Summary
- The iconic horse Epona appears in several Legend of Zelda games and serves as a way to speed up travel before fast travel is unlocked.
- Epona's most emotionally charged appearance is in Ocarina of Time, where the quest to get her is optional but players still bond with her. Twilight Princess' Epona is also at the top of the list, while Major's Mask and Hyrule Warriors offer solid takes on the horse
- Epona being tied to an amiibo, coupled with better travel options, makes her appearances in Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom lackluster. Minish Cap joins these games in C-Tier due to Epona not being rideable.
Plenty of familiar faces fill out the cast of every Legend of Zelda title. While each game is often ages or worlds apart, reoccurring designs, or at least the main trinity of Link, Zelda, and Ganon tend to show up regardless. Some faces, like Beedle or Tingle, may play more subdued roles than others, but it's still nice to see The Legend of Zelda make use of its history in a variety of new ways.
Among Link's staunchest allies throughout the franchise is his loyal horse, Epona. This mighty mare with a brown coat and white mane has ferried Link through plenty of situations, ranging from the danger-fraught Hyrule Field in Ocarina of Time to the wide-open wilderness of Tears of the Kingdom. Primarily associated with the 3D Legend of Zelda games, Epona serves as a way to speed up the player's journey while traveling between places before fast travel is unlocked. She's gone through several iterations just like her owner, and they all have something to offer.
S Tier
Ocarina of Time - The first Epona came from Ocarina of Time, like many Zelda staples, and is still easily the best. First shown on the title screen as Link gallops across Hyrule Field, Epona was quickly endeared to players as an iconic part of Link's image. Ironically, despite Epona's prominence and how visible the Lon Lon Ranch is in front of Hyrule Castle Town, the quest to get the horse is totally optional.
It says something that most players never realize that the Longshot can cross the broken bridge Epona is needed for. They're too busy bonding with Epona in the past so they can meet again in Ocarina of Time's adult timeline. Link and Epona's first encounter is a heartwarming moment that involves several other NPCs in its subplot, and was enough to make this horse a Zelda icon.
Twilight Princess - Epona has only made a couple other notable appearances, and the most plot-relevant one is in Twilight Princess. Here, Link owns Epona as part of his ranch work, and she serves as a talking point between Link and his childhood friend Ilia. After Link and Epona reunite later on, for the first, and so far only, time in the franchise, Epona becomes a regular part of various setpieces. Horseback combat is such a focus in Twilight Princess through escort missions and boss fights that Epona even aids Link in the final battle with Ganondorf. Even though her Ocarina of Time appearance is more emotionally charged, Twilight Princess was Epona's chance to prove herself a hero.
A Tier
Majora's Mask - The Epona from OoT's child timeline does appear in one other game, making her the only Epona to canonically make two appearances. Unlike in Ocarina of Time, Epona actually participates in the plot for a bit, being with Link in the opening as he is robbed by Skull Kid. This Epona is also mandatory for accessing a couple of regions, improving her Ocarina of Time implementation while also pointing the player towards one of Majora's Mask's larger side quests. All that's holding this Epona back is that she simply doesn't inspire the same feelings in the player as her OoT or TP self, ultimately serving as a key to progress instead of a character in her own right.
Hyrule Warriors - Epona is normally used for transportation rather than combat, but Hyrule Warriors gives her a proper role on the battlefield. One of Link's weapon styles is riding horseback, and every new weapon tier is a different version of Epona from her various Zelda appearances. This is a great piece of fanservice, and Epona is fun to control given her uniquely mobile fighting style. Later releases of Hyrule Warriors bundle her in with the rest of the cast, and players will no doubt be glad to see any version of her they unlock. However, that comes with the caveat that Hyrule Warriors is not canon, and Epona doesn't play a canon role even within Hyrule Warriors' story. It's good to see Hyrule Warriors give every Zelda regular their due, but combat is not what Epona's known for.
B Tier
Breath of the Wild/Tears of the Kingdom - Horses in Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom are largely obsolete compared to the Paraglider and TotK's Zonai vehicles, only being mandatory for some side quests. Furthermore, although Epona is the name of an in-universe company thanks to being a legendary horse, she isn't normally available in the open world Zelda titles. Epona must be summoned via an amiibo, or be registered in a BotW save file for Tears of the Kingdom to access. She's the best all-around horse in the games, but the many hoops players need to jump through to use this Epona means she can't hold a candle to some other iterations.
The Minish Cap - Sadly, Epona has not had a good top-down Zelda appearance yet. Because of the compact nature of these games' worlds, she's rarely needed, and Four Swords Adventures had to go as far as designing specific levels and minigames to support horses at all. Those steeds are never named despite resembling Epona, but the legendary horse herself does make a confirmed appearance in The Minish Cap alongside recurring side character Malon. Both spend their time peddling Lon Lon Milk in and around Hyrule Town, and Epona has her own sales pitch if Link talks to her while shrunken down. Still, an Epona appearance that doesn't involve riding her isn't in the same league as any Legend of Zelda instance that does, so this Epona sadly lags behind the rest.
- Created by
- Shigeru Miyamoto, Takashi Tezuka
- Creation Year
- 1986
- Video Game(s)
- The Legend of Zelda, Zelda II: The Adventure of Link, The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past, The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening, The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask, The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Ages, The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Seasons, The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Adventures, The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker, The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap, The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess, The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass, The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks, The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword, The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds, The Legend of Zelda: Tri Force Heroes, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
- Developer(s)
- Nintendo
- Publisher(s)
- Nintendo