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Final Section: Races of Hyrule
Hyrule is home to several various races that are scattered all across the land, each inhabiting a different part of the country. The Hylians are the dominant race of the realm, with close ties to the goddesses as their chosen people. Meanwhile, the Zoras occupy the different bodies of water across Hyrule, namely its rivers, lakes and their home in the cavernous Zora’s Domain. On the fiery Death Mountain resides the race of rock-like beings known as the Gorons, a graceful tribe rich in pride. The forests of Hyrule are occupied by several races, the foremost of those being the child-like Kokiri race that is protected by the forest spirit, the Great Deku Tree. The plant-like race known as the Deku as well as the thumb-sized Minish race are both also known to inhabit Hyrule’s forests. The deserts of Hyrule are occupied largely by only two known races, the nearly all-female race of thieves known as the Gerudo and the green-skinned Zuna race. In the frozen tundra areas of the country such as Snowpeak resides the little-known race of Yetis. To the skies high above Hyrule reside such tribes as the mysterious Wind Tribe, a race of humanoid beings with strong connections to the winds, as well as the even more mystifying Oocca race that occupies the City in the Sky.

Hylians
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. The Hylians are extremely abundant and are quite similar to humans on earth. Unlike most other races, they tend to live in large cities, such as Hyrule Castle Town or Kakariko Village. They are said to be born with magic-infused blood and use magic quite often (variating from their Terminan counterparts, who use magic less often and rely moreover on technology.) They are thought of to be closer to the gods than other races and also inhabit Holodrum, Labrynna, and Termina. This claim has been heavily debated however since the introduction of the Oocca tribe, who have been rumored to have been a race even closer to the goddesses than even the Hylians, a surprising assertion given the Oocca's seeming lack of physical or magical power. The Hylian race is ruled directly by the Royal Family of Hyrule beneath an ancient monarchy that has ruled the kingdom since the inception of the series. Most other races of the kingdom each have their own form of local government that ultimately answers to the Royal Family, and the Hylians live under the Royal Family themselves as their own. Perhaps the two most famous members of the Hylian race are Link and Princess Zelda, the two most recurring characters in the series that have reappeared throughout Hyrule's history whenever the kingdom is threatened.

Zoras
The Zoras are aquatic, amphibious creatures that inhabit the waters of the kingdom, and there are different forms of them that vastly differ from each other in both appearance and behavior. River Zoras occupy the rivers and seem to be more fish-like, aggressive, and can spit fireballs at passersby, whereas Sea Zoras seem to be more peaceful and appear as a hybrid between human and fish. The home dwelling of much of the Zora race, namely the Sea Zoras, is in the watery grotto of Zora’s Domain, the source of all of Hyrule’s water in most stories set in Hyrule. The Zoras are often ruled by a monarchy themselves, the Royal Family of the Zoras usually headed by King Zora, though they swear ultimate allegiance to the central Hyrulean government. They serve the Royal Family of Hyrule largely by guarding Hyrule’s water supply. Zoras also inhabit other lands such as Termina, Labrynna, Holodrum, and possibly more. Of all the Zoras featured throughout the series, perhaps the single most famous of their race is Ruto, the Princess of the Zoras at the time of Ocarina of Time, who went on to become the Sage of Water that guards the Water Temple and one of the Seven Sages that first banished Ganondorf into the corrupted Sacred Realm.

Kokiri
Of the various races inhabiting the forests of Hyrule, none are more prominent than the humanoid, child-like race of beings known as the Kokiri, who reside deep in the Kokiri Forest under the protection of the Great Deku Tree. Capable of living for untold stretches of time and never aging, these small beings are the dominant race of the forest and are the guardians of the Forest Temple deep in the Lost Woods. So great has been their prominence that they have even served as Sages. Likely the most famous of their number is Saria, a popular young girl that went on to become one of the Seven Sages, namely the Sage of Forest that guards the Forest Temple deep in the Lost Woods. Another of their own, Fado, was accorded the honor of being one of the Sages of the Master Sword, namely the Sage of Wind that guards the Wind Temple. They have only ever appeared in Hyrule, making them unique to the land, unlike other races. A plant-like race known as the Koroks featured in The Wind Waker are also thought to be an evolved or transformed version of the Kokiri, as the Koroks were said by the Great Deku Tree to have once been humanoid.

Sheikah
Possibly the single most mysterious race to be featured in the entire series, the Sheikah are a race of ninja-like shadow warriors that are said to be the guardians of the Royal Family of Hyrule. They are said to have been the builders and founders of Kakariko Village as well as the builders of the dark, eerie Shadow Temple residing behind the village. Not much concrete information is truly known about this race, but speculation abounds as to their race's history and the cause of its subsequent disappearance. The Sheikah boast red-colored eyes but are otherwise a humanoid race of beings quite similar to Hylians and humans in appearance. Their race boasts a symbol that consists of an eye with a single large teardrop; this symbol has appeared numerous times throughout the series, many times in stories that the Sheikah don't even appear, giving rise to speculation about their race. One of the most famous members of this tribe is Impa, caretaker and guardian of Princess Zelda and founder of Kakariko Village.

Gorons
The Gorons are a race of rock-consuming, golem-like creatures that inhabit the mountainous regions and rocky areas of Hyrule, largely Death Mountain. They boast superhuman strength and the ability to curl up into a ball and roll at high speeds. Using magic power, some can sprout spikes when they pick up enough speed while rolling in this manner and can destroy nearly anything in their paths. They are completely heat-resistant, able to wade through lava for extended periods of time. Most Gorons (if not all) cannot swim due to their immense weight however, making water their sole weakness. They have formed an alliance with the Royal Family of Hyrule, ultimately answering to the central government headed by the King of Hyrule. However, in the day-to-day governing of their tribe, they live under a council of elders typically headed by a patriarch, such as Darunia or Darbus. They inhabit, aside from Hyrule, Termina, Labrynna, Holodrum, and possibly many other places.

Gerudo
The Gerudo are a race of largely female thieves that hail from the desert far to the west of Hyrule. Not much is known of this race's origins, apart from the fact that long ago, their ancestors were responsible for the construction of the Spirit Temple (which they dedicated to their patron deity, the Goddess of the Sand) at the Desert Colossus and for mapping out the vast Haunted Wasteland (Gerudo Desert). They live in the Gerudo's Fortress, nestled in the cliffs of Gerudo Valley, where they guard the entrance to the desert. According to Gerudo lore, only one male Gerudo is born every century, and that single male is to become King of the Gerudo. The only instance of this shown in the series has been the penultimate villain of the series, Ganondorf, another of the most well-known members of the tribe, infamous for his schemes against Hyrule. Similarly, another set of members of this tribe that are infamous for their villainy are the Gerudo witches Kotake and Koume, collectively known as Twinrova (who, unlike other members of the tribe, exhibit an unnaturally long lifespan not seen in other members of tribe, save for Ganondorf, their surrogate son). It is hinted that the Gerudo take on relationships with Hylian men for reproductive purposes, but it is also speculated that they use the Spirit Temple to pray to their Goddess of the Sand for children, another possible explanation for their race's continued existence despite a historically low amount of male figures. The Gerudo bear a largely Arabic appearance, even carrying scimitar-like swords for protection.

Deku
Also inhabiting the forests of the kingdom as well as other lands such as Termina, Holodrum and Labrynna, are the plant-like race of beings known as the Deku. The Deku of Hyrule are by and large composed of the Deku Scrubs that spit nuts as passersby or try to sell wares to those whom they meet. Typically these Deku Scrubs will live near a Deku Flower in which they can disappear inside of and serves as their home. Though the Deku do not appear to have any allegiance to any form of government in Hyrule, their Terminan counterparts live beneath the Deku Royal Family and appear to have a much more advanced civilization in general. The term "Deku" appears to be a play off of the Great Deku Tree, from whom the term is thought to have originated.

Zuna
The Zuna are a race of desert-dwelling nomads featured so far only in Four Swords Adventures, where they share the Desert of Doubt alongside the Gerudo. They are a race of green-skinned humanoid beings that are said to be descended from the ancient tribe that built the Pyramid and sealed the Trident of Power there. Outside of that, not much is known of their race's origins or how they came to live in Hyrule at all. They live in a small village in the central part of the Desert of Doubt, living in small huts bearing flowers atop their roofs.

Minish
The Minish are a tiny race of thumb-sized beings that are largely responsible for Rupees and countless objects such as Magic Jars and Bombs being hidden in the weeds, grass, and beneath the pots throughout Hyrule. They are said to largely be concerned with bringing happiness to humans. These tiny beings seemingly did not originate from Hyrule however, as their homeland is said to be a place called the Minish Realm that is connected to Hyrule, but the passageway connecting the two worlds, the Minish Door, opens only temporarily once a century to allow the Minish to either travel from their own world to Hyrule or return to their homeland. Though they primarily live in the Minish Village deep in the Minish Woods of Hyrule, they are also known to have members of their tribe scattered around Hyrule as well, such as in Hyrule Town, Castor Wilds, and even up on Mount Crenel. They were responsible for the giving of the Picori Blade and the Light Force to the Hero of Men during the War of the Bound Chest in an attempt to do their part to help the human race win the war against evil. Some of the most famous members of this tribe include Vaati and Ezlo.

Wind Tribe
The Wind Tribe are a race of humanoid beings that have magical powers that are strongly connected to the winds (hence their name of the "Wind Tribe") and are the guardians of the Wind Element. They were responsible for the construction of the Fortress of Winds in the Wind Ruins just south of Castor Wilds as well as the Palace of Winds and the Tower of Winds above Hyrule. They were said to have been the favorite tribe of Gustaf, an ancient King of Hyrule with whom they had dealings. After living in the marshlands of the mucky Castor Wilds for a time, the Wind Tribe abandoned the Wind Ruins and the Fortress of Winds, leaving for the Cloud Tops and taking the Wind Element with them. They left in the ruins of the Fortress of Winds a guardian that protected another treasure of theirs, the Ocarina of Wind, in the event that a worthy person came in search of the Wind Element. In the Cloud Tops, they have made the Tower of Winds their home as well as the road to the Palace of Winds, which is hinted to have once rested in the Wind Ruins before being moved up into the clouds by the magic of the Wind Tribe. The tribe only appears in The Minish Cap, giving rise to speculation as to what happened to them in the aftermath of that story. Though what is suspected to be the Palace of Winds appears in Four Swords and the Palace of Winds and the Tower of Winds officially reappear in Four Swords Adventures, the Wind Tribe is not anywhere to be seen. This has given rise to speculation that Vaati, who is seen residing in the Palace of Winds later, may possibly have wiped them out and taken over their palace, turning it into his own.

Oocca
Possibly rivaling only the Sheikah in terms of mysteriousness is the strange Oocca race that inhabits the City in the Sky floating high above Hyrule. Only bits and pieces of the Oocca's history have yet been revealed, leaving their race's history open to much speculation. It is said that they were responsible for assisting the ancient Sages in constructing the Temple of Time ages ago shortly after the foundation of Hyrule itself. They are also said to have been the creators of the Dominion Rod (known to their tribe as the "Rod of the Heavens"), a magical rod that possesses the power to infuse life into certain statues found scattered across Hyrule. They are hinted to have had a close connection to both the Royal Family of Hyrule and the Sheikah, as they left the Ancient Sky Book in the hands of the Sheikah tribe upon their departure for the City in the Sky. The Oocca once maintained relations with the Royal Family even after they left for the skies, by means of the "Messenger to the Heavens" who would carry the "Rod of the Heavens" and journey between the surface and the city by means of the Sky Cannon. By the time of Twilight Princess, the Oocca have mysteriously lost touch with the surface-dwellers of Hyrule and nobody has seen one in living memory, causing many to believe them and their fantastic city merely a myth. Link eventually rediscovers the Dominion Rod and recovers the Ancient Sky Book from the last known Sheikah, Impaz, and uses the pair to locate and repair the Sky Cannon before using the cannon to launch himself up to the City in the Sky, where he becomes the first surface-dweller and Messenger to the Heavens to see the Oocca and their city in ages.