The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time is the fifth main game in The Legend of Zelda series. It was the first game in the series to be released on the Nintendo 64 and to feature 3D graphics. Nintendo developed the game, and the story follows Link, the series' hero, as he works to save the land of Hyrule from the villain Ganondorf. Throughout the game, Link meets many characters, some of whom are friendly and others who are unfriendly. The characters in the game were inspired by works such as The Lord of the Rings by J. R. R. Tolkien and the TV show Twin Peaks. The game's creators were encouraged to focus more on the characters than on the story, and they worked to make the characters' movements and actions look realistic. Some characters were also designed to reference earlier games in The Legend of Zelda series.
Conception and development
The characters in Ocarina of Time were inspired by many different sources. The Deku Scrubs were based on the Hobbits from J.R.R. Tolkien's books. Shigeru Miyamoto, the game's creator, also said the characters were partly inspired by the American TV show Twin Peaks. Miyamoto wanted the characters to have specific roles, such as Kaepora Gaebora, who acts like a grandfather, and girl characters like Saria and Malon, because Link is a boy. In a 1999 interview, Miyamoto said he focuses more on making the characters interesting than on the story, believing that characters are the most important part of The Legend of Zelda games. The game includes more than 60 characters, with each character taking about 2 to 3 days to design. Character designer Yoshiki Haruhana said a coworker once called some of his characters, like Dampé the Gravekeeper, strange, but he did not mean for them to look that way. Character designer Satoru Takizawa said the team wanted the characters to feel real, so they gave them realistic movements. Takizawa also said creating the characters was difficult because he worried about changing the original designs too much. The game also includes references to earlier Zelda games, such as the six sages (other than Princess Zelda) being named after towns from Zelda II: The Adventure of Link, and Malon and Talon being based on characters named Marin and Tarin from The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening.
Main characters
Link is the main character in The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time and other games in The Legend of Zelda series. In Ocarina of Time, he is known as the Hero of Time. Later, he returns as a supporting character in Twilight Princess, where he is called The Hero's Shade. In this role, his spirit helps train the game’s new hero, a descendant named Link, who is also called the Hero of Twilight.
Navi is a fairy who helps Link in Ocarina of Time. She is his "navigator," guiding him during his journey to stop Ganondorf. The Great Deku Tree in Kokiri Forest told her to help Link. While all Kokiri children have fairies, Link does not have one at first because he is not a Kokiri but a Hylian. Navi joins him early in the game. In the game, Navi helps players by pointing out clues, teaching controls, and showing how to progress. She can also help players find enemies, items, and characters. Navi is one of the few characters in the series who speaks in English, using words like "Hey," "Look," and "Watch out." After Link returns the Master Sword to the Pedestal of Time at the end of the game, Navi leaves him. In Majora’s Mask, Link searches for a "beloved and invaluable friend," who is believed to be Navi, and this leads him to the world of Termina. A GamesRadar editor named Mikel Reparaz said Navi was the most annoying female character, as her frequent interruptions made the game harder to enjoy. Another editor, Tom Goulter, listed her as the second most annoying sidekick ever.
Epona is Link’s horse. She first appears in Ocarina of Time and is also in other games like Majora’s Mask, The Minish Cap, Twilight Princess, Breath of the Wild, and Tears of the Kingdom. In Ocarina of Time, Epona is first seen at Lon Lon Ranch, where a girl named Malon teaches Link the song "Epona’s Song." Later, Link frees Epona from a man named Ingo and she becomes his horse. Shigeru Miyamoto, the game’s creator, said Epona was chosen as Link’s main way to travel so he could meet other characters. In Ocarina of Time, players ride Epona to move quickly through the game world. A writer named Charlotte Krol from NME said riding Epona was one of the most enjoyable parts of the game, as it felt very fast and exciting at the time. Another writer, Chris Hoffman from GamesRadar, said Epona is a loyal and dependable companion to Link throughout the game.
Sages
Kaepora Gaebora is a wise owl who helps Link in several games. He appears in Majora's Mask and Four Swords Adventures. Screen Rant called him "arguably Ocarina of Time's most hated character," pointing out his long speeches, which often do not give helpful advice. Devin Ellis Friend noted that players often feel frustrated when interacting with him because, after his speeches, he asks if players want the advice repeated. Since the cursor moves to "yes" automatically, players might accidentally repeat the advice.
In Ocarina of Time, Kaepora Gaebora is the reincarnation of Rauru, the Sage of Light. This is hinted at by a Gossip Stone in the game and confirmed by Hyrule Historia. Rauru was a Hylian high priest and the last of the ancient Sages. He helped Link while he was temporarily trapped in the Sacred Realm and shared information about the Sages and events from the past seven years. He then asked Link to find the five remaining Sages and gave him the Light Medallion.
Saria is a Kokiri girl and Link's childhood friend. She meets Link on a bridge near Kokiri Forest and gives him the Fairy Ocarina, an instrument used to learn songs. Later, she teaches Link Saria's Song in the Lost Woods. Eventually, she sacrifices herself by becoming the Sage of the Forest Temple to help Link on his journey.
Darunia is the leader of the Goron tribe, a group of large, rock-eating giants, and the Sage of Fire. Link first meets him in Goron City, but Darunia refuses to speak until he hears Saria's Song, which makes him happy and causes him to dance. He also appears as a playable character in Hyrule Warriors.
Princess Ruto is a Zora, a member of a race of water-dwelling people, and the Sage of Water. After the Zora refused to follow Ganondorf's rule, he trapped their land in ice. Sheik rescued Ruto and went to the Water Temple to break Ganondorf's curse. Ruto later reunites with Link, whom she was engaged to as a child due to a misunderstanding, and guides him through the temple. After Link defeats Morpha, the source of the curse, Ruto becomes the Water Sage and puts her marriage on hold to help Link. She also appears as a playable character in Hyrule Warriors.
Nabooru is a Gerudo, a member of a race of thieves, and the Sage of Spirit. She was the second-in-command of the Gerudo tribe and opposed Ganondorf's cruelty toward others. She went to the Spirit Temple to stop Ganondorf's plans and asked Young Link to retrieve the Silver Gauntlets for her. However, Twinrova, Ganondorf's surrogate mothers, captured Nabooru and made her follow Ganondorf. After Link defeats Twinrova, Nabooru awakens as a Sage and decides to seek revenge against those who captured her.
Other characters
The Great Deku Tree is an ancient, large tree with a human-like face and a big mustache. In Ocarina of Time, he is responsible for protecting the Kokiri, a group of forest spirits who live in Kokiri Forest. A curse placed on him by Ganon weakens him, as Ganon wants to take the power of the Spiritual Stone of the Forest. The Deku Tree sends Navi to find Link, who must destroy the source of the curse. The Deku Tree is the first dungeon in the game. Although Link succeeds in breaking the curse, the Deku Tree eventually falls to it. Seven years later, Link finds a small sprout that grows into the Deku Sprout, who becomes the Deku Tree’s replacement. In The Wind Waker, the Great Deku Tree is the guardian of the forest. In Breath of the Wild, Zelda asks him to protect the Master Sword in Korok Forest until Link is ready to claim it. In Tears of the Kingdom, the tree is poisoned by Gloom, and Link must defeat Gloom Hands and Phantom Ganon to heal it.
Dampé is an old gravekeeper who appears in several games. He first appears in Ocarina of Time, where he helps child Link explore the Kakariko Village graveyard and find treasures. When playing as adult Link, Dampé is dead, and Link must enter his grave to race his ghost for a hookshot. In Majora’s Mask, Dampé is in the Ikana Graveyard searching for treasure, which Link helps him find. In Four Swords Adventures, Dampé is in a swamp graveyard and tells Link about the Forest of Light. In The Minish Cap, Link can combine items with Dampé to unlock rewards. Dampé also appears as a graveyard caretaker in A Link Between Worlds. In the Nintendo Switch remake of Link’s Awakening, he runs a dungeon editor where players build custom dungeons. In The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom, he is an engineer who builds automatons that act like echoes.
Malon is a young girl who appears in many games. She first appears in Ocarina of Time, where she sings "Epona’s Song" outside Hyrule Castle. Later, Link visits Lon Lon Ranch, where Malon and her father, Talon, face challenges. Malon teaches Link "Epona’s Song," allowing him to summon Epona at any time. After obtaining Epona, Link can race Malon. If he beats her 50-second record, she gives him a cow for his house. In Oracle of Seasons, Malon and Talon raise Cuccos near Eyeglass Lake. If Link gives Malon a Cuccodex, she gives him a Lon Lon Egg. In Four Swords Adventures, the four Links help Malon reunite with Talon, who then lets them use his horses. In The Minish Cap, Link helps Malon and Talon return home by finding a key, and they later move to a town to sell Lon Lon Milk.
Kotake and Koume are Gerudo witches and Ganon’s caregivers and helpers. They can control others to serve Ganon and combine into a stronger witch named Twinrova. Their brooms become scepters that channel Twinrova’s power. They appear in Ocarina of Time, Majora’s Mask, Oracle of Seasons, and Oracle of Ages. In Ocarina of Time, Link fights them as Twinrova, who attacks with fire and ice. Link defeats them by using a Mirror Shield to block their attacks. Critics have praised this battle as one of the best in the series.
Skull Kid is a young imp who appears in Ocarina of Time. Three faceless Skull Kids are in the Lost Woods. Two play a memory game with child Link, and one rewards him if he plays a song on his ocarina. In Majora’s Mask, Skull Kid steals Majora’s Mask, which gives him power but corrupts him. He curses the people of Termina and causes the moon to fall toward Clock Town. Link and the Four Giants of Termina stop the moon, and Link defeats Majora. Skull Kid appears in Twilight Princess, Super Smash Bros. Brawl, and other games. Critics have called him one of the scariest characters in Majora’s Mask due to his violent pranks.
The Happy Mask Salesman is a mysterious man who collects masks. He appears in Ocarina of Time and Oracle of Ages, where he sells masks for trading quests. In Majora’s Mask, he is attacked by Skull Kid, who steals Majora’s Mask. He offers to undo Link’s curse as a Deku Scrub if Link gives him Majora’s Mask and the Ocarina of Time. He also helps Link find masks. Critics have called his line, “You’ve met with a terrible fate, haven’t you?” iconic because it hints at the possibility of reversing Link’s curse.
Reception
When discussing the features that made GamesRadar+ writer Chris Hoffman enjoy Ocarina of Time, he noted that the game introduced new types of characters that Link could meet, including Gorons, Zora, Gerudo, and Sheikah. IGN writers Richard George and Audrey Drake highlighted how the game’s characters had a greater impact, explaining that it developed characters in ways earlier The Legend of Zelda games did not. They mentioned that characters, ranging from main figures like Saria to smaller ones like Guru-Guru, were more memorable than those in previous games. They also pointed out that Link’s character was more detailed and complex compared to earlier versions.