The Legend of Zelda is one of Nintendo's most beloved and long-running series, spanning decades of gaming history. The franchise has been graced by some of the most memorable characters in gaming with both enemies and NPCs leaving their mark. Each game works as a self-contained story with different interpretations of characters and settings.

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Zelda's variations are very much how fairytales have different variations depending on which region it's being told. While there are plenty of characters who tickle the funny bones or tug at the heartstrings, there are also plenty that end shivers down players' spines. Although they tend to be enemies, even non-hostile characters can unnerve.

10 Majora's Mask Has A Hand With An Odd Request

hand-in-the-toilet-Zelda Majora's Mask Cropped

Majora's Mask was innovative in introducing several NPCs who had their own daily routines that would progress across the game's three-day time limit. While every other game featured characters who'd stand around waiting for players to embark on quests when they saw fit, these denizens had their own lives and they didn't care if Link had to save the world.

One of the most bizarre of these examples was a hand that tasked link with retrieving toilet paper. Unlike most of the other quests, players aren't rewarded with a mask, so many players might have skipped over this comically creepy encounter.

9 Like Likes Certainly Suck

Like Like Cluster Intimidate Link in Zelda Ocarina Of Time

From their debut appearance in the first Legend of Zelda, like likes have become the bane of many players' existence. They're weird tube-shaped enemies that devour anyone unfortunate enough to trek through their domain.

Players definitely want to avoid getting swallowed by these bizarre beasts, as they have a tendency of stealing players' consumable items or even equippables, such as tunics and shields. There's just something so grotesque about their methods of attack. Although they saw a brief hiatus, they made their way into the GBA remake of A Link to the Past to trip up veteran players.

8 Wallmasters Are Simultaneously Frightening & Inconvenient

Wallmaster The Legend of Zelda A Link to the Past Cropped

The first warning is a looming shadow. If players catch a glimpse of them before moving, then it's already too late. Being part of the series from the very beginning, Wallmasters have been both a huge inconvenience and a terrifying foe.

Wallmasters are giant hands that lurk in the ceilings of the dungeons and palaces in Hyrule. Once they catch Link, players are whisked away to the very beginning of the dungeon. However, players can manage to stave them off by simply getting out of the way and performing some successful strikes once they land.

7 The Whole Cast Of The CDi Zelda Games

A shopkeeper converses with Princess Zelda.

Widely cited as the title that made Nintendo hesitant to allow any third-party developer to touch the Zelda brand, the CDi games were the result of a botched deal between Nintendo and Phillips. At the time, its use of animated cutscenes was seen as revolutionary for the series, but has been lambasted in recent years thanks to its awkward animations, painful vocal performances, and abysmal dialogue.

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It's really hard to muster up the motivation to save the kingdom when every denizen is just unsettling and terrifying. Just when players think they've seen everything, they're rewarded with gems such as "I'd give anything for an arpago's egg."

6 Skulltulas Will Test Any Arachnophobe

Skulltula Impedes Links Path In Zelda Ocarina Of Time

Spiders are already enough to reduce the bravest of souls to tears, but making them 10 times larger and putting skulls on them is enough to induce arachnophobia in anyone. Skulltulas made their debut appearance in Ocarina of Time, where they served as the first crucial test for the game's Z-targeting combat.

Despite their grotesque appearance, skulltulas are more of an annoyance than a real threat. However, it gets especially creepy once players discover the family that's been cursed to spend their lives as hybrids of humans and skulltulas. Bordering on body horror, it gives players an extra incentive to restore these people to their former selves.

5 Players Will Lament The Return Of Ganon

Zelda II Adventure of Link Return of Ganon Cropped

Reoccurring baddie Ganon has made his way onto several installments throughout the series, taking on many different forms. Ironically, one of his most terrifying appearances only occurs when players lose. In The Legend of Zelda II Adventure of Link, players who fall in combat are shown the consequences of their failure: the resurrection and tyrannical reign of the dreaded Ganon.

The last thing players see before being booted to the title screen is the beast's silhouette as he laughs villanously. Given the absolutely brutal difficulty of the game, players better get used to seeing this screen a lot.

4 The Guardians Became the Antithesis Of Everything They Stood For

Originally created to serve and protect the kingdom of Hyrule, the guardians succumbed to the dark influence of Calamity Ganon. A century after Link fell to their onslaught, these machines still lurk across the land, killing anyone who has the misfortune of crossing their path. Once players hear that harrowing piano piece, they know their fate is sealed.

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Their sheer relentlessness and power made the guardians a considerable threat in Breath of the Wild. Almost every weapon proves ineffective against these technological monstrosities. The only way players can dispatch them is with special arrows that require certain parts to construct.

3 ReDeads Are Shadows Of Their Former Selves

ReDeads surrounding and eating Link in The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time.

When Link emerges from the Temple of Time, he finds Hyrule Town to be a very different place. The once jovial and populated city is now a desolate wasteland inhabited by grotesque-looking creatures known as ReDeads. If Link is caught by their visage, he'll be frozen with fear accompanied by a horrific shriek.

If players can't get away in time, these undead beasts will wrap around Link and drain him of his life essence. As horrifying as they are, there's an element of tragedy to them as they're the only monsters in the game that mourn their fallen comrades, hinting at a bit of lingering humanity.

2 Pamela's Father In Majora's Mask Is A Tragic Monster

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Many of the characters in Majora's Mask have truly lamentable ordeals, with Pamela's proving to be particularly heart-wrenching. After performing some experiments on the gibdos, her father has undergone a horrific transformation that's consumed his mind. The poor girl has to shield him from outsiders who might become overcome with fear and attack him.

Much like Mary Shelley's Frankenstein creature, Pamela's father is a tragic monster who can only be soothed by music. Once players perform the song of healing, a touching scene plays where Pamela's father comes to his senses and the two share a warm embrace.

1 Happy Mask Salesman's Nature Is An Absolute Mystery

Happy Mask Salesman from Majoras Mask Zelda Game

Even though he's presumably Link's ally, there's more to the Happy Mask Salesman than meets the eye. He made his debut appearance in Ocarina of Time, but the direct follow-up, Majora's Mask, places him in a much more prominent role.

The exact nature of the Happy Mask Salesman is shrouded in mystery. One theory states that the masks that he holds contain the visages of those who've died, which explains why Link takes their appearance when he dons them. Should players run out the clock and allow the moon to crush Termina, the Happy Mask Salesman asks, "You've met with a terrible fate, haven't you?"

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