Despite the franchise branching off into three distinct timelines, the series has never felt unfamiliar. Although Links and Zeldas rarely ever come back for a direct sequel, their images have persisted from game to game. Not every LInk is the same Link, but every Link is Link. With Skyward Sword properly adding reincarnation into the mix, it’s easier than ever to explain why certain characters keep reappearing.
Aside from the expected trio of Link, Zelda, and Ganon, multiple NPCs have held firm places in the franchise. Some aren’t relevant today, only recurring during a specific time in the series’ history, while others are more scattershot, coming and going like the Great Sea’s wind. Regardless of how often they appear, it’s always nice to see a familiar face.
10 Syrup (5)
For whatever reason, a lot of players tend to dismiss Syrup. Known by fans almost exclusively as “the witch,” Syrup is that kind old lady who’s always sniffing for mushrooms. She’s Hyrule’s resident potion seller and manages to pop back up on Koholint Island, Holodrum, and Labrynna. That alone makes Syrup the most well-traveled 2D Zelda NPC.
She hasn’t been seen since The Minish Cap, however, with the granddaughter Maple briefly standing in as the resident witch. Interestingly, A Link Between Worlds introduces a new young witch, Irene, and even features dialogue hinting that the older witch in the game is an older Maple.
Appears in: A Link to the Past, Link’s Awakening, Oracle of Ages, Oracle of Seasons, The Minish Cap
9 Impa (6)
By far the most visually inconsistent character in The Legend of Zelda, Impa has appeared six times and almost every single time has given her some new design. Her slimmer Ocarina of Time design is her most iconic, but her rounder Oracles design is more in-line with her original concept art.
Breath of the Wild notably chose to accentuate her older qualities, making Imper much, much older than she’s ever been and noticeably shorter. It’s an interesting take for the character, especially since the non-canon Hyrule Warriors opted for a design more in-line with the Sage Impa from Ocarina of Time. Worth noting, Impa had concept art before she ever appeared in the games.
Appears in: Ocarina of Time, Oracle of Ages, Oracle of Seasons, Skyward Sword, A Link Between Worlds, Breath of the Wild
8 Dampe (6)
Dampe is an interesting character, in that his prominence is only now starting to rear its head. One of the more unique NPCs in Ocarina of Time, it only made sense to bring Dampe back for Majora’s Mask (alongside almost every other NPC.) Notably, he was one of few Majora’s Mask NPCs not to return for an Oracle game.
Dampe would later appear in The Minish Cap, tying 2D Hyrule closer to 3D Hyrule, and he’d appear yet again in A Link Between Worlds, now tying him to A Link to the Past’s little vacuum of continuity. He most recently appeared in the Link’s Awakening remake, serving as the face for an entire selling point: dungeon maker.
Appears in: Ocarina of Time, Majora’s Mask, Four Swords Adventures, The Minish Cap, A Link Between Worlds, Link’s Awakening
7 Tingle (6)
Tingle’s something of a little freak in the Zelda universe, but he’s the lovable kind of freak. Flying around attached to his balloon, his glorious image graced gamers for the first time in Majora’s Mask before returning in Oracle of Ages to universal critical acclaim. Come The Wind Waker and Tingle had entered the cultural zeitgeist and become a household name.
Then tragedy struck, after appearing in Four Swords Adventures and The Minish Cap, Tingle was severed in half by a kinstone. Also, Americans were responding overwhelmingly negatively to the character, resulting in an entire Tingle line of games never releasing in the United States. Naturally, Tingle had to take a break.
Appears in: Majora’s Mask, Oracle of Ages, The Wind Waker, Four Swords Adventures, The Minish Cap
6 Beedle (6)
Introduced as the Great Sea’s resident shopkeeper, Beedle has returned rather consistently ever since he reappeared in Phantom Hourglass. It’s to a point where Beedle has essentially replaced the series’ generic shopkeeps. Beedle most notably returned in Breath of the Wild, but he was already present in both Spirit Tracks and Skyward.
Worth noting, because Beedle appears in Skyward Sword, he’s one of three recurring characters who’s been a part of the series’ chronology since the very beginning. The other two? Link and Zelda. That’s right, Beedle’s been around longer than Ganon.
Appears in: The Wind Waker, The Minish Cap, Phantom Hourglass, Spirit Tracks, Skyward Sword, Breath of the Wild
5 Postman (7)
Introduced as the Running Man in Ocarina of Time, the character has been known as the Postman ever since he was recontextualized as such for Majora’s Mask. It makes sense. Delivering the mail is far more interesting than just running around a field. Aside from MM, he’s at his most prominent in Twilight Princess.
Worth noting, the Postman sees a major redesign for Phantom Hourglass and Spirit Tracks, to the point where they could very well be considered separate characters. That said, they share the “Postman” moniker and redesigns in The Legend of Zelda do happen.
Appears in: Ocarina of Time, Majora’s Mask, Oracle of Ages, The Minish Cap, Twilight Princess, Phantom Hourglass, Spirit Tracks
4 Epona (8)
Finally hitting the series’ more familiar mainstays, Epona was introduced in Ocarina of Time and held a very steady presence in the series. She was notably, but logically, absent from The Wind Waker, but otherwise appeared in almost every mainline Zelda game up to Twilight Princess. After TP, however, Epona took a very long break from games.
She most recently appeared in Breath of the Wild, but there’s over ten years of games between Twilight Princess and Breath of the Wild. Even then, though, Epona was longed behind an Amiibo and has no real character presence in the context of the game. Epona went from being a mainstay to DLC.
Appears in: Ocarina of Time, Majora’s Mask, Oracle of Ages, Oracle of Seasons, Four Swords Adventures, The Minish Cap, Twilight Princess, Breath of the Wild
3 Ganon (12)
Whether you know him as Ganon or Ganondorf, the Demon King is The Legend of Zelda’s main antagonist. Appearing far more than any other villain in the franchise, Ganon’s presence can be felt in games where he isn’t even the main antagonist. He doesn’t physically appear in Link’s Awakening, but his shadow does. Similarly, he isn’t in Zelda II except for on the Game Over screen.
His villainy almost always drives the plot, but he’s not consistently Ganon or Ganondorf. He’s the former more often, but he notably never transformed into Ganon during the events of The Wind Waker– though the intro does present him as the beastial Ganon.
Absent from: Majora’s Mask, Four Swords, The Minish Cap, Phantom Hourglass, Spirit Tracks, Skyward Sword, Tri Force Heroes
2 Princess Zelda (16)
It kind of goes without saying, but Princess Zelda shows up quite a few times over the course of The Legend of Zelda’s storied history. Like Ganon, she’s not always relevant when she appears (notably irrelevant to Majora’s Mask and both Oracle games), but her presence is almost always a given. Even when she’s not around, she’s mentioned.
Counting Tetra as Zelda, she’s technically in 17 games. As Tetra has her own design and name, though, it’s worth creating a divide between them. Especially since Princess Zelda and Tetra seemingly have different personalities as depicted in The Wind Waker.
Absent from: Link’s Awakening, Phantom Hourglass, Tri Force Heroes
1 Link (19)
The only character to appear in every single mainline Legend of Zelda game, Link is the series’ perpetual hero. Constantly reincarnated, Link has seen many adventures across Zelda’s three branching timelines. He’s the only character consistently strong enough to fight back against Ganon, and his lack of presence can lead to complete catastrophe, like in The Wind Waker.
Breath of the Wild recently gave Link a major redesign, trading his green tunic for a blue one, and this Link is seeing an immediate sequel, not unlike the Hero of Time from the N64 days. After BotW 2, though, it’s safe to say we’ll get a new Link. But just as the sun always sets, a Zelda will always feature Link.
NEXT: The Legend Of Zelda: 5 Ways 2D Zelda Is Better (& 5 Ways 3D Is Better)
