Helmaroc King

The Helmaroc King in The Wind Waker
Helmaroc King
Species	Kargaroc
Debut	The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker

The Helmaroc King is a massive bird of prey whom has served Ganon on several occasions. Despite his fierce appearance, his beak is soft and vulnerable to attack. So he hides it behind a thick steel mask.

Background

The Wind Waker

In The Wind Waker, the Helmaroc King was cooped in the Forsaken Fortress. Ganondorf deployed the Helmaroc King to search across the Great Sea for young Hylian girls, as Ganondorf suspected that one of them could be the descendant of Princess Zelda. The Helmaroc King almost captured Tetra, who was Zelda's actual descendant, but he wound up snatching Link's sister Aryll instead. This caused Link to go on a voyage to the Forsaken Fortress in order to save her.

During their first confrontation, the Helmaroc King simply snatched Link up and, after presenting him to Ganondorf, flung him into the sea to die. But Link returned for a rematch later on, this time armed with a Skull Hammer and experience. Link and the bird battled fiercely atop the Forsaken Fortress until Link shattered the bird's mask with his hammer. Link then finished the bird off with his sword, causing the Helmaroc King to fly up and then explode above its former home.

Other Games

The Helmaroc King also appeared as a boss in Four Swords Adventures, in which he terrorized Death Mountain and the Gorons living there. The Links knocked the bird out of the sky with bombs, then attacked his mask with hammers while his head was stuck in a hut. After the mask was destroyed, they use their swords to finish off the bird, who once again combusted upon defeat.

Other Appearances

Video Games

• In Hyrule Warriors Legends, the Helmaroc King appeared as a boss character in two scenarios of Legend Mode and several Adventure Mode maps. In Legend Mode, it appeared as part of the Wind Waker set of scenarios, starting in the first one, "A New Disturbance". It had been driven from its roost in the Forsaken Fortress by the monster forces and acted as a distraction. It was eventually driven into a retreat, but it captured Tetra before leaving. It then appeared in "The Search for Cia", where Tetra was able to escape from the bird when it stopped in the Gerudo Desert. It set out to recapture Tetra, only to be fought and defeated by Link, Lana and Tetra.

Trivia

• Its name is similar to A Link to the Past's Helmasaur King, another giant monster protected by a steel mask that can only be shattered with a hammer. They also have the same Japanese name, despite different types of creatures, and its trophy from Super Smash Bros. Brawl even implied that they were the same.
• It may be based on the Thunderbird, a legendary gigantic bird that is said to kidnap children. Notably, the name of Thunderbird was previously used for an enemy from Zelda II: The Adventure of Link.
• Golden feathers known as Helmaroc Plumes appear as collectible items in Phantom Hourglass.
• A trophy of the Helmaroc King appears in Super Smash Bros. Brawl.