Old Man

Old Men are recurring characters from the Legend of Zelda series. The first appearance of an Old Man was in the original The Legend of Zelda for the Nintendo Entertainment System.

The Legend of Zelda
The Old Man is a bald character dressed in a red gown and possessing a white beard. He is usually found in dungeons or inside caves, most commonly standing between two magic flames he controls. Attacking the Old Man results in fireballs shooting from the flames. The Old Man is used for several things in the game, ranging from giving Link advice on how to move forward in his adventure to providing him with important items. Though very helpful, he is sometimes unpredictable, occasionally gambling with Link for Rupees and even mugging him. His female counterpart is the Little Old Lady.

Zelda II: The Adventure of Link
Old Men appear in towns scattered throughout Hyrule. They teach Link different spells. There is speculation that the old men who teach Link spells in the various villages are all the same Old Man from The Legend of Zelda, or at least based on him. This, however, is unproven.

The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past
An Old Man can be found near the entrance of Death Mountain. He is lost and asks Link to aid him in getting to the safe house on the top of the mountain outside the caves. Once the way is lit by the light of Link's Lantern, the Old Man helps guide him to the top.

For helping him, the Old Man rewards Link with the Magic Mirror. He will also aid Link anytime whenever he comes to his safe house by refilling his life energy. While leading him through the mountain, the old man will talk about how he has a daughter who was abducted by Agahnim, as a part of his plan to break the sages seal. This reveals that his daughter is one of the Seven Maidens, and that she and her father are both descendants of the Ancient Sages.

The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Ages & Oracle of Seasons
Old Men are found in various dungeons and caves throughout both games. Dressed in green robes, they act very similar to their The Legend of Zelda counterpart. Old Men found in caves below trees or rocks on the Overworld will either reward Link with Rupees, telling him not to tell anyone, or thank him for paying to fix his door as he takes Rupees from Link.

Translation
The Old Man is known for his vague and/or badly translated advice in the original version. It should be noted that nearly all of the game's text was like this, not just the Old Man's quotes. In the version on the Nintendo GameCube promotion disc, (and the GBA version) the translation was improved.

Examples of Old Man Quotes

 * "10th enemy has the bomb."
 * "Spectacle Rock is an entrance to death."
 * "Dodongo dislikes smoke"
 * "Let's play money making game."
 * "Eyes of skull has a secret."
 * "East most peninsula is the secret."
 * "Leave your life or money."
 * "Go to the next room."
 * "Patra has the map."
 * "Go in direction of the arrow."

Ulrira
Ulrira from The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening is possibly a version of the Old Men. If so, this marks the first time an Old Man has a name.

Rauru
Additionally, it has been speculated that Rauru, the sage from The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, may be one of the old men or at least partially based on him. There is a mild similarities in appearance between the two.