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somasoa · 1 year ago

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The Family of the Hero: A Thorough Analysis of the Canonical Bloodline Shared by Every Link in the Legend of Zelda Series - Part 1 of 2

Notes before reading:

First, this is a very long essay. If you would like a basic summary of the Knights of Hyrule, the family that all Links are canonically born from, it will be provided at the bottom of this piece. However, all of the quotes and their sources will be provided throughout the larger article, not the summary. If you disagree with anything in the summary, I would ask you to look over the full article and find where it is mentioned alongside its in-game textual evidence before disputing it.

Second, there are several other potential Knights of Hyrule references and mentions throughout the series that are not discussed here. I intentionally left them out because I wanted to focus on the most important connections to the Knights of Hyrule and the appearances of the Knights and the techniques, characters, and lore pertaining to them. This was done so as to best illustrate an overall view on what the Knights of Hyrule are and how they appear in the series. I intend to create addendums that will look at each game individually and the possible Knights of Hyrule connections they have in the future.

All of the in-game text utilized is from the most recent incarnations of each specific entry.

Special thanks to: Sidier, ymcan64, hwrdjacob, Chateau LonLon, Sean D. Walsh, Lady Sophie, Rinkuto, Ciaroon, and the members of the Cloudmodding Discord server.

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When most people think of the magical families of the The Legend of Zelda series, they think of the bloodline of the Royal Family, started by the mortal incarnation of the Goddess Hylia, or the bloodlines passed between certain groups of Sages. However, there’s an important bloodline that is often left out of these discussions: the bloodline of the Knights of Hyrule. This is the bloodline that every Link in the series comes from. Contrary to the popular belief that Link doesn’t share a bloodline, all Links stem from the Knights of Hyrule, and thus every Link is a blood relative of each other, even if distantly. To shed light on this topic, I would like to go step by step chronologically through the series by release date and discuss the appearances and mentions of the Knights of Hyrule. Let’s start with the first game that they are ever mentioned in: The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past, specifically following the updated text from the Game Boy Advance remake and the manual from the original release.

A Link to the Past

The manual briefly touches on what it refers to as just The Order of Knights (騎士団), stating that, when evil began to flow forth from the Sacred Realm, the King of Hyrule summoned forth the Seven Sages as well as the Order of Knights in tandem to seal away this great evil.

ハイラル王は、ハイラルに住む七人の賢者達と騎士団を呼び、悪の原因を封印するよう命じました。

The king of Hyrule sent for the seven sages living in Hyrule, and the Order of Knights, and ordered them to seal the source of evil.

Manual (A Link to the Past) Translated by Johan

In a great battle, The Order of Knights used their bodies as shields, sacrificing themselves to protect the Sages, who were working to seal the entrance to the Sacred Realm. They succeeded, but at a great cost - The Order of Knights were all but wiped out, with only a handful of them remaining. The manual then says that this conflict - which would come to be known as the Imprisoning War, or, in the Japanese release, the Seal War (封印戦争) - would be passed down through history, along with the sacrifices made by the The Order of Knights in that war.

多くの犠牲をはらったこの戦いは、「封印戦争」として後世に語り継がれています。

The many sacrifices paid in this fight would be known as the "Seal War" in the future ages.

Manual (A Link to the Past) Translated by Johan

The game proves the manual right, as the Knights are mentioned multiple times throughout A Link to the Past, where they are most often referred to as the Knight’s Family (ナイトの一族). The first mention of the Knight’s Family is at the beginning of the game - as Link’s uncle lay dying in the secret entrance to Hyrule Castle, he informs Link with his last breath of the technique passed down through the Knight’s Family - the Spin Attack, or the Spinning Slash (回転斬り).

ナイトの一族に伝わる剣の秘術お前に... さずけよう。よくきけ...Bボタンを押し続け剣に力をためる. ボタンをはなした時、その力が現れる.

I will teach you the secret sword skill, passed down through the Knight’s Family.... Listen carefully. Hold down the B button. When you release the button, the power will be unleashed.

Link’s Uncle (A Link to the Past) - Translated by Sidier

However, we don’t get a thorough description of the Knight’s Family until after acquiring the Pendant of Courage at the Eastern Palace. At this point, Sahasrahla, a descendant of the Seven Sages, gives us a lot of information pertaining to the Knights:

おお、なんと『勇気の紋章』を手に入れたか...。では、ワシの知っている話を教えよう。

その昔ハイリアの王家を守りつねにその盾となるかくこを持った者たちがおった。彼らは、ナイトの一族と呼ばれ勇気の紋章を司り、剣をもってその意をつくしたのじゃそして、大きなわざわいが王家をおそう時、ナイトの一族から勇者が現れるとも伝えられた。

Oh, you have obtained the Crest of Courage.... Now, let me tell you a story I know. Long ago, there was a group of men who protected the Royalty of Hylia. They were called the Knight's Family. They bore the Crest of Courage and expressed their feelings through swordsmanship. It was said that when great evil befell the Royal Family, a Hero would be born from the Knight’s Family.

Sahasrahla (A Link to the Past) - Translated by Sidier

What Sahasrahla tells us here is a basic summary of the Knight’s Family - long ago, the Knight’s Family protected the Royal Family of Hyrule, and it was this very same bloodline that the Hero would emerge from whenever disaster would waylay the Royal Family. However, during the Imprisoning War, most of them were wiped out, and thus it was believed the Hero would never appear again. What this tells us is that Link, the Hero, in every iteration, stems from this bloodline, meaning all Links can tie their lineage back to the Knight’s Family. This is further established by the Maiden who Link rescues from Skull Woods, who says the following:

「大いなる災い」の予言は知っていますか？私は、こう聞いていますもし、悪しき心を持つ者がトライフォースを手にしたならいずこかに「勇者」が必ず現れこの「大いなる災い」の元となる者を打つだろうしかし、「勇者」が倒れた時は悪しき心に世界は、覆われてしまうであろう、とそう、「勇者」になれるのはハイリアの王家を守っていたナイトの一族だけのはずあなたには、その血が流れていたのね。では、ナイトであり勇者であるあなたにお願いです必ず、ゼルダ姫を救い出して下さい。そして、悪しき心の者を討ち果たして下さいね！

Do you know the prophecy of the "Great Calamity?” This is what I was told: If an evil one wereto lay their hands on the Triforce, the Hero will appear somewhere and defeat the harbingerof the "Great Calamity.” But if the Hero were to fail in their quest, the world would be shrouded in evil. Yes. Only one of the Knights that protected the Royal Family can become the Hero, which means that you're a blood descendant of the Knights. Please, brave Knight and Hero, Rescue Princess Zelda, and defeat the foe with an evil heart!

Skull Woods Maiden (A Link to the Past) - Translated by Sidier

With this, she further corroborates what Sahasrahla states about how the Hero appears from within the Knight’s Family. She also expands on the circumstances of the Hero appearing, revealing that the Hero is destined to appear from the Knight’s Family when an evil hearted individual gets the Triforce. Something of significance to point out is also that, in her last line, she refers to Link as a “Knight.” This means that to be a member of the Knight’s Family and have the title of Knight, you do not have to officially have a vocational role as an actual knight; merely being a member of the Knight’s Family is enough to possess that title.

While this would otherwise be the end of the general context provided by A Link to the Past on the Knights of Hyrule, the Game Boy Advance remake actually adds a side quest involving the lumberjacks who live west of Death Mountain. Upon completion of this side quest, and speaking to Q. Bumpkin, he has this to say:

よう,リンク!こたえはわかったかい?どれどれ、カゴを見せてみなうわ一つ、正解だぁ!ままま、まいった! あんたにはまいった!あんたにはかなわねエーや。さいごにおいらの家に伝わる秘密の剣のワザを教えるよ。

Hey, Link! Did you find the answer? Let's see the basket. Oh, no, no, no, no! You got me! You're the greatest! Now, I'm going to teach you our family's secret sword technique as a parting gift.

Q. Bumpkin (A Link to the Past) - Translated by Sidier

He teaches Link a sword technique that he describes as being passed down in his family. While it goes unnamed in the game itself, in the Nintendo Official Guidebook: The Legend of Zelda: The Triforce of the Gods & Four Swords (任天堂公式ガイドブックゼルダの伝説神々のトライフォース&4コの剣), published by Shogakukan, we get this excerpt:

敵とのバトルで最も多用するのが剣。基本ワザは以下の4種類だが、ほかに「4つの剣」と連動した"大回転斬り"というワザもある(くわしくはP171)。

Swords are used most frequently in battles with enemies. There are the following four basic moves, but there is also a move called the "Great Spinning Slash" that is linked to the "Four Swords" (see p. 171 for details).

Shogakukan Guidebook - Translated by Sidier

(Note: While I am hesitant to use anything outside of the games or manuals as evidence, the Great Spinning Slash (大回転斬り) is consistently used as the name for the sword technique going forward and will appear multiple times across future entries. Therefore, I believe it is appropriate to use the guidebook as a source for the name in this instance.)

Link can use this technique to perform continuous Spin Attacks multiple times, though it will drain Link’s magic. Because of the Bumpkin family’s sword technique being a variation on the Spin Attack, which as established earlier is passed down through the Knight’s Family, it is very likely that the Bumpkin household is also related by blood to the Knight’s Family, and its members are descendants of the few knights who managed to survive the Imprisoning War, just like Link and his uncle.

With this, the Knight’s Family as shown in A Link to the Past can best be summarized as follows: The Knight’s Family are a bloodline of knights that served the Royal Family of Hyrule. From their bloodline, the Hero would appear whenever disaster would waylay the Royal Family, or when an evil person had acquired the Triforce. Passed down amongst them were certain sword techniques, such as the Spin Attack and the Hurricane Spin. In the Imprisoning War, their numbers significantly dwindled, but their bloodline lives on through their descendants, with their skills and techniques surviving alongside them.

Link’s Awakening

The Knight’s Family is only briefly mentioned in Link’s Awakening, in a book in Mabe Village’s library. It informs the player of how to perform the Spin Attack.

ある一族の血を引く者だけに伝わる秘剣がある Bを押し続けて力をためろ! たまったらボタンをはなすのだ!

There is a secret sword technique that has been passed down only to those with the blood of a certain family. Keep pressing B to save your power! Release the button when it's full!

Mabe Village Library Book (Link’s Awakening) - Translated by Sidier

This tells us more of what we already learned in A Link to the Past; the Spin Attack is a technique passed down by a certain family, which as we know is the Knight’s Family. Otherwise, there is nothing else of substance to really focus on in Link’s Awakening, if it weren’t for the 2019 Nintendo Switch remake.

The 2019 remake the design of Link’s shield to instead be that of the Hylian Shield, a shield that would be formally introduced in the series in The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. Keep that in mind as we move onto that entry and discuss its connections to the Knight’s Family.

Ocarina of Time

The most substantial connection this game has to the Knight’s Family is in the form of the Hylian Shield. The description provided by the Bazaar Owner states the following:

ハイリアの盾（たて）　８０ルピーハイリアの騎士が持つ　大きな盾。炎攻撃を　防ぐ。

Hylian Shield 80 Rupees - Hylian Knight's large shield. It protects against fire attacks.

Bazaar (Ocarina of Time) - Translated by Sidier

This establishes that the Hylian Shields are utilized by the Hylian Knights (ハイリアの騎士). While technically the Knight’s Family aren’t explicitly mentioned by name, future entries will further clarify that members of the Knight’s Family - primarily the various Heroes in the series - are the ones who are associated with using the Hylian Shield, which also explains why Link’s Awakening retroactively makes Link’s shield, which he acquired from his uncle, a version of the Hylian Shield.

In summary, this is the first game in the series that associates the Knight’s Family - who in this specific entry are just referred to as Hylian Knights - with the Hylian Shield.

Majora's Mask

In Majora’s Mask, we see the appearance of a strange new shield, which is referred to as the Hero’s Shield. Visually, it very clearly is intended to be a kind of Hylian Shield, and was likely specifically created for Link given its small size. As the Knights of Hyrule are associated with the Hylian Shield and Link was specifically given a custom, smaller version of a Hylian Shield, it’s interesting to note this association between Link and the Knights of Hyrule. This should be expected, given the Hero’s familial ties and origins to the Knights.

Oracle of Seasons/Ages

While it’s a small appearance, in the introduction of Oracle of Seasons, we’re introduced to Din’s traveling troupe. Talking to the members will result in one of them saying the following about their identity as members of a troupe:

でもそれは世をあざむくかりのすがた大きなこえではいえませんがじつはわれらはハイラルのきしなのです

The thing is, that’s just an alias we’re using to fool the world. I can’t say it very loud, but we’re actually Knights of Hyrule.

Knight (Oracle of Seasons) - Translated by Sidier

This is the first time in the series in the Japanese source text where they’re called their most prominent and well known name, the Knights of Hyrule ( ハイラルのきし). Given the relative placement of Oracle of Seasons and Oracle of Ages on the timeline, this would mean that, following A Link to the Past, the knightly order was restored in some respects after their destruction in the Imprisoning War.

The only other possible reference to the Knights of Hyrule is the end of Oracle of Ages, where Ralph uses a variation of the secret sword technique from A Link to the Past. However, given that he doesn’t charge his blade up, it’s likely that this is intended to be Ralph stumbling around, and not him actually performing the technique.

Four Swords Anniversary Edition

In Four Swords Anniversary Edition, after clearing the Hero’s Trial, or in the Japanese release, the Training Grounds (修練場), Link learns a new sword technique:

『修練場』をクリアした。大回転斬りをおぼえた! 回転斬り中にB ボタン連打で連続回転斬りだ!

The "Training Grounds" is cleared. I have learned the Great Spinning Slash! Press the B button repeatedly while performing the Spinning Slash to perform a continuous Spinning Slash!

Flavor Text (Four Swords Anniversary Edition) - Translated by Sidier

Link learns the Hurricane Spin, or in the Japanese release, the Great Spinning Slash (大回転斬り.

This is the same sword technique that was taught to Link by Q. Bumpkin in A Link to the Past, so, while small, this is a continuation of the passing on and learning of the techniques that belong to the Knights of Hyrule.

The Wind Waker

The Wind Waker holds a significant amount of revelations regarding the Knights of Hyrule and their lore as the series begins to move into the modern era. To begin with, we learn at the beginning of the game that the Hero’s Shield, a shield that was said to have been utilized by a hero from the past, is passed down through Link’s family. This coincides with what we learned in A Link to the Past, where the Hero appears exclusively from within the Knight’s Family, so it would make sense that one Hero could be the descendant of a previous Hero.

(Note: while some believe, due to Jabun’s discussion with the King of Red Lions, that the Hero of Winds is unrelated to the Hero of Time and thus he would not be a member of the Knight’s Family by default, this is an incorrect interpretation of the source text. What the King of Red Lions says in response to Jabun asking if he had located the Hero of Time is this:

私が連れている　この者は伝説とは　無縁の者ですですが、この者の持つ勇気に私は、可能性を感じました

The one I have brought with me is not a part of the legend, but I can feel potential in the courage he possesses.

King of Red Lions (Wind Waker) - Translated by Sidier

The exact term used for “part” is 部分, which means part, portion or section. Basically, the King of Red Lions is not commenting on Link’s lineage at all - he’s saying to Jabun, no, the individual I have with me has nothing to do with the legend of the Hero of Time and is a different person entirely. The interpretation that he is unrelated by blood to the Hero of Time is inaccurate and brought about due to localization flaws and a lack of insight of the series in regards to Link’s family.)

The next overt reference to the Knights of Hyrule is when Link pulls the Master Sword. As soon as he does, a group of knight statues that surround Link lower their swords around him, as if “knighting” him in a ceremony. These statues were likely created to recognize the person who pulls the sword, the Hero, as a member of the Knights of Hyrule, and to show his or her connection to them.

The Knights of Hyrule are also mentioned by name later in the game by the King of Red Lions, who describes their failed assault on Ganon:

ガノン城は　昔・・・勇猛果敢な　ハイラルの騎士団でさえ落とせなかった　難攻不落の城だガノンの幻影に惑わされぬよう感覚を研ぎ澄ますのだ

Ganon's Castle was once an impregnable castle that even the valiant Knights of Hyrule could not topple... so steel your senses and do not be deceived by Ganon's illusions.

King of Red Lions (Wind Waker) - Translated by Sidier

The Japanese term for Knight of Hyrule (ハイラルの騎士団) utilized by the King of Red Lions is slightly different than the term used in Oracle of Seasons, and actually incorporates the the term from A Link to the Past’s manual, Order of Knights (騎士団), but the two terms are still referring to the same thing.

The most important connection to the Knight’s Family present in The Wind Waker is in the form of the Knight’s Crest, or in the Japanese release, the Swordsman’s Emblem (剣士の紋章), is a type of collectible treasure that can be acquired from either defeating Darknuts, who wear it around their waists, or stealing it from them via the Grappling Hook. Orca from Outset Island has this to say about them:

剣士の紋章、それは力だけでなく知恵、そして勇気をかねそなえた者のみが集めることのできる　剣士の証そして、それらを１０個　集めることができた者のみが、一撃必殺の剣の技をおぼえる力を持つという

The Swordsman’s Emblem - a mark of a swordsman that can only be collected by those who possess not only power but also wisdom and courage. Only those who can collect ten of them have the ability to learn a sword technique that can kill with a single blow.

Orca (The Wind Waker) - Translated by Sidier

Upon collecting ten of these crests and bringing them back to Orca, Link learns the special sword technique that Orca mentions. Upon performing this technique, Orca says this:

リンクおお、それがまことの大回転斬りか？！ワシら兄弟の長年の夢をよくかなえてくれた！

Link! Oh! Is that the real Great Spinning Slash? You have fulfilled the long-held dream of my brother and I!

Orca (The Wind Waker) - Translated by Sidier

The technique Link performs is the Hurricane Spin, or, in the Japanese release, the Great Spinning Slash (大回転斬り). This is the same technique that was passed down by the Bumpkin family in A Link to the Past and learnt by Link after completing the Hero’s Trial in Four Swords Anniversary Edition. This draws a connection between the Knights of Hyrule and the The Wind Waker incarnation of the Darknuts. Darknuts have appeared in the series since the very first entry, but in this entry, due to possessing the Knight’s Crests, which Link uses to perform the Hurricane Spin, these Darknuts are connected to the Knights of Hyrule and their techniques – in fact, if Link performs the Hurricane Spin in the presence of a Darknut, they will perform it alongside Link, showing that they are capable of demonstrating a technique of the Knights of Hyrule.

While no direct conclusions can be drawn from The Wind Waker alone, this heavily implies that the Darknuts - at least as depicted in the Wind Waker - were Knights of Hyrule that were corrupted or transformed, somehow, and the Knight’s Crests that they bear are capable of passing on their techniques.

The connection of the Knights of Hyrule to Darknuts as well as the Knight’s Crests will be greatly expanded upon in the next game to be discussed, Four Swords Adventures.

Four Swords Adventures

In Four Swords Adventures, we get our most expansive appearance of the Knights of Hyrule to date. In the game, we encounter several Knights of Hyrule - or rather, what’s left of them.

The Knights of Hyrule are first brought up after saving the Green Maiden at the Tower of Flames, where she compares the bravery of the four Links to the Knights of Hyrule.

この炎の中を　あなたは…。 …その勇気、まるでハイラル騎士団（きしだん）のようですわ！…ハイラル騎士団…！彼らは　ゆうかんで忠実、使命のためには　命をもおしまないハイラル王国の　ほこりです。このハイラルには天空への道を開く神器、４つの宝玉があります。ハイラル王家は　宝玉を守る役目を、しんらい厚い　騎士団に代々　あたえてきました。しかし　その彼らがこのハイラルの危機にすがたを見せないなんて…。いったい　何が…？

You made it through the flames!…. …your courage is just like that of the Knights of Hyrule! The Knights of Hyrule…! They are the pride of the Kingdom of Hyrule, eager, loyal, and willing to die for their mission. In Hyrule, there are four treasures, sacred artifacts that open the way to the sky. The Royal Family of Hyrule has given the role of guarding the treasures to the highly trusted Order of Knights for generations. But how could they not show themselves in the face of Hyrule's crisis? What in the world is happening…?

Green Maiden (Four Swords Adventures) - Translated by Sidier

In this dialogue, we learn a lot about the Knights of Hyrule in this era. For starters, they’re the “pride of the Kingdom of Hyrule,” and they guard the four Royal Jewels, which when united allow an individual to access the Tower of Winds and by extension the Realm of the Heavens. When describing the Knights of Hyrule, she uses two terms - one is the same term from Wind Waker that the King of Red Lions used, and the other is just Order of Knights (騎士団) standalone, which hasn’t been used in this manner since A Link to the Past’s manual. This is likely due to the intimate story connections that Four Swords Adventures has to A Link to the Past.

As the game continues, we learn of the unfortunate fates of the Knights of Hyrule who protected the four Royal Jewels. The Red Knight puts it like this:

赤き宝玉を　まもりし騎士。勇者よ聞け、騎士のなげきを。我々ハイラル騎士団は、強大な武器を持った男に倒され、宝玉とともに　魔界へと落とされた。その後すぐ　黒き影達により、我々と宝玉は　各地に散らされ天空の塔は　すがたを消してしまった。

I am the Knight who guarded the Red Jewel. Hear, O heroes, the knight's cry. We, the Knights of Hyrule, were defeated by a man with a mighty weapon, and cast into the demon world together with the jewels. Soon after, the black shadows dispersed us and the jewel to various places, and the tower of the sky disappeared.

Red Knight (Four Swords Adventures) - Translated by Sidier

In summary, Ganon encountered them, and, using the evil magic of the Trident, turned them into demons, and then turned the Royal Jewels into portals to the Dark World. The Links slay them in combat, freeing them of their torment. The Links are then tasked with saving the Princess Zelda along with the rest of Hyrule by the spirits of the Knights before they pass on. However, they aren’t the only example of possessed Knights of Hyrule in the game. The Links also encounter multiple knight enemies throughout the game, and, when comparing their appearances and even their manner of fighting to those of the corrupted Knights of Hyrule, we quickly realize these knight enemies are also corrupted Knights of Hyrule.

Most interesting, however, is the name that is provided to these knight enemies in the The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords + - Official Nintendo Guidebook (ゼルダの伝説4つの剣+―任天堂公式ガイドブック). In it, the first encounter with one of these enemies is described in the book as follows:

では青のタートナックと多数の兵士が出現。タートナックは手強いので、先に兵士を倒し、１対１の状況に持ちこもう。全滅させると大量のフォースが降り、先へ進めるようになる。

In the first section, a blue Tartnac and many soldiers appear. The Tartnac is tough, so you must defeat the soldiers first and bring the game to a one-on-one situation. If all the soldiers are killed, a large amount of Force will descend and you will be able to proceed.

Shogakukan Guidebook - Translated by Sidier

These enemies are called Tartnacs (タートナック), which is the Japanese name for Darknut. This means that Four Swords Adventures explicitly confirms that Darknuts - at least in their modern incarnation - are corrupted Knights of Hyrule, as heavily implied in The Wind Waker, explaining their usage of a sword technique that is passed down amongst the Knights of Hyrule.

(Note: Again, while I am hesitant to use guidebooks, they can be considered a sort of necessary evil when it comes to learning the names of enemies present in video games, as sometimes these games simply do not elaborate on the names of enemies. Also, when analyzing the source in this instance - Shogakukan, the publishers of the book - have been privileged with the opportunity to read several Nintendo development documents and have interviewed several Nintendo staff members over the years, and thus have likely been given access to the names of enemies created during the development process. Further, when cross referencing the book with other sources such as the game and the official Four Swords Adventures Japanese website, the names that are present are consistent across all three. Therefore, I believe it’s reasonable to use the guidebook in this instance.)

We also see the return of the Knight’s Crest from The Wind Waker. While the belt itself doesn’t make an appearance, the symbol on it appears several times. The first time we see it is at the beginning of the game, though it is slightly obscured. It’s present in the chamber of Hyrule Castle that allows for access to the Four Sword Sanctuary, and then in the Four Sword Sanctuary itself.

This is significant, as we learn in the introduction that the Four Sword was once utilized in the past by a Hero who used it to seal away Vaati, or, in the Japanese release, Gufū (グフー):

その昔　ハイラルという国にグフーという風の魔神があらわれ美しい娘を次々とさらっていきました人々が困り果てているとそこへ一本の剣をたずさえた旅の勇者があらわれました勇者が剣をぬくと体が4つに分かれ力を合わせてグフーを退治したといいますその後　勇者がグフーを封印（ふういん）した剣はフォーソードと名付けられハイラルの奥地　　聖域（せいいき）にひっそりと　まつられていました

A long time ago, in a country called Hyrule, a wind demon called Gufū appeared and kidnapped beautiful girls one after another. When the people were in trouble, a traveling Hero appeared carrying a sword. When the Hero drew his sword, It is said that his body was divided into four and they combined their powers to exterminate Gufū. Afterwards, the sword with which the Hero sealed Gufū was named the Four Sword, and it was quietly enshrined in a sacred area in the depths of Hyrule.

Introduction (Four Swords Adventures) - Translated by Sidier

The symbol is also present on the map of Hyrule, as seen in the credits. This would make sense with the knowledge of the Green Maiden calling the Knights of Hyrule the “pride of Hyrule” - their symbol adorns the map of Hyrule because of the value they hold to the kingdom due to being Hyrule’s sworn protectors and the family of the Hero.

Finally, their symbol appears in the Palace of Darkness, above where the Dark Mirror was once enshrined. To understand the significance of this, it’s important to know exactly what the Dark Mirror is and its involvement in the history of Hyrule. We learn this from the White Maiden, after rescuing her at Hyrule Castle:

それに森の奥深くにある神殿。そこには闇の鏡がまつられています。はるか昔　闇の一族がハイラルに　せめこんだ時、その者らを　鏡の中に閉じこめました。そして、闇の一族と　あの鏡がこの世界と　関わりを持たぬようその神殿へ　かくしたのです。心悪しき者の手へと、闇の鏡が　わたるような事は、決して　あってはなりません。

There’s also a temple deep in the forest. The Dark Mirror is enshrined there. A long time ago, when a Dark Clan invaded Hyrule, they were trapped inside a mirror. Then, to avoid the Dark Clan and that mirror from interfering with our world, they were hidden in that temple. The dark mirror should never fall into the hands of someone with an evil heart.

White Maiden (Four Swords Adventures) - Translated by Sidier

The last small connection to the Knights of Hyrule in Four Swords Adventures is the return of the Hurricane Spin from A Link to the Past, Four Swords Anniversary Edition, and The Wind Waker. The sword technique has a slightly different name in the Japanese version this time, around, however - instead of Great Spinning Slash (大回転斬り), it’s more accurately read as the Super Spinning Slash (超回転斬り), but otherwise it is identical to the technique from the previous games.

The Minish Cap

A minor aspect of The Minish Cap’s connection to the Knights of Hyrule is the reappearance of The Wind Waker aesthetic of Darknuts, who, as we’ve established alongside their appearance in Four Swords Adventures, are corrupted Knights of Hyrule.

More importantly, however, is the Blade family. The Blade family is first introduced to us in Hyrule Town in the form of Swiftblade, the second eldest sibling in the Blade family.

He teaches a dojo on swordplay, and all of his siblings, whenever Link finds them, will also teach Link new sword techniques and abilities. The first technique Link learns from Swiftblade is one that has been present several times in the series before: the Spin Attack, or the Spinning Slash (回転斬り).

秘伝回転斬りをおぼえた！テッシンししょうから数わったさいしょの剣技だ！

I learned the secret art, the Spinning Slash! This is the first art that Master Tesshin taught me!

Flavor Text (The Minish Cap) - Translated by Sidier

As we know, the Spin Attack is a technique closely associated with the Knights of Hyrule, as it is passed down closely within their families, thus associating the Blade Family with the Knights of Hyrule due to their passing down of this technique. Over the course of the game, Link encounters the other Blade siblings and learns the other secret arts, which are recorded via collectible scrolls called Tiger Scrolls. Swiftblade I, whose ghost can be found in Castor Wilds, teaches us the final secret art which is passed down through the Tiger Scroll. The ultimate sword art of the game, similar to previous entries and subsequent entries, is none other than what this game dubs the Great Spin Attack, or, in the Japanese, the Great Spinning Slash (大回転斬り).

秘伝大回転斬りをおぼえた！これぞキュウキョクの剣技なり！！

You learned the secret art, the Great Spinning Slash! This is the ultimate art!

Flavor Text (The Minish Cap) - Translated by Sidier

As we’ve established thus far, the Knights of Hyrule are demonstrably connected with certain sword techniques such as the Hurricane Spin/Great Spin Attack, so this makes it likely that the passing down of these techniques establishes the Blade Family as Knights of Hyrule.

Something to keep in mind for later is also the technique taught by Grimblade. Upon learning his technique, this is the flavor text we are given:

秘伝剣ビームをおぼえた！剣の先からビビッとビーム！！ライフがまんたんの時しか使えない

I have learned the secret of the Sword Beam! The sword beam comes from the tip of the sword! I can only use this when I am at full life.

Flavor Text (The Minish Cap) - Translated by Sidier

We learn from this text that the Sword Beam (剣ビーム), a technique originating from the very first entry in the series, is also a technique that can be taught and passed down via those who possess the blood of the Knights of Hyrule, as it is passed down via the Blade Family to Link, and as we know, the Blade Family knowing how to perform and being able to teach the Hurricane Spin/Great Spin Attack establishes they are also Knights of Hyrule.

Twilight Princess

Twilight Princess has two topics relevant to the Knights of Hyrule: the Hero’s Spirit and the return of Darknuts.

The Hero’s Spirit, also known as the Hero’s Shade, is an enigmatic specter who takes either the form of a golden, shimmering wolf, or a skeletal warrior donned in ruined armor.

When we encounter him, he teaches us seven secret sword arts called the Hidden Skills, or, in the Japanese release, what he refers to as Secrets (��義). After learning the second Hidden Skill, he tells Link the following:

お前に伝えるべき奥義はまだ５つあるだがそれは、気高き獣の精神を備える勇者の血族だけに受け継がれるもの

I still have five more secrets to tell you. However, they can only be inherited by the blood relatives of the Hero who possesses the spirit of a noble beast.

Hero’s Spirit (Twilight Princess) - Translated by Sidier

This tells us a few things. First, the Hero’s Spirit having secret sword techniques that can only be passed down by the blood relatives of the Hero, ergo the Knights of Hyrule, reaffirms what we’ve already seen before such as with the Spin Attack and the Hurricane Spin being passed down through the Knight’s Family. Second, it also reaffirms that Link is of the Knight’s Family while also revealing to us that the Hero’s Spirit is a member of the Knight’s Family, as he is the one who is teaching the techniques in the first place.

After teaching Link the technique, the Hero’s Spirit says the following before departing:

ついに、全ての奥義を手にしたな勇者として生をうけながら後世にそれを伝えることの出来なかった我が無念も、ようやく晴らすことが出来た必ずや、幾多の戦いを経て　なお、曇りなき眼で未来を見据えるそなたならこのハイラルを在りし日の神々が愛でた大地に戻すことが出来るだろう・・・さらばだ！怯まずに進め、我が子よ！

At last, you've mastered all of the Secrets! Though I was destined to be the Hero, I could not pass those lessons on to future generations. I at last was able to ease my regrets. After many battles, you can still look to the future with unclouded eyes. Surely you can restore Hyrule to the land that the gods loved in its days of yore. Farewell! Go forth without fear, my child!

Hero’s Spirit (Twilight Princess) - Translated by Sidier

With this, the pieces fall into place on who this specter is. The Hero’s Spirit was once a Hero who developed and formalized seven sword skills into techniques learnable by only blood relatives of the Hero. He wasn’t able to pass these techniques on in life, and, in death, had finally eased his burdens by teaching them to Link.

This reaffirms what we’ve already seen several times thus far - the Hero is born out of the Knights of Hyrule, who possess sword techniques that are passed down through their lineage.

Another connection to be made is through Twilight Princess’s Darknuts. While they don’t perform any sword techniques exclusive to the Knights of Hyrule in this game, there is a small but significant connection that is present on their armor - in the most apparent spot, their shield. Upon flipping the crest that is present on the shields of Darknuts upside down, it can be observed that it’s actually a variation on the symbol of the Knight’s Crest.

This associates the Darknuts of Twilight Princess with the Darknuts of The Wind Waker as well as the techniques of the Knights of Hyrule, and the appearance of the Knights of Hyrule of Four Swords Adventures, another example of the very solid and continuous throughlines when discussing the Knights of Hyrule.

Phantom Hourglass

Phantom Hourglass has very minimal Knights of Hyrule connections; in fact, there’s only one of significance, which is the reappearance of what this game refers to as the Great Spin Attack, or, as has been mentioned several times now, the Great Spinning Slash (大回転斬り). Following a long trading questline, Link receives an item called the Swordsman’s Scroll, which allows him to perform the technique.

剣士の巻物を手に入れた！巻物に秘められた剣士の記憶が流れ込む・・・リンクは大回転斬りを使えるようになった！回転斬りと同じようにすばやく3回転させれば使うことができる！

You got the Swordsman's Scroll! The memories of the Swordsman hidden in the scroll are flowing in---Link can now use the Great Spinning Slash! You can use it by quickly spinning 3 times, just like the Spinning Slash!

Flavor Text (Phantom Hourglass) - Translated by Sidier

It’s important to point out that the Japanese name for Swordsman (剣士) in the name of the Swordsman’s Scroll is identical to the term used in the Japanese name of the Knight’s Crest, or the Swordsman’s Emblem (剣士の紋章). Both of these items are utilized to teach Link how to perform the ultimate sword technique, and both share the same term.

As we have learned from Twilight Princess, only Knights of Hyrule may perform the technique, so we can assume that the Swordsman’s Scroll was handed down from a Knight of Hyrule. As the text alludes, the memories of the Knight - likely the lessons that he or she has learned - are flowing into Link, allowing him to learn the ability of the ultimate sword art. It’s likely that this is similar to how the Knight’s Crests work, but to a greater degree, given how collecting 10 of them allows Link to perform the technique.

Spirit Tracks

Similarly to Phantom Hourglass, the Swordsman’s Scroll makes an appearance. This time it’s acquired from Niko, the Hero of Winds’ longtime friend and fellow member of Tetra’s crew. After acquiring all 20 stamps, Niko has this to say to Link:

あぁそうだね... ご褒美をあげないといかんかったの・・・ほれこれはどうだい!?それも昔の友人からもらったものでのお··· [...] なんでも自分の周りにすばやく 3回円を描くと大回転斬りとかいうものが出せるそうなんだよ···

Oh, yeah... I have to give you a reward... how about this? It's a gift from an old friend. [...] If you draw a circle around yourself 3 times quickly, you can perform the Great Spinning Slash.

Niko (Spirit Tracks) - Translated by Sidier

Niko affirms that not only is he in possession of the Swordsman’s Scroll, but it’s the same scroll that once belonged to the Hero of Winds himself that he acquired in the events of Phantom Hourglass. Upon acquiring the scroll, this is what the flavor text has to say:

剣士の巻物その2を手に入れた! 巻物に秘められた剣士の記憶が流れ込む···リンクは大回転斬りを使えるようになった!回転斬りと同じようにすばやく3回円を描けば繰り出すことができる!

You got the Swordsman's Scroll #2! The memories of the Swordsman hidden in the scroll are flowing in---Link can now use the Great Spinning Slash! Just like the Spinning Slash, you can perform the Great Spinning Slash by quickly drawing a circle around yourself 3 times!

Flavor Text (Spirit Tracks) - Translated by Sidier

As the flavor text alludes, there are actually two separate Swordsman’s Scrolls in this game. The other is acquired at Rabbitland Rescue, a station in the Forest Realm. After catching 50 rabbits in the wild and returning them here, the owner of the rescue, Bunnio, will give Link the first Swordsman’s Scroll, which has the following text accompanying it:

剣士の巻物その1を手に入れた! 巻物に秘められた剣士の記憶が流れ込む・・・リンクよ剣から衝撃波を出せるようになった! 剣を振るだけで衝撃波がほとばしる!

You got the Swordsman's Scroll #1! The memories of the Swordsman hidden in the scroll are flowing in---Link can now emit a shockwave from his sword! Just swing the sword and the shockwave shoots out!

Flavor Text (Spirit Tracks) - Translated by Sidier

With this, we now have another technique that’s being passed down via an artifact likely associated with the Knights of Hyrule - the Sword Beam, which this text refers to as a Shockwave (衝撃波を). This coincides with what we learned from The Minish Cap, where the Blade Family teaches Link how to perform the Sword Beam, meaning that the Sword Beam, while likely not exclusive to them, is also a technique of the Knights of Hyrule.

Skyward Sword

Skyward Sword sheds significant context on the Knights of Hyrule - or, at least, their origin, and their association with the Hylian Shield.

Up to this point, we’ve learned that the Hylian Shield is a shield used by the Knights of Hyrule, as established in Ocarina of Time, and appears again in Twilight Princess. There was also a smaller, personalized form of the Hylian Shield made - the Hero’s Shield - for the young Hero of Time before the events of Majora’s Mask occurred. Link's Awakening was also retconned in the Nintendo Switch remake to have the Hylian Shield, as well.

The Hylian Shield in this entry is described as an indestructible shield by the Thunder Dragon, Lanayru, and he is correct - the shield is completely invulnerable to damage and cannot be broken, unlike any of the other shields in the game. As this is the first appearance of the Hylian Shield in the timeline, a designer of the game, Manubu Hiraoka, comments on the significance of the shield and the emblem displayed on it.

たて赤い鳥に乗った勇者が後にハイラルとなる大地を救ったことから、盾には鳥が描かれています。でも、図柄はその前から描かれているので、運命はすでに決まっていたのでしょう。

The shield has a bird on it because a Hero riding a red bird saved the land that later became Hyrule. But the pattern was created even before that, so his fate must have already been preordained.

Hiraoka (Designer) (Hyrule Historia pg. 9) - Translated by Sidier

Interestingly enough, Hiraoka points out very clearly that the shield has a red bird pattern on it because of Link’s role in Skyward Sword - he rides a red bird, the Crimson Loftwing, and therefore his shield is emblazoned with the Crimson Loftwing so as to represent him.

With this context, we can then look back at the entire series and understand why the Knights of Hyrule are so connected to the Hylian Shield. The Knights of Hyrule, the family of the Hero, bear the crest of the Hero who rode the Crimson Loftwing because that Hero would be their ancestor, and, given the context of Skyward Sword, also the person who we now know as the origin of their bloodline. While Skyward Sword alone cannot prove that Link in this entry is the progenitor of the Knight’s Family, a future entry will do that work for us.

(Note: I am deliberately ignoring the manga associated with Hyrule Historia due to the many contradictions it has and the lack of direct involvement from any member of Zelda team in the writing and production of the manga, as well as the book itself, which has several gaping errors and contradictions which break the foundation of the series and the games within it.)

Before moving on, I would like to discuss a possible counterargument that could be raised against certain assertions I’ve made thus far - namely about certain techniques being tied to the Knights of Hyrule.

In Skyloft’s Knight Academy, the instructor of the Sparring Hall, Eagus, teaches sword techniques to the students of the academy. Two of these techniques are sword arts that have been associated with the Knights of Hyrule - the Spin Attack, the Ending Blow, in this game titled the Fatal Blow, or the Finishing Blow (とどめ), as it is referred to in both the Japanese versions of Twilight Princess and Skyward Sword, and the Shield Attack, in this game titled the Shield Bash, or the Shield Attack (盾たてアタック) as it is referred to in both the Japanese versions of Twilight Princess and Skyward Sword. Eagus mentions these names by technique several times, as seen here:

敵が攻撃してくるのに合わせて盾を構えるとその勢いで敵の攻撃をはじき返すことができる盾アタックと呼ぶこの技を使えば敵をひるませて攻撃のスキを作ることができるのだ [...] 丸太の中心に立って動かずにタイミングよく剣を振らねば回転斬りは出ないぞもう一度やってみるか [...] とどめは盾や回転斬りがきまって敵が吹っ飛んでダウンした時に有効となる技だからな

If you hold your shield in time with the enemy's attack, you can use the momentum of your shield to repel the enemy's attack. This technique, called a shield attack, allows the enemy to flinch, creating a gap for you to attack. [...] You must stand in the center of the log and swing your sword at the right moment without moving or you won't be able to perform a Spinning Slash. [...] The "Finishing Blow" is a technique that is effective when the enemy is knocked back or downed by a Shield Attack or a Spinning Slash.

Eagus (Skyward Sword) - Translated by Sidier

As Skyward Sword takes place before the establishment of the Knights of Hyrule, due to the implication of Link in this entry being their progenitor, this could cause a potential contradiction with previous entries that suggest these techniques are associated with the Knights of Hyrule. To quickly debunk this notion in relation to the Fatal Blow and Shield Bash, the Skyward Sword incarnations of the Ending Blow and shield Attack from Twilight Princess, it’s important to look at the context of what the Hero’s Spirit says after learning both of these techniques:

お前に伝えるべき奥義はまだ５つあるだがそれは、気高き獣の精神を備える勇者の血族だけに受け継がれるもの

I still have five more secrets to tell you. However, they can only be inherited by the blood relatives of the Hero who possesses the spirit of a noble beast.

Hero’s Spirit (Twilight Princess) - Translated by Sidier

He establishes that the techniques Link learns after the Ending Blow and Shield Attack can only be inherited by blood relatives of the Hero. This means that the Ending Blow and the Shield Attack are not, in fact, exclusive to the Knights of Hyrule, and can likely be performed by anybody who would want to learn them.

The Spin Attack can be explained best by pointing out the mechanics of the Spin Attack when it is explained to Link. For example, reusing what Link’s uncle says in A Link to the Past:

ナイトの一族に伝わる剣の秘術お前に... さずけよう。よくきけ...Bボタンを押し続け剣に力をためる. ボタンをはなした時、その力が現れる.

The secret of the sword, passed down through the line of knights... I will teach you. Listen carefully. Hold down the B button. When you release the button, the power will be released.

Link’s Uncle (A Link to the Past GBA) - Translated by Sidier

Here, we see that the important part in performing the Spin Attack is focusing power in the blade, and then releasing that charged up power. This is a consistency throughout the series, including games like Link’s Awakening and Ocarina of Time.

The technique Link performs and Eagus teaches in Skyward Sword does not involve focusing energy in the blade - in fact, Eagus never even mentions it, only saying to swing the sword at the right time to perform the technique, as shown in the text provided above. This is very important, as Ocarina of Time, as previously mentioned, actually provides a proper distinctive name for a sudden Spin Attack with no charge:

秘技　回転斬りを　おぼえた！！Βを押して　気合いを　ためる Βをはなすと　回転ビーム！気合いを　ためずに　やり��い時はCを一回転させ　Βで　ＯＫ！クイック回転で　効果バツグン！

I have learned the secret technique of the Spinning Slash! Press Β to build up energy. Release Β for a spinning beam! If I want to do it without building up my energy, Rotate [the Control Stick] once and press Β to perform it. The Quick Spin is very effective!

Flavor Text (Ocarina of Time) - Translated by Sidier

This text reveals to us that there is a distinction between a charged Spin Attack and an uncharged Spin Attack, which it refers to as a Quick Spin (クイック回転). The Quick Spin involves the performer quickly rotating while swinging their sword without charging energy in their blade.

This perfectly describes the way Spin Attacks are performed in Skyward Sword, and thus explains why the Skyloft Knight Academy teaches how to perform the Spin Attack before the Knights of Hyrule exist - it’s not a true “Spin Attack” in the sense of charging their blade with energy, an important part of the technique as performed by the Knights of Hyrule. Instead, Link performs a Quick Spin, which, as described in Ocarina of Time, entails the performer specifically not charging their blade with energy.

Therefore, the techniques performed by Eagus and learnt at the Sparring Hall do not contradict that notion that specific sword skills such as the charged Spin Attack are exclusive to the Knights of Hyrule, because the techniques as we see them in Skyward Sword are not ones that are associated with the knights in the first place.

A Link Between Worlds

The Hylian Shield makes another appearance in this entry, depicted almost identically to its Skyward Sword incarnation. The appearance of the shield in this entry again reaffirms the connection the Hero has to the shield, especially after the revelations of Skyward Sword, and thus to the connection the shield has to the Knights of Hyrule as a whole.

The Hurricane Spin/Great Spin Attack/Great Spin also reappears, this time utilizing the form it took in in Twilight Princess as a significantly larger Spin Attack. It is acquired by Link after being enhanced by Mother Maiamai upon saving all 100 of her children. Mother Maiamai throughout the game will upgrade Link’s gear by sucking it in her mouth and presumably upgrading it inside of her somehow.

Upon returning all of her children to her, she says the following:

ミーのジュニアたち、みんな見つかりました!ホントにサンクス!コレはサンクスの気持ちデす

All of my juniors have been found! Thank you so much! This is a special THANK YOU!

Mother Maiamai (A Link Between Worlds) - Translated by Sidier

After saying this, she then sucks Link into her mouth. She spits him out, and upon doing so, we immediately get the following text:

大回転斬りをマスターした! Bを押して気合をタメて放とう!

I have now mastered the Great Spinning Slash! Press "B" to build up power and release it!

Flavor Text (A Link Between Worlds) - Translated by Sidier

Since Mother Maiamai upgraded Link’s items whenever she swallowed them and spat them out, her swallowing and spitting out Link means that she “upgraded” him. Upon being “upgraded,” Link then expresses that he has acquired mastery over the Great Spinning Slash (大回転斬り), the technique we’ve seen across several entries in the series. This shows that it is also possible to learn the ultimate sword art without formally being taught it or having items that allow access to it such as the Swordsman’s Scrolls from Phantom Hourglass and Spirit Tracks, which suggests that it is an innate technique to the bloodline of the Knights of Hyrule that can be accessed through multiple means.

This harkens back to The Wind Waker, where, when Link performs a parry, he can perform three Hidden Skills, the techniques from Twilight Princess, without ever being directly taught them: the Ending Blow, the Back Sice, and the Helm Splitter. Similarly, this is akin to how some Links must be taught the Sword Beam, while others can naturally perform it.

With all of this information, we can reasonably assert the following: While the secret arts of the Knights of Hyrule that are passed down typically require being learnt from a teacher or an item, it is possible that they can be performed without requiring a teacher or an item due to the innate connection these techniques have with the Knights of Hyrule. This explains why these secret arts appear so often - they are innately tied to the bloodline of the Knights of Hyrule - and why, in Twilight Princess, the Hero’s Spirit established that only those who are blood relatives of the Hero can perform them - their innateness to the Knights of Hyrule is what allows them to be learnable only to them in the first place.

Click HERE for Part 2 of this article!

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