"This item is said to contain the spirit of a hero who once saved Hyrule. That hero’s aura will envelope the wearer." - In-game description.

The Ancient Hero's Aspect is the reward for completing all 152 Shrines in Tears of the Kingdom. It is obtained from a treasure chest behind the Goddess Statue in the Temple of Time (Sky).

Overview[]

The Ancient Hero is thought to be the hero who battled Calamity Ganon 10,000 years prior to the events of Breath of the Wild. In Tears of the Kingdom, Impa alludes to this when you talk to her while the Ancient Hero's Aspect is equipped. This hero seems to be of Zonai origin or at the very least connected to them as seen in his use of Zonai Armor. According to Ganondorf, the Zonai were no more besides King Rauru and his older sister Mineru. If correct, that would mean this Hero may be another race possibly connected to the Zonai or a Hylian/Zonai mix like the Royal Family’s bloodline.

Appearance[]

The Ancient Hero's Aspect is a three in one armor set. The actual armor is very similar to the Zonaite Armor set with the exception being the lack of the headdress and alteration to the greaves. The hero himself has hunter green skin with a head similar to that of a canine and ears of a typical Hylian adorned with gold earrings on both ears. The Hero has blue eyes and blood red hair similar in color to Ganondorf. On his forehead, he wears a gold or Zonaite piece of jewelry adorned with a green gem. Throughout his body, he has white tattoo-like markings on his skin similar to Queen Sonia. The Ancient Hero also appears to have canine-like feet with four visible toes and a dew claw further up his calf (this is unlike the Zonai who have human-like feet). A key Zonai feature that is missing on the hero is the third eye. The Hero's canine-like appearance is in contrast to the Zonai's more goat-like one. It's possible that because of Link's short Hylian build, the Ancient Hero's Aspect does not reflect the true size and build of the hero.

Story[]

According to King Rhoam and Lady Impa, 10,000 years ago, the Demon King Ganondorf created the Great Calamity Ganon in a subconscious attempt to destroy or damage Hyrule Castle so that the seal placed upon him by King Rauru would weaken and he could be set free. However, with the help of the Sheikah, Champions, and Ancient Princess, the Ancient Hero was able to defeat the Calamity and seal him away with the Master Sword before he could damage or even destroy the castle, allowing for 10,000 more years of peace. Although it is never stated, the fact that the Ancient Hero was able to use the Master Sword for its intended purpose (to seal the darkness) this Hero was most likely an incarnation of the original Link from Skyward Sword as are most of the heroes in the franchise with the only exception being the Hero of Winds from the Wind Waker.

Notes[]

There is the possibility that the Ancient Hero is Zonai but has canine-like features as a reference to the Hero of Twilight's Twilight form being a wolf rather than a spirit. It's possible that similarly, the spirit of the hero may have once again took on the form of a canine humanoid despite being a Zonai or Zonai hybrid. This is, however, speculative and has not been confirmed.