| Hylian | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| |||
| Naming | |||
| Others | 海利亚族 Hǎilìyà Zú (Chinese), Hylien (French), Hylianer (German), Hyliano (Spanish) | ||
| Binomen | Unknown | ||
| Original | ハイリア人 | ||
| Morphology | |||
| Body type | Humanoid | ||
| Intelligence | |||
| Sentience | Sentient | ||
| Sapience | Sapient | ||
| Aggressivity | Varies by individual, though usually harmless | ||
| Language | Hylian | ||
| Ecology | |||
| Place of origin | World of Hyrule | ||
| Habitat | Skyloft, Hyrule, Termina, Great Sea, New Hyrule | ||
| Diet | Omnivorous | ||
| Locomotion | Bipedal | ||
| Lifespan | Somewhat over 100 years | ||
| Subspecies | Possible subspecies: Sheikah, Twili Confirmed subspecies: Terminan Hylian, Lorulean Hylian | ||
| Related species | Human, Elf | ||
| Status | Least Concern | ||
| Behind the Scenes | |||
| Universe | The Legend of Zelda | ||
| Created by | Shigeru Miyamoto | ||
| Designed by | Shigeru Miyamoto | ||
| Performed by | Varies | ||
Hylians are a species of magically-adept, pointy eared and elf-like humans descended from the people that had lived alongside the goddess Hylia well before even the establishment of the floating kingdom of Skyloft. The two best-known Hylians of all time are the various reincarnations of both Link and Princess Zelda.
Biology[]
Hylians are generally a fair skinned species, though ethnicity has some degree of variation in overall skin tone. All Hylians have pointed, elf-like ears and most have blue or blue-gray eyes. Hair can range from blonde to brown to black.
A pair of Great Sea Hylians, showing their altered physiology.
They have a body layout that is for the most part very similar to that of other Human races, although the descendants of Hyrule that would come to inhabit the Great Sea and found the kingdom of New Hyrule developed noticeably longer torsos and shorter legs, though the reasons behind this is unknown.
The ears of a Hylian allow them to receive special messages from the Golden Goddesses who created their world and also allow them to communicate telepathically amongst each other even across time and space. These abilities however do not seem to be widely utilized, although the royal family of Hyrule and the oracle Sahasrahla are known to have possessed such powers and wield them freely.
As a species, they have a cursory affinity for magic, with magical items seemingly being commonplace. They have items that rule over spacetime itself such as the Harp of Ages and the Ocarina of Time, the latter of which can also summon instant storms or teleport the user to another location entirely. Even sails are known to sometimes contain magic.
Upon death their spirit lingers and they may transform into a variety of undead, even gaining the ability to shapeshift into supernatural versions of regular animals.
Culture[]
Hylians were the first race to have established an organized civilization with the founding of Hyrule after Skyloft fell from the sky, although they were aided by the ancestors of the Oocca.
The culture of the Hylians consists of an medieval level of society and overall architecture, with the exception of New Hyrule which has developed industrial-level technology. While many Hylians tend to live in an urban setting of highly populated towns such as Hyrule Castle Town, a number live more rural lifestyles on farmland and in smaller villages like Kakariko Village or Village of the Blue Maiden as well. This differentiates them from most of the other higher races in the world of Hyrule.
Fashion trends do not seem to change much over the years, though will vary depending on a person's class and gender. Lower classes typically wear more casual clothing, with males often wearing belted leather jerkins and knee-high leather boots while females wearing long gowns of various colors. Broad-brimmed hats are commonplace among working class men to protect their skin from the elements. In Hyrule, the Hyrulean insignia is commonly found embroidered into ladies' dresses. Higher classes, including the royal line, will wear complex sets of jewelry that may include precious metals like gold and gemstones such as rubies. Hair styles vary but a long-lasting trend is for women to put their hair up into tall buns.
A Hyrule castle guard wielding a short sword.
Guards have been seen dressing differently depending on the nation in question as well as the timeline. For instance, the Skyloftian knights were known to wear ringed chain mail underneath their tunics and long stocking caps, but Hyrulean guards more often wear plate mail armor.
Known professions of the species are highly varied and are known to include astronomers, bartenders, blacksmiths, carnies, circus troupes, farmers, guards, and a wide variety of merchants.
Pottery and glassblowing are rich and important crafts to the Hylian, and they often store items within either terracotta pots or glass bottles. Should pots be broken, they are very easily replaced as they are never in short supply. Bottles on the other hand are more uncommon but are multi-purpose tools.
The Hylian people as a whole are a highly superstitious lot, and have created a rich mythology as well as many legends. A number of names are passed down along blood lines, with some examples including Zelda, which has been used by the royal people of Hyrule ever since their original queen, Zelda I slipped into a coma; and Link, a name passed down along the line of the hero of legend.
Relations[]
After some effort, the Hero became allies with Queen Midna and the Twili.
Although Hyrule is constantly beset by conflict, they have established close relations with various other species with some of these relationships spanning centuries.
At the founding of Hyrule, the Hylians quickly established contact with the Gorons, Mogma, Parella, Fairies, and the mysterious ancestors of the Oocca. As time went on however, the Mogma disappeared and the Parella seem to have evolved into two separate Zora species; Hyrule continued having great relations with the Sea Zora although the River Zora would mostly ally with the Dark Forces. At some point Hylians allied with regular Humans, the Minish (which they referred to as the Pikori for reasons unknown) and the Kokiri, the latter of which would devolve into the Korok and for the most part shy away from an alliance. They also are allies of the Rito, Watarara and the Salona.
Other races were in good standing with the Hylian people over the years. The mysterious Sheikah served their royal bloodline for quite some time before mysteriously vanishing, and the Twili of the Twilight Realm became friendly with Hyrule after the current incarnation of the hero saved their queen. The inhabitants of New Hyrule were friendly with the aloof Anouki as well as the near-extinct Lokomo species before it finally ascended.
Despite this, the Hylian people are not immune to bad or poor relations with other species. The Terminan Hylians are believed to have stood against the Ancient Tribe when it attempted to use Majora's Mask to take over the world. In a similar light the Dark Interlopers and the Dark Tribe, if they are not one and the same, came into conflict with Hyrule a long time ago. They also are in a state of conflict with the various species that have allied themselves with Ganon as members of the Dark Forces: the goblinoid Bokoblins, Bulblins, Miniblins, and Moblins; the canid Darknuts and a significant portion of the Keaton race; as well as Ganon's own species, the Gerudo. However their greatest foe are the Demons. They also have strained relations with the Deku Scrubs.
They likely had no contact with the Ancient Robots, Skull Kids, Tokay, or Yeti; and minimal contact with the Kikwi, Monkeys, Subrosians, Yook, and Zuna.
Their relations with fellow humanoid tribes such as the Garo, Ho Ho Tribe, Wind Tribe, Yamatami Tribe, and the extinct Cobble Kingdom are not well understood.
Appearances[]
- The Legend of Zelda: The Hyrule Fantasy (First appearance)
- All subsequent Zelda games]