The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap (Himekawa)

The Minish Cap Manga is a manga by Akira Himekawa loosely based on The Minish Cap. It was released in Japan in 2005 and made available in English through Viz Media in December 2009.

Characters
Link: Link is the main protagonist of the Minish Cap. He is portrayed as a boy learning the art of swordsmanship under a sword guru, the Tesshin Dojo. He is bright, but somewhat impatient at first.

Zelda: Zelda is the young, bouncy princess of Hyrule. She is somewhat naīve and ditsy, possibly due to her being portrayed as a young girl. When the Picori Festival comes, she wants nothing more than to have Link accompany her.

Vaati: Vaati, a ruthless sorcerer determined to find a mysterious "Force" (referred to as the "Light Force" in the video game), is the main antagonist in the manga. He used to be one of the Minish, a race of small creatures described as being the size of a human's thumb.

Ezlo: The strange, bird-beaked hat that Link finds while searching for the Picori (Hylian term for the Minish). He accompanies Link on his journey to save the princess.

Link and Vaati
The legend of the Picori is told as Link and his grandfather are forging a sword. Link then leaves to attend his swordsmanship class and is denied entry into the Picori Festival tournament. Link then goes into the forest and takes out his anger on a tree branch. Vaati suddenly appears and in an act of boastfulness, takes out all the trees in the general radius around them and leaves. Zelda arrives and invites Link to the festival, which he declines. Zelda then begins to cry and upon changing his mind, the duo set off into the castle town where the celebrations take place. While exploring the different attractions, Zelda wins a lottery and chooses a shield as her prize which she promptly gives to Link as a gift. They then go to watch the dueling tournament where Link discusses the history of Hyrule and how the Picori helped a warrior defend the land from evil. He then recognizes Vaati as the mage steps into the ring and quickly becomes the champion of the tournament. As he is receiving his award, Vaati uses the opportunity to release the spirits from the chest bound by the Picori Sword. Vaati then turns Zelda to stone after seeing her deflect the evil spirits. Vaati then leaves after realizing the chest did not contain "light force". With the evil spirits' seal now broken, the king of Hyrule suggests they have the Picori to reforge the sword, which Link volunteers to carry out. With his grandfather's sword in hand, Link sets out for the Minish Forest, where he finds an odd looking bird being attacked by a pair of Octoroks.

Shrunken Link
After defending Ezlo, the two introduce themselves. With the inability to defend himself, Ezlo takes advantage of Link's interest in the Picori and attaches himself to Link's head. He then guides Link to a Minish Portal, and the two set off to find the Picori. After being chased by the Octoroks from before (now much larger than before), they find a Picori spying on them from behind the grass. The two follow him all the way to an entire village of Picori. They are greeted by Festari who guides them to a cask and feeds them a Jabber Nut. They then go and visit the elder Picori and are told they need the four elements in order for the sword to regain its full power. Festari then takes them to the Deepwood Shrine where it is said they'll find the Earth Element. After being chased by a group of Sluggula, and Puffstools, Link is rendered unconscious by the toxic fumes of the Puffstool's spore. Festari and a pair of Picori arrive and take the Gust Jar from the temple walls which they give to Link. After clearing the air of the Puffstool's spores, Link is presented with the Earth Element. After thanking Festari and the other Picori for their help, they are taken back to the village where they learn Festari's obsession with Hyruleans. Gentari informs Link that the next element is on Mount Crenel, and to seek a Picori known as Melari.

Link and the Mountain Minish
After flying across the land on the back of a bird, Link arrives at Mount Crenel where he saves a Mountain Picori from a bee. The Picori introduces himself as Chiruta and takes Link to see Melari. Link learns that Melari has given up being a sword-smith out of grief over his wife's death. He then states that there is not enough charcoal to reforge the sword anyway. Ezlo comes up with the idea of using the Fire Element to get iron ore rather than charcoal to reforge the sword. With that idea in mind, Link and Chiruta set off inside the Cave of Flames to find the Fire Element. After nearly falling into a pool of magma, Chiruta quickly identifies the Cane of Pacci and instructs Link on how to use it. They are then attacked by Gleerok, which Link cleverly defeats, allowing it to be restored to its true form. It then kisses Link on the cheek and grants him the Element of Fire as thanks. They return to the village and present Melari with the iron ore which relieves him of his grief and inspires him to reforge the Picori Sword. Link and Ezlo depart, and Ezlo informs Link that Gentari had a twin brother who might know the whereabouts of the last two Elements.

Ezlo and Vaati
After escaping the clutches of a cat, a young girl, and a group of hungry cuccos, Link and Ezlo find assistance from a young pup who takes them safely to the library to meet with Librari. Once inside, they meet with a Town Picori who is in the middle of reading a book. He happily takes them to see Librari who is working on his memoirs. Librari informs them that the Water Element is found in the Temple of Droplets. He then boasts about a tale from his youth where he defeated a large cucco, claiming his prized feather as collateral. Ezlo mentions that Librari is the only Picori to enter the Temple of Droplets, and causes Librari to recognize Ezlo. Realizing what could be revealed of his identity, Ezlo drags Link from the scene, quite literally, but not before Link is able to receive a map of Hyrule from Librari. After a long journey of following Librari's map, Link finds the Temple of Droplets while digging. As they approach the temple, they notice a convention of Picori making their way into the temple. One informs Link that they are off to watch the Great Mayfly Fairy sing in a concert. Link accompanies them and is infatuated by the Mayfly Fairy, and compares her beauty to Zelda's. Ezlo mentions that the Mayfly Fairy's song lasts her entire life, and that the moment she stops singing, she will die. At that moment, the Mayfly Fairy stops singing and begins to fade. Overcome with pity, Link begs her to continue singing so that she may live longer. The Mayfly Fairy comforts him by saying that as long as she had an audience, someone who cared for her, that is all she needs, and she can pass on in peace. Wishing for Link to experience her happiness, she presents Link with the Water Element. At that moment, Vaati appears through the cavern walls after sensing a great energy. After exchanging threats, Vaati instantly recognizes Ezlo and addresses him as "Master Ezlo", and asks how he's "enjoying the curse" Vaati bestowed upon him. Ezlo snaps, claiming he couldn't care less about his curse, and that all he cares about is stopping Vaati's scheme. Pumped up, Link draws his sword and charges towards Vaati. In response, Vaati transforms the Mayfly Fairy into a Mothula-like creature. The dazed and confused creature begins crashing against the walls, causing the cavern to cave in. Vaati disappears among the rubble, leaving Link and Ezlo all alone. With nothing left to lose, Ezlo hops off of Link's head and confesses he and Vaati were once Picori.

The King and the Wind Tribe
Ezlo begins his tale by mentioning that he was a world famous mage, and Vaati was his apprentice with a fascination with the evil of Link's world. One day, Vaati was over come with his lust for power, and takes a special hat Ezlo once owned that had the ability to grant wishes. Using the power of the cap, Vaati transforms himself, and then curses Ezlo into the shape of a cap. He mentions that in order to obtain full potential, Vaati will need the power of the Light Force. He further explains that the Light Force was a second gift bestowed on the Hero of Legend along with the Picori Sword, which gave him limitless power. Ezlo discloses that the Picori had given the Light Force to the royal family all those centuries ago and isn't sure of its present location. Once all secrets are out, Link decides it is time to find the last element. Being unable to find where the location is marked on the map, Ezlo informs Link that the Wind Tribe left the land for the heavens many years ago. As Link is contemplating how he'll reach the last Element, a mysterious pilgrim appears and asks Link if he knows where King Gustaf's grave is located on his map. Tired and unable to make the trip, the man asks Link to carry out his journey for him. He hands Link a small bag which his finds is full of Kinstones. The man explains how Kinstones are used to spread happiness, and in a sudden breeze, he disappears. Ezlo mentions that the man could very well be a member of the Wind Tribe and advises Link to follow the man's advice. The two travel to King Gustaf's grave where they find a hostile ghost of the past King. In their panic, Link drops the sack of Kinstones, and one in particular falls out. The King notices it is the opposite of the one he has, and recognizes Link as his friend. He tells Link to take his Kinstone to Veil Falls if he wishes to reach the Palace of Winds. Once they arrive at Veil Falls, they gain access to a tunnel that teleports them to the Palace of Winds. As they explore for the Wind Element, Link and Ezlo are attacked by a pair of Gyorg. As Link begins to fall off the surface of clouds, the magic feather Librari gave them transforms into a pair of wings, allowing Link complete freedom to move when in the sky. With his new found ability, Link zips through the sky, causing the Gyorgs to become dizzy. He takes the opportunity and defeats the pair of Gyorgs. The wind suddenly starts blowing again, and Link spots figures in the distance before passing out due to the extreme altitude. Some time later, Link awakens to the bright cheerful faces of the Wind Tribe, who adjusted the air pressure so Link can breathe easier. The Elder then informs Link of Gustaf's assassination and that the Elemental Sanctuary will lead him to the Light Force. She presents Link with the Wind Element, and has Gale take Link back to Mount Crenel to reclaim the newly reforged Picori Sword. Link arrives just in time as Melari and Chiruta are nearly finished with the sword. Being the grandson of a famed sword smith, Link pitches in with the final touches. With the sword finally reforged, it is time Link fill the sacred sword with power once again.

True Strength
Melari informs Link that the Elemental Chamber is hidden somewhere within Hyrule Castle, through a door that only opens once every century. When Link arrives at Castle Town, he witnesses a squad of soldiers ordered by the King to scout out and find the Light Force. Before he can question why the King is looking for the Light Force, he is welcomed back by Minister Potho who has anxiously been awaiting his return. Link presents the newly forged Picori Sword to the King and asks where he could find the Elemental Sanctuary. The King seems unknowing of its location, which leads Minister Potho to be suspicious of the King's identity. Minister Potho takes the group to the inner courtyard of the Castle and brings Link to a wall. Librari's magic feather points out the exact location of the gateway which seals shut once Link treads through it. The King lunges towards the portal, but is too late. The King then glares at Minister Potho with an evil gleam in his eye. Inside the Sanctuary, Link is instructed by Ezlo to place the four elements on the pillars around the pedestal, then place the sword inside the slot on the top of the pedestal. After the elements light up and focus their powers into the sword, Link grasps it in the air and the sword projects the legend of the Hero who saved Hyrule on the wall. One of the projections reveals that the Light Force is hidden within Zelda's being. The King suddenly appears behind Link, turning out to be Vaati in disguise, laughing manically now that he knows the location of the Light Force. Link gives chase to find that all the housemaids and guards in the castle have been turned to stone along with Minister Potho. After relieving Minister Potho of his curse, Link travels up a demented tower, cursed by the powers of evil inside Vaati. Meanwhile, Vaati is hard at work trying to drain Zelda of her Light Force energy. However, even when turned to stone, Zelda is able to resist Vaati's magic for the time being. Though by the time Link reaches Vaati's lair, he has already obtained all of Zelda's Light Force. With the power he has been craving, Vaati transforms himself into a stronger, deadlier mage. The two battle to the death, Vaati continues to transform until he loses control and transforms into a true rampaging monster. Link defeats Vaati, and frees Zelda from her stone prison, which causes everyone else throughout Hyrule to be relieved of their curses Vaati placed on them. Ezlo formally apologizes for Vaati's behavior, feeling ashamed to be his master. The two return to their Picori forms, and Vaati begins sobbing while begging for forgiveness. He claims he felt ashamed for never meeting Ezlo's expectations, and after witnessing violent acts across Hyrule, he figured he could use Evil's powers to get what he wanted. Ezlo scolds Vaati for his foolishness, and Link takes pity on the Picori. He encourages Vaati to try his hardest to get what he wants, and that violence isn't always the way. Ezlo breaks up the boys' conversation by reminding them that the door to the Picori world will close soon. A heartbroken Link claims that Ezlo can't just leave after all they just went through together. Ezlo then turns the magical hat Vaati had previously stolen, and transforms it into a green cap similar to the one Ezlo had become when under Vaati's curse. He gives it to Link as a memento, and a sign of thanks for the adventure. Ezlo and Vaati then fade away behind the portal to the Elemental Chamber. A year later, Link attempts to tell Ezlo that he'll be a part of this year's Picori Festival, and that no matter how much taller he'll grow, he'll never forget the "teeny-tiny" adventure they had as he walks past a stump with a Minish Portal on it, which two Picori climb out of.



Trivia

 * In Vaati's first form during the final confrontation with Link, he wears a headpiece that bears a striking resemblance with the one Midna wears.

Vaati During Training
Vaati is on his way to visit Ezlo, in hopes of becoming his apprentice. He is described as timid, but full of great ambition. Once he arrives to Ezlo's, he begs Ezlo to take him in as his student, showering the elderly Picori with praise. Vaati believes that if he just nods and copies everything Ezlo says and does, that he will someday be just as great. Ezlo grants Vaati permission to be his pupil, claiming in his head that Vaati is merely kissing up to him, but doing an admirably good job at it. He only hopes Vaati doesn't realize he'll be attending singles' parties. Vaati's first assignment is to find Korekore, an herb that Ezlo claims grows on the mountains just beyond the Minish Woods. After a long day of traveling, Vaati is informed by the local Picori that Korekore doesn't grow on the mountains at all. After returning to Ezlo empty handed, Ezlo informs him that the moral of that exercise is that he can't believe everything he hears, to which Vaati calls him a "sadistic old goat". The second lesson Ezlo teaches Vaati is to have a strong spirit. Vaati ecstatically complies with Ezlo's lesson. Ezlo confesses that the reason he wanted Vaati to house a strong spirit is because he accidentally erased all of Vaati's saved games on his Gameboy, and didn't want Vaati to be too upset with him. A frustrated Vaati plots to seek out revenge on his master. He decides to purchase exploding cigars, when suddenly Ezlo appears and gives Vaati a present of his own. As Vaati undoes the ribbon, inside he finds a cake reading, "Merry Xmas My pupil Vaati I'm very proud of you for all your hard work!" Vaati is overcome with compassion and gratitude for his master, and the two of them share the cake together as snow falls outside.