- "Ages ago, we ancient Sages built the Temple of Time to protect the entrance to the Sacred Realm..."
- — Rauru
The Ancient Sages are a recurring group in the Legend of Zelda series. Members are often seemingly immortal, surviving in some form since ancient times. They are always seen on the roof of the Arbiter's Grounds.
Appearances[]
Spoiler warning: Plot or ending details follow.
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time[]
Rauru, one of the Seven Sages, reveals that he is also one of the Ancient Sages who long ago built the Temple of Time to protect the entrance to the Sacred Realm from evil.
A Gossip Stone claims that Kaepora Gaebora is the reincarnation of an Ancient Sage. Previously due to in-game hints, some believed him to be the same being as Rauru, despite his not being deceased. When Hyrule Historia was released, Kaepora Gaebora was confirmed to be the reincarnation of Rauru.
The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess[]
- "A dark entity lurks in the twilight... It houses an evil power... You who are guided by fate... You who possess the crest of the goddesses... Hear us. At the command of the goddesses, we sages have guarded the Mirror of Twilight since ancient times."
- — Sage of Shadow
Since long ago, the Ancient Sages have protected the Mirror of Twilight, located atop the Arbiter's Grounds. They are strange, ethereal beings that move in a graceful, poetic manner. While mostly identical, each of the Ancient Sages bears a symbol of one of the Six Medallions from Ocarina of Time.
The Sages present themselves to Link after he defeats Stallord in the Arbiter's Grounds and makes his way to the Mirror Chamber. They explain to him the entire story of Ganondorf's failed execution; the Ancient Sages were the ones that were set to execute Ganondorf and sentenced him to death at the Arbiter's Grounds. They chained him to a boulder and impaled him with the Sword of the Six Sages; however, he survived (implied to be due to the Triforce of Power). Ganondorf broke his chains and killed the Sage of Water; in a hasty act, the surviving sages activated the Mirror of Twilight and banished Ganondorf to the Twilight Realm.
The Ancient Sages also tell Link that Zant tried to destroy the mirror completely, but could not, as only the true ruler of the Twilight Realm may destroy it. Link is then given the task of collecting the remaining mirror shards and entering the Twilight Realm. The Ancient Sages already have a piece of the Mirror of Twilight which they give to him.
Afterward, when Auru is approached in Telma's Bar, he will reveal that the Ancient Sages once served the royal family and were appointed as the tutors of a young Princess Zelda. Auru also says that he first heard tales of the Mirror of Twilight and its place within the Arbiter's Grounds from the Ancient Sages.
After the Mirror of Twilight is restored, the sages apologize to Midna, as they were in part responsible for ruining the Twilight Realm when they overestimated their abilities when sealing away Ganondorf, and ask for her forgiveness, also revealing, to her shock, that they knew that she was the Twilight Princess. Midna states that she was hardly qualified to forgive them, because she had to flee from her people due to Zant's rise to power. They then fade away.
Princess Zelda claims that the Master Sword was crafted by the wisdom of the Ancient Sages, though it is never explicitly stated that the sages seen in the Arbiter's Grounds are the ones she is referring to. This statement is potentially retconed however, since in The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword, the origins of the Master Sword are clearly shown during the course of the game, but no sages are involved in any stage of its creation. However, it could be that the Ancient Sages were involved in creating the original Goddess Sword found in the beginning of Skyward Sword which is later on upgraded into the Master Sword.
It is possible that the sages seen in Twilight Princess, the ones mentioned by Princess Zelda in the same game, and Rauru, along with the other ancient sages he mentions in Ocarina of Time, are all the same group of Ancient Sages. All three groups are either referred to as "ancient sages" or as "sages" who have existed "since ancient times", though it is also possible each reference is to a separate group of sages, who are simply being described as existing since long ago.
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild[]
- "The Six Sages are said to have forged this longsword to seal a demon king in the world where the hero fought against the beasts of twilight. The blade shines with a holy luster."
- — Sword of the Six Sages description
In Breath of the Wild, they are known as the Six Sages, and the sword used in their failed attempt to execute Ganondorf appears under the name Sword of the Six Sages. It can be obtained by Link by using the amiibo Rune with the Ganondorf amiibo. Its description reveals it to be the weapon forged by the Sages to execute Ganondorf in Twilight Princess.
Spoiler warning: Spoilers end here.
Theories[]
Theory warning: This section contains theoretical information based on the research of one or several other users. It has not been officially verified by Nintendo and its factual accuracy is disputed.
Seven Sages[]
It is possible that the Ancient Sages are connected to the Seven Sages from The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time.
Master Sword's Origins[]
Since the events of Skyward Sword, Zelda's statement about the Master Sword being created by the wisdom of the Ancient Sages in Twilight Princess has as been called into question. One possible explanation is that over the years, the Master Sword itself has been reforged to maintain its power; some games allow Link to reforge it, showing it is possible to reforge the Master Sword if one is powerful or an exceptionally skilled blacksmith. Another possibility is that the true origins have been forgotten or distorted over the years, and Zelda was simply repeating the Master Sword's currently accepted origin story (that it was created through the wisdom of the Ancient Sages).
Sword of the Six Sages[]
The Sword of the Six Sages is one of several items referencing items and characters from Twilight Princess in Breath of the Wild, along with the Hero of Twilight's Clothes, Midna's Helmet, Zant's Helmet, and the Twilight Bow. Though they may simply be references, it is possible that Breath of the Wild takes place in the Child Timeline, and that these items are artifacts from age past.
Theory warning: Theories end here.