Daily Debate: Is Daruk the Most Underdeveloped Character in Breath of the Wild?
Posted on September 25 2021 by Heather Beard
In 2017, Breath of the Wild introduced us to a few new Zelda characters, the Champions of Hyrule, Mipha, Urbosa, Revali, and Daruk. Most of the Champion’s tales where very fleshed out through their memories with Link that we see via flashbacks, through their respective journals, and accounts of those who are still living in Hyrule 100 years later. I’ve played through Breath of the Wild a few times now and it seems to me that one of the Champions is quite underdeveloped as far as his story and character goes, and that Champion is Daruk.
Before I dive into the meat of the question I want to preface it with this, I like Daruk. He’s a pretty cool character and I love to see the Gorons represented in Breath of the Wild. I just don’t think that Daruk is as developed as the other Champions in the game. To discuss this I’m taking Breath of the Wild and Champion’s Ballad into consideration. I am not considering Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity in this discussion.
Daruk just seems like any other Goron to me. He’s incredibly strong and brave, like most Goron supporting characters we meet across the Zelda series, he plays more of a comedic relief, happy-go-lucky kind of character too. He’s just not a very deep character. Mipha on the other hand has a tragic and enticing story, it makes you feel something, and her story is memorable. She has a deep relationship with Link and her brother, Sidon. She shows growth and is an interesting character across the board. I would say the same for Revali and Urbosa for depth, character growth, and the fact that they’re interesting. Daruk on the other hand is just Daruk. He’s a bland character among a roster of really interesting characters, he’s not as memorable as the others. His only saving grace, in my opinion, that it’s quite funny to see such a big strong Goron afraid of dogs.
What do you think? Do you think that Daruk from Breath of the Wild is an underdeveloped character? Let us know in the comments below!
Hi I’m Heather! I’m Senior Editor and Art Director at Zelda Dungeon and I’ve been a member of the ZD team since 2019. I am a graphic designer, artist, and nerdy mom to an awesome little boy. When my nose isn’t in a book, working on my novel or watching anime you can find me curled up with my cats Mandy-Lynn and Daisy Mae.
