The Legend of Zelda functions on tradition. Be it following it, manipulating it, or even going so far as to break it, the foundations that made the series still define it. In many ways then, we see plenty of elements reappear between games, such as the many races populating the world of Hyrule, and those lands that stretch beyond it.
In terms of the major races, they're more-or-less well known, though still don't always have an even spread across the series. Nintendo even at times seems like they have a preference for certain fictional people they've created. When you get to some of the smaller races though, it can be easy to lose track of them all, and how they connect to other people across the series.
Since there are a massive amount of races in The Legend of Zelda, this article will only focus on those with more than a single appearance, who possess sentience, or who are important to other recurring races.
Every Major Race In The Legend Of Zelda
These are the races most players will know from across the series, the ones that appear in many of the mainline games and also have a prominent appearance in spin-off media as well. There is only a handful of them to keep track of, but they've gone through plenty of variations.
Zora
The Zora are perhaps Nintendo's most favoured race in The Legend of Zelda. These aquatic people always live by water as it is necessary for their survival.
They live extraordinarily long lives, meaning most of them can forge relationships that last multiple lifetimes of other races. They also appeared as an enemy prior to being friendly people.
Goron
The Goron are one of the oldest races in all of Hyrule. This is a literal statement, as they appear all the way back in the time of Skyward Sword when most other races have yet to evolve into their modern forms.
They typically dwell in hot, mountainous areas such as Death Mountain, and are also genderless. They're big fans of rocks and have always been evolutionarily perfect.
Rito
The Rito were introduced in Wind Waker as an evolved form of the Zora after the world flooded. Rather than remaining as an aquatic lifeform when the world flooded, they turned to become an avian species and dwell on the remaining islands. They've shifted between more humanoid and anthropomorphic across games, but always feature beaks, the ability to fly, and a love of high places.
Gerudo
The Gerudo are the most isolationist race in all of Hyrule's major races. They are a race of exclusively tall, muscular, dark-skinned women famed for their warrior society and unique culture. They tend to remain in deserted, arid locales and are typically dismissive of outsiders, especially men. They also give birth to a single male every 100 years, Ganondorf, who becomes their sole ruler.
Korok
The Koroks are actually an evolved form of the Kokiri after the world flooded during the vents of The Wind Waker. However, they actually have more mainline appearances than the Kokiri and have become a mascot of the series. They're diminutive people with small limbs and wear Korok leaves on their faces. They're usually in the company of the Great Deku Tree but love to journey across the world of Hyrule when given the chance.
Hylians
Hylians are far and away the most populace of Hyrule. They are identical to real-world humans, though with pointed ears. They feature cultural subsets, such as the Sheikah, but are still one singular race. They are more adaptable than other races, unable to handle the same extremities but can adapt to many more areas, resulting in many Hylian settlements.
Zonai
The Zonai were introduced in Breath of the Wild as a people, and shown for the first time in Tears of the Kingdom. Similar to the legend of Skyloft in Skyward Sword, the Zonai are said to have lived in the clouds and been those closest to the Goddess. They were tall and slender, featuring elongated limbs, most notably their ears. They also possessed a third eye upon their forehead and were a technologically advanced race until their numbers mysteriously dwindled to nothing.
Every Minor Race In The Legend Of Zelda
To count every race across the entire Legend of Zelda series would be more than a bit tedious, so we'll instead focus on all the races that have multiple appearances or have played a pivotal role in the games in which they appeared. There are still quite a few in that regard, so let's get listing.
Kokiri
The Kokiri were first introduced in Ocarina of Time. They were seen by many as fairies that dwelled in the Kokiri forest, appearing always as children. Link was born amongst the Kokiri as well, though later learned he was actually a Hylian. Later, the Kokiri would evolve to become Koroks, becoming even closer to their roots in nature.
Deku Scrubs
Deku Scrubs also made their first appearance in Ocarina of Time. They appeared primarily as enemies, small little plants that spit deku nuts at you not unlike Octoroks, though would only flee when attacked rather than die. They appear in plenty more games afterwards as both enemies and allies, most notably in Majora's Mask when Link takes on the form of a Deku Scrub himself.
The Minish
Appearing exclusively in the Minish Cap, the Minish are tiny people from another dimension. They are so small that many people do not even see them when they visit Hyrule. They appear like mice with pointed ears, wearing clothes made of small pieces of nature, like leaves. Despite their size, however, they also gift Hylians the Picori Blade and the Light Force in order to defend them from darkness.
The Oocca
The Oocca are deeply unsettling and this is the most important thing to know about them. They feature a body like a chicken, with an extended neck that looks plucked free of feathers, all culminating in a bald humanoid head with eyes that look like they've seen the face of the Goddess. Which they might have, because they are, like the Zonai, a technologically advanced race that lives in the sky and is closest to the Goddess. They are also reduced to just two of their race.
The Twili
The Twili appear only in Twilight Princess but feature prominently in the game. Through most of it, Link interacts with the Twili but in a corrupted form. Even Midna, queen of the Twili, is transformed for the majority of the game. The Twili only speak amongst their own race and typically remain within the Twilight Realm. They feature smooth bodies split between light and dark emblazoned with the insignia of their clan.
Blins
The various monsters of Hyrule typically live very simple lives, but the various Blins have formed more advanced structures. Bokoblins make up the majority of their race, scavenging and building small settlements, with larger Blins like Moblins making the brunt of their fighting force. They are, however, still simple creatures, and are easily swayed by the power of evil exerted by the Demon King.
The Lokomo
Featured only in Spirit Tracks, the Lokomo are the native people of the land where New Hyrule is founded, and protect the locks that keep the evil of Malladus in check. They are coloured according to their role as Sage.
Though many other races exist beyond the ones discussed here, they lack the prominence to be considered.
Total Races In The Legend Of Zelda
Though there are many more races than those discussed here, in terms of races that feature importance and prominent appearances in the series, there are 14 races. These races have gone through plenty of different appearances, some being enemies and becoming allies, others taking long breaks and reappearing.
Race | Number of Appearances | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Zora | 15 | ||||||||
Goron | 13 | ||||||||
Gerudo | 5 (9 including Ganondorf and Twinrova) | ||||||||
Rito | 3 | ||||||||
Hylians | Almost Every Game | ||||||||
Koroks | 3 | ||||||||
Blins | Almost Every Game | ||||||||
Deku Scrubs | 7 | ||||||||
Races With Less Than 3 Appearances | |||||||||
Zonai, Lokomo, Twili, Oocca, Minish, Kokiri | |||||||||
The Zonai marks the first new race added to the series that features major prominence in the series since the Twili in Twilight Princess. Maybe in the future, they'll become one of the major new mainline races, or perhaps be relegated to a single entry like the Twili.