Characters

Zelda is the character you control from the very start, and she keeps her own sword for the whole game. She is a princess pulled back to the Era of Foundation, and she fights with light and time-bending moves. Weapon: One-Handed (fixed sword). Unlock: Playable from the first battle. Unique skills: Piercing Light, Temporal Toss, Temporal Counter, Bow of Light.

Rauru, the first king of Hyrule, joins you once The Art of the Blade is finished. He fights with a spear that cannot be changed, and his moves are built around the Secret Stone of Light. You can first control him in the middle of The Art of the Blade, when he joins Zelda against Pastos and Braton and the D-pad lets you switch to him. Weapon: Spear (fixed). Unlock: Chapter 1, after The Art of the Blade. Unique skills: Ultrahand, Noble Impact, Phalanx Thrust, Heavenpiercer.

Mineru, Rauru’s sister and a Zonai expert, becomes playable after Where Ancient Wisdom Sleeps. She mixes a one-handed weapon with Zonai devices and a construct of her own, and a quest reward lets her put devices on her strong attacks. She is playable from the start of Where Ancient Wisdom Sleeps, the battle in the ruins of the Depths, and her character card appears once it is won. Weapon: One-Handed (fixed). Unlock: Chapter 1, after Where Ancient Wisdom Sleeps. Unique skills: Construct Launch, Boundless Energy, Spherical Strike.

Calamo is the Korok who finds the Master Sword shard that brings the Knight Construct to life, and he travels with it. He swings a Wanderer’s Sword and throws a trio of fruit as his special attack, mixing Bomb Flowers with Fire, Ice and Shock Fruit. He becomes selectable early in The Howling Tempests, when “You can now play as Calamo!” appears, and he becomes a permanent roster member once The Howling Tempests ends. Weapon: One-Handed (Wanderer’s Sword, fixed). Unlock: End of Chapter 2, after The Howling Tempests. Unique skills: Bomb Flower, Bouncing Slash, Dazzlefruit Charge.

The Knight Construct, called the Mysterious Construct until The Crimson Omen, is the Link-like fighter of the cast: it can change forms, fly through the sky with Zonai devices, and it is the only warrior who can equip one-handed, two-handed and spear weapons. You already control it in forced story battles from The Hands of Evil on, and it is a forced pick in the flying battles; it joins the main story battles as a partner mid-fight. Its skills depend on the weapon type you hold, and update 1.0.3 added Shield Charge, Arm Smash and Spiral Ascent. The section below explains its two names. Weapon: One-Handed, Two-Handed and Spear (switchable). Unlock: End of Chapter 2, after The Howling Tempests. Unique skills: Rising Spiral (one-handed), Whirling Tornado (spear), Counter Kick (two-handed), Power Surge, Shield Charge, Arm Smash, Spiral Ascent.

Typhan is an older Hylian veteran who trains soldiers. He carries a sword and a large shield, so his moves lean on shield bashes and rushes. He can swap to other one-handed weapons. He becomes selectable near the end of The Howling Tempests, after a “Controlling Typhan” card, and his character card follows the results. Weapon: One-Handed (sword and shield). Unlock: End of Chapter 2, after The Howling Tempests. Unique skills: Leaping Slice, Shield Rush.

Raphica is the chief of the Rito and the cast’s only archer. Raphica joins in Shadows in the Snow, where a “Controlling Raphica” card opens the battle, and fires from range with the Great Eagle Bow. Weapon: Bow (Great Eagle Bow). Unlock: Chapter 3, Shadows in the Snow. Unique skills: Windstorm Drive, Skyfall Shot, Galeforce Kick, Rending Arrow.

Vence is Raphica’s old friend, and his character card appears right after hers once Shadows in the Snow is won. He uses a feathered sword with acrobatic, spinning attacks and can swap to other one-handed weapons. He later fights beside Calamo in Finding a Place to Put Down Roots, and a “Controlling Vence” card explains his spin attack in Rival Warriors, a race up Death Mountain against Pastos. Weapon: One-Handed. Unlock: Chapter 3, Shadows in the Snow. Unique skills: Spiral Impact, Windmill Cutter.

Agraston, the Goron chief, becomes playable after Crisis on Death Mountain. He swings the huge Boulder Breaker, a two-handed weapon he cannot trade, and favors heavy fire-based slams. You play as him from the first moment of Crisis on Death Mountain, which opens with a “Controlling Agraston” card. You also fight him as a boss earlier in the story, in the practice bouts of The Art of the Blade. Weapon: Two-Handed (Boulder Breaker, fixed). Unlock: Chapter 3, after Crisis on Death Mountain. Unique skills: Avalanche Slam, Erupting Strike, Wild Crash, Flame Burst.

Qia, the Zora princess who becomes queen, joins after Lanayru Defiled. She fights with a spear and water-themed attacks. Her spear cannot be swapped. “You can now play as Qia!” appears in Lanayru Defiled when the Sludge Like boss shows up, and her character card follows the results. Weapon: Spear (fixed). Unlock: Chapter 3, after Lanayru Defiled. Unique skills: Torrential Wave, Seafoam Surge, Cyclone Sweep, Impaling Spear.

Ardi is the Gerudo leader you first meet as an enemy. She is playable from the start of Terror of the Sands, which opens with a “Controlling Ardi” card, and her character card arrives after The Crimson Omen to make her a permanent member. Her attacks use lightning. Her one-handed weapon cannot be swapped. Weapon: One-Handed (fixed). Unlock: Chapter 4, after The Crimson Omen. Unique skills: Lightning Kick, Thundering Thrust, Electric Rush, Conductive Impact.

Quino is a young, well-bred Hylian soldier who got cut off from his squad. Calamo and the Construct rescue him from a ring of Blue Bokoblins and he asks to join them. Weapon: Two-Handed (Soldier’s Claymore). Unlock: Scouting Challenge “For Hyrule”, recommended level 19. Unique skills: Hurling Slash, Defensive Charge.

Lago is a veteran Zora who once guarded the late Zora king. Weapon: One-Handed (ancient Zora sword). Unlock: Scouting Challenge “A Veteran’s Return”, recommended level 22. Unique skills: Heaventide Slash, Reversal Wave.

Pinnec is a Rito spearman loyal to Raphica. Weapon: Spear (Feathered Spear). Unlock: Scouting Challenge “The Unsung Spearman”, recommended level 28. Unique skills: Vehement Charge, Skydance Spear.

Cadlan is a young Zora soldier who looks up to Qia. Weapon: Spear (Zora spear). Unlock: Scouting Challenge “The Strength to Protect”, recommended level 33. Unique skills: Wheeling Crash, Turbulent Flurry.

Sholani is a Gerudo fighter from Ardi’s tribe who admires her. Weapon: One-Handed (Gerudo scimitar). Unlock: Scouting Challenge “Standing on Principle”, recommended level 33. Unique skills: Dancing Slash, Whirlwind Rush.

Ronza is a Gerudo who leads her own independent band. Weapon: Two-Handed (Gerudo claymore). Unlock: Scouting Challenge “In Search of Power”, recommended level 33. Unique skills: Leaping Storm, Devastating Slash.

Braton is a young Goron who left Death Mountain partly to taste new rocks, with a cooking pot worn as a helmet. Weapon: Spear (Sledge). Unlock: Scouting Challenge “The Gourmand Goron”, recommended level 36. Unique skills: Leaping Headbutt, Blinding Thrust.

Pastos is the leader of an independent Goron faction, and Zelda and Rauru fight him alongside Braton in The Art of the Blade. Weapon: Two-Handed (Cobble Crusher). Unlock: Scouting Challenge “A Lone Wolf’s Pride”, recommended level 38. Unique skills: Earth Plow, Empowered Thrust.

Queen Sonia, the first queen of Hyrule and Rauru’s wife, fights beside you as a partner in the early story, which lets you trigger Sync Strikes with her. She is never added to the character select screen.

Ganondorf, who becomes the Demon King, is the final enemy of the campaign. You fight him in The Final Confrontation and he cannot be played.

Lenalia is one of Rauru’s trusted attendants, a chamberlain curious about mystical things. You cannot play her, but her name is attached to the Lenalia’s Sketches quests that open after the main story.

Link is not playable in this game. The Knight Construct fills the sword-hero role, taking on a fighting style modeled on Link’s after a shard of the Master Sword wakes it.

The Forbidden Construct is the corrupted construct that hunts the Knight Construct. You face it as a boss in The Crimson Omen and again in A Clash of Constructs, and it is never playable.