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This article is about the recurring Boss in The Legend of Zelda series. For the Enemy, see Kargarok.

The Helmaroc King is a recurring Boss in The Legend of Zelda series.[2][3][name reference needed]

Characteristics[]

The Wind Waker[]

In The Wind Waker, the Helmaroc King is the secondary antagonist. He resides in the Forsaken Fortress, and is a servant of Ganondorf.[4] He is also the primary minion sent out by Ganondorf to search for Princess Zelda. He appears early on in the game, flying around Outset Island with Tetra in his claws before being shot out of the sky by Tetra's Pirate Crew. The Helmaroc King then drops Tetra and captures Link's sister, Aryll, mistaking her for the young pirate captain.[5] It is later discovered that the Helmaroc King was bringing young girls with pointed ears to Ganondorf in an effort to find Princess Zelda,[6] as Ganondorf wished to find the princess so that he could steal her piece of the Triforce.[7] When Link travels to the Forsaken Fortress to save his sister, the Helmaroc King captures him and throws him into the sea at Ganondorf's command.

Later in the game, Link returns to the Fortress in an attempt to save Aryll once again. He successfully frees his sister and the other kidnapped girls, Mila and Maggie, while Tetra and her pirate crew distract the giant bird.[8] Link is then attacked by the Helmaroc King after Tetra and her crew flee.

Characteristics[]

Helmarocbattle

The Helmaroc King chasing Link

At the beginning of the battle, the tower containing the prison cells is flooded. The Helmaroc King follows Link as he runs along the wall to avoid the rising water. While he does so, Link must avoid the bird and the enemies along the steps of the wall. Once he has reached the top, the bird will swoop down and stand right in his way. Link must then use the Skull Hammer on his helm, making the Helmaroc King fall into the rising water, giving Link the chance to climb out of the flooding tower. At this point, the floor of the tower begins to close and the bird flies up out of the tower to challenge the hero. If Link falls off and into the water, he can get back up by using the Grappling Hook on the torches.

The Helmaroc King performs three attacks. During the first one, he lands on the ground, walks toward Link, and attempts to impale him with his beak. If he misses Link, his beak gets jammed in the floor. This gives Link a chance to use the Skull Hammer and drive it into the Helmaroc King's helm. This produces a large crack on the bird's helmet. The bird can also fly around the tower trying to run over Link by scratching his claws on the floor, as well as floating in the air and flapping his wings in an attempt to blow the hero into the spikes surrounding the arena.

After Link pounds the King's helm with the Skull Hammer several times, it will crack and fall off. Once the bird's crest is exposed, he will become more frantic. The strategy is still the same; Link must wait until the bird tries to peck him with his beak. The main difference this time is that the Master Sword can be used to deal more damage. After repeating the pattern three times, the Helmaroc King flies up into the air and explodes into black and purple smoke, leaving behind a Heart Container.

The Monstrous Helmaroc King (Figurine from The Wind Waker)
TWW The Monstrous Helmaroc King Figurine Model
The Monstrous Helmaroc King
Habitat: Forsaken Fortress
Master: Ganondorf

The Helmaroc King is a monstrous bird that has been fitted with a mighty steel mask. Once the mask has been split with a hammer, its tender beak will be revealed.

Four Swords Adventures[]

In Four Swords Adventures, the Helmaroc King is a boss Link must face on The Mountain Path on Death Mountain. The Helmaroc King is designated to stop the Links from entering the Tower of Flames. This monstrous bird starts the battle by swooping down upon them two times, then attacking by dropping rocks upon the heroes. After that, the King repeats the process. In order to defeat him, the Links are required to daze the bird with their Bombs and then destroy the bird's mask. After the mask is destroyed, the Links can defeat him by using their Swords.

Other Appearances[]

Super Smash Bros. Brawl[]

In Super Smash Bros. Brawl, the Helmaroc King appears as a Trophy. Its description says that the Helmasaur King and the Helmaroc King are the same foe.

Trophy Information[]

# Trophy Significant Games Description How to unlock
219 SSBB Helmaroc King Trophy Model
Helmaroc King
The Wind Waker

Four Swords Adventures
A monstrous bird that wears a mask. On orders from Ganondorf, he sets out in search of Zelda, capturing every pointy-eared little girl he can find. His weak point is the area directly under his mask. This fellow also appears in "A Link to the Past", but that version was more beastly and was called the Helmasaur King... He still wore a mask, of course. Random

Hyrule Warriors Legends[]

In Hyrule Warriors Legends, the Helmaroc King appears as a Giant Boss in the Wind Waker Legend Mode Scenarios, "A New Disturbance" and "The Search for Cia". It also appears as a Giant Bosses in certain Adventure Mode maps that are exclusive to Hyrule Warriors Legends. Its weakness is the Hammer.

In "A New Disturbance", under the name Great Bird, the Helmaroc King leads the Great Bird's Forces, of which it is the only member. The Monster Forces, led by the Boss Blin, manage to drive it from its roost in the Forsaken Fortress, causing it to attack the Hyrulean Forces led by Link and Tetra in Windfall. Link and Tetra can force it to retreat by attacking it. The Helmaroc King acts as little more than a distraction, and it cannot be defeated as the main objective is to defeat the Boss Blin and the Monster Forces instead. After the defeat of Boss Blin and its Forces, Link spots the Helmaroc King in the sky and notices that it is carrying Tetra in its talons. Link rushes after the bird to save Tetra.

In "The Search for Cia", the Helmaroc King then roosts in the Gerudo Desert. While it is resting, Tetra manages to sneak away and seeks the aid of Lana and the Hyrulean Forces, who had entered the desert to close the Gate of Souls that opened there. Eventually, the Helmaroc King awakes and tries to recaptures Tetra. She calls Lana and the recently arrived Link to save her. Together they manage to destroy the Helmaroc King's mask, forcing it to retreat momentarily. However the bird soon returns, only to be killed by the combined might of Lana, Link and Tetra.

When defeated in battle, the Helmaroc King may occasionally drop its Plume as a silver Material, and rarely its Mask as a gold Material.

Trivia[]

  • The Helmaroc King and the Helmasaur King have the same name in Japanese, but they have different English names and official romanizations: the official Japanese website romanizes the Helmaroc King's Japanese name as "Zeeklock"[9] whereas the Japanese ending of A Link to the Past romanizes the Helmasaur King's Japanese name as "Jeakrock".[citation needed]
    • This confusion led to the Helmaroc King trophy in the North American version of Super Smash Bros. Brawl erroneously stating that he and the Helmasaur King are the same character. The European version fixed this error.
  • The Helmaroc Plume Treasure from Phantom Hourglass is a reference to the Helmaroc King, as the bird itself does not appear in this game.[10]
  • The Helmaroc King, in the way that he kidnaps young girls with pointed ears, could be a reference to the mythical Thunderbird, a bird that is about the size of the Helmaroc King and who also kidnaps children.

Nomenclature[]

TMC Forest Minish Artwork Names in Other Regions TMC Jabber Nut Sprite
Language Name Meaning
Japan Japanese 大怪鳥ジークロック (Dai Kaichō Jīkurokku) Great Monstrous Bird: Zeeklock
French-speaking countries French Roi Cuirasse Armor King
Federal Republic of Germany German Maskenkönig Mask King
Italian Republic Italian Re Elmaroc, il rapace regale Elmaroc King, the Royal Bird of Prey
Spanish-speaking countries Spanish Kranos Helmet (Greek)

Gallery[]

See Also[]

References

  1. Hyrule Warriors Legends — Collector's Edition Guide, Prima Games, pg. 435
  2. Encyclopedia, Dark Horse Books, pg. 184 (TWW | TWWHD | FSA)
  3. "That's the Helmaroc King. It carries people off! It'll take the town keep!" — Tetra (Hyrule Warriors: Definitive Edition) (HWDE)
  4. "I suppose you saw him... The shadow that commands that monstrous bird... His name is...Ganon..." — King of Red Lions (The Wind Waker)
  5. "My point is that the bird mistook that poor girl for you, and that's why it grabbed her!" — Quill (The Wind Waker)
  6. "Haven't any of you heard word that young girls have been getting kidnapped lately from all regions of the Great Sea? [...] Young girls with long ears like yours have been getting kidnapped, never to be seen again." — Quill (The Wind Waker)
  7. "Ha! At long last, I have found you... Princess Zelda! [...] Tell me... If you are not Zelda, then why do you have this fragment of the Triforce?" — Ganondorf Dragmire (The Wind Waker)
  8. "Do you even realize that we had to draw that monster bird off for you? It was about to come flying in here after you again!" — Tetra (The Wind Waker)
  9. zeeklock.jpg, Nintendo.co.jp, retrieved January 3, 2015.
  10. "You got a Helmaroc Plume! It was dropped by the mythical Helmaroc!" — N/A (Phantom Hourglass)
The Legend of ZeldaThe Adventure of LinkA Link to the PastLink's AwakeningOcarina of TimeMajora's MaskOracle of SeasonsOracle of AgesFour SwordsThe Wind WakerFour Swords AdventuresThe Minish CapTwilight PrincessPhantom HourglassSpirit TracksSkyward SwordA Link Between WorldsTri Force HeroesBreath of the WildTears of the Kingdom

The Wind Waker


Bosses

Gohma · Kalle Demos · Gohdan · Helmaroc King · Jalhalla · Molgera · Puppet Ganon Triforce piece  · Ganondorf

Minibosses

Green Bokoblin · Moblin · Mothula · Darknut · Cyclos · Phantom Ganon · Stalfos · Wizzrobe · Mighty Darknut · Big OctoTriforce piece

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