Many of the various and fascinating races in The Legend of Zelda have imposing presences about them that demand respect, but few match the Gorons in terms of true intimidation. They are proud, strong, and resilient beings who stand by their convictions and never back down from any obstacle.
The Gorons first appeared in Ocarina of Time, with this incarnation of the species probably being the most well-known to gamers. The Gorons in Ocarina of Time established the prevailing character traits of the species, such as their rock-like bodies, mountainous dwellings, bold and stubborn personalities, and strong senses of honor and loyalty.
Gorons are encountered twice in the story of Ocarina of Time. Link first meets them as a child and helps them reclaim the Dodongo’s Cavern from the invasive Dodongos that have swarmed the area. The second encounter happens after Link ages seven years. The Gorons have been captured by Ganondorf, who plans to feed them all to the dragon Volvagia as a display of his command over the kingdom. Link must rescue all of the captive Gorons as he explores the Fire Temple and use the clues they provide to find the legendary Megaton Hammer, which he then must use to defeat the dragon. Darunia, the leader of the Gorons, is freed upon the dragon’s defeat and is revealed to be the Fire Sage.
Like with many characters and species found in Ocarina of Time, the Gorons were present and prominent in Majora’s Mask. Link encounters the Gorons in the northern region of Termina, though a family of them do live in Clock Town where they run a bomb shop. Link, after finding his way through some frozen terrain, reaches the Goron Village. Here he learns that the intense amount of snow is actually a bizarre phenomenon and that the Goron’s greatest warrior, Darmani III, ventured to Snowhead to try and determine the source of the bad weather.
Darmani did not make it far though, as Link meets the Goron’s now wandering spirit and learns of his tragic demise. Darmani pleads with Link to find a way to restore him to life so he can finish his mission, but the most Link can do is play the “Song of Healing” to ease the Goron’s troubled soul. Doing so allows Darmini to leave the world in peace and leave Link his power in the form of the Goron Mask.
One year after the release of Majora’s Mask, the Gorons returned in the Game Boy Color Oracle duology.
In Oracle of Ages, the Gorons are found on Rolling Ridge, a location where they frequently take part in various mini-games. Dancing mini-games are of particular importance to the Gorons, with Link’s ability to beat their challenges being the only way to earn their acceptance and be considered one of their brothers. Winning the dancing game, then subsequently winning other games played by the Gorons, is how Link obtains the Mermaid Keys needed in order to access the game’s sixth dungeon, the Mermaid’s Cavern.
The Gorons of Oracle of Seasons live on the aptly named Goron Mountain, which serves as an entry point to the Temple of Seasons. Goron Mountain is also where Link can meet with Big Goron, who is a participant in the game’s trading sequence.
In what might have been a surprise for many fans, the Gorons returned again in Wind Waker. Though it might be expected that the rock-based beings would meet a harsh fate from the flooding of Hyrule, encounters with some Wandering Merchants, who are actually enterprising Gorons, prove their resiliency. They seem to want to hide their identities, obscuring their faces with large hats, but they are unmistakable as the rock-bodied mountain dwellers.
Their role in the game is to provide Link with a number of valuables he can offer to Zunari in order to help the merchant’s stall on Windfall Island flourish. Once Link has done business with all of the Gorons and Zunari, he earns his prize in the form of the Magic Armor.
Given their reputation for mountainous dwellings, the Gorons’ appearance on Death Mountain in Four Swords Adventures came as no surprise. They again reside peacefully on the mountain, but they need help dealing with out-of-control fires that cover the region. As they climb the summit in search of one of the maidens, the four Links do all they can to help save the Gorons’ home and put an end to Shadow Link’s schemes on the mountain.
Gorons appeared again in the prequel to the Four Sword games, The Minish Cap, though their role in the game is minor. Link is only able to meet with a handful of Gorons throughout Hyrule, and most of their interactions focus on non-plot-related activities, such as the fusing of Kinstones, buying additional Kinstones, and a sidequest to find a bottle. A Biggoron is also present in the game and is the one who gives Link the Mirror Shield.
Nearly ten years after their introduction to the series, the Gorons receive their first significant redesign with their appearance in Twilight Princess. These Gorons are much larger and more fierce and tribal-looking in their design, with many of them also sporting extra rock-like growths on their bodies.
The Gorons of Twilight Princess do not want to associate with humans when Link first meets them, even going so far as to try to knock him off the mountain. They also challenge him to sumo wrestling to try and halt his progress. But Link clears every challenge they throw at him, earns their respect, and is permitted to enter the Goron Mines to find a piece of the Fused Shadow.
The intimating design from Twilight Princess did not remain for long however, as the Gorons returned to a cartoonish design for the two titles on the DS, Phantom Hourglass and Spirit Tracks.
Most of the Gorons of Phantom Hourglass live on Goron Island, though some of them can be found across the sea in various locations, doing things like running mini-games. The interaction with these Gorons is strikingly similar to the one with the Gorons from Twilight Princess, as they too are not quick to accept Link. To earn the trust of these Gorons, Link must answer the Goron Elder’s numerous quiz questions about the other Gorons living on the island. Link answers all of the questions correctly, earns their trust, becomes an honorary member of the tribe, and is allowed access to the Goron Temple.
The Gorons in Spirit Tracks have a similar-yet-different role than the ones in Phantom Hourglass. They live in their own, secluded village in the Fire Region, with the village being the only access point to a dungeon called the Fire Sanctuary. But instead of solving a quiz to reach his goal, Link must deal with a large amount of lava that is blocking his path to the village’s main area. To solve this problem, Link transports some Mega Ice from the Snow Region back to the Fire Region and uses it to cool lava. With the flames gone, Link is able to meet with the Goron Elder and seek his permission to enter the Fire Sanctuary.
Skyward Sword, as it did with most characters, provided a style of Goron that seems to be a mix between cartoony visuals and the realistic aesthetics from Twilight Princess. Despite being one of the main races living in the land that becomes Hyrule, Link only meets three Gorons during his quest. The first Goron Link meets, Gorko, is an archeologist that shows up in various locations. The second Goron, Golo, helps Link by digging a tunnel to a new area in Lanaryu Caves. The third Goron, Gortram, operates a minecart mini-game in the Lanayru Shipyard.
Last, the Gorons made an unforgettable return to the series in Breath of the Wild. Gorons retain their standard in-game traditions of being strong-willed and powerful, and the importance they place on strong leadership and familial connections continues to lead their way of life.
One of the champions of Hyrule is a Goron named Daruk. He was the leader of the Gorons and the operator of the Divine Beast Vah Rudania during Ganon’s attack on Hyrule prior to the events of the game. Daruk, though brave and resilient, could not stand against Ganon’s schemes and was killed while trying to defend the Divine Beast from Fireblight Ganon.
One hundred years later, Daruk’s descendant, Yunobo, helps Link set Divine Beast Vah Rudania free from Ganon’s control. Yunobo has the ability to use Daruk’s Protection — the powerful, magical barrier that is bestowed upon members of Daruk’s lineage and whoever Daruk deems worthy — and he uses this power to immobilize the Divine Beast so Link can infiltrate it. Once Vah Rudania is free, Daruk, as a spirit, grants the power of Daruk’s Protection to Link.
It’s easy to see why the Gorons are a fan-favorite race. They are strong-willed, proud, and fascinating beings, and have been staples of the series for over twenty years. It is likely they will continue to please fans with more appearances for many years to come.
(For more information on the Gorons and the other fascinating races of Hyrule, visit Zelda Wiki.)
