Summary
- Humans play a vital but often overlooked role in The Legend of Zelda series, adding depth to the diverse cast of races in Hyrule.
- The series features iconic Hylian characters reincarnated as humans in different games, showcasing the versatility of these beloved NPCs.
- From important NPCs like Malo and Madame Couture to beloved characters like Tarin and Marin, humans make a significant impact in Link's adventures.
In the fictional universe of The Legend of Zelda franchise, Hylians, Gerudos, Zoras, Gorons, Ritos and many other races coexist together in peace within the land of Hyrule. However, because of this vast diversity, sometimes it’s easy to forget that there are actual humans in these games as well.
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A good number the most fun, memorable, and important characters in the series are regular humans, just like the player who’s controlling Link, but they’re still nowhere near as common as some of the other races. This list will go over some of the most prominent examples, albeit it’s important to clarify that members of other humanoid races – like Hylians, Gerudos, or Sheikahs – will not be accounted for.
8 Happy Mask Salesman, Malon & Talon, Mutoh, & More
Some Of The Most Iconic Hylian NPCs Were Turned Into Humans
The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Ages
It’s not uncommon for iconic characters from the Legend of Zelda games to be reincarnated into separate — albeit similar — versions of themselves in subsequent games. That’s why several important NPCs from the influential Nintendo 64 installments, Ocarina of Time and Majora’s Mask, were featured in the Game Boy Color titles, Oracle of Ages & Oracle of Seasons.
The main thing that makes these cameos stand out is the fact that these characters used to be Hylians but, in these two games, they appear as humans with round ears. The creepy Happy Mask Salesman has his own Mask Shop, the quirky carpenter Mutoh can be seen fixing a bridge with his assistants, and the lovely father-daughter duo of Malon and Talon live on their own chicken farm. These are fun cameos that demonstrate how characters from previous games are not 100% tied to their original appearance.
7 Malo
An Infant-Like Entrepreneur
The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess
The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess is one of the few mainline entries in the series in which humans are at the forefront of the story, with almost every inhabitant of Ordon Village being a regular human with round ears. This doesn’t keep these villagers from being as bizarre and as eccentric as any other character from any other place though.
Malo is one of the best examples of this phenomenon, because even though he looks like a small child, he’s actually a hardworking, intelligent business person who managed to create his own chain of Malo Marts throughout Hyrule. Players will have to interact with Malo & his workers pretty much any time they wish to purchase crucial items, making him an inadvertently crucial part of the adventure. Most fans won't complain though, since he's a truly fascinating character.
6 Tarin
A Fun Father Figure Who Looks Like Mario
The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening
Link’s Awakening is where regular round-eared humans make their first appearance in the series and, on top of that, a lot of these new characters have unique designs that are reminiscent of other Nintendo IPs. Tarin is one of the best examples of this phenomenon, because he looks a lot like Mario.
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Tarin is not a beloved character just because of his endearing appearance; it's also because of his role in the story. He’s the first person that Link interacts with after waking up from his slumber, and he keeps popping up all over throughout Link’s Awakening, getting himself in trouble in different ways and forcing Link has to rescue him over and over. Furthermore, he’s also the father of Marin, which helps make him even more memorable.
5 Madame Couture
The Main Mechanic Of The Game Depends On Her
The Legend of Zelda: Tri Force Heroes
- Released
- October 23, 2015
- Developer(s)
- Nintendo EPD
- Platform(s)
- Nintendo 3DS
- Genre(s)
- Action-Adventure
Some Legend of Zelda games have fun but specific game mechanics that depend on the actions of a character in order to work properly. In the case of the multiplayer spin-off Tri Force Heroes, the three Links need the assistance of the talented Madame Couture in order to wear different outfits throughout their adventure.
This old lady is the founder and owner of Madame Couture’s, a clothing store in which the players can order different outfits for tailoring, and all of them have specific properties and abilities. The main gameplay loop of Tri Force Heroes wouldn’t be possible without Madame Couture, so her involvement in this adventure is of extreme importance. On top of that, she also reveals that she’s a part of a special tribe of humans who can wield powerful magic, and she uses her powers on the clothes she makes, which is a mind-blowing revelation for this universe.
4 Ilia
Link’s Wild-Loving Childhood Friend
A recurring element of this franchise’s many different narratives is that Link usually has a childhood friend who is involved in the beginning of his heroic adventure. In Twilight Princess, players get to meet Ilia, the daughter of the mayor of Ordon Village. She’s a kind, friendly girl who loves to spend time in the wild, especially when she’s taking care of Epona.
Tragically, Ilia gets kidnapped by Bulbins early in the game, which prompts Link to set off on his heroic adventure. He successfully rescues her, and even helps her restore her lost memories, which is an endearing moment in and of itself. Although Ilia’s role in Twilight Princess is already memorable enough, most players will most likely remember her because of her brief but disturbing appearance in the "Tale of the Fused Shadows" cutscene.
3 Ashei
A Brave Member Of The Resistance
During the events of Twilight Princess, Link comes across several members of the Resistance, a group of vigilantes who are trying to protect Hyrule from monsters & villains. One of the most significant members of this group happens to be a regular human woman named Ashei.
At first glance, Ashei’s design is immediately striking, as there are not many strong female warriors in The Legend of Zelda series who are not part of the Gerudo or Sheikah races. She assists Link during his quest in Snowpeak and helps him discover the evil monster that was taking control of the mountain. Not to mention, Ashei also fights alongside Link and the rest of the Resistance in the final battle in Hyrule Castle, which proves how brave & strong she truly is.
2 Beedle
A Bizarre Shopkeeper Who Appeared In Multiple Games
The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker
When it comes to recurring Legend of Zelda characters, most people think of the usual suspects, like Link, Zelda, Ganondorf or Impa, but there’s another character who has had a prominent role in multiple games: None other than Beedle, the eccentric merchant/business person with a fun design.
In games like The Wind Waker, Phantom Hourglass, Spirit Tracks and Skyward Sword, Beedle will sell important items to Link, and he even establishes a membership program with him, which sets him apart from other characters with similar jobs. Beedle’s weird personality and mannerisms are what help him stand out, especially seeing as he was one of the very few characters in this franchise who had a voice way before actual voice acting was implemented in the modern releases. As expected, Beedle also appears in Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom, but he’s classified as a Hylian instead of a human in both games.
1 Marin
The Most Important Human In All Of Zelda
Most of the time, humans in The Legend of Zelda series are relegated to minor roles or cameo appearances, while Hylians, Gerudos or Sheikahs are more likely to take the spotlight. The biggest exception to this rule, however, is Marin, who happens to be one of the main protagonists of Link’s Awakening.
Marin is an adorable young girl who saves Link from his shipwreck, befriends him, and helps him on multiple occasions throughout his adventure on Koholint Island. With time, Marin and Link grow quite close, mostly thanks to her kind, ambitious, and adventure-loving personality. Unfortunately, she’s also the main reason that the ending of Link’s Awakening is so heartbreaking & poignant. The scene where Link wakes up the Wind Fish and all the inhabitants of Koholint Island disappear is very sad, but it’s made even sadder by the fact that Marin is affected by this action as well. Fortunately, she would later appear in Hyrule Warriors, which further cemented her as an iconic figure of this legendary franchise.