The Links canonically have a father, whose name we don't know. We see the other Knights of Hyrule a few times in the manga, but only two are named: Artura and Valensuela. We only know that Link's father is the captain of the Knights of Hyrule and that Artura is his top knight.
Likewise, we meet the Shrine Maidens as early as chapter 1 of the manga, but we know little about them. We only know each of them as "[Color] Maiden", and we only know the (assumed) hometown of the Blue Maiden. The Links only personally talk to the Blue and Yellow Maidens one-on-four. We know that they possess special magical powers, such as creating fairies to help the Links and renewing the seal on the Four Sword.
We know the least about Arcy. She is the castle cook who views Link as a generally good kid. That's pretty much all we know about her, to be honest. I think she may be tied with Jago for the canon character with a name who we know the least about.
I'm sure that, to most fans, this is all we need to know about the Knights of Hyrule, Shrine Maidens, and Arcy. After all, the Links are the main appeal of this manga for many readers. In spite of this, I've developed basic personal details for some Knights of Hyrule, each Shrine Maiden, and Arcy over the years.
I've even gone so far as to headcanon that certain Knights and certain Maidens become pseudo-adoptive parents for certain Links, partially so that Link's father isn't alone in raising five children and also partially because it is fun to think of how the kids' personalities mesh with those of their new parents.
This scenario does not relinquish all custody of a Link to his new parents. Link's father is still the Links' legal father in addition to their biological one.
It's more like the new parents help give personalized, one-on-one care to each Link. Even Zelda gets a new mother, which is how I handle the fact that we never see the king or queen of Hyrule in canon. Also, the Knight and Maiden taking care of each Link are not dating; they just share care of their Link with Link's father.
As for Arcy, I've decided to make her the adoptive parent of the girl that she is seen fleeing with in canon. I've given the girl a name and a backstory, which I'll include in the section about Arcy. Arcy herself has also been given a backstory and personality.
I have had these headcanons for so long that I casually refer to them when I speak about the manga.
I am fully aware that these ideas are not canon, and I would never assert that they are - but I still love talking about them. That's why I've made this page.
I hope I can provide context to make my ideas more easy to understand.
I will include images for some characters, as certain characters are not easily recognizable to most fans or are not named at all in canon.
Use the links below to navigate the page.
Knights of Hyrule
Shrine Maidens
Arcy and Keina
I have personally named Link's father Leonel. I think his facial hair reminded me of a lion's mane, so I went with Leonel. Leon sounded too short and modern for him.
All canon information about him still applies: he is the Captain of the Knights of Hyrule and guards the green Royal Jewel.
He is sometimes strict, but he loves his son dearly. He is extremely loyal to the Hylian royal family as well as his fellow knights.
Moving on to my headcanons: he was married to Link's mother, who died during childbirth. He has not really fallen in love with anyone since he met, and subsequently lost, Link's mother.
He had a short relationship with Wes before he met Link's mother. The relationship didn't work out because Wes wanted to move faster than Leonel did.
Leonel is a little stressed about suddenly having five sons, which is why he has enlisted other Knights of Hyrule and the Shrine Maidens for help raising them. He is trying to raise the Links to be kind but strong and to raise them in a way that would make Link's mother happy.
All canon information about Valensuela still applies: he is a Knight of Hyrule who guards the blue Royal Jewel. He fought Green while he was possessed by the dark side in the Zuna(?) Pyramid. He is wise and calm.
In my headcanons, Valensuela volunteered to help take care of Green, as he felt a special connection with the boy due to their encounters at the Zuna(?) Pyramid and Palace of Winds. He taught Green how to play the piano.
He is currently dating Artura, and he is Erune's uncle/the brother of Erune's mother. He calls Artura "Artie".
In keeping with the canon of The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Adventures, he has blue hair.
The name "Lucien" is a name chosen for the canon character pictured below. All canon information about Lucien still applies: he is a Knight of Hyrule who guards the red Royal Jewel.
In my headcanons, Lucien helps take care of Red.
He is relaxed and casual in most situations, mostly because he is often very sleepy. Even so, he is ready to do anything Red needs or wants him to do, though he needs to make himself get up from wherever he is napping first. He calls Red "squirt" or "little dude" affectionately.
He has a rivalry with Artura, often saying he's too short and that he can't see or hear him.
In keeping with the canon of The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Adventures, he has red hair. He inherited his red hair from his mother, who is a Gerudo woman.
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The name "Wes" is a name chosen for the canon character pictured below. All canon information about Wes still applies: he is a Knight of Hyrule who guards the purple Royal Jewel.
In my headcanons, Wes helps take care of Blue.
He is flirtatious, energetic, and fun to be around, though he is sometimes airheaded.
He is currently in a relationship with Selenas, though he used to date Leonel before Leonel met Link's mother.
He and Blue mesh really well together because they act in similar ways, and Blue calls Wes his "cool dad" as opposed to his "normal dad", Leonel. Sometimes, other knights comment that Wes acts more like a teenager than an adult, but Wes is very capable in battle and knows when to act serious.
In keeping with the canon of The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Adventures, he has purple hair.
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All canon information about Artura still applies: he is a Knight of Hyrule and Leonel's Top Knight.
In my headcanons, Artura helps take care of Vio.
He never takes his armor off (this is somewhat of a running gag); only Valensuela really knows what he looks like. He is dating Valensuela and will be Erune's uncle-in-law when he and Valensuela get married.
Artura seems like a stone giant to most because he is quiet and still inside his armor, but if you actually talk to him, he's a major softie. He loves writing poems and saying sappy things to Valensuela. He is easily flustered about his relationship.
He has a rivalry with Lucien, often saying he's obscenely tall.
He calls Valensuela "Val".
Selenas is a name chosen for the canon character pictured below. As canon states, he is a Knight of Hyrule.
In my headcanons, Selenas helps take care of Shadow.
He is much stricter than Leonel, but he is not mean. He is a no-nonsense kind of person who takes everything seriously, and he gives his best effort in everything he does. He is a dedicated rule-follower, though he also has morals and knows when to disobey a rule if the rule harms innocent people.
His personality clashes with Shadow's a lot, but he does love Shadow a lot, and he is always willing to do whatever he has to do to help raise and support his son.
He is dating Wes, which he is slightly shy about due to Wes' personality being so different from his. Even so, he is very happy in the relationship.
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In my headcanons, Green Maiden takes care of Green.
She is a caring, selfless botanist who grows many plants in her section of the Maidens' convent.
She wears a hood for religious reasons.
In my headcanons, Red Maiden takes care of Red.
She is a cheerful woman who designs both clothes and furniture. She can also sew the clothes she designs. In addition to designing furniture, she is an interior designer and can coordinate spaces well.
She wears her hair in pigtails to be cute and trendy.
Her mother is a Gerudo woman, and her father is a Hylian man. She is teaching Red what she knows about Gerudo culture and language.
In my headcanons, Blue Maiden takes care of Blue.
She is an oracle of sorts who can do divinations and other kinds of fortune telling. She is especially versed in magic compared to the other Maidens.
She is also sporty; you can find her running laps outside most mornings. (Sometimes, Blue comes along.)
In my headcanons, Purple Maiden takes care of Vio.
She is a former assassin-turned-Maiden who is skilled in making potions (and poisons) and using knives and bows for combat.
She is very calm but also mysterious, often making vague threats with a pleasant smile. She doesn't actually mean these threats (most of the time) and mostly says them to tease people who know she used to be an assassin.
She is teaching Vio her assassin knowledge in the hopes that Vio can become a knight who specializes in assassin work. In the meantime, she is also teaching him how to craft potions and poisons.
In my headcanons, White Maiden takes care of Shadow.
She is a counselor of sorts who helps people with processing their emotions and relaxation through methods like meditation.
She is a very empathetic, peaceful, and gentle person.
She speaks somewhat slowly and acts just as slowly, as she feels that rushing through life is an unnecessary stress. At the same time, she understands that some problems cannot be solved with just encouraging words, and she genuinely tries to help everyone in whatever way they need.
She recently has been challenged by Shadow's mental and emotional needs, but she finds helping him very rewarding and loves him dearly.
In my headcanons, Yellow Maiden takes care of Zelda.
She is a magic researcher with a special focus on magical gems. She has the least magical talent of all of the Maidens, but she can use magical items most efficiently to counter this.
The canon information about Arcy still applies: she is the cook of Hyrule Castle and has a generally positive view of Link.
In my headcanons, Arcy is a former Knight of Hyrule who has become the castle cook after a series of tragic events.
Arcy was in Leonel's squad of knights as the Top Knight; the title was given to Artura after she renounced her role as a knight and became a cook.
Arcy was in love with one of her friends, but the friend didn't return her feelings and eventually married another knight.
The friend's husband died in battle sometime after they were married but before his wife could give birth. Arcy's friend, meanwhile, died during childbirth.
Though Arcy was heartbroken about the loss of her friend, she decided to stay strong for her and vowed to raise the child like they were her own.
Because the child was born frail and sickly, and because Arcy would be raising them all on her own, she quit her role as a knight and became the castle cook. This way, the child could stay at the castle, and Arcy would never be required to leave the castle for a mission.
Arcy is headstrong, reliable, and generous. If she offers to cook you something, she won't let you object, and she absolutely will not let you pay her (that's Zelda's job).
She spoils her daughter in any way she can, and though she finds it troublesome when the Links try to steal snacks from the kitchen, she just drives them out with vague, playful shouts and lets them eat their snacks anyway.
She keeps up with the Knights of Hyrule despite technically not being a knight anymore, and she sometimes offers ideas to Leonel or Zelda.
The Knights of Hyrule are very protective of Arcy because of her history with them as well as her delicious meals; she can defend herself if necessary, as she has not forgotten her training, but she enjoys the way that the knights band together to threaten someone who is rude to her.
She wishes she could go on missions even now, and she may take up the role of a knight again once her daughter is old enough to take care of herself all the time, but for now she is happy as a cook.
Keina is the name chosen for the canon character shown below. She was seen fleeing with Arcy from Hyrule Castle after Shadow Link raided it.
Keina is the daughter of Arcy's beloved friend, who died during childbirth. She has congenital muscular dystrophy, so she tends to stay indoors often for fear of falling.
She is a very sweet and thoughtful girl who loves to craft things with her hands.
She is friends with Zelda (and later Erune) and plays with her often because the two of them are confined to the castle most of the time. She is friends with the Links as well, though she does not get to spend as much time with them as she does with Zelda because they go on missions.
Because she does not get to go outside often, she sometimes feels lonely, even when she is playing with other children. She loves when the Links or Zelda take her for walks or picnics outside, as she loves fresh air and sunlight.
wants to learn how to cook, like her mother, and Arcy is teaching her cooking techniques over time.
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