Ancient Hero
The Ancient Hero is the title given to a recurring character in The Legend of Zelda series.(TotK)[2] The Ancient Hero goes unnamed in Breath of the Wild.
The Ancient Hero was born with the spirit of the hero who defeated Calamity Ganon with the help of Ancient Technology 10,000 years prior to the events of Breath of the Wild.[1] Tears of the Kingdom implies the Ancient Hero has a connection to the Zonai, if he is not one himself.[3]
Biography
Breath of the Wild
10,000 years before the events of Breath of the Wild, the Ancient Hero united with an incarnation of the Princess, the four Divine Beasts, and numerous Guardians, using the Sword That Seals the Darkness to seal Calamity Ganon away beneath Hyrule Castle. This legend is told upon completing the Great Plateau by King Rhoam[4] and retold to Link separately by Impa and Kass.[1][5] The Ancient Hero is never seen directly, but he appears in artistic form on the Calamity Ganon Tapestry. The artwork depicts him with green eyes, fiery red hair, and a light blue outfit, similar to the Champion's Tunic his successor wears in the distant future.
Upon first meeting Link, Kass claims that his Ancient Songs commemorate the actions of the Ancient Hero.[6] He also mentions the Ancient Hero during the Side Quest "The Hero's Cache", supposing that the treasure hidden in Kitano Bay may have belonged to the Hero who defeated the Calamity 10,000 years ago.[7] Furthermore, at a Stable where he plays Epona's Song, Kass will inform Link that while the Song's origins are uncertain, his teacher the Court Poet believed the Ancient Hero used it to call to his Horse.[8]
Tears of the Kingdom
After completing every Shrine of Light, Link can receive the Ancient Hero's Aspect at the Temple of Time.[note 1] When worn, it envelops Link in the aura of the hero's spirit and gives him the appearance of the Ancient Hero.[3][9]
The Ancient Hero is shown to be similar to a Zonai, with similar animalistic traits and Zonai markings and armor. However, given that his appearance still significantly differs from the two known Zonai, Rauru and Mineru, and Ganondorf's claim that the other Zonai no longer exist in their world,[10] it remains unclear if the Ancient Hero is actually a Zonai or related to them. The Ancient Hero's actual armor is also near-identical to the Zonaite Waistguard and Zonaite Shin Guards, though Hylians are seen wearing this type of clothing in the time of Rauru.
If spoken to by Link when wearing the Ancient Hero's Aspect, several characters will recognize the Ancient Hero. Impa will be amused and note that Link appears similar to the figure on the Screen of the Ancient Hero;[9] Purah will compliment Link but remark that she didn't recognize him at first;[11] Tauro will believe the Ancient Hero had been resurrected, before realizing it was Link and wishing to try on the outfit;[12] and Symin will inquire as to where Link found the clothing.[13]
At the Hateno School, Symin recounts the story of the Ancient Hero and the 10,000-year-old Great Calamity to the children of Hateno Village.[2] Azu also has a comment about Link having shown the class "ancient hero getup",[14] though this is tied to the lesson on the Calamity and not Link actually having worn the Ancient Hero's Aspect, appearing to be a mistranslation.[note 2]
Nomenclature
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See Also
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 "This evil has been turned back time and time again by a warrior wielding the soul of a hero and a princess who carries the blood of the Goddess. [...] Upon Ganon's inevitable return to Hyrule, the princess and the hero fought alongside these four Champions against this ancient evil. The Guardians were tasked with protecting the hero as the Divine Beasts unleashed a furious attack upon their terrible foe. And when the hero wielding the sword that seals the darkness delivered his final blow...The princess used her sacred power to seal away Calamity Ganon." — Impa (Breath of the Wild)
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 "The Calamity has visited this land of Hyrule several times over. However, 10,000 years ago, there were Divine Beasts, built by the Sheikah using their advanced technology. Each of them was controlled by a skilled pilot as well. With the sword that seals the darkness and the power of the sacred princess, the Ancient Hero stopped the Calamity. For a long while after that, the lands of Hyrule knew peace." — Symin (Tears of the Kingdom)
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 "Ancient Hero's Aspect
This item is said to contain the spirit of a hero who once saved Hyrule. That hero's aura will envelop the wearer." — Inventory (Tears of the Kingdom) - ↑ "We also learned of a princess with a sacred power and her appointed knight, chosen by the sword that seals the darkness. It was they who sealed Ganon away using the power of these ancient relics." — King Rhoam (Breath of the Wild)
- ↑ "I happen to know a song about the ancient hero. It was passed down to me by my teacher. Do you care to hear it?" — Kass (Breath of the Wild)
- ↑ "My name is Kass. As a bard, I spend my days traveling this land in search of ancient songs. Ancient songs—songs that sing the praises of a hero who beat back the Calamity in an age past." — Kass (Breath of the Wild)
- ↑ ""My cache?" Could it be a hidden stash of money? If it was left by the ancient hero that defeated the Calamity 10,000 years ago, it must be a big amount!" — Kass (Breath of the Wild)
- ↑ "In case you were wondering about the song I perform at the stables, there are many theories about its origin. But according to my teacher, it was a song performed by the ancient hero to call to his horse companion. If you ever feel like hearing it, feel free to drop by." — Kass (Breath of the Wild)
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 "Ah. I see that you are wearing the attire of the ancient hero. How amusing. You almost look like that figure depicted on the screen..." — Impa (Tears of the Kingdom)
- ↑ "It is unfortunate that the noble Zonai no longer grace this world with their presence." — Ganondorf (Tears of the Kingdom)
- ↑ "By the way... That outfit looks awfully familiar. You look good dressed like the ancient hero. But you know, I almost didn't recognize you for a minute there!" — Purah (Tears of the Kingdom)
- ↑ "The hero? The ANCIENT hero?! ... Oh, wait. You're Link. For a moment, I thought the ancient hero had been resurrected! That is quite the getup. I'd love to try it on, myself." — Tauro (Tears of the Kingdom)
- ↑ "That's the guise of the ancient hero! Where did you find such clothing? Professor Link, you always surprise me!" — Symin (Tears of the Kingdom)
- ↑ "That ancient hero getup you showed us was so cool! Someday, I gotta come up with a special costume for A-Zoom too." — Azu (Tears of the Kingdom)
Notes
- ↑ "Aspect" in this case is referring to a "spiritual manifestation" rather than a "facet" or "quality".
- ↑ Azu's line in Japanese is: この前見せてくれた古の勇者の姿 / すっげー かっこよかったなぁ / アオタマンも いつか専用のコスチュームを作ろっと！("Last time I saw you, you showed me an ancient hero's figure. That was so cool! I'll make a special costume for Aotaman (A-Zoom) someday too!") The localization team appears to have misinterpreted the word 姿 (Sugata), here meaning "appearance" or "figure", as specifically instead meaning "costume" or "guise", and assumed it referred to the Ancient Hero's Aspect due to Azu being inspired to make a costume for his own superhero persona.