Hyrule Castle

Lore & Background

In this specific era, Hyrule Castle is the site where Princess Zelda aids King Rauru with royal duties. The castle is attacked by the Gerudo people under Ganondorf's command but successfully defended initially by Rauru and his forces. Following a betrayal where Ganondorf kills Queen Sonia and takes her secret stone, he seizes control of Hyrule Castle. From this stronghold, he conjures an army of monsters across Hyrule, including four archfiends acting as commanders. The castle remains under Ganondorf's occupation until Rauru and the sages launch a full-scale attack against him at the location after defeating the archfiends.

In Their Own Story

The conflict at Hyrule Castle begins when Ganondorf leads the Gerudo to attack, only to be repelled by Rauru. After falsely conceding, Ganondorf frames Ardi and uses a phantom doppelganger of Zelda to activate a Forbidden Construct that distracts Rauru while he kills Sonia. Seizing the castle, Ganondorf establishes his rule before Rauru's forces rally tribal leaders Raphica, Qia, Agraston, and Ardi to counter him. The climax occurs when the sages lead an assault on the castle to defeat Ganondorf directly. Failing to vanquish him there, they execute a tactical retreat to lure him into the Depths at Hyrule Field.

Reader's Guide

Visually, the castle is described as the target of Ganondorf's initial assault and later his base of operations. Players or observers witness the transition from Rauru's defense to Ganondorf's seizure of the building. The narrative flow dictates that after defending it initially, the heroes must eventually attack it in a full-scale offensive. This assault involves defeating archfiends first, then confronting Ganondorf within the castle walls before retreating to Hyrule Field for the final sealing ritual.

Did You Know?

• Ganondorf seized Hyrule Castle after killing Queen Sonia and taking her secret stone.
• Rauru and the sages launched a full-scale attack against Ganondorf at Hyrule Castle before retreating to lure him into the Depths.
• Princess Zelda was found by King Rauru and Queen Sonia at the castle during the Imprisoning War era.
• Ganondorf conjured an army of monsters across Hyrule from his base at the seized castle.