The Legend Of Zelda

An enigmatic, yet enterprising bunch, the Deku Scrubs travel the world selling what wares and goods they stumble upon to unwary travelers. Deku Scrubs are irrepressibly paranoid however, any thus may sometimes attack their customers by spitting Deku Nuts at them. Moreover, there are members of this race that are very hostile both to the Deku way of life (that is, business) and outsiders. Therefore, they are usually exiled from their homes and wander the world randomly attacking anyone they come across.

In the mirror world of Termina, the Deku Scrubs were not a tribe of wandering merchants, but a small kingdom located in a poisonous swamp, where they were ruled over by a Deku King. Despite having settled down, the tribe was still generally paranoid and gave no quarter to any outsiders that attempted to enter the Deku Castle. Some famous Deku Scrubs are the Deku King, Princess, and Butler.

Always the Fairy race has been meant to be in service of the greater races. In olden days, the Fairies served the spirit of the earth, the Great Deku Tree, by providing companionship to the Kokiri, its helper spirits. At the same time, many fairies were spread across the world in special fountains to serve as healers to weary adventurers that may happen to discover them. Indeed, this particular service was always performed by the many forms that fairies can be found in; such as the Great Fairies, the many Fairy Queens?, the smaller Fairies that appear as balls of light, and those Fairies that appear as tiny women with wings.

As the ages progressed, the Fairies have always acted on their destined task wholeheartedly. Some of the most well-known Fairies include Navi, who is legendary in her assistance to the Hero of Time, and Tatl, who help the Hero of Time defeat Majora's Mask.

The Fairies in later centuries also established a minor monarchical system of their own in the southern half of New Hyrule. At the time of Legend of Zelda, their king was Oberon?, whose daughter was the Fairy princess, Spryte.

They are the olive or dark-skinned peoples that dwell in the deserts of old Hyrule. What makes the Gerudo unique is that their population is made up of all women, and that there is only one man born into the Gerudo's ranks every one-hundred years. This particular characteristic has two effects: one beign that it forces the Gerudo to seek out non-Gerudo mates in order to keep thier numbers at a sustainable number, and secondly it always keep a certain threat over the entire race's head that they could be wiped out if no willing mates could be found.

The Gerudo are natural thieves and often excel at this particular craft, in fact using the superior agility that comes in tandem with this skill to further their battle prowess. Along with their superiority in war, the Gerudo society is very warlike in its ethos, valuing the strong over the weak, and utilizing their isolating terrain to keep themselves apart from the other "decadent" races, like the Hylians.

An Isolated Tribe

This particular isolation worked all well and good as long as the entire tribe stayed out of trouble. Unfortunately for the pragmatists amongst them, the Gerudo were cursed when Ganondorf Dragmire was born into the tribe as their sole King and Sovereign Leader. And thus, once he was of an age where he could assume the mantel of his divinely granted position, Ganondorf worked tirelessly towards causing trouble for the other races of Hyrule.

The Favored Son

In the aftermath of the Great War Between the Races, the Gerudo were herded (much to their chagrin) under the banner of the Hylian Royal Family and joined the Kingdom of Hyrule. Ganondorf was suddenly no longer a sovereign royal and more or less a local governor with authority derived not from a serpent goddess, but rather from a fat, jolly old Hylian miles away in his lofty castle. While this insult proved a slap in the face of the Gerudo, and more importantly, Ganondorf’s ego, it also provided the young Sand King a wonderful idea—namely, that a united and centralized Hyrule was ripe for conquest if one could overcome the central authority at Hyrule Castle.

Therefore, Ganondorf sought to gain the trust of Hyrule’s King, and by extension the Royal Family. He joined the King’s inner circle of advisors (which gave him access to the archives of the Hylian scholars, a fatal mistake in the end) and lost no chance to feign allegiance to this man that he hated so much. With his prestige and access secured, Ganondorf learned of the location of the legendary Triforce, and what followed is history.

The Flight

One can imagine that, having just endured a long and painful war caused by the Gerudo king, the sand people were suddenly not looked upon as fondly as they may have been years earlier. It is therefore feasible that, rather than face the hostility of their neighbors, the Gerudo exiled themselves away from Hyrule and toward a new land where they would face less hostility. Nevertheless, even if they did remain (and this scenario is equally plausible, if only because one of the seven Sages that brought down Ganondorf’s regime was Nabooru, herself a Gerudo), the sand people would be forced to move in light of Ganondorf’s break from his seal and the terrible ruin he rained upon Hyrule, which culminated in the Great Flood.

During the events of Four Swords Adventures, the Gerudo are encountered once more in the Desert of Mystery?, in the southwest corner of Hyrule. There they have built a small camp of tents and shanties, a striking contrast to the vast complex that was Gerudo Fortress. Unfortunately for them, the accursed King of Evil returned to their tribe, as the next born male child. When he finally reached the age where he could oncemore enact his plans against the Hyrulian Crown, Ganondorf and a group of his acolytes fled deeper into the desert and began defacing the ancient Pyramids of the desert in search of ancient, evil artifacts which could help their cause. Ganondorf found the power he sought within the Dark Tribe’s lost Trident of Power, which then in tandem with other Dark Tribe artifacts, Ganondorf unleashed a horrible torrent upon the Kingdom. Only through the valiant efforts of Link and the Four Sword was Ganondorf sealed away once more, this time to be imprisoned in the Dark World (which he had perverted centuries ago from the once-idyllic Sacred Realm).

A Twice-Scorned Tribe

How many times must the male heir of the Gerudo, in whom so much hope is invested, betray the trust and ambitions of his people? Ganondorf, having struck twice against his own people, and twisting their loyalty to achieve his own evil aims, must have surely soured the Gerudo against the concept of the male child being the destined King.

By the time of A Link to the Past, which followed FSA only by a few years, the Desert of Mystery is devoid of any trace of the Gerudo tribe. It seems as if the entire lot of them packed up and left once more. Perhaps this time they went to a far-off island where they could not harm another nation with their progeny?

No one knows for sure what happened to the Gerudo people. Unlike the other races which evolved, moved away to known lands, or went into hiding, the Gerudo simply disappeared without a trace.

And thus, history lips betray two different tales of these enigmatic sand amazons—the first being of a tribe of thieves and warriors who followed their evil king in his march of conquest, the other being an accursed nomadic peoples who contributed to the rescue of Hyrule from the clutches of Ganondorf during the Imprisoning War. The former lives on in every breath Ganondorf takes, the latter in the white brick structures of Nabooru Town.

The Gorons are the hefty, rock-munching peoples of the Mountains of Hyrule. They could be most commonly found, though, in the Death Mountain Range of old Hyrule, and many, many years later seemed to fan out across the world to locales like Mount Cucco? of Holodrum in the West. The Gorons made their homes out of deeply dug caverns in the highest mountain peaks, extending ever deeper in search of the tastiest rocks. Some of the most well-known Gorons include Darunia, the Sage of Fire?, and Darmani?, the greatest hero of the Terminan Goron Tribe.

Where They Were

Prior to the Great Flood, specifically circa the days of Ocarina of Time, the Gorons were a relatively advanced race, with a large city cut into the caves of Death Mountain. They maintained a crude tribal religion focused around the Fire Temple and the worship of fire spirits. They also possessed a proud history, especially concerning the stories of the Megaton Hammer? and the destruction of the evil fire spirit, Volvagia, and the hands of their great unnamed hero? (though some postulate the hero was named "Wyrmbane," "Dragonbane," or something along those lines).

What Happened?

From what little we do know about the return of Ganon prior to the Great Flood (mainly what we can derive from engravings depicting the events), it seems that the King of Evil returned to Hyrule through Death Mountain. What one can assume is certainly that his return involved a devastating attack on Goron City, perhaps the deaths of many of their race. Furthermore, after the initial flood, what little remained of Death Mountain (namely, the summit) poked above the waves and was taken over by the Rito Tribe, who then renamed the summit to Dragon Roost Island, essentially leaving the Gorons homeless.

Where Did They Go?

In further Zelda games, it becomes apparent that the Gorons did not stick around for long in the post-deluge Hyrule. Rather, many fled the Great Sea (perhaps on rafts, since the Gorons are known to have the capacity to build them). In the land of Labrynna, far to the northwest of the Great Sea, a new Goron City was built in a large cave in the mountains. Some Gorons, however, did stay behind, as evidenced by the four or so Goron Merchants that wander the Great Sea on rickety rafts, hawking their goods to any travelers that stumble upon them.

By the time of The Minish Cap, a small group of Gorons made their way to New Hyrule where they attempted to build a new city in a cave near Lon Lon Ranch. Through the power of the Kinstone?s they were able to gather enough of their numbers reach the cave’s main interior (where all the delicious rocks were) so they could begin construction on this new home. Events seemed to finally be in the Gorons’ favor.

However, by the time of Link to the Past and subsequent games, the Gorons had disappeared from Hyrule completely, leaving nary a trace or artifacts behind. Moreover, the citizens of Hyrule mentioned nothing of a bumbling, jovial races of rock-dwelling folk, leaving many to assume that the Gorons’ flight from Hyrule was swift and unnoticed. Perhaps their new home proved unsuitable, so these Gorons returned to their new home in Labrynna? Or, more likely, they continued to dig deeper into the earth in search of the most delicious rocks, until they disappeared from Hyrule forever.

Humans were created, like the Hylians, in the image of  the Goddesses, but lacked the favor of the deities that the latter race possessed. Because of this, where ever the two races lived side-by-side there was often tension, or a general sense by both parties that the Hylians were indeed the better of the two.

Although, after the fall of old Hyrule, the Hylians were displaced to the north continent where the Humans had already grown in dominance. It was initially awkward, but after time the two races managed to work things about and in time work together, especially against the evil doings of Ganon. Because of this cohabitation, the two races also began to intermarry, which in time led to the near disappearance of pure blood of Hylia from the world.

Humans can be found living in villages and towns along with the implements of their agriculture alongside rivers or on a sprawling grassy plain. They can be distinguished from the Hylians by their rounded ears, rather than pointed. Humans can also be found in the far off lands of Holodrum and Labrynna where they are the majority race.

The Hylians are the favored race of the Goddesses. It was they who were blessed with the ability to wage the most impressive of magics, to use telepathy, and with pointed ears so that they might hear the words of the Goddesses themselves.

The Hylians dominated the land of old Hyrule, being the first to form a civilization, and to create a society of laws. It was the Hylians that built the Temple of Light (specifically, the Sage of Light, Rauru). And, it was the Hylians that founded and built the new Kingdom of Hyrule after the Great War.

When the Great Flood wiped out old Hyrule, Hylian civilization was preserved by a select few over the next 800 years, until a group of Hylians sailed north in search of a new land where to rebuild Hyrule. Some of the most well-known Hylians included the lineage of the many Princess Zeldas and the Hero of Time, Link.

The Kokiri are the children of the Forest. They are, unbeknownst the common traveller, actually an avatar to the lesser spirits of the earth, and servants of the earth spirit, the Great Deku Tree. The Kokiri look like small children, with pointed ears, freckles possibly, and dressed in green. They were found exclusively in Kokiri Forest, because as spirits they were bound to stay within its borders.

The Kokiri, most notably, served the future of Hyrule when during the Great War they harbored a baby and his mother from the raging battle outside its entrance, despite the ban on any non-Kokiri entering the Forest. They then harbored and allowed the baby to live among them. This baby in time grew up to become Link, the Hero of Time. Without the generosity of the Kokiri, Link might have died in that war, and would not have grow up to become the hero that he did. Some of the most well known Kokiri include Saria, the Sage of Forest during the Imprisoning War, and Fado?, the Sage of Wind during the time of the Great Flood.

History

The Kokiri are by far, one of, if not the most enigmatic race in all of Hyrule. They were always hidden away from the rest of the races, preferring to tend to their forests and live in quiet peace, rather than become emerged in the affairs of the Kingdom. Prior to the Kingdom’s founding, during the war that forged (Old) Hyrule as we knew it, the Kokiri were the only race to not participate in the Great War. Therefore, they served as an important refuge for those ravaged by the horrors of the conflict outside the forest.

The Kokiri were led by the great spirit of the earth, the Great Deku Tree. The Deku Tree was their "father," he guided them from his serene grove, and assigned loyal fairies to watch over his "children." The Tree, as a great spirit, was gifted with foresight and prophecy, and thus able to see the events that would bring a young baby Hylian to his woods. When the time arrived and the infant Link came to Kokiri Forest, the Tree insisted that the boy be raised as a Kokiri.

When the rumblings of the Imprisoning War began to murmur through the Kingdom, the Deku Tree realized that the time of prophecy had arrived and sent Link away to do his fate. After the events of Ocarina of Time, the Kokiri faded from Hyrule’s memory, perhaps preferring to left alone to tend to their forest.

The Flood

The Great Flood, and the events that proceeded it must have been devastating to the Kokiri. During the Imprisoning War they proved their vulnerability by being easily terrified by the darker elements of the forest that were at Ganon’s command. One can imagine that equally horrible fate fell upon the sleepy thickets during Ganon's return that resulted in Hyrule being buried under the Great Sea.

Yet, despite how vulnerable they may be, the Kokiri were also very resilient. Somehow, they and the Great Deku Tree managed to retreat to a nearby mountain peak (which later became Forest Haven Island?) and began to grow a forest there.

Kokiri No More

"What do you call yourself? Link? Well, then, Link... The Koroks-the spirits of the forest. Once upon a time, long ago, the Koroks took on human forms, but when they came to live on the sea, they took these shapes.  Now they fear people...but to me they will be my ever cherished little children."

- Great Deku Tree 

As Link (of the Wind Waker) would discover, the denizens of Forest Haven Island were not eternally young children, but rather small plant-like beings. As the Great Deku Tree admitted, the Kokiri were not an actual race like Hylians, but rather a tribe of mystical beings, more akin to the Fairies. The Koroks, as they were now known, had the ability to change their appearance as it suited them, so they could better perform their duties to the forests.

That is, as Kokiri, they could work away in the woods without arousing the suspicion of the mortal races of Hyrule, and now as the Koroks, they had forms that would allow easy movement across the Great Sea (an area more devoid of life and much more isolated) so that they could go about reseeding their lost woodlands.

After the events of Wind Waker, the Koroks disappear from the Zelda mythology, never to be seen in any form for the rest of the series. One can only assume that they remained behind above the waves where Kokiri Forest once stood, spreading the seeds of the Great Deku Tree, and sprouting new forests across the Great Sea.

The Koroks are less a race and more the minor spirits of the earth. They act in service to the spirit of the earth, the Great Deku Tree, in the function of spreading its seeds across the Great Sea in an attempt to foster the growth of forests. In appearance, Koroks look like little trees with appendages and leaves for a face. Though, they did not always look this way. Centuries before the Wind Waker, the Koroks took the forms of small children so as to facilitate their movement among the peoples of Hyrule. When that form was no longer necessary they reverted to their true form, of the earth spirits that they are.

The Minish folk are a very peculiar race of tiny elves. The come in four different varieties, depending on where they live: Town, Forest, Mountain, and Lake Minish. The Minish usually hide themselves from the "giant" races of Hyrule, only appearing to children, whom they delight in the company of. What encounters Hyrulians have had with the Minish are the stuff of legends, specifically spawning the story of the "Picori" (as the Minsh are otherwise known).

The story revolves around the magical blacksmithing talents that the Picori/Minish possess, and how the wee folk helped Hyrule repel danger ages ago with a magic sword that they forged. When one of the Minish, Vaati, an apprentice to the famous Lorekeeper Ezlo, went mad and stole the Minish Cap (a relic of great power) he wreaked havoc across Hyrule. Vaati was eventually defeated by Link, with the help of Ezlo and the other Minish. Some of the most famous Minish are Ezlo and Vaati.

The Sheikah are the calm, stoic peoples of the base of Death Mountain. They can be differentiated from other races based on their tall, lanky, yet muscular frames and pale (almost blue-ish) skin. The Sheikah made a home for themselves in the foothills of the Death Mountain Range in Kakariko Village and pledged themselves in service of the Hylian Monarchy as guards and nursemaids. Not much is known about the Sheikah, other than their devoted warrior tradition.

History

Historically, the Sheikah have always served one specific purpose in Hyrule, and that is to protect the King of Hyrule and the Royal Family. They served as bodyguards and attendants to the royal youth, among other members of the family. Moreso, they served another clandestine purpose in the land, acting as the eyes and ears of the King. Through the use of the Mask of Truth they could comb information from the Gossip Stone?s that were sprinkled throughout Hyrule, magical devices that would remember anything they overhead. The Mask of Truth also had the power of giving its wearer the ability to read the thoughts of those they talked to while wearing the mask. 

Little is known about the Sheikah as they existed before the Imprisoning War. What is known is that they were servants of the Royal Family and that they founded Kakariko Village and attached graveyard. Sometime between the Great War  and the outbreak of the Imprisoning War, the vast number of Sheikah (previously they numbered enough to populate Kakariko) disappeared, and all that remained was Impa.

With the outbreak of the Imprisoning War, Princess Zelda was taken by her nursemaid, Impa, to a hidden location far from the castle to prevent her capture by Ganondorf's forces.

Even after Hyrule's ultimate victory in the Imprisoning War, the Sheikah never regained the numbers they possessed in their heyday. From there on, the only traces of Sheikah blood seemed to exist in the line of nursemaids that tended to the various children of the Royal Family. Indeed, the Sheikah tribe seemingly died following the war.

Physiology

Sheikah are easily distinguished by their pale white skin and the red irises of their eyes. They tend to be tall, skinny, and agile.

Known Sheikah

Impa

Impa is the only known and confirmed Sheikah in Ocarina of Time. She identifies herself as "Impa of the Sheikahs" (this is interesting, as it implies that there may be others, ie. she is one of a Sheikah plural) and the label is confirmed by the whispers of several other Hylian commoners. Impa is the attendant of Princess Zelda, performing a role done by many in the generations before her, taking care of and protecting the royal heirs. It is this duty that will help Zelda survive Ganondorf's attack on the castle, when Impa spirited the Princess away from the castle in the onslaught.

Impa is widely revered in Kakariko Village, the ancestral village of her people, for opening it up to non-Sheikah to live in following the disappearance of the Sheikah after the Great War (more on that subject ahead). This spirit of generosity continues after Ganondorf seizes control of Hyrule and the previous denizens of Hyrule Castle Town seek refuge in Kakariko. For these kind deeds, she is widely known as "the Great Impa" in the Village.

Impa is also the Sage of Shadow, and in that capacity has served as protector for the Shadow Temple and the Village as a whole. She was the one who defeated and imprisoned Bongo Bongo deep under Kakariko in the cursed well. She would send her protege, Sheik, to do the same task again whe Ganondorf let Bongo Bongo loose upon the town.

Sheik

The label "Sheikah" can only be loosely applied to Sheik because the mysterious lad is actually Princess Zelda, and therefore a Hylian, not a Sheikah. Following the outbreak of the Imprisoning War, Zelda was taken away by Impa and tought the customs and magics of the Sheikah tribe so that she could well enough pass herself as a Sheikah male while waiting for Link to return.

Possible Sheikah

Composer Bros.

The Composer Bros.?, Flat the Younger, and Sharp the Elder, explain to Link that they lived in Kakariko Village many years ago and served the Royal Family by researching the magic surrounding the family, and in turn composing songs like the Sun's Song.  Moreover, one of the brothers tells Link that he was one of the "people of? this village... born to serve the Royal Family of Hyrule." Because we know that Kakariko was originally the village of the Sheikah, it seems a reasonable leap of logic to say that the Composer Bros. were therefore Sheikah.

Skulltula Family

The Skulltula Family? is much like the Composer Bros. in that they lived in Kakariko while it was still a village, as explained by one denizen of the village.  As such, it can be assumed they were Sheikah as well. Moreover, when Link returns the family members to their true form, the family members fit the Sheikah description, being of pale skin.

Man who could see the Truth

The Man who see the Truth was the fellow who discovered the Eye of Truth? and hid it in the sewer systme under his house (where the well now stands). It can be assumed that he as well fits the description of one who lived in Kakariko's Sheikah times, and therefore was likely a member of the tribe. That he forged the Eye of Truth in the shape of the Sheikah Emblem does not hurt the argument either.

Dampe

Dampe? may perhaps be the descendant of a Sheikah, as (while not labeled outright as one) he does bear characteristics commonly known to portray Sheikah heritage. Namely, pale skin.

Mutoh's Family

Mutoh's family (Mutoh himself, the Hag, Grog, and Anju) are a stretch, and like Dampe may be the descendants of Sheikah. Grog, the son bears characteristics of Sheikah blood, which may mean that the family had Sheikah ancestors. Though, this is a logical stretch to say the least.

Disappearance?

They say that Princess Zelda's nanny is actually one of the Sheikah, who many thought had died out.;:- Hyrule Citizen

What is perhaps most striking about the Sheikah is the drastic disappearance of their tribe from Hyrule in the peacetime between the Great War that forged Hyrule and the Imprisoning War, a span of almost a decade! What can explain this precipitous drop in the numbers of Shadow Folk over such a short span of time?

One possible theory is that the Sheikah simply "demobilized" and moved out of the light of everyday Hyrulian society and returned to the shadows until the Royal Family needed them once more. Another is that the tribe suffered extreme loses during the Great War, to the degree that only impa remained. Or, maybe following the war, the remaining Sheikah "quit" the tribe and settled down and intermarried with Hylians?

Conjecture aside, we do know for sure that by the time of the end of the Imprisoning War, only two Sheikah remained: Impa, and Sheik (who dubbed himself "Survivor of the Sheikahs..."  Though, because Sheik was obviously Princess Zelda in disguise, only Impa truly remained. Any mention of the Sheikah in Hyrule is done so with a reverence given normally to fairy tales and the characters of tall tales. Indeed, one Hylian remarks that the Sheikah are "legendary."  Ultimately, there is no explanation for the disappearance of the Sheikah tribe, and following the time period of Ocarina of Time, no further mention of their kind.

However, there is one more clue of their existence following the time of OoT, a set of masks with the Sheikah emblem adorned on them decorating the door to Ganondorf's cabin in the Forsaken Fortress. Perhaps these are trophies of his from the Imprisoning War, or trinkets from the Fortress' previous owners (a Sheikah resurgence?). Once again, though, we are left with more questions than answers in this matter.

Gossip Stones

The Gossip Stones were created by the Sheikah for the purpose of gathering information from passerby throughout Hyrule, which they could then retrieve using the Mask of Truth. To the common eye, however, they appeared to be nothing more than magical clocks. Gossip Stones, as well as the Mask, bear the Sheikah eye on them and therefore can be assumed to be derivative of Sheikah magics. As explained above, it is likely that the stones were used to listen in on the prevailing gossip of Hyrule and comb through the information as part of their duties to the Royal Family (like discover assassination plots).

Culture

Little is known about Sheikah culture other than the obvious presence of a strong, stoic warrior ethic and a tribal fealty to the Royal Family of Hyrule.

The most recognizable symbol of their peoples is the Sheikah Emblem, an eye crowned with three triangles (likely representing the Triforce, and by extension the Royal Family) and shedding a single teardrop. The symbol can be found in many places across Hyrule, specifically on the door to the Shadow Temple, on the clothing of Sheik and Impa, in the shape of the Eye of Truth, and engraved on the Mask of Truth and many Gossip Stones that dot the land.

In the Zelda manga (and therefore, this the following is considered not canon), Sheik tells Link that the symbol's teardrop is symbolic of a betrayal of the Sheikah by the Royal Family.

The Subrosians are the curious creatures that dwell within the land of Subrosia, the cavern cut out of the earth's crust underneath Holodrum. The Subrosians are a very relaxed race, prefering to take mud baths than engage in serious matters. Their gentle isolation was interrupted when the Temple of Seasons was dumped into Subrosia but the General of Darkness, Onox. The Subrosians then dedicated themselves to assisting Link, whow as on a quest to restore the seasons to the world above, if only to restore their previous tranquility. One of the most well-known Subrosians is Rosa, who was particularly instrumental in helping Link perform his duty.

The Tokay are the curious repitllian denizens of Crescent Island in Labrynna. By the standards of other races, they could be considered backwards, with their lack of any notable civilization. Rather, much like actual lizards, the Tokay are more apt to play and spend the day lazying and basking in the sun. Because of this behavior, the Tokay are apt to stay within the boundaries of their tiny island, never leaving unless for some urgent need. Other than the small role they served during the events of Oracle of Ages, they have not really had any describable impact on the events of the world.

The Twili are a tribe of people descended from a syndicate of ancient mages that attacked the Sacred Realm in an attempt to steal the power of the gods for themselves. However, their attempt failed when the four light spirits put a halt to their designs, and as punishment sealed them away in the Twilight Realm. There their bodies underwent radical change due to the environment of their new home, their skin changed from the pale fleshtone of the Hylia? to a deep or light blue. Despite these bewildering changes, the Twili grew to accept their new lot and lived in peace and contentment, forming a monarchical government and building a large palace complex in a seemingly ethereal wasteland.

The serenity of their society, however, collapsed when one of their own, Zant, overthrew the monarchy because of his selfish desire to succeed the old king. When the king was instead succeeded by his daughter, Zant flew into a rage and fled the palace. There, he encountered a dark power that had been banished to the Twilight Realm, who offered Zant his divine aid to achieve the Twili's desires. With the help of this dark power, Ganondorf Dragmire, Zant transformed the Twili into Twilit monsters that were beholden to his every command, and used their number to attack the land of Hyrule, eventually gaining control of most of the Kingdom.

The Twili had a legend though, that a sacred beast would come to their aid and rescue them. Link restored them to their true form by returning the Sols that give their world light. He also aided Midna in killing Zant, thereby restoring their rightful ruler to the throne. After defeating Ganondorf, the curse on Midna was broken, and she returned to the Twilight World, destroying the Mirror of Twilight as she left, making it impossible for people to cross the chasm between worlds ever again.

A few notable Twili would be Midna, the Twilight Princess, and Zant the Usurper King. A few notable Twili artifacts would be the Fused Shadows and the Mirror of Twilight. The name Twili comes from the word Twilight.

The Watararas come to Hyrule only once a year due to the migrations. When a Watarara becomes an adult they are to grow wings from their arms, giving the ability to fly. If they are not yet an adult, they ride on their mothers back until so. The Watarara do not have a king or queen, but have a Tribal Leader named Elrora. The heir to this throne is her son, Lord Rouru and his attendant is Guufo.

The Wind Tribe are a mysterious tribe of humans that for reasons unknown fled to the clouds above Hyrule (where only the "pure of heart" may walk) to live in seclusion, away from the troubles of the surface world. They left behind many ruins and relics, including the Wind Ruins, and the Ocarina of Wind. The entire tribe is very small, and manages to live in a single palace in the clouds overhead of the northeastern Hyrule. Some famous Wind Tribe members are Gregal who was haunted by a ghost, and the Chieftan of the Wind Tribe.

The Zora are the tall, lanky aquatic peoples of Hyrule. They are much like the Hylians in that they both possess a strong sense of religiosity and duty to the ruling monarchy. Therefore, after the peace of the Great War, the Zora pledged themselves to the new kingdom of Hyrule and to protecting the water supply of the Kingdom. After the Great Flood it seemed as if the Zora had become hostile to the Hylians, perhaps blaming them for the Flood, and retreated from sight. It appeared that the Zora fled northward to the north continent where some tribes populated the rivers, hostile to passerby, whereas other recreated the old Zora monarchy in peace with their neighbors. These two different tribes never really resolved with each other, and the effects of the split could be felt even later on during the events of Legend of Zelda.

Avant le Deluge

During the times of Ocarina, the Zora were one of the most respected races in Hyrule. They were entrusted by the Hylian Royal Family with keeping the land’s main water sources clean, a very important job that the Zora took very seriously. The race dwelled in a large cavern built into the cliffs under the Zora's River’s main waterfall. There their society worked away at their royal charge, all the while led by a monarchical system of self-government, and keeping faithful to their service to the fish-god Jabu Jabu.

The Irony of the Flood

In the aftermath of Ganon’s attack upon Hyrule, the Goddesses flooded Hyrule with torrential rain and buried the Kingdom under a deep ocean. Now, many would assume this situation would prove ideal for the Zora, a water-dwelling race, and usher in a Golden Age of Zora Civilization. However, the Great Flood instead brought about a tragic irony in that the flood waters, once settled, were combined with surrounding oceans and went from being fresh water to salty. The Zora, having lived in the clean waters of the Zora River and Lake Hylia were unable to cope with this change in environment, and many died in the aftershock of the flood.

The Zora Exodus

If we are to rule out evolution, then clearly the Zora had to have gone somewhere. There is a possibility that the Zora built a new city above the waves on Greatfish Isle, the home of Jabun. It is no small stretch to assume that the Zora, who worshipped Jabu Jabu and lived close to him, would be equally attracted to the latter great water spirit. However, as we know, the Isle was destroyed by Ganon and Jabun fled during the confusion. If there was a Zora settlement there, it was well hidden, or completely annihilated. In the ruins of the island, only a few palm trees and jagged rocks remained.

But, as later Zelda games reveal, Zora civilization did persist, and there was even a city of them in the distant land of Labrynna, a fair distance from the Great Sea. There the monarchy continued as it had before, but there was no water spirit for them to worship. Therefore, it is not a stretch to assume that the Zora fled the Great Sea as soon as they could, in search of more friendly environs.

The Mad Zora

Some Zora it seems, did indeed adapt to salty water, and as a result became mad (that is, both insane and angry). They were especially angered at the Hylians, whom they regarded as purposely causing the flood and almost killing off the Zora. These particular Zora that did evolve to handle salt water, also changed in appearance, dropping the tail fin on their head and fins on their arms, and gaining fire-red colored fins along their head and razor sharp fangs to boot. While the tamer Zora headed northwest to Labrynna to recreate their civilization, the "mad" Zora (sometimes referred to as "Zola") migrated northeast to what would eventually become New Hyrule.

Imagine the circumstances when the refugees from the Great Sea arrived to found New Hyrule, most of them being Hylians, only to be discovered by the mad Zora who had sought to build a second chance for themselves in the same spot. The conflict never was resolved, as the mad Zora remained hostile to the new Hyrulian Kingdom. The mad Zora built a shade of a civilization with a King of their own that reigned from within Zora falls in northeastern Hyrule while his minions spread out across the land’s waterways and bodies and proved to be a major nuisance to the denizens of Hyrule. Nevertheless, the only sign of peace was when Link managed to trade with the King? of the mad Zora for a pair of Zora Flippers?.

Ultimately, even after the southern half of New Hyrule was destroyed by Ganon (prior to Legend of Zelda), the Zora and Hylians never resolved their differences. Meanwhile, far to the west, the new Zora Kingdom in Labrynna prospered in spite of the lot their kind had been stuck with over the last millennia. It is an interesting contrast how each faction of the same race managed to cope with the changing world. This alone makes the Zora one of the more interesting races in all of the Zelda series.