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[Thud]

I think they became sages (in mind at least) when the call came.

Ganondorf's evil powers however prevent them from using their power from the sacred realm. When you meet them in the sacred realm they add their power to yours. They obviously draw that power from the temple.

The sages are the link between the temple, sacred realm and the hero of time. Of course that includes zelda as well, with her wisdom she can use the power of the sages to convert into the blindling light.

Sages themselves have to leave behind their physical form, which includes their life as human. They retain their memories (for now) and live on as sages on a plane different from regular humans. They are still very much alive, but they had to discard their humanity.

My guess is in the long run they become ancients like rauru controlling other forms to convey messages to the hero or pass down their power to the next sage. When that happens their existence could vanish entirely.

Well this is just how I look at it. I'm postive that the developers just made things up how they went. Later on Miyamoto and Aonuma tried to fix some stuff with the timeline and all. So the games aren't consistent with each other and the meaning of what is X may have changed completely.

Anyway zelda is based on a lot of folklore and fairy tales so one clear cut answer is probably out of the question. There are different ways to interpret the story. Zelda has some dark themes, but as a whole it's a cheerful adventure.

 

[Firemind]

If you play Saria's Song as an adult before the Forest Temple, you get the message:

"Great! You're safe!
I knew I would hear from
you again!
I'm in the Forest Temple!
The forest spirits were calling
for help, so I went to check it
out...
But it's full of evil monsters!
Help me, Link!"

If you play it after the Forest Temple (once Saria has become a sage), you get the message:

"Link...
At first, I didn't want to become
the Sage of the Forest....
But I'm glad now.
Because I am helping you to save
Hyrule, Link!
Yes, I am!"

 

[Ryouji Gunblade]

To me, this just highlights how inconsistent the portrayals of sages are. A Link to the Past, Ocarina of Time, Wind Waker, Twilight Princess, and A Link Between Worlds. Sometimes they're random important people, other times they're ghosts, sometimes they ascend, sometimes they're all women.

 

[Anteo]

What happens to the sages in alwb? I dont remember if they were shown returning to their regular lives.

Also what is a sage anyways. A gerudo bandit in oot and A little kid that has no idea what a sage is in alwb become sages. Seems super random

 

[Triforce141]

What happens to the sages in alwb? I dont remember if they were shown returning to their regular lives.

Also what is a sage anyways. A gerudo bandit in oot and A little kid that has no idea what a sage is in alwb become sages. Seems super random

The credits show that they are still alive and back to their normal lives.

Zelda's overall continuity and attempt to connect each game with each other is a giant clusternut.

 

[Thabass]

If I remember correctly the Forest temple must be the first one.

The Forest Temple is the one the game WANTS you to do first. But you can defeat the Fire Temple easily without going to the Forest Temple first.

 

[L Thammy]

I guess the sacred realm could be a metaphor for heaven. or some kind of hylian limbo.

The Dark World in A Link to the Past is the Sacred Realm transformed. Did Anaheim did all those girls in order to get there? Is turning into a bunny Link's eternal punishment for entering into Hyrulian Hell?

Maybe we're looking at this from an overly Western standpoint. Maybe the Sages are like Hyrule's Bodhisattvas.

 

[balladofwindfishes]

I figured they had, and the ending was just their spirits overlooking everything.

The Zora king and that kid from the forest also seem kind of depressed in the ending.

 

[Garlador]

I don't think they're dead, largely because a big chunk of Wind Waker is encountering dead sages (who are most definitely dead) and having to track down their replacements because, once they die, they lose their power and have to pass it on.

I figured they had, and the ending was just their spirits overlooking everything.

The Zora king and that kid from the forest also seem kind of depressed in the ending.

They can't be with them any longer. Ruto says that to Link too. "I'd love to proclaim my eternal love to you... but my duty as the sage of water is to remain here and guard the temple. I can't be with you."

King Zora's daughter has left him, and it was implied heavily Mido had a crush on Saria and she's gone too now. They're not dead, but they can't remain with everyone else either.

 

[balladofwindfishes]

How are Darunia and Nabooru alive though?

One went after Volvagia without any means of actually attacking it and then is never seen in person again. Nabooru is brainwashed and turned into a zombie, and then killed by Link.

 

[Garlador]

How are Darunia and Nabooru alive though?

One went after Volvagia without any means of actually attacking it and then is never seen in person again. Nabooru is brainwashed and turned into a zombie, and then killed by Link.

I always imagined that Darunia (and Ruto) went deeper into the temples and got sealed away somehow until Link awakens their powers.

And Nabooru wasn't killed by Link. In fact, you free her and she is confused, so the witches show up and say they'll simply brainwash her again and then teleport her away. She never gets killed and the villains explicitly say they have plans on keeping her alive and putting her to use.

 

[Scribble]

Reading this thread makes me sad. Saria was kind of like my childhood friend in the 90s. This is a 'we sent the dog to the farm' moment.

 

[FreedomFighter]

I always imagined that Darunia (and Ruto) went deeper into the temples and got sealed away somehow until Link awakens their powers.

And Nabooru wasn't killed by Link. In fact, you free her and she is confused, so the witches show up and say they'll simply brainwash her again and then teleport her away. She never gets killed and the villains explicitly say they have plans on keeping her alive and putting her to use.

I can see that point with Nabooru. But Darunia definitely got killed going up against Volvagia without the Megaton Hammer. He even said he had no idea how he could win without the hammer before going in the boss room. It's a little unclear what happens with Ruto after she swims off when you see her in the Water Temple.

Would be nice to get an OoT HD remake that shows what happens behind the scenes. Like showing Ganondorf actually storming Hyrule Castle, show what he's doing while Link is rescuing Sages, show how Talon lost the farm and Ingo was chosen to raise a horse for Ganondorf, show what Zelda was doing during the seven years in hiding, etc. Would be awesome, I think.

 

[Already Torn]

Maybe you don't have to be dead to be a Sage (see other Zelda games and Zelda herself), but it's just a horrible coincidence that all of the sages died in OoT. Or they're a different kind of sage? They don't play music to restore the power of the Master Sword. Either way, it's pretty obvious they're all dead and then their Jedi ghosts show up at the end.

The real question is, does Sheik die after he reveals Princess Zelda for the last time?

 

[Easy_D]

Volvagia kills Darunia

Ruto is Ruto, that girl don't know the word danger, obviously got herself killed somehow, or by the boss

Being freed from the Iron Knuckle still kills Nauru

Saria leaves Kokiri Forest too much, she has to travel through the Lost Woods alot to get to her special place, clearly dangerous, obviously died.

Impa goes after invisible monster without the Eye of Truth..etc. It's not even a stretch to imply that the sages are all dead, why would they look at the celebrations from a distance otherwise?

 

[Kinsei]

How are Darunia and Nabooru alive though?

One went after Volvagia without any means of actually attacking it and then is never seen in person again. Nabooru is brainwashed and turned into a zombie, and then killed by Link.

Darunia was just rolling around in the lava below the arena dodging Volvagia until Link got there.

What? Link didn't kill Nabooru, they make it very clear that she is still alive after you fight her.

The sages can't be dead because they need to be alive to fulfill their duties as seen in every other Zelda game with sages.

Volvagia kills Darunia

Ruto is Ruto, that girl don't know the word danger, obviously got herself killed somehow, or by the boss

Being freed from the Iron Knuckle still kills Nauru

Saria leaves Kokiri Forest too much, she has to travel through the Lost Woods alot to get to her special place, clearly dangerous, obviously died.

Impa goes after invisible monster without the Eye of Truth..etc. It's not even a stretch to imply that the sages are all dead, why would they look at the celebrations from a distance otherwise?

Why didn;t the sages from TP go tell the king that Ganondorf has the power of the triforce and managed to kill one of them? Sages are weird.

 

[Already Torn]

Darunia was just rolling around in the lava below the arena dodging Volvagia until Link got there.

What? Link didn't kill Nabooru, they make it very clear that she is still alive after you fight her.

The sages can't be dead because they need to be alive to fulfill their duties as seen in every other Zelda game with sages.

Ru Ru is definitely dead though, even more so than Darunia and Nabooru who are both obviously dead.

 

[Tuck]

No, I don't think they're dead. They show up at the end.

The only one who is dead is the sage of light, hence why he takes the form of an owl in the real world.

 

[Garlador]

Maybe you don't have to be dead to be a Sage (see other Zelda games and Zelda herself), but it's just a horrible coincidence that all of the sages died in OoT. Or they're a different kind of sage? They don't play music to restore the power of the Master Sword. Either way, it's pretty obvious they're all dead and then their Jedi ghosts show up at the end.

The real question is, does Sheik die after he reveals Princess Zelda for the last time?

Zelda is the final sage, and Zelda definitely isn't dead in the game and certainly never dies at any point.

And why do people keep assuming Darunia dies? I think he simply got sealed away. Or, perhaps, he kept Volvagia busy while Link saved his people and retreated later. What damage could Volvagia even do to him? Gorons are entirely fire proof, after all, and even regular Gorons have amazing strength to punch through boulders, and Darunia was stronger than most of them.

There was nothing in their dialogue afterwards indicating he died, nor with any of the other sages either. Even Ruto says she's just fine and would LOVE to spend her life with Link, but has remain in the Chamber of Sages. Same with Saria. They're bound by duty, not by death.

This is reinforced in Wind Waker, where new sages are awaken and have to forsake their lives to protect their sanctuaries, only stopping once Ganon's evil has been destroyed. Medli is very sad to leave her friends behind and even says they should leave without saying goodbye, because she doesn't want to face that reality.

Wind Waker shows that when a sage DOES die, they can't protect their temple and have to pass on their power. A dead sage is powerless other than to linger and help their successors carry on their duties. If Darunia or Ruto or Saria did die, Link would have had to track down their successors instead.

 

[Kinsei]

No, I don't think they're dead. They show up at the end.

The only one who is dead is the sage of light, hence why he takes the form of an owl in the real world.

Or he just has the ability to transform into an owl.

 

[Already Torn]

Zelda is the final sage, and Zelda definitely isn't dead in the game and certainly never dies at any point.

And why do people keep assuming Darunia dies? I think he simply got sealed away. Or, perhaps, he kept Volvagia busy while Link saved his people and retreated later. What damage could Volvagia even do to him? Gorons are entirely fire proof, after all, and even regular Gorons have amazing strength to punch through boulders, and Darunia was stronger than most of them.

There was nothing in their dialogue afterwards indicating he died, nor with any of the other sages either. Even Ruto says she's just fine and would LOVE to spend her life with Link, but has remain in the Chamber of Sages. Same with Saria. They're bound by duty, not by death.

This is reinforced in Wind Waker, where new sages are awaken and have to forsake their lives to protect their sanctuaries, only stopping once Ganon's evil has been destroyed. Medli is very sad to leave her friends behind and even says they should leave without saying goodbye, because she doesn't want to face that reality.

Wind Waker shows that when a sage DOES die, they can't protect their temple and have to pass on their power. A dead sage is powerless other than to linger and help their successors carry on their duties. If Darunia or Ruto or Saria did die, Link would have had to track down their successors instead.

Yeah, I think Zelda proves that you don't have to die to be a sage, but rather that it's just a horrible coincidence that all of the sages but Zelda did die first. Maybe Sheik was a personally created simply so Zelda
could kill it, thus meeting the requirements to be a sage? And presumably Darunia got eaten, because Volvagia is the dragon that eats Gorons. Otherwise I'm sure the Gorons would have gotten along well with him. Ruto and Saria are just making wistful jokes due to the fact that they are now dead, so of course they can't date Link.

Wind Waker Sages are both obviously not the same kind of sages as Ocarina of Time Sages (they do completely different things and aren't the characters from before) and only lose their power once Ganondorf's evil infects the temple. Presumably they were dead before this.

 

[OnFire331]

It obviously wasn't said explicitly but their death was strongly implied. I always thought they were killed by their temple's bosses even as a kid.

 

[Kinsei]

Yeah, I think Zelda proves that you don't have to die to be a sage, but rather that it's just a horrible coincidence that all of the sages but Zelda did die first. Maybe Sheik was a personally created simply so Zelda
could kill it, thus meeting the requirements to be a sage? And presumably Darunia got eaten, because Volvagia is the dragon that eats Gorons. Otherwise I'm sure the Gorons would have gotten along well with him. Ruto and Saria are just making wistful jokes due to the fact that they are now dead, so of course they can't date Link.

Wind Waker Sages are both obviously not the same kind of sages as Ocarina of Time Sages (they do completely different things and aren't the characters from before) and only lose their power once Ganondorf's evil infects the temple. Presumably they were dead before this.

The sages from Link Between Worlds are the same type. Why do we have to rescue new ones if the ones from before them could do it? Why did those ones have to be awakened if the ones from OoT could do it? Sages have to be alive.

 

[BGBW]

If the sages are dead how could they pose for the stained glassed windows we see in Wind Waker?

 

[LegendofLex]

I don't think so.

It kind of defeats the plot points established in other games about having to find new sages if the old ones could still be able to fulfill their roles after death.

 

[Easy_D]

Darunia was just rolling around in the lava below the arena dodging Volvagia until Link got there.

What? Link didn't kill Nabooru, they make it very clear that she is still alive after you fight her.

The sages can't be dead because they need to be alive to fulfill their duties as seen in every other Zelda game with sages.



Why didn;t the sages from TP go tell the king that Ganondorf has the power of the triforce and managed to kill one of them? Sages are weird.

Why would they? They sealed the Twili a longass time ago, they never came back. They managed to seal Ganondorf too, as far as they knew, the deed was done and he wasn't coming back.

 

[Hylian7]

Damn, was this background really always this low-rez?

Yep. The 3DS version fixed all the pre-rendered backgrounds to be fully rendered, and they look great there.

 

[Kinsei]

Why would they? They sealed the Twili a longass time ago, they never came back. They managed to seal Ganondorf too, as far as they knew, the deed was done and he wasn't coming back.

None of the Twili had the power of the Triforce though. There's also the fact that they couldn;t have known that Ganondorf would be the only threat that required their action. They should have tried to find a new sage just in case some new evil showed up.

 

[God Dayumm]

Zelda is the final sage, and Zelda definitely isn't dead in the game and certainly never dies at any point.

And why do people keep assuming Darunia dies? I think he simply got sealed away. Or, perhaps, he kept Volvagia busy while Link saved his people and retreated later. What damage could Volvagia even do to him? Gorons are entirely fire proof, after all, and even regular Gorons have amazing strength to punch through boulders, and Darunia was stronger than most of them.

There was nothing in their dialogue afterwards indicating he died, nor with any of the other sages either. Even Ruto says she's just fine and would LOVE to spend her life with Link, but has remain in the Chamber of Sages. Same with Saria. They're bound by duty, not by death.

This is reinforced in Wind Waker, where new sages are awaken and have to forsake their lives to protect their sanctuaries, only stopping once Ganon's evil has been destroyed. Medli is very sad to leave her friends behind and even says they should leave without saying goodbye, because she doesn't want to face that reality.

Wind Waker shows that when a sage DOES die, they can't protect their temple and have to pass on their power. A dead sage is powerless other than to linger and help their successors carry on their duties. If Darunia or Ruto or Saria did die, Link would have had to track down their successors instead.

They don't need the successors because Zelda is alive and the power of the Triforce of Wisdom keeps Ganon sealed until it goes dormant or is shattered.

 

[hemo memo]

spoilerish!! Believe me who waited 18 years to play this game either not on GAF or doesn't care.

 

[Soapbox Killer]

Dp

 

[Soapbox Killer]

I say no. Ascended, maybe? They're celebrated in frame along with the Hero of Time. They also bare descendants so at least some of them survived in the physical realm of Hyrule.

Spoiler

I never knew the Owl WAS Rarua, I always thought the owl was Zelda/Hylia's father from Skyward Sword or are they all the same?

 

[Intel_89]

Aren't they simply relegated to the Sacred Realm because that's where all the deities are ?

 

[Dimmle]

They're beyond the mortal plane so the question of "are they dead?" is moot.

 

[AGITΩ]

I've always felt that for them to reach their Sage-hood, they had to transcend the physical realm by death. The way they manifest themselves and just appear in Ganon's Castle when you clear each section, is more of a spiritual appearance than physical. Zelda is the only sage that stays clear cut as strictly physical. In the ending with all them overlooking the Celebration, I've always interpreted it as their Spirits watching over their Kingdom.

 

[lord_of_flood]

At the very least, Nabooru isn't dead. I don't know why people in this thread keep thinking Twinrova killed her; she only got spirited away. The first time (when you're a child), she was brainwashed, and after 7 years had passed, inhabited the suit of an Iron Knuckle. When you defeat said Iron Knuckle as an adult, she comes out and wonders what she had been doing the whole time, only to get spirited away again (it's highly unlikely that she got killed here because the Twinrova sisters mentioned that they wanted to brainwash her again).

I'm guessing that for most of the Sages, they merely got sealed away by the dungeon's boss somehow, which is similar to what happened to the 7 Maidens in ALttP. If the Sages were actually dead, then Link would have needed to find successors, like what happened in The Wind Waker.

Rauru is the only weird one though. I'm pretty sure he's the only one that legitimately died, but somehow reincarnated into Kaepora Gaebora so that he could continue to do his duties as a Sage in the Sacred Realm. There's probably some weird mumbo-jumbo that allows this to happen, and I don't want to try and explain that.

 

[Garlador]

I've always felt that for them to reach their Sage-hood, they had to transcend the physical realm by death. The way they manifest themselves and just appear in Ganon's Castle when you clear each section, is more of a spiritual appearance than physical. Zelda is the only sage that stays clear cut as strictly physical. In the ending with all them overlooking the Celebration, I've always interpreted it as their Spirits watching over their Kingdom.

Perhaps.

Again, sages like Nabooru are outright stated to be alive; Twinrova explicitly says they want to keep her alive. You also never come across any bodies in the temples. I always took that to mean they got "summoned" as sages and vanished, instead of meeting an untimely demise.

And, again, not a single solitary one of them ever mentions anything about death. When you encounter the spirits of the beyond in Majora's Mask, they are very, very clear about their regrets and their passing. When you meet dead sages in Wind Waker, they are very clear that their lives were taken from them.

But I don't see someone like Impa hiding this from Link. Impa tells Link to look after and protect Zelda, not because she's passed on, but because her duty as a sage requires her to stay where she's at and guard the temple. I don't see her mincing words; she wasn't that type.

I think they aren't "dead", but rather they did what you described; they ascended. They're like King Daphnes in Wind Waker - he's not really dead, but he's not exactly material either. He can project himself into the King of Red Lions, but he can also perish. It's similar to Rauru being a being of spirit and energy, but not dead, who can materialize as the owl in Ocarina of Time. He can still die, and never truly "died" in the first place, but ascended to a higher state of being.

 

[PSqueak]

On a semi-related note, the thing about Kokiri dying if they leave the forest isn't true right? Since Mido was in the ranch during the ending. Maybe the Deku tree just told them that to keep them from leaving.

I always assumed the Kokiri "died" if they went out of the forest in the sense that they would age if they went out of the forest and thus eventually die.

 

[espher]

It's tough to say because there are plausible death options for all of them.

Could be like extraplanar creatures in many D&D settings' lore, where they can "die" on the prime plane (in that they can't manifest/exist there for a long time) but are only truly dead if the are killed on their home planes. So they died, then "awoke" in the Sacred Realm, and continue to live out their lives there. Perhaps they can manifest in some limit capacity, like Rauru, or the ending cinematic. It could also just be a straight-up ascension thing - the tone in a lot of the messages/dialogue, combined with things we DO know, makes this seem less likely to me, but it's still possible. Perhaps they had to find some means to ascend, and perhaps death was one of those means.

I always assumed the Kokiri "died" if they went out of the forest in the sense that they would age if they went out of the forest and thus eventually die.

The "forest spirit dies if away from the forest for a long period" trope is definitely a thing.

 

[Already Torn]

The sages from Link Between Worlds are the same type. Why do we have to rescue new ones if the ones from before them could do it? Why did those ones have to be awakened if the ones from OoT could do it? Sages have to be alive.

Link Between Worlds takes place after Link died like all of the other sages and never got the chance to awaken them.

 

[Kinsei]

Link Between Worlds takes place after Link died like all of the other sages and never got the chance to awaken them.

Link dies after awakening all of the sages since Ganondorf wouldn't be able to obtain the other two pieces of the triforce otherwise.

 

[Junahu]

Link dies after awakening all of the sages since Ganondorf wouldn't be able to obtain the other two pieces of the triforce otherwise.

Link and Zelda received their Triforce pieces the moment Ganondorf touched the Triforce, rescuing the sages is entirely unrelated to that.

Then again, the very idea that there's even a "Link dies" timeline in OoT is so incredibly stupid that I'm flabberghasted it's actual canon. Anything is possible at this point.

 

[Already Torn]

Link dies after awakening all of the sages since Ganondorf wouldn't be able to obtain the other two pieces of the triforce otherwise.

He gets one from Zelda and the other from Link. No sages needed.

 

[SkyOdin]

How are Darunia and Nabooru alive though?

One went after Volvagia without any means of actually attacking it and then is never seen in person again. Nabooru is brainwashed and turned into a zombie, and then killed by Link.

Darunia probably just fell into the lava and got stuck or something. Gorons are pratically immortal, considering some of the stuff you see them survive in Twilight Princess. Sure, Volvagia is credited with killing some, but Darunia isn't your average Goron either.

And Nabooru was clearly alive in the Spirit Palace. She was just brainwashed, not turned into a zombie or spirit or anything.

 

[Lights and Waves]

I think they were meant to be dead, but Twilight Princess kind of retconned it when Ganondorf killed the Water Sage. Or maybe that was a whole different thing in itself.

 

[Kinsei]

Link and Zelda received their Triforce pieces the moment Ganondorf touched the Triforce, rescuing the sages is entirely unrelated to that.

Then again, the very idea that there's even a "Link dies" timeline in OoT is so incredibly stupid that I'm flabberghasted it's actual canon. Anything is possible at this point.

He gets one from Zelda and the other from Link. No sages needed.

The only person that knew Link has the piece of courage is Zelda until Link rescues all of the sages. Ganondorf would have no reason to go after Link personally unless it was near the end of the game after Link rescued all of the sages.

 

[The Spoony Hou]

The credits show that they are still alive and back to their normal lives.

Zelda's overall continuity and attempt to connect each game with each other is a giant clusternut.

It might be like an out of body experience: their spirit went to the spirit realm, but their body is still alive, as long as they return to it before it eventually dies. Of course, Zelda being Zelda, the bodies are probably safe somewhere, like wherever the heck Link's body was during the timeskip in Ocarina.