| “ | Princess Zelda: Now fire! Daruk: C'mon! Revali: Take this! Urbosa: Here it comes! Mipha: We must! |
„ |
| ~ Princess Zelda and the four Champions opening fire on Ganon in Hyrule Warriors Age of Calamity |
The Champions of Hyrule consist of five elite warriors that first appear in The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. They were chosen for the battle against Calamity Ganon, led by Princess Zelda. The original group consisted of Link, Mipha, Daruk, Revali, and Urbosa, whom the latter four have piloted the Divine Beasts, Vah Ruta, Vah Rudania, Vah Medoh, and Vah Naboris respectively. The new generation are a group of its own powerful warriors consisting of Sidon, Yunobo, Teba, and Riju.
Overview[]
The original Champions were each chosen by King Rhoam to pilot a Divine Beast as back up for Link and Princess Zelda while they fight Ganon head on to prevent them from becoming overwhelmed in battle. The new Champions are also powerful warriors, while they don't pilot the Divine Beasts, they are still considered the strongest contenders in their generation.
Known Members[]
Original Champions[]
Princess Zelda[]
Main Article: Princess Zelda
Princess Zelda
Princess Zelda is the commander of the five Champions chosen to pilot four Divine Beasts, excluding one who is instead chosen to be her top guard. She is an aspiring scholar who took an immense interest in ancient Sheikah technology, with a passionate fascination on how they work and how they can be used to help fight back against their foes and make the kingdom a safer place. Due to the death of her mother, Princess Zelda also spent years trying to access her sealing power on her own which is needed to seal Calamity Ganon away, which seems to cause her turmoil as well as the tensions between her and her father, Rhoam.
Link[]
Main Article: Link
Link
Link is Princess Zelda's appointed personal knight who takes charge in keeping watch over her during her travels outside Hyrule Castle. He was a child prodigy who bested adults as a young child and is described as a courageous yet reckless kid who was once talkative and expressive. However, once he gained the Master Sword, he realized that he is chosen for the responsibility of defeating Calamity Ganon along with several Hyrulean lives at stake. As a result, he became stoic and silent to cope with his heavier duties which would cause complications with his relationships with Revali and briefly Princess Zelda. Overall, Link still looks out for his friends and is capable of seeing the good in others in a reasonable level, even when he doesn't say very much, which he never holds a grudge against Revali no matter how severe he was towards him and is willing to go out of his way to save his friends and the entire kingdom of Hyrule.
Mipha[]
Main Article: Mipha
Mipha
Mipha is the Zora Champion who is also the princess of Zora's Domain as well as King Dorephan's firstborn daughter and Sidon's sister. She is the wielder of the Lightscale Trident, and the pilot of Divine Beast Vah Ruta. She is a quiet kind-hearted soul owns the ability Mipha's Grace, which heals injuries of the people she touches, and she has known Link since his early childhood since he often visited the domain with the other Hylians. As Hylians age faster than her kind, Link became a teenager when she met him again, but she noticed Link's sudden change in persona since acquiring the Master Sword, and she would eventually fall in love with him to the extent where she crafts the Zora Armor for him. She does show some moments where she can be strict when necessary and ensures the safety of her family.
Daruk[]
Main Article: Daruk
Daruk
Daruk is the Goron Champion who hails from Goron City. He is the wielder of the Boulder Breaker, and the pilot of Divine Beast Vah Rudania. He is known for being jovial and calm for the most part and has a tendency to raise his voice during battle and is also known for his sheer strength and appetite, which is among the main factors that he managed to hit it off with Link, who shares similar traits. He can project a defensive shield dubbed Daruk's Protection which protects him from all directions. Even though he isn't the actual leader of the group, Daruk does have great leadership skills and is quick to take control of the situation when they come to be. His confidence and optimism keep the Champions together and it extends to those outside the group as well.
Revali[]
Main Article: Revali
Revali
Revali is the Rito Champion who lived in Rito Village. He is the wielder of the Great Eagle Bow, and the pilot of Divine Beast Vah Medoh. He is a proud warrior with an arrogant side to him and thinks of his skills as superior to Link, whom he views as his rival. He wanted to be the one to defeat Calamity Ganon to prove himself to the world, but he wasn't happy when he learned that he is going to serve as back up for Link, who is actually chosen to face the monstrosity. He has created the ability to summon strong updrafts to propel him into the air at any time which he named Revali's Gale to take to the air and attack from above as well as acting as a scout for his friends and his tribe. He often puts up a confident front when around others to conceal the fact that he is insecure of his abilities and himself. Despite his rude tendencies, he gives respect to those when it's due, which even includes Link, and cares deeply about his friends and is devoted to them and their goal in stopping Ganon in every way and he is also noted to have a soft spot for children as well.
Urbosa[]
Main Article: Urbosa
Urbosa
Urbosa is the Gerudo Champion who is also the Chieftain of Gerudo Town. She is the wielder of the Scimitar of the Seven and the Daybreaker, as well as the pilot of Divine Beast Vah Naboris. She was the best friend of Princess Zelda's late mother and took up a motherly role in Zelda's life and she is often concerned for her well-being considering that she spent most of her life training to access her power. She is capable of using Urbosa's Fury, which shocks foes around her with electricity. She is not just motherly to Zelda, but also to the other Champions, and she is often the one who can successfully get Revali to end his gloating and cold behavior. She is deeply resentful of Calamity Ganon's history when he once took on the form of a Gerudo which put a black mark on her kind, which is why she looks up to Nabooru whom, despite initially being his second in-command, opposed Ganondorf and made a positive impact on the Gerudo.
Successors[]
Sidon[]
Main Article: Sidon
Sidon
Sidon is the Zora Prince of Zora's Domain and the second-born son of King Dorephan as well as the Mipha's younger brother. He is generally known for his positive attitude and optimistic outlook on life. He never blames Link or the Hylians for the tragedies that occurred a hundred years back and he was willing to search for a Hylian who can help them deal with the endless rain that the corrupted Vah Ruta brought forth, even if the older Zoras didn't want outside help. Mipha had taught him "I believe in you." which would carry over later in his life. He assists Link in the battle against Ruta, so Link can destroy the source of Ruta's unusual behavior. Once the Divine Beast is freed from corruption, Sidon later resumes his normal life and often goes to Mipha Statue during the daytime. Link had impacted Sidon to the point where, when he looked into the time portal Terrako created, he immediately traveled back in time to save Mipha and Vah Ruta from Waterblight Ganon and assisted further until Calamity Ganon was defeated, and the war ends on a brighter note for Hyrule.
Yunobo[]
Main Article: Yunobo
Yunobo
Yunobo is a timid, cowardly, young Goron who worked for his boss, Bludo and often takes charge in finding his pain killers for the latter's back pain. He often participated with Bludo in keeping the corrupted Vah Rudania at bay with himself acting as a cannonball in addition to being able to project forcefields similar to Daruk's Protection, though it kept returning to cause eruptions that disrupt work at the Northern Mines. He was later trapped in a small cave when he went to get Bludo's medicine and was later saved when Link used a cannon to destroy the rockslide blocking the entrance. Yunobo later assists Link in getting past Rudania's sentries and using the cannons to appease it so Link can board it to destroy the source of its odd behavior. Once Rudania is freed, Yunobo starts to become a bit braver and confident after seeing his ancestor's spirit standing on the Divine Beast and eventually returns to his normal life. Link's courage would rub off on Yunobo when he jumps through the time portal to save Daruk Vah Rudania from Fireblight Ganon and continued his contributions until Ganon is defeated and the war ending with much less casualties.
Teba[]
Main Article: Teba
Teba
Teba is a strict, headstrong, and disciplined Rito warrior who is the husband of Saki and the father of Tulin. He is often the first responder to attacks and he would team up with his friend, Harth to strike back at Vah Medoh when it began shooting at any Rito that flew and isn't fazed at his many failures. Because of the stress regarding Medoh, Teba becomes more determined to the point where he became very reckless, which during one of his attempts, Harth was injured and had to be taken out of the battle quickly and was also willing to take extreme measures to ensure Rito Village's safety, something which troubles Saki and Harth. When he encounters Link at the Flight Range, he was initially a tad cold to him until he decides to put him to the test in aerial combat. Once Link passes the test, Teba begins to trust him and takes him to the sky to deal with Vah Medoh and distracts the cannons while Link destroys them with bomb arrows. Teba was injured in the leg and had to withdraw while Link searches for the source of Medoh's strange behavior and manages to take it out. When Medoh is calmed, it no longer posed a threat to Rito Village, Teba is able to take his son Tulin to the Flight Range so he can train to become just like Revali. Link's impact on Teba would take hold when the latter travels back in time to save Revali and Vah Medoh from Windblight Ganon and continued to help with the cause until Calamity Ganon was defeated and the war ending on a brighter note.
Riju[]
Main Article: Riju
Riju
Riju is the young Gerudo Chief who was forced to take the throne while still young after her mother's passing. She was aware that some of her people questioned her leadership due to her youth. When she was investigating the recent electrical sandstorms caused by Vah Naboris that could potentially threaten the lives of her people, she gets into an accident and was saved by her bodyguard, Buliara, who blames herself for what happened. Things go from bad to worse when the Yiga Clan had stolen her heirloom, the Thunder Helm while they were away. When Link arrives disguised as a woman, both Riju and Buliara eventually learned that Link was male, but because of his friendship with Urbosa, they allowed him to be around as long as no one else sees through him. Riju tasks Link with retrieving the Thunder Helm from the Yiga Clan Hideout as it protects them from lightning strikes from Naboris and during thunderstorms. Once Link returns with the Thunder Helm after Master Kohga meets his demise during their battle, Riju teams up with Link via sand-seals to appease Naboris so Link can get inside to deal with the source of its peculiar behavior. After Naboris is tamed, its electric sandstorms and its threat is put to an end, allowing Riju and her people to relax and no longer fear further attacks. Link's courage allowed Riju to find inner strength in being a better leader, and it led to her and her sand-seal Patricia to hop through the time portal to save Urbosa and Vah Naboris from Thunderblight Ganon and she continued to assist with the cause until Calamity Ganon is defeated and the war ending with Hyrule's victory.
Trivia[]
- During early development, there was a Kokiri Champion that was considered before being replaced by the Rito.
- Interestingly, even if the player skips doing all the Divine Beasts and defeats Calamity Ganon along with the Blights, the souls of the Champion Pilots still accompany King Rhoam to see Link and Zelda off shortly before leaving the mortal world. It's likely since the Blights left the Divine Beasts to join the battle against Link, only to be utterly destroyed by him, that the Divine Beasts and the Champions were all freed simultaneously. Even if they didn't join the fight, they seem to be perfectly content with seeing their deaths avenged, Ganon's destruction, and Hyrule being at peace. This means that whether or not the Divine Beasts were freed before the final battle takes place, the Blights are bound to be obliterated either way and Champions still would have passed on to the next life.
- Alternatively, as Link and Princess Zelda were both in stasis with the former in the Shrine of Resurrection and the latter using her power to keep Ganon at bay. While Link loses all of his memories, Zelda never does as she guides Link on his journey via telepathy and after breaking out of her own seal, she recognized Link, which strongly indicates that she still remembers the Champions. Even if Link doesn't do the Divine Beasts nor does regain all of his memories, it's possible that after the reunion, he and Zelda traveled to the Divine Beasts in their respective regions to reactivate them, possibly with the help of the successors given that the Divine Beasts were out of reach, but without the Blight Ganons interfering as they were all slain during the battle at Hyrule Castle. They would grant the spirits of the Champions freedom and closure of the situation and by extension saving their homelands. Even if Link doesn't remember the Champions, Princess Zelda still does, and it's extremely unlikely that she would ever let their souls linger in the Divine Beasts any longer than they should, as she is very close and deeply devoted to them. This potentially explains why the Champions were at Hyrule Castle alongside King Rhoam.
- Even as spirits, the Champions have no issue with controlling the Divine Beasts as long as there is no malevolent force interfering with it, which is evident that they were not only able to get them into position, but also used them to utilize the Beasts' weapons such as the main laser cannons.
- While Elder Kaneli states that only the Champions or the descendants of them are able to board and control the Divine Beasts, it wasn't the case as the Blights were in control of them in Breath of the Wild and they are in no way related to the ancient Champions 10,000 years prior, nor were the Champions themselves related to the ancient Champions either, which weakens his claim, since he is never noted to have any experience with how the Divine Beasts work while the Champions themselves on the other hand do. Princess Zelda, despite not being a Champion was shown to be on board Vah Naboris during the Urbosa memory. There are other possibilities that might better explain several things as shown below:
- It's very likely that Calamity Ganon's Malice overrode the ancient energy in the systems so much that the Champions cannot control the Beasts themselves, whether as mortals or spirits. Given that the Champions were at the East Gate - Lanayru Road at the time Calamity Ganon returned, it took up so much traveling time for them to reach their Divine Beasts and it wouldn't make sense for Calamity Ganon to wait for them to make it to their Divine Beasts as it knew from firsthand experience that it would risk letting it happen again given that it attacked Hyrule in the distant past, and King Rhoam notes that once Ganon returned, it quickly took everyone by surprise through using its Malice to seize control of the Guardians and send the Blights to the Divine Beasts a few moments after returning, so the Blights have already corrupted the Divine Beasts long before the Champions arrived. Revali's journal notes that the Divine Beasts require someone who is not only exceptionally skilled but must have a sacred soul for them to recognize them as their masters and Mipha's Diary also states that the Sheikah scientists told her that they require someone worthy of piloting them. It shows that the Blights are also very much skilled in art of fighting, and their Malice compensates to make the Divine Beasts see them as pilots instead of the Champions. This might explain why the Champions are unable to control them, whether as mortals or as spirits. Additionally, the Divine Beasts' circuity glows blue when the Champions are in control, but when the Blight Ganons are in control over them, they become a hot pink color, which brings up another theory that the Champions and the Blights' moral alignments are incompatible, the more powerful Blights have easily managed to take control whereas the Champions cannot control them. With Link getting rid of the Blights, it reallows the Champions' spirits control over the Divine Beasts and they managed to do so independently, even without Link's help, as there is no Malice of the Blights interfering with the Divine Beasts' systems, which supports this theory.
- In Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity, it's revealed that the Champion successors' presence has increased the Divine Beasts' output which is noted by both Revali and Daruk in the Air and Lightning and Water and Fire Scenarios respectively and they don't say anything about the Divine Beasts being stolen away by Teba and Yunobo, but they state that the Divine Beasts power and control have actually increased. The same can be said for Sidon with Vah Ruta and Riju with Vah Naboris as Sidon is capable of controlling Vah Ruta on his own, even when Mipha isn't present with him during in the Relentless as a Waterfall Scenario as she was taking charge of mending the exhaustion of the Hyrulean soldiers. In addition, Teba is not directly related to Revali in any way, he has no trouble being on board Vah Medoh at all and he was never kicked out because he wasn't Revali's descendant, it was because he was the highly skilled warrior in his generation that he managed to stay inside even before Terrako altered the conditions to allow just about anyone to board them, and it's heavily implied that he came across the section in Revali's journal regarding the Divine Beasts' actual conditions. None of the successors have any implication that they underwent all three trials in The Champions Ballad that the original ones underwent, yet they exhibited exceptional skill and unbending spirits in their own right, which further supports the overall possibility.
- The Champions' deaths and how they died were never presented on screen in Breath of the Wild, possibly since it would otherwise make the game too dark than it's supposed to be. In Age of Calamity however, the Champions are seen fighting the Blights and were held at their mercy in one way or another, that at least gave the players an idea on how they were taken down in Breath of the Wild:
- An ice flail weapon and Cryonic formations that would have finished off Mipha, a fireball that would have crushed and scorched Daruk, lasers that would have shot down Revali, and high voltage weapons that would have electrocuted Urbosa.
- Although in Age of Calamity, they were never defeated since Terrako had called forth the future Champions to protect the current Champions.
- One of the official trailers has shown a tapestry of not one, but two individuals on the Divine Beasts; this potentially foreshadowed the inclusion of Sidon, Yunobo, Teba, and Riju as well as the original Champions surviving the war.
- The original Champions have unique aspects that set them apart.
- Link is the only Champion who does not pilot a Divine Beast, unless one were to count the Master Cycle Zero in The Champions' Ballad.
- In Breath of the Wild Link is the only Champion who managed to survive with Princess Zelda's quick thinking. Not the case with Age of Calamity where all the Champions survived.
- Link is the only member who doesn't speak at all. Although, the same holds true for all of his other versions in past Zelda Games.
- However, BotW's Link is noted to actually have spoken before as mentioned in the diaries of Zelda and Mipha, he never once heard talking when he is onscreen.
- Mipha is the shortest Champion in the group, being slightly shorter than Link and Princess Zelda.
- Given that the Zoras are the longest living race, Mipha is possibly the oldest member of the group chronologically but is the youngest member physically.
- Mipha is currently the only Champion confirmed to have a living parent and a sibling. In addition, they are still alive during Breath of the Wild.
- Mipha is the only member of the Zora Royal family who wears a Zora sash on her left shoulder while King Dorephan and Sidon wear theirs on their right shoulders.
- Mipha's ability is the only one that can be used once before requiring a recharge and is utilized automatically rather than manually.
- Mipha is the only Champion who almost lost hope the day just before Link takes Vah Ruta back.
- Mipha is the only Champion who wields a trident.
- Mipha is the only Champion who first met Link when he was a child, while the other three didn't until they were chosen to pilot their Divine Beasts.
- Mipha is the most soft-spoken Champion. Link does not count as he doesn't speak at all onscreen.
- Mipha is the only Champion who doesn't share the same voice actor as her successor.
- Daruk is the only Champion whose ability is passed down to his descendent, evidenced that Yunobo can also use it.
- Daruk is the tallest member of the group, being a bit taller than Urbosa.
- Daruk is the oldest member by physical age.
- Daruk is the loudest member of the group.
- Daruk is the only Champion who wields a big sword, but not a shield; granted since Daruk's Protection, which is a forcefield, would have made a standard shield redundant for him anyway.
- Revali is the only Champion whose power is not from birth, but rather through development.
- Revali is the only Champion, excluding Zelda, to explicitly show animosity to Link.
- Revali is currently the only Champion to not have any known relatives, whether a father, mother, grandparents, a sibling, or children. He is only succeeded by a Rito who isn't related to him in any way, as the top warrior.
- Revali is the only Champion who can fly, given that the Rito are birds.
- Revali is the only Champion who is left-handed. Link doesn't count since he is depicted as right-handed in Breath of the Wild and Age of Calamity.
- Revali is the only Champion who is a commoner rather than royalty or high position. Instead, in Age of Calamity, Revali is the commander of the Rito army.
- As part of his harsh personality, Revali dishes out the most sarcastic and snarky comments.
- Revali is the only Rito who can effectively use the powerful Great Eagle Bow, which was known for being too heavy for the other Rito.
- Urbosa is the first Champion to be officially named during development.
- Of all the Champions, Urbosa harbors the deepest hatred of Calamity Ganon for having once taken on the form of a Gerudo that left a black mark on her people for many generations; she primarily regards Nabooru as her hero for opposing Ganon, despite being his second in-command.
- Urbosa has stood up to Revali the most times and is the most annoyed with him.
- Urbosa shares the sword and shield weapon of choice with Link.
- Urbosa is the only known Champion to have personally spoken with King Rhoam.
- Urbosa is the only Champion to be impersonated by Master Kohga of the Yiga Clan.
- While Mipha and Daruk both wore their Champions' garbs as sashes, Revali and Urbosa are the only ones who wore theirs in different spots as alternative clothing with Revali's being a scarf and Urbosa's being a skirt.
- Each of the Champions are noted to each have bonded with a child at one point or another. Mipha is very close to Sidon, who was only a small child and is responsible for implanting the "I believe in you" motto into his mind and commending his bravery which would influence him later on. She also formed a friendship with Link when she first met him as a four-year-old as documented in her diary. The closest that Daruk also established a bond with a youngster is with Yunobo, from the time he first met him when he was saved and often assures and encourages him during their time together. Revali has a lot of children looking up to him and regarding him as their hero, and his most prominent bond with a child was with Tulin, whom he rescued from the forest with Teba; he praised and encouraged him to become a warrior like him and Tulin can easily get Revali to open up and laugh through his sense of humor. Urbosa had a special relationship with Princess Zelda and had known her since she was born, and she also bonded with Riju who is only twelve during the battle to save the endangered kingdom.
- The Champion Successors also have some unique aspects that set them apart from each other.
- Sidon is the tallest member of the group and the oldest chronologically.
- Sidon is the only successor who is seen as a child and the only one overall.
- Sidon is the only successor who wields two weapons at once: Ceremonial Tridents in his case.
- Sidon is the only successor who lived during the age where Calamity Ganon returned.
- Sidon is the only male Zora who has red scales as several other males of his kind usually have blue scales.
- Sidon is the only successor who doesn't share the same voice actor as his predecessor.
- Yunobo is the only successor who does not wield a standard weapon in combat in Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity, though it is only through a certain button to use the Rock Roast Flambé.
- Yunobo is the only successor who is cowardly and the only one overall.
- Yunobo is the only successor to wear a similar blue cloth like the Champion Pilots, albeit the cloth having a Goron emblem rather than a Divine Beast emblem.
- Teba is the oldest in terms of physical age.
- Teba is the only successor who isn't related to a Champion Pilot, in this case, Revali.
- Teba is the only successor who has a wife and child.
- Teba is the only known Rito with white feathers.
- Riju is the shortest member of the group.
- Riju is the only successor who owns a diary.
- Riju is the youngest member of the successors, who is only a child still at age twelve. She is the youngest overall.
- Riju is the only member who is partnered with an animal in Age of Calamity.
External Links[]
- Champions of Hyrule on the Zelda Wiki
- Champions of Hyrule on the Nintendo Wiki
