Soldier


 * ''For the corrupted soldiers that appear as enemies, see Soldier (Enemy)

"A fervent sense of duty runs through the veins of every Hyrulean Soldier, as it is their calling to protect the royal palace and maintain order."

- Zelda.com encyclopedia

Soldiers, also known as Hylian Soldiers, Hyrulian Soldiers, or Guards, are the recurring group of human (or Hylian) warriors, law enforcers and protectors in the Zelda series. In most titles, they serve the Royal Family of Hyrule and are charged with the protection of the citizens under the monarchy's rule. Though they appear mostly in Hyrule, soldiers appear in other lands as well, such as Termina and Labrynna. They are known for their fervent sense of duty, though their infallible obedience occasionally leads to manipulation by evil forces.

Guards
Every soldier seen in the games serves as a Guard. Therefore, the terms "soldier" and "guard" have become interchangeable in the series. Guards patrol populated areas, most commonly Hyrule Castle Town or Hyrule Castle itself. As it is usually off-limits, Link must often sneak past the Castle Guards to infiltrate the castle or, more specifically, Zelda's Courtyard. If Link is seen by one of the guards on patrol, he will be thrown out of the castle. This Stealth Mission first appeared in Ocarina of Time, and has since become iconic to series.

Personality
In the Zelda series, Hylian guards are usually depicted as the ideal soldiers. They possess a fervent sense of duty and are fully obedient to the royal family. In The Minish Cap, Vaati takes advantage of their unquestioning loyalty by impersonating King Daltus. By doing so, he is able to have the unsuspecting soldiers do his bidding. In Oracle of Ages, Veran is also able to manipulate the guards by possessing the body Nayru's and, later on, Queen Ambi herself.

The soldiers in Twilight Princess present an almost opposite image. Cowardly in nature, they will flee at the first hint of danger. However, it should be noted that during Zant's Invasion of Hyrule Castle, there is a group of soldiers who bravely hold their ground against Zant's Shadow Beasts, protecting Princess Zelda. The deaths of many soldiers in this battle, as well as Zelda's subsequent surrender, could potentially explain the soldiers' attitude thereafter, as these events would have have been a devastating blow to morale. Otherwise, the lack of soldiers may have prompted the drafting of unsuitable men.

Aside from the timorous guards of Twilight Princess, one dishonest Castle Guard in Ocarina of Time accepts bribery. In Spirit Tracks, a cowardly guard searching for treasure with his friend in the caves of Disorientation Station stumbles upon a monstrous plant and runs away, leaving his friend behind.

Uniform
The uniform of the Hyrulean Soldier greatly differs throughout the series, but their weapon of choice is usually the spear.

In A Link to the Past and Four Swords Adventures, soldiers are entirely covered in plate armor, with only a slit in their helm so they can see. They may carry a dagger, a sword or a spear; these soldiers also carry a small shield. Some of them are archers and javelin throwers, while others throw Bombs. Some soldiers in A Link to the Past have special armor with horns on their helm. The color of the armor varies—this denotes their strength.

In Ocarina of Time and Majora's Mask, as well as Twilight Princess, soldiers don lighter armor consisting of chain mail and a grey tabard bearing the Royal Crest (only in Ocarina of Time and Twilight Princess) along with leather boots. In Ocarina of Time and Majora's Mask, guards wear greaves but leave their knees and lower thighs exposed. Captain Viscen in Majora's Mask wears particularly opulent armor that denotes his rank. The guards seen in the throne room in Ocarina of Time also wear this uniform. The guards in Twilight Princess carry long metal shields, which have feet that allows them to rest on the ground. Their spears have this feature as well.

In Spirit Tracks, guards wear no armor and are clothed in a forest green outfit much like the garb of the Hero of Winds. The Recruit Uniform especially resembles the Hero's Clothes, as it comprises the signature green cap. Link himself obtains the Recruit Uniform from Princess Zelda. All guards use spears, with the exception of Captain Russell, who has a sword sheathed at his hip. Russell's uniform is essentially the same as the rest of the guards, with only a badge bearing the Royal Crest on his tunic to denote his rank.

Guard Captains
Guard corps are lead by captains. They issue orders to the entire guard force, and wear a special uniform or badge to denote their rank. In the entirety of the Zelda series as of yet, only two captains are ever met in-game. These are Captain Viscen and Guard Captain Russell.

Captain Viscen
Captain Viscen is the leader of the Clock Town guards in Majora's Mask. The captain and his guards have a more significant role in this game, as they are an independent force that does not serve any royalty. Viscen has a notable influence in the decision-making in the town, although he must ultimately respect Mayor Dotour's decisions. He is greatly concerned with the people's safety, and, with the ever-menacing approach of the Moon, tries to have the Mayor order an evacuation of the town. The captain's proposal is met with opposition from the stubborn Mutoh, the head of the Carnival Committee who also has a significant influence in the town. Ultimately, the Mayor settles the matter by allowing to have citizens decide for themselves if they want to flee.

Captain Russell
Captain Russell is the burly leader of the Hyrule Castle guards in Spirit Tracks. He can be found at the castle's training room, where he oversees the training of new guards. Under the guise of a recruit, Link learns swordfighting from Russell. The captain sees through Link's ruse, but gives him his first sword regardless.

Corruption


In A Link to the Past and Four Swords Adventures, the soldiers of Hyrule are corrupted by Agahnim and Vaati's magic, respectively. Enemy soldiers wield a plethora of weapons, from spears to swords to bows to a Ball & Chain. In A Link to the Past, a sign in Kakariko Village encourages the townsfolk to call for the guards if they see Link, falsely proclaiming that he kidnapped Zelda. When the Informant Women call for the guards, he must either kill them or flee the village. In Four Swords Adventures, groups of soldiers are occasionally led by a much stronger Chief Soldier.

The guards inside Ambi's Palace in Oracle of Ages will also attack Link on-sight. These guards are not put under any spells and are therefore in full control of themselves. They unwittingly serve the Veran, the Sorceress of Shadows, when she takes possession of Nayru's body and subsequently Queen Ambi's. This also occurs in The Minish Cap when Vaati impersonates King Daltus. Vassals, however, will not attack Link.

A Link to the Past
Friendly soldiers are seen only briefly before being losing their minds to Agahnim's magic. All friendly soldiers wear golden armor and carry a large shield, but have no visible weapons. However, in the GBA version, one of them mentions that he carries a sword. During the rainstorm at the beginning of the game, the soldiers prevent Link from straying too far from the castle. They will offer Link helpful advice if he speaks to them. Once the soldiers become hostile, the guards with golden armor disappear. Once Agahnim is defeated, the soldiers' curse is broken and they return to normal.

Ocarina of Time
In Ocarina of Time, they guard Hyrule Castle, Castle Town, and Kakariko Village. The average soldier is warm and welcoming, and may offer helpful advice. However, the Castle Guards tend to be sterner and will stop commoners such as Link from entering the castle. Link must sneak past them to get into the castle and, ultimately, Zelda's Courtyard. Alternatively, one of the Castle Guards can be bribed into opening the castle doors.

In Kakariko Village, there is a soldier guarding the gate to Death Mountain. He will not open the gate until he sees Zelda's Letter. This soldier, whose son asked for the Keaton Mask, will ask Link to buy the mask for him. This begins the Mask Trading Sequence. There are two other soldiers in Kakariko: one stands at the village entrance while the other stands outside Impa's House. Self-proclaimed "clock soldiers of Kakariko", they will tell Link the time if he talks to them.

After the obtaining the Ocarina of Time from a fleeing Princess Zelda, a fatally wounded Soldier appears in the Back Alley of Hyrule Castle Town. The soldier tells Link of how Ganondorf betrayed the King, and how he was injured fighting Ganondorf's men while trying cover Zelda's escape with Impa. He urges Link to proceed to the Temple of Time, dying shortly after. The soldier disappears once Link goes into the future, and so the scene is permanently missed if he does not meet the soldier before pulling the Master Sword from the Pedestal of Time.

After Link travels seven years into the future, the Guards have all but disappeared, having been either slaughtered or released from their posts in Ganon's reign.

Majora's Mask
In Majora's Mask, there are soldiers that guard each exit of Clock Town. They will not let any children get past them, therefore Link may only pass in Goron form and Zora form, or as himself once they notice his sword. If Link's sword is stolen by a Takkuri, the guards will still allow him to leave town and will inform him about the Curiosity Shop. Deku Link may not exit as he is seen as a child. The guards are mostly unaware of what goes on in the town because they cannot leave their posts, unless they receive new orders from Captain Viscen. The guards of Clock Town are the only corps of soldiers who do not answer to a higher power other than their captain. On the Final Day, Clock Town soldiers are seen gazing worriedly at the approaching moon. Much like their captain, the guards are dismayed by those who choose to stay. They will encourage Link to leave town if he speaks to them. The guards themselves remain at their posts until the moon falls, awaiting new orders that never come.

An injured soldier named Shiro appears on the Road to Ikana. Shiro is invisible and can only be spotted using the Lens of Truth. If Link gives him a Red or Blue Potion, he will reward Link with the Stone Mask.

Oracle of Ages
The guards in Oracle of Ages serve Queen Ambi in the age of the past, where they guard the queen's palace. Their armor comes in green, blue, red, and orange. Two guards standing at the palace entrance to prevent Link from entering. These guards disappear after the completion of the Mermaid's Cave, allowing Link to enter the palace to save Nayru. The guards patrolling the courtyard of Ambi's Palace will throw Link out of the palace if they spot him. However, the guards inside the palace itself will simply attack Link until he leaves the room. The hero can also choose to fight them off; they will flee if hit with several sword strikes. Guards do one heart of damage.

Guards oversee the construction of Queen Ambi's Tower as well as the search for Mystery Seeds in the Deku Forest. Once Link finds them and talks to one of the guards, they will escort Link to Ambi's Palace so he can give them to the queen.

Four Swords Adventures
In Four Swords Adventures, soldiers are possessed once more, this time by Vaati. They are the most populous foes in the game, and resemble their A Link to the Past counterparts greatly. A massive soldier known as Chief Soldier is powerful enough to serve as the boss of two stages: Lake Hylia and Death Mountain Foothills. Like in A Link to the Past, guards are classified by weaponry and they include the archer, Ball and Chain Soldier, bomber, and swordsmen varieties.

The Minish Cap
In The Minish Cap, the vassal guards are the diligent servants of King Daltus. Blue-striped vassals guard Hyrule Castle, while green-striped ones patrol Hyrule Castle Town. Some can also be found at Lon Lon Ranch and North Hyrule Field. When Vaati takes impersonates King Daltus, the unsuspecting vassals are ordered to search for the Light Force and not allow anyone into the castle. To get inside, Link must sneak past them like in Ocarina of Time. Later on, most of the soldiers are turned to stone by Vaati.

Twilight Princess
In Twilight Princess, soldiers can be seen patrolling Hyrule Castle Town alone or in groups, walking in single file. They try to look calm and go about their daily routine, even though they have no access to Hyrule Castle. If Link enters the town as a wolf, the soldiers will surround him but will not attack, trembling and whimpering. If Wolf Link then performs a Spin Attack, they will run away screaming, often leaving behind Rupees or arrows.

The poor state of the guard encourages a group of vigilantes, known as the Resistance, to take it upon themselves to restore peace to Hyrule. Their meetings are held in the back room of Telma's Bar whose owner, Telma, is particularly disdainful of the Hyrulian guard. In a humorous cutscene, a group of soldiers eagerly volunteer to escort Telma, Ilia, and a sickened Prince Ralis to Kakariko Village. However, once Telma mentions the path is infested with monsters, the soldiers quickly disappear.

In certain areas of Hyrule Castle, Link can detect the ghostly spirits of deceased soldiers using his wolf senses. The ghosts will guide Link through the castle and help him solve puzzles by pointing to areas of interest. The identity of these soldiers is never revealed, but they are theorized to be the slain soldiers from the Zant's attack on Hyrule Castle.

The soldiers in Twilight Princess are the only ones in the entire series that do not prevent Link from progressing in the game.

Spirit Tracks


In addition to regular soldiers, part of the guard force in Spirit Tracks consists of new recruits. Donning the Recruit Uniform he obtained from Zelda, Link pretends to be a recruit, fooling the guards into thinking he is one of them. In a modified version of the classic stealth mission, Link must sneak Zelda out of the castle, engaging the guards in conversation to distract them so Zelda can slip by. Since the guards see Link as one of their own while he is wearing the uniform, they allow him to pass freely through the castle.

Guard training is overseen by Guard Captain Russell in the training hall at the rear of the castle. Here Link learns the art of sword fighting and obtains his first sword. Afterwards, he can return to hone his skills through Sword Training. In this mini-game, Link is pitted against the three soldiers in the training room. In the same vein as Orca's sword training in The Wind Waker, Link must land as many blows on the guards before he receives three. Link is rewarded by Captain Russell in accordance to the number of blows he inflicted.



At the Disorientation Station, Link encounters a guard standing near the opening of a cave at the station. The guard reveals that he and his friend secretly came to the area to search for a golden treasure. During their search, they stumbled upon a monstrous plant; the soldier become frightened and ran away, leaving his friend behind. The Castle Guard, seeing Link's sword, asks Link to search the cave for him, giving him a riddle to help him navigate the maze. The soldier tells the hero he can keep the treasure if he finds it, as he only wishes to see his friend return safely. In the cave, Link finds a message engraved in stone written by the soldier's friend, who died in the cave. In his message, the soldier reveals that he planned to take the treasure for himself. He apologizes for his selfishness and urges his friend to move on. After hearing this message from his deceased friend, the soldier promises to live on for his friend's sake, giving Link 100 Rupees as a sign of gratitude.

Trivia

 * It is implied that the lone soldier in the Guard House in Ocarina of Time becomes the Poe Collector in the future, since he expressed interest in studying ghosts. The Poe Collector's shop is also located at the exact same loctation as the Guard House in the future.
 * In the non-canon Ocarina of Time comic, Link's Father is one of the Hylian soldiers who dies in the Hyrulean Civil War.
 * According to the official Ocarina of Time Nintendo Player's Guide, the amount of guards patrolling Hyrule Castle was increased tenfold because of a prank pulled by some townsfolk.
 * It is said that the Stalchildren of Majora's Mask were the cursed soldiers of Ikana. Skull Keeta was their captain.
 * One of the new recruits finds the Recruit Uniform to be goofy.
 * There has never been a female soldier. However, there are female Skyloftian Knights in Skyward Sword.