The Kingdom of Hyrule is a fictional land portrayed in the Legend of Zelda video game series created by Nintendo and industry legend Shigeru Miyamoto.

Hyrule in the series

The land of Hyrule, first depicted in The Legend of Zelda, released in July of 1987 for the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES), was the mythical backdrop for the adventures of a boy-to-hero character, Link. Link battles his way through different areas and terrains of Hyrule and through nine levels. Your quest in Hyrule was to reassemble the Triforce of Wisdom and rescue the princess Zelda who was being held captive by the evil theif Ganon. Hyrule was the home land of a mystical triangular object known as the Triforce, which was split into three separate pieces for you to recover before Ganon and foil his plans to rule with an iron fist.

In later editions of the Zelda series of games (for the Nintendo Entertainment System, Super Nintendo Entertainment System, Game Boy, Nintendo 64, Game Boy Advance, and Nintendo GameCube) more characters and mysteries of the land of Hyrule were unveiled and explained.

Although the original Legend of Zelda was the first game to depict the land of Hyrule, it was not the first chronologically. A later game in the series, Ocarina of Time, was set in Hyrule as well, but before the events in the original.

Also, it is important to note that as described in The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker, Hyrule was flooded after The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. The few survivors that remained lived on the remains of Hyrule, which appear to be islands. At the end of the game, Link sails off to find another Golden Land—another Hyrule. Therefore, there may in fact be more than one Hyrule.

Many of the designated areas of Hyrule have traversed through the series, notably The Lost Woods, Death Mountain, and Lake Hylia. Several games in the series take place away from Hyrule: Link's Awakening (Koholint Island), Majora's Mask (Termina), and Oracle of Ages/Oracle of Seasons (Holodrum and Labrynna ).

Hyrulean history

Formation of Hyrule

Hyrule was formed by the goddesses Din, Nayru and Farore. According to Hyrulean legend, Din created the physical geography of the realm, Farore was believed to have created the flora and fauna, and Nayru is believed to have given the laws of physics. Once the goddesses had completed their tasks, they departed for the heavens, and left behind them three golden triangles. Into these, they gave their power to govern all things; this became known as the Triforce.

Hyrulean Geography

In Ocarina of Time

Physical Geography

The land of Hyrule in the time of Ocarina is very varied. The landscape is dominated by a large volcanic mountain range and its principle volcano, Death Mountain, in the northeast of the country.

To the far west, is a large desert, Desert Colossus, bordered by a canyon that is a feeder river for a large lake, Lake Hylia in the southwest.

Immediately east of Lake Hylia is a large woodland area, known as the Lost Woods. The river feeding Lake Hylia loops around the country to a corrie lake and waterfall in the far east, known as Zora's Domain.

The remainder of the country is taken up by a flat valley floor known as Hyrule Field, with a large hill in the centre of the field.

Human Geography

Human activity in Hyrule has been somewhat limited. There is no evidence of farming on Hyrule Field (perhaps there was farming there at one point, but it is no longer fertile), but there is a windmill, suggesting farming somewhere in the kingdom. The Hyrulian economy, judging from the state of Hyrule Castle, seems fairly strong, but dependant on fisheries and trade.

Several settlements have sprung up around Hyrule, the capital being Hyrule Castle Town , with the other major settlements being Gerudo's Fortress , Kakariko Village, Zora's Domain, and Kokiri Forest. There is a great amount of trade between three of the settlements, however Gerudo's Fortress and Kokiri's Forest are mainly secular. There is one city in Hyrule, Goron's City , but this, again, is separated from the other settlements, being high atop Death Mountain and unreachable by many citizens.

The major human landmarks in Hyrule are Hyrule Castle and the temples that have been constructed around the kingdom.

Races and governments

There are several separate races in Hyrule; however, most of them swear allegiance to the Royal Family of Hyrule.

Gerudo

The wasteland to the west is governed by the Gerudo, a purely female race. Despite this, (implied by a Gossip Stone outside of the Temple of Time) Gerudo manage to populate by coming into Hyrule Market Town to have one-night stands. One male is born every hundred years. This male is then proclaimed King of Thieves by the Gerudo, but the Gerudo are really more of a dictatorship.

Kokiri

The forest to the southeast is governed by the Great Deku Tree, who watches over a realm of children who will never grow up. The Kokiri and the Great Deku Tree are pacifists.

Zora

The Zora govern an underground cavern, beneath a corrie lake to the east. They are ruled by a King who goes by the same name, and are completely self-sufficient. The Zora worship a great fish who resides in the lake above their cavern, known as Jabu-Jabu, and believe their fate is tied to its.

Goron

To the northeast lies the Goron City. The workers mine rocks below the city for the race to eat, and thus get a portion of the rocks for themselves. The city itself is an intricate labyrinth set inside Death Mountain itself, and is connected to the Fire Temple.

Hyrule Royal Family

The Hyrule Royal Family itself rules the land to the north of Hyrule, and has a large army of soldiers to protect itself. The King rules the land, and his daughter, Princess Zelda, is next in line for the throne.

In The Wind Waker

Physical Geography

By the time of The Wind Waker, Hyrule is beneath the ocean, and only a collection mountaintops are visible above the water. Hyrule is a archipelago known as the Great Sea.

Each island is fairly varied, the largest of which are Outset Island, Dragon Roost Island and the Forsaken Fortress . There are large expanses of empty ocean between each island, but not much else. Underneath the ocean, however, Hyrule is still intact.

Human Geography

As Hyrule and its citizens are imprisoned beneath the ocean, there is no activity on the sea bed.

Above the ocean however, Hyrulean commerce has improved considerably. Most of the food is gathered from fishing and small farms. There is also a large trade boom with the Gorons , who seemed to have moved off elsewhere.

There is only one major city on the ocean, on Windfall Island , however, a large pirate base did exist in the extreme north-west. A large tower is erected someway throughout the game in the centre of the ocean, but barring that, there is not much else.

Races and governments

The governments of this time are not very powerful, as there are now very little people to form powerful nations. However, there are many diverse races living in and around the Great Sea.

Koroks

The Koroks live on a small island with the Great Deku Tree, who may be related to the same character in Ocarina of Time. Under the orders of the Great Deku Tree, they move throughout the ocean, planting forests in the hope that it will allow the expansion of the mountaintops to create larger islands. The Koroks are an evolved form of the Kokiri.

Humans and Hylians

Strangely, humans seem to have appeared in Hyrule, differentiated from Hylians by the fact that they do not have pointy elf like ears. They work and live in small merchant vessels around the ocean, but are mainly based in Windfall Island , where they enjoy trade with the other races around the Great Sea. However, on Outset Island, the Hylian blood breeds true often, as is an example with Link and Aryll.

Gorons

The Gorons now live in some unspecified place on the Great Sea and trade with the Hyruleans left after the flood.

Hyrule Royal Family

The Hyrule Royal Family still exist, but have no influence whatsoever on day-to-day affairs, as Princess Zelda is unaware of who she is, and the King of Hyrule is sealed at the bottom of the ocean, though he can possess a boat known as the King of Red Lions above the ocean. They do, however, still hold the parts of the Triforce of Wisdom .

Rito

A strange race of Avians , the Rito, have developed a strong culture on Dragon Roost Island . They mainly serve as the postmen of the Great Sea, but are fairly populous. They have a strong relationship with the Hyruleans. They were normal beings until they were given scales by the Wind Spirit Valoo. Once a Rito receives its scale from Valoo, they grow wings. They evolved from the Zora.

Pirates

Several pirate groups have sprung up around Hyrule. They did have a large base in the north-west of the Great Sea before this was taken from them by Ganon. They plunder the ocean in search of treasure, of which there is certainly an abundance.

Ganon

Ganon seems to have somehow broken free from the seal which the sages placed on him in Ocarina of Time. He still has control of the Triforce of Power , and is actively seeking the other two pieces, with a large army of moblins. He has taken over the Forsaken Fortress , and is searching the ocean for Princess Zelda.