Hoot hoot
Now that I'm done with Ganondorf, here is another Zelda candidate I was thinking of having just recently finished the Switch remake of the game. Unlike Ganondorf who is a very easy case to make, this one is gonna be divisive, specifically if he is shady enough. But I believe he cuts it. Now let the trial commence.
What is the Work?[]
The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening is an awesome 1993 game that serves as a sequel to A Link to the Past. Serving as the introduction of the franchise to handheld consoles and one of the first Zelda games to give focus to story, it follows Link whose raft got struck by lightning and is now stranded at Koholint Island. Meeting the lovely island, as Link seeks to claim his sword, he gets directed to where the various monsters infesting the island take base. As he progresses, he learns that Koholint Island is really not what it seems, leading to a revelation so huge that it prompts Link to have actual dialogue.
The spear of it all. The (Much, much less annoying) precursor to Kaepora Gaebora, the Owl.
Who is the Owl?[]
Initially the Owl seems like the standard Zelda companion, okay, first ever Zelda companion. When Link first claims his sword at Toronbo Shores where he drifted ashore, the Owl would then appear to first guide Link to find the key to the first dungeon of the game, the Tail Cave and defeat the first nightmare plaguing the nightmare. From then on the Owl would appear to guide Link to every dungeon and key, in which he needs to collect the instruments to wake up the Wind Fish for Link to finally leave Koholint Island, but never clues in why it is even necessary.
Until the Owl guides him to a shrine at some ancient ruins by the Yarna Desert in which he claims the key to Face Shrine, the 6th dungeon of the game and then he learns of a shocking revelation: Koholint Island is nothing but a dream by the wind Fish and everything would all disappear the moment the Wind Fish awakens, a revelation so shocking, Link actually speaks about how in complete disbelief he is that it is all a dream. However, the Owl would lie to Link that this is all mere speculation and that he may not truly know unless if he can wake the Widn Fish, which is his only path to escape the island, in hopes of continuing to push Link for this agenda.
The Owl will then continue to appear to guide Link till he reaches the Wind Fish Egg at Mount Tamarach and then defeats the Final Boss that serves as the leader of the Nightmares. From then on the Owl would reveal the truth. He is actually the Guardian of the Wind Fish's subconscious. But he was left unprepared when the Nightmares had invaded the Wind Fish's dreams and cause nothing but misery to him (with the Switch remake emphasizing with his clear bellows of pain when we enter the egg) and so could not stop them. Until Link, an outsider got stranded at Koholint island and had been guiding him to wake up the Wind Fish while keeping him unaware of what would be Koholint Island, as long as the only being actually existing, the Wind Fish, is safe from all harm. As the island starts fading away from existence, the Owl would then spend his final moments thanking Link as he becomes the first to be erased, and Link is freed, guilty of what he had to do but hopeful to remember Koholint by the dreams and what the future can be.
Is He Magnificent?[]
Yep I'd say so. First is he's the best, most tolerable owl in the entire franchise, and does not ramble and be so easy to end up repeating it All. Over. Again. Meanwhile the Owl only comes in sparsely to guide Link throughout the journey to defeat the monsters while leaving him unaware of both the Island's true nature or his true intentions, and even when Link finds the truth of Koholint Island and what waking the Wind Fish would do, he would still convince Link to end up waking him anymore, and then when the time comes, peacefully accepts his own cessation from existence as he thanks Link for his help. I'd say he clicks this easily.
Is He a Baddie?[]
Okay this is a tough one because... I'd hesitate to call the owl outright evil. Yes his plans would cause Koholit Island and it's inhabitants to be wiped out to protect the Wind Wish but a lot of it's punch is lost because none of the inhabitants were real, they were all a dream, and again, it's only to stop the monsters from attacking the Wind Fish, causing nothing but pain to him. However, dream or no dream we'd still explore many of them as characters, seeing them live their lives and even connect with them (especially Marin), and for nearly the whole game Link the whole game had only been lead on by the Owl into waking the Wind Fish while never telling him that a) the island itself is a dream until it's too late and b) everyone would end up erased and that by the end of the game's final scene when Link... awoken, he actually has a very notable moment of sadness on what he had to do thanks to the Owl. There's just enough sketchiness to make me comfortable here, even with us becoming more strict on what makes a character immoral enough to count as it's the sort of thing that looms over his entire character.
Final Verdict[]
This is someone I can expect some skepticism on but I think he just lands.