How Likable Are BOTW’s Characters?

I get it. You get it. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild has some great characters, no doubt. Some of them are downright likable, but others… not so much. Here are the game’s key figures ranked by how likable they are, based on popular opinion.

10. Calamity Ganon

Calamity Ganon, as a reincarnation of The Legend of Zelda‘s constantly appearing Ganon, is BOTW’s big baddie. He was behind the death of all four Champions and has been sucking poor Princess Zelda’s legendary powers away from her for 100 years. Now, he surrounds the castle awaiting the inevitable showdown with Link. How can anyone like this guy? As players traverse Hyrule and free more of the Divine Beasts, learning of the Champions’ unique impacts on the land’s diverse races, it only adds more fuel to the fire. Even the castle is calling out to you to save it from the dreadful Calamity.

9. Kass

Kass is a fascinating character, a wandering Rito minstrel who absolutely loves playing away on his accordion. He is also known for giving Link annoying shrine quests and side quests during his journey. This lowers Kass’s likability by a LOT. No one wants a stranger telling them to stand naked on a pedestal during the Blood Moon. No one wants a stranger giving you riddles about a crowned beast. While Kass’s character is complex, with the mystery of his dead teacher still lingering, his tendency to dump his load of puzzles on Link can get bothersome.

8. Hestu

Everyone loves the Koroks, and Hestu is no exception. A giant, lovable, broccoli-headed Korok who shakes his maracas to grant Link extra inventory space, Hestu is not someone that can or will be ignored. He’s the life of the party that will always add to Korok Forest’s liveliness. It’s just the dumb gift that he gives you after you’ve scoured every inch of Hyrule to find the 900 hidden Korok Seeds that makes him so unlikable: a stack of useless golden poop.

7. Revali

It’s unfortunate that Revali has received so much unnecessary hate from Breath of the Wild players. He often rubs them the wrong way by his initially arrogant attitude toward Link and Zelda, but it’s later learned in the Champions’ Ballad DLC that he uses this to hide his insecurity. Revali also points out an important detail about the knight and himself: that the Rito practiced his entire life to perfect a skill he wasn’t born with, unlike the other Champions, and Link, who didn’t do anything but pull out the Master Sword and fight some field monsters so far, was chosen to protect Hyrule. Either players deliberately disregard his true personality, or they judge the book by its cover.

6. Daruk

The almighty Daruk is both literally and metaphorically a character. He’s big, brawny, and supportive of Link, and can also be comforting and commanding at other times. Plus, he has the most ironic fear: he is afraid of adorable puppy dogs. It’s mostly his character arc that throws people who take characters for characters the wrong way. He’s not a deep character, with hardly any intriguing inner conflict or surrounding enigma, but nevertheless remains the humor heart of Hyrule’s heroes.

5. Mipha

The Zora Champion and Princess, Mipha, is not only beloved by her people, but also by players around the world. Her kind personality makes her a good role model, and her relationships with her friends (particularly Link, Sidon, and Daruk) are very interesting to watch. It’s only the more unfortunate that Mipha and Link’s romantic relationship was over-emphasized in BOTW to turn it into a sickly-sweet part of her character.

4. Sidon

As Mipha’s younger brother and Link’s assistant to board Divine Beast Vah Ruta, it was impossible for people not to notice the one and only Prince Sidon of the Zoras. There’s no one else who tells Link calmly that there’s a huge field of monsters ahead with boundless optimism. He’s the perfect balance of charisma and hopefulness and has, as a matter of fact, garnered even more fans than his dainty sibling. All the single Zora ladies have a good reason to like him. And aww, look at him as a baby…

3. Urbosa

Urbosa, as one of Zelda’s chosen Champions, is, of course, skilled for her race. But she’s more than just that. She’s The Legend of Zelda‘s female Thor, as she bears the ability to control lightning and thunder itself. It’s not just her amazing powers that make her stand out from the crowd, though. She’s the princess of Hyrule’s charismatic and strong-hearted foster mom. What bigger honor can you get, really?

2. Link

Link is a staple of the Zelda franchise; the essence of Zelda is all but lost without our favorite elf knight. There also wouldn’t be any Princess Zelda if there was no Link to save her. He’s always been Hyrule (or Lorule, Koholint, or Termina)’s hero and the singular character you play as during the entirety of most Zelda games. Breath of the Wild just added to Link’s natural likability. He’s a kid forced into the difficult position of Hyrule’s ultimate protector, and his facial expressions, rare as they are, are pure adorable. Look to the camera poses and his cooking reactions as proof.

1. Zelda

Zelda’s always been a great character who wasn’t fleshed out enough, but BOTW changed that by giving her a full-blown story of her own. She was actually the hardest character to develop in both her arc and new look. Stepping away from the royal, pink-dressed damsel in distress from the classic Zelda games, she was purposely put in a position that made you feel the need to save her. She’s also someone you can sympathize with. Zelda’s mother passed away when her was only a young girl, and now the job of Hyrule’s single leader has been hoisted onto her shoulders without a choice. Her father, King Rhoam, died. The Champions died. Her foster mother, Urbosa, died. She’s the last man standing – and there’s just something about her that makes her mentally strong and understandable at the same time. And she plays with frogs, too? Even better!