The land of Hyrule is no stranger to eccentric characters, and the denizens of A Link to the Past certainly live up to that expectation. With the inclusion of the Dark World, practically every corner of the map has some version of freaky little guy you can get to know. Thanks to it’s magic, the Dark World transforms all who enter it into a form that most represents themselves, be it beast or ball. Speaking of beasts and balls, it just so happens the very first characters Link meets during his first dip into the Dark World are Bully and Bully’s Friend, two characters who have turned into a beast and a ball, respectively.
Bully is, well, a bully. Bully is a selfish guy who entered the Dark World foolishly searching for the Triforce, only to immediately be transformed by the Dark World’s magic into a form befitting of his true nature. With no Magic Mirror or portal to exit the Dark World, the Bully is trapped in his bestial form and has naught to do but kick around his newly ball shaped buddy in anger. The Moon Pearl is the only thing able to stop the transformation effect of the Dark World, and it’s thanks to Bully and his friend that Link learns of it’s existence. If you return to the Bully after actually aquiring the Moon Pearl, he’ll be shocked that you were actually able to retain your shape, impressed you managed to get the Moon Pearl.
There isn’t much more to Bully, unfortunately, as he pretty much just continues kicking around his friend for the rest of the game. However, at the very end of the game, during the credits, Bully and Bully’s Friend can be seen at the top of Death Mountain, chasing each other around, but just as a bit of friendly fun instead of an aggressive game spanning kicking spree.
Whenever I play through A Link to the Past, these two always stand out to me. Maybe it’s because of their strange appearance and their connection to the first venture into the Dark World, but these two characters are some of the ones that I don’t believe I’ll ever forget. I wonder if the developers felt the same, and that’s why they were given their own short spotlight during the credits.
