Even though bunnies don’t seem significant in Legend of Zelda lore, these adorable, long-eared mammals have quietly left their pawprints across the series for decades. Bunnies are beyond their cuteness — they represent gentleness, rebirth, and humility behind those wide-set eyes. In celebration of Spring and the Easter season, it’s the perfect time to acknowledge every bunny that’s hopped through Hyrule’s history.
Pols Voice
These intriguing enemies appear multiple times in the series, first in The Legend of Zelda (NES). They compare physically to rabbits with their elongated ears, flared whiskers, and bouncy movements. Pols Voices are ghosts, and according to the Legend of Zelda NES manual, Pols Voice “hates loud noises” — a trait that made clever use of the Famicom’s microphone feature in the Japanese version, and if the player makes use of it, any Pols Voice in a room ceases to exist. This trait persisted in future games — in Link’s Awakening, Pols Voice perishes if Link plays the Ballad of the Windfish on the Ocarina. In Oracle of Ages and Oracle of Seasons, playing music on any instrument will destroy them, and in Phantom Hourglass, players can use the Nintendo DS microphone to weaken and slay a Pols Voice. Aside from their look, their weakness aligns with how skittish rabbits can be.
Bunny Link
In A Link to the Past, Link unexpectedly turns into a cute, round bunny upon entering the Dark World, transforming him into a reflection of his pure and gentle spirit. Unlike Link’s fierce, utilitarian wolf form in Twilight Princess, Bunny Link is helpless, and his items are rendered useless, but he still wears his green tunic. Even though he’s adorable, his new form is a curse, and the only way he can restore his original body is by obtaining the Moon Pearl in the Tower of Hera. In later dungeons, Link can regain his bunny form with Rabbit Beams, starry, golden enemies that lurk toward Link, to make him temporarily defenseless.
Rabbits of Animal Village
In Animal Village in Link’s Awakening, cream-colored rabbits occupy the land. When Link interacts with these cute critters, they express interest in Marin, informing Link that they need a song from her, considering it’s such a nice day outside. Sometimes, they will mention random things on their minds, like how one of the rabbits had a dream that he turned into a carrot. They’ll adorably flail their stout limbs and anxiously hop as they speak. When Link eventually takes Marin to the Animal Village, the rabbits are ecstatic to see her, and shortly thereafter, they crowd Marin with the other animals, blissfully listening to Marin gracefully sing the Ballad of the Wind Fish.
Bunny Hood
The Bunny Hood makes its debut in Ocarina of Time, where Link can borrow and sell it to the Running Man for a whopping amount of Rupees as part of the Mask Trading Sequence. The Bunny Hood is a vivid yellow, with dark dotted eyes and long, floppy ears. Even though it doesn’t give Link the ability to run any faster like it does for the Running Man, wearing it in Hyrule Field will deter Stalchildren at night, keeping them buried in the soil. The Running Man will curiously remark that rabbits are legendary animals as he admires the long ears adorning the hood. Unlike Ocarina of Time, the Bunny Hood in Majora’s Mask gives Link an effective speed and jump boost. Link receives it after helping Grog from the Cucco Shack by maturing his chicks with the Bremen Mask. Wearing the Bunny Hood will also display an on-screen timer during the Postman’s minigame, which makes it easier to win. It’s one of the most useful items in the game, considering the 3-day cycle.
Additionally, wearing the Bunny Hood comes with many compliments, and the ears themselves have floppy physics! In The Wind Waker, the Bunny Hood is displayed alongside the All-Night Mask, Goron Mask, and Keaton Mask behind the counter of the Nintendo Gallery, a place that serves as a sort of love letter to the game’s world and a completionist challenge. Aside from this brief Easter egg, the Bunny Hood serves no other purpose.
Rabbitland Rescue
Deep in the Forest Realm in Spirit Tracks lies a charming diversion, the Rabbitland Rescue, which serves as a peaceful sanctuary so Hyrule’s rabbits are safe from the harsh wilderness. The entrance is pleasantly decorated with a wooden, rabbit-shaped archway. Just to the right of the arch is the eccentric Bunnio, wearing a monochromatic bunny costume, he’ll limp his wrists to impersonate the fluffy creatures he yearns to protect. Bunnio will give Link a Rabbit Net to capture wandering rabbits. During this quest, Link journeys across the five realms to scout for fifty hidden rabbits, which reward him with Rupees, assorted prizes, and the Swordsman’s Scroll.
Ravio’s Hood
In A Link Between Worlds, Ravio spends the greater portion of the game masquerading as a merchant, hiding his identity as the Lorulean version of Link, only to reveal himself after Link defeats Yuga-Ganon. Ravio wears a purple rabbit hood that obscures his face, accessorized with a striped scarf and a long, purple robe. Ravio’s choice of this disguise fits the negative behaviors of a rabbit, such as cowardice, contrasting with Link’s bravery. The rabbit’s design is a little uncanny — the eyes are bright cyan with yellow trim, and the bottom lining of the hood has protruding two front teeth.
Legendary Rabbit Trial
In Breath of the Wild’s Korok Forest, Link speaks to a Korok named Peeks, who tells him about quick and hoppy little critters who are scattered across Hyrule and excitedly calls them Blupees. He practically begs Link to take and show him a picture of one of these mysterious, glowing creatures. They’re challenging to find, and unlike other Zelda titles, these blue bunnies are unconventional in appearance, and they’re not outright called bunnies unless you read the Rumor Mill. Blupees have white-tipped toes, luminescent bodies, owl-like facial features, and gold wreaths for ears. Despite their differences from a typical rabbit, they’re similar in that they are very timid and flee whenever Link makes himself known to them, and their bodies are compact with long hind legs and a soft tuft.
There’s something comforting about spotting fuzzy rabbits throughout the Zelda series. They bring a warmth that compliments the series’ magic. I’d love to see more bunnies make more frequent appearances – alongside dogs, Cuccos, cats, and all the other beloved creatures that help make Hyrule feel cozy sometimes.
by Camille Holder on April 25, 2025
