Daily Debate: Who Was Hyrule’s Best King?

Hyrule has had many monarchs throughout its millennia-long struggle against the curse of Demise. These rulers have born the burden of weathering each successive iteration of the demon’s malice. Sometimes their reigns were peaceful, other times there was a catastrophe. It takes a lot of character and mental fortitude to successfully wear the crown. Otherwise, all kinds of trouble will follow. In the Zelda series, there have been eight known kings. They are listed out below with some background details.

Our question to you is: Who do you think was Hyrule’s best king?

King of Hyrule (Zelda II) – A wise king who actually wielded the Triforce and used its power to govern his realm in peace. Considered a great man by his people, this king sought someone worthy of wielding the Triforce to replace him. The crown prince had a dark heart and was deemed unsuitable. When no candidate appeared, the king split the Triforce into its three component parts. Before he died, the king hid the TriForce of Courage within the Great Palace. The king was buried in a grave south of Mido Town.

 

 

King of Hyrule (A Link to the Past) – This king’s rule was troubled. Hyrule was suffering from many different ailments. At a loss, the king offered a large bounty for anyone who could provide a solution for Hyrule’s salvation. This resulted in Ganon’s alter ego Agahnim worming his way into a position of trust by using his magic to stop the various threats to Hyrule. It is not unlikely that Ganon himself was the cause of these miseries. Agahnim used his new position as chief advisor to kill the king and brainwash Hyrule’s soldiers into his own private army. After Ganon was killed by Link, the hero used to Triforce to undo the dark wizard’s actions. As a result the King was brought back to life and continued to rule the land with his daughter Zelda at his side.

 

 

King of Hyrule (Ocarina of Time) – Fought a civil war to expand Hylian influence over the kingdom. Betrayed and presumably killed during Ganondorf’s coup. Later returned to life following the timeline reset caused by Princess Zelda’s use of the Ocarina of Time. It can be assumed that this king was politically savvy and knew how to entice the Zoras and Gorons to willingly ally with Hyrule. He swore an oath of brotherhood with the Goron chief Darunia. Once the war against the Gerudo and Shiekah errupted. and an able military commander, as the other races in Hyrule would have put up a fierce fight. Featured artwork by MrsMagaLink

 

 

King Daphnes Nohansen Hyrule (The Wind Waker) – Old Hyrule’s last king. Ganondorf invaded from the Spirit Realm, causing Hyrule to be destroyed due to the lack of a Hero. King Daphnes prayed for aid, and the land was flooded, wiping out the invading armies at the cost of the once vast kingdom being reduced to a series of islands. Eventually, King Daphnes dons the guise of a magic boat and aids a new itteration of Link in both rescuing his sister and halting Ganondorf’s invasion of the Great Sea. The King eventually goes down to a watery grave to stop Ganondorf from harming Link and Tetra, giving the two children a fresh start.

 

 

 

King Gustav (The Minish Cap) – Hyrule’s first king. He forged a strong bond with the people of the reclusive Wind Tribe. After he died, King Gustave appeared generations later to Link and aided him in securing the final elemental stone. This stone would let the Hero of the Minish forge the Four Sword and defeat knowledge craving and power hungry Vaati. Unlike most kings, Gustav has a known grave in the form of the Royal Crypt located in a haunted valley.

 

 

King Daltus (The Minish Cap) – In his younger years, the king was experienced in the art of sword fighting, and once held fought to a draw with Hyrule’s best swordsman, the Smith. Before his wife’s death, she bore him a young daughter who would be the second known princess to bear the name Zelda. After Zelda was turned to stone by Vaati, Gustav commands his army to perform a sweep of the kingdom free of monsters and to locate the rogue sorcerer. Even though he badly wants Zelda to be freed, Daltus does not demand that Link (the only one who can save her) help. Instead he asks the youth to willingly join in the quest. The king’s goodness of character is noted by his people, as they immediately recognize something is wrong when Vaati impersonates the king and turns into a tyrant.

 

King Rhoam Bosphoramus Hyrule (Breath of the Wild, Age of Calamity) – Spent his life preparing Hyrule for the return of Ganon. Dedicated himself wholeheartedly to this task to the detriment of his personal relationships. When the Calamity struck, the King fought for as long as he could to defend the escaping civilian population. Ultimately, Rhoam was killed by the guardians and buried on the Great Plateau. His ghost wandered the plateau waiting for Link to awaken. When the hero arose, Rhoam guided Link and subtly taught him skills that would be needed to survive in ruined Hyrule before departing for the afterlife. In the alternate timeline, King Rhoam survived the Calamity and joins the unified Hylian army in the final battle to retake Central Hyrule.

 

King Harkanian (Faces of Evil, Wand of Gamelon) – While the CDI Zelda games are widely known as an unpolished meme-fest, King Harkanian does have some interesting attributes. He values peace, but is willing to fight if necessary to defend it. When Ganon invaded Hyrule’s ally Gamelon, the king put his own life on the line and traveled to the front lines to face Ganon and his minions. While headstrong and brash, this king is a man of action. When push comes to shove, Harkanian risks it all to do what he thinks is right.

 

 

What is your opinion? Which king do you think was the best leader for Hyrule? Let us know in the comments.