The tiny woodland village of Ordon, nestled deep in southern Hyrule, is as tranquil as it is quaint. Its inhabitants are peaceful friends of the forest, relying on the abundance of nature for survival. Ordonians live an outdoors life with goat herding, fishing, and farming being the most common occupations. These modest village folk form a tightly knit society where each individual plays an important role in community life.
As the ultimate man of mystery, and high ranked member of the Resistance, Rusl is a man of many talents and a true mentor to our hero, Link. A hardworking soon-to-be father of two and the village’s only swordsman, Rusl is regarded by the villagers of Ordon as their unofficial leader. His quiet patience and quick thinking have earned the respect of virtually every villager, and he is only too happy to supply people with the knowledge (and sometimes weapons) needed to face what lies beyond Faron Woods.
At the beginning of Twilight Princess, Rusl entrusts Link with a special delivery to Hyrule Castle, hoping he can benefit from a journey outside the forest. He indicates with a wink that Link might even be lucky enough to gain an audience with the Princess Zelda. To prepare him for the journey, Rusl provides tutoring in sword fighting and supplies Link with his very first sword.
Rusl never hesitates to dive into the unknown, approaching every potentially dangerous situation with little concern for his own welfare. Link witnesses this first hand after returning to Ordon Village in wolf form. When Rusl gains sight of him, he mistakes Link for one of the monsters who kidnapped the village children. Rusl attempts to keep the wolf at bay, aggressively brandishing his sword whenever Link attempts to get close to Rusl or his wife, Uli. This is a tough moment for Zelda fans — we desperately want to help Rusl in his search and reassure him that the wolf is a friend is disguise, but the only ones who seem unafraid of Link in this form are the other animals. Rusl, though injured and weary, insists on performing his duty as village protector, never wavering even during the bleakest of times.
No discussion of Rusl would be complete without mention of his reserved and mild-mannered son, Colin. Colin is timid by nature and is therefore looked down upon by the other village children. Being the son of a courageous swordsman has cast a shadow over Colin, who often struggles to accept himself and feels frustration as a result. After experiencing the heartbreak of being separated by family and friends and tired of his own inaction, Colin makes a bold move to protect his friend Beth by pushing her out of harm’s way as King Bulblin charges through Kakariko Village. Here, Colin demonstrates that he is Rusl’s son through and through, and he gains the respect of his peers. He discovers that courage isn’t about fighting battles, but rather finding a way to protect and support the people you care about — a lesson he learned from his father.
Rusl’s resourcefulness and omniscience cannot be understated; he is a crucial friend and ally, supplying a continuous stream of useful information to aid Link in his quest. After clearing Lakebed Temple, Link tracks down Rusl at Telma’s Bar, where he reveals himself to be a long-standing member of the Resistance. The Resistance is, in essence, a rogue group of freedom fighters, each with a unique connection to the Hyrule Royal Family. The Resistance plays a major role in Link’s quest throughout Hyrule, as each member holds the key to recovering one of the coveted Mirror Shards.
Rusl’s fighting spirit and dedication to the cause continue until the very end of Twilight Princess. In the stunning finale, Rusl and his crew rush in after Link is ambushed by a swarm of enemies at Hyrule Castle. Rusl calls on his hawk to deflect an arrow aimed for Link as members of the Resistance do away with the remaining monsters. Before leaving, Rusl gives a reassuring nod to Link, knowing that he is headed for the unimageable task of confronting Ganondorf.
This is one of my favorite moments in Rusl’s journey and represents a huge payoff for the sacrifices he makes over the course of the game. My first impression of Rusl was somewhat mixed, as I frowned upon his decision to leave his young child and heavily pregnant wife on the home front. But Rusl chooses to lead by example, like a true hero would, and this is precisely why he makes such an ideal mentor for Link. He believes in the cause, championing the fight for Hyrule while continually putting himself above others. Rusl is able to make hard decisions; he knows that when something is at stake, you must fight for what you believe in, because no one else is going to do the fighting for you.
