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{{Character
{{Infobox Character
|name = Hero's Spirit
|image=  
|image = [[File:Hero's Shade.png|170px]]
{{Media
|caption =  
|Model TP= File:TP Hero's Spirit Model.png
|title =
|Model TPHD= File:TPHD Hero’s Spirit Model.png
|race = [[Stalfos]] (possibly [[Hylian]])
|gender = Male
|first game = ''[[The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess|Twilight Princess]]''
|latest game =
|family = ''[[#Hero's Lineage Theory|See Hero's Lineage Theory]]''
}}
}}
In ''[[The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess|Twilight Princess]]'', the '''Hero's Spirit''', also known as '''Hero's Shade''', is an undead specter that taught [[Link]] each of the seven [[Hidden Skill]]s 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]]''.
|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'''.


==The Golden Wolf==
==Biography==
[[File:Goldenwolf.jpg|thumb|left|200px|<center>The Golden Wolf</center>]]
==={{TP|-}}===
The Golden Wolf, also called the White Wolf, is the animal incarnation of the Hero's Spirit.{{fact}} 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. 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 the spirits in Hyrule Castle's graveyard.
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.
{{clear|left}}
==The 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.
{{Main|Hidden Skill}}


==Hero's Lineage Theory==
==Other Appearances==
{{Theory}}
==={{MNPTP|-}}===
[[File:Herospirit.jpg|thumb|right|200px|The Hero's Spirit and Link cross swords.]]
{{Noncanon|Start}}
One of the most common 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. Another good source of information for this theory can be found [http://www.zeldainformer.com/2009/09/spirit-of-the-hero.php here].
[[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}}


Reasons both supporting and yet questioning that the Hero's Spirit is an ancestor of Link include:
==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>


#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.
==Nomenclature==
#Further more, evidence of the Hero's Spirit being an ancestor of Link is given just prior to learning the [[Hidden Skill#Mortal Draw|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 in some way. However, the "bloodline" may simply be a reference to the [[Knights of Hyrule]] in general, which Link is said to be a member of in ''[[A Link to the Past]]''.
{{Nomenclature}}
#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 [[Link#Ocarina of Time|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 ''[[The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time|Ocarina of Time]]'' and ''[[The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask|Majora's Mask]]'', but why the [[Ballad of Gales]] from ''[[The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker|The Wind Waker]]'' is included is unknown (possibly because the [[Link#The Wind Waker|Hero of Winds]], who is revealed to be the Hero of Time reincarnated near the end of ''The Wind Waker'', learned this song amongst others in the other branch of Hyrule's history, and though they do not occur in the same timeline, they are linked to the Hero of Time regardless).
#In regards to his blade and shield, it is assumed by some people that he has the [[Swords of Majora's Mask#Gilded Sword|Gilded Sword]] and a dirty version of the [[Mirror Shield]] used by the Hero of Time in ''Majora's Mask''.
#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 [[Nintendo GameCube|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]. Often ignored though is the fact that there have been other left-handed people in previous ''Zelda'' games before, like [[Link's Uncle]] in ''A Link to the Past''.
#It is also 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 ''Ocarina of Time''. However, the blade bears similarity to the shape of the [[Master Sword]]. They are both sharpened on inclines towards the edge of the blade. However, the tip of the Hero's Shade's sword is more concave on either side, and the part of the blade where the hexagonal part of the Master Sword would be is a more rounded shape, with a different design in the middle. Granted, the blade is worn and tarnished. Whether this is purely symbolic or is indicative of the Shade's true identity is still left undefined, but this resemblance may imply that perhaps the Hero's Spirit was, in life, one of the few wielders of the Master Sword.
#In many ways, the Hero's Spirit resembles a [[Stalfos]]. It was said many times throughout ''Ocarina of Time'' that anyone who is not a [[Kokiri]], but spends too much time in the [[Kokiri Forest]] will eventualy become a Stalfos.
#As the Hero's Spirit enphasizes the phrase "A sword wields no strength unless the hand that holds it has courage", it is highly suggested that he is not only a previous holder of the Triforce of Courage, but also a one who firmly believes in, not just his skill, but his courage as well.
#The simple fact that he is referred to as the '''Hero'''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s Spirit may point to his being a previous incarnation of Link.  Link is often referred to as a Hero (eg. "The Hero of Time" or "The Hero of Winds") as his proper title.  The only other person entitled Hero is the [[Hero of Men]], whose identity has yet to be revealed and could himself be an incarnation or ancestor of Link.


==Trivia==
==Gallery==
{{ImageCaption|image=File:Shade Sword.png|size=50px|align=right|caption=Close-up of the Shade's sword|captionalign=center}}
<gallery>
*Many people mistake Hero's Shade as a Stalfos. However, he has blue-ish skin and is more ghostly in appearance. Only his face is skeletal.
File:TP Hero's Spirit Model 2.png|The Hero's Spirit preparing to fight from {{TP|-}}
*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 spirit's soul of regrets for not teaching his [[Hidden Skill]]s to another hero when he was alive, and enabling him to teach them to Link.
File:TP Hero's Spirit Sparring.jpg|The Hero's Spirit preparing to teach Link a Hidden Skill from {{TP|-}}
*Once Link learns the final Hidden Skill, the screen goes white and the Hero's Shade speaks his final sentence, "Go, and do not falter, my child!". This is similar to how the [[Sage|Seven Sages]] from ''Ocarina of Time'' speak their final words to Link.
File:Shade Sword.png|The Hero's Spirit's Sword from {{TP|-}}
*The Hero's Spirit shares the [[Stalfos#Four Swords Adventures|stalfos]] appearance with the [[Knights of Hyrule]] that were twisted by [[Ganon]]'s dark magic and transformed into stalfos in ''[[The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Adventures|Four Swords Adventures]]''.<ref>{{cite|I am the Knight of Hyrule charged with guarding the blue royal jewel. To my shame, I fell under the sway of dark powers and was transformed into a base creature of magic.|Blue Knight|Four Swords Adventures}}</ref> He also teaches Link his sword techniques, like the Hyrulean Knights do in ''[[Zelda II: The Adventure of Link|The Adventure of Link]]''.
File:TP Hero's Spirit Concept Artwork.png|Concept art of the Hero's Spirit from {{TP|-}}
*The Hero's Spirit also bears some physical resemblance to [[Igos du Ikana]] from ''Majora's Mask''.
</gallery>
*The Hero's Spirit's armor mildly resemble the [[Magic Armor]] from ''Twilight Princess''.
*If viewed from the backside, one can see that the Hero's Shade's torso and legs are disconnected, as well as having the appearence as though his armour is filled with fog.
*The Hero's Spirit is covered by leaves in sections over his armor. This may point to the "cursed hero" that sleeps under the sacred tree, which a large tombstone in the Hyrule Castle Graveyard speaks of. Not only does the Spirit resemble a Stalfos (which may stand as reason to classify him as cursed) but the Hero's Spirit has a lingering regret of never passing on hidden skills and his spirit has been unable to formally rest in peace. However, the fact that the old tombstone writes that the hero indeed sleeps already, points away from the Hero's Spirit since his soul can only rest peacefully long after the inscription was carved. This is up to discretion, since people have different perspectives about the deceased, including when and whether they actually sleep.
*The Hero's Spirit sheathes his sword at his waist, as seen when learning the Mortal Draw, in contrast to Link, who wears his sword on his back.
*Close observation of the upper piece of his armor, shows a similar design to that on [[Owl Statue]]s in [[Majora's Mask]].


==References==
{{Ref}}
<div class="references-small">
<references/>
</div>
<br>
{{Names
|English=
|Japanese= {{Japanese|骸骨の戦士|Gaikotsu no Senshi|Skeleton Warrior|3}}, {{Japanese|金色の狼|Kiniro no Oukami|Golden Wolf|3}}
|Spanish= {{exp|The Spirit of the Hero|El Espíritu del Héroe}}, {{exp|Golden Wolf|Lobo Dorado}}
|Spanish(LA)=
|Spanish(SP)=
|French=
|French(CA)=
|French(FR)=
|German= Goldener Wolf
|Italian= }}


[[Category:People]]
{{Categories
[[Category:Swordsmen]]
|Heroes, Link, Skeletal Undead, Swordsmen
[[Category:Undead]]
|characters= TP, TPHD
}}

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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