A Link Between Worlds, unfortunately, gets overlooked in the Zelda community. It sucks because there are just so many weird and wonderful characters in this delightful romp. There are the weird mask cult people in Thieves Town. The grumpy Milk Bar owner in Lorule who hates having customers. And, most importantly, you’ve got Bee Guy. Bee Guy! That’s his name. Bee Guy gives you a net to catch bees. He’s undoubtedly the MVP of my Hero Mode run.
Although there are tons of these off the wall characters, there are also a few realistic and down-to-earth (down-to-Hyrule?) denizens who tug at your heartstrings. My favorite is Gulley.
Gulley is the son of the Blacksmith in Hyrule. Look at that cute little guy. He’s the first person we actually meet in the game as he runs into Link’s house informing him that he’s late for work. From moment one, we can see that he’s a little ball of energy who would probably be a handful for any parent. After Link wakes up, he rushes out the door. A few steps down the road, he stops, causing Link to run right into him. Totally hyper, easily distracted, and absolutely adorable? Definitely a character that I can relate to.
Near the beginning of the game, he goes missing, sending the Blacksmith’s Wife (canon name) into a tizzy. He can usually be found chilling where the Flute Boy hung out in A Link to the Past. However, when Link goes to find him there, all that is left is his pouch. Gulley’s mom is mortified that he is gone, but gives Link the pouch so he can carry extra items. The Blacksmith is also concerned, but he continues on with his duties.
Now, this whole situation concerns me. Gulley is a small boy. He’s younger than Link and Link is called a young boy several times in his adventure. For such a young kid, the parents should be a lot more concerned in my humble opinion. “Oh no, my son disappeared and all that is left is this bag! Oh well, here you go.” Why didn’t they hold on to it? What if Gulley was just in the woods and set it there to climb a tree? Poor kid comes back and finds out that his mom gave away his beloved bag. His parents could do with paying a bit more attention to the kid.
Obviously, this game parallels A Link to the Past quite a bit, not only in locations, but in characters. Gulley is supposed to be the parallel to Flute Boy given his love for nature and standing on stumps. In Past, Flute Boy’s father is at the bar, lamenting the loss of his son who was lost while searching for the Golden Power. This does not bode well for our dear, sweet Gulley. His parents DEFINITELY need to be worried.
Gulley gets a happy ending, though. He’s a Sevensage! Uh, well, one of the Seven Sages. After Yuga goes on his painting spree across Hyrule, Gulley is trapped in a painting and is used to help resurrect Ganon. Thanks to the help of Gulley’s pouch, Link in able to traverse Lorule’s Dark Palace and free him. After touching the painting, Link goes to the Chamber of Sages to see the Gulley is actually a Sage. This little guy is one of the people who can save Hyrule!
After Yuga’s defeat, Gulley is able to go back home to his family. They are all in the field, playing together. It’s almost as if his parents just needed a crisis in order to see how important their little boy was. He didn’t end up like Flute Boy. He’s home, safe and sound. They don’t want to give that up again.
At first blush, Gulley is just a kid. An annoying, hyperactive kid, but a kid nonetheless. However, there is an undeniable charm to his innocence that makes you just love the little guy. Look at all those animals gathering around him, dancing. He also has some sort of power. He is a Sevensage after all.
A Link Between Worlds turns 10 years old this November, so be sure to check out our entire collection of articles dedicated to the anniversary of the 3DS classic!
