10 Most Beloved Supporting Characters In The Legend Of Zelda
Even Link gets by with a little help from his friends.
The Legend of Zelda series might focus very heavily on its silent protagonist, Link, and the franchise's namesake, Princess Zelda, but that isn't to say that the rest of the supporting cast are irrelevant - far from it!
Humble beginnings and dodgy translations meant that Zelda I and Zelda II: The Adventure of Link didn't really contain all that many memorable characters but things soon changed. A Link to the Past and Link's Awakening introduced more character interactions that were essential to moving the plot forward.
Any Zelda fan worth their rupees will know that Link's companions, his friends and even some of his enemies contribute to the experiences just as much as the hero himself. At times, maybe a little bit more, given pretty much all of the people around Link have mastered the art of speaking.
Obviously, if we're looking at the most beloved supporting characters in the franchise, some deserving characters will be sacrificed if they're a little bit annoying, a smidgen disruptive or somewhat controversial.
As such, the likes of Kaepora Gaebora and his infuriating speeches, Sahasrahla and his decline in popularity and Talon with his tendency to fall asleep right in the player's way won't be appearing.
You know who probably will though...
10. Beedle
Trade can be a very profitable business in The Legend of Zelda, with many of the merchants Link encounters on his travels asking extortionate sums for fairly run of the mill items. Money might talk in Hyrule, but never with a more welcome voice than that of everyone's favourite afro sporting businessman: Beedle.
Introduced in The Wind Waker as a travelling shopkeeper, Beedle's shop is kitted out with bait, Hyoi Pears and (once unlocked) bombs to make sure Link has the chance to top up his inventory virtually everywhere he sails. Beedle also has a penchant for acting, as he pretends to be his own 'Assistant Manager' at Rock Spire Island and offers some more premium wares for a limited time only.
While some characters introduced in The Wind Waker never made another appearance, Beedle has shown up in six Zelda games to date, including the series prequel 'Skyward Sword' which implies there has always been a Beedle somewhere in Hyrule. He also appeared in Breath of the Wild, meaning it's very likely we will see him once again in the sequel.
We might even see him return in any future Super Smash Bros. title, hopefully as a playable character and not just a merchant.