King of Hyrule

The King of Hyrule is a recurring character throughout The Legend of Zelda series.

The Adventure of Link
The first mention of a King of Hyrule comes in the backstory for Zelda II: The Adventure of Link, where it is explained that he once possessed all three portions of the Triforce. This great King, whose tomb is a landmark in the game, concealed the Triforce of Courage in the Great Palace and established the challenges that the future hero would need to complete in order to reclaim the lost Triforce. His daughter, Princess Zelda, lies in an enchanted sleep for many years following his death, and can only be awakened by the hero who recovers the Triforce of Courage.

Appearance
The kings of Hyrule are not usually seen except in The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past and The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap. In A Link to the Past, the king only shows up in the ending and is not given a name and is barely mentioned during the course of the game. The king also appears obscured from view during the scene in which Ganon bows before him in The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time.

In The Minish Cap, the current ruling king is named Daltus, while a former, dead king, named Gustaf, appears in the Royal Tomb, and gives Link a golden Kinstone piece, which is required to open the door blocking the upper part of Veil Falls, and the pathway to the Cloud Tops.

The Wind Waker
The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker was the first Zelda game to give the king of Hyrule a name. King Daphnes Nohansen Hyrule is the last king of the long forgotten land. To meet with Link, he remotely operates the King of Red Lions, a talking boat, by using magic.

Daphnes Nohansen Hyrule may be a spiritual being like the Sages, as he is still in existence long after Hyrule was sunk, and he can teleport around the area at will. At the end of the game, the King wishes to the Triforce for Hyrule to be drowned, and stays with the kingdom as it is flooded.