There have been manyrecurring charactersthroughout Nintendo’sThe Legend of Zeldafranchise. While antagonists like Ganondorf frequently appear trying to take over the kingdom, others like Tingle or Beedle often serve as cartographers and merchants that can be encountered by Link in various locations throughout Hyrule.
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However, some character have vastly different characterizations throughout their recurring appearances. From central characters in the story to supporting characters from theZeldauniverse, these six characters may have the same names or backstories, but they couldn’t be more different from each other.
6Impa
Impa first appeared in the original NES titleThe Legend of Zelda’s instruction manual, though she made her first fully-fledged appearance in the flesh inOcarina of Time. That version of Impa, however, couldn’t be further from the wise old woman in the original games, instead serving as Princess Zelda’s protector andthe last of the highly-skilled Sheikah tribe.
Impa’s reappearances in subsequent titles have varied between these two forms, withSkyward Swordfeaturing both a young warrior Impa and an older sage Impa. As of the most recent titles,Breath of the WildandTears of the Kingdom, old woman Impa plays an integral role as Link’s mentor following his reawakening.
5Rauru
Although Rauru was originally the name of a town inZelda II: The Adventure of Link, it was reused forone of the Seven Sages inOcarina of Time, who guides Link as a talking owl named Gaepora Kaebora. The character was absent from subsequent iterations of the franchise, until the most recent entry,Tears of the Kingdom, on Nintendo Switch.
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In the Switch title, Rauru first shows up as an apparition to Link in the game’s tutorial section, later revealed to bethe ghost of Hyrule’s first king. Though this version is just as anthropomorphic as the original Rauru, he also serves a similar purpose of assembling the Sages against Ganondorf, though with a completely new goat-like design.
4Happy Mask Salesman
ManyThe Legend of Zeldafans know the Happy Mask Salesman throughhis appearance inMajora’s Mask. After having the cursed mask stolen from him by the Skull Kid, the Happy Mask Salesman appears to Link early in the game, mysteriously instructing Link to regain the titular mask from the Skull Kid in order to return to his homeworld of Hyrule.
In the previous title,Ocarina of Time, the Happy Mask Salesman plays a much less central role. In the game, the Happy Mask Salesman is a simple merchant who rents Link several masks, which Link can sell to others in order to obtain a mask that lets him decipher Gossip Stones. Though he’s just eccentric, he’s not as frightening as hisMajora’s Maskiteration.
3King Of Hyrule
The King of Hyrule is an important character to theZeldafranchise, though he didn’t appear in the flesh untilThe Wind Waker. In the GameCube title, it’s revealed that Link’s talking boat, the King of Red Lions, is a personification of King Daphnes Nohansen Hyrule, the ancestor of Princess Zelda, who appears midway through the game sporting a now-iconic white beard.
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This design recurs inBreath of the Wildas the design for the game’s own new king, Rhoam, who appears as an Old Man guiding Link at the start of the game, a similar role to King Rauru inTears of the Kingdom. Whereasthe king fromThe Wind Wakeris more authoritative to Link, King Rhoam is more of a foreboding figure, warning Link of the dangers to come.
2Purah
Technically, the Purah who appears inBreath of the WildandTears of the Kingdomis the same character, a brilliant Sheikah scientist who works for the kingdom of Hyrule. However, inBreath of the Wild, Purah’s experimentations with anti-aging technology has made her appear as a young girl despite being over 100 years old.
By the timePurah returns inTears of the Kingdom, however, she’s matured a lot both physically and emotionally. Her intellect remains the same, but her role is also gravely smaller, as Purah simply remains the head of the investigation following the Upheaval, while inBreath of the Wildshe was responsible for upgrading Link’s Sheikah Sensor.
1Princess Zelda
Few characters inThe Legend of Zeldahave received more different interpretations than the titular princess herself.Zelda’s roles in the franchise have variedfrom damsel-in-distress, to antagonist, to companion, and even to missing person. Titles likeThe Wind Wakerhave even featured her alter egos like Tetra, who are brattier and more wild than the princess.
Even betweenBreath of the WildandTears of the Kingdom, Princess Zelda’s role in the games are vastly different. While Zelda mostly appears as Link’s friend in flashback sequences, inTears of the Kingdomher true self is mostly unknown after she falls back in time and seems to be responsible for terrible occurrences throughout Hyrule.
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdomis available for the Nintendo Switch.
