Kakariko Village

Kakariko Village is a recurring location in the Legend of Zelda series. Its geographical and historical situation seems to change in each game, and so many fans assert that these villages are not the same, but merely share the same name. It may have been inspired by various towns in Zelda II: The Adventure of Link, and in turn may have served as the inspiration for such future towns in the series - Mabe Village, Clock Town, Lynna City, Horon Village, Windfall Island, Hyrule Town, and various minor villages (i.e. Symmetry City).

The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past


Kakariko Village makes its first appearance in The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past. Here, it is located in the mid-western part of the Light World, south of the Lost Woods. At one point, Link is asked by the Loyal Sage of the Sanctuary to find the wise man Sahasrahla, who at one point lived in the village. Link first talks to the presumed wife of Sahasrahla, who tells him that he has indeed left the village. Eventually, Link finds Sahasrahla's Grandson who tells him that Sahasrahla has made the Eastern Palace Ruins his new home.

Many optional side-quests can be completed in Kakariko Village, but it is also the site of the bird sealed within a statue that Link needs to awaken with the Flute. Once he has done this, the bird inside the statue is released and the bird will transport him to certain areas in Hyrule whenever he sounds the Flute in the outside world.

Kakariko Village, as mentioned before, is located to the south of the Lost Woods, a place notorious for the thieves who reside there, and so it is not surprising that one thief, Blind, once had a permanent residence in the village. By the time Link visits the hideout, it has been abandoned, although treasures can still be found within. Blind himself turns out to have traveled to the Village of Outcasts, the Dark World's equivalent of Kakariko Village, a haven for thieves, gambling establishments and various monsters. He was transported there either intentionally or accidentally, and turns out to be the boss of Thieves' Town, the fourth Dark World dungeon. In the Dark World, the weather vane statue has been replaced by a gargoyle statue, which blocks the entrance to the Thieves' Town.

The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
Kakariko Village of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time is radically different from the village of A Link to the Past. Now located directly at the foot of the Death Mountain Foothills, quite distant from the Lost Woods and the Haunted Wasteland (the OoT equivalent of the Desert of Mystery), and it is built all on terraces on the side of the mountain. Kakariko Village seems to have been founded not too long ago. Villagers there recall that Impa, Zelda's nursemaid, opened the formerly Sheikah-exclusive village to the poor commoners of Hyrule (presumably not rich enough to live in Hyrule Castle Town). Dominating the landscape is a Windmill, which is used to draw water up from the Bottom of the Well, the source of water for the villagers. Sheikah legend has it that Impa sealed a great evil in the Bottom of the Well. Later, when Link learns the Song of Storms as an adult, playing it can overwork the Windmill, making it draw up all the water, and in effect drying up the well. This opens it up for exploration as a child to find the Lens of Truth. (Other local legend has it that a wise man with an eye that could see the truth lived where the well is located now). As a child, Carpenters are hard at work, expanding the village so that it can one day be a "true city". The village is also guarded by three Hylian Knights: two Clock Soldiers and the Keaton Mask Soldier. The village also has a graveyard.

In Link's adulthood, the great evil imprisoned in the Well escapes, setting fire to the village (fortunately, it was extinguished by rain) and beating Link and Sheik considerably before retreating into the Shadow Temple, situated in the back of the graveyard. Impa then goes off to imprison the great evil again, but she fails, in so doing becoming the Sage of the Shadow Temple. Link must rescue her by defeating this great evil, which turns out to be an invisible "Phantom Shadow Beast", Bongo Bongo. Link uses the Lens of Truth to see the monster and slash its vulnerable eye.

During the seven-year period of turmoil in Hyrule between Link's drawing of the Master Sword and his awakening, the survivors of Ganondorf's reign of terror in Hyrule Castle Town fled to the village to escape persecution. It seems that this village is then the only remaining place of Hylian Resistance. Although not in the game itself, the ReDead trophy in  Super Smash Bros. Melee states that no residents of the Market died. Talon, the previous proprietor of Lon Lon Ranch, also runs off to Kakariko Village when Ingo kicks him out. The village is also no longer guarded by Hylian Knights.

The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Adventures
When Link arrives at Kakariko Village, it has been overrun by thieves. Much of the village has been lit on fire from arson, either by the thieves or by Shadow Link. Many of the villagers are suspicious and act almost rude to Link, but request that he put out the fires before he leaves.

By falling down the hole to the far northwest and navigating the maze inside, Link can obtain Bombs, which can be used to enter the back of the Cucco. After giving one of the Cucco to the lonely widower, Link obtains a Power Bracelet, which can be used to lift trees. A man in the far northeast house requests that Link find and ten thieves and throw them into the pen outside of his house. Many thieves can be found in the open, however a few are found underground beneath trees or stones. One Thief can only be found by obtaining the shovel from the man in the house to the east. He instructs Link where to dig until he finds the hole with the Thief.

After all ten thieves have been captured, the man allows Link to progress north. By picking up the Fire Rod from beneath a large stone in the next area, Link can light the four torches in the following area. Consequently, it begins raining, putting out the village's fires. Going back to where he got the Shovel, Link can continue east, where he must fight four Shadow Links. Once they are defeated, he can continue to the nearby river.

After following it and collecting Force Gems along the way, Link must defeat another Big Stalfos. Upon his defeat, the spirit of the corrupt Green Knight appears and relinquishes his Green Jewel. After breaking the Vaati Barriers, Link can continue to the Temple of Darkness.

The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess
Kakariko Village is vastly different in The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess. The town, instead of being built on a terraced surface, is built on a rugged cliff on the side of Death Mountain. There are several small houses, shops, a sanctuary, an inn, and a few springs located throughout the village. It also has a small Graveyard behind it. It is a small, but tranquil village in the Eldin Province under the leadership of its local shaman Renado. This would all come to change, however, when Kakariko was blanketed beneath the evil veil of Twilight. During this time, the majority of its inhabitants were killed by the Shadow Beasts. Fortunately, Link and Midna revive the Light Spirit, Eldin, and release the Twilight's grasp on Kakariko Village, saving the remaining townsfolk from destruction. Although the village is saved, however, it is still utterly devastated (partly through Link's own actions). After Link defeats Fyrus in the Goron Mines, and recovered the second Fused Shadow, the Gorons from nearby Death Mountain, the Youths from Ordon Village, and the remaining villagers helped rebuild Kakariko Village.

It should also be noted that the actual only inhabitants in the village are Renado, his daughter Luda, Barnes, and to a lesser extent, the Gorons. The rest of the inhabitants are from Ordon Village, where Link, Ilia, and the rest of the kids live; They are in Kakariko Village because Bulbins kidnapped them and brought them to the village as prisoners. Kakariko Village is more likely to be a name derived from the Kakariko Village in Ocarina of Time, due to the knowledge of a sign in The Hidden Village that says "Welcome to Old Kakarico." Even though the spelling is different, Kakariko of OoT and Kakarico Village seem to be the most similar.

The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker
It can be noticed that Windfall Island seems to have a strange relation with Kakariko Village. It can be possible that Windfall Island is Kakariko Village; after all, Kakariko Village was located on a high hill. Dragon Roost Island could relate to Death Mountain and Kakariko Village was nearby Death Mountain making Windfall Island (near Dragon Roost Island) the likely relocation site of citizens who escaped the Great Flood. They also seem to have music that sounds the same. It is also worthy of note that a main feature common between Kakariko and Windfall is the large windmill.

Kakariko Kakariko Village