| Daruk | |
|---|---|
| The Legend of Zelda character | |
 Daruk, as he appears in The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild | |
| First Episode Appearance | The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (2017) |
| Final Episode Appearance | Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity (2020) |
| Designed by | Naoki Mori Hirohito Shinoda |
| Character played by | Joe Hernandez (English)[1] Koji Takeda (Japanese)[1] Ramón Canals (EU Spanish) Ricardo Tejedo (LA Spanish) Thomas Schmuckert (German) Pietro Ubaldi (Italian) Jeremie Covillault (French) Alexander Gruzdev (Russian) |
| In-universe information | |
| Race | Goron |
| Gender | Male |
| Title | Goron Champion |
| Occupation | Goron Stalwart |
| Affiliation | Kingdom of Hyrule |
| Fighting style | Daruk's Protection |
| Weapon | Boulder Breaker |
| Relatives | Yunobo (grandson) |
| Origin | Goron City |
| Nationality | Hyrulean |
Daruk[lower-alpha 1] is a fictional character in Nintendo's The Legend of Zelda series. He was introduced as a major character in Breath of the Wild. He also appears as a playable character in the hack-and slash video game Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity. Daruk is a member of the Gorons and one of the four Champions, including Revali, Mipha, and Urbosa, who aid Princess Zelda and Link to fight against the threat of Calamity Ganon. Daruk pilots Divine Beast Vah Rudania, one of the four Divine Beasts that the Champions use to fight against Calamity Ganon. Daruk also has a unique set of skills related to the sturdy Goron, including the power to manipulate fire in battle and the power to project a forcefield. Within the storyline of Breath of the Wild, he displays a strong friendship with Link over their strength and love for food. Since his introduction, Daruk has received a mixed to positive reception from critics for his characterization and presentation.
Concept and creation[]
Cinematic Designer Naoki Mori stated that Daruk is reminiscent of Darunia from The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time because he calls Link "little guy", which serves as a homage to Daruk calling the Hero of Time "brother" and designed him to have a straightforward nature like the other Gorons while being the elder spiritual leader of the Champions.[2] Lead Artist Hierohito Shinoda added that he wants Daruk to feel like an experienced leader that anyone can count on, with his hair looking like armor. He also focused on his body shape to make sure he is not out of shape, but bulky and muscular.[3] When Daruk is in combat, he carries his signature weapon, the mighty Boulder Breaker, with him wherever he goes and is a formidable opponent.[4]
Portrayal[]
In both Breath of the Wild and Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity Daruk is voiced in English by Joe Hernandez. He is voiced in Japanese by Koji Takeda.[5]
Appearances[]
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild[]
Daruk appears in Breath of the Wild as one of the major characters as well as one of the four Champions of Hyrule, recruited by Princess Zelda. Like the other Champions, Daruk pilots one of the Divine Beasts, which is the Divine Beast of fire, Vah Rudania. Daruk, alongside the other Champions, have unfortunately died during the battle against Calamity Ganon. During one of the DLC cutscenes, Daruk is shown to suffer cynophobia as shown when he shudders at the sight of a Hylian Retriever, due to his childhood experiences with dogs.[6] The cutscene, Daruk’s Mettle shows Daruk and Link enjoying the sights during their travels on Vah Rudania, and another one, Return of Calamity Ganon, shows Daruk acting as a leader who takes control of the situation.
In his journal, Daruk is revealed to be passionate about eating Rock Roasts and has even shared one with Link at one point and believes Hylians can eat rocks as well, and his meeting with Link where he witnessed him defeat monsters and is also passionate about food, to Daruk’s delight when he decides to dub him a sworn brother of the Gorons. After Link defeats Fireblight Ganon, Daruk grants him Daruk’s protection before Link leaves and he is initially worried over the fate of his people, before the sight of Yunobo shows him that the Gorons are still going strong.[7]
Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity[]
Daruk returns as a playable warrior in Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity.[8] with the game being set as a prequel to Breath of the Wild. It focuses on the quest of a small Diminutive Guardian named Terrako, who travels through time to set things right upon witnessing the widespread destruction of Hyrule. Princess Zelda is also out to recruit various characters to help stop Calamity Ganon.[9]
Other media[]
Daruk appears in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate as an Advanced Spirit.
Merchandise[]
For Breath of the Wild, Nintendo released an amiibo of Daruk,[10][11] which was reprinted for the launch of Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity.[12]
Reception[]
Daruk has gained a generally lukewarm to positive reception. Daniel Alexander of The Gamer has ranked Daruk in ninth place, noting how strong and loyal he is, with his courageous personality and enthusiasm shining through, even beyond death,[13] while Sara Heritage ranks him in eleventh, praising his ability that proves to be very handy for Link and noting his having a heart of gold despite his rugged exterior.[14] Jessica Filby of Screen Rant puts Daruk in ninth place in terms of likability, noting that despite being low in the ranks, fans still love the chemistry between him and Link which is extremely loving towards the Hylian and provides him useful gear which makes it easier to miss him, and in-universe, has statues dotted around Hyrule which makes him well-known and well-respected Champion.[15] Jessica Reyes has praised Daruk for his presentation as a strong boisterous warrior who is easily excited, but criticized his minimal character and story arc. Justin Loveland, who has ranked Daruk in fourth place, similarly criticized his lack of originality variance in personality and notes that he feels like a typical Goron NPC rather than a major character and his outward behavior leans largely on the extent of his character when the other three Champions struggle with hidden feelings and self-doubt, while he does give him some praise for his strong, jovial, and loyal traits.[16] Callum Archer states that despite Daruk not being on the same level as the other Champions, he still considers him to be one of the more powerful warriors that at least has enough to be a viable fighter while keeping the playstyle enough to make it easy for returning players to pick up.[17]
See Also[]
Notes[]
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 "Daruk Voices (Legend of Zelda)". Behind The Voice Actors. Retrieved 16 August 2021. A green check mark indicates that a role has been confirmed using a screenshot (or collage of screenshots) of a title's list of voice actors and their respective characters found in its opening and/or closing credits and/or other reliable sources of information.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: postscript (link) - ↑ The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild - Creating a Champion. Dark Horse. pp. 86.
- ↑ The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild - Creating a Champion. Dark Horse. pp. 86.
- ↑ "New art and screenshots of the Four Champions arrive for Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity". 2020-09-26. https://nintendowire.com/news/2020/09/26/new-art-and-screenshots-of-the-four-champions-arrive-for-hyrule-warriors-age-of-calamity/.
- ↑ "Daruk voice". Behind The Voice Actors. Retrieved 28 June 2023.
{{cite web}}: - ↑ Carpou, Madeline (2021-05-21). "Zelda: Each Main Character's Most Iconic Scene". ScreenRant. Retrieved 2021-09-02.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ Reyes, Jessica (2021-02-04). "The Legend Of Zelda: Breath Of The Wild Ending Explained". Looper.com. Retrieved 2021-08-30.
{{cite web}}: - ↑ Lynn, Lottie (2020-11-23). "Hyrule Warriors characters list - Every playable character and how to unlock each character in Age of Calamity listed". Eurogamer. Retrieved 2021-08-30.
{{cite web}}: - ↑ Cacho, By Gieson. "Video Game Review: 'Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity' a worthwhile prequel to classic 'Zelda'". The Providence Journal. Retrieved 2021-09-03.
{{cite web}}: - ↑ "Nintendo Is Bringing Back Four Amiibo For Re-Release Run". GAMING. Retrieved 2020-12-12.
{{cite web}}: - ↑ "Revali amiibo Figure by Nintendo - The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild Series". www.nintendo.com. Retrieved 2017-11-10.
{{cite web}}: - ↑ "Mipha, Revali, Daruk, and Urbosa amiibo reprints launch alongside Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity on November 20th". Nintendo Wire. 2020-09-08. Retrieved 2021-09-02.
{{cite web}}: - ↑ Alexander, Daniel (2019-07-24). "Legend Of Zelda: The 10 Best New Characters In Breath Of The Wild". TheGamer. Retrieved 2021-09-01.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ Heritage, Sarah (2020-06-06). "The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild - Ranking Every Side Character".
{{cite web}}: - ↑ Filby, Jessica (2021-03-12). "The Legend Of Zelda: Breath Of The Wild: Ranking The Best Characters Based On Likability". ScreenRant. Retrieved 2021-09-02.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ Loveland, Justin (2021-11-17). "BOTW's Four Champions, Ranked Worst To Best". ScreenRant. Retrieved 2021-09-01.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ Archer, Callum (2020-12-26). "Age of Calamity: 10 Tips For Playing As Daruk". TheGamer. Retrieved 2020-12-21.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
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