The North Castle,[1] or North Palace,[name reference needed] is a recurring location in The Legend of Zelda series.
Features and Overview[]
The North Castle is the resting place of the slumbering princess, Zelda. As Link goes out on his adventure to place the Crystals that will open the entrance to the Great Palace in their proper places, he can return to the North Castle at any time. In the case that Link ends up getting a Game Over, he will have to start over in North Castle.
Other Appearances[]
The Legend of Zelda TV Series[]
The North Castle in the animated series
The North Castle is also considered to be a key place in The Legend of Zelda TV series. Most of the episode's title cards portray a view of the castle, since it is the usual location where the episodes start off. Link, Zelda, Spryte and King Harkinian reside there full time, and the castle is portrayed to be much larger than in the games and the Valiant Comic series. The castle also seems to host various events such as the Magician's Contest, which take place in the castle's enormous courtyard.
Just like Hyrule Castle, the North Castle is prone to coming under attack by Ganon or his minions since the Triforce of Wisdom is kept away in one of the castle's towers. Due to this, Ganon is known to go to extreme measures to try and obtain the Triforce, such as in "That Sinking Feeling", where Ganon pulls the castle into the Underworld in hopes of easily retrieving the sacred relic. North Castle also seems to have a rather weak security since most of the time, Ganon and his minions seem to easily enter the castle's inner walls without getting noticed by the guards.
Captain N: The Game Master[]
North Castle in Captain N: The Game Master
In Captain N: The Game Master, North Castle serves as the home of both Princess Zelda and Link, and it is also where the three pieces of the Triforce are located. The North Castle is portrayed with a more futuristic look than its other depictions, straying from its medieval-times appearance. Very few areas of the castle are explored in this cartoon series, as only Princess Zelda's throne is briefly seen in "Quest for the Potion of Power" when Zelda and Link meet Kevin, and the other location shown is the chamber where the Triforce is kept.
Like in previous incarnations, the North Castle is guarded by some rather inept Soldiers, allowing King Hippo, Eggplant Wizard of Mother Brain to infiltrate the castle without too much trouble and going as far as stealing the Triforce, as seen in "Having a Ball".
The Shadow Prince[]
In The Shadow Prince, North Castle is first visited after Princess Zelda invites Charles of Moria to meet the King of Hyrule.[2] Although much of Link's adventure takes place outside the castle, a great part of the story develops here. It is in a secret chamber known as the Triforce Room where the Triforce of Wisdom is safely kept away from the hands of Ganon.[3] Princess Zelda, the king, and Impa all dwell in the castle.
In the book, the king quickly trusts in Charles and decides to show him the Triforce of Wisdom. He leads the Morian knight into the Triforce Room, where he dubs him a Knight of the Triforce and asks him to protect it and to keep it away from Ganon's hands.[4] Later on in the book, after Link uses the Mirror of Truth to reveal that Charles is in fact Ganon in disguise, Charles will manage to steal the Triforce of Wisdom from the Triforce Room and escape with it into the Midoro Swamp, where Link must follow him to defeat him and bring peace back to Hyrule.[5]
The Tower, which is situated in the most remote part of North Castle, is the location in which the castle's prisoners are kept. In the case that Link accuses Charles of being evil without having proof to back it up, he will be sent here as punishment, and the only means of escape will be to use the Golden Whistle or the Clock given to the young hero by Impa.[6][7]
Once Link manages to defeat Ganon, he returns to the North Castle with the Triforce of Wisdom in hand, where the king thanks him for having saved Hyrule once again and thus decides to celebrate his victory against Ganon.
The Legend of Zelda (Valiant Comics)[]
A detailed drawing of the North Castle (or North Palace) from the Valiant comics
The North Castle is a main location in the The Legend of Zelda comics by Valiant Comics. It is situated on an island in the middle of a lake,[8] and the walls of the castle are surrounded by a protective magic that prevent evil from gaining entrance to it.[9] Link and Princess Zelda live here while they fight against Ganon's evil forces during the events that take place after The Legend of Zelda and The Adventure of Link. It is portrayed as the home of Princess Zelda and her father, King Harkinian, and later Link himself, after the events of the first two games. The people of Hyrule come to engage in economic activity in the marketplace that is located in the courtyard of the castle.
There are also several towers and buildings within the main structure, primarily a tower each for both Link, where the Triforce of Wisdom is kept,[10] and Zelda and a residence for King Harkinian,[11] which is the largest room in the entire castle.[12] To keep intruders from entering, the palace has several watchmen to ensure that the main gates are only opened to those who have permission.[13]
Nomenclature[]
 Names in other regions  | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Language | Name | Meaning | |
 | Japanese | 北の城 (Mata no Shiro)[14] | Same as English. |
| This table was generated using translation pages. To request an addition, please contact a staff member with a reference. | |||
Gallery[]
Inside of North Castle from The Adventure of Link
The North Castle in the animated series
The North Castle in the animated series
The North Castle in the animated series
The North Castle in Captain N: The Game Master
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References
- ↑ Encyclopedia, Dark Horse Books, pg. 224 (TAoL)
- ↑ "Say!' Zelda exclaims. 'Why don't you come back to North Castle with Link and me? My father, the king, would love to meet you." (The Shadow Prince, Simon & Schuster, pg. 38)
- ↑ "There are false Triforce rooms located in North Castle, as well as the true Triforce room where the Triforce of Wisdom is hidden. The path from the throne room to the true Triforce room passes over exactly ten diamonds." (The Shadow Prince, Simon & Schuster, pg. 78)
- ↑ "'Wonderful! I hereby dub you a knight of the Triforce,' says the king, beaming." (The Shadow Prince, Simon & Schuster, pg. 78)
- ↑ "Charles inches toward the Triforce, snatches it from its stand and then drags Zelda out the door." (The Shadow Prince, Simon & Schuster, pg. 23)
- ↑ "The Tower is in the most remote part of North Castle, up a long, narrow, spiral staircase." (The Shadow Prince, Simon & Schuster, pg. 62)
- ↑ "Link, I've heard enough. Your petty envy has become more than a nuisance. It's time you were taught some manners. I hereby banish you to the Tower for three days, effectively immediately!" (The Shadow Prince, Simon & Schuster, pg. 62)
- ↑ "The North Palace is situated on an island in the middle of a crystal lake. The waters of the lake are always fresh and clean, fed by an underground river." (The Legend of Zelda comic, Valiant Comics, pg. Bonus Page [Issue #2])
- ↑ "Soon, Darknut! Once Link steps out of the North Palace and its protective magic, this wand will strike him with all the evil magic in Hyrule in a single blast!" (The Legend of Zelda comic, Valiant Comics, pg. 9 [He Also Serves])
- ↑ Link's tower. The Triforce of Wisdom is kept here. - N/A (Valiant Comic Issue #2)
- ↑ The King's residence - N/A (Valiant Comic Issue #2)
- ↑ The biggest room in the Palace--- rank has its privileges! - N/A (Valiant Comic Issue #2)
- ↑ "Watchman Erol, keep the gate closed! Nobody gets in or out! Nobody!'" (The Legend of Zelda comic, Valiant Comics, pg. 8 [He Also Serves])
- ↑ The Adventure of Link manual, pg. 16
| Major locations in The Adventure of Link | |
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