It had been days since I had come across a friendly face. I had encountered many an enemy encampment and disturbed several peaceful woodland creatures in my travels across Hyrule in Breath of the Wild, but since leaving Kakariko Village I had not seen another being with whom I could converse. Suddenly, as I emerged from a grove of tall oaks, I heard a strange sound echoing across the plain. Is that … an accordion?
Yes. Yes it is.
I first met Kass in the Rabia Plain, due northeast of Kakariko Village. Drawn in by his beautiful melody, I knew before even speaking with him that we were going to be fast friends.
Kass is a member of the Rito Tribe: large, avian folk whose homeland in Breath of the Wild is located on the far west side of Hyrule. Although he is a Rito, his appearance differs significantly from other tribe members. Whereas most Rito more closely resembles eagles or hawks, Kass clearly takes after a blue-and-yellow macaw. Who’s a pretty bird?
Kass dons two white-and-red feathers and a gold-and-white flower on his head. A large white scarf drapes over a brown tunic with red, white, and gold trim, and a green kerchief rests on his back. A belt secures scrolls: possibly maps or sheet music. His enormous hand-wings hold an accordion, which he uses to accompany himself as he sings a mysterious song about the area Link is in. These songs hold clues to revealing nearby shrines, but Link has to do some crazy stuff to find them.
“Kass is that friend that shows up randomly in your life just to get you into some wild shenanigans, and I’m here for it.”
Kass’s first task for me was to mount a “beast that wears a crown of bone.” I had seen deer nearby and guessed he wanted me to ride a buck to unlock a nearby shrine. Not even thinking twice, I set out to tame Bambi so I could impress my new acquaintance. Unfortunately, I had not upgraded my stamina sufficiently by this point, and even when I was lucky enough to sneak up and onto a nearby buck, I was quickly and abruptly thrown. I imagined Kass laughing quietly and saying, “No, no, you got this, just – tee hee – keep trying!” I would need to return later to complete this shrine quest.
Much to my delight, I crossed paths with Kass many more times in my journey. Kass’s name may be a play on “cassowary,” a type of flightless bird, but it seems Kass is perfectly capable of flight since he appears all over the map (unless you subscribe to the theory that there are multiple Kasses). He provided clues via song for eight shrine missions, each one requiring me to do something pretty unusual. I did them though, even when he cajoled me into shooting arrows at the sun and getting naked and howling at the blood moon. Kass is that friend that shows up randomly in your life just to get you into some wild shenanigans, and I’m here for it.
I was able to find Kass at several of the stables across the land. At these I had the chance to ask the bard to sing a tale of the history of Calamity Ganon. Whenever I wasn’t talking to him, Kass nicely supplemented the stable’s music with a version of Epona’s Song. I found myself hanging out a bit longer than necessary at the stables where Kass was present.
At the Rito Stables, a conversation with Kass revealed that he has a family in Rito Village. Given his wanderings, I first assumed he may have been the type of partner who went out for cigarettes never to return. Kass quickly dispels that notion by expressing his homesickness. He’s just a bird responding to the call of duty — the duty to sing songs encouraging strangers to complete zany quests. I later questioned why Kass didn’t just fly home to visit his family, especially when he was so close at the Rito Stables. I guess he had no time for diversion.
After I completed Kass’s final shrine quest, I stayed for a long time by my buddy’s side, listening to him play his joyful theme. I knew that when I left the area, Kass would disappear, and perhaps I wouldn’t see him again. I didn’t put together that he would return home, so I was pleasantly surprised when I stumbled upon him at home with his five chicks. I felt elated to see my friend again — and really sorry for Kass’s poor partner who had to watch five young ones while Kass gallivanted around Hyrule. Seeing Kass and his family sing along to the Rito Village Theme was heartwarming. It also made me realize why Kass was always trying to start some mischief; he’s blowing off the steam of being a father of five!
Kass was busy with his children during the day, but whenever I returned at night, I found him singing his teacher’s song about how the fall of Zelda’s knight awakened her powers. He then revealed that he had known Link’s true identity all along. How did he know all of this? Turns out, he was the student of a Sheikah who was a court poet for the royal family, well-versed in history and lore with a sharp wit. That, and he had a picture of Link with the champions of legend, a memento from his mentor. More on that in a second.
Nintendo either predicted Kass would be a fan favorite or quickly reacted to his popularity, as our feathered friend returned as a key player in the second DLC expansion pack, the Champions’ Ballad. Kass is encountered at four monuments across Hyrule, where he sings a verse from his teacher’s unfinished song about champions of old. After completing the trials described in the lyrics, our minstrel is waiting with an original verse about each champion. These spark Link’s memories of the champions and gives him a glimpse into their stories. After completing the last challenge, Kass performs his teacher’s completed song, causing one last memory to surface. Kass then gives the picture of the champions to Link, ending the epic ballad. Why he waited until now to give Link the photo makes me question his thought process.
Kass’s acclaim has led to several appearances outside of Breath of the Wild. Nintendo featured Kass in their 2018 Father’s Day message to gamers. You can select Kass as your Switch profile picture (as mine currently is). Kass’s theme even plays in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. The people can’t get enough Kass.
Breath of the Wild is a special game for many reasons, but if I had to pick one, Kass might be it. The journey would not have been the same without his antics. My friend always left me with a song in my heart and a spring in my step. Until we meet again, you wild son of a bird.
