- "There is a hidden village up ahead, little human. The elders call it a forgotten place. This scent that has been burning in my nostrils... it is the scent of evil. There is one powerful creature I have seen about... but under that beast are many minions who attack and plunder like a pack of hyenas. There are 30... No... At most, 20 of them ahead..."
- — Darbus
The Hidden Village (
), also known as the Bygone Village and Old Kakariko (
) is a location from The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess. This barren, western-style town was once occupied by protectors of the Royal Family of Hyrule. Impaz, an old woman named after the one who built the town, lives there in solitude under Royal Decree. Since it was abandoned, the town has been overrun by a band of Bulblins, who constantly patrol the area, stopping Impaz from ever leaving her home.
In addition to Impaz and the Bulblins, several cats inhabit the village. A Howling Stone and the Cucco Leader are also found in the village. During the Twili invasion, the only entrance into the town is blocked by a massive boulder. Darbus, leader of the Gorons, breaks through the rock to repay Link for saving him from his mutation caused by the Fused Shadows.
Ilia spent some time here with Impaz after being captured by Bulblins. She later escaped with Impaz's help and left her the Horse Call, an item that is later instrumental in restoring Ilia's memory.
Other Appearances[]
Subseries warning: This article or section contains information on a subseries within the Legend of Zelda series and should be considered part of its own separate canon.
Link's Crossbow Training[]
The Hidden Village serves as the location for The Shootout. Link must walk through the Hidden Village and shoot all 25 of the Bulblins before time runs out.
Subseries warning: Subseries information ends here.
Non-canonical appearances[]
Non-canon warning: This article or section contains non-canonical information that is not considered to be an official part of the Legend of Zelda series and should not be considered part of the overall storyline.
Super Smash Bros. Brawl[]
The musical track from this area, "The Hidden Village", appears as one of the available songs for the Bridge of Eldin stage.
Non-canon warning: Non-canonical information ends here.
Theory[]
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.
Since the Kakariko Village from The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time and the Hidden Village have similar locations, some conclude that the Hidden Village is the original Kakariko Village. This theory gains strength when translating the Hylian Language in the Hidden Village, as two big billboard says "Welcome to Old Kakarico" (
) (the "c" is a probable misspelling or some sort of Old Hylian language, which later evolved into the Hylian language as it is now known). Additionally, in Link's Crossbow Training, the level of the Hidden Village is called 'Kakariko Shootout'.
Impaz states that she was named after the founder of this village, and her name bears a strong resemblance to that of Impa. If Impaz is referring to Impa, then the Hidden village is most likely the Kakariko Village from Ocarina of Time. Impa was born and raised in the original Kakariko Village, and while she opened the village to non-Sheikah, she was not its founder. This may serve as evidence against the theory, or it may be a retcon. Of course there are already multiple Impas, any of which might be the founder, or none of them. If this theory is false, there are three Kakariko Villages: the original from Ocarina of Time, the Hidden Village, also known as Old Kakariko, and the Kakariko Village from Twilight Princess.
Of course, given that Kakariko Village from Twilight Princess is found near the foot of Death Mountain, it is more likely that it is also the Kakariko Village from Ocarina of Time (which was as at the foot of Death Mountain and has a graveyard) and that after Impa opened it up to non-Sheikah, she founded the Hidden Village for the Sheikah (possibly to guard their tribe's secrets from outsiders) after Kakariko Village became populated by Humans and Hylian settlers. Another possibility is that a previous incarnation of Impa founded Old Kakariko before the Impa of Ocarina of Time was born in the new Kakariko Village seen in Ocarina of Time and Twilight Princess, and that after OoT Impa opened Kakariko Village up to outsiders, the Sheikah relocated back to Old Kakariko Village.
Another possibility is that the Kakariko Village from Ocarina of Time was abandoned and/or destroyed at some point (either during Ganondorf rampage Hyrule before his capture and imprisonment, or due to violent geological activity caused by volcanic activity in the region) forcing Impa and other refugees to relocate to the Hidden Village. Eventually some of them may have returned to the region to build a new village and/or returned once the danger had past (either as a result of Ganondorf's capture or once the violent geologic activity had subsided). After Kakariko Village was rebuilt and/or resettled the Hidden Village was renamed Old Kakarico and may have been taken over (and/or restored) by the Sheikah due to its secluded location, and was largely forgotten, eventually becoming known as the Hidden Village.
If Breath of the Wild takes place in the child timeline, then its incarnation of Kakariko Village may actually be the Hidden Village, restored by the Sheikah at some point during the 10,000 years mentioned in Breath of the Wild as both are located far from Death Mountain and are surrounded by mountainous terrain. Its possible that Impaz and/or her descendants may have restored it at some point between the events of Twilight Princess and Breath of the Wild presumably due to Kakariko Village near Death Mountain disappearing entirely or its long forgotten ruins are located in the Eldin Mountains northeast of the Thyphlo Ruins.
- "Kakariko Village is a small village you can reach by following the road north from here. I came through there earlier. It's surrounded by tall mountains, and everyone there wears the same clothing. It's a strange little place, sort of like the original hidden village..."
- — Sagessa
Additionally their may be an in-game reference to the Hidden Village as Sagessa notes that Kakariko Village is sort of like the original hidden village though it is unclear if the hidden village she is referring to is the one from Twilight Princess. This statement also implies Kakariko Village may in fact be the Hidden Village from Twilight Princess.
Theory warning: Theories end here.