This is a list of fictional recurring characters in The Legend of Zelda, a series of video games developed by Nintendo.

Dark Link (also known as Shadow Link in Oracle of Ages and Four Swords Adventures) is a recurring boss in the series, and is a doppelgänger of Link. With the exception of four Dark Links that wear green, red, blue, and violet tunics in the Game Boy Advance version of A Link to the Past, Dark Link is usually solid black with red eyes. In general, Dark Link just copies Link's swordplay, but in some games he is able to use Link's full arsenal of weapons. He is formed in various ways between the games, though always involving some sort of magical summoning. When he first appears in The Adventure of Link, he is the final boss of the game, and was created by a mysterious wizard as a test for the Triforce of Courage.

Shadow Link's largest appearance is that of a main character, a recurring boss, and respawning enemies in Four Swords Adventures. These Shadow Links are created by the Dark Temple's Dark Mirror, and one tricks Link into drawing the Four Sword from the Four Sword Shrine, which releases Vaati and splits Link into four clones. They plague the Links throughout the game by both directly attacking him, and impersonating him while they attack Hyrule's citizens, causing them to be suspicious and mistrusting of the Links. The Links eventually eradicate them in a final battle in which they destroy them while Zelda undoes the seal on the Dark Mirror and takes it into her possession. However, in the manga, Shadow Link destroys the mirror, and ultimately himself, to save the Links from Vaati.

Dark Link also appears in both Ocarina of Time and its manga, but only serves as a character in the manga. While Link is in Kakariko Village, a shadowy substance emerges from the well, grabs a child, and then manifests as Dark Link. It attacks Link and initially has the upper hand, due to Link's overall lack of skill, but Link eventually manages to hit it. At this point, it re-manifests riding a horse, and so Link and Epona engage it in a horse-battle and soon defeat it. His role in Ocarina of Time itself is merely as a sub-boss in the Water Temple.

Dark Link appears in Super Smash Bros. Melee and Super Smash Bros. Brawl as an enemy in one of the Event Matches, as well as an alternate costume for Link and Toon Link in Super Smash Bros. Brawl.^[1]

Epona is Link's horse, and is used mainly by him for faster travel across the overworld. Epona is named after a Celtic goddess of horses. In Ocarina of Time, Epona was born and raised at the Lon Lon Ranch and was personally handled by Malon herself. According to Malon, Epona is shy toward everyone else, but after Malon teaches "Epona's Song", which is used to summon Epona, Link can befriend her. After the ranch is taken over from Talon and Malon by the farmhand Ingo, Link saves Epona from being given to Ganondorf by winning her in a race, and is from then on in possession of her. In Majora's Mask, the Skull Kid steals her, and Epona ends up at the Romani Ranch in Termina, where Link reclaims her after relearning "Epona's Song".

Epona makes a cameo appearance in The Minish Cap, where she is only seen pulling a cart of Lon Lon Milk for Malon. In Twilight Princess, the player is able to name Link's horse, with "Epona" as its default name. As a wolf, Link is able to talk to her. Epona plays a larger role in this game, as she is used by Link in multiple horseback battles, including the final battle with Ganondorf.

The three Golden Goddesses, Din, Farore and Nayru, are responsible for the creation of Hyrule, as well as the creation of the Triforce, which houses a fraction of their divine power. Din is the Goddess of Power, associated with the color red and the elements of earth and fire; Farore is the Goddess of Courage, and associated with the color green and the element of wind; and Nayru is the Goddess of Wisdom, and is associated with the color blue and the element of time. Each Goddess is also associated with a fragment of the Triforce—Din with the Triforce of Power, Farore with the Triforce of Courage, and Nayru with the Triforce of Wisdom. Each Goddess has a spell that Link may acquire from a Great Fairy—Din's Fire, Farore's Wind, and Nayru's Love. These three spells are used by Princess Zelda in Super Smash Bros. Melee and Super Smash Bros. Brawl. Statues appear in The Wind Waker, depicting the three Goddesses. These statues are arranged in a triangle shape.

Three humanoid women of the same name exist in Oracle of Seasons and Oracle of Ages. Din is the Oracle of Seasons, Nayru is the Oracle of Ages, and Farore is the Oracle of Secrets. Din has red hair, and is a dancer. Earlier in the game, she is captured by a knight named Onox, who uses her to disrupt the seasons. Nayru has blue hair, and is a singer. She is possessed by the witch Veran, who uses her to disrupt time. Farore has green hair, and lives inside of the Maku Tree, an entity in both Oracle of Seasons and Oracle of Ages. She has no relevance to the plot. The Minish Cap uses the same design for the three Oracles. In The Minish Cap, they are travelers who are staying at an Inn in town who are seeking permanent residence. Later in the game, you may only pick two who get to live in their own homes, and, depending on who you pick, they will give you special potions.

The Great Deku Tree is considered the 'Father of the Forest', and his first appearance is in Ocarina of Time. In it, he is charged with watching over the Kokiri, a child-like race of forest spirits that live in the Kokiri Forest. He is an exceptionally large tree with a humanoid face.

When Ocarina of Time begins, the Great Deku Tree is suffering from a curse cast upon him by Ganondorf in an effort to gain the Spiritual Stone of the Forest, which is in the Deku Tree's possession. Knowing Link's destiny, the Deku Tree sends Navi the fairy to retrieve the boy (who is, at this time, living among the Kokiri as one of them) and asks him to destroy the cause of the curse, a spider called Queen Gohma, within him. Although Link defeats Queen Gohma, the Deku Tree was doomed before Link had begun; before he dies, the Deku Tree gives Link the Kokiri Emerald and tells him to seek Princess Zelda at Hyrule Castle. After adult Link completes the Forest Temple and returns to the site of the Deku Tree, he discovers a little sprout, which grows into the Deku Sprout. It is this sprout who tells Link the truth about his past, and reveals that Link is not a Kokiri, but rather a Hylian who was entrusted to the Deku Tree by his mother, who died soon after.

In The Wind Waker, the Great Deku Tree is the guardian of Forest Haven and is a legendary forest and earth spirit. He is at first plagued by ChuChus and, after Link assists in removing the ChuChus, the Deku Tree tells Link about Forest Haven and the Koroks who live there. He confesses to Link that his energy is actually waning and that he has become feeble with age. It is assumed that this is the same Deku Tree that was a sprout in Ocarina of Time, as he speaks Hylian and remembers old times when he sees Link's green tunic. He gives Link the Deku Leaf to help him on his quest, and later Farore's Pearl after Link rescues Makar from the Forbidden Woods. Like Valoo and Jabun, he speaks Hylian, but he can also speak the modern language of the Great Sea.

The Great Deku Tree and its Sprout also appear in Freshly-Picked Tingle's Rosy Rupeeland.

Great Fairies appear in all of the games as giant fairies that reside in springs called "Great Fairy's Fountains". They are much older than other fairies, and are thus much more powerful.^[2] Most of those depicted wear dresses, full-length or knee-length, though in Ocarina of Time, Majora's Mask and Twilight Princess, they are almost completely nude. According to their figurine in The Wind Waker, they were born on the Angular Isles, and are destined to aid the "Great Hero", Link.^[3] In all games, they will completely refill Link's health. In some of their appearances, they will reward Link with new items or upgrades of his items or meters, usually for merely visiting them, though sometimes he must complete a task. These tasks usually involve some selflessness on the part of the player.^[4]

Impa (インパ, Inpa) is a caretaker to Princess Zelda. There are multiple versions of the character named Impa throughout the Zelda series, just as there are multiple Link and Zelda characters. As with Link and Zelda, all versions of the character share personality traits.

The original Impa (appearing in The Legend of Zelda and The Adventure of Link instruction manuals, but not in the actual games) is portrayed as an old woman who calls for Link to save Zelda from Ganon and his henchmen. The Impa of Ocarina of Time is a Sheikah, and the guardian of Princess Zelda. It is later revealed that she is in fact the Sage of Shadow, one of the seven sages in the Zelda universe. She is also a main character in Oracle of Seasons and Oracle of Ages. In Twilight Princess, a character named Impaz dwells in a village which Hylian text suggests is called "Old Kakariko Village", and claims both that she is serving the Royal Family and that she was named after the founder of the village. The Impa from The Legend of Zelda is also supposed to be the same Impa who appears briefly in the Phillips spin-off Zelda: Wand Of Gamelon.

Kaepora Gaebora is a wise owl who guides Link throughout various games in the series. One of the Gossip Stones in Ocarina of Time (found in the Sacred Forest Meadow) says he is the reincarnation of an ancient sage. Another Gossip Stone in the same area tells Link that Kaepora Gaebora "may look big and heavy, but its character is rather lighthearted." Despite him guiding Link throughout his childhood in Ocarina of Time, he is not encountered while an adult except near the end. He is seen in shadows when Link learns the Requiem of Spirit, but makes no other appearance until Link completes the child half of the Spirit Temple; after that, he is seen flying away during the credits.

Kaepora Gaebora claims he does not believe in the Hero of Time. A counterpart of him also appeared in Majora's Mask, first appearing in the swamp area to teach Link the Song of Soaring, and in Goron Village to help Link cross a large abyss. There are statues of his likeness spread across Termina, used as warp points that can be teleported to with the Song of Soaring, as they are discovered by Link, and a way to temporarily save the game.

In Four Swords Adventures, Kaepora Gaebora serves a similar purpose as in the other games.

In Link's Awakening, a similar owl guides Link, and arrives at certain points to give hints and back-story. He believes in a prophecy that says Link will wake the Wind Fish. At that point it is revealed that the owl is actually a part of the Wind Fish's spirit and the guardian of his dream world. He vanishes when the Wind Fish awakens from its dream.

King Daphnes Nohansen Hyrule is the last king of Hyrule in The Wind Waker. To meet with Link, he remotely operates the King of Red Lions, a talking boat, using magic. By the end of the game, the King wishes to the Triforce for Hyrule to be destroyed, and stays with the kingdom as it is flooded.

Other Kings of Hyrule appear or are mentioned in the series. In A Link to the Past, the king only appears during the ending credits. In Ocarina of Time, Ganondorf is seen approaching and kneeling to the King of Hyrule when Link and Princess Zelda first meet, although the king is never shown. In The Minish Cap, the current ruler, King Daltus, is a major character during the game, and his ancestor King Gustaf appears to help Link enter the fifth dungeon. King Harkanian also plays a major role in Faces of Evil and Wand of Gamelon.

Malon (マロン, Maron) has appeared in several games in the series, and is almost always found at Lon Lon Ranch with her father Talon.^[5] Like the series' protagonist, Link, and its namesake, Princess Zelda, Malon is depicted with many varying incarnations. Her largest appearance is in Ocarina of Time, where she interacts with Link on various occasions when he visits the ranch. Link helps her and her father with their ordeals while Malon mainly raises Epona, and teaches Link Epona's Song, which can call the horse to Link at any time. In other games, she has smaller roles, involving Link helping her and Talon. In Majora's Mask, there are Terminan counterparts of Malon, Romani and Cremia, living at Romani Ranch, who respectively resemble her child and adult forms. Malon is also similar to the character Marin (マリン, Marin) from Link's Awakening. She is a girl who finds Link on Koholint's shore and begins developing a romantic relationship with him. As the game begins, Link awakens in Marin's house after she brings him back from the beach. Groggily, he mistakes her for Princess Zelda, but soon learns what has happened. Marin teaches Link the "Ballad of the Wind Fish", and also takes Link as an escort to the Animal Village, where she helps him enter Yarna Desert. If the player completes the game without losing a life, the Wind Fish grants Marin's wish to fly to other lands. In the original version, she is given wings, while in the DX version, it is implied that she was transformed into a seagull. Marin and her father Tarin bear a striking physical resemblance to Malon and Talon from Ocarina of Time. Marin appears in Super Smash Bros. Melee as a Trophy awarded for unlocking every character and level. In Four Swords Adventures, the four Links guide Malon to her father, Talon, when her path is blocked by castle knights. Upon reuniting her with Talon, he gives the Links permission to use his horses, which appear when one of the Links touch a carrot. She also makes an appearance in The Minish Cap, in which Link helps her and Talon back into their house by finding a key.

Though the Malon and Talon do not appear as characters in Twilight Princess, allusions to the characters can be found in the names of two of the youths from Link's home village: Malo and Talo.

The Old Man is a character in multiple titles in the series, particularly the original title. He is bald, and wears a red gown and has a white beard. Link can usually find the old man inside dungeons or caves, often in an off-map location, standing between two torches. The Old Man has several functions, commonly being giving Link items or advice. The Old Man is known for his vague advice, such as "DODONGO DISLIKES SMOKE". Some of this text was corrected in later releases of the game. He later appears in The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Seasons.

The Skull Kid is a character first seen in Ocarina of Time. There are a few of them that can be found in the Lost Woods, a maze-like forest near the starting location of the game. He appears separated from the other Skull Kids. In the direct sequel to Ocarina of Time, Majora's Mask, the Skull Kid that Link befriended returns as the main antagonist in the storyline. He was somewhat of a bully and always played tricks, hence he could never make any friends. Four of his closest friends, the Four Giants of Termina, also got angry at him for this reason, and he believed when they left Clock Town to live with their races, they were leaving him behind, much to his sorrow. One day after that, he was taking shelter from the pouring rain, all alone and very unhappy. He then met Tatl and Tael and was quickly befriended by them. He continued to play tricks, including on a man called the Happy Mask Salesman, who has a mask called the Majora's Mask in his possession, which Skull Kid takes. Under its influence and with the help of the mask's power, he cursed many people in Termina as well as Link, sealed away the Four Giants into evil masks and cursed the moon, forcing it to abandon its orbit and crash into Termina, threatening to annihilate its inhabitants.

A Skull Kid also makes an appearance in Twilight Princess. He also has the ability to open doors in the Sacred Grove, to guide the player to the Master Sword. He also appears in The Legend of Zelda manga.

Kotake (コタケ) and Koume (コウメ, Kōme), collectively referred to as the Twinrova Sisters (双生魔術師ツインローバ, Sōseimajutsushi Tsuinrōba, lit. "Twin Magicians Twinrova"), are a pair of Gerudo witches who play an important role in a few games in the series. They are both the surrogate mothers of the Gerudo King, Ganondorf, being somewhat his more devoted servants. They can brainwash others to serve Ganondorf (they do so to Nabooru in the Spirit Temple of Ocarina of Time) and merge to form the stronger witch Twinrova. The brooms the sisters use to fly become scepters through which Twinrova channels her power. They portray the same characters in The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask, though they are more benevolent than their Ocarina of Time counterparts. In Oracle of Seasons and Oracle of Ages, the Evil Gerudo Witches Twinrova enact a plot to resurrect Ganon.

Vaati (グフー, Gufū), the Wind Mage, is the main antagonist of The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords, Four Swords Adventures and The Minish Cap. His most common appearance is a black orb with a single eye, though he was originally a human-shaped being. In Four Swords, Vaati is initially sealed in the "Four Sword" weapon, but escapes and captures Princess Zelda, only to be returned to the sword by Link, who is split into four by the sword. In the sequel, Four Swords Adventures, he escapes with Princess Zelda yet again with the help of Ganon, forcing Link to be split up and defeat him. Before the events of The Minish Cap, Vaati was a Minish that became corrupted by the evil in the hearts of mankind. He used the Wishing Cap created by his master, Ezlo, to transform himself into a Hylian sorcerer, and in the game he begins seeking out the power of the Light Force. He eventually becomes his black orb form in this game. In the manga, Vaati realizes his mistakes and turns good at the end.