by Helen Doherty
Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild was released earlier this year to a mountain of critical acclaim. Indeed, at the time of writing it has a Metacritic score of 97, based on the reviews of 107 critics. It is available on both the Wii U and Nintendo’s newest console, the Switch.
For those who don’t know, this open-world game is absolutely huge! The developers aimed to create a gameworld about the size of Kyoto, and I have no reason to believe they didn’t achieve this. The sprawling, and sometimes seemingly endless world just so happens to be populated with a cast of quirky characters.
Naturally, every Breath of the Wild player will have a unique opinion on the cast. Therefore this list represents mine and mine alone. My views are certainly not mainstream; there isn’t a Prince Sidon in sight! Nor did the Champions or even Zelda herself make the list, despite Art Director Satoru Takizawa‘s prediction she would be the most popular character. In fact only one major character makes my list.
Warning: This article contains spoilers!
5. Sayge
With his quirky, alternative style, and a name that pays homage to World of Warcraft, Sayge is a bonefide legend. I derive further joy from the fact he reminds me of RuPaul Drag Race Season 8’s Acid Betty – probably my favourite drag queen of all time!
Living up to his colourful aesthetic, Sayge provides you with the game’s only opportunity to dye your armour sets. He’ll pretty much dye any piece of any set any colour as long as you have the correct materials. This gives you a perfect excuse to go rummaging in the game’s many lush forests for mushrooms/flints and the like. Not to mention to strive to obtain as many outfits as you can, safe in the knowledge that Sayge will help you make them faaabulous (with the exception of the Flamebreaker armour. No one could save that set from looking hideous…).
4. Manny
I’ve got something of a softspot for the unlucky Romeos of the gaming universe, particularly those on the portly side. I blame playing too many Super Mario Bros titles as a child… “Mamma Mia!”
I really believe there’s something about Manny’s thirst for beauties (particularly his biggest crush, Prima) that really adds an extra layer of authenticity to the game. After all, if Hyrule were real there would certainly be young men in it with their minds focused on wooing the opposite gender (or the same, given their orientation). He’s also a suspicious and somewhat haughty character. Somehow this only adds to his relatability. And it doesn’t reduce my crush one bit!
3. Ashai
Maybe it’s because I’m passionate about education, having worked in various colleges for 4+ years, or perhaps because I’m a hopeless romantic; it may even be because I simply suck at cooking and wish to change that, but for some reason I really like the cut of Ashai’s jib.
Ashai welcomes the denizens of Gerudo Town into her classroom (which is quite intriguing to explore, by the way) and into her bosom. She instructs the hapless Gerudo gals on the ways of cooking and of dating. Her interactions with her students were also among the funniest and most charming moments of the game. Particularly when she reprimands the ditzy Risa.
I’m only sad we players don’t get to actually attend her cookery class…
2. Bolson
Like Sayge, Bolson could have stepped right out of RuPaul’s Drag Race. I mean, he’s obviously not a drag queen (at least as far as we know), but what he does happen to be is a pocket-sized explosion of splendid fashion pieces mixed in with well-timed innuendo.
Again, like Sayge, he also thoroughly earns his RPG stripes. After all, he is the hard-grafting president of Bolson Construction, a construction firm which is the facilitator of the game’s longest (and my favourite) multi-part side quest which culminates in a wedding. While there, he gets to add some glitter to the other guests’ lives by being the one tossing the confetti!
Bolson is easily one of Breath of the Wild’s most memorial characters, something which can be evidenced by the amount of hype about him online.
1. King Rhoam
How grateful I was to have the guidance and companionship of the old man during those dark days stuck on the Great Plateau! And I was even more grateful when he gave me a paraglider, allowing me to fly away from the darn place.
King Rhoam isn’t everyone’s cup of tea. Heck, he even manages to ruffle a few feathers in-game, particularly those of his famous daughter. But in his defence, I believe he was justified in chastising Zelda’s behaviour. The Princess trained in sealing magic all throughout her childhood, so that when the time would come she would be able to keep Ganon at bay.
However, one day she took a break and went off to study Guardians (ancient robotic creatures found all around Hyrule). The King scolded her for this, worrying that if she did not concentrate enough on her sealing abilities she would be unable to seal Ganon. Despite being initially frustrated, luckily she listened to him in the end. As a result, she proved able to keep Ganon at bay for 100 whole years, up until the time Link finally gets his chance to destroy him…
The King also looks pretty dope when all is said and done. His beard is like a veritable cloud, ahhhh! In addition, his regal ensemble is beyond fetching. Long live the King (even if he is a ghost).
Honourable mentions; Ledo (because diamonds truly are a girl’s best friend in this game!), Bludo, Robbie, Amali and, last but not least, Paya!
Who are your favourite characters? Let us know in the comments!
