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[[File:Herospirit.jpg|thumb|right|200px|The Hero's Spirit and Link cross swords.]]
{{Infobox Character
|image=
{{Media
|Model TP= File:TP Hero's Spirit Model.png
|Model TPHD= File:TPHD Hero’s Spirit Model.png
}}
|caption=
|pronunciation=
|title= [[Hero of Time]]<ref name= "HH 118">{{Cite Book|quote= |book= HH |publisher= |page= 118}}</ref>
|alias=
|race= [[Stalfos]]<ref name="E 103">{{Cite Book|quote= |book= E |publisher= |page= 103}}</ref>
|gender= Male<ref name= "HH 118"/>
|game= TP
|other= MNPTP
|era= {{List|[[Era of the Hero of Time]], [[Era of Twilight]]}}
|family= {{List|[[Link's Mother]] {{Small|(mother)}}<ref>{{Cite|Some time ago, before the King of Hyrule unified this country, there was a fierce war in our world. One day, to escape from the fires of the war, a Hylian mother and her baby boy entered this forbidden forest. The mother was gravely injured... Her only choice was to entrust the child to the Deku Tree, the guardian spirit of the forest. The Deku Tree could sense that this was a child of destiny, whose fate would affect the entire world, so he took him into the forest. After the mother passed away, the baby was raised as a Kokiri. And now, finally, the day of destiny has come!|Deku Tree Sprout|OoT}}</ref>, [[Link]] {{Small|(descendant)}}<ref name= "HH 118"/>}}
|voiceactor=
|theme=
|counter=
}}
The {{Term/Store|Hero's Spirit||Series, TP, TPHD}},<ref name="E 103"/> also known as the '''Hero's Shade''',<ref>{{Cite Book|quote= |book= HH |publisher= |page= 179}}</ref> is a recurring character in {{TLoZ|Series}}. The Hero's Spirit is a skeletal specter who can assume the form of the '''White Wolf'''.


In ''[[The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess|Twilight Princess]]'', the '''Hero's Spirit''', also called the '''Hero's Shade''', is a skeleton-like spectre that taught [[Link]] each of the seven [[hidden skills]] throughout the game. The Hero's Spirit is also believed by some to be the spirit of Link from ''[[The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time|Ocarina of Time]]''.
==Biography==
==={{TP|-}}===
The Hero's Spirit is the [[Hero of Time]] from {{OoT}} and {{MM}}, filled with regrets from being unable to pass on the "lessons of his life to those who came after him" after he was sent back in time to his childhood. He also lamented the fact that he was not remembered as a hero.<ref name="HH 118"/> In order to ease his regrets and finally pass on his knowledge, he teaches the seven {{Plural|TPHD|Hidden Skill|link}} to his descendant, the Link from {{TP|-}}.<ref>{{Cite|Although I accepted life as the hero, I could not convey the lessons of that life to those that came after. At last, I have eased my regrets.|Hero's Spirit|TP}}</ref> In [[Hyrule]], he appears as the White Wolf, who can be summoned by finding a [[Howling Stone]], with the exception of the first time he is encountered, in which he appears to Link directly. Once a Howling Stone is found, the song has to be howled along with the Spirit. He then tells Link to take "sword in hand" and find him,<ref>{{Cite|Let teachings of old pass to you... Take sword in hand and find me.|Hero's Spirit|TP}}</ref> implying that Link should return to human form before searching for the Wolf. The White Wolf will then appear on Link's [[Map]] indicating his current location. When Link confronts the Wolf, it leaps through Link, transporting him into another world.<ref>{{Cite|In that case, return to your world and train yourself further. When you are prepared, come visit me again.|Hero's Spirit|TP}}</ref> The Wolf then transforms into a ghostly knight, the Hero's Spirit, who then teaches Link one of the seven Hidden Skills.
The Hero's Spirit is mostly transparent save for his armor, which appears to be filled with a ghostly pale blue apparition, rather than flesh, with a seemingly decaying body and mostly skeletal face. He carries a rusting sword and shield and wears armor, which is covered with leaves in sections. He carries a scabbard belted to his waist. Similarly to his White Wolf form, his left eye glows red while his right eye is missing.


==The Golden Wolf==
==Other Appearances==
==={{MNPTP|-}}===
{{Noncanon|Start}}
[[File:MNPTP Hero's Shade Sprite.png|left|50px]]
The thirty-fifth puzzle in the ''Picross'' series and the twenty-sixth puzzle in the ''Mega Picross'' series depict the {{Term|MNPTP|Hero's Shade}}.
{{Noncanon|End}}


[[File:Goldenwolf.jpg|right|thumb|The Golden Wolf.|200px]]
==Trivia==
 
* The ''Encyclopedia'' classifies the Hero's Spirit as a [[Stalfos]], making him one of the few non-hostile Stalfos in the series.<ref name="E 103"/> He is also unusual in that he is both a Stalfos and a noncorporeal spirit, similar to [[King Igos du Ikana]] and his [[King's Lackeys|Lackeys]] after they are destroyed, and in the sense that he is not completely skeletal like [[Skull Kid]], another Stal creature created in the [[Lost Woods]].<ref name= "Navi">{{Cite|Skull Kid - Is this what happens to kids who wander into the forest? It looks like he doesn't like grownups.|Navi|OoT}}</ref> The idea of the Hero of Time becoming a Stalfos was foreshadowed by both Fado during {{OoT|-}} and by developer Yoshiaki Koizumi.<ref>{{Cite|That guy isn't here anymore. Except for the Kokiri, people who come into the forest end up lost. They all become Stalfos. That's why he's not here anymore. Only his saw is left. Hee hee.|Fado (Ocarina of Time)|OoT3D}}</ref><ref>{{Cite|Heh heh heh. Are you going to become one...too? Heh heh!|Fado (Ocarina of Time)|OoT3D}}</ref><ref>{{Cite Web|quote= を言っています。「みーんなスタルフォス!」そうです、迷いの森に迷い込んだ人間は、みんなスタルフォスになって森の神殿に棲おようになってしまうのです。え?では、人間のリンクはどうしてならないかって?そうですね、コキリ族でもないし…どうしてなんでしょう? |author= |published= |retrieved= May 14, 2024|https://archive.org/details/64dream-April-1999-ozidual/64Dream%201999%2004%20%28J%20OCR%29/page/n95/mode/2up|title= 64Dream - April 1999|site= Internet Archive|type= }}</ref>
The Golden Wolf, also called the White Wolf, is the animal incarnation of the Hero's Spirit. The wolf is summoned by finding a [[Howling stone]], with the exception of the first time, in which he confronts Link directly. Once a howling stone is found, the song has to be howled in tune with the Spirit. He then tells Link to take "sword in hand" and find him, implying that Link had to return to human form before searching for the Wolf. Once Link encounters the Hero's Spirit, the Golden Wolf will appear as a symbol on Link's map, which is useful in case the player forgets where the location of the Hero's Spirit is. When he confronts the Wolf, Link is transported into an ancient arena. The wolf then finally transforms into his true form, the Hero's Spirit, who then teaches the young hero one of the seven hidden skills. The true form of the Hero's Spirit resembles a cross between a [[Stalfos]] and a [[Darknut]].
 
==The Skills==
[[Image:spirit1.jpg|thumb|right|200px|A frontal view of the Hero's Spirit.]]
*[[Ending Blow]]
*[[Shield Attack]]
*[[Back Slice]]
*[[Helm Splitter]]
*[[Mortal Draw]]
*[[Jump Strike]]
*[[Spin Attack#Twilight Princess|Great Spin]]
 
==Hero's Lineage Theory==
{{Theory}}
 
One of the most brought-up discussions about the Hero's Spirit is the possibility that he might be an ancestor of Link. Some of the facts proving and disproving this theory are below.
 
Reasons supporting that the Hero's Spirit is an ancestor of Link:
 
#At the end of his teachings, the Hero's Spirit said that he accepted the role as the hero long ago. This implies that he may be an earlier ancestor of Link. This theory is also supported by the Hero's Spirit saying the following to Link: "Go and do not falter, ''my child''!" Though this in itself is not conclusive evidence, since many mentor-like characters in several stories refer to their young charges using the phrase "my child," it does serve to leave open the possibility of Link being his actual blood descendant.
#Further more, evidence of the Hero's Spirit being an ancestor of Link is given just prior to learning the Mortal Draw. The Hero's Spirit said that the skills he taught Link were forgotten ways that "do not leave our bloodline"<ref>{{cite|At last, the skills I have to teach you have entered the realm of true secrecy. They are forgotten ways that do not leave our bloodline.|Hero's Spirit|Twilight Princess}}</ref>. He implicitly used the word "our" instead of "my". This clearly indicates that Link and the Hero's Spirit are indeed related.
#The Hero's Spirit was once one of the many great heroes of [[Hyrule]]<ref>{{Cite|Although I accepted life as the hero, I could not convey the lessons of that life to those that came after. At last, I have eased my regrets.|Hero's Spirit|Twilight Princess}}</ref>. It is still not known if his name was once Link as well, or perhaps even is the same man who became the Hero of Time. However, one thing that supports he may be the Hero of Time is that most of the songs used to summon the Golden Wolf are from ''Ocarina of Time'' and ''Majora's Mask'', but why the Ballad of Gales is included is unknown.
#In regards to physical appearance, the way the Hero's Spirit moves his feet is similar to the way Link moves his feet in ''Ocarina of Time'' when he targets an enemy.
#Lastly, in both [[Wii]] and [[GameCube]] versions of ''Twilight Princess'', Link and the Hero's Spirit both wield their swords in the same hand. The GameCube version (the version in which the game world was originally meant to be portrayed) shows Link to be left-handed.  In every past game of the ''Zelda'' series, Link's sword-hand has always been his left one,[http://wii.ign.com/articles/733/733762p1.html] whereas there's been no other left-handed person to date in a ''Zelda'' game except in the Wii version of ''Twilight Princess''.
#It is also very worth noting the blade that the Hero's Spirit holds whenever he's seen in-game. The hilt is completely unrecognizable, although, along with the armor he wears, it appears archaic and much older than most of Link's gear was in ''Twilight Princess,'' or in ''Ocarina of Time'' for that matter. However, what makes this sword special is the blade: it is (or is at least an identical copy of) the blade of the ''Master Sword''. Not only are the shapes and sizes consistent, but the two blades are the same right down to the etched emblem portraying the Triforce just above the hilt. Granted, the blade is worn, cracked, and tarnished, but when seen crossed with the real Master Sword during training, the fact is hard to ignore. Whether this is purely symbolic or is indicative of the Shade's true identity is still left undefined, but this glaring resemblance would imply that perhaps the Hero's Spirit was, in life, one of the few wielders of the Master Sword.


There are arguments against this theory, though:
==Nomenclature==
{{Nomenclature}}


#While it is true that Link and the Hero's Spirit both wield their swords in the same hand, this proves nothing, seeing how Link's uncle in ''[[A Link to the Past]]'' also uses his sword on his left hand; therefore, Link is not the only left-handed person that has appeared in previous ''Zelda'' games.
==Gallery==
#The songs that summon the Golden Wolf are indeed songs that only Link from ''Ocarina of Time'' and ''Majora's Mask'' knew. However, it is worth nothing that the Hero's Spirit does ''not'' teach Link the songs: on the contrary, it is Link as a wolf that howls them first, and the Golden Wolf responds to these howls.  
<gallery>
#After Link learns the final hidden skill from the Hero's Spirit, he mentions that although he accepted life as the hero, he could not convey the lessons of that life to those who came after. This might mean that the Hero's Shade failed in his mission and died (which Link from ''Ocarina of Time'' and ''Majora's Mask'' did not fail in completing their missions); thus, he could not teach the skills to the next hero.  
File:TP Hero's Spirit Model 2.png|The Hero's Spirit preparing to fight from {{TP|-}}
#Finally, the hidden skills that the Hero's Spirit teaches to Link were ''not'' skills that were known by a previous Link, which means that these techniques could have possibly been made by another warrior.
File:TP Hero's Spirit Sparring.jpg|The Hero's Spirit preparing to teach Link a Hidden Skill from {{TP|-}}
File:Shade Sword.png|The Hero's Spirit's Sword from {{TP|-}}
File:TP Hero's Spirit Concept Artwork.png|Concept art of the Hero's Spirit from {{TP|-}}
</gallery>


==Trivia==
{{Ref}}
* The Hero's Spirit bears some similar resemblance to ''[[The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask|Majora's Mask's]]'' [[Igos du Ikana]].
* An interesting fact is that the first song is the [[Song of Healing]], which could possibly mean that [[Link]], similar to the way he did in [[Majora's Mask]], heals the spirits soul of regrets for not teaching his [[hidden skills]] to another hero when he was alive, and enabling him to teach them to [[Link]].


==References==
{{Categories
<div class="references-small">
|Heroes, Link, Skeletal Undead, Swordsmen
<references/>
|characters= TP, TPHD
</div>
}}
[[Category:People]]
[[Category:Undead]]

Revision as of 07:26, 14 May 2024

The Hero's Spirit,[2] also known as the Hero's Shade,[4] is a recurring character in The Legend of Zelda series. The Hero's Spirit is a skeletal specter who can assume the form of the White Wolf.

Biography

Twilight Princess

The Hero's Spirit is the Hero of Time from Ocarina of Time and Majora's Mask, filled with regrets from being unable to pass on the "lessons of his life to those who came after him" after he was sent back in time to his childhood. He also lamented the fact that he was not remembered as a hero.[1] In order to ease his regrets and finally pass on his knowledge, he teaches the seven Hidden Skills to his descendant, the Link from Twilight Princess.[5] In Hyrule, he appears as the White Wolf, who can be summoned by finding a Howling Stone, with the exception of the first time he is encountered, in which he appears to Link directly. Once a Howling Stone is found, the song has to be howled along with the Spirit. He then tells Link to take "sword in hand" and find him,[6] implying that Link should return to human form before searching for the Wolf. The White Wolf will then appear on Link's Map indicating his current location. When Link confronts the Wolf, it leaps through Link, transporting him into another world.[7] The Wolf then transforms into a ghostly knight, the Hero's Spirit, who then teaches Link one of the seven Hidden Skills.

The Hero's Spirit is mostly transparent save for his armor, which appears to be filled with a ghostly pale blue apparition, rather than flesh, with a seemingly decaying body and mostly skeletal face. He carries a rusting sword and shield and wears armor, which is covered with leaves in sections. He carries a scabbard belted to his waist. Similarly to his White Wolf form, his left eye glows red while his right eye is missing.

Other Appearances

My Nintendo Picross: Twilight Princess

Non-Canon Information

The thirty-fifth puzzle in the Picross series and the twenty-sixth puzzle in the Mega Picross series depict the Hero's Spirit.

Trivia

  • The Encyclopedia classifies the Hero's Spirit as a Stalfos, making him one of the few non-hostile Stalfos in the series.[2] He is also unusual in that he is both a Stalfos and a noncorporeal spirit, similar to King Igos du Ikana and his Lackeys after they are destroyed, and in the sense that he is not completely skeletal like Skull Kid, another Stal creature created in the Lost Woods.[8] The idea of the Hero of Time becoming a Stalfos was foreshadowed by both Fado during Ocarina of Time and by developer Yoshiaki Koizumi.[9][10][11]

Nomenclature

Names in Other Regions
LanguageNames
This table was generated using translation pages.
To request an addition, please contact a staff member with a reference.

Gallery

  • The Hero's Spirit preparing to fight from Twilight Princess

    The Hero's Spirit preparing to fight from Twilight Princess

  • The Hero's Spirit preparing to teach Link a Hidden Skill from Twilight Princess

    The Hero's Spirit preparing to teach Link a Hidden Skill from Twilight Princess

  • The Hero's Spirit's Sword from Twilight Princess

    The Hero's Spirit's Sword from Twilight Princess

  • Concept art of the Hero's Spirit from Twilight Princess

    Concept art of the Hero's Spirit from Twilight Princess

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Hyrule Historia, Dark Horse Books, pg. 118
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Encyclopedia, Dark Horse Books, pg. 103
  3. ↑ "Some time ago, before the King of Hyrule unified this country, there was a fierce war in our world. One day, to escape from the fires of the war, a Hylian mother and her baby boy entered this forbidden forest. The mother was gravely injured... Her only choice was to entrust the child to the Deku Tree, the guardian spirit of the forest. The Deku Tree could sense that this was a child of destiny, whose fate would affect the entire world, so he took him into the forest. After the mother passed away, the baby was raised as a Kokiri. And now, finally, the day of destiny has come!" — Deku Tree Sprout (Ocarina of Time)
  4. ↑ Hyrule Historia, Dark Horse Books, pg. 179
  5. ↑ "Although I accepted life as the hero, I could not convey the lessons of that life to those that came after. At last, I have eased my regrets." — Hero's Spirit (Twilight Princess)
  6. ↑ "Let teachings of old pass to you... Take sword in hand and find me." — Hero's Spirit (Twilight Princess)
  7. ↑ "In that case, return to your world and train yourself further. When you are prepared, come visit me again." — Hero's Spirit (Twilight Princess)
  8. ↑ "Skull Kid - Is this what happens to kids who wander into the forest? It looks like he doesn't like grownups." — Navi (Ocarina of Time)
  9. ↑ "That guy isn't here anymore. Except for the Kokiri, people who come into the forest end up lost. They all become Stalfos. That's why he's not here anymore. Only his saw is left. Hee hee." — Fado (Ocarina of Time 3D)
  10. ↑ "Heh heh heh. Are you going to become one...too? Heh heh!" — Fado (Ocarina of Time 3D)
  11. ↑ "を言っています。「みーんなスタルフォス!」そうです、迷いの森に迷い込んだ人間は、みんなスタルフォスになって森の神殿に棲おようになってしまうのです。え?では、人間のリンクはどうしてならないかって?そうですね、コキリ族でもないし…どうしてなんでしょう?" — 64Dream - April 1999 , Internet Archive, retrieved May 14, 2024.
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