Ghanti

Ghanti is a character from the manga by Akira Himekawa based on. She is an original creation of the authors, and plays a similar role to that of Roam in the comic by Shotaro Ishinomori.

Ghanti the Bandit
Ghanti first makes her appearance in the manga during a raid on a carriage that Link is travelling in. Her raid is actually advantageous to Link, as the well-dressed middle aged lady that is the target of the bandit group had just realized that Link was a wanted man, accused of the kidnapping of Princess Zelda, and had just called for help from the castle guards. As the bandits attack, the soldiers state that crossing the king's guards will land them in prison, although Ghanti responds that they are already bandits. Ghanti destroys the soldiers, who are not human, but living darkness controlled by Agahnim. Breaking into the carriage, she states that she has no issue with Link, as they only rob from the rich. Unfortunately for Ghanti and the bandits, reinforcements arrive. Link takes control of the carriage to escape, leaving the small group of rogues fighting the soldiers. In the end, Ghanti manages to escape, and follows Link to Kakariko Village. At a saloon there, she confronts the hero and accuses him of escaping with her loot. Link realizes the bandit is wounded, and calls for a doctor. He is questioned about helping a bandit, but Link explains that he escaped because of her. Link asks Ghanti what happened to her companions. She tells him that the small group of bandits she was with were either caught or killed by the soldiers, with everyone else scattering. Link is warned about soldiers outside the saloon, but before leaving he asks the men to protect Ghanti for him.

Having overheard that Link is searching for the Triforce, Ghanti saves him from a pair of soldiers outside of the saloon. She decides to follow him and asks to be his bodyguard for a 60/40 split of the rewards. Link notices her injuries and offers her the magic Apple given to him by the priest earlier. Instead of eating it, she decides to pocket it in her treasure bag. Ghanti insists that she'll be useful, so the two set off together.

During their trip to the Eastern Palace, Ghanti becomes more of a burden than a help, asking that Link carry her up a mountain. Despite this, they become friends, with her revealing that she wants to find the man who killed her parents in her quest for the Triforce. Once they finally reach the Eastern Palace, they encounter an Armos Knight. Ghanti attacks the knight, although her swords breaks on impact. Link manages to outwit it, and Sahasrahla reveals himself to them. The Sage describes the tale of the Imprisoning War, and also reveals to Link that he is a descendant of the Knights of Hyrule who fought in this war. Hearing this, Ghanti suddenly draws a knife and attempts to strike Link from behind, but is stopped by Sahasrahla's magic. Claiming that Knights of Hyrule had killed her parents, she believes that if he is the last of their line, then he is her enemy, and she can finally get revenge. She flees from the Palace, vowing to one day kill him.

Link continues his quest on his own, travelling through the vast wasteland of the desert to reach the Desert Palace. Using the Book of Mudora, he obtains the Pendant of Power, but suffers a poisonous injury from a scorpion shortly after. As he passes out from the poison, Agahnim appears and takes the book, but as he raises his knife to finish the hero off, a sword is thrown at him. Deciding that the poison will kill him soon enough, he disappears so he can complete the ritual in Hyrule Castle. The sword turns out to have been thrown by Ghanti, who, despite wanting revenge, chooses to sheath her blade and bandages his wound, placing the apple she had taken earlier by his side before leaving.

Travels in the Dark World
Once Link is drawn into the Dark World by Agahnim, he soon is attacked by monsters, assuming that his pure human form is a sign of the Triforce. As he battles, a fox suddenly appears and helps him escape. Transforming in a puff of smoke before his eyes, the fox reveals itself to be Ghanti. Leading Link to the Village of Outcasts, Ghanti explains that when the worlds connected, she ended up being transported there as well, and met up with old bandit friends of hers who are searching for the Triforce. Ghanti states that she only turns into an animal when she fights, as that is when she is most greedy, although she enjoys her Dark World form. After learning that the Maidens who were sent to the Dark World are still alive, Link and Ghanti begin to search for them, Ghanti claiming that she is only doing it to get the Triforce, and is still plotting revenge on him. A large tree nearby starts to talk, startling the bandit. The tree tell Ghanti to not be afraid, and that he too had been transformed by his desire for the Triforce. Directed by the tree, Link and Ghanti are directed to where Link's parents lived when they were banished to the Dark World. Ghanti watches with a sympathetic expression as Link cries over the garments his mother made for him. Afterwards, Ghanti and Link battle together against the monsters of the Dark World to find Princess Zelda, freeing many people who had been tainted by the evil in their hearts. But when they are told where to find Princess Zelda by Vitreous, Ghanti refuses to follow. The tree tells Link that, as a bandit, Ghanti does not believe she can risk her life for someone else. Link had wanted Ghanti to be with him to the end, as he would not have made it so far without her, unaware of her true feelings toward him Wracked with her secret feelings for Link, Ghanti cannot stand the idea of seeing him with Zelda, as she does not believe she can compare with a princess. Link is then forced to travel to Turtle Rock alone. However, Agahnim appears and kidnaps Ghanti. Agahnim asks for help in defeating Link, as he believes she wants revenge and hates the hero. Ghanti says that she does not really hate him, and that she was just blowing off steam. Despite this, Agahnim is able to transform her into a monster. In a cruel trick, he pits this monster, Trinexx against Link when he reaches Turtle Rock. The transformed Ghanti, reluctant to fight, is driven to attack Link when blasted by Agahnim's magic. Link fights back, and strikes it down with a single blow, commenting that the beast is weak for such a large monster. Ghanti is freed from her corrupted form, and appears to have been mortally wounded. Link rushes to his friend and holds her as she smiles weakly, asking himself how he could have hurt her. Enraged by Agahnim's trap, Link starts to become a wolf-like monster due to the hatred in his heart, and is about to succumb when Princess Zelda frees herself from her Crystal and comforts Link, restoring him to normal. Stunned, Agahnim flees, leaving them with Ghanti. They manage to restore her to health by using the magic apple. After stating that he should not have wasted it on a bandit, Zelda reveals the truth of Ghanti's past to her. She moves Ghanti's hair to reveal pointed ears, meaning that she is a Hylian. The princess also reveals that Ghanti is a descendant of the Knights of Hyrule, and that the bandit who raised her had lied about her heritage. She also reveals that her earrings are the arrowheads of the Silver Arrows passed down by the Knights of Hyrule, which can pierce any evil. Princess Zelda asks Ghanti to come with them to Ganon's Tower, where they will fight for Hyrule. Ghanti accepts, and the three set forth together.

The three of them travel to Ganon's Tower and the warped anti-world of illusions within, and finally confront Agahnim and Ganon. After disposing of his pawn, Ganon attacks, and during a brutal battle, Link finally manages to land a powerful stunning blow to the beast. Ghanti, armed with a Bow and a single Silver Arrow, delivers the final strike and destroys Ganon with Zelda using her magic to direct the arrow. Ghanti is present when the newly freed triforce grants Link's wish.

During the epilogue, Ghanti is seen happily working in Link's apple orchard, known as the Hero's Apple Farm.

Design
Ghanti has dark blue hair that covers her ears and wears a red outfit with a revealing top. Her armored dress is also similar to that of Roam. She has what appears to be a tattoo (or possibly an unusual birthmark or some form of face paint) of a small star on her left cheek. She fights with a scimitar, similar to that used by Gerudo. Her earrings, which are not normally seen, are arrowheads from the Silver Arrows. Her earrings are long ears are usually covered by her hair.

Trivia

 * Ghanti's ability to switch between human and fox forms seemingly at will appears to be a reference to the mythological kitsune of Japanese folklore, similar to that of Keatons. Her appearance as a fox may also be a reference to Pikku.