While dragons may not be the first thing fans think of when considering The Legend of Zelda series, these mythical creatures have been a mainstay of the franchise since the beginning and have only grown in prominence thanks to The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. As Nintendo's iconic fantasy-based adventure franchise, it's not surprising that the Zelda series would feature these classic fantasy creatures as recurring characters. However, the franchise has utilized dragons in a variety of ways, culminating in their climactic role in The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom.

Dragons are often portrayed as enemies in most fantasy media, but the Zelda series has evolved its use of dragons over the years to feature them as both foes and allies depending on the game. Regardless of whether they help or hinder Link in his quest, dragons in the Zelda series are portrayed as deity-like beings typically found within temples or sacred locations. This portrayal gives players a solid basis for understanding the importance of dragons and their evolution within the franchise as a whole.

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Dragons Have Been Important Figures Throughout the Zelda Series

The first instances of dragons appearing in the series comes from the original Legend of Zelda for NES where both Aquamentus and Gleeok appear as bosses in several of the games' dungeons. Both of these dragons take on the appearance of a typical European-style dragon with Gleeoks being notable for having multiple heads. Future Zelda games would also include dragons as bosses such as Barba who served as the boss of the Three-Eye Rock Palace in The Adventure of Link and Volvagia who was the boss of the Fire Temple in Ocarina of Time.

It was The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker that changed things up and began treating dragons more as creatures to be revered and less as enemies to impede Link's quest. In this game, Valoo appears as the benevolent guardian of the Rito living on Dragon Roost Island whom Link saves from being tortured by Gohma within the island's volcano. Skyward Sword also features benevolent, sacred dragons in Eldin, Faron, and Lanayru who are collectively known as The Protectors of the Surface, and each grant Link a piece of the Song of the Hero.

The modern incarnations of these dragons in Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom are similar yet different from their Skyward Sword counterparts, appearing as Dinraal, Farosh, and Naydra who travel around the sky above Hyrule and can drop their scales which are used for crafting. Naydra even has an entire side quest dedicated to it in Breath of the Wild where Link must free the creature from the grip of Ganon's Malice before it can appear flying around Hyrule. The depiction of these dragons in Breath of the Wild along with some cryptic hints about the Zonai set the stage for the major role they would play in the series' latest entry, Tears of the Kingdom.

The Zonai are explicitly stated to have worshiped dragons in ancient times, and this fact becomes apparent through the events of Tears of the Kingdom and the role Immortal Dragons play in them. Dragons become more significant in this entry than ever before as the final battle of Tears of the Kingdom features Link teaming up with the Light Dragon, who is revealed to be Zelda having consumed her Secret Stone, against the Demon Dragon which Ganondorf becomes after consuming his own Secret Stone of Darkness. This climactic clash is the culmination of the series' history with dragons, portraying two god-like creatures representing both ally and enemy clashing with each other for the fate of Hyrule.

The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is available for Nintendo Switch.

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