Daphnes Nohansen

King Daphnes in The Wind Waker.
Daphnes Nohansen
Species	Hylian
Relatives	Tetra (descendant)
Voiced by	Unknown
Debut	The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker

King Daphnes Nohansen Hyrule is a supporting character in The Wind Waker and the last known king of Hyrule in that game's time. He is more well known throughout the game as the King of Red Lions, the boat that Link rides.

Background

Daphnes was king of Hyrule during its last age before the great flood. Despite his efforts, he was unable to fight off Ganon and his men especially with no hero to aid them. As a last-ditch effort, the Hyrulians appealed to the Golden Goddesses, who chose to flood Hyrule while preserving part of it within a bubble at the bottom of the ocean within which time was frozen. Other Hyrulians were chosen to evacuate to the mountaintops where they would rebuild civilization on the Great Sea. King Daphnes was among those who remained in Hyrule and was frozen in time with Ganon; however, prior to this it seems he split the Triforce of Wisdom in half, keeping one piece for himself while entrusting the other piece to his daughter Zelda to pass down her family line. She was also given Gossip Stones which could be used for telepathic communication.

He was also assigned to seek a new hero should Ganon arise again. Although his body was frozen in Hyrule, he was able to possess a boat making it appear that it was alive. The boat became known as the King of Red Lions and sailed the Great Sea in search of the next hero. After Ganon returned, the King followed Link during his journey to the Forsaken Fortress, and after Link was tossed away by Ganon, the King of Red Lions caught him and brought him to Windfall Island. He offered to help Link become a hero if Link first brought him a sail so he would be able to properly sail the seas. Link was successful, and the King ferried Link back and forth across the Great Sea so that he could collect the three pearls, which were used to reveal the Tower of the Gods. Throughout the journey, the king gave Link much advice and also used his Gossip Stone to communicate with Link in dungeons without explaining how, as Tetra had given Link her Gossip Stone.

Atfer Link completed the trials in the Tower of the Gods, the portal to Hyrule was opened and Link was able to draw the Master Sword, which also unfroze time in Hyrule. The king did not reveal his true self just yet. After Link was defeated by Ganondorf, and Ganondorf discovered that Tetra was a descendant of Zelda, Valoo was able to rescue them, and the King of Red Lions summoned both Link and Zelda to the chamber of Hyrule Castle which had contained the Master Sword. There he showed them his true form and the truth behind Tetra's past, giving her the other piece of the Triforce of Wisdom which transformed her into Princess Zelda. He then continued to guide Link as the King of Red Lions as he found the sages whose prayers were needed to power the Master Sword as well as the pieces of the Triforce of Courage, while Zelda remained safely in the castle. After Link accomplished, the King declared him the Hero of Winds. He later became discomforted when he heard reports that Ganon had disappeared from the surface world and wondered if he has discovered Zelda.

After Ganondorf united the Triforce, King Daphnes arrived in time to make a wish on the Triforce before Ganondorf too. He wished for Hyrule to be completely destroyed and for hope to be given to the people. After Ganondorf was defeated, King Daphnes sent Link and Tetra to the surface in bubbles and remained in Hyrule to perish in the flood. In his last words to them he regretted living bound to Hyrule (saying that it made him similar to Hyrule) and urging Link and Tetra to find a new land that they could populate and call their own.

The King of Red Lions

The King of Red Lions is the boat which Daphes Nohansen possesses. It is known as such due to the lion face sculpted on the bow of the ship. The small sailboat can sail swiftly through the water. Link can also use his items to use a cannon and a scavenging arm. In this form he also made many allies, including the Fishmen after helping them with unspecified problems. At the end of The Wind Waker, Link was seen still sailing in the King of Red Lions (although without Daphnes to possess it, it seemed to be a normal boat). Link was no longer using the boat in Phantom Hourglass.

The King of Red Lions appears as an unlockable Navigator in Navi Trackers (since he talks, this implies that the game takes place during The Wind Waker when Daphnes was still alive).

Other Appearances

• The King of Red Lions appears in the Pirate Ship stage of Super Smash Bros. Brawl, where it will occasionally appear trailing the pirate ship, and can be boarded by the players. A trophy and sticker for the King of Red Lions, as well as a sticker of Daphnes, also appears in the game. The King of Red Lions also has a trophy in Super Smash Bros. for Wii U.

Trivia

• He is the first king of Hyrule in the Zelda game to be named.
• A parody version of the boat, called the Prince of Red Lions, appears in Phantom Hourglass. The Prince is a normal boat but identical to the King of Red Lions and houses a boy dressed in Link's clothing claiming to be a hero.