If there’s one thing I’ve learned from the Dynasty Warriors franchise, it’s that each game is made up of a huge cast of characters for fans to play as. It’s my great hope that the upcoming Hyrule Warriors, along the same vein as Tecmo Koei’s series of action games, will follow this tradition. There’s a lot of inspiration to draw from, too, especially considering that the characters that have been revealed so far show that the game favors no particular timeline in the Zelda franchise. With just about any character up for grabs, let’s take a look at the top 10 most wanted characters for Hyrule Warriors as chosen by oprainfall.
Warning: spoilers for 10+ year old games are discussed here — you have been warned.
#10 – Nabooru
Initially, this might seem like an odd choice, since Nabooru never actually showed her fighting prowess in Ocarina of Time, but, hey, being the leader of the Gerudo forces has to mean something, right? Much like her swift and ferocious lieutenants who guarded the prisoners of Gerudo Valley, I imagine Nabooru would wield dual sabers; laying waste to enemy forces with quick spinning strikes and jump attacks. Given the nature of her home, I also envision Nabooru using her super move to create an impromptu sandstorm to damage and disorient foes, allowing her to set up for even more lethal attacks.
#9 – Dark Link
I guess it was inevitable that Link’s rival/alter ego would make the list. Initially, I have a hard time imagining how Dark Link might play differently from the franchise’s hero, aside from simply being a version of the same character on the bad guys’ side. I think inspiration here can be drawn from the (in)famous battle with the shadowy villain in OoT. Here, Dark Link used his sword exclusively in his duel against Link, and had the ability to teleport away and counter certain attacks. These skills would serve Dark Link well in Hyrule Warriors. Because of his focus on swordplay, Dark Link would have more powerful attacks than his heroic counterpart, though at the cost of item-based attacks either being weaker or completely ineffectual. Teleporting would allow Dark Link to easily get around more powerful opponents, while counterattacks would make him a real force in the hands of a skilled player. As I see it, Dark Link could easily stand apart from Link, and avoid the dreaded “clone” status.
#8 – Tetra
Not much is known about the combat abilities of Princess Zelda’s swashbuckling alter ego from Wind Waker, aside from the fact that she’s quick on her feet. Because of this, I see Tetra using a quick weapon, like a single dagger or a saber, which would allow her to avoid sacrificing speed. Her fast hit-and-run tactics would also be complemented by her ability to call in a barrage of cannon balls from her crew off screen. Plus, a wisecracking pirate might be just what Hyrule Warriors would need to keep from taking itself too seriously.
