As the successor to The Wind Waker and Phantom Hourglass, Spirit Tracks has a lot of characters that are either reminiscent of or legitimately descended from previously known characters. Descendants in the Zelda series can provide possible explanations for the fates of older beloved characters, and Alfonzo is no exception.
Alfonzo is introduced to the player within the first few cutscenes of the game. As Link’s mentor, he trains the young hero to become a train engineer. He may be a tutorial character, but his kind yet strict personality makes the tutorial feel immersive. Once Link successfully navigates his train to castle town, Alfonzo seems genuinely happy for him, though he does stay behind while the boy attends his graduation ceremony.
I assumed that this would mark the end of Alfonzo’s participation in the plot, but surprisingly, his role in the story continues to deepen. After meeting up with Princess Zelda, Link escorts her back to his train where Alfonzo is waiting, and we learn that the two know each other. Alfonzo used to be part of the Royal Guard before leaving his position to become an engineer. When the Spirit Tracks disappear and derail the train, Alfonzo is quick to put his swordsmanship to the test and defend the princess against Byrne’s attack.
Alfonzo is defeated by Byrne, but not before putting up a decent fight. He may be a bit rusty due to his retirement, but it is clear that Alfonzo still has some skill. He bravely defended his princess in spite of the fact that he was out of practice and no longer held the title of knight, which makes him truly admirable.
His prior role as a knight does have some really cool implications about the stretch of time between The Wind Waker and Spirit Tracks. Following the events of The Wind Waker, Tetra and her crew set out to settle a new land of Hyrule, which would later serve as the setting for Spirit Tracks. In Spirit Tracks, Princess Zelda is a descendant of Tetra, and Alfonzo is a descendant of Gonzo, Tetra’s right-hand man.
Gonzo in The Wind Waker always did what he could to protect Tetra, even at the expense of his own safety, and their descendants Alfonzo and Zelda have a similar dynamic. It is really cool to think that Gonzo may have become a knight when he and Tetra arrived in New Hyrule, and that his descendants carried on the role of Zelda’s protector. I also really like the fact that Alfonzo lives in the same village as Niko. Since Gonzo was Alfonzo’s grandfather and Alfonzo knows Niko quite well, I like to think that Niko and Gonzo remained close all their lives. It is very heartwarming to see friendships that last for generations.
Alfonzo remains helpful throughout the rest of the story, as he continues to offer mentorlike advice in place of heavy-handed tutorials. And his connection to Gonzo makes his friendship with Link feel really cool, as if old friends are helping each other out lifetimes later. The legacy of Zelda characters can span multiple games, but it is characters like Alfonzo that truly make the games feel connected.
