Characters in The Wind Waker

Link, Hero of the Winds

In The Wind Waker, Link is a boy of a fishing village on an obscure island called Outset Island, who for his birthday, dresses as the Hero of Time of ancient legends (the Link from Ocarina of Time). When his sister Aryll is kidnapped he is forced to venture forth and become a hero himself, like his predecessor the Hero of Time, and soon finds much, much more is at stake than just his sister. There is a far bigger emphasis on Link's facial expressions in this carnation rather than in previous carnations.

Tetra

The sarcastic pirate who (reluctantly) starts Link out on his journey. Her mother died few years before the events of The Wind Waker, and was left to lead the group of pirates (the only ones actually appearing in the game). She is the character that Ganon meant to kidnap with Helmaroc King, instead of Aryll, their similar pointy ears caused the mistake. She helps Link out periodically, and later, her true identity is revealed in Hyrule Castle: she is Princess Zelda, the last heiress in the Hylian Royal Family bloodline.

Tetra appears again in the sequel, The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass. It is unknown if she will be in her Princess Zelda form. Also, in The Wind Waker, Tetra did not know she was really Zelda, yet knew of Hyrule, the Hero of Time, the Master Sword, and wore a large piece of the Triforce of Wisdom around her neck as a necklace.

Aryll

Link's little sister. She has a certain liking of seagulls, who flock to the lookout tower on her and Link's home, Outset Island, in which she re-named "Aryll's Lookout". Her name apparently came from seeds called arils.

She is the first character that appears in The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker (not counting the title scene and the ancient murals). She also is the main driving point for the first part of the story, starting when she lends Link her telescope as a birthday present. Her rescue is higher in Link's priorities than saving the land from evil.

In the first play-through, she wears a light blue dress with flowers on it. In the second play-through, she wears a maroon colored dress with white skulls on it, the same dress she wore in the Forsaken Fortress.

The closest thing she has to a friend of the same species would be Sue-Belle, the pot-carrying girl. After Link rescues her from the Forsaken Fortress (Ganon's dark, forbidding base above the sea), she stays with Tetra's pirates for the remainder of the quest and is not seen again until the ending credits.

Grandma

Link's grandmother who lived on the Great Sea loves Link and Aryll very much and will do anything to help and protect them. She knows well the legend of the Hero of Time and believes Link is more than meets the eye. After Link helps her recover from her sickness, his grandmother will make him a special soup that he likes whenever he wants. She was sad to see Link leave on such a dangerous journey, but she gave him a green tunic and a shield to speed him on his way.

Orca

This old man, named Orca, is Sturgeon's brother. Although they are related, they are total opposites, Orca believes in learning about swordplay and how to fight rather than just researching and reading books like his brother. He will give Link his very first sword ever because he believes Link has the ability to handle it wisely. Orca is very compassionate about swordplay, emphatically scolding Link whenever a mistake is made, he joyfully weeps after teaching Link a special move. During sparring sessions, he often whimsically patronises Link to encourage him to do better.

Sturgeon

Sturgeon is a very wise old man who lives a floor above his warrior brother, Orca. He is keen to teach Link many controls and movements. Sturgeon gets very upset when Orca is doing training and bumps a wall, because the things on his shelves all fall off and break.

There is also a character in The Minish Cap that looks almost identical to Sturgeon and could be a relative of some kind.

King Daphnes Nohansen Hyrule

King Daphnes Nohansen is the king of the long forgotten land of Hyrule. He is of the Royal Blood Line, just like Princess Zelda. To meet with Link, he remotely operates the King of Red Lions, a talking boat, using magic (see the "King of Red Lions" section). Judging by how he fades in and out of existence and how he's still living in Hyrule despite the fact that it had been sealed away by the gods long ago, he may be a ghost with a particularly strong presence. He may also be grounded spiritually to Hyrule as Link only meets him in person while in Hyrule. This would also explain why how in the game's ending, The King of Red Lions--whom King Daphnes supposedly still existed as--still remained, yet with its eyes closed, as if it were dead.

The King of the Red Lions

The King of Red Lions is a living sailboat that Link meets early in the game. 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, King of Red Lions was one of Link's greatest allies. The boat speaks to him, explaining what to do next and what's going on. Later in the game, it is revealed that the boat is operated magically by an ancient king of Hyrule preserved under the sea — this explains the name, since Hyrule's emblem is the red lion.

The King can speak the ancient Hylian tongue, and often does so on Link's behalf. On the second play through the player can read these words, but in the first playthrough the character cannot understand the language.

Laruto

Laruto is the Zora Sage of Earth. She prayed in the Earth Temple until her soul was stolen by Ganondorf to remove the ability to repel evil from the Master Sword. Her spirit returns to teach Link the "Earth God's Lyric" and direct him to her successor, a Rito named Medli. Laruto played the harp which Medli now possesses and is depicted as a friendly, wise character.

It should be noted that Laruto's name may suggest a connection to Princess Ruto, the Zora Sage of Water from Ocarina of Time.

Fado

Fado is the Kokiri Sage of Wind. He prayed in the Wind Temple until Ganon stole his soul to rob the Master Sword from its power. His spirit returned to teach Link the "Wind God's Aria". The successor of Fado is a Korok forest spirit called Makar, who carries his bloodline and owns and plays the same violin that Fado does.

It should be noted that Fado's name was originally used for a female Kokiri in The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (Fado), and is later used in The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess as Link's kindly boss, a goat farmer. Of course, Fado's name may also be a reference to Mido from Ocarina of Time, and is a reference to a type of music called Fado.

Medli

Medli is a young Rito girl who lives on the island of Dragon Roost, home of the Rito people and Valoo, the Dragon Spirit of the Skies. She is a child who, when Link meets her, is coming into her role as attendant to an enraged Valoo. Her predecessor was Prince Komali's grandmother, who is also her teacher. Komali's grandmother is the one who bestowed upon Medli the harp of Laruto. She is a very brave girl who near the beginning of the game enters the dungeon under Valoo to try and calm him down. Later in the game, after Link meets Laruto, the previous Zora Sage of Earth whose soul was robbed so she couldn't replenish the Master Sword's power, Link heads back to Dragon Roost Island for Medli, and awakens her as the new Earth Sage, since she plays the same harp as Laruto did, which means that being the Earth Sage is her destiny. When at the Earth Temple, she helps Link and gives advice. In the end, once Jalhalla was defeated, Medli played the "Earth God's Lyric" with Laruto once more to bring back half of the power to the Master Sword. She then stayed at the temple to continue to pray towards the gods. She is a skilled harp player and uses it when praying in the Earth Temple. It is said that she is somewhat of a motherly figure to Prince Komali, despite his crush on her. She also seems to have some sort of a crush on Link herself, though this hasn't been stated true or not yet.

Prince Komali

Komali is the crown prince of the Rito tribe, and Medli's protégé. Though he is considered prince by the Rito, he takes to his role reluctantly. When introduced in the game Prince Komali is very selfish, though timid. After Link kills Gohma, Komali is able to journey up Dragon Roost and finally get his wings. He becomes a brave young man who eventually repays Link by saving him and Tetra from Ganondorf, though he is helped by Quill and Valoo himself. He is also the holder of Din's Pearl, given to him by his now-deceased grandmother. His grandmother was said to be the only one that could calm Valoo down.

Rito Chieftain

The Rito Chieftain is the leader of all the Rito people on Dragon Roost Island. He is looked up to by all the people that inhabit the island as the strongest and most courageous. Although the chief may seem strong, he is actually in constant worry about his son Komali and wonders if his son will ever achieve his wings from Valoo

Valoo

Valoo is an ancient red dragon and spirit of the sky sacred to the Rito people. When first encountered he is fierce and enraged — on closer inspection this is understandable, as his tail is being tortured by an evil creature named Gohma. After Link rescues him he becomes an important ally in his quest; depicted when he exhales vast flames of fire on Ganondorf and the Forsaken Fortress when Link and Tetra are under his dominance and in extreme danger. Like the King of Red Lions, he can speak the ancient tongue of Hyrule. Another interesting detail about Valoo is his name, as it sounds like a variation of Volvagia, who was a dragon boss of the Fire Temple in Ocarina of Time. Valoo is also somewhat similar in appearance to Volvagia. It is possible that they are related.

The Great Deku Tree

The Great Deku Tree is the guardian of Forest Haven and a legendary forest/earth spirit. He is at first plagued by ChuChus and, after assisting him, he tells Link about Forest Haven and the Koroks (the Koroks are possibly evolved from the Kokiri). He confesses to Link that his energy is actually waning and that he has become feeble with age. It is assumed that this is the same Deku Tree that was a sprout in Ocarina of Time. He gives Link Farore's Pearl after Link rescues Makar from the Forbidden Woods and the item that helped him achieve his mission; the Deku leaf. Like Valoo, he speaks Hylian, but he can also speak the modern language of the Great Sea.

Makar

A young, mischievous Korok boy who lives in the Forest Haven, who accidentally falls into the Forbidden Woods near Forest Haven island. Another Korok named Linder comes back and tells the Great Deku Tree of his plight. The Great Deku Tree asks of Link to go rescue Makar in the Forbidden Woods and bring him back. Link agrees, and at the end of the Forbidden Woods quest and saving Makar, Makar plays his violin and puts on a show, while the other Koroks fly away into the Great Sea with seeds from the Great Deku Tree to plant for Deku Trees on the islands. Later in the game, after meeting Fado, the previous Kokiri Wind Sage whose soul was taken away by Ganon so that he couldn't replenish the Master Sword's power, Link goes to get Makar, and awakens him as the new Sage of Wind after conducting for him to play the "Wind God's Aria", since Makar has the same violin as Fado did (being notably shorter than Fado, Makar plays Fado's violin in a cello position) and takes him to the Wind Temple, where Link does its quest. After defeating the boss of the Wind Temple, Molgera, Makar and Fado play the Wind God's Aria for Link, replenishing the power back into the Master Sword fully. Makar stays in the Wind Temple to pray to the gods. Makar is also the Scottish word for poet or maker. It should also be noted, however, that Makar is similar in spelling to Maku, as in the Maku Tree from Oracle of Seasons and Oracle of Ages.

It has been found out that Makar carries the bloodline of Fado, making him a descendant, implying that the Kokiri race evolved into the Korok

Jabun

Lord Jabun is the spirit of the ocean and resides in Greatfish Isle. He is forced to flee from his island when Ganon tries to get Nayru's Pearl from him, or at least prevent Link from obtaining it beforehand. Greatfish Isle is ravaged in the process. Jabun finds shelter in an alcove in the southern cliffside of Outset Island, the island where Link was born, where Link finds him and is given the Nayru's Pearl from him. Like Valoo and the Great Deku Tree, Jabun speaks the ancient Hylian language. Jabun is supposedly a descendant of Jabu-Jabu, The Hyrulian protector of the Zoras in Ocarina of Time, or is perhaps even Jabu-Jabu himself (note the similarities in name). The background music used in Jabun's cave is also the same as the music inside Jabu-Jabu's Belly, which may suggest a connection between the two.

Zephos

Zephos is a god of the winds along with his brother Cyclos. Zephos controls peaceful winds while his brother controls storm winds. His name comes from the Greek Deity Zephyr, who was the God of the West Wind (Zephyr is also used to refer to any small breeze).

When Link first arrives on Dragon Roost Island he can go through a tunnel which leads him to the other side of the Island. On that side there is a small, separate, body of rock that has two monuments honoring the Gods Zephos and Cyclos. On Zephos' monument there are conductor's notes for a song called the Wind's Requiem, which lets Link control the direction of the wind. Once Link learns to play the song, and changes the direction of the wind, Zephos comes flying down and talks to Link about how he is the new Wind Waker. He also informs Link that his brother, Cyclos, is causing trouble out at sea with cyclones, because of the damage to his monument.

Cyclos

Zephos is a god of the winds along with his brother Cyclos. Zephos controls peaceful winds while his brother controls storm winds. His name comes from the Greek Deity Zephyr, who was the God of the West Wind (Zephyr is also used to refer to any small breeze).

When Link first arrives on Dragon Roost Island he can go through a tunnel which leads him to the other side of the Island. On that side there is a small, separate, body of rock that has two monuments honoring the Gods Zephos and Cyclos. On Zephos' monument there are conductor's notes for a song called the Wind's Requiem, which lets Link control the direction of the wind. Once Link learns to play the song, and changes the direction of the wind, Zephos comes flying down and talks to Link about how he is the new Wind Waker. He also informs Link that his brother, Cyclos, is causing trouble out at sea with cyclones, because of the damage to his monument.

Quill the Postman

Quill is a Rito postman who helps you out a lot during the game, as he convinces the pirates to take Link to rescue Aryll from the Forsaken Fortress and on many other occasions, such as introducing you on Dragon Roost Island and telling you Jabun's story. He also helps Prince Komali rescue Tetra and Link from Ganondorf at the Forsaken Fortress. Quill seems sharp and observant, perhaps most evident when he lists the moral and logical flaws of Tetra's decision to neglect Link's plight to save his sister.

Fishman

Fishman is a talking cartographer fish that is found swimming just off-shore of each island of the Great Sea. According to him, he and his "cousins" are scattered all over the sea, although in the game these cousins all speak as if they are the same character. In exchange for All-Purpose Bait, Fishman gives advice and commentary about the island near which he is found and adds the island to the player's Sea Chart, if it is not already drawn in. Fishman's history and origins are largely unknown. When Link first meets Fishman, after he offers Link help with his Sea Chart, he turns to the King of Red Lions and informs him that he has repaid his debt. This implies that he may know of the King of Red Lions's true identity. At Rock Spire Isle, Fishman alludes to a past relationship with Gillian, the barmaid of the Cafe Bar at Windfall Island.

Traveling Merchants

The Traveling Merchants are the few Gorons that you encounter, and are involved in a sidequest. In this sidequest, you must trade various items to put in a Windfall Island shop to obtain Magic Armor. Blowing their hats off with the Deku Leaf reveals that they are, indeed, Gorons. The Goron symbol is on their bag. Their figurine also states that their favorite food is rocks.

Beedle

Beedle is a peddler of goods in The Wind Waker, who owns his own floating shop ship. He appears in several locations around the ocean, in a way that resembles teleporting, or perhaps he has identical brothers. He sells various wares such as Bombs, Arrows and Hyoi Pears, but at one of his shops he wears a golden helmet and will sell the player a Bottle, a Piece of Heart and a Treasure Chart. (At this shop he will pretend to be someone else and not to recognize Link.)

Beedle also appears in The Minish Cap where he opens up a shop up once one of the mats in the town square is cleaned up, and begins selling Picolyte, a Minish-made Potion.

Zunari

Zunari came from a cold land, but he shipwrecked on Windfall Island, and continues to wear his thick coat. He now runs a small shop on Windfall Island, where Link can buy a sail for his boat. With Link's help, Zunari's shop will burst into an active business. Zunari also hosts auctions during the night on Windfall Island. After participating the merchant trade sidequest, Zunari will reward Link with the Magic Armor.

Lenzo Lenzo is an expert when it comes to anything Pictographs. He owns a Pictograph shop on Windfall Island, and Pompie and Vera suspect he is having an affair with Minenco. It turns out that Minenco is just very interested in Pictographs. Lenzo gives Link some Pictograph assignments, then with Link's help, he invents the Color Picto Box! Apparently, Lenzo once visited Outset Island, where he met Link's Grandma (though this is not precise). He also sells you legendary Pictographs to you that can be made into sculptures by Carlov.

Tingle

Tingle is a strange 35-year-old man who first appeared in The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask. Tingle's greatest wish is to be a part of the fairy folk, which explains his bizarre clothing, which is a green jumpsuit, red speedo and belt, and a clock on a string, which he wears around his neck as a necklace of some sort. Tingle's behavior is also very strange, for he has his own magic words to make items appear, which are: "Tingle! Tingle! Koo-loo Limpah! Become an i-tem!" And out appears some sort of item, whether it's a map from Majora's Mask or the Tingle Tuner for The Wind Waker. He is somehow able to shoot confetti out of his hands. In The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker, Link rescues him from the prison on Windfall Island which is where he first encounters him and receives both the Tingle Tuner and a map to Tingle's island where his brother, Ankle, and an unrelated man named David Jr., who resemble and dress very similar to Tingle himself, operate a totem pole with a revolving head in quadrant C3 of the Great Sea. The Pictobox is hidden in the back of his prison cell which is a very confusing tunnel maze. The Tingle Tuner allows the player to summon and control Tingle using an attached Game Boy Advance, and is necessary for uncovering some of the secrets in the game. By using the Tingle Tuner, you can buy several items (at quite inexpensive prices) such as Tings (which can heal or restore magic), access to a map of the nearby area, and use of Tingle's balloon, which allows you to walk on air for a short time. It should be noted that when collecting Triforce Maps to find the whereabouts of the pieces of the Triforce of Courage, you must have Tingle decipher them for you, for they are presumably written in ancient Hylian, which makes Tingle expect a large price for each of the eight maps he deciphers. Somewhere in the middle of the game, on Outset Island, Knuckle, Tingle's older brother, dressed in blue, appears on the Tuner, and challenges Link to do a series of tests. Once completed, Knuckle can sell you more arrows, bombs, or other items Via the Tingle Tuner. Knuckle replaces the Handbook in the Tuner.

Great Fairies

Seven Great Fairies can be found in various places around the Great Sea, and they will reward Link with item upgrades, such as more bomb/arrow/rupee carrying capacity, or a larger magic meter. The Fairy Queen lives inside Mother & Child Isles, and although she looks young, she is one of the oldest and wisest characters. She will give Link the Fire and Ice arrows once he finds Princess Zelda. In the Mother and Child isles, she remarks on her attraction to Link, which makes him embarrassed and causes him to blush, although it is unclear as to whether she was being serious or joking with Link.

Ganondorf, the Great King of Evil

Ganondorf is the main villain in most Legend of Zelda games. He has somehow escaped from the Sacred Realm and wishes for Hyrule to be exposed to the sun once more so that he can rule in a reign of darkness. Ganondorf has obtained refuge in the Forsaken Fortress, which is monster infested and heavily guarded. Link sets off on a quest to defeat him, leading to a final confrontation on top of his tower in Hyrule, where Link battles him, and, eventually, seals the Master Sword into his head, making him turn into stone, and then drowning with Hyrule and the king into the depths of the ocean. He appears only as Ganondorf in the game.

It is said that he is the last Gerudo on Earth, the Gerudo being a race of tall, slender beings of Gerudo Valley from The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. He is frustrated about his failures from earlier Zelda games, mentioning that the Triforce effectively has bound their souls together for so long that he is almost resigned to the fact that Link ('The Hero') would appear to oppose him.

The five bosses, Gohma, Kalle Demos, The Helmaroc King, Jalhalla, and Molgera are all his minions, sent to plague the world. However, Gohdan is on the side of the godesses, as he aids Link in his battle with bombs, arrows, and finally a Heart Container