ZD Top 5 – Sages

While Link may ultimately be the hero of the Zelda franchise, he has the privilege of meeting and being helped by a diverse cohort of other heroes in his quests.  Perhaps the most memorable group of such characters is the collection of Sages who join Link in his missions to vanquish evil.  This week, we put these Sages to the test by asking Zelda Dungeon staff members to rank their Top 5 Sages.

Which Sages most resonated with you?  Which best served to motivate you in your quest to save the world?  Add your own Top 5 in the comments, as always.

Alexis Anderson – www.zeldadungeon.net/wiki/User:Triforce3

5. Seres (A Link Between Worlds)

4. Medli (The Wind Waker)

3. Impa (Ocarina of Time)

2. Fado (The Wind Waker)

1. Saria (Ocarina of Time)

Saria and Medli, being characters with which the player can build an emotional connection, are of course ranked among my favorites. Fado was very cool to see in Wind Waker because he called back to Old Hyrule and solidified the fact that Koroks descended from the Kokiri. Seres sticks in my mind because I loved seeing the sanctuary again in A Link Between Worlds (plus she’s so darn pretty). And I included Impa because she represents Shadow and I admire her no-nonsense attitude.

Jon Lett – https://www.zeldadungeon.net/wiki/User:Colonel-Majora

5. Irene (A Link Between Worlds)

4. The Dead Sage of Water (Twilight Princess)

3. Makar (The Wind Waker)

2. Darunia (Ocarina of Time)

1. Medli (The Wind Waker)

One of my favorite scenes in The Wind Waker was always seeing the dreamscape scene between Medli and Laruto. First off, get a load of that fantastic remix of the Earth God’s Lyric! Second, The passing of the Earth Sage’s responsibility to Medli was powerful, and really gave a good character from earlier in the game a chance to be something more. Also, the cutscene immediately following that dreamscape was quite emotional. Between seeing Komali looking for Medli and the somber Dragon Roost theme remix, it was very sad to see Medli accept that she had to move on from her home. She was a great character, and the game would not be the same without her.

Kevin O’Rourke – http://zeldadungeon.net/wiki/user:kevin

5. Zelda (Ocarina of Time)

4. Ruto (Ocarina of Time)

3. Makar (The Wind Waker)

2. Irene (Link Between Worlds)

1. Saria (Ocarina of Time)

Ocarina of Time makes a strong showing on my top five sages list. Saria is very important to the story of Ocarina of Time because when Navi or Kaepora Gaebora aren’t offering advice, you could always play Saria’s Song and try to find a clue that you might have overlooked. Irene is also a character that develops a lot during the Link Between Worlds story. Her becoming one of the sages was actually a genuine surprise to me when I played for the first time. Often not thought of as a sage is Zelda, who ends up helping you the most in Ocarina of Time by providing the player with the Light Arrows at the end of the game. All sages should be candidates for Hyrule Warriors if there is another installment in that side series.

Kira Koneko – https://www.zeldadungeon.net/wiki/User:Kira_Koneko

5. Zelda (Ocarina of Time)

4. Impa (Ocarina of Time)

3. Irene (Link Between Worlds)

2. Saria (Ocarina of Time)

1. Medli (Wind Waker)

It’s funny how the interactions and opportunities that you have with each Sage during the game ultimately impacts how you feel about them. Ocarina of Time was a game that truly touched my heart when I first played it, and definitely ranks as one of my favorite Zelda games, if not my very favorite — however, that is a tough decision to make, which is clear when you see the Sages I have chosen for this list. Medli and Saria come pretty close to tying for the number one spot in my mind:  not only was there a strong relationship built with them, but there is also a certain sadness and purity to each of their characters that truly pulls at my heart strings.

Aaron – https://www.zeldadungeon.net/wiki/User:Asuduiko

5. Princess Ruto (Ocarina of Time)

4. Nabooru (Ocarina of Time)

3. Saria (Ocarina of Time)

2. Darunia (Ocarina of Time)

1. Rauru (Ocarina of Time)

In my mind, the Sage mechanic is something that was perfectly integrated into the arc of “Ocarina of Time”; the games in the series that have since utilized it have seemed to thereby make “Ocarina of Time” callbacks than anything more substantive.  As such, all of my favorite Sages come from “Ocarina of Time.”  Rauru’s status as the Sage of Light justifies Kaepora Gaebora within the game as an arbiter of fate, rather than a mere deus ex machina; Darunia’s struggle against Volvagia sets the standard for Goron heroism, which prefigures the role of Goron Link in “Majora’s Mask”; Saria’s role as a Sage artfully represents the loss of childhood that makes the game’s time jump so meaningful; Link’s forced confrontation with Nabooru gives her some of the strongest pathos of all the Sages; and the fact that Ruto never forgot her childhood sweetheart and fellow adventurer always moves me.