With the new HD release of Skyward Sword, I have been most excited to see the characters that really made the game for me. In particular, some of my all-time favorite characters are the robots. I love how Skyward Sword blends a wild landscape with these futuristic and sci-fi characters.
My favorite of these characters is LD-301N Skipper, or simply Skipper for short. Not only is Skipper one of the ancient robots built to work in the Lanayru Desert, but it is also a pirate, which just makes it downright awesome. For all the SpongeBob fans out there, it is literally what happens when Robot Pirate Island manifests a character.
Skipper looks like the other robots in Lanayru Province, with its cute round face and large mechanical hands. But Skipper is distinguished from the others with its large captain’s hat and a rather dapper mustache.
We first meet Skipper during Link’s quest to find Nayru’s Flame, which is housed upon the Sandship. As with most robots in Lanayru Province, Skipper is completely broken down when Link encounters it, only becoming reactivated when Link hits the Timeshift Stone on Skipper’s boat. Thus, the captain awakens!
Skipper introduces itself with a long and dramatic monologue befitting of a sailor. It tells Link about how its ship was attacked by Ghirahim’s forces, who were searching for Nayru’s flame. Skipper was tossed overboard during the attack, and its crew was captured. After searching for so long, Skipper eventually fell to ruin like the rest of Lanayru Province.
Link must then travel to Skipper’s Retreat in order to retrieve the sea chart to find the invisible Sandship. It is in Skipper’s Retreat that a little more of Skipper’s character is revealed. While it appears to be a bit of an unimportant side character, it also has a bit of a sad story.
Skipper remarks that Link will have to go retrieve the sea chart himself, as it cannot leave the vicinity of the ship and, by extension, the Timeshift Stone that allows it to function. Unlike the other robots in Lanayru Province, Skipper is seemingly aware that the Timeshift Stone keeps it alive.
Thus, Skipper is aware of what Link will encounter inside of its shack. Upon entering the shack, Link finds two ruined robots. After clearing the sand that has gathered in the shack, pictures on the wall show Skipper with its crew, and a touching picture of Skipper holding up what appears to be a child-like robot. The ruined robots could be members of Skipper’s family. There is a letter on the wall from the crew thanking Skipper for all that it does, showing that Skipper is a well-loved captain and family member.
The shack really solidified Skipper as one of my favorite characters. It is a goofy NPC that actually has a bit of a heart. Despite being a robot, it still had a family and friends who will never be returned due to the absence of a Timeshift Stone. But its story does not end unhappily.
Skipper is returned to its crew after Link saves the ship and they work to rebuild their ship to its former glory. This ending is bittersweet, as Skipper has lost its family back at its retreat, but it is supported by its loyal crew. Skipper has a little complexity under its silly appearance, making them an NPC that stands out among the rest.
