Seven Sages (Ocarina of Time)

The Seven Sages are a group from The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. Powerful allies of Link, they help seal Ganondorf in the Sacred Realm during the closing of what many speculate to be the Imprisoning War.

The sages who give Link the Six Medallions each represent the six races in Hyrule: Hylian, Kokiri, Goron, Zora, Sheikah and Gerudo. Also, they have their own elements that refer to their homeland, for example, the Kokiri Sage refers to Kokiri Forest, because she is the Forest Sage.

Princess Zelda, Leader of the Sages
Leader of the Sages, Zelda is a key figure throughout the game. As a child, Link meets Zelda in Hyrule Castle after traveling there at the behest of the dying Great Deku Tree. Having already obtained the Kokiri's Emerald, the first of three Spiritual Stones needed to open the door to the Sacred Realm, Zelda convinces Link to search for the other two, as she believes the Gerudo thief Ganondorf, who is pledging alliance to her father, the King of Hyrule, to be a great evil who seeks to rule Hyrule. The two agree to obtain all three stones and open the Door of Time by playing the Ocarina of Time in the Temple of Time, and beat Ganondorf to the Triforce hidden within.

Upon obtaining the final stone, Link travels to Hyrule Castle only to discover Zelda escaping from the castle with her nursemaid Impa. She manages to throw the Ocarina of Time into the castle town's moat before disappearing out of sight. While Ganondorf chases after them on his horse, Link opens the door to the Sacred Realm. However, Link is considered by Rauru (see below) to be too young to wield the Master Sword, and is therefore sealed within the Chamber of Sages in the center of the Sacred Realm for seven years. Seeing his chance, Ganondorf manages to get his hands on the sacred Triforce. However, due to the lack of balance of wisdom, courage, and power in Ganondorf, it broke into its three component parts (power, wisdom, courage) in his hands. Ganondorf kept the Triforce of Power, dearest to his heart, and the Triforces of Wisdom and Courage are given to Zelda and Link, who were "chosen by fate".

Link awakens seven years later to find Hyrule in ruin. Ganondorf, while not attaining ultimate power from the Triforce, has used the Triforce of Power to destroy the once bountiful land of Hyrule and crown himself King of Evil. Link is given the task to awaken the six sages in order to enter Ganon's Castle and defeat Ganondorf. After receiving the first of the Six Medallions, Link meets Sheik, seemingly a descendant of the mysterious Sheikah race. Sheik gives him advice, in a mysterious fashion, throughout his quest. After awakening the five other sages, Link meets Sheik again in the Temple of Time, where she is revealed to be Princess Zelda in disguise. After Zelda explains her story to Link and gives him the Light Arrow, Ganondorf interrupts and imprisons Zelda in a crystal cage. He challenges Link to meet him in his castle. Link battles Ganondorf, and ultimately defeats him, allowing Zelda and the other Six Sages to seal him away.

Rauru, Sage of Light
The Sage of Light, Rauru first reveals himself to Link in the Temple of Light when Link awakens from his seven year slumber. Rauru explains the chaos that Ganondorf has wrought, and why Link was sealed away after retrieving the Master Sword. After he tells Link about the quest he must undertake to defeat Ganondorf, he gives him the Medallion of Light. Rauru appears again in a vision after Link has gathered the final Medallion. He tells him that "someone is waiting for him" in the Temple of Time. Link travels to the temple and meets Sheik, who later reveals herself to be Zelda. Rauru is one of only two sages (the other is Zelda) who is not freed by beating a dungeon.

Saria, Sage of Forest
The Sage of Forest, Saria is hinted at to be a point of interest, after leaving the Temple of Time, by Navi. Before Link can do anything, however, he must visit Kakariko Graveyard and enter Dampé's Grave to win the Hookshot, a necessary tool for entering every temple. Upon playing "Saria's Song" on the Ocarina of Time, Link speaks to Saria and learns of the condition Ganondorf has inflicted upon Kokiri Forest. Link travels to the forest, where he sees for himself the damage done. He travels through the Lost Woods and encounters Sheik, who teaches him the "Minuet of Forest", a song that transports the player to the Sacred Forest Meadow. After defeating Phantom Ganon in the Forest Temple, Saria awakens as the Sage of Forest, and grants Link the Forest Medallion.

Darunia, Sage of Fire
The Sage of Fire, Darunia has disappeared after Link's seven-year slumber. After meeting Darunia's son in Goron City, Link learns about the dragon, Volvagia, and Ganondorf's plans to feed Gorons to it. Link obtains the Goron Tunic from Darunia's son, Link of the Gorons, and enters Death Mountain Crater, no longer subject to the deathly heat radiating inside. Link once again meets Sheik, who teaches him the "Bolero of Fire", a song that transports Link to Death Mountain Crater. After entering the Fire Temple, Link meets Darunia who explains the predicament the Goron's fate. He enters the sealed boss room, and leaves Link to explore the temple himself. Link eventually discovers Volvagia and slays him, revealing Darunia to be the Sage of Fire in the process, who gives Link the Fire Medallion.

Princess Ruto, Sage of Water
The Sage of Water, Princess Ruto is nowhere to be found, as nearly all of Zora's Domain has been frozen over. Even King Zora XVI has befallen this terrible fate. Link explores the Ice Cavern in Zora's Fountain, and gains the Iron Boots along with Blue Fire necessary to unfreeze the King. Before that, however, Sheik appears inside the cavern and teaches Link the "Serenade of Water", a song that warps him to Lake Hylia. Link defrosts the King, who is grateful, and gives Link the Zora Tunic, which will let him breathe indefinitely underwater. Paired with the Iron Boots, Link successfully enters the underwater Water Temple, where he finds his "fiancée", Princess Ruto. She explains how the monster inside the temple froze Zora's Domain, and how to raise and lower the water levels in the temple. After exploring, Link encounters Dark Link, an alternate form of himself. Upon defeating him, Link obtains the Longshot, and enters the boss lair. Link destroys Morpha, the power behind the temple, and Ruto awakens as the Sage of Water and gives Link the Water Medallion.

Impa, Sage of Shadow
The Sage of Shadow, Impa, is a Sheikah that disappeared with the child Zelda during the start of the Imprisoning War. Link goes to Kakariko Village, where he sees the town in flames. Thankfully, it begins raining; however, a monster escapes from the Bottom of the Well in the village. Link tries to stop the monster; however, he is knocked unconscious. Sheik tends to him, and teaches him the song neccessary to enter the Shadow Temple: the "Nocturne of Shadow". Sheik also explains that Impa, the previous slayer of the monster, has entered the temple to try to seal it up again. Going back in time, Link finds the Lens of Truth at the newly vacated Bottom of the Well. Returning to his adult self, Link enters the Shadow Temple and defeats the monster Bongo Bongo. Impa awakens as the Sage of Shadow, and Link is granted the Shadow Medallion.

Nabooru, Sage of Spirit
The Sage of Spirit, Nabooru, is a Gerudo thief that has gone to find treasure from the Spirit Temple. Link frees the trapped Carpenters from the Gerudo Fortress, and gains entrance to the Haunted Wasteland. After crossing the River of Sand, and following the Phantom Guide, Link is at the entrance of the Desert Colossus, the home of the Spirit Temple. Link enters the temple, only to find it unexplorable. After leaving the temple, Sheik appears from above and teaches Link the "Requiem of Spirit", and advises him to travel back in time to explore the Spirit Temple. Upon doing so, Link is able to meet Nabooru, who is looking for the Silver Gauntlets. Link agrees to help, and he explores half of the temple, eventually stumbling upon the Silver Gauntlets. Before he can return them to Nabooru, however, she is attacked by the twin witches who inhabit the temple, Koume and Kotake. As her last words, she tells Link to defeat the evil sisters. Now able to explore all of the temple, Adult Link eventually finds himself up against a possessed Nabooru masquerading as an Iron Knuckle. She is defeated, and no longer brainwashed, so Link confronts the evil witch sisters. With the use of his Mirror Shield, Link forces the sisters to attack each other, and he finally absorbs their attacks and defeats them. Nabooru awakens as the Sage of Spirit, and Link is awarded his final Medallion, the Spirit Medallion.

The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past
The Seven Wise Men mentioned in the backstory of the game are often believed to be the Seven Sages. They were even renamed "Seven Sages" in the Game Boy Advance port. Despite this, they are all depicted as human in official artwork.

The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker
Though the Seven Sages never appear or are mentioned in The Wind Waker, seven stained glass windows in the basement of Hyrule Castle depict each member of the Seven Sages.

The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess
The Seven Sages are likely connected to the ethereal Ancient Sages seen in Twilight Princess, with the addition of Princess Zelda. As the spiritual essences of the world, these ethereal, humanoid Sages were likely the source of the powers of the Seven Sages seen in Ocarina of Time and are their spiritual counterparts in the child timeline. It seems that these Sages were perhaps the essences that entered the bodies of those Seven Sages in Ocarina of Time in the adult timeline, while in child timeline they remained as spiritual essences. Ganon needed to kidnap their descendants in order to break the seal they placed on the Dark World. It also seems that Rauru could be both an Ancient Sage and one of the Seven Sages.

The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass
On the Isle of the Dead in Phantom Hourglass, a graveyard can be found that includes graves for the Six Sages and three other people.

Theories
While six of the Seven Sages are each associated with an element of sorts, Princess Zelda was named only as the Leader of the Sages. Speculation has given birth to the possibility that Princess Zelda could be the Sage of Time, or some relation to that sort of title. Reasons behind this theory include:


 * The Temple of Time's close proximity to Hyrule Castle at the time of the Imprisoning War (each Sage lived near their respective temples).
 * Zelda's ability to send Link back to his childhood at the end of the Imprisoning War using her power alone and not that of the Master Sword.
 * Zelda's seeming alignment with Nayru, the Goddess long associated with the establishment of the laws of science and nature, including time; it has been suggested that she is the Goddess of Time spoken of by Zelda herself in The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask, which Zelda entreated to protect and look after Link on his journey to Termina.
 * Zelda's revelation of her identity as the seventh Sage in the Temple of Time (along with the vision of her in the Temple of Time when she taught Link the Song of Time) suggests she has a connection to that particular temple; it is also curious to note that each Sage revealed their status as a Sage within their respective temples, again implying that Zelda is connected to the Temple of Time.