The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker/Characters

This article is a list of characters from The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker.

Main characters

Link, The Hero of Winds

In The Wind Waker, Link is a boy living in a village on an island called Outset Island, who dresses as the Hero of Time of ancient legends (the Link from Ocarina of Time) for his birthday. When his sister Aryll is kidnapped by a large bird, the Helmaroc King, he is forced to come forth and become a hero himself, like his predecessor the Hero of Time, and soon finds much, much more is at stake than just his sister. Early in his adventure Link obtains the "Wind Waker", a conductor's baton which can control the winds, and receives the title of Hero of Winds before his final confrontation with Ganondorf.

There is a far bigger emphasis on Link's facial expressions in this game than in previous titles.

Tetra

Tetra is a sarcastic pirate who (reluctantly) starts Link out on his journey. Her mother died few years before the events of The Wind Waker, and she was left to lead the group of pirates (the only ones actually appearing in the game). She is the character that Ganon meant to kidnap with the Helmaroc King, instead of Aryll. Their similar pointy ears caused the mistake. She helps Link out periodically, and later, her true identity is revealed in Hyrule Castle: she is Princess Zelda, the last heiress in the Hylian Royal Family bloodline.

Tetra is due to appear again in The Wind Waker's sequel, The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass. It is unknown if she will be in her Princess Zelda form. Also, in The Wind Waker, Tetra did not know she was Zelda, yet knew of Hyrule, the Hero of Time, the Master Sword, and wore a large piece of the Triforce of Wisdom around her neck as a necklace.

Ganondorf

Ganondorf is the main villain in most The Legend of Zelda games, and is so in The Wind Waker as well. As told in the opening and again by the King of Hyrule, Ganondorf escaped from the Sacred Realm after being sealed away in Ocarina of Time. He attempted to take over once again, but was stopped by the Goddesses and got sealed away underwater along with a frozen Hyrule, with the Master Sword being used as a key to unfreeze the kingdom. Ganondorf has obtained refuge in the Forsaken Fortress, which is a monster-infested and heavily guarded island. Link sets off on a quest to defeat him, leading to a final confrontation on top of his tower in Hyrule, where Link battles him, and, eventually, stabs the Master Sword into his forehead, turning him into stone. Ganondorf is subsequently drowned along with Hyrule and the king in the depths of the ocean.

It is said that he is the last Gerudo alive, the Gerudo being a race of tall, slender beings of Gerudo Valley from Ocarina of Time. He is frustrated about his failures from earlier Zelda games, mentioning that the Triforce effectively has bound their souls together for so long that he is almost resigned to the fact that Link ('The Hero') would appear to oppose him.

Aryll

Aryll is Link's younger sister. She has a liking of seagulls, which flock to the lookout tower on her and Link's home, Outset Island. Her name was apparently derived from seeds called arils.

She is the first character that is introduced in The Wind Waker, and is captured by Ganondorf's forces early in the game, forcing Link to go after her and instigating the events of the game. After Link rescues her from the Forsaken Fortress, Ganondorf's lair, she stays with Tetra's pirates for the remainder of the game and is not seen until the ending credits.

In the first play-through, she wears a light-blue dress with red flowers on it. In the second play-through, she wears a maroon-colored dress with white skulls on it, the same dress she wears in the Forsaken Fortress and ending sequence.

Aryll is also the only member of Link's family in any of the games who is given a name.

King Daphnes Nohansen Hyrule (The King of Red Lions)

King Daphnes Nohansen Hyrule (ダフネス・ノハンセン・ハイラル, Dafunesu Nohansen Hairaru) is the king of the long-forgotten land of Hyrule. The player is indirectly introduced to King Daphnes in the form of The King of Red Lions (赤獅子の王, Aka Shishi no Ō), a talking sailboat that Link meets after being ejected from the Forsaken Fortress. In this guise, the King guides Link in his quest and provides transport across the Great Sea. King Daphnes can speak the ancient Hylian tongue, and does so, on Link's behalf, with Valoo, the Deku Tree, and Jabun, during the quest for the Master Sword. After Link rescues Aryll from the Forsaken Fortress and escapes, The King of Red Lions takes him back to Hyrule, where it reveals to him that it is being magically operated by King Daphnes, and explains what Link must do to defeat Ganondorf. At the end of the game, the King wishes to the Triforce for Hyrule to be drowned, and stays with the kingdom as it is flooded. The King of Red Lions is seen after Link returns to the surface, but appears completely lifeless. The boat does not appear in Phantom Hourglass, though there is a boat named Prince of Red Lions, piloted by a man dressed like Link, that has a similar appearance.

It is possible that King Daphnes is a spiritual being much like the Sages, as he was sealed with Hyrule long ago, and can teleport around the area.

The King of Red Lions also makes a cameo appearance in Toon Link's stage in Super Smash Bros. Brawl.

Outset Island characters

Grandma

"Grandma" is Link's and Aryll's grandmother who loves Link and Aryll very much and will do anything to help and protect them. She knows the legend of the Hero of Time well and believes Link is more than meets the eye. She first gives him his green tunic as it is his birthday, and later also a shield to help him on his quest. She is sad to see Link go, and after he leaves her to search for Aryll, she becomes sick, though the player can choose to help her recover with a fairy. After this event, Link's grandmother will make him his favorite soup whenever he wants. The Nintendo Gallery figurine of her says she can be mischievous and pulls pranks on Link.

Jabun

Lord Jabun is the spirit of the ocean and resides in Greatfish Isle; however, he is forced to flee from his island when Ganon tries to prevent Link from obtaining Nayru's Pearl, and Greatfish Isle is ravaged in the process. Jabun finds shelter in an alcove in the southern cliffside of Link's home of Outset Island, where Link finds him and obtains Nayru's Pearl from him. Like Valoo, Jabun speaks only the ancient Hylian language.

Jabun has some similarities to Jabu-Jabu, the Hyrulian protector of the Zoras in Ocarina of Time. They have very similar names, are both large fish deities, and the background music used in Jabun's cave is also the same as the music inside Jabu-Jabu's Belly.

Orca

Orca is an old man and a talented warrior. He will give Link his very first sword as he believes Link has the ability to handle it wisely, and proceeds to teach him how to use it. Orca is very passionate about swordplay, emphatically scolding Link whenever a mistake is made, and joyfully weeps after teaching Link a special move. During sparring sessions, he often whimsically patronizes Link to encourage him to do better.

Orca is also Sturgeon's brother. Although they are related, they are total opposites: Orca believes in learning about swordplay and how to fight rather than just researching and reading books like his brother.

Sturgeon

Sturgeon is a very wise old man who lives a floor above his warrior brother, Orca. He is keen to teach Link many controls and movements. Sturgeon gets very upset when Orca is doing training and bumps a wall, because the things on his shelves all fall off and break. Surprisingly, his figurine stated that he was once an accomplished swordsman as well.

Sturgeon reappears in The Minish Cap as a librarian, though this character is implied to actually be a different person.

Dragon Roost Island characters

Rito Chieftain

The Rito Chieftain is the leader of all the Rito people on Dragon Roost Island and Komali's father. He is looked up to by all the people that inhabit the island as the strongest and most courageous. Although the chief may seem strong, he is actually in constant worry about his son and wonders if Komali will ever achieve his wings from Valoo.

Prince Komali

Prince Komali is the crown prince of the Rito tribe, and Medli's protégé. Though he is considered a prince by the Rito, he takes to his role reluctantly. When introduced in the game Prince Komali is very selfish, though timid. After Link destroys Gohma, Komali is able to journey up Dragon Roost and finally get his wings. He becomes a brave young man who eventually repays Link by saving him and Tetra from Ganondorf at Forsaken Fortress, though he is helped by Quill and Valoo himself. He is also the holder of Din's Pearl, given to him by his now deceased grandmother, a woman who was said to be the only one that could calm Valoo down.

Laruto

Laruto is a female Zora and the Sage of Earth. She prayed in the Earth Temple until her soul was stolen by Ganondorf to remove the ability to repel evil from the Master Sword. Her spirit returns to teach Link the "Earth God's Lyric" and direct him to her successor, a Rito named Medli. Laruto played the harp which Medli now possesses and is depicted as a friendly, wise character.

It should be noted that Laruto's name may suggest a connection to Princess Ruto, the Zora Sage of Water from Ocarina of Time.

Medli

Medli is a young Rito girl who lives on the island of Dragon Roost, home of the Rito people and Valoo, the Dragon Spirit of the Skies. She is a child who, when Link meets her, is coming into her role as Valoo's attendant, a position she inherited from her predecessor, Komali's grandmother, who was also her teacher. She is a very brave girl who, when Link arrives at Dragon Roost, enters the dungeon under Valoo to try and calm him down.

Later in the game, after Link meets Laruto, the previous Sage of Earth whose soul was robbed, Link heads back to Dragon Roost and awakens Medli as the new Earth Sage, as the harp she had also inherited from Komali's grandmother means that being the Earth Sage is her destiny. Medli goes with Link through the Earth Temple, and plays the "Earth God's Lyric" with Laruto at the end to bring back half of the power to the Master Sword.

She then stays at the temple to continue to pray for the gods. In the ending, she appears on the pirate ship with Makar, the Wind Sage. She is a skilled harp player and uses it when praying in the Earth Temple. It is said that she is somewhat of a motherly figure to Prince Komali, who instead has a crush on her.

Quill

Quill is a Rito postman who helps Link out a lot during the game, as he convinces the pirates to take Link to rescue Aryll from the Forsaken Fortress and on many other occasions, such as introducing him on Dragon Roost Island and telling him Jabun's story. He also helps Prince Komali rescue Tetra and Link from Ganondorf at the Forsaken Fortress. Quill seems sharp and observant, perhaps most evident when he lists the moral and logical flaws of Tetra's decision to neglect Link's plight to save his sister.

Valoo

Valoo is an ancient red dragon and spirit of the sky sacred to the Rito people. When first encountered he is fierce and enraged—on closer inspection this is understandable, as he is being tortured by an evil creature named Gohma, who is pulling on his tail, keeping him stuck in the volcano on top of which he roosts. After Link rescues him he becomes an important ally in his quest; depicted when he exhales vast flames of fire on Ganondorf and the Forsaken Fortress when Link and Tetra are under his dominance and in extreme danger. Like the King of Red Lions, he can speak the ancient tongue of Hyrule, but he does not speak any other language.

Another interesting detail about Valoo is that he somewhat resembles Volvagia, the dragon boss of the Fire Temple in Ocarina of Time, both in name and appearance.

Zephos and Cyclos

Zephos is a god of the winds along with his brother Cyclos. Zephos controls peaceful winds while his brother controls storm winds. His name comes from the Greek Deity Zephyr, who was the God of the West Wind (Zephyr is also used to refer to any small breeze).

When Link first arrives on Dragon Roost Island he can go through a tunnel which leads him to the other side of the Island. On that side there is a small, separate, body of rock that has two monuments honoring the Gods Zephos and Cyclos. On Zephos' monument there are conductor's notes for a song called the "Wind's Requiem", which lets Link control the direction of the wind. Once Link learns to properly conduct the song, and changes the direction of the wind, Zephos comes flying down and talks to Link about how he is the new Wind Waker. He also informs Link that his brother, Cyclos, is causing trouble out at sea with cyclones, because of the damage to his monument.

Cyclos is Zephos' brother, and is the god of cyclones. At the beginning of the game, damage to his shrine outrages him, so he causes large cyclones to form in the Great Sea. These cyclones are capable of instantly teleporting Link and the King of Red Lions to certain places. This is detrimental to Link when he encounters the furious Cyclos and is caught in the tornado, but the power of cyclones is later obtained when Link uses his bow and arrows to defeat the god. Cyclos reveals his better nature and teaches Link the "Ballad of Gales". This allows manual teleportation around the Great Sea and advances the plot.

Forest Haven characters

Carlov

Carlov is a sculptor who operates the Nintendo Gallery on Forest Haven. He requests Link's help in filling the gallery with all the characters of the Great Sea. In order to do this, Link must use the Deluxe Pictograph to take acceptable pictures of each character, and then give them to Carlov. Carlov uses each picture to sculpt detailed statuettes of the character, and places them in themed rooms in the gallery. These figurines also have plaques that provide insight into the characters that is not available during the normal events of the game.

The Deku Tree

The Deku Tree is the guardian of Forest Haven and a legendary earth spirit. He is plagued by ChuChus when Link first meets him, but after Link removes the ChuChus, he tells Link about Forest Haven and the Koroks who live there. He confesses to Link that his energy is actually waning and that he has become feeble with age. It is assumed that this is the same Deku Tree that was a sprout in Ocarina of Time, as he speaks Hylian and remembers old times when he sees Link's green tunic. He gives Link the Deku Leaf to help him on his quest, and later Farore's Pearl after Link rescues Makar from the Forbidden Woods. Like Valoo, he speaks Hylian, but he can also speak the modern language of the Great Sea.

Fado

Fado is a male Kokiri and the Sage of Wind. He prayed in the Wind Temple until Ganon killed him to rob the Master Sword of its power. His spirit returns to teach Link the "Wind God's Aria". The successor of Fado is a Korok forest spirit called Makar, who carries his bloodline and owns and plays the same violin that Fado does. This could support the theory that the Koroks are evolved Kokiri.

It should be noted that Fado's name was originally used for a female Kokiri in Ocarina of Time, and is later used in Twilight Princess as Link's kindly boss, a goat farmer. Fado's name is also a reference to a type of music called Fado.

Makar

Makar is a Korok who lives in the Forest Haven, who accidentally falls into the Forbidden Woods near Forest Haven island. Another Korok named Linder comes back and tells the Great Deku Tree of his plight, and the Great Deku Tree sends Link to the Forbidden Woods to rescue Makar and bring him back. Link agrees, and eventually saves Makar from being eaten by Kalle Demos, a giant carnivorous plant. After the rescue, Makar plays his violin and puts on a show, while the other Koroks fly away into the Great Sea with seeds from the Great Deku Tree to plant trees on other islands, with the exception of Hollo, who stays behind to continue making blue potions from Boko Baba Seeds.

Later in the game, after meeting Fado, the previous Wind Sage whose soul was taken away by Ganondorf, Link goes to get Makar, and awakens him as the new Sage of Wind after conducting for him to play the "Wind God's Aria", since Makar has the same violin as Fado did (being notably shorter than Fado, Makar plays Fado's violin in a cello position) and takes him to the Wind Temple, where Link and Makar cooperate to finish restoring the Master Sword. After defeating the boss of the Wind Temple, Molgera, Makar and Fado both play the Wind God's Aria for Link, fully replenishing the power of the Master Sword.

Fado states that Makar carries his bloodline, which is one of the various hints that the Kokiri race evolved into the Koroks.

Windfall Island characters

Salvatore

Salvatore runs the Sinking Ships minigame on Windfall Island and the Barrel Shoot minigame on Spectacle Island. He had hoped to become a famous painter but he eventually returned to his hometown of Windfall. He usually looks very bored.

Lenzo

Lenzo is an expert when it comes to anything about "pictographs", the Zelda version of photography. He owns a pictograph shop on Windfall Island, and fellow citizens Pompie and Vera suspect he is having an affair with a girl named Minenco. After a sidequest, it turns out that Minenco is just very interested in pictographs. Lenzo gives Link some pictograph assignments, then with Link's help, he invents the Deluxe Picto Box, a camera that can take colored pictures. Apparently, Lenzo once visited Outset Island, where he met a woman speculated to be Link's Grandma (though this is unconfirmed). He also sells Link legendary pictographs at night, which can be used to make figurines.

Zunari

Zunari is an eskimo that came from a cold land, but shipwrecked on Windfall Island, and continues to wear his thick coat. He now runs a small shop on Windfall Island, where Link can buy a sail for his boat, which is necessary to complete the game. With Link's help, Zunari's shop will burst into an active business. Zunari also hosts auctions during the night on Windfall Island. After participating the merchant trade sidequest, Zunari will reward Link with the "Magic Armor".

Other characters

Beedle

Beedle is a peddler of goods in The Wind Waker who owns a floating shop ship that appears across the ocean. The game does not make it clear whether he has several of these ships, or is merely traveling around. His shops sell various wares such as Hyoi Pears and All-Purpose Bait, except at the Rock Spire Island shop, where he sells Link a Bottle, a Piece of Heart and a Treasure Chart. At this shop, he also wears a golden helmet and treats Link as if he has never seen him before, but in such a way it is clear that he has. Beedle reappears in Phantom Hourglass with a similar role as in The Wind Waker, selling various goods in his ship and disguising his ship as the "Masked Ship".

Beedle also appears in The Minish Cap, where he opens a shop once one of the mats in Hyrule Town is cleaned, and sells Picolyte, a Minish-raised plant.

Great Fairies

Seven Great Fairies can be found in various places around the Great Sea, and they will reward Link with item upgrades, such as more bomb/arrow/rupee carrying capacity, or a larger magic meter. The Fairy Queen lives inside Mother & Child Isles, and although she looks young, she is one of the oldest and wisest characters. She will give Link the Fire and Ice arrows once he finds Princess Zelda. In the Mother and Child isles, she remarks on her attraction to Link, which makes him embarrassed and causes him to blush, although it is unclear as to whether she was being serious or joking with Link.

Fishman

Fishman is a talking cartographer fish that is found swimming just off-shore of each island of the Great Sea. According to him, he and his "cousins" are scattered all over the sea, although in the game these cousins all speak as if they are the same character. In exchange for All-Purpose Bait, Fishman gives advice and commentary about the island near which he is found and adds the island to the player's Sea Chart, if it is not already drawn in. Fishman's history and origins are largely unknown. When Link first meets Fishman, after he offers Link help with his Sea Chart, he turns to the King of Red Lions and informs him that he has repaid his debt. This implies that he may know of the King of Red Lions's true identity. At Rock Spire Isle, Fishman alludes to a past relationship with Gillian, the barmaid of the Cafe Bar at Windfall Island.

Old Man Ho Ho

Old Man Ho Ho is the only member of the Ho Ho tribe encountered in The Wind Waker. He is the small man with the telescope who seems to be constantly traveling. He is always talking about seagulls and when engaging him in conversation you hear a "hoh-hoh" sound.

Niko

Niko is the rookie pirate in Tetra's pirate crews. It is noticeable that he is the "bottom rung" of the pirates, and therefore enjoys a period of bossing Link around while he is on the ship, often showing his authority by calling Link a swabbie. However, later he reveals that he likes Link.

Niko also makes an appearance in Phantom Hourglass.

Tingle

Tingle is a strange 35-year-old man whose greatest wish is to become a Fairy. He wears a green jumpsuit, red speedo and belt, and a clock on a string, which he wears around his neck as a necklace of some sort. Tingle often chants his "personal catchphrase" "Tingle! Tingle! Koo-loo Limpah!", while throwing confetti in the air.

In The Wind Waker, Link rescues him from the prison on Windfall Island where they first encounter each other and where, in return for his rescue, Tingle gives Link both the Tingle Tuner and a map to Tingle's island where his brother, Ankle, and an unrelated man named David Jr., who resemble and dress very similarly to Tingle himself, are forced by Tingle to operate a large totem pole-like tower with a revolving Tingle bust at the top. The player is required to visit Tingle towards the end of the game, as he is the only person who can decipher the charts leading to the scattered pieces of the Triforce of Courage.

The reason for which Tingle was imprisoned in the first place was that he was accused of stealing a Picto Box. Said Picto Box is hidden at the end of a maze, the entrance of which is concealed at the back of the cell, with diary entries scrawled on the large rocks lining the cavern.

The Tingle Tuner that Tingle gives Link is an item that resembles a green Game Boy Advance with an antenna. It is not required to further the plot, but gives the player some bonus material. It allows the player to summon and control Tingle using a Game Boy Advance connected to the GameCube, and lets the player buy several items (at quite inexpensive prices) such as Tings (which can heal or restore magic), access to a map of the nearby area, and use of Tingle's balloon, which allows the player to walk on air for a short time. Using the Tingle Tuner also lets the player meet Tingle's other brother, Knuckle, after completing a series of tasks on Outset Island. Once completed, Knuckle can sell the player more arrows, bombs, or other items Via the Tingle Tuner. Knuckle also replaces the Handbook in the Tuner.

Traveling Merchants

The Traveling Merchants are the few Gorons that you encounter, and are involved in a sidequest. In this sidequest, the player must trade various items to put in a Windfall Island shop to obtain the Magic Armor item. Blowing their hats off with the Deku Leaf reveals that they are, indeed, Gorons. The Goron symbol is also spotted on their giant backpacks, and their figurine also states that their favorite food is rocks.