Royal Family of Hyrule
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The Hylian Royal Family has been featured strongly in a few Zelda games, including Ocarina of Time and The Minish Cap. The most prominent member of the Hylian Royal Family is Princess Zelda, who appears in nearly every game. Several other members also appear across games, or are referred to.
The Hylian Royal Family is, in general, the most prominent of all leaders in Hyrule. They keep close contact with the other leaders or races/tribes as a whole
There is no current proven family tree or bloodline, due to a lack of information regarding Zelda's mother, or her grandparents. Without this information, it is impossible to construct a comprehensive family tree.
The Legend of Zelda
In The Legend of Zelda, the Hylian Royal Family was responsible for guarding the Triforce of Wisdom. When Ganon attacked, the young princess of Hyrule, Zelda, broke it into eight pieces and hid them, for which she was imprisoned by Ganon.
The Adventure of Link
In the backstory for Zelda II: The Adventure of Link; long ago, when the kingdom of Hyrule was still unified, a wise king ruled over the land using the Triforce.[1] Unfortunately, this wise king passed away, and his son and heir could only inherit the Triforce in part, because the king had hidden the Triforce of Courage away in the Great Palace until someone with special inborn qualities could find it.[2][3] The young prince was swayed by the counsel of a corrupt wizard, who told him that his sister, Princess Zelda, was hiding the missing pieces. The prince interrogated the princess, but she would reveal nothing. In retaliation, the wizard cast a spell over Zelda, causing her to fall into an eternal sleep.[4] The prince, stricken with guilt, issued a decree that all females born into the royal household were to be named Zelda in honor of his sister.[5]
A Link to the Past
In the backstory for A Link to the Past, the King of Hyrule convened the Seven Sages to seal the entrance of the corrupted Sacred Realm and stop the flow of evil power.[6] The conflict between the Knights and Ganon later became known as the Imprisoning War, in which Ganon was sealed inside the Dark World. Hyrule was at peace for a long time, until unexplained plagues and famine began to ravage the kingdom.[7] The king was troubled by these developments, and ordered an investigation into the seal on the Dark World. The seal was intact, so the king advised the people to pray to the gods for solace.[8]
As if to answer their prayers, a wizard named Agahnim appeared and ended the troubles using an unknown form of magic.[9] This greatly pleased the king, who made him his chief adviser and priest and declared him to be the second coming of the Seven Sages.[10][11]
The king's blind trust of Agahnim would be his undoing, however. Agahnim seized power and eliminated him, beginning to conduct secret magical experiments in the castle towers.[12][13] When he usurped power, Agahnim used the king's name to enact false decrees, such as the order for Link's arrest and sings offering rewards for whoever finds the descendants of the Seven Sages.[14][15]
The Princess Zelda is the last of the descendants of the Sages that Agahnim sends into the Dark World in order to break the Sages' seal. After Link defeats Agahnim, who is revealed to be nothing more than Ganon's alter ego, and Ganon himself, he makes a wish on the Triforce restoring Hyrule to harmony. The ending montage shows a scene of the king, newly restored to life and ruling the kingdom again.
Ocarina of Time
When Link met Zelda as a young girl, Zelda told him of how her father, the King of Hyrule, had trusted Ganondorf, and how she disliked his decision. While this is the only reference made, there are no defined other members of the family during this period in Hyrule.
Oracle of Ages/Seasons
The Hylian Royal family has only a minimal role in the series storyline. Zelda does appear in the password-linked quest. The inhabitants of Holodrum and Labrynna of the present seem to have no other royal government. Nothing suggests that Queen Ambi of the past is of Hylian royalty.
Four Swords
The Wind Waker
Tetra the pirate, who is actually Zelda, along with the King of Red Lions, who is King Daphnes Nohansen Hyrule, are the only existing members of the Royal Family at that time. Daphnes does make mention of Zelda's mother, who was already dead before the events of The Wind Waker.
Four Swords Adventures
The Minish Cap
The Hylian Royal Family is depicted only by two living members. However, Royal Valley is said to be the place where deceased members are buried. Gustaf is found here, along with unnamed members. The only known living members are Princess Zelda and the King of Hyrule. Link and Zelda are depicted as childhood friends, and the King and Smith are said to be old friends. The Royal Family is said to be the ones who know the truth about the Picori.
Twilight Princess
Zelda appears to be the only living descendant of the Royal Family of Hyrule, depicted in the scene "The Invasion of Hyrule," when she is the only Royal Family member guarding the throne. It is also mentioned that she made the decision to engulf Hyrule in Twilight rather than relinquish it, hinting that there was no higher power.
References
- ↑ "Long ago, when Hyrule was one kingdom, a great ruler maintained the peace in Hyrule using the Triforce." (Zelda II: The Adventure of Link manual, pg. 6)
- ↑ "After the king died, the prince of the kingdom should have inherited everything, but he could only inherit the Triforce in part." (Zelda II:The Adventure of Link manual, pg. 6)
- ↑ "The king had left Power and Wisdom in the kingdom, but had hidden Courage, because only an individual with a strong character and a special inborn quality could use it without disastrous results." (Zelda II: The Adventure of Link (Classic NES Series) manual, pg. 8)
- ↑ "The prince immediately questioned the princess, but she revealed nothing. The wizard threatened to send her into an eternal sleep if she did not talk." (Zelda II: The Adventure of Link manual, pg. 7)
- ↑ "So that this tragedy would never be forgotten, he ordered every female child born into the royal household to be given the name Zelda." (Zelda II: The Adventure of Link manual, pg. 8)
- ↑ "The King of Hyrule called upon the Seven Sages of Hyrule, as well as the Knights to seal the source of this evil." (A Link to the Past (Japanese version) manual, pg. 7)
- ↑ "Pestilence and drought, uncontrollable even by magic, ravaged the land." (A Link to the Past manual, pg. 6)
- ↑ "The King of Hyrule was greatly troubled, and had the seal studied, but found nothing. The people had nothing else to do but pray to the gods." (A Link to the Past (Japanese version) manual, pg. 9)
- ↑ "A stranger named Agahnim came and quelled the disasters with a previously unseen form of magic." (A Link to the Past manual, pg. 6)
- ↑ A Link to the Past manual, pg. 6
- ↑ "The people heralded him as a hero; the King proclaimed him to be the second coming of the seven sages, appointed him priest, and invited him to the castle." (A Link to the Past (Japanese version) manual, pg. 9)
- ↑ "Of late, rumors have traveled their whispering path with alarming frequency. Rumors saying Agahnim now rules the country with his magic... Rumors of strange magical experiments in the castle tower at night..." (A Link to the Past manual, pg. 7)
- ↑ "A mysterious wizard known as Agahnim appeared as from nowhere...and with strange magic powers he eliminated the good king of Hyrule..." — Prologue (A Link to the Past)
- ↑ "(Picture of Link) WANTED! For kidnapping Princess Zelda. Call a soldier if you see him!" — Sign (A Link to the Past)
- ↑ "I will give 100 Rupees to the man who finds me the descendants of the seven sages. THE KING" — Sign (A Link to the Past)