Impa

Impa as Zelda's bodyguard.
Impa
Species	Sheikah/Unknown
Hair color	White
Eye color	Red
Debut	The Legend of Zelda

Impa is the nursemaid of Princess Zelda in all her appearances. She looks radically different in most of these games, suggesting there are different Impas. However she is always a strong and determined woman who is fiercely loyal to Princess Zelda.

Background

The NES Zeldas

In The Legend of Zelda and Zelda II: The Adventure of Link Impa was a hunched and wrinkled old woman. But even then she was skilled, as it was she who hid the eight shards of the Triforce of Wisdom in the different areas of the Underworld. One duty Impa's family had for generations was to protect the sleeping Princess Zelda, whom had been cursed to sleep forever in North Hyrule. But this Impa was the last to watch over her, as Link was able to awaken her with the Triforce.

Ocarina of Time

The Impa of Ocarina of Time was actually one of the Sheikah shadow people. She was a tough warrior and even sealed the shadow beast Bongo Bongo at the bottom of the Kakariko Well. She was also quite kind-hearted and opened up Kakariko Village to the general public. Impa the only person who believed the princess's prophetic dream and aided her and Link's quest to stop Ganondorf by teaching Link how to play the song of the royal family. Impa later helped Zelda escaped Hyrule Castle and over the seven years of Link's slumber, probably played some role in Zelda's transformation into Sheik. Impa later went off to the Shadow Temple to slay Bongo Bongo after Ganondorf freed him from his well prison, but she failed.

After Link destroyed Bongo Bongo, he and Impa travelled to the Chamber of Sages. Impa had been awakened as a Shadow Sage and granted Link the Shadow Medallion. Impa told Link that Zelda was safe, and that he would meet her face-to-face soon. With the other Sages Impa created a rainbow bridge leading to Ganon's Castle and later sealed Ganon within the Dark Realm. Impa traveled in the form of a purple sprite to Death Mountain with the other sages in the ending, and from their perch they saw the Lon Lon Ranch festivities.

Oracles Series

Impa also appeared in both Oracle of Seasons and Oracle of Ages, in which she was far more heftier than in other games. Zelda sent Impa to both Holodrum and Labrynna to protect Din and Nayru from dark forces, but Link wound up doing the saving. Impa's skills in these games are unknown, as she is kept out of action by conveniant injuries. Impa's worries increased when Zelda herself left Hyrule for a front row-view of the foreign disasters while trying to find a way to help. Eventually everything turned out well in the end.

Trivia

• Although Impa is an important part of the instruction manual stories for the NES Zelda games and is featured in official artwork, she is absent from the actual games.