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The Oocca are a species of Birds that appear almost exclusively in The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess.[2][3] They are an ancient race of sky beings who live in the City in the Sky, and are the race which Ooccoo belongs to.[4] They have bird-like bodies and oblong heads with humanoid faces. Some Oocca are familiar with the Hylian Language and are capable of speaking it, but they also have their own language which sounds like jabbering and strange squawking noises.[5]

History[]

Despite their small bodies, the Oocca are seen to be highly developed in terms of technology. They have built massive cannons that are capable of launching someone to and from the heavens, crafted a rod that can bring life to inanimate objects, and even built their own city in the sky that is held up by powerful propellers.

Shad, following in his father's footsteps, has devoted his life to studying the Oocca.[6] According to him, the Oocca are the closest race to the gods, closer even than Hylians, whose land, Hyrule, was founded by the Oocca.[7] After the Goddesses created the Hylians, the Oocca simultaneously formed their own city: a city that floats in the heavens which can only be reached via a Sky Cannon.[7]

The Oocca civilization is said to have prospered before the arrival of Hylians, and that they developed materials through magic to form an advanced society in the sky.[8] There is also a theory that they are the Hylians' ancestors and the closest people to the goddess Hylia.[9]

To maintain contact with the Royal Family of Hyrule, the Oocca created a mysterious rod known as the Dominion Rod. This rod would only be carried by one known as the messenger to the heavens, who would then use the rod whenever the Royal Family needed to communicate with the Oocca.[10] Along with the rod of the heavens, the sky beings left the Ancient Sky Book with the Sheikah, which was to be given by royal decree to the heavenly messenger.[11]

It can be assumed that by the time Twilight Princess takes place, the Oocca have stopped communicating with the Royal Family of Hyrule. Why this happened is unknown. Judging by the deteriorating condition of the City in the Sky, they may have simply lost the means to do so.

City in the Sky[]

When Link visits the City in the Sky, he can use the Oocca he finds walking about to progress through the dungeon by picking them up and using them to float across large gaps, much like he would use a Cucco. Although the Oocca squawk madly when picked up, Midna tells Link that they don't seem to mind, and in fact wish to help him.[12]

Other Appearances[]

Link's Crossbow Training[]



Trivia[]

  • The Japanese in-game text confirms that the Oocca did not in fact create the Hylians (which was a mistranslation by Nintendo of America), but Hyrule itself after the three Goddesses created the Sacred Realm, the world Hyrule is in, and the Triforce, and the Oocca did not build the City in the Sky until after the Goddesses created the Hylians.[7]
  • The Oocca bear a resemblance to the bird-like creatures in M. C. Escher's painting "Another World", upon which many believe the Oocca's appearance may be based. Several of them can be seen walking on the walls inside the dungeon, similar to the creatures.
  • The sounds produced by the Oocca are a softer version of the sounds produced by the Miniblins in The Wind Waker.
  • The Zonai have many similarities to the Oocca: both are technologically advanced tribes who live in the sky, are close to the gods, participated in Hyrule's founding, and have ancient ties to the Royal Family.

Nomenclature[]

The Japanese name of the Oocca is 天空人 (Tenkuujin), "tenkuu" meaning "sky" and "jin" meaning "folk". As previously with the トカゲ人 from Oracle of Ages, rather than providing a literal translation as Western name, the localization team chose to offer some creativity and gave the "sky folk" a proper designation that fits with the rest of the races' names. "Oocca", as well as "Ooccoo" who in Japan essentially goes nameless as "kind older lady", is a play on "Cucco", the popular term for chicken in the The Legend of Zelda series. A few bits in the Western text do utilize a direct translation of "天空人", mostly through an extended form such as "the sky beings known as the Oocca". Interestingly, "sky being" is also the preferred translation in the descriptions of Ooccoo, which read "Ooccoo the sky being" rather than "Ooccoo the Oocca".

TMC Forest Minish Artwork Names in Other Regions TMC Jabber Nut Sprite
Language Name Meaning
Japan Japanese 天空人 (Tenkuujin) Sky Person
French Republic FrenchEU Célestien
Federal Republic of Germany German Kumulaner from "Kumulus", a type of cloud formation
Italian Republic Italian Eterei Ethereal
Kingdom of Spain SpanishEU Uca

Gallery[]

See Also[]

References

  1. Encyclopedia, Dark Horse Books, pg. 53
  2. "At the moment I'm absolutely entranced by the sky beings known as the Oocca." — Shad (Twilight Princess)
  3. "Oocca Target Practice
    Consecutive hits boost your score. Be careful not to shoot the Oocca!
    " — Stage Select (Link's Crossbow Training)
  4. "Welcome, adventurer! This is the sky city of the Oocca." — Ooccoo (Twilight Princess)
  5. "You are Hylian? No? I speak a little Hylian. You understand me?" — Oocca (Twilight Princess)
  6. "At the moment I'm absolutely entranced by the sky beings known as the Oocca." — Shad (Twilight Princess)
  7. 7.0 7.1 7.2 "The common opinion is that Hyrule was created by the Hylia people, the race closest to the gods, but...truth be told, there's also a theory saying that in ancient times, there was a race even closer to the gods than the Hylia people, and THEY created it. And they, simultaneously with the birth of the Hylia people, created a new capital, a capital that floated in the heavens." — Shad (Twilight Princess, canonical Japanese text)
  8. "It is said that they prospered in the time before the Hylians, achieving unique developments using magic and building an advanced civilization in the clouds. The City in the Sky stands as a testament to this advancement; tales persist of them using their unparalleled technology to lift the entire city from the surface into the sky." (Encyclopedia, Dark Horse Books, pg. 53)
  9. "The Oocca are said to have interacted with the kingdom of Hyrule in ancient times. It is said that the City in the Sky prospered because of their advanced technology. There is also a theory that they are actually the ancient ancestors of the Hylians, and are the closest people to the goddess." (Encyclopedia, Dark Horse Books, pg. 52)
  10. "Among the legends of my clan, there is a story from the time when the Oocca still maintained contact with the royal family. Yes, it said that a mysterious rod was handed down from the people of the sky, and it was called the Dominion Rod... The rod was only to be carried by the messenger to the heavens when the royal family needed to communicate with the Oocca." — Impaz (Twilight Princess)
  11. "From generation to generation, my ancestors have guarded the book that, by royal decree, was to be given to the messenger to the heavens." — Impaz (Twilight Princess)
  12. "If you see an Oocca wandering by, maybe you could try using it to help you get around. ...Because I'm pretty sure they're trying to help you, Link." — Princess Midna (Twilight Princess)
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