Breath of the Wild is home to many complex and interesting NPCs but the group that really disappointed me was the Yiga Clan. When I first encountered a member of the Yiga Clan and struggled in the fight against them, I thought they would be much cooler. They were described as the evil counterparts to the Sheikah, adding onto the mystery of this this new and exciting Hyrule. However, once I actually found their stronghold and defeated their boss, the Yiga lost any depth I thought they would have.
However there is one NPC that changed my negative outlook on the Yiga Clan as a whole. And that man is a Sheikah named Dorian.
Dorian is one of the bodyguards in front of Impa’s home that Link can meet when he arrives in Kakariko Village. He is a rather serious man and even threatens Link when he tries to enter Impa’s house the first time. However, he relaxes once he and his fellow bodyguard, Cado, spot the Sheikah Slate on Link’s hip.
After this interaction, he becomes much more hospitable. He reveals that he is the single father of two little girls named Koko and Cottla. When he is not guarding Impa, he can be found spending time with his daughters, telling them little stories about the Great Fairy Fountain, or tucking the girls into bed.
If Link talks to Dorian at night when Koko and Cottla are asleep, he reveals that his wife was killed by members of the Yiga Clan. He tells Link that he has not revealed to his children that his wife has died, wanting to protect them from the truth of what actually happened to their mother.
This little bit of dialogue from Dorian really changed my initial outlook on the Yiga Clan. While they were no threat to Link, they still caused plenty of issues in Hyrule. They affected this little Sheikah family in very real and poignant ways in that Dorian had to learn how to be a single father in the wake of his wife’s death.
In addition to changing Dorian, the Yiga Clan affected how his daughters interact with him and the world around them. Koko, the more observant daughter, could see through her father’s lie, and she decided to take on the role her mother left behind. She helps Dorian take care of Cottla, who remains oblivious to her mother’s fate. Yet, Cottla brings joy to her fractured family by being a constant force of joy and light.
However, this is not where Dorian’s story ends, nor where his connection to the Yiga Clan stops. During the Stolen Heirloom sidequest, Dorian acts rather suspicious and leaves his post at an odd hour of the night. When Link goes to confront him about the theft, a Yiga Blademaster appears, and Dorian reveals that he used to be a part of the Yiga Clan.
He explains that he left Yiga Clan when, during a mission to spy on Kakariko Village, he fell in love with a Sheikah woman and married her. In retaliation for his treachery, the Yiga Clan killed his wife and continued to threaten him and his two daughters if he did not appease them.
This reveal and the difficult fight with a Yiga Blademaster, showed a deeper side to the Yiga Clan. Dorian being a former member showed that they had personalities outside of being banana-loving goofballs. He showed that people like the Yiga can change and try to become better people. But these actions had consequences, and the Yiga Clan showed their more terrifying side.
Dorian is a delightfully complex NPC who, in his short moment of story relevance, makes a significant impact on the lore of the world. He is one of the sweetest characters in the game while also showing that the Yiga Clan has an impact on the world that Link does not witness. His little moment of lore saved my opinion of an entire faction, and now I look forward to beating up the Yiga Clan.
My biggest hope for Dorian is that we get to see his love story and betrayal in Age of Calamity.
