10 characters we want to see in Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity

Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity is just under two months away, promising a deeper look into the chaotic events that unfolded 100 years prior to The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. Fans are eager to take control of multiple characters such as Link, Princess Zelda, the four Champions, and more to combat Calamity Ganon’s hordes. Musou games are famous for their sprawling rosters; the original Hyrule Warriors offered 29 playable characters when all of the DLC was said and done, and that’s considered a tiny roster compared to most Musou games!

The world in Breath of the Wild has many candidates to fill out Age of Calamity’s selection of characters, and these are the ones we most want to do battle with later this year.

1. Impa

By going back 100 years in Hyrule’s history, we will likely get to see characters at much earlier stages of their life than when we first met them in Breath of the Wild. One of these characters should be Impa, who would have been a young woman when the Calamity swept across the land. After getting to know her as a wise elder in Breath of the Wild, it’s exciting to think about the possibility of taking command of Impa in her physical prime. As a future leader of the Sheikah, we can only imagine that she was once a highly skilled combatant of the crafty warrior tribe.

2. Purah

Where some characters will appear younger in Age of Calamity, Purah is the ironic twist, in that she will actually appear older in this prequel spinoff. As you may remember, Purah is 124 years old in Breath of the Wild; she just looks like a child because of experimenting with an anti-aging Rune. What does a 24-year-old, (and assumedly) much taller Purah look like? We’d love to know. Where Impa was likely a fierce warrior and a master of close combat, we envision Purah as being more gadget-savvy, using all kinds of Runes and other Sheikah technology to lay waste to hordes of enemies.

3. Master Kohga

Another character who we could possibly see a younger version of is the leader of the Yiga Clan. Getting to fight against and play as Kohga when he’s in his physical prime would be quite a moment of redemption for the goofball of a miniboss who appeared in Breath of the Wild. The Yiga Clan are a deadly group of assassins who are one of the greatest threats in Hyrule — and we have to assume that Kohga was at some point actually cunning. Add a killer instinct to a warrior who fights with spiked boulders, and Kohga could be a very fun character to use in the Dynasty Warriors format.

4. Maz Koshia

How cool would it be to see one of the Sheikah Monks temporarily awaken from their eternal meditation to join the fight against Calamity Ganon? It could reasonably be any of the dozens upon dozens who wait for Link at the end of the Shrines, but the best one for the job has to be Maz Koshia, the final boss of The Champions’ Ballad DLC. Maz Koshia had quite the arsenal of different attacks: He is able to teleport, create clones of himself, fire elemental arrows, shoot laser beams, conjure tornadoes, and even turn into a giant the size of King Dorephan! With an array of abilities like that, Maz Koshia would be a riot to play as in a Musou game.

5. Baby Sidon

Normally, someone we refer to as a “baby” wouldn’t have any place taking part in full-blown warfare, but if Agitha, Young Link, Toon Link, Toon Zelda, and Tetra could all partake in the original Hyrule Warriors, why not the youthful Sidon? With how long Zoras’ lifespans are, maybe “baby” Sidon is actually a lot more physically capable in battle than he appears at first glance. Sidon’s words of encouragement would be very welcome when holding off Calamity Ganon’s armies, and the thought of him fearlessly fighting alongside his big sister, Mipha, is actually kind of adorable.

6. King Dorephan

OK, so maybe King Dorephan is a tad too gigantic to be a normal playable character in a Warriors game. However, the first Hyrule Warriors had a neat DLC mode that let you play as the colossal Ganon, stomping around the battlefield where most enemies looked like ants. A similar mode would be perfect to let players take control of the Zora sovereign and smash everything in sight like a Hinox. Perhaps we could even get to experience the fabled encounter that we read about on the Zora Stone Monuments where Dorephan battled an enormous Guardian.

7. King Rhoam

Unfortunately, Hyrule’s king is long deceased once Breath of the Wild begins, leaving Rhoam with little opportunity to help his kingdom other than to guide Link. We all know what his eventual fate will be at the end of Age of Calamity, but he deserves a chance to get a few licks in before he goes down swinging. King Rhoam is no frail old man; he’s a burly, grizzled ruler who could believably hold his own in battle against swarms of enemies. Let the man have his King Theoden moment before all is said and done.

8. Hestu

Hestu is one beefy Korok. This big boy doesn’t just dwarf other Koroks, he dwarfs even Link. Few things would be more hilariously epic than being able to lay waste to hundreds of enemies with Hestu while he wields his beloved maracas. If you don’t think that maracas can be an effective weapon, Gohmaracas from Cadence of Hyrule would like to have a word with you — and Hestu would also have his signature dance that he does when upgrading Link’s equipment slots to go along with them!

9. Kass

We’re not entirely certain what the average Rito lifespan is, but even if Kass would have been too young to participate in the Calamity, there’s no reason why he couldn’t be a playable character for free play and extra modes like the Adventure Maps. Kass would be a very amusing addition to the roster and would test just how creative Koei Tecmo is with creating movesets. We have a suspicion that the well-traveled bard is more formidable than he looks, however. Let’s see what kind of outrageous special attacks that Kass can perform with that trusty accordion of his.

10. Link on a bear

Remember how one of Link’s weapons in the first Hyrule Warriors was Epona? Well, Age of Calamity has a chance to completely one-up that. We’ve already seen horse-mounted characters in Musou games — what we need is Link to ride into battle on a Honeyvore Bear! Maybe you couldn’t fight enemies in Breath of the Wild with the bears, but Age of Calamity has a chance to correct that egregious mistake. Link doesn’t even need the use his sword or bow, just plowing through crowds and flinging hapless foes away with the bear would be ridiculously fun.

Are you hoping to see any of these characters appear in Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity? What other characters do you want to see make the roster? Let us know in the comments below, or on any of our social media pages!