By M.J. Kuhn
When we think of the creatures of The Legend of Zelda, often we think about the bad guys. The worlds of Hyrule, Termina, and the rest are filled with Moblins, Octoroks, Keese, and far worse, but there are plenty of other creatures in the world of The Legend of Zelda.
Sure, we have all the other races—the Rito, the Gorons, the Zoras—but what about all the other beings that Link interacts with along his journeys?
This post is dedicated to all the random creatures of The Legend of Zelda… specifically, the cute ones I want to welcome into my life and my home as my newest furry friend.
LET'S GO.
10. Seagulls (The Wind Waker)
Who could forget the gulls from The Wind Waker? At first, they’re just kind of there in the background. Then, you meet Beedle, get yourself a Bait Bag, and purchase your first Hyoi Pear. That’s when everything changes.
Okay, not everything. Mostly, you just fly around and see cool camera angles, snag a few extra Rupees, and knock a few essential switches into place. Still, having a little gull friend I could use to experience the joys of flight? I’d have to say that would be pretty cool.
9. Cremia’s Donkey (Majora’s Mask)
Cremia’s Donkey is barely a footnote in Majora’s Mask, you say? I SAY SHE IS THE UNSUNG HERO OF THE STORY.
Not really, but she is a loyal pack animal who stoically puts up with Cremia and Romani’s beef with the Gorman Brothers--and she’s strong enough to cart two full-grown people and a boatload of milk at a running pace. Need help moving house? Awesome, I’ve got you covered with my trusty cart and the help of Cremia’s Donkey.
8. Chain Chomp (Link’s Awakening)
Is this one cheating? Maybe. Unpopular opinion, but I think Chain Chomps are adorable. I’ve been partial to them ever since the days of Mario Kart: Double Dash!! when snagging a Chain Chomp from one of the question boxes could carry you from seventh place to third in about thirty seconds.
In Link’s Awakening, however, you get to hang out with a Chain Chomp for an extended period of time! I enjoyed the part of the game with my lil Chain Chomp buddy so much that I ran around the map a bit after I was supposed to return him to savor our time together for a bit longer. Would he be the softest, cuddliest pet? No. Don’t care. Still want him in my life.
7. Pigs (The Wind Waker)
Did anyone else spend an inordinate amount of time on Outset Island the first time they played Wind Waker? I absolutely did. I found it delightful and wholesome, and I just wanted to move into a little beach house there and never look back at the real world again.
Sneaking up on those cute little piggies and snagging them up was always one of my favorite little side quests in Wind Waker. Why? A few reasons. Firstly, because that lady at the top of the hill was paying STUPID cash for the return of her babies (I understand completely, for the record). Secondly, I enjoyed it just because the pigs were so darn cute!
6. Hidden Village Cats (Twilight Princess)
I love cats. That is true in the real world and in every video game where cats exist. Twilight Princess has many cats, and honestly, I’d be happy to welcome any of them into my happy home. However, the cats from the Hidden Village get a special mention because the Hidden Village is just amazing.
Everything about the Hidden Village is amazing. The western music. The revelations you get talking to the old woman at the end. The fact that it, at first, appears to be a VILLAGE OF ONLY CATS. 10/10. Honestly, I’d brave the Moblin invasions; I might just move into the Hidden Village and have cats as neighbors.
5. Castle Town Dogs (Twilight Princess)
I’m not one of those cat lovers who is a dog hater. Absolutely not! I love dogs just as much, and the Castle Town dogs get a mention here, too! I specifically like the ones in Twilight Princess because I strongly remember picking them up and running around with them in my arms for no reason at all.
If you can’t snuggle a puppy dog, why have you put it in the game in the first place? Cough. Lookin’ at you, Breath of the Wild.
4. Sand Seals (Breath of the Wild)
Breath of the Wild may have screwed up when it comes to the unpettable dogs at all the stables (unforgivable), but they are onto something with the Sand Seals. The Sand Seals are awesome for a few reasons. First of all, they’re just objectively cool animals. How do they see under the sand without scratching their eyeballs? We don’t know. We don’t care. They just can, ok?
Secondly, the Sand Seals are great because they help alleviate an in-game annoyance: the desert is huge. Unless you want to fast travel, you are stuck hoofing it long distances across the sand. Sand Seals can make your journeys a lot quicker. And, of course, they’re central to getting to that big ol’ robot camel.
The only challenge with owning a Sand Seal is that I do not own enough sandy land for an appropriate Sand Seal habitat. Ah, well. A girl can dream.
3. Loftwings (Skyward Sword)
I talked about how cool it would be to experience the miracle of flight through the eyes of one of the gulls from Wind Waker. Want to know what would be even better than that? Experiencing flight myself on the back of my very own Loftwing buddy!
In addition to allowing me to fly without dealing with Spirit Airlines or TSA, I’d love to hang out with a Loftwing because they’re loyal creatures that are objectively pretty majestic. I have to admit: I really hated trying to control Link’s Loftwing using the Wiimote, but who knows--maybe I’d have better luck flying one IRL.
2. Epona (Multiple Games)
I feel like I could leave this bullet point unexplained and everyone would understand. When it comes to animal friends from Zelda, Epona is the first one to come to mind.
She’s your steadfast friend throughout games like Ocarina of Time, Twilight Princess, and more. Epona is adorable in all her pixellated glory. She also allows you to move quickly across the massive expanse of Hyrule Field, jump fences, and attack monsters like Obi-Wan Kenobi—from the high ground.
No further context needed. I need Epona in my life.
1. Cuccos (Multiple Games)
Who could possibly unseat Epona from the number one spot of Zelda animals I’d like to keep as a pet?
NONE OTHER THAN THE MAJESTIC CUCCO.
The Cucco gets my top spot for a few reasons. Firstly, Cuccos are iconic. They appear in nearly every game. Often, they’re helpful—you can pick them up and jump from a rooftop to glide somewhere farther than you can jump or collect them and return them to their owner for some Rupees or another prize.
But there’s another reason I want to keep Cuccos as pets.
Imagine: I’m fast asleep. A person with nefarious intent approaches my home in the dead of night. They break into my house and step over the threshold… only to realize they’ve tread on something soft and feathery.
They look down. A Cucco is there at their feet, glaring up at them.
The Cucco then begins to squawk. Ten more Cuccos appear, seemingly from thin air. Before the invader knows what is happening, they have been swarmed. They are forced to flee my property with the fear of all three goddesses in their heart.
Cuccos: Hyrule’s best guard dogs.
What about you? What creatures from Zelda would you want as a pet?
oh my gosh yesss
Blupee!
also surprised remlit didn’t make the list (only during the day of course :p