Malon (The Legend of Zelda)

Malon
Legend of Zelda series character
File:Normal malon2.jpg Malon, as depicted in the promotional art for The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time.
First game	Ocarina of Time (1998)

Malon (マロン, Maron) is a fictional character in The Legend of Zelda series created by Nintendo. She has appeared in several games in the series, and is almost always found at the Lon Lon Ranch with her father Talon. Like the series' protagonist, Link, and namesake, Princess Zelda, Malon is depicted with many varying incarnations.

Appearances

Ocarina of Time

The First 7 Years

Malon is the daughter of Talon and works at Lon Lon Ranch with her father and Ingo. With the exception of Ingo, Link found in them a warm (though individually different) group. The first encounter between Malon and the player is during the time Link is in his childhood, accidentally bumping into her in Hyrule Castle Town while she's waiting for her father to drop off milk at the castle. The detached farm girl is met up with later at night near the main interior gate of Hyrule Castle, where she assumed apparently that Talon has slept on the job. Asking Link to seek out Talon, she provides him an egg that she had been caring for previously. Unbeknownst to the player is that the chicken (hatched from the egg in the following morning) is the only thing that can wake up Talon when found (although whether or not Malon knew is still questionable).

It should be noted that the player has to encounter Malon no matter what, for the player has to acquire the Weird Egg from her (thus acquainting Link to Malon and vice versa) to wake up Talon in order to move the milk crates that will allow entry into the castle's garden. This seems to allude to the encyclopedia reference on [[1]], in which it states "... Her life was destined to become intertwined with Link's heroic adventures." The significance of this small generous act, however, may not be as ample enough as the sentence aimed for.

Later, after meeting Princess Zelda, the player can assume a mini-sidequest in Lon Lon Ranch, the home of Malon. In the ranch, Link can find Talon in his house (where the player can engage in a minigame), Ingo in the barn, and Malon, singing the ranch's predominant theme song, far off in the ranch's main feature, a paddock for horses. After a small conversation, Malon is found to be tasked with a self-duty: raising Epona, a mare (most resembling a palomino). Upon introduction, the young dobbin gallops away (in which Malon will explain that Epona is a bit frightened by Link). After a vain struggle to catch up with the reluctant horse (if so desired), the player can enter another conversation with Malon, in which she will trace back the current song of her vocalization to her mother (in which she is assumed deceased or missing). Epona's Song can then be taught if Link joins her with his ocarina (either the Fairy version or the later mystical one). Initially, playing the song attracts Epona (during Link's childhood and only when in Lon Lon Ranch) to the player. The true purpose is to be used in the game later on.

The Later 7 Years

During the extensive, quiet slumber of Link's spirit, Ingo, influenced by Ganondorf, kicked Talon out of Lon Lon Ranch sometime after the takeover of Hyrule Castle. Renaming the place "Ingo Ranch," the new owner vindicates stubbornly (if not snobbishly) to the survivors at Kakariko Village that it was his efforts, not Talon's, that kept the ranch alive, possibly during the hard times during the reign of Ganondorf.

Malon, being spared the humiliating fate of her father's, was pressured by her new "employer" to take up supposedly all the tasks on the farm, which goes in contrary to Ingo's current position on his own work ethic. The proprietor himself tends to the financial matters, though he runs a small business of selling rides on "his" horses.

The player, when in Link's adult form, can now take on the new mini-sidequest at Lon Lon Ranch. Coming back to the farm, Link will notice little change of substance, at first. However, the essential shift of authority dawns on the Hero of Time after receiving a clarification from Ingo (albeit not recognizing Link).

The player can play Epona's Song near there, which is heartily responded by a full grown Epona. The horse, however, is also one of the ranch's racehorse; thus, she is inside the locked corral with the others even though she heard the tune. Even though an animal, Epona seems to be the first of anybody on the ranch to recognize Link, altho through her song.

If the player meets up with Malon in the stable (where she, like Ingo, cannot identity the player), it is soon found out that the teen farm girl is being bonded to her employer in exchange for suitable treatment of the ranch's horses. Aid has not come to her for the reason that the last visitor set foot in the ranch a long time ago (presumably Link from seven years past).

Returning the ranch to Malon requires foiling Ingo's upcoming plans to be in Ganondorf's favor by contributing a horse. This can be accomplished by first paying Ingo for two rides in the paddock. Only during the second run (and each of them using Epona as the chosen horse) can the player talk interest into Ingo and wager a race (The prize of 50 Rupees). Defeating the owner in the second gamble awards Epona as the reward. This also rewards Link with Ingo's enmity, in which he locks the main gate of the ranch to trap the player inside the pasture. Although impossible, this is a mere test on the player's handling of jumping gates and fences with a horse. If done successfully, the player can escape the ranch altogether with Epona.

From there on, the player can use Epona for the rest of the game, as a means of faster movement and jumping obstacles that Link cannot overcome normally. Epona's Song can also call the palomino to the player's side anytime (though not anywhere).

If the player desires to come back to the ranch, he or she will find Ingo in a gleeful mood (indicated by his face and greeting). Beyond him, Malon is standing next to the paddock's entrance, where Link discovers that he accomplished restoring the ranch. There, Malon asks for his name, and finally recognizes the hero right after (because of Epona's own recognition). The restored owner then explains Ingo's sudden change in personality, which she personally doesn't know but later assumes that maybe Ingo was under the hand of evil.

Relationship

The gossip stones in Ocarina of Time also let the player know that Malon was the original record holder of the obstacle course with a time of fifty seconds and that she dreams of being swept off her feet by a knight in shining armor, possibly referring to Link.

Later when Link meets her at the ranch she calls him 'Fairy boy'.

Some fans speculate on the possibility of a romantic relationship between Link and Malon, although this has never been substantiated by Nintendo. If Link plays Talon's cucco game and wins, he is offered Malon's hand in marriage. Talon decides that Link and Malon are too young to be wed, however, and takes the offer back.

Manga

In the official manga of Ocarina of Time, Malon has the same role as in the game. During the Young Link Saga, she meets Link in Lon Lon Ranch where she shows him the whole ranch, gives him a bottle of milk and of course teaches him "Epona's Song.“ Before being interrupted by Kaepora Gaebora, Malon tells Link that she dreams that one day a knight in shining armor will come and take her to his castle. Then in the Adult Saga, during a battle against some Gerudo warriors, Malon believes Link to be her knight in shining armor, but later this illusion disappears when Link calls out Zelda's name to Sheik. Malon questions what type of relationship Link has with the princess, but can immediately tell it is love when she looks into his eyes. This turn of events ends Malon's thoughts of romance with Link. When the confrontation against the Gerudo ends, Malon bids farewell to Link, now calling him "Mr. Hero" instead of "Fairy Boy".

File:Talon malon.jpg

Malon and Talon as seen in Oracle of Seasons

Oracle of Seasons

Malon also made a cameo in Oracle of Seasons. This incarnation of Malon is a young Holodrum girl. She had a small house in which the player could visit her. Talon also makes an appearance as her father. This version of her has several chickens and has no idea how to care for them which causes Link to give her a chicken instruction book (called Cuccodex in the game) for an egg. Her father, Talon, was snowed into a cave where the airhorn is needed to awaken him.

Four Swords Adventures

While in Hyrule, Link stumbles upon another incarnation of Malon who needs help getting home. Link decides to escort her to Lon Lon Ranch, but as they begin to travel, Link finds himself protecting her from Vaati's soldiers. If Malon gets hit too many times, the player has to start over.

The Minish Cap

In this game, Malon and Talon once again appear. Much like their Ocarina of Time incarnations, they own the Lon Lon Ranch, although it is nothing like the ranch in Ocarina of Time. After fusing a Kinstone with Talon, Malon will go into town and sell Lon Lon Milk. Upon speaking to her, she hums "Epona's Song" from Ocarina of Time.

Equivalents

In several games in the series, there have been characters that are quite similar to Malon in both appearance and personality; These may or may not be considered other versions of the same character, as there is often reason to believe that these characters are based on or related to Malon.

Marin

In the Game Boy game Link's Awakening a young girl named Marin (マリン) features prominantly. Though said to have an uncanny resemblence to Princess Zelda, her personality, characteristics and red hair more accurately reflect the later developed character of Malon. In this game, she lived with Tarin (who seems to be the equivalent of Talon) who was presumably her father.

File:Romani cremia2.jpg

Cremia (on the left) and Romani (on the right)

Marin plays a rather major role in the game, as she is the one who finds Link on the island. She teaches Link the first song he learns for the ocarina, the Ballad of the Wind Fish, and helps him get to a dungeon around the middle of the game.

Marin says that she wishes she could fly away like a bird. At the end of the game, it is revealed that the island was in fact a dream of the Wind Fish. After awakening from his deep sleep, the whole island and everyone that inhabitated it vanished. If you beat the game without Link dying even one time, the ending will show an image of Marin with wings flying out over the ocean, suggesting that Marin did not fade with the rest of the island, but instead had her wish granted.

Romani and Cremia

In Majora's Mask, Link visits an alternate world called Termina which is populated by different versions of Ocarina of Time characters. Malon has two equivalents in this world, Romani (the younger sister) and Cremia (the elder sister), two sisters who own Romani Ranch.

Romani is based off of Malon as seen in Ocarina of Time before Link removed the Master Sword, while Cremia is based off of Malon's appearance 7 years later. On the night of Link's first day in Termina, Romani requires Link's help in protecting herself and the cows from "Them" (aliens that resembled Poes). The next night, Link escorts Cremia on a milk delivery in order to thwart an attempted robbery of her cart by the Gorman brothers, who reside in a Horse training farm next to the Romani Ranch. Cremia is friends with Anju from Clock Town. When Anju's fiancee, Kafei disappeared, Anju's mother suspected he may have run off with Cremia. This clearly indicates that by the standards of the in-universe characters, Malon is quite attractive.

Ilia

In Twilight Princess, Link is close friends with an Ordonian girl named Ilia who lives in Ordon Provice. She gets kidanpped with Colin by a group of enemies. Link finds her later in Castle Town but Ilia does not remember him because she has lost her memory. However, Link restores her memory. Ilia seems to enjoy spending time with Link as well as Epona, Link's horse, a trait that Malon has always had.

Trivia

• The emblem around Malon's neck is the face of Bowser. This could be their family symbol, as Talon also bears it.
• Malon's hairstyle closely resembles Princess Peach's current hairstyle and Daisy's N64 era hairstyle.
• Talon and Ingo are bizzare charicatures of Mario and Luigi.
• In The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess, two children in Ordon Village are named Malo and Talo, possibly references to Malon and Talon, although this is quite obviously the only relationship the characters have.
• In Majora's Mask, if you save the milk jugs Cremia has to deliver after you have already gotten the Romani Mask, then Cremia will reward Link with an affectionate hug, which he clearly enjoys.
• In The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess, while in Hyrule Field at night, notes can be heard in the background music that bear a resemblance to Malon's singing.

See also

• The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
• Lon Lon Ranch

External links

• Zelda Universe