The sages of Hyrule: Their history and purpose in the Zelda series

The sages of Hyrule are often imperative to Link’s quest to rid the land of evil. They can provide essential wisdom on quests, serve as guardians of the Sacred Realm, and they can even seal away the most sinister of villains. Being a sage is one of the highest honors a resident of Hyrule can have, often being led by the Princess of Hyrule herself in most cases. It is no wonder why Link often must seek out these powerful beings in order to complete his quest.

However, these sages and their origins are complicated due to the notoriously convoluted The Legend of Zelda timeline. Much is unclear about how a sage is chosen. Even the number of sages is often inconsistent. This lack of clarity, though, is what truly makes the sages so interesting to delve into. And it certainly helps that they are some of the most beloved characters.

The Seven Sages — Ocarina of Time

While Ocarina of Time is not the first instance of sages being featured in the Zelda series, they are the earliest in the timeline. In total, there are seven sages each tasked with protecting the Sacred Realm and the Triforce should there be danger threatening Hyrule. Sages are not always needed, but there are always people who could become sages should the need arise.

These people, however, do not know they are sages, with the exception of Rauru and Zelda who were born with the knowledge of their status. When they are needed, the Sacred Realm guides these sages to their respective temples where they can awaken their true power to protect Hyrule.

Each sage is linked to a specific element: light, forest, fire, water, shadow, and spirit. The seventh sage, Zelda, has no specified element, although there are theories that her element is time, given that there is a corresponding temple in the Temple of Time, and she is the original owner of the Ocarina of Time. In addition, each of these sages represents the various races of Hyrule.

While most of the sages in Ocarina of Time are new ones, Rauru is believed to the last of the original sages. It appears that Rauru is meant to act as a guide for both the Hero of Time and the new sages who awaken. His temple, the Temple of Light, is the only temple located in the Sacred Realm. It also contains the Chamber of Sages which allows access to the Sacred Realm via their temples. His magic and the Sacred Realm have likely kept him alive for so long, as his magic also was able to preserve Link for the seven years that he slept.

In terms of powers, the sages are able to break the barriers that Ganondorf has placed around Hyrule Castle in order to protect himself from all of his enemies. Once Link deals the final blow to Ganon, the sages appear to seal Ganon away in the Sacred Realm. None of the other sages seem to demonstrate powers other than the breaking and creating of barriers.  

Ultimately, the sages in Ocarina of Time show the specific duties of being a sge and the process of their awakening. However, the method of choosing a sage seems unclear, as the Sacred Realm seems to choose who is the best suited to their duties.

The Sages of Wind and Earth — The Wind Waker

The sages of The Wind Waker are the most similar to those in Ocarina of Time, since the game’s story follows the events of the Adult Era after the timeline is split. In fact, in the submerged Hyrule Castle, Link can find stained glass portraits of each of the Seven Sages from Ocarina of Time as an Easter egg.

One change, however, is that there are two more sages added to the group: The Sage of Wind and the Sage of Earth. These sages appear to have separate duties from that of the other seven, in that they are specifically tasked with guarding the Master Sword and can help reawaken its power should it be needed.

Their powers seem quite different from the other seven as well. Instead of wielding medallions, these sages play musical instruments for the gods, conducted by whoever wields the Wind Waker. These instruments are passed down from sage to sage, as seen with Medli and Makar, the newly awakened sages who possess these ancient instruments. Whoever is destined to become a sage is denoted by their possession and mastery over these instruments.

After the flood, the original Seven Sages are nowhere to be found, and the original Sages of Wind and Earth, Fado and Laruto, have been killed by Ganondorf. It is likely that the other seven were killed either during the flood or were killed by Ganondorf as well.

One thing Fado and Laruto can tell us about the overall lore of the series is that the Kokiri evolved into the Koroks, and that the Rito are descendants of the Zora. Interestingly enough, the Forest Medallion in Ocarina of Time was originally called the Wind Medallion, suggesting that there could be a link between the Forest Sage and the Sage of Wind, who are both Kokiri at one point.

The Seven Sages (again) — A Link Between Worlds

These sages, unlike the previous two generations, begin to change up the duties and powers of the Seven Sages. They seemingly lack most of the power that appears to come with the title. In fact, one of these sages, Gulley, is just a young child. The only active power the sages demonstrate is an ability to summon the Triforce of Courage for Link once he has rescued all seven of them.

Otherwise, these sages do not operate all that differently from their previous incarnations. However, these sages do shake up what was previously known about how a sage is chosen.

Ocarina of Time and The Wind Waker imply that a sage is simply chosen by the Sacred Realm and is only awakened in times of trouble. A Link Between Worlds states that sages are instead chosen through multiple bloodlines. Each sage is the descendant of their predecessor, which previously was not a requirement.

While this information seems minor, if these sages were the descendants of those in Ocarina of Time, they would likely resemble the various races that were represented in the original Seven Sages. But the sages in A Link Between Worlds are mostly Hylian, with the exception of Oren the Zora Queen and Impa who is a Sheikah.

It is likely that the original Seven Sages married Hylians and that their descendants mostly appear Hylian. Rosso, who seems to be the Sage of Fire, highly resembles a Goron and even sports the Goron emblem, so it is likely that Rosso is descended from a Goron. Rosso is the only sage with such resemblances, however, so it is a stretch to assume the other sages are descended from the Kokiri or the Gerudo who do not make appearances in the game.

Regardless, this one piece of information adds a new dynamic to the lore already presented by the previous games. Whether these sages are actually the descendants of Ocarina of Time’s sages or that they are descended from different sages is unclear. But it does provide interesting fuel for theories.

The Sages of the Mirror Chamber — Twilight Princess

Perhaps the most bizarre of the sages of Hyrule are the sages from Twilight Princess. While most of the other sages seem to follow a somewhat cohesive pattern, the sages of the Mirror Chamber completely flip the previously known lore of the sages on its head.

The first notable difference between these sages and the others is their appearance. While they are mostly humanoid, these spectral figures look nothing like the typical inhabitants of Hyrule. They are nearly identical, with the only differences between them being the symbols that denote each sage’s respective element. They wear masks, which hides the fact that the sages all lack proper faces. Instead of the warm and familiar faces of the other sages, these sages are downright unsettling.

Their duties seem to be different from those of the previous games, as these sages are tasked with guarding the Mirror of Twilight instead of the Sacred Realm. They also appear to act as both a jury and as executioners, as they were seen executing Ganondorf for trying to access the Sacred Realm. They can be seen summoning a spectral sword that they use to impale Ganondorf. These sages also tutored Princess Zelda when she was a child.

One of the most interesting facts about the sages is that they are supposedly ancient beings. While not entirely canon, their Super Smash Bros. Brawl trophy states that they are “Beings that help maintain order in the world. The sages are wise ancients that protect the Mirror of Twilight, which connects in the light and twilight worlds.” If these sages are truly the original sages, they completely disregard the other sages entirely who are chosen each generation. They also ignore the fact that Rauru is one of the original sages, unless he happens to be among these spectral figures.

The sages of Twilight Princess singlehandedly disrupt all previously known lore of the sages and their origins. Perhaps they are a different sect of sage since they are specifically tasked with guarding the Mirror of Twilight, and do not reside within the Temple of Time. Or they could exist in tandem with the other sages. Regardless, these sages are the strangest of all.

The importance of the Sages

Despite the glaring plot holes in the lore of the sages, they are fascinating characters. These people chosen by the Sacred Realm act as both guides and protectors of Hyrule, awakening only when they are needed.

Oftentimes, Link is completely helpless without these sages. As much as Link needs to help awaken the sages, the sages help awaken Link to his role as a Hero. Without help, Link is powerless against the forces of evil. And it certainly helps when these sages are the beloved characters Link is usually most familiar with.

Overall, the sages are some of the most mysterious characters, and it would be cool to see if they would ever make an appearance in new The Legend of Zelda titles. After all, there is a ton of continuity that could be fixed in order to make a cohesive story for the sages and their origins.