King of Red Lions

The King of Red Lions (赤獅子の王, Akashishi no Ou) is a talking sailboat that Link meets early in The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker. It is with this boat that he is able to move from one island to another on the Great Sea. Good-spirited and filled with wisdom, the King of Red Lions is one of Link's greatest allies. The boat speaks to him and explains what is currently happening and what he needs to do next.

The boat can be operated with multiple items in Link's impressive arsenal. The Sail is the most commonly used of them. When attached to the mast, it allows for easy sailing to the prevailing direction of the wind. The Grappling Hook can be used with the salvage crane to retrieve items from the bottom of the Great Sea, and Bombs will give the ship a mighty cannon to fire at enemies.

Later in the game, it is revealed that the boat is operated magically by Daphnes Nohansen Hyrule, the king of Hyrule who lives on under the sea.

The King can speak the ancient Hylian tongue, and often does so on Link's behalf. On the second quest, Link can understand the ancient Hylian, and the text will appear as English. The first quest, however, shows unintelligible symbols when it is spoken.

The King of Red Lions is seen at the end of the game, lifeless, as the King himself has died. The boat does not reappear in Phantom Hourglass, although a very similar ship known as the Prince of Red Lions does appear with an Impostor Link sailing it.

Trivia

 * The King of Red Lions makes a cameo appearance in Super Smash Bros. Brawl, on the Pirate Ship level. Players can battle on it, although it's rather small. He is also a trophy that the player can collect.
 * The symbol that appears on the sail that Link buys and uses also seems to appear on parts of the salvage crane and the cannon.
 * The King of Red Lions has no pupils at the end of the game and his eyes faded in color. This is most likely due to the king himself dying.