In order to make Hyrule feel vast and occupied, there are characters who are simply there to provide ambiance. These characters are ordinary people, going about their lives as Link saves the world time and time again. Sometimes they might offer Link an errand or a hint about his next objective, but most of the time they are just there to fill up space.
Since these characters feel so unimportant, most players fail to learn or even bother to learn the names. Half the time, I find out NPC’s names through guides or wiki pages. However, some of these characters can become hidden gems if you take the time to learn about them.
I did not know about Percy until somebody messaged me online to tell me there was a character from Minish Cap who shared my name. Now knowing this, I simply had to look up the character to see just what kind of person this Percy was. I did not find out much about him, but instead I found out more about his Kinstone quest.
I ended up replaying Minish Cap just to glean anything I could about Percy and to see if he was worthy of sharing a name with me. What I ended up discovering really surprised me.
We first meet Percy at the Picori Festival at the beginning of the game. He tells Link that he is a poet and that he has traveled all the way from Western Wood just to attend the festival.
From his text and sprite animation, Percy seems to be a rather haughty character. He holds his book up dramatically, not unlike Hamlet did with Yorick’s skull in Shakespeare’s Hamlet. Percy’s hair even looks like it is styled like a powdered wig from the 18th century. His appearance evokes the imagery of aristocratic poets, and his actions only solidify this distinguished style. Even his Japanese name, “Poemun,” sounds like “poem.”
This introduction already made me like Percy a lot. I have a soft spot for characters with a flair for the dramatics, but Percy is perhaps one of the more normal characters in this group. He is interesting without being overbearing. In fact, I find him kind of adorable, especially after meeting up with him later in the game and learning that he is not as haughty as his appearance suggests.
After the Picori Festival, Link can find Percy stranded outside of his house in Western Wood, where a tree has fallen in front of the path. If Link fuses a Kinstone with Percy, the fallen tree will magically fix itself, clearing a path to his house.
Percy will not go inside, however, as he has discovered that someone has taken up residence in his house during his absence, and he is far too shy to go talk to them about it. And he most certainly does not want a roommate. For a man who is supposed to be good with words, he is not the most gifted with confrontation. Once again, he requires Link’s aid to remove his unwanted house guest, who ends up being a decently friendly Moblin.
Soon everything is back to normal, and Link is 50 rupees richer. Percy returns to standing dramatically in his Moblin-free home, happy to write poetry in solitude.
The few interactions I had with Percy made me fall in love with him. He is just a shy poet who puts on a dramatic act. His dialogue is pretty charming, and he is not over-the-top like other characters of his nature. I like him because he is so unique, yet ordinary at the same time. And perhaps it helps that I too am a shy poet named Percy.
Percy helped me realize that even though many NPCs may seem inconsequential, they might surprise you if you take the time to talk with them. I certainly will be talking to more NPCs just to see who might be a hidden gem.
