History Characters / TheLegendOfZelda

[[/index]]

[[index]]

This page also links to general profiles of the series' major or recurring characters.

This page also links to general profiles of the series' recurring characters.

This page also links to group profiles of the series' recurring characters.

* ''Characters/TheLegendOfZeldaTheTriforceWielders''
* ''Characters/TheLegendOfZeldaGoddessesAndRecurringAllies''
* ''Characters/TheLegendOfZeldaRecurringVillainsAndEnemies''
* ''Characters/TheLegendOfZeldaRecurringRaces''

Due to the series character page dealing with attributes that apply to characters across multiple games, '''expect unmarked spoilers'''.

[[/index]]


!Recurring Characters

[[foldercontrol]]

!!The Goddesses' Chosen
[[folder:In General]]
The three main characters, whose actions form the basis of ''The Legend of Zelda'' as a whole.
* BornAgainImmortality: No matter how many centuries pass in Hyrule, new incarnations of the three characters will always surface.
* TheChosenOne: Of their respective Triforce pieces. Ganondorf is even granted the Triforce of Power in the Child Timeline when he's about to be executed.
* ChromaticArrangement: Red, Blue, and Green for Ganondorf, Zelda, and Link respectively. This is also the order of their Triforce arrangement, reading from the top, then left, then to the right.
* DivineConflict: ''Skyward Sword'' reveals that while they use the powers of three Golden Goddesses, the conflict is more about two specific lesser gods, Hylia and Demise, and the mortal chosen as the former's champion.
* FairytaleMotifs: At their simplest core, it's the knight saving the princess from the monster.
* FighterMageThief: Ganondorf relies on brute force and armies (Fighter), Zelda has great magical abilities (Mage), and Link often uses strategy to overcome seemingly impossible odds (Thief).
* HereditaryCurse: Ganondorf, or something else controlling the Moblin and demon forces, ''will'' appear in every era that Zelda and Link reincarnate in just to cause trouble for them. At the same time, those two are the only people that can defeat him.
* HumansByAnyOtherName: Link and Zelda are Hylians, while Ganondorf is a Gerudo. Apart from the PointyEars, both species are virtually indistinguishable from real-life humans.
* InterpretativeCharacter: [[JustifiedTrope Justified]], given Hyrule's lengthy history and the splitting of timelines. While their basic attributes remain unchanged, the circumstances behind their encounters vary throughout each game.
* LegacyCharacter: There have been about twelve Links and thirteen Zeldas according to ''Hyrule Historia'' and thirteen Links and fourteen Zeldas in the series according to ''Hyrule Encyclopedia''. Both sources agree that there have only been two Ganondorfs.
** Green heroes are all reincarnations of the Hylia's Chosen Hero from the era before ''Skyward Sword.''
** Females born into the royal family were often named Zelda in honor of the one from ''Skyward Sword''. The BackStory of ''The Adventure of Link'' explained that this eventually became every female in the family (at least within its timeline).
** According to official canon, all of the Ganons and Ganondorfs that were seen throughout the series are the original one from ''Ocarina of Time'' resurrected or unsealed. The exception is the ''Four Swords Adventure'' incarnation, who is actually a reincarnation rather than a resurrection. The previous Ganondorf of that timeline was the one of ''Twilight Princess'', where he was killed. This implies he can reincarnate as much as the other two, he just doesn't need to as often because of his near-immortality.
* MagicKnight: Link and Ganondorf are associated with the sword and trident most often (though Ganon uses swords too, and Link can really use anything), and as of ''Wind Waker'', Zelda gets a bow. They can all use magic as well.
* NiceMeanAndInBetween: Zelda is fair and noble, while Ganondorf is power-hungry and destructive. Link is a hero, but also has plenty of room for VideoGameCrueltyPotential.
* PowerTattoo: They sometimes bear the mark of the Triforce on the back of their dominant hand (usually left for Link, always right for the others), with the piece symbolizing the pieces they own glowing the brightest. The symbol can also appear when magic abilities are triggered.
* PowerTrio: In spinoffs, they sometimes work together, but never in the main canon.
* XanatosGambit: From their forebearers. If the Triforce splits, Ganondorf and Zelda, via Demise and Hylia, are guaranteed to get their pieces, with a Link/Hero Spirit showing up to tip the balance in Hylia/Zelda's favor. Link can apparently touch the full Triforce without breaking it, however.

[[/folder]]
[[folder:Link]]
[[quoteright:225:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/icon_link.jpg]]

The main playable character(s) and hero(es) of the series. You play as a different incarnation of Link in every series of games, but he always has some world-saving destiny at hand. Garbed in his green tunic with sword and shield in hand, he's out to save the world (and frequently, [[SaveThePrincess the princess]]) from whichever BigBad comes his way. He holds the Triforce of Courage, though not in every game.
----
* TheAce: He is a powerful swordsman, (sometimes) a magic user, a skilled adventurer, and a legendary hero whose incarnations unfailingly appear across the centuries.
* ActionHero: He is a warrior, this is a given.
* AdorablyPrecociousChild: Even in his younger incarnations, Link is righteous and unbreakable.
* {{Adorkable}}: Starting with ''Wind Waker'', he's been given this quirk as a minor personality trait, especially his "Toon" versions. The ''Wind Waker'' Link was specifically characterized as someone who was trying very hard to live up to the standard of being a hero, but constantly failed in hilarious ways. The creators specifically mentioned making him this to avoid having him be "too cool" and an unrelatable action hero.
* AllLovingHero: Link ''will'' help those around him, no matter what. Affiliation, race, and different dimension mean little to him. To him, helping is helping. This is quite possibly ''why'' he's the chosen of the Triforce Of Courage. It takes true courage to be willing to help so many people without a second thought for your safety.
* AlternateSelf: The events of ''Ocarina of Time'' split the timeline in three, making the Links seen in the Decline, Adult, and Child timelines this to each other. [[spoiler:He also has a cowardly Lorule counterpart named Ravio.]]
* AncestralWeapon: ''Twilight Princess'' Link is a descendant of the Hero of Time, making the Master Sword this.
* {{Animorphism}}: In ''A Link to the Past'', he turned into a rabbit, and in ''Twilight Princess'', a wolf. [[Manga/TheLegendOfZelda The manga adaptation of the former]] by Akira Himekawa has him turn into a wolf as well.
* AudienceSurrogate: This is the reason his name is [[MeaningfulName Link]].
* BadassAdorable: Well, ''look'' at him. Even the older Links tends to get a "d'aww" out of fans when they get their cute on.
* BadassBiker: In ''Mario Kart 8'', seeing as his default vehicle is a motorbike.
* BadassBookworm: Not only is he a skilled warrior, he is also smart enough to solve an impressive amount of puzzles. Happens literally, too; in ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaALinkToThePast'', he retrieves a book from the library to help translate ancient text throughout the game.
* BadassNormal: Zelda and Ganon are revealed in ''Skyward Sword'' to be [[spoiler:reincarnations of powerful deities who fought over the Triforce]], explaining how they are able to wield powerful magic even when they lack their respective pieces of the Triforce. Link, in contrast, has always been a mundane Hylian even in his earliest incarnations, with whatever magical abilities he uses being either a BequeathedPower or activated with some enchanted item. He's still able to hold his own against various {{Physical God}}s and {{Eldritch Abomination}}s.
* BalefulPolymorph: His wolf transformation in ''Twilight Princess,'' his Deku form in ''Majora's Mask'', and his rabbit-form in ''A Link to the Past''. He does usually manage to find ways to put his transformations to good use, though, especially once he manages to gain control of them.
* BewareTheNiceOnes: He's generally portrayed as a friendly, kindhearted young man who tends to go out of his way to help those in distress. He is also the avatar of Courage, and has a history of beating the hell out of everything from dragons to demigods.
* {{BFS}}:
** He is able to use larger-than-average swords in some games, such as the Biggoron's Sword and the Great Fairy Sword.
** In ''Twilight Princess'' and ''Skyward Sword'', the Master Sword is almost as long as he is tall.
** In ''Breath of the Wild'', he can use huge claymores, axes, and other such two-handed weapons.
* BigBrotherInstinct: To Aryll in ''The Wind Waker'', and to all the kids in Ordon Village in ''Twilight Princess''.
* {{Bishonen}}: In his adult forms.
* BlueIsHeroic: Blue is a common color worn by him besides green. He starts off with blue pajamas in ''The Wind Waker'' and the Champion's Tunic, his most observed outfit in ''Breath of the Wild'', is bright blue.
* BowAndSwordInAccord: While he has a vast array of weaponry, he is rarely seen without a sword or a bow.
* TheChampion: Zelda's, whenever she's more than a cameo. [[SaveThePrincess Kind of the point, really.]]
* ChasteHero: Generally, although subject to a few exceptions:
** He is kissed by Zelda once in ''The Adventure of Link'' and again in the ''Oracle'' series.
** There is also PuppyLove between Link and Zelda in ''Spirit Tracks''.
** In ''Skyward Sword'', he and Zelda actually go on a date. Hell, they found the Royal Family of Hyrule.
* ChickMagnet: He doesn't get much female attention in most games, but he apparently has the ability to charm most girls that he meets. ''Ocarina of Time'', ''Twilight Princess'', ''Skyward Sword'', and ''Breath of the Wild''[='=]s Links are prime examples.
* TheChosenOne:
** In ''A Link to the Past'', ''Ocarina of Time'', the ''Oracle'' series, ''Twilight Princess'', and ''Skyward Sword''. "TheHero Chosen by the Gods," indeed. The major exception is ''The Wind Waker'', where he is TheUnchosenOne and he has to find the Triforce of Courage himself and prove his worthiness to be the hero.
** Played with in ''The Adventure of Link''; despite possessing a mark on his hand indicating that he is the only one worthy of obtaining the Triforce of Courage and awakening Zelda, he still has to prove himself by running the gauntlet of the Great Palace and taking it for himself.
* ChronicHeroSyndrome: Link will find himself helping random citizens in his quest to save Hyrule.
* ClothesMakeTheLegend: To the point that, in ''The Wind Waker'', ''Twilight Princess'', and ''Spirit Tracks'', there is a reason as to why he wears the so-called "Hero's Clothes".
* ColorMotif: He's almost always associated with the color green, due to his trademark clothes, his connection with nature (he often starts his adventures in a forest in the countryside), and the Triforce of Courage (the piece of the goddess Farore, who is also associated with green). Very often, blue and indigo serve as secondary colors for him too (the Hylian Shield, the Master Sword, the glow of its attacks, etc..)
* CombatPragmatist: Though he's skilled with a sword, the majority of his battles have him coming up with a more clever way to take his foe down than simply head-on combat, such as irritating Valoo even more (the point of the battle was to get rid of the source of his irritation) so he causes a stone slab on the ceiling to drop on Gohma. This mostly happens out of necessity, as Link might not be able to damage the foe normally, but in fights he CAN win with just his sword, there are often alternate methods of defeating the opponent, like reflecting energy balls with a net, or using a hammer instead of a sword.
* ConvenientlyAnOrphan: Link ''never'' has his parents appear in-game, and it's usually implied that they died some time before. He's occasionally lucky enough to have a few blood-relatives.
* CoolSword: It's called the friggin' [[AwesomeMcCoolName Master Sword]]!
* CosmicKeystone: He is the destined bearer of the Triforce of Courage, ⅓ of a divine wish-granting artefact.
* CostumeEvolution: The exact look of Link's Hero outfit varies from game to game, but in the original games -- and most of the games set in the Decline timeline -- it has yellow trim. ''Ocarina of Time'' gave him tights, while ''Twilight Princess'' added chainmail and pants.
* CrazyPrepared: Has a weapon/item for every possible situation.
* DavidVersusGoliath: Very frequently takes the role of David. It's actually to his advantage, as most attacks send him flying and give him room to recover.
* DarkIsNotEvil: He makes use of Twilight-based magic in ''Twilight Princess'' and he wields the power of the AmbiguouslyEvil Fierce Deity's Mask in ''Majora's Mask'', but remains a hero.
* DependingOnTheArtist: The different Links have often wildly divergent appearances. The only real constants are his green tunic and hat, and even those aren't seen often in ''Breath of the Wild''.
** In the last decade or so, Link's appearance has largely standardized to just two blond models: the young "Toon Link", and the older more realistic teenage Bishonen. Previous Links had different hair colors like brown or auburn, and the art style shifted wildly. He even had pink hair in ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaALinkToThePast''. Today Nintendo seems content to just stick with just these current two styles.
** His eyes are usually very blue, but in [[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaTheWindWaker The Wind Waker]] and other games featuring "Toon Link", they're black.
** As mentioned above, ''Breath of the Wild'' mostly does away with the classic green tunic, relegating it to [[spoiler:your reward for beating all Shrines]] and the previous tunics appearing as Amiibo bonuses. He's still unmistakably Link in facial features, but his new main outfit is the blue Champion's Tunic.
* DeathGlare: Normally, Link has a pretty calm and sometimes even happy expression, so when you see him frowning at an enemy, ''you know [[OOCIsSeriousBusiness shit is getting real]]''. ''Skyward Sword'' would be the best example, but there are instances before that.
* DemolitionsExpert: Bombs have been a standard part of his arsenal since the early days, and over the years he's gotten more creative in their usage.
* TheDeterminator: Practically his superpower. Link ''never'' gives up (see HeroicSpirit, below).
* InstantExpert: ...unless it's this. Give him a new toy, no matter how bizarre, and Link will be wielding it like a natural in a matter of minutes.
* DidYouJustPunchOutCthulhu: Since the BigBad of each game tends to be some sort of EldritchAbomination, yes. Yes, he does. Frequently.
* DieChairDie: All Links seem to share an instinctive hatred of pottery and tall grass.
* EarnYourTitle: Every game sees Link having to overcome a series of tests designed to test his virtues and see if he can be the Hero of Hyrule.
* EmeraldPower: He wears green clothes, his homeland is most games is a lush forest, and Farore, his patron goddess, is also symbolized by green.
* EternalHero: ''Skyward Sword'' and ''Hyrule Historia'' imply that each Link is the incarnation of the "Spirit of the Hero", therefore making successive Links the reincarnations of their predecessors. ''Hyrule Warriors'' is the first game -- albeit not part of the established timeline -- to explicitly state this to be the case. ''Hyrule Historia'' notes that not all of them may have even been named Link, but that the name is given by the storytellers who recount the Legends of Zelda. This is a LampShade on the fact that you can [[HelloInsertNameHere name the character]] in every game, but even in-universe previous Links are only referred to by titles such as The Hero of Men, Hero of Time, or Hero of Winds, never by given name. And though characters may note that the current Link is wearing The Hero's Clothes, wielding the same CoolSword, or having the same spirit, they never say that he has the same name. Of course, this wording is right after "they could be the same person, [or] relatives...", so they could mean family name.
* EverythingsBetterWithSpinning: Since ''A Link To The Past'', this has been one of his best sword attacks, and essentially his signature move.
* FarmBoy: In ''Twilight Princess''. While not farmboys per se, most Links tend to lead fairly simple lives in rural or suburban settings before being drawn into an adventure (such as being an apprentice blacksmith). ''Breath of the Wild'''s Link is an aversion.
* FeaturelessProtagonist: Was this for the first few games (well, sort of), but with additions over time of backstory, family members, and motivations other than "save Zelda", seems to be beginning to grow out of it.
* FriendToAllLivingThings: Especially noted in [[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaTwilightPrincess Twilight Princess]], where all animals in-game have a grand fondness in him. Part of his kind and helpful demeanor comes from having bonds with almost anything he meets. As well as the fact that his patron Goddess, Farore, was responsible for creating all life forms on Earth.
* GoodIsNotSoft: Link is most often a humble farmboy, but when things get messy, the bad guys will be ''destroyed''.
* HairOfGoldHeartOfGold: About half of Link's incarnations have blond hair and, true to the trope, he is often kind to the people he meets.
* HelloInsertNameHere: Although his CanonName "Link" is used extensively everywhere, you get to name the lad in almost every game. While at least one of the Links could've actually been named Link -- for example, in ''Breath of the Wild'' Zelda's spoken dialogue actually calls him this -- the other heroes' real names have been lost to history, so it's open to interpretation.
* TheHero: Of course. Just about every Link from ''Ocarina of Time'' onwards has had "Hero of..." as part of their moniker.
* HeroesPreferSwords: Many of Link's incarnations are highly skilled swordsmen, or become them over the course of their adventures, and all of them wield swords as their primary weapon.
* HeroicAmbidexterity: After the Wii port of ''Twilight Princess'' (and, to a greater extent, ''Skyward Sword'' and ''Breath of the Wild'' in general) had right-handed Links, WordOfGod has stated that the Links are actually ambidextrous (and hand preference depends on the incarnation).
* HeroicMime:
** The [[Pantheon/HeroesLesserGods God of the Trope]].
** Aside from [[{{Kiai}} battle cries]], Link never says a word. But [=NPCs=] sometimes react as though he does, implying that his dialogue is supposed to be imagined by the player. Occasionally, he gets a DialogueTree. Also at some points in ''The Wind Waker'', where he very clearly calls out "Come on!" during the escort missions. This is averted again in ''Twilight Princess''. Not the main Link, he's as silent as ever, but [[spoiler:''[[AllThereInTheManual Hyrule Historia]]'' says that the SpiritAdvisor Hero's Shade is the ghost of the Link from ''Ocarina of Time'' and ''Majora's Mask''.]]
** He's actually ''seen talking'' during cutscenes in ''Skyward Sword'', ''A Link Between Worlds'', and ''Breath of the Wild'', but the audience doesn't hear anything. But they get the gist of it if they have been following the game's plot.
** In the non-canon ''Hyrule Warriors'', it's taken UpToEleven, where he's confirmed to be ''mute'' and uses fairies to interpret for him.
** This doesn't apply to the manga adaptations, where Link actually can speak and the reader actually sees what he's saying to whoever he is with.
** In ''Breath of the Wild'', whenever dialogue options come up, they're phrased as actual dialogue. Also, while he himself is never heard speaking, in a flashback, Zelda directly quotes something he told her. It's revealed in [[ApocalypticLog Zelda's diary]] in Hyrule castle that he had told her that he keeps a stoic and silent front because of the pressures that he feels from being the chosen hero.
* HeroicLineage: Some of the Links in the series are descendants of others. This is notably subverted by the Hero of Winds, who is not related to the Hero of Time, but manages to be a hero anyway. He also starts his own lineage in his sequels. ''Skyward Sword'' and ''Hyrule Historia'' imply that the various Links are reincarnations of the Spirit of the Hero.
* HeroicSpirit: Whether the obstacles are diabolic puzzles or demon kings, ''nothing'' stops Link when people need him. Lampshaded in ''Skyward Sword'', which explains that he's TheChosenOne specifically because of this.
* HorseArcher: Originally, the only thing that he could use while riding Epona was his bow.
* HotBlooded: If there's one thing all of Link's incarnations have in common, it's ''passion''.
* HumbleHero: Humility is officially described as one of his virtues. In some games, Link hails from a humble background and is pretty happy with that kind of life until duty comes calling.
* HyperspaceArsenal: A sword, shield, bow, boomerang, bombs, and a hookshot. And those are just his ''standard'' items.
* IconicItem: The Master Sword and the Hylian Shield are almost as iconic of him as...
* IconicOutfit: His trademark green tunic and hat. Its first canonical appearance was the green version of the knight's uniform in Skyloft. Somehow, it came to be casual clothes worn by the Kokiri. Then it became known as the Hero's Clothes after the Hero of Time (who was raised as a Kokiri). In the Adult Timeline, it became part of a coming of age ritual on Outset Island, before the Hero of Winds brought it full circle to being a knight's uniform in New Hyrule.
* IdealHero: No matter in what situation he is in, he is always described as the ideal choice to be the hero of Hyrule.
* IncorruptiblePurePureness: He is the purest, kindest soul in the game, helping others solely out of the good in his heart and never becoming corrupted by evil influences. [[Funny/TheLegendOfZelda Except when]] [[VideoGameCrueltyPotential attacking Cuccoos...]]
* InnocentBlueEyes: Of the heroic and idealistic variety.
* JawDrop:
** Happened in ''The Wind Waker'' and ''Spirit Tracks'' when he meets Zelda for the first time. Even accompanied by a long gasp in ''Spirit Tracks''. {{Blush Sticker}}s, [[PuppyLove too]].
** This can also happen when he sees a big scary boss monster... [[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaTwilightPrincess or when a boss is]] NotQuiteDead [[CrowningMomentOfFunny yet]].
* KidHero: [[CaptainObvious Though only when he's a kid]].
* KleptomaniacHero: If it even vaguely looks useful and isn't nailed down, Link will nab it. And anything that is nailed down? He will brave a dungeon's depths just to get something he can use to pry it up so he can nab that as well.
* KnightInShiningArmor: He has a very strong knighthood motif, and is explicitly stated to be a literal knight in both ''Skyward Sword'' and ''Breath of the Wild''. Normally, he sets aside the literal shining armor for his iconic green tunic and hat, but he can wear plate in both ''Breath of the Wild'' (in the form of the Soldier's Armor and Ancient Armor) and ''Twilight Princess'' (in the form of the Magic Armor).
* LadyAndKnight: The White Knight to Zelda's Bright Lady.
* {{Leitmotif}}: The field theme for each game, which usually means the Main Theme of the series. Some melodies once unique to individual games, like the Ocarina of Time Hyrule Field and the Twilight Princess Hyrule Field themes, have become recurring in future games as well.
* LightningBruiser: Almost always very light on his feet, and strong enough to throw around or clash swords with foes much larger than him. In one case, he's able to overpower ''Ganondorf'' in a contest of strength.
* MagicKnight: Pairs good old-fashioned swordsmanship with magical items, and occasionally magic spells.
* MagicMusic: Whether it's an ocarina, a harp, or a magical baton, several of the Links have had the ability to warp time and space via music.
* ManlyTears: He's typically portrayed as a stoic warrior, but there are occasions where he at least seems on the verge of crying, such as when his grandmother finds out Aryll has been kidnapped in ''The Wind Waker'' or when [[spoiler:Zelda seals herself in a crystal prison in the Sealed Temple to maintain Demise's imprisonment]] in ''Skyward Sword''.
* MasterSwordsman: Develops into one or is one from the beginning in each game.
* MaybeEverAfter: While Link and Zelda have never been outright confirmed as an OfficialCouple, it's been implied many, many times.
* MeaningfulName: His official name refers to the fact that he is [[AudienceSurrogate the player's]] "link" to the game world. And by pure coincidence, this left-handed hero's name just happens to be German for "left."
** In Dutch, Link means both "risky" and "dangerous". Which describes the situations he's in adequately well.
* MrFanservice: His {{Bishonen}} designs. The first one in ''Ocarina of Time'' was made specifically to make him physically attractive. ''[[EstrogenBrigade Boy, did it work!]]'' The peak was his [[ShirtlessScene Shirtless Sumo Scene]] in ''Twilight Princess'', which was pretty much every ''Zelda'' fangirl dream come true. [[spoiler:Except for the fact that he had to fight a... let us say... [[FanDisservice less physically attractive character]].]]
* MusclesAreMeaningless: Often performs feats of strength that, considering his size, should be ''completely'' impossible. Some cases are justified with the use of magical enhancements. Others (such as swinging around a sword literally twice his size in ''Skyward Sword'' and ''3 times'' his size in ''Wind Waker'') are not.
* NiceGuy: Link is nice to just about everyone he meets.
* NiceHat: Would he really be Link without it? [[Characters/TheLegendOfZeldaTheMinishCap It]] practically even got [[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaTheMinishCap its own game.]]
** ''Magazine/NintendoPower'' once stated that the one thing Link could do that nobody else could is make a floppy green hat look cool. They're right.
* NoNonsenseNemesis: Rare heroic example. If Link has any advantages over his enemies, he ''will'' use them, such as attacking weak spots, using items to clear distances, or using the terrain to his advantage. Really, ''everything'' is fair game to Link.
* NotAMorningPerson: If the number of games that begin with a GoodMorningCrono scenario is any indication, he likes to sleep in when he isn't busy saving Hyrule.
* OneManArmy: Repeatedly shown to be utterly superior to Hyrule's ''official'' [[RedShirtArmy army]].
* OneMarioLimit: PlayedWith. According to WordOfGod, the actual names of the various heroes (such as the "Hero of the Winds" and the "Hero of Time") may not actually be "Link". The stories we see in the series are legends told generations after they happened. It could very well be that a person named "Link" gets reincarnated every so often, or it could be that Hyrulean storytellers retroactively named every Hero that appeared "Link", regardless of what their original names were.
* OnlyICanKillHim: Being the chosen wielder of the Master Sword, Link is the only one who can kill Ganondorf.
* OnlyTheChosenMayWield: The [[CoolSword Master Sword]] does not appear in every Zelda game, but when it does, a Link is always the chosen wielder.
* ThePaladin: He is the chosen hero of gods and wields Holy weapons like the Master Sword and Light Arrows.
* PantsFree: Played straight in most of the earlier games, where the art made it clear he wasn't wearing much under the tunic. After ''Ocarina of Time'', though, they started showing him wearing tights, and in ''Twilight Princess'', he is finally given real pants.
* ParentalAbandonment: In every single one of his incarnations. The closest he ever came to having parents was ''Ocarina of Time'' (in which they were revealed to be dead). [[{{Nephewism}} He gets to have an uncle]] in ''A Link to the Past'' and [[RaisedByGrandparents a Grandma and Grandpa]] in ''Wind Waker'' and ''The Minish Cap'' (respectively), but that's about it.
* PlatonicLifePartners: With Zelda, in games where their relationship [[ImpliedLoveInterest doesn't have romantic implications]]. It has been noted in some games, most notably ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaTheMinishCap''.
* PlotTailoredToTheParty: No matter how bizarre the magical knicknacks he picks up, he'll find ''some'' way to kill at least one giant monster with it.
* PrecursorHeroes: Some Links are this to their successors. The best-known example is the Link of ''Ocarina of Time'', who is the ancestor of the Link of ''Twilight Princess''.
* ProgressivelyPrettier: Link was rather average looking in his first few appearances, with unkempt hair, a stubby nose, and enormous ears. It wasn't until ''[[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaOcarinaOfTime Ocarina of Time]]'' that he became a full-on Bishonen thanks to sharper features, a cleaner hair-do, and thinner ears, and he's only gotten prettier since then.
* {{Reincarnation}}: Link is not just one hero, but many who are all incarnations of the "Spirit of the Hero" who is destined to fight Ganondorf alongside Zelda.
* RewardingVandalism: Link's primary source of income is smashing random objects. Especially pottery.
* SacredBowAndArrows: His Light Arrows/Silver Arrows.
* ScreamingWarrior: Link's only spoken dialogue has been screaming at his enemies as he hacks them to pieces.
* SecondPersonNarration: With a few exceptions that can be written off as typos, the narration always refers to Link as "you", e.g. "You found ten rupees!". The instruction manuals for ''[[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaALinkToThePast A Link to the Past]]'' and ''[[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaLinksAwakening Link's Awakening]]'' are written entirely in second person.
* ShipTease: Besides having this with Zelda throughout the series, in each individual game there's always at least one female character who develops a crush on him.
* ShowyInvincibleHero: We all know he'll win, but dear Gods, it's almost as much fun to watch him win as it is to ''be'' him when he wins.
* SignatureMove: His SpinAttack. Also, to a lesser degree, the Jumping Down Thrust[=/=]Finishing Move.
* TheSouthpaw: [[GameplayAndStorySegregation Except on the Wii]] and in ''Breath of the Wild''. Interestingly, early official art for the first game shows him holding his sword in his right hand. The left-handedness came about because of his AmbidextrousSprite appearance in that game, and it was decided to make the southpaw status canon.
* SpecialPersonNormalName: The Hero of Hyrule has the average name "Link".
* SpiritAdvisor: He both has and ''is'' one in ''Twilight Princess'', as the Hero's Shade who guides ''Twilight Princess'' Link is in fact the Link from ''Ocarina of Time'' according to ''Hyrule Historia''.
* StabTheSky: Many times across the series, but ''Skyward Sword'' turns it into an actual gameplay mechanic.
* SwordBeam: In some games, Link can use his sword to fire energy beams. Depending on the game, either any sword can fire a SwordBeam or only the Master Sword can do it.
* TeensAreShort: In the games where he's a teenager, he's always one of the shortest humans, aside from children or [[MiniatureSeniorCitizen the elderly]]. Even girls his age are generally taller than him. In ''TheLegendOfZeldaBreathOfTheWild'', Link is shorter than everyone, and other characters even comment on his height from time to time.
* UnskilledButStrong: In the [=2D=] games, Link's fighting style consists of large, slow, sweeping slashes and stabs, but with his legendary sword in hand, he's an unstoppable force. In most [=3D=] games post-''Wind Waker'', he starts out as this but becomes a MasterSwordsman by picking up more elaborate fighting techniques.
* WolverinePublicity: "Toon Link" is the most recurring design of Link throughout the series, having appeared in seven games out of nineteen.
* WorldsBestWarrior: By the end of every game, Link becomes this.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Princess Zelda]]
[[quoteright:300:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Untitled-2_copy_280.jpg]]

The series's namesake(s). The Princess(es) of Hyrule, when not getting kidnapped, is usually the one to send Link on his quest or to help him along the way. Like Link, she appears in different incarnations throughout the series, in honor of the Zelda from ''Skyward Sword''.

----
* ActionGirl: In ''Twilight Princess'', ''The Wind Waker'', and ''Spirit Tracks''. Also implied in ''Ocarina of Time'' and ''Skyward Sword'', although we don't get to see it on screen.
* ArcherArchetype: Her bow-wielding selves are typically the serene and graceful take on it.
* BarrierMaiden: When fighting with magic, she can create barriers.
* BattleCouple: With Link in more than one FinalBattle.
* GuysSmashGirlsShoot: Typically supports Link as an archer while he does the up close and personal.
* SwordAndSorcerer: Except in ''Four Swords Adventures'', where she uses an EnergyBall to attack instead.
* BigGood: Starting in ''Ocarina of Time'', where she takes an active role in Link's adventures and gives him missions.
* CosmicKeystone: She is the destined bearer of the Triforce of Wisdom, ⅓ of a divine wish-granting artefact.
* CostumeEvolution: She originally had a [[PrincessesPreferPink pink dress]] with puff sleeves, and a wide bell skirt that had white ribbons and bows near the hem. This only lasted the first couple of games. In ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaALinkToThePast'' she had a white dress with some purple trimmings and gold accessories. This would be the first form of her standard dress, which would evolve over further games.
* CrystalDragonJesus: The biggest example in the games, [[spoiler:due to her being the mortal reincarnation of the goddess Hylia]].
* DamselInDistress: In many games, often right before the very end. However, she's a variation in that she usually creates a plan to stop Ganondorf in some way prior to her capture.
* DamselOutOfDistress: Mostly in her ActionGirl incarnations, but even when she's not, she always [[TheStoic keeps her cool and dignity]].
* DemonicPossession:
** Used on [[spoiler:her empty body near the end of ''Twilight Princess'', while Zelda's soul is secretly keeping Midna alive]].
** Happens again in ''Spirit Tracks'', only this time her soul's been put in a suit of armor. Multiple suits of armor, in fact. Also in ''Spirit Tracks'', [[spoiler:[[GreaterScopeVillain Malladus]]]] inhabits her empty shell as part of a boss battle.
* {{Deuteragonist}}: The second most important character in the series (despite it bearing her name) after Link.
* EverythingsBetterWithPrincesses:
** Played straight in all of the games except for ''Skyward Sword'', where she is not a princess.
** In ''Twilight Princess'', she is Hyrule's sole ruler, having the authority of a queen. Therefore, she is a princess InNameOnly. This is justified by the fact that Zant's invasion started on the day before her coronation.
* GodInHumanForm: Specifically ''Skyward Sword'''s Zelda, [[spoiler:who is the mortal incarnation of the goddess Hylia]]. Considering the strong implication that most-to-all of the Zeldas in the series are reincarnations of each other, it's very probable this trope applies to them, as well.
* GuysSmashGirlsShoot: In games where she helps Link in combat, it's usually with magic or arrows while Link fights with the Master Sword. Averted in her Shiek persona, where she fights with hand-to-hand martial arts skills, adding needles and a [[WhipItGood chain-whip]] in ''Smash Bros'' or kunai and an enchanted harp in ''Hyrule Warriors''.
** Zigzagged with Tetra, an incarnation of Zelda who was brought up as a pirate captain, in ''Hyrule Warriors'', who fights with SwordAndGun.
* GrandTheftMe: She is on both the giving and receiving end of this. She is possessed by Ganondorf and Malladus in ''Twilight Princess'' and ''Spirit Tracks'', respectively, but she can also possess Phantoms in the latter game.
* HairOfGoldHeartOfGold: Like the leader hero, most of her incarnations are blonde. On occasion, she will have brown hair and, even rarer, red hair. While she is a princess of varying ages, she has her people's best interests at heart.
* HighClassGloves: Her standard royal dress often includes long, white gloves.
* TheHighQueen: Particularly in ''Twilight Princess'', where the plot begins right in the middle of the coronation ceremony that would have made her Queen of Hyrule.
* ImpliedLoveInterest: The various relationships between Link and Zelda basically fit the trope description to a tee: Zelda never has another love interest (Link tends to be either the same or a ChickMagnet depending on the game), interact with each other the most (usually), the plot is focused around Link rescuing Zelda (usually), and always form a strong emotional connection quickly no matter the amount of actual interaction. The exceptions are ''[[PuppyLove Spirit Tracks]]'', ''[[ChildhoodFriendRomance Skyward Sword]]'', ''[[OneTruePairing Hyrule Warriors]]'', and ''[[BodyguardCrush Breath of the Wild]]'', which play up the romance angle to the point where they border on being an OfficialCouple.
* KickingAssInAllHerFinery: Zelda's ActionGirl selves typically have more masculine alter-egos, but still tend to do most of their combat in her PimpedOutDress.
* LadyAndKnight: The Bright Lady to Link's White Knight.
* LadyOfWar: She becomes one in the final boss battles of ''Wind Waker'', ''Twilight Princess'', and ''Spirit Tracks''.
* LivingMacGuffin: According to WordOfGod, Zelda is the title character because she is invariably the center of Link's adventures.
* {{Leitmotif}}: [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BoN__VLO3xI Zelda's Theme]] (better known among fans as ''Zelda's Lullaby''). First appeared in ''A Link to the Past'' and officially named in ''Ocarina of Time''. She's also associated with the Ballad of the Goddess, which is [[FridgeBrilliance Zelda's Lullaby backwards.]]
* LightEmUp: Usually in the form of the [[ElementalWeapon Light Arrow]], but sometimes as a KamehameHadoken, InstantRunes, or an EnergyBall.
* LightIsGood: She often emphasizes the power of light against evil.
* LittleMissBadass: Give her younger forms a weapon and you get this.
* MageMarksman: She's always something of a sorceress and on many occasions will take up arms with a bow and arrow, mostly to fire the Light Arrows.
* MissingMom: She tends more toward complete ParentalAbandonment, but while her father has occasionally been either portrayed onscreen or at least given a major offscreen role, the most we ever hear of her mother is in ''Breath of the Wild'' where the queen's premature death left Zelda and King Rhoam unsure of how to proceed with the princess's training for the fight against Ganon; Zelda's mother gets at most a very brief reference in the other games where she is mentioned at all.
* NiceJobBreakingItHero:
** She sometimes inadvertently triggers difficulties for Link or Hyrule as a whole when she makes poor decisions. A notable example is her sudden disappearance to take up the guise of Shiek in ''Hyrule Warriors'', which served no strategic purpose and succeeded in doing nothing but demoralizing her troops.
** [[spoiler:Also, one can argue her ''existence'' as this based on the ending of ''Skyward Sword''. Reading between the lines of Demise's DyingCurse, it's plausible that the reason the entire cycle exists is because Demise-as-Ganondorf is piggybacking on the same divine reincarnative powers used to create each Link and Zelda. In other words, Ganondorf only gets to come back each generation ''because'' Zelda and Link will always appear each generation.]]
* NamedAfterSomebodyFamous: Shigeru Miyamoto has [[https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/feature/-/117177/ cited]] [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zelda_Fitzgerald Zelda Fitzgerald]] as an inspiration for her name.
* OneMarioLimit: Averted. Like Link, there ''are'' multiple Zeldas throughout the timeline, though for various reasons. For example, in ''The Adventure of Link'', it's explained that every princess born was named Zelda in honor of the one that was put to sleep defending the Triforce of Courage.
* ParentalAbandonment: Tends to be subject to this, although her father has appeared in three games so far, and offscreen in a fourth (there's also Kings Gustaf and Daphnes Nohansen Hyrule, but they're not the fathers of their respective games' Zeldas).
* PhysicalGod: Each Zelda is an incarnation of the first, who, in turn, was a mortal incarnation of the Goddess Hylia.
* PimpedOutDress: Being a princess, she often wears elaborate dresses.
* PlatonicLifePartners: Since she and Link are repeated incarnations of the Goddess Hylia and her hero, they're invariably this, especially in games where their relationship doesn't have [[ImpliedLoveInterest an implied romantic slant]] (such as ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaTheMinishCap'').
* PrettyPrincessPowerhouse: More recently, Zelda has been taking increasingly proactive roles in protecting her kingdom while maintaining the aesthetic of a less proactive PrincessClassic.
* PrincessClassic: She's characterized as this in the games up to ''Ocarina of Time'', where she is instead a headstrong child/guilt-ridden adult. Subsequent games have diversified her characterization, including a few incarnations where she's not a princess at all.
* PrincessesPreferPink: About half of Zelda's outfits. Some games avert this, like ''Skyward Sword'' and ''Breath of the Wild''.
* PsychicPowers: She is often [[{{Seer}} clairvoyant]] and [[{{Telepathy}} telepathic]].
* RoyalBlood: All Zeldas are females born into the royal family, and they always have a crucial role to play in the Links' battle against evil.
* RoyaltySuperPower: Sorcery is passed down the Royal Family of Hyrule, due to the line's DivineParentage and [[ReligionIsMagic service to the Gods]].
* RoyalsWhoActuallyDoSomething: Oftentimes. Even the [[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaI very first Zelda game]] had her doing her part in keeping Ganon away from completing the Triforce by breaking apart and hiding each piece of the Triforce of Wisdom.
* SacredBowAndArrows: In more recent titles, the honor of wielding the Light Arrows has passed from Link to her.
* SemiDivine: Skyward Sword reveals that [[spoiler:the first Zelda was the [[GodInHumanForm reincarnation of the goddess Hylia]], making every Zelda after her this]].
* ShipTease: Has a ton of these with Link. While the first two games implied they were an OfficialCouple, later games toned the relationship down to this with only hints of a romance.
* StatuesqueStunner: A number of Zeldas are as tall, or taller, than their respective Links.
* TakenForGranite: In ''The Minish Cap'' and ''Phantom Hourglass'', she's petrified.
* WhiteMagic: Her powers are almost always defined as divine in origin, [[spoiler:which is revealed in ''Skyward Sword'' to be attributed to her divine heritage]].
* TheWisePrincess: Triforce of Wisdom, natch. She's even the [[Pantheon/{{Royalty}} Goddess of the Trope]].
* WiseBeyondHerYears: Whether as a child, a teenager, or a young adult, Zelda is always much wiser than her age would imply.
* {{Xenafication}}: Initially just a DamselInDistress, later games made her a [[GratuitousNinja ninja]], a [[PirateGirl pirate]], and ultimately ''a [[spoiler:goddess]].'' After ''Wind Waker,'' she's not as capable as Link, but is able to competently assist him in battle by providing Light Arrow support fire. ''Skyward Sword'' even goes so far as to have her successfully infiltrate the Skyview Temple and get a good distance to the Earth Temple on her own.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Ganon/Ganondorf]]
[[quoteright:225:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/icon_ganon.jpg]]

The main villain(s) of the series: Prince of Darkness, King of Evil, ruler of the Dark World. His appearance in the first three games was an immense blue pig-demon or boar-demon (later depictions lean more towards boar than pig). The third game, ''A Link to the Past'', described how he had originally been a desert robber, the chief of a band of murderous, magic-wielding thieves; ''Ocarina of Time'', his StartOfDarkness, showed him in his [[WasOnceAMan original human form]], before his transformation. "Ganondorf" is his human name, while "Ganon" refers to his monster form, although both are used interchangeably at times.

Ganondorf is the acknowledged main villain of six games, and the [[HijackedByGanon final boss]] of another two; he holds the Triforce of Power, which makes him immortal (established in ''Ocarina of Time'' and ''Twilight Princess''), capable of being disembodied or sealed away but never permanently killed. There are many Links and Zeldas, reincarnated through the ages, but there is only one Ganon in each timeline. The ending of ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaSkywardSword'' revealed that there will always be an avatar of the [[GodOfEvil Demon King Demise]], for as long as incarnations of Zelda and Link continue to appear -- and indicated very strongly that Ganondorf is in part possessed by Demise, although there are other villains in the series who can claim that status as well.

----
* AlmightyIdiot: A recurring consequence of Ganon's lust for power. Whenever Ganondorf uses the Triforce of Power to become Ganon, he grows more powerful but ends up devolving his intelligent mind into that of a primal beast. Other examples of his intelligence loss include his botched resurrection in the ''Oracle'' games, and his eventual degradation into Calamity Ganon in ''Breath of the Wild'', which takes place at least 10,000 years after ''Ocarina of Time''. It's quite telling that Ganondorf is more dangerous when he is ''[[SanityHasAdvantages sane]]''.
* AlternateSelf: The Ganondorfs seen in the Decline, Adult, and Child timelines are this to each other. In addition, he has an effeminate (implied)Lorule counterpart named Yuga, who bonds with Ganon to become superior.
* AmbiguouslyBrown: The Gerudo people all live in deserts, so it's probably [[JustifiedTrope justified]]. Ganondorf himself, however, is Ambiguously ''Green'' for whatever reason. Conversely, his Lorule counterpart Yuga has stark, pasty white skin.
* AmbitionIsEvil: Ganondorf was ruthless from the start of his career, as he sought to acquire more power by any means. His main character flaw is that no amount of power -- not even the full and completed Triforce -- is ever enough for him.
* AncientEvil: By the time of ''Breath of the Wild'', Ganon is remembered as [[spoiler:the ancient, eternally reincarnating embodiment of an even older evil that, according to legend, once took on the form of a Gerudo]].
* AnimalMotifs: Pigs and Boars.
* TheAntichrist: He is [[spoiler:the incarnation of hatred of [[GodOfEvil Demon King Demise]], who reincarnated himself into mortal form to match his rival, the goddess Hylia, and swore revenge on her and her champion]].
* ArchEnemy: He's fought half a dozen different Links and Zeldas.
* ArtEvolution: The latter games put more emphasis on his human form and less on his PigMan or Wereboar form. But since ''Ocarina of Time'', his voice acting has remained the same: he's always been depicted with a deep voice and a menacing laugh.
* BackFromTheDead:
** This happened if you got a Game Over in ''The Adventure of Link'', and has presumably happened several times offscreen.
** The linked ending of the ''[[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaOracleGames Oracle]]'' games features a Ganon revived from the dead. [[spoiler:He CameBackWrong, but it still counts.]]
** [[spoiler:He is also briefly resurrected in ''[[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaALinkBetweenWorlds A Link Between Worlds]]'' before being taken over by Yuga.]]
** [[spoiler:He attempts this in ''Breath of the Wild'', but his resurrection is interrupted by Link, resulting in him being fought as an undead-looking cyborg.]]
* BadassBeard: In ''Wind Waker'' and ''Twilight Princess'', he's grown his sideburns into a short beard.
* BadassCape: Wears a cloak in human form ''Ocarina of Time'' and ''Twilight Princess'', and as Ganon in the games set in the Decline Era.
* BadassLongcoat: In ''Wind Waker'', and in his [[http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-G23eqYm9vCU/T0OqseTmzdI/AAAAAAAAC3Q/55SJoPFmqtY/s1600/ganny_oracles.jpg concept art]] for the ''Oracle'' games.
* BatmanGambit: In ''Ocarina Of Time'', he just waited for Link to pull out the Master Sword for him.
* BeardOfEvil: In ''Wind Waker'' and ''Twilight Princess''.
* BigBad: The main antagonist of the entire series and usually the main villain of each game, with a few exceptions.
* BigOlEyebrows: Has them in his human form. They're so big that they connect to his hair!
* BreakoutVillain: During his debut in ''Ocarina of Time'' in his human form, Ganondorf has become one of the most reoccurring villains in the series.
* CompleteImmortality: In ''Ocarina of Time'', it's established that his piece of the Triforce makes him immortal, and for the most part, the series sticks with it. However, if he loses his piece, he ''does'' die for good, as seen in ''Wind Waker'' and ''Twilight Princess'', although in the case of the latter he was reincarnated.
* CardCarryingVillain: A surprisingly well-handled example. He happily calls himself "King of Evil" and "Dark Lord"; he makes no secret of his sheer love of power; but he's pragmatic, intelligent, strikingly brave, and perhaps a little bit tragic (''The Wind Waker'' depicted him in gloomy middle age), and he enjoys a challenge from a worthy hero.
* CloseRangeCombatant: Tridents, swords (normally two one-handed swords, occasionally a great two-handed Chinese broadsword), and the occasional battle magic or weight-triggered earthquake.
* CosmicKeystone: He is the destined bearer of the Triforce of Power, ⅓ of a divine wish-granting artifact.
* DarkIsEvil: His ColorMotif leans on black and very dark tones. And whenever his power grows, darkness begins to blot out the world. Hell, the world he ''created'' is called the Dark World.
* TheDarkSideWillMakeYouForget: Implied in the ending of ''Wind Waker''; he originally set out to obtain the Triforce to give prosperity to his desert-bound tribe, the Gerudo, akin to that which the Hylians enjoyed. Instead, after acquiring the Triforce of Power, he became obsessed with destroying Hyrule and conquering everything, forgetting all about his people in his new thirst for power.
* DarkSkinnedRedhead: Due to his Gerudo heritage.
* DemonicPossession: He uses this on Zelda in ''Twilight Princess'', and it is implied that he did so on Agahnim in ''A Link to the Past''.
* DesertBandits: He was the king of the Gerudo, a tribe of desert-dwelling thieves. He shocked his countrymen (or countrywomen, as the case may be) with his tactics; but he envied the Hylians' pleasant, temperate surroundings, and wanted to lead his people to that better life.
* DiabolicalMastermind: Ganon is possibly the most intelligent character in the franchise, and is more charismatic than you'd expect from someone with a nasty temper, a constant desire to be in charge, and the power to turn into a giant anthropomorphic boar. In ''Ocarina of Time'', he easily manipulated Link and Zelda into opening the Door of Time for him; in the lead-in to ''A Link to the Past'', he gained the trust of the King of Hyrule and carried out a palace coup, even though the king had all the necessary information to figure out that this reclusive wizard wielding an unfamiliar magic ''just might'' have something to do with the weakening seal on the Sacred Realm and the great plague that had emerged from it.
* DimensionLord: In the Decline timeline, he was sealed away in the Sacred Realm and conquered it, turning it into the Dark World.
* DualWield: He wields a pair of swords in ''Ocarina of Time'', ''The Wind Waker'', and ''Hyrule Warriors''.
* DubNameChange: The English Super Nintendo instruction booklet for ''A Link to the Past'' notoriously made the claim that he was known as "Ganondorf Dragmire" and was also called by his alias "[[UnfortunateNames Mandrag Ganon]]" (supposedly meaning "Ganon of the Enchanted Thieves"), but this information is simply not present in the [[http://www.zeldalegends.net/files/text/z3translation/z3_manual_story.html Japanese Super Famicom version]] and was subsequently omitted entirely from the Game Boy Advance manual. For 25 years straight, this was '''never''' referenced again in any later game or related material until the name Ganondorf Dragmire suddenly resurfaced in an April 2017 update to [[http://zelda.com/online-guide/ Zelda.com]] -- which, while an official website, has a proven negative track record of including [[http://zelda.gamepedia.com/Community:Zelda.com#Bad_reputation_amongst_fans flat-out erroneous details.]] As of 2017, this has been confirmed through WordOfGod thanks to Shigeru Miyamoto.
* EvilIsBigger: ''Seven and a half feet tall'' in human form (although a more normal six feet or so in ''Ocarina of Time''), and probably ten or twelve feet tall in boar form. He's practically a {{Kaiju}} in ''Breath of the Wild''.
* EvilIsHammy: Ganondorf is prone to laughing menacingly while bragging about how powerful he is.
* EvilLaugh: First appeared in ''The Adventure of Link'' -- where it was absolutely terrifying if you were of the target age group, since no one imagined at the time that the NES could show portraits or depict even the simplest of voice acting. Iconic ever since, to the point of being a VerbalTic in ''Ocarina of Time''.
* EvilOnlyHasToWinOnce: Subverted. The "Decline" Timeline is exactly what happens when Ganon ''does'' win -- and it still doesn't work out that well for him. Even after defeating Link and gaining the complete Triforce, the people of Hyrule still managed to fight back and managed to seal Ganon in the Sacred Realm[=/=]Dark World. However, as he still had the Triforce at his disposal, Ganon continued making wishes and building his power until the Dark World's power began seeping into the Light World as well. Then a new Link shows up ("a new Hero was destined to appear"), kills him, and claims the Triforce for himself. Centuries later, Ganon reacquires the Triforce of Power and falls upon Hyrule again, but is again defeated by a new Link. So really, evil's at a disadvantage in this series.
* EvilOverlord: Overlaps with EvilSorcerer and SorcerousOverlord.
* EvilTowerOfOminousness: Ganon's Tower is his base of operations in several games. He sometimes hijacks Hyrule Castle for the same effect.
* EvilVirtues: Just about everything on the list. Even a certain amount of honesty, mentioned below.
* ForTheEvulz: Chaos and destruction are means to ends that he's very attached to, but Ganondorf also enjoys them for their own sake; this comes through particularly clearly in ''Ocarina of Time'' and ''Twilight Princess''.
* FlipFopOfGod: Demise describes the Future Ganon as the incarnation of his hatred, but other sources like Hyrule Historia describe him as the reincarnation of Demise himself.
* FreudianExcuse: It's revealed in ''Wind Waker'' that he was jealous of Hyrule's prosperity while his people were reduced to thievery in the desert, and claims that is the reason he initially invaded.
* FullBoarAction: His Ganon form, especially in ''Twilight Princess'' and ''Hyrule Warriors''.
* GreenEyedMonster: Specifically, his being destined to be the king of a barren desert before seeing the fertility and peace of Hyrule. Furthermore, it is implied in ''Skyward Sword'' that [[spoiler:Ganon is the incarnation of the ancient Demon King Demise's hatred after the latter was defeated by the first Link]]. In other words, Ganon really had no other chance of being anything but evil.
* GeniusBruiser: A clever manipulator, a powerful sorcerer, and a fearsome warrior, [[VideoGame/HyruleWarriors with]] [[VideoGame/SuperSmashBros or without]] weapons.
* GenericDoomsdayVillain: Sometimes he's pretty front-and-center, and gets a great deal of dialogue (for a Zelda game); on other occasions, he's about as impressive as the filler villains he normally replaces.
* GodInHumanForm: Much like how Zelda is [[spoiler:the mortal incarnation of Hylia]], Ganon is the [[spoiler:reincarnation of Demise, either the incarnation of his hatred or Demise himself, destined to fight the bloodlines of Link and Zelda forever]].
* GreaterScopeVillain: He serves as this role if he has a [[TheDragon Dragon]] working for him (usually trying to resurrect him, like his surrogate mothers in the Oracle games) or if he is TheManBehindTheMan. In fact, there's a whole trope for this, and he is the TropeNamer: HijackedByGanon.
* HasTwoMommies: He was brought up by the Twinrova, two witches.
* HellishHorse: In ''Twilight Princess'', he rides one with ''glowing red eyes.''
* HijackedByGanon: TropeNamer, and he's been at it for [[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaOracleGames five]] [[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaFourSwordsAdventures games]] [[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaTwilightPrincess and]] [[VideoGame/HyruleWarriors counting]]. He's also the [[Pantheon/EvilActions God of the Trope]].
* HonorBeforeReason: A rare villainous example: During the final fight in ''Wind Waker'', Ganondorf, after being hit by enough Light Arrows, approaches Tetra, and, instead of stabbing her, puts away his sword and simply backhands her. Also, he seems to have a habit of, whenever knocking down Link, waiting until he gets back up before he resumes his attack or does a finishing blow.
* HumanoidAbomination: He was once simply the king of the desert-dwelling Gerudo tribe, although a powerful sorcerer nevertheless. After acquiring the Triforce, however, he became something much, ''much'' worse. [[spoiler:He is also the reincarnation of the primordial Demon King Demise and a manifestation of his hatred towards Zelda and Link.]]
* {{Immortality}}: He is the only bearer of a Triforce piece that remains the same being from appearance to appearance for this reason. It's strongly implied that Link and Zelda's spirits are reincarnated from each passing generation instead.
* ImpaledWithExtremePrejudice: Done multiple times over the series in terms of the finishing blows:
** In ''Ocarina of Time'', Link, after Ganon was pinned down by Zelda, slices Ganon's face and then delivers the final blow by impaling his mouth.
** In ''Wind Waker'', Ganondorf attempts to do a last-ditch attack on Link. Link parries it, gains enough air, and then does a downward thrust through Ganondorf's head.
** In ''Twilight Princess'', Ganondorf is skewered through the chest with the Sage's Sword in a flashback, and Link's finishing blow against him going right through the wound left by it.
* InvincibleVillain: Ganondorf claims to be unable to be killed by any weapon without the ability to purge evil, and backs it up in ''Wind Waker''.
* JokerImmunity: Despite dying on-screen several times, he usually finds a way back in time for the next game. The Triforce of Power is attributed for most if not all of these returns, and the fact he's destined to reincarnate by way of [[spoiler:Demise's Curse]] only adds to this.
* KnightOfCerebus: When he appears in a 3D game, he typically ends up darkening the plot.
* KilledOffForReal: The original Ganondorf was killed by Link at the end of ''The Legend Of Zelda I'' (Decline), ''Twilight Princess'' (Child), and ''Wind Waker'' (Adult), the latter two times due to the Triforce of Power, the source of his immortality, being separated from him. [[spoiler:However, as per Demise's DyingCurse in ''Skyward Sword'', he is reincarnated as the Ganondorf seen in ''Four Swords Adventures'' in the Child Timeline. So far, he's stayed dead in the Adult Timeline, but this is still circumstantial. However, in the Decline Timeline, Ganon loses the ''entire'' Triforce twice (at the end of ''A Link to the Past'' and then at the end of the original ''Legend of Zelda'' as well), and we're told that there's still a way to revive him in ''Adventure of Link''. That's the final game in that timeline, so it never actually happens barring a GameOver.
* KingKoopaCopy: He started out as one, but after the introduction of his human form, Ganondorf, he became very different.
* KingMook: In ''A Link to the Past'' and the spinoff ''Nintendo Land'', his Moblins, as depicted as [[PigMan Pig Men]], appear alongside Ganon in his Boar demon form. Ironically, Pig Moblins rarely appear with Ganon (as opposed to Ganondorf), with Pig Ganon usually appearing with Bulldog Moblins.
* KingOfThieves: Before he obtained the Triforce of Power and became the Prince of Darkness/King of Evil, Ganondorf was the King of Thieves of the [[DesertBandits Gerudo.]] The position goes to the one male born to the tribe every 100 years.
* LargeAndInCharge: In both his human and beast forms. ''Hyrule Historia'' even puts his official human form height at a staggering and stout 7 feet 6 inches.
* LargeHam: In various games. Bonus points for, as Ganon, making it [[FullBoarAction as literal as possible]].
* LaughingMad: His reaction to the waves coming down on Hyrule from the Hyrulean King's wish to the Triforce in ''Wind Waker''.
* {{Leitmotif}}: Agahnim's theme in ''A Link to the Past'' became Ganondorf's theme from ''Ocarina'' onwards, as the former was in many ways a prototype for the latter. It is a slow, menacing theme. He even played it on his organ one time, while waiting for Link to arrive. The various Ganon, Phantom Ganon, and Ganondorf boss battle themes go with the character as well.
* LightEmUp: He has shown proficiency with light magic, and in ''Twilight Princess'', he uses the Sword of the Sages that he stole from the sages who sought to execute him.
* LightIsNotGood: Despite being affiliated with darkness and evil, he is the chosen wielder of the divine power of Din, and he demonstrates the ability to manifest himself as a giant glowing head in ''Twilight Princess.''
* LightningBruiser: In ''Wind Waker'' and ''Twilight Princess'', he does away with taking on Link with spells from afar and fighting as the MightyGlacier Ganon and proves to be an astonishingly agile opponent while still being bigger and stronger than Link and {{Stone Wall}}ing all but the most advanced sword attacks. Even when he is Ganon in ''Twilight Princess'', he's incredibly agile, and turns human for the final battle.
* MadeOfEvil: Because of the revelation that [[spoiler:Ganondorf is the manifestation of the curse placed upon Zelda and Link's descendants by Demise in ''Skyward Sword'']], Ganondorf's existence hinges on the hatred and persisting spirit of an ancient evil. In ''Breath of the Wild'', he is completely comprised of an evil mystical substance called Malice.
* MagicKnight: He not only possesses powerful magic, but is also unbelievably strong and skilled with melee weapons.
* NighInvulnerability: In ''Wind Waker'', Ganondorf laughs off a slash from the depowered Master Sword and scolds Link for even thinking that he could be defeated by a weapon without the power to purge evil. [[ImplacableMan Every time he is killed, he will come back to life just fine]] due to having the Triforce of Power [[spoiler:and being a manifestation of Demise's hatred towards humans]].
* OlderAndWiser: His depiction in ''Wind Waker'', having had a ''lot'' of time to think about things. He still wants to claim the Triforce and take over Hyrule, but he's become more philosophical and explains his original motives.
* TheOneGuy: To his entire ''race''. Ganondorf is the male Gerudo born once every one hundred years, which is his claim to his title as king.
* OneHandedZweihander: Although he's usually shown wielding a trident, some games have him wielding massive swords, most notably ''Ocarina of Time'' (as Ganon) and ''Hyrule Warriors'' (where it's his default weapon-set).
* OneWingedAngel: His boar-like beast form, Ganon. The 2D games have him in this form all of the time.
* OrcusOnHisThrone: Possesses the Triforce of Power, is a spectacularly skilled sorcerer and swordsman, easily mows down any and all (non-Links) who oppose him, is ''immortal''... and he generally waits around for the latest incarnation of the Hero to level up at the expense of his minions rather than deal with any potential threat himself. Subverted in some games, however, such as ''Wind Waker'', where Ganon was tearing up the place before the Master Sword was sacrificed to seal most of his power and then Hyrule was flooded to keep him away.
* OverarchingVillain: He hijacks the plot from a lot of villains, and is overall the main recurring antagonist.
* PigMan: The rare BigBad example of this trope. Precisely how piggish he looks tend to vary from game to game; he tends to be more pig-like in the 2d games, probably to match his iconic {{Mook}}s, the Moblins (who tend to see-saw between pigmen and bulldog-men themselves). His ''Ocarina of Time'' and ''Twilight Princess'' incarnations are the least piggish-looking, with the former being a hulking demonic BeastMan with a piggish nose and the latter looking like a swinishly snouted, tusked hybrid of lion and ape.
* PhysicalGod: Almost literally, as he (usually) wields the Triforce of Power, which amplifies his own abilities immeasurably, ''and'' [[spoiler:is the reincarnation of the Demon King Demise]].
* PlanetOfCopyhats: In the backstory of ''A Link to the Past'', he is said to be a masterful thief on account of how he came by the Triforce. Thievery ends up being one of the main defining features of the Gerudo.
* ThePowerOfHate:
** He embodies the [[spoiler:dying curse that Demise set on the descendants of the first Link and Zelda, in which that an incarnation of his hatred is destined to forever fight all of their descendants]].
** [[spoiler:This makes him transform into Ganon for the final boss fight in Ocarina in tandem with the Triforce of Power.]]
** As Calamity Ganon in ''Breath of the Wild'' the evil goop-like substance related to him that corrupts locations and spawns monsters is called Malice. [[spoiler:In the final battle he loses any sort of mind or consciousness and is simply rampaging Malice incarnate.]]
* {{Pride}}: What really keeps undoing Ganondorf again and again is his extreme arrogance. While he has recognized Link's skill on several occasions, the King of Evil refuses to believe that the Hero is a match for him, no matter how much the latter accomplishes.
* ProngsOfPoseidon: His most commonly seen weapon is a trident of some description, although the style varies between games. Every Ganon wields one in the 2D games, and it's his secondary weapon set in ''Hyrule Warriors''.
* PureIsNotGood: ''Twilight Princess'' and ''Breath of the Wild'' describe Ganondorf as possessing the purest malice [[spoiler:and ''Skyward Sword'' reveals why]].
* RageQuit: He does this in a couple games.
** After losing his first fight to Link in ''Ocarina of Time'', he primes the castle they're in to explode. When he realizes that Link survived, he goes berserk and transforms into Ganon.
** In ''Breath of the Wild'', [[spoiler:Link manages to interrupt his reincarnation cycle and bests his physical body in battle. In response, he transforms into Dark Beast Ganon, a monster that will kill all life in Hyrule if Link does not put him down for good]].
* RaisedByGrandparents: Sort of. WordOfGod is that he was raised by [[HasTwoMommies the witches Twinrova]].
* {{Reincarnation}}: The Ganondorf seen in ''Four Swords Adventures'' is the reincarnation of the original Ganondorf killed in ''Twilight Princess'', and Dark Link is a manifestation of his hatred for Link. [[spoiler:In ''Skyward Sword'', it's revealed that he is the incarnation of the hatred Demon King Demise bore for Link and Zelda, which is reiterated in ''Breath of the Wild''. ''Hyrule Historia'' and ''Hyrule Warriors'' state that Ganondorf is Demise's reincarnation as well.]]
* SanityHasAdvantages: Ganondorf is smart, charismatic, pragmatic, brave, patient, relentless, immortal, and ''not crazy'' -- traits which make him one of the most dangerous villains in just about any work of genre fiction. Link consistently needs his wits about him to beat Ganondorf, or to ensure that he stays beaten.
* ScaryBlackMan: Though more AmbiguouslyBrown, or perhaps Ambiguously Green, his skin's dark enough to give off something of this vibe. He's always been depicted as more Middle Eastern or East African than anything else, in contrast to the European-cultured Hylians.
* SealedEvilInACan: At the end of ''Ocarina of Time'' and in the backstory of the Decline timeline, he's sealed into the Sacred Realm, at the end of ''Four Swords Adventures'', he's sealed inside the Four Sword, and in the backstory of ''Breath of the Wild'', he was sealed inside Hyrule Castle.
* SinisterSchnoz: As part of his Gerudo heritage, he has a large nose. ''Ocarina of Time'' in particular has it be impressively pointy like all Gerudo. Later games tone it down, but it's still fairly big in most interpretations.
* StalkerWithoutACrush: To every Zelda he meets. He only desires her for the Triforce of Wisdom she carries.
* StayingAlive: Several games imply or outright state it is due to the Triforce of Power making him immortal.
* StoutStrength: In most of his appearances, he's either fat (as an anthropomorphic pig) or muscular-but-somewhat-fat (as Ganondorf in all his appearances except ''Ocarina of Time''), but is still one of the strongest beings in Hyrule.
* SuperStrength: On top of his powerful magic abilities, his physical strength is godlike. Many times, he is portrayed as stronger and more powerful than Link (who has impressive feats of strength himself), like in ''Wind Waker'' where he completely overpowers Link (a Link who can lift giant boulders) in every encounter without even trying, or in ''Ocarina of Time'' where Link needs big magical strength enhancement gloves to even compare to Ganon's strength. He has feats like breaking free from heavy chains, destroying the floor of his throne room with one punch, destroying pillars which require powerful weapons for it to destroy with ease, wielding huge weapons that Link himself would struggle to wield, killing the water sage with one punch, breaking free from a giant castle rubble while half dead, and creating earthquakes with his physical abilities.
* TakeOverTheWorld: His main goal in claiming the Triforce and conquering Hyrule.
* TennisBoss: In ''Ocarina of Time'' and [[spoiler:while possessing Zelda]] in ''Twilight Princess''.
* {{Touche}}: Especially evident in ''Wind Waker'', when Link manages to escape or defeat Ganon. He always has this smirk on his face which demonstrates amusement with Link's gumption.
* TragicVillain: By way of CharacterDevelopment. Initially, Ganon was just a GenericDoomsdayVillain, with ''A Link to the Past'' and ''Ocarina of Time'' expanding on how he was a master thief and warlord who managed to acquire the Triforce (and, in the former game, slaughtered his own followers to possess it). In ''Wind Waker'', he was given a FreudianExcuse for coveting the Triforce; the Gerudo were poor, shunned outcasts who were forced to live in the barren wastes of the desert whilst living right next door to the lush and prosperous Hyrule (and FridgeHorror only makes it worse about how bad things would have been, especially since they were a OneGenderRace who had to mate with Hylian men to propagate). Then, in ''Skyward Sword'', we learn that [[spoiler:he's the reincarnation of Demise[=/=]the avatar of Demise's hatred born of a DyingCurse]], which means that he ''never had a choice'' in what would happen to him. He was destined to become a monster, whether he wanted to or not.
* TheUnchosenOne: ZigZaggedTrope. Unlike Link and Zelda, Ganondorf did not stumble across the Triforce of Power and was not granted its power from birth. However, as the reincarnation/manifestation of the demon Demise, he still seems to embody it. Most telling is the Child Timeline, where Ganondorf failed to open the Portal of Time due to Link's intervention, but is just "awarded" the Triforce of Power just because.
* UnexplainedRecovery: He has died. He has also appeared, perfectly healthy, in games that are chronologically some time after the game in which he has died.\\
\\
According to ''[[AllThereInTheManual Hyrule Historia]]'', Ganon returns in the original ''The Legend of Zelda'' (after ''A Link to the Past'') without hinting he had died before in games which at the time weren't released. Due to the ambiguity of what happens in-between, how he inexplicably recovers is unknown.\\
\\
Several of the games, including ''Ocarina of Time'', strongly imply if not outright state it is due to the Triforce of Power making him immortal. In ''Twilight Princess'', the original Ganondorf is finally slain... only to [[{{Reincarnation}} reincarnate]] in time for the next chronological game.
* VillainDecay: In the Decline timeline, Ganon's power and [[TheChessmaster intelligence]] gradually decrease as he gets defeated by various incarnations of Link over time. In ''A Link to the Past'', he was at the height of his power, having defeated the Hero of Time and obtained the entire Triforce ages ago with an entire world at his command. The only way to defeat him was by a combination of the Master Sword (which could only stun him) and four Silver Arrows[[note]][[GameplayAndStorySegregation In-story, that is.]] Normal players will never get to Ganon without already having the Master Sword, but speedrunners and others have gotten to Ganon with only the starting sword.[[/note]]. In the ''Oracles'' games, Ganon is revived, only for the [[CameBackWrong resurrection to be botched]] and he comes back as a mindless, raging beast with limited awareness of who he is. He can be killed by any sword (with the Master Sword causing the most damage). In ''A Link Between Worlds'', Ganon is revived again to be used as a power source for Yuga's OneWingedAngel form, and Yuga remains in full control of his body. He is killed by just the Master Sword. And finally, in the original ''Legend of Zelda'', according to ''Hyrule Historia'', [[UnexplainedRecovery Ganon returns]] but lacks any of Ganondorf's intellect back in ''Ocarina of Time'', now simply a demon warlord bent on stealing the Triforce. He is ultimately slain by a non-Master Sword and one Silver Arrow this time around. [[spoiler:Played with in ''Breath of the Wild'', as [[MadeOfEvil Calamity Ganon]], where he's stronger than ever, but lacks a body at that point, and is an AlmightyIdiot on top of that due to his sheer power overriding any remaining identity as Ganon or Ganondorf.]]
* VillainousBreakdown:
** In ''The Wind Waker'' when King Daphnes wishes for Hyrule to be destroyed moments before Ganon can wish for it to be his. Ganon proceeds to [[LaughingMad laugh]] as the ocean starts pouring down around them and then decides to just kill Zelda and Link then and there.
** In ''Breath of the Wild'', he's become more of a walking natural disaster and living incarnation of ThePowerOfHate than a real character, intending to destroy the world instead of conquer it. As the final battle goes on, according to Zelda -- [[LostInTranslation at least in the English version]] -- he even gives up on trying to properly revive himself just so he can make sure Link dies.
* VillainsNeverLie: In ''[[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaTheWindWaker Wind Waker]]'''s NewGamePlus, Link receives the "Hero's New Clothes", which are invisible to everyone but the honest. Ganondorf can see them just fine.
* VillainRespect: Despite animosity toward him as an enemy, Ganon has nothing but respect for Link's courage. Numerous times, he praises Link's determination and toughness and gives an amused grin/laugh when Link outsmarts him.
* WellIntentionedExtremist: Revealed to have started off as one before his rise to power in ''Wind Waker'', with his intention of freeing the Gerudo from the deserts. As to this, the monster he eventually became is a result of MotiveDecay, justified as him going mad with power.
* WickedCultured: In ''Ocarina of Time'', he's playing his own theme song on an organ while Link progresses through his lair.
* WoobieDestroyerOfWorlds: Thanks to ''Skyward Sword'' and ''Wind Waker'', he also comes across as this. He pretty much wanted to make life better for the Gerudo, but ended up falling hard down the DarkSide, and in ''Wind Waker'' at least, it's even implied that he might have regretted his crimes. In addition, since he was predestined to become the reincarnation of Demise's hatred, he also literally never had any choice in regards to whether he could become good. Heck, in ''Ocarina of Time'' and ''Twilight Princess'', Zelda and Link even pitied him.
* WorthyOpponent: Considers Link one, for his courage at least. Ganon is prideful and arrogantly secure in his own power, but he is often pleasantly surprised by Link's ability to give him a challenge.
* WrestlerInAllOfUs: While very heavily [[{{Flanderization}} Flanderized]] in ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBros'', Ganondorf often uses various hand-to-hand combat and wrestling moves in his boss battles alongside swordplay and magic.
* XanatosGambit: In two games.
** ''Ocarina of Time''. It doesn't matter who opens the Gate of Time, he'll still get a Triforce piece.
** ''Wind Waker''. The Master Sword is the only weapon that can defeat him, but freeing it gives him his full powers back.
** In ''VideoGame/HyruleWarriors'', he repeats the gambit from ''Wind Waker'' by [[spoiler:manipulating Cia into unsealing three parts of his soul and becoming a big enough threat that the heroes have to draw the Master Sword -- which was sealing away the final piece of his soul -- to stop her]].
* YouCantFightFate: The revelation that Ganondorf is the human reincarnation of Demise brought on by the Demon tribe curse indicates he was fated to come into conflict with Zelda and Link.
[[/folder]]

!! The Golden Goddesses
[[folder:Goddesses as a Group]]

The divine creators of Hyrule, Din, Nayru, and Farore. In ancient times, they descended to the chaos that was the world at the time, created the known world and the creatures within it, and then departed, leaving the Triforce at the point in the world they left it. The Goddesses have never directly appeared in a ''Zelda'' title outside of flashbacks to their creation of the world, but creatures named for them and artifacts bearing their power frequently appear.
----
* ColorCodedCharacters: Din is usually represented by red, sometimes orange; Nayru is usually represented by blue, sometimes violet or purple; Farore is usually represented by green.
* FreudianTrio: Din is the Id, being associated with fire and power, and Ganondorf, who wields her part of the Triforce, is the power-hungry BigBad; Nayru is the Superego, being associated with water and wisdom, and Zelda, who wields her part of the Triforce, is the wise and peaceful ruler of Hyrule; and Farore is the Ego, by virtue of being associated with Link, who defeats Ganondorf, rescues Zelda, and restores balance to the land in the process with a combination of wisdom and power.
* GodIsGood: Whenever an evil great enough to demand it threatens the land, they will intervene to help stop it.
* GreaterScopeParagon: While Hylia is the BigGood in games that feature her, they're still higher in the Hyrule Pantheon's pecking order than she.
* HijackedByJesus: Basically the ''Zelda'' equivalent of the Holy Trinity.
* TheOmnipotent: They're not characters as much as they are a concept and they are all-knowing and all-powerful enough to forge an artifact of power that turns its owner into a PhysicalGod. They are likely far, far above beings like Hylia, Majora, the Dragons and Calamity Ganon.
* TopGod: Of the "God of Gods" variety. ''The Legend of Zelda'' provides no shortage of deities, but they all pale in comparison to the Hyrulean goddesses, who created the universe and every living creature in it.
* StoryBreakerPower: If they are even half as powerful as the legend depicting their creation of the Triforce implies, they are far and away too powerful for any other character in the entire series to compare to.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Din]]
!! Din, Goddess of Power

Goddess of Power, represented by fire, the color red, and the Goron race. She created Hyrule itself, shaping the earth and the mountains.
----
* PlayingWithFire: Is said to have created Hyrule with her "strong, flaming arms", and is generally associated with fire, such as Din's Fire and Death Mountain.

[[/folder]]

[[folder:Nayru]]
!! Nayru, Goddess of Wisdom

Goddess of Wisdom, represented by water, the color blue, and the Zora race. After Din created the land of Hyrule, Nayru breathed her wisdom onto it, creating the laws of space-time.
----
* DeflectorShields: The spell associated with her, Nayru's Love, creates an energy barrier to protect the user.
* MakingASplash: Is associated with Water via the Zora's Sapphire and similar artifacts.
* TimeMaster: Being that she's implied to have created the laws of physics (''Ocarina of Time'' says she "gave the spirit of law to the land"), it is thought that she may be the Goddess of Time often spoken of but never named. Additionally, the oracle that bears her name has the power to control time.

[[/folder]]

[[folder:Farore]]
!! Farore, Goddess of Courage

Goddess of Courage, represented by the forests and the wind, the color green, and the Kokiri and Deku races. Once Nayru created the law of the land, Farore created life itself, all creatures and plantlife.
----
* FlashStep: Farore's Wind, the spell associated with her, allows the user to teleport.
* HeroicSpirit: It's implied that while Zelda gets great wisdom and Ganondorf great power, the Triforce of Courage grants Link this trope. Being the Goddess of Courage, it only makes sense.
* GreenThumb: Is the spirit of nature.
* WindIsGreen: Is associated with Wind, and her spell in ''Ocarina of Time'', Farore's Wind, is green.

[[/folder]]

!! Major Allies
[[folder:Hylia]]
!! Hylia
Hyrule's original protector goddess. She is the original identity of the very first Zelda, until she took a human form and began her plans to defeat evil.

* ActionGirl: She forged the Goddess Sword and originally wielded it against the Demon King Demise, before passing it down to her chosen Hero.
* AdaptationExpansion: She appears in a prequel manga included in ''Hyrule Historia'', wherein she chooses the first incarnation of Link as her champion against Demise, and forsakes her immortality after he is killed to be reincarnated at his side.
* BigGood: Working under the Golden Goddesses, Hylia protected Hyrule and the Triforce in the series' backstory. She is the one that started the Royal Family, created the first iteration of the Master Sword and chose the first Hero.
* CelestialParagonsAndArchangels: Statues depict her as a winged woman wielding the Goddess Sword.
* DeityOfHumanOrigin: Technically speaking, she is a goddess [[GodInHumanForm that became human]] and then [[AscendToAHigherPlaneOfExistence became a goddess again]].
* DivineParentage: Without her, the Royal Family wouldn't exist.
* FounderOfTheKingdom: Mount Hylia, Hylia River, the Hylian people, and even the Kingdom of Hyrule itself are named after her.
* TheGhost: Never makes a physical appearance in the games. She is only visible in artistic representations, such as paintings and statues, though she does speak to Link when he comes to one of her statues in ''Breath of the Wild''.
* GodOfGood: She is a benevolent goddess with the power to vanquish evil, an ability passed down to her mortal incarnation and descendants. After the original Zelda's mortal life ended, Hylia became a goddess again and continues to protect Hyrule, even when the current generations of Link and Zelda are present.
* LadyAndKnight: She appointed a Hylian knight as her champion in the war against Demise, presenting him with the Goddess Sword. This chosen Hero would be reincarnated as the various Links, tasked with defending the bloodline of the goddess against the incarnation of Demise's hatred.
* MacGuffinGuardian: She was tasked with protecting the Triforce by Farore, Nayru, and Din.
* MortalityEnsues: She temporarily gave up her status as a goddess to be incarnated as the first Zelda.
* OurFounder: Statues of her appear in ''Skyward Sword'' and ''Breath of the Wild'', signifying her status as the founder and patron goddess of Hyrule.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:The Master Sword/Fi]]
!! The Master Sword/Fi
The legendary Blade of Evil's Bane often wielded by the Hero of Hyrule. It is later revealed to house a mind of its own named Fi.

* BreakoutCharacter: [[spoiler:Her unexpected popularity gave her a small, yet important role in ''Breath of the Wild''.]]
* TheChooserOfTheOne: She decides who is worthy of holding the Master Sword, based on her impressions of the first Link.
* CoolSword: She ''is'' the Master Sword.
* ColorMotif: Blue and purple/indigo. The same colors associated with the Master Sword.
* {{Leitmotif}}: [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q_648bSNXto Fi's Theme]].
* LegendaryWeapon: Her story is tied to those of the Heroes of Hyrule.
* LivingWeapon: Again, the spirit of the Master Sword.
* MinorMajorCharacter: She is in every game the Master Sword appears in, it's just that Fi herself doesn't come out to speak to her current wielder aside from ''Skyward Sword''.
* NiceJobBreakingItHero: She is technically responsible for Ganondorf getting a hold of the Triforce in the first place, due to sealing Link until he was old enough to wield her in ''Ocarina of Time''.
* ReforgedBlade: Sometimes, the Master Sword must be reforged in order to increase its power. Unlike most examples, however, the Master Sword is not broken in the first place. In the ''Skyward Sword'' prequel manga included in ''Hyrule Historia'', the original incarnation of Link is shown shattering the Master Sword in order to reforge it from a divine greatsword only wieldable by Hylia into a longsword he can use.
* VillainBeatingArtifact: Whenever she, or rather the Master Sword, shows up, that's when Link has a chance at beating Ganondorf.
* YouAreNotReady: In a few ways, her adherence to this can cause just as much harm as good.
** In ''Ocarina of Time'', she sealed Link's spirit in the Sacred Realm because he wasn't ready to wield the Master Sword. This also had the effect of [[NiceJobBreakingItHero letting Ganondorf get to the Triforce]].
** [[spoiler:In ''Breath of the Wild'' she will actually ''kill'' Link if he not ready to use the Master Sword.]]
[[/folder]]

!!Secondary Villains
[[folder:Dark Link]]
!!Link's Shadow/Dark Link/Shadow Link

[[quoteright:206:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/DarkLink_7857.png]]

Link's {{Doppelganger}} who first appeared as "Link's Shadow" in ''Zelda II: The Adventure of Link'', the surprise final boss. He's something of a popular character with the fandom despite his infrequent appearances and lack of characterization. He appears most notably in ''Ocarina of Time'' as the mini-boss in the [[DownTheDrain Water Temple]], and in ''Four Swords Adventures'' as a RecurringBoss.

There are many different Dark Links, just as there are many different Links. The character is alternately known as Link's Shadow (in ''The Adventure of Link''), Dark Link (in ''Ocarina of Time''), and Shadow Link (in ''Four Swords Adventures''); it is unknown if there are any meaningful differences between these names. In ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaALinkBetweenWorlds'', you can enter Shadow Link Battles as a [=StreetPass=] feature. They represent other players you pass and are equipped with up to two of the items they have.
----
* BigBulkyBomb: He throws humongous bombs at you several times during ''Four Swords Adventures.'' Can also use them in ''A Link Between Worlds'' should an opposing player equip them with one.
* TheBlank: In many of his appearances, he has no facial features except for glowing red eyes, and sometimes not even that.
* BonusBoss: In the UsefulNotes/GameBoyAdvance version of ''A Link to the Past'' and in ''Spirit Tracks.''
* DegradedBoss: In ''Oracle of Ages'', Veran can create dark Link doppelgangers as easily defeated {{Mooks}}.
* {{Doppelganger}}: He is an evil, jet-black clone of Link.
* EvilTwin: He is identical to Link... except made of shadow.
* EnemyWithout: In ''Zelda II'', he is explicitly seen jumping out of Link, and in ''Hyrule Warriors'' manifests out of Link's shadow.
* FearfulSymmetry: One of his favorite combat tactics in boss battles.
* FightingAShadow: In ''Four Swords Adventures,'' he retreats into the DarkWorld whenever you beat him.
* FinalBoss: In ''The Adventure of Link'', he is the final boss.
* TheHeartless: The Shadow Link seen in ''Four Swords Adventures'' is a manifestation of the original Ganondorf's hatred towards Link.
* LegacyCharacter: Each Link copy is a different character and has a different explanation for their existence. In ''Zelda II'', Link's Shadow is the last test of worthiness for the Triforce of Courage. In ''Ocarina of Time'', Dark Link is a GiantSpaceFleaFromNowhere. In ''Four Swords Adventures'', Shadow Link is a creation of the Dark Mirror and a manifestation of the original Ganondorf's hatred for Link.
* MirrorBoss: In ''Ocarina of Time'', Dark Link mirrors the real Link's attacks.
* PaintItBlack: The versions in ''The Adventure of Link'', ''Ocarina of Time'', and ''Four Swords Adventures'' are jet-black.
* RedEyesTakeWarning: In ''Ocarina of Time'', he has glowing red eyes. This was carried over to the unnamed ''Oracle of Ages'' and ''Twilight Princess'' copies/illusions.
* SequentialBoss: In ''A Link to the Past'' (Game Boy Advance version).
* TheTrickster: In ''Four Swords Adventures'', he and his clones play malicious tricks on Link.
* WhiteHairBlackHeart: He is given white hair in his ''Twilight Princess'' incarnation.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Phantom Ganon]]
!!Phantom Ganon
A spirit that has been summoned by Ganondorf several times, and bears a physical resemblance to him.
----
* CoolSword: A large black sword with a curl at the tip.
* DarkIsEvil: He started off as a Undead-looking monster at first, then seemed to transition into a LivingShadow.
* EvilLaugh: Lets one out from time to time.
* GlowingEyesOfDoom: In all incarnations.
* LivingShadow: His post-''Ocarina of Time'' incarnation had a design that invokes this.
* MesACrowd: In ''The Wind Waker'', he can temporarily summon four copies of himself that can strike down Link. In ''Ocarina of Time'', he uses a copy as a decoy.
* ProngsOfPoseidon: Wields a trident in ''Ocarina of Time.''
* TeleportSpam: His post-''Ocarina of Time'' incarnation makes heavy use of his teleportation powers.
* TennisBoss: Each incarnation must be damaged by deflecting his energy attacks.

[[/folder]]

[[folder:Twinrova]]
!!Twinrova
[[quoteright:300:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Twinrova_OoT_1334.png]]

The twin sisters Koume and Kotake, who were Ganondorf's adopted parents in ''Ocarina of Time.'' They presumably taught him his dark magical abilities and set him on his StartOfDarkness. Koume uses fire magic and Kotake uses ice magic. Their FusionDance forms a composite being that can use both. They were later seen trying to revive Ganon in the ''Oracle'' series. Interestingly, their AlternateUniverse counterparts in ''Majora's Mask'' are good guys who run a potion shop and tour boat in southern Termina.
----
* CrystalBall: They are sometimes depicted as using one of these, mostly in the ''Oracle'' series.
* TheDragon: The twin sisters were Ganondorf's adopted parents. That probably explains a lot.
* DualBoss: You fight both witches at the same time, they eventually fuse together.
* ElementalRockPaperScissors: Whenever you face them; Koume is weak to ice and Kotake is weak to fire, so the typical fighting pattern is reflecting one's elemental attacks to damage her sister with it.
* EvilMatriarch: They rule the Gerudo tribe, and whoever disobeys gets banishment or enslavement to their son.
* EvilOldFolks: They're said to be ''centuries'' old.
* HotWitch: Their fused form Twinrova is noticeably more youthful.
* FlyingBroomstick: Their mode of transportation.
* FusionDance: Their Twinrova form, which the player usually has to fight.
* UnexplainedRecovery: In the ''Oracle'' series, provided they're not the same twins as in ''Ocarina of Time''. That game's Link defeated them and they ascended to heaven, yet they show up just fine in the ''Oracle'' games.
* WickedWitch: They fit the traditional archetype pretty well: evil, old, green skin, SinisterSchnoz, ride broomsticks, etc. Subverted in ''Majora's Mask'', however, where they run a potion shop and are helpful to Link (if a bit [[FantasticRacism racist]] towards Dekus and Gorons).

[[/folder]]

[[folder:Vaati]]
!!Vaati
[[quoteright:242:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Vaati_1111.png]]
[[quoteright:350:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/vaati_demon2_9473.jpg]]

The main villain of the ''Four Swords'' sub-series. The backstory from ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaFourSwords'' told of how a young hero imprisoned him in the titular Four Sword and how he escaped when the seal weakened. ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaTheMinishCap'' is his StartOfDarkness, explaining how he used the power of the Minish Cap to transform himself into a human sorcerer, and later a giant eyeball-cloud.
----
* TheArchmage: Vaati displays incredible magical prowess.
* BigBad: He plays this role in the ''Four Swords'' sub-series.
* BlowYouAway: Being a wind mage in his later games, his attacks based on wind can send Link flying.
* BreakoutVillain: Vaati is the only villain to have played the BigBad in more than one game besides Ganon, which led to a rise of popularity and many suggesting a return whenever a new game makes itself known.
* CameBackWrong: However he came back to life between ''The Minish Cap'' and ''Four Swords'', he didn't come back the same. Instead of wanting the Lightforce to become all powerful, he went and kidnapped any pretty maiden that caught his attention.
* CurbStompBattle: Vaati won the tournament decisively and then went on to humiliate the soldiers of Hyrule in the beginning of ''The Minish Cap''.
* TheDragon: To Ganon in ''Four Swords Adventures''. Although he was most likely manipulated.
* DarkIsEvil: Wore deep purple robes after becoming a sorceror, and became pitch black after becoming an EldritchAbomination.
* EldritchAbomination: At the end of ''Minish Cap'', in ''Four Swords'', and in ''Four Swords Adventures'', he appears as a one-eyed demonic entity.
* EnfantTerrible: Even though his age is never mentioned, it's pretty obvious that he wasn't an adult in his human and his original Minish form, since his human artwork makes him barely taller than Link and his Minish-sprite is even smaller than that of a regular Minish. Additionally, he's so cute in these two forms that you wouldn't know he's a villain unless someone told you... Of ''course'' the knights of Hyrule suspected nothing when a young boy signed up for the tournament...
* EvilAlbino: His pre-{{Oculothorax}} form has very pale skin and hair paired with red eyes.
* EvilSorcerer: He's a skilled and powerful magician who wants to conquer Hyrule.
* FacelessEye: In his demon form, he's an {{Oculothorax}} with bat wings.
* FillerVillain: Fills in for Ganon in the ''Four Swords'' games where he isn't present.
* {{Foil}}: To the series' BigBad Ganon, as Vaati is the only other villain to have filled that role more than once. Ganondorf is a lone male Gerudo with green skin no other Gerudo has, Vaati was a Minish with an odd purple skin color that no other Minish has. Ganondorf turned evil because of jealousy for Hyrule's prosperity and a lust for power that got the better of him, Vaati turned evil because he was bored with his race and was interested in the evil in man's hearts. Ganondorf wears black armor and uses magic but prefers using brute force, Vaati wears purple and red but prefers only using magic in his fights. Both want to take over the world, but Ganondorf wants the Triforce (an ancient power left behind by the goddesses) and that goal stuck until ''Breath of the Wild'', where the Calamity Ganon was a wild beast; Vaati wanted the Lightforce (a power gifted from the Minish to the Royal Family) but his goal ended due to forgetting his past life. Ganon only kidnapped Zelda due to her connection with the Triforce, while Vaati originally wanted just the Lightforce that was within her but he ended up kidnapping her strictly for marriage.
* GigglingVillain: He laughs like the Happy Mask Salesman.
* {{Greed}}: One of the guards describes Vaati as greedy when the latter is impersonating the king in ''The Minish Cap''.
* IHaveYouNowMyPretty: In ''Four Swords'' and ''Four Swords Adventures'', [[WordOfGod due to forgetting his former life]], he's become obsessed with pretty girls. He kidnapped Zelda in the former because he wanted a bride.
* IJustWantToBeYou: This is how he felt about all humanity, according to ''The Minish Cap''. Fascinated by the potential of humans to commit evil in pursuit of their goals, he used the Wishing Cap to take the form of a human to start his quest for the Light Force.
* KilledOffForReal: [[WordOfGod Hyrule Historia]] states that Vaati was killed in the final fight of ''Four Swords Adventure'', permanently writing him off the Child Timeline. His fate in the Adult and Decline timeline is, anyhow, undisclosed.
* MeaningfulName: "Vaati" resembles "Venti", the Italian word for "Winds". Vaati's Japanese name, "Gufū", translated into English means "tornado".
* MotiveDecay: In ''Minish Cap'', he wants the Light Force, which is located in Princess Zelda. From then on, he desires any girl that catches his eye, with Princess Zelda for a bride. WordOfGod justifies this, as he has forgotten his life as a Minish and everything in it.
* NiceJobFixingItVillain: The plot probably wouldn't have been kickstarted after he revealed his true colors had he deduced that [[spoiler:Zelda was carrying the Light Force he was seeking]], and thus not [[TakenForGranite turned Zelda into stone.]]
* OneWingedAngel: At the end of ''Minish Cap'' he drains Zelda's light force and transforms into a humungous floating [[{{Oculothorax}} eyeball-cloud]].
* OlderThanHeLooks: At least after ''Minish Cap'', Vaati is immortal and all of his appearances are the same character.
* PeekABangs: Apparently he doesn't even use that eye, since he ditches it when he goes OneWingedAngel.
* PurpleIsPowerful: His Minish and Hylian forms feature different shades of purple, this includes his skin.
* Really700YearsOld: At least in ''Four Sword Adventures'', which is the last game in the timeline it appears in and has the same Vaati as the one from ''Minish Cap'', which is one of the earliest games in the timeline.
* RedEyesTakeWarning: All his forms have red eyes.
* RobeAndWizardHat: His first form in ''Minish Cap'' wears this.
* SealedEvilInACan: Vaati releases all the monsters within the Bound Chest when he shatters the Picori Blade. He later becomes the sealed evil when he is imprisoned within the Four Sword.
* StayingAlive: Each appearance by Vaati is the same character who has managed to live across several generations.
* SwordOfPlotAdvancement: He unleashes numerous monsters by destroying the Picori Blade. Fixing and upgrading the weapon is necessary to navigate through the world and ultimately to defeat Vaati.
* WasOnceAMan: ''Minish Cap'' reveals that he was once a Minish who transformed himself into a Hylian-like form. Once the Link of that game destroyed his body, he became the EldritchAbomination that he is for all other ''Four Swords'' games.
* TheXenophile: He grew up studying the evil potential of humans, even to the point of abandoning his Minish form. Even after losing his memories, he spends his time kidnapping human girls.
[[/folder]]

!!Other Legacy Characters

[[folder:Impa]]
!!Impa
[[quoteright:300:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/impa_collage.png]]

Impa is a name given to each Zelda's nursemaid. However, each character with that name is very different from one another.
----
* ActionGirl: In some incarnations, she seems less a nanny and closer to a bodyguard. In general, Impa is either a young Sheikah not unlike a ninja, or she's an old and possibly portly woman. [[spoiler:In ''Skyward Sword'', she's both.]] Even the elderly version from the NES games managed to escape capture and survive monster attacks long enough to find Link.
* AllThereInTheManual: She never made an on-screen appearance until ''[[CanonDiscontinuity Wand of Gamelon]]''[=/=]''Ocarina of Time.'' In the NES games, she only showed up in the manuals.
* CoolOldLady: When she isn't a young {{Ninja}}, she comes across as this.
* DemotedToExtra: According to the ''Hyrule Historia'', originally Ganon was just the bad guy and it was Link, Zelda, and Impa forming a PowerTrio that protected Hyrule. Then ''Ocarina of Time'' came around and Ganon became the third member of the trinity.
* HeroicAlbino: Most commonly portrayed this way, though she's occasionally shown with different hair and eye colors. This ended up [[PlanetOfCopyhats being extended to the Sheikah in general]].
* LastOfTheirKind: A recurring trait with her is that she is the last remaining Sheikah. Except in ''Breath of the Wild'', where the Sheikah tribe is fine and dandy.
* LegacyCharacter: One who actually looks different in each of her incarnations, having been everything from a [[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaI diminutive and]] [[VideoGame/ZeldaIITheAdventureOfLink feeble]] [[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaALinkBetweenWorlds old]] [[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaBreathOfTheWild lady]], a [[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaOcarinaOfTime muscular warrior]], an [[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaOracleGames overweight middle-aged woman]], and a [[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaSkywardSword tall, thin ninja]] ([[spoiler:as a young woman, that is. We also meet her when she's much older and a MiniatureSeniorCitizen]]).
* MsExposition: She always explains the backstory. Even back when she only appeared in the manual, her role was still primarily to explain the backstory. In fact, according to WordOfGod, her name is derived from the word "impart" because she imparts the legend of Zelda.
* {{Ninja}}: The ''Ocarina of Time'', ''Skyward Sword'', and ''Breath of the Wild'' incarnations are of the Sheikah tribe, a race of ninja-like people of the shadows. The ''Hyrule Warriors'' incarnation is also this, primarily based on the ''Skyward Sword'' incarnation in appearance.
* ParentalSubstitute: Most games have her as this to Zelda, due to her parents rarely being mentioned.
* TeamMom: She's Zelda's nursemaid in most of her appearances.
* UndyingLoyalty: As a member of the Shiekah tribe, her loyalty is to the royal family, mostly Princess Zelda. She's seen as Zelda's surrogate mother or bodyguard in various games.
* {{Xenafication}}: [[ZigZaggedTrope Zig-Zagged]]. In the first two games, Impa appeared as a feeble old woman. In ''Ocarina of Time'', she's a muscular [[AmazonianBeauty Amazonian]] {{Ninja}}. In the ''Oracle'' games, she's a pudgy middle-aged woman and is less active in the plot. In ''Skyward Sword'', she's back to being an ActionGirl {{Ninja}} as Zelda's bodyguard [[spoiler:and also a short elderly woman]]. In ''A Link Between Worlds'', she's once again an old woman. In ''Breath of the Wild'' she's an old woman, but mentioned to be a RetiredBadass. And in ''Hyrule Warriors'', she's back to being a muscular amazonian ninja, but she's more conventionally attractive than her ''Ocarina of Time'' counterpart.

[[/folder]]

[[folder:Kaepora Gaebora]]
!!Kaepora Gaebora
[[quoteright:181:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Kaepora_Gaebora.jpg]]

The wise old owl who shows up in ''Ocarina of Time,'' ''Majora's Mask'', and ''Four Swords Adventures.'' A similar owl also appeared in ''Link's Awakening,'' but was not named. He appears to give the player hints as to where to go next and what to do. However, his long-winded text conversations and ExpositionBreak manner of speaking made him annoying in any playthrough but the first one.
----
* ExpositionBreak: "Would you like me to repeat that?"
* ExpositionFairy: His main purpose is to give the player information.
* {{Expy}}: Of the owl from ''Link's Awakening''.
* GiantFlyer: In ''Ocarina of Time'', he's able to pick Link up and fly him from Lake Hylia to Hyrule Castle.
* TheOwlKnowingOne: He's always willing to give Link some advice.
* ShallIRepeatThat: Probably the most famous example.

[[/folder]]

[[folder:The Seven Sages]]

A group of people with special powers that they use to support Link and Zelda - usually after [[DistressedDamsel Link has to rescue them]]. The title of Sage is a hereditary one and the identities of the Sages change with each game they're in, though Zelda is usually considered one and if Impa is in a game with Sages in it, then she's one too.
----
* ChekhovsGunman: In ''Ocarina of Time'' and ''A Link Between Worlds'', you meet each of the Sages (except for Rauru) in the early parts of the game long before you (or even ''they'') realize they ''are'' a Sage.
* DistressedDamsel: Ganon and other bad guys usually target the Sages and imprison them at the beginning of the game, forcing Link to rescue them. Some of them are {{Distressed Dude}}s instead, but "damsel" is more common (''A Link to the Past'' and ''Four Swords Adventures'' specifically make them the Seven ''Maidens'').
* {{Expy}}: The Lokomo fill the role of the Sages in ''Spirit Tracks'', while the Champions fill their role in ''Breath of the Wild''.

[[/folder]]

[[folder:Malon]]
!!Malon
[[quoteright:98:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/malon_104.gif]]

This is the girl from Lon Lon Ranch in ''[[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaOcarinaOfTime Ocarina of Time]],'' who also appeared as a minor NPC in most other games, from ''[[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaOracleGames Oracle of Seasons]]'' to ''[[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaTheMinishCap The Minish Cap]].'' She's the one who gives Link his horse, Epona.

''Ocarina's'' Malon herself is the second version of the character, the first having a starring role as "Marin" from Link's Awakening. Aryll from ''Wind Waker'' is meant to be another incarnation of the archetype and was named "Maryll" early in development. Kina from Skyward Sword is another close counterpart.
----
* EscortMission: In ''Four Swords Adventures''. In Majora's Mask, you can help her Expies in two different escort missions.
* {{Expy}}: Of Marin from ''Link's Awakening''. She herself does have ''two'' 1:1 Expies in ''Majora's Mask'', Romani (child Malon) and Cremia (adult Malon). ''[[AllThereInTheManual Hyrule Historia]]'' implies that with the Link of ''Link's Awakening'' coming into the adventure fresh from the ''Oracle'' games, Marin was formed from his memories of Malon.
* FarmBoy: Farm girl, really, but she's almost always a farmer.
* FriendToAllLivingThings: The archetype also has an affinity for animals. Particularly cows in rural games, and seagulls in tropical ones.
* MagicMusic: Always has a lovely singing voice. Marin could use her song to summon the Wind Fish. Malon is the first to sing Epona's Song which summons the horse and gets free Lon Lon Milk from Cows. Kina's song at least keeps the patrons of Lumpy Pumpkin entertained.
* MissingMom: Like Marin, she has only her dad. However, her counterparts in ''Majora's Mask'' have both parents deceased.
* TheNicknamer: In ''Ocarina of Time'', Malon refers to Link as "Fairy Boy" because he's dressed like a Kokiri. In ''Majora's Mask'', Romani refers to Link as "Grasshopper" because he dresses in green and patters about. In ''Link's Awakening'', Marin along with everyone else will refer to Link as "THIEF" if you steal from the village shop.
* PutOnABus: Her last appearance in a ''Zelda'' title, not counting the remake of ''Ocarina of Time'', was ''Minish Cap'' in 2005. Even ''Link Between Worlds'', which references Lon Lon Ranch, makes no mention of her and doesn't even have the ranch itself appear.
* UglyGuysHotDaughter: Inherited this from Marin. Her dad always looks like Mario.
* WackyParentSeriousChild: A rare mixed-gender example in ''Ocarina of Time''. Despite her youth, Malon is clearly more on the ball than her laid-back, lazy goof of a father.

[[/folder]]

[[folder:Talon]]
!!Talon

[[quoteright:144:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/talon_7640.gif]]

The owner of Lon Lon Ranch and Malon's father. He's good-natured but somewhat lazy. He shows up in every game that Malon does.
----
* BumblingDad: Malon is much more level headed than he is, and better liked.
* {{Expy}}: Of Tarin from ''Link's Awakening'' and by extension, of [[SuperMarioBros Mario]]. It seems he gets more Mario like with each successive game. In ''Link's Awakening'', Tarin's sprite looked a lot like Mario, but his character art was somewhat different. In ''[[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaOcarinaOfTime Ocarina of Time]]'' he has the blue overalls and red shirt. In ''[[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaOracleGames Oracle of Seasons]]'', he has Mario's "M" logo on his hat, Mario's exact mustache, sideburns, nose, ears, and eyes. He even gives Link a mushroom as part of the [[ChainOfDeals trading sequence]].
* HeavySleeper: A FetchQuest in ''Ocarina of Time'' and ''Oracle of Seasons'' involves finding an item to wake him up.
* LazyBum: He has a bad tendency to fall asleep in out-of-the-way places and typically spends hours at a time asleep. Quests featuring him typically involve the need to wake him up.
* ShipperOnDeck: In ''Ocarina of Time'' he talks about Link marrying Malon when they grow up, though he claims to be just joking around.
* SleepyHead: Frequently found napping during the day.
* WackyParentSeriousChild: A rare mixed-gender example in ''Ocarina of Time''. Malon is the sensible one of the two, and their authority is somewhat reversed as a result; when you first wake Talon up and he realizes Malon sent you, he is ''terrified'', lamenting that Malon is going to be so mad at him before racing off to meet her in Castle Town faster than Epona can run!

[[/folder]]

[[folder:Great Deku Tree]]
!!Great Deku Tree

[[quoteright:140:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Dekutree.gif]]

The guardian spirit of the Kokiri tribe in ''[[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaOcarinaOfTime Ocarina of Time]]'', the Forest Haven in ''[[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaTheWindWaker The Wind Waker]]'', and Korok Forest in ''[[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaBreathOfTheWild Breath of the Wild]]''. He is cursed by Ganondorf at the beginning of ''Ocarina,'' and dies shortly after Link breaks the curse. A new Deku Tree grows in his place when Link is an adult, who tells Link that he is a Hylian and not a Kokiri. This is the Deku Tree that later features in ''The Wind Waker''. A third Deku Tree serves as the guardian of Korok Forest in ''Breath of the Wild'', though his connection to the other trees isn't directly mentioned.
----
* {{Expy}}: The Maku Trees of the ''[[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaOracleGames Oracle]]'' games are Expies of him.
* FisherKing: Once the Deku Tree dies, Kokiri Forest [[{{Pun}} goes to seed.]]
* GeniusLoci: He's a sapient individual, but also large enough, in ''Ocarina of Time'', that your first dungeon is exploring his cavernous interior.
* LegacyCharacter: The "Wind Waker" Deku tree is a descendant of the original.
* NatureSpirit: He's a tree that talks and holds dominion over the wild, untamed Lost Woods and Kokiri Forest. He also is guardian and leader of a tribe of magical beings; the eternally child-like pseudo-elves of the Kokiri in ''Ocarina of Time'', and the PlantPerson tribe of Koroks in ''Wind Waker''. In the second game, he's also responsible for trying to coax great trees across the islands of the Great Sea.
* WorldTree: A sapient, talking, magical tree of immense size.

[[/folder]]

[[folder:Tingle]]
!!Tingle

[[quoteright:84:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Tingle.jpg]]

The goofy-looking man who rides around by tying a balloon to his belt, floating in the air drawing maps. He first meets Link in ''[[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaMajorasMask Majora's Mask]]'' where he's jealous that Link has a FairyCompanion because he thinks that he's the reincarnation of a fairy. He later appears in ''[[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaTheWindWaker The Wind Waker]],'' where he charges 398 Rupees apiece to translate the Triforce Charts.
----
* AmericansHateTingle: Although loved and cherished in Japan and some parts of Europe, he is ''despised'' in America and several other countries, to the point he's the TropeNamer for the trope of "a character is received in starkly different manners in different countries". [[invoked]]
* BunnyEarsLawyer: Despite his eccentricities, he is a skilled cartographer, and in ''The Wind Waker'', you can't beat the game without his help.
* CatchPhrase: "Kooloo-Limpah!"
* {{Cloudcuckoolander}}: He's a 35-year-old ballooning map salesman who thinks he's a fairy.
* {{Gonk}}: Even if you look past the ugly costume, he's got a very disturbing face, not helped by the somewhat grating {{simlish}} used to convey his speaking voice.
* IntrepidMerchant: He may be an oddball, to say the least, but he's willing to go anywhere and do anything to get Rupees.
* ManChild: He's convinced he's the reincarnation of a fairy, constantly drifting around on a balloon and wearing a goofy green leotard in hopes that it will help the other fairies find him to take him back with them.
* NoCelebritiesWereHarmed: It's probably just a coincidence, but he does look kinda like Creator/{{Nintendo}}'s own Creator/KojiKondo.
* SpinOff: Stars in three: ''VideoGame/FreshlyPickedTinglesRosyRupeeland'', a Tingle-themed reskin of ''VideoGame/BalloonFight'', and a dating sim slash Wizard of Oz parody called ''Ripened Tingle's Balloon Trip of Love''.

[[/folder]]

[[folder:Epona]]
!!Epona

Link's trusty steed. Link either has to obtain Epona from a ranch or starts with Epona from the beginning of the game, although in that case, it's guaranteed that Epona will soon run off, and Link has to find her again.
----
* AutomatonHorse: She never requires any sort of care, other than the SprintMeter that prevents unlimited spurring to full gallop. Averted in ''Breath of the Wild'', along with all the other horses.
* TheCameo: Appears as a carthorse in ''[[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaTheMinishCap Minish Cap]]'', pulling the Lon Lon Ranch goods to market. If you speak to her while Minish-sized, she'll ask you to buy some milk to lighten her load.
* CoolHorse: As the hero's horse, this comes naturally, but she has some unique qualities of her own, like her [[LawOfChromaticSuperiority chestnut coloration with white accents]]. In ''Twilight Princess'', she's an enormous Clydesdale with a spiky facial marking who facilitates Link's HorsebackHeroism by obligingly pulling some badass RearingHorse poses.
* HorsebackHeroism: Link couldn't do this without her, after all.
* HorseJump: Epona is required to jump numerous fences (some actually more than [[InsurmountableWaistHighFence waist high]]) and even a chasm.
* InvulnerableHorses: She's completely impervious to enemy damage, to the point that trampling foes is a highly effective tactic. Her supposed injury at the beginning of ''[[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaTwilightPrincess Twilight Princess]]'' [[GameplayAndStorySegregation does not hinder her in any way]], though, in that game, Link can be hurt while riding her. ''[[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaBreathOfTheWild Breath of the Wild]]'' completely shuts off the invulnerability -- Epona's as mortal as any other horse.
* MeaningfulName: She's named after [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Epona Epona]], a minor [[Myth/CelticMythology Celtic]] fertility goddess and protector of horses.
* PowerupMount: In all her major appearances.
* RearingHorse: With some victory close-ups in ''Twilight Princess''.
* SprintShoes: Her primary purpose is to get Link to places more quickly than running.

[[/folder]]

[[folder:Beedle]]
!!Beedle

A traveling salesman with some form of a mobile shop in each game he shows up in (except for ''Minish Cap'', where he runs a normal market stall).
----
* AmbiguouslyBrown: At a time when the only dark-skinned humanoids in the ''Zelda'' games were the [[OneGenderRace Gerudo]], he was the first and occasionally only Hylian to be portrayed with dark skin. The "ambiguous" part is averted in ''Breath of the Wild'', where dark-skinned Hylians are as common as their light-skinned counterparts and are explicitly portrayed as coming primarily from Lurelin Village on the sunny southern coast of Hyrule.
* BeetleManiac: He has a beetle symbol on his shorts, and demonstrates a fondness for bugs in ''Wind Waker'' and ''Skyward Sword''. His backpack is also beetle-shaped in ''Breath Of The Wild''.
* ExactWords: The Complimentary Cards in ''[[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaTheWindWaker Wind Waker]]''. You don't get stuff for free (that would be a Compl'''e'''mentary Card), Beedle ''compliments'' you for being a good customer. Not as useless as it sounds. If you redeem these cards while currently injured, the compliments will heal you!
* HonestJohnsDealership: A mild case. His goods are quality and generally not overpriced, but with things like the Complimentary Cards and putting on a PaperThinDisguise to sell his premium items, there are still some shady business practices going on.
* IntrepidMerchant: His shop boat/balloon/airship can travel all over the map, even into extremely dangerous areas. In ''Breath Of The Wild'', he just walks alone, carrying his massive backpack along the way, which takes quite some badassery to do in that particular age.
* PaperThinDisguise: "Masked Beedle"

[[/folder]]

[[folder:Old Man]]
!!Old Man

A nameless Old man who gives advice to Link. He first meets Link in ''[[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZelda the first game]]'' and has made sporadic experiences since.

Despite a prominent role as a giver of items and advice, the Old Man is never given a name, and has little identity in the story. Often there are actually several unnamed old men. Up until ''Breath of the Wild'', the Old Man only appeared in the 2D Zelda games.

He is not to be confused with other named Wise Old Men like Sahasrahla.
----

* BettingMiniGame: In one location, an Old Man in the first game makes Link pick three rupees which either make Link gain or lose money.
-->"Let's play money making game."
* DummiedOut: Unused Old Man sprites exist in ''Links Awakening''. These would later be used in the ''Oracle'' games.
* HermitGuru: Even after the NES era, the Old Man archetype is only found in desolate areas such as caves.
* ThereWasADoor: In some locations in ''The Legend of Zelda'' and the ''Oracle'' games, the Old Men force Link to pay for destroying the door to their home (it's a stump, you have to burn it to get in).
* ItMayHelpYouOnYourQuest: The original Old Man is the person who gives Link the Wooden sword at the start of the first game. This was implemented to show players that exploration and talking to [=NPCs=] was important to the game.
* LegacyCharacter: It's safe to say the Old Men throughout the series aren't the same guy. In ''Breath of the Wild'', [[spoiler:he actually turns out to be the spirit of the old king of Hyrule and Zelda's father in disguise]].
* VideoGameCrueltyPunishment: Attacking an Old Man in a dungeon results in the torches in the room shooting fireballs at you.


[[/folder]]

!! Common Races

[[folder:The Hylians]]
A tribe of pointy-eared humans responsible for the founding of Hyrule. In some games, all ordinary humans are Hylians, while in others round-eared humans are more common. Link and Zelda are always incarnated as Hylians.

* ArbitrarySkepticism: In some games, certain Hylians don't believe in their existence of magic despite the strangeness of their world. After clearing the Spirit Temple, a red-clothed man laughs at the claims of a blue-clothed man for telling him he saw Link teleport.
* DivineRightOfKings: Hylians are the dominant race of Hyrule due to being the chosen people of the Goddess Hylia.
* DyingRace: In a few games, such as ''The Wind Waker'' and ''A Link to the Past'', the Hylians are largely dying out, with Link and Zelda being among the last of them.
* EarlyInstallmentWeirdness: The guidebook to ''A Link to the Past'' refers to the Hylians as "Hylia".
* ElementalNation: [[LightEmUp Light]] tends to be their element when each friendly race is associated with one. But besides Link and Zelda, it's rare to see any Hylians practicing magic.
* OurElvesAreBetter: [[AvertedTrope Notably averted]]. They ''look'' like elves, and in some games they're considered a DyingRace, but they're actually just ordinary humans who happen to have PointyEars.
* FantasyCounterpartCulture: Primarily MedievalEuropeanFantasy, though there are hints of East Asian culture sometimes since [[WriteWhatYouKnow the games come from Japan]].
* FiveRaces: Hylians are firmly the Mundane, being the baseline to which the other races are compared. According to several games like a ''A Link to the Past'' the Hylians were more along the line of the High Men in the past but their descendants became more mundane over the years.
* HumansAreAverage: Hylians are notably a lot more mundane than the other races, even compared to the other "fantastical" human races like the Sheikah and the Gerudo. That being said, they have the most diverse cultures because they are so numerous.
* HumansAreSpecial: Although they are noticeably a lot more average than the other races on this page, they are in fact the chosen people of the Goddess Hylia.
* PointyEars: Although other races have them too, this has come to be the Hylians' defining trait.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:The Kokiri/Koroks]]
The Kokiri are the children of the forest who are under the protection of the Great Deku Tree. They resemble Hylian children, but never age. They eventually became the Koroks, an adorably quirky race of PlantPeople. Associated with the Goddess Farore.

* AnthropomorphicShift: Drastically inverted. In their first appearance, they looked like Hylian children so Link could blend in. In all future appearances, they've essentially been living hunks of wood. WordOfGod is that they are indeed the same race, despite the rename.
* CheerfulChild: As the Kokiri.
* CloudCuckooLander: Most of the Koroks are a little strange and a little air-headed.
* CreepyChild: The Kokiri are normally [[CheerfulChild the exact opposite of this]], but at the end of the day, they are still TheFairFolk, and in some cases they can get very creepy indeed -- such as the way one of them [[DissonantSerenity nonchalantly explains]] how the Lost Woods [[BalefulPolymorph transforms any human who enters it into a]] [[DemBones Stalfos]].
* EarlyInstallmentWeirdness: The Forest race went through two iterations before settling on the Koroks. Starting with the Kokiri who were human children in ''Ocarina,'' to a MonsterTown of Deku Scrubs in ''Majora's Mask'', before finally setting on the wood and leaf Koroks in ''Wind Waker.'' Due to the popularity of ''Breath of the Wild'', they may have finally earned a place as a recurring race.
* ElementalNation: Primarily the [[GreenThumb Forest race]], which sometimes has associations with [[BlowYouAway Wind]] and [[MakingASplash Water]] as well.
* TheFairFolk: The mischievous and childlike Koroks are very magical and have difficulties understanding humans.
** Even in their original, more humanoid form as the Kokiri, they were very different from "grown-ups".
* FiveRaces: The Cute.
* HiddenElfVillage: The Kokiri and Korok villages are normally hidden deep in the woods, forbidden to most travelers.
* {{Hobbits}}: Perpetually short fae-esque forest dwellers that live in peace secluded from the rest of the world.
* TheLostWoods: Where their villages are normally located.
* NatureSpirit: The Koroks are referred to as forest sprites.
* NotAllowedToGrowUp: The Kokiri.
* PlantPeople: The Koroks look like miniature living trees, with leaves for faces.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:The Gorons]]
A race who appear to be living boulders. They eat rocks and are usually found around volcanoes and mountains. Usually associated with the Goddess Din.

* BigFun: Big, rotund, boulder-like folk who are culturally predisposed to be boisterous and friendly with everyone.
* BilingualBonus: In a bit of a StealthPun, they are named after the Japanese onomatopoeia for rolling rocks.
* EatDirtCheap: They eat ''rocks''.
* ElementalNation: The resident [[PlayingWithFire Fire nation]] when ElementalPowers or motifs come into play.
* FiveRaces: The Stout.
* LongLived: As seen in ''Oracle of Seasons'' and ''The Wind Waker'', Gorons can live for hundreds of years.
* OneGenderRace: Usually they all appear to be male; however, it's uncertain if this is the case in all games.
** In ''Breath of the Wild'', Gorons are actually allowed free access to [[LadyLand Gerudo Town]], something which they themselves find confusing, so at the very least, the Gerudo likely see the Gorons as being asexual rather than male.
* OurDwarvesAreAllTheSame: As you can tell from the other tropes, these are the simple-minded, stout, mountain-based mining community.
* SiliconBasedLife: They are large portly rock-like people.
* StoutStrength: Their natural build is on the hefty side, but also very muscular.
* SuperStrength: Naturally, Gorons are much stronger than human races.
* SuperToughness: They are also much more resilient to damage.
* VerbalTic: They commonly tack "-goro" onto the ends of their sentences or words; this is less prominent in most localizations.
[[/folder]]

[[folder: The Zora]]
A race of fish people, related to the enemy Zoras. Associated with the Goddess Nayru.

* AdiposeRex: The Zora King tends to be significantly larger and heavier than his subjects.
* AnthropomorphicShift: They're much more human-like in appearance than their River Zora predecessors. This was reversed slightly in ''Breath of the Wild'', where they are more shark-like.
* ClothingAppendage: Only very rarely will Zora be portrayed with actual clothes, but even the unclothed ones will have clothing-like fins, usually hip fins resembling skirts.
* ElementalNation: Appropriately as fish people, theirs is the [[MakingASplash water element.]]
* FishPeople: The Zoras are humanoid beings perfectly adapted for life in the water.
* FiveRaces: The Fairy.
* HumanoidFemaleAnimal: Prominent Zora women such as Ruto, Lulu, Rutela, and Mipha are designed to be much more humanlike than their own male family members who tend to be an AdiposeRex that is much less human like then the other male Zora as well.
* InterspeciesRomance: This is more commonly portrayed with them than with any other race. Ruto made a one-sided ChildhoodMarriagePromise to Link in ''Ocarina of Time'', Beth develops a crush on Prince Ralis in ''Twilight Princess'', and in ''Breath of the Wild'' not only do Mipha and Kodah love Link, he can also act as a RomanticWingman between Kodah's daughter and a Hylian guy.
* LargeAndInCharge: Done more consistently with them than most other races. Aside from the AdiposeRex element mentioned above, other royal characters such as Queen Rutela and Prince Sidon are also noticeably taller and bulkier than other Zora. While Prince Ralis and Princess Mipha are shorter than other Zora, that's mainly because they aren't fully grown.
* LongLived:
** This is first implied in ''Oracle of Ages'', where the Zora King is still around 400 years ago.
** In ''Breath of the Wild'', Zora elders can live for at least 200 years.
* NonMammalMammaries: Judging by Ruto and the Zora females seen in other games, this is typical of the race. The male Zoras themselves have visible pecs.
* OurElvesAreBetter: The long-lived, elegant and beautiful society. Sometimes have a rivalry with the [[ElvesVsDwarves Gorons]].
* OurMermaidsAreDifferent: They have traits of mermaids as well as FishPeople. They have legs with flippers, sea-resistant skin, and can breathe underwater. They have the tail of the aquatic animal they're based on instead of hair. They are able to live on land, but can dehydrate quickly.
* SharkMan: Princess Ruto has a vague resemblance to a hammerhead shark, while almost all the Zora in ''Breath of the Wild'' are shark-like, especially the hammerhead-like Sidon who has a mouth filled with pointy teeth.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:The Gerudo]]
An all-female desert people. It is said one male is born to their species every hundred years; this is where Ganondorf's most recognizable human form comes from.

* AmazonBrigade: The entire race is female, and they're all badasses.
* DarkSkinnedRedhead: Their usual appearance, though there are some light-skinned individuals in ''Breath of the Wild''.
* DesertBandits: They sometimes work as thieves.
* ElementalNation: The least consistent between games, anything from [[SoulPower Spirit]] to [[DishingOutDirt Sand]], and since ''Skyward Sword'', the desert region has also been associated with [[ShockAndAwe Electricity]].
* FantasyCounterpartCulture: They have a vaguely Middle Eastern culture (being desert-dwellers). Despite that, their most recognizable theme has a Spanish guitar feel, more similar to the American Southwest. In ''Breath of the Wild'', they also have many individuals with South Asian-sounding names.
* FieryRedhead: They're universally redheaded, and they're a tribe of fierce DesertBandits with some elements of ProudWarriorRace.
* FiveRaces: High Women.
* LadyLand: Not only are all Gerudos female, they also don't allow men into their cities unless under special circumstances.
* OneGenderRace: The Gerudo are all women and reproduce by marrying Hylian men. It is mentioned that male Gerudo exist but are very rare; in ''Ocarina of Time'', it was said to be one a century, and the current one was that game's incarnation of Ganon.
* PlanetOfCopyhats: Ganon was characterized in ''A Link to the Past'' as originally being a human thief. In ''Ocarina of Time'', his entire tribe is revealed to be a bunch of DesertBandits.
* TookALevelInKindness: In ''Ocarina of Time'' and ''Majora's Mask'' they're a race of warrior thieves feared by the other peoples of the land because of their ferocity and tendency to kidnap people. In ''Four Swords Adventures'', in contrast, they're considerably friendlier with non-Gerudo, if a bit standoffish due to Ganondorf's recent actions. By the time of ''Breath of the Wild'', they're no meaner than any other race, with the [[TeamMom motherly]] Urbosa and WiseBeyondHerYears Riju in particular being two of the nicest characters in the game.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:The Sheikah]]
The shadow people, sworn to protect the Hylians and the incarnations of Link and Zelda in each generation. A rogue sect called the Yiga Clan formed sometime before ''Breath of the Wild.''

* DarkIsNotEvil: Despite their elemental affiliation, the Sheikah are mostly, with the exception of the villainous Yiga Clan, heroic defenders of Hyrule.
* DyingRace: In most games, there are only a handful of them left, and typically the only one who appears is a version of Impa. They are thriving again by the time of ''Breath of the Wild.''
* ElementalNation: Associated with the [[CastingAShadow Darkness element]] in contrast to the Hylians' Light.
* FantasyCounterpartCulture: They have a generally Asian, and specifically Japanese culture by ''Breath of the Wild.''
* FiveRaces: High Men.
* HeroicAlbino: Pale, white haired, red eyed, and devoted to protecting Hyrule from evil. The Yiga Clan are ''presumably'' {{Evil Albino}}s instead, but we never see them without the masks and robes.
* HiddenElfVillage: They used to live in one, but by ''Ocarina of Time'', their declining population has forced them to open their village to immigration.
* LongLived: First hinted at in ''Skyward Sword'' where [[spoiler:Impa meditates in front of Zelda's chamber in the Sealed Temple for thousands of years]], it became a common trait by ''Breath of the Wild'', where the three Sheikah elders you interact with are around 130.
* {{Magitek}}: They eventually develop futuristic technology like giant mechs and digital tablets.
* MysticalWhiteHair: Nearly all Sheikah have white hair, appropriate for their status as mysterious keepers of secrets. Other hair colors are seen, but are extremely rare.
* {{Ninja}}: Impa and Sheik would use Deku Nuts to [[StealthHiBye Ninja Vanish]] in ''Ocarina'', leading to Sheik having a ninja-inspired moveset in ''Super Smash Bros.'' Later, this made its way back into the main games, and by ''Breath of the Wild'', both the Sheikah and the Yiga have embraced it.
* PeopleOfHairColor: The Sheikah are physically indistinguishable from Hylians except for two traits: [[MysticalWhiteHair white hair]] and [[RedEyesTakeWarning red eyes]].
* PlanetOfCopyhats: Their cultural and physiological attributes are originally derived from what little was known about Impa in the earliest games. They're devoted to protecting Zelda and guiding Link because Impa did that as Zelda's maid in the NES game manuals, and they have white hair because she was elderly.
* RedEyesTakeWarning: All Sheikah have red eyes, appropriate for their status as {{ninja}}.
* TribeOfPriests: Their devotion to the Goddess Hylia and tendency to meditate and pray to help out the protagonists make them one of the more religious races in the franchise.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:The Rito]]
A race of bird people. In ''The Wind Waker'' they were implied to have descended from the Zoras, but later ''Breath of the Wild'' showed the two races co-existing.

* AdultsAreMoreAnthropomorphic: Inverted. The young Rito look more like their ''Wind Waker'' counterparts, while the adults are now full-fledged BirdPeople.
* AnthropomorphicShift: Inverted. ''Wind Waker''[='=]s Rito were human with bird wings and beaks. The Rito in ''Breath of the Wild'' fully resemble humanoid birds.
* ArcherArchetype: ''Breath of the Wild'' establishes the bow as their weapon of choice.
* BirdPeople: Humanoids with bird-like features. Even more so in ''Breath of the Wild'', where they are more bird-like and can resemble a variety of different birds.
* CanonImmigrant: Eiji Aonuma says that he based the Rito on the Watarara race that was depicted in a bonus story of the ''Ocarina of Time'' manga.
* DecompositeCharacter: ''The Wind Waker'' portrays them as what the Zora eventually evolved into, but in ''Breath of the Wild'' the two races are completely separate.
* ElementalNation: [[BlowYouAway Wind]], though they also have some association with [[DishingOutDirt Mountain/Earth]] and the ''Zelda'' universe's overall association of Mountain with [[PlayingWithFire Fire.]]
* FantasyCounterpartCulture: They have some obvious Native American influences in ''Breath of the Wild''.
* FiveRaces: Fairy.
* {{Flight}}: Not surprisingly, this is a racial trait of the bird-like Rito tribe.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:The Blins]]
Common goblin-sequel mooks that appear in most games as either the BigBad's minions or as petty thieves. See their file in Monsters for more information.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Fairies]]
Magical Beings of good who live in underground fountains. There are two types of fairies, the small normal ones, and the larger humanoid "Great Fairies".

* ExpositionFairy: Sometimes Link gets a FairyCompanion, these fairies play this role.
* FairyCompanion: Link gets these in some games.
* FairyInABottle: Link can catch Fairies in empty bottles so they can restore his life if he falls in battle.
* FiveRaces: Fairy, obviously.
* OurFairiesAreDifferent: The fairies in ''Zelda'' vary from small humanoid beings, to glowing orbs, to large creepy women.
* SparkFairy: The most common design of Fairies since "Ocarina of Time".

[[/folder]]

[[folder:The Deku]]
Small wooden beings who can shoot nuts out of their mouths. They are sometimes depicted as enemies and are usually comedic relief characters found early in games.

* BulletSeed: They can shoot Deku Nuts out their mouths.
* CloudCuckoolander: They have generally been this since ''Majora's Mask''.
* TheLostWoods: Similar to the Koroks, the Deku live here.
* PlantPeople: They are wooden beings with shrubs growing out of their heads.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Cuccos]]
[[CallARabbitASmeerp Chicken-like]] birds found throughout the games. [[SchmuckBait Provoke them at your own risk.]]

* CallARabbitASmeerp: They're basically chickens.
* KillerRabbit: Sure, they may ''look'' like chickens, but once you anger them, they become ''invincible''.
* RunningGag: The "[[VideoGameCrueltyPunishment Cucco Revenge Squad]]". 90% of times Cuccos are mentioned, it's in reference to the fact that if you attack a cucco too many times, they summon a flock of invincible cuccos that can and will ''kill'' you unless you run away. It's taken UpToEleven in ''VideoGame/HyruleWarriors'', where Lana can actually summon cuccos to act as a weapon.
* VideoGameCrueltyPunishment: Attack them too many times and you'll be in trouble.
[[/folder]]

!!Common Monsters

[[folder:Armos and Beamos]]
!!Tropes applying to both
* DistinctionWithoutADifference: The Guardians of ''Breath of the Wild'' largely play their role with their stone bodies and EyeBeams, but their names make no reference to Armos and Beamos.
* MechaMook: They are mechanical beings made to guard rooms and objects.

!!Armos

A LivingStatue that chases Link. Their abilities and appearance change greatly from game to game.
----
* MistakenForGranite: Especially confusing when they're found alongside other inanimate statues that look the same.
* TakenForGranite: [[AllThereInTheManual The original game manual]] states that they were actually soldiers turned into stone in that game. [[{{Retcon}} All subsequent entries do away with this explanation, however]], instead making them fully mechanical.

!!Beamos

A LivingStatue like Armos, but acts more like a sentry.
----
* EyeBeams: Really powerful, too. Don't let it find you.
* GoForTheEye: Several games let you shoot the eyes.

[[/folder]]

[[folder:Blin family]]
!!Blin family

Common goblin-like mooks whose names all end in the suffix "-blin". Designs have ranged from imp-like to bulldog-like to boar-like (this motif seems to be the most popular). The original subspecies is the Moblin, a large spear-wielding savage that served as common foes in earlier installments. The Bokoblins, introduced in ''Wind Waker'', are smaller and hinted to be smarter than the hulking Moblins. Bulblins are a more recent variation which can ride giant boars called Bullbos.
----
* ArmyOfThievesAndWhores: Their role in most games.
* BarbarianTribe: Starting with ''Wind Waker'', they are shown to be comparatively civilized and intelligent among the monsters, but they are still savage thieves and raiders who will assault friendly travelers without a second thought.
* BreakoutCharacter: In early ''Zelda'' games, they were just another type of monster in Ganon's stable of minions, only with occassional friendly characters. Starting with ''Wind Waker'', the introduction of the Bokoblins led to all of the Blin races receiving more detailed societal and racial traits on par with friendly races such as the Gorons and Zoras. They are now treated as common footsoldiers and {{Mascot Mook}}s since then.
* BullyBulldog: In some games, Moblins are humanoid and aggressive bulldogs.
* DependingOnTheWriter: Games seem to vary between Blins being mindless magical beings, a sentient race that can be reasoned with, or some combination of the two. Their alliance also depends on the game, as in some games, such as ''The Legend of Zelda'' and ''Skyward Sword'', they serve the BigBad, while in other games, such as the ''Oracle'' games and ''Spirit Tracks'', they are simple bandits that Link gets in the way of.
* DogsAreDumb: Dog Moblins aren't portrayed as too bright, speaking with poor grammar in the TV series. In their defense, Pig Moblins aren't any smarter, and few monsters can speak at all in the video games.
* EliteMook: Starting with ''Ocarina of Time'', Moblins have been portrayed as one of the bigger, tougher enemies in the 3D games. This set in after Bokoblins were introduced, which have henceforth taken their role as the BigBad's common footsoldiers.
* KingMook: Bulldog Moblins are led by ''King Moblin'' in ''Link's Awakening'', and Pig Moblins are led by ''Great Moblin'' in both Oracle games. ''A Link to the Past'' and ''Nintendo Land'' make Ganon this to them.
* MiniMook: Miniblins are miniature Bokoblins. Their "da-na" noises will haunt your dreams.
* MookCarryover: They have served -- in chronological order -- Demise, Ghirahim, Vaati, and Ganondorf/Ganon. This implies that most Zelda antagonists, not just Ganon, have inherited Demise's curse of hatred.
* OurDemonsAreDifferent: ''Skyward Sword'' implies that they are demons who originally served Demise.
* OurGoblinsAreDifferent: On the scale between goblin and [[OurOrcsAreDifferent orc]], the Miniblins are the most goblinish and the Moblins the most orcish, with Bokoblins and Bulblins falling in between. Especially in ''Twilight Princess'', they tend to follow the Tolkien style of orc in terms of their characterization, though King Bulblin [[spoiler:eventually reveals himself to be more of a ProudWarriorRaceGuy in [[VideoGame/WorldOfWarcraft the Blizzard tradition]]]].
* PigMan: Moblins and to a lesser extent Bokoblins sometimes have this appearance, which helps establish them as minions to their leader Ganon.
* SavagePiercings: Both Bokoblins and Moblins have these in ''Skyward Sword'', with Moblins having [[FanDisservice nipple piercings]].
* TokenHeroicOrc: A few Moblins actually help Link on his quest.
* WeHaveReserves: They are fairly expendable. Averted in ''Breath of the Wild'', where Ganon uses his magic to revive his minions.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Bubble]]
!!Bubble

Despite the name, these things are flaming disembodied skulls that normally curse Link when he touches them.
----
* TheArtifact: The name "Bubbles" for this monster made a lot more sense when they just looked like blue or red circles. Now that they've been modeled to look more like demonic flaming skulls, the name seems absolutely bizarre.
* DemBones: They appear as a flying skull (sometimes with bat-like wings) that surrounds itself in a globe of ghostly flames.
* InterfaceScrew: An effect they can have when they curse Link.
* InvincibleMinorMinion: In several games, it's completely impossible to defeat them; they must be instead evaded.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Buzz Blob and Cukemen]]
!!Buzz Blob and Cukemen

A BlobMonster which shocks Link when attacked with the sword. Using certain items on it turns it into the mysterious Cukeman creature who spouts weird advice and FourthWallBreaking lines.
----
* BlackBeadEyes: When in Buzz Blob form.
* ShockAndAwe: Though it manifests in a passive version; the Buzz Blob only shocks Link when attacked with a melee weapon.
* SphereEyes: When in Cukeman form.
* TalkativeLoon: When in Cukeman form.

[[/folder]]

[[folder:Chuchu]]
!!Chuchu

A fairly weak blob creature available in a wide range of colors and types, with each color normally yielding a useful spoil. Weak blob creatures have featured in numerous early ''Zelda'' games (Bits and Bots, Zols, and Buzzblobs), but the Chuchu has seemingly become a default replacement for all of them.
----
* BlobMonster: A pretty weak one, too, though they can still be dangerous.
* EasterEgg: The chattering noise they make in ''Wind Waker'' is actually a [[http://40.media.tumblr.com/3c0ad89a1a7c3fd356cbc9157f5b7dcf/tumblr_mr4l8s0efD1rw70wfo1_500.png recording of an argument between two Japanese men, sped up and reversed.]]
* ElementalPowers: Some possess electrical, ice, or fire powers depending on the environment they're found in.
* TheGoomba: Along with Keese, they are among the most basic and weakest enemies in every game they are in.
* TheSpiny: Some Chuchus are naturally electrical, forcing you to use measures beyond simply swinging your sword at them.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Corrupted Soldier]]
!!Corrupted Soldier

Soldiers and guards of Hyrule who have been corrupted by evil. They attack in large numbers and can use a variety of weapons.
----
* ArtAttacker: In most games, they're soldiers of Hyrule who have been corrupted. In ''A Link Between Worlds'', they are paintings brought to life.
* ArtifactMook: To a degree in a ''A Link Between Worlds'', where it's not explained why Yuga chose to create monsters based off the old uniform for the Hylian army.
** Averted in the Satellaview sequel to ''A Link to the Past'', where all the guards are friendly [=NPCs=] due to it being post-WorldHealingWave.
* BrainwashedAndCrazy: In ''A Link to the Past'', Agahnim brainwashed them when they refused to obey him. Vaati brainwashed or replaced them in ''Four Swords Adventures.''
* CannonFodder: Unlike Darknuts and Iron Knuckles, [[ArmorIsUseless their armor isn't very protective]] and Link can cut them down by the dozen.
* DummiedOut: Several soldier types, including one with a visible face, were cut from ''A Link to the Past.''
* EliteMook: Some soldier variants have stronger armor and weapons, with the strongest usually wielding [[EpicFlail Epic Flails]].
* FacelessGoons: Friendly soldiers normally have their faces exposed, whereas corrupted soldiers do not. Notably, when freed at the end of ''A Link to the Past'' their faces are visible.
* ZergRush: One of their primary tactics is to rush Link with numbers alone.

[[/folder]]

[[folder:Darknut and Iron Knuckle]]
!!Darknut and Iron Knuckle

Powerful knights with protective armor. The two, whilst similar, are implied to be separate species.
----
* AnAxToGrind: Iron Knuckles in ''Ocarina of Time'' wield axes as big as they are that take off four hearts (the max Link can have is twenty) per swing.
* AnimatedArmor: Some interpretations of Iron Knuckles suggest this, though at least one case explicitly shows that a person is inside the armor. Darknuts, however, are suggested to be living beings, and when Darknuts lose armor, they are shown to be creatures wearing armor.
* AttackItsWeakPoint: Normally, the only way to damage them is to hit a vulnerable gap in the armor.
* BeastMan: Darknuts in ''Wind Waker'' are depicted as jackal-like creatures underneath their armor.
* BossInMookClothing: Darknuts and Iron Knuckles are always among the most difficult enemies you will encounter, and are frequently featured as mini-bosses.
* LightningBruiser: Despite their appearance, Darknuts are ''not'' slow, which is part of why they're so dangerous. [[ShedArmorGainSpeed This goes double for when their armor is removed.]]
* MightyGlacier: Iron Knuckles, however, are very slow. They make up for this with the highest damage output of any enemy in the series outside ''Breath of the Wild'', often surpassing even ''Ganondorf'', and by wielding particularly dangerous weapons, like a [[AnAxeToGrind giant axe]] or an EpicFlail.
* ShedArmorGainSpeed: A gimmick of the Iron Knuckles, though the Darknuts picked up on it too, if at least just for ''Twilight Princess''.
* TurnsRed: In the 64 games, Iron Knuckles will lose their heavy armor after taking sufficient damage and speed up.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Deku Baba]]
!!Deku Baba

Man-eating venus flytrap-like plants. Comes in several different variations.
----
* AttackItsWeakPoint: Cutting its stem is a OneHitKill. Bio Deku Babas and Baba Serpents keep moving when severed, though.
* {{Expy}}: In ''The Wind Waker'', they are replaced by Boko Babas. They're also similar to Piranha Plants from [[Franchise/SuperMarioBros another Nintendo series,]] to the point where the ones that appear in ''Mario Kart 8''[='=]s ''Zelda''-themed DLC track move and behave exactly like them.
* ManEatingPlant: Of the classic "carnivorous plant with a giant mouth-like bulb that lunges forward and attempts to snap you up" variety.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Dodongo]]
!!Dodongo

Fire-breathing dinosaur dragons that are typically found close to lava. The most well-known method of killing them is throwing bombs down their throats.
----
* AttackTheTail: Other than feeding it bombs, the tail is another recurring weak spot.
* DefeatEqualsExplosion: In some games, Dodongos violently explode upon dying.
* DinosaursAreDragons: Of all the "dragons" in the ''Zelda'' series, Dodongos resemble dinosaurs the most, though in ''[[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaTwilightPrincess Twilight Princess]]'', they look more like geckos.
* FeedItABomb: Varies slightly from game to game, but this is the most common way to kill them. In ''Twilight Princess'', feeding it an ''arrow'' works wonders for a OneHitKill too.
* TokenHeroicOrc: Dimitri in the ''Oracle'' games is an ally to Link.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Ghini and Poe]]
!!Ghini and Poe

Ghostly beings that usually can't be attacked by normal means, often requiring an item to make them vulnerable. The difference between the two is that Poes carry lanterns.
----
* BedsheetGhost: Ghinis are one-eyed versions of this.
* DisappearsIntoLight: Inverted. Shining light on Poes gives them a physical form to attack in ''The Wind Waker''.
* HitodamaLight: The Poe's purple lanterns hold their restless spirits inside. If you kill them in ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaOcarinaOfTime'', you can scoop them up and keep them in a bottle.
* OurGhostsAreDifferent: And they're different from each other as well, too. While Ghinis are more like cute {{Bedsheet Ghost}}s, Poes tend to look creepier, and different with each game.
* ShoutOut: The four Poe Sisters from ''Ocarina of Time'', ''Majora's Mask'', and ''Oracle of Seasons'' share their names with the four young main protagonists of the novel ''Literature/LittleWomen''.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Gibdo and [=ReDead=]]]
!!Gibdo and [=ReDead=]

Reanimated corpse-like monsters (mummies in the former case), with the former being in more games than the latter.
----
* BreakoutCharacter: [=ReDeads=] were initially just another enemy in ''Ocarina of Time'', but were featured alongside the series regular Like-Likes and Octoroks in ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBrosMelee''.
* EverythingsDeaderWithZombies: Redeads are walking corpses with death masks that slowly lumber to their prey and strangle them. They resemble both the voodoo and Romero zombies.
* GlowingEyelightsOfUndeath: [=ReDeads=] get this in ''The Wind Waker'' when they scream, while Gibdos have these all the time in ''Twilight Princess''.
* {{Golem}}: The [=ReDead=] trophies in ''Super Smash Bros. Melee'' and ''Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS / Wii U'' state that they are artificial constructs seemingly made of magic and clay. It's debatable if this was ''always'' the case (especially in ''Majora's Mask'', where the ones in Ikana are gossiped to have once been members of the castle's dancing troupe), but they definitely have an incomplete-looking, clay-like appearance in ''Tri Force Heroes''.
* HellIsThatNoise: Their screams are just about the most startling thing in a ''Zelda'' game. This is especially true in-universe, where their screams are chilling enough to render ''Link'', bearer of the ''Triforce of '''Courage''''', ''paralyzed'' in fear.
* KillItWithFire: Zigzagged with Gibdos in 2-D games; hitting them with a fire attack doesn't kill them, but it does turn them into the far weaker (and [[ShedArmorGainSpeed more agile]]) Stalfos instead.
* {{Mummy}}: Gibdos are Stalfos wrapped in cloth.
* NightOfTheLivingMooks: [=ReDead=] are -- or at least ''resemble'' -- [[OurZombiesAreDifferent zombies]]. Likewise, Gibdo are [=ReDead=] or Stalfos wrapped in cloth.
* PersonalSpaceInvader: Both of them, but [=ReDeads=] to a [[MemeticMolester memetic extent.]]
* SavagePiercings: ''The Wind Waker'' [=ReDeads=] are decked out with this and tribal paint to give them a morbid appearance.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Gohma]]
!!Gohma

Arthropod monsters with a giant vulnerable eye.
----
* {{Cyclops}}: They only have a single, massive eye -- which, naturally, is their only weak spot.
* GiantEnemyCrab: Varies between this and GiantSpider. They are usually said to be the former in 2D titles and the latter in 3D titles.
* GoForTheEye: From shooting it in the original to pulling it closer to you so you can [[EyeScream slice it up with your sword]].
* HiveQueen: Almost all Gohma bosses are identified as female, and often have brood minions.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Goriya]]
!!Goriya

Demons that resemble anthropomorphic scottish terriers. They are known for using boomerangs. To date, they have only appeared in the 2D top-down games. A different creature with a ratlike appearance, and the ability to shoot fireballs, called ''Copi'', was [[DubNameChange re-named]] Goriya, overseas, but in Japan is separate from Goriya.
----
* AnimalFacialHair: Particularly noticeable in ''Adventure of Link'', Goriyas have long and well-done mustaches much like a scottish terrier.
* BattleBoomerang: Their WeaponOfChoice in all games.
* ChuckCunninghamSyndrome: Despite being quite prominent among Ganon's minions in the first two games, and receiving dialogue, they pretty much just disappeared afterwards aside from a few minor cameos.
* CompositeCharacter: Overseas material attempts to claim that ''Copis'' are actually Goriyas.
* DubNameChange: The rat-like mimics, ''Copis'', were called ''Goriyas'' in the US.
* FearfulSymmetry: ''Copis'' in ''A Link to the Past''; they copy Link's movements, moving in the opposite direction to him. Red Copis also shoot fireballs when Link faces them.
* FoodAsBribe: A Goriya NPC has to be given bait to access certain areas in the first game.
* WhatHappenedToTheMouse: An interesting case here. Goriyas were quite common in the series' years on the NES, but they haven't appeared in a main console game since ''Adventure of Link.'' Their last appearance in a game was ''Oracle Of Seasons'' in 2001, where two boomerang throwing minibosses and a Goriya enemy appeared in the Gnarled Root Dungeon. Only the bosses were visually distinct from normal Goriyas (Looking more like minotaurs), whereas the Goriya enemies were simply Moblins with boomerangs. The overseas version of a ''A Link to the Past'' tries to claim Copis are them, but the two are obviously distinct.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Helmasaur]]
!!Helmasaur

Aggressive beasts that wear metal masks. The mask can be removed or destroyed to make them vulnerable.
----
* AttackItsWeakPoint: If you can't remove the mask, target its unprotected back.
* CoolMask: It can be removed or destroyed to make them more vulnerable. In some games, their face underneath is surprisingly cute.
* DashAttack: Their primary move.
* DubNameChange: They appear in ''Majora's Mask'', but they are called Hiploops. Even though in the game they look more insect-like than dinosaur-like (which is the case in most games), they are definitely supposed to be Helmasaurs, because they were always called Hiploops in Japan.
** In ''Link's Awakening'', they are called Iron Masks.
* EliteMook: In ''Twilight Princess'', you can encounter the Helmasaurus, a bulkier variant whose armor can't be removed.
* KingMook: The Helmasaur King, the boss of the Palace of Darkness.
[[/folder]]


[[folder:Hinox]]
!!Hinox

Giant, powerful [[{{Cyclops}} one-eyed]] ogres that debuted in a ''A Link to the Past.'' They typically attack Link with bombs.
----
* AttackItsWeakPoint: In ''Phantom Hourglass'' and ''Breath of the Wild'' [[GoForTheEye Go for the eye.], in the latter game they'll try to cover it up after taking enough damage.
* BigEater: In ''Breath of the Wild'', they'll drop lots of roasted meat upon being killed. Whilst fighting Link they clearly intend to eat him.
* {{Cyclops}}: In all appearances, Hinox have only one eye on their face.
* GiantMook: In ''Breath of the Wild'' they're slightly redesigned to resemble giant Bokoblins.
* GoForTheEye: In ''Phantom Hourglass'' and ''Breath of the Wild'' attacking their eye with arrows is a good strategy. Due to a mistranslation, english manual of ''A Link to the Past'' implies they need to be attacked in the eye despite this not implying in that game.
* MadBomber: In most games, bombs are their [[WeaponOfChoice weapon of choice]], except in ''Breath of the Wild''. In a ''A Link to the Past'', they can even be found very close to the bomb shop in the Dark World implying they are
* {{Sleepyhead}}: You'll find them sleeping most of the time in ''Breath of the Wild''. You ''can'' quietly sneak up on them and steal their equipment without waking them up. Unfortunately not the case for skeletal [[NightOfTheLivingMooks Stalnoxes]], who are always awake.
* WasOnceAMan: It was implied in ''A Link to the Past'' that Hinoxes were Hylian thieves under the DarkWorld's KarmicTransformation and this is explicit in the manga adaptation by Ataru Cagiva.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Keese]]
!!Keese

Bat-like enemies that have appeared in every game since the original. They reside in dungeons or dark places and tend to swoop down upon Link, but they're usually not much of a threat, even in large numbers. They can come in fire or ice variations; they're still not much more of a threat, but they're bigger nuisances, as they can respectively burn your shield or freeze you solid.
----
* CallARabbitASmeerp: There's hardly any difference between Keese and bats. In ''Breath of the Wild'' they're slightly redesigned to look more monstrous.
* TheGoomba: They're pretty weak, and can be defeated with a single arrow or sword strike.
* MadeOfIron: Despite being [[TheGoomba one of the weakest enemy types in the series]], they can be engulfed in flames (or ice/icy fire) for several minutes and not be killed.

[[/folder]]

[[folder:Like Like]]
!!Like Like

A stomach-like blob monster that swallows Link and devours certain items (usually shields).
----
* BanditMook: They don't do any damage when they attack, but they steal your shield when they do. There is a variant known as Rupee Like who, you guessed it, steal your Rupees.
* DecompositeCharacter: The "Pikit" enemy from ''A Link to the Past'' was called a Like-Like in Japanese, but "normal" Like-Likes are added to the the GBA version.
* EvilLawyerJoke: Although not referring to lawyers, ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBrosMelee'' reveals that Like Likes get their name from an old Hylian proverb: "Shield-eaters and world leaders have many likes alike". [[IceCreamKoan Whatever that means.]]
* PoisonMushroom: Their Rupee Like brethren disguise themselves as Rupees, and suck up Link's own Rupees if you fall for them. There's also Life Likes, which just damage Link but hide as helpful hearts. There's usually an easy way to distinguish them from the real things, though.

[[/folder]]

[[folder:Lizalfos and Dinolfos]]
!!Lizalfos and Dinolfos

Lizard warriors that normally attack in pairs. Dinolfos are stronger, faster, and can breathe fire.
----
* DualBoss: Usually, they attack in pairs, whether attacking simultaneously or as a TagTeam. Occasionally, you can encounter trios.
* DinosaursAreDragons: Dinolfos can breathe fire from Majora's Mask onward.
* DraconicHumanoid: Dinolfos are sometimes depicted as humanoid dragons.
* EliteMook: The Dinolfos are this to Lizalfos. ''Twilight Princess'' gives us the Aeralfos, a variant that can fly.
* HollywoodChameleon: In ''Breath of the Wild'' they're modeled after chameleons, even being able to change color to blend in with the terrain.
* KnifeNut: One of their preferred weapons.
* PowerFist: In ''Skyward Sword'', they use giant rocky gauntlets.
* RougeAnglesOfSatin: Dinolfos is misspelled "Dinolfols" in ''Majoras Mask'' and "Dynalfos" in ''Twilight Princess''.

[[/folder]]

[[folder: Lynels]]
!!Lynels

A group of well-armed and powerful centaurs with Lion features, comprising some of the toughest enemies Link can find.

* BreathWeapon: Some can breath fire.
* DependingOnTheArtist: Not as extreme as many other Zelda monsters like moblins, but sometimes the lower body of a Lynel is based off a Lion complete with paws rather then a horse as in the Gameboy games.
* EliteMooks: High health, high strength, and very tenacious.
* KingOfBeasts: These Lion like beasts are known as the most proud and fearsome of all Monsters.
* MixAndMatchCritters: Lynels in several games are a mix of a Lion, a Hylian/Human and a Horse. Though some games remove the horse part.
* OurCentaursAreDifferent: Horse or Lion from the waist down, humanoids from the waist up with a Leonine head.
* SwordBeam: They can use this technique in the first game and the gameboy titles.

[[/folder]]

[[folder:Moldorm]]
!!Moldorm

A worm (or centipede) monster, usually with a vulnerable point on the rear segment. Aside from this, they're most known for fighting on high platforms, where it's easy to fall off to a lower room.
----
* AttackItsWeakPoint: The giant versions have vulnerable tails.
[[/folder]]


[[folder:Octorok]]
!!Octorok

An octopus (or squid in some cases) monster that shoots rocks from its snout. Notable for appearing in every single ''Zelda'' game, with the exception of ''Twilight Princess'', in which they're replaced by an {{Expy}}, ''Water Toadpoli.''
----
* AquaticMook: They take up this role in the 3D games, completely replacing the River Zora.
* DependingOnTheWriter: Octoroks are either aggressive fauna that naturally reside in Hyrule or unnatural monsters made of magic.
* DishingOutDirt: They tend to spit rocks.
* EverythingsSquishierWithCephalopods: They're cephalopodic monsters that spit rocks at their prey.
* {{Expy}}:
** The Water Toadpoli, a tadpole, in ''Twilight Princess'' fulfills the exact same role as the Octoroks from ''Ocarina of Time'' and ''Majora's Mask.'' It even has similar eyes.
** Octoroks themselves fight like Deku Scrubs in ''Skyward Sword.''
* TheGoomba: Is often the earliest encountered enemy in many of the 2D games, and one of the most fragile.
* KingMook: Big Octos, usually found blocking paths creating whirlpools.
* {{Retcon}}: The reveal in ''Spirit Tracks'' that mini Freezards are actually frozen Octoroks seems to imply that Octoroks were in ''Twilight Princess'' after all!
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Peahat and Leever]]
!!Peahat and Leever

A flying plant root that attacks with sharp leaves and cactus-like blobs found under the sand.
----
* GetBackHereBoss: Both annoyingly have a habit of making themselves impossible to harm, making Link wait for them to make themselves vulnerable. Peahats are notable in that they tend to ''flip'' from game to game whether they're vulnerable in their stationary state or their mobile state.
* ManEatingPlant: Both of them.
* MoneySpider: In several games, Leevers are excellent sources of rupees.
* PinataEnemy: Both of them. Peahats, in particular, are likely to drop health restoration items, so hunting them down can be a matter of life and death at times.
[[/folder]]

[[folder: Phantoms]]
!! Phantoms

Appearing in ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaPhantomHourglass'' and ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaSpiritTracks'', Phantoms are large, armor-clad monsters will an array of supernatural powers.
----
* AnAxeToGrind: Gold Phantoms wield axes.
* {{BFS}}: Their go-to weapon.
* VillainTeleportation: Both the Gold and Warp Phantoms can teleport around a room.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:River Zora]]
!!River Zora

Water-dwelling merfolk known to spit fireballs at anyone who trespasses their territories, not to be confused with their sleeker Sea Zora cousins.
----
* BreathWeapon: [[PlayingWithFire Fireballs]]; they're basically fire-breathing fish-men.
* FishPeople: Though they look a lot uglier than their sea counterparts.
* TokenHeroicOrc: A few River Zoras are helpful to Link, most notably Queen Oren in ''A Link Between Worlds.''
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Skulltula]]
!!Skulltula

Spider monsters with a skull motif on the back.
----
* DeathGlare: In the UsefulNotes/Nintendo64 games, at least, the "skulls" their bodies form look like they're perpetually doing this.
* GiantSpider: Definitely bigger than normal, and can be bigger than Link.
* SkeletonMotif: A Skulltula's armored carapace closely resembles a human skull. The actual head of the skulltula is located in the "skull's"' mouth.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Stalfos]]
!!Stalfos

A reanimated skeleton soldier. If you count the Stalchildren and Ikana Guards in ''Majora's Mask'' and the Stal-enemies in ''Breath of the Wild'', these enemies have appeared in pretty much all the games.
----
* AllThereInTheManual: The official Nintendo guide for ''Majora's Mask'' confirms the knights of Ikana are Stalfos.
* BallisticBone: Some variants throw them at you. These variants also have a nasty habit of jumping out of the way when you attack them with your sword.
* DemBones: They're the ''Zelda'' equivalent of the common "animated skeleton" you tend to see in fantasy settings.
* EliteMooks: Certain varieties of Stalfos are given this treatment, almost acting like minibosses, such as in ''Ocarina of Time''.
* NightOfTheLivingMooks: In ''Breath of the Wild'', rather than Stalfos, skeletal Stal-enemies emerge at night to harass Link. These include Stalkoblins, Stalmoblins, Stalizalfos and Stalnox.
* NocturnalMooks: In ''Ocarina of Time'' and ''Breath of the Wild'', Stalchildren and Stal-enemies emerge from the ground at night.
* UndergroundMonkey: They come in a variety of different forms across the different games.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Tektite]]
!!Tektite

A four-legged spider creature that gets around by hopping.
----
* GiantSpider: Fewer legs than in many cases, but still this trope.
* MoneySpider: For whatever reason, they tend to carry plenty of rupees, playing this trope literally. Blue ones, in particular, are likely to carry cash.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Wallmaster and Floormaster]]
!!Wallmaster and Floormaster

Disembodied giant hands that like to send Link back to the dungeon's entrance (or a cell, in some cases).
----
* HelpingHands: Though the helping part comes in if you're actually ''trying'' to get to the dungeon entrance.
* MookBouncer: Easily the most infamous one in gaming history.
* WallMaster: Though they only actually came out of the walls in the NES game (and the CDI games, but lets not talk about those).
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Wizzrobe]]
!!Wizzrobe

Wizard-like enemies that attack with spells.
----
* BossInMookClothing: Easily the most dangerous regular enemies in the series besides Darknuts.
* {{Expy}}: Their attack patterns are very similar to the wizards from ''VideoGame/TheTowerOfDruaga''.
* FragileSpeedster: Not too durable, but good luck catching up to their TeleportSpam.
* FeatheredFiend: ''The Wind Waker'' variant is a toucan of some sort, and they're some of the most fearsome enemies in the game.
* InTheHood: In several appearances, their faces are completely covered by a hood.
* SquishyWizard: Squishy, but backed up by magical mojo.
* TeleportSpam: Fights with Wizzrobes often involve [[GetBackHereBosschasing them all over the room]].
[[/folder]]

* GoodIsNotSoft: Link is (most often) a humble farmboy, but when things get messy, the bad guys will be ''destroyed''.

* BadassNormal: Zelda and Ganon are revealed in ''Skyward Sword'' to be [[spoiler:reincarnations of powerful deities who fought over the Triforce]], explaining how they are able to wield powerful magic even when they lack their respective pieces of the Triforce. Link, in contrast, has always been a mundane Hylian even in his earliest incarnations, with whatever magical abilities he uses being either a BequethedPower or activated with some enchanted item. He's still able to hold his own against various {{Physical God}}s and {{Eldritch Abomination}}s.

* ChekhovsGunman: In ''Ocarina of Time'' and ''Link Between Worlds'', you meet each of the Sages (except for Rauru) in the early parts of the game long before you (or even ''they'') realize they ''are'' a Sage.
* DistressedDamsel: Ganon and other bad guys usually target the Sages and imprison them at the beginning of the game, forcing Link to rescue them. Some of them are {{Distressed Dude}}s instead, but "damsel" is more common (''Link to the Past'' and ''Four Swords Adventures'' specifically make them the Seven ''Maidens'').
* {{Expy}}: The Lokomo fill the role of the Sages in ''Spirit Tracks''.

* AlternateSelf: The Ganondorfs seen in the Decline, Adult, and Child timelines are this to each other. In addition, he has an effeminate Lorule counterpart named Yuga, who bonds with Ganon to become superior.

* BreakoutVillain: During his debut in ''Ocarina of Time'' in his human form, Ganon has become one of the most reoccurring villains in the series.

* GodInHumanForm: Much like how Zelda is [[spoiler:the mortal incarnation of Hylia]], Ganon is the [[spoiler:reincarnation of Demise, specifically the incarnation of his hatred, destined to fight the bloodlines of Link and Zelda forever]].

Ganondorf is the acknowledged main villain of six games, and the [[HijackedByGanon final boss]] of another two; he holds the Triforce of Power, which makes him immortal (established in ''Ocarina of Time'' and ''Twilight Princess''), capable of being disembodied or sealed away but never permanently killed. There are many Links and Zeldas, reincarnated through the ages, but there is only one Ganon in each timeline. The ending of ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaSkywardSword'' revealed that there will always be an avatar of the [[GodOfEvil Demon King Demise]]'s hatred, for as long as incarnations of Zelda and Link continue to appear -- and indicated very strongly that Ganondorf is in part possessed by Demise, although there are other villains in the series who can claim that status as well.

Giant, powerful [[{{Cyclops}} one-eyed]] ogres. They typically attack Link with bombs.

* AttackItsWeakPoint: [[GoForTheEye Go for the eye.]] In ''Breath of the Wild'' they'll try to cover it up after taking enough damage.

* MadBomber: In most games, bombs are their [[WeaponOfChoice weapon of choice]], except in ''Breath of the Wild''.

* KingOfBeasts: These Lion like beasts are known as the most proud and fearsome of Monsters.

* TheOmnipotent: They're not characters as much as they are a concept and they are al-knowing and all-powerful enough to forge an artifact of power that turns its owner into a PhysicalGod. They are likely far, far above beings like Hylia, Majora, the Dragons and Calamity Ganon.

* FiveRaces: When normal humans are not present, Hylians are firmly the Mundane, being the baseline to which the other races are compared. When normal humans ''are'' present, the Hylians shift closer to being the High Men.

* HumanoidFemaleAnimal: Prominent Zora women such as Ruto, Lulu, Rutela, and Mipha are designed to be much more humanlike than the men, and even more humanlike than their own male family members.

* SharkMan: Princess Ruto has a vague resemblance to a hammerhead shark, while almost all the Zora in ''Breath of the Wild'' are shark-like, especially the hammerhead-like Sidon.

A group of well-armed and powerful centaurs, comprising some of the toughest enemies Link can find.

* OurCentaursAreDifferent: Horse from the waist down, humanoids from the waist up.
* SwordBeam: They can use this technique in the first game.

* {{Expy}}: Of Marin from ''Link's Awakening''. She herself does have ''two'' 1:1 Expies in ''Majora's Mask'', Romani (child Malon) and Cremia (adult Malon). ''[[AllThereInTheManual Hyrule Historia]]'' implies that with the Link of ''Link's Awakening'' coming into the adventure fresh from the ''Oracle'' games, Marin was formed from his memories of Malon. ''Hyrule Encyclopedia'' retcons this though, as the ''Oracle'' games now take place ''after'' ''Link's Awakening''.

* DummiedOut: unused Old Man sprites exist in ''Links Awakening''. These would later be used in the ''Oracle'' games.

Despite a prominent role as a giver of items and advice, the Old Man is never given a name, and has little identity in the story. often it is even unclear if there is one Old Man, or a bunch of them. Up until ''Breath of the Wild'', the Old Man only appeared in the 2D Zelda games.

* BettingMiniGame: In one location, the Old Man in the first game makes Link pick three rupees which either make Link gain or lose money.

* ThereWasADoor: In some locations in ''The Legend of Zelda'' and ''Oracle of Ages'', the Old Man forces Link to pay for burning his door (a stump)
* ItMayHelpYouOnYourQuest: An Old Man is the person who gives Link the Wooden sword at the start of the first game. This was implemented to show players that exploration and talking to [=NPCs=] was important to the game.

* VideoGameCrueltyPunishment: Attacking the Old Man in a dungeon results in the torches in the room shooting fireballs at you.

* OurDwarvesAreAllTheSame: As you can tell from the other tropes, these are the simple-minded, stout, mountain-based mining community. During the time of ''Ocarina'', they had recently come out of a war with the [[ElvesVsDwarves Zoras.]]

* OurElvesAreBetter: The long-lived, elegant and beautiful society. Sometimes have a rivalry with the [[ElvesVsDwarves Gorons.]]

* DiabolicalMastermind[=/=]EvilGenius: Ganon is possibly the most intelligent character in the franchise, and is more charismatic than you'd expect from someone with a nasty temper, a constant desire to be in charge, and the power to turn into a giant anthropomorphic boar. In ''Ocarina of Time'', he easily manipulated Link and Zelda into opening the Door of Time for him; in the lead-in to ''A Link to the Past'', he gained the trust of the King of Hyrule and carried out a palace coup, even though the king had all the necessary information to figure out that this reclusive wizard wielding an unfamiliar magic ''just might'' have something to do with the weakening seal on the Sacred Realm and the great plague that had emerged from it.

* KilledOffForReal: The original Ganondorf was killed by Link at the end of ''The Legend Of Zelda I'' (Decline), ''Twilight Princess'' (Child), and ''Wind Waker'' (Adult), the latter two times due to the Triforce of Power, the source of his immortality, being separated from him. [[spoiler:However, as per Demise's DyingCurse in ''Skyward Sword'', he is reincarnated as the Ganondorf seen in ''Four Swords Adventures'' in the Child Timeline. So far, he's stayed dead in the Adult Timeline, but this is still circumstantial. However, in the Decline Timeline, Ganon loses the ''entire'' Triforce twice (at the end of ''A Link to the Past'' and then at the end of the original ''Legend of Zelda'' as well), and we're told that there's still a way to revive him in ''Adventure of Link''. That's the final game in that timeline, so it never actually happens barring a GameOver. Finally, while ''Breath Of The Wild''[='=]s placement in the timeline is unknown, he gives up on reincarnation to harness his full power and [[UncertainDoom seemingly]] dies for real.]]