What lies beneath the clouds? What mysteries does the surface hold? What landscapes and alien creatures live below the Hylians in the sky? These are the questions that the inhabitants of Skyloft often ask. Unfortunately, there was no way for anyone living in Skyloft to acquire answers to these questions.
Before the events of Skyward Sword, the land beneath the clouds was a children’s story: a fairy tale that was told to the kids of The Isle of the Goddess. It was not until our hero Link journeyed to the surface in an attempt to rescue Zelda that we found out there even was truly a world beneath Skyloft. With a new world we had the privilege of discovering, so where do we start? Well, we can start with Gorko, the Goron archaeologist that is ironically trying to discover the world our heroes came from.
Aren’t archaeologists the unsung heroes of the world? How else would we know about ancient civilizations? Who else would discover the secrets that lie beneath the rocks that we walk on every day? Archaeologist are scholars tasked with researching to figure out the mysteries of the world. In Skyward Sword’s case, there is Gorko. He is a Goron archaeologist who loves rocks for more than just uncovering what’s beneath them! He travels the land below the clouds to study the ancient civilization that once lived there.
We first meet him when Link initially descends from Skyloft. Gorko is seen being tormented by a couple of nasty Bokoblins. This is a funny sight to see considering how big and stubborn Gorons can be. After saving him, Gorko acknowledges that strange things have been happening and tells Link about an advanced civilization in the sky.
In terms of gameplay, he serves as a tutorial in many places teaching you how the old Hero of the Goddess would use the bird statues to “save” and take to the sky, or how the Goddess Cubes served as an aid to the hero. This prompts you to interact with these objects and discover the game’s mechanics. You meet him at various points throughout the game and he provides a sort of reprieve from the epic that you are partaking in. He is a quirky Goron who constantly validates you as the player because he is often asking the same questions in your head. If Link is lucky, he will sometimes even have some answers. “Where am I?” Gorko has a map. “What is this?” Gorko knows. He is a philosophical and lovable Goron and he is one of the highlights of the land below the clouds.
Skyward Sword is a game filled with interesting and mysterious races. You have the Kikwi, Ancient Robots, and Mogma who provide us with a variety of different characters and personalities. Gorko is a Goron which is one of the recurring races in the Zelda series. In Skyward Sword, he is the only one you come across. This is unusual for a Zelda game that contains Gorons. Generally, they inhabit a city and you can find a cluster of them living on the tallest mountains. If Gorko is the only one we find beneath the surface, where are the rest of them? What is so special about him? Ironically, Gorko is exactly the man that could answer these questions. In fact, he is likely scratching his head coming up with the answers right now!
Gorko is a name derived from Goron and Marko, as in Marco Polo. Gorko certainly lives up to his name because Marco Polo is one of the greatest explorers of the world. Their shared curiosity makes Gorko’s namesake perfect for the type of character he is. Gorko is someone who won’t leave stones unturned. He will often ponder ancient markings for hours until something happens. Often, these occurrences happen when Link comes into the picture, but even then, Gorko remains vigilant.
Skyward Sword is a game that exemplifies the amazing characters that the Zelda series has created. Gorko is most certainly one of the quirkier characters you stumble across on the surface. He brings a charm to the game that enhances the mystery behind it. He is a step away from the norm we see from other Gorons in the series and this makes him one of the best characters in the game. While there are some other heavy hitters in Skyward Sword, Gorko remains one of the most memorable. I hope you play the game to experience the man behind the map himself!
