Tears of the Kingdom Characters [List, Roles & Story]

Tears of the Kingdom introduces a wide range of new characters and some old ones borrowed from Breath of the Wild. There are the main characters, Link and Zelda, and the main villain Ganondorf. Here are all the Tears of the Kingdom characters and their roles.

Main Characters

The Legend of Zelda Tears of the Kingdom only has two real main characters: Link and Zelda. Here’s a summary of the two and their role in the story.

Link

Link is the protagonist of the Legend of Zelda series. Wielding his iconic bow and arrow and donning the Champion’s Tunic, Link is the central figure of the hero. Born as an ordinary young boy who eventually earns a heroic status through acts of courage, he starts with Princess Zelda underground.

At the beginning of the story, Link and Zelda explore the grounds beneath Hyrule Castle. Eventually, as the cutscenes progress and you learn how to do some basic actions such as climbing and swimming, you will encounter Ganondorf.

He will take away your Master Sword, and you will be sent plummeting through the skies below Hyrule Castle. This is where your story starts.

In Tears of the Kingdom, Link can wield several weapons, his go-to being his bow and arrow. Additionally, the game introduces a new abilities system that grants you specific combat and overworld abilities. One of these allows you to fuse your weapons with other items.

The game’s main objective is simple: acquire all Sage abilities and get the Master Sword. Then, you’ll need to take Ganondorf head-on. Link’s journey is full of heroic acts involving puzzle-solving and countless boss fights.

Zelda

Zelda is the secondary protagonist of the Legend of Zelda series. She is the princess of Hyrule and is of Hylian descent. Princess Zelda’s appearance has changed drastically over the years. But there is one constant: that Link is her chivalrous savior.

In Tears of the Kingdom, she accompanies Link initially but is eventually captured by Ganondorf, the Demon King. Throughout the game, glimpses of Zelda can be seen. But it is evident that she has been sent back into the past and is trying to help Link retrieve her and defeat Ganondorf.

As the story progresses, she becomes the Light Dragon and aids Link in acquiring the Master Sword. She’s also present as Link’s ride during the final battle against the Demon Dragon.

Zelda is not a playable character and has no powers that can be used in-game, save for being used as a ride when she becomes the Light Dragon. In Tears of the Kingdom, Zelda is described as the descendant of Queen Sonia, the first queen of Hyrule.

Sage Companions

During your journey, you will be met by the five Sages. These are the Sage companions requiring you to complete their quest line. They accompany you during the quest line, during which they also grant you their signature ability.

Aside from some puzzles and challenges, the quest requires entering and completing a Sage Temple. This is where you need to fight the Sage Temple bosses, mainly with the help of the Sage companions’ signature abilities.

After completing their quest, the Sage companions reward you with their Vows. This lets you summon your companions and use their abilities and melee attacks. These Tears of the Kingdom characters are extremely resourceful both in battle and during exploration.

Check out our Tears of the Kingdom abilities guide to learn more about the Sage’s abilities.

Here are all five Sage companions, their main quest line, and their signature ability.

Yunobo

Yunobo is the grandson of Daruk, the old Goron Champion. He is described as weaker and more cowardly than the other Daruks. However, despite this, he acquired the secret stone and became the new Sage of Fire.

He is a Sage companion that will accompany you throughout the first parts of your journey. Yunobo was Link’s friend in Breath of the Wild. But in Tears of the Kingdom, he must be fought first as a miniboss before being recruited as a companion.

Main Quest

Yunobo’s main quest is “Yunobo of Goron City.” To start this quest, enter the cave north of Goron City. Here, you will enter the headquarters of YunoboCo and should talk to the Gorons guarding the entrance.

Eventually, you will have to fight Yunobo as a miniboss. This miniboss has only one move: the Charge ability. We will go into depth about this ability in the next section. Once you defeat Yunobo, his mask will break, and he will join your journeys.

Throughout your journey, you will visit the summit of Death Mountain, where you will fight Moragia. This boss has three heads, and you must use Yunobo’s Charge ability while on the Zonai Wing. Destroy all three heads to win the fight and enter the crater in the center of Death Mountain.

Eventually, you will find the Fire Temple and need to solve several puzzles before fighting the Marbled Gohma. We won’t go into detail about that here.

Once you finish the Fire Temple, you will return to Goron City and officially say goodbye to Yunobo. You will also acquire the Vow of Yunobo, allowing you to use the Charge ability in battle. This ends Yunobo’s main quest.

Ability: Charge

Yunobo’s signature ability is Charge. This ability enables Yunobo to roll into a ball and shoot toward the target. It’s an essential ability for attacking enemies that like to keep their distance. Additionally, you’ll need this ability to defeat Moragia and Marbled Gohma. You can also use this ability outside of battle to clear rocks and obstacles.

Tulin

Tulin is the Sage of Wind and the son of Teba. This feathery little friend will briefly accompany you on your journey before granting you his Vow. He was first introduced in Breath of the Wild and is all grown up and ready to take on some adventure.

His Gust ability is ample helpful both in battle and outside of it. Additionally, his quest is one of the easiest to complete in Legend of Zelda Tears of the Kingdom.

Main Quest

Tulin’s main quest is titled “Tulin of Rito Village.” Head to Rito Village and go north to find Harth’s cabin to start this quest. Inside the cabin, talk to Harth, and he will instruct you to find Tulin.

Luckily, Tulin is relatively easy to find. You will quickly locate him at Talonto Peak. This area can be easily reached by entering the Hebra South Summit Cave and climbing to the top.

Tulin will first require you to get his bow back. It is here that he reveals his unique ability, Gust. Use this ability to go east from the cliff and fight the giant creature to acquire Tulin’s bow.

After giving his bow back, Tulin will instruct you to go to Sky Islands. Here, you’ll need to navigate to the Rising Island CHian, which will require both Gust and the Ascend ability. Go inside the cloud and find the ship that leads to Mayaumekis Shrine. From there, you’ll need to go to a second ship and reach the Wind Temple after some platforming challenges.

The Wind Temple also features its own unique set of puzzles. But the most exciting thing to do here is fighting Colgera, the Scourge of the Wind Temple. After defeating Colgera, you should talk to Tulin. He will now give you the Vow of Tulin, which lets you use Tulin’s ability whenever you want to and summon him.

Ability: Gust

Tulin’s signature ability is Gust. Simply put, it creates a powerful gust of wind that propels the player forward. On the paraglider, such an ability means faster air travel. The Gust ability can also damage and knock enemies back in battle. Hence, it’s perfect for large armies.

Sidon

King Sidon joins you on your adventures and gives you his Power of Water ability. Sidon is royalty in Zora and is a borrowed character from Breath of the Wild, where he was a prince.

Sidon grants you the Power of Water ability, which is more of a combat than an exploration ability. Unfortunately, his main quest is the hardest to complete as it requires you to finish several other quests along the way.

Main Quest

Sidon’s main quest is “Sidon of the Zora.” However, you must complete “The Sludge-Covered Statue” before starting this quest. Additionally, it’s recommended to complete the “Restoring the Zora Armor” quest to get the Zora Armor.

First, put on the Zora Armor and head east from Zora’s Domain. Then, climb some waterfalls to find the Ploymus Mountain Cave and the Ihen-A Shrine. You will find some helpful stuff here.

Then, find Sidon in Mipha Court and talk to him. Head over to Toto Lake to find Jiahto. Jiahto will instruct you to get the Broken Slate. This will start “The Broken Slate” quest. Complete it to unlock the “Clues to the Sky” quest.

This long quest requires you to find the Land of the Sky Fish. After completing it, you will have activated a teardrop-shaped object. Then, talk to Sidon to start a fight with the miniboss Sludge Like.

What follows after is a series of platforming challenges and puzzles which will eventually lead you to Wellspring Island. Here, you will need to solve another puzzle requiring you to ride up bubbles generated by a machine.

After this puzzle and a few other long, drawn-out challenges, you’ll finally reach the Water Temple. Here, you will fight the Scoure of the Water Temple, Mucktorok. This relatively simple fight requires you to manage a lot of Sludge. Use water-based abilities such as Chuchu Jelly to clear the Sludge.

After the fight, you will receive Sidon’s Vow, which allows you to summon him and use his ability.

Ability: Power of Water

Sidon’s Power of Water is a unique ability that creates a bubble around you. This bubble can take precisely one hit from any enemy and will pop after that. You can also attack inside the bubble to imbue your weapon with water and strike forward. This ability can be used outside of battle to clear Sludge and obstacles.

Riju

Riju is the Chief of the Gerudo Tribe. She was shown as the potential heir to the throne in Breath of the Wild. And now, in Teras of the Kingdom, she has finally ascended the throne and become the Sage of Lightning.

She is the protector of Gerudo Town, a small settlement that the Gibdos have terrorized. Her quests see you defending the town and eventually fighting the queen of the Gibdos.

Main Quest

Her main quest is titled “Riju of Gerudo.” In this, you must first find Riju in the North Gerudo Ruins. Then, she will teach you how to use her Lightning Strike ability. After that, you must go to Kara Kara Bazaar to fight some Gibdos. These are very easy to kill, but you’ll be up against many of them simultaneously.

Here, you must destroy the glowing purple orb in the center of the Gibo Hive. This will officially end the fight. Then, back at Gerudo Town, you’ll need to fight against the Gibdos again.

This fight is the same as before. However, there are many more Gibdos and more Gibdo Hives. Afterward, you must complete the puzzle involving the Mural in the below-ground shelter.

Eventually, you will end up in the Lightning Temple after a series of puzzles. Here you must solve several platforming challenges along with defeating Queen Gibdo. Then, Riju will grant you her Vow, and you will officially complete her quest line.

Ability: Lightning Strike

Riju’s signature ability is Lightning Strike. It’s a simple ability. Whenever you shoot an arrow, Riju summons a lightning strike wherever the arrow lands. This ability deals elemental thunder damage and can be used outside battle to break away obstacles.

Mineru

Mineru, the Sage of Spirit, is a new Tears of the Kingdom character. She is from the race of Zonai and, as such, has potent abilities. Mineru also has royal blood, being the elder sister of King Rauru. This also makes her the sister-in-law of Queen Sonia.

She has a unique ability that lets you pilot a Zonai mech suit. This device can also perform several actions that help you in battle and during world exploration.

Main Quest

Mineru’s main quest is called “Guidance of Ages Past.” However, before this, you must complete the “Find the Fifth Sage” quest. After this, take the mask and follow the laser that shoots down to the island below.

Here, look for the Muokuij Lightroot and activate it. Then, place the mask in the mech robot suit before you. Now, you must find the robot mold’s four parts (the right and left legs and arms).

These pieces are pretty close but require some tricky puzzle-solving to acquire. After getting all four parts, place them into the dedicated slot in the robot suit.

This is Mineru’s Construct. It will acquire sentience and start to follow you on your journey. You can ride the Construct like a mech suit and wear some Zonai Devices and weapons.

Then, go to the Spirit Temple and fight the Seized Construct. It’s recommended to use Mineru’s Consturct to fight the Seized Consturct. The fight is quite simple, but the boss has a few phases. Additionally, you’re locked into an arena. And in the second phase, the boss stays primarily airborne.

After this, you will acquire Mineru’s Vow, which lets you use the Construct at will.

Ability: Mineru’s Construct

Mineru grants you the ability to pilot her Construct. This mech suit can be ridden and has weapons and devices attached. Moving the Construct will drain the batteries, slowly regenerating once you’re stationary.

Remember that you can still take damage from enemies even inside the Construct. Devices you can attach to Mineru’s Construct include a rocket, iron spiked ball, flame emitter, fan, cannon, and shock emitter. There may be some other Zonai Device and weapon interactions.

NPCs And Side Characters

Legend of Zelda is known for its main characters. But it would be incomplete without its NPCs. Here is a list of Tears of the Kingdom characters that are NPCs and their role.

Research Team – Purah, Robbie, And Josha

The dynamic trio, Purah, Robbie, and Josha, are loved by players worldwide. These Tears of the Kingdom characters are researchers who have different designations. Purah is the head of the Lookout Landing, the first small settlement you encounter after landing on the Hyrule Surface.

Josha, on the other hand, performs research in the Depths while Robbie is the head of the Purah Pad team. All three researchers will guide you in your journey and send you on several quests. One of these includes a pursuit where you unlock the Camera ability.

Paya

Paya is the granddaughter of Impa and the Chief of the Kakariko Village. She dons a large circular hat and a traditional Chief outfit. She’s a borrowed character from Breath of the Wild, where she was the heir to the position.

She was named after a birthmark on her body that was shaped like a papaya seed. Paya is fond of Link and loves to spend time with him. In Tears of the Kingdom, she can be found in West Necluda, close to where you find Tauro in Ring Ruins. He will talk to Paya. You can now interact with her and talk to her.

Besides that, you can visit Impa’s house and read her diary. Yes, it seems like you’re prying on her privacy. But the journal mainly discusses her admiration of Link and their adventures in Breath of the Wild.

Impa

Impa is the ex-Chief of the Sheikah and the grandmother of Paya. In Tears of the Kingdom, she tries to help Link find Princess Zelda. She helps Link by deciphering the various old geoglyphs that have appeared across the kingdom. These help Link track down Zelda’s location.

Being a hundred years old, Impa has been a loyal friend to the Hyrule royal family for several generations. As such, she has also seen the events that caused its near extinction. In Breath of the Wild, she was the Chief of the Sheikah. But in Tears of the Kingdom, she has now stepped down and trusted her granddaughter with that role.

Rauru And Sonia

Before we continue, we must warn you there are major spoilers ahead.

Rauru and Sonia are two of the essential Tears of the Kingdom characters you interact with throughout Tears of the Kingdom. Rauru is a recurring character who has appeared in other games, taking on several forms.

King Rauru was first introduced as a Sage of Light in Ocarina of Time. Eventually, he was revealed to take on another appearance: Kaepora Gaebora. This form resembles an owl and has been guiding Link since childhood.

In Tears of the Kingdom, he is briefly mentioned in the opening cutscenes before being revealed in his owl form to Link. He is shown to be a Zonai. You get to meet him for the first time before you start “The Closed Door” quest. He guides you through your adventures, particularly leading you to the many shrines in the game.

It is revealed that he was the founder and first King of Hyrule, along with a Hylian woman, Queen Sonia. Queen Sonia is the ancestor of Princess Zelda and is described as the Sage of Time. Her Secret Stone grants her the power to control time.

During the story, Princess Zelda gets sent back to when Rauru and Sonia were in power. Here, they take her in and teach her how to wield her power properly using the Tear Stone.

Tauro

Tauro is the leader of the Zonai Survey Team. He is a handsome man with dark hair and blonde highlights. He has a never-ending curiosity for the world around him and is eager to know more about Hyrule and its history.

In Tears of the Kingdom, he is described as a traveling researcher who loves staying on the field for days. His interests include ancient ruins and history. He guides Link throughout his adventures and can be found talking to Paya in the beginning.

Hestu

Hestu is one of the few Tears of the Kingdom characters that Link can trade with. He is described as a tree fairy, singing and dancing through the Korok Forest. He is the fabled Spirited Musician of the same forest and wields his maracas to dance through the day humbly.

During your adventures, you can give Korok seeds to Hestu. In return, he will expand your inventory, including your bow, weapon, and shield slots. The problem is that Hestu does not stick to one location, and you need to keep finding him throughout the map of Hyrule.

Teba

Teba is the father of Tulin and an elder in the village of Rito. He is an anthropomorphic hawk and specializes in the art of flying. Eagle-eyed viewers will recognize him from Breath of the Wild. Instead of helping Link directly this time, he guides his son, Tulin, to aid Link.

Throughout the story, as you complete Tulin’s quest, he adorns Tulin as an empowered warrior and finally rewards him with his bow.

Antagonists

Besides the heroes and NPCs, there are several antagonistic Tears of the Kingdom characters. You get to fight countless bosses and minibosses in Tears of the Kingdom. Of those, here are some of the notable antagonists who will actively try to interrupt your quests.

Master Kohga

Master Kohga is a secondary antagonist who is the master of the Yiga clan. He was first introduced in Breath of the Wild and made a return in Tears of the Kingdom. He appears as a recurring antagonist with the same motive: to destroy Link.

In the game, Master Kohga appears four times. Your first encounter with him is triggered after you find the first statue and follow where it is. He will be in a vehicle, and you will get your ride too. The first fight is simple: stagger the enemy and rush him with melee attacks when he’s down.

Your second encounter with Kohga is in the Abandoned Gerudo Mine. This time, he’s airborne and will shoot missiles at you in his second phase. Like him, you should bring out your paraglider and use Gust to move quickly and dodge his attacks.

He will be in the Abandoned Lanayru Mine for his third encounter with two of his Yiga Ninjas. This time, Kohga will be in a ship you can chase down and use Yunobo’s Charge ability to take him down.

His fourth and final encounter will see him riding a Zonai Construct. In this form, he will shoot bombs at you along with laser beams. Additionally, he gains a defensive mechanism that has low accuracy.

Ganondorf, The Demon King

Ganondorf is the main antagonist of Tears of the Kingdom. He is described as the hatred of the Demon King Demise, personified as a demonic creature. Some accounts even call him the second incarnation of Demise. He is one of the most fearsome Tears of the Kingdom characters.

In Tears of the Kingdom, Ganondorf is called the Demon King. According to the lore, he had been sealed by Rauru 10,000 years ago and went into a deep sleep. Eventually, he awoke, ready to wreak havoc on the Kingdom of Hyrule again.

You can fight the Demon King early in Tears of the Kingdom. However, since he’s practically the game’s final boss, returning with better equipment and weapons is highly recommended.

Before you fight him, you get to fight his army. His army is nothing special, but it will be hard to do this without your companions since there are so many of his minions. After you defeat his army, you can fight his swordsman and then empowered forms.

As the fight ends, he will transform into the Demon Dragon. This marks the beginning of the most straightforward phase of the battle. The Light Dragon’ll rescue you and must defeat the Demon Dragon to conclude the fight.

Final Thoughts

You will encounter a diverse set of Tears of the Kingdom characters. You have Link and Zelda, the dynamic duo that has been featured since the start of the franchise. Then there are the Sage companions that grant you their unique abilities and help you defeat the temple bosses.

Then there are several vital NPCs, such as the King and Queen of Hyrule and Teba, Hestu, and the research team. Finally, you have Master Kohga, a recurring villain, and Ganondorf, the iconic Demon King, and the final boss.

Here’s our Tears of the Kingdom Shrine locations guide to find all the Shrines.