Summary
- Tingle, a divisive character, is actually a 35-year-old man who cosplays as a fairy.
- He has two brothers, Ankle and Knuckle, forming The Tingle Siblings group.
- Tingle has appeared in ten Legend of Zelda games, with various easter eggs in other entries.
The Legend of Zelda franchise is home to some of the most iconic characters in the video game industry. Everybody is aware of the usual suspects, like Link, Princess Zelda, or Ganondorf, but there’s also a fair share of truly bizarre characters that have become infamous among fans of the series, with Tingle being undoubtedly the biggest standout.
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Ever since his initial appearance in Majora’s Mask, Tingle has become an unexpected icon for The Legend of Zelda franchise, to the displeasure of some fans. He’s truly one of the most peculiar and fascinating characters, and there’s a lot of interesting information about this fairy enthusiast that some people may not know about.
1 Tingle Is Not Actually A Fairy
A 35-Year-Old Man In Disguise
The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask
- Released
- October 26, 2000
- Developer(s)
- Nintendo EAD
- Platform(s)
- Nintendo 64, GameCube
This is most likely common knowledge among seasoned Legend of Zelda fans, but this may also be completely new information for those who haven’t delved into the older releases of this franchise. And the truth is that, despite his whimsical appearance, Tingle is not a magical creature at all.
That’s right. In Majora’s Mask, it’s confirmed that he is actually a 35-year-old man who dresses up like a fairy because he believes he’s the reincarnation of one. The idea of Tingle being a grown man who is cosplaying as a magical being has been reutilized in subsequent releases, including in his spin-off games.
2 He And His Brothers Are Known As The Tingle Siblings
He’s Not The Only One Of His Kind
The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker
Tingle is such a weird and unique character that most fans of the series believe that there can’t be anybody else like him. But some may have already forgotten that he’s not alone, since The Wind Waker revealed he has two younger brothers. All of them together form the group called The Tingle Siblings.
Aside from Tingle, there’s the worrisome Ankle and the grumpy Knuckle. Not to mention that there’s also David Jr., who is not related to the brothers, despite their close resemblance. All four of them share the same design and outfit, with their colors being the only significant difference.
3 The Meaning Of His Eccentric Catchphrase
What Does “Kooloo-Limpah!” Actually Mean?
Throughout his many appearances, Tingle almost always proudly exclaims “Kooloo-Limpah!”, which has quickly become his signature catchphrase. There’s no doubt that this particular line is quirky and distinctive, but not many fans are aware of what it means.
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While an official explanation has never been released, most people believe that Kooloo-Limpah is a Romanization of the Japanese expression “kururinpa.” This is what Japanese people usually say when they try to imply somebody has gone crazy, similar to the “Cuckoo sign” that is often done in the West. This means that Tingle is so undeniably crazy that he subtly admits it via his catchphrase.
4 He’s One Of The Most Recurring Zelda Characters
He Has Appeared In A Lot of Games
The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Ages
Because of the disconnected nature of The Legend of Zelda’s timeline, most characters are relegated to appearing just once in their original game and not much more. The only exceptions to this rule are Link, Zelda, and Ganondorf, who are bound to always reincarnate because of the Triforce.
There are not many characters that have appeared in more than one game, and Tingle is one of these exceptions. Counting both mainline titles and spin-offs, he has been featured in ten different Legend of Zelda games. The only other secondary character who has appeared this much is Impa, so this means that Tingle is one of the most iconic recurring characters in this franchise.
5 He Has Completely Disappeared From The Games
He Hasn’t Appeared In A Very Long Time
Hyrule Warriors
- Released
- September 26, 2014
- Developer(s)
- Team Ninja, Omega Force
- Platform(s)
- Switch, Nintendo Wii U
- Genre(s)
- Action
Despite his initial popularity, some fans are shocked by the fact that Tingle hasn’t been featured in a Legend of Zelda video game in a very long time. His last physical appearance in a mainline title was in The Minish Cap, which was released in 2005. He also appeared in 2015’s Majora’s Mask 3D.
Tingle has had a bit more luck when it comes to spin-offs, seeing as he is a playable character in Hyrule Warriors, although he was added in a DLC Pack. However, this was also in 2015, which means that he hasn’t been seen in almost ten years, which is a surprising amount of time for a seemingly iconic recurring character like Tingle.
6 There Are A Lot Of Tingle Easter Eggs In The Series
He Lives On Through Minor Cameos & References
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
- Released
- March 3, 2017
- Developer(s)
- Nintendo EPD
- Platform(s)
- Nintendo Wii U, Switch
Despite his sudden disappearance from the public eye, it’s quite evident that Tingle hasn’t been forgotten, especially by the developers of subsequent Legend of Zelda titles. For example, in games like Phantom Hourglass, Spirit Tracks, and Skyward Sword, Tingle is referenced in the form of cameos in background elements, like figurines or posters.
Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom took this to another level since Link can find and wear Tingle’s Set in both games, which is based on the fairy enthusiast’s classic attire. With this many references and nods, it’s most likely that Tingle will return someday in a future installment.
7 He Was “Reinvented” For Twilight Princess
Purlo Is Based On Tingle
The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess
Twilight Princess is infamous for having a darker and more grounded atmosphere, so it wouldn’t make sense for a goofy and whimsical character like Tingle to appear in it. However, he still lives on in the form of Purlo, the scam artist who hosts the STAR Game in Castle Town.
Although it may not be immediately evident, Purlo’s design was directly inspired by Tingle’s. Twilight Princess’ director, Eiji Aonuma, stated that Purlo is basically what Tingle would look like if he were a more realistic character. This was a reasonable choice since he fits this game’s atmosphere more appropriately than Tingle ever could.
8 His Outfit Hides A Dark Secret
The Reasoning Behind The Cobra On His Back
Most players may have missed this at first, but the back of Tingle’s iconic outfit features the image of a yellow Indian Cobra. This is not always part of his design, but it can be seen in some of his prominent appearances, like in The Wind Waker or his armor set from Breath of the Wild.
This is an odd detail since the intimidating appearance of the cobra contrasts with Tingle’s lighthearted design. Nevertheless, the Hyrule Historia book has a fascinating explanation for this: Tingle wears this image of a cobra on his clothes to intimidate his enemies. Considering how weak he is usually portrayed as, this makes a lot of sense.
9 He’s Extremely Divisive
The West Hates Him, But Japan Loves Him
To the shock of some newcomers to the franchise, Tingle is quite a controversial character among Legend of Zelda fans. A large number of people despise him because of his strange appearance, annoying personality, and obtrusive implementation in a few games. This is especially true for the English-speaking side of the fan base.
On the other hand, a lot of other fans seem to like Tingle for the very same reasons, especially those on the Japanese side of the fan base. This is mainly due to cultural differences because Tingle appeals more to Japan’s sense of humor. However, the burning hatred for Tingle has mostly died down in the past few years.
10 Tingle Has A Video Game Series Of His Own
He’s So Popular That He Has Starred In Some Spin-Offs
The popularity of Tingle in his home country grew so much that he eventually starred in not only one but two different video games of his own: Freshly-Picked Tingle's Rosy Rupeeland is a bizarre RPG that is mostly centered on gathering large amounts of rupees, while Ripened Tingle's Balloon Trip of Love is more of a point & click adventure with a Wizard of Oz theme that’s focused on Tingle’s romantic endeavors.
Both of these games are very strange since they have a more surreal visual style, unconventional gameplay, and a more mature sense of humor that feels out of place in The Legend of Zelda franchise. So, it is not surprising that both of the Tingle spin-offs were never released outside of Japan, because they would’ve most likely been poorly received overseas.
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