The Legend of Zelda is one of Nintendo’s flagship franchises and there are many aspects that have made it special to the adoring fans. Much like any popular fantasy series, The Legend of Zelda features some highly unique races that populate the land and are unlike anything in the real world. There are the mighty Gorons, golem-like rock people that live in the mountains and can withstand tremendous amounts of heat. There are the Zoras, who dwell underwater and can swim up waterfalls with ease. There are Gerudo, a proud race of warriors that are comprised solely of females, except for the one man who is born each century.
But the most common race that can be found in Hyrule is, of course, the Hylians, the people that Link and Zelda belong to. And while some fair-weather fans may have presumed these are simply humans with pointy ears, there’s a bit more to Hylians than meets the eye.
Their culture is steeped deeply in magic, and while Link and Zelda have both been able to perform marvelous magical feats due to their bloodline or destiny, there are other Hylians that have been shown to be well-versed in various mystic arts.
But beyond that, the Hylians are also a strong people who value loyalty and courage above all else. There is a reason that they have been able to withstand certain doom from Ganon multiple times. It’s time for a history lesson; here are 25 incredibly interesting things about Hylians that people always forget.
25 They Were Created By A Goddess
Hylians get their name from the Goddess that created them. Long before even the first chronological game, Skyward Sword, takes place, the Goddess Hylia created these people.
Those that are direct descendants of her, like characters within the royal family, rule over Hyrule because of their bloodline.
Skyward Sword has given us the most information about Hylia, as that game’s Zelda was revealed to be her, reincarnated. But there is still so much about her, like why she created the Hylians, that is unknown.
24 Some Of Them Possess Incredible Magical Powers
Anyone who has played any game in the series realizes that Link and Zelda both possess magical abilities. Due to them being created by a powerful Goddess, there are some Hylians that can perform impressive magical feats.
But the two lead characters are far from the only two.
There is also Sahasrahla from A Link to the Past and A Link Between Worlds who uses telepathy to communicate with Link. There is also Irene in A Link Between Worlds, one of several witches in the series that flies around on a broomstick and is skilled in potion brewing.
23 They Were The First Race In Hyrule
Players who skipped Skyward Sword may have missed some important information in regard to the creation of the Hylians. Though Ocarina of Time tells us that the world and Triforce were created by Din, Nayru, and Farore, the world was left in the hands of Hylia.
And she chose to populate that land, which would become known as Hyrule after the events of Skyward Sword, with her own creations. Hylians are one of the many races seen in the Zelda series, and the oldest. Though there was a large amount of time that they were absent from the surface world.
22 Their Ears Are Said To Help Them Hear The Gods
The defining physical characteristic of the Hylians is their long, pointed ears. And while some may have just thought this was a design choice by Nintendo to make them look a bit otherworldly or magical, there is actually an in-game explanation for it.
While wandering around the Hyrule Castle Market Town in Ocarina of Time, you can find an NPC that tells you the ears of Hylians at one point could hear messages from the Gods. He states he has never heard any, though it might be because he’s a non-magical Hylian.
21 They Are Not Humans
Humanoid, yes, but not exactly humans. Hylians are similar in appearance to regular humans, but it’s those ears that make them different physically as humans naturally have rounded ears. Though humans in the Zelda series also don’t normally possess any magical abilities.
It’s unclear why humans and Hylians exist at the same time, or how humans came to be in this universe. They aren’t seen in every Zelda game. But when they are, they live in areas outside of Hyrule as can be seen with the Ordonians in Twilight Princess.
20 They Don’t Just Live In Hyrule
The majority of the games in the Zelda franchise, or at least the most well-known, take place in Hyrule. So, naturally, many of the residents that players come across are Hylians. But several games have shown them outside of the kingdom.
Majora’s Mask is a great example of Hylians living in a different area as that game takes place in Termina.
But even some of the games that focus on Hyrule have seen Hylians live in different areas, like Breath of the Wild. Although, those Hylians were sadly forced from their homes without choice.
19 They Were The First Race To Establish An Organized Society
Since they were the first race in Hyrule, it shouldn’t be surprising that Hylians were also the first to establish an organized society. Many of the other races, such as Gorons and Zoras, found homes among nature and haven’t had as large of an impact on the world, structurally speaking, as Hylians.
Wherever Hylians are found, you’re sure to see large cities and thriving towns as well.
More significant is their government. A monarchy was established before many of the games take place. And no matter how many disasters have come their way, this monarchy has stood the test of time.
18 They’re Made Up Of Different Ethnicities
While Link and Zelda are both blond-haired and Caucasian, that doesn’t mean every Hylian looks like them. In fact, there are many other Hylians that can be found across several games who don’t look anything like the two, save for the long pointy ears.
Gondo, who owns the scrap shop in Skyloft, is a prime example. Though a better example of people of color seen in the Zelda series is Breath of the Wild. Link encounters innumerable Hylian travelers across the land, many of which have different skin colors.
17 They Can Live For A Century
The lifespan of the average Hylian was never explicitly stated. That is, until Breath of the Wild. Going to the domain of the Zoras, you’ll find a soldier there who recognizes Link as the warrior he knew long ago.
In this game, Link has been asleep for a century but presumed deceased by the vast majority after Calamity Ganon rose up.
This Zora soldier thinks he must be mistaken and he states that Hylians only live for a century, and you must not be the Link he once knew.
16 They’re Technologically Savvy
Despite appearing to live in what is akin to the medieval times, Hylians have found ways to be technologically gifted in several aspects. There is the instance of the picto box, essentially a digital camera, that appears in Majora’s Mask and The Wind Waker. Submarines can also be seen in The Wind Waker.
Then there is Gondo, the scrap shop owner in Skyward Sword, who is able to resuscitate a long-dormant robot with a bit of mystical flower oil. Whether it be due to magic or sheer craftsmanship, Hylians have proven they’re far more advanced than one would think.
15 They Believe In Legends
In just about every game in the series, you can find a character (or in some cases, dozens of them) that are superstitious and believe in legends that, at that point, are closer to that of mythology. Legends are passed down from generation to generation and not all of them are about Link defeating some monster. Others are about certain locations or creatures in the game.
Even though anyone who could prove these legends real is long gone, Hylians still believe in these tales that are passed down. But they always turn out to be true.
14 Some Of Them Can See The Future
Centuries have passed since Hylia created the Hylians. Therefore, the majority of the race has lost any magical skills they may have once had. But there are several characters who still possess some impressive mystical gifts.
One of the more useful gifts some of them possess is the ability to see the future.
Both Link and Zelda have been shown to have dreams that come true, such as in Ocarina of Time. But there are other characters, like Fanadi in Twilight Princess and Sparrot in Skyward Sword, that can tell Link his future by gazing into a crystal ball.
13 They’re Curious And Scientific By Nature
Perhaps the reason that Hylians are more advanced, technologically speaking, is because of their innate desire to discover and experiment. In Breath of the Wild, most travelers you come across preach about the importance of creating different elixirs or types of food to gain different stat boosts.
But even before then, Hylians were shown as scientific and experimental through various shopkeeps. Think back to the Chu Jelly shop owner in The Wind Waker and how excited he would get when Link brought him new materials. Hylians love to learn as much as possible and discover new uses for resources.
12 They’re Excellent Cooks
This may tie into the last entry, but Hylians really understand the importance of a good meal. Breath of the Wild saw the best example of this with Link using various resources to make his dishes the best they could be. Hylians live off the land with nothing mass produced.
But this is far from the first instance. Ocarina of Time and Majora’s Mask showed how critical keeping a jar of milk could be. And Link’s grandmother in The Wind Waker can make a batch of soup that replenishes your health, magic, and doubles your attack power.
11 They Have Helped The Gerudo Survive
The Gerudo are a race of incredible warrior women seen in several Zelda games, but there is a reason that they are all women. A man is only born once every one hundred years. Why this is has never been explained.
To ensure their survival, they needed help from some Hylians.
A Gossip Stone next to the Temple of Time in Ocarina of Time tells you that Gerudo thieves sometimes come to town in order to look for a mate. You can also find some Gerudo wandering the land in Breath of the Wild in search of men.
10 A Hylian Most Likely Created Ganondorf
Ganondorf is the most well-known villain of the Zelda universe. But more importantly, at least for this list, is the fact that he was that one Gerudo male born every one hundred years.
His first appearance in human form was in Ocarina of Time, but he has haunted Link and Zelda across timelines.
And since that Gossip Stone states the Gerudo would sometimes come to Hyrule in search of mates, we can guess that Ganondorf’s father was most likely a Hylian. One of the most villainous forces known to Hylians probably came from one of them.
9 Divorce Is Very Uncommon In Hylians
Hylians seem to take “’Til Death Do Us Part” much more seriously than people in the real world. Even when a life-changing curse or cataclysmic scenario separates them, like the case with Anju and Kafei in Majora’s Mask, Hylians believe in doing whatever they can do be with the one they love.
The only mention of anything close to divorce comes in Breath of the Wild. A Hylian named Jogo can be found at the Rito Village Inn and he’s afraid his new wife will divorce him unless he can keep her happy.
8 They Can Learn Highly Advanced Sword Techniques
Link gets all the credit as the expert warrior in the Zelda series, but any Hylian can learn some pretty impressive techniques if they put their mind to it. In Breath of the Wild, the monk in the shrine just outside Kakariko Village can teach Link a sword technique that slows down time with a perfectly timed dodge. A few town citizens speak of learning this move.
Then there is the Hurricane Spin in The Wind Waker that Link learns from the seasoned swordsman, Orca. And the array of techniques Link can learn from the Hero’s Shade in Twilight Princess.
7 They Form Strong Alliances
Maybe it’s because there’s always the threat of a sinister being trying to take over the world and destroy them all, but Hylians have always been very good at forming strong alliances with the other races in the land. Breath of the Wild saw the latest instance of this as Champions were chosen from each of the four non-Hylian races to operate the divine beasts.
But even as far back as Ocarina of Time, the royal family shared bonds with the Gorons and Zoras. The Triforce emblem could be found at each domain to represent that bond.
6 They Can Transform Into Other Forms
One of the other magical abilities that a select few Hylians utilize is the ability to turn into other forms. This requires either a powerful magical item, such as the masks Link uses in Majora’s Mask, or a powerful innate magical ability within the Hylian themselves, such as how Zelda can transform into Sheik in Ocarina of Time.
But magic has also been shown to change the forms of Hylians against their will. This is seen in A Link to the Past when any Hylian travels to the Dark World and is transformed into some type of creature.
