Hyrule

Hyrule (ハイラル, Hairaru) is the name of the magical kingdom that serves as the backdrop of nearly every game in the Zelda series. It is usually depicted to be a prosperous land blessed with deep forests, tall mountains, vast lakes, a barren desert, and great cities. Oftentimes the land of Hyrule is described as "beautiful", and this typically is proven true in all incarnations of it to date. It is ruled by a monarchical government in the fashion of middle-age feudalistic societies, with its capital city being the bustling and prosperous Hyrule Castle Town located near the seat of the country's government, Hyrule Castle. The realm was created long ago by three Golden Goddesses who each breathed their essences into the land and gave life and order to the formerly chaotic realm. They also left within the realm of Hyrule a portal leading to a plane from which the goddesses departed the world, a magical place called the Sacred Realm. It was within this Sacred Realm that the goddesses left an extremely powerful relic called the Triforce, which when mastered in its entirety will grant the wishes of its holder.

This story of the Triforce would in many ways shape Hyrule's future in the centuries that followed its creation (even becoming the basis of Hyrule's providence ), especially after the birth of a man from the desert named Ganondorf. After the Triforce was eventually shattered by Ganondorf (who wishes to conquer the land for himself ), a young hero named Link, often armed with the Blade of Evil's Bane known as the Master Sword, is typically shown to rise up to save Hyrule from destruction at his hands each time he rises to power. The hero is usually assisted in this effort by Hyrule's young princess, Zelda, for whom the series is named. These three characters are three of the most well-known figures in Hyrulean history and have shaped it in countless ways throughout Hyrule's existence, with each of them holding a piece of the Triforce respectively.

Hyrule itself is shown in multiple incarnations, each as different as the next, though there are several common elements they all share that unite them. It is also home to a multitude of different races, each of which inhabits a different part of the country and is adapted to living in that particular region.

Early History
Hyrule was formed many ages ago through the works of the three Golden Goddesses: Din the Goddess of Power, Nayru the Goddess of Wisdom, and Farore the Goddess of Courage. Before time began, before spirits and life existed, these three goddesses descended upon the chaos that was Hyrule. Din, with her strong flaming arms, cultivated the land and created the red earth and was thus responsible for the creation of the very geography of Hyrule. Nayru poured her wisdom onto the earth and gave the spirit of law to the world, bringing order to a formerly chaotic realm.; thus, she was responsible for the establishment of all the laws of science and wizardry that govern the physical world of Hyrule. Farore, with her rich soul, created all life forms that would uphold the law established by Nayru and thus was the mother of all life in the realm of Hyrule.

When the labors of the three great goddesses were completed, they departed the world for the heavens. It was in the Sacred Realm that the three goddesses left behind a symbol of their power, the all-powerful relic known as the Triforce, which when mastered in its entirety would grant the heart's desire of its holder, whatever that desire may be.

The Triforce could only be claimed as a whole by one pure of heart however, and this action would cause the Sacred Realm to become a beautiful paradise. But if that one's heart is not in balance, the Triforce would separate into its three separate pieces, leaving only the piece representing the force in which that one most believes in his or her hand and transforming the Sacred Realm into a world of evil. If that one who shattered the Triforce were to seek the true force to govern all, he or she would have to acquire the two lost pieces. The other two pieces would dwell within two special people chosen by destiny, who would bear the symbol of the Triforce on the backs of their hands.

It was at this time that the ancient Sages, knowing that evil ones could abuse the Triforce's magic, crafted a sword that was infused with magic that was resistant even to that of the Triforce itself. This weapon, the Blade of Evil's Bane more commonly known as the Master Sword, was capable of banishing evil itself and was reserved to be used only by a hero that would act as Hyrule's savior in times of Hyrule's greatest need.

The Hylian people were also aided in the development of their new land by the Oocca, a race said to be even closer to the gods than they were. They also assisted the ancient Sages in the construction of the ancient Temple of Time meant to protect the portal to the Sacred Realm and the Triforce stored within. Once the land of Hyrule had been established, the Oocca left for the City in the Sky, but still maintained contact with the Royal Family of Hyrule for a time.

Recent History
The land of Hyrule's more recent history has been a long tale that has woven through many ages and many periods of both light and darkness. For a time, Hyrule's beings lived at peace, content in mind and body for much of the early history of the realm. Soon however, stories of the Sacred Realm began to spread across the land, stories speaking of a so-called "Golden Power" more commonly known as the Triforce that would grant the wishes of its holder. These stories of unlimited power eventually stirred such emotions in the hearts and minds of Hyrule's beings that soon there was nothing left in them but pure greed and lust for the Triforce's wish-granting magic. This eventually turned former friends into bitter enemies and even sparked wars that were fought over the Triforce. Eventually, these stories also reached the ears of a man from the desert named Ganondorf, the king of the Gerudo thieves that hail from the Gerudo Desert in the far western region of Hyrule.

Ganondorf originally hoped to attain the Triforce in order to lift his people, the Gerudo, out of their miserable existence in the barren Gerudo Desert and help them achieve a better way of life. Soon however, these tales of limitless power twisted and warped Ganondorf's mind into being solely interested in using the Triforce for his own desires, eventually causing him to seek total domination over the entire realm of Hyrule, with himself as its ruler forevermore. The Gerudo King soon concocted a plan to enter the Sacred Realm and lay claim to the Triforce, and through much cunning and deceit, he succeeded in entering the Sacred Realm with the unwitting assistance of a young boy from the forest named Link and Hyrule's young princess, Zelda. When he laid his tainted hands on the Triforce however, the legend came true, causing it to shatter and leave only the Triforce of Power in Ganondorf's hand, as that was the force he most believed in and desired most. The other two pieces were eventually joined within what would become Ganondorf's two archenemies: the Triforce of Wisdom was bestowed upon Princess Zelda, and the Triforce of Courage upon Link.

Since that time, the three have battled across much of Hyrule's history as Ganondorf has sought many times to reunite the Triforce pieces and claim the united relic for himself to completely conquer Hyrule, with Zelda and Link usually rising each time to stop him and act as a check on his vast magical powers. When Hyrule is not being threatened by Ganondorf, it has also faced threats from other foes such as the evil Gerudo witch Twinrova and her associates, the Wind Sorcerer Vaati, and the forces of twilight led by the evil Zant to name a few. Each time, Hyrule has usually had a savior rise up to save it in the form of Link, who has reappeared throughout the ages of Hyrule's history as has Zelda when evil threatens Hyrule. The most recent chapters of Hyrule's history have had very lasting and yet diverging implications for each incarnation of the kingdom depicted, thought by many to be the result of a split in Hyrule's history caused around the time Ganondorf was first defeated by Link and Zelda and the hero was sent back to his own age, causing a split universe in which Hyrule exists in two different incarnations of itself as a result.

One of those two incarnations of Hyrule show it to be drowned beneath a deluge known as the Great Flood and eventually destroyed centuries later after Ganondorf is defeated once again, leaving Link and Zelda to seek out a new land that will be the next Hyrule in that particular branch of Hyrule's history. The other, the most recent incarnation of Hyrule, depicts an invasion by the forces of twilight led by the evil Twili known as Zant, with a new incarnation of Link and Zelda rising up once again to defeat Zant and his dark master, who is eventually revealed to be Ganondorf himself. Both incarnations of Hyrule have shown vastly different fates for the kingdom, and it remains to be seen what new adventures will take place for Link and Zelda in Hyrule in either incarnation of the kingdom. When gamers last see the pair in one branch of Hyrule's history, they are last seen searching for a new land that will be the next Hyrule after Ganondorf's fate was sealed beneath the Great Sea in the original Hyrule of that branch. Meanwhile, in the other branch, gamers last see Zelda resuming her place as Hyrule's ruler, with Ganondorf's fate left uncertain after a great battle in Hyrule Field and Link riding away on a new adventure. Hyrule is expected to make another appearance in the upcoming Zelda Wii.

The Legend of Zelda
Hyrule is first seen in the original The Legend of Zelda as the magical kingdom in which the adventures of a young man named Link take place in his quest to save Hyrule's young princess, Zelda, from the clutches of the evil pig-like sorcerer Ganon. In this game, Hyrule is described as a beautiful kingdom with deep forests and tall mountains bordering a vast ocean to its southern and eastern borders. As Link explores the kingdom, he visits all the different parts of it, including the Lost Woods to the west-southwest, the Graveyard in the shadow of Death Mountain to the northwest, the coastline to the southeastern and eastern borders of the kingdom and even the strange forests in the southeastern region of the country. In this original incarnation of Hyrule, the land is shown to have many forests and lakes in addition to the mountainous terrain of Death Mountain. This would mark the gaming world's first experience in the land of Hyrule and began several long traditions that would continue to be featured in later incarnations of the kingdom as it would later be vastly expanded upon and improved by the game developers.

The backstory of the game reveals that the world is embroiled with chaos, and the once-peaceful Hyrule has been invaded by the Prince of Darkness, Ganon, who has stolen the Triforce of Power and hopes to steal the Triforce of Wisdom as well; however, the relic is shattered by Princess Zelda to keep it out of Ganon's hands. A young man named Link is soon swept up into these events and traverses Hyrule in search of the lost Triforce fragments. This began the tradition of having the hero search hidden labyrinths for quest-related objectives and marked the first instance in the history of the series in which Link battles Ganon. Hyrule eventually regains its princess when Link storms Death Mountain and battles Ganon in the depths of Spectacle Rock. In the end, Ganon is defeated and peace is restored to Hyrule after Link reunites the Triforce of Power with the Triforce of Wisdom and returns them to Hyrule's princess.

The Adventure of Link
The second appearance of Hyrule was in The Adventure of Link, where it is shown to still retain several familiar locales but at the same time with several major changes to the kingdom's terrain as it is revealed that the overworld explored in the previous game was only part of Hyrule. This game takes place in a section of Hyrule not explored in any other game. The overworld of Zelda II lies to the north of the Hyrule featured in the original game, and utterly dwarfs it in size. It features three major continents and more towns and settlements than the barren landscape featured in the original Zelda game. The original Hyrule overworld is still explorable, but it is a tiny landmass south of Death Mountain. As Link progresses through the game, fans see Hyrule has changed somewhat in this incarnation of the kingdom. Although Hyrule still borders a vast ocean, it has swamps, mountains, deserts and islands. The graveyard in the shadow of Death Mountain still remains in this incarnation of Hyrule, although another that is home to the King's Tomb is featured in this game too. The hero also visits several towns that would later provide the namesakes of some very important characters in a future game.

Hyrule is revealed to have once been ruled by a just King who mastered the Triforce in its entirety in the backstory of The Adventure of Link. However, the King eventually grew old and fell ill. Before his death, he concealed the Triforce of Courage in the Great Palace to prevent the one true Triforce's misuse, intending for a true hero to come in search of it one day. He confided this secret in his daughter, Princess Zelda, who was placed into an enchanted slumber by an evil magician when she refused to talk when confronted by her brother, the Prince of Hyrule, and the magician. The mournful Prince then decreed that every female member of the Royal Family would henceforth be called Zelda in memory of this tragic event. This would mark the first time the game developers attempted to explain why Hyrule's monarchy almost always contains a princess named Zelda. This game would also mark the first time that game developers used the idea of palaces or temples to be the dungeons of Hyrule to be explored by the hero, a formula that would come to be used time and again in future games. In this game, Link traverses Hyrule to restore six magical crystals to their proper places within six other individual palaces in order to break the seal on the Great Palace and awaken Zelda with the completed Triforce.

A Link to the Past
A Link to the Past marked the first appearances of such major landmarks as Lake Hylia, the Lost Woods, Zora's Waterfall, Hyrule Castle, and Kakariko Village. The mirror of Hyrule, the Dark World, was also made explorable and marks the only time that the Sacred Realm could be explored in any form. The Dark World appeared to be what Hyrule would be like if it were ruled by Ganon. The two worlds were closely linked, and what happened in one would even affect its twin in the other. This version of Hyrule began many of the more recurring elements of the kingdom, such as Hyrule Castle being the home of the Royal Family and the Lost Woods being the home of the Master Sword. This template of Hyrule would also be heavily replicated in future games as well.

In the backstory of the game, fans are told of Hyrule's creation by the three Golden Goddesses for the first time as well as the history of a conflict known as the Imprisoning War in which the evil Ganon was sealed inside the Dark World by the Seven Sages and the Knights of Hyrule. This conflict set the stage for the opening of the game, which takes place centuries following the war's end and begins at a time when Hyrule is suffering from a string of unexplained plagues and misfortunes that have driven the country to near-ruin. This changes with the coming of an evil wizard named Agahnim, who helps to quell the plagues with his powerful magic but secretly intends to capture the Seven Maidens, the descendants of the Sages, in order to break the seal between Hyrule and the Dark World. After eliminating the good King of Hyrule and taking control of the country himself, Agahnim casts a spell over the country's soldiers and uses Hyrule's military to capture each of the Seven Maidens. He then uses his dark magic to send them each into the Dark World. Link is eventually drawn into these events and seeks out the mythical Master Sword to stop Agahnim before being drawn into the Dark World by the wizard himself, where he rescues the Seven Maidens from their prisons and destroys both Agahnim, (who is revealed to be Ganon's alterego) and Ganon himself, reclaiming the Triforce and restoring both the Sacred Realm and Hyrule to their former beauty.

Ocarina of Time
Ocarina of Time marks the first time the kingdom of Hyrule was represented in three dimensions. It would also be this game's representation of Hyrule that would set the mold of most of its successors in both gameplay and story elements. Familiar locations like Death Mountain and Lake Hylia returned, along with new locations such as Gerudo Valley, Lon Lon Ranch, and the Kokiri Forest. The geography of the land was rearranged, making Hyrule Field a central hub area between most of the major locations. New major races are also introduced into the series for the first time: the Kokiri are the child-like forest spirits that dwell within the Kokiri Forest; the Gorons are the rock-eating stone people who live inside Death Mountain; the Gerudo are the all-female race of thieves led by Ganondorf; and the Sheikah are the nearly-extinct race of ancient warriors who guarded Hyrule's Royal Family. The Zoras also make a return in this game, though they are revealed to be a much gentler race than previously depicted as they are allied with the Royal Family, and dwell in the watery grotto known as Zora's Domain. As was the case with A Link to the Past, there is a lone desert to the west; however, it is called the Haunted Wasteland and is by and large only inhabited by the Gerudo thieves of Gerudo Valley.

Ocarina of Time begins in the aftermath of a fierce conflict known unofficially as the Hyrulean Civil War. When the game opens, Hyrule has grown to become a peaceful and prosperous country led by its Royal Family. Meanwhile, the leader of the Gerudo thieves, Ganondorf, has traveled to Hyrule and is plotting to seize the three Spiritual Stones from Hyrule's various races in order to open the gateway between Hyrule and the legendary Sacred Realm so he could take the Triforce and conquer Hyrule. After Ganondorf curses the forest spirit known as the Great Deku Tree, it charges Link and the fairy Navi with saving Hyrule from the "desert man in black armor". This begins a quest in which Link recovers the stones and gains possession of the magical Ocarina of Time, opening the Door of Time and claiming the mythical Master Sword from its resting place in the Pedestal of Time. This action places the young hero in suspended animation for seven years until he is old enough to claim the mantle of "Hero of Time". Ganondorf enters the Sacred Realm and touches the Triforce, transforming the Sacred Realm into a world of evil and plunging Hyrule into darkness as he usurps the throne for himself. The Hero of Time returns to Hyrule after seven years and journeys across Hyrule to save the Seven Sages from the evils in each of their respective temples before facing Ganondorf himself. In the end, Link defeats Ganon with the assistance of the Seven Sages, who seal him within the void of the Evil Realm. Zelda then sends Link back to regain his lost childhood, splitting Hyrule's history in two and creating two parallel timelines. Hyrule is last seen in the so-called "Adult Timeline" with most of its citizens rejoicing at Ganondorf's defeat as the Sages look out over the jubilant country from atop Death Mountain. Meanwhile, in the so-called "Child Timeline", Hyrule is shown to have not yet been attacked by Ganondorf, and the young Hero of Time is last seen returning to Hyrule Castle to warn Princess Zelda of Ganondorf's plot.

Four Swords
Four Swords features yet another incarnation of Hyrule that contrasts with previous versions of the kingdom. Several locations appear in the game that have not yet appeared in any other, such as the Sea of Trees, the Chambers of Insight, and Talus Cave. Death Mountain makes a reappearance as one of the few recurring places that appears in this version of Hyrule. There is also a region above the clouds featured, where Vaati's Palace resides floating high above the land. This game would be the first game to cast the wind sorcerer Vaati as the main villain and set the stage for future returns by the villain, with Vaati being second only to Ganondorf in their number of appearances. This game would also introduce into the story of Hyrule the legend of the Four Sword, a magical blade that serves as a sort of substitute for the Master Sword in that it can also banish evil, but it also has one key difference from the Blade of Evil's Bane: it has the power to split its holder into four identical copies of themselves.

The game reveals that there was once a demonic entity, the wind sorcerer Vaati, who kidnapped beautiful maidens for himself and carried them off to his palace high above Hyrule even as he brought misery and destruction to the kingdom. One day however, a boy holding little more than a sword appeared, and to the astonishment of all, the sword split him into four copies of himself. Together, the four-who-were-one worked together to vanquish Vaati and sealed him within the blade of the Four Sword, which was placed into a special pedestal in the Four Sword Sanctuary, home to the Four Elements. When the game begins, Princess Zelda worries that Vaati's seal is weakening and goes with Link to check the Four Sword's resting place, only to be abducted from the escaped Vaati, who had hidden nearby when he heard the pair coming. The demon knocked Link out and carried Zelda off to his palace in the clouds high above Hyrule. Link eventually awoke and took up the Four Sword, causing himself to split into four colorful copies of himself, and together, the quartet journeyed across Hyrule to reach Vaati's Palace, eventually succeeding in reaching the skyward structure. There, they battled Vaati and succeeded in re-sealing him within the Four Sword's blade and restored it to the pedestal, locking Vaati away once again and saving Princess Zelda.

The Wind Waker
The Wind Waker features a new incarnation of Hyrule, though this version of Hyrule is revealed to be sealed away beneath a vast ocean known as the Great Sea. This is the direct result of a catastrophic deluge known as the Great Flood that befell the land of Hyrule in order to save its people from destruction, and the end result left the original Hyrule locked away and frozen in time at the bottom of the sea while the people would build a new country on the surface, where the highest mountains of Hyrule became islands on the surface of the sea. When gamers see what remains of Hyrule beneath the sea, it is seen to vastly differ from the previous incarnations of the kingdom gamers saw in previous games. For example, Hyrule Castle now rests on an island in the middle of a large lake speculated to be none other than Lake Hylia itself, with a large river running into it that is also speculated to be Zora's River. There are many mountains seen surrounding the outer regions of Hyrule during the brief times it is seen in the game, and these mountains account for the islands on the surface where much of the game takes place. Ganon's Tower is also shown to be located beyond a canyon leading into the mountains surrounding what remains of the kingdom, not far away from the then-site of Hyrule Castle. Hyrule still retains its great beauty, despite its desertion and isolation on the seabed. After Link traveled back in time and left the timeline after Ocarina of Time, the land of Hyrule knew peace for a little while. However, Ganondorf eventually found a way to break the seal cast by the Seven Sages and returned to Hyrule in a red wrath. As he rampaged through Hyrule trailing death and destruction, the people of Hyrule prayed for the Hero of Time to come once again to save them, but the Hero of Time did not appear. Left with no choice, Hyrule's people appealed to the Golden Goddesses to save them from destruction, and the goddesses answered their prayers. Instructing the people to take refuge on the mountaintops, the goddesses created a great storm that swept the skies over Hyrule and brought down a torrential downpour from the heavens that soon buried the entire kingdom beneath the vast ocean that would come to be known as the Great Sea.

Hyrule was not destroyed however; a magical seal was cast over the kingdom, locking it in an enchanted air chamber that kept the water from completely obliterating it. Centuries later, Ganondorf escapes his imprisonment down in the sealed Hyrule and returns to haunt the people above the waves. A new Link and Zelda rediscover Hyrule's remains at the bottom of the sea and aim to defeat Ganondorf. The final phase of the game takes place down in Hyrule, where Link comes with a recharged Master Sword to rescue Zelda from captivity in Ganon's Tower. Link faces Ganondorf himself atop the roof, where the villain reveals his true reasons for wishing to conquer Hyrule were due to the harsh life he and his people were subjected to in the Gerudo Desert as opposed to Hyrule's green fields. Ganondorf succeeds in reforming the Triforce, hoping to touch it in order to wish for Hyrule to be exposed to the rays of the sun once more, with him as its ruler. However, King Daphnes Nohansen Hyrule appears and claims the Triforce first, instead wishing for Hyrule to be washed away forever, along with Ganondorf and himself. Ganondorf then engages Link and Zelda in one final battle during Hyrule's final moments as the air chamber begins to collapse around them, allowing the Great Sea to pour into Hyrule. After Link plunges the Master Sword into Ganondorf's forehead (turning him to stone), the pair share one final moment with the King. Zelda offers to take the king with them, and search for a land that would be the next Hyrule. The king, however, elects to stay below the water and die with his kingdom, admonishing the children to create their own land, and not try to resurrect Hyrule. Then, before the water overtakes the entire land, they are whisked away to the surface by the Triforce's magic. The game ends with Link and Zelda setting out across the sea in search of a new land of their own.

Four Swords Adventures
The version of Hyrule featured in Four Swords Adventures shares many landmarks with the version of Hyrule featured in A Link to the Past. The Eastern Palace, Desert Palace, and what is suspected to be the Tower of Hera (the Tower of Flames) are in the same locations, as is Kakariko Village. Hyrule Castle also rests in a similar location to its A Link to the Past counterpart, at the very center of the kingdom, although this incarnation of the castle more strongly resembles the one featued in The Wind Waker. However, some locations have shifted as well. Lake Hylia is now in the northeast, and locations not featured in A Link to the Past are present, such as the Village of the Blue Maiden and Lon Lon Ranch. The southern part of the map is frozen due to Vaati's evil magic. The Dark World is again present, both as the northwestern portion of Hyrule and the base of Ganon's power, and as an actual mirror universe. Most of the Hyrulean races that were introduced in Ocarina of Time return in this game. The Gorons live on Death Mountain, the Deku Scrubs live in the Lost Woods, and the Gerudo live in the Desert of Doubt. A new race, the Zuna, are also introduced. The Zuna are a tribe of green-skinned desert nomads who are descended from the ancient Pyramid builders. Another major difference in this incarnation of Hyrule when compared to others is that a large ocean borders the entire continent upon which Hyrule rests.

The game takes place some time after Four Swords, where it is revealed that peace reigned in Hyrule for a time, but soon dark, foreboding clouds begin to cover the land and cause many dreadful storms to overtake the skies. This causes Princess Zelda and the six Shrine Maidens that protect the different regions of Hyrule to suspect that Vaati's seal is weakening. Link was to accompany Zelda to check Vaati's seal, but he instead witnesses the abduction of Zelda and the Shrine Maidens by Shadow Link, who then flees through the portal to the Four Sword Sanctuary. There, the evil shadow tricks Link into drawing the Four Sword from its pedestal, releasing Vaati in the process. Now split into four copies of himself, Link, upon the advice of the wise owl Kaepora Gaebora, scours Hyrule in search of the Shrine Maidens and Zelda. Eventually, the four Links learn of the Dark Mirror and its theft from the Temple of Darkness by Ganon. They then learn that Ganon was originally a member of the Gerudo tribe named Ganondorf, and that he stole a powerful Trident from the ancient Pyramid in the Desert of Doubt. This they learn from the now-deceased Knights of Hyrule, the guardians of the Royal Jewels that have the power to restore the Tower of Winds, the road to the Palace of Winds in the Realm of the Heavens. The Links rescue all the Shrine Maidens and Princess Zelda before recovering the Dark Mirror and destroying Vaati at the Palace of Winds. However, they are then faced with the true force behind the events plaguing Hyrule: Ganon himself. The Links defeat Ganon with the power of the Four Sword, and the Shrine Maidens seal him within the sword's blade. The sword is then restored to its place in the Four Sword Sanctuary as Hyrule returns to its former peaceful state.

The Minish Cap
The geography of Hyrule presented in The Minish Cap introduces new locations such as the wild marshlands of Castor Wilds, the rocky Mount Crenel, and the eerie Royal Valley, while such common landmarks as Death Mountain and Kakariko Village are absent. Hyrule Field is divided into sectors, and locations such as Lon Lon Ranch and Hyrule Town (a different incarnation of Hyrule Castle Town) serve as major populated areas. Another recurring locale is the classic home of the Royal Family, Hyrule Castle, which sits to Hyrule Field's northern borders and plays a pivotal role in the progression of the game. Many areas can only be explored while Link is small, such as Melari's Mines or the Minish Village in the Minish Woods, and only through the power granted to him by a strange cap by the name of Ezlo can he shrink to Minish size and back again. Link encounters many "portals" around Hyrule that act as locations capable of invoking Ezlo's magic and thus shrinking Link down to Minish size and back. A large part of the map is also covered in clouds and is known as the Cloud Tops. This is the home of the Wind Tribe and the location of the Palace of Winds. There is some continuity with locations from the rest of the Four Swords trilogy, as this game likely shows the palace before Vaati began using it as his residence, in addition to the Tower of Winds, which is revealed to have begun as the home of the Wind Tribe in this game. This game also seemingly explains the origins of the Four Swords series, such as the origins of Vaati, the origins of the Four Sword and the origins of the aforementioned Palace of Winds.

The Minish Cap begins with an ancient legend of Hyrule. Long ago, Hyrule was being plagued by evil monsters, until the Minish descended from the sky and gave the Hero of Men the Picori Blade and the Light Force. With these, the Hero defeated the monsters and sealed them away in an enchanted chest that came to be known as the Bound Chest. This event is honored yearly by the people with their Picori Festival. Once every century, the Minish Door opens in Hyrule Castle Garden for a limited time, linking the Minish Realm to Hyrule through the Elemental Sanctuary. Some time after the conflict involving the Hero of Men, a young Minish named Vaati grew enchanted with the evil that could come from the hearts of men and sought to become an immensely powerful being to escape the constraints of his tiny size. One day, Vaati discovered the magical Minish Cap, which had been made by his master, the great Minish sage Ezlo, as a gift for the humans and had the power to turn its wearer's wishes into reality. Vaati put the cap on withiout permission, transformed into an evil Hylian sorcerer, cursed his master into the form of a living cap, and fled through the Minish Door into Hyrule to find the mythical Light Force. Vaati uses the Minish Cap to earn the right to approach the Bound Chest and uses it to blast the chest open, unleashing the monsters held within to infest Hyrule once more. After Vaati turns Hyrule's Princess Zelda into a stone statue, her childhood friend Link embarks on a quest to search Hyrule for the mystical Four Elements needed to restore the Picori Blade to full power and break Vaati's curse on Zelda. Through much trickery and deceit, Vaati uses Link and Ezlo to discover the Light Force's true location, within Princess Zelda herself. Vaati then uses the Minish Cap to transform the castle into Dark Hyrule Castle and attempts to extract the Light Force from Zelda, which would result in her death. Link and Ezlo stop this plot however and defeat Vaati, sealing him within the blade of the newly-remade Four Sword and causing him to leave only the Minish Cap behind. Zelda and Ezlo are restored to their true forms with Vaati's defeat, and Zelda combines the Minish Cap's power with the Light Force to heal Hyrule of all evil, returning it to its former peaceful state. Ezlo then bids the pair farewell as he returns to his homeland through the closing Minish Door.

Twilight Princess
The Hyrule appearing in Twilight Princess is much larger than in previous games. The government is centralized in Castle Town, and Kakariko Village again appears at the base of Death Mountain. A sign at the entrance to the Hidden Village identifies it as "Old Kakariko," indicating that the Kakariko Village appearing in Twilight Princess may perhaps be the same one seen in Ocarina of Time. Hyrule Field is larger and again divided into sectors like it was in The Minish Cap. The kingdom appears to have a more developed system of roads, with fortified bridges like the Bridge of Eldin and the Great Bridge of Hylia guarding the roads. New locations such as Snowpeak and Ordon Village also appear for the first time. Four new races are also introduced in this game. The Twili are the descendants of the Dark Interlopers who once attempted to conquer the Sacred Realm and were banished to the Twilight Realm. The Bulblins are a goblinoid race of mercenary boar-riders who fight on Ganon's side until Link proves that he is stronger. The Yeti race has two known members, Yeto and his wife Yeta. They are good-natured snow creatures who live in an old mansion the Snowpeak Ruins. The Oocca are a curious-looking race of bird people who live in the City in the Sky and once helped found the kingdom of Hyrule in ancient times. Two members of this race, Ooccoo and her son, Ooccoo Jr., help Link by providing easy entry and exit points in dungeons. The Temple of Time reappears in this game, but has shifted locations. It is no longer in the main Castle Town as it was in Ocarina of Time, but its ruins are instead in the Sacred Grove, alongside the ruins of what appears to have been a city. This draws parallels with the Master Sword's location in A Link to the Past. This game also introduces the Light Spirits, who guard the four provinces of Hyrule: Ordona, Faron, Eldin, and Lanayru.

Twilight Princess begins roughly a hundred years after the end of Ocarina of Time in the Child Timeline. In this story, Hyrule has greatly expanded and has been subdivided into various provinces named for the four Light Spirits that protect Hyrule at the behest of the Golden Goddesses. An evil Twili named Zant is revealed to have been empowered by Ganondorf after the latter was sealed into the Twilight Realm by the ancient Sages following a failed execution attempt for his crimes following the Child Timeline end of Ocarina of Time. Zant uses this power granted to him by Ganondorf to seize control of the Twilight Realm, overthrowing the Twilight Princess Midna and unleashing twilight into Hyrule as he invades it on Ganondorf's encouragement. These events draw a new Link into the battle against Zant, and he meets Midna, who teams up with him to reverse the overtake of Hyrule by the twilight and to recover the lost fragments of a mighty weapon made by the ancestors of the Twili, the Fused Shadow. After successfully lifting the twilight covering Hyrule, Link is told by the Light Spirit Lanayru the tale of the Dark Interlopers, the creators of the Fused Shadow and ancestors of the Twili, and of how they once attempted to use the Fused Shadow to seize control of the Sacred Realm some time in the past and take over Hyrule during the Interloper War, causing the Golden Goddesses to order the Light Spirits to intervene and lock them away within the confines of the Twilight Realm. After twilight was lifted from Hyrule, Zant fled back into the Twilight Realm, trying to shatter the Mirror of Twilight that links the two worlds, but as he was not the Twilight Realm's true ruler, he only succeeded in breaking it into four fragments that scattered around Hyrule. Link and Midna recover these fragments and pursue the King of Shadows into the Twilight Realm, where they put an end to his wicked reign, but not before discovering the truth of his relationship with Ganondorf. The pair return to Hyrule and journey to the sealed-off Hyrule Castle, where they enter the castle to save Princess Zelda and confront the former Gerudo King of Thieves. Link engages Ganondorf in a lengthy battle that spans from the Throne Room of Hyrule Castle all the way into the vast expanse of Hyrule Field, eventually overpowering the villain and running the Master Sword through his chest, presumably killing him (though this has been left in doubt due to the circumstances surrounding this scene). Midna is restored to her true form and Zelda is saved. Link and Zelda bid the Twilight Princess farewell as she returns to the Twilight Realm, utterly shattering the Mirror of Twilight upon her departure and sealing off the only known road between Hyrule and the Twilight Realm for good.

Majora's Mask
Hyrule only plays a minor role in the opening and closing of Majora's Mask (a direct sequel to the events of Ocarina of Time), where a new section of the Lost Woods is revealed in the opening of the game. Link is searching the woods for "a friend with whom he parted ways" after the Child Timeline ending of Ocarina of Time. . Though this friend is not named, it is implied to be Navi. The Lost Woods are home to a portal leading to a parallel world to Hyrule called Termina. Link stumbles upon this portal when he chases the Skull Kid through it after a chance encounter in the Lost Woods. The young Hero of Time also returns to Hyrule through this same portal at the end of the game after he succeeds in saving Termina from the demon Majora and frees the Skull Kid from Majora's grasp. During the ending cinematic, a crude drawing of Link and the Skull Kid is seen in the Lost Woods. The Hero of Time's fate is left uncertain, as it is implied he continued to search the Lost Woods for Navi and it is never revealed if he succeeded in reuniting with her.

The Skull Kid remarks that Link reminds him of someone who once taught him a song in the forest, implying that this Skull Kid may be one that Link had encountered previously in Ocarina of Time. The Happy Mask Salesman is also implied to be from Hyrule, as he mentioned that he traveled far and wide to find Majora's Mask, and disappears into thin air when he walks away at the end of the game, possibly indicating that he can travel back and forth between the two worlds at will.

Oracle of Seasons/Oracle of Ages
Hyrule in the Oracle games also plays only a minor role in the overarching storyline. The kingdom appears to be at peace, because Ganon was vanquished sometime in the past and the complete Triforce is safe in Hyrule Castle. When Link touches the Triforce, he receives a mark on his hand that signifies that he is the chosen hero of Hyrule. As the two games open, Link is shown riding a horse along a coastline (revealing that this version of Hyrule also has an ocean that borders it), and Hyrule Castle is shown from a distance when Link stops to take in the view and hears the Triforce's call from within the castle. These brief scenes are the only times gamers see Hyrule in the two games, and only one room is shown within Hyrule Castle, the room where the Triforce is kept. It is also revealed that, unlike in Termina, Hyrule is known to members of the two new lands visited by Link within the games. Nayru reveals that she knows that Link and Impa are messengers of Hyrule and Din is able to identify the Triforce mark on the back of Link's hand. This indicates that both Holodrum and Labrynna are different countries in the same universe as Hyrule, and not parallel dimensions like Termina.

Princess Zelda has ordered Impa to bring the Oracle of Seasons and the Oracle of Ages to Hyrule after having premonitions of darkness surrounding them in their respective homelands of Holodrum and Labrynna. Although Impa fails both times to retrieve the two oracles, Link rescues Din from Onox the General of Darkness, and Nayru from Veran the Sorceress of Shadows. He then discovers the true force behind the two villains' actions and stops a fiendish plot by the evil Gerudo witches known as Twinrova to resurrect Ganon.

Government
Hyrule's form of government has remained relatively consistent throughout its history, with an ancient monarchy, the Royal Family of Hyrule, ruling over the land. This form of government is also typical of most feudalistic monarchies documented throughout history, with the Royal Family ruling over the lower-caste citizens of the kingdom from Hyrule's capital city, Hyrule Castle Town. The Royal Family itself rules from the seat of government in the land of Hyrule, Hyrule Castle, the namesake of the capital. The government is typically headed by the King of Hyrule, and his heir in most depictions of Hyrule is his daughter or descendant, Princess Zelda. In some cases, Zelda herself has ruled over the land as matriarch of the Royal Family as well, such as during the Twili invasion of Hyrule. Hyrule is typically divided into various provinces and each race is known to have a relationship in some way with the Royal Family of Hyrule, with most of these various races pledging their allegiance to the central government headed by the Royal Family. Each race has its own form of local government and the individual leaders of their tribes, but all races pledge their overall allegiance to the Royal Family as citizens of the kingdom of Hyrule. Hyrule has faced many coups throughout its history (most of them either directly or indirectly orchestrated by Ganondorf himself), but ultimately the Royal Family is usually restored to power through the efforts of Hyrule's hero, Link.

Currency
Hyrule's economy is typical of most feudalistic socieities documented throughout history, with trade and different forms of unconventional payment not being unheard of throughout the country's history. As with any unified nation however, Hyrule also has an official currency that also suffices to obtain goods and services when the trading system is not chosen by its citizens. This currency is a small jewel-like object known as the Rupee, which can be found by digging in the earth, underneath pots, or even hidden in the trees of Hyrule. There are several different color variations of Rupees that can be found throughout the land, each color having a different value. Some, such as green, blue or yellow Rupees are worth lower amounts when compared to such rarer Rupees as red, purple, orange, silver or gold. Rupees are accepted in almost any establishment throughout the kingdom of Hyrule and are the single most common form of payment in the marketplace of Hyrule's capital city, Hyrule Castle Town. Rupees are sometimes also required in order to use certain objects, such as some incarnations of the Bow or special garments such as the Magic Armor.

Military
The Hyrulean Castle Guards make up the bulk of Hyrule's military forces. Despite their duty to protect the peace, the guards have a poor reputation and a tendency towards cowardice. In Twilight Princess, they will shrink in fear whenever Wolf Link passes by them. The guards have typically proven to be less than successful in defending their country in more recent games, falling to the army led by Ganondorf in Ocarina of Time as well as being overpowered by the forces of twilight led by Zant. Due to their minor inefficiencies, they often are unable to pevent infiltration of places they guard such as Hyrule Castle. For example, Link is able to successfully sneak around them to enter Hyrule Castle Garden when he goes to meet Princess Zelda in Ocarina of Time, and he also succeeds in evading them to infiltrate Hyrule Castle and access the Elemental Sanctuary in The Minish Cap. However, they have not always been without courage, such as when for example they valiantly defended Princess Zelda from Zant's forces even as they invaded the Throne Room of Hyrule Castle during the twilight invasion of Twilight Princess and when they tried to prevent Vaati from blasting open the Bound Chest in The Minish Cap. However, these guards were also very wary of when evil took over their kingdom. When Vaati impersonated King Daltus, the guards who dissented were turned to stone because they knew that his demands were evil. When the guards would not follow an evil ruler, they were brainwashed into doing so. In A Link to the Past, the dark wizard Agahnim took over the country through much cunning and deceit, and one of the first things he did was to take over Hyrule's military force by means of his powerful magic. However, the guards are shown to be freed of this spell when Link destroys Agahnim and returns the Royal Family to power. Although the guards are mostly concentrated in the Hyrulean captial city Hyrule Castle Town, they are known to spread out all across the kingdom as well, such as when they fell under the sway of Agahnim in A Link to the Past and Ganon in Four Swords Adventures.

The more recent interpretations of the guards are vastly different compared to the more noble Knights of Hyrule spoken of in A Link to the Past, who gave their lives almost to the utter last in order to protect the Seven Sages as they cast their seal on the Dark World. Whether the Knights of Hyrule have any connection to the present day guards that make up Hyrule's military is unclear, but if the Knights of Hyrule were indeed the forerunners of the present guards, it would mean a vast decline in the efficiency and courage of the guards since the times of the Imprisoning War. A similar set of knights also called the "Knights of Hyrule" acted as the guardians of the Royal Jewels in Four Swords Adventures, and only four existed, each protecting one of the four jewels that would restore the Tower of Winds and yield access to the Realm of the Heavens. Whether these four knights have any connection to the Knights of Hyrule spoken of in the tales of the Imprisoning War is unclear, but both are reputed for their bravery.

Major Conflicts
Most of the wars in Hyrule's history were fought over possession of the Triforce or dominion over the Sacred Realm.


 * Hyrulean Civil War: This war was begun for unknown reasons, but it was said according to the Great Deku Tree to be a horrific and prolonged war that resulted in the unification of the country under the banner of the Royal Family.
 * Interloper War: This war began when the Dark Interlopers attempted to seize control of the Sacred Realm and claim the Triforce for themselves, but the intervention of the Light Spirits caused them to be sealed away in the Twilight Realm, outside of which they could only exist as shadows henceforth.
 * Imprisoning War: This conflict is spoken of in the backstory of A Link to the Past, where it is said to have began when Ganondorf stole the Triforce from the Sacred Realm. The Knights of Hyrule were nearly wiped out during the ensuing conflict, but the Seven Sages were able to trap Ganon in the Sacred Realm-turned-Dark World under the protection of the Knights of Hyrule.
 * War of the Bound Chest: The Hero of Men fought many evil creatures during ancient times using the Picori Blade. He sealed the evil monsters inside of the Bound Chest using the Picori Blade and the Light Force, until Vaati broke the blade and released the monsters back into the world some time later.
 * Great Flood: In the Adult Timeline following the end of Ocarina of Time, Hyrule was invaded once again by Ganondorf and was subsequently buried beneath a deluge of rainwater in the Great Flood when the Hero of Time failed to appear.
 * Zant's Invasion of Hyrule: In the Child Timeline following the end of Ocarina of Time and Majora's Mask, Hyrule was invaded by an evil Twili named Zant, who seized control of the Twilight Realm and covered Hyrule in twilight on the order of his dark master, Ganondorf, who returned to haunt Hyrule once again.

Theology
Hyrule is known to be a polytheistic society, in which the greater majority of its people believe in not one single god, but multiple gods. The three greatest of these deities worshipped by the Hyrulean citizens are the three Golden Goddesses: Din the Goddess of Power, Nayru the Goddess of Wisdom, and Farore the Goddess of Courage. These three great goddesses are the most highly-regarded and revered of all deities throughout the entire realm of Hyrule, as they were responsible for the creation of Hyrule and all who live in it. The people have also been known to worship the essences of these goddesses, which live within the almighty relic the goddesses themselves created, the mythical Triforce of the Sacred Realm. The goddesses have been known to answer the prayers of the people at multiple times throughout the course of Hyrule's history, such as for example drowning Hyrule beneath the Great Flood to save its people from destruction at Ganon's hands and sending the Light Spirits to imprison the Dark Interlopers within the confines of the Twilight Realm to save Hyrule's people from their wicked reign.

The Golden Goddesses are not the only deities worshipped throughout Hyrule however. For instance, the Zoras worship their patron deity, the great fish known as Lord Jabu-Jabu, going so far as to accord him a special place of honor in their society. They are also known to use the Water Temple to worship water spirits. The Kokiri pay homage to the great forest spirit known as the Great Deku Tree and hold him in the highest regard as both their father and protector. The Gerudo are known to worship the mysterious Goddess of the Sand, to whom they dedicated the construction of the Spirit Temple. There have also been other deities, such as the aforementioned Light Spirits, that are also worshipped by the people as the guardian deities of the different provinces of the kingdom. There have also been some deities gamers have yet to meet in the series but who have been mentioned in past games, such as the Goddess of Time mentioned by Princess Zelda in Majora's Mask and the Goddess of Wind mentioned by Tingle in The Wind Waker. There have also been smaller gods/deities that fans have met throughout the series, such as Zephos and Cyclos, two gods of the wind that were met in The Wind Waker. The Wind Fish and the Ocean King were also powerful gods who took the shape of whales, though their relation to Hyrule is unclear since both were introduced in worlds that seemed separate from the one in which Hyrule resides.

Several houses of worship and temples exist in Hyrulean society. Hyrule has been known to have temples dedicated to each of several different elements, each with a caretaker Sage that is guardian of the temple. Of the most well known of these Sages are those amongst the group known as the Seven Sages: Rauru in the Temple of Light at the heart of the Sacred Realm, Saria in the Forest Temple deep within the Lost Woods, Darunia in the Fire Temple on Death Mountain, Ruto in the Water Temple deep beneath Lake Hylia, Impa in the Shadow Temple residing in the graveyard in the shadow of Death Mountain, Nabooru in the Spirit Temple far across the desert in the Desert Colossus, and Princess Zelda in the Temple of Time. The Temple of Time's architecture also draws from Gothic cathedral architecture, and acts as the primary gateway to the Sacred Realm. The Earth Temple and the Wind Temple house the Sages whose prayers power the Master Sword and grant it the Power to Repel Evil.

Several towns in The Adventure of Link have churches, and a lone priest that resides at the Sanctuary in A Link to the Past helped smuggle Zelda out of Agahnim's clutches. Renado is the village shaman of Kakariko Village in Twilight Princess and the unofficial leader of the village. These figures, alongside the Sages, act as chief members of Hyrule's theological sphere.

Locations and Landmarks
Like many of the other lands depicted in the Zelda series such as Termina, Holodrum and Labrynna, Hyrule's geography varies greatly from region to region. In most depictions of Hyrule, the land is shown to be a collection of regions with varying geographies and climates usually linked by a great open expanse of land known as Hyrule Field. Hyrule Castle Town and by extension Hyrule Castle are usually located near the central part of the country and not far away from Hyrule Field. The other regions of Hyrule as stated before vary greatly in their composition and appearance. For example, the region most associated with the rock-loving Gorons is the sweltering and rocky Death Mountain, which has little to no vegetation and is for all intents and purposes a large volcano. On the other hand, there are parts of the country covered by deep forests that have a more hospitable climate and atmosphere, where plant-life and vegetation are much more common and provide a means to live for such forest-dwellers as the child-like Kokiri race. Hyrule is also usually shown to be home to a vast lake usually named Lake Hylia as well as a watery grotto named Zora's Domain, both being more hospitable and suitable to the aquatic Zora race. Hyrule is also known to have snowy regions as well, such as the Snowhead Mountain Range, which is the preferred home region of the Yeti race. Finally, Hyrule is also usually shown to be home to a vast desert (usually to the west), more commonly known as the Gerudo Desert amongst other names, which is home to such desert-dwelling tribes as the Gerudo or the Zuna. Taken altogether, Hyrule is shown to be a melting pot of sorts in regards to its geography as it has been shown to possess nearly every kind of climate and terrain.

Cities, Residences and Villages

 * Hyrule Castle: Hyrule Castle, also known as "Castle Hyrule", is the seat of Hyrule's monarchical government and the home of the Royal Family of Hyrule. In pretty much every depiction of the castle throughout the series, it is depicted as a great stone castle with battlements and towers in the gothic style of medieval castles seen throughout history. It is usually surrounded by a moat or body of water in most depictions, likely as a means of protection in the event of invasion, though this has usually proven unsuccessful in stopping the castle from being taken when a coup of the government is staged. The seat of power within the castle is usually the Throne Room that is either at the heart of the structure, as it was in A Link to the Past and The Minish Cap, or atop a central tower, usually known as Hyrule Castle Tower, as it was in Twilight Princess. The castle is usually a focal point and is usually prone to infiltration and conflict. For example, Link infiltrates the castle multiple times throughout the series due to its less-than-foolproof security forces, and the castle is usually a site targeted for invasion as the seat of the kingdom's government, as it was when Ganondorf invaded it in Ocarina of Time and when Zant invaded it on Ganondorf's orders in Twilight Princess. The castle is usually one of the most important places for Link during his numerous adventures in Hyrule and many times is the site of the final confrontations in most games that take place in Hyrule.


 * Hyrule Castle Town: Hyrule Castle Town, also known simply as "Castle Town", is the capital city of Hyrule and the heart of the country's commerce as well as the seat of its government. The city has much history surrounding it, and two of its most important structures depicted in the series have been Hyrule Castle, the city's namesake, and the ancient Temple of Time that serves as the primary gateway between Hyrule and the Sacred Realm of the Triforce. The city's marketplace is usually depicted to be a bustling metropolis where the citizens of both the city and Hyrule at large come to engage in business and trade. As the home of the stately Hyrule Castle, the city is also the bastion and headquarters of the Castle Guard that serve as Hyrule's military force. As a means of some protection, the city is usually surrounded by a moat that is only accessible by bridges or drawbridges. Over the course of its history within the series, the city has been prone to conflict multiple times and has been the subject of invasion more than once. For example, Ganondorf attacks the city in Ocarina of Time, hoping to stage a coup of the Hyrulean government under the Royal Family and seize control of the country by force. A similar situation occurs in the most recent incarnation of Hyrule Castle Town, that of Twilight Princess, where Zant's forces invade the city and shroud the land in twilight on Ganondorf's encouragement. As the cultural heart of the country, this city is considered one of the most important locales in all of Hyrule, as is evidenced by several games' final levels being within the city's limits such as Ocarina of Time and Twilight Princess.

Hylian
The dominant race of Hyrule has since the creation of the world been the Hylians, who were said to be blessed by the gods with some of their magical powers. These Hylians are extremely abundant and are quite similar to humans on earth. Unlike most other races, they tend to live in large cities. They are said to be born with magic-infused blood and use magic quite often (variating from their Terminan Counterparts, who use magic less and rely on technology more often.) They are thought of to be closer to the gods than other races and also inhabit Holodrum, Labrynna, and Termina.

Goron
These are Rock-consuming Golem-like creatures that inhabit mountains and rocky areas. They boast superhuman strength and the ability to curl up into a ball and roll. Using magic power some can sprout spikes when they pick up enough speed while rolling in this manner. They are completely heat resistant, able to wade through lava. Most Gorons (if not all) cannot swim due to their immense weight. They inhabit, aside from Hyrule, Termina, Labrynna, Holodrum, and many other places.

Zora
These are aquatic, mammalian creatures that inhabit the waters of the kingdom. Zoras that live in rivers seem to be more fish-like, aggressive, and can spit fire; whereas Sea Zoras seem to be more peaceful and dolphin/whale-like. Zora also inhabit Termina, Labrynna, Holodrum, and more.

Forest Dwellers
These include Kokiri, Deku Scrubs, Skull Kids, and many others, but altogether are occasionally referred to as Deku. Kokiri are similar to Hylian children, who never grow into the adult stage, and have the Great Deku Tree as a guardian. Deku Shrubs are plantlike, nut-spitting, short creatures that can burrow into flowers. Skull kids are mysterious, mischievous, childlike creatures. They also inhabit Termina.