Laser-Guided Karma: The sleeping spell he cast on Zelda was seemingly so taxing that it killed him as soon as he completed it.
- Named by the Adaptation: In the Ran Maru manga, his original name is Ganon.
- No Name Given: He is only referred to in supplementary materials as the Magician.
Supporting Cast
Error
Error / "Eraa"
A minor NPC who appears in the town of Ruto with seemingly no purpose besides his signature line, "I AM ERROR." He later serves an actual purpose by giving you instructions on how to get to the Island Palace.
- Chekhov's Gunman: He's introduced as a random and seemingly unimportant NPC, but it later becomes necessary to seek him out in order to progress.
- Punny Name: He and his friend Bagu are named after programming errors and bugs. In Daisuke Shigoto's manga, he is shown debugging the game, and gets an error message.
- Welcome to Corneria: He only introduces himself over and over until you meet an NPC who asks you to meet with Error.
Bagu
"Bagu" / Bug
Error's friend, who lives near the town of Saria in the Moruge Forest.
- Adaptation Expansion: He has a major role in one story in the comic adaptation.
- Punny Name: His name is somewhat Lost in Translation, as its correct Romanization would be "Bug" to compliment Error's name.
Foes
The Palace Guardians
A group of monsters selected by the King to guard the Palaces that Link must enter. They are called Horsehead, Helmethead, Rebonack, Carock, Gooma, Barba, and Thunderbird.
Horsehead
A horse-headed warrior who fights Link with a heavy mace. Horsehead serves as the boss of the Parapa Palace.
- Attack Its Weak Point: Its only weak point is its head.
- Carry a Big Stick: Horsehead wields a spiked mace.
- Dub Name Change: In Japanese, Horsehead is known as Mazura (meaning "Horse-Face", a reference to one of the guardians of the underworld in Chinese mythology).
- Non-Human Head: It resembles an armored human with, as the name states, a horse's head.
- Recurring Boss: In the Japanese version, it's fought again as a miniboss in the Palace on the Sea.
Helmethead
A living suit of armor with a detachable head, fought as the boss of the Midoro Palace.
- Attack Its Weak Point: Its only weak point is its head.
- Dub Name Change: In Japanese, Helmethead is known as Jermafencer.
- Fireballs: It attacks by shooting fireballs from its face.
- Flunky Boss: After Helmethead's two helmets are knocked off, they become animate and fire laser bolts at Link.
- Recurring Boss: In the Japanese version, Helmethead reappears as the boss of the Palace on the Sea. In the international versions, Gooma is fought in its place.
Rebonack
An Iron Knuckle knight who attempts to ride Link down on his horse. Rebonack is fought as the boss of the Island Palace.
- Animated Armor: Iron Knuckles are already this, which is all the more obvious when the "horse" it rides is clearly just a set of equine armor floating a few feet off the ground.
- Bullfight Boss: In his battle's first phase, he attacks by retreating offscreen and then charging headlong at Link, attempting to skewer him on his lance or trample him with his horse.
- Degraded Boss: After featuring as the boss of the Island Palace, it's fought twice as a miniboss in the Three-Eye Rock Palace.
- Dub Name Change: In Japanese, he's known as Levoknuck (presumably "Levitating Knuckle", since his horse floats in the air).
- Hellish Horse: Rebonack rides a steel-covered horse in battle.
- Jousting Lance: Fitting his image as an armored, mounted knight, he fights with a tapered, tourney-type jousting lance.
- King Mook: He's essentially an extra-strong Iron Knuckle mounted on a horse, and turns into a largely regular one when his mount is disposed of. This is particularly evident when comparing their Japanese names, Rebonakku and Aian Nakku.
Carock
A giant Wizzrobe who attempts to strike down Link with magic bolts while warping around his room to avoid being hit himself. Carock serves as the boss of the Maze Island Palace.
- Crippling Overspecialization: Carock can only fire laser bolts. By standing in the corner and using the Reflect Spell, Link can defeat the wizard without receiving a scratch in return.
- In the Hood: His face is hidden in the shadows of a large, obscuring hood.
- King Mook: A shrouded wizard who warps around the room and throws magic bolts at Link, Carock is obviously a boss-level version of the Wizard enemies.
- Outside-the-Box Tactic: Carock is impossible to beat without the Reflect Spell, which can throw players for a loop since they're used to the whole swordfighting requirement of the game.
- Teleportation: Carock can quickly warp himself around the room he's fought in.
- Unwinnable by Design: Carock can only be damaged by using the Reflect spell to bounce his magic spells back at him. If you reach him without obtaining Reflect, you cannot win. Luckily, dying puts you in the room before the boss room so you're free to leave the temple and find the spell.
Gooma
A minotaur-like beast who fights with a ball-and-chain. Gooma is the boss of the Palace on the Sea.
- Attack Its Weak Point: Inverted. In the inverse of how most other bosses work, Gooma is vulnerable everywhere except its head.
- Epic Flail: Gooma's weapon of choice is a spiked ball that it sends flying at Link.
- King Mook: For the similarly named Gumas, being a giant-sized version of them fought as a boss.
- Our Minotaurs Are Different: Its artwork depicts it as a minotaur-like creature, with a burly humanoid torso and a fanged bull's head.
- Regional Bonus: Gooma is absent from the FDS version of the game; with a rematch against Helmethead in its place.
Barba
A serpentine dragon who fights Link in a room full of lava pits, rising out of the molten rock while keeping its vulnerable head above Link's reach. Barba is the boss of the Three-Eye Rock Palace.
- Attack Its Weak Point: Its only weak point is its head.
- Breath Weapon: It attacks by breathing fire.
- Dub Name Change: In Japanese, it's known as Volvagia. In Ocarina of Time, a similar (possibly the same) dragon named Volvagia appears, but retains their Japanese name.
- Our Dragons Are Different: A serpentine, fire-breathing reptile that guards a magical treasure in a dungeon. Notably, its original sprite depicts it very clearly as an Asian dragon, but its appearance was tweaked to be more similar to the European kind in western releases.
- Segmented Serpent: Its in-game sprite shows it with a body composed of several centipede-like segments, topped with a dragon head. In the official art, however, it's a regular serpent.
- Whack-a-Monster: It pops out of holes in the floor to spit fire at Link during its battle, and Link needs to stab it in the head on its way up or down.
Thunderbird
An artificial lifeform created by the King of Hyrule to protect the Triforce of Courage, Thunderbird fights Link as the boss of the Great Palace.
- Attack Its Weak Point: Its only weak point is its face, which is kept hidden and unreachable unless Link uses the Thunder spell.
- Adaptational Villainy: In the game, it was created by the King of Hyrule to guard the Triforce and does just that. In the Valiant Comics series, it's a flunky of Link's Shadow and helps him usurp the throne of the Kingdom of Calatia.
- Beast with a Human Face: It resembles an immense bird with a human face.
- Bioweapon Beast: It's described as an artificial lifeform created by the King of Hyrule to protect the final piece of the Triforce.
- Call a Pegasus a "Hippogriff": It has little resemblance to its namesake from Native American folklore.
- Fireballs: It attacks by shooting fireballs.
- King Mook: In appearance, it's a giant, flying variation of the Fokkeru birds that inhabit in the Great Palace.
- Outside-the-Box Tactic: Thunderbird is also impossible to beat without the Thunder Spell, since it will be invincible to sword strikes unless it is somehow weakened.
- Pre-Final Boss: It first appears to be the true final boss, being a boss battle against a powerful foe at the end of the last Palace. However, its fight is simply a prelude to the true final boss, Link's Shadow.
- Thunderbird: In name, at least. It's certainly avian, although with a human face, although it's weak to the Thunder spell rather than using lightning itself.
Link's Shadow
After Link defeats Thunderbird, he is faced with a final test when his own shadow springs to life and battles him as the toughest boss in the game.
- Adaptational Villainy: In the game, Link's Shadow's purpose is to fight Link, giving the hero a chance to prove that he is worthy to take the Triforce of Courage. Adaptations make him purposely evil.
- In the Valiant Comics series, he usurps Queen Seline and becomes The Caligula of Calatia.
- In the Yuu Mishouzaki manga, he's a temporary form taken by Ganon, who still plans on subjugating Hyrule.
- Adaptation Expansion: The Yuu Mishouzaki manga makes him into a form taken by Ganon until he is properly revived in the Great Temple. Even after Ganon transforms back into his true form, this form serves as the dark beast's core.
- The Blank: Probably due to the graphics, his in-game sprite is featureless.
- Composite Character: In the Yuu Mishouzaki manga, he is an incarnation of Ganon.
- Duel Boss: Fights Link one-on-one.
- Enemy Without: He is explicitly seen jumping out of Link.
- Evil Doppelgänger: To Link.
- Fearful Symmetry: One of his favorite combat tactics.
- Final Boss: Shadow Link is the very final opponent encountered in Zelda II and the "Hero Defeated" timeline, being fought in the room with the Triforce behind the Thunder Bird's room.
- Giant Space Flea from Nowhere: Nothing about Link's Shadow is ever mentioned or hinted, leaving many first-timers surprised when he popped out of Link. Some sources claim that this is Ganon's last-ditch attempt to resurrect, but it's hard to get any real or canon information. The most commonly believed origin story for him is that he's a prototype Dark Link.
- I Have Many Names: While he is officially called Link's Shadow, he's also been called Dark Link, Black Link, and Shadow Link. In the comic book, he is simply called "Shadow". In the Yuu Mishouzaki manga, he's also called Ganon.
- Mirror Boss: Link's Shadow can use the sword and shield in the same way Link can.
- Paint It Black: One of his artworks actually has colors, just a lot darker than Link's, and another depicts him completely gray with gold eyes, but his in-game sprite is fully black.
- Prophet Eyes: In one of his artworks for this game.
- Purple Is the New Black: When the final boss fight starts, the entire back wall of the room takes on a purple hue while the ceiling, floor, and Triforce pedestal all turn black.
- Supernatural Gold Eyes: In one of his artworks for this game.
- Unskilled, but Strong: He has decent speed, durability, and power, but lacks Link's sword techniques and magic spells.
Overworld Enemies
Ache and Acheman
Bats and bat-people who hang from cave ceilings and trees and swoop down at Link when he approaches them. Aches can also disguise themselves as regular people so as to spy for the monstrous forces, earning themselves the nickname of "Eyes of Ganon".
- Airborne Mook: Aches swoop around quickly and wildly, moving between the ceiling and Link in broad loops and making themselves difficult to hit.
- Ambushing Enemy: In Saria and Darunia Towns, some of the townspeople turn into Aches after you talk to them. These are fairly easy to avoid, though — just... don't talk to the random townspeople. They very rarely have anything interesting to say anyway.
- Bat Out of Hell: Aches are giant, aggressive bats, while Achemen are hostile humanoid bats.
- Bat People: Vires are large humanoid bats, with long legs and arms and a separate pair of wings.
- Breath Weapon: Achemen can spit fireballs.
- Fragile Flyer: Aches can only take on hit of damage before dying, but make up for this with speed and flight — they default to roosting on the ceiling well above Link's range and, when attacking, swoop down in rapid and erratic loops that make landing a hit on them rather difficult.
- Hitbox Dissonance: Achemen are always considered to be two blocks high even when in their one block bat form. If you take one out while it's still a bat, it'll explode as if it were a humanoid enemy.
- Humanshifting: Some Aches can transform into seemingly regular humans to spy for Ganon's forces.
- Token Heroic Orc: In Nabooru Town, there is a single red Ache that roosts on the ceiling of a building. It won't attack Link, but can be spoken to if the player jumps up to it. It won't say anything at first, but with persistence it will eventually give a hint towards the location of a heart container in the ocean.
Aruroda
One-eyed scorpions found in deserts, and which can shoot fireballs from their tails.
- Cyclops: They have a single giant eye that takes up the majority of their face.
- Fireballs: They can shoot fireballs from their stingers.
- Go for the Eye: Arurodas can only be harmed in their giant eyes, which they usually keep closed.
- Scary Scorpions: Arurodas are blue-colored scorpions with cyclopean eyes that shoot fireballs at Link from their tails. The eye is the weak point, but Link has to wait until it opens to hit it, or else his sword attacks will ricochet.
- Unreliable Illustrator: Their artwork depicts them with claws, which their in-game sprites lack.
Bago-Bago
Skeletal fish that lurk in rivers.
- Breath Weapon: The red Bago-Bago of the Great Palace spit fireballs at Link.
- Raising the Steaks: Bago-Bago are animated fish skeletons.
Bit and Bot
Bit, Bot, and Boss Bot
Simple hopping blobs. Bots are blue and found throughout the game map; a darker variant is also found in Palaces. Bits are red and much rarer, being only found in some areas around the North Palace and Death Mountain, and don't jump. A giant Boss Bot is also found in the Great Palace, and splits into five regular Bots when killed.
- Asteroids Monster: The Boss Bot in the final palace turns into several small Bots when killed.
- Blob Monster: They resemble simple blobs of blue or red jelly, and like most Blob Monsters in video games they're among the weakest foes encountered.
- Forced Transformation: The otherwise unnamed "Spells" will turn other monsters into weak Bots.
- The Goomba: They are simple Blob Monster mooks, very common and basic in their attack patterns, and likely the first enemies you meet.
- Mook Maker: Some dungeons contain statues that constantly drip blue drops, which turn into Bots when they strike the ground.
- Token Heroic Orc: Saria Town, there's a purple Bot found sleeping in Bagu's house, which doesn't attack. He's unresponsive to begin with, but, if Link keeps trying to talk to him, the Bot tells him where Bagu can be found.
Boon
Giant flies found across Eastern Hyrule, Boons attack by dropping boulders on Link's head.
- Big Creepy-Crawlies: They're flies large enough to fly while carrying around good-sized rocks.
- Bombardier Mook: Boons are giant flies that buzz along with rocks clutched in their legs. When Link comes along, they drop their loads in an attempt to hit him.
- Shown Their Work: Their artwork is very accurate to real fly anatomy, faithfully depicting traits that are often forgotten about or left out for the sake of visual streamlining such as their short front-facing antennae. The only real inaccuracy is the four pairs of wings — real flies have the second pair shrunken into minute balancing organs.
Deeler
Giant spiders that live in forests, Deelers lurk in the canopy in order to ambush passing travelers. Red ones simply move up and down, while blue ones will move across the ground to pursue Link.
- Ambushing Enemy: Deelers remain hidden in the canopy until travelers come close, and then quickly rappel down to attack.
- Giant Spider: They're spiders larger than Link, and attack by entangling people in their thrown webs.
- Projectile Webbing: Downplayed. Deelers don't shoot their webs per se, but rather toss them down from the tree canopy in order to ensnare victims and keep them immobile while the spider drops down to attack.
Geldarm
Centipede-like monsters that live in deserts, geldarms live in the sand and stick out vertically into the air, impeding Link's progress.
- Attack Its Weak Point: They can only be harmed by striking them in the head. This is complicated by the fact that, when active, they stand with their head well above Link's melee range. To take them out, the player must first strike them on their body, which will make them retreat into their burrows, and attack when the head is about to sink back underground.
- Big Creepy-Crawlies: They're centipedes considerably longer than Link is tall.
- Sand Worm: They're centipede-like creatures that emerge out of the sand in desert-based Random Encounters.
- Segmented Serpent: Their in-game sprite consists of a series of irregularly-shaped white segments topped by a pair of mandibles.
- Stationary Enemy: They extend and contract vertically when struck, but that's the extent of their movements. They act more as a roadblock with contact damage than anything else.
Geru
Lizard warriors armed with maces or spears. Orange and red Geru are found throughout the caves and forests of East Hyrule; blue ones instead inhabit areas like the graveyard and the Valley of Death.
- Bombardier Mook: A variant. Some Geru stand atop tall walls and throw boulders down towards Link. Due to how high up they are, they can only be harmed by using the Thunder spell; otherwise, Link can only try to dodge the rocks.
- Elite Mooks: Blue Geru have high health, a strong attack, and the ability to throw their weapons on top of that, making them among the toughest of the overworld roaming monsters.
- Invasion of the Baby Snatchers: A Geru kidnaps a child from Darunia Town, requiring Link to track it down and rescue the child.
- Lizard Folk: They're essentially upright lizards with armor and weapons.
- Shield-Bearing Mook: Geru carry shields that protect them from direct frontal attacks.
Girubokku
Giant eyes found flying around in dungeons.
- Airborne Mook: Girubokkus are slow, armored floating eyes that are invincible when their eyelids are closed.
- Exotic Eye Designs: Their artwork depicts them with two concentric irises.
- Faceless Eye: They're giant, floating eyeballs with no other attached anatomy besides eyelids.
- Go for the Eye: They can only be harmed by striking them in their eyes when these are open.
Moa
Flying eyeballs found in graveyards.
- Airborne Mook: Moas are ghostly flying eyeballs — the orange ones in palaces try to drop fireballs on Link, the outdoor types just try to fly into him.
- Bombardier Mook: Fiery Moas, a variant found in some palaces, don't attack directly, but instead fly at a steady height above Link's reach and drop fire behind them as they go. They can only be reached and taken out by using the Jump spell.
- Faceless Eye: Moas resemble flying eyeballs with no other appendages, trailing wisps of flame or ectoplasm.
- Invisible to Normals: The blue Moas are invisible until you get the Cross in the sixth dungeon.
- Ledge Bats: Their rapid and erratic flight, combined with the knockback all enemies possess and their tendency to appear in large swarms, makes them particularly adept at shoving Link off of ledges. This is particularly so in the Valley of Death, a prolonged pathway filled with lava pits and swarms of invisible ghostly eyeballs.
- Night of the Living Mooks: They're flame-shaped spirits that roam in graveyards, as well as the entrance of certain palaces. The orange Moas merely move back and forth in the rooms where they appear, while the red and blue Moas move with more accuracy and attempt to hit Link (if they succeed, they'll not only deplete part of his Life Meter but also some of his experience points). The Blue Moas are also invisible, thus requiring the power of the Cross (an item found in the Three-Eye Rock Palace) to be seen.
Moby
Large birds found in swamps. They fly around until Link comes into view and then try to dive-bomb him.
- Airborne Mook: Mobys are birds that swoop down out of the sky and beeline at Link once they reach his height.
- Feathered Fiend: Hostile eagle-like birds that attack Link on sight.
Octorok
These rock-throwing octopi continue to menace Link on his travels. They are mostly found in caves and tunnels.
- Funnel-Mouthed Cephalopod: Their sprite shows them with a projecting funnel mouth from which they spit their rocks.
- The Goomba: While a little more complex than their first game appearance, insofar as they can now jump, they remain one of the earliest and weakest enemies fought in the game, only providing a meaningful obstacle early on.
- Stationary Enemy: They jump in place when spitting rocks, but otherwise never move from their spots.
- Unreliable Illustrator: Their sprite shows them with a Funnel-Mouthed Cephalopod with a large "mouth" from which they spit rocks. Their artwork, however, depicts them as mouthless and throwing rocks with their tentacles.
Tektite
Hopping, armored, one-eyed spider-monsters.
- Eye Beams: A variant — they shoot fireballs from their eyes.
- Four-Legged Insect: Arachnid, in this case. Tektites have just four legs despite being loosely based on spiders.
- Kill It with Fire: The Fire spell is the only attack that will harm them.
- Oculothorax: Tektites are essentially armor-plated eyeballs with jointed legs.
- Took a Level in Badass: Particularly in the NES version. They were among the weakest enemies in first game to the point that even the blue version went down in one hit from the Sword. Here? They're invulnerable to everything except the Fire spell, can fire energy balls, and have a large hitbox that makes it hard to avoid taking damage from them.
Zora
Unlike their aquatic predecessors, these Zoras have abandoned the waters for drier habitats and are now mostly found in caves, deserts, and Maze Island. They also walk on all fours instead of going about on two legs.
- Basilisk and Cockatrice: The English translation refers to them as Basilisks.
- Breath Weapon: They spit balls of fire at Link.
- Ear Fins: They have large rayed fins where a human would have ears, as part of their fish person appearance.
- Fish People: They're monstrous, humanoid fishes with scaly skin and webbed fins instead of hair.
- Kill It with Fire: In the international release, the Fire spell is the only attack that will harm them. In the Japanese one, however, they take damage from all normal means.
- Unreliable Illustrator: Their sprites move on all fours. Their official artwork depicts them as bipeds instead.
Palace Enemies
Aneru
Eyeless snakes that live in the Palaces. Blue ones spit rocks, while red ones spit fire.
- Breath Weapon: Red Aneru spit fireballs at Link.
- Eyeless Face: An Aneru's face consists of a wide mouth and nothing else.
- Stationary Enemy: Some of them jump up and down in place, while others are entirely immobile. Either way, they never leave their spots and rely on their ranged attacks to damage Link.
Bubble
Bubble and Giant Bubble
Floating skulls found flying around most Palaces, Bubbles drain magic on contact with Link.
- Airborne Mook: Bubbles bounce around the screen in diagonals and take a ton of hits to kill.
- Asteroids Monster: The Giant Bubble in the final palace turns into two Bubbles when killed.
- Lord British Postulate: Bubbles are supposed to be invulnerable, but due to programming limitation are actually set to have 255 hit points before being defeated. If you have enough patience (or leveled up your sword enough) it can be done for a measly 50 experience.note
- Mana Burn: They drain magic from Link upon contact. Link has no items that are usable outside the overworld map, so all his abilities are spells that require mana to use. In addition, they do just enough damage that, if you have full life to use the sword beam, you can't anymore.
Doomknocker
Armored warriors who throw spiked maces at Link.- Dub Name Change: In Japanese they are called "Hell Guma".
- Precision-Guided Boomerang: Their spiked maces act like boomerangs when thrown, flying directly forward and then unerringly returning to their thrower.
Eagle Knight
Avian knights that live in the Great Palace, Eagle Knights attack with agile leaps and slashes.
- Bird People: Eagle Knights are male eagle knights with taloned arms instead of wings to wield their sword and shield.
- Boss in Mook Clothing: They require twitch reflexes both to survive their attacks and get past their shields, can cast sword beams at you, and they can leap over you as well. At full attack level, the red versions take two to three hits to kill and the blue ones five to six. They also end to appear in places where it is very difficult to run away from them.
- Meaningful Name: Their Japanese name, Fokka (pronounced PHOHK-kah), is based on the German word vogel (pronounced FO-gəl), meaning "bird".
- Sword Beam: Eagle Knights can project sword beams from their blades in the same manner as Link.
Iron Knuckles
Armored knights that patrol the Palaces.
- Non-Malicious Monster: Despite their hostility, they don't serve Ganon — they were placed in the Palaces by the King of Hyrule and charged with making sure that only the most worthy make it through. When they fight Link during his quest, it's as part of their mission of keeping away amateurs and the malicious.
- Shield-Bearing Mook: Iron Knuckles can raise their shields to block most of Link's attacks and can only be harmed from the front when these are lowered.
Mago
Hooded wizards who live in dungeons.
- Meaningful Name: "Mago" means "wizard" in Italian, Spanish and Portuguese.
- Playing with Fire: They attack by conjuring up a flame on the ground that moves rapidly towards Link.
- Sinister Schnoz: Their artwork gives them a huge, hooked green honker covered in warts, bringing to mind the nose of the classic Wicked Witch.
- Teleport Spam: They teleport quickly and often around their rooms when fought.
- Wicked Witch: Their artwork in particular strongly resembles this concept, as it depicts them as cackling, warty, green-skinned sorcerers with huge noses and claw-like fingernails.
Mau
Flying versions of the wolf-head statues found in Palaces.
- Breath Weapon: They spit blue fireballs at Link.
- Flying Face: They're flying wolf heads without the rest of the body attached.
- Unreliable Illustrator: Their in-game sprites are of flying dragon heads. Their artwork includes depictions both as that and as wolf heads instead.
Stalfos and Parutamu
Stalfos on the left, Parutamu on the right
Skeletal warriors who are among the retuning set of enemies, Stalfos have ditched one of their blades for a protective metal shield. They are found in the Parapa Palace, Midoro Palace and Palace on the Sea. A stronger variant, the Parutamu, wear horned helmets and are found in the Island Palace, Maze Island Palace and Three-Eye Rock Palace.
- Dem Bones: Skeletal warriors that endlessly patrol the game's dungeons.
- Horns of Villainy: The stronger variant, the Parutamu, wear helmets with large horns.
- Shield-Bearing Mook: Both kinds carry tall shields that protect their upper bodies, but not their legs, from Link's attacks. Parutamu also wear helmets that similarly protect their heads.
- Took a Level in Badass: Stalfos have gained some notable tricks since the first game. Their first incarnation is a simple low-level enemy with no special attacks or resistances; these ones have taken to using shields to block Link's attacks, and some will try to attack from hiding with a falling strike from above.
Soprano
Fire-breathing birds that live in the Great Palace.
- Bird People: Sopranos are the females of the Eagle Knights with actual wings instead of arms, as well as Non-Mammal Mammaries.
- Breath Weapon: They spit fireballs instead of swordfighting like their male counterparts.
- Non-Mammal Mammaries: Sopranos resemble giant eagles in everything except that they also have human breasts.
- You Don't Look Like You: One of the guides misinterpreted a Soprano's spitting graphic and drew the enemy as an insectoid alien.
Wizard
Hooded, teleporting spellcasters who live in the Maze Island Palace and Three-Eye Rock Palace.
- Creepy Cool Crosses: Their faces are covered by cross shapes woven into their robes.
- The Faceless: Their faces are completely concealed by their closed, all-covering hoods and robes.
- Suspiciously Similar Substitute: For all intents and purposes, they're the same thing as the Wizzrobes from the first game. The 2017 Encyclopedia claims that they were in fact Wizzrobes who were banished by the King of Hyrule.
- Teleport Spam: They teleport constantly and quickly, making it difficult to keep track of them.
Wosu
Sword-wielding canine warriors.
- Fragile Speedster: They move very quickly, but go down to a single slash of Link's sword no matter his current strength.
- Respawning Enemies: Wosu respawn endlessly, in a steady stream from offscreen. As a result, they don't drop any experience when killed to prevent infinite experience farming.
- Wolf Man: They resemble humanoid wolves — their artwork gives them digitigrade feet as well.
Ganon
Ganon
GAME OVER
RETURN OF GANON
RETURN OF GANON
The Evil Overlord who Link defeated in the first Legend of Zelda, he doesn't physically appear in this game, but his remaining minions are still around and need Link's blood to revive their vanquished master.
- Adaptation Expansion: Both manga adaptations manage to show him revived, by some way or another.
- In the Ran Maru manga, he is revived when the Magician uses Zelda's blood after she had been killed in battle. This same manga reveals that the Magician has Ganon as his alter-ego, before running him through and obtaining the whole Triforce. He serves as the True Final Boss, requiring Link to fight him outside of North Castle and trap him under a boulder.
- In the Yuu Mishouzaki manga, Ganon somehow survived the final battle from the previous manga, taking on the form of Link's Shadow. Link's Shadow is indeed fought, but after Zelda and Link return from returning the crystals to the temples. After Link defeats Link's Shadow, the Demon King challenges him in the Great Temple, which here is a portal to Hell. Link's Shadow then transforms back into Ganon and proceeds to fight Link one last time, with the former being the core to the latter.
- Evil Laugh: Lets out a menacing "Ho! Ho! Ho!" when he is revived. In the Famicom version, it's a loud roar instead.
- Fascinating Eyebrow: Sports one as shown in the Game Over screen.
- Game-Over Man: "GAME OVER RETURN OF GANON". You will be seeing this screen plenty of times.
- Greater-Scope Villain: Hyrule will fall under Ganon's rule once more if he is revived, which is why his minions are trying to bring him back to life.
- The Man Behind the Man: Not in the game's present events for obvious reasons, but the Hyrule Historia implies that he was involved in cursing the first Zelda into falling asleep by either using the magician as an alter ego or at the very least having the magician under his employ.
- Posthumous Character: He's dead by the time the game starts thanks to Link defeating him in the previous game, though he can come back to life should Link die.
- The Unfought: Link cannot confront him directly, since he's already dead, yet through his minions, he makes his presence upon the land known, waiting for the hero to fall.
