- "You think I'm totally different during the day? Well, I get tired of having to be a smiley shopkeeper all day, all right? Just don't think that this is the real me."
- — Rupin
Rupin is a character from The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword. He is a merchant who operates the Gear Shop at the Bazaar. He lives with his mother Goselle in the southeastern part of Skyloft; he will buy certain treasures from Link if he visits him in his house at night.
Biography[]
Spoiler warning: Plot or ending details follow.
When working his daytime job, Rupin appears as an energetic, smooth-talking and overbearing salesman; if Link does not buy an item he has expressed interest in, Rupin almost loses his friendly composure before correcting himself. When Link leaves his stall, he is visibly exhausted, but will promptly revert to this persona if Link approaches him again. If Link visits him in his house at night, he claims to tire of playing a "smiley shopkeeper", and asserts that this is not his true personality.
Spoiler warning: Spoilers end here.
Etymology[]
The name "Rupin" may be a portmanteau of Rupee and the given name Rubin and its variations. It is also possible that it is a portmanteau of Rupee and Robin, following the theme of Skyloft citizens being named after birds.