Highlights

  • The next Zelda game should bring back forgotten characters to revive their popularity and deepen the lore surrounding them.
  • Tingle, Dampe, the Happy Mask Salesman, Dark Link, and Fi are among the characters that deserve a comeback in the next game.
  • These characters have developed fan bases and played key roles in previous games, but have not appeared in mainline Zelda games for a long time.

The Legend of Zelda series has developed a large cast of characters over the years, including both allies and foes of Link. However, the changes the franchise has undergone in the decades since its inception have left some characters abandoned in a certain game or era of games that have come and gone. With the successor to The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom confirmed to be headed in a new direction for the series, it presents the perfect opportunity to bring some of these forgotten characters back into the spotlight.

Many of the side characters in the Zelda franchise have developed fan bases of their own, despite not being the main focus of the games they've appeared in. Others have played key roles in a certain game, but have failed to appear again outside of spin-off games like Hyrule Warriors. In order to revive the popularity of some of these characters, and deepen the lore surrounding them, the next Zelda game should reintroduce some of these abandoned characters back into the franchise.

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Abandoned Zelda Characters that Deserve a Comeback in the Next Game

Tingle

Tingle is the poster child for bizarre Zelda side characters that developed their own dedicated fan base. First appearing in Majora's Mask, Tingle is an odd fellow dressed as a fairy who sells Link maps for the different areas throughout the game. While Tingle has appeared in multiple titles, including Wind Waker, Oracle of Ages, The Minish Cap, and even his own spin-off games, he hasn't made an appearance in a mainline Zelda game since The Wind Waker HD was released a decade ago. His last original appearance in The Minish Cap came nearly two decades ago.

Dampe

Dampe is another staple character of the classic Zelda titles who first appeared in Ocarina of Time as the graveyard keeper in Kakariko Village. Like Tingle, Dampe has appeared in several Zelda titles, including Majora's Mask, Four Swords Adventures, The Minish Cap, and A Link Between Worlds. Although Dampe was recently given a new role in the Link's Awakening remake for Nintendo Switch, he deserves a wholly original appearance in a new Zelda title.

Happy Mask Salesman

Although the Happy Mask Salesman is directly relevant to the plot of Majora's Mask, he does make a prior appearance in Ocarina of Time and returns in Oracle of Ages. He lives up to his name in each of these instances as a purveyor of masks, though his presence in Majora's Mask is much more unsettling than in these other titles. A future Zelda game could bring the Happy Mask Salesman back and treat him similarly to Beedle or Kilton in the recent games, giving him the role of a traveling salesman who sells masks to the player.

Dark Link is an iconic foe from the early days of the Zelda series that represents a mirror version of the hero. He first appears as the final boss in Zelda 2: The Adventure of Link located at the end of the Great Palace, but he also makes appearances as a mid-boss in Ocarina of Time's Water Temple and as a bonus boss in the Game Boy Advance version of A Link to the Past. Although this shadowy figure has been referenced in other games, like via Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom's Dark Link armor, the foe should return as a foil for the hero in the next Zelda title.

Fi

One of the most important characters in the Zelda series who has only appeared in one title is Fi, the spirit of the Master Sword. Fi was introduced in Skyward Sword and acts as Link's guide throughout the game. While Fi is referenced in Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom, she should appear as a central figure in the next Zelda game to further flesh out the lore surrounding her presence within the Master Sword over the years.