Highlights
- Side characters in The Legend of Zelda series often have charismatic and memorable personalities that steal the show.
- Characters like Midna, Malon, and the Happy Mask Salesman stand out with their infectious charisma and unique quirks.
- The charismatic villains, like Ghirahim, add a lighthearted and comical touch to the series, making them captivating and memorable in their own right.
While Link may be a silent protagonist, there are still plenty of characters in The Legend of Zelda series who are much more emotive and interactive than everyone's lovable hero, and a lot of the time, these side characters have endless amounts of charisma that makes them incredibly memorable to fans.
This doesn't just apply to Link's allies though. There are even a few villains who are incredibly charismatic and captivating to watch, even though underneath it all, they could be incredibly evil and ill-hearted individuals. These are the Legend of Zelda characters who really stood out from the rest for their infectious charismatic personalities, which allowed them to steal every scene they were in.
8 Midna
Many people would use the word "mischievous" to describe the Princess of Shadow Midna, but throughout Twilight Princess, she actually becomes far more layered as a character, while also revealing a much different side to her personality which is a lot more upbeat and jovial than we're used to seeing from Link's companions in the other games.
From the moment she appears in front of Link in the Hyrule Castle Prison, it was clear that Midna knew a lot more than she was letting on, but another reason she becomes so captivating was because of how boisterous and fun her dialogue was as she would constantly switch between mocking and praising Link, especially in his wolf form. The tragic events that take place throughout the plot of Twilight Princess do mean that she can't be this whacky and weird throughout the entire game, but there's no doubt that in those early scenes, she steals the show every time she speaks.
7 Malon
First encountered when stepping into the Lon Lon Ranch in Ocarina of Time, Malon is a fun and bubbly young girl who runs the ranch due to her father's laziness. Malon calls Link "fairy boy" each time she sees him, a comment that very much leans into her silly and quirky personality, and considering she is the one to teach Epona's Song to Link, she also plays a fairly big role in the overall plot.
While Ocarina of Time may be considered one of the darker and more serious entries in the series, characters like Malon help to balance out the tone and atmosphere with her hilarious quips and small one-liners, making for one of the cheeriest characters despite the events going on around her.
6 Happy Mask Salesman
The Happy Mask Salesman doesn't seem like the friendliest individual at first glance, especially because of that menacing smirk that is permanently stuck to his face, but when Link speaks to him, he comes to find that this man is quite a funny and charismatic character who is a real joy to talk to.
If the player visits his shop in Ocarina of Time and decides to bargain a few masks with him, the Happy Mask Salesman will speak to Link in a positive tone, encouraging him to hand over any masks he currently owns. However, it's in Majora's Mask where his personality shines through, especially near the end when he comments on how many people Link has made happy thanks to his actions, showing that the unnerving salesman is a compassionate individual with an incredibly infectious upbeat aura about him.
5 Kaepora Gaebora
Since Kaepora Gaebora is rumored in the game to be the reincarnation of an ancient sage, it's quite surprising that rather than having the attitude of an old man, he is fairly cheerful and humorous, and the fact that he remains in an owl form for all the games he is featured in only helps to make him even more memorable and unique.
During the stories of Ocarina of Time and Majora's Mask, Kaepora will seemingly approach Link at the most random moments, towering over him with his large stature and pointing him in the right direction to progress the story, but it's extremely difficult to predict how he's going to phrase his sentences since he almost always drops a few weird and whacky lines every time he speaks, such as the now well-known "Hoot hoot hoot ho" line. He's as mysterious as he is charismatic, and truly a character longtime fans won't ever forget.
4 Purah
Purah is one of the most popular newcomers introduced in Breath of the Wild, and despite being roughly 124 years old, she has a fairly child-like personality that helps to break up the seriousness of the story not only in that game but in Tears of the Kingdom too, where she is a little bit older.
Underneath the fairly stoic and serious exterior, Purah is a very quirky, weird, and downright lovable character who is always having fun with "Linky" whenever she speaks to him. Not only does she have her hilarious gimmick of pulling out a notebook to log everything Link says to her, but her "check it" catchphrase and mad-scientist clothing makes her undoubtedly one of the most fun and charismatic allies introduced to the Zelda universe over the last few years.
3 Groose
Fans didn't exactly love Groose from the get-go upon the release of Skyward Sword, but as time has gone on, many have come to appreciate just how layered this character is, and how much charm he brings to the story. Groose is a troublemaker through and through, always trying to tease Link due to his jealousy of his relationship with Zelda, but there's no denying that he has a very distinct personality that makes him a real joy to watch on screen.
The way Groose flip-flops between arrogant leader to timid gentleman whenever Zelda appears demonstrates just how much character and personality this guy has, and who could forget his iconic appearance with large googly eyes and an upward-facing red streak of hair? Groose really is a giant bundle of joy that bounces off the seriousness of Link and Zelda incredibly well.
2 Tingle
Love him or hate him, no one can argue that series regular Tingle is as charismatic as they come, with the self-proclaimed "reincarnated fairy" appearing in nearly every game in the series and always lighting up every scene he's featured in due to his extremely flamboyant and vibrant personality. Of course, it's also hard to ignore his bright green jumpsuit and sharp pointy ears that only add to the little guy's charm.
He has come a long way from simply being the map merchant in Majora's Mask, especially by the time Wind Waker was released where he played a much more important role in the overall plot, which allowed him to demonstrate his incredibly infectious personality and presence. Tingle became so popular that he even had three of his very own spin-off games, alongside a DSiWare app.
1 Ghirahim
The majority of The Legend of Zelda games will have Ganon as their main villain, and while he can take on a different appearance each time, he's almost always the same in his brooding, maniacal, and monstrous personality, but Ghirahim in Skyward Sword is much different since he takes a much more lighthearted and comical approach to the role of being a villain.
Of course, all of this is hiding his evil intentions, but it's undeniable that Ghirahim is still incredibly charismatic. Whether he's creeping out from behind a pillar to taunt Link, waggling his hilariously long tongue at the screen, or simply brushing his fabulous hair out of his face to make yet another grand speech about his villainy, Ghirahim is a character that demands the player's attention with his haughty attitude, and his boss fights also lean into this, with each of them being extremely creative and unique. Despite only appearing in a single game, the reason so many Zelda fans still cite Ghirahim as their favorite villain is because the character personifies charisma, being one of the main spectacles of Skyward Sword.