King of Hyrule
- This article is about the King of Hyrule in The Adventure of Link. For other uses, see King of Hyrule (Disambiguation).
The King of Hyrule was the ruler of the kingdom of Hyrule long in its past that was featured in the backstory of The Adventure of Link.[1] He was the last in a long line of Kings who wielded the entire Triforce after Link reclaimed it in A Link Between Worlds.[2]
Biography
In the backstory of The Adventure of Link, it is revealed that there was once a great and wise King of Hyrule that governed the land with the strength of the united Triforce as his command.[3] However, the King too was human and, anticipating his death, he hoped to find someone with the innate qualities that were fitting of a worthy possessor of the Triforce for if it were to fall in the wrong hands, evil would befall Hyrule.[4][5] Unfortunately, he was unable to find any such person during his lifespan and, since his own son did not fit this archetype for being worthy to possess the one true Triforce,[6] the King elected to split the relic into its three component parts, leaving the Triforce of Power and the Triforce of Wisdom within the kingdom.[7]
The Triforce of Courage, however, shared a different fate than that of its counterparts. In secret, the King spirited this piece of the Triforce away to the distant and dangerous Valley of Death, where he concealed the relic within the deepest sanctums of the Great Palace[8] that was set at the head of the valley, guarded by many powerful monsters handpicked by the King himself.[9][10] The King cast a magical barrier over the entire Valley of Death, one that would not grant entry to the valley until six special crystals were restored to their respective statues in six other palaces that lay across Hyrule. He also secretly cast a spell over all of Hyrule, one that would, at some point in time when a worthy person was born and came of age, cause the symbol of the Triforce to appear on the back of the hand of this special individual, marking him as the King’s chosen person to reclaim the Triforce of Courage.[11] Soon after this, the King’s time was drawing to a close, and before he died, he confided what he had done only to his daughter, Princess Zelda, choosing to not tell any of the secrets of the Triforce to his son.[12]
After the King’s death, the Prince of Hyrule hoped to claim the Triforce, but he was angered and dismayed to find that he would only inherit it in part.[12] He searched the kingdom high and low for the third piece, but he was unsuccessful.[12] After being told by a mysterious magician that the king had told Princess Zelda about the Triforce's whereabouts, the Prince confronted his sister, but she refused to tell him of the king's secret even after threatened of being put into an eternal sleep.[13] Angered, the magician decided to cast the spell on the princess against the prince's wishes, and at the same time that Zelda fell, the magician also breathed his last and died.[14]
Link would eventually appear with the mark of the Triforce on his hand and hence be the one chosen by the King of Hyrule. After being told of the king's history by Impa, he ventures off to place the six crystals in the palaces around Hyrule, enter the Great Palace, obtain the Triforce of Courage and thus awake the slumbering princess, granting the king's wishes.
Trivia
- A tomb known as the King's Tomb appears in the game and is generally considered to be the tomb of the ancient King of Hyrule that mastered the Triforce in its entirety. The tomb rests in the heart of the Graveyard to the southwest of the Harbor Town of Mido and can be easily spotted as a lone cross in the center of the graveyard.
Nomenclature
 Names in Other Regions  | ||
|---|---|---|
| Language | Names | Meanings |
 Japanese |
| |
 ChineseSI | 海拉鲁王 (Hǎi lā lǔ wáng) (TAoL)[23] | King of Hyrule |
 FrenchEU | Roi d'Hyrule (TAoL)[22] | King of Hyrule |
 German | König von Hyrule (TAoL | ALttP)[20][21] | King of Hyrule |
 Italian |
| |
| This table was generated using translation pages. To request an addition, please contact a staff member with a reference. | ||
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Encyclopedia, Dark Horse Books, pg. 223
- ↑ "The Prosperity of Hyrule: Ever since the crushing defeat of the Demon King Ganon each successive generation of Hylian kings used the Triforce of Power, Wisdom, and Courage, passed down by the royal family to preserve order in the land." (Hyrule Historia, Dark Horse Books, pg. 104)
- ↑ "It is said that a long ago, when Hyrule was one country, a great ruler maintained the peace in Hyrule using the Triforce." (The Adventure of Link manual, pg. 6)
- ↑ "However, the King too was a child of man and he died." (The Adventure of Link manual, pg. 6)
- ↑ "But, what will happen if someone else uses the Triforce before then? If it is misused, it will produce many evils." (The Adventure of Link manual, pg. 9)
- ↑ "Not everybody can use the Triforce. It requires strong character with no evil thoughts. But an inborn special quality is also necessary. Unfortunately, I have not found such a person during my lifetime." (The Adventure of Link manual, pg. 9)
- ↑ "Of the three, I have left Power and Wisdom in the kingdom." (The Adventure of Link manual, pg. 9–10)
- ↑ "If the six crystals are placed in the Stone Statues, you finally enter the Great Palace. The Great Palace is so huge that it greatly exceeds what Link had imagined. Link's true heart will be tested when he defeats the last of the guardians." (The Adventure of Link manual, pg. 40)
- ↑ "The enemies in the Palace are those that were made and chosen by the King. They're abnormally strong." (The Adventure of Link manual, pg. 38)
- ↑ "An iron warrior chosen by the King. A strong enemy who can use a shield and a sword. He exists in many forms." (The Adventure of Link manual, pg. 38)
- ↑ "But the Triforce of Courage I have hidden for a reason. A crest will appear on a young man with that character who has been brought up correctly, has gained many kinds of experiences and reached a certain age." (The Adventure of Link manual, pg. 9)
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 12.2 "Then, the prince of the kingdom should have become king and inherited everything, but he could inherit the Triforce only in part. The Prince searched everywhere for the missing parts, but could not find them. Then, a magician close to the king brought him some unexpected news. Before he died, the king had said something about the Triforce to only the younger sister of the prince, Princess Zelda." (The Adventure of Link manual, pg. 6–7)
- ↑ "After the prince, the magician threatened to put the princess into an eternal sleep if she did not talk, but even still, she said nothing." (The Adventure of Link manual, pg. 7)
- ↑ "In his anger, the magician tried to cast a magic spell on the princess. The surprised prince tried to stop him, but the magician fought off the prince and went on chanting the spell. Then, when the spell was finally cast, Princess Zelda fell on that spot and entered asleep from which she might never awake. At the same time, the magician also fell down and breathed his last." (The Adventure of Link manual, pg. 7–8)
- ↑ "Durante il tuo sonno, ha imprigionato il re e ha sbarrato l'accesso al castello di Hyrule." — Trill (Cadence of Hyrule, Italian localization)
- ↑ Enciclopedia di Hyrule, Magazzini Salani, pg. 223
- ↑ "Con i suoi misteriosi poteri tolse di scena l'amato Re di Hyrule..." — N/A (A Link to the Past, Italian localization)
- ↑ The Adventure of Link manual, pg. 9
- ↑ A Link to the Past manual, pg. 7 Nintendo Official Guidebook—The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past Vol. 1, Shogakukan, pg. 11
- ↑ Encyclopedia, TOKYOPOP, pg. 223
- ↑ Encyclopedia, TOKYOPOP, pg. 228
- ↑ Encyclopedia, Les Éditions Soleil, pg. 223
- ↑ Encyclopedia, New Star Press, pg. 223