In many of the games in the Zelda franchise, our main protagonist Link has often had companions to help him out along the journey. Some companions were great, while others were rather frustrating. Regardless there’s been a quite a variety of people that were willing to help our hero on his journey to become a hero. So here is the list of the top 5 companions Link has had.
Keep in mind, this is my personal opinion, so this list may be a little biased.
5. Tatl, Majora’s Mask
We all know and love to hate Nav’i for being annoying and essentially useless, but what about Tatl, Link’s companion in Majora’s Mask? Many people would put Tatl in the same category as Nav’i in that she wasn’t particularly useful other than enabling targeting in gameplay and occasionally giving some insights to enemies. In fact, Tatl looks pretty much exactly like Nav’i except that she’s a different color.
But Tatl was a bit less annoying than Nav’i, and she showed to have a bit of spunk, which was fun. It was also interesting to see her relationship with her brother Tael. The whole reason why she becomes Link’s companion is because she got separated from her brother and she’s trying to reunite with him.
So while Tatl proved to be about as helpful as Nav’i (aka not a ton), she made up for it in having more personality and not being nearly as annoying.
4. Fi, Skyward Sword
I think Fi gets a lot more hate than she really deserves. While Fi wasn’t super helpful as far as gameplay goes, she was much less annoying than Nav’i or Tatl. She also did prove to be pivotal in the story, since it’s through her Link was able to get the Skyward Sword, find Zelda, return power to the Skyward Sword, and gain power to fight Demise.
Fi’s personality is very logical and straightforward, which may have put some people off. Some saw her as rather boring, but I liked the logical feel to her. She had a lot of information and she was always willing to help. Granted, a lot of the information she gave you throughout the game was obvious, but she did provide some good insight to enemies at times.
What made Fi unique was her connection to the Skyward Sword. In essence, she was the soul of the sword, a guide for the bearer of the sword. While her actual helpfulness was a little lackluster when it came to gameplay, her origin was rather interesting and without her, Link never would have been able defeat Demise.
3. Ezlo, Minish Cap
Ezlo is a rather fun and interesting companion. For one thing, his design is unique in that he used to be a powerful sorcerer but was cursed to look like a very odd creature, a hat basically. When Link saves Ezlo from some enemies, he joins Link (by becoming his hat, which is both weird and funny) in order to help him stop the evil Vaati from taking over Hyrule. Ezlo is incredibly helpful as its through him that Link gains the ability to shrink down in size in order to interact with the Minish.
Ezlo’s personality is more or less a grumpy old man, but he’s pretty funny. He shows to care for Link and is willing to help him out in order to save Hyrule from Vaati. Overall, Ezlo is a pretty entertaining character who proves to be a very valuable friend to Link.
2. The King of the Red Lions, Wind Waker
This companion takes the form of a red boat that resembles a combination of a dragon and a lion. While perhaps this companion isn’t all that entertaining, though he does have a bit of a dry sense of humor, he is incredibly helpful to Link, providing him transportation across the seas. He also gives direction for Link and helps him gain the necessary power to save his sister and defeat Ganon. He’s a great companion who proves to be helpful and enjoyable.
The King is interesting since, in the beginning, you don’t really know about his motives or why he’s helping you out. You also don’t know how he knows so much about Hyrule lore and what Link needs to do to get the Master Sword, power it up, etc. As you play the game you eventually find out, but that initial introduction to him is both sudden and intriguing.
All in all, the King of the Red Lions is an interesting companion with helpful abilities, an enigmatic history, and the drive to help Link succeed in his quest.
1. Midna, Twilight Princess
And at the top of the list, we have the princess of the Twilight Realm herself, Midna! Midna is a fantastic companion to Link. She’s helpful, she’s sassy, and she’s surprisingly powerful. What’s also great about Midna as a companion is that you really don’t know what side she’s on when she joins up with you. Really the only reason she initially teams up with you is that she’s looking to restore her own power and she’s using you for that. But as time goes on, you see her change slowly, you learn more about her and why she wants to save her own world. By the end, the bond between Link and Midna is both sweet and funny.
Midna is also incredibly powerful. Even in her reduced state, she shows to have quite a bit of impressive power, such as the ability to teleport huge objects through the twilight. Thereby teleporting Link throughout Hyrule, and helping Wolf Link jump great distances. When she gets her full power restored, she becomes a force to reckon with, taking on Ganondorf himself.
So overall, Midna has everything for a good companion, she’s interesting, she’s helpful, and her personality and motives make her an incredibly entertaining and fascinating companion.
Conclusion
All of these companions do have one thing in common, in that they help Link to progress as a hero in each story. Whether they did to save Hyrule, to help themselves, or to help Link, these companions prove to be essential for Link to fulfill his quest. And that’s what I like about them.
Even if some initially only helped them out because it suited them or they were compelled to, by the end, they were rooting for Link just as much as everyone else. That’s why I love to have them around. They make the games more interesting and provide someone for Link to interact with on a constant basis. So whether they’re annoying and useless, or helpful and awesome, I’m usually glad when Link has a companion.
As always, feel free to check out our Zelda timeline.
