Navi

Concept and creation

Navi began as a targeting marker for battles in The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. Game designer Yoshiaki Koizumi wanted something more interesting than a simple triangle, so he thought of a fairy. Because the Nintendo 64 had technical limits, the fairy became a glowing ball with wings. He called it the "Fairy Navigation System," which gave the character the name Navi, short for "navigation."

This name sparked other ideas, like having her change color to show how dangerous an enemy was and using her to guide the story. Navi was the center of the game's Z-lock targeting system, which let players lock onto enemies with the Z button. This allowed Link to move around a fixed enemy while the camera followed him, making it easier to fight multiple foes at once. In a 1999 Famitsu strategy guide, Shigeru Miyamoto said Navi was made to give simple advice because the team had limited time and people.

This led to her repeating the same tips, which many players found annoying. Miyamoto thought her advice was a big flaw in Ocarina of Time and wanted to remove her, but he worried that players who took a break from the game might get lost without her help. Some ideas for the game were later dropped. An old Nintendo 64 demo cartridge for F-Zero X had files from a 1997 Zelda demo, which included a Soul Medallion that let Link "become Navi and fly around."

The Great Deku Tree was also first planned as a prison for fairies, meaning Link would have to rescue Navi during the game. Navi is voiced by Japanese actress Kaori Mizuhashi.

Appearances

Navi is introduced in Ocarina of Time when the Great Deku Tree sends her to guide Link on his mission to stop Ganondorf, a quest that sends them both seven years forward through time travel. While every Kokiri child has a companion fairy, Link never had one because he is actually a Hylian, so Navi becomes his first fairy at the start of the game. In gameplay, she acts as a guide, teaching the player how to control Link and progress, offering tips on using items or fighting enemies, often with the prompts "Hey!" or "Listen!".

She also helps lock onto enemies using the Z-targeting system. Navi cannot assist Link during the battle with Ganondorf, but she returns for the final fight against his Ganon form. After Link defeats Ganon and returns to the past, Navi flies away, leaving him. This prompts Link to search for her in the Lost Woods in Majora's Mask, where he ends up in Termina but never finds her.

A fairy named Navi appears in the North American version of Hyrule Warriors, though other language versions simply call her "fairy." She also appears in other games, such as during Young Link's taunt in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. The Ocarina of Time manga gives Navi a similar role, and she and Link develop a mutual bond. An official but non-canonical book, Link and the Portal of Doom, takes place after Ocarina of Time and shows Navi helping Link close a portal that endangers Hyrule.

Reception

Navi drew a strongly negative response from many critics and players. GamesRadar+ writer Mikel Reparaz criticized her habit of saying 'Hey!' and 'Listen!', with these quotes noted as often repeated after the game's release to annoy people. The website listed her 'Hey! Listen!' quote as one of the 40 most repeated game quotes.

Author Chris Bateman described Navi as the 'most famous, and most famously annoying, instance of an explicit funneling companion.' Characters such as Fi from Skyward Sword have been compared to Navi, either positively or negatively. Camden Jones of GameRevolution considered Navi a symptom of poor direction and difficulty in navigating Ocarina of Time, feeling she was there to 'patch up the holes' in the game's story. A source port called Ship of Harkinian allows users to disable Navi's gameplay interruptions.

In her defense, Brendan Main of The Escapist argued that while Navi is undeniably annoying, she is indispensable and extremely useful, citing her role in the Z-targeting system and her color changes near secrets and danger, even calling her the greatest partner in a video game. IGN's Chris Reed stressed her utility in helping players get unstuck. Ryan Lambie of Den of Geek called her a 'recognizable and important character in the Zelda canon.' In a 2011 interview with Kotaku, director Eiji Aonuma defended Navi, stating that going on an adventure alone is lonely and dull, and that it is hard to imagine Ocarina of Time without communication with Navi.

Navi's phrase 'Hey! Listen!' appears in a sample at the beginning of 'If I Die Tonight' by Japanese rapper Kohh. The sound effect is also used in the 2016 track 'Ark' by Ship Wrek and Zookeepers, released on NoCopyrightSounds, and in UMI's song 'Friendzone'.