Goron

The Gorons are a race inhabiting Hyrule, Termina and several other countries. They generally live in or under mountains. Their build makes them capable of rolling down mountains like rocks. Gorons are capable of immense strength and power, and can walk through lava and withstand extreme amounts of heat. Gorons are also extremely endurable, as well as being able to roll into balls that help them get around. Beside their rock-like appearance, another notable feature is that their diet consists strictly of rocks, although it was hinted in Twilight Princess that they also drink milk. Some Gorons are known to be skilled smiths, notably Medigoron and Biggoron, of which the latter is responsible for creating the Giant's Knife. They are also known for harvesting bombs from Bomb Flowers. Bombs are sometimes called the Goron's Special Crop. Gorons can also become extremely large like the previously mentioned Biggoron, towering above all other races. Often, though a friendly race, Gorons are slow to trust outsiders unless they can somehow win the trust of a Goron elder by performing a feat of strength, skill or intelligence. Gorons are one of the most consistently present races throughtout the Legend of Zelda series, along with Hylians. By the time of The Wind Waker, other major races such as the Zora, Kokiri and Deku are nowhere to be found, presumably having either evolved or become extinct.

Ocarina of Time
Ocarina of Time was the game that introduce the Gorons. In Ocarina of Time, the Goron race lives atop Death Mountain, in Goron City. Goron City is a huge rock dome with many rooms. The city surronds a large, spinning statue (which contains a Heart Piece) with its base at the bottom floor. Among the Gorons are their leader, Darunia, Biggoron, maker of Biggoron's Sword, Medigoron, Biggoron's little brother, who makes Giant's Knives, and Link the Goron, Darunia's son, named after the Hero of Time. The Goron race holds the Goron's Ruby, and harvested bombs. They feed on the rocks from Dodongo's Cavern.

The Gorons were being starved due to Ganondorf sealing the entrance to Dodongo's Cavern, the place which held the rocks that the Gorons ate. On the brink of starvation they were saved by Link who blow open the entrance to the cavern and dispatched the evil within. Link met Darunia in his throne room, and by playing Saria's Song, made the leader agree to give him the Spiritual Stone, but only if he defeated King Dodongo. Darunia gave Link the Goron Ruby as promised upon defeating the beast, and he set off to find the Zora Sapphire. Seven years later, the Gorons were imprisoned in the Fire Temple and awaited their deaths at the claws of Volvagia who had been revived by Ganondorf. With the help of Link and Darunia the Gorons were saved again and Volvagia was slain. Link received the third Sage Medallion, the Fire Medallion, and learned Darunia was the Sage of Fire.

Majora's Mask
In Majora's Mask, the Gorons live in the Snowhead area, in the north of Termina. They include the Goron Elder, the Baby Goron, and, until recently, Darmani. Throughout the plot of Majora's Mask, Link learns to become a Goron himself by using the Goron Mask.

Unfortunately, Goron Village andMountain Village have been plagued by harsh snow and ice, changing the usually warm habitat of the Gorons. The source was apparently Snowhead Temple, so Darmani went to investigate. Sadly, he died along the way, but Link healed his soul using the Song of Healing. After Darmani's soul came to rest, Link obtained the Goron Mask.

In Goron Village, the Baby Goron has been crying ever since his father left. Link must calm him by taking the form of Darmani using the Goron Mask and playing the Goron Lullaby, partially learned from the Goron Elder, who is frozen just outside of the village area. Unfreezing Gorons requires Hot Spring Water, found near Darmani's grave.

After clearing Snowhead and defeating Goht, Goron Link is allowed to participate in the Goron Race. However, the entrance is blocked by a large boulder which can only be broken using a Powder Keg. To get one, LInk must visit the Biggoron near the Goron Village and carry the Powder Keg from the village to the rock. If Link wins the race, he receives a Bottle filled with Gold Dust.

There is one Goron who visits Clock Town during the three days Link is in town. His name is Link. This Link has a reservation at the Stock Pot Inn, and he claims it at noon on the first day. However, Link can check in before his Goron of the same name, because Anju has a difficult time remembering the faces of the customers.

Oracle Series
Gorons appear in both the lands of Holodrum and Labrynna in the Oracle games. Unlike other Zelda titles, the Gorons in Holodrum and Labrynna have skin color that ranges from the usual yellow, to red, green and blue.

In Oracle of Seasons, Gorons live in a cave in Mt. Cucco, near where the Temple of Seasons once stood in Holodrum. Unlike the Gorons of Labrynna, these Gorons do not appear to have a Goron elder, or at least not refer to anyone as their leader. Although Biggoron does reside with them and may be their elder, however he has to stay outside due to his largeness. While the seasons are in chaos, Mt. Cucco experiences cold winters most of the time, forcing all of the Gorons but Biggoron to stay inside the caves.

Due to the cold winters, Biggoron had caught a cold, which was cured when Link gives him Lava Soup as part of the Trading Sequence. In return, Biggoron gives Link the rare Goron Vase, which can be then given to Ingo who lives in Sunken City.

A solitary, red Goron lives in a separate cave from the others. When visited, the Goron will thank Link for visiting him and reward him with a level 2 Ring Box, capable of allowing Link to equip two rings instead of one. The main cave in which the Gorons live can be used as a shortcut to the Temple of Seasons or as the sole entry to the peak where Biggoron resides.

In Oracle of Ages, Gorons live in both the peaks of Rolling Ridge of Labrynna, as well as the base of the mountain. Unlike the Gorons of Holodrum, there are a lot more Gorons in Labrynna and make up most of Rolling Ridge, they are also in fact one of the more larger Goron tribes in the Zelda series. There are more Gorons in the past then there are in present day.

The Gorons of Labrynna exhibit many interests in playing games as well as dancing, their sense of society also closely resembles that of the Goron tribe in Hyrule's Death Mountain, as they have an elder and test outsiders in skill before calling them a Brother. The base and eastern peak of Rolling Ridge appears to have the most activity, as well as many tunnels that lead to the bottom and vice versa. This is where most of the mini-games that Link can play, a requirement in order to access the sixth dungeon, Mermaid's Cave, and also where the Goron Dance Hall is held. The game requires that Link completes the fifth dungeon, Crown Dungeon, before allowing access to the base and eastern peak however.

The western peak of Rolling Ridge is less active, but also appears to be the main cave of the Gorons. The western peak is probably also the main area where Bomb Flowers are grown, most notably in the past. In present day the Goron elder, who slightly looks like Darunia of Ocarina of Time, became trapped under fallen rocks and could not get out. The other Gorons had tried to break away the rocks, but even with their Goron strength, they couldn't break it and required the use of a Bomb Flower, which hasn't been seen in years. In the past, the Great Moblin had built his fortress in the western peak of Rolling Ridge and had kept all of the Bomb Flowers for himself. Once Link had defeated the Great Moblin, the Gorons gained access to their Bomb Flowers again. As thanks, Link is rewarded a Bomb Flower which he took into present day to free the Goron elder, who admits that he was not in any trouble at all.

The Goron Dance mini-game is hosted by a blue Goron. When Link completed this mini-game, he officially named a fellow Brother within the tribe and was given the Brother Emblem, allowing him access to a tunnel that was being blocked by a Goron from non-brothers. Other games that the Gorons in Labrynna play include a mine cart game that involves shooting targets with the Seed Shooter, and a game where Link had to dodge falling bombs for a certain amount of time. Several Gorons also asked that Link find them items such as Rock Sirloin, Goronade and the Goron Vase. Eventually after completing a number of requests and mini-games, Link was rewarded the Mermaid Key.

The Wind Waker
In The Wind Waker, the Gorons appear as wandering salesmen traveling the Great Sea, situated on several different island, in search of valuable goods and rarities.

These Traveling Merchants can be found scattered across three islands on the Great Sea. If Link has the Deku Leaf, he can use it to blow a Merchant's hat into the air, revealing that they are Gorons. These Gorons may be the few, last remnants of their diminished race, likely wiped out during the flooding of Hyrule, although they claim to be from a "far away" place, which may very well be Goron Island, where much more Gorons live. The Gorons will trade with Link if he has purchased an item from Zunari.

The Traveling Merchants are often found on a raft, which appears to be their main form of transportation. Three of these Gorons can be found in Mother and Child Isles, Greatfish Isle, and Bomb Island. The merchants seem to know where each other are stationed, as each merchant will mention which at islands the other two can be found.

Each Goron merchant also wears a differently colored hat and shirt.

Island Trading Sequence
In The Wind Waker, each Goron has a different item that Link may trade with. This process is known as the Island Trading Sequence. Every time Link trades with a Goron, not only does he form the Merchant's Oath with that salesmen, but the item he received in trade from the Goron is available in Zunari's shop on Windfall Island.

The Minish Cap
In The Minish Cap the Gorons appear when Link completew Kinstone Fusions with Mysterious Walls. After six Gorons are summoned, Link can receive a Bottle and fuse a seventh Kinstones to wake up Biggoron who (after you defeat Vaati) can make you a Mirror Shield. Naturally, they feed on rocks. There is also an Eighth one, the travelling Merchant who sets up shop in hyrule after fusing a certain kinstone, he sells rare kinstone at 200 rupees each. Quote from The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap Goron Merchant figurine: "This Goron appears when you successfully fuse certain Kinstone pieces. He will sell you expensive but rare, Kinstone pieces."

Quote from The Minish Cap's Goron figurine: "These rock- and iron-eaters once lived on Mount Crenel in Western Hyrule. Now their numbers are few, and they live quietly in a cave."

Twilight Princess
In Twilight Princess Gorons primarily populate Death Mountain, or more correctly in Spectacle Rock. However, numerous Gorons have migrated to Castle Town as merchants, and a few have moved to Zora's Domain. Notable Gorons are the Patriarch Darbus and the four elders: Gor Amoto, Gor Coron, Gor Ebizo, and Gor Liggs.

In Twilight Princess, the Gorons have constructed a large mining complex within Death Mountain and they have also become more mechanical and industrialized developing magnetic cranes and elevator systems.

They also guard a Fused Shadow piece and the Hero's Bow. The Gorons are governed by four tribal Elders and their Patriarch, Darbus. In the game, Link is at first is not at all welcomed by the Gorons, who attack him on sight. Darbus had become possessed by the dark magic of the Fused Shadow which transformed him into an uncontrollable monster, the Twilit Igniter Fyrus. The four Goron Elders managed to subdue him and lock him away deep within the mines for the safety of the tribe and cut off relations with Kakariko Village. Link is forced to beat the elder, Gor Coron, in a sumo-wrestling contest (using the Iron Boots to even the playing field) to earn their respect and gain entry to the Goron mines. In the mines, he is forced to fight the armored Goron, Dangoro, that protects the Hero's Bow and eventually the transformed Darbus. After freeing Darbus from the influence of the Fused Shadow, the Gorons restore relations with Kakariko Village, many of them (including two of the Goron elders) venture down to Kakariko to help (one young Goron sets up a small shop that opens at night; while the two Goron elders help Malo Mart collect donations to rebuild the east bridge of Castle Town and buy the overpriced shop in Castle Town). The Gorons also help Link by restoring the southern pathway that leads into Castle Town and by selling him arrows, lantern oil, potions, hot spring water, etc. Link can also save a Goron who accidentally got himself encased inside the hardened chunk of molten rock that he uses to unfreeze Zora's Domain.

The Gorons love bathing in hot springs and enjoy sumo wrestling (though its popularity seems to have waned among the younger Gorons). The mayor of Ordon Village, Bo, is one of a few people known to have beaten a Goron at sumo (the other would be Link) in his youth, thus gaining the respect of the Gorons. However, he used the Iron Boots to level the playing field (as Gorons are heavier and stronger than humans). Link later borrowed the Iron Boots from Bo, and gained respect from the Gorons the same manner.

Twilight Princess is the first Zelda game where Link must battle with Gorons. It is the first game to feature Goron bosses. One of these is the Goron Elder, who must be fought by sumo wrestling. This battle is not very hostile, and can be retried unlimited times. A mini-boss battle that takes place in the Goron Mines against a large Goron guard is far more hostile. On the way up Death Mountain, several Gorons attack Link by rolling down. These Gorons cannot be defeated, but they can be stunned by stopping them while wearing the Iron Boots.

Gorons have also apparently picked up the ability to stay underwater for extended periods of time and not need to breathe, as demonstrated by both a child Goron in the hot springs and the adult Goron Link frees from the rock in Zora Domain. It should also be noted that the Gorons have, what appears to be, their own language script which can be seen on the doors in the Goron Mines.

The beta version of Twilight Princess included a boss called Goron Golem, which was formed from many many Gorons. This idea was evidently scrapped in early development, as the beta enemy shows to be incapable of harming Link or being harmed.

In the ending of Twilight Princess, the Gorons might actually be boxing, not wrestling. This is evidenced by the fact that some older Gorons in the game say that the younger ones have lost their interest in wrestling.

Phantom Hourglass
One tribe of Gorons are found on Goron Isle. Here you beat the Goron Temple and get the Crimsonine Steel, the first Pure metal. Gongoron, a Goron you meet on Goron Isle, lets you control him to beat the boss and the dungeon. After you beat the dungeon he heads to Dee Ess Island, another island with Gorons, where you can play the Goron game.

Trivia

 * The only Zelda game which featured all of its Gorons wearing human-like clothing was The Wind Waker', although a few Gorons were also seen wearing human clothing in The Minish Cap and Phantom Hourglass as well. In other titles, such as Twilight Princess, Gorons can be seen wearing either arm and/or leg bands, and loincloths.