Characters

A Link to the Past is teeming with life, thanks in large part to its numerous characters. I hadn't realized, until I prepared the data to be displayed below, just how much the game is filled with such varied characters. To give you an idea, compared to the original list I had written in the first version of the file on the Hooper.fr forum, I've added more than double the characters in this improved version! It obviously took me an infinite amount of time, but you're starting to get used to that 😜.

The database below is divided into 4 categories: main characters, secondary characters necessary for game completion, optional characters, and finally, characters exclusive to the GBA version.

La base de données

Personnages principaux

Illustration	Name	Description
	Link	The hero of the game. What more can be said, other than he has pink hair? Well, simply that he is the last descendant of the Knights of Hyrule, a group of elite knights whose primary goal is to protect the Royal Family of Hyrule. These Hylian Knights existed during the time of the ancient Hylians, but they have almost disappeared over time, leaving Link and his uncle as the only remaining living descendants.
	Zelda	The Princess of Hyrule, whom Agahnim imprisons at the beginning of the game. Once Link saves her, she resides in the Sanctuary with the Sanctuary Master, then is kidnapped again shortly after the hero obtains the Master Sword. Finally, she is sent to the Dark World by Agahnim, into a crystal prison deep within Turtle Rock.
	Agahnim	An evil wizard who gained the King's trust: indeed, the lands of Hyrule were parched and dying, and he, thanks to an unknown magic, revived them. He was thus named the King's Chief Advisor and given high responsibilities within the Kingdom. But one day, this powerful mage staged a coup and secretly seized power. He then ordered his guards to find the six maidens descended from the ancient Sages (he already had Zelda in hand). It was then that, at night, he indulged in terrible experiments, sending the maidens one by one into the Dark World to break the seal placed by the Ancient Sages. However, at the very end of the game, it is revealed that he was an evil duplicate of Ganon (the term used in the original version is bunshin). In the Japanese version, he is not a wizard, but a priest (the word 司祭 - shisai, designates him), which was censored.
	Link's Uncle	He is seen at the very beginning of the game, and it is also the first appearance of a character belonging to Link's close family in the series. Link is still in bed when his uncle leaves in the middle of the night, telling him not to move until he returns. In truth, he too heard Princess Zelda's call and headed to the Castle to save her. Unfortunately, he is quickly defeated, and Link, who did not heed his order, finds him dying in a sewer. Link's uncle then gives him his sword and shield, teaching him the spinning attack technique, telling him that he must save Princess Zelda at all costs. His last words before dying are that he is Hyrule's only hope. As an anecdote, this character inspired the character of Tarin in Link's Awakening, and then the character of Talon in Ocarina of Time.
	Sahasrahla	He is one of the descendants of the Ancient Sages. He is therefore the father or grandfather of one of the kidnapped maidens. He knows a lot about the legend of Hyrule, and although he usually lives in Kakariko Village, he has been exiled to the Eastern Plateau since Agahnim took power. When Link arrives at his home, he is not entirely sure that he is indeed the hero of legend, and therefore subjects him to a test: to find the Pendant of Courage in the Eastern Palace, not far away. Once this is done, he will then give him the Pegasus Boots to help him in his task. He will also advise him to take a look in the cave south of Lake Hylia. Finally, Sahasrahla will often advise Link via telepathic tiles scattered throughout the dungeons.
	Ganon	The true antagonist. He has been imprisoned for a very long time in the Dark World, which is none other than the Sacred Realm. Indeed, he was previously the leader of a band of desert thieves, and ended up laying his blood-stained hand on the Triforce. Through this, he transformed the Sacred Realm into the Dark World, and he also acquired immense power. But the Ancient Sages of Hyrule, combining their magic, then sealed the Dark World so that Ganon could not return to the Light World and invade it. However, Ganon will use Agahnim, who is in the Light World, to achieve his goals, namely to break the seal that restrains him.

Personnages secondaires

Illustration	Name	Description
	The Sanctuary Master	The Sanctuary Master is a priest (神父 - shinpu) in the original version of the game, just as the Sanctuary itself is actually a church (教会 - kyoukai). He lives there and keeps Zelda safe after Link frees her at the beginning of the game. He is the one who offers Link the first Heart Container. Unfortunately, shortly after Link recovers the Master Sword, soldiers attack the Sanctuary, capture the Princess, and kill the Sanctuary Master, who calls Link for help telepathically (in the original version, it is actually Zelda who calls Link telepathically).
	Sahasrahla's Wife	Sahasrahla's wife, who lives in their house north of Kakariko Village. She guides Link at the beginning of the game when he is looking for the old man, and shares some lore.
	Sahasrahla's Grandson	Sahasrahla's grandson, found south of Kakariko Village, who raises cuccos. He will give Link his grandfather's exact location at the beginning of the game.
	The Old Man of the Mountain	He is a man living in exile on Death Mountain. He is the grandfather of one of the kidnapped maidens, making him a descendant of the Ancient Sages. Link will meet him during his ascent through the caves leading to Death Mountain. The old man, who does not have a lamp, is lost and asks Link to help him find his way. Once that is done, the old man will give Link the Magic Mirror he had in his possession, a mirror that allows one to return to the Light World once in the Dark World. He will also be able to regenerate the hero every time the latter comes back to see him at his home.
	The Seven Kidnapped Maidens	These are the seven descendants of the Ancient Sages, including Zelda. Shortly before the start of the game, they are kidnapped by Agahnim's soldiers, and he sends them one by one into the Dark World, each in a different dungeon, protected by a formidable Boss and imprisoned in a crystal. Indeed, their presence in the Light World contributes to the strength of the seal that keeps the Dark World closed.
	Kiki the Monkey	He lives in the Dark World labyrinth and is quite greedy. When Link searches for the Palace of Darkness, he will have to go through the labyrinths and get lost there. Kiki will then follow him after a while and ask him for 10 rupees if he wants him to continue following. Once they arrive in front of the Palace of Darkness, which will be sealed, Kiki will this time ask for 100 rupees to open the Palace. Link will unfortunately be forced to, because the switch opening the Palace is high up and therefore inaccessible; only the monkey can reach it.
	King Zora	He is the King of the Zoras. He lives in Zora's Domain, in the far northeast of Hyrule, and slumbers beneath a waterfall. When Link arrives, it will disturb his sleep, but he will not be as aggressive as the creatures of his people. He will even offer to sell Link his flippers for the modest sum (!) of 500 rupees.
	Dwarven Swordsmiths	These are two swordsmiths living in isolation in the eastern part of Kakariko Village. The problem is, one of the twins has disappeared. It turns out he ended up in the Dark World, blocked by a rock too heavy to lift, especially since he turned into a frog. Link can then, with the help of his Titan's Mitt, lift this rock and bring the missing brother back to the Light World. Then, the two dwarven swordsmiths will offer Link to temper his sword for ten rupees. For information, reuniting the two dwarven swordsmiths is one of the two conditions to unlock the Super Bomb, making it a crucial element to complete the main quest.
	The Flute Boy	A young man who eagerly sought the Golden Power, he set out to find the Sacred Realm. However, in the Sacred Realm, if one does not possess the Moon Pearl, one is transformed into the creature slumbering deep within their heart. Unfortunately for this young man, the creature slumbering within him is a tree, and it goes without saying that he does not possess the Moon Pearl. He will thus be stuck, unable to move, having only to wait for someone to come and ease his suffering. When Link arrives, he will ask him to find his flute, which he left in the Light World, buried in a grove. When Link finds it, he will ask him to play the flute one last time, before he definitively transforms into a tree.
	The Bird	This is actually the weathercock of Kakariko Village, in front of which Link played the flute: the weathercock transformed into a bird. It is he who will allow Link to travel through Hyrule without getting tired, being able to take him to 8 different places (9 in the GBA version).
	The Catfish	He rests underwater in the center of a stone circle northeast of the Dark World. If Link throws an object into the middle of the stone circle, it will wake him up, and he will emerge from his stone circle, giving Link the Quake Medallion so that he leaves him alone. If Link does it again, he will get angry and throw a bomb at him! For the record, the official Japanese guide refers to him as a Namazu (ナマズ), a mythical Japanese creature.
	The Bomb Merchant	The bomb merchant resides in a house that is the equivalent of Link's house, but in the Dark World. For almost the entire game, the only item he sells is a pack of 3 bombs for an exorbitant price of 100 rupees, but when the necessary conditions are met, he will also offer the Super Bomb, also for 100 rupees, which Link will have to use to access the Pyramid's Fairy Fountain.
	The Fat Fairy	She is found at the Pyramid of Power, in a Fairy Fountain accessible only with the Super Bomb. This Fat Fairy was imprisoned by Ganon in the Dark World and in this seemingly inaccessible Fountain, and consequently, her physique was altered, and she became fat. The reason the Lord of Evil went to all this trouble is that this Fat Fairy can offer Link not only the last and most powerful sword in the game, but also the Silver Arrows, the only weapon capable of defeating him.
	The King of Hyrule	Zelda's father. He is killed before the start of the game, but thanks to Link's wish to the Triforce at the end of the game, he will return to life.

Personnages optionels

Illustration	Name	Description
	The Castle Soldiers	They are only seen at the beginning of the game, blocking access to Hyrule Castle at night. But apparently, there's a secret passage they don't know about...
	The Kakariko Village Fakir	He is a vendor located near the weathercock in Kakariko Village. As soon as he sees Link, he offers to sell him a bottle for 100 rupees, assuring him it's a great deal. However, he doesn't know that Link can find a second bottle in this village, and for free at that! As an anecdote, this character inspired the beggar in Ocarina of Time.
	The Merchants	Merchants whose shops can be found all over Hyrule, selling a little bit of everything.
	The Sick Child	A child resting in one of the houses in Kakariko Village. As he is sick, he cannot go out to play with his bug-catching net, so he lends it to Link when Link comes to visit him. It's just a loan, mind you!
	The Lumberjacks	They live northwest of Hyrule, at the foot of Death Mountain. During the first part of the game, they will be busy sawing a tree near their house, and in the second part, Link can access a hole under this tree, which will give him a Piece of Heart. Note that in the GBA version, a third lumberjack appears, offering the player a new side quest if they have managed to obtain ten Four Swords medals.
	The Bandit Leader	The bandit leader who hides in a tree trunk in the Lost Woods. He gives a clue about the man who opens the purple chest, who is a former bandit.
	The Bandits	They are scattered throughout Hyrule. Some will chase Link to steal his items, while others hide in caves and shower him with rupees, in a reference, explicit in Japanese, to "It's a secret to everybody" from the first Zelda.
	The Quirky Old Man	This former bandit is found at the entrance to the Desert of Mystery and doesn't speak even if you talk to him. If you take his sign, he follows you. If you destroy his sign, it makes him sad. If you bring him a purple chest, he will open it for you.
	The Fortune Tellers	The game's Super Guide 😛. Indeed, if Link is lost and doesn't know where to go, he just needs to pay 20 rupees to the fortune teller for a hint on the continuation of his quest. There are several fortune teller houses, for example, north of Kakariko Village or northwest of Lake Hylia. The sprite is different depending on whether the fortune teller is in the Light World or the Dark World.
	The Camper Under the Bridge	Under the bridge connecting the eastern part of Hyrule to Lake Hylia, you can find a man sleeping next to a campfire in front of his tent. Apparently, he knows Link well, because when Link comes to talk to him, he calls him by his first name. He even decides to give him his bottle. Another free bottle!
	Venus, the Queen of Fairies	Venus is the Queen of the Great Fairies. She is found in the Fairy Fountain of Lake Hylia, otherwise known as the Pond of Happiness, and each time Link throws 100 rupees into it, she will offer to increase either the number of arrows he can carry or the number of bombs he can carry.
	Mad Batter	Under the dwarf blacksmiths' house, there is a small cave with a kind of cauldron. If Link throws Magic Powder into it, a bat will appear, visibly displeased at being woken up. To punish him, it will cast a spell that reduces Link's magic meter consumption by half, which is equivalent to doubling the magic meter.
	The Tavern Whiner	He is the flute boy's father. He is desperate over the loss of his son and shares his distress with anyone who will listen.
	The Counter Guy	A tavern regular, he gives Link a clue about the location of the Waterfall of Wishing.
	The Bandit Specialist	He is in the old bandit HQ in Kakariko Village. He will give Link a clue about Blind the Thief.
	The Running Man	A Kakariko Village bystander. He is very fast, and if Link approaches him, he will run away. If Link manages to catch him before he disappears from the screen, he will tell him to try dashing into things with his Pegasus Boots, like trees...
	The Broom-Wielding Grandma	An old woman sweeping in front of her house in Kakariko Village. She raises cuccos at home and will support Link despite the various wanted posters against him. It's highly probable that she inspired Grandma Ulrira from Link's Awakening.
	The Gossips	Women who wander in front of their homes in Kakariko Village. If Link unfortunately tries to talk to them, they will alert the guards and lock themselves in their homes.
	The Chicken-Lady	A cucco that, if sprinkled with Magic Powder, transforms into a woman. She is found in the westernmost house in Kakariko Village and gives a clue about the Village's weathercock.
	The Bush Man	A fellow whose house entrance is hidden by bushes. He shares his curiosity about Zora's Domain and what it contains with Link. After completing the Ice Palace, he will give a clue about the ocarina's true function. It's not impossible that he inspired the Kokiri who tries to remove the bushes in front of Mido's house in Ocarina of Time.
	Quarreling Brothers	Two brothers who live just below the Kakariko Village library. They had an argument, and the elder (the one on the right) blocked the wall connecting the two rooms. Once Link breaks this wall, they will consider reconciling.
	The Treasure Chest Game Keepers	The first is near the library, in the Light World. The second hides in a tree trunk in the Lost Woods and charges 100 rupees (!) per game. The third is west of the Village of Outcasts, in the Dark World, this time with 16 chests instead of 3 (but a Piece of Heart as a reward).
	The Shooting Gallery Keeper	Allows Link to play the shooting game south of the Village of Outcasts for 20 rupees. Tends to get excited on his drum.
	The Digging Game Keeper	Allows Link to play the digging game southwest of the Village of Outcasts for 80 rupees.
	The 15-Second Game Keepers	The woman marks the start of the race and the man the finish line. The latter gives us a Piece of Heart if we reach him in less than 15 seconds.
	The Two Buddies (?) of Death Mountain	Two people searching for the Golden Power who got trapped in the Dark World and can no longer return to the Light World. One of them plays soccer with the other, and both give Link information about the Moon Pearl. Incidentally, in the Japanese version, the ball has a speech tic: "Goron Goron Goron"...
	The Shield Merchant	He is located west of the Pyramid and is the only merchant in the game to sell the Lv.2 shield (for 500 rupees). In the GBA version, he can also sell the Mirror Shield for... 999 rupees.
	The Witch (Syrup in GBA)	She stirs her cauldron outside her hut northeast of the Light World. If you give her the Mushroom, it will motivate her to stir faster!
	The Witch's Assistant	The assistant who rewards you with Magic Powder if you have previously given the Mushroom to the Witch. If you talk to him, he lets Link taste a bit of Red Potion, which fully regenerates him. Replaced by Maple in the GBA version.
	Aginah	Like the old man of the mountain, he lives as a hermit in a cave northeast of the desert. Gives the location of the Book of Mudora if it hasn't been found yet upon reaching him.
	The Talking Trees	Trees placed here and there in the Dark World. If Link touches their mouths, they spit out a bomb. After that, some trees reprimand him, while others tell him stories or give hints.
	The Tree Man	A character from the Dark World that can be found in a building in the heart of the Palace of Darkness labyrinth. He provides lore elements concerning the Triforce and the Dark World.
	The Octopus Man	A character from the Dark World that can be found in a cave, at the location equivalent to the Light World's Sanctuary. He gives a hint about the Fat Fairy of the Pyramid and how to access her.
	The Bird Man	A character from the Dark World that can be found in a cave, southeast of the Palace of Darkness labyrinth. He gives a hint about the Catfish.
	The Hand (?) Man	A character from the Dark World that can be found in a cave, at the extreme southeast of the map, northeast of the Ice Lake. He's an old buddy of the bandit who opens the purple chest and gives us a clue about the latter's true nature.
	The Fly Man	A character from the Dark World that can be found in a cave, east of Misery Mire. He gives a hint on how to open the dungeon.

Personnages exclusifs à la version GBA