The Zelda developers often use a theme when naming non-playable characters from a shared place of residence or demographic background (see here for an example from Skyward Sword). It comes as little surprise, then, that the Wind Tribe from The Minish Cap derive their names from meteorological phenomena, particularly terminology referring to wind. While the inspiration for some of the tribe members’ names are fairly obvious, I caught wind of terms I never knew when researching the other names. Let’s ride like the wind to discover the wind beneath each names’ wings: in other words, the inspiration for each name.
Caprice
Caprice’s name is not directly from a weather term, but from a term (caprice) often used to describe sudden, unpredictable changes in the weather. I’m glad Caprice’s demeanor towards Link is not capricious.
Flurris
Flurris draws her name from “flurry,” a small swirling mass of something, especially snow or leaves, moved by sudden gusts of wind. I assumed her name was pronounced with a hard “s” sound, but upon reflection perhaps it is meant to be a soft “s” so that it reads like “flurries,” or maybe a silent “s” as it would be pronounced in French (à la Paris).
Gale
Here’s an easy one. Gale’s name comes from “gale,” a term for a strong wind often used in nautical contexts. I really like the name Gale and tried (unsuccessfully) to convince my wife to give one of our children that name.
Gregal
Poor haunted Gregal’s name most likely comes from “Gregale,” a strong and cold Mediterranean wind that blows mainly in winter. An ominous wind for a character in a dire predicament. In the French and German versions of the game, Gregal’s name is “Gust” and “Tornado,” respectively.
Hailey
Like her sister, Gale, Hailey’s name is a common name in English-speaking countries. In this context, Hailey also refers to hail: hard, frozen rain pellets. Interestingly, her name in the German version of the game is Cirrus, a type of cloud.
Siroc
Siroc, the leader of the Wind Tribe, likely draws his name from “sirroco” (sometimes called siroc), a hot, furious Mediterranean summer wind which is often dusty, rainy, or both. Who knew the Mediterranean had so many unique winds?
Strato & Strata
It’s not clear if Strato and Strata are related (it wouldn’t be surprising since their sprites are the same), but both of their names are likely derived from either stratus clouds or the stratosphere (or both). In non-English versions of the game, Strato’s name is not weather-related, but refers to his status as a traveler.
Zeffa
Link’s fast-travel companion, Zeffa, likely takes its name from “zephyr,” a warm and gentle westerly breeze occurring in the summer in the western United States. An apt name for a comfy cruise across Hyrule.
That wraps our whirlwind tour of the Wind Tribe and their member names’ origins. Should you visit their home in the clouds, see if you can find any other weather-related Easter eggs.
