Outset Island

Outset Island is a location from The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker. An island in the southwest sector of the Great Sea, it is home to the game's protagonist, Link.

History
On Outset Island, there is a tradition that when boys come of age, they are given a green tunic, in memory of the Hero of Time. One day, the island's peaceful shores are visited by pirates, who are pursuing a giant bird. The bird had kidnapped Tetra, the leader of the band of pirates. Once they manage to hit the giant bird with a cannon blast, it drops Tetra into the Forest of Fairies at the top of the island, and Link must go save her from the monsters dwelling there. The bird later kidnaps Aryll, Link's sister, having mistook her for Tetra. After this, Link leaves the island to save his sister.

The Spirit of the Sea, Jabun, later makes his home in a cave at the back of the island after his previous home on Greatfish Isle was destroyed by Ganondorf. The cave is well protected with a large stone, so Link must acquire bombs to blast open the stone blockade and speak to Jabun.

Places of interest
The island has two piers on the northern coast, one of which Beedle generally docks his ship at, the other being a watchtower named Aryll's Lookout. There are four small houses, a well, and a cluster of small rocks protruding from the waters between the two islands.

Several small patches of black soil are dotted about the island. When Link the Pig digs in them, various things such as money, Morths, and a Piece of Heart are uncovered.

Houses
There are four houses on Outset Island:


 * One is owned by Link's Grandma, who lives there with Link and Aryll. It has a few photos and the family shield on the walls, and contains a kitchen and living area on the ground floor and a small upper floor. Underneath the house's small balcony is a hidden room containing a Treasure Chest in which an Orange Rupee (worth 100 Rupees) can be found.
 * Another house is home to two brothers, Orca and Sturgeon, and Sturgeon's granddaughter Sue-Belle. Orca lives on the ground floor and frequently annoys Sturgeon by practicing swordplay and roll attacks into the walls, rattling the house and causing the pots to fall off the walls of the upper room where Sturgeon lives. Orca's room is devoted primarily to fighting equipment and is where Link receives his first sword and training. There is also a Knight's Crest on display on the wall. Sturgeon's room can only be accessed by an external ladder, and has a small balcony.
 * The highest house on the island is up a gentle slope behind Orca's and is home to Rose, Abe, and their two children, Zill and Joel. Jumping into the top window of the house reveals a hidden attic containing Rupees and supplies.
 * The only building on the eastern island is a house belonging to Mesa. Inside is a small main room and a hidden room in which 20 Rupees can be found inside a chest. Mesa has the largest garden of any of the residents, but is constantly frustrated by the effort it takes to keep it tidy.

Aryll's Lookout
This is a tall wooden tower constructed in the waters just off the northern tip of the eastern island, connected to the land by a thin pier. Its exact purpose is unknown, although it appears to be some sort of watch tower. It consists of a ladder leading up a thick wooden pole to a platform which is covered by a roof and surrounded by a balcony. Aryll named the tower after herself because she was fond of playing there with the seagulls and her telescope. If Link uses a Hyoi Pear and makes a seagull fly to the top, there is a Red Rupee.

Forest of Fairies
Atop the cliffs of the western island lays a mysterious forest known as the Forest of Fairies. It is accessible only by traveling up a path on the eastern island and crossing between the two over a suspension bridge. Inside is a fairy fountain blocked by a rock, inhabited by a Great Fairy who gives Link a bigger wallet. Enemies found there includes Bokoblins, Moblins, Morths and Mothulas. The forest is the place where Link first met Tetra, after he rescued her from the beasts.

Savage Labyrinth
The Savage Labyrinth is accessible later in the game due to the newly repaired bridge, and Link's acquisition of the Deku Leaf used in concert with changing the wind's direction, or use the Hookshot on a nearby tree by the entrance. Old Man Ho Ho identifies the entrance, blocked by a giant rock as he stands near the bridge. After making the leap, Link can use his Power Bracelet to lift the rock and throw it. This reveals a hole, which is the entrance to the Savage Labyrinth. The Savage Labyrinth has many floors, featuring many different creatures Link meets throughout his quest. There are 51 floors in total, though the latter 20 are optional. At the 31st floor, the Wind's Requiem reveals a chest containing a Triforce Chart. A Piece of Heart can also be found on the 51st and bottom floor.

Hylians and Humans
At the beginning of Link's adventure, 11 people reside on the islands:


 * Link
 * Aryll
 * Link's and Aryll's Grandma
 * Orca
 * Sturgeon
 * Sue-Belle
 * Rose
 * Abe
 * Joel
 * Zill
 * Mesa

Old Man Ho Ho visits the island, but it is not believed he lives there.

Animals

 * Jabun, fled from Greatfish Isle
 * Link the Pig, formerly a wild pig who Link caught for Rose's family
 * Wild pigs, colored both pink and black, live on the island.
 * Seagulls nest on the island, and some are known to play with Aryll.
 * Sand Crabs live in the sand at the island's coast, and are known to wander along the beach, but they hide in the sand as soon as anyone approaches.

Palm trees, white flowers, long and short grass, and other assorted but common plants grow on Outset Island.

Enemies
When Link first returns to the island, he finds it infested with Red and Green ChuChus and Miniblins. Other enemies such as Bokoblins, Moblins, Morths and a Mothula are known to live in the Forest of Fairies.

Theories
Part of the island's music borrows from The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time's Kokiri Forest music, although it is unlikely that Outset Island is the remains of the Kokiri Forest. A more probable reason is that the music is similar because both are villages Link begins his quest in. It is thought that Outset Island may be the remains of the mountains that border Lake Hylia, as seen in Ocarina of Time.