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Hylians are a recurring race in The Legend of Zelda series. They are an elf-like people with pointed ears. Although Hylians strongly resemble humans, they possess a magic infused blood that gives them latent psychic ability and skill in wizardry. Hylians are said to be the messengers of the gods and their pointed ears enable them to receive telepathic messages from otherworldly beings, they can even see certain spiritual and magical beings, like Fairies and Koroks that are all but invisible to ordinary folk. Founders of the land of Hyrule, the Hylian people have long been the guardians of the sacred Triforce, protecting it from demonic forces that seek to eradicate humanity. Hylians have appeared in every Zelda game to date and every incarnation of its two main protagonists Link and Princess Zelda are Hylians.

In The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword it's said that Hylians were created by Hylia, the Goddess of Light who protected the Triforce in ancient times. Hylians themselves are descended from humans who lived among the Goddess before the demon king, Demise's invasion destroyed the world, wiping out a majority of their population and rendered the land's surface almost uninhabitable. Hylia took the few surviving people and casted them into the heavens along with the Triforce, using the last of her power to protect them from Demise's rampage, creating the floating island of Skyloft. Over time these humans changed physically into their current in order to better function as the new guardians of the Triforce. At the end of the game, Demise's defeat pushed back the demonic hordes and allowed humans to once again live on the surface.

Although Hylians are physically similar to elves and possess an elf-like connection to magic, they are not immortal nor or they particularly long-lived, attributes commonly attributed to elves in fantasy. Their lifespan and physical capabilities are mostly the same as humans and they are largely treated as stand-ins for humans in the realm of Hyrule, to the point that most non-Hylian races use the words "Hylian" and "Human" interchangeably. Non pointy-eared humans do exist in the Zelda series, though they are rare. Typically, they are found in lands and realms far from Hyrule such as Koholint Island, Labrynna, Holodrum and Hytopia.

History[]

The Legend of Zelda[]

A Hylian named Link defeats Ganon and rescues Zelda.

Zelda II: The Adventure of Link[]

A Hylian named Link has rescued the Princess Zelda, but now he must figure out how to revive her from her sleep. Eventually, Link defeats Ganon for a second time.

The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past[]

A second Hylian man named Link in another country named Hyrule. He will have to defeat the forces of evil led by Agahnim. Agahnim is defeatedd but he succeeds in Destroying Hyrule with a curse. The quest continues until the curse over Hyrule is broken.

Culture[]

Hylian clothing and architecture strongly resembles medieval Europe particularly during the 13th 14th and 15th centuries. The royal family of Hyrule is descended from the goddess Hylia and possess latent light magic, which allows them to protect the kingdom and keep demonic forces at bay. The government itself is a Federal Monarchy with a largely decentralized government allowing Hyrule's king to coexists with that of independent monarchs or other types of rulers of different species and regions. This has allowed the Kingdom of Hyrule to unify largely independent groups and forge strong alliances with races such as the Goron, Zora, Rito and Sheikah.

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