Last reviewed on 2026-05-02
Link
Hero of Hyrule / Chosen by the GodsThe perpetually reincarnating Hero of Hyrule — a young Hylian whose silence is a design choice that makes him the perfect player-character vessel and a narrative limitation that recent games have worked around cleverly. Link's green tunic, his Master Sword, and his Triforce of Courage have defined heroic iconography for 40 years. Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom's open-world reinventions gave him the most expressive playspace of any Zelda Link while keeping his essential quiet nature intact.
Princess Zelda
Hyrulean Princess / Sage of TimeThe wise, prophetically gifted princess whose various incarnations range from passive plot device to active combatant. Ocarina of Time's Zelda/Sheik duality is the series' most celebrated characterization; Breath of the Wild's Zelda-as-struggling-researcher is its most emotionally resonant. Tears of the Kingdom's Zelda pushes the character further than any game before it. Her Triforce of Wisdom, her recurring sacrifice, and her partnership with Link define the franchise's emotional core.
Ganondorf / Ganon
Great King of EvilThe eternal villain of Hyrule — a Gerudo king reincarnated across millennia whose Triforce of Power and hunger for domination make him gaming's most recognizable antagonist after Bowser. Ocarina of Time's Ganondorf established the template; his Tears of the Kingdom reinvention (Demon King Ganondorf with a tragically convincing ambition and genuine presence) is the franchise's most successful villain expansion. His beast form Ganon represents chaos; his human form represents ambition.
Midna
Twilight Princess / Link's CompanionTwilight Princess's companion — a sardonic Twili imp whose initially self-serving partnership with Link transforms into the series' most emotionally developed relationship. Midna's true form reveal, her sacrifice at the game's end, and her shattering of the Mirror of Twilight (ensuring she can never return) is Zelda's most devastating ending. Fans consistently vote her the best Zelda character ever; her combination of wit, genuine warmth, and tragic self-sacrifice is irreplaceable.
Navi
Link's Fairy CompanionThe tiny blue fairy who guides Link through Ocarina of Time — and whose "Hey! Listen!" became gaming's most parodied tutorial prompt. Navi's genuine helpfulness is undermined by her enthusiasm for stating the obvious, making her the internet's patron saint of unwanted advice. Her disappearance at Ocarina's ending, which leads directly into Majora's Mask, is Zelda's most poignant use of absence. Link's search for her frames one of gaming's most emotionally affecting sequels.
Impa
Sheikah Guardian / Zelda's ProtectorThe recurring Sheikah warrior whose various incarnations span centuries and include imposing warrior, ancient elder, and wise guardian. Ocarina of Time's Impa introduces Link to Hyrule Castle and trains Zelda; Skyward Sword's Impa is the game's most powerful supporting character; Breath of the Wild's ancient Impa has waited 100 years for Link's return with patient dignity. No single Zelda character appears more consistently without feeling redundant.
Urbosa
Gerudo Champion / Vah Naboris PilotThe magnificent Gerudo Champion whose command of lightning, fierce protectiveness of the young Zelda, and warrior's dignity make her Breath of the Wild's most beloved champion. Urbosa's genuine affection for Zelda (calling her "little bird"), her backstory as the Gerudo chief who knew Link's mother, and her spirit's eventual liberation from Naboris give her more emotional presence than any other champion. Her voice performance is the game's finest.
Skull Kid
Majora's Mask VillainThe masked imp of Majora's Mask whose possession by Majora's Mask sets a moon crashing toward Termina — and whose backstory as a lonely child abandoned by friends makes him one of gaming's most sympathetic antagonists. Skull Kid's tragedy is that Majora is the villain, not him; he's a hurt child acting out. His reunion with the Four Giants at Majora's end, the mask releasing him, is Zelda's most emotionally sophisticated resolution. "You have met with a terrible fate, haven't you?"
Fi
Spirit of the Master SwordThe spirit inhabiting the Goddess Sword (future Master Sword) in Skyward Sword — a data-driven, robotic companion whose 85.7% probability assessments became almost as memed as Navi's "Hey! Listen!" Fi's farewell at Skyward Sword's end, bidding Link goodbye with a rare expression of genuine emotion, is the game's most moving moment and retroactively makes her analytical detachment throughout feel like protective distance rather than absence of feeling.
Revali
Rito Champion / Vah Medoh PilotThe arrogant, brilliantly skilled Rito Champion whose contempt for Link ("And here I was worried I'd have to carry the entire weight of this operation myself... Oh wait") masks deep insecurity about being outshone by a Hylian without wings. Revali's Gale is the most mechanically useful champion ability; Revali himself is the most entertainingly abrasive personality. His Age of Calamity expansion, revealing his genuine dedication beneath the posturing, makes him more sympathetic without undermining his magnificent prickliness.
About The Legend of Zelda
The Legend of Zelda was created by Shigeru Miyamoto and Takashi Tezuka, debuting on the Famicom Disk System in 1986. The franchise spans over 20 mainline titles and numerous spin-offs, with Breath of the Wild (2017) and Tears of the Kingdom (2023) representing its most critically acclaimed modern entries.
The series is celebrated for its blend of exploration, puzzle-solving, and action, and for its recurring mythology of the Triforce, the three goddesses, and the eternal struggle between Link, Zelda, and Ganon across reincarnated lifetimes. A Netflix adaptation has been reported. Ocarina of Time (1998) is consistently rated the greatest video game ever made.
Zelda is one of the longest-running franchises in any medium and a useful study in how reused archetypes (Link as silent everyman, Zelda as princess-and-savior, Ganon as recurring antagonist) survive across generations. The patterns are explored in sequels and spin-offs explained and in character archetypes.