Link’s companions come in all shapes and sizes and have different skills and functions, but if I had to pick my favorite type of companion, it would be the ones who aid Link in temples. Instead of providing information about enemies you already targeted before or pointing out obvious clues, these companions have special abilities that allow them to solve puzzles that Link cannot figure out on his own.
Medli, Makar, and Phantom Zelda are all phenomenal examples of cooperative puzzle solvers, but I am particularly fond of the feisty little Goron from Phantom Hourglass known as Gongoron.
When Link arrives at Goron Island looking for the Pure Metals, he must gain the favor of Biggoron, the leader of the Gorons and Gongoron’s father, in order to enter the Goron Temple. After passing a quiz about the Gorons and their island, Link is welcomed as an honorary Goron. But Gongoron is not so quick to trust Link.
While Gongoron is tasked with leading Link to the Goron Temple, he makes a point of abandoning the Hylian hero and charging ahead to the temple by himself, utilizing his superior speed in the signature Goron ball form. But Link does find his way to the temple eventually, despite Gongoron’s attempts to hinder his progress.
Gongoron’s animosity towards Link soon disappears, though, as he is cornered by a group of monsters inside the dungeon. Link selflessly rescues the young Goron, who warms up to him and proposes that the pair work together to overcome the trials of the temple.
This part of the Goron Temple is awesome, because the player must switch between Gongoron and Link, using their respective strengths to cover each other’s weaknesses. Link has his arsenal of tools to defeat enemies and solve puzzles, and Gongoron can rapidly roll over quicksand and reach places Link cannot. I loved this temple a lot while playing through Phantom Hourglass for the first time, because this mechanic turns the standard temple formula on its head. As someone so used to playing as just Link, swapping point-of-view and actually controlling Gongoron with the stylus blew me away. And Gongoron’s commentary was actually pretty amusing, going from a sarcastic little kid to a clever Goron helping Link on his quest.
The boss fight with Dongorongo is the true test of Link and Gongoron’s teamwork, as it requires the player to split their attention between Link and Gongoron as they battle against the fearsome dragon.
Gongoron is trapped in the arena with Dongorongo and must attack the beast on its side to knock him over. This allows Link to send a Bombchu across the sand into Dongorongo’s mouth, a callback to the battle with King Dodongo in Ocarina of Time. With their combined efforts, the pair are able to subdue the beast, though not fully defeat it. Gongoron moves ahead, but when Link tries to follow, Dongorongo rallies and blocks his path. He must finish the monster off alone before reuniting with his friend.
The young Goron is fraught with worry and apologizes for leaving his new buddy behind. It appears that Link and Gongoron have forged a new friendship during their trials and become great friends. Even after Link leaves Goron Island, he and Gongoron can still get together and play a racing minigame on the creatively-named Dee Ess Island.
I like Gongoron because of the character arc he goes through. He is distrustful of Link for wanting to use the treasure his people have been guarding for centuries (which makes complete sense), and he’s still wary of Link even after the boy is accepted as a Goron. Link must prove himself to Gongoron and earn his trust before they can truly become teammates. Their bond is realistic and compelling, despite the short amount of time they spend together.
So if you ask me, Gongoron is one of the coolest companions, doing this fellow Gorons proud by using his skills to take down fearsome foes. He improves upon what Medli and Makar brought to The Wind Waker while paving the way for Phantom Zelda in Spirit Tracks, making him a truly awesome addition to Link’s ever-growing circle of friends.
