800 Px Hyrule Warriors Characters Playable

Hyrule Warriors isn't your typical Zelda title — the name should be a dead give-away — and nowhere is this more obvious than in the massive roster of playable characters. There are plenty of fan-favourites, not-so-fan-favourites and totally new characters to master here, with each one boasting their own play style and combo trees. With the launch just around the corner we thought you might like to catch up with the cast of this intense action title, just so you can prepare yourself accordingly and mull over which one is going to be "your jam".


800 Px Hyrule Warriors Screenshot Link Master Sword Pedestal

First Appearance: The Legend of Zelda

No Zelda title would be complete without the legendary Hero of Time, and he takes centre stage in Hyrule Warriors. He begins the game as a mere grunt in Zelda's army, but within the space of the opening mission he not only proves his worth but also reveals the incredible power which resides within his green-garbed personage. Link has access to the widest variety of weapons in the game, although not all are available from the outset. As a result, Link is essentially four different characters in one, as each weapon — with the exception of the Hylian Sword and Master Sword, which are pretty much the same — totally changes the way he plays.

Weapons: Hylian Sword, Magic Rod, Great Fairy, Gauntlet, Master Sword


Princess Zelda

800 Px Hyrule Warriors Screenshot Zelda Rapier

First Appearance: The Legend of Zelda

Once the hapless objective of so many titles in the series, Zelda has become a little more independent in recent titles and in Hyrule Warriors she becomes a hero in her own right, just as capable on the battlefield as her erstwhile liberator, Link. She has two weapons in her armoury — the Rapier, which allows for fast, precise strikes, and the Wind Waker-style Baton, which permits Zelda the use the power of the wind to dish out punishment to her foes.

Weapons: Rapier, Baton


Lana

800 Px Hyrule Warriors Screenshot Lana Magic

First Appearance: Hyrule Warriors

A new character created especially for Hyrule Warriors, magic user Lana shares a special connection with the villain of the game, the balloon-bosomed Cia. Don't allow her dainty frame to fool you — when brandishing her default weapon, the Book of Sorcery, she is capable of crushing enemies with magical walls and dealing out all kinds of horrific violence. She has access to two additional weapons — one of which allows her to summon the spirit of the Deku Tree — making her a character you can return to time and time again.

Weapons: Book of Sorcery, Spear, Summoning Gate


Impa

800 Px Hyrule Warriors Screenshot Impa Naginata Dual

First Appearance: The Legend of Zelda

Princess Zelda's bodyguard and one of the longest serving characters in the entire franchise, the Impa seen in Hyrule Warriors is the slender warrior witnessed in Ocarina of Time and Skyward Sword as opposed to the wise old crone showcased in other instalments. She carries a massive blade which allows her to perform some brutal combination attacks — underestimate her power at your peril.

Weapons: Giant Blade, Naginata


Sheik

800 Px Hyrule Warriors Screenshot Boss Key Get Sheik

First Appearance: The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time

For the three people out there for whom this constitutes a spoiler, we apologize, but the mysterious Sheikah warrior first introduced in Ocarina of Time was in fact Princess Zelda in disguise. In Hyrule Warriors, Sheik appears when Zelda goes missing — naturally — and proves to be a committed asset on the battlefield. Limited to just a single weapon, Sheik is perhaps not as appealing as some of the other characters on offer, but her (his?) fast movement is handy for dealing with large groups of opponents.

Weapon: Harp


Darunia

800 Px Hyrule Warriors Screenshot Darunia Hammer

First Appearance: The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time

The Goron leader first introduced in Ocarina of Time might be a bit of a softy when it comes to looking after his people, but on the field of battle he does away with such affectionate niceties and busts skulls with the best of them. Preferring brute force to fancy moves, he only has a single weapon to call upon — his mighty, earth-shattering hammer — but he also uses his Goron Roll to bowl groups of foes over.

Weapon: Hammer


Princess Ruto

800 Px Hyrule Warriors Screenshot Ruto Zora's Domain

First Appearance: The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time

You might assume that Princess Ruto would be the typical fish out of water when stalking the battlegrounds of Hyrule but this couldn't be any further from the truth. Even when away from the wet stuff, this soggy royal is perfectly comfortable with putting Zelda's enemies in their place. Her only weapon is the Zora Scale, which she uses to create water-based magic that can effectively deal with large groups of enemies.

Weapon: Zora Scale


Midna

Hyrule Warriors Screenshot Midna Punch

First Appearance: The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess

Once again changed to her imp-like form after the events of Twilight Princess, Midna role evolves in Hyrule Warriors. Armed with a single weapon — known as the Shackle — Midna also calls upon a Twilight Wolf to dash quickly around the environment. Midna's attacks are based around shadow magic and many of her moves will be familiar to those who played through Twilight Princess.

Weapon: Shackle


Agitha

800 Px Hyrule Warriors Screenshot Agitha Butterfly

First Appearance: The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess

Like Midna, Agitha is a character lifted directly from Twilight Princess. Innocent in appearance, she enters combat with nothing more than a parasol, but is able to summon insects to attack her enemies. Compared to the more intimidating members of the cast of Hyrule Warriors, Agitha looks a little tame, but fans of Twilight Princess should find her an appealing option when it comes to taking down Hyrule's foes.

Weapon: Parasol


Fi

800 Px Hyrule Warriors Screenshot Fi Sealed Grounds

First Appearance: The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword

Love her or hate her — and judging from the reaction on the web, most Zelda fans lean towards the latter emotion — Fi makes for a pretty badass character in Hyrule Warriors. A spiritual representation of the Goddess Sword itself, her attacks involve her morphing into the legendary blade and causing all kinds of damage to nearby enemies. When she's not transforming into sacred weapons she uses a graceful, almost balletic fighting style which involves lot of spinning attacks, allowing her to take down foes even when she's surrounded.

Weapon: Goddess Sword


Ganondorf

800 Px Hyrule Warriors Screenshot Ganondorf Stance

First Appearance: The Legend of Zelda (as Ganon)

Link's arch enemy and The Demon King who seeks to subjugate all of Hyrule, Ganondorf is the very definition of evil — which is precisely what makes him such a hoot to play as. His attacks are fearsome and have a wide area of effect, but they also incur considerable charge time which leaves him open to counters. His carries two massive blades which he swings around in an arch to damage foes. He's also capable of unleashing massive fireballs and often chimes in with some hilariously harsh comments during battle.

Weapon: Great Sword


Zant

Hyrule Warriors Screenshot Zant Giant

First Appearance: The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess

The antagonist of Twilight Princess appears in Hyrule Warriors as a henchman of Ganondorf, and is unlocked in the game's RPG-like Adventure Mode. He possesses twin scimitars and combines these with magical attacks to take down the plucky troops of Hyrule. When playing as Ganondorf you'll be amazed at how often Zant gets himself into bother on the battlefield, but when you're controlling his actions yourself, he's a formidable choice.

Weapon: Scimitars


Ghirahim

800 Px Hyrule Warriors Screenshot Ghirahim Jump

First Appearance: The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword

Easily one of the creepiest enemies to ever appear in a Zelda title, Ghirahim is a floppy-haired fop who possesses a massive ego but has the combat skills to back up his claims of superiority. He welds the Demon Blade, a thin, rapier-like sword which he combines to good effect with his ability to teleport. Like Zant, Ghirahim is unlocked in the game's Adventure Mode and is forever getting into trouble when he's acting as Ganondorf's sidekick, but as a playable character he's a unique proposition compared to the other fighters in the game.

Weapon: Demon Blade


So there you have it. Let us know which are your favourites so far in the poll and comments below.

Which member of the Hyrule Warriors cast are you most excited about playing as? (390 votes)

  1. Link16%
  2. Princess Zelda9%
  3. Lana6%
  4. Impa6%
  5. Sheik2%
  6. Darunia6%
  7. Princess Ruto7%
  8. Midna8%
  9. Agitha3%
  10. Fi2%
  11. Ganondorf14%
  12. Zant4%
  13. Ghirahim9%
  14. I'm not really bothered about which character I play as7%

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