| “ | This item is said to contain the spirit of a hero who once saved Hyrule. That hero's aura will envelop the wearer. | „ |
| ~ In-game description of the Ancient Hero's Aspect |
The Ancient Hero is a minor character in the 2017 action-adventure game The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and its 2023 sequel, The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. He was a mysterious warrior depicted in the tapestry of the original battle against Calamity Ganon and was the protector of the Princess of Hyrule 10,000 years ago. He strongly implied to be a previous incarnation of Link.
Biography[]
Past[]
Little is known about the Ancient Hero's past, but it is known that he was the protector of the Princess before and during the Calamity's first recorded attack. Working together with the princess, the ancient Champions of the Divine Beasts, and numerous Guardians, the Ancient Hero was successful in sealing away Calamity Ganon for several millennia. But the King of Hyrule grew paranoid of the Sheikah technology and had the Sheikah banished from the land, until they agreed to bury them in the earth. While most of them chose to live simple lives, some of them despised the way the Royal Family treated them and would later swear allegiance to Ganon, becoming the Yiga Clan. It is unknown what the Ancient Hero had been up to after the battle.
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild[]
The Ancient Hero is only depicted in the tapestry in Impa's residential home, and she tells the newly revived Link the story of the Ancient Hero and the princess's battle against Calamity Ganon. Kass will also share the song that tells the tale of the first Calamity.
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom[]
While the Ancient Hero doesn't actually physically appear, he appears in the form of the armor called the Ancient Hero's Aspect and when worn, several characters who know about this hero's legend, will recognize the look as the Ancient Hero who fought in the Calamity.
Trivia[]
- While it is likely that the Ancient Hero was an incarnation of Link, this has not been officially confirmed.
- While the Ancient Hero is similar to the typical Zonai, it isn't currently known if he is truly a Zonai or related to them in anyway, as his appearance is noticeably different from Rauru and Mineru, and Ganondorf notes that the rest of the Zonai besides those two no longer exist in the world.
