Characters Who Just Disappeared In The Legend Of Zelda

Highlights

• Navi’s disappearance in The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time left fans wondering where she went, creating emotional impact and even fan theories of her possible demise.
• Sheik, the alter ego of Princess Zelda from Ocarina of Time, became a popular character but surprisingly never returned in any subsequent games despite other recurring characters.
• The Deku Tribe, once a prominent forest-dwelling entity in the franchise, mysteriously disappeared and was replaced by the Koroks, causing fans to question their absence in important titles like Breath of the Wild.

If there’s something that sets The Legend of Zelda apart from other fantasy franchises, it’s its huge cast of characters. They can come in many shapes and sizes, originating from different races and wielding mysterious powers. Some of the most iconic video game characters ever were born thanks to this franchise.

But it’s inevitable for a long-running series like The Legend of Zelda to just forget about certain characters that haven’t appeared in a long time. Even if most installments feature brand-new storylines that are disconnected from each other, there are cases in which some characters have disappeared even when they’re from games that are direct sequels of another one. Here are some of the weirdest cases.

8 Navi

First Appearance: Ocarina of Time

Navi is Link’s loyal (albeit a bit annoying) fairy companion from The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. Since she’s featured in what is arguably the most popular Zelda game, she’s obviously a very well-known character who has had a big impact on the rest of the franchise. And that’s exactly why her departure at the end of the adventure is so emotional.

This is one of the most infamous cases of a Zelda character that has disappeared because the audience is never told where Navi went, and there are even some fans who theorize she passed away. The entire plot of the next game, Majora’s Mask, is centered on Link looking for Navi in other regions.

7 Sheik

First Appearance: Ocarina Of Time

Since most Legend of Zelda games are disconnected from each other, it’s not always expected for every character to return. And since Sheik is actually the alter ego of Princess Zelda’s incarnation from Ocarina of Time, the fact that they never came back may be understandable at first.

Regardless of their one-time appearance, Sheik became one of the most popular characters in the franchise, and they constantly appeared in spin-offs like Hyrule Warriors and Super Smash Bros. Certain Zelda characters, like Link, Zelda, Ganon, and Impa, are always reincarnated in new storylines, so it’s surprising that Sheik never came back in any way.

6 Happy Mask Salesman

First Appearance: Ocarina Of Time

Even if the Happy Mask Salesman tried to help or guide Link at many different moments through the plot of Majora’s Mask, players couldn’t help but feel a tad uneasy at his eerie appearance and demeanor. He is one of the creepiest Zelda characters, and most fans may even remember his brief role in the previous game, Ocarina of Time.

The Happy Mask Salesman’s most disconcerting action occurs at the very end of the game. After he retrieves the titular Majora’s Mask, he walks away and literally disappears in front of the player’s eyes. Who was this mysterious man really? What was his relation to the evil mask?

5 The Deku Tribe

First Appearance: Ocarina Of Time

Hyrule is made up of several different tribes, like the Gerudo, the Goron, and the Zora. While most of them can still be found in Zelda games even to this day, there’s one that has completely disappeared from the franchise: The Deku.

Back in the day, this tribe of forest-dwelling entities could be found everywhere, either playing the role of enemies or allies. But no Deku characters were ever seen again, and they were omitted from important titles like Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom. Most fans theorize they were replaced by the Koroks, as they share a lot of similarities with the Deku.

4 Tingle

First Appearance: Majora’s Mask

While it may sound strange nowadays, there was a time in which Tingle was one of the most recognizable Zelda characters, to the disdain of most Western fans. This bizarre middle-aged man dressed in fairy attire not only appeared in two mainline games, but he even starred in his own spin-off titles that were never released outside of Japan.

It’s quite clear that Nintendo had a soft spot for Tingle because it seemed that he resonated with the sense of humor of their Japanese audience. But he hasn’t been seen again in a very long time. However, his iconic costume did appear as an outfit for Link in both Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom.

3 Demise

First Appearance: Skyward Sword

Because of the structure of the Legend of Zelda franchise, it is not usually expected for every single character to come back in subsequent games. But since Skyward Sword is the very first game of the entire timeline, there are some really important characters in this game. Like Fi, the spirit who resides within the Master Sword who has been referenced many times since.

On the other hand, however, there’s the main antagonist, Demise. This Demon King is a crucial figure who essentially triggered the events of the entire franchise. Even though the game itself implies that Ganondorf is the reincarnation of his hatred towards Link and Zelda, it’s quite odd that neither he nor his sword spirit, Ghirahim, were ever seen or referenced again.

2 The Four Champions

First Appearance: Breath Of The Wild

Revali, Daruk, Mipha, and Urbosa were known as the Four Champions, four characters from many different tribes who played a pivotal role during the events of Breath of the Wild. Even though they died many years ago, their spirits lived on and managed to help Link defeat Calamity Ganon by letting him borrow their powerful abilities.

Even though Tears of the Kingdom is a direct sequel to BOTW, the spirits of the Four Champions were not seen or mentioned anywhere. While it is most likely that their souls were finally laid to rest, their complete omission from this enormous world is odd, to say the least, and their powers would have been helpful in this new adventure.

1 Kass

First Appearance: Breath Of The Wild

Kass is one of the most memorable and beloved characters in The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. This charismatic musician from the Rito tribe would appear from time to time and give Link important hints via his melodic songs. He even played an important role in The Champions’ Ballad DLC pack.

When Tears of the Kingdom was finally released, fans were eagerly waiting to encounter Kass once again, but sadly, he was nowhere to be seen in the entire game. Most Zelda fans are still wondering where he went since he’s not even mentioned by other characters. Omissions like this made people think that the plot of Tears of the Kingdom was way too disconnected from its predecessor.

MORE: Popular Legend Of Zelda Fan Theories