Just about ever video game franchise focuses on the adventures and trials of one or a few major characters within their respective universes. Link, Zelda and Ganondorf are the three individuals when applying this formula to The Legend of Zelda. These characters are the center of nearly all of the games in the series, with their roles differing slightly each time they appear. However, while we control Link, we encounter various side-characters that offer us help along our journeys in the land of Hyrule. They provide insight into the events of the game, weapons and items or even simply a good laugh or a touching story. While occasionally taken for granted, these side-characters surely are one of the strongest pillars of the entire Zelda franchise.Link often begins his journeys with little knowledge of what is happening in the world around him. Hence, it is vital for him to converse with townsfolk in order to understand the circumstances he is facing. Take Ocarina of Time for example. Link had never left the forest until the Great Deku Tree sent him out on his heroic quest. He had no idea what the outside world was like, nor did the player in their first play through of the game. After Link traveled to Castle Town, he was able to interact with various non-playable charaters in order to learn about the land of Hyrule and the Royal Family. This method of conversation with other characters is vital in the Zelda series, helping us learn of secret areas and items as well as hints for progressing through the game. However, what makes the side-characters in the Zelda franchise more significant and memorable are the unique emotions that they exhibit and the effect they leave on the player.
The task of venturing into dangerous, unknown lands and ultimately saving your country from an evil wizard can be quite a daunting task. That is why Link often finds himself allied with a companion who aids him on his quests. Navi, Tatl, The King of Red Lions, Linebeck, and Midna were Link's guardians in their respective games, and they each exhibited their own unique personalities. Navi was kind, yet annoying; Tatl stuck up and selfish; The King both knowledgeable and a father figure; Linebeck adventurous, dim-witted, hilarious; and Midna cocky, mysterious, and flirty. These traits were essential to the development of these characters and their effect on the player as they remained with Link for the majority of the game. We could connect strongly our companions and appreciate their roles in the games as their stories progressed, most notably with Midna and Tatl who undergo drastic changes and character development throughout their respective games.
As far as character depth goes, Majora's Mask is perhaps one of the greatest games to feature intriguing and memorable side characters. The Bombers Notebook allowed the player to keep track of the various unique characters in Termina and perform side quests involving those characters and their short stories as the events of the story unfold. Some notable characters include the courageous Mikau, the troubled spirit of Darmani, The Mummy Man and his daughter Pamela, the wise Igos Du Ikana and the rivalry between the Gorman Brothers and Romani and Crema. However, it was the story of Kafei, Anju and Sakon that highlights the expert use of side-characters in the game. The compelling love story between Kafei and Anju, Kafei's curse and the couple's determination to be together even as the world is about to end is truly one of the most emotional stories told in the Zelda series. The lessons conveyed by the side characters from Majora's Mask and other Zelda games as well as the emotions they provoked are unforgettable, marking the importance of side-characters in the Zelda series and the influence they have on the player. Without the inclusions of such characters, a game's story is not as immersive, its poignancy not as strong. No other series has such a vast array of unique personalities and traits, and we can only hope that Nintendo continues to capitalize on the emotion and strength that they provide for the series in Zelda Wii and beyond.
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linebeck >>>>>>
by far the most entertaining zelda character ever
Get rid of side-characters, they have ruined Zelda. We don't need characters telling us everything in the game. Get rid of Navi, Tatl, Midna, all of them. Not saying there shouldn't be NPCs at all just shut them up - they have ruined the mystery and sense of discovery that is Zelda.
Zelda is a video game, not an emotional roller-coaster. If you all want emotions read a book or watch a movie. Bring back Adventure and action. Thanks.
Bring back LoZ I & II!
Now hold on, Zach, even a video game needs some juice in it to make it a story so we can play it. And more characters are what make it.
A storyless game is mindless. That's not how a true Zelda game is.
Linebeck?! Are you freaking kidding me?? hahahahaha, he was by far the Worst sidekick ever in a zelda game.
Zach. LoZ 1 and 2 had Side characters. Old Man, Error, Prostitutes that rregained your health. ALttP was a great Zelda - had side characters. MM may be the single best story in the series, that was heavily based around Side Characters. Oh, and MM was pretty difficult for a Zelda game.
The core of Adventure games, ANY adventure game, is hte story. The action is still in every title, the sense of discovery is too. I do think Nintendo has gone overboard telling people how to do everything, but that has little to any effect on most of hte side characters.
Side characters with a story in that of themselves, like in MM, is what truly helps make a GREAT adventure game. Have you played Dragon Age Origins? They remove the side characters, the story, and all you have is a boring mundane game where you just kill a bunch of monsters.
You know, they make games like that for people like you. Maybe not so much on the Wii, but I know hte PS3 has a whole slew of games like that.
Sounds to me like you don't want Zelda to be an adventure title anymore.
Zack: "Bring back Adventure and action. Thanks."
Adventure is kind of supposed to be emotional. Have you ever read any of the good epics? All of them are full of emotion.
Fuck off with this "I want Zelda to be the Transformers movie" bullshit. I'd rather gouge my eyes out.
Zach : "Zelda is a video game, not an emotional roller-coaster. If you all want emotions read a book or watch a movie."
Cool, I'll go read the Zelda manga. That's considered a book basically. Good job there.
You shouldn't bottle up your emotions and remember, real men cry. ;(
Also, the last paragraph is the best I completely agree.
i hope megan fox is in the new zelda game
or shya labuff (he can replace link)
I totally agree.
Zelda is more of a side charather than most of the side charathers you mentioned.
Lineback is not dim witted. He is just an utter coward and a slight fool. Fool/=/stupid.
Linebeck is funny. Zelda games can have humour in them can't they?
It just goes to show how divided the Zelda fanbase is. Not everyone wants story, not everyone wants character developement, not everyone wants more sidequests, not everyone wants Link to talk, not everyone wants sidekicks, not everyone wants Cel-shaded Zeldas to continue anymore. I think thats our weakest yet strongest point as a fanbase, if you think about it.
Everyones gotten SOMETHING out of one Zelda game or another that they'd like to see more of in the new releases. At the same time, each Zelda game can only satisfy a handful of those needs for some of their fanbase, which often ends up disappointing a portion of said fanbase. This might partially come from it being difficult to define what Zelda is, but maybe thats just what Zelda is best at - Being unique, being anything.
All I ask from future side-characters is that they don't look like they've just crawled out of the uncanny valley. Yes, I'm talking about Twilight Princess. Everyone in that game is either butt-ugly or a bishounen.
Is it just me, or does it look like King du Ikana has a varient of the Razor Sword?
Good article =). Side characters have always ultimately had a great effect on Zelda games, but we rarely stop to think about them. Even our least favorites (Midna in my case) still manage to be good characters in their own right, and really good ones (case in point: Linebeck) can practically steal the spotlight.
Well, I'll clarify what I meant to say cause I didn't do it well.
By side-characters I meant just those that travel with you and are always interrupting the game telling you how to play, where to go. Midna interrupted TP every five minutes. I take a few steps and all of a sudden I have lost control of the game and I am listening to Wah wah uh oh wah oh and reading 1st-grade level text boxes for like a minute with red high-lighted key-words that I guess I'm supposed to look up in a dictionary or something.
It just isn't necessary. It wasn't in Zelda I - III and it wasn't in LA. The other regular side-characters need to say what they have to say in 1 - 2 sentences.
Rather, Nintendo needs to work on developing an open explorative adventure where the story is the game-play, not side-characters telling you the story in cut-scenes or other-wise. Nintendo needs to focus on a really fun innovative combat/action system - a 3D equivalent to AoL. They are using story to fill in for the lack of game-play. Game-play isn't solving puzzles all day and playing minigames to win rupees either.
@Zach: No offense, but you're actually not using a very common pet-peeve that most people have with Zelda games, and gameplay is everything outside of cutscenes.
Its interesting to hear your thoughts on the matter, but I think Nintendo needs to focus on a few things way more than focus on what you're saying, which I honestly don't agree with to begin with.
What is the most common pet-peeve? Most people I've talked to except for a few people on Zelda Informer and other Zelda sites thinks the series needs to go back to its roots.
What do you think it needs to focus on? If not action/adventure elements then what? The modern Zelda games already have way more story than the first 3 console iterations. Focusing more on story is going to leave the game lop-sided compared to them. It would be like 50% story 50% action/adventure. That doesn't leave much action/adventure.
the next zelda shouldn't even have a story
just 100% ACTION
it's not like any of the zelda games have good stories anyway
That's rude, Nick. An adventure game is empty without a story. If you truely loved Zelda games you'd understand its more and just for killing enemies
Nice to see someone like Zach take the time to say such comments even knowing how much flack he'd get from people on sites such as these.
Have any of you people going on and on about characters and story played Shadow of the Colossus?
It was an adventure game, had very few cut-scenes but still told an amazing and touching story that you actually felt like you were PLAYING, not watching. Zelda designers could learn a lot from that series.
I agree with Zach that these games need to get away from all these characters and talking and talking and talking and let us just play a game. Honestly, why should I care about the Gorons? booooring. I don't care about link's childhood friends or village.
Get rid of talking fairies, imps, owls, etc etc etc.
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"No other series has such a vast array of unique personalities and traits"
I don’t think so.
Mother 3 has really unique and very different characters.
Final Fantasy, Dragon Quest… there are so many games that make good use of the side characters, with very well designed personalities.