Epona

Epona (pronounced ) is Link's recurring steed in.

In, Epona is first seen when she is just a foal at Lon Lon Ranch, where she is raised by Malon. She is wild and untamed, running away when Link approaches, as only Malon can get close to her. After Malon teaches Link "Epona's Song," Epona stops running away and approaches Link. Malon then says that Epona has taken a liking to him.

Link then finds Epona seven years later when she has become a mare. However, things have taken a turn at the ranch and Ingo is now in charge. Ingo plans to present Epona to Ganondorf, who he claims gave him ownership of the Ranch. At first, Epona will run from Link as if he is a stranger, but if he plays "Epona's Song," she will remember him and trot to his side. Link can then participate in a horse race against Ingo with Epona as his steed. If Link wins, Ingo will get furious, challenging him again while betting Epona herself on the outcome of the race. If Link wins, Ingo lets him keep Epona. However, Ingo then attempts to prevent Link from leaving with Epona by shutting the gates of the ranch. Link can have Epona jump over the walls of the ranch to escape into Hyrule Field. Afterwards, Link can play "Epona's Song" while in Hyrule Field to call her. During the ending credits, Epona is seen running across Hyrule Field, and is later seen next to Malon during the celebration of Ganondorf's defeat at Lon Lon Ranch.

While riding Epona, Link cannot get hurt by enemies and can only attack by using the Bow. He can also whip her to get up to six speed boosts, appearing on-screen as carrots. The boosts can be used to jump over barriers and fences (like in the aforementioned escape from Lon Lon Ranch after Ingo shuts the gates) and are restored after a few seconds. Epona can be used to jump across the broken bridge in Gerudo Valley and to play the Horseback Archery Range minigame in Gerudo's Fortress. She is also required to summon Big Poes in Hyrule Field. Despite this, obtaining Epona is entirely optional, as Link can also cross the broken bridge in Gerudo Valley using the Longshot.

In, Link is first seen riding Epona through the Lost Woods at the start of the game. Epona is then startled by Tatl and Tael, causing Link to be thrown to the ground and knocked unconscious. The Skull Kid wearing then appears and searches Link's body, finding the  and taking it. When Link regains consciousness, the Skull Kid attempts to hide the Ocarina, but Link lunges at him in an attempt to get it back. The Skull Kid then leaps out of the way and onto Epona, galloping away on her afterwards. Link leaps after him but only manages to grab onto Skull Kid's leg. Epona continues to gallop along, dragging Link with them until he loses his grip. When Link finally catches up with the Skull Kid again, he tells him that he got rid of Epona because she did not listen to a word he said.

After completing the Snowhead Temple, Link finds Epona in Romani Ranch. If he visits the ranch on the First Day, Romani teaches him "Epona's Song" and gives Epona back to Link after he practices shooting balloons while riding her. Epona is required to enter the Great Bay and Ikana Canyon since they are blocked by fences that only she can jump over. During the ending credits, Link is seen departing from Termina on Epona.

As in, enemies cannot hurt Link while riding on Epona, he can only attack by using his Bow, and he can get up to six speed boosts.

In, Epona can be seen in Hyrule Castle Town carrying a wagon with milk containers. She is owned by Malon, who sells milk to Link after he helps her and Talon find the Spare Key to their farm house. Minish Link can communicate with Epona, who asks him to buy some Lon Lon Milk. Link can also fuse Kinstones with her.

In, the name of Link's horse can be chosen, although the default name is Epona. She is seen and used very early in the game, aiding Link in his job as a rancher in Ordon Village, although Ilia is the one who takes care of her. Ilia gets angry when Link treats the horse poorly or she gets hurt. After the village is attacked by King Bulblin, Epona disappears. However, Link reunites with her later in Kakariko Village, where she runs around desperately attempting to throw off two Bulblins. Once the Bulblins are defeated, Link has to tame her and then ride her back to Ordon Village to ask Bo how to best the Gorons of Death Mountain. After returning to Kakariko Village, Link and Epona ride together to save Colin after he is kidnapped and taken into Hyrule Field by King Bulblin.

In most locations around Hyrule Field, Link can call Epona by blowing a Horse Grass or the Horse Call, which both play "Epona's Song." Unlike in previous games, Link can use various items while riding her, including the Sword. Additionally, Epona can provide short speed boosts like in Ocarina of Time and Majora's Mask, appearing onscreen as spurs instead of carrots. Epona is used when fighting against King Bulblin and during the third part of the final battle with Ganondorf. Wolf Link is able to speak with her, as with other animals.

Link can obtain Epona in by scanning either the  Link or  Zelda 30th Anniversary Link amiibo. Once registered at a stable, Epona cannot be obtained more than once through the amiibo, even if deceased.

Series
Epona in her incarnation appears as a Sticker in  and a Trophy in.

Sticker Information

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In, Epona appears during Link's intro and victory animations. In the Master Quest DLC pack, she is also a weapon type for Link, allowing him to ride her in battle. She is very fast and is able to cause damage to enemies while running due to her sheer size. She has a good area of effect attacks, though her large size also makes her easy to be hit. Her second and third weapon tiers are based on her designs from and, respectively. Unlike other weapons in the game, Epona's additional tiers are not earned via special requirements, but are instead available right from the start provided they are earned in battle.

Animal Crossing: New Leaf
Epona was added as a villager in the Welcome amiibo update of Animal Crossing: New Leaf, alongside Wolf Link, Ganon, and Medli. If the Sheik amiibo is scanned into the game, Epona will show up at the campground and can be asked to move into the town. She has a Peppy personality, and is thus friendly, talkative, and likes to gossip.

Development
During the development of , the development team had plans to include a horse, which were later moved to. The developers did not want controls to be difficult, so Epona was made to automatically jump over barriers if she has enough speed. To make the experience more entertaining, the carrot system was established, as well as mounted archery. The developers also wanted to include one-on-one battles and horseback swordplay, though such features did not appear until.

The scene where Epona jumps over the broken bridge in Gerudo Valley was specially requested by Shigeru Miyamoto. A similar scene is shown when Epona escapes from Lon Lon Ranch, which had more than one exit, so a cutscene was made for each. The idea of horses and these scenes were inspired by Western movies.

Trivia

 * Various unnamed horses resembling Epona appear in and  and  introductions, and in The Field stage from.
 * During development of, Link would use a whip to control Epona. After using the whip, Link would have to give her a carrot.

Nomenclature
is named after the Celtic Goddess of horses and fertility. It is built from the Celtic word epos, meaning "horse".