The Legend of Zelda is renowned for a great many things. It practically invented the action adventure genre, the green pointy hat is iconic, and above all else, the characters are memorable. Although, they're not all memorable for the same thing. For every noble princess, there's a gremlin groveling in a cave.
No Zelda game is free from weird NPCs. The creepiest in the series' history come in a spectrum. Some are traditionally scary, while others approach eldritch horror territory. All of them are terrible, even if in a friendly sort of way. Still, none of these games would be the same without them.
10 Beedle
It may be in bad taste to call Beedle "creepy," as all he's ever done is help. Beedle is a shopkeeper, and a darn consistent one at that. He's only appeared in six mainline entries, but his presence is heavy in them. He sells regular items, as well as rare items. Any shopkeeper who sells a piece of a heart is alright by most standards.
Why do his eyes have to look so dead, though? There's nothing in them. It makes the way he chants "THANK YOUUU" feel all the more hollow. Something is dead inside this man, and he's hiding it. Thankfully, he was given more emotion in his later appearances, but nothing will erase his Wind Waker counterpart from memory.
9 Chancellor Cole
One could be forgiven for not remembering Chancellor Cole from Spirit Tracks. The handheld line typically sold less than the home console titles, meaning many may not have faced this little, messed up Chihuahua. Somehow, this man got into politics without ever taking off either of his two hats. If he did, people would see the demon horns underneath.
He has that way of touching his hands together and smiling that makes him look like a rat. Not even a cute rat. He's the type of rat you know is working for an evil demon train, but no one can do anything about it because they're just too slimy. Perhaps it's a good thing Cole never returned.
8 Every Redead
Why must Zelda have Redeads? These mummified, zombie freaks are the origin of many childhood fears. Freezing the player in their tracks and playing an ear-bleeding scream is iconic for all the wrong reasons. Luckily, the Redeads haven't appeared in too many games, but every time they do show up they're unwelcome.
The Ocarina of Time's Redeads deserve a special mention for their gross, crusty bodies, and death masks. They attack by jumping on the player and biting them, but it'd be believable if Link would take damage from the terror alone. Wrapping them in toilet paper to make Gibdos is their only saving grace.
7 Malanya The Horse God
The fairy fountains in Breath of the Wild are home to some peculiar beings, the Great Fairies. However, one is inhabited by a nearly deranged spirit called Malanya. They're referred to as the Horse God, but to make them feel less intimidating, it's best to stick with "spirit," because this spirit is intimidating.
The disembodied head and hands don't help. It might be easier if this NPC was an enemy so the player could slay it and move on with their life. Instead, a vital quality of life feature in the horse revival is locked behind this thing. That's right. Every time the player lets a horse die, they have to tell the god of all horses what they've done to get their steed back. Getting a new horse sounds preferable.
6 Fairy Queen
Wind Waker is a brilliant game. The art style is simply delightful. It makes even the enemies seem charming and huggable. There's almost nothing creepy about this game. Almost. It'd have a clean slate if not for the Great Fairy Queen — a monochrome and eyeless deity in the guise of a small girl.
If the player manages to suppress their flight or flight response, they'll find a friendly face. It's that friendly face, however, that manages to justify Lex Luther of all people. Superman is on the people's side, for now, but what happens when he changes his mind? What happens when the Fairy Queen wakes up and chooses violence? Let no one ever find out.
5 Majora's Incarnation
Majora is masterclass of a villain. Other villains monologue and boast about their plans. Meanwhile, Majora said, "I'm gonna crash the moon into the planet" and didn't hesitate. His impish demeanor only serves to make him more menacing in contrast to his actions. That gets thrown out the window during Majora's Incarnation phase.
Majora's mask grows a head, arms, and legs. The crime doesn't end there, either. Those legs are built for dancing, and dancing's what they'll do. It also starts singing, because things weren't creepy enough. All of that culminates in a being that will linger in the depths of the player's memory.
4 Ghirahim
Tongue. That's all any Zelda fan needs to say about this villain. Fortunately, there is still plenty more that can be said. Ghirahim plays the leading antagonist for most of Skyward Sword before being grandfathered out for his boss, but the diamond-encrusted unitard and vigorous dancing made Ghirahim the more memorable villain.
For better or for worse, Ghirahim is iconic. He's everything weird about Las Vegas mixed with everything uncanny about the musical Cats. It's a shame he wasn't able to stay in the spotlight because, despite his grotesque behavior, he does own the stage.
3 Zant
There's something about the second in command in the Zelda series that makes the developers go nuts. They're all unhinged, and perhaps it's to make the main villain look even more put together and threatening. No one accomplishes this better than Zant in Twilight Princess.
Zant is calm and collected before losing 110 percent of his mind in his boss fight. The switch in personality is unsettling, and it gets worse with his behavior. Zant jumping around like a child with two swords drawn feels unsafe to even look at.
2 Link's Awakening Shopkeeper
Link's Awakening is an unassuming little game. It held the massive responsibility of defining what a handheld Zelda game could and should be. It's filled to the brim with weird interactions and Easter eggs. One of the most famous is being killed by the shopkeeper.
The shopkeeper looks like he's waiting for someone to cross him so he can act out. His smile hides his murderous rage, and his folded hands are surely what keep himself from reaching for his lightning hands. By the way, he has lightning hands.
1 Happy Mask Salesman
"You've met with a terrible fate, haven't you?" Those are the words that define Majora's Mask. Spoken by a slim, and fragile man with a cold smile. What purpose does one have to walk the world selling masks? He says it's to spread the joy the masks hold. Why then, does he travel with Majora's Mask?
The Happy Mask Salesman is the most unsettling and unexplained character in all of The Legend of Zelda. How he got Majoras mask is unexplained. Why he was wandering through the Lost Wood alone is unknown. His motives and even his name are uncertain. All the player really knows is that he wants Majora' Mask back.
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